TOEIC Vocabulary Builder Course Level 1

Vocabulary Builder Course Level 1:
Introduction
Hello and welcome to the course!
You’re going to learn hundreds of useful English vocabulary words in these
lessons. Each lesson has four parts:
• Video – watch the video to learn the words (or read the text under it)
• Pronunciation Practice – listen to and repeat words from the lesson
• Quiz or Exercise – take the quiz or download the worksheet to
practice the vocabulary
• Vocabulary Practice – questions to help you use the words in YOUR
English! (you can send me your answers at
homework@espressoenglish.net and I'll correct them)
You can access your course online anytime by logging in here:

https://www.espressoenglish.net/login
Username: your e-mail address
Password: the password you chose when you registered
(or use the “Forgot password” link to set a new one)
I hope you enjoy the Vocabulary Builder!
Your teacher,
Shayna
EspressoEnglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014 - EspressoEnglish.net

Lesson List
Lesson 1 – Around the House
Lesson 2 – All about Money
Lesson 3 – Clothes
Lesson 4 – Shopping
Lesson 5 – Food & Drink
Lesson 6 – Restaurants
Lesson 7 – Cars & Driving
Lesson 8 – Public Transportation
Lesson 9 – Body & Health
Lesson 10 – Work & Employment
Lesson 11 – School & Studying
Lesson 12 – Phones & Computers
Lesson 13 – Sports & Hobbies
Lesson 14 – TV & Movies
Lesson 15 – Books, Art, & Music
Lesson 16 – Action Verbs with the Body
Lesson 17 – Lifecycle
Lesson 18 – Family, Friends, & Relationships
Lesson 19 – Personality & Character
Lesson 20 – Emotions
Lesson 21 – Travel
Lesson 22 – Vacation Activities
Lesson 23 – Nature & Natural Disasters

Lesson 24 – Animals: Part 1
Lesson 25 – Animals: Part 2
Lesson 26 – Politics & Elections
Lesson 27 – News & Media
Lesson 28 – Crime and Punishment
Lesson 29 – Religion
Lesson 30 – Essential Concepts

Lesson 1: Around the House
In today's lesson, we're going to go through a house, learning vocabulary for
the different objects in each room AND the different actions you can do there.
You'll also learn the difference between "house" and "home."
Bedroom
Let's begin with the bedroom. The bed is the place where you sleep -
probably with pillows, sheets, and blankets. In this photo, there is a lamp
next to the bed. The lamp is on top of a nightstand or night table.
You keep your clothes in a closet - on hangers - or in a dresser - inside the

drawers.

closet hangers
a dresser with five drawers
At night, you go to bed or go to sleep – and in the morning, you wake up

(maybe with an alarm clock). Try to answer these questions now:
• What time do you go to bed?

I go to bed at _____________.
• What time do you wake up?
I wake up at _____________.

Bathroom
Now we'll learn about the bathroom. In the bathroom, you can brush your
teeth using a toothbrush and toothpaste. Most people use the sink to brush
their teeth, and you can see yourself in the mirror.
In the bathroom, you can also take a shower or take a bath in the bathtub.
You use shampoo and conditioner to wash your hair, and soap to wash your
body. Then you use a towel to dry off. Of course, you can also use the toilet –
and don’t forget to flush the toilet after you’re finished!

towels toilet
Try to complete these sentences now:
• I brush my teeth ________ times a day.

• I take a shower ________ times a week.
Kitchen
Time to go into the kitchen. In the kitchen, you can
cook – prepare food for eating. When talking about a
specific meal, we usually use the verb make – make
breakfast, make lunch, and make dinner.
You can keep food cold in the refrigerator (or

“fridge” for short) - and food that needs to be VERY
cold – like ice cream – is kept in the freezer.
Other foods are kept inside cabinets or on a shelf

(the plural is shelves). You can prepare food on the
counter, cook food on the stove or in the oven - and
heat it up in the microwave.

There are many objects in the kitchen, but the most common are pots, pans,
bowls, plates, forks, spoons, and knives. (For more kitchen vocabulary, see
this lesson).
pot pan
fork, spoon, and knife

Living Room
The living room is where people relax and spend time with friends and
family. There's a couch or sofa to sit on – you can also sit on a chair. There’s a
bookcase and a window. The floor can be covered by a carpet or rug.
couch / sofa chair bookcase
Structure of the House

Finally, let's go through the hallway and out the door, so we can see the
outside of the house. The vertical part is called a wall, the bottom is the floor,
and the top is the ceiling. The word ceiling refers to the interior part, and the
word roof refers to the exterior part.

hallway door
Some houses have a basement that is underground, and an attic to store

things. And you can park your car in the garage.

House or Home?
Let's finish this lesson with the difference between house and home. A house
is a specific type of building. A house is a physical thing, but the word home is
more of an emotional idea - it means the place where you live, and where you
have a special emotional attachment - where you feel comfortable, safe, and
happy. Your "home" can be a house, an apartment, or another type of
structure.
In English, we often use the word “house” when talking about the building
itself (for example, “I live in a small house”), and “home” with the verb “go”
and the preposition “at.” For example, you can say, “I was at home last night” –
or when you leave work, you can say, “Bye everyone. I’m going home.”
You learned a LOT of words in today’s lesson – now try the exercises to
practice the vocabulary.
Pronunciation Practice
bedroom, bed, pillows, sheets, blankets, lamp, closet, hangers, dresser,
drawers, go to bed, go to sleep, wake up, alarm clock, bathroom, brush your
teeth, toothbrush, toothpaste, sink, mirror, take a shower, take a bath,
bathtub, shampoo, conditioner, soap, towel, toilet, flush the toilet, kitchen,
cook, refrigerator, fridge, freezer, cabinets, shelf, counter, stove, oven,
microwave, pots, pans, bowl, plate, fork, knife, spoon, living room, couch, sofa,
chair, bookcase, window, carpet, rug, hallway, door, wall, floor, ceiling, roof,
basement, attic, garage

Quiz – Lesson 1
1. Categorize these words into the bedroom, the bathroom, and the kitchen:
alarm clock fridge pot spoon

bed mirror soap stove
blanket oven sheet toilet
dresser pillow shower toothbrush
fork plate sink towel
Bedroom Bathroom Kitchen

2. Label the diagram with these words:
attic / basement / ceiling / door / garage / floor / roof / wall / window
Vocabulary Practice
Describe your house and each room. Whenever possible, use the vocabulary
words from this lesson. You can also use prepositions of location, for example:
"I have two pillows on my bed." "There is a closet next to the door." "In my
bathroom, there are two shelves above the sink."
Send me your text at homework@espressoenglish.net and I’ll correct it!

Quiz Answers:
Bedroom Bathroom Kitchen

alarm clock mirror fork
bed soap fridge
blanket shower oven
dresser sink plate
pillow toilet pot
sheet toothbrush spoon
towel stove
(the kitchen also has a

sink, too!)

Lesson 2: Money
Verbs with Money
Let’s start by reviewing some of the different verbs you can use with money:
• earn money = Receive money from doing work.

Ex. At my job, I earn $1000 per month.
• spend money = Use money to pay for things.
Ex. I spent $300 on repairs to my car.
• save money = Keep money to buy something in the future. We often use
save up for… + the object you are planning to buy.
Ex. I’m saving up for a new bike. / I’m saving up for a vacation.
Try to complete these sentences now. You can give approximate answers –
and you can use your country’s own currency instead of “dollars”:
• Every month, I earn _____________ dollars.
• Every month, I spend ______________ dollars.
• Every month, I save ______________ dollars.
• I’m currently saving up for _____________________.
Earning & Saving Money

The general money you receive for doing your job is called your salary. Every
week, every two weeks, or every month, the regular payment you receive
from your job is called your paycheck. Some jobs include extra payments for
good work, or at the end of the year – called a bonus.
You can keep your money in a bank account. There are three main types of
bank accounts:
▪ Checking - This is an account where you can keep your money and
write checks to make payments. Checking accounts are usually used for
day-to-day spending.

▪ Savings - This is an account for keeping money for a long time. You can
save money for a car or a house. Savings accounts usually
earn interest – that’s a small percentage of extra money that the bank
gives you.
▪ Investment - This type of account puts your money into the stock
market (companies in the general economy). There is some risk,
because you might get a lot more money if the economy grows… but you
might also lose money if the economy goes bad.
Every month, you receive a statement (a document with a list of all the
activity in your account) in the mail or online. The statement will show your
transactions (events in which money was received and spent) and your
balance (the current amount of money in your account).
When you put money into your bank account, you are making a deposit – and
the opposite, taking money out of your bank account, is making a withdrawal.
You can make both deposits and withdrawals at a machine called an ATM.

Finally, let’s learn some words for economic class. If you have a lot of money,
then you are rich or wealthy. If you have an average amount of money, then
you are middle-class. If you have very little money, then you are poor.
Complete this sentence now:
• I am… (rich / middle-class / poor).
Spending Money
There are two types of money:
• Paper money is called bills. This is a $10 bill.
• Metal money is called coins. This is a 1-cent coin.
Both bills and coins are called cash. You can also pay for something in other
ways besides cash – like with a check, a credit card, or a debit card.
If something costs a lot of money, we say it is expensive. If something is too
expensive for you, then you can say “I can’t afford it” – this phrase means, “I
don’t have enough money to pay for it.”

Now, do you know what the opposite of “expensive” is? Something that costs
little money is inexpensive or cheap. If something is a low price and good
value, you can say “That’s a good deal” or “That’s a bargain.”
In addition to using your money to buy things, you can also donate (give)
money to charity – a non-profit organization (like the Red Cross, for example)
that helps people, animals, or the environment.
People who like to share and give their money can be called generous – and
the opposite, people who like to keep all their money for themselves, can be
called selfish or stingy.
Borrowing & Lending Money

Another thing you can do with money is to lend or borrow it. These words
are opposites: The word lend means to give someone money temporarily. The
word borrow means to receive money temporarily.
Imagine you want to buy a car, but you don’t have enough money. You can
borrow $10,000 from the bank. The bank lends you $10,000. The amount of
money you borrow is called a loan.
Now you owe $10,000 to the bank (the verb “owe” means you need to pay it
back). You can pay the money back to the bank in installments – for example,
$200 per month – plus interest (again, that’s a small percentage of extra
money).

You’ve finished Lesson 2! Now continue to the exercises to practice the
vocabulary you’ve learned.
Pronunciation Practice:
earn, spend, save, salary, paycheck, bonus, bank account, checking account,
savings account, interest, investment account, stock market, statement,
transactions, balance, deposit, withdrawal, ATM, rich, wealthy, middle-class,
poor, bills, coins, cash, check, credit card, debit card, expensive, I can't afford
it, inexpensive, cheap, That's a good deal, That's a bargain, donate, charity,
generous, selfish, stingy, lend, borrow, loan, owe, installments

Quiz – Lesson 2
1) I just bought a new car, and now I have very little money left in my
___________.
A. savings account
B. statement
C. stock market
2) My grandfather was very _______. He had to work three jobs to sustain his
family.
A. expensive
B. poor
C. selfish
3) I don't have enough money for a taxi. Could you ________ me $15? I'll pay you
back tomorrow.
A. borrow
B. lend
C. owe
4) We got a good _______ on plane tickets to Miami - they're normally $500, but
we got them for $350.
A. afford
B. bill
C. deal
5) I made a $50 donation to a local _________ that rescues abandoned dogs and
cats.
A. account
B. bargain
C. charity

6) It's my lucky day! I found a $20 _______ in the street!
A. bill
B. bonus
C. cash
7) Many banks charge an extra fee for __________ performed outside your home
country.
A. installments
B. paychecks
C. transactions
8) My company ________ my salary directly into my checking account.

A. deposits
B. earns
C. lends
9) My roommate's really ________. He always eats my food, but he doesn't help

pay for it.
A. expensive
B. middle-class
C. stingy
10) The economy is growing - it's a great time to ________ in the stock market.
A. deposit
B. invest
C. withdraw
11) The houses along the beach are very expensive; a lot of __________ people
live there.
A. generous
B. selfish
C. wealthy

12) We couldn't afford to buy our apartment in cash, so we took out a $50,000
________ from the bank.
A. bill
B. check
C. loan
13) You can buy ________ clothes on Market Street - I just got two T-shirts for $5
each.
A. charity
B. cheap
C. poor
14) We're __________ $500 per month on restaurants - I think we need to stop
eating out so much.
A. affording
B. borrowing
C. spending
15) My husband is _________ up for a motorcycle - he hopes to buy one next

year.
A. checking
B. earning
C. saving
The quiz answers are at the end of the lesson.

Vocabulary Practice
Answer these questions – either speaking out loud to yourself, or writing your
answers and sending them to me at homework@espressoenglish.net. Whenever
possible, use the vocabulary words from this lesson.
1. On which day of the month do you receive your paycheck?
2. What kinds of bank accounts do you have?
3. What items do you usually spend a lot of money on?
4. Do you invest in the stock market? Do you think investing in the

stock market is a good or bad idea?
5. When was the last time you made a deposit?
6. When was the last time you made a withdrawal?
7. Where is the closest ATM to your house?
8. How many bills and coins do you have in your wallet right now?
9. Do you usually pay for things in cash, or do you use a check, credit
card, or debit card?

10. What's something that you would like to buy, but you can't afford it
at the moment?
11. What's the most expensive thing you own?
12. When was the last time you bought something cheap?
13. Do you donate to charity? Which charity do you (or would you like
to) support?
14. Have you ever borrowed money, or lent someone else money?
15. Who is the most generous person you know?
Quiz Answers:
1.A 2.B 3.B 4.C 5.C 6.A 7.C 8.A 9.C 10.B 11.C 12.C 13.B 14.C 15.C

Lesson 3: Clothes
Get ready to learn a LOT of vocabulary for clothes! You probably already know
some of these words – but we’re going to go beyond the basics, so I’m sure
you’ll learn a number of new words as well.
Let’s start with the various parts of a shirt. Some shirts have a collar around
your neck, and buttons in the front.
The parts of the shirt that cover your arms are called the sleeves. You can
have a long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved shirt, or a sleeveless shirt:
Complete this sentence now: “I’m wearing a _______________________________ shirt.”

(long-sleeved / short-sleeved / sleeveless)

We have specific words for different types of shirts. A T-shirt is usually used
for sports and everyday life, and a more formal shirt can be called a dress
shirt (for men) or a blouse (for women). When it’s hot, you can wear a tank
top.
dress shirt blouse tank top
To cover your legs, you can wear pants or shorts. Many pairs of pants have
pockets, and some have a zipper or fly. You can use a belt to hold your pants
in place.
pants shorts a pocket

zipper belt
For more formal situations, women can wear a skirt or a dress – and men can
wear a suit and a tie.
Complete this sentence now: I’m wearing ___________________________________.

pants / shorts / a skirt / a dress / a suit
Intimate clothing is called underwear. Here are some different types of

underwear. Men can use boxers or briefs. Women use a bra and panties.

The clothes you wear for sleeping can be pajamas or, for women, a
nightgown. When you wake up and take a shower, you can put on a
bathrobe.
pajamas nightgown bathrobe
What you wear on your feet are shoes. The word “shoes” refers to the general
category, but there are some special types – sneakers for sports, high heels
for women, sandals for the beach or summer, and boots for rain or snow. And
don’t forget socks!

sneakers high heels sandals
boots socks
Complete this sentence now: I’m wearing _______________________________.

shoes / sneakers / socks / high heels / sandals / boots
In the first picture, the shoelaces are untied. In the second picture, the
shoelaces are tied.
The shoelaces are untied. The shoelaces are tied.

Finally, let’s look at summer and winter clothing. To keep warm in cold
weather, you can wear a thick shirt called a sweater, and a jacket or coat to
go outside. Your jacket might have a hood to cover your head. If it’s very cold,
you can use a hat, scarf, and gloves.
sweater
gloves
In the summer, if you want to go swimming, wear a swimsuit or bathing suit.

This is the general word – there are some more specific types. A men’s

swimsuit is called swimming trunks. And women can wear a one-piece
swimsuit or a bikini.
swimming trunks one-piece bikini
Verbs Used with Clothing

We use the phrasal verbs put on and take off for actions with specific items of
clothing:
• She puts on her jacket when she goes out.

• She takes off her jacket when she gets home.
Use the verb wear to describe the current status of someone’s clothing:
• He’s wearing jeans.

• She wore a blue dress to the party yesterday.
• I’m going to wear my new boots tomorrow.
Use the expression get dressed to talk about putting on your clothes in
general. In the morning, after you wake up, you get dressed. The opposite is
get undressed – this refers to the general action of removing your clothes.
There’s also the expression dress up – that means to wear nicer clothes than
normal, like for a special occasion. You dress up to go to a wedding or
banquet.

After you wear your clothes, you need to wash them. The process of washing
your clothes is called doing laundry – you can use a washing machine and a
dryer.
A washing machine
Now that your clothes are clean, you need to fold them – and sometimes iron
them as well to remove the wrinkles (lines that form in fabric).
folded clothes iron
You’ve finished Lesson 3! Now try the quiz and short-answer exercises.

collar, buttons, sleeves, long-sleeved shirt, short-sleeved shirt, sleeveless shirt,
T-shirt, dress shirt, blouse, tank top, pants, shorts, pockets, zipper, fly, belt,
skirt, dress, suit, tie, underwear, boxers, briefs, bra, panties, pajamas,
nightgown, bathrobe, shoes, sneakers, high heels, sandals, boots, socks,
shoelaces, jacket, coat, hood, hat, scarf, gloves, swimsuit, bathing suit,
swimming trunks, one-piece swimsuit, bikini, put on, take off, wear, get
dressed, get undressed, dress up, doing laundry, washing machine, dryer, fold,
iron, wrinkles

Quiz – Lesson 3
1. He's wearing white _________.

A buttons
B gloves
C socks
2. He's wearing brown ________.

A pants
B pockets
C shorts

3. He's wearing a blue ____________ shirt.
A long-sleeved
B short-sleeved
C sleeveless
4. He's wearing khaki pants with a black _________.

A belt
B strap
C tie

5. He's wearing a _______ and _________.
A coat / boots
B hat / shoes
C bathrobe / sandals
6. She's wearing a _________.

A dress
B nightgown
C swimsuit

7. She's wearing a black ________.
A bra
B blouse
C tank top
8. She's wearing a red ________.

A blouse
B skirt
C suit
9. She's wearing brown and white ________.

A panties
B socks
C trunks
10. She's wearing a white _________.

A collar
B dress
C nightgown
The quiz answers are at the end of this lesson.

