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VOCABULARY: (almost) all the words you need!

 In order to pass your exam, you need a good grasp of English vocabulary, both
basic and advanced. To this end, your English teacher has compiled lists of the most
important words.

 All words are presented in context, i.e. in example sentences, with the relevant word
replaced by the symbol ~.

 When studying, fold away the left-hand column, then read the sentences until you
are able to come up with the missing word. The right-hand columns are there to
give you hints or related words and expressions.

 It is essential that you write down all the missing words - just being able to say
them is not enough!

BASIC VOCABULARY ADVANCED VOCABULARY

1 THINKING 15 MORE PREPOSITIONS


2 LINKING WORDS 16 IDIOMS WITH PREPOSITIONS
3 LEISURE 17 SOCIETY
4 TRAVELLING 18 EDUCATION
5 VERBS AND NOUNS 19 MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
6 MORE VERBS AND NOUNS 20 MASS MEDIA
7 EVEN MORE VERBS AND NOUNS 21 MASS MEDIA (2nd PART)
8 ADDITIONAL VERBS AND NOUNS 22 LAW AND ORDER
9 SOME FINAL VERBS AND NOUNS 23 MORE LAW AND ORDER
10 -ING OR INFINITIVE AFTER VERBS 24 THE ECONOMY (I)
11 ADJECTIVES 25 THE ECONOMY (II)
12 MORE ADJECTIVES 26 POLITICS
13 ADVERBS 27 MORE POLITICS
14 PREPOSITIONS 28 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
29 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
30 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (1) : THINKING

FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED


WORDS
a thought (n) We all agreed that this was an extremely interesting ~. → → thoughtful (adj)
(be lost) in thought He didn't hear what I said since he was completely ~.
imagination (n) Poets, artists, and inventors need a lively ~. → imaginative (adj)

consider (sb as : v) His boss ~s him as not suitable for the job. = regard (as) (v)
take into consideration They will take every serious offer into ~. →considerable (adj)
take sth seriously He simply refused to take anything ~ (= accept that sth is Is that a joke or are
important and deserves your attention). you serious?
a belief (n) After the accident, she seemed to have lost her ~ in God. = faith (n)
→ believe in sth (v)
estimate (v) We had ~d that the work would take about an hour but we → an estimation (n)
were proved wrong.
expect (v) What time do you ~ her to arrive? → ~ a baby
an expectation (n) In the twentieth century people's ~ of life has greatly = life expectancy (n)
increased.
(make up your) mind I can't make ~ my ~ about what to do next. = decide
(change your) mind He got his bike, but then he ~d his mind and went by bus. = ~ your opinion
memory (n) That day remained in her ~ for the rest of her life. → remember sth
remind sb (of sth : v) We must ~ him to return the book that he has borrowed. → That ~s me.
misunderstand (sth) She had completely ~ what I was trying to say and took it → misunderstanding
(misunderstood , ~) as an insult. (n)
emphasise (-ize : v) Their instructor had ~d the importance of driving = stress sth (v)
carefully, especially in wet weather.
emphasis (n) My high school puts great ~ on studies that prepare its
students for college.
an opinion (n) In my ~ there is no difference between the two. = I'm of the ~ that ...
public opinion (n) Public ~ is strongly against higher taxes.
a point of view (n) They interviewed many people in order to get several = a perspective
points of ~.
concerned (adj) As far as I'm ~, I would be more than willing to give it a = from my point
try. of view
criticize (-ise) His insurance company has ~d him for taking unnecessary → criticism (n)
(sb for sth : v) risks. → be critical of sth
a critic (n) By winning a gold medal she has proved to her ~s that (adj)
she is still in great shape.
an inquiry (also: en-) We are getting a lot of ~ies from travel agencies about
(n) our new London-Berlin service.
research (n) The government spends millions of dollars on ~ into the → carry out medical
causes of cancer. / scientific ~
investigate (v) When he heard a noise, he went downstairs to ~ what it → a private
was. investigator
an outline (n) The book is basically an ~ of the most important steps in = a summary (n)
the development of the English language.
summarise sth (v) You should be able to ~ the author's main ideas in no = sum up (v)
more than 150 words.
a message (n) As you weren't at home I left a ~ in your letter box. → ~ in a bottle
- send (↔ receive) a message -
refer to sth (v) Although she didn't mention our names, everyone knew → a reference book
who she was ~ring to. (n)
a survey (n) According to a recent ~, 36% of all women don't feel safe → a nationwide ~
walking home alone at night.
a questionnaire (n) Please fill in all the answers and return the ~ to the → question sb (v)
address given above.
report sth (v) The royal wedding was ~ed in the press yesterday. → a ~ (n)
→ ~ed speech (n)
a quotation (n) "To be or not to be" is a famous ~ by Shakespeare. → quote sb / sth (v)
an encyclopaedia (n) An ~ is a large book that contains background  dictionary
(also: -edia) information about many topics in alphabetical order.

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (2) : LINKING WORDS

FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED


WORDS
when I will phone you ~ I get home. = as soon as
if I will be home at seven ~ I catch the train at 5 p.m. =on condition that
unless She will die ~ the doctors operate on her immediately. = if not
even if ~ you are just going on a short drive, you should always
have your driving license with you.
while Maria cleaned the kitchen ~ I did the bathroom.
whereas The south of the country is hot and dry, ~ the north gets
quite a lot of rain.
until Black people were denied the right to vote in the US ~ = till
well into the 1950's.
after Ten years ~ I had bought the painting I discovered that = ~ buying
it was fake.  before
first (of all) We had a great holiday. ~ we spent some days skiing in = in the beginning
then Switzerland. ~ we drove to Italy and stayed on the coast = after that /
for a few days. afterwards
finally ~, we went back to the Swiss Alps and met some old = in the end /
friends there. eventually
first(ly) Why can't we go away this weekend? - ~ because I'm = to begin with = for one thing
busy this weekend.
secondly ~ you have got a lot of school work to do. And ~ we = besides = for another (thing)
thirdly are planning to go away next weekend. = to conclude = anyway

furthermore The set meal is just $15, which is excellent value. = in addition
~, you get a free glass of house wine. = what's more
although She still won the match ~ she had injured her knee. = though/ even though
despite He didn't pass his exams ~ the help I had given him. = in spite of
however Most big cats, e.g. tigers and leopards, are quite solitary = on the other hand
creatures. Lions, ~, spend most of their time in a group.
nevertheless He insisted that everything would be all right. ~, I = all the same
couldn't help feeling anxious.
due to ~ the repeated power cuts last night, I missed part of the = because of
late film on TV.
so that We moved house ~ we could send our children to this = The purpose of
school. moving was...
therefore She is extremely hardworking. ~ she has deserved = for that reason
being promoted.
provided (that) I don't mind if he joins us on the trip ~ he pays for his = on condition that
own meals.
on the one hand ... ~ I really want to sell the house, but ~ I can't bear the
on the other hand thought of having to move again.
similarly At the conference, men have to wear a jacket and tie.
~, women are asked to wear a skirt or dress.
on the contrary It was not wise to act that way. ~, I think it was a huge = by contrast
mistake.
to sum up ~, our first priority should be to concentrate on staff = overall
training.
to conclude ~ , I would like to once again thank the court for giving → draw a conclusion
me this opportunity to speak.
in order to ~ understand how the human body works, you need to
have some knowledge of chemistry.
in addition The hotel itself can accommodate 80 guests. ~, there = additionally
are also ten self-catering apartments. = on top of that
either ... or ~ the room is too small ~ the piano is too large.
neither ... nor She has met ~ her father ~ her mother.
not only ... but (also) ~ did they break into his office, ~ they also stole all his
books.
consequently Both the manager and her assistant were ill. = as a result
~, there wasn't anybody to take any decisions.

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (3) : LEISURE

FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED


WORDS
spare time (n) Most people spend their ~ watching television. = free time (n)
leisure (n) Shorter working hours mean that people have more ~.

- ~ activities / facilities / clothing / centre -


a pastime (n) His favourite ~ is collecting stamps. = hobby (n)
recreation (n) What do you do for ~? - Well, I enjoy drawing and  relaxation (n)
painting.
equipment (n) If you want to go mountaineering, it is essential for you → equip (sb with sth
to have all the necessary ~. :v)
cater for sb (v) They have founded a holiday company that ~s for = provides them with
elderly tourists. everything they need
at sb's disposal (n) He seems to have a considerable sum of money at his ~.

favourite (adj) Who's your ~ actor - Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt? → favour / prefer
sb / sth (v)
(do / take) exercise (n) Everybody should do at least fifteen minutes of ~ each = work out (v)
day.
a gym(nasium) (n) A ~ is a hall that has equipment for doing physical → gymnastics (n)
exercise.
rewarding (adj) Most people who work out regularly say that doing → a reward (n)
a sense of achievement sports is extremely ~ because it provides you with a → achieve sth (v)
(n) sense of ~.
a competition (n) Leeds United were knocked out of the European ~ in →compete (with sb:v)
a competitor (n) the first round. The other British ~s were more competitive (adj)
successful.
participate (in : v) Many of the competitors were invited to ~ in TV talk = take part (in)
shows. → a participant (n)
DIY She has just bought a book on ~ in order to be able to = do-it-yourself
make her own furniture. → a DIY-store (n)
a collection (n) His only interest was his ~ of rare old books. → collect sth (v)
→ a collector (n)
a host / a hostess (n) The ~ welcomed all the guests personally when they ↔ a guest (n)
arrived.
(visit) relatives (n) Visiting ~ at the weekend is one of the social → be related (to sb)
obligations many people dislike.
farewell (n) He went away without saying ~, he didn't even write → say goodbye
her a ~ letter.
gamble (v) ~ing, e.g. roulette, is not allowed in most American → take a gamble
states.
luck (n) Whether you win or lose in roulette is just a question of → good ~
~. → bad ~
guess (v) If you don't know the exact answer, just ~. = have a guess (v)
cheat (v) Jack always tries to ~ at cards, so we usually watch him → a cheat (n)
carefully during games.
a spectator (n) The friendly match between the two national teams
attracted more than 40,000 ~s.
an audience (n) The ~ began clapping and cheering when the curtain → a live ~
rose and the star of the evening entered the stage.
crowded (with : adj) The five o'clock train is always ~ with commuters. → a crowd (n)
busy (adj) Oxford Street was so ~ that we could hardly move. → a ~ telephone line
a conductor (n) A ~ is someone who stands in front of a group of → conduct (v)
musicians and directs their playing. (an experiment)
a supporter (n) Many people in England don't like football ~s because → support (a team)
they think they're all hooligans. (v)
outdoor (adj) Lisa prefers ~ activities like hiking and cycling to ↔ indoor (Adj)
staying at home. → an indoor arena
wrestle (v) I spent two hours ~ing with my maths homework. → a wrestler (n)

