IELTS SPEAKING TOPIC: HOBBY AND LIFESTYLE

Sample & Mock Test

Part One

I like traveling to new places when the condition allows me to do that. Otherwise I will enjoy reading book while listening to a classical music.

I used to play tennis as a hobby… But a few months ago my family moved to a new place, and there were no tennis courts nearby... That's why I took up wrestling... But I still play tennis every once in a while.

I like different kind of movies but I suppose comedies are my favorite. Although serious movies are great, sometimes you get to the weekend and just need a laugh. Even the dumbest of comedies can wash away the stress of a difficult week.

I like different kind of TV programs but I suppose comedies are my favorite. When I watch TV, I dont like to think too much, I just like to feel good.

Absolutely, I used to watch movie on TV whose genre or schedule doesn't suit my preference occasionally. But with some streaming services like Netflix or Disney hotstar, I'm able to watch whatever and whenever I want.

Yes, without a doubt. I like different music genres and I listen to various tunes almost every day... I do not like elevator music, though... It makes me bored and annoyed.

It depends on what mood I’m in but generally, I like easy listeningalthough I am a massive fan of country music and play this genre more than any other.

I’m not really into jazz. It’s just not my taste in music, especially when the musicians improvise. It sounds like they are all playing different tunes and there’s no harmony.

I love listening to live music and go to local gigs at least once a month. I only go to concerts by top bands once in a blue moon as I live a long way from the big music venues.

No, not really... I took singing classes when I was younger, but, unfortunately, I am tone deaf, so I can't sing very well.

I was a vocalist in my church music group for several years and also sang in the choir when I was in school.

Folk music and Morris dancing are both traditional in the UK. The music for this type of dancing is often played on the fiddle and accordion, with a drum to give the dancers a good rhythm and beat.

No, I can't... Although I enjoy music and listen to classical music every now and then, I'm not obsessed with it.

Yes, absolutely! A great way to relax to learn something new is to peruse a book... I'm so addicted to reading that sometimes I can't even fall asleep without an hour of bedtime reading.

No, not really... If I have some free time, I'd rather read an interesting book... Books leave us a lot of space for imagination, while in movies everything is spelled out for us... That's why I find films boring.

The last book I've read is "Theatre" written by William Somerset Maugham ... and I absolutely enjoyed it! Maugham is my favourite writer of all time and I've read his novel from cover to cover in 2 days... I was truly captivated by the characters and the unravelling of the plot.

Quite often, to be honest... I like catching the latest movies with my friends, so we go to the cinema almost every week. I especially like action movies and sci-fi films..

Yes, I love that it allows me to wake up quickly and be on the ball at work.

Yes, I have a knack for it. 
No, I am hopeless at it.

Oh, I adore different meat plates… My mouth is watering whenever I see roast beef, grilled chicken or pork chops… However, I don’t like to cook… That's why I often eat ready meals and take-aways.

Well, I try to dinner with my family as often as possible… Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time for such dinners due to my busy schedule.

I usually have main meal at about 4 p.m. … I'm starving hungry by then and sometimes overeat myself...

Yes, there are… I’m not a fussy eater, but I really hate onions and seafood, I try to avoid meals that might contain these products.

Well, I love French cuisine for its versatility and flavorful ingredients.... French cuisine has a variety of dishes, starting from their famous onion soup and ending with cheese fondue... Also, it rarely uses artificial ingredients or flavors.

I try very hard to have a healthy diet, even when I eat out at a restaurant. I rarely buy takeaways and when I go out with friends for fish and chips, I only have the fish with some peas.

Fortunately, I’m very healthy and rarely get ill, although I occasionally catch a cold in the winter.

Well, actually I do... When I'm stressed, I bite my lips and pick my nails. Moreover, I used to smoke cigarettes a few years ago, but hopefully I managed to break this habit.

I try to eat healthy food and do regular exercises... Also, I think it's very important to develop a healthy lifestyle and stick to it... For example, I try to avoid eating junk food

--------------------------------

I eat a balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and take some form of exercise every day. I also make sure that I get enough sleep.

I really want to take up yoga because I often feel stiff after exercise and I think it would help. It would also make me more flexible and less likely to get injured when I work out.

Hm... It's an interesting question... To be honest, I believe that it is crucial to do both in order to be healthy... However, if I had to choose only one option, I would choose eating healthy food, because otherwise, the risk of developing a chronic disease of digestive system increases.

It’s one of the most important things for me because I want to feel good and to enjoy life. If you don’t have good health then everything else in life is a struggle.

Keeping fit is very important part of my life. In fact, my friends would say I’m a bit of a fitness fanatic. It helps to keep me healthy and I also work out to be in good shape for taking part in my sport of rowing.

I do several things to keep fit. I take weight training classes, go jogging, train on the water with my rowing crew and walk my dog twice a day.

I’m a great sports fan. I sometimes watch on it TV but I prefer actually taking part in sport.

Sport was my favourite thing at school. In the autumn and spring terms I played hockey and during the summer months we did athletics. I even enjoyed cross-country running which most people hated.

There used to be a serious problem with football fans getting involved in fights both inside and outside stadiums but a lot has been done to stop this happening. It’s much safer to go to matches now and they have become family events again.

I don't prefer a specific kind of sport, but I really like working out in the gym… That helps me to keep my body in a good shape… A few years ago I had a sports coach, but now I developed my own fitness program and train alone.

Yes, sure! I have a lot of spare time during weekends and I do javelin on Saturdays… In summertime I also go cycling with my friends... Generally, I don’t like staying at home all day... I prefer active rest.

Yes, I love that it allows me to connect with my family and friends at a press of a button.

I love going shopping, especially bargain hunting in the sales. Every few months I go into the city on a shopping spree with my friend.

I go to the supermarket once a week for my groceries, although I buyall my meat from the local butcher. When I go into town, I always have a browse around the department stores.

I’ve noticed that the supermarket seems to sell a wider range of goodsand services every year. They now even have their own pharmacy. I think that the main difference in the department store in an improvement in their customer service.

Yes, I do enjoy shopping online. You have so much choice on the internet and it’s easy to shop around. Also, you can purchase things immediately and they are often delivered the next day. It’s much quicker than waiting until you have time to go into town.

I purchase books, electrical goods, gifts, stationery and, in fact, most everyday products on the internet. It’s really only clothes and shoes that I always buy on the high street as I like to try them on first.

No, because I'm afraid if the clothes wont fit me. With online shopping, we can't try before we buy and feel the material. My friends sometimes share their experiences when the clothes they bought online did not meet their expectation. And when they want to return the item, they need to pay for the delivery service. It seems a little less convenient.

More so these days. My country wouldnt be very high in the list of International Fashion hotspots, but I notice people following certain trends more. Recently, pastel tones has become the fashion trends that seen splashed every where.

Yes, what I like most about it is it's so interesting. For example, last week I read an article about solar panels and how we can use them to protect our planet.

E.

Part Two

You should say:
What is it
When do you go there 
What do you do there
and say why do you like it
I would like to talk about my local gym that I visit three times a week... It’s a new sports centre with the latest fitness equipment… It has everything you would ever need to keep fit: treadmills, various dumbbells and exercisers for different muscle groups. Moreover, it offers a wide range of different classes for every taste... I developed my own strength-building strategy, so usually I start with a short warm-up when I jog on the treadmill for a few minutes to sweat... Then, I go to the weights sections and start doing lifting exercises... Finally, I end my workout with stretching... I try not to miss my trainings, because they help me to relax and forget about the daily routine.

You should say:
Where is it
What kind of food it serves 
Why do like its food
and how often do you eat there
I would like to talk about a nice little restaurant in a walking distance of my apartment called "La Pasta"… It is situated on the ancient street in the old city centre... This restaurant serves various meals of  Italian cuisine that I enjoy… For example, they serve extremely delicious pasta, pizza and tomato soup... I particularly love their pasta... It is very versatile food, and can be made in many ways... I general, I love Italian food because it is all about fresh, flavorful ingredients... That's why I eat in that restaurant every now and then with my family and friends… Although it’s not cheap, its quality justifies the bill.

You should say:
How did you find them
What kind of music do they play
When do you listen to them
And say why you like them so much
I really enjoy listening to Maroon 5... I found this music band a few years ago, when I was looking for some pop music on the Internet... And, immediately after listening to the few of their songs, I fell in love with this awesome band... Their music is very catchy and tuneful at the same time. I especially like this band for their driving rhythms... As of today, I have gone to a few of their concerts and have their posters all over my wall. I listen to their songs when I'm upset or stressed out... They always cheer me up... Also, one of their songs, namely"Payphone", is set as a ringtone on my phone

--------------------------------

I like many different groups but the one that comes top of my list has to be Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

I first heard their music way back in 1980. I had a boyfriend who had one of their albums and I was a fan from the first track I heard. I’ve been listening to them ever since. The song that really hooked me was “The River”. It’s still one of my favourite songs of all time. It has a slow, haunting melody and beautiful lyrics.

In those days, very few people in my country had heard of Bruce Springsteen but all these years later his band are often on tour here and they play sellout concerts around the world. His nickname is “The Boss” which shows how much people respect him and his great music.

Although the E Street Band are essentially a rock band, there are strong influences of folk, rock and roll, blues and country in their music which helps then appeal to a wide audience.

I was once given two tickets to one of the band’s concerts at Cardiff Arms Park rugby stadium; a great venue. They were a Christmas present and I took my sister along with me. It’s the only time I’ve seen them at a live gig but it’s an event I shall never forget. What a wonderful experience. We sang along to all the songs.

The highlight of the show was when they performed “The River. At the end, the band stopped playing and Bruce led the audience in singing thechorus over and over again. It was amazing and a very special moment. I actually found it quite moving as that was the song that had started me as a fan all those years ago and there I was singing it with him. There was silence when it finally ended and then the applause started and went on for what seemed like forever.

It’s hard to put in words why I like Bruce Springsteen and his band so much. I think it’s because their lyrics are so real while most of the songshave a strong melody that stirs your soul. That’s the best way I can put it.

You should say:
What was it
When you read or saw it
How it influenced you
And say if you liked it and why.
A book that I'd like to talk about is called "Flowers for Algernon" written by Daniel Keyes. You won't believe, but I picked up this novel from a shelf in a bookstore because it had a beautiful cover! Although a proverb says "don't judge a book by its cover", I did exactly the opposite... and the book turned out to be one of the greatest things I've ever read... In fact, this novel is very intense and thought-provoking... It is set in form of diary entries of the protagonist - mentally-disabled man Charlie, whose IQ changes after brain surgery... It drastically changed the way I looked at how intelligence influences people's attitude to others and to the world in general. Also, I had to overthink how many boundaries does new knowledge open and how mentally disabled people are treated in the society... In general, the book was somewhat tear-jerking for me, but I still highly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a powerful and inspirational read.

You should say:
What was it
When did it happen
How did you (or your friend) handled it
and say how do you feel about it now.
I would like to talk about a car accident that happened to me a few years ago and resulted in serious injuries... It was a horrible experience that I would not want to relive ... my family was driving home, when a big truck crashed into our passenger car. After the accident I blacked out and was transported to the hospital. When I regained consciousness, I discovered that I had five broked bones, several ruptures and many cuts and bruises. To restore the collarbone and leg bone, I had to go through operations, during which metal rods were put onto these bones to fix them... Not surprisingly, I was in a severe pain, so physicians prescribed me to take painkillers and other medicines for a couple of weeks. During my recovery, I wasn't able to walk properly and my life then was very difficult. But after several months of proper treatment and physical therapy I fully recovered ... I even took up karate soon after! Although the illness was definitely not a pleasant experience, I am very happy and grateful that now I am healthy... Probably, I leaned to value health and became stronger.