Vocabulary Practice
Send me your answers at homework@espressoenglish.net for feedback!
1. What do you normally wear to work?
2. What do you normally wear to parties?
3. What do you usually wear on the weekends?
4. What were you wearing yesterday?
5. What's your favorite piece of clothing?
6. Is there any type of clothing you don’t like?
7. What was the last piece of clothing you bought?
8. How many times a week do you do laundry?
9. When was the last time you dressed up?
10. Describe your closet - approximately how many shirts and pairs of
shoes/shorts/pants/socks do you have?
Quiz Answers - 1.B 2.A 3.B 4.A 5.A 6.C 7.A 8.B 9.B 10.B

Lesson 4: Shopping
Let’s begin today’s lesson by learning some expressions with the word
“shopping” itself. There’s a difference between go shopping and do the
shopping:
• do the shopping = buy the regular things needed for everyday life –
usually food, personal care items, and things for the house
• go shopping = more general; can refer to buying things for everyday life
OR buying “extra” things like clothes, toys, electronics, etc.
Some people like to window shop – this means looking at many items in
various shops, but without planning to buy anything.
Window shopping
People who want to save money like to shop around – this means going to
many different stores to compare the prices and items, so that you can get the
one that’s best for you. And a shopping spree is when you buy a LOT of things
(and spend a lot of money) in a short time.

Different Types of Stores
The English language has some specific words for different types of stores:
• At a supermarket or grocery store, you can buy food, as well as things

for your house, like cleaning supplies.
• At a bakery, you can buy bread, cakes, pies, pastries, muffins, and
cupcakes.

• At a delicatessen or deli, you can buy cheese, sliced meat for
sandwiches, salads, and other prepared food that is ready to eat.
• At a pharmacy or drugstore, you can buy medicine, band-aids, eye

drops, and other personal care items.
• At a jewelry store or jeweler, you can buy necklaces, bracelets,

earrings, and rings.

• At a pet shop, you can buy animals to keep in your house, food for the
animals, and accessories and toys for them.
• At a hardware store, you can buy things for construction or fixing

things around the house – like tools, paint, plumbing supplies, and
electrical supplies.
tools
• A department store is a large store with many different areas – for

example, clothes, electronics, food, toys, items for the house, etc.
• A mall or shopping center is a large building that contains many
different stores, usually including a food court with many different
restaurants.
• A convenience store or corner store is a small store that contains
some basic snacks, drinks, and supplies. Many gas stations have a
convenience store, for example.
• Other types of stores are often identified by the items they sell – a toy
store sells toys, a shoe store sells shoes, etc.

Shopping Step by Step
When you go into the store, you can take a shopping cart or basket to carry
the items you want to buy.
The items in a store are organized into aisles – this word refers to the
corridors in the supermarket – and placed on different levels called shelves.
In clothing stores, they can also be hung on racks.
If you want to see if a piece of clothing fits you (is the correct size), you can
put it on in the try-on room or fitting room. If the clothing is too big, we say
it’s loose – and if it is too small, we say it’s tight.
If an item is on sale, that means there is a discount – the price is lower than
normal. In stores, you’ll often see the amount of the discount expressed with

the word “off” – for example, 20% off or $10 off. You can also use a coupon –
a special piece of paper from a magazine, newspaper, or the internet that will
give you a discount.
To pay for the items, you go to the checkout; the person who works there is
called the cashier.
Let’s imagine your purchase costs $15 and you give the cashier $20. The
cashier will give you back $5 – this is called your change – along with a
receipt, a piece of paper that lists the items you bought.

You can put your items into a plastic bag – but if you’re buying an item as a
gift for someone else, you can ask the cashier if it’s possible to gift-wrap the
item with special decorative paper, called wrapping paper.
Later, if you discover a problem with the item you bought, you can return it to
the store, where you can get a refund (receive your money back) or exchange
it for another item of the same type. Some items – especially electronics and
other machines – come with a warranty (an agreement that the store or
manufacturer will repair the item if it breaks).
You’ve finished Lesson 4! Now continue to the exercises to put this vocabulary
into practice.
go shopping, do the shopping, window shop, shop around, shopping spree,
supermarket, grocery store, bakery, delicatessen, deli, pharmacy, drugstore,
jewelry store, jewelry, pet shop, hardware store, department store, mall,
shopping center, convenience store, corner store, shopping cart, basket, aisles,
shelves, racks, fits, try-on room, fitting room, loose, tight, on sale, discount,
coupon, checkout, cashier, change, receipt, plastic bag, gift-wrap, wrapping
paper, return, refund, exchange, warranty

Quiz – Lesson 4
1) Before you come home, could you stop by the _________ and get some
aspirin? I have a headache.
A. hardware store
B. pet shop
C. pharmacy
2) The __________ on the Christmas gifts was red, green, and silver.
A. plastic bag
B. shopping cart
C. wrapping paper
3) I bought milk, eggs, and fruit at the ___________.
A. drugstore
B. supermarket
C. toy store
4) I need some help - I can't reach that box of cereal on the top ________.
A. rack
B. sale
C. shelf
5) If you want to buy a TV, I definitely recommend shopping _______ for the
best deal and not buying the first one you see.
A. above
B. around
C. along
6) I've gained weight and now my clothes are all too ________.

A. fit
B. loose
C. tight
7) My cousins went on a shopping _______ while on vacation - they brought

back seven huge suitcases full of stuff.
A. run
B. spree
C. sprint
8) My first job was working as a _______ at a convenience store.
A. cashier
B. checkout
C. receipt
9) My wife goes to the mall for hours to _________ shop, then comes home
without buying anything.
A. display
B. watch
C. window
10) The shampoo is on ______ 4, and the paper towels are on aisle 6, with the
cleaning supplies.
A. aisle
B. basket
C. cart
11) The shoes I bought for my brother were the wrong size, but luckily the
store let me __________ them for another pair.
A. exchange
B. guarantee

C. refund
12) These packages of pasta are on ________ - you can buy two for the price of
one.
A. coupon
B. discount
C. sale
13) We can get a nice birthday cake at the ___________.
A. bakery
B. jeweler
C. fitting room
14) This jacket was a real bargain - it was 40% ______ the regular price!
A. down
B. off
C. out
15) This __________ will cover repairs if your phone breaks, but it won't pay for
a replacement if the phone gets stolen.
A. change
B. warranty
C. receipt

Vocabulary Practice
Send me your answers at homework@espressoenglish.net !
1. How many times per month do you do the shopping?
2. When was the last time you went shopping?
3. What was the last thing you bought?
4. What's one thing you're planning to buy?
5. Have you ever shopped around for an item?
6. Have you ever gone on a shopping spree?
7. What types of stores do you go to frequently?
8. What was the last thing you bought on sale?
9. What was the last gift you bought for someone else? Did you gift-wrap it?
10. Have you ever returned something to a store? Did you exchange it, or get a
refund?
Quiz Answers:
1.C 2.C 3.B 4.C 5.B 6.C 7.B 8.A 9.C 10.A 11.A 12.C 13.A 14.B 15.B

Lesson 5: Food & Drink
If you want food, you can say “I’m hungry” – and if you want something to
drink, you can say “I’m thirsty.” I hope you’re hungry and thirsty, because
today’s lesson is all about food and drink!
Food
Are you familiar with the food pyramid? It shows how much of each type of
food you should eat. Let’s use the diagram to learn vocabulary for different
types of foods.
The food group at the bottom of the pyramid includes bread, cereal, rice, and
pasta. Which type do you eat most frequently? Complete the sentence: “I eat a
lot of ____________________.”

On the next level up, we have fruits and vegetables. Here are some different
types of fruit:
pear grapes pineapple
peach watermelon

The outer covering of a fruit can be called the peel (in the case of a banana),
the skin (in the case of an apple) or the rind (in the case of a melon). A skin is
soft and thin, and we can eat it. A rind is thick and hard, and we usually don’t
eat it.
Many fruits also have seeds or a pit inside. We usually call them seeds if they
are small and many, and a pit if there is one and it is large. Watermelons have
seeds. Peaches have pits.
Here are some examples of vegetables:

corn carrots garlic
mushrooms peppers
onions
On the next level up, we have meat and seafood as well as beans, nuts, and
eggs. Do you know the English words for the three different parts of an egg?
• The shell is the hard outside part
• The white is the clear part, which turns white when you cook it
• The yolk is the yellow part in the center

beans nuts
Here are some different types of meat, with the animals they come from:
• Beef comes from cows
• Pork, bacon, and ham come from pigs

• Chicken comes from chickens
• Seafood includes fish and shellfish
A person who doesn’t eat meat is called a vegetarian – and a person who
doesn’t eat ANY animal products (including milk, cheese, and eggs) is called a
vegan.
Finally, at the top of the food pyramid are some foods which should not be
eaten frequently, because they are not very healthy. These include fats & oils
(like butter and fried food, which is cooked in oil) as well as sweets (like
chocolate, candy, cakes, and cookies).

Drinks
Here are five types of cold drinks:
• soda
• juice
• lemonade
• iced tea
• milk
• sparkling water

Say it now: “My favorite cold drink is __________.”
The three major types of hot drinks are:
• coffee
• tea
• hot chocolate
Say it now: “My favorite hot drink is __________.”

Finally, we have drinks with alcohol:
• beer
• wine
• liquor
• cocktails (mixed drinks)
Say it now: “My favorite alcoholic drink is __________.”
Other Expressions Used with Food & Drink

When you eat something, you first take a bite of it – you remove a piece using
your teeth. Then you chew the food – crush it into small pieces inside your

mouth, using your teeth – and finally swallow it – when it goes down your
throat and into your stomach.
If someone is eating very fast, we say they are wolfing down or gobbling up
their food. When someone is eating very slowly – or not eating very much –
we say they are picking at their food.
Two more verbs used for eating are munch on and
snack on – this describes eating small portions of food
casually; for example, you snack on popcorn while
watching a movie.
If someone is drinking very fast, we say they are gulping
down or guzzling their drink. The opposite of this –
drinking slowly – is to sip. You’d gulp down a glass of lemonade on a hot day,
but you should sip a glass of wine!
What do you say after you’ve eaten enough, and you’re satisfied? The phrase
we use for that in English is “I’m full.” If you’ve eaten a LOT of food (maybe
too much!) then you can say “I’m stuffed” or “I can’t eat another bite!”
I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, fruit, pear, grapes, peach,
pineapple, watermelon, peel, skin, rind, seeds, pit, vegetables, corn, carrot,
pepper, mushroom, onion, garlic, beans, nuts, egg, shell, white, yolk, beef,
pork, ham, bacon, chicken, seafood, vegetarian, vegan, butter, fried food,
sweets, soda, juice, lemonade, iced tea, milk, sparkling water, coffee, tea, hot
chocolate, beer, wine, liquor, cocktails, bite, chew, swallow, wolf down, gobble
up, pick at, munch on, snack on, gulp down, guzzle, sip, I'm full, I'm stuffed, I
can't eat another bite

Quiz – Lesson 5
Match each word to the correct picture:
bacon beer carrots onions soda
beans butter grapes pineapples tea
beef candy juice rice wine
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8.

9. 10.
11. 12. 13.
14. 15.

Vocabulary Practice
Answer these questions – either speaking out loud to yourself, or writing your
answers and sending them to me at homework@espressoenglish.net. Whenever
possible, use the vocabulary words from this lesson.
1. Describe your typical breakfast.
2. Describe your typical lunch.
3. Describe your typical dinner.
4. What are your favorite foods?
5. Are there any foods you don't like?
6. What foods do you like to snack on during the day?
7. Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Why or why not?

8. What's one food you eat too much of?
9. When was the last time you felt "stuffed"?
10. What do you drink during a typical week?
Quiz Answers
1. rice 6. beans 11. juice
2. grapes 7. carrots 12. wine
3. candy 8. beef 13. beer
4. onions 9. bacon 14. soda
5. pineapples 10. butter 15. tea

Lesson 6: Restaurants
Let’s eat out – at a restaurant! In addition to the general word “restaurant,”
we have a number of different words in English for places to eat:
• A café – Usually serves coffee, tea, and small snacks and foods like soups
and sandwiches
• A diner – An inexpensive restaurant with a LARGE variety of foods.

Diners often have booths rather than chairs.
• A pizzeria – Restaurant specializing in pizza
• A food cart – A place where you can get something to eat on the street

• Having a picnic – Eating outside (ex. in a park) with food that you
prepared before, like sandwiches
• Having a barbecue – Eating outside and cooking meat on a grill
• Some restaurants have a buffet where you can take as much of each
type of food as you want.

At the Restaurant
When you enter a restaurant, you’ll sit down at a table with chairs. If you have
a baby, you can ask for a high chair.
The table may be covered by a tablecloth, and it may also have a candle. At
the table, there are utensils (this word refers to the set of a fork, knife, and
spoon) and a napkin for each person.

Next, you’ll look at the menu – the list of dishes available at the restaurant.
The menu is often divided into different sections:
• Appetizers or starters are small amounts of food that are eaten before
the main dish.
• Main dishes or entrees are the biggest and most important parts of the
meal, eaten after the appetizers and before dessert. This can also be
called the main course.
• Combos is short for “combinations” - two or more foods that are

ordered together as a single item (for example, at McDonald’s you can
order a combo of a hamburger, french fries, and soda for one price).
• Side dishes or sides are small portions of food that can be ordered to
accompany the main dishes – for example, you can order a steak with a
side of mashed potatoes.
• Desserts are sweet foods eaten after the main dish, like ice cream,
cakes, pies, etc.
• Beverages is another word for drinks.
After you’ve decided what you want, a person will come to take your order
(your request for food). This person is called the waiter if he is a man, the
waitress if she is a woman, or the server – this word can be used for men or
women. The person who prepares the food is called the chef.
waitress chef

To make your order, use the phrase “I’ll have…” for example, “I’ll have the
chicken salad.” If you and another person want to divide one dish, you can say
“We’ll share…” or “We’ll split…” for example, “We’ll split an order of
strawberry ice cream.”
Your food might be covered with a liquid, which can be called sauce or
dressing. With meat and pasta, we use the word sauce. With salads, we use
the word dressing:
If you want to add flavor to your food, you can use a condiment – this is the
general word for things you can put on your food. Some common condiments
are:
ketchup (red) and mustard (yellow) mayonnaise or mayo

salt and pepper olive oil hot sauce
jelly / jam honey

After you finish eating, when you want to pay, you can ask the server for the
check – the piece of paper with the total price. In the United States, you
should always add a tip – an extra payment of 10-20% - to thank your server
for their help.
If you have leftovers (extra food that you didn’t eat, but you want to eat later),
you can ask the server to wrap it up or to give you a box so that you can take
the extra food home.

restaurant, café, diner, booth, pizzeria, food cart, picnic, barbecue, chair, high
chair, tablecloth, candle, utensils, napkin, menu, appetizers, starters, main
dish, entree, main course, combo, side dish, dessert, beverages, waiter,
waitress, server, chef, I'll have, We'll share, We'll split, sauce, dressing,
ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, mayo, salt, pepper, olive oil, jelly, jam, honey,
hot sauce, check, tip, leftovers, wrap it up
Quiz – Lesson 6
All answers are at the end of this lesson.
Put these actions in the correct order, from 1 to 10.
______ The chef prepares your food ______ Pay and leave a tip
______ Eat dessert ______ Sit down at a table
______ Arrive at the restaurant ______ Eat the main dish
______ Make your order ______ The waitress brings your food
______ Look at the menu ______ Ask for the check

Label the pictures with the correct name:
barbecue cafe food cart pizzeria
buffet diner picnic
1. 2.
3. 4.

5. 6.
7.
Complete each sentence with the correct word:

beverages candles chef leftovers dressing
booth combo entree napkin utensils
1. “I didn’t finish my lunch, but I’m going to take home the ____________.”
2. “Excuse me – there are five people at our table, but only four sets of
____________.”
3. “Do you have any non-alcoholic ____________, like soda or juice?”
4. “We’re not very hungry, so we’ll split a single _____________.”
5. “You spilled some of the sauce – clean it up with a ______________.”
6. “I’ll have the steak and seafood _____________.”
7. “It was a very romantic restaurant, with ___________ on every table.”
8. “At the diner, my kids love sitting in the ___________.”
9. “The __________ at that restaurant went to a famous culinary school.”
10. “What kinds of salad ____________ do you have?”

Vocabulary Practice
1. What are your favorite places to eat out? What kind of food do they have?
2. What are your favorite foods to order at a restaurant?
3. What are your favorite desserts and beverages to order at a restaurant?
4. Have you ever worked as a server? Do you think it's an easy or difficult job -
and why?
5. Which condiments do you usually use on your food? (ex. "I use ketchup on
hamburgers.")
6. At restaurants, do you usually eat all your food, or do you bring home the
leftovers?

Answers to First Exercise:
1. Arrive at the restaurant
2. Sit down at a table
3. Look at the menu
4. Make your order
5. The chef prepares your food
6. The waitress brings your food
7. Eat the main dish
8. Eat dessert
9. Ask for the check
10. Pay and leave a tip
Answers to Second Exercise:
1. pizzeria
2. picnic
3. cafe
4. buffet
5. barbecue
6. food cart
7. diner
Answers to Third Exercise:

1. leftovers
2. utensils
3. beverages
4. entree
5. napkin
6. combo
7. candles
8. booth
9. chef
10. dressing

Lesson 7: Cars & Driving
Parts of a Car
Each car has four wheels. The black part of the wheel, which is filled with air,
is called the tire. There are windows on the sides of the car – and the big
window in the front is called the windshield.
When you’re driving, it’s important to see everything. You can use the side
view mirrors to see things on the sides of your car, and the rear view mirror
to see directly behind the car.
A car has three different types of lights:

• Headlights are the strong white lights on the front of a car

• Taillights are the red lights on the back of a car
• Turn signals or blinkers are on both the front and the back – they are
usually yellow or orange – and you use them to indicate when you are
going to turn
In this picture, we can also see the license plate with the letters/numbers
identifying the car, and the trunk – the space to put your bags.
Let’s take a look inside the car. This type of car – with an open top – is called a
convertible. The place where the driver sits is called the driver’s seat, and
the other place in the front is called the passenger seat or sometimes the
front seat. Behind them, we have the back seat.

Finally, we have the steering wheel, which the driver uses to control the car.
For more car vocabulary words, click here and here.
Types of Streets
Regular streets in a city can be called streets or roads. The “big streets” with
lots of fast traffic are called highways, freeways, or expressways.
Highways are divided into 2, 3, 4, or 5 lanes – with a little bit of extra space on
the side for emergencies, which is called the shoulder. To enter the highway,
you take a street called an on-ramp. And to get off the highway, you take a
street called an exit.
What do you call it when two roads come together? That’s an intersection.
And the place next to the intersection is called the corner.

To control the movement of cars, we have signs and traffic lights.
Sometimes you have to stop at a crosswalk so that pedestrians (people

walking) can cross to the other side of the road. The place where people can
walk is called the sidewalk.
When you want to stop your car and get out, you can leave it in one of the
parking spaces (or parking spots) in a parking lot.

Problems while Driving
When there are lots of cars and the movement is slow or stopped, this is called
a traffic jam. There are often traffic jams during rush hour – that means the
times in the morning and evening when many people are going to or coming
home from work.
One common problem when driving is getting a flat tire – if this happens, you
need to change the tire.