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (4) : TRAVELLING

FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED


WORDS
a vacation (n: AmE) They are going to France for their ~. → holiday (n)
a travel agency (n) Thomas Cook is one of Britain's largest ~ies. → a business traveller
→ travel by
rail/sea/air
arrive (at / in) (v) I hope our train to the airport will ~ on time. → arrival (n)
depart (from) (v) Our tour ~s from Heathrow Airport on March 31 and → departure (n)
returns April 16. → a departure lounge
go abroad (v) She works for an international corporation, so she
regularly goes ~ on business.
a resort (n) Thirty years ago, Blackpool was Britain's most popular → a seaside resort (n)
holiday ~. → a mountain resort
a spa (n) A ~ is a resort with a spring of mineral water which is → the source of a
supposed to improve your health. river
a flight (n) The last ~ to Nuremberg leaves Heathrow at 9 p.m. →fly / flew / flown (v)
→ a flight attendant
a package tour (n) Today modern technology enables travellers to book a → the packaging of a
~ up to three hours before their departure. product
a journey (n) After a long ~ we finally arrived in East Asia. → a trip (n)
a voyage (n) The voyage from England to India used to take six
months.
a cruise (n) We have booked a ~ through the Mediterranean Sea. → a cruise liner (n)
a return ticket (n) A ~ is often cheaper than two singles. ↔ a single ticket (n)
sight-seeing (n) After two days of ~ he was so tired that he fell asleep → at first sight
on the bus.
a guided tour (n) They offer a ~ of the cathedral every other hour. → a guide (n)
luggage (n) All ~ should be checked in at the airport at least one = baggage (n: AmE)
hour before departure. → ~ reclaim (n)
a suitcase (n) His ~ was so full that he wasn't able to shut its lid.
a vacancy (n) The sign outside the hotel said: No ~ies. → vacant (adj)
a youth hostel (n) Children over fourteen are welcome to stay at British → YHA =
~s on their own. ~ Association
a visa (n) She arrived in the United States with a tourist ~ but she → a work permit (n)
didn't possess a work permit.
customs (n) When we had collected our luggage we had to pass → a customs officer
through ~. → a duty-free shop (n)
declare sth (v) Customs officer: "Have you got anything to ~"
a trailer (n) In American English, a ~ is a vehicle that can be pulled → mobile home / RV
behind a car, used for living and sleeping in. (recreational vehicle)
a camp site (n) She was staying at a ~ in the middle of the wilderness. → go camping
a tent (n) It took us two hours to put up our new ~.
a pavement (n) You are not permitted to ride your motorbike on the ~. = a sidewalk (US)
a pedestrian (n) Pavements are for ~s only.
a pedestrian crossing The accident happened at the ~ when a car didn't stop. → cross the street
a pedestrian precinct Vehicles are not permitted to use ~s. = a pedestrian mall (n)
a bend (n) The accident happened when he drove too fast round a → to bend (bent / ~)
narrow ~.
a crossroads (n) When you come to the next ~, turn right. = an intersection (US)
traffic lights (n) He went across the crossroads although the ~ were red. → traffic signs (n)
a traffic jam (n) The accident caused a long ~ on the motorway. → traffic congestion
a car park (n) He parked the rental car in the underground ~. = a parking lot (AmE)
a parking space (n) She drove along slowly, looking for a ~.
public transport (n) There would be fewer traffic jams if more people used →go by tube / subway
~, i.e. buses and trains.
a fare (n) Young people under 26 can travel at a reduced ~. → a coach / train ~

a residential area (n) A ~ is a part of town consisting of private houses rather → local residents (n)
than factories or offices.
suburbs (n) ~s are residential areas outside the city centre. → suburban (adj)

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (5) : VERBS AND NOUNS

WORDS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED


WORDS
a solution (n) That problem was hard; its ~ took several hours. → solve a problem

manage to do sth (v) How did they ~ to get out of the burning building → a manager (n)
unharmed?
ability (n) He has the ~ to solve complex technical problems. → be (un)able
disability (n) The government tries to help people who are unable (to do sth)
to work because of illness or ~. → be disabled
a volunteer (n) He asked for two ~s to clean the blackboard. → ~ to do sth (v)
voluntary (adj) She does ~ work in the nearby hospital. = unpaid
intend (v) This medicine did not have the ~ed effect. → intentional (adj)
intention (to do sth : n) I'm sorry. It wasn't my ~ to hurt you.
mean (to do sth : v) I ~ [PAST] to ask you to buy some bread on your  X means Y
(meant / ~) way home but I completely forgot about it.
act (v) If we don't ~ quickly, it will be too late. ↔ do nothing
an actor (n) An ~ is a person who acts on a stage, in motion pictures → Tom Cruise is
or on television. a famous ~.
invent sth (v) When she had no good reason for being late, she simply → an inventor (n)
~ed some excuse. → inventive (adj)
an invention (n) Television is a modern ~.
afford (to do sth) (v) They had to walk home since they couldn't ~ to take a → affordable prices
taxi.
consist of (v) This cake has been made from a ready-made mixture = be composed of
~ing of flour, milk, eggs and raisins.
belong (to sb/sth :v) Our planet does not ~ to mankind. On the contrary, = own / possess sth
mankind ~s to our planet. (v)
sb's belongings (n) Several passengers lost all their ~ in the fire. = possessions (n)
lend (lent , ~) (v) I’ll ~ you $ 5 till Friday. But only if you promise to pay it → a moneylender (n)
back.
borrow (sth from sb:v) Could I ~ some money ~ you, please?
achieve sth (v) I've tried to convince her, but I haven't ~d anything. = succeed in
achievement (n) Many people think that the computer is the greatest ~ reaching a goal
of our century.
affect (v) Politicians take decisions which ~ our lives. = have an effect on
affected by Help will be sent to the areas most ~ by the hurricane.
develop (v) All land animals are believed to have ~ed from → ~ing countries
sea animals.
a development (n) Her child had had a difficult birth, so her doctor
followed its ~ closely.
appeal (v) The Murrays have ~ed to the public for any information → an appeal (n)
about their missing daughter
fail (v) He tried hard to learn to sing properly, but he ~ed. → a failure (n)
succeed (in doing sth) He was extremely tired, but he didn't ~ in finding → a success (n)
an empty seat. successful (adj)
practise (doing sth) When he broke his arm, he had to ~ writing with his left → Practice makes
(v / US: -ce) hand. perfect. (Proverb)
practice (n) ~ is as important for great sportsmen as it is for great
musicians.
revise sth (v) A stubborn person is unwilling to ~ his or her opinion. = change / alter sth
(do) revision (n) If you want to pass your final exam, you'll have to do = study (v)
quite a lot of ~.
additional (adj) The government is providing an ~ $ 25 million in order → add sth (v)
to expand this service. → addition (n)
in addition In ~, fifty ambulances will be on duty until midnight. ↔ subtraction (n)
attach sth (v) A copy of my CV is ~ed to this letter. → an attachment (n)

abbreviate sth (v) We can ~ "mile" to "m", "inch" to "in, "hour" to "hr." etc. = to shorten sth (v)
→ brief (adj)
an abbreviation (n) "UK" is the ~ for United Kingdom.

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (6) : MORE VERBS AND NOUNS
WORDS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
pretend (to do sth : v) Are these people really mad or are they only ~ing to be? → ~ to be ill
a pretence Under the ~ of picking up her handkerchief, she took the = act as if
(n / US: -se) money he had lost. (you were ill)
a liar (n) You should never believe anything he tries to tell you - = a person who does
He is the greatest ~ on earth. not tell the truth
lie (to sb: v) He was ~ing to us when he said he hadn't touched the → a lie (n)
(lying / lied) money. tell lies
lie (v: lay / lain) He ~ (PAST) on his back, enjoying the warm afternoon → ~ in bed
sun.
lay (v: laid / laid) Make sure you ~ the baby down gently. → lay eggs
burst (v: burst / burst) The pipes had ~ and the house was under two feet of → ~ with
water. excitement
ignore sth (v) As usual, he ~d all my warnings. ↔ pay attention to
ignorant (adj) Saying that the earth is flat is an ~ remark. → ignorance (n)
confuse (v) I always ~ her with her twin sister. They look absolutely = mix up X with Y
similar. → confusing (adj)
disturb (v) She'll get angry if you ~ her while she's working. → a disturbing fact
(= alarming : adj)
annoy (v) It ~s me that you always act so selfishly. → annoying (adj)
Please don't cry, I didn't mean to ~ you. = upset sb (v)
(be/get) used to He is ~ getting up early (He does it every day). = accustomed to
(doing sth) She thought she would never get ~ to living in a big city.
used (to do sth) I ~ to smoke, but I gave it up a couple of years ago. → in the past
(= I smoked regularly, but I have quit)
a habit (n) It is all right to borrow money occasionally, but you → get used to sth
shouldn't let it become a ~.
an advantage (n) One ~ of having a car is an increase in flexibility.
a drawback (n) Our trip was extremely interesting, but the rainy weather = a disadvantage (n)
was a real ~.
influence sb / sth (v) It is a well-known fact that our thoughts are ~ed by what →an influential man
we read.
influence (n) His parents no longer have any ~ over him. → drive under the ~
convince (sb that) (v) She wasn't able to ~ her father that she needed more → convincing (adj)
money.
force (sb to do sth : v) Give it to me at once, or I will ~ you to do it.
(use) force (n) The robber had to use ~ to get into the house. = violence (n)
bury (v) He was ~ied in the graveyard of St Mary's. → a burial (n)
a graveyard / In his dreams he saw the spirits rising from the ~.
a cemetery (n)
refuse (to do sth : v) No clever person would ~ to accept such an attractive → the offer seemed
offer. too good to ~
a refusal (n) His ~ to pay the fine got him into even more trouble.
predict sth (v) They have ~ed wet and cool weather for the weekend. = a weather forecast
predictable (adj) The film was boring and its ending was ~.
to encourage sb He felt ~d by the progress he had been able to make so ↔ discourage sb (v)
(to do sth : v) far.
courage (n) It has always been my intention to ask the manager for → courageous (adj)
more money but I lack the ~ to actually do it.
bottom (n) Sign your name at the ~ of the page, please. → your signature (n)
from top to bottom The police searched her flat from ~, but they couldn't find
any clues.
divide sth (v) If you ~ 81 by 9, you get 9 as the result. → division (n)
multiply sth (v) 11 ~ied by 10 is 110. → multiplication (n)
blame sb (for sth) (v) I don't ~ you ~ what you have done - I think your action → take the blame
was completely justified. (for sth)
"A bad workman ~s his tools." (Proverb)
disagree with (sb / sth) I strongly ~ with spending such a large amount of money → reach an agree-
(v) on a car. ment (n)

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (7) : EVEN MORE VERBS AND NOUNS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
a remark (n) His ironic ~s led to a heated argument. = a comment (n)
remarkable (adj) It was ~ that the only injury he got in the accident was a → exceptional (adj)
bruised elbow.
demand sth (v) When the doctor ~ed payment for his treatment, she had → a demand (n)
to admit that she was broke. reasonable ~s
claim (that : v) Strangely enough, after the battle both sides ~ed victory. = assert sth (v)
a claim (n) His only ~ to fame is that he was at school with our
present prime minister.
complain (about : v) When she ~ed about her food, the waiter promised to → a complaint (n)
bring her something else immediately.
disappointing (adj) With cool and wet weather the summer has been rather ~ → (be) disappointed
this year.
defeat sb (v) The opposition parties hope to ~ the government in the → a defeat (n)
next election. → admit defeat (n)
gain (n) One person's loss is another person's ~. → gain strength /
gain (v) The sport has ~ed in popularity in recent years. weight etc.
an aim (n) The main ~ of the course is to improve students' language = a goal (n)
skills.
attempt (v) Several prisoners ~ed an escape, but they failed. → attempted murder
an attempt My first ~ to bake a chocolate cake was a complete → a rescue attempt
(to do sth : n) failure - it tasted really awful!
(make an) effort (n) We made a real ~ to finish the test in time, but there were → a waste of time
simply too many questions. and effort
available (adj) There are still some tickets ~ for tonight's play at the = sth that can
theatre's box office. be obtained
availability (n) This special offer is subject to ~.
a discovery (n) American biologists have recently made some important → discover sth (v)
new ~ies.
(be in) doubt (n) You shouldn't marry him if you are still in ~ about his →without any doubt
character. → doubt sth (v)
nod (your head) (v) Kindly ~ your head if you understand what I'm saying ↔ shake
and shake it if you don't. (shook/shaken :v)
continue (v) According to the latest forecast wet weather is likely to ~ → ~ing uncertainty
for a few more days. → to be continued
embarrassed (adj) There was a long ~ silence after he had confessed to his → an embarrassing
parents that he was gay. question / incident
deceive (v) You won't pass your exams without working hard, so → deceit (n)
don't ~ yourself into thinking you can.
He has been ~ing his wife for years. = be unfaithful to sb
be determined He always says that he is ~ to succeed at university, but → act with
(to do sth) his actions tell a different story. determination
a decline (n / v) There has been a ~ in the size of families. = a decrease (n)
decrease (v) The birth rate in Western Europe has been ~ing for → an economic
several decades. decline
notice sth (v) When the pilot ~d that his plane was losing fuel it was → a noticeable
already too late. (increase)
experience (n) Few people in wealthy countries have had the ~ of real → know sth from ~
hunger. → experienced (adj)
We all learn by ~. an ~ driver
happen (v) Jane hasn't come home yet - I really hope nothing has → Don't worry - this
~ed to her. could ~ to anybody.
happen (to do sth: v) He ~ed to walk past the building when a bank robbery
took place.
delay (n) It is already quite late. We should really start working → be delayed (adj)
now without any further ~.
to run out of sth (v) I really hope we'll see a petrol station soon - We will be = there won't be
~ning ~ petrol shortly. any petrol left
charge (v) The restaurant has ~d us £40 for the wine. → a charge card
The hotel ~s $125 a night.
© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010
BASIC VOCABULARY (8) : SOME ADDITIONAL VERBS AND NOUNS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
an insult (n) She completely misunderstood what I had said and took it → to insult sb
as an ~. = to offend sb
offend sb (v) Make sure you choose your words carefully when you → insult sb (v)
talk to him. He is known to be easily ~ed.
a permission (n) She went home after she had received ~ to leave work → be permitted /
early. allowed to do sth
obey sb / sth (n) Soldiers are trained to ~ the orders of their superiors. → carry out an order
deserve sth (v) He had failed his test, but everybody agreed that he ~d → an undeserved
another chance. win / loss
sympathy (n) She showed no ~ when I told her how badly I had been = (have) compassion
treated. (= she showed no pity) with sb
recognise sb (v) He had changed so much that I almost failed to ~ him. → a recognised
method
prove sth (v) He wasn't able to ~ to the police that he was innocent. → proof (n)
= evidence (n)
deteriorate (v) After the water quality of the lake had ~. (become worse) → deterioration (n)
improve (v) for several years, it finally started to ~ (get better) again. → improvement (n)

