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B2 Alphabetical Wordlist Unit 4
B2 Alphabetical Wordlist Unit 4
Word Focus
City Living
page 44 4.14 insecure (adj) /ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊə(r)/
not safe or protected ● Living in this
4.1 slum (n) /slʌm/
neighbourhood, we often feel insecure.
a very poor area in a city, where people live in old
➣ insecurity (n) ✎ Opp: secure
dirty buildings ● Benji grew up in the slums of Cairo.
4.15 depend on (phr v) /dɪˈpend ɒn/
4.2 discrimination (n) /dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃn/
If sth depends on sth else, it is changed or
when you treat sb or a group of people
decided by that thing. ● Your future depends on
differently, usually in a worse way, than others
● We need laws that will help stop discrimination
how well you do in this exam.
against the elderly. ➣ discriminate (v) 4.16 alley (n) /ˈæli/
a narrow street with walls on both sides
4.3 mugged (adj) /mʌɡd/
● The alley behind the shops was dark and scary
attacked and robbed in a public place ● Amy was
at night.
mugged in front of her house. ➣ mug (v), mugger (n)
4.17 common sense (n) /ˈkɒmən sens/
4.4 gritty (adj) /ˈɡrɪti/
when you are able to think and do the right thing
difficult, unpleasant or unattractive ● The
and avoid mistakes ● It’s common sense to keep
documentary shows the gritty side of life in this city.
matches away from children.
a very poor area in Brazil, with small houses your family now.
that are close together and in bad condition 4.19 buzz (n) /bʌz/
● Erlen lives in a favela in Rio.
a lot of activity, noise and excitement ● We could
4.6 settlement (n) /ˈsetlmənt/ hear the buzz of the city from our hotel room.
a place where people have come to live ● The family ➣ buzz (v)
lived in a small settlement in the forest. ➣ settle (v) 4.20 universe (n) /ˈjuːnɪvɜːs/
4.7 cramped (adj) /kræmpt/ the Earth and all the planets, stars and everything
not having enough room to move freely ● The else in space ● It was an interesting documentary
house is really small, so we’re cramped. about how the universe began.
4.8 resident (n) /ˈrezɪdənt/ 4.21 pedestrian (n) /pəˈdestriəsn/
sb who lives in a particular place ● The residents a person walking in the street ● Were any
of the village got cut off by snow last winter. pedestrians injured in the accident?
➣ reside (v), residence (n) 4.22 pastry shop (n) /ˈpeɪstri ʃɒp/
4.9 middle-class (adj) /ˈmɪdl klɑːs/ a shop that sells different kinds of small cakes
connected with educated people who have ● Everything in that pastry shop is delicious!
good jobs and are neither very rich nor very 4.23 typical (adj) /ˈtɪpɪkl/
poor ● He comes from a middle-class family. If sth is typical, it is a good example of a
➣ middle class (n) particular group or thing. ● This painting is
4.10 urban (adj) /ˈɜːbən/ typical of her work.
in or of a town or city ● More parks in urban areas 4.24 on the run (expr) /ɒn ðə rʌn/
would make towns more pleasant to live in. in a hurry; while doing sth else. ● He’s busy, so
4.11 resources (n) /rɪˈsɔːsiz/ he often eats on the run!
sth that a person, organisation or country has 4.25 victim (n) /ˈvɪktɪm/
and can use ● We have to make the best use of the a person or thing that is hurt, killed or damaged
resources we’ve got. by sb or sth ● Unfortunately, the victim died two
4.12 disadvantaged person (n) /ˌdɪsədˈvɑːntɪdʒd hours after the attack.
ˈpɜːsn/ 4.26 local council (n) /ˈləʊkl ˈkaʊnsl/
sb who does not have the things they need a group of people who are chosen to make
to succeed in life ● The organisation helps rules and decide things in a particular town or
disadvantaged people find work. area ● The local council has decided to build a
4.13 fortunate (adj) /ˈfɔːtʃənət/ sports centre.
lucky ● I was fortunate enough to find a job 4.27 inhabitant (n) /ɪnˈhæbɪtənt/
that I liked. ➣ fortune (n), fortunately (adv) sb who lives in a particular place ● This island has
✎ Opp: unfortunate only three thousand inhabitants. ➣ inhabit (v)
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Vocabulary page 46
4.42 majority (n) /məˈdʒɒrəti/
the largest part of a group of people or things
4.28 flatmate (n) /ˈflætmeɪt/ ● The majority of students agree with me.