Another problem is when the car breaks down, which means it has a
mechanical problem and stops functioning. You’ll need to call a tow truck to
take your car to the mechanic.
Sometimes there is a detour – a detour is when the normal road is closed and
you need to take an alternative road. Detours are often due to roadwork
(construction or maintenance of the road) or a car crash / car accident.
You’ve finished Lesson 7! Now try the quiz and practice exercises.
wheels, tires, windshield, side view mirrors, rear view mirror, headlights,
taillights, turn signals, blinkers, license plate, trunk, convertible, driver's seat,
passenger seat, front seat, back seat, steering wheel, street, road, highway,
freeway, expressway, lanes, shoulder, on-ramp, exit, intersection, corner, sign,
traffic light, crosswalk, pedestrian, sidewalk, parking space, parking spot,
parking lot, traffic jam, rush hour, flat tire, break down, tow truck, detour,
roadwork, car crash, car accident

Quiz – Lesson 7
1) Get off the highway at the next _________.

A. spot
B. exit
C. leave
2) I was late for work because I got stuck in a traffic ________.

A. block
B. jam
C. slow
3) If you run over broken glass, you'll get a _______ tire.

A. broken
B. dead
C. flat
4) Don't take your hands off the ________ ! You could lose control of the car.
A. passenger seat
B. rear view mirror
C. steering wheel
5) Let's leave work a little earlier to avoid ________ hour.

A. hurry
B. quick
C. rush
6) My car is really old. It has ________ down three times in the past month.
A. broken
B. crashed
C. towed

7) Take a left at the next __________.
A. expressway
B. intersection
C. parking space
8) The drunk driver crashed into the bus stop, injuring eleven __________.
A. passengers
B. sidewalks
C. pedestrians
9) The ______ says this street goes south.

A. light
B. sign
C. signal
10) There's a gas station on the ________ of Main Street and Market Street.
A. corner
B. lane
C. shoulder
11) Turn on your _________ when it starts to get dark.

A. blinkers
B. headlights
C. windshield
12) We had to go 15 miles out of our way because of a __________.

A. crosswalk
B. detour
C. tow truck
13) When a car is used in a crime, knowing the _________ number can help
police identify it.
A. driver's seat

B. turn signal
C. license plate
14)When you're going to travel, you can put your suitcase in the _________.
A. truck
B. trunk
C. taillight
15) The mall was very crowded; we couldn't find a ________ spot.
A. parking
B. pausing
C. stopping
Vocabulary Practice
E-mail me your answers at homework@espressoenglish.net !
1. Do you enjoy driving? Why or why not?
2. How long did it take you to learn how to drive? Who taught you?
3. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of owning a car?
4. Have you ever been in (or seen) a car accident?

5. When was the last time you were in a traffic jam?
6. In your country, at what age can you get a driver's license (permission
to drive)?
7. Who do you think are better drivers - women or men (and why)?
8. Is it easy to find parking spaces near your house / work / school?
9. What would you do if your car broke down or got a flat tire?
10. In your country/city, are people in general good drivers?
Quiz Answers:
1.B 2.B 3.C 4.C 5.C 6.A 7.B 8.C 9.B 10.A 11.B 12.B 13.C 14.B 15.A

Lesson 8: Public Transportation
Bus & Train Systems
The central place in the city where you can get many different buses/trains is
called a station (bus station or train station). The different points where you
can get on or get off a bus or train are called stops.
Another word that is often used in train stations is platform – this is the area
inside the station where you wait for the train. Be careful not to get too close
to the tracks – that’s the place where the train runs.

We usually call it a train if it is above ground – and a subway or metro if it is
underground, in tunnels. The parts of a train/subway that are linked together
are called “cars.”
Bus and train systems have lines. Lines are the regular routes that the buses
or trains travel. Each color on the map represents a line in the New York City
subway. The black dots are stops.
An express bus or express train means it DOESN’T stop at every possible

point – it passes some of them so that it can arrive at the destination faster. A
local bus or local train stops at every point along the way.

Buying a Ticket & Taking the Bus/Train
When you buy a bus or train ticket, you can buy a round-trip ticket (to go and
return) or a one-way ticket (only to go). The price of a ticket is called the fare.
Some bus/train systems use tickets, which are made of paper, and others use
tokens, which are like coins.
If you take public transportation frequently, you can get a card or pass that
you can use for multiple trips – often at a discounted fare. In this picture, the
man is going to swipe his card – that means pass it through the machine. It’s
good to get a card or pass if you use the bus or train to commute – this verb
means making the trip between your home and your work.
In some bus or train stations, you’ll need to go through a turnstile or give

your ticket or money to the collector – the person who works receiving
money for public transportation.
turnstiles

Now you need to wait for the bus or train. If it comes on time, that means it
comes at the correct time. If it’s delayed, that means it comes later than the
correct time.
In some cases, your ticket has an assigned seat – a specific place where you
need to sit, usually indicated by a letter and number, like seat 15B. In other
cases, you can sit anywhere you want. Many buses or trains have special seats
for people who are elderly (old), disabled (have a physical problem), or
pregnant (a woman who will have a baby).
Symbols for disabled & pregnant people
If there are a lot of people on the bus or train, we can say it’s crowded. The
opposite of crowded is empty – when there are few or no people.
Other Expressions used with Public Transportation

We use the verb take to describe general use of buses and trains, for example:
• I took the bus from New York to Philadelphia.

• You need to take the 3:15 train if you want to arrive by 6:00.
We use the phrasal verbs get on and get off to describe the specific actions of
entering and leaving the bus/train. You can also transfer from one bus to
another bus, or from one train to another train, for example:
• If you want to go to the museum, get off at the next stop.

• You need to get on the B train and then transfer to the L train.
Finally, if you’re not familiar with the city – or if you’re not paying attention! –
you might miss your stop – that means you didn’t get off the bus/train when

you needed to. If that happens, you’ll need to get off and go back in the other
direction to reach your destination.
bus station, train station, stop, platform, tracks, subway, metro, tunnel, line,
express, local, round-trip, one-way, ticket, token, card, pass, swipe, commute,
on time, delayed, turnstile, collector, assigned seat, elderly, disabled, pregnant,
crowded, empty, take the bus, take the train, get on, get off, transfer, miss your
stop

Quiz – Lesson 8
1) How much is the fare / fee to go from here to Boston on Saturday?
2) I fell asleep on the bus and lost / missed my stop.
3) The Toronto meter / metro is clean, fast, and efficient.
4) There were about 20 people waiting on the platform / tracks.
5) I'm not sure which subway lane / line goes to that neighborhood.
6) The buses in this city are never on hour / time; they're always late!
7) It takes about 40 minutes to get from the airport to the main train center /
station.
8) I stood up to offer my seat to an elderly / eligible man.
9) We're almost there - we can get off / take off at the next stop.
10) I don't know which day I'm coming back, so I'll get a one-stop / one-way
ticket for now.
11) In the summer, I commute / comport by bicycle, but in the winter I

drive.
12) The bus was practically empty / sold out - very few people travel on
Christmas day.
13) There are no assigned / required seats on this bus - you can sit
wherever you want.
14) They announced that the train is delayed / departed by a few minutes.

15) The express / extreme train arrives fifteen minutes earlier than the local
train.
16) The train is always so covered / crowded during the morning rush hour.
17) There's no direct line to your destination - you'll have to transfer /

translate to another bus.
18) You can buy your swipes / tickets at the machine.
Vocabulary Practice
1. When was the last time you took a bus?
2. When was the last time you took a train?
3. Do you prefer public transportation or driving? Why?
4. In your country, is the public transportation system good? Do the buses and
trains come on time?
5. How much is the bus/train fare in your area?

6. Have you ever missed your stop on a bus or train? What would you do if you
missed your stop while in another country?
7. How long is your daily commute?
8. When traveling, do you normally buy one-way or round-trip tickets?
9. Where is the nearest bus stop or train station to your house?
10. Have you ever taken the subway?
Quiz Answers:
1. fare 10. one-way

2. missed 11. commute
3. metro 12. empty
13. assigned
4. platform
14. delayed
5. line 15. express
6. time 16. crowded
7. station 17. transfer
8. elderly 18. tickets
1. 9. get off

Lesson 9: Body & Health
Today's lesson is an introduction to the main parts of the body and some
common health problems. Let's start with the head.
If you have a headache, it means your head hurts. Another common problem
is feeling lightheaded - that means you feel like you might lose consciousness
– or feeling dizzy – feeling like everything is spinning.
headache dizzy
If you have problems seeing, you can use glasses or contact lenses to correct
your vision.
Someone who can't see at all is blind. A blind person can read with their
fingers in a language called braille, and a guide dog can help the person get
around.

A person who can't hear is deaf. For a person who can hear a little bit, a
hearing aid can help improve their ability. Deaf people can communicate with
sign language (talking with the hands).
Inside your mouth, you have your tongue, teeth, and gums. If you have a
toothache, it means your tooth hurts. You should go to the dentist because
you might have a cavity - a hole in your tooth. Teeth that are crooked (they
don't line up perfectly) can be corrected with braces.

braces
Your nose has two nostrils. When you get sick, your nose may become
stuffed up (blocked) or runny (when liquid mucus is coming out). If blood is
coming out of your nose, that's called a nosebleed.
A minor respiratory infection is called a cold. When you have a cold, you can
have a runny or stuffed up nose and you might cough or sneeze. It's also
possible to have a sore throat and a fever (higher body temperature than
normal).
sore throat
The major internal organs in your chest are your heart and lungs - and below
them are your stomach and intestines. When your stomach hurts, it's called a
stomachache.

Your skeleton is made of bones - and your muscles are what make you
strong.
A person who has difficulty walking can use a cane to help keep their balance
– or a wheelchair if they can’t walk at all.

Health Providers & Treatments
The professionals who work in hospitals and health clinics are doctors and
nurses, and the people who are receiving treatment for health problems are
called patients.
If you have a cut, the doctor will give you a bandage. If you have a disease, the
doctor will give you medicine by prescribing pills or giving you an injection.
A more informal word for injection is shot. If you have a broken bone, you’ll
get a cast.
bandage pills

injection / shot
If you have a serious problem inside your body, you might need surgery or an
operation. The specific type of doctor who does operations is called a
surgeon. After your surgery, you’ll need some time to recover (feel better
and get back to good health).
Surgeons performing an operation

Of course, the best way to prevent problems is to have check-ups – regular
evaluations of your general health.

headache, lightheaded, dizzy, glasses, contact lenses, blind, braille, guide dog,
deaf, hearing aid, sign language, tongue, teeth, gums, toothache, cavity, braces,
nostrils, stuffed up, runny, blood, nosebleed, cold, cough, sneeze, sore throat,
fever, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, stomachache, bone, muscle, X-ray,
cane, wheelchair, doctor, nurse, patient, bandage, medicine, pills, injection,
shot, cast, surgery, operation, surgeon, recover, check-up
Quiz – Lesson 9
Match the problem with the solution:
1. I can't walk. A. You can get braces.
2. I don't have any B. You can use sign language.
problems. C. You need a bandage.
3. I have a collapsed lung. D. You need a guide dog.
4. I have a cut. E. You need a wheelchair.
5. I have a mild headache. F. You need an X-ray to confirm it, and
6. I need a vaccine. then a cast.
7. I'm blind. G. You need to get a shot.
8. I'm deaf. H. You should still get a check-up!
9. My arm is broken. I. You'll feel better after taking these
10. My teeth are pills.
crooked. J. You'll need surgery.

Label each symptom:
cavity / cough / headache / fever /
nosebleed / runny nose / sneeze / sore throat
1. 2.
3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8.

Vocabulary Practice
1. What do you usually do when you get a headache?
2. If you had vision problems, would you prefer to use glasses or contact
lenses?
3. Have you ever had a cavity or used braces?
4. Which is worse - having a runny nose or a stuffed up nose?
5. Have you ever had surgery (or known someone who has?)
6. Have you ever broken a bone (or known someone who has?)
7. Do you get regular check-ups? When was the last time you had one?
8. What qualities does a good doctor or nurse need to have?

9. When was the last time you got a shot? When you were a child, were you
afraid of shots?
10. About how much does a doctor's appointment cost in your country?
Answers – Exercise 1: Answers – Exercise 2:

1. E 1. cough
2. H 2. sneeze
3. J 3. fever
4. C
4. runny nose
5. I
6. G 5. nosebleed
7. D 6. sore throat
8. B 7. headache
9. F 8. cavity
10. A

Lesson 10: Work & Employment
Job, Work, or Career?
The word work is more general than “job” – “job” is a specific
occupation/profession, and “work” refers to general efforts and activities
done to accomplish a goal. “Work” can be done both inside an official job and
outside a job!
The word work also refers to the location of your job - so we can say: "I'm at
work” or “I’m going to work.”
“Work” is an uncountable noun, so it cannot be plural:
• I have three works to do this week.

• I have three projects /tasks to do this week.
Your career is the total progression of your professional life. It can include
many different jobs over the years. You can have a career in a field – for
example, a career in politics / journalism / education / finance / science.
Finding a Job
An opportunity to enter a new job is called a job opening. If you’re looking for
work and you see a job opening you like, you can apply for the job (try to get
it). The various people applying for a job are called candidates.
To apply for a job, send your resume or CV to the company – that’s a

document listing your qualifications (education and training), experience
(previous work), and skills (abilities). You can also include references
(contact information for companies you’ve worked for in the past).
Along with your resume, it’s a good idea to send a cover letter introducing
yourself and explaining why you want to work for that company.

If the company likes your resume, you’ll be invited for an interview – and if
you do well in the interview, they will hire you – officially accept you to work
in that job.
To describe a job, you can say it is…
• a demanding job (requires a lot of effort)

• a fulfilling / rewarding job (it makes you feel good)
• an entry-level job (a job that can be done by someone who is just
beginning their career, which doesn’t require much experience or many
skills)
• a dead-end job (a job that has no opportunities for career
advancement)
• a high-powered job (a dynamic and important job)
• a lucrative job (a job where you earn a lot of money)
Working
After you’re hired, you become an employee of the company, and the
company becomes your employer. The other employees in the company are
your colleagues or coworkers. The person above you who is responsible for
your work is your boss or supervisor. The total group of all the company’s
employees can be called the staff.
As an employee of the company, you earn a salary - money you receive

regularly for your work. Don’t make the mistake of saying “win a salary” or
“get a salary” – the correct verb is “earn.” Some jobs also include benefits –
special extra things like health insurance or a company cell phone.
If you’re good at your job, you might get a pay raise – an increase in your
salary. You could also get a promotion - an increase in importance and
authority. At the end of the year, some companies give their employees a
bonus - extra money for work well done.
What about the time you spend at your job?

• A full-time job is around 40 hours per week.
• A part-time job is around 20-25 hours per week.
• Working overtime means you work extra hours; more than the normal
number of hours.
Leaving a Job
The opposite of “hire” is fire - when your company forces you to leave your
job. For example, “Peter was fired because he never came to work on time.”
Usually if someone is fired, it’s because they did something bad.
One slang expression for saying someone was fired is: “He was sacked.” If you
want a more indirect and polite way to say someone was fired, you can say
“He was dismissed.”
If an employee loses his or her job because of a neutral reason, like the
company reducing its size, then we say the employee was laid off. For
example, “Donna was laid off when the company started having financial
problems.”
If you decide to leave your job voluntarily, there are three verbs you can use:
• I’m going to quit my job.

• I’m going to leave my job.
• I’m going to resign.
“Quit” is informal, “resign” is formal, and “leave” can be formal or informal.
Finally, when an old person decides to stop working, the verb for this is
retire. In most countries, people retire around age 65.
More Vocabulary: Office Supplies (with pictures), List of Professions (with

definitions and pictures), Comprehensive List of Professions

work, job, career, job opening, apply, candidates, resume, CV, qualifications,
experience, skills, references, cover letter, interview, hire, demanding,
fulfilling, rewarding, entry-level, dead-end, high-powered, lucrative, employee,
employer, colleagues, coworkers, boss, supervisor, staff, earn, benefits, pay
raise, promotion, bonus, full-time, part-time, overtime, fired, sacked,
dismissed, laid off, quit, leave, resign, retire

Quiz – Lesson 10
Job, Work, or Career?
1) He retired in 1980 after a brilliant __________ as a motivational speaker.
A. career
B. job
C. work
2) My boss always gives me too much __________ to do, and expects me to do it
all immediately.
A. career
B. job
C. work
3) We've made 300 sales today thanks to Dana's hard __________.
A. career
B. job
C. work
4) At the peak of her __________, she was managing a company with five
international branches.
A. career
B. job
C. work
5) I didn't think my interview went very well, so I was surprised when they
offered me the __________.
A. career
B. job
C. work
6) Gary's not home yet. He's still at _________.

A. career
B. job
C. work
7) Brad was fired because his _________ was often sloppy and full of errors.
A. career
B. job
C. work
8) I've applied for a few _________ in the non-profit sector.
A. careers
B. jobs
C. works
9) He didn't take the teaching _________ because he felt it wouldn't advance his
________ in politics.
A. career / job
B. job / work
C. job / career
10) This graphic designer has done some excellent freelance _________ for us - I
think we should offer him a permanent ________.
A. work / career
B. work / work
C. work / job

Complete the sentences with the correct words:
applied demanding openings qualifications rewarding
coworkers fired overtime quit skills
dead-end hired promotion retired staff
1. Bob works a _____________________ job; he's been in the exact same position
for the past twenty years.
2. Congratulations on your _____________________ to senior engineer!
3. Doing work that's _____________________ and makes a difference in the
world is more important to me than making a lot of money.
4. He didn't get the job because he didn't have the right _____________________.
5. I _____________________ for jobs at five different companies and got invited
to two interviews.
6. The president of the company announced that the _____________________
could leave work early on Friday.
7. If you're planning to_____________________ your job, you should have some
money saved up in advance.
8. My job is really _____________________; when I get home from work, I'm
exhausted.
9. Paula was _____________________ as an assistant to the marketing director.
10. The university professor _____________________ after 40 years of
teaching.
11. The two cashiers who had stolen money from the store were
_____________________immediately.
12. When my car broke down, I got a ride to work from one of my
_____________________.
13. You might have to work _____________________ if you have an
especially intense and urgent project.
14. You'll learn the necessary technical _____________________ on the job.
15. I saw a few interesting job _____________________ in the classified ads
today.

Vocabulary Practice
1. What do you like and dislike about your job?
2. Talk about a time when you applied for a job and didn't get it.
3. List some of your main qualifications, experience, and skills.
4. What tips would you give someone who is nervous about a job
interview?
5. Give an example of a profession that (in your opinion) is...

• demanding
• rewarding
• entry-level
• dead-end
• high-powered
• lucrative
6. Describe your relationship with your colleagues.
7. Do you like your boss? Why or why not?