support sb (v) Fortunately, her friends and relatives ~ed her during this → a (football)
severe crisis. supporter
join sth (v) On his request he was told that he lacked the necessary = become a member
qualifications to ~ their association.
He built a simple tool by ~ing several pieces of wood = link several parts
with glue. ↔ separate (v)
float (v) Wood ~s on water, whereas metal sinks. → a floating voter
When she raised her head she saw a huge balloon ~ing
across the sky.
remove sth (v) He argued that it wasn't enough to support poor people, → ~ a tumour
but to ~ the causes of poverty, too. → a removal (n)
scatter sth (v) When he came in, the children had ~ed all their toys on
the floor.
waste sth (v) Sadly, he seems to have ~d his inheritance on women and → nuclear / toxic ~
gambling. → ~ disposal (n)
a waist (n) During the performance he tried to put his arm around her
~, but she didn't let him. (= part of the body)
a relationship (n) When she found out that he had been unfaithful to her → be related to sb
repeatedly, she put an end to their ~. sb's relatives (n)
similarity (n) There are many ~ies between the inhabitants of Europe = they are similar
and North America. (to each other) /
similar (to sth) (adj) Their twin daughters look quite ~ - I can never manage to = resemble
tell them apart. (each other)
differ (from : v) The twins ~ from each other in their interests. → a difference (n)
share sth (v) We weren't quite satisfied with our holiday flat since we
had to ~ a bathroom with our neighbours. → buy Microsoft
a share (n) He wanted his ~ of the prize money. shares / stocks
obtain sth (v) Vitamins and fibre are best ~ed through natural food, = acquire sth (v)
such as fruit and vegetables.
supply (n) In some areas of the country, the ~ of raw materials to ↔ demand (n)
factories had practically come to a standstill. = provide (v)
restrict sth (v) After continuous protests by animal rights groups the → a restriction (n)
government decided to ~ fox hunting.  ban sth (v)
interrupt sb / sth (v) He really is an awful chatterbox. He always ~s other → uninterrupted
people when they try to say something. (adj)
responsible (for sth) In the US, the Secretary of State is ~ for foreign affairs. ↔ irresponsible
(adj) → responsibility (n)
a judge (n) After listening to all the witnesses, the ~ passed a verdict → Judgement Day
of not guilty.
judge (v) You shouldn't ~ people by the way they look.

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (9) : SOME FINAL VERBS AND NOUNS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
an introduction (n) The ~ of steel as a building material made very tall → introduce sth (v)
buildings possible. introductory (adj)
a purpose (n) His ~ was to discover how long these guests intended to → do sth on ~
stay.
admiration (n) Her great achievements earned her the ~ of all her friends → admire sb (v)
and relatives.
a request (n) Brochures with further information are available on ~. = ask for sth politely

object to (v) Many people ~ to loud noise for the simple reason that it = be opposed to sth
gives them a headache. = dislike sth (v)
a quarrel (n) They have had a furious ~ and now they refuse to speak = have an argument
to each other. (with sb)
struggle (to do sth : v) He ~d to keep back the tears. = make a great effort
a struggle (n) Making babies eat their spinach is always a ~. = try hard
a participant (n) There are three ~s in the competition representing → participate in (v)
Germany. = take part in
involve sth (v) Housekeeping ~s cooking, washing dishes, sweeping, and = include / comprise
cleaning in general.
be involved in sth The police claims that he was ~ in last week's armed → participate in (v)
robbery.
an opportunity I have had no ~ to give him your message, simply = an occasion (n)
(n: to do sth) because I haven't met him yet.
patience (n) The cat watched the mouse hole with great ~. → lose patience
impatient (adj) His mother has to remind him regularly not to become ~ ↔ be patient
with his little sister.
an approach (n) Each of the speakers suggested a different ~ to the → approaching (adj)
problem.
prevention (n) They sprinkled their roof with water as a ~ against the → prevent sb
approaching wood fire. (from doing sth
"Prevention is better than cure". (Proverb)
regard sb as (v) He is ~ed as the leading eye specialist in town. = consider sb as (v)
regarding (prep) The policeman asked many questions ~ the accident. = concerning /
relating to (prep)
a settlement (n) The English ~ of North America started in the → densely settled
seventeenth century. ↔ sparsely settled
unspoiled (adj) The Amazon region has been called one of the last → spoil sb / sth (v)
remaining ~ wildernesses on earth. a spoiled child
threaten (v) The farmer ~ed to shoot any dog that tried to kill one of → threatening (adj)
his sheep.
distribute sth (v) Clothes, blankets and tents have been ~d among civil-war = divide and give out
refugees. in shares
distribution (n) The UN organised the ~ of aid supplies.
abandon sth (v) When his car broke down, he had to ~ it in the snow. → ~ all hope
abandoned (adj) We saw several ~ villages on our trip. = deserted (adj)
damage (n) Severe thunderstorms have caused millions of dollars' = cause harm
worth of ~.
damages (n) He took his company to court (= sued it) and won $ = compensation (n)
100,000 in ~.
scare sb (v) The watchdog has ~d away the robber by barking loudly → a scarecrow (n)
and fiercely. → That's scary!
scarce (adj) During the war food, shoes and furniture were often ~ = hard to get / rare
and of a poor quality. → scarcity (n)
lack (sth) (v) Alex's real problem is that he ~s confidence.
a lack (of sth) (n) A ~ of vitamins can cause a number of symptoms. = a shortage of sth
a shortage (of sth) (n) Nowadays there is a ~ of skilled workers in the
electronics industry.
get rid of sth (v) Let's ~ of all that old furniture and buy something = remove sth (v)
entirely new.

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (10) : -ING OR INFINITIVE AFTER VERBS

FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED


WORDS
finish + ING I will go shopping as soon as I have ~ed [clean] our flat.  begin/start + ING
avoid + ING During our conversation I realized that he ~ed [answer] → unavoidable
my questions. (adj)
dare + to-INF He didn't ~ [tell] his parents that he had failed all his → a daredevil (n)
exams.
consider + ING Have you ever ~ed [go] to live in another country. = think about + ING

decide + to-INF It was already quite late, so we ~d [take] a taxi home. → take a decision
(to do sth)
want sb + to-INF He doesn't ~ me [know] anything about his financial NOT: want that !!!
problems- in fact, he doesn't want anybody to know.
enjoy + ING When he is on holiday, he always ~s not [have] to get up = be fond of + ING
early.
promise + to-INF You have ~d [take] your little niece to the zoo today - so → give a promise
go ahead and do it! (to do sth)
quit + ING (quit / ~) She ~ [smoke] after her mother had died miserably of = give up + ING
lung cancer.
carry on + ING We have to do something to improve our lives - we can't = go on + ING
~ [live] like this. = keep on + ING
expect sb + to-INF Every company ~s its employees [come] to work → an expectation (n)
punctually (= on time).
tend + to-INF I am really fond of him, but unfortunately he ~s [talk] → have a tendency
too much. (to do sth)
imagine + ING I apologise for laughing at him, but I really can't ~ him → imagination (n)
[ride] a motorbike.
admit + ING After having been questioned by the police for several deny + ING
hours, she ~ed [have] stolen the money. → an admission (n)
deny + ING She still ~d [steal] the money, even though two witnesses = she ~d that she had
(denied / ~) saw her taking it. stolen the money
pretend + to-INF She ~ed not [see] me as we passed each other in front of = she acted as if she
a department store. hadn't seen me
agree + to-INF He really was in a difficult situation, so I ~d [lend] him → reach an
some money to smooth things over. agreement (n)
remind sb + to-INF Could you please ~ her [phone] Ann tomorrow? She has  remember sth (v)
left five messages on our answering machine.
to remember + ING He could ~ [drive] along the road just before the accident → keep sth in your
happened, but he had forgotten about all the rest. memory (n)
+ to-INF Please ~ [post] the letter today. It is urgent.

suggest + ING After two days at the holiday flat we were all a little bit = I ~d that we go ...
bored, so I ~ed [go] to the cinema for a change. → suggestion (n)
learn + (how) to-INF At what age did you ~ how [drive] a car? → a slow learner (n)

appear + to-INF Have you seen their mansion? - They really ~ [have] = seem + to-INF
plenty of money.
order sb + to-INF The officer ~ed the soldiers [dig] five knee-deep = give an order
trenches. (to do sth)
warn sb + to-INF He emphasised that this switch was dangerous and he = give a warning
~ed me not [touch] it.
recommend + ING I really wouldn't ~ [stay] at that hotel - I think it is a → I ~ that you look
complete dump! for a better hotel.
regret + ING She really ~ted [call] him a lazy bastard - she knew that = be sorry for
their relationship would never be the same again.
+ to-INF We ~ [inform] you that we are unable to offer you a job → a regrettable
in our company. incident
forget + ING He noticed too late that he had completely ~ [do] his → He is always so
homework. forgetful ! (adj)
+ to-INF Make sure you don't ~ [do] your homework today.

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (11) : ADJECTIVES
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
scientific This report is based on ~ research and data. → a scientist (n)
science (n)
actual Some scientists claim that the ~ number of AIDS → actually (adv)
victims is much higher than statistics show.
definite Researchers have emphasised that it was too early to → 'the' is a ~ article
give a ~ answer to that question.
superficial Unfortunately, he had just a ~ knowledge of economics,  detailed (adj)
so he was unable to answer their questions.
thorough Police spokesmen have promised to carry out a ~ = careful and detailed
investigation.
comprehensive The factory was given a ~ safety inspection three = including everything
months ago.
urgent Due to the drought there is an ~ need for food and = needs to be dealt with
water in the whole area. as soon as possible
economic ~ growth is expected to slow down this year. → the economy (n)
economical It is more ~ to wash a full load of laundry than several = using the minimum
small ones. amount of time or effort
generous He had fallen in love with one of the waitresses, so he = giving more than is
always gave her an extremely ~ tip. usual or expected
general We're trying to raise awareness about the environment → as a ~ rule
in ~ and air pollution in particular.
obvious It had been ~ from the start that the suspect had = apparent (adj)
something to hide.
invisible Germs and bacteria are ~ to the naked eye. = cannot be seen
advanced German scientists were able to develop the most ~ = sophisticated (adj)
telescope in the world. → OALD
senior Mr. Jones is the ~ member of the firm, i.e. he is higher → senior citizens (n)
in rank than other employees.
sensible Her parents had always thought she was too ~ to do = reasonable / rational
anything foolish. (adj)
sensitive She was careful about what she said to him as she knew = easily hurt or offended
he was extremely ~ to criticism. (a lotion for ~ skin)
precious Gold, silver, and platinum are often called ~ metals. = having great value
→ appreciate (v)
convenient Will it be ~ for you to bring your lunch to school? = not troublesome (adj)
suitable (for) The town's new playground is particularly ~ for small = appropriate (adj)
children.
artificial At night you have to read by ~ light, i.e. electric light or  natural (adj)
candlelight.
artistic Our museum is proud of its many ~ works (works of → an artist (n)
art), especially its large collection of sculptures.
temporary He took some painkillers, but they only provided ~ = lasting for a short time
relief from his toothache.  permanent (adj)
gradual A child's growth into an adult is ~. = step by step
essential Good food and enough rest are ~ for good health. = indispensable / vital
previous (to) ~ to her departure she invited all her friends and = before / preceding
relatives to a big farewell party. (prep)
ancient In Egypt, we saw the ruins of an ~ temple which had = belonging to times ...
been built six thousand years ago. long past
inherited All his wealth is ~, he has done nothing himself to → inherit sth from sb
deserve it. bequeath sth to sb
historic German reunification was an event of ~ significance. = important in history
It is a ~ fact that George Washington was the first
historical President of the United States. = concerning history
literal A ~ translation, which follows the exact words of the  literary (adj)
original, is often difficult to understand. → literature (n)
figurative Baptism is a ~ ceremony, which symbolises cleaning = symbolic /
by washing away sin. metaphorical