You should say:
what it is
why you decided to do it
how you have benefitted from it
and explain why you would recommend it to otherst.

I often make changes to my lifestyle to try and look after my health but the one I’d like to tell you about is cutting down on how much meat I eat.

There’s been a lot of stuff in the media about how unhealthy it is to eat too much meat, especially red meat and processed meat. I was already fairly healthy and ate a balanced diet, but when I took up a new sport, which involved vigorous exercise, I started to think that maybe I should try to cut down on it a little. I was particularly concerned about the increased risk of heart disease and of having a stroke. I know a healthy diet can help to prevent these.

I started by cutting out meat one day a week and making a vegetarian meal instead. This was easy so I started doing it twice a week and then for three days. Soon I began to look forward to my non-meat days as I was discovering many delicious foods that I’d never tried before. I also started to eat more fish which has many health benefits.

Within two months I’d lost nearly half a stone in weight. Although I hadn’t actually had a weight problem, it was a nice surprise. Even better, my cholesterol level went down which I was especially pleased about. I certainly felt as fit as a fiddle. Many of my friends who still eat lots of red meat suffer from high cholesterol and I’m sure there’s a connection.

Over time, I’ve found that the less meat I eat, the less I want to eat, and I’m now down to just cooking meat dishes at the weekends. Maintaining this diet is made easier by the fact that I live on my own so can cook and eat whatever I want to without being influenced by anyone else. If I had to cook a chicken casserole or steak pie for my family I don’t think I’d be strong enough to resist eating it myself.

I don’t think I’ll ever cut out meat altogether as I enjoy it too much. I can say, however, that going partly vegetarian has definitely saved me money as meat has gone steadily up in price over the past few years. For this reason, as well as all the others I’ve mentioned, I would definitely recommend cutting down on meat.

You should say:
what club it is
when you joined
why you joined
and explain the benefits of belonging to your club.

I belong to Barnstaple Pilot Gig Club. It’s a rowing club but we row a very special type of boat called a pilot gig. They’re traditional wooden boats, about 30 foot long and with six rowers and a cox. In the old days, these gigs would have been used to take a pilot out to sailing ships coming into port and they were also used as lifeboats. Now gig rowing has become a competitive sport which is gradually growing in popularity.

I joined the club when it started back in 2010. I’d wanted to row pilot gigs from the age of 12 when my family started taking holidays in the Isles of Scilly where gig races between the islanders took place every Friday evening in the summer. I loved going out on the passenger boats to watch and cheer on the crews. As soon as I heard about a gig club starting in my own town I jumped at the chance to join.

Back when I was young, I never imagined that one day I’d be racing in the Pilot Gig World Championships in the Isles of Scilly but I’ve done so with my club several times now. It’s an amazing experience with over 140 boats taking part. …a bit different to all those years ago when I used to watch just seven or eight boats racing while on my holidays.

Although we mostly row on the river, we also train on the sea to prepare us for rowing in competitions. We compete in regattas all year round but the main season is from March to September.

Rowing is very strenuous exercise and you need a high level of aerobic fitness as well as strength. We train hard both on the water and in the gym and I really enjoy working out and training with the other club members. We’re all close friends and often enjoy social activities together. I’d go as far as to say that the club is my social life as well as my sport.

I guess that sums up the main benefits of belonging to my club. It contributes so much to both my physical and mental well-being that I can’t imagine it not being a part of my life.

I particularly like browsing shops that sell outdoor wear, things like waterproof jackets, walking boots, hiking trousers and rucksacks. There are several in my home town but my favourite is called No Sweat. It’s an independent store and they stock all the big brand names in outdoor gear. Their goods are expensive but top quality

One reason I enjoy shopping there is their excellent customer service. The sales assistants are very helpful and do their best to advise you on the best products for your needs. They never try and give you the hard sell and will recommend a different brand that they don’t sell if they think it would suit you better.

They are extremely knowledgeable about outdoor gear, which is more than can be said of the shop assistants in similar stores in town. The other retail outlets are chain stores and they don’t give you the same personal service or feeling of confidence that they really know what they’re talking about.

I can’t say that I go to No Sweat very often but I always pop in for a spot of bargain hunting if they have a sale on or if I need something in particular. I try to avoid the shop otherwise as it’s just too tempting to spend money I can’t really afford. If I want something like an expensivenew jacket, I generally save up for it.

The last time I went there was to buy a new pair of walking boots. By chance, they had an offer on a fabulous lightweight waterproof jacket in my favourite colour. It was at a real knock-down price so I just had to buy that as well. I also bought a couple of t-shirts that were reduced. It all added up to quite a lot of money but they gave me a free pair of walking socks and some stuff to clean my new boots. They usually give you free products if you make a large purchase. It makes you feel valued as a customer.

I think that’s why the shop has been so successful when most independent stores are struggling to compete with the big high street names. It’s because of the way they value their customers and give good value for money.

E.

Part Three

No, quite the opposite. In my opinion, music was a lot better back in the day... I love music from 60s and 70s... There are myriads of famous rock bands of that time that I really like... And nowadays almost every pop-song sounds boring and dull to me.

I do believe that music should be taught in schools. This is for several reasons.

Firstly, it’s important to develop children’s creativity and music is a great way to do this. They should be encouraged to learn to play a musical instrument, but it’s valuable if they just enjoy learning and singing a few songs together.

Secondly, making music is an excellent way of teaching youngster how to work together in a fun way and most of them enjoy performing to their friends.

Finally, most schools put on concerts and other musical performances. Taking part in these gives children confidence and they are an important part of the curriculum.

While older children may drop the subject for exams, having school choirs and orchestras provides other opportunities for them to continue their interest in music.

I think that listening to music can be both a social experience and a personal one. Young people in particular like chilling out with friends while listening to their favourite tracks. There’s also something special about attending a live gig with your mates and singing along to the familiar tunes with all the other fans.

I’ve only ever been to a couple of music festivals but what I remember as much as the bands and the fantastic music was the atmosphere of the events and that was created by all the people who were there.

On the other hand, you can enjoy music just as much when listening on your own. The fact that everywhere you look there are people walking around wearing earphones or headphone seems to be proof of this. So, in conclusion, I would say that while it’s nice to share music with others, it’s not especially important.

I my point of view, it all depends on a person... As for me, I enjoy listening to the music in my room, where nobody can bother me... But a lot of my friends would prefer listening to the music while travelling in public transport... This way their journey becomes more pleasant.

I think that nothing compares to a live concert! It's just magical to be on a concert in a large group of people like you, listening to the songs you know being played right in front of you… It's empowering, and completely unlike listening to recorded music.

Um... When I was a child I used to listen to the same music as my parents did… Probably, that was because we were often driving in the same car … and my parents always turned on some jazz on the radio. So I thought I was fond of jazz… But eventually I discovered other music genres and understood that I like rock music and techno much more.

That’s something I’ve never really thought about but I suppose it’s because they grew up listening to different types of music as styles change over time. 

Speaking for myself, there are many talented new bands and singers that I enjoy listening to. I often buy their albums and download them onto my MP3 player, but there’s nothing quite like the music I loved when I was in my teens. Perhaps it’s as much to do with the memories it brings back as the music itself.

That’s how I see it and I guess that many other people probably feel the same.

I believe that there are several reasons for it... First of all, watching a film on a big screen is a lot more fun than watching it at home... Not to mention the fact that you won't be able to see the movie on the DVD as soon as in the movie theater... You'll have to wait a couple of months for the DVD release of the movie... Moreover, a lot of people like the atmosphere of cinema with its half-light halls, popcorn and sound effects.

In my opinion, a paperback or hardback books are much better... Reading a book from an e-reader just doesn't feel the same for me - I adore the sensation of turning pages and that special smell of paper. I think that the look and feel of a book can never be replaced by an e-reader... But I do understand usefulness of electronic books. It is very convenient to be able to carry hundreds of books in your pocket and have a possibility to read them at any time... Also, e-readers support keyword search, which paperbacks obviously do not.

I can’t speak for everybody, but I think that cooking is more of a chore than a pleasure… But it really depends on a person… Some people might love cooking... If it is their passion or a beloved job, then it's good for them… But I’m not among those people… Personally, I prefer dining out.

I would definitely say that women go shopping more often than men and also spend longer looking for what they want. For a start, it is usually women who buy the groceries each week and also clothes for the children if they have a family. Many women I know purchase most of their husband’s clothes as well because their men hate shopping.

I think this is less the case with younger men as they are more fashion conscious and happy to hit the shops themselves. Brand namedclothes are a status symbol with the younger generation as they like to dress to impress. Men more readily pay for expensive items, especially the latest electronic gadgets, and aren’t too bothered about discounts.

For women, shopping is often a social activity done with friends. It’s common to go window shopping and my sister’s idea of a fun morning is browsing the second-hand shops in town. You never see men doing either of these things.

I think it varies very much from person to person. On the one hand, there’s an increasing number of people who choose to buy their meat and vegetables from farm shops rather than supermarkets. This is partly to support the local economy but also because they are concerned that transporting produce around the world is contributing to global warming.

Unfortunately, supermarket products are often cheaper despite having travelled many miles to the shops. For example, I live in the countryside and can see sheep out of my window and yet it’s cheaper to buy lamb from New Zealand, 11,000 miles away, than it is to purchase local lamb.

So, on the other hand, you have people on a low budget who are forced to buy cheaper supermarket imports even if they don’t want to.

With most goods other than food, there’s often little choice but to buyforeign imports as most things in the shops come from abroad.

In my opinion, unnecessary purchases are made for several reasons. Firstly, many people, especially the younger generation, like to have the latest gadgets and fashions so they quickly discard old stuff. We have become a real throwaway society. Also, they want to have the same products as their friends whether they need them or not.

Secondly, these days we tend to have more spare cash to buy luxuriesthat our parents would not have been able to afford at our age.

Finally, I think that aggressive advertising convinces people that they need things that they don’t and, of course, the internet encourages impulse buying as shopping online is so quick and easy.

The best approach for this problem is to strike a balance between junk food and healthy food… You can eat unhealthy ever so rarely, if you manage to eat nutritious products the majority of the time… I eat junk food myself, by I try not to abuse my health.

I don’t really know, but I’m leaning towards a negative answer… People are often lazy when chosing their meals… They try to catch a snack to restrain their hunger… But it is neither healthy nor enjoyable.

Yes, definitely… Sport should be an essential part of everyone’s life. Not only is it good for your health, but it also helps you to be in a good mood… So people should certainly train more.

In my view, there are many great health benefits to be gained from taking part in sports activities. Firstly, it helps you to stay physically fit and healthy, and to lose weight if that’s a problem.

Secondly, it’s good for your mental health as it can help to relieve stress and improve work-life balance. I find this myself. I can have a really difficult day at work but when I go out training on the river with my rowing crew in the evening, that stress disappears.

Finally, playing a sport is an excellent way of making new friends as you meet like-minded people who share your interest. Having good friends around you is also good for your mental health. If you play a team sport, training with your teammates pushes you to get fitter, so that’s an added advantage, and it’s fun to work out together.