sb who shares a flat with you ● I share a flat with ✎ Opp: minority
a flatmate, so we pay half the rent each. 4.43 avenue (n) /ˈævɪnjuː/
4.29 landlord (n) /ˈlændlɔːd/ a wide road in a town or city, often with trees
a man who rents a building, house, flat, etc to sb along it ● The avenue was wide and there were
● The landlord who owns our flat is not a very trees all along its length.
helpful man. 4.44 tree-lined (adj) /triː laɪnd/
4.30 landlady (n) /ˈlændleɪdi/ with trees on both sides ● We drove along a
a woman who rents a building, house, flat, etc tree-lined road.
to sb ● The landlady showed us round the flat and 4.45 pavement (n) /ˈpeɪvmənt/
told us how much rent she charged. a path at the side of a road for people to
4.31 lodger (n) /ˈlɒʤə/ walk on ● We walked along the pavement
sb who pays rent to live in a room in sb’s house and then stopped at the kerb before we crossed
● Mrs Smith has two lodgers who live upstairs. the road.
4.32 occupant (n) /ˈɒkjʊpənt/ 4.46 parking meter (n) /ˈpɑːkɪŋ ˈmiːtə/
sb who lives in a building, house, flat, etc a machine at the side of a road in which you put
● The occupants had to leave the building money if you want to park your car next to it
when the fire broke out. ➣ occupy (v) ● She put some coins in the parking meter and went
a building, house, flat, etc ● The rent for this flat is 4.50 street sign (n) /striːt saɪn/
700 euros a month. ➣ rent (v) a sign at the side of a road with symbols that give
4.36 commercial (adj) /kəˈmɜːʃl/ drivers information ● That street sign means ‘No
related to buying and selling things ● The major parking,’ so you can’t park here.
department stores are located in the commercial 4.51 speed bump (n) /spiːd bʌmp/
district of the town. ➣ commercialise, (v) a part in a road which is built a little higher to
commerce (n) make traffic go slowly ● There are speed bumps
4.37 industrial (adj) /ɪnˈdʌstrɪəl/ in the road outside this primary school, so drive
relating to the mass production of goods slowly.
● He works at a factory in the industrial park just 4.52 pedestrian area (n) /pəˈdestrɪən ˈɜːrɪə/
outside town. ➣ industry (n), industrialist (n) a shopping area in a town where vehicles cannot
4.38 inner-city (adj) /ˈɪnə-ˈsɪti/ go ● The city centre is a pedestrian area, so you can’t
near the centre of a large city, especially where drive there.
the people are poor ● Inner-city areas are often 4.53 zebra crossing (n) /ˈzebrə ˈkrɒsɪŋ/
dirty and have high crime rates. white stripes on road where people can
4.39 outskirts (pl n) /ˈaʊtskɜːts/ cross ● It’s safer to cross the street at the zebra
the edge of town ● He gets a train to the centre of crossing.
town as he lives on the outskirts in a quiet area. 4.54 speed camera (n) /spiːd ˈkæmrə/
4.40 residential (adj) /rezɪˈdenʃl/ a camera that takes photographs of cars
where there are only houses and not factories or that are travelling faster than the speed limit
● He was going over a hundred kilometres an
offices ● The residential area she lives in has many
large houses. ➣ residence, resident (n) hour and the speed camera got a photo of his
licence plate.
4.41 suburb (n) /ˈsʌbɜːb/
an area of a town or city where people live which 4.55 speed limit (n) /spiːd ˈlɪmɪt/
is not in the town/city centre ● Kallithea is one the fastest speed you are allowed to drive ● If you
drive faster than the speed limit and you are caught,
of the largest suburbs of Athens. ➣ suburbia (n),
you have to pay a fine.
suburban (adj)
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Grammar page 47
4.71 inland (adj) /ˈɪnlənd/
far from the coast ● People prefer to spend their
4.56 roof (n) /ruːf/ summer holidays on the coast rather than in inland
the structure that covers or forms the top of a areas. ➣ inland (n)
building ● Dad set up a new TV aerial on the roof. 4.72 home town (n) /həʊm taʊn/
4.57 move out (phr v) /muːv aʊt/ the town where you were born and grew up
leave the place you live in ● Her parents felt ● He has a Welsh accent because his home town is
sad when she moved out to live in her own flat. Cardiff.