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (12) : MORE ADJECTIVES
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
bad-tempered The ~ old man always chased the children away when = having a bad temper /
they were playing in front of his house. irritable (adj)
dishonest Lying, cheating, and stealing are ~. → honour (n)
honest (adj)
indifferent (to) She had dozens of admirers, but she was ~ to all of = showing no interest
them.
careless Eventually a ~ mistake ruined the whole experiment.  careful (adj)
aware (of) I was too sleepy to be ~ of how cold it actually was. = conscious (adj)
unconscious He was knocked ~ as soon as the car struck him. → lose consciousness
The ~ is the part of the mind containing thoughts and → unconscious fears,
feelings of which a person is not fully aware. thoughts, desires etc.
self-conscious Since she reached puberty, their daughter is extremely = easily embarrassed
~ in public
self-confident ~ people believe in their own abilities, power or  self-conscious (adj)
judgement. → confidence (n)
sincere He made a ~ effort to pass his exams. = real / honest
genuine He was cheated by an art dealer who was able to = original (adj)
persuade him that this painting was a ~ Picasso.
ordinary In ~ life we use a great many words with a total = usual; common;
disregard for logical precision normal; regular (adj)
contradictory First reports of the election were so ~ that we could not = saying the opposite
tell who had won.
unexpected A sudden and ~ change in the weather put the  expected /
mountaineers at great risk. anticipated (adj)
ridiculous It would be ~ to walk backward all the time. = silly / unreasonable

determined Scott, the ~ explorer, kept on marching in spite of a = resolved / having


severe ice storm. made up one's mind
faithful His ~ dog always followed him and kept him company. = loyal (adj)
→ have / lose faith in sb
jealous When their little son sees his mother holding their new → jealousy (n)
baby, he becomes ~ immediately.
physical Even before your exams you shouldn't forget to take → a ~ disability
regular ~ exercise.
mental An increase in ~ problems and illnesses, for example → body and mind (n)
depressions, is common to all wealthy societies.
harmful Many sweets contain ~ substances, for example  harmless (adj)
artificial colouring or additives. → do sb harm (n)
acid (adj / n) Several kinds of fruit, e.g. lemons or grapefruit, contain → Acids have a pH
some amount of ~. value of less than 7.
impatient He says that he doesn't mind looking after their baby, → lose patience (n)
but he always gets ~ after a short while.  patient (adj)
compulsory Smoke detectors are ~ in all new buildings. = obligatory
 voluntary
severe The judge imposed a ~ sentence on the criminal. = strict / harsh (adj)

sufficient Prosecutors were unable to provide ~ proof of the man's = enough (adj)
guilt.  insufficient (adj)
likely One ~ result of this heavy rain is the rising of the river. = probably (adj)
Due to this heavy rain the river is ~ to rise.  unlikely (adj)
convincing The arguments of his lawyer were so ~ that the jury →convince/persuade sb.
unanimously voted not guilty.
unreliable As existing statistics were rather ~, researchers decided → rely (on sb to do sth)
to carry out an additional survey. (v)
customary In Western societies, it is ~ to exchange gifts at = usual (adj)
Christmas. →customs/traditions (n)
widespread It is a ~ though erroneous belief that spinach is → spread sth widely
extremely rich in iron.
© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010
BASIC VOCABULARY (13) : ADVERBS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
actually He pretended to be dumb and deaf, but ~ he was able to  current(ly)
understand everything we said.  "aktuell" (dt.)
apparently ~ , the company is losing a lot of money. = as it appears

already When she arrived at the airport, I had ~ left for Cologne.  not ... yet
not ... yet I'm sorry, but I haven't finished my essay ~. I'm afraid I'll
need another fifteen minutes.
just I was ~ leaving my flat when the telephone rang.
eventually ~, someone expressed publicly what they had all thought = finally = at last
themselves.  "eventuell" (dt.)
at least He did not achieve very good results, but ~ he was able  at last
to pass the course.
immediately When they saw a huge army approaching, they = at once
surrendered ~.
automatically All lights will be turned off ~ at 9 p.m.
before In 1941, nylon was first used to make stockings, and the  after
year ~, it had first been used to produce toothbrushes.
ago Harold won a gold medal in the Olympics four years ~. = "vor" (dt.)
besides I don't like the colour and, ~, it costs far more than I can = in addition
afford. additionally
furthermore He does not receive any visitors in the afternoon. ~, he = moreover /
left explicit orders not to be disturbed today. what is more
consequently I crashed his car when I borrowed it. ~, I had to pay for = as a result
all the repairs.
sufficiently His instructions were not ~ clear for us to understand. = (clear) enough
equally Although they always try to divide the housework ~, she
always complains about having to do everything herself.
approximately The plane will be landing in ~ 20 minutes. = about
fortunately ~, the fire was discovered soon after it had started. = luckily
unfortunately ~, we couldn't visit the museum as it was closed.
generally Their plans for building a new shopping mall in the city → widely
centre have been ~ accepted by the public.
hardly The heat became almost unbearable, so that we could ~  hard (adj / adv)
breathe.
however Sales have been rather poor for the last few months. There = nevertheless
may, ~, be an increase before Easter.
instead He decided not to join the army. ~, he wanted to go to  in spite of (prep)
university and study engineering.
perhaps There were three, ~ four thousand people at the concert. = maybe

mainly Most tourists were from Northern Europe, ~ from = primarily /


Denmark and Sweden. predominantly
almost ~ one million people have been out of work for more than = nearly
twelve months.
particularly She hates being interrupted, ~ while she is working. = especially
= in particular
probably ~ these two problems are interrelated, so we can't solve = it is likely that ...
one without tackling the other one as well.
therefore Our manager was very busy. ~ she was not able to attend = because of that /
yesterday's meeting. on account of that
thoroughly He always says that he has ~ enjoyed his school days. = completely /
entirely
undoubtedly Britain has ~ changed for the better but voters seem to be = without any doubt
ungrateful.
under no circum- ~ should you lend him any money. You can be sure not to = never ever
stances be paid back.
deliberately He was found guilty of ~ destroying his neighbour's = intentionally
property.

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (14) : WORDS FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITIONS

FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED


WORDS
listen to (v) We often ~ the news in the evening.  to hear (heard / ~)
agree with (v) My brother never ~s ~ me. His opinions are always the = be of the same
opposite of what I think. opinion
depend on (v) We are not sure whether to go out for a walk today - it → independence (n)
really ~s ~ the weather.
suffer from (v) He has ~ed ~ a rare form of diabetes since his childhood. →human suffering (n)
apologise for (v) The management are going to ~ their mistakes, which led → an apology (n)
to a drop in profits.
apply for (v) When she got unemployed, she ~ied ~ a new position, → an application (n)
(applied / ~) but unfortunately without success.
worry about (v) Don't ~ your exams - I am sure you will be able to pass → be worried (adj)
them.
complain about (v) When she ~ed ~ her food, the waiter promised to bring → a complaint (n)
her something different immediately.
spend on He seems to ~ all his money ~ clothes and cigarettes. → a spendthrift (n)
(v: spent / ~)
belong to (v) You can't simply take that dictionary with you. After all, → own sth (v)
it ~s ~ me. be the owner (n)
good at (adj) English is no problem for her, but unfortunately she has  be bad at (adj)
(~ / better / best) never been ~ mathematics. (~ / worse / worst)
frightened of (adj) She always takes the train because she is ~ flying / taking = be afraid of (adj)
a plane.
enthusiastic He is very ~ Italian food, especially pasta. → enthusiasm (n)
(adj: about sth) (= be fond of / be keen on)
similar to (adj) People always remark that she looks quite ~ her sister → a striking similarity
different from (adj) (they are like twins), but completely ~ her brother.
interested in (adj) He has always been ~ reading books on history and = take an interest in
science.  This is interesting!
surprised at / by We were quite ~ the weather - we hadn't expected that it → a surprise (v)
(adj) would rain almost every day. → surprising (adj)
aware of (adj) I think she is ~ the problems in her class but she is not = realise sth (v)
sure what to do about it.
fed up (with sth) I am ~ watching television all day - let's do something = be tired of
different for a change.
crowded with (adj) As on every weekend, the streets in the old town were ~ = full of (adj)
tourists of all nationalities. → a crowd (n)
capable of (adj) She is a grown-up person, so surely she's perfectly ~ = having the abilities
calling a doctor herself. to do sth
wrong with (adj) There is something ~ that TV set - it is not working  right (adj)
properly.
responsible for (adj After a long investigation police were able to arrest the irresponsible (adj)
man who was ~ the crime. → responsibility (n)
rely on (v) A real friend is a friend that one can always ~ - in good → (un)reliable (adj)
(relied / ~) and in bad times.
by accident I took his pen ~ - I thought it was mine. = by mistake
by chance We met ~ in the city centre - We hadn't planned it - it = we happened to
was just luck. meet
on purpose I am sure that he broke that vase ~ - he had always = deliberately (adv)
intended to do it because he hated having to look at it. → intend to do sth
opposed to The principles of socialism and capitalism are absolutely → the opposite (n)
~ each other.
on the contrary This must have been a terrible experience. - ~, I enjoyed → contrary to
every second of it. popular belief
approve of (v) Catherine's parents have never ~ed ~ her marriage to  be opposed to
John - they have always been opposed to it.
except (prep) He is rather dull as he hasn't got any interests ~ collecting = apart from (prep)
stamps.  expect sb (v)

© Firsching - FOS/BOS Bamberg - 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (15) : MORE PREPOSITIONS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
according to Then the students were split into five groups ~ their → accordingly (adv)
abilities.
apart from Well, ~ his long nose he is rather good-looking, isn't he? → fall apart
among She was ~ the few lucky people who managed to escape → be ~ friends /
from the kidnappers. strangers
among other things At the meeting they discussed, ~, recent developments in → He was among the
Eastern Europe. last to leave.
on account of All schools had to be closed temporarily ~ heavy = because of /
snowfall. due to
above all ~, he has always acted like a real professional. → as mentioned
above average Last month's unemployment rate was once again above
significantly ~. below average
advise sb against I strongly ~ you ~ giving any further information to the → (a piece of) advice
press. (n)
considering You have done really well in your exams, ~ the difficult = in view of
circumstances.
concerned about He has never been particularly ~ what other people think → a matter of concern
of him. (n)
concerning Police are trying to obtain information ~ his whereabouts. = regarding (prep)
beyond any doubt ~, W. Shakespeare was the greatest writer of the sixteenth = undoubtedly
century.
beyond recognition He was amazed to see that the town centre had changed = one can hardly
~. recognise it
by We went to London ~ bike / bus / car / rail / train / plane /  say bye-bye to sb
sea / boat / air.
His wife had been knocked down ~ a bus. PASSIVE (D: "von")
by means of The heavy load was lifted ~ of a large crane → means of transport
in fact Her primary school teacher assumed that she was a slow = actually (adv)
learner, whereas ~ she was partially deaf.
in spite of They went for a walk ~ the pouring rain. = despite

instead He didn't reply. ~, he turned on his heel and left the room.
instead of With his driving license gone, he had to walk to work ~
going by car.
to the best of my I am not absolutely sure about when the project starts, but = as far as I know
knowledge ~ it will be on June 16.
unlike Her latest novel is quite ~ her earlier works. = different from
in contrast to The company lost $7 million this quarter, ~ a profit of $6 → contrast A with B
million in the previous year. (v)
do without Like most Americans, he can't ~ a daily hot shower.
quarrel with sb Time and again she ~ed ~ her husband, until they both = have an argument
decided that it would be best to split up. with sb
criticize sb for sth He was severely ~ed ~ taking a day off right in the → criticism (n)
middle of the company's financial crisis. → a critic (n)
turn into She was sure that the frog would ~ a beautiful prince if = change into
she kissed it.
consist of Bolognaise sauce ~s ~ minced beef, onion, tomatoes, = it is made up of
garlic and seasoning.
comment on My sister is always embarrassed when other people ~ her = a comment (n)
looks (= her outer appearance).
prefer sth to sth He loved pets, but it was obvious that he ~red dogs ~ → a preference (n)
cats.
familiar with I would really like to help you, but I'm afraid I'm not ~ → familiarity (n)
this type of machine.
in addition to ~ these emergency measures, extra ambulances will be on → additionally (adv)
duty until midnight. add sth (v)
with reference to ~ your recent article entitled "The ultimate woggle", I feel → refer to sth (v)
obliged to write to you.