8. Do you work full-time or part-time? How often do you need to work
overtime?
9. Have you ever been laid off or quit your job? Talk about the experience.
10. What do you plan to do after you retire?
Answers – Exercise 1:
1.A 2.C 3.C 4.A 5.B 6.C 7.C 8.B 9.C 10.C
Answers – Exercise 2:
1. dead-end
2. promotion
3. rewarding
4. qualifications
5. applied
6. staff
7. quit
8. demanding
9. hired
10. retired
11. fired
12. coworkers
13. overtime
14. skills
15. openings

Lesson 11: School & Studying
School System
Let’s begin with an overview of the school system in the U.S.
There are twelve years of basic schooling – each year is called a grade – first
grade, second grade, third grade, etc.
• Elementary School is 1st grade – 5th grade
• Middle School is 6th grade – 8th grade
• High School is 9th grade – 12th grade
When you successfully finish a level of school, you graduate. What year did
you graduate from high school?
• “I graduated from high school in ________________.”

After high school, you can go to college or university for four years. When
you graduate from a four-year college, you get a bachelor’s degree. The
document that shows evidence of your degree is called a diploma.
There are more advanced studies after that:
• A master’s degree usually takes an extra 2-3 years;

• A doctorate or Ph.D. can take another 4-6 years.

School Subjects
The different areas of study – like science, math, and art – are called subjects.
Here are a few of the most common subjects:
• Science
o chemistry, physics, biology
• History
• Geography
• Economics
• Social studies
• Mathematics (math)
o algebra, geometry, calculus
• Gym class (P.E. – physical education)
• Art
• Music
• Literature
• Languages
What were your favorite and least favorite subjects in school? Answer the
question now:
• “My favorite subject was _________________.”
• “My least favorite subject was ___________________.”
In college, you choose an area to focus your studies – this is called your
concentration or major. If you went to college, what was your major?
Answer the question now:
• “My major was ___________________.”
People in School
In elementary, middle, and high school, the main educator in the classroom is
called a teacher. In college, this person is called a professor. Someone who
gives private lessons or extra help is called a tutor.

In elementary, middle, and high school, the leader or director of the school is
called the principal. Another possible word for this person is headmaster
(for a man) or headmistress (for a woman). The leader of a university is
called the president.
Finally, the other students in your class are NOT your colleagues (this word is
only used for other people at work). Instead, they are your classmates.
Study Habits
In the U.S., the school year is divided into two main semesters (or terms) –
September – December, and January – June. The free time between semesters
is called a break or vacation. We usually say “break” if it is a shorter period,
and “vacation” if it is a longer period.
The number or letter showing how well you did on your schoolwork is called
a grade. Some systems use letters (A, B+, C-, etc.) and others use numbers
(95%, 88%, 72%, etc.)
The students’ progress in their courses can be evaluated through:
• homework – School tasks that you do at home

• quizzes – Short tests. If the teacher gives you a surprise quiz in class
without telling you about it earlier it’s called a pop quiz.
• papers / essays – Written assignments for which you must do
research (collect information from various sources) and write about a
topic.
• tests / exams – You can pass a test (get a grade above the minimum
required) or fail a test (get a bad grade, below the minimum required)
• mid-terms – Big tests in the middle of the semester
• finals (final exams) – Big tests at the end of the semester
• A thesis or dissertation – A large and long academic project done as
part of an advanced university degree
A good and dedicated student can be described as studious. A studious
person always does their homework and always reviews (studies the
information they previously learned) before a test.

The opposite of a studious person is a slacker. This is a lazy student who
doesn’t give much effort to their studies. A slacker might cut class (not go to
class) or procrastinate on assignments – wait until the very last minute. If
you wait until the last minute and then try to study a LOT immediately before
a test, this is called cramming.
Click here to learn some slang words about school and studying:
http://www.espressoenglish.net/slang-words-about-school-and-studying
grade, elementary school, middle school, high school, graduate, college,
university, bachelor's degree, diploma, master's degree, doctorate, Ph.D.,
science, chemistry, physics, biology, history, geography, economics, social
studies, gym class, math, algebra, geometry, calculus, art, music, literature,
languages, concentration, major, teacher, professor, tutor, principal,
headmaster, headmistress, president, classmates, semesters, terms, break,
vacation, homework, quiz, paper, essay, test, exam, pass, fail, mid-term, final,
thesis, dissertation, studious, review, slacker, cut class, procrastinate, cram

Quiz – Lesson 11
Write the correct subject that each student is talking about:
“We need to memorize all the capital cities of Europe.”
1. G __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
“We're learning about atoms, molecules, and reactions.”
2. C __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
“We're learning about market trends in Asia.”
3. E __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
“We're learning about the cells in the human body.”
4. B __ __ __ __ __ __
“We're learning about the fall of the Roman Empire.”
5. H __ __ __ __ __ __
“We're learning how to conjugate verbs.”
6. L __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
“We're learning how to solve complex equations.”
7. M __ __ __
“We're learning techniques for drawing.”
8. A __ __
“We're practicing for a concert.”
9. M __ __ __ __
“We're studying works by authors from the colonial period.”
10. L __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

“We're trying to run a mile in under ten minutes.”
11. G __ __
Circle the correct word to complete each sentence:

1. Brenda wants to do a double major/subject/tutor in political science
and communications.
2. Dave's family is going to throw a huge party for him when he
concentrates/doctorates/graduates from college.
3. I know I should start my math homework, but the internet makes it so
easy to cram/procrastinate/review.
4. We have two weeks off for spring break/interval/period! Are you
planning on traveling?
5. I was disappointed with my test letter/grade/statistic. I thought I had
done much better.
6. If he doesn't start working on his dissertation/homework/mid-term
soon, he's never going to get his Ph.D.
7. I'm going to take five courses next degree/hemisphere/semester.
8. I've always loved kids, so that's why I became an
early/elementary/entry-level school teacher.
9. Kevin's such a cutter/crammer/slacker; he hasn't even bought the
books required for the course yet!
10. My 12-year-old daughter is in sixth grade/level/term.
11. One of my college masters/principals/professors knows his
area extremely well, but is terrible at teaching it.
12. Some of my classfriends/classmates/classrooms love to
behave badly whenever we have a substitute teacher.
13. That teacher is known for giving very difficult exams. Only the
best students in the class manage to fail/pass/pop.
14. We need to write a 10-page grade/paper/quiz for literature
class.
15. I studied for a whole week to prepare for my chemistry
end/final/finish.

Vocabulary Practice
1. What year did you graduate from high school and college?
2. What were your favorite and least favorite subjects?
3. What was your major/concentration in college? Why did you choose it?
4. Who was your favorite teacher or professor, and why?
5. What are some professions that require a master's degree or doctorate in

your country?
6. Describe one of your classmates from middle or high school.
7. What did you usually do during breaks and vacations?

8. Were your grades good, bad, or average? Do you remember the best or
worst grade you ever got?
9. How much time per day did you typically spend on homework when you
were in school?
10. Describe a memorable project, paper, or thesis from your school days.
11. Were you studious or a slacker?
12. Did you ever cut class?
13. Did you ever cram for a test?
14. Did you procrastinate your schoolwork? What about nowadays - are there
any tasks you often leave until the last minute?

Answers to First Exercise: Answers to Second Exercise:
1. Geography 1. major
2. Chemistry 2. graduates
3. Economics 3. procrastinate
4. Biology 4. break
5. History 5. grade
6. Languages 6. dissertation
7. Math 7. semester
8. Art 8. elementary
9. Music 9. slacker
10. Literature 10. grade
11. Gym 11. professors
12. classmates
13. pass
14. paper
15. final

Lesson 12: Phones & Computers
Basic Phone Vocabulary
There are different types of phones:
• cell phones or mobile phones
(a cell phone with more advanced capabilities is called a smartphone)
Cell phone and smartphone

• pay phones or public phones
• the regular telephone you have in your house is called a landline - to

differentiate it from a cell phone.
• The phone on the right is called a cordless phone because it is not
connected by a cord.

Landline and cordless phone
When someone calls you, the phone makes a sound – we say the phone is
ringing. If you’re available, you pick up the telephone or answer the
telephone, in order to talk to the person.
If there’s nobody to answer the phone, then the caller will have to leave a
message on an answering machine or voicemail. Later, you can call back or
return the call.
When you want to make a phone call, you start by dialing the number. Let’s
imagine that you call your friend, but she’s already on the phone with
someone else. You’ll hear a busy signal – a beeping sound that tells you the
other person is currently using the phone.
Sometimes, when you call a company, they put you on hold. This is when you
wait for your call to be answered – usually while listening to music.
Finally, when you’re finished with the conversation, you hang up.
Cell Phone Vocabulary

Let’s learn some vocabulary specifically for cell phones.
Inside a cell phone is a SIM card – this is what helps you
connect.
To use a cell phone, you’ll need to have an agreement with a
service provider – a company that you pay for cell phone
service. Most service providers offer monthly contracts or pre-paid service
where you buy credit and then use it to talk for a specific number of minutes.
You can only use your cell phone in areas where there’s a signal or reception!

And don’t forget your charger to give your phone power. If your phone runs
out of power, we say “the battery’s dead,” and you need to recharge it.
Charger
Computer Vocabulary
The three basic types of computers are a desktop, a laptop or notebook, and
a tablet.

A desktop computer has a monitor with a screen. Writing on a computer is
called typing – you type on a keyboard; the individual buttons are called
keys. Using the mouse, you can move the pointer on the screen.
You can listen to music through the speakers and have video conferences
with the webcam. And the cords or cables are what link all the parts
together.

The physical parts of the computer are called hardware, and computer
programs are called software. When you install software, it means you put it
on your computer. (The opposite, removing it from your computer, is to
uninstall).
The information on a computer can be called data. It’s very important to make
a backup (an extra electronic copy) of your data – just in case your computer
gets infected with a virus (a bad program that causes damage) or a hacker (a
person who enters other peoples’ computer systems illegally) gets access to
your computer.
Let’s open a window on the computer. These individual pieces of information
are called files, and you can put multiple files into a folder to organize them.
Each file, folder, and program is represented by a small picture called an icon.
To surf the net – use the internet – we use a program called a browser. If
there’s a website you really like and you want to come back to it, you can
bookmark it – save the address for the future.
Computer & Phone Professions

One profession that uses the phone a lot is telemarketing – the person who
does it is called a telemarketer, someone who calls many different people
trying to sell them something. A customer service representative is
someone who helps customers of a company by phone and sometimes e-mail
as well.
There are many computer-related professions. A person who creates
computer programs is called a programmer or a software developer. A
person who creates websites is a web designer, and a person who creates
and modifies images and visual elements is a graphic designer.

Finally, if you have a problem with your computer or network, you can call a
tech support specialist – a person who helps solve technical problems.
cell phone, mobile phone, pay phone, public phone, landline, cordless phone,
ringing, pick up, answer, answering machine, voicemail, dial, busy signal, on
hold, hang up, SIM card, service provider, pre-paid, signal, reception, charger,
recharge, desktop, laptop, tablet, monitor, screen, type, keyboard, mouse,
speakers, webcam, hardware, software, install, data, backup, virus, hacker, file,
folder, icon, browser, surf the net, bookmark, telemarketer, customer service
representative, programmer, software developer, web designer, graphic
designer, tech support specialist

Quiz – Lesson 12
Put each word in the correct sentence:
backups files keyboard reception tech support
bookmark graphic designer landline screen telemarketer
charger hackers pre-paid SIM card type
dialed install programmer smartphone voicemails
1. Can you ___________________ a program for editing photos on my computer?

2. Do you remember the URL of that funny website? I forgot to
___________________ it.
3. Every time I call ___________________, I'm put on hold for at least 20 minutes
before I can talk to a specialist!
4. Having a ___________________ can be a blessing and a curse; it's convenient
but also very distracting with the games and internet!
5. Her ability to ___________________very fast helped her get a job as a legal
transcriptionist.
6. I don't have a cell phone, but I'll give you the number of my
___________________.
7. I have so many ___________________ in this folder that I can't find anything I
need.
8. My cell phone's battery is dead. Can I borrow your ___________________?
9. I wouldn't want to work as a ___________________unless I was selling a
product I truly liked.
10. If your phone is "unlocked," it means you can use a
___________________ from a different service provider.
11. Let's hire a ____________________ to make some modifications to the
software.
12. Make sure your WiFi network is secure so that you're not
vulnerable to ___________________.
13. My mother barely uses her cell phone, so it's cheaper for her to
use a ___________________ plan, not a monthly contract.

14. My new laptop has a huge ___________________; it's great for watching
movies!
15. Oops - wrong number. I ___________________ 455 instead of 445.
16. Our ___________________ will make the changes to the layout of the
brochure.
17. We're going camping in the mountains - leave your phone at home
because there's no ___________________ up there.
18. When my laptop was stolen, I was really glad I'd made
___________________ of all my data!
19. Why didn't you answer the phone? I left you three
___________________.
20. I need to replace this ___________________; the shift key and space bar
aren't working.
Vocabulary Practice
1. What types of phones do you have at home and at work?
2. Who was the last person you called? And the last person to call you?
3. What's the longest time you've ever been on hold when calling a company?
4. What types of computers do you have at home and at work?
5. What types of tasks do you usually do on the computer?

6. Have you ever gotten a virus, or had your e-mail or social media accounts
hacked?
7. Which computer program do you use the most?
8. How often do you make backups of your data?
9. Which websites do you have bookmarked?
10. If you had to work in one of the professions mentioned in the lesson,
which one would you choose and why?
Answers:
1. install 11. programmer
2. bookmark 12. hackers
3. tech support 13. pre-paid
4. smartphone 14. screen
5. type 15. dialed
6. landline 16. graphic designer
7. files 17. reception
8. charger 18. backups
9. telemarketer 19. voicemails
10. SIM card 20. keyboard
Image sources: Georgy90, Mwtoews, John.Karakatsanis

Lesson 13: Sports & Hobbies
Places to Play Sports
Let's begin with the different places sports are played.
A field is a big open space with grass. Soccer, baseball, and American football
are played on a field.
Soccer field
A court is a smaller space with a hard surface. Tennis, volleyball, and
basketball are played on a court.
Basketball court

A track is a long path or course. Running, car racing, and horse racing are
done on a track.
Track
We also have boxing and wrestling, which are done in a ring; and ice hockey
and figure skating, which are done on an ice rink.
Boxing ring Ice rink

Professional sports are played in a stadium or arena.

The spectators - people watching the game - can sit in seats or on long
benches called bleachers.
Another word for the people watching the game is fans. The fans cheer for
their favorite team to win - and they boo if the team makes a mistake.
People in Sports
The general word for someone who does sports is an athlete - but you can
also include the name of the specific sport:
For team sports that use the word “play,” we can call the athletes “players”:
• soccer player
• tennis player
• hockey player
• volleyball player
For individual sports, the name of the person is formed by adding –er to the
name of the sport:
• runner
• boxer
• skier
• swimmer

The two exceptions are:
• cyclist (someone who rides bicycles)

• gymnast (someone who does gymnastics)
The person who teaches the players and organizes the team strategy is called
the coach.
During games, there is an official person who makes sure everyone is
following the rules. This person is called a referee, and he or she can use a
whistle to start and stop the game.
In sports like gymnastics and figure skating, where each athlete is evaluated
and given points based on how well they performed, the people who evaluate
and award points are called the judges.
Sports Events
When two teams play against each other,
this is called a game or match. The
number of points each team has is called
the score, and it is displayed on a piece
of equipment called a scoreboard.
The three possible outcomes of a game
are for a team to win, lose, and for both
teams to tie – that means an equal score like 3-3, for example. We often say
the winning team beat the losing team. A team or player that has not lost a
match is described as undefeated.

An event with many different individuals trying to win can be called a
competition - like a figure skating competition. When many people or teams
compete directly, and the losers are eliminated until there is a final winner,
this is called a tournament. The winner of a competition or tournament is
called the champion, and they often receive a trophy or a medal.
trophy medal
Finally, an event in which the fastest person wins is called a race.
horse racing car racing
Hobbies
If you’re not very athletic, maybe you have a hobby – an activity you do for
fun in your free time. You can play cards, play chess, play checkers. In
general, games like chess and checkers are called board games.

playing cards chess checkers
Some people collect stamps or collect coins from different countries, and
others have creative hobbies like knitting or making crafts – crafts are
artistic or decorative things you make with your hands. Making things with
wood is called woodworking.
stamps coins
knitting crafts

Hobbies done outside include gardening (growing plants, food, and flowers)
camping (staying in the middle of nature in tents), hiking (walking through
nature), and fishing (trying to catch fish).
gardening camping
hiking fishing
To describe how involved you are in your hobby, you can use one of these
phrases:
• I dabble in… photography.
This means you do it casually, not very intensely or seriously.
• I'm hooked on… yoga.
This means you’re addicted to it; you really like it and do it frequently.
• I just got into... juggling.
This means you recently started to do this hobby.

• I’d like to take up… rock climbing.
This means you haven’t started yet, but you’re interested in beginning
this hobby.
More sports vocabulary:
• Sports Vocabulary Quiz

• Sports Equipment
• Idiomatic Expressions from Sports
You’ve finished Lesson 13! Now try the quiz and the practice exercises.
field, court, track, ring, ice rink, stadium, arena, spectators, bleachers, fans,
cheer, boo, athlete, soccer player, tennis player, hockey player, volleyball
player, runner, boxer, skier, swimmer, cyclist, gymnast, coach, referee, whistle,
judges, game, match, score, scoreboard, tie, beat, undefeated, competition,
champion, tournament, trophy, medal, hobby, play cards, play chess, play
checkers, board games, collect stamps, collect coins, knitting, making crafts,
woodworking, gardening, camping, hiking, fishing, I dabble in, I'm hooked on, I
just got into, I'd like to take up

Quiz – Lesson 13
Fill in the blanks, but be careful – some words are not used!
beat cheered fan players runners trophy
bleachers coach field raced stadium whistle
champion courts judges referee tied
1. At half-time, the soccer game was _____________________ 1-1.

2. Everyone _____________________ when the gymnast performed a perfect
movement.
3. I got an autograph from one of my favorite basketball
_____________________!
4. In the last few minutes of the game, the _____________________ put in a few
substitute players.
5. My dad is a big _____________________ of the local baseball team; he never
misses a game on TV.
6. The _____________________ called a foul and awarded the other team a
penalty kick.
7. There are four tennis _____________________ behind the gym at the
university.
8. The _____________________sprinted around the track.
9. The sound of the _____________________ signaled the end of the game.
10. There were 70,000 people in the _____________________ for the final
game.
11. We got the cheapest tickets for the baseball game, so we had to sit
in the _____________________ - it wasn't very comfortable.
12. My favorite tennis player _____________________ her biggest rival in
the final round of the tournament and became the new
_____________________.

Can you remember how to spell the name of each hobby?
1. C __ __ __ __ __ 2. C __ __ __ __
3. C __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 4. C __ __ __ __ __ __
5. C __ __ __ __ 6. K __ __ __ __ __ __ __

7. G __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 8. C __ __ __ __
9. F __ __ __ __ __ __ 10. S __ __ __ __ __
11. H __ __ __ __ __

Vocabulary Practice
1. What's your favorite and least favorite sport to watch?
2. What sports have you played/tried in the past?
3. Have you ever been to a professional sports game? Describe the experience.
4. What do you think is the hardest part about being a professional athlete?
5. Have you ever won a trophy or medal for some accomplishment?
6. What are your present and past hobbies?
7. Have you ever been camping, hiking, or fishing? Do you enjoy them? (or do
you think you would enjoy them?)
8. Which of the hobbies mentioned in this lesson doesn't interest you at all,
and why not?
9. What's one hobby you'd like to take up?