In my point of view, everybody should start with light trainings, maybe  jogging or brisk walk every day... It is better to avoid strenuous exercises for the first couple of months, so powerlifting is definitely out of the question.

It is a tough question… I would say, the main reason is it's hard to find your perfect kind of sport… if you don’t like football or basketball it doesn't mean you won't enjoy cricket, for example… It's important not to fear trial-and-error method and you’ll inevitably find your ideal sport.

In my opinion, the majority of adults in the UK definitely don’t get enough exercise. You only have to look around at the level of obesity to see that this is true. I’d go as far as to say that the majority of people are very out of condition and never do any strenuous exercise.

I really don’t understand why this is the case. There’s more knowledge than ever before about the advantages to both physical and mental health of keeping fit, and the negative effects of not taking enough exercise are well-known.

Every town has a range of sports facilities including fitness centres, gyms and swimming pool for people to use. Or they could just walk more or maybe cycle to work. There really isn’t any excuse not to take at least some exercise every day.

Many doctor’s surgeries even run their own fitness programmes or will recommend some that you can join to help you get in shape. I wish more people would take their fitness seriously and take advantage of the opportunities to stay healthy.

Yes, I definitely think it’s important for children to take part in competitive sports at school. In recent years there’s been a trend of having non-competitive sports days so that less sporty kids can take part without always being the loser. I disagree with this.

I was good at sport and it was the only thing I really achieve a high level of success in at school. This was extremely important to me, so it works both ways. Life is competitive and schools need to help children to cope with this.

I’m not saying that those children who hate sport and always fail at it should put through this negative experience. Rather, I think schools need to rethink how sport is taught. There is such a huge range of sporting activities to choose from these days that I truly believe there’s something every child can enjoy participating in. Schools need to provide the opportunities.

I think there are several major benefits of international sporting competitions. Firstly, it helps to build relationships between people of different nationalities and cultures. This is so important in our divided world. While the competitors may be rivals during competitions, there is friendship when the contest is over. You can see this and the respect they have for each other when you watch big sporting events on TV.

Secondly, when top international athletes compete together, they motivate and inspire each other. This is why new world records are often set at events such as the Olympics and many athletes achieve personal bests.

Finally, international sporting events encourage people to get involved in sport themselves, especially the younger generation. The TV coverage of competitions for disabled sportspeople in recent years has led to a massive increase in people with disabilities taking up sports which is life-changing for them.

In my opinion, many people are more concerned about living a healthy lifestyle than, say, ten years ago and understand how to stay fit and healthy. Lots of adults of all ages go to the gym, cycle to work, jog in their spare time or have taken up a sport. The shops seem to offer more healthy eating options every week so the demand is obviously there.

On the other hand, I heard on the news that over 70% of the population of my country is overweight so most people aren’t taking good care of their health. There are lots of programmes on TV about health problems related to obesity and how to change your life and get healthier, so I have to conclude that people are more conscious of health issues these days but that many choose to do nothing to improve them.

It's an interesting question... In my opinion, government could encourage people to go in for sports by making it more affordable and popular... Promoting healthy food rationing on the television might be a good idea as well.

As someone who tries hard to live healthily, I find it hard to understand why many people chose unhealthy lifestyles. Personally, I think they are in denial over the long-term damage to their health of eating and drinking too much and not taking enough exercise. In many cases, it’s just laziness.

However, I do believe that there are some people who really do want to lose weight and get fit but find it very difficult to change their dietary habits or find the motivation to exercise. I have a work colleague who was so overweight and unfit that he couldn’t play football with his children. He was so upset by this that he went on a diet and started to take regular exercise. He lost over 40kg and is in really good shape now. More importantly, he can now run around with his kids and play football, which they really love.

Sometimes it takes a situation like this or a health scare for someone to make better health decisions.

If you ask me, rehab is the best opnion for such people... Professional medical care is essential, if someone wants to overcome the addiction... However, it is also very important to have relatives and friends that would mentally support this person during this period of his or her life.

Yes, without a doubt! When you're young, you can affort to drink alcohol and stay awake all night long without damaging your health very much... But as you get older, your body demands more attention and care, therefore you need to worry about your health more and have frequent check-ups.

E.

Other Vocabularies

• I'm on the go all day
• I usually just grab fast food on my way home. 
• Right now, I'm struggling to find time to cook in the evening. I usually just grab takeout.
• I get to the gym as often as I can. 
• I haven't gotten to the gym in ages.
• You've got to make time for something you enjoy. 
• I think it's getting harder and harder to make time for my self
• I stay in most nights
• I try to chill out in the evenings. 
• I'm finding my self spending more time staying in and chilling out.
• I try to keep in touch with my friends. 
• I meet people for brunch on the weekend. 
• These days, I'm noticing that it's more difficult to stay in touch with everyone. 
• I dont meet up with friends so often

addict: a person, who is obsessed (addicted) by (to) something, drugs or alcohol, for example. 
My friend used to be an addict, but thankfully he's healthy now.

a check-up: an examination done by a doctor. 
I felt ill for a few days, so I went for a check-up.

a runny nose: a nose that has liquid coming out of it. 
I caught a cold so now I have a runny nose.

chronic disease: a type of disease that continues to occur for a long time. 
My friend Rob needs to use inhaler every day, because he has chronic asthma.

impediment: a physical defect that hinders normal or easy speech. 
After an accident, Jim developed an impediment - he stutters.

epidemic: when disease spreads very quickly and effects a large number of people. 
There was a large epidemic in South Africa in 20th century. It took away millions of lives.

painkillers: medicine for dealing with pain. 
I had to take the painkillers last night, because I couldn't handle the pain.

rehab: a course of treatment for drug or alcohol or any other dependence. 
After talking to a doctor, Jim decided to go to a rehab.

to diagnose: to recognise an illness by examining the patient. 
Although Nick had a very rare disease, his doctor managed to diagnose it correctly.

to stutter: to talk with a continued accidental repetition of sounds. 
Sometimes you might develop a stutter if you have been scared by someone or something

alive and kicking: to continue being well and healthy. 
My grandma is almost 90 but she's still alive and kicking.

to break a habit: to stop doing something that is a habit, especially something bad or harmful. 
I was a drug addict, but a managed to break this habit.

to black out: to lose consciousness.
I blacked out before my final exam, because I was too worried about it.

to be under the weather: to feel ill. 
Mary won't be at work todays, she's a bit under the weather.

to phone in sick: to call your superior to inform him/her that you are sick and won't be at work for some time. 
I had to phone in sick last week, because I caught a flu.

sick as a dog = to be at death’s door: very sick. 
Paul caught a flu a few days ago and now he's sick as a dog.

white as a sheet: can be sad about a very pale person.
Jonh looks sick. Look at him! He's white as a sheet

healthy diet – mainly eating food that is nutritious and cutting down on sugar and fat.
- Eating a healthy diet can help prevent illness and disease.

health problems (or health issues) – situations where the body is suffering from illness, injury or disease.
- An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to many health problems in old age.
- Smoking and drinking excess alcohol can lead to many serious health issues.

health risk – any factor that exposes a person to the increased chance of experiencing illness, injury or disease such as poor nutrition, alcohol or drug consumption, unsafe water, poor hygiene and sanitation, unsafe sex.
- Binge drinking is a significant health risk and can have many long and short-term consequences.

ill health – suffering from some form of physical or mental illness or disease.
- He had been suffering from ill health for several months before he died.

poor health – the general state of not being in a good condition of health.
- The refugees arrived in a state of poor health having had little food or water for many weeks.

unhealthy – harmful to health or not having good health.
- Smoking is a really unhealthy habit.
- I read in a magazine article that it’s unhealthy to eat too much red meat.

health scare – a state of alarm or anxiety caused by concern about the risk of developing or being diagnosed with a particular illness or condition.
-  Suffering chest pains while playing in the park with his kids was a real health scare and prompted him to lose weight and get fitter.

good health – the general state of being in a good condition of health.
- Despite celebrating his 90^th birthday, Peter had no medical problems and was in remarkably good health.

healthy lifestyle (or unhealthy lifestyle) – a way of living that contributes to good health and well-being.
- Regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
- His excessive weight and the fact that he gasped for breath when he walked were clues to his unhealthy lifestyle.

health care – the services provided by governments or organisations for the treatment of illness, injury, disease and to maintain well-being.
- Many governments cannot afford to provide free health care for their people.

health education – education that promotes an understanding of how to maintain personal health.
- Basic health education is vital if child mortality in rural African communities is to be reduced.

health-conscious – to be concerned about how your diet and lifestyle are affecting your health and take an active interest in maintaining good health.
- After his sister died young of heart disease, Bill became far more health-conscious and made changes to his lifestyle and diet.

health benefit – the positive effect on a person's health gained from food, activity, medical treatment or therapy.
- Eating fruit and vegetables has many health benefits.

mental health – the state of a person’s emotional and psychological well-being. The health of the mind.
- Stress or bullying at work can lead to serious mental health problems.

to look after your health / to take care of your health – to eat well, drink alcohol sensibly and take exercise.
- I believe I’m still able to enjoy an active life in my 80’s because I have always looked after my health.

to regain your health – to recover from illness or injury.
- Sunita was very ill with the flu but is gradually regaining her health

overweight – to weigh more than is considered desirable or healthy.
- According to recent statistics, nearly 70% of the population of the UK is overweight.

obesity – the state of being extremely overweight.
- Obesity is now considered to be the most serious health issue facing the developed world.
- Being obese can contribute to developing type 2 diabetes.

diabetes – A serious medical condition in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood.
- My father used to suffer from diabetes, but after following medical advice to cut sugar out of his diet, he is no longer diabetic.

overeating – eating more than your body needs.
- Overeating can lead to many serious health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer.

allergy – a condition where a person becomes ill or develops skin or breathing problems due to eating certain foods or being near certain substances.
- Food allergies seem to be becoming more common and many people have developed an allergic reaction to nut, which can be fatal.

disease – an illness caused by infection or poor health.
- Chickenpox is a very common childhood disease.

addiction – the inability to stop doing or taking something that is harmful.
- Drug addiction destroys lives and contributes to soaring crime rates.

fall ill – to become sick or ill.
Chandra fell ill while on holiday but receive excellent care in the local hospital.

come down with (something) - to become ill, to catch a virus.
- My best friend came down with a heavy cold and didn’t feel well enough to come to my birthday party.

get over (when related to health) – to recover from being illness or injury.
- I was off work for three days last week with a chest infection but I’m getting over it now

to be under the weather – to feel unwell.
- I was so looking forward to the new club’s opening night but didn’t really enjoy it as I was feeling under the weather.

back on your feet – to be healthy again after a period of illness or injury.
- It took my gran a while to get over the effects of her fall but she’s back on her feet again now.

to be on the mend – to be recovering after ill health.
- I suffered from depression after my brother was killed in an accident last year but I’m on the mend now and beginning to enjoy life again.

to make a speedy recovery – to recover quickly from an ill health.
- The doctors said that it was because he was so fit and healthy that he made a speedy recovery from the operation on his fractured shoulder.

road to recovery – the process of becoming healthy again.
- They didn’t think she’d survive the bout of pneumonia with her weak chest but she’s finally on the road to recovery.

clean bill of health – a decision by a doctor that a person is healthy.
- Tony changed his lifestyle after suffering from heart problems and has now been given a clean bill of health by his doctor.

fit as a fiddle – to be in very good health.
- I was fed up with feeling tired, full of aches and pains and always getting colds so I changed my diet and took up running. Now I’m as fit as a fiddle.

to feel washed out – to not have much energy after an illness.
I’m much better than I was but I’m still feeling washed out.