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


BASIC VOCABULARY (16) : IDIOMS WITH PREPOSITIONS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED
WORDS
take advantage of Don't lend them the car - they're taking ~ of you! = treat someone unfairly in
order to get what you want
above suspicion Surely you don't suspect Mr Rogers of stealing the →suspect sb of sth (v)
money? He's been working for us for years and is ~. → a suspect (n)
against all odds He knew that in trying to save his company from ruin he → odd (adj)
was fighting a losing battle, but he still carried on ~. → the odds (n)
at least The economy will take ~ three years to recover from the ≠ at last
recession.
by courtesy of This film is shown ~ the National Film Archive.

at sb's expense Just imagine, he does all his travelling at his company's → expensive (adj)
~, even when his wife accompanies him.
at face value You can't take what Rob says ~. There is always a catch = as things appear to
somewhere, with some advantage in it for him. be on the surface
at first sight ~ it seems to be a straightforward case of suicide, but the = when considered for
police suspect foul play. the first time
behind the scenes There was endless activity ~ before the visit of the royal = without public
couple. knowledge
behind schedule The manager is getting nervous because production for ahead of ~
this quarter is already three weeks ~. → on schedule
below the belt Unfortunately, some politicians often hit ~ to discredit = to fight unfairly
their opponents. above
by degrees Max's health has been improving since he came out of = gradually /
hospital, if only ~. step by step
for a change The Parsons always go to Brighton for their holiday. I'm
surprised they don't go abroad ~.
change for the Recently, with exports and sales decreasing, their = deteriorate (v)
worse ( better) economic outlook has noticeably ~d ~. improve (v)
beside the point Whether you had insurance is ~, the accident is still your
fault.
for the record Just ~, it was Ken's idea to come to this awful party, not = so that it can
mine. be recorded / noted
off the record This is strictly ~, but you are to be put in charge of = confidential
manufacture in Scotland. information
from scratch If you had been working on our project ~, you would = from the beginning
realize how much these results mean to us.
leave sb in the dark When his company sent him to the States, they left his inform sb about sth
family ~ as to whether it would be temporarily.
for instance ~, in the US we still do not have the guarantee of basic = for example
medical care for everybody.
in a nutshell I don't need to know the content of your speech in detail, = reduced to the
just put the main message ~ for me, please. essential facts
under oath If a witness makes an untrue statement ~, he or she → swear / take an oath
commits a crime.
under age Most children who drink ~ will do so when there is little an adult
or no adult supervision.
to a certain extent I agree, ~, that these regulations are outdated. = partly

off limits Stop! This part of the building is ~ for unauthorised = you are not allowed
personnel. to enter
on the air This radio series has been ~ for years, and it's still very = broadcast (V)
popular.
on call Doctor Murphy is always ~, even at night and at the = on duty
weekend.
on the dole Millions of unemployed workers have been ~ for years. = receiving unemploy-
ment benefits
for good When I finally told Mary that he had left ~ and that I = forever
needed money, she said she would talk to her boss

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (17) : SOCIETY
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

mankind (n) A nuclear war would be a threat to all ~. a human being


society (n) ~ has a right to punish law-breakers. a danger to ~
socialisation (n: US: z) ~ is the process by which a person learns to behave in a social sciences (n)
way that is acceptable in their society.
population (n) More than half of the British ~ lives in the south.  densely populated
an inhabitant (n) The region is not densely populated as many ~s have
moved to the city.
a majority (n) The ~ was in favour of the proposal, therefore they ↔ a minority (n)
could pass this law.  ethnic minorities
a survey (n) A ~ of population trends has shown a population = a poll (n)
decrease in rural areas.
surveillance (n) Video ~ has been commonplace in the UK since the
1980s.
the upper class (n) He has always been proud of being a member of the ~. the lower classes (n)
the middle class (n) The ~ has often been called the backbone of society.
the working class (n) The government promised to spend more money on
families from the ~.
exploitation (n) K. Marx claimed that the ~ of the working class would exploit sb / sth (v)
lead to revolution.
a peer group (n) A ~ comprises people of the same background, class, = your friends or
social status, or occupation. colleagues
peer pressure (n) A study has shown that teenage shoplifters often act
under ~, i.e. they are influenced by their friends.
a grade (n: US) Children start school in first ~. = form /class (n: UK)
superior (adj) Most human beings consider themselves ~ to animals. an inferiority
inferior (adj) A lieutenant is an ~ officer compared to a captain. complex (n)
ancestors (n) He always claims that his ~ came to America on the
Mayflower, but I really doubt it.
a descendant(n) You are a direct ~ of your parents, grandparents, great- descend from (v)
grandparents, and earlier ancestors.
the generation gap (n) The ~ refers to the differences in attitude or behaviour the older / younger
between young and older people. generation
the gender gap (n) The government has announced further steps to reduce a member of the
the ~, i.e. inequalities between men and women. opposite sex
a prejudice (n) Many people have ~s against foreigners. be prejudiced (adj)
a stereotype (n) According to a widespread ~, scientists occupy an ivory
tower, isolated from other parts of society.
equal pay (n) The company's Mexican workers demonstrated for ~ as equal rights /
they earned less than their American colleagues. equal opportunities
benefits (n) The government supports its people by paying child,
housing or unemployment ~s.
mother tongue (n) Your ~ is your native language, as opposed to second You need your tongue
languages studied at school or work. for tasting and talking.
a native speaker (n) Even many ~s find English spelling very challenging.
domestic (adj) Unlike other teenagers, she has many ~ duties, e.g.  chores (n)
hoovering the floor and going shopping.
divorced (adj) Statistics show that most ~ men remarry. get a divorce (n)
obesity (n) ~ can be defined as an excess of body fat that frequently obese (adj)
results in serious health problems.
abortion (n) ~ means deliberately ending a pregnancy at an early become pregnant
stage.
contraception (n) ~ refers to the use of any method, drug, or device to conceive a baby
prevent pregnancy.
a contraceptive (n) The anti-baby pill is an oral ~ widely used in Western
countries.
an addict (n) Drug ~s find it almost impossible to stop taking drugs. addiction (n)
(be) addicted (to sth) ~ gamblers often lose huge sums of money.
suicide (n) The police think his death wasn't murder but ~. commit ~

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (18) : EDUCATION
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

uneducated (adj) ~ refers to a person that lacks formal education. educate sb(v)
illiterate (adj) An ~ person is unable to read or write. computer ~ (adj)
arithmetic (n, adj) The three Rs, i.e. reading, writing and ~ are the most Arithmetic comprises adding, subtracting,
important parts of primary education. multiplying and dividing numbers.
a curriculum (n) A ~ comprises all the courses offered by an educational = a syllabus (AmE)
institution. a CV
job training (n) Nowadays people without any ~ face great difficulties a skilled worker
in finding well-paid work.
teach sb sth You can't ~ an old dog new tricks. (proverb) a teacher (n)
(v: taught / ~) Experience ~es us our limitations.
a headteacher (n: BrE) When his behaviour didn't improve, he had to go and = the principal (US)
see the ~.
an instructor (n) In order to get your driving license, you have to take instruction (n)
lessons with an experienced driving ~. instruct sb (v)
learning difficulties Usually, students with ~ are taught general skills in have ~ in doing sth
(n) separate classes.
study (v: studied / ~) He ~ied for his exams every afternoon. learn sth (v)
His father advised him to ~ law, but he decided to try study at college
his luck as an entertainer instead. / university
revise sth (v) It has always been a good idea to ~ your English tenses do revision (n)
once in a while.
attend (school) (v) All children over five have to ~ school until they reach ↔ be absent
the age of sixteen. (from school)
play truant (v) He was expelled from school for playing ~. truancy (n)
drop out (of school :v) He ~ped out of school during his exams on account of a drop-out (n)
personal and financial problems.
a nursery (school) (n) A ~ is a place where children are temporarily cared for  a kindergarten
in their parents' absence. (AmE)
a primary school (n) The reading ability of the pupils depends on the quality elementary school
of the ~ they attended. secondary school
a boarding school (n) ~s are institutions where, on top of tuition, meals and half-board
lodging are provided. accommodation
a comprehensive The majority of secondary schools in Britain are ~ s
(school) where children of all abilities are taught together.
a gym(nasium) (n) We have PE in the ~ twice a week. physical education
core subjects (n) Maths and English are ~s, whereas biology, history,
subsidiary subjects (n) computer studies, art, and physical education are ~. = minor subjects

compulsory (adj) In secondary education, English and mathematics are ~ ↔ optional / elective
subjects, i.e. all students have to take them. subjects
graduate (from) (v) She ~d from university after studying for four years. graduation (n)
(get a) a degree (n) He left university with a ~ in law. 20 degrees Celsius

fees (n) All students attending private schools have to pay = they charge a fee
annual ~.
a scholarship (n) He can't afford university, but he hopes to win a ~ in = a grant (n)
order to study medicine.
a dormitory (n) He doesn't have an apartment of his own, he lives on = a hall of residence
campus in a ~. (n)
take (an exam) (v) Every student has to ~ four written exams. = sit an exam
fail (an exam) (v) He passed his oral exams, but he ~ed the written ones. ↔ pass an exam (v)
assess papers ~ing papers is one of the main obligations of a teacher. = mark papers
meet the requirements Unfortunately, he failed to meet the school's ~ for sth that is
graduation required
cheat (v) He was expelled from school when he confessed to Don't trust him.
having ~ed in his exams. He's a cheat!
qualifications (n) Unfortunately, he left school without any ~s. to qualify (v)
equality of opportunity The government's aim has been to provide ~ for a missed
(n) students of both sexes and of all nationalities. opportunity

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (19) : MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

immigration (n) During the nineteenth century, America encouraged ~ emigration (n)
on a large scale.
a migrant (n) The Industrial Revolution gave ~s a vital role in the migrate to another
nation's economic development. Country
an emigrant The number of emigrants from Germany reached a peak immigrant
in the 19th century.
flee (v: fled / ~) In the twentieth century, many immigrants ~ (PAST) = tried to escape
from persecution and poverty.
assimilate sb (v) They were not as quickly ~d as previous generations = integrate sb
had been. (into society)
restrict sth (v) Chinese immigrants were treated worst, and Chinese
ban sth (v) immigration was first ~ed, and then entirely ~ned. = forbid sth (v)
refuse sb entry Other so-called "undesirables" were also ~d ~, e.g. enter a country
convicts, revolutionaries and orphans.
require sb (v) In 1917, a new law ~d immigrants to prove that they a requirement (n)
(to do sth) could read and write.
a quota (n) In 1921, a ~ was imposed, limiting the number of = a limited number
migrants from Europe for the first time. of people
a refugee (n) After World War II, large numbers of war brides, a ~ camp
displaced persons and ~s were admitted.
illegal immigrants Nowadays ~s from Mexico play a major role in
swelling the number of Latinos in the US. Hispanics (n:Pl)
settle (in a country) Highly skilled and wealthy people are also encouraged settlement (n)
to ~ in the US as they contribute to economic growth.
native (adj) Entry is also not limited for relatives of ~-born citizens. Native Americans

Native Americans (n) ~ make up only 0.4% of the population, but they are still = American Indians
the poorest ethnic group in America.
citizenship (n) The legal right to belong to a country is called ~. = nationality (n)

naturalisation (n) The legal process by which a person acquires naturalise sb (v)
citizenship is called ~.
(be) a resident (of) (n) Once a person has been a ~ of the US for at least five a residential area
years, he or she can apply for naturalisation.
foreign nationals (n) ~s have to demonstrate their knowledge of US history  undocumented
and take an oath pledging loyalty to the US. aliens
asylum seekers (n) ~, i.e. people fleeing from political or religious the right to asylum
persecution, are also entitled to submit an application.
slavery (n) From the beginning, ~ and the second-class treatment abolish ~
of Blacks have raised serious moral questions. a slave (n)
discriminate against sb Although slavery was abolished in 1865, Black discrimination (n)
(v) Americans were still ~d against in the following years.
civil rights movement In the 1960s, the ~, which was led by Martin Luther non-violent protest
King, eventually achieved a breakthrough.
equality (n) The Civil Rights Act, passed in 1964, forbade all forms equal opportunities
of discrimination and was an important step towards ~.
segregation (n) Although ~ in public places was outlawed in the segregated schools
Sixties, Afro-Americans remain a disadvantaged section
of society.
homogeneous (adj) "Hispanics" or "Latinos" do not constitute a ~ minority, heterogeneous (adj)
as they come from many different countries.
of (...) descent The largest group among Hispanics are people of = of (...) origin
Mexican ~.
a descendant of sb (n) Many ~s of Hispanic immigrants criticise that they are sb's ancestors
still discriminated against.
ethnic (adj) These and other measures were aimed at preventing any an ~ minority
major change in the ~ make-up of America's population.
ethnic minorities (n) Many ~ try to maintain their own culture, language and ↔ majority (n)
identity.