10. What are some common/popular hobbies in your country?
Answers to first exercise Answers to second exercise:

1. tied 1. crafts
2. cheered 2. cards
3. players 3. checkers
4. coach 4. camping
5. fan 5. coins
6. referee 6. knitting
7. courts 7. gardening
8. runners 8. chess
9. whistle 9. fishing
10. stadium 10. stamps
11. bleachers 11. hiking
12. beat / champion

Lesson 14: TV & Movies
Television
To turn on the TV, you can press a button on the remote control. A few other
things you can do with the remote control are turn the volume up and down,
and change the channel. When somebody changes channels very fast, without
stopping to watch, this is called “channel surfing.”
Another word for a TV program is a show. There are different types of TV

shows:
• the news – Information about current events in the world
• talk show – Comments and discussion about current events or topics in
society and life
• documentary – An educational show that is full of facts
• soap opera – A show that tells a story about the characters’ lives, with
lots of emotion and drama (and often a romantic element)
• sitcom – Short for “situation comedy” – a funny show about the
everyday lives of the characters

• cartoon – An animated show for children
• game show – People compete to win money or prizes
• reality show – Films regular people in real situations
What kinds of TV shows do you like? What kinds of TV shows don’t you like?
Answer the question now:
• “I enjoy watching ___________________________.”
• “I don’t like to watch ___________________________.”
Each instance of a TV show is called an episode. Episodes are usually 30-60
minutes long. When there’s an old episode that you’ve already seen because it
has appeared on TV before, that’s called a rerun. The episodes of a TV show
are often organized into sets called “seasons.” After the end of a season, there
is a break, a short period of time before the next season begins with new
episodes.
The last episode of a season is usually very exciting and is called the season
finale. Often the season finale ends with a cliffhanger – that means a
situation that is full of suspense, so that the viewers are very curious to see
what will happen in the first episode of the next season!
There’s a specific name for the advertisements that appear on TV – these are
commercials.
And here’s a slang expression for a lazy person who watches a lot of TV – they
are called a couch potato.
TV & Movie Professions

A person who plays a fictional character on TV is called an actor (man) or
actress (woman). Brad Pitt is an actor, and Angelina Jolie is an actress.
The whole group of actors and actresses in a show or movie, all together, is
called the cast. The person who supervises the filming of a TV show or movie
is the director.

There are various names for the person who presents the news, including
newscaster, news anchor, anchorman and anchorwoman. The news
anchor sits in the studio, and the reporter presents news from the place
where an event is happening.
anchorwoman reporter
The person who is the leader of a game show, talk show, or cooking show is
called the host.
Movies
Let’s learn some of the different types of movies:
• action / adventure movies have exciting stories. Ex) James Bond and
Indiana Jones movies
• sci-fi is short for “science fiction” – these are movies about outer space,
aliens, life in the future, etc. Ex) Star Wars, Star Trek
• fantasy movies are about imaginary worlds and creatures. Ex) Lord of
the Rings, Harry Potter
• A comedy is a funny movie. There are also romantic comedies – funny
movies about romance.
• A horror movie is one that scares or frightens you. Similar to that is a
thriller – a movie with a lot of suspense.

• drama deals with peoples’ lives and relationships.
In addition to those basic categories, here are a few more words used to
describe movies:
• An indie movie is an independent film, produced by a small group (and
not by a big Hollywood company)
• A chick flick is a type of movie that women usually enjoy
• A tear jerker is a movie that is very sad and can make you cry
• A feel-good movie is one that makes you feel happy and positive
• A family-friendly film is one that’s OK for kids to see, because there’s
no violence, sex, or bad language
• If you say that a movie has a lot of blood and gore, it means there’s lots
of clearly visible violence, blood, people dying, etc.
What’s your favorite type of movie? Answer the question now:
• “My favorite type of movie is… ___________________________.”
The place where you see a movie is called the movie theater. But before a
movie comes out in theaters, there’s the trailer – a short, 3-4 minute video
showing some of the interesting scenes from the movie, designed to make you
want to see it.
If a movie continues the story from a previous movie, this second movie is
called the sequel – like American Pie and American Pie 2. Another type of

movie is a remake – that’s when the directors take an old story and film a
completely new version of it.
Finally, if the dialogue in the movie is in a different language, there can be
subtitles – the text on the bottom of the screen, so you can read the
translation – or the movie can be dubbed – that’s when they use a different
audio track with people speaking the other language.
button, remote control, channel, channel surfing, show, news, talk show,
documentary, soap opera, sitcom, cartoon, game show, reality show, episode,
rerun, season finale, cliffhanger, commercials, couch potato, actor, actress,
cast, director, anchorman, anchorwoman, host, action, adventure, sci-fi,
fantasy, comedy, horror, thriller, drama, indie movie, chick flick, tear jerker,
feel-good movie, family friendly, blood and gore, movie theater, trailer, sequel,
remake, subtitles, dubbed

Quiz – Lesson 14
Match the description of each TV show or movie with its type.
Be careful – two of the words aren’t used!
action drama horror sci-fi
comedy fantasy news soap opera
documentary game show reality show talk show
1. A bunch of college students decide to go on a road trip to Las Vegas, but

you won't believe all the crazy and hilarious things that happen on the
way! ____________________________
2. A family experiences the challenges of adopting a teenager from a
troubled background. ____________________________
3. A man falls in love with his brother's wife and they have a child
together, but the brother believes the child is his. What will happen
when the secret is revealed? ____________________________
4. A single woman is looking for a husband, so she goes on dates with 20
different candidates and picks one to marry at the end of the season.
____________________________
5. Describes the history and culture of a community living in a remote
mountain village. ____________________________
6. If contestants can correctly answer 50 questions about pop culture, they
win a new car. ____________________________
7. In the year 2099, robots are an essential part of society - but what
happens when they rebel against their human masters?
____________________________
8. Police chase a gang of bank robbers across three continents.
____________________________
9. Today's show features experts on child psychology giving tips on
parenting ____________________________

10. When a young couple moves into a beautiful old house in an
isolated area, terrible things begin to happen - the house is possessed by
evil spirits. ____________________________
Fill in the sentences with the correct word. Three words are NOT used:
tear
actress cast dubbed indie jerker
anchor channel episodes remake theater
blood & gore cliffhanger feel-good movie reporter trailer
1. The ______________ includes some actors who are not yet famous, but who
show a lot of promise.
2. Did you see me on TV? A ______________ interviewed me at the mall!
3. I always close my eyes during fight scenes; I can't stand seeing
________________.
4. The movie starts at 8:30, so let's meet at the ___________ around 8 to allow
enough time to buy tickets and popcorn.
5. I missed a few _____________ while I was traveling. Could you fill me in on
what happened?
6. It's so heartbreaking when the dog dies at the end - a real
__________________.
7. The _____________ was nominated for an Oscar for her wonderful
performance in the film.
8. I saw some interesting ________________movies at the film festival - they
might not be very well-known, but they were really good.
9. The movie ended with a ________________! Now I'll definitely have to see
the sequel.
10. Are you watching this, or can I change the ______________?
11. The problem with ____________ movies is that you don't get to hear
the voices of the original actors.
12. I can't wait for the new Mission Impossible movie to come out! I
just saw the ____________ and it looks amazing.

Vocabulary Practice
1. Describe one of your favorite TV shows.
2. About how many hours of TV do you watch per week?
3. Describe the last movie you saw.
4. Who's your favorite actor or actress?
5. What are some of the most popular TV shows in your country?
6. Have you ever seen an indie movie, a chick flick, a tear jerker, or a feel-good
movie?
7. Do you prefer watching movies with subtitles, or movies that are dubbed -
and why?

8. In your opinion, how can TV and movies be helpful, and how can they be
harmful?
Answers to first exercise: Answers to second exercise:

1. comedy 1. cast
2. drama 2. reporter
3. soap opera 3. blood and gore
4. reality show 4. theater
5. documentary 5. episodes
6. game show 6. tear jerker
7. sci-fi 7. actress
8. action 8. indie
9. talk show 9. cliffhanger
10. horror 10. channel
11. dubbed
12. trailer

Lesson 15: Books, Music, & Art
Books
Are you a bookworm? A bookworm is someone who loves reading, and reads
a lot of books.
You can buy books from a bookstore or borrow books from the library.
When you borrow or “check out” a book from the library, you need to return it
before a certain date – called the due date – if you don’t, the books will be
overdue and you’ll have to pay a fine (money paid as a penalty).
The two main categories of books are fiction (imagined stories, stories that
are not true/real) and non-fiction (books that are true, or present real facts
and opinions). The person who wrote the book is called the author, and the
company that produced and published the book is the publisher.
Each book has a cover which can be hard (a hardcover book) or soft (a
paperback book). We have a saying in English, “Don’t judge a book by its
cover” – meaning don't form an opinion based only on the outer appearance,
as what’s inside may be different and surprising!

hardcover books and a softcover/paperback book
A long fiction book is called a novel, and a shorter fiction text is called a short
story. Novels and short stories have a plot (that’s the sequence of events in
the story) and the imaginary people in the book are called characters. The
location and time period where the story happens is called the setting. You
can also talk about the themes of the book – the central ideas. A good book
that has been famous for many years is called a classic.
Art
Maybe you’re a more visual person and you prefer art. You can see art at a
museum or art gallery, which have exhibits (public displays) of works of
art. An individual piece of art can be called a “work,” and a group of works of
art can be called a collection.

A few of the main types of art are:
• drawing, which is done with pencils
• painting, done with a paintbrush on a canvas
• sculpture, a three-dimensional work of art which can be made of stone,

metal, glass, wood, or clay

If a drawing or painting is of a person, it is called a portrait. A drawing or
painting of nature is called a landscape, and a drawing or painting of objects
is called a still life.
portrait, landscape, and still life
There are many different artistic styles. If the artwork looks very realistic, like
a photograph, you can say it is lifelike. Art with a little bit of difference from
reality is impressionistic, and there’s some art that’s very abstract – very far
from reality.
A lifelike drawing, an impressionistic painting, and an abstract painting
The best works of art are called masterpieces, and they are priceless – so
valuable that it’s impossible to define a price for them.
Music

Let’s clarify a common error with the words music and song. Music refers to
the category in general, and a song is a specific piece of music. You can say:
• I like the Beatles’ music.

• I like the songs “Let it be” and “In my life.”
(the word "music" is NEVER plural)
Music that is played by an orchestra, with no singing, is called instrumental

music. The leader of the group, who controls the music, is the conductor, and
the people playing the instruments are musicians. When an orchestra plays
music in public, this event is called a concert.
Concerts can also be given by a choir – a group of singers singing classical or

church music.

A group of more modern instruments is called a band, and a public
performance by a band can be called either a concert or a show.
Bands also record albums (CDs). Each song on an album is called a track.
When you buy a CD, you also get a little booklet with the lyrics – the words to
the songs. Nowadays, instead of buying CDs, a lot of people listen to music by
streaming (listening to music broadcast over the internet).
Other parts of a song include the melody (the main sound of the music), the
harmony (the notes that complement the melody) and the rhythm or beat –
the consistent timing of the music.
Finally, if a song becomes very popular and famous, it is called a hit.
For more vocabulary: Musical instruments
bookworm, bookstore, library, due date, overdue, fine, fiction, non-fiction,
author, publisher, cover, hardcover, paperback, novel, short story, plot,
characters, setting, theme, classic, museum, art gallery, exhibits, works of art,
collection, drawing, painting, sculpture, portrait, landscape, still life, lifelike,
impressionistic, abstract, masterpiece, priceless, music, song, orchestra,
instrumental music, conductor, musicians, concert, choir, band, show, album,
track, lyrics, streaming, melody, harmony, rhythm, beat, hit

Quiz – Lesson 15
Categorize the words – there are 7 in each category:
album choir gallery landscape plot

author drawing hardcover lyrics sculpture
canvas exhibit harmony novel setting
characters fiction impressionistic orchestra track
rhythm
Art Books Music
Circle the right word to complete each sentence:

1. This classic novel explores the plots/themes of isolation and exile.
2. Her paintings/sculptures are known for their bold and bright colors
filling a large canvas.
3. I checked out a few books from the bookstore/library.
4. There's a portrait/still life of my grandfather hanging in my parents'
living room.
5. I like the melody of that song, but I don't understand the lyrics/tracks.
6. The hardcover version is $29.95, but the paperback/publisher is only
$9.95.
7. Personally, I think that drawing is ugly, but others say it's one of the
artist's collections/masterpieces.
8. The director of the children's choir/concert does a great job in getting
the kids to sing well.

9. The instrumental/orchestra is composed of fifty professional
musicians.
10. Oh no! I forgot to return this book, and now it's due
date/overdue.
11. There's an abstract/exhibit of works by local artists at the
summer festival.
12. This is an excellent book; the author/character is very talented.
13. That drawing of a lion is so landscape/lifelike, you can
practically hear it roar!
14. I learned how to play 3 of my favorite musics/songs on the
guitar.
15. For his birthday, I gave my dad a CD of the greatest beats/hits
from the 1960s.

Vocabulary Practice
1. Describe the last book you read.
2. Name some of the famous authors and classics from your country.
3. What's one of your favorite books, and why?
4. What kind of books do you like to read? Do you prefer reading fiction or
non-fiction?
5. Have you ever been to a museum or art gallery?
6. What kind of art do you like/dislike?
7. Are you good at drawing, painting, or sculpting? Have you ever taken an art
class?
8. Do you think art is important to society? Why or why not?
9. What kind of music do you like? Who are your favorite singers, bands, or
songs?
10. Have you ever been to a concert or show?

11. Have you ever played a musical instrument? If not, which one would you
like to play?
12. What are some of the current "hits" in your country?
Answers to first exercise:
Art Books Music

exhibit fiction orchestra
gallery author choir
drawing hardcover album
canvas novel track
sculpture plot lyrics
landscape setting harmony
impressionistic characters rhythm
Answers to second exercise:

1. themes 9. orchestra
2. paintings 10. overdue
3. library 11. exhibit
4. portrait 12. author
5. lyrics 13. lifelike
6. paperback 14. songs
7. masterpieces 15. hits
8. choir
Image sources: Tammy, Basher Eyre, Twice25, Andypips, Derek Gleeson

Lesson 16: Action Verbs with the Body
Get ready to learn a lot of action verbs! Today’s lesson is about all the different
things your body can do.
Head
When you nod your head, you move it up and down (this means “yes”) – and
when you shake your head, you move it side to side (this means “no”).
Putting your head to one side so that you can look at something is called
turning your head.
Every couple seconds, you blink your eyes – quickly close
your eyes and open them. If you close only one eye and
open it again – usually to flirt with someone or express
that something is funny or cute – the verb for this is
wink.
Another thing you can do is roll your eyes - often when you are annoyed,
when you want to be sarcastic, or when you think something is stupid.

You use your nose to breathe – take air in and out of your body. Sometimes
when you’re annoyed, tired, or relieved, you take a big breath and let the air
out slowly – the verb for this is sigh.
When you put your nose close to something in order to sense the smell, the
verb for this is to smell or sniff. If you’re sick, you can blow your nose into a
tissue.
Three things you can do with your mouth are lick (pass your tongue over
something), blow (make air go strongly out of your mouth) and suck – pull
something into your mouth.

Babies often drool – that’s when saliva comes out of the mouth
unintentionally. If you forcefully put saliva out, the verb for that is spit.
When you’re embarrassed, you might blush – your face turns red. When
you’re tired, you yawn – open your mouth very wide to take in a lot of air.
While sleeping, if your breathing makes a noise like this, you are snoring.
yawn
Arms / Hands / Fingers

This gesture is called folding or crossing your arms. Sometimes it means the
person is angry, but other times it is just a normal position.

One gesture a lot of people make when they don’t know is to shrug their
shoulders – briefly lift their shoulders and then drop them.
With your hand, you can wave to say hello or goodbye, and when you meet
someone new, it’s common to shake hands. After the end of a great
performance, you can clap your hands. The other verb for this is applaud, but
“clap” is more common.

waving shaking hands
clapping
Don’t get “clap” confused with slap – to slap means to hit something or
someone with an open hand. If you close your hand into a fist and hit
something or someone, the verb for that is punch.
People in the military use their hands to salute, which is a gesture of respect.
You can use your fingers to point to something and call attention to it. If you
have an itch – like from a mosquito bite – you can use your nails to scratch it.

salute point
scratch
Legs / Feet
When you hit something (like a soccer ball) with your foot, you kick the ball.
In other sports, you’ll need to jump or leap – use your legs to put your body
into the air. When you bend your knees and bring your whole body close to
the ground, this is called squatting or crouching.

kick jump/leap squat/crouch
The normal verb for putting your foot down on the ground is to step, but if
you do it with force, the verb is to stomp. You can stomp on an insect to kill it!
Finally, some errors with your legs and feet:
• trip means to stumble and lose your balance, often because of a misstep
or because your leg or foot hit an object by accident
• slip means to lose your balance because of a slippery surface like ice or
a wet floor

• stub your toe means to hit one of your toes against something – this
really hurts!
nod, shake, turn, blink, wink, roll your eyes, breathe, sigh, smell, sniff, blow,
lick, suck, drool, spit, blush, yawn, snore, fold/cross your arms, shrug, wave,
clap, applaud, slap, punch, salute, point, scratch, kick, jump, leap, squat,
crouch, step, stomp, trip, slip, stub your toe

Quiz – Lesson 16
Put each verb into the correct sentence:
blew jumping shrugged snoring

blushed lick sighed tripped
clapped punched slipped waved
crouched shook sniff winked
1. After teasing me about my haircut, he ___________ to show he was just

joking.
2. Be careful - the floor's wet. I almost _____________.
3. Cats _____________ their paws to clean them.
4. Everyone _______________ when the street performer did a double backflip.
5. He lost his temper and _____________ the guy who was arguing with him.
6. I ___________ over a book lying on the floor.
7. When asked how long it would take to get the results, he ______________
and said he had no idea.
8. I asked her if she was angry, but she ___________ her head no.
9. I couldn't sleep because you were ________________ all night!
10. My dog loves to ____________ shoes - I think he can identify people
by their smell!
11. The president ______________ to everyone during the parade.
12. She _____________ down to look at the flowers.
13. The mother _____________ on the spoonful of hot soup to cool it
down before feeding it to her child.
14. My son broke his leg after ____________ off the table.
15. When my coworker pointed out a mistake in my presentation in
the middle of the meeting, I ______________.
16. I _____________ with relief when I heard that the deadline for the
project had been extended.

Vocabulary Practice
1. When was the last time you rolled your eyes?
2. What are some of your favorite smells?
3. Describe the last time you felt embarrassed. Did you blush?
4. Do you snore, or know anyone who does?
5. Do you think spitting on the street is normal or disgusting?
6. When was the last time you clapped?
7. Have you ever slapped or punched somebody or something? (or seen

someone else do so?)
8. When was the last time you tripped, slipped, or stubbed your toe?