GP – general practitioner (family doctor).
- My GP said that I am in great shape for my age.

to make an appointment – to arrange a time to see the doctor.
- I’ve made you an appointment with the doctor for 3.30 pm on Thursday.

a check-up – a physical examination by a doctor.
- Now that I’m over 50, I get a free annual check-up from my doctor.

prescription – written authorisation from a medical practitioner for a patient to be issued with a medicine or treatment.
- The doctor gave her a prescription for antibiotics to help clear up her chest infection.

phone in sick – to call your workplace to explain that you won’t be attending work due to illness.
- He was so ill after eating the prawn curry for dinner that he had to phone in sick the following morning.

medical cover / medical insurance – insurance for the cost of medical treatment
- I was reluctant to pay for medical cover but was so glad I had when I fell ill with malaria after a holiday in the tropics.

immunisation - the process of making a person or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine.
- Mass immunisation programmes are highly effective in eradicating many common infectious diseases.

vaccine – a preparation of organisms administered to stimulate the body's own immune system to protect the person against infection or disease.
- Modern flu vaccines are so effective that thousands of lives are saved every year in the UK and free vaccination is offered to everyone over the age of 65.

surgery – the process of cutting open the body and removing or repairing damaged parts.
- Sanchez had to undergo emergency surgery after suffering a heart attack.

operation – the act of surgery performed on a patient.
- My ankle fracture was so bad that I had to have an operation to repair it.

cure – to eradicate a disease or medical condition.
- Millions of children in the developing world die of common illnesses for which there are simple cures.

symptom – a physical or mental change to the body that is caused by illness.
- Yang Li had many of the typical symptoms of flu including aching muscles and a high fever.

to catch a cold – to get a cold.
- There were lots of people coughing and sneezing on the tube this week so it’s hardly surprising that I’ve caught a cold.

a chesty cough – a cough caused by mucus in the lungs.
- Whenever I get a cold it nearly always develops into a chesty cough.

a runny nose – a nose that has mucus coming out of it.
- I hope that my runny nose is due to the cold weather and not a sign that I’m coming down with a cold.

a blocked nose – when the nose has excess fluid due to a cold.
- A blocked nose is one of the worse symptoms of a cold as it can make it difficult to breathe.

a sore throat – when the throat is inflamed causing pain when swallowing.
- I find that a drink of honey and lemon helps to soothe a sore throat.

high temperature – when body temperature is high than the average body temperature ranges of 97°F (36.1°C) to 99°F (37.2°C); often a symptom of illness.
- When I was young, my mother only believed my story of feeling ill and not going being well enough to go to school if I had a high temperature.

to be sick / to vomit / to throw up – when the contents of the stomach are expelled through the mouth.
- Camilla’s two-year-old son ate six pieces of cake when she wasn’t looking and as then sick all over the kitchen floor.
- Jared drank far too much at the party and threw up on the way home.

diarrhoea – a condition where the body’s solid waste matter becomes more liquid than normal and is discharged from the body more often.
- Diarrhoea is considered a minor complaint in the developed world but in the developing world, around 1.5 million children a year dies of it mainly due to unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

splitting headache – a continuous severe pain in the head.
- After a day of intense meetings with the boss and senior managers, Brigit went home with a splitting headache.

to pull a muscle – to overstretch or tear a muscle causing pain.
- Anatoly was favourite to win the 100 metres but fell to the ground in pain after pulling a muscle before reaching the finish line.

cuts and bruises – minor injuries. With cuts, the skin is torn but with bruises, it is not.
- Lucy got knocked off her bike cycling to work today and was lucky to get away with just cuts and bruises.

active rest: a leisure time during which you exercise. 
Active rest between lessons helps children to study more effectively.

athletics track (running track): a track for running, usually used for athletic races. 
The 9-lane running track is equipped to cope with competitions of all levels.

barbell: a weight-lifting gear.

blow the competition away: win easily the competition. 
After training for seven years, he blew the baseball competition away.

brisk walk (brisk walking): a sport in which people walk fast, but not as fast as a full run. 
Brisk walking is a great exercise for those, who want to lose weight.

to build muscle: to gain muscle mass. 
John was very skinny five year ago, but now he has built muscle and looks really strong.

• football fan: someone who adores football.
• football pitch: the surface on which you play football.
• football season: a period when football is played.
• jogging: a form of running at a slow pace.
• keep-fit exercises: exercises that help you to keep your body in a good shape. 

personal best: an achievement in sport that is better than anything you have achieved before. 
Today I've ran 100m in 12 seconds! That is my personal best.

sports meeting (athletics meeting): an event at which a number of athletic contests are held. 
The next athletics meeting will be held in November and will include javelin, pole vault, hurdles and steeplechase.

squash/tennis/badminton court: the surface where you play these sports.

strength-training strategy: set of exercises to build muscles. 
My dad advised me a wonderful strength-training strategy.

• strong swimmer: an experienced swimmer.
• swimming pool: a place filled with water made specifically for swimming.

that's the way the ball bounces: used to say that things don't always go as planned, but there is nothing we can do about it. 
Dave didn't win the game as he expected, but he never minds - that's the way the ball bounces.

to be keen to do smth (to be keen on doing smth): to be very interested in doing something. 
I'm keen on cycling.

to be out of condition (to be out of shape): to be in bad physical condition, to lose strength. 
Lily hasn't been training for years, she is out of condition now.

to be saved by the bell: to be saved from losing by a timely interruption.
Evan would lose this round, if he wasn't saved by the bell.

to build muscle: to gain muscle by working out.

to run the marathon: to run a distance of 42.195 kilometres.

to set a record: to achieve the best result in a sport. 
A new record in pole vault was set two years ago.

to take up doing smth: to start doing something new (usually sport). 
I took up dancing last week.

to train hard: to train with effort and passion.

treadmill: an exercise machine in the gym used for walking or running, while staying in the same place. 
Good treadmills provide a indoor workout experience as natural as the outdoors.

trial-and-error method: a method of reaching a solution by trying various means until you succeed. 
I learned swimming by trial-and-error method, trying different moves until I figured out how to float on water.

fencing: a sport in which people use spit or saber in attack and defense. 

hurdles: a race in which runners must jump over a series of barriers. 

javelin: a sport where a metal or metal-tipped spear is thrown for distance. 

pole vault: a sport in which a person uses a long, flexible pole to jump. 

steeplechase: a race in which people riding horses jump over fences, water, etc. 

regular exercise – to engage in physical activity often and consistently.
- Taking regular exercise helps to keep the body healthy.

vigorous exercise – intense exercise that causes sweating, heavy breathing and increased heart rate.
- Vigorous exercise helps to keep the heart healthy.

to be unfit – when the body not being in good physical condition, generally due to a lack of regular exercise.
- I gave up going to the gym six months ago and I’ve become very unfit.

prevent – To stop something from happening.
- Keeping fit can prevent a wide range of health problems from developing.
- Governments could contribute to the prevention of health problems by banning the advertising of unhealthy products such as fast food, alcohol and cigarettes.

in good shape – in good physical condition.
- My parents are both in their 70’s but are still in pretty good shape.

stay in shape – to take action to maintain good health and fitness.
- Eating healthily and taking regular exercise helps me to stay in shape.

out of shape – not in good physical condition.
- I got very lazy over the holidays and am really feeling out of shape.

get back into shape – to take action to improve your physical condition.
- I’ve taken up swimming to help me get back into shape after breaking my leg.

work out – to exercise in order to improve physical fitness and increase strength.
- Sally works out at the gym three times a week to help her stay fit and healthy

to keep fit – to keep the body in good physical condition by exercising regularly
- I do several things to keep fit but dancing is the one I enjoy the most.

fitness fanatic – to be obsessed with keeping fit
- Dylan is a real fitness fanatic and goes to the gym every day.

to exercise – to do an activity requiring physical effort, generally in order to improve health and fitness
- I make sure that I exercise every single day even if it’s only taking the dog for a walk.

strenuous exercise – exercise that needs a lot of physical effort.
- I used to hate strenuous exercise until I took up running to lose weight and now really enjoy it.

to get into shape – to become fit
- Jae Hwa was so determined to get into shape that she started cycling to work.

to take up (a sport) – to start playing a sport.
- I have always wanted to take up archery and am going to join the new club that has just started in my area.

to warm up – to prepare for strenuous activity by doing gentle exercise first
- We always warm up before we start our workout session in the gym.

to cool down – to end a session of strenuous activity with gentle exercises to allow the heart rate to come down and the body return to a near resting state.
- It’s important to cool down after exercising hard as this helps to prevent injury.

to be out of condition – to be not physical fit (unfit)
- My friend is so out of condition that she gets out of breath walking up the stairs.

training – to work hard at physical exercise and skills in order to be fitter and better at a sport 
- I often don’t feel like training but I know I have to if I want to win more races.

to train hard – to train with a lot of effort and passion
- The team trained hard before the match and beat the other team easily.

fitness programme –  a planned timetable of activities to help someone improve their health and physical condition
- Following a fitness programme at my local gym helped me to stay motivated as I got back into shape after having a baby.

aerobic fitness – having strong heart and lungs and being able to carry out sustained exercise such as jogging, swimming or cycling
- In order to be a competitive rower, you need a high level of aerobic fitness.

to work out – to exercise, usually in a gym.
- Dhruv worked out at the gym three evenings a week.

a workout – a session of exercises, usually in a gym.
- Cressida found that a workout at the gym helped her de-stress after a hard day at work.

to bulk up – to make your body bigger and heavier, especially by gaining more muscle 
- He felt so much stronger since he started working out with weights and his body was really beginning to bulk up.

boot camp – a short, intensive, and rigorous course of training
- William couldn’t believe he’d agreed to go along to the boot camp with his friend. He didn’t even like exercising.

sports facilities – places and buildings used for sporting activities such as swimming pools and running tracks
- There are excellent sports facilities at my university which is one reason I chose it.

stadium – a large building, with tiers of seats for spectators, where people watch sports events such as football matches or athletics
- The stadium was buzzing with excitement as the two teams came out onto the pitch for the start of the match.

fitness centre – a place where people go to do physical exercise; usually has a gym, weights equipment and rooms for exercise classes
- I can’t wait for the new fitness centre to open as they’re advertising some great exercise classes.

sports centre – a building where people can do a range of different sports
- We have a great sports centre in our town which offers everything from martial arts training to indoor bowls.

gym – a large hall or room with special equipment for doing physical exercises
- If it’s raining when I want to go running, I run on the treadmill in the gym instead.

an athletics track – a sporting facility with a track for running and areas for other sports such high jump, long jump and javelin throwing
- Each summer we have a big competition for all the schools in our area down at the local athletics track.

pitch – a surface on which a particular sport is played, such as a football pitch or baseball pitch, that is marked out with lines
- Victor felt nervous as he waited with his team to go out onto the pitch for the first big match of the season.

court – a surface where you play sports such as tennis, badminton and squash
- Shelley was playing an excellent opponent who made her run from one side of the tennis court to the other throughout the match.