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (20) : MASS MEDIA
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

mass media (n) Many people believe that the influence of ~ in our a mass of people
society is too great.
the press (n) The main job of the ~ is to inform people about the = newspapers or
latest news. magazines (daily,
weekly or monthly)
subscribe to sth (v) If you ~ to a newspaper or magazine, it is delivered to a subscription (n)
your doorstep regularly.
a viewer (n) ~s are all the people that watch television at a given watch TV
a listener (n) time, whereas ~s, as the word says, listen to the radio. listen to the radio

viewing habits (n) Studies have shown that ~, especially of young viewers, do sth out of habit
have changed over the last decades, with children
spending more and more time watching TV.
broadcast sth (v) BBC World Service ~s radio and television publish sth
programmes for learners and teachers of English.
unbiased (adj) In a dictatorship, journalists are not allowed to broadcast = objective (adj)
~ news since any open criticism of the leadership will report the facts
be punished. ↔biased (adj)
a TV set (n) In order to watch television, you need a ~. Nowadays,
a channel (n) television offers dozens of different ~s with a wide switch channels =
a programme (n) range of ~s, such as news programmes or soap operas. zap (v)
switch (sth) on (v) Most people find that ~ing on your TV is much easier = turn it on
than turning it off again. ↔ turn / switch it off
a screen (n) It is only a year since this talented young actor has made a star of stage and
her ~ debut. screen
public television (n) ~ , like the first three channels in Germany, is mainly regulated by the
license fees (n) financed by monthly ~ that all viewers have to pay. state

advertise (v) Companies ~ on TV or in magazines in order to advertising (n)


persuade consumers to buy their products.
an advertisement (n) If you want to sell your old furniture, why don't you = an ad(vert) (n)
place an ~ in the local newspaper?
a commercial (n) Private television, on the other hand, is financed by a commercial break
advertising, i.e. by broadcasting ~s at regular intervals.
market research (n) All private TV channels do extensive ~ in order to a survey (n)
make sure that they produce programmes that appeal to
the target groups of their commercials.
(the) ratings (of a If a programme has high ~, it is popular with audiences, high / low ratings
programme) (n) i.e. a lot of people are watching it or listening to it. (n)

cancel (v) In the US, TV stations often ~ a programme after only cancel an order
(a programme) one or two weeks if the ratings are not satisfactory.
interactive (adj) There are plans to introduce ~ TV where viewers are interact with sb (v)
able to select programmes at their own convenience. = communicate
a satellite dish (n) By using a receiver and a ~, one can receive TV wash the dishes
channels from several different countries.
a remote control (n) If you press the ~, you can switch channels on a TV set a remote area
or adjust the volume.
a weather forecast According to the latest ~ there will be heavy showers in forecast sth (v)
(n) Scotland and the north of England. = predict sth
a documentary (n) Yesterday we watched an interesting ~ about the a ~ is based on
wildlife in South Africa. facts
a manual (n) If you buy a new product, e.g. a DVD player, the Please follow the
producer includes a ~ to explain to customers how this instructions in the ~
product works. carefully!
store sth (v) Today personal computers are able to ~ more data than storage (n)
the older industrial models.
retrieve sth (v) Using specialised software, it is often possible to ~ data = find and restore
on a damaged computer disk. deleted information

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (21) : MASS MEDIA (2ND PART)
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

freedom of the press In 1791, the American Bill of Rights guaranteed freedom of speech
(n) American citizens the ~.
regional newspapers In the US, there are few national publications, with the local newspapers
exception of USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.
The market is dominated by ~.
quality newspapers (n) ~, such as the Times, the Guardian or the Independent, = broadsheets (n)
ensure a high standard of reporting.
tabloids (n) ~ like the Sun or the News of the World, on the other = popular papers
hand, are directed towards a mass readership.  the gutter press /
the yellow press
eye-catching layout They rely on ~, sensational headlines and articles that try to catch sb's eye
(n) can be easily read by everybody.
sensationalist (adj) But there have always been controversies over whether
individuals should be protected against ~ reporting.
celebrities (n) ~ like Madonna or Cher often complain about being = well-known persons
persecuted by photographers.  a VIP
influential (adj) The Sun is considered by many as the most ~ influence sb (v)
newspaper in the UK today.
appear (v) In England, the first daily newspaper ~ed in the = was published
eighteenth century.
circulation (n) Today, the Times, the most famous British newspaper, = number of printed
a copy (n) has a ~ of about 300,000 ~ies per day. copies
source (n) Television has become the most important ~ of the ~ of a river
information and entertainment for most people.
a network (n) Nation-wide television ~s like ABC, NBC and CBS
provide local stations with a wide range of programmes,
which also means that their influence is immense.
tune in to (v) In the USA most people can ~ over 100 different
television channels via cable TV.
"pay-per-view" TV In ~, a subscriber pays a fee in order to watch a single "pay TV"
programme or film.
audience ratings (n) Since commercial stations rely heavily on ~ to increase
revenues (n) their advertising ~, entertainment plays an important = income (n)
role in American television.
prime time This is particularly true during ~, i.e. the period
between 6 and 10 p.m.
interrupt sth (v) Even news programmes are presented as shows and ~ed an interruption (n)
regularly by commercials. uninterrupted (adj)
non-commercial (adj) In the US, only about one fourth of all TV stations are commercial (adj)
~, i.e. not financed by advertising.
educational (adj) PBS, the single non-commercial TV network in the US, educate sb (v)
broadcasts primarily ~ and cultural programmes.
funded by (v) It is ~ mainly ~ the US government and various = financed by
foundations.
a presenter (n) A ~ is the person who introduces different sections of = an announcer (AmE)
radio or television programmes.
coverage (n) Several channels provided complete ~ of all report / cover events
competitions at the Olympic Games.
news agencies (n) TV and radio stations as well as newspapers rely to a e.g. AP or Reuters
large extent on ~ which gather news worldwide and
provide the media with information.
be addicted to sth If you are ~ to watching television, you cannot live a TV addict (n)
(adj) without it. a drug addict
suitable for (adj) Some parents complain that most Hollywood films are = appropriate
not ~ for children, e.g. because they are too violent.
censorship (n) But producers emphasise that the constitution bans any heavily censored
~ of the media.
edit sth out (v) They have ~ed out all references to her father in the = remove words,
interview. phrases or scenes

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (22) : LAW AND ORDER
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

commit (a crime) You do not have to be a law graduate to see that a crime  ~ murder
has been ~ted here.
an offence (n) A new law has made it an ~ to carry weapons.
report (v) A neighbour ~ed him to the police for speeding in a a ~ (n)
(sb / sth to the police) domestic area.
an investigation (n) The ~ of the FBI into the causes of the air crash has not investigate sth (v)
been finished yet.
insult sb (v) She had to pay a fine for ~ing a police officer. insulting (adj)
an insult (n) His remarks were taken as a personal ~.
threaten (sb with sth) The man ~ed to kill her if she didn't tell him where the threatening (adj)
(v) money was.
a threat (n) The couple who reported the drug dealers to the police
received several ~s to their lives.
frighten sb (v) She has always been ~ed of travelling by plane. frightening (adj)
violent (adj) A quarter of all prison inmates have committed ~  non-~ protest
crimes.
violence (n) There has been an increase in domestic ~ between  use ~
husbands and wives.
a murderer (n) She was shocked when she learned that he was a  to commit murder
convicted ~.
a thief (n ; pl: thieves) Expensive cars have become a favourite target for ~s.  a theft (n)
a burglary (n) ~ is the crime of entering a building illegally in order to a burglar (n)
steal the property of the owner. a ~ alarm (n)
overpower sb (v) Two customers managed to ~ the bank robber. = overwhelm (v)
suspicious (adj) The police officers asked if we had noticed anything ~ (have) a suspicion
during the previous night. (n)
a suspect (n) An immediate search of the surrounding area led to the suspect sb (v)
arrest of three ~s. (of having done sth)
observe sth (v) Professor Stern studies and ~s the behaviour of juvenile an observer (n)
delinquents.
a clue (n) Police divers searched the bed of the river for ~s to his He really doesn't
death. have a ~.
an interrogation (n) During his second ~ the arrested man confessed to question sb (v)
another murder. a cross-examination
arrest (sb for sth) (v) He was ~ed for illegal possession of weapons. be under ~
solitary confinement He was kept in ~ after he had been threatened by other = in isolation
prisoners. confine sth (v)
a guard (n) He was allowed out of prison for an hour with two ~s in a prison ~ (n)
order to get married. a body~ (n)
escape from (v) There is hardly any possibility of ~ing from a high- an ~ (n)
security jail. an attempted ~ (n)
bribe sb (v) When they tried to ~ one of the guards with cigarettes bribery and
they were punished. corruption
an informer (n) They received a tip from an anonymous ~. inform sb (v)
a reward (n) They are offering a $ 50,000 ~ for any information reward (sb for sth)
leading to the man's arrest. (v)
check sth (v) - ~ cars / drivers' licences / the identity of a person -  control sth (v)
a check (n) A French woman was stopped at an identity ~ and double-~ (v)
arrested.
a fine (n) He will either have to pay a ~ of $30,000 or go to a parking ticket (n)
prison.
a raid (n) The police have carried out several drug ~s at night- raid sth (v)
clubs in Central London.
execute sb (v) The government of Iran has repeatedly demanded that S. the death penalty
Rushdie is handed over to be ~ed. (n)
arson (n) ~ refers to the crime of deliberately setting fire to a an arsonist (n)
building or property.
extort By threatening shopkeepers the gang was able to ~ extortion (n)
(money from sb : v) money from 30 local businesses.