Answers:
1. winked 9. snoring
2. slipped 10. sniff
3. lick 11. waved
4. clapped 12. crouched
5. punched 13. blew
6. tripped 14. jumping
7. shrugged 15. blushed
8. shook 16. sighed

Lesson 17: Life cycle
How old are you? Answer the question now:
• “I’m __________________ years old.”
There are different words in English based on a person’s age:
• baby (0-2 years old)
• child (3-12 years old)
• teenager (13-19 years old)
• adult (20-65 years old)
• elderly person (65+ years old)
Today you’ll learn vocabulary for talking about each of these five stages of life.
Babies
“Baby” is the general word – but we have some more specific terms depending
on the age.
• a newborn is a baby that was born very recently
• an infant is a baby that has not yet learned how to walk
• a toddler is walking or learning how to walk
Babies sleep in a cradle/bassinette or a crib. The difference is that a cradle is
smaller, and may be able to rock (move back and forth).
a cradle and a crib

The mother can breastfeed her baby or use a bottle.
Of course it’s necessary to change the baby’s diaper frequently! To take the
baby out of the house, you can use a stroller.
Babies often find it comforting to suck on a pacifier and play with toys that
make noise, like a rattle.
When a baby’s teeth begin to appear and they like to chew on various objects,
this is called teething.

A baby teething
Children
Be careful with the words “child” (singular) and “children” (plural) – the word
“children” is already plural, and there is no such word as “childrens.”
• I have one child.

• I have two children.
• I have two childrens.
Another word for children is “kid/kids.”
Between ages 2 and 3, children are potty trained – they are taught how to use
the toilet in the bathroom.
We use the verb “turn” to describe getting another year older on your
birthday – for example, “My son turned 5 last week” or “My daughter’s
turning 12 in two months.”
Children love playing with toys like dolls and action figures or building with
blocks.

Many children sleep with a stuffed animal like a teddy bear.
Children sometimes misbehave – behave badly. One of the worst examples is

a temper tantrum, when the child screams and cries angrily and loudly.

Parents punish their children in different ways – some parents give them a
spanking (a hit on their butt) and others prefer to give “time out” – a period
of time when the child must stay in their room or sit in a chair and be quiet.
Some parents never punish or say “no” to their kids, and these kids end up
becoming spoiled – that means they have an attitude of expecting to get
everything they want all the time.
Teenagers
Between ages 13 and 19, we go through puberty – the changes/developments
in the body that happen during adolescence. Girls begin to menstruate (the
more common way to say this is “get your period”) and boys’ voices change
and become lower.
Teenagers may also experience a growth spurt – when they become much
taller very quickly. Sometimes, the sudden changes in appearance cause
teenagers to look awkward (a little bit strange and unattractive).
It’s common for teenagers to face peer pressure (pressure from other
teenagers to act a certain way) and struggle with self-esteem (how they feel
about themselves).

They often want to be “cool” (popular and fashionable) and fit in (be accepted
in a social group).
Adults
To talk about approximate ages during adulthood, you can say someone is “in
his twenties” or “in her forties” – these expressions are often used when you
don’t know or remember the person’s exact age.
The years between 40 and 50 are often called middle age, because they are
about halfway to the end of an 80-100-year life. During these years, some
adults experience a mid-life crisis – a period of uncertainty and insecurity in
which they begin to question their identity, doubt their decisions, and
sometimes make major changes.
Old Age
A nicer word for people who are old is elderly – it’s more polite to say “She’s
an elderly woman” rather than “She’s an old woman.” Another word for
people over 65 is senior citizen.
When you reach this age, your hair turns grey or white (or begins to fall out!)
and you get wrinkles in your skin. Sometimes it’s necessary to use dentures,
a set of artificial teeth.
an elderly woman with wrinkles dentures

It can be hard for elderly people to move due to health problems like
arthritis, which makes the joints painful and stiff. Another common ailment

in old age is Alzheimer’s disease, which makes the person lose their memory
and ability to reason.
Some elderly people need to stay in a nursing home, a clinic that provides
daily care for people who are old and/or sick.
Finally, at the end of a person’s life they die or pass away (that’s a nicer and
less direct way to say “die”) and their friends and relatives hold a funeral, a
ceremony to mark the person’s death.
baby, newborn, infant, toddler, cradle, bassinette, crib, breastfeed, bottle,
diaper, stroller, pacifier, rattle, teething, child, children, kid, potty trained,
toys, dolls, action figures, blocks, stuffed animal, teddy bear, misbehave,
temper tantrum, spanking, time out, spoiled, puberty, menstruate, growth
spurt, awkward, peer pressure, self-esteem, cool, fit in, middle age, mid-life
crisis, elderly, senior citizen, wrinkles, dentures, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease,
nursing home, die, pass away, funeral

Quiz – Lesson 17
arthritis elderly passed away temper tantrum
awkward funeral potty trained time out
blocks growth spurt spoiled toddlers
bottle middle-aged teddy bear wrinkles
cradle
1. _______________ women sometimes find it difficult to re-enter the

workforce after their kids are older.
2. After Billy screamed at his mother, he had to sit in ______________ for an
hour until he calmed down.
3. He stopped running at age 70 because his _____________ made his knees
and ankles hurt.
4. Mr. Smith _______________ after a long illness. The ______________ will be on
Sunday.
5. When I was 14 I was rather _______________ - I had glasses, braces, and a
bad haircut.
6. My daughter threw a _________________ in the supermarket when I told her
she couldn't eat the candy.
7. The kids built a castle out of ______________.
8. My son had a real ______________ over the summer and now he's almost as
tall as his father.
9. Some seats on the bus are reserved for ______________ people.
10. The baby's crying because he's hungry - give him a ____________.
11. Those kids are so ______________; they already have mountains of
toys, yet whenever they want a new one their parents buy it!
12. We put the ______________ in our bedroom so that my wife can easily
hear if the baby wakes up.
13. My daughter is mostly ________________, although she still wets her
pants by accident occasionally.

14. When my 6-year-old son's away from home, he can't sleep
without his ________________.
15. You need to keep an eye on _____________; once they learn to walk,
they go everywhere!
16. My grandmother looks much younger than her age; she's 85 but
she has very few _______________!
Vocabulary Exercises
E-mail me your answers at homework@espressoenglish.net
1. Do you have kids? If so, describe them. If not, describe the children of a
friend or relative.
2. What were some of your favorite toys and games when you were a child?
3. How did you celebrate your birthday when you were a child and teenager?
How do you celebrate your birthday now?
4. Did you have any stuffed animals?
5. How did your parents punish you when you were a child?
6. What were you like as a teenager? Did you love or hate your teenage years,
and why?

7. If you could go back in time and tell yourself something at any time in the
past, what would you say?
8. Have you or someone you've known experienced a mid-life crisis?
9. Describe an elderly person who you know.
10. When was the last time you went to a funeral? What are funerals like in
your country?
ANSWERS:
1. middle-aged 9. elderly
2. time out 10. bottle
3. arthritis 11. spoiled
4. passed away / funeral 12. cradle
5. awkward 13. potty trained
6. temper tantrum 14. teddy bear
7. blocks 15. toddlers
8. growth spurt 16. wrinkles

Lesson 18: Family, Friends, &
Relationships
Family
Let's look at the family tree - a diagram of the relationships between family
members. Here's you and your parents - your mother (mom) and father
(dad).
Maybe you have brothers and sisters - the general word for brothers or
sisters is siblings. If one of your brothers or sisters has a different mother or
father, they are called your half-brother or half-sister. Your brothers’ and
sisters’ kids are your nephews (boys) and nieces (girls).
The parents of your parents are called grandparents - grandmother and

grandfather. You are their grandson or granddaughter. And the parents of
your grandparents are your great-grandparents. Each "level" on the family
tree is called a generation.

The brothers of your mother/father are your uncles - and the sisters of your
mother/father are your aunts. The children of your aunts and uncles are your
cousins – this word is used for both male and female.
The general term for ALL your biological family is relatives (not relations).
Also, don't get relatives confused with parents - your parents are only your
mom and dad, but your relatives include your whole family.
If you're married, you have a husband (a man) or a wife (a woman). The
general word for the person to whom you are married is spouse (this word
can mean a man or a woman). There are special terms for your spouse's
family.

Your spouse’s parents are your in-laws - mother-in-law and father-in-law.
Your spouse’s brother and sister are your brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
And if your spouse has children from a previous relationship, they are your
stepchildren.
Friends
Time to make some friends! Someone who you don't know at all is a stranger
- and if you know someone only casually, a little bit, then the person is an
acquaintance.
As you learned in a previous lesson, people you work with are your
colleagues or co-workers. People you go to school with are your classmates.
And people you live with (who are not family) are your roommates.
We have a few informal words in English for “friends” – you can call them
buddies or pals, or refer to your usual group of friends as the crew. Friends
like to hang out – spend time together in an informal situation.
The opposite of a friend is an enemy – someone who you hate and who hates
you. You can also have a rival – someone who you are competing with in some
area. And one type of friend nobody wants is a fair-weather friend –

someone who is your friend when things are good, but who abandons you in
difficult times.
Relationships
Let’s talk romance. Have you ever had a crush on someone? That’s when you
have secret romantic feelings for the other person.
A lot of relationships start when two people flirt with each other – show
romantic interest in a fun and joking way. Then they might go out on a date –
a romantic encounter like dinner and a movie.
If they decide to stay in a relationship, they become boyfriend and girlfriend.
When one of them (usually the man) proposes – asks the other to get
married, and the person says “yes,” then they become engaged. The words for
an engaged couple are fiancé (man) and fiancée (woman).
an engagement ring
At the wedding (the ceremony that begins the marriage), the woman is called
the bride and the man is called the groom. Now they are husband and wife.
Some same-sex couples use the word partner instead.

After the wedding, it’s traditional for the married couple to go on a
honeymoon – a romantic trip together. And every year, they celebrate their
anniversary – the date they got married.
Don’t get “anniversary” confused with “birthday” – birthday is for getting
another year older, and anniversary is for celebrating another year of
marriage.
If the relationship doesn’t work out, they can officially end the marriage – get
divorced. After a divorce, they have an ex-husband or ex-wife. You can also
use ex- to refer to ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends you have separated from in
the past.
Finally, if someone dies while still married, the surviving spouse is called a
widow (woman) or a widower (man).
parents, mother, father, brother, sister, siblings, nephew, niece, grandparents,
grandson, granddaughter, great-grandparents, generation, uncle, aunt, cousin,
relatives, husband, wife, spouse, in-laws, stepchildren, stranger, acquaintance,
colleagues, co-workers, classmate, roommate, buddies, pals, the crew, hang
out, enemy, rival, fair-weather friend, crush, flirt, date, boyfriend, girlfriend,
propose, engaged, fiancé, wedding, bride, groom, partner, honeymoon,
anniversary, divorced, ex-husband, ex-wife, widow, widower

Quiz – Lesson 18
Complete the phrases with the correct word (3 are not used!)
acquaintance buddies ex-husband rivals stranger
anniversary divorced honeymoon roommate wedding
bride engaged proposed spouse widow
1. After separating, women with children can receive child support

payments from the ____________.
2. When a man asks his girlfriend to marry him, they get _____________
3. Immediately after the wedding, the newlyweds go on a _______________
4. Someone you don't know is a ____________
5. The ___________ usually wears a white dress on her wedding day
6. The celebration day that begins a marriage is a ______________
7. After your grandfather's death, your grandmother became a ____________
8. When a couple officially ends their marriage, they get _____________
9. You share an apartment with a _______________
10. Your friends are your ________________
11. When a couple celebrates 10 years of marriage, it is their
____________
12. Someone you know a little is an ______________
Complete the phrases with the correct word:

1. Your brother's daughter is your N __ __ __ __
2. Your father's brother is your U __ __ __ __
3. Your father's father is your G __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
4. Your spouse's daughter is your S __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
5. Your grandfather's mother is your G __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
6. Your mother and father are your P __ __ __ __ __ __

7. Your sister's son is your N __ __ __ __ __
8. Your spouse's mother is your M __ __ __ __ __ - __ __ - __ __ __
9. Your uncle's son is your C __ __ __ __ __
10. Your father's sister is your A __ __ __
Fill in the names of your family members (if you don’t have a particular
family member, leave it blank:
My parents’ names are _____________________________________________
My siblings’ names are _____________________________________________
My grandparents’ names are _____________________________________________
My uncles’ names are _____________________________________________
My aunts’ names are _____________________________________________
My cousins’ names are _____________________________________________
My nieces’ and nephews’ names are _____________________________________________
My in-laws’ names are _____________________________________________

Vocabulary Practice
1. Describe your parents, siblings, and grandparents.
2. Do you get along with (have a good relationship with) all your relatives? Are
there any members of your family who don't get along with each other?
3. How did you meet your best friend? What do you like about him/her?
4. Where do you usually hang out with your friends?
5. Have you ever had an enemy, rival, or fair-weather friend?
6. What's one of the best dates you've ever been on?
7. What was the last wedding you attended?

8. Where did you go (or would you like to go) on your honeymoon?
9. Are you divorced, or do you know anyone who is?
10. Do you still have contact with any of your ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends?
EXERCISE 1 ANSWERS: EXERCISE 2 ANSWERS:

1. ex-husband 1. niece
2. engaged 2. uncle
3. honeymoon 3. grandfather
4. stranger 4. stepdaughter
5. bride 5. great-grandmother
6. wedding 6. parents
7. widow 7. nephew
8. divorced 8. mother-in-law
9. roommate 9. cousin
10. buddies 10. aunt
11. anniversary
12. acquaintance

Lesson 19: Personality & Character
There are many different aspects of personality and character, and we have
many different words in English to describe them!
Intelligence
Let’s start with a person’s intelligence. A very common word to describe an
intelligent person is smart. There is also the word clever – that refers to
someone who is intelligent in a creative way; a clever person can create
unique and unexpected solutions to problems. And someone who has life
experience, lots of knowledge, and the ability to make good decisions is wise.
The opposite of smart is stupid or dumb – be careful with these words, as
they are strong and insulting! The opposite of wise is foolish – that describes
a person who doesn’t have common sense, and who does things that are not a
good idea.
Work Ethic
A person’s work ethic is their attitude towards work. Companies want to hire
people who are hard-working, reliable (meaning you can depend on them;
you know they will get things done) and diligent (applies persistent effort).
There’s also the word ambitious – meaning someone who strongly desires a
lot of success. That can be considered a good or bad trait. An ambitious person
can have the potential to achieve great things in an honest way… or they might
be the type of person who will be dishonest and hurt others in order to get
money and power.
The opposite of hard-working is lazy – a person who is not active and doesn’t
like to do work or make an effort. The opposite of reliable is unreliable – you
can’t have certainty that an unreliable person will do their work. Another bad
characteristic for a worker is being careless – that’s the opposite of careful. A
careless person doesn’t pay attention, increasing the possibility of making
mistakes.

lazy
Confidence
A person who has TOO much confidence in themselves, and who considers
themselves superior to others, is arrogant – and someone who cares too
much about their appearance is vain. The opposite of arrogant is humble –
someone who is modest and who does not call attention to their own
greatness.
People’s confidence affects the way they make decisions. Someone who is
decisive makes strong, firm decisions and is confident in their choices. The
opposite is an indecisive or wishy-washy person – someone who feels
insecure (not confident) and has difficulty making final decisions, or who
constantly changes from one option to another without committing. An
insecure person may also be rather sensitive (meaning their feelings are
easily hurt).
Social Relations
The way you react to social situations is another major element of your
personality. Someone who is outgoing or extroverted LOVES being in social
situations and interacting with other people. Outgoing people are often
talkative or chatty – meaning they talk a lot.

The opposite is someone who is reserved or shy – this is a quieter person
who doesn’t like being the center of attention. The word “shy” is stronger than
“reserved.”
As for the way you treat other people, it’s good to be kind (someone who
treats others well), nice (pleasant and friendly), and considerate (someone
who thinks about other people’s feelings and tries not to hurt them).
The opposite of kind is mean or nasty (someone who treats other people
badly). An even stronger word is cruel – a person who intentionally causes
others to suffer. And it’s also not good to be rude or inconsiderate – meaning
someone who is not polite, and who doesn’t think about others’ feelings.
When someone irritates you, do you get angry easily? Someone who quickly
gets angry is short-tempered. The opposite is to be patient and easy-going –
an easy-going person is relaxed, flexible, and easy to relate to.
Money
There are also words to describe a person’s attitude towards money and
resources. Someone who likes to share and give away their money, time, and
possessions is generous – and someone who prefers to keep everything for
themselves is selfish.
Another word, stingy, is used specifically for a person who hates spending or
giving money. And a person who wants to have much more than is necessary
or appropriate is greedy.

Challenges
Finally, how can we talk about the ways a person reacts to challenges and
difficulties? Someone who loves having new experiences is adventurous, and
someone with a lot of courage is brave. An even stronger word for “brave” is
fearless – someone who seems never to be afraid!
The opposite of being brave is being a coward – someone who has no courage
– but we often use slang expressions, for example, saying the person is “a
chicken” or “a wimp” or to say the person “doesn’t have the guts” to do
something.
smart, clever, wise, stupid, dumb, foolish, hard-working, reliable, diligent,
ambitious, lazy, unreliable, careless, arrogant, vain, humble, decisive,
indecisive, wishy-washy, insecure, sensitive, outgoing, extroverted, talkative,
chatty, reserved, shy, kind, nice, considerate, mean, nasty, cruel, rude,
inconsiderate, short-tempered, patient, easy-going, generous, selfish, stingy,
greedy, adventurous, brave, fearless, coward, chicken, wimp, doesn't have the
guts

Quiz – Lesson 19
Choose the best word to describe the person making each statement. Three
words are not used!
adventurous clever generous kind outgoing
ambitious diligent inconsiderate lazy reserved
careless easy-going indecisive mean stingy
1. “I took care of my neighbor’s kids while their mother was in the

hospital.” ___________________
2. “I don't feel like getting up... I'll just watch a few more episodes of my
favorite TV show.” ___________________
3. “I don't just want to be a professional… I want to be the best in my field.”
___________________
4. “I just don't know what to do... I keep changing my mind.”
___________________
5. “I listen more than I speak.” ___________________
6. “If you liked the book I lent you, you can keep it. Enjoy!”
___________________
7. “I'll play my music as late at night as I want. If the neighbors don't like it,
that's their problem.” ___________________
8. “I'll work as long as I need to in order to get the job done.”
___________________
9. “I'm going to take a year-long trip around the world.” ___________________
10. “It doesn't really matter if we use safety equipment or not.
Nothing bad will happen.” ___________________
11. “That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard. You're an idiot.”
___________________
12. “Whenever I go to a party, I make at least twenty new friends!”
___________________

Vocabulary Practice
1. Who is the smartest person you know?
2. Do you consider yourself ambitious? Why or why not?
3. How would you try to motivate a friend who is lazy?
4. Have you ever worked with someone who was unreliable? How did you
handle the situation?
5. Are you typically more decisive or indecisive? Have you ever regretted a
decision you made?
6. Are you more outgoing or more reserved?