swimming pool – an area of water, often in a building, created for swimming in
- My mum took me to the swimming pool every Saturday morning when I was a child.

changing room – a room in a sports building or school where ​people can ​change ​their ​clothes before exercise
- The changing room smelt awful with all the sweaty bodies in there after the football match.

locker room – a changing room where people can leave their clothes in a small lockable cupboards
- Matilda put in a complaint as many of the lockers in the locker roomwere broken.

athlete – a person who is very good at sports or physical exercise, especially one who competes in organised events
- Kofi trained hard for many years to become one of the top athletes in his country.

coach – an expert who trains someone learning or improving a skill 
- The coach made them focus on their tackling skills as this was a weakness in their game.

trainer – similar to a coach but often relates more to the fitness side of training
- Janine has been concerned about working with the new trainer but her performance improved considerably after just one month.

personal trainer – a coach or trainer who works with someone on a one-to-one basis
- If you find it hard to stay motivated when working out on your own, I recommend hiring a personal trainer.

competitor – someone who takes part in a sports competition
- There were nearly 100 competitors in the cycle race, so Megan was delighted to come tenth.

referee – a person who is in charge of a sports game and who makes certain that the rules are followed
- It’s hard being a referee as not everyone agrees with your decisions.

umpire – a referee in sports such as tennis and cricket
- The umpire ruled that the ball was out of court.

goalkeeper – the player whose job it is to stop the ball going into the goal in games such as soccer and hockey 
- Our goalkeeper was the star of the match after saving two goals in the penalty shootout.

a personal best – to get a better score or achieve a faster time in your sport than you’ve ever done before
- Although Hicham didn’t win the 400m, he achieved a personal best of 45.38 seconds so was delighted with his performance.

to set a record – to achieve the best result in a particular sport
- I knew my jump was a good one but I couldn’t believe it when I learnt I’d set a new long jump record for my college.

to break a record – to do something that is better, faster, etc. than anything that has been done before
- The crowd in the stadium went wild when Usain Bolt broke the 200m record yet again.

prize – a reward that you get for being successful in a sports competition
- Fahmi didn’t compete for the prize money but because she loved playing tennis.

athletics – the sport of competing in track and field events, including running races and various competitions in jumping and throwing

• aerobics – vigorous exercise that strengthens the heart & lungs
• gymnastics – exercises on bars, beam, floor, rings & vaulting horse
• martial arts – fighting sports that make both your body and mind stronger such as karate

equipment – the items necessary to work out or do a sport
- My gym is going to install some new equipment as some of it is old and worn out.

kit – special clothing and equipment that you use when you take part in a particular activity, especially a sport
- Mandy was furious when her son decided to give up playing football just after she’d bought him some new kit.

membership – the state of belonging to a group, a club or organisation
- Like many people, I take out a gym membership every New Year but have usually stopped going by February.

a home game – a sports match played in the teams own stadium
- I’m so glad my team has a home game this week as my car has broken down.

an away game – a sports match played in the opposing team’s stadium
- I don’t enjoy playing away games as much as home games as fewer of our own supporters are there.

supporter – someone who  admires a sports team and watches them play regularly
- I’ve been a Manchester United supporter all my life and watch live games wherever I can.

a fan – someone who  admires a specific person, sport or a sports team
- I’m a huge rugby fan and especially enjoy watching the international matches on TV.

a competition – an event or contest in which individual people or teams take part in order to establish who is best
- The coach was pleased with the way the new team was playing and entered them in the under 12’s competition.

contest – a competition, often involving two people
- Tosin was very nervous before the contest as he was up against a very good boxer from Cuba.

match – a sports competition in which two people or teams compete against each other
- They were really disappointed to have lost the match after being ahead in the first half.

championship – a large and important competition
- She was overjoyed to be selected to run for her country in the world championships.

tournament – a competition for teams or single players in which a series of games is played, and the winners of each game play against each other until only one winner is left
- The school team arrived home with a large trophy after winning the regional hockey tournament.

regatta – a sporting event involving boats
- Gregor has only been learning to sail for six months when he took part in his first regatta.

versus/v – against, used to denote competing teams or players in a sports contest
- The final of the men’s tennis championship was Nadal versus Federer.

to compete – to take part in a competition or sports event
- Jolene was so excited about competing in her first professional golf competition.

competitive – involving competition; wanting very much to win or be more successful than other people
- Danny was very competitive and trained harder than anyone else in the effort to be the best hurdler at his county.

league – a group of sports teams who take part in competitions between each other over a period of time
- If they won the next game, they would end the season top of the league.

to score – to get a point or goal in a game or sport
- Baz scored in the last minute of the match and won the game for his team.

the score – how many points an individual or team has
- The final score was 3-1 to the home side so there was much celebration in the town that evening.

a draw – when two competitors or teams get the same score
- When the final whistle blew the score was 34-34 so the basketball match was a draw.

reserve – an ​extra ​player who is ​ready to ​play if ​needed
- Narong was pleased to be selected as a reserve but really hoped he’d have a chance to play.

to drop out – to not do something that you were going to do, or to stop doing something before you have finished
- She was leading the race until she pulled a muscle and had to drop out in the third lap.

to pull out – to withdraw before an event or competition
- The crew had to pull out of the regatta after they all fell ill with a stomach bug.

injury – when part of the body is damaged or hurt
- Lena was favourite to win the golf tournament until she picked up a shoulder injury.

season – a period of the year when a particular sport is played
- I love it when the cricket season comes round each year as it means that summer has finally arrived.

a season ticket – an entry ticket for all of a team’s home games during a specific season
- For my thirtieth birthday, my family bought me a season ticket to watch my favourite soccer team play.

amateur – a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid basis
- Although he only played rugby in an amateur team, it was his dream to turn professional one day.

professional – a person is paid for playing a sport
- Professional racing drivers get paid vast sums of money.

blow away the competition – to easily beat the opposing competitor or team
- I thought it was going to be a challenging race but he blew away the competition. 

neck and neck – when two competitors are level with each other and have an equal chance of winning
- Coming down the home straight, the two front-runners were neck and neck until Yoshi edged ahead as they reached the finish line. 

front-runner –  the person or team considered most likely to win 
- There were some excellent gymnasts in the competition but Nadia was definitely the front-runner and the one to beat.

to get second wind – to experience renewed energy after a period of fatigue
- He began to struggle in the final stages of the marathon but hearing the crowd cheer him on, he got second wind and finished in the top twenty.

underdog – a competitor thought to have little chance of doing well or winning
- The British skiing team were definitely the underdogs in the competition so everyone was shocked when they got third place.

dine in: dine at home. 
We're dining in tonight.

dine out: dine at a restaurant. 
We're dining out tonight.

fussy eater: someone who is very picky about the food and doesn't eat everything. 
My husband is a fussy eater, and he's never pleased with my cooking. 

home-cooked food: food cooked at home, usually implies that food is healthy. 
Preparing home-cooked food is a good way to make a balanced meal.

in a walking distance of: close to. 
I usually dine at a restaurant that's in a walking distance of my home.

Italian cuisine: traditional Italian food. You can also say French cuisine, Russian cuisine, Chinese cuisine and so on. 
I adore pasta, pizza and Italian cuisine in general.

more of a chore than a pleasure: something you do rather unwillingly. 
I think that cooking is more of a chore than a pleasure.

mouth-watering: delicious, appetizing.

my mouth is watering: that is to say you find something very appetizing. People use this expression when they see/smell food that looks very delicious. 
My mouth is watering every time I think about my grandmother's apple pie.

nutritious products: products rich in calories. 
A nutritious breakfast is a great way to start the day, as it gives your body the nutrients and you get enough energy.

processed food: food that has been modified in an undesirable or unhealthy way to achieve its current state. 
Try to avoid processed foods like flavored nuts and cereal bars. It is much healthier to eat organic food.

quality justifies the bill: when a product is worth buying due its good quality, even if it's expensive. 
I first thought those strawberries were too expensive, but when I tasted them I understood that their quality justified the bill.

quick snack: a light and quick meal, usually unhealthy. 
Eating quick snack instead of main meal can be harmful for stomach.

ready meal: a meal that you buy already cooked, which only requires reheating to be eaten. 
I had no desire to cook, so I bought a ready meal in a nearby supermarket.

restrain one's hunger: to avoid eating when you really want to. Usually practiced during diets. 
John couldn't restrain his hunger anymore and went to the nearest fast-food restaurant.

slap-up meal: a quick and fatty meal. To slap up means to cook something very quickly. 
I feel like making a slap-up meal tonight. 

starving hungry: to be extremely hungry. 
I woke up starving hungry yesterday and ate the whole roast chicken.

take-away: a meal prepared in a café/restaurant and eaten at home. 
I'm going to ring the Japanese restaurant and order a takeaway.

the main meal: the most important meal of the day.

to be dying of hunger: an exaggerated way of saying you are really hungry. 
I haven't eaten all day. I'm dying of hunger!

to be full-up: to eat to the point that you can't eat anymore. 
- Would you like more chips? 
- No, thank you, I'm already full-up! 

to be ravenous (to have ravenous appetite): to be really hungry, starving, voracious. 
After working all day, I had a ravenous appetite.

to be starving hungry: an exaggerated way of saying you are very hungry.

to bolt something down: to eat a large amount of food very quickly. 
Don't bolt your food down like that, it's very rude!

• to catch a snack: to eat a little portion of food very quickly.
• to eat a balanced diet: to eat correctly and in time.

to eat like a horse: to always eat a lot. 
She's so ​thin, ​yet she ​eats like a ​horse.
to follow a recipe: to cook a meal using instructions. 
Although she had never cooked a jugged hare before, she followed a recipe and made a fantastic meal. 

to foot the bill: to pay the bill. 
You paid for dinner last time. Let me foot the bill for lunch today.

to grab a bite to eat: to eat something quickly. 
I won't eat the whole cake, just let me grab a bite to eat.

to have a sweet tooth: to enjoy eating sweet food. 
Dave eats candy all the time. He must have a sweet tooth.

to overeat oneself: eat too much, eat immodestly. 
If you overeat, you're bound to get fat. 

to play with your food: to push food around the plate without eating it.

to spoil your appetite: to do something that would hinder your desire to eat. 
Stop talking about the snails, you're spoiling my appetite!

to tuck into: to eat something greedily and with pleasure. 
After not eating the whole day, he tucked into the ham like a savage.

to wine and dine: to banquet, to "entertain with good food". If you wine and dine someone, you usually take him out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. 
The company wined and dined us, hoping to convince us we should accept the job.

to work up an appetite: to do something that will lead to hunger. 
He must have worked up an appetite in the gym

--------------------------------

He only eats organic. When we ate out in Stockholm, he kept asking the waiter all these questions. Were the vegetables grown locally, was the salmon wild, were the chicken red range - that sort of stuff. Oh, and he's watching his weight, so he'll want fat-free everything. 

• Would you like some fruit? No, thanks. I'm on a low-carb diet. 
• I'd like a salad dressing with no oil. And do you have any fat-free or low-fat milk?
• Do you grow organic vegetables?
• Good Eats buys everything from local farms.
• This crab is wild, from the Atlantic Ocean.
• a loaf of bread, a package of cookies, a carton of milk/ice cream, a dozen eggs
• Dessert and coffee: brownie, cappuccino, espresso, bread pudding, creme brûlée, cheese cake, sundae, tart. 