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (23) : MORE LAW AND ORDER
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

an obligation (n) It is clear that the company has a legal and moral ~ = a duty (n)
towards the victims of this accident. be obliged to do sth
justice (n) He fought all his life for freedom, ~ and equality. (un)just (adj)
illegal (adj) In the US it is ~ to sell alcohol to people under age. an ~ immigrant (n)
declare sth ~
legal advice (n) When one of his customers refused to pay his bills, he give sb some advice
asked his lawyer for ~. advise sb (v)
a lawyer (n) A ~ is qualified to advise people on legal matters and to an attorney (US)
represent them in court.
evidence (n : U) Her statement to the police was used as ~ against him. = proof (n)
- clear / convincing / written ~.
lack of evidence (n) All charges against him were dropped for ~.
prove sth. (v) Everybody is innocent until ~d guilty. = proven (US)
a court (of law) (n) His case will be heard in ~ next month. the Supreme Court
sue sb. (v) She decided to ~ the doctor who had not treated her = take sb to court
child properly.
innocent (adj) All prisons are full of people claiming to be ~. guilty (adj) innocence (n)
a judge (n) The ~ sentenced John to ten years in prison. a jury (n)
a trial (n) A ~ is a formal meeting at a court of law, at which a the right to a fair ~
judge or jury listens to the evidence and decides whether
a person is guilty of a crime.
deny sth (v) When he was questioned by the police he ~ied having admit sth (v)
stolen the jewellery. a denial (n)
a confession (n) The judge explained to him that he could avoid prison in a forced ~
exchange for a full ~. confess sth (v)
a verdict (n) After lengthy deliberations the jury returned a ~ of not reach ~
guilty.
accuse sb (of) (v) He was falsely ~d of being involved in terrorism. an accusation (n)
- ~ sb of murder / theft / robbery / burglary/ rape -
a witness (n) The five ~es of the accident will be asked to give give evidence for /
evidence in court. against sb
(take) an oath (n) Before giving evidence in court, witnesses have to take be on / under oath
an ~ in which they swear to tell the truth.
defence (n) In a court of law, an accused person's ~ presents defense (AmE)
evidence in his favour and usually pleads not guilty. defend sb (v)
self-defence (n) The judge decided that he was not guilty of a crime as
he had acted in ~.
prosecution (n) Mr Black, speaking for the ~, said that the crimes had prosecute sb (v)
been committed over a period of six months. a prosecutor (n)
a defendant (n) A prosecutor is a public official who charges a ~ a district attorney
officially with a crime in a court of law. (US)
an accomplice (n) An ~ is a person that helps another person to commit a be involved in sth
crime.
acquit (sb of sth : v) Eventually both defendants were ~ted of murder. convict sb (v)
punishment (n) The ~ should fit the crime. punish sb (v)
- a light / heavy / cruel ~ - capital ~
a sentence (n) He is serving his ~ in a low-security prison. prison / life ~
sentence sb (v) The murderer was ~d to twenty years in prison.
capital punishment (n) All member states of the European Union have = the death penalty /
abolished ~. a death sentence
appeal (against sth) The lawyers of the convicted man announced that they a court of appeal (n)
would ~ against the court's decision.
murder (n) ~ is the crime of killing another person deliberately. = a homicide (US)
manslaughter (n) In a case of ~, on the other hand, there is no proof of an slaughter a pig
intention to take another person's life.
release sb (v) The judge decided that he can't be ~d from prison since an early release (n)
it would be an unacceptable risk to the public.
deterrence (n) Hopefully his punishment will act as a ~ to others. deter sb
(v: from doing sth)

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (24) : THE ECONOMY (I)
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

a possession (n) Unfortunately, they lost all their ~s in a fire. = property (n) /
the owner (n) - the original / present / former ~ - belongings (n)
property (n) When she died she left all her ~ to her nephew in private / public /
Bavaria. stolen ~
affordable (adj) Auctions occasionally offer high-quality products at ~ be able to afford sth
prices.
the poverty line (n) According to recent statistics, more than 20% of  poverty (n)
American families live below the ~. poor (adj)
wealth (n) The discovery of oil brought great ~ to the formerly wealthy (adj)
poor area. = rich
a currency (n) A lot of the food produced in Mexico is exported in a single European ~
order to earn hard ~.
exchange rate (n) What is the current ~ rate between the dollar and the
euro?
a stockbroker (n) A ~ is a person whose job it is to buy and sell stocks or NYSE (New York
shares to investors. Stock Exchange)
a shareholder (n) The ~s of a company are all the people or organisations a share index
owning some of its shares. (e.g. Dow-Jones Index)
outsourcing (n) Many shareholders support ~ to low-cost countries in
order to increase profits.
supply and demand (n) One of the basic assumptions in economics is that free a supplier (n)
markets will produce a balance between ~.
a trade deficit (n) With imports steadily increasing, America's ~ has ↔ a trade surplus (n)
increased for several years.
a current account (n) We regret to inform you that your ~ has been a bank account (n)
overdrawn by $2,000. a savings account
withdraw sth (v) I would like to ~ $200 from my savings account, be in the red
please.
a loan (n) The government wants to make it easier for small a ~ shark (n)
businesses to receive bank ~s (= a credit) borrow money
interest (n) If you pay your money into a savings account, you'll lower / raise ~ rates
just get 3% ~ on it.
owe (sb money) (v) If you ~ somebody money, you are under an obligation She still ~s me $ 5.
to repay for something you have received.
debt (n) She borrowed a considerable sum of money several be in ~
years ago and she is still paying off her ~.
broke (adj) Could you do me a favour and lend me some money, = penniless (adj)
please? - I'm afraid I can't. I'm ~ myself.
a pay increase (n) The staff of the company have received an annual ~ of sb's salary / income
$200 over the last few years.
a tax (n) ~ is the percentage of your income you have to pay to  income ~ (n)
the government in return for public services. value added ~ (n)
a bill (n) It's high time for us to pay our heating and electricity ~. a $20 bill (n)
(= banknote)
a tip (n) Service wasn't included in the bill so we left a generous the ~ of your
~ for the waitress. tongue
a coin (n) He gave me my change in 10 and 50 pence ~s.
a wallet (n) You should always carry your ~ in an inside pocket of = a purse (n)
your jacket.
acquire sth (v) Our company has ~d new office space in the City, an acquisition (n)
London's financial centre.
a bargain (n) The latest edition of a monolingual dictionary for just a ~ hunter (n)
$ 5 – that's a real ~.
the rental (of sth) (n) The successful company has become Britain's leading rent / hire a car
car ~ chain. live rent-free
an estate agent (n) An ~ works for a company buying and selling real = a realtor (US)
estate, i.e. houses and land.
the standard of living The last fifty years have seen an unprecedented increase = sb's living standard
(n) in the ~ in Western Europe.

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (25) : THE ECONOMY (II)
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

a competitor (n) Unfortunately, their main ~s have developed products competition (n)
that are superior to their own models. compete with (v)
a merger (n) The ~ between Daimler and Chrysler gave rise to the merge (v: with sb)
largest company in Germany.
hire sb (v) They ~d a dozen workers in order to renovate their = employ sb (v)
house.
an employer (n) ~s have stressed their unwillingness to raise wages. = boss / manager
an employee (n) As the ~s in this shop are very helpful, I always do my = the staff (n)
shopping there.
dismiss sb (v) He was ~ed for stealing money from a co-worker. = fire sb = sack sb (v)
(make sb) redundant The management of the company is planning to make
(adj) further staff ~. redundancies (n)
resign (v) When she won in the lottery, she ~ed from her job = give notice
immediately.
the terms of a contract Make sure you have read and completely understood all sign a contract
(n) the terms of the ~ prior to signing it.
unemployment (n) National ~ figures have fallen for the sixth consecutive rate of ~ (n)
month.
unemployment The number of people on the dole, i.e. receiving ~, has unemployed (adj)
benefits (n) declined.
a vacancy Due to increased orders, our company has several ~s = a job or position that
(n; pl: vacancies) for qualified staff with word-processing experience. is available
a job centre (n) / The government has created a network of regional ~s a careers adviser (n)
employment agency where experts give advice on vacancies and career
opportunities.
a trade union (n) A ~ is an organisation that tries to protect the rights of the labour
the labour force. movement
wage negotiations (n) Representatives of trade unions and employers met in = salary = income (n)
Cardiff yesterday for a first round of ~. negotiate (v)
a labour dispute (n) The car industry is facing a lengthy ~ over higher go on strike (n)
wages and shorter working hours.
(work) overtime (adv) Demand for the company's products was so high that all  ~ earnings (n)
employees had to work ~.
skilled (labour) Technological innovation has led to an increasing ↔ unskilled workers
(adj) demand for ~ labour.
indispensable (adj) In today's economy, computer specialists have become = one cannot do
~ for almost every company. without them
promotion (n) Although he has applied for ~ four times already, he be promoted
has still got his old job.
retirement (n) She only works half-time since she is already the age of ~ (n)
approaching ~. retire from (v)
an incentive (n) The government has promised to introduce further ~s, receive subsidies
e.g. tax breaks, for setting up one's own business.
economic growth (n) Wall Street and other global financial markets have = economic expansion
reacted nervously as ~ in the US has slowed down for
the first time in four years. economic recovery
a recession (n) A ~ in the US would be bad news, especially for the = an economic decline
export-oriented German industry.
a consumer society (n) In today's ~, almost everybody can afford to go on a consume sth (v)
holiday abroad. consumption (of: n)
(make) a fortune (n) Like many other clever investors, he made a ~ on the = become wealthy
stock exchange two years ago.
turnover (n) Many e-commerce companies are still struggling with = total amount of
low ~s and a lack of profitability. goods or services sold
evaluate sth (v) His bank will ~ the current worth of his company an evaluation (n)
before extending its line of credit.
nationalisation (n) ~, i.e. state ownership and control of major industries, nationalise
has proved to be a fatal mistake for many countries in (a company)
Eastern Europe. ↔ privatise sth (v)

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (26) : POLITICS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

politics (n) He failed in ~ because he was such a poor speaker. a politician (n)
policy (n) - foreign / economic / social / defence / immigration ~ -
parliament (n) The prime minister is unlikely to get this law through ~. a MP (n)
government (n) When parliament voted against the prime minister, the a minister (n)
whole ~ decided to step down.
cabinet (n) The Prime Minister and his ministers, e.g. the Foreign Minister of the
Secretary and the Home Secretary, form the so-called Interior
~.
a department (n) A government consists of several ~s, e.g. the ~s of a ~ store (n)
education, the environment, trade, defence and the
interior.
head of state (n) The chief representative of a country is called ~. In the to head (v)
US, the ~ is also the head of government. ~ a meeting etc.
constitution (n) Unlike most European countries, the UK has no written an unconstitutional
~. law violates the ~.
civil rights (n) ~ comprise basic freedoms such as the freedom of = civil liberties (n)
speech, the freedom of the press and the freedom of
assembly, to name just a few.
equal (adj) The government's central aim was to promote ~ equality (n)
opportunities for women. inequality (n)
an election (n) The next parliamentary ~ will be held in 2013. a general ~ (n)
the electorate (n) ~ means all the citizens that are entitled to vote in a elect sb (v)
general election.
an election Both candidates for the presidency are preparing for a campaign for /
campaign (n) lengthy and expensive ~. against sth (v)
polling station (n) A ~ is a building where people go to cast their vote in The country is
an election. In a secret election, voters are entitled to going to the polls
polling booth (n) make use of a ~ so that nobody will know about their this week.
decision.
constituency (n) The whole country is divided into ~ies, each of which = an electoral district
is represented by its own MP. (US)
proportional ~ is a system that gives each party in an election a be in proportion to
representation (n) number of seats relative to the number of votes its
candidates have received.
first-past-the-post In a ~ system, the candidate receiving the largest = the winner takes all
number of votes in a constituency wins a seat in a majority system
parliament, even if he has not been able to win an of voting
absolute majority.
a mayor (n) She became the first female ~ of Boston (= head of a local government
city or town).
abstain (v) More and more citizens choose to ~ from voting (= not abstention (n)
(from voting) participate in a general election).
a referendum (n) When a ~ is held, all the people of a country have the direct democracy
possibility to vote on an important issue.
opposition (n) When the conservative government lost its majority, it oppose sth (v)
became the new ~. an opponent (of: n)
pass (a bill) (v) Parliament has just ~ed the latest bill on tax reform by a = approve of a pro-
majority of 219 to 213 votes. posal,
balance of power The three branches of government, i.e. the executive, a system of checks
(n) legislature and the judiciary, ensure a ~. and balances
impartial (adj) An ~ judge does not favour one person or party in = unbiased (adj)
relation to another. biased /one-sided
rule (n) India used to be under British ~ (a British colony) until the ~ of law (n)
it gained independence from Britain in 1947. ~ a country (v)
a (political) party The ruling ~ is most likely to win the next regional a one-party rule /
(n) election. state
abolish (v) The struggle to ~ slavery in the US has lasted for more abolition (n)
than a century.