7. Who is the most talkative person you know?
8. Describe an act of kindness that you have done for someone (or someone
has done for you).
9. Do you know anyone who is mean or rude?
10. Describe a situation you have experienced in which you had to be brave.
ANSWERS:
1. kind
2. lazy
3. ambitious
4. indecisive
5. reserved
6. generous
7. inconsiderate
8. diligent
9. adventurous
10. careless
11. mean
12. outgoing

Lesson 20: Emotions
Today’s lesson will help expand your vocabulary for talking about feelings and
emotions.
Happiness
When you feel extremely happy, you can say you’re thrilled, delighted, or
overjoyed. All three of these words are used for a happy reaction to a piece of
good news.
Some calmer and less intense forms of happiness are feeling content, glad or
pleased – these mean you are satisfied.
Sadness
Someone feeling extremely sad is miserable or depressed. To describe less
intense sadness, you can say the person is glum or “feeling a little down /
blue.”

Another type of sadness is feeling melancholy – this means sad and pensive,
meaning you’re thinking and reflecting a lot, and you don’t have much energy.
One type of sadness that’s not entirely bad is feeling nostalgic. This is when
you feel a strong longing (desire) for people, things, or situations in the past. It
feels sweet because you’re remembering good times, but also sad because
they are gone. If you’re feeling nostalgic specifically for your home, this is
called feeling homesick.
Fear
If you are extremely afraid, you can say you’re terrified or petrified – like
you’re so scared that you can’t move.

When you’re afraid of something that’s definitely coming in the future, you
can say you’re dreading it. For example, if you hate going to the dentist, you’d
be dreading your next dentist appointment.
A less intense form of this emotion is feeling apprehensive – anxious and
slightly scared of something in the future. You can also use the word uneasy
for feeling anxious and uncomfortable in general (not necessarily about
something in the future).
Surprise
If you are extremely surprised in a good way, then
you are amazed or astonished. But if you’re
extremely surprised in a bad way, then you are
horrified or appalled.
The word shocked can be used for strong surprise
that is good, neutral, or bad – for example, you can be
shocked that you won an award (good surprise),
shocked by the differences when you move to a new country (neutral
surprise) or shocked when a young child says a swear word (bad surprise).
Hurt, Embarrassment, and Shame

We often use the word hurt to describe when someone feels bad emotionally,
especially as the result of another person’s actions. Someone might feel hurt if
you made a strong negative comment about their work.
A more intense word for “hurt” is crushed. The literal meaning for “crushed”
is for something to be broken with pressure. Someone might feel crushed if
they got rejected by a person they love. And an even more intense word is
devastated – when someone’s feelings are completely destroyed.
Two strong words for embarrassment are mortified and humiliated. You can
feel mortified because of an accident (like accidentally showing your
underwear at work) or because of someone else’s behavior (if your
grandmother makes racist comments).

Feeling humiliated is usually a direct result of what someone else did to you –
made you feel very embarrassed by their words/actions, for example,
ridiculing or mocking you in front of your friends.
Be careful not to get the word “embarrassed” confused with ashamed.
Embarrassed means you feel uncomfortable in front of other people – you can
be embarrassed about a mistake you made during a presentation.
Ashamed means you feel bad/guilty about something wrong that you did
intentionally – you would feel ashamed of stealing money from your brother.
You can also feel ashamed of other people’s bad behavior – this is like feeling
disappointed that they acted badly. For example, being ashamed of your
children when they disrespect their friends’ parents.
Anger
If you are extremely angry, then you are furious or outraged. You can
describe the thing that is making you feel this way as infuriating or
outrageous (the second word means it is ridiculous AND makes you angry).
Two words that express a mixture of anger and annoyance are aggravated
and exasperated. You would probably feel exasperated if your credit card
company made a mistake on your bill and you had to spend two hours on the
phone with them to fix it.
A person who is feeling irritable, negative, and easily annoyed in general is
cranky, grouchy, or grumpy. Some people feel this way early in the morning,
before they’ve had their coffee!
We also have the word upset. This can describe sadness, hurt, anger,
annoyance, or agitation, depending on the situation.
Finally, what can you say if you’re feeling more than one emotion – if your
feelings are complicated? The expression for that is mixed feelings. This
usually describes having positive and negative feelings at the same time.

thrilled, delighted, overjoyed, content, glad, pleased, miserable, depressed,
glum, feeling down, feeling blue, melancholy, nostalgic, homesick, terrified,
petrified, dreading, apprehensive, uneasy, amazed, astonished, horrified,
appalled, shocked, hurt, crushed, devastated, mortified, humiliated, ashamed,
furious, outraged, aggravated, exasperated, cranky, grouchy, grumpy, upset,
mixed feelings

Quiz – Lesson 20
aggravated ashamed furious nostalgic
amazed content hurt overjoyed
appalled depressed mortified uneasy
1. He's not eating much, and doesn't feel like going out... he just wants to
stay in his room all day. ________________________
2. I can't believe she didn't invite me to her wedding. I thought we were
friends... ________________________
3. My college years - ah, those were the days. I think it was the best time of
my life. ________________________
4. I was caught smoking marijuana and suspended from university. How
could I have been so stupid? My parents will be so disappointed.
________________________
5. I'm not quite comfortable with the terms of the contract. Something
about it just doesn't seem right. ________________________
6. I've restarted my computer FIVE TIMES and it STILL hasn't fixed the
problem!!! ________________________
7. My favorite restaurant was shut down by the health department
because there were rats in the kitchen. Ugh! ________________________
8. I enjoy my work and I have good friends and a loving family.
________________________
9. My wife just told me she's pregnant! I'm going to be a father - I can't
wait! ________________________
10. She speaks eight languages fluently? Wow - that's incredible!
________________________
11. What do you mean the products won't be delivered on time?!?
That is COMPLETELY unacceptable! You're fired! ________________________
12. My mother read all my private e-mails to my boyfriend... now I
can't even look her in the face. ________________________

Vocabulary Practice
E-mail your answers at homework@espressoenglish.net !
Describe a time when you have been...
1. thrilled
2. pleased
3. miserable
4. nostalgic or homesick
5. apprehensive or dreading something
6. amazed
7. horrified
8. crushed
9. humiliated
10. ashamed
11. furious
12. exasperated
QUIZ ANSWERS:
1. depressed
2. hurt
3. nostalgic
4. ashamed
5. uneasy
6. aggravated
7. appalled
8. content
9. overjoyed
10. amazed
11. furious
12. mortified

Lesson 21: Travel
Many students confuse the words travel and trip. Travel is most often used as
a verb, and trip is a noun, a specific travel event:
• I like to travel.
• I'm traveling through Europe.
• It’s a two-week travel trip.
With a and the, use “trip”
• How was your travel trip?
With my, your, his, her, our, their, use “trip”
Let's go through the airport step by step. First you need to book a flight -
make a reservation to travel by airplane. One person who can help you do this
is a travel agent - that's a professional who makes travel plans and
arrangements for people. The company where a travel agent works is called a
travel agency, and sometimes they offer package deals including the flight
and hotel at a reduced price.
On the day of your trip, you need to pack - put all the things you need into
your suitcase, duffel bag, or backpack. The general word for the bags you
take while traveling is baggage or luggage.
suitcase duffel bag backpack

When you get to the airport, you need to check in - show your passport and
reservation confirmation to the agent, and receive your boarding pass - the
ticket that permits you to enter the airplane.
check-in
The agent at the check-in desk will ask if you are checking any bags (putting
them in the airplane's cargo compartment) - you'll put your checked bags on
the scale to see how heavy they are. The small bag you bring on the plane
with you is your carry-on.
Next, you'll need to go through security. You'll walk through a metal
detector, and put your carry-on bag through the X-ray. Use the bins for small
objects. After you get through security, you can go to the gate - the door to the
airplane - until it's time to board (enter the airplane).

security
The people who control the airplane are the pilot and co-pilot, and the people
who serve food and drinks are flight attendants. You and the other people
who are traveling are called passengers.
flight attendant
When you enter the plane, you can put your carry-on bag into the overhead
compartment and sit in your seat - a window seat or an aisle (corridor) seat.
The plane will drive to the runway and then take off - go up into the air.

runway
Sometimes you need to take more than one flight to reach your destination -
and you'll have a stopover/layover in another city while you wait for your
connection (the next flight).
A long flight that leaves at night and arrives in the morning is called an
overnight flight. A slang word for this type of flight is a red-eye - probably
because you're so tired that your eyes are red when you arrive!
When you reach your destination, the plane will land (go down to the
ground). You can pick up your bags at the baggage claim. If you've entered
another country, you'll go through immigration (where they check your visa)
and customs (where they check what's inside your bags).
baggage claim

And if you’ve traveled to a different time zone, you’ll have jet lag – feeling
tired because your body’s time is different from that country’s time. Before
you leave the airport, don’t forget to exchange money so that you’ll have
money in the correct currency.
While traveling, you can stay at a hotel – or at a hostel (simple hotel, often
with dormitory rooms) or at a resort, a more expensive place with lots of
luxury.
Now it’s time to explore your destination and go sightseeing (see the
interesting places)! Some people like to wander around – walk around slowly
with no special plan.
Others prefer going on a tour with a tour guide to show them the sights and
explain the history. Tours often have an itinerary – a plan and schedule for
where to go and when.
Finally, make sure to buy some souvenirs – small objects/gifts – to remember
your trip!
souvenirs

travel, trip, book a flight, travel agent, package deal, pack, suitcase, duffel bag,
backpack, luggage, check in, boarding pass, checked bags, scale, carry-on,
security, metal detector, X-ray, bin, gate, board, pilot, co-pilot, flight attendant,
passenger, overhead compartment, aisle, runway, take off, stopover, layover,
connection, overnight flight, red-eye, land, baggage claim, immigration,
customs, jet lag, currency, hotel, hostel, resort, sightseeing, wander, tour
guide, itinerary, souvenirs

Quiz – Lesson 21
Match each phrase with the context or the person who said it:
a flight attendant at security exchanging money
a hotel receptionist at the check-in desk shopping for souvenirs
a tour guide at the travel agency the pilot
at customs during a stopover waiting at the gate
at immigration
1. “$500 will give you 366 Euros, and there's a 2% fee for the service.”
2. “Are you interested in any of our package deals? We have some great
trips to tropical islands, with the flight and 5 days at a resort included.”
3. “Attention passengers of United flight 1530 - this is the final boarding
call.”
4. “Everything on these shelves is on sale - you can get three T-shirts for
$15 or five key chains for $10.”
5. “For lunch we have beef or vegetarian lasagna, and your choice of soda,
juice, water, or alcoholic beverages.”
6. “Hurry up! We only have twenty minutes to catch our next flight!”
7. “Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be arriving at our destination shortly.
Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts.”
8. “May I see your passport and confirmation number, please?”
9. “On your left is the parliament building, which was built in 1860.”
10. “Take off your shoes and take your laptop out of the bag. Put your
keys, cell phone, and any loose change in the bins.”
11. “What is the purpose of your visit to the U.S.?”
12. “Would you like a room with a double bed, or with two single
beds?”
13. “You need to declare any animal products, alcohol, tobacco, or
items valued at over $1,000.”

Vocabulary Practice
1. Describe the last trip you took. Where did you go and what did you do?
2. When you travel, do you usually take a suitcase, duffel bag, or backpack? Do
you tend to pack light (very little) or take a lot of stuff?
3. Do you prefer staying in hotels, hostels, or resorts - and why?
4. Have you ever taken a red-eye flight, or been jet-lagged?
5. Have you ever taken a tour? When and where was it?
6. Do you like having a tour guide, or do you prefer to wander around and plan
your own itinerary?
7. Describe some souvenirs you've bought while traveling.

8. What's one place you'd like to travel in the future, and why do you want to
go there?
ANSWERS:
1. exchanging money
2. at the travel agency
3. waiting at the gate
4. shopping for souvenirs
5. a flight attendant
6. during a stopover
7. the pilot
8. at the check-in desk
9. a tour guide
10. at security
11. at immigration
12. a hotel receptionist
13. at customs

Lesson 22: Vacation Activities
Since yesterday’s lesson was about travel, today’s lesson will teach you a few
of the typical things you can do on vacation – in the city, at the beach, and in
the countryside.
City
You can visit some of the city’s landmarks – those are the famous places and
structures. Some of them are important for historical reasons, and others are
simply beautiful or well-known.
One example of a landmark is a castle or a palace – the difference is that a
castle usually has high, strong walls to protect from an attack, and a palace is
built to be beautiful and comfortable, and is the official residence of royalty
(the king, queen, etc.)
Some landmarks are religious buildings, such as a cathedral, church, temple,

shrine, or mosque.
• The word church usually refers to a Catholic or Christian building.
• A cathedral is a large, fancy church.
• A temple is a place of worship for other religions such as Buddhism
• A shrine is a small place usually dedicated to a particular god or spirit.
• The place where Muslims worship is called a mosque.

church and cathedral
temple shrine mosque

Other landmarks in the city might include a theater, where you can see a
concert or play; a zoo, where you can see wild animals; and structures like a
bridge, fountain, or statue.
theater zoo

bridge fountain statue
If a place is overpriced (costs too much) and seems designed for tourists, we
call that a “tourist trap.”
Beach
Maybe you prefer to go to the beach and lay on a towel on the sand – this is
called sunbathing, and when your skin turns darker, that’s called “getting a
tan.” Make sure to use sunscreen/sunblock so you don’t get a sunburn.
sunbathing sunscreen/sunblock
You might find seashells and seaweed on the beach – but stay far away from
jellyfish and sea urchins!

seashells seaweed
jellyfish sea urchin

A few of the things you can do in the ocean are sailing, surfing on the waves,
snorkeling on the surface of the water, and scuba diving deep under the
water with a mask and oxygen tank.
sailing surfing

snorkeling scuba diving
When snorkeling and scuba diving, you might see some beautiful and colorful
coral. Hopefully you won’t see a shark.
Finally, when someone gets in trouble in the water, the lifeguard can save
them from drowning (dying from breathing in water).

Camping/Hiking/Fishing
If you like to be close to nature, you can go camping and sleep in a tent. You’ll
need to bring a sleeping bag to stay warm.
tent sleeping bag

Some useful tools for camping are a flashlight, a Swiss army knife, and some
matches to start a fire.
If you want to go fishing, bring a fishing pole and some bait – food that is
used to attract the fish to the hook. If you catch a fish that is edible (OK to
eat) then you can cook it for dinner.

Another common outdoor activity is going hiking by following a path called a
trail. A compass and map can help you find your way and not get lost. And
bring a pair of binoculars, too, so that you can see farther when you reach the
top of the mountain.
When camping, you should bring a first aid kit with some basic medical
supplies just in case there’s an emergency.

landmark, castle, palace, church, cathedral, temple, shrine, mosque, theater,
zoo, bridge, fountain, statue, overpriced, tourist trap, sunbathing, get a tan,
sunscreen, sunburn, seashells, seaweed, jellyfish, sea urchin, sailing, surfing,
snorkeling, scuba diving, coral, shark, lifeguard, drown, tent, sleeping bag,
flashlight, Swiss army knife, matches, fishing pole, bait, hook, edible, hiking,
trail, compass, binoculars, first aid kit

Quiz – Lesson 22
Complete the word for each picture:
1. C __ __ __ __ __ __ 2. F __ __ __ __ __ __ __
3. F __ __ __ __ A __ __ K __ __ 4. C __ __ __ __ __

5. S __ __ __ __ __ __ 6. C __ __ __ __ __
7. S __ __ __ __ D __ __ __ __ __ 8. T __ __ __ __ __ __
9. M __ __ __ __ __ 10. S __ __ __ __

11. L __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 12. T __ __ __
13. H __ __ __ 14. F __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 15. S __ __ __ __ __

Vocabulary Practice
1. What are some of the famous landmarks of your city/country?
2. Have you ever been to one of the religious buildings mentioned in the
lesson?
3. What's one thing you consider overpriced? Have you ever been to a place
you consider a tourist trap?
4. When was the last time you went to the beach? What do you like to do
there?
5. Do you tan easily, or do you often get sunburns? Do you often use
sunscreen?
6. If you could choose one activity to do from this lesson that you haven't tried
yet, which one would it be and why?
7. What do you think is the most difficult thing about camping?
8. What types of things are normally found in a first aid kit?

ANSWERS
1. compass
2. fountain
3. first aid kit
4. castle
5. sailing
6. church
7. scuba diving
8. theater
9. matches
10. shark
11. lifeguard
12. tent
13. hook
14. flashlight
15. statue

Lesson 23: Nature and Natural
Disasters
Describing Nature
You probably already know that this is called a mountain – but did you know
that a group or chain of mountains is called a mountain range? The top point
of a mountain is called the summit or peak – and if there is a place with a
sudden vertical drop, that is called a cliff.

Some mountains have the ability to erupt (explode) and this is called a
volcano. A volcanic eruption releases lava (hot, liquid rock) and ash, which is
a white, grey, or black powder.
An area of land that is higher than normal, but not as high as a mountain, is
called a hill – and the low area between mountains and hills is called a valley.
hills and valleys

A low area with very steep walls is a canyon or gorge. These have a river at
the bottom, and they are formed by erosion – the natural process of changing
the earth’s surface through wind, water, etc.

canyon
Let’s move from the mountains to the forest. We have several different words
for a group of trees that is close together:
• jungle/rain forest – in tropical areas
• forest/woods – in areas with colder climates

One threat to the world’s forests is deforestation – the cutting down and
removal of trees in order to use the wood, or to expand human development.
Trees have roots underground, which get water and hold the tree in place.
The main part of the tree is called the trunk, and it divides into branches. The
exterior covering of a tree is called bark.
The surface of a tree is covered in bark

There are many other types of plants in the forest besides trees. A plant that
grows close to the ground is a bush, and a plant that is like a long rope is
called a vine. Vines often climb up trees and other surfaces. On the ground –

especially near rivers – you might find moss. And you’ll also find flowers with
a stem and petals. Before the flower opens, it is called a bud.
bushes vines
moss
The English language has different words for running water, depending on the
size. The largest kind is called a river – like the Amazon River or Nile River.
Rivers are wide and deep, and you usually have to swim or take a boat to cross
them.

A very small river is most commonly called a stream – a stream is shallow and
you can usually cross it on foot. Some alternative words for “stream” are
brook or creek.
When running water falls directly downwards, this is called a waterfall.

waterfall
Stationary bodies of water also vary in size. A lake is the biggest; a pond is
much smaller – you might have a pond on your property. And the word
puddle refers to the small areas of water left after it rains.
lake pond
puddle
All the water words you’ve learned so far are related to fresh water – water
that has no salt. The ocean is made of salt water. Some people make no
difference between the words “ocean” and “sea,” but technically a sea is
smaller and partially surrounded by land. We have the Atlantic Ocean and
Pacific Ocean, but the Mediterranean Sea.