Vegetarians (vegetarians) don't eat meat or fish, whereas vegans (vegans) don't eat meat, fish, dairy products or eggs. Both vegetarian and vegan can be used as adjectives or nouns.
He's a vegetarian. He eats cheese.

I'm a vegan. I ate here last week with a vegetarian friend, here on vacation. She'd never been to the city and wanted to eat local food, so I took her to the Park Grill. We both had the spicy red beans and rice. For $15, it was too expensive; however, my friend said it was the tastiest bean dish that she'd ever eaten at a restaurant. We really liked the atmosphere. It's very relaxed. The service was excellent, and our server – wow! He was really nice!

• We'll take a dozen oysters as an appetizer. I'll have the shrimp salad as my entree, and the asparagus as a side dish.
• I'll have the T-bone steak. Medium rare. 
• What kind of potato would you like with that? Mashed, baked, or French fries? Sour Cream?
• That comes with the house salad. What kind of dressing would you like?

--------------------------------

diet – the type of food and drink a person usually eats and drinks.
- In many Asian countries, the staple diet includes lots of rice and vegetables.

diet – an eating plan where someone eats less and/or changes what they eat to lose weight and to become healthier.
- I’m going on a diet because I’m too fat to fit into my favourite dress.

​balanced diet – a combination of healthy types and amounts of food.
- Eating a balanced diet is important for staying healthy.

dietary habit – eating similar things regularly.
- Dietary habits are hard to change, especially for people addicted to junk food.

dietary requirement – the correct types and amounts of food to maintain health which may vary from person to person depending on age and lifestyle.
- In many poor communities, people can’t grow or buy enough food to meet their basic dietary requirements and so they get ill.

comfort food – types of food that provide a feeling of well-being. They are typically sweet and high in calories.
- I always feel happier after eating a slice of chocolate; it’s such a great comfort food.

portion – the amount of food served to a person
- When I visited the US I was shocked at the oversized portions served in the restaurants. No wonder obesity is such a big problem over there.

additive – A substance which is added to food in order to improve its taste or appearance or to preserve it.
- I try to avoid food that is full of additives because I think they are bad for your health.

nutrients – a substance that provides the essential elements needed for living things to survive and to grow.
- Most fast food contains very few nutrients. I like to eat cook my own meals so that I can be sure they are nutritious.

binge drinking – drinking an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time or drinking to get drunk.
- There’s a worrying increase in binge drinking among young people in many societies today.

you are what you eat – makes a connection between the food someone eats and the state of their health.
- I feel so much better and have lots more energy since I cut out junk food and started eating more healthily. I guess it’s true that “you are what you eat”.

--------------------------------

Culture Corner: Eating out 

You sit at a comfortable table, and your server immediately introduces herself: 'Hello. I'm Julia. I'll be your server tonight.' Don't be surprised if the server gives you his or her first name. Most restaurants want you to feel comfortable, so servers are often informal but polite.

Your server will also ask you a lot of questions about your order – questions like 'How would you like that?' and 'What kind of dressing would you like on the salad?' After you start eating, your server may also come back to the table several times, asking, 'How is everything?' Don't worry; that's normal. Tell the server what you think, honestly and politely. The server wants to make sure you get exactly what you want and that you are pleased with your food.

After you've eaten, you may still have some food on your plate. That's fine. Your server might ask 'Would you like to take that home with you?' If you do want to take the food home to eat later, the server will put the food in a package 'to go.'

Finally, it's important to give your server a tip before you leave. Servers usually expect a tip that is at least 15 percent of the bill, but customers sometimes leave a 20 percent tip for excellent service.

--------------------------------

A Restaurant Meal

We recently ate at a new restaurant called Bim's. I ordered the T-bone steak. I asked for mashed potatoes and a side of asparagus. It was wonderful! My friend got the lasagna. As soon as we finished our main course, we ordered bread pudding and cappuccinos. Both were excellent. Everything was delicious, so we'll probably go again. But first, I have to go back on my low-carb diet. 

--------------------------------

Paying the check

C: That was really good food. Thank you for a wonderful meal.
B: My shrimp salad was excellent. Really fresh
A: I'm stuffed.
C: I know. I couldn't eat another bite.
D: Would anyone like more coffee? 
B: Um, no, I don't think so.
D: Anything else?
B: No, just the check please. This in on IXW.
C: Oh, no, Joan. After all the problems we ...
B: You're our guest. We'll pay.
C: Well, if you insist. I really appreciate it. Well, thank you for a lovely meal. It was wonderful seeing you both again. Next time, in Stockholm?
B: Yes, I'll be there in few weeks. 
C: And thanks again for your patience over the last few months. 
A: Simon tells me the new beta version of the software is incredible.
C: I'm glade to hear it.
A: Oh, and have a great time at the TV tower tomorrow.
C: Thanks. Let's keep in touch. And give my regards to your wife. It was so nice meeting her.  
A: I will. Enjoy the rest of your stay.
C: Well, take care. 
A: You too. 
B, C: Bye.

music genre: a distinct type of music. Famous music genres include: classical music: music that is thought to be a part of a long, formal tradition. 
My dad is fond of classical music. He listens to Mozart and Beethoven every day.

pop music: a genre of popular music. 
One of the most famous pop-singers in the history are Michael Jackson and Madonna.

rock music: music that is based around amplified instruments, especially the electric guitar and electric bass, and is characterized by driving rhythms. 
My favourite music genre is rock. I adore such rock bands as Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Beatles.

heavy metal – a type of highly amplified harsh-sounding rock music with a strong beat, characteristically using violent or fantasy imagery
- I like some rock music but find heavy metal a bit too loud.

rap – a type of music in which the words are not sung but are spoken in a rapid, rhythmic way
- Whilst I’m not a great fan of rap music, I do think it’s amazing how they speak so fast and remember the words. 

country music – a form of popular music originating in the rural southern US. It is a mixture of ballads and dance tunes played characteristically on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and pedal steel guitar.
- There’s a great country music venue in my town where everyone dresses up as cowboys when they go to gigs.

jazz – a style of music that is generally loud and rhythmic, where the musicians often make the music up as they go along
- Louis Armstrong is still a popular jazz musician many decades after his death.

reggae – a form of music with a distinct beat that originated in Jamaica and is still associated with the Caribbean 
- Bob Marley was the first internationally known reggae musician.

blues – African-American music that expresses grief or sorrow about injustice and a longing for a better life
- Did you know that the blues is named after the expression ‘to feel blue’ which means to be sad or depressed?

traditional music – songs and tunes particular to a country or region which have been performed over a long period of time, usually several generations
- Traditional music is part of our culture and should be preserved.

folk – traditional music which included songs written a long time ago and new songs written in the old style
- We have some talented young folk musicians in my country who love performing songs from the old days and writing new folk songs for our generation. 

classical music – a form of music developed in Europe mainly in the 18th and 19^th centuries by musicians highly skilled in musical composition
- I find that classical music really stirs up the emotions and I particularly enjoy listening to Beethoven and Bach.

opera – a musical play, often very dramatic, in which most of the words are sung
- I’m not a fan of opera as I really don’t like the style of singing.

musical – a play or film that uses singing and dancing in the story but also includes a lot of spoken dialogue
- Although there are lots of great new musicals being written, I still love West Side Story the best.

instrumental music – music where you just hear instruments playing and there is no singing
- I’m not happy when they play instrumental music on my favourite radio station as I like to be able to sing along the lyrics.

easy listening – a type of music that is not complicated, is pleasant to listen and doesn’t need much of your attention
- When I get home in the evening I put on some easy listening to help me relax after a busy day.

background music – music that is playing while something else is happening
- My friend likes to have background music on while she’s studying but I need a quiet place to work.

catchy tune: a tune or a song that's easy to remember and that you enjoy singing.
I heard a catchy song the other day and now it's stuck in my head.

elevator music: music that is played in places like supermarket or family restaurant. Almost always is very repetitive and annoying. 
Yesterday I heard a very annoying elevator music in the local supermarket.

live music: music performance in front of an audience. 
I prefer listening to a live music than to a recording. It's much more emotional and energetic.

music to one's ears: something (often information) very pleasant and enjoyable to someone.
When my teacher told me that I got the highest mark in the class for the assignment, it was like music to my ears.

ringtone: sound that a cell phone makes when someone is calling. 
I set my favourite song as a ringtone on my cell phone.

tone deaf: not able to discern the notes properly.
Alhough I'm tone deaf, I'd like to learn to sing properly in the future.

tuneful: pleasant and melodious music or sound.
I heard a tuneful choir of birds yesterday morning.

to face the music: to have to accept the unpleasant consequences of your actions. 
If you commit a crime, eventually, you'll have to face the music.

to ring a bell: to sound familiar. 
I think I heard this song somewhere. It definitely rings a bell.

to sound like a broken record: to repeat yourself again and again. 
Little children often sound like a broken record and it annoys most people.

to strike (hit) a false note: to do something wrong. 
I realised that I hit a false note on the exam when I received a 0 mark afterwards

traditional instruments – a type of instrument that  has been played for many generations or that was popular in the past, often unique to a country or region
- A sitar is a traditional Indian musical instrument.

to take up (a musical instrument) – to begin learning a musical instrument
- I’m going to take up the guitar.

to read music – to understand and follow written musical notes
- I’m so glad I learnt to read music when I had piano lessons as a child because it really helps me now that I sing in a choir.

to play by ear – to play without reading the musical notes
- Many talented musicians can’t even read music and only play by ear.

talented – to be naturally skilled at something
- I never got the hang of playing an instrument even though both my parents are talented musicians.

to be musical – have a skill in or a great liking for music
- My friend Sally is very musical and can play several different instruments.

self-discipline – the ability to make yourself do things you know you should do even when you do not want to
- You need a lot of self-discipline to learn the piano as you have to practise every day and play boring scales. 

sense of accomplishment – to feel like you've achieved something you can be proud of
- Bernie felt a real sense of accomplishment at passing his Grade 2 flute exam.

vocals – a part of a piece of music that is sung
- My parents met in a band. Dad was a guitarist and Mum sang vocals.

vocalist – someone who sings
- Phil Collins was unusual in being both the drummer and lead vocalist in a band, the famous Genesis.

choir – a group of singers singing together
- Lulu really enjoyed singing in the choir, especially when they performed at concerts.

orchestra – a large group of musicians who play many different instruments together and are led by a conductor
- Jason was delighted when he was asked to play violin in the school orchestra.

band – a group of people who sing together and also play instruments
- I was so excited to be asked to play bass guitar in the new band.

group – a collection of people who sing together but do not necessarily play instruments
- All the groups performing in the contest were excellent and it was hard for the judges to pick the best.

composer – a person who writes music, especially as a professional occupation
- My favourite classical composer is Mozart.

a gig – a performance of a band
- My new band is playing their first gig at the weekend.

music festival – an organized event, typically lasting several days, featuring performances by various musicians, singers and groups
- I try to go to at least one music festival each summer.

concert – a performance of music by one or more musicians or singers
- My orchestra is going to perform at a concert organized to raise money for charity.

stage – a raised platform on which musicians, actors or entertainers perform
- I felt nervous when I walked out on stage and saw the large audience waiting to hear me sing.

venue – the place where a public event such as a concert happens
- The disused warehouse was the perfect venue for a rock concert.

recording / recorded music – music that has been stored on a record, CD, computer, etc., so that it can be heard again
- I have recordings of many of my favourite bands stored on my computer.