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (27) : MORE POLITICS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

reunification (n) In the year 2000 our country is celebrating the tenth unify sth (v)
anniversary of German ~
a predecessor (n) The Prime Minister has repeatedly claimed that he has a successor (n)
inherited the country's economic problems from his ~.
a dictatorship (n) ~s are countries ruled by one or few leaders with totalitarian states (n)
unlimited power.
a refugee (n) ~s are people trying to escape from political, religious, a refugee camp (n)
or military persecution.
persecute sb (v) They were ~d because of their political beliefs. a persecution
persecution (n) - to experience / suffer from / escape ~ - complex (n)
oppression (n) Many refugees have left the country in order to escape oppress sb (v)
~.
a riot (n) A ~ broke out when police tried to stop the = violent protest
demonstrators from marching on. a rioter (n)
clash (with sb) (v) Demonstrators ~ed with the police when they weren't a clash (n)
allowed to march on.
a curfew (n) The military leadership has imposed a dusk-to dawn ~. = everybody has to
stay indoors.
a civil war (n) More Americans died in the American ~ than in any a civilian (n)
other war before or since.
assassinate sb (v) If famous or wealthy persons are ~d, they are murdered an assassination
for money or for political reasons. attempt (n)
revenge (n) ~ means deliberate punishment or injury in return for an act of ~ (n)
what one has suffered.
retaliate The boy slapped his sister, who ~d by kicking him = take revenge on sb
(v: by doing sth) under the table.
capital punishment Several human rights organisations have called upon the = death penalty (n)
US to abolish ~ (= stop executing people). execution (n)
corporal punishment Some people have demanded that ~ should be = beat / whip sb.
reintroduced for criminals.
impose (v: sth on sb) The United Nations have ~d sanctions against North = place on sb as a
Korea because of severe human rights violations. punishment
sanctions (n) ~ are economic or military measures to enforce inter-
national law.
defuse (a crisis) The UN has held talks with Israeli and Palestinian = reduce tension or
(v) leaders in order to ~ the crisis in the Middle east. danger
peaceful (adj) The UN tried to find a ~ solution to the conflict. violent (adj)

negotiate (with sb) Their employer has refused to ~ with them about a = peace negotiations
(v) further pay increase. (n)
a treaty (n) A ~ is a written agreement between two or more states. a peace ~
≠ contract
an enemy (n) The two countries decided to combine forces against ≠ an opponent (n)
their common ~. friendly / allied
hostile (adj) ~ troops have occupied one of the border towns. troops
conquer sth (v) The Normans ~ed England in 1066. William the
Conqueror
ambush (n) The thieves were lying in ~ for their victims. = a surprise attack
from a hidden position
withdraw (from) The general has refused to ~ his troops from the town  ~ money
(v) in spite of heavy attacks. from the bank
a cease-fire (n) The warring factions arranged a ~ so that details of a = military order to
peace treaty could be discussed. stop fighting
surrender (v) On 8th May 1945, the Third Reich ~ed to the allied admit defeat
forces.
military service (n) The United States and Germany have introduced a a conscientious
professional army, whereas other countries still have ~. objector
torture (n) The human-rights organisation Amnesty International torture sb (v)
investigates the use of ~ on prisoners.

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (28) : SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

science (n) ~ deals with observed facts and the relationships among a scientist (n)
those facts.
scientific (adj) The twentieth century has witnessed a dramatic increase the ~ community (n)
in ~ progress.
a scientist (n) ~s study a wide variety of subjects, such as clues to the
a researcher (n) origin of the universe. Other ~s examine the structure of do research
cells in living organisms.
investigate (v) Still others ~ why we act the way we do, or try to solve = examine sth (v)
complicated mathematical problems.
absorb sth (v) They concluded that further research is needed to Plants ~ oxygen.
investigate how plants ~ different nutrients.
an engineer (n) Science attempts to explain how and why things happen. mechanical/aerospace/
~ are concerned with making things happen. civil etc. engineers
discover sth (v) About 10,000 years ago, people first ~ed how to raise a discovery (n)
animals and crops.
powered by In the early 1900's, farmers began using machines ~ by powerful (adj)
gasoline or electricity.
a power plant (n) ~s, often called power stations, use coal, nuclear fuel, or  a ~ produces
oil to produce electricity. electric power
an invention (n) Computers, lasers, plastics, refrigerators, and television an inventor (n)
are only a few of the ~s that have transformed human inventive (adj)
life in our century.  a discovery (n)
an antibiotic (n) ~s and other new drugs have helped control most  a drug / medicine
infectious diseases. (AE) (BE)
an advance in (n) As a result of ~s in agricultural technology, one U.S. progress (n)
farmer today produces enough food for 101 people.
an assembly line (n) ~s depend on division of labour, in which small portions a conveyor belt (n)
of a job are divided among different workers.
manufacturing (n) Similar developments have occurred in ~, mining, and manufacture sth (v)
other industries.
productivity (n) Technological developments have made it possible to productive (adj)
produce the same amount of goods and services with
less labour and have thus greatly increased ~.
benefit sb (v) The advance of technology has ~ted people in numerous = profit from sth (v)
ways.
life expectancy (n) Above all, technology has raised ~ in industrial the average ~
infant mortality (n) countries to about 75 years, mainly by reducing ~
through sanitation and immunisation and better health
care and nutrition.
repetitive (adj) ~, low-skill jobs can be boring for people to do for long monotonous (adj)
periods of time.
automated (adj) ~ machinery is well suited to these routine tasks, such as  be on autopilot
assembling and packaging manufactured products.
a robot Nowadays automobiles are painted by ~s using spray a robotics firm
paint that would be harmful to people.
anticipate sth (v) On the other hand, many of the problems caused by expect sth (v)
technology have not been ~d.
a side-effect (n) Once a new technology has been introduced on a wide
scale, people often find that it has some unexpected ~s.
pollution (n) Most industrial countries face problems of air, water, pollute sth (v)
soil, and noise ~.
a pollutant (n) E.g., power plants that burn oil or other fuels to generate
electricity add millions of tons of ~s to the air annually.
natural resources (n) Also, car production uses up iron and other ~.
a breakthrough (n) ~s in nuclear research, for instance, have led to the a major ~
development of powerful weapons of mass destruction.
a challenge (n) One of the greatest ~s today is to spread technology's challenge sb (v)
benefits to the people of developing countries.

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010


ADVANCED VOCABULARY (29) : ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

climate (n) Scientists are trying to provide data in order to predict a ~ of hostility /
future ~ changes. distrust / suspicion

the environment (n) Are we doing enough to protect the ~ or do we need


stricter laws?
environmentally Every consumer can protect the environment, e.g. by
friendly (adj) buying ~ products such as returnable containers.
an environmentalist (n ~s are concerned about the rate at which people are = a conservationist (n)
depleting non-renewable resources, e.g. crude oil, and
about the pollution caused by their extensive use.
protect sth (v) Conservationists try to ~ tropical rainforests from protective (adj)
further destruction.
protection (against sth) The best ~ against skin cancer is still to avoid offer / provide ~
(n) excessive sunbathing.
ecology (n) ~ is the study of the relationships between organisms ecological (adj)
and their environment.
interdependent (adj) Nations have become increasingly ~ as such problems = they depend on each
as pollution and the reduction of natural resources have other
grown too big for any government to handle alone.
(become) extinct (adj) There are several theories about why dinosaurs became = die out (v)
~, including the inability of dinosaurs to compete extinction (n)
successfully with mammals for food
an endangered species ~ are animals or plants that are likely to become extinct = is in danger of dying
(pl. species) in the near future, e.g. the giant panda bear. out /becoming extinct

acid rain (n) ~ is a term for rain, snow or sleet that has been polluted an acid (n)
by acids.
greenhouse effect (n) ~ is a warming of the atmosphere and surface of our greenhouse tomatoes
planet caused by a complex process involving sunlight
tropical rain forests and gases, and the rapid reduction of ~. the tropics (n)
fossil fuels (n) Most of the increase in greenhouse gases has been due = coal, oil, and natural
to the burning of ~ gas
global warming (n) Scientists assume that an increase in carbon dioxide has all around the globe
raised the surface temperature, thus leading to ~. (n)
contaminated (adj) Drinking water becomes ~ if sewage leaks into the = polluted (adj)
water supply.
radiation (n) However, nuclear ~ can be extremely dangerous. radioactivity (n)
Exposure to radioactive materials can result in a X-rays
condition called ~ sickness.
waste sth (v) We should stop ~ing energy and other valuable = squander sth (v)
resources.
waste (n) - nuclear / chemical / toxic / household ~ - = refuse / litter / junk
dump sth (v) Environmental protesters call attention to risks such as She has ~ed her
the ~ing of radioactive and hazardous waste at sea. boy-friend again.
genetic engineering ~ is the term applied to techniques that alter the a gene (n)
hereditary material in an organism.
genetically modified GM food, i.e. ~ food such as tomatoes with increased = genetically
flavour and shelf life are becoming more widespread. manipulated
cloning (n) In 1996, a group of Scottish scientists achieved the first a clone of (a sheep)
successful ~ of a sheep, which they named Dolly.
a famine (n) Many of the developing nations suffer regularly from starve (v) /
food shortages and ~s. die of starvation
malnutrition (n) Roughly half a billion people on the earth suffer from ~, nutrition (n)
either from having too little food or from eating the nourish sb (v)
wrong food.
fertile (adj) ~ soil yields good crops, whereas deserts are unsuitable fertility (n)
for agriculture.
a donation (n) The world's least developed countries depend on donate money
support from wealthy nations, e.g. disaster relief and (for a good cause)
private ~s.
VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010
ADVANCED VOCABULARY (30) : INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
FORMS EXAMPLES TRANSLATION RELATED EXPRESSIONS

IT (information ~ makes it possible for ideas to be shared by people an ~ company


technology) around the globe.
a mobile phone (n) A ~ is a handy little tool you can use for making calls =cell(ular) phone (US)
or receiving text messages. NOT: a handy
transmit (v) With SMS (Short Message Service), you are able to ~  ~ a disease
up to 160 characters.
data transmission (n) However, data ~ via mobile phones is still rather slow. a transmitter (n)
virtual Interactive computer terminals allow visitors to take a ~  ~ reality (n)
walk through 19th-century London.
a cursor (n) A computer mouse controls the movements of the ~ on highlight sth
click sth (v) the computer screen, e.g. by ~ing the left mouse button  click the left mouse
twice you can highlight a word. button
scroll (v) You can ~ up and down a text by clicking on the ~ bar
at the right-hand side of your screen.
hard disc /disk (US) / You can save your files onto your ~ and back them up DVD =
hard drive (n) on an external hard drive. digital versatile disc
an operating system The new ~ should be compatible with existing e.g. Windows / Linux
(n) hardware.
reboot If your system crashes, usually all you can do is to ~  boot your computer
(v: your computer) your computer.
(have) access (to sth) An increasing number of students have ~ to the Internet = the opportunity to
at home. use the WWW
invalid (adj) The message read: "Error - your name contains an ~ ↔ valid (adj)
character."
a search engine (n) ~s are tools helping users to browse through millions of "surf the net"
websites.
subscribe (v: to sth) If you ~ to an online provider, you have to pay a a subscription (n)
monthly or annual fee in return for Internet access.
download (files) Most providers ask customers to ~ the software needed
to run their applications.
word processing (n) ~ means using a computer to create, store and print  ~ software
texts, usually typed on a keyboard.
cut and paste (v) This function allows you to ~ text, i.e. copy and move mix flour and water
text between several documents. to a smooth paste.
a spreadsheet (n) A ~ is a computer programme used for financial a sheet of paper
planning: you enter data in rows and columns and the
programme calculates costs etc. from it.
sensitive (adj) With hand-held computers, you use a pen to navigate sensible (adj)
around a touch- ~ screen.
wireless (adj) An increasing number of keyboards use infrared ~ = cordless (adj)
technology. a telephone wire
converge (v: with sth) Several companies are working on ~ing TV sets with convergence (n)
PCs.
(an e-mail) account (n) The first thing she does every morning is to log into her contact sb via / by
e-mail ~ and check her mail. e-mail
an attachment (n) Many e-mails include ~s containing text files or please find attached
pictures, for example
ban sth (v) Several interest groups have called for ~ning online = declare it illegal
pornography or other content unsuitable for children.
censorship (n) Opponents of such a move, however, claim that it would censor / edit sth (v)
constitute ~.
unsolicited (adj) Many people are sick and tired of getting tons of ~ junk = material that you
mail, which is also called spam. have not asked for
bid (at auctions) Many people use the Internet to check stock-market submit a ~ for sth
prices or ~ at auctions.
a teleworker (n) Studies predict that the number of ~s, i.e. people teleworking (n)
working at home via the Internet, will steadily increase.
speech recognition (n) Speech ~ software gives you the possibility to enter recognise sth (v)
spoken text via a microphone.

VOCABULARY - © FIRSCHING 2010

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