4.58 ladder (n) /ˈlædə(r)/ 4.73 mainly (adv) /ˈmeɪnli/
a thing that you climb up when you want to reach mostly; more than anything else ● The club is popular
a high place ● He climbed up the ladder and got in with local residents, mainly teenagers.
through the window. 4.74 claim (v) /kleɪm/
4.59 estate agent (n) /ɪˈsteɪt ˈeɪdʒənt/ say sth is true ● Mum claims to be descended from
a person whose job is to sell houses and land royalty, but I don’t think she is. ➣ claim (n)
● The estate agent showed us the house.
4.75 salary (n) /ˈsæləri/
4.60 town hall (n) /taʊn hɔːl/ money that you are paid every month by the
a public building used for a town’s local organisation or person you work for ● His salary
government ● I got a copy of my birth certificate has gone down and now he can’t pay the rent.
at the town hall.
4.76 low (adj) /ˈləʊ/
4.61 collapse (v) /kəˈlæps/ below the usual or expected standard ● Students with
fall down suddenly ● The old house collapsed in low marks had to do the exam again. ✎ Opp: high
the earthquake.
4.77 standard of living (n) /stændəd əv ˈlɪvɪŋ/
Listening
the type of life a person has according to the
page 48 amount of money they have ● The family’s
standard of living has dropped since both parents
4.62 dweller (n) /ˈdwelə/ lost their jobs.
sb who lives in a particular place ● Few city
4.78 on the rise (expr) /ɒn ðə raɪz/
dwellers have a garden. ➣ dwell (v)
If sth is on the rise, it is increasing. ● Police say
4.63 citizen (n) /ˈsɪtɪzən/ that crime is on the rise.
a legal inhabitant of a country ● After living in
4.79 quality (n) /ˈkwɒləti/
Canada for over ten years, James decided to become
how good or bad sth is ● The quality of her work is
a citizen so that he could vote. ➣ citizenship (n)
amazing.
4.64 constant (adj) /ˈkɒnstənt/
4.80 operate (v) /ˈɒpəreɪt/
continual ● The constant noise in this flat is awful,
work ● The machine was not operating properly.
it’s even noisy at night! ➣ constantly (adv)
➣ operation, operator (n)
4.65 level (n) /ˈlevl/
4.81 mood swing (n) /muːd swɪŋ/
amount ● There was a high level of anticipation in
change in how you feel ● Shelly has mood swings,
the stadium as the fans waited for the band to arrive.
so one minute she’s happy and the next she’s furious.
4.66 rural (adj) /ˈrʊərəl/
4.82 mental health (n) /ˈmentl helθ/
in or of the countryside ● She lives on a farm in the
the condition of your mind ● Her son suffered from
heart of rural England.
mental health problems.
4.67 regulate (v) /ˈregjuːleɪt/
4.83 health-care worker (n) /helθ-keə ˈwɜːkə/
control ● She takes medicine to regulate her blood
sb whose job is to look after sick people
pressure. ➣ regulation (n) ● A health-care worker visits Grandma once
4.68 on a regular basis (expr) /ɒn ə ˈreɡjələ(r) a day to help her take her medicine.
ˈbeɪsɪs/
often or at the same time each day, week, etc
● We meet on a regular basis. Speaking page 49
4.69 town planner (n) /taʊn ˈplænə/ 4.84 I couldn’t agree more. (expr) /ˈaɪ ˈkʊdnt əˈɡriː
sb who studies the way towns work so that mɔː/
roads, houses, services etc can be provided used to show that you agree with sb completely
● ‘We should wait.’ ‘I couldn’t agree more.’
effectively ● This pedestrian shopping area was
designed by a town planner. ➣ town planning (n) 4.85 entirely (adv) /ɪnˈtaɪəli/
4.70 coast (n) /kəʊst/ completely ● I entirely agree with you.
land next to the sea ● It’s often windy here on 4.86 up to a point (expr) /ʌp tu ə pɔɪnt/
the coast as nothing protects us from the sea. to some degree but not completely ● Yes, that’s
➣ coastal (adj) true, but only up to a point.