MP3 player – an electronic device that can store and play digital audio files
- I always carry my MP3 player with me so that I can listen to music whenever I want to.

headphones / earphones – an electronic device  that fits over or in the ears for listening to music
- I wear earphones to listen to music on my MP3 player while I’m out jogging.

album – a collection of recordings issued as a single item on CD, record or another medium.
- I can’t wait for my favourite band’s new album to come out.

to download tracks – to obtain music from the internet
- I heard a great band at the gig last night and I’m going to downloadsome of their tracks.

speakers – a piece of electrical equipment for playing recorded sound, through which the sound is played
- The jazz album I got for my birthday sounds amazing through my new speakers.

a melody – the main tune in a piece of music that is often played or sung more than once
- I had trouble picking up the melody of the new piece we started learning at choir rehearsal today and will practise it at home.

rhythm – a regular, repeated pattern of sounds
- I love the rhythm of reggae music.

beat – a characteristic rhythm in some types of music
- Rap music has such a distinctive beat.

harmony – a pleasant musical sound made by different notes being played or sung at the same time
- One of the reason I enjoy country music so much is because many songs have lovely harmonies.

to be out of tune – to play or sing slightly wrong notes
- My dad likes to sing along the radio but is so out of tune that it sounds terrible.

to be in tune – to play or sing with the correct pitch
- Before the performance, the guitarist tightenend the strings of his guitar so that it was in tune.

to have a great voice – to sing well
- I think my friend should enter the singing competition as she has a great voice.

chorus – a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a song
- The choir sang lots of well-known songs and encourages the audience to sing along to the choruses.

upbeat – cheerful or lively
- If I’m feeling sad I put on some upbeat music and feel better almost at once.

nursery rhyme – a simple traditional song or poem for children
- I can still remember many of the nursery rhymes I learnt as a child.

lullaby – a quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep
- If my baby wakes up in the night I just sing him a lullaby and he soon goes back to sleep.

sing to sleep – to make someone feel sleepy by sing them a gentle song
- My mum used to sing us to sleep when we were young.

passionate – to feel strongly about something
- I’m passionate about playing the saxophone.

to cheer up – to cause to feel better
- Upbeat music always cheers me up if I’m feeling down.

relax / chill out – to become less tense or anxious
- After a stressful day at work, I lie in the bath listening to classical music as this helps me to chill out.

energise – to make someone feel energetic or eager
- Reggae music energises me so that’s what I Iisten to when I feel sluggish and need motivating.

rock band – a group of musicians that play rock music
- One of the great things about living in Manchester is that all the top rock bands perform here.

pop star – a famous singer or musician who performs pop music
- Many teenagers have the dream of being a pop star as they want to be rich and famous.

famous – known about and recognized by many people
- The Beatles are one of the most famous bands ever to have existed.

huge following – to have a large number of fans
- Modern pop stars have a huge following which they communicate with on social media.

to go on tour – to go on a planned series of performances around a region or country
- I hope my favourite band go on tour again soon as they put on an amazing live show.

sellout – a performance or sports event for which no more tickets are available because it’s so popular
- The Bruno Mars concerts were a sellout at every venue on the tour.

record company – a business that makes and sells musical recordings
- Our band is getting well-known across the country and we’re hopeful of getting signed by a record company.

record label – a brand or trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos
- You know you’ve hit the big time if you get signed up with one of the big record labels such as Sony.

hit the big time – to become successful and/or famous
- After winning the TV talent show, Shelley hit the big time and was soon singing in huge venues around the world.

a hit – to be popular; a record that sells lots of copies
- “Happy” was a massive hit for Pharrell Williams.

the charts – a list of individual songs or musical performances ranked in order of number of sales or downloads over a specific period of time which indicates their popularity
- Ariana Grande’s new record is brilliant and I’m not surprised it’s made it to No.1 in the charts.

to sing along to – to join in singing
- My favourite songs in the charts are always the ones you can sing along to.

a sing-song – to sing informally, often with other people
- I have wonderful memories of my gran playing popular songs on the piano at family get-togethers and everyone joining in for a sing-song.

music-lover – someone who really enjoys listening to music
- I can’t say I’m a great music-lover although I do enjoy listening to the radio when I’m driving.

applause – approval or praise expressed by clapping the hands together
- The applause continued even after the band had left the stage.

a round of applause – an outburst of clapping from an audience to show approval
     - The audience gave the choir an enthusiastic round of applause as they came on to perform.

to be into / not into – to be interested in or involved with / to not be interested in
- I’m really into folk music but not into jazz at all.

to improvise – create and perform music, drama or verse spontaneously or without preparation
- I don’t enjoy listening to jazz when it’s improvised as it sounds like the musicians are all playing different tunes.

once in a blue moon – hardly ever
- I’m definitely a music-lover but only go to live gigs once in a blue moon.

action-packed: full of action.
My brother loves action-packed movies. Probably that's why his favourite film is "Terminator".

addictive: a book or film that you quickly become addicted to.
"Harry Potter" series by Joanne Rowling are so addictive! I couldn't stop after the first book and read all volumes.

creepy: producing a sensation of uneasiness or fear, scary.
Noah finds Stephen King's stories creepy.

dreary: gloomy or depressing.
I can't stand dramas, thrillers and other dreary movies.

entertaining: funny and enjoyable.
Comedies are very entertaining.

futuristic: telling about the future.
"Star Wars" movie is futuristic and dynamic.

heartbreaking: that breaks your heart and evokes sad emotions.
When my aunt watched "Titanic" she cried all day! It's such a heartbreaking film.

inspirational: evoking inspiration. 

intense: a book or film loaded with actions and emotions that evokes strong feelings.
The play's plot was very intense. Just a minute after a couple had a quarrel in the forest, the secret lover appeared and started a fire-fight.

tear-jerking: tragic, making you cry.
My sister is very emotional. I would rather watch a comedy with her than a tear-jerking movie!

thought-provoking: a book or film that makes you think of new ideas or that changes your attitude to something.
Ray Bradbury's novel "Fahrenheit 451" is deeply thought-provoking. I had to rethink my attitude to legislation and censorship after I read it.

action movie: film with fast moving scenes, often containing violence.
Last week I saw a great action movie with my brother at our local movie theatre.

bedtime reading: a book you read in your bed before going to sleep.
I'm really addicted to books! I can't even fall asleep without an hour of bedtime reading.

box office hit: a very successful movie, in terms of money.
The new movie might be a box office hit, but I didn't like it at all.

e-reader: a gadget for reading books. 
My e-reader broke a few days ago, so now I'll need to fix it or buy a new one.

from cover to cover: from the first page to the last.
I am a slow reader so it takes me a lot of time to read a book from cover to cover.

hardcover: a book with hard cover. Opposite to softcover.
My friend gave me a hardcover book as a present for my birthday.

page turner: a book which is so good that you cannot stop reading it.
My sister recommended me a great book. It was such a page turner that I read it in one day!

plot: a storyline of a book or film. intricate plot: a very complex, labyrinthine plot. 
The famous Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" has a very intricate plot. It tells a story of five different families and comprises of 4 volumes.

subordinate plot (subplot): a plot that is related to, but less important than the main plot of a story.
Ernest Hemingway's novel "The Sun Also Rises" tells a love story of a man and a woman. However, the book involves many subordinate plots that raise questions about physical and spiritual affinity, trans-racial relationships and anti-Semitism.

threadbare plot: a simple, primitive plot.
The movie's plot was threadbare, but cutely disarming in its own way.

unravelling of the plot: the way in which a story develops over time.
I first thought Jack London's novel "Martin Eden" to be pretty straightforward. However, the plot unravelled in a very unpredicted way.

don't judge a book by its cover: a metaphorical phrase which means "you shouldn't judge someone or something by its appearance alone". 
When I first met Sam I didn't find him handsome. But, as people say, don't judge a book by its cover. He turned out to be the most interesting person I've ever met and we married soon!

to catch the latest movie: to see a movie that has just come out. 
We need to hurry up if we want to catch the latest movie.

to flick through: to look quickly through a book. 
I flicked through my notes to prepare for the exam as didn't have time to study properly.

to know like a book: to know something extremely well.
I live in this city for my whole life and I know it like a book.

to read between the lines: to understand the hidden meaning about something. 
When I broke up with my girlfriend, I didn't want anyone to know that. But Tom saw us in the different corners of the classroom and read everything between the lines. He's very discerning.

--------------------------------

TV Programs

My favorite channel TV offers so many more shows than regular TV.
Sometimes on the weekend I feel really lazy. I order pizza, watch TV and become a couch potato.
I saw a really silly game show: People had to sit in a bathtub of chocolate milk.
My job is so stressful and busy. That's why I watch a lot of sitcoms when I get home

I watch a lot of 24-hour news programs.

I didn't know they could show that on TV. Don't they have restrictions?

This TV software is so complex. I'm not sure hoe to use it.

Have a look at TV rating before you let the kids watch the program.

The show was really entertaining, but it also made you think

--------------------------------

TV rating systems

The television industry in the US rates each TV program. At the beginning of each show, the rating for that show appears in the corner of the TV screen. The rating system is designed to help parents decide which programs are suitable for their children. Here are some examples. 

Y – suitable for children, G – suitable for the general audience, PG – parental guidance suggested, MA – suitable for mature audiences only

The program has an MA rating because there's a lot of sex and violence in it.
The movie's rated G, so it's okay for the kids to watch it.

goods – things that are sold
- Department stores have a wide range of goods on sale.

window shopping – the activity of looking at goods for sale, especially in shop window displays, without the intention of buying anything
- One of my favourite activities on a Saturday is to go window shoppingwith my friends to see the latest fashions.

bargain hunting – looking for products that are good value for money, usually because they are on sale at a lower price than normal
- I love bargain hunting and feel great when I find something I need at a knock-down price.

shop around – compare prices before buying something
- I always shop around before buying high value items as prices can vary considerably.

browse – looking at things in one or more shops without a firm intention to buy anything
- When I go into town, I often browse around the clothes shops to see if I can pick up any bargains. 

retail therapy – the practise of buying things in order to make yourself feel better when you are unhappy
- I need some retail therapy to help me get over the disappointment of not getting a promotion at work.

to go on a shopping spree – a short period of time in which someone buys a lot of things
- I’ll have to go on a shopping spree before my holiday next month as I’ve lost so much weight that my beachwear doesn’t fit me anymore.

hit the shops / stores – to go on a shopping spree
- I’m taking a bus into the city with some friends on Saturday and we’re going to hit the shops.

an impulse buy – an unplanned purchase when something is bought suddenly without careful thought
- My waterproof jacket was an impulse buy as I was actually looking for some new walking boots, but it was such a bargain that I just had to get it.

a shopaholic – someone who loves shopping and does it often, sometimes to the point of it being an addiction
- My friend Sally is a true shopaholic but I do worry about her as she can’t really afford all the designer clothes she buys.

to try on – to put on an item of clothing to see if it fits or looks good
- Can I try on these two dresses please as I’m not sure which size will fit me best?

take something back – return an unwanted item to a shop
- I’m going to have to take this jacket back to the shop as the colour doesn’t match my skirt.

to return an item - to take or send something back to the retail outlet it was purchased from
- I’ll have to return the jumper I bought online as they sent the wrong size.

exchange – change an item that has been purchased for a different one
- The shirt I bought my dad for his birthday is too large so I’m going to exchange it for a smaller one.