The Mediterranean Sea
Land that is next to the sea/ocean is called the coast – and a piece of land
that’s completely surrounded by water is an island (remember that the “s” in
island is silent!)
Natural Disasters
A volcanic eruption, which you learned earlier in this lesson, is one type of
natural disaster. Let’s learn a few more.
When the ground shakes, causing buildings to collapse, this is called an
earthquake.

results of an earthquake
Another problem with the land is a landslide or mudslide, when mud slides
down a mountain and buries everything below. When it is snow and ice
sliding down the mountain, it is called an avalanche.
landslide and avalanche

A hurricane is a circular storm with very strong winds, which covers a large
area. A tornado also has strong winds, but is concentrated in one spot.

hurricane and tornado
If it rains a lot, the area can fill up with too much water – this is called a flood.
The opposite – when there is no rain for a very long time, and plants and
animals start to die – is a drought.
flood and drought

Finally, a winter storm with lots of snow and strong winds is known as a
blizzard.

When there is a major natural disaster coming, people often have to evacuate
– that means leave the area for protection.
mountain range, summit, peak, cliff, volcano, lava, ash, hill, valley, canyon,
gorge, erosion, jungle, rain forest, woods, deforestation, roots, trunk,
branches, bark, bush, vine, moss, stem, petals, bud, river, stream, brook, creek,
waterfall, lake, pond, puddle, fresh water, salt water, ocean, sea, coast, island,
earthquake, landslide, mudslide, avalanche, hurricane, tornado, flood, drought,
blizzard, evacuate

Quiz – Lesson 23
Circle the correct word to complete each sentence:
1. 100,000 people had to be erupted/evacuated from the area before the
hurricane struck.
2. After the blizzard/tornado, it took us five hours to clear the snow off
the car.
3. Grapes grow on a bush/vine.
4. It took us three hours of hiking to reach the range/summit of the
mountain.
5. Let's drive to the creek/coast and spend the weekend at the beach.
6. Monkeys and colorful, exotic birds live in the canyon/jungle.
7. Roses have soft red petals/stems.
8. The bird is sitting on the tree branch/trunk.
9. The village is located in a lovely little cliff/valley surrounded by snow-
capped mountains.
10. After the volcano erupted, all the nearby towns were covered in a
layer of ash/gorge.
11. There are some nice fishing spots at the puddle/pond in the park.
12. Two skiers were killed in the avalanche/earthquake.
13. The horse jumped over the river/stream.
14. We've had no rain for weeks - it's a serious drought/flood.
15. There are a lot of wild animals, like wolves, deer, and raccoons, in
the bark/woods.

Vocabulary Practice
Write a paragraph describing the land, water, and vegetation in your
country/region. Also, mention what kind of natural disasters hit it. E-mail me
your paragraph at homework@espressoenglish.net for correction!
ANSWERS:
1. evacuated
2. blizzard
3. vine
4. summit
5. coast
6. jungle
7. petals
8. branch
9. valley
10. ash
11. pond
12. avalanche
13. stream
14. drought
15. woods

Lesson 24: Animals – Part 1
The next two lessons will expand your vocabulary about animals – not only
the names of animals, but also what they do and where they live.
Pets
The animals that you keep in your house are called pets. Two of the most
common pets are cats and dogs.
There’s a specific name for the hair on a cat’s or dog’s body – it’s called fur.
The long hairs on a cat’s face are called whiskers, there’s also a special name
for the feet of cats and dogs – they are called paws. Cats have sharp claws.
One thing cats, dogs, and other animals have, which humans don’t, is a tail.
When a dog is happy, it moves its tail back and forth quickly – it is wagging its
tail – and the sound a dog makes is called barking. When a cat is happy and
relaxed, it makes a soft sound called purring.

A dog wagging its tail barking
Cats and dogs can wear a collar around their neck to help identify them.
When you walk the dog, you hold a leash that is connected to the collar.
A dog on a leash
Other common pets are rabbits, mice, turtles, fish, and birds.

Rabbits, birds, and mice might live in a cage – and fish and turtles live in a
tank or aquarium. Birds use their wings to fly, and their bodies are covered
with feathers. A bird’s mouth is called a beak – and in nature, birds live in a
nest.
cage tank / aquarium
feather

nest
Farm Animals
Now let’s learn some animals that live on a farm. You can ride a horse using
special equipment – sitting in a saddle and controlling the horse using the
reins. When a horse is walking slowly, it is trotting; when it is running faster,
it is galloping. A horse’s feet are called hooves.
Riding a horse and shearing a sheep

You’ll also find sheep on a farm. Sheep are covered with wool, and the
process of cutting and removing the wool is called shearing the sheep.
Cows are raised for their meat and for their milk – the process of getting it is
called milking the cow.

pig milking a cow
Finally we have chickens – the male is called a rooster/cock, and the female
is a hen. The roosters make a loud sound early in the morning – when they do
this, we say the rooster is crowing. The hen lays eggs – some of the eggs are
used for food, and others hatch (open) into baby chicks.
Rooster and hen
Wild Animals
“Wild animals” are animals you normally find in nature, which normally don’t
live with human beings. We have big cats like the leopard, which is covered in
spots, and the lion. The male lion has a mane around its head, and the loud
sound it makes is called a roar.

leopard lion
The males of some animals, like deer and moose, have antlers on their heads.
Deer and moose, both with antlers

If you visit the zoo, you might see different types of bears like the panda,
koala, and polar bears – as well as monkeys and gorillas.
panda koala polar bear

monkey gorilla
The elephant has a few unique parts of its body – its long nose is called a
trunk, and two long white teeth which are its tusks. The material of an
elephant’s tusks is called ivory, and it is used in jewelry and decoration.

Elephant, rhino, and hippo
Two other very large animals are the rhinoceros and hippopotamus – but
we often call them rhino and hippo for short.
The different types of animals are called species, and when a type of animal is
in danger of dying off and disappearing from the planet, it’s called an
endangered species. Animals that no longer exist – like the dinosaurs – are
extinct.
More Animal Vocabulary:
• Animals and their young: http://www.espressoenglish.net/english-

vocabulary-animals-and-their-young/
• Groups of animals: http://www.espressoenglish.net/english-
vocabulary-groups-of-animals/
pet, fur, whiskers, paws, claws, tail, barking, purring, collar, leash, rabbit,
mouse, turtle, fish, bird, cage, tank, aquarium, wings, feathers, beak, nest,
saddle, reins, trotting, galloping, hooves, wool, shearing the sheep, milking the
cow, rooster, cock, hen, lay eggs, hatch, leopard, lion, mane, roar, deer, moose,
antlers, panda, koala, polar bear, monkey, gorilla, elephant, trunk, tusks, ivory,
rhinoceros, rhino, hippopotamus, hippo, species, endangered, extinct

Quiz – Lesson 24
Do you remember the names of each animal?
1. D __ __ __ 2. E __ __ __ __ __ __ __
3. R __ __ __ __ __ __ 4. D __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 5. R __ __ __ __
6. T __ __ __ __ __ 7. L __ __ __ 8. M __ __ __ __ __

9. P __ __ __ __ 10. R __ __ __ __ __ 11. L __ __ __ __ __ __
Vocabulary Practice
1. Have you ever had pets? If so, describe them. If not, say what kind of pet you
would like to have, and why.
2. Have you ever visited a zoo? What kinds of animals do you like seeing?
3. Which of the animals in this lesson live in your country/region?
4. Are you in favor of or against hunting (killing animals for food or for
fun/sport)? Why?

5. Do you think humans should try to preserve endangered species, or simply
let nature take its course?
ANSWERS
1. deer
2. elephant
3. rooster
4. dinosaur
5. rhino
6. turtle
7. lion
8. monkey
9. panda
10. rabbit
11. leopard

Lesson 25: Animals – Part 2
Today’s lesson will teach you more animal vocabulary – for sea creatures,
reptiles, and insects.
Sea Creatures
To survive in the water, fish have gills – openings in their skin which allow
them to breathe – and fins to help them swim. A group of fish is called a
“school of fish.”
One of the biggest animals in the ocean is the whale – and a sea creature
known for being intelligent and playful is the dolphin.
whale dolphins
Lobsters and crabs both have claws – and their hard external covering is
called a shell. Shrimp also have shells.

lobster crab
shrimp
The group of animals called “shellfish” includes clams, mussels, and oysters.
Oysters are well-known for producing pearls.
clam mussels
oysters pearls

Sea creatures come in all different shapes and sizes – there’s the octopus,
with its eight arms that are called tentacles; the starfish, which is shaped like
a star; the seahorse, which resembles a horse, and the eel, which has a long
body like a snake.
octopus starfish
seahorse eel
Reptiles & Amphibians

Alligators and crocodiles are examples of reptiles – their bodies are covered
with tough pieces called scales. The category of reptiles also includes many
different kinds of lizards.

alligator crocodile
lizard
Some specific types of snakes are a cobra, which has a hood around its head, a
rattlesnake, which shakes its tail to make a distinct sound, and a boa
constrictor, which kills its prey (the animal it hunts and eats) by squeezing it
tight.

cobra, rattlesnake, and boa constrictor
Many cobras and rattlesnakes are poisonous, so when they bite using their
big teeth called fangs, they inject venom into the animal’s or person’s body.
Someone who has been poisoned needs to take the antidote to the poison – a
special medicine that will cancel the effects of the venom.
The word “amphibian” means “living double lives” – and this category
includes animals that live half their lives in water and half their lives on land.
Frogs, for example, are born in the water and begin life as tadpoles – then
when they get older, they grow legs and lungs so they can survive on land.
frog tadpoles
Insects
The butterfly begins life as a caterpillar – and when the time is right, it
weaves a cocoon and changes into a butterfly. The process is called
metamorphosis – this word is also used more generally to describe a
complete transformation.

caterpillar cocoon butterfly
A moth is closely related to a butterfly, but it is not as colorful, and it is usually
nocturnal – meaning it is most active at night. Two more flying insects are
flies and mosquitoes; mosquitoes love to bite humans.
moth fly mosquito

Insects like the bee and the wasp don’t bite with their mouths – instead, they
sting. Wasps live in a nest, whereas bees live in a hive and produce honey
and wax; they also pollinate flowers – bringing a substance from male to
female flowers and helping them reproduce.
bee wasps

Another insect that can sting is a scorpion. The spider has eight legs and it
makes a web to catch other insects for food. Ants live together in a colony,
and they sometimes make small hills called anthills.
scorpion spider on web ants

A cricket has strong legs for jumping; there are many different types of
beetles, and one insect that loves to get into peoples’ houses is the
cockroach.
cricket beetle cockroach

To keep bugs away from your skin, you can use a chemical product called
insect repellent – or, more commonly, bug spray. If your house is infested
with insects, then you need to call the exterminator, a professional who will
apply chemicals around your house to eliminate the bugs.

gills, fins, school of fish, whale, dolphin, lobster, crab, claws, shell, shrimp,
clam, mussel, oyster, pearl, octopus, tentacles, starfish, seahorse, eel, alligator,
crocodile, scales, lizard, cobra, rattlesnake, boa constrictor, prey, poisonous,
fangs, venom, antidote, frog, tadpole, caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly,
metamorphosis, moth, nocturnal, fly, mosquito, bee, wasp, sting, nest, hive,
pollinate, scorpion, spider, web, ants, colony, anthills, cricket, beetle,
cockroach, insect repellent, bug spray, exterminator

Quiz – Lesson 25
Match each word with the picture:
alligator butterfly cricket lizard sea horse
ant caterpillar dolphin lobster shrimp
bee clam fly moth spider
beetle cobra frog octopus whale
1. ______________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________
4. __________________________ 5. ______________ 6. ______________
7. ______________ 8. ______________ 9. ______________

10. ______________ 11. ______________ 12. ______________
13. ______________ 14. ______________ 15. ______________
16. ______________ 17. ______________
18. ______________ 19. ______________ 20. ______________

Vocabulary Practice
1. Which of the sea creatures mentioned in this lesson have you eaten? Did
you like them? Which ones would you like to try?
2. Which of the reptiles in the lesson have you seen?
3. When was the last time you were bitten by a mosquito? Have you ever used
bug spray?
4. Have you ever been stung by a bee or wasp?
5. Are you afraid of any of the animals in this lesson?
6. Have you ever had to call an exterminator because of insects in your house?
ANSWERS:
1. fly 11. lobster
2. dolphin 12. cobra
3. bee 13. octopus
4. alligator 14. butterfly
5. moth 15. whale
6. shrimp 16. frog
7. lizard 17. caterpillar
8. cricket 18. ant
9. clam 19. spider
10. beetle 20. sea horse

Lesson 26: Politics & Elections
Politics, Policy, or Politician?
The word politics refers to government systems and processes, and a
politician is a person – somebody who is involved in politics, usually
someone who works (or is trying to get) a job as a leader.
The word policy means a general rule or plan that determines actions and
decisions. Governments have policies such as foreign policy (the way they
interact with other countries) and economic policy (the way they handle the
economy) – but other organizations like companies and schools can also have
policies.
Systems of Government
A monarchy is a country ruled by a king or queen. The son and daughter of
the king and queen are a prince (man) and a princess (woman). In a
monarchy, the power is hereditary, meaning it stays in the royal family and
is passed from parents to children.
In the past, there were empires (like the Roman Empire) – areas including
many different regions and people groups, which were all under the authority
of one supreme ruler, who was called the emperor. In some cultures, the
emperor was considered to be divine (like a god).

Roman Empire
A democracy is a system where the people have the power and freedom to
choose their leaders, and in a dictatorship one person (the dictator) has all
the power, often maintaining it by force, and does not need to obey the laws.
U.S. Government
The main leader is called the president, and the vice-president is the second
in command. There is a group called congress which helps decide the
country’s laws and policies. The U.S. congress is made of two groups – the
Senate and the House of Representatives. And the highest group of leaders
in the justice system is called the Supreme Court.
The government also includes different departments to oversee various
areas, such as the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education,
Department of Transportation, etc. In some countries these are called
ministries instead.
On a more local level, the leader of each state is a governor, and the leader of
each city is called the mayor. Finally, everyone who is an official member of
the country is a citizen.

Elections
Politicians belong to political parties – organizations that have certain beliefs
and goals. Political parties can be…
• conservative: with more traditional views
• liberal: more focused on change and reform (complete change)
• green: focused on environmental issues and nonviolence
• socialist: believing the economy should be owned collectively or
controlled by the government (communist is an extreme form)
When someone wants to become president, senator, mayor, etc. we say they
are running for the position (running for president, running for senator, etc.),
and they are called a candidate. And of course, the event when the citizens of
the country choose the right person for the role is called the election.
Candidates in an election have a campaign – publicity efforts trying to
convince people to vote for them (officially select them in the election). They
raise funds (get money) by collecting donations from their supporters, and
they put up posters around the city and air ads on TV. Before the election,
there are many opinion polls (surveys that ask questions to a large number
of people) to find out how the citizens are planning to vote. Someone who
doesn’t know yet who they want to vote for is undecided.
Results of an opinion poll

Let’s imagine a country where a presidential election is coming up. The
current president is called the incumbent, and the other candidates who
want to become president are the challengers.

If the current president wins the election, then we say the president is re-
elected. In the U.S., presidents have a term (time period) of four years.
On election day, everyone goes to the polling stations to vote, inside private
compartments called booths.
The piece of paper where you mark your vote is called the ballot.
After everyone has voted, the ballots are counted and everyone waits for the
election results to be announced:
• If one candidate won by a large majority, we say he/she won by a
landslide.
• If it was very close and almost equal, then it was a tight race and the
winning candidate won by a hair.

politics, politician, policy, monarchy, king, queen, prince, princess, hereditary,
royal family, empire, emperor, divine, democracy, dictatorship, president,
congress, senate, supreme court, department, ministry, governor, mayor,
citizen, political party, conservative, liberal, reform, green, socialist,
communist, run for, candidate, election, campaign, vote, raise funds, posters,
opinion polls, undecided, incumbent, challenger, re-elected, term, polling
station, booth, ballot, won by a landslide, tight race, won by a hair

Quiz – Lesson 26
Complete the article with the correct words from the box:
campaigns conservative party re-election term
candidates departments politics reforms undecided
challenger governor polls running vote
citizen landslide race station
It's looking like a tight __________________ in the presidential election between

President Jane Smith, who is seeking __________________, and __________________ Bob
Johnson. Opinion __________________ show Smith has a slight lead, although many
voters are still __________________.
A few prominent members of Smith's political __________________ have given
their support to Johnson, as they feel Smith has not done a good job during her
first __________________ in office. Smith won the last election by a __________________,
as many voters were excited to elect the country's first female president.
However, she has implemented several controversial __________________ -
particularly in the __________________ of justice and homeland security - which
some have considered to be too radical.
Johnson holds a more __________________ view. Although he has a long career in
__________________ - having served as state __________________ as well as in the
House of Representatives - this is his first time __________________ for president.
Both Smith and Johnson will intensify their __________________ in the weeks
leading up to the election, and the first televised debate between the two
__________________ is scheduled for Saturday.
Make sure to do your duty as a __________________ of the country - register to
__________________ and check the location of the nearest polling __________________
in your neighborhood!

Vocabulary Practice
1. Describe the political system in your country.
2. Would you want to be a politician? Why or why not?
3. What's your opinion on your country's or city's current government?
4. Do your political views tend to be more conservative, liberal, green,

socialist... or something else entirely?
5. Is voting mandatory (required) or optional in your country? Do you think

mandatory voting is good or bad, and why?
6. What types of promises do politicians in your country make during

campaigns?
7. Name a politician who was famous or had a big impact in your country, and
describe what he/she did.
8. When are elections held in your country?

ANSWERS:
It's looking like a tight race in the presidential election between President
Jane Smith, who is seeking re-election, and challenger Bob Johnson. Opinion
polls show Smith has a slight lead, although many voters are still undecided.
A few prominent members of Smith's political party have given their support
to Johnson, as they feel Smith has not done a good job during her first term in
office. Smith won the last election by a landslide, as many voters were excited
to elect the country's first female president. However, she has implemented
several controversial reforms - particularly in the departments of justice and
homeland security - which some have considered to be too radical.
Johnson holds a more conservative view. Although he has a long career in
politics - having served as state governor as well as in the House of
Representatives - this is his first time running for president.
Both Smith and Johnson will intensify their campaigns in the weeks leading
up to the election, and the first televised debate between the two candidates
is scheduled for Saturday.
Make sure to do your duty as a citizen of the country - register to vote and
check the location of the nearest polling station in your neighborhood!

Lesson 27: News & Media
Types of Media
The word media refers to all forms of communication that reach large
numbers of people. It includes:
• newspapers (sometimes called “papers”) – usually published daily

• magazines – usually published weekly or monthly
• radio and TV are two types of media that are broadcast (transmitted)
electronically.
• the internet
Sections of a Newspaper
You can buy both magazines and newspapers at a newsstand, or if you have a
subscription, they will be delivered to your house.
A newsstand
The