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4.87 convinced (adj) /kənˈvɪnst/ 4.102 move into (phr v) /muːv ˈɪntuː/
completely sure that sth is true ● I was convinced start living in a place ● He has just moved into a
that she was right. ➣ convince (v) larger flat so he has much more space for his stuff.
4.103 settle down (phr v) /ˈsetl daʊn/
Grammar page 50
start living a fixed and routine life ● ‘At last you are
getting married and settling down,’ said Grandma.
4.88 accommodation (n) /əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃn/
4.104 ghost town (n) /gəʊst taʊn/
a place to stay or live ● Finding cheap
a town that used to have people in it, but now
accommodation in London won’t be easy.
has very few or none ● After the war, many places
4. 89 laboratory (n) /ləˈbɒrətri/ became ghost towns because the residents had been
a special room where scientists work ● Do they killed.
do tests on animals in these laboratories? 4.105 talk of the town (expr) /tɔːk əv ðə taʊn/
4.90 carton (n) /ˈkɑːtən/ sth or sb everyone is talking about ● John is the
a cardboard container ● You can buy a carton talk of the town in his new Mercedes; everybody is
of orange juice at a kiosk if you get thirsty. admiring it.
4.91 loaf (n) /ləʊf/ 4.106 a night on the town (expr) /ə naɪt ɒn ðə taʊn/
bread that has been baked in one piece a fun night out ● Janice had a night on the town
● Can I have a loaf of bread, please? with her friends to celebrate her birthday.
4.92 distinctive (adj) /dɪsˈtɪŋktɪv/ 4.107 paint the town red (expr) /peɪnt ðə taʊn red/
easily recognisable ● Santorini has very distinctive go out and have a great time at night ● We always
black sand on its beaches. paint the town red at New Year.
4.93 estimate (v) /ˈestɪmeɪt/ 4.108 town hall (n) /taʊn hɔːl/
try to judge the size, cost etc of sth, without a public building used for a town’s local
calculating it exactly ● It is estimated that there are government ● I got a copy of my birth certificate at
around 1,000 homeless people living on the streets of the town hall.
this city. ➣ estimate (n), estimation (n) 4.109 pushing and shoving (expr)
4.94 abandoned (adj) /əˈbændənd/ /ˈpʊʃɪŋ ənd ˈʃʌvɪŋ/
no longer used by the people who own it when people push each other to get sth
● There are squatters living in that abandoned ● There was a lot of pushing and shoving on the first
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4.118 private (adj) /ˈpraɪvət/ 4.131 come to a halt (expr) /kʌm tu ə hɔːlt/
for one person or group of people only and not stop ● The car came to a halt outside our front door.
for public use ● The hotel had its own private beach. 4.132 cease (v) /siːs/
4.119 individual (adj) /ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl/ stop ● Unless we start using sustainable energy, our
for only one person or thing ● All our students get way of life will cease to exist as we run out of power.
the individual attention they need. 4.133 invest (in) (v) /ɪnˈvest (ɪn)/
4.120 expansion (n) /ɪkˈspænʃn/ put money, effort or time into sth to make a
when sth increases in size, amount, etc ● They profit or gain an advantage ● This company
are discussing the expansion of their business. invests in people and rewards hard-working
➣ expand (v) employees. ➣ investment (n)
4.121 solid (adj) /ˈsɒlɪd/ 4.134 alternative energy (n) /ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv ˈenəʤi/
hard, not in the form of a liquid or gas a different source of energy from fossil fuel
● When water freezes, it becomes solid. ● Solar power is an alternative energy which
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4.144 bucket (n) /ˈbʌkɪt/ 4.147 inventive (adj) /ɪnˈventɪv/
a round container with handles for holding liquid very good at thinking of new and original ideas
● Fill this bucket with water and wash the windows. ● Whoever came up with the idea of the mobile
4.145 bold (adj) /bəʊld/ phone must have been very inventive. ➣ invent (v),
colourful; bright ● I don’t really like the bold invention (n) ✎ Opp: uninventive
colours in this painting; I prefer pastels. 4.148 deal (n) /diːl/
4.146 uninhibited (adj) /ʌnɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd/ agreement ● You will need a record deal if you want
confident or relaxed enough to do what you want to to make a career out of music. ➣ deal (v)
● He paints in an uninhibited way and does not worry
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