for sale – available to buy
- I was really impressed by the quality of goods for sale in the new furniture shop in town.

shopping list – a list of the things you want to buy when you go shopping
- I always take a shopping list when I go to the supermarket so that I don’t forget anything.

customer service – any activity designed to increase the level of customer satisfaction, such as help them find finding the right product and guidance about its use
- I was really impressed with the customer service at the computer shop as a sales assistant helped me to choose the best laptop for my needs rather than trying to sell me a more expensive one.

to give someone the hard sell – try to sell someone something in a forceful way
- When I said I needed to go away and think about it before buying the car, the salesman tried the hard sell on me.

shoplifting - take goods from a shop without paying for them
- My cousin was caught shoplifting again and might be sent to prison this time.

shop online / internet shopping – to buy things over the internet
- It’s really popular to do your grocery shopping online these days and have it delivered to your house.
- The increase in internet shopping is leading to many local shops closing down

to order – to request a product over the internet or from a shop when the required item is not in stock
- I must remember to go online and order the computer game my brother wants for his birthday or it won’t arrive in time.

shopper – a person who is shopping
- It was the start of the summer sales and the high street was packed with shoppers.

customer – a person who buys goods or services from a shop or business
- I like to do my shopping early in the morning before the shops get busy with customers.

retailer – a business or person that sells goods to individual customers, as opposed to a wholesaler or supplier, who normally sell their goods to another business
- Although supermarkets are primarily food retailers, they also sell many other things such as electrical goods and clothing.

bargain hunter – someone who is looking for goods that are very good value for money, usually because they are on sale at a lower price than normal
- My sister is a keen dedicated bargain hunter and rarely pays full price for anything.

shop assistant / sales assistant – a person who serves customers in a shop
- These days, shop assistants are often too busy chatting to one another to help their customers.

cashier - the person who takes the money in a shop
- The cashiers were all busy and I had to join a queue to pay for my groceries.

market trader / market vendor – a person who runs a stall at a market
- I was late getting into town and many of the market traders were already packing away their stalls.

store detective – a person employed by a store to detect and prevent theft from the store by shoplifters.
- The store detective stopped the man as he was leaving the store and discovered a stolen bottle of wine in his coat pocket.

shop / store / retail outlet – a place where customers can buy goods
- My favourite shop / store / retail outlet to visit when I’m in London is Harrods.

chain store – a group of shops that belong to one company
- These days, most towns in the UK are full of chain stores and there are very few independent retailers left.

independent stores – shops not owned by large companies
- When I want to buy a special outfit for a wedding, I shop in an independent store so that I can be sure that no one else will be wearing the same thing. 

department store – a large shop that sells different types of items in different areas or departments of the store
- The department store in our town sells everything from clothes and shoes to bedding, kitchenware and cosmetics.

convenience store – a small local shop that is open for long hours and sells a limited range of everyday food and other goods
- If we run out of bread or milk, I send one of the kids down to the convenience store at the end of the road to buy some.

supermarket – a large shop that sells mainly food and household items
- I buy most of our food at the supermarket, although I do like to go to the local butcher for meat.

discount store – a shop that sells goods at less than the normal retail price
- Having a motor parts discount store near my home means that I can keep my car on the road quite cheaply.

grocery – shop that sells groceries (the collective term for items of food sold in a grocery or supermarket)
- I hope that our local grocery store doesn’t close down now that a big supermarket has been build near town.

greengrocer – person or shop that sells fresh fruit and vegetables
- When I was young I was always given a free apple when I went to the greengrocer with my mum.

butcher – person or shop that sells fresh meat
- My butcher makes the best sausages in the area.

bakery – shop that sells fresh bread and cakes
- Fresh bread from a bakery always tastes much better than bread bought from a supermarket.

fishmonger – person or shop that sells fresh fish
- Our fishmonger buys his fish straight off the local fishing boats so it’s very fresh.

farm shop – a shop which sells produce from a farm directly to the public
- Buying from a farm shop helps to support the local economy and guarantees the produce is fresh.

pharmacy – shop that sells medicines
- They were very helpful at the pharmacy and recommended some cough mixture that has calmed my chesty cough.

chemist (UK) / drugstore (US) – sells medicines and toiletries
- I was glad that mum asked me to pick her tablets from the chemist as they had an offer on razor blades and I needed some new ones.

newsagents – shop that sells newspapers and magazines
- Harry stopped off at the newsagents on his way to the train station each weekday morning to buy his daily paper.

pet shop – shop that sells food and other items for dogs, cats and other pets and sometimes small pets as well
- My dog loves visiting the pet shop with me as he knows that I’ll buy him a dog chew.

bookshop – shop that sells books
I buy lots of Christmas and birthday present from bookshops as all my family are keen readers.

DIY store – shop that sells things for home improvement
- Dad has promised me some shelves in my room so we’re off to the DIY store at the weekend to buy some planks of wood and screws.

hardware shop / ironmonger – shop that sells goods such as nails, screws and hand tools.
- I love browsing in hardware stores as they sell so many interesting bits and pieces.

delicatessen (deli) – shop that specialises in cooked meats, cheeses, and unusual or foreign prepared foods
- My special treat is a venison and mushroom pie from our local deli.

market – a place where people sell produce and good on small stalls
- I buy all my fruit and vegetables at the market because they are fresher than in the supermarket.

flea market – a group of stalls selling old furniture or clothes
- The flea market in Portobello Road, London, started in the 1800s and is still popular with both locals and tourists.

shopping mall – a large enclosed shopping area from which traffic is excluded
- The first time I visited a shopping mall I was so excited to see so many big brand name shops all in one place.

shopping centre – a large building or a group of buildings containing lots of  different stores, often build away from town centres
- One of the reasons why people like out-of-town shopping centres is that you get free parking.

gift voucher – a card that you buy at a shop to give as a gift, which entitles the person to exchange it for goods worth the same amount
- I often give my nieces and nephews gift vouchers for their birthdays so that they can buy what they want.

discount voucher – a ticket or piece of paper, often with a code on it, that gives money off the purchase price
- When I bought my new TV, I got a discount voucher for 20% off my next purchase from the shop.

coupon – a voucher, often printed in a newspaper or magazine, that can be used to get something without paying for it, or at a reduced price
- There’s a coupon in our local newspaper this week for a free cupcake from the new bakery in town.

store card – a plastic card that can be used to buy goods in a particular store that you pay for at a later time
- My Macy’s store card saves me lots of money as I get 10% off everything I buy with it.

loyalty card –  a card issued by a shop that enables customers to save money on the basis of how much they spend
- I have 9 points on my bookshop loyalty card and next time I buy a book I’ll get a second one for free.

debit card – a plastic card used to pay for items that takes the money directly from your bank account
- My debit card is now contactless so I don’t even need to enter my PIN number for small purchases.

credit card – a plastic card that you use to buy goods or services and pay for them later
- I’m careful as to how I use my credit card as it is very easy to overspend with one.

cash – money in the form of notes and coins
- I hardly ever use cash these days as I do most of my shopping online.

receipt - a piece of paper showing the amount of money you have paid for something used as proof of purchase
- I always keep the receipt when I buy something in case I have to return it.

refund – money given back to a customer when they return a product they are not happy with
- I took the faulty clock back to the shop and asked for a refund.

price tag – a label that states the price of an item
- When I see an item of clothing I like, I check the price tag first to see if I can afford it.

a sale – a period during which a shop sells goods at reduced prices
- I need a new vacuum cleaner but I’m waiting until the January sales to save money.

on sale / on offer - for sale at a reduced price
- Umbrellas are on sale at the moment so I’m going to buy one ready for the rainy season.

to pick up a bargain / to snap up a bargain – to buy something cheaply
- She picked up some great bargains in the sale.

knock-down price – extremely cheap or costing much less than the usual amount
- Now that spring is here, they’re selling off winter coats at a knock-down price. 

to slash prices - to reduce prices a great deal
- Mr Patel is closing down his clothes shop and has slashed prices to sell off his stock.

expensive – costing a lot of money
- Stefan bought his girlfriend an expensive necklace for her birthday.

inexpensive / cheap – something that does not cost a lot of money
- Hyun-Gi looked in the sales for an inexpensive watch to wear for work.
- Wan-Soo said he’d seen some nice watches going cheap in the market.

to be value for money – to be worth the cost
- My new laptop was quite expensive but has all the latest features so I think it was good value for money.

over-priced – to cost more than you think it is worth
- The sunglasses made me look really cool but they were over-priced so I didn’t buy them.

to save up – to put money aside for something until the required amount is reached
- Khalil was saving up to buy a new bicycle.

haggle – to negotiate the cost of an item
- I had to really haggle with the car salesman to get the price I wanted.

checkout – the place where payment is made for goods, especially in a supermarket
- The girl on the checkout was very friendly and chatted as she took the payment for my groceries.

queue – a line of people waiting
- The supermarket was really busy and I had to queue for ages at the checkout.

shelves – the place where they put the products in a shop, especially in a supermarket
- With Christmas only a few weeks away, the shelves were stacked with festive food.

trolley –  a large container with wheels that you use to put products in, especially in a supermarket
- It’s important to pack your trolley carefully so that your fruit and eggs don’t get squashed under heavy items.

changing room / fitting room – place in a shop where you can try clothes on before buying them
- Belita wasn’t sure which size blouse would fit her best so she took a small and a medium into the changing room to try on.

opening hours – the times when a shop is open for business
- In recent years, many shops have extended their opening hours to stay open later and catch customers leaving work.

brand – a unique design, symbol or words, or a combination of these, used to create an image that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors
- When I buy new fitness trainers, I always choose a well-known brandlike Nike so that I can be sure of the quality.

big brand names – large, well-known companies or product names
- Shoppers generally look for big brand names as their products usually have a good reputation.

brand-name goods – products made by a well-known company
- Teenagers are a huge market for brand-name goods as having the same brand as the cool kids makes them feel cool too.

high street names – well-known shops
- If you visit any town in the UK, you will see all the familiar high street names such as Boots, Marks & Spence and W.H. Smith.

a luxury – something expensive that you do not need but you buy for pleasure or comfort
- One day I’m going to treat myself to a luxury car but while the kids are young, a station wagon is far more suited to our family needs.

status symbol – a product that people want to have because they think othe people will admire them for owning it.
- Designed clothes are an important status symbol among young people.

second-hand –  something that is for sale but has been used before
- I often browse the second-hand clothes shops to see if they’ve got anything worth having in my size.

fake – imitation or counterfeit
- The sale of fake designer clothes and perfumes is illegal but can make dealers a lot of money. 

genuine – what it is meant to be, not fake
- The leather jackets were so cheap that Marlon doubted that they were genuine.

throwaway society – the idea that we have become a society that consumes a lot of stuff and readily throws it away, replacing it with new goods
- Whilst the transition to throwaway socieities is good for economic growth, it's leading to a huge waste problem.

the real McCoy – genuine, not fake
- I was worried that the gold bracelet I bought in the market wasn’t made of real gold but I showed it my uncle who’s a jeweller and he said it’s the real McCoy.

going for a song – on sale for a very low price
- I was glad I went to the end of season sale at the garden centre as many of the plants were going for a song. 

to shop until you drop – to continue shopping until you are exhausted; to shop intensively over a short period of time
- I’m meeting my best friend in town on Friday afternoon and we’re going to shop until we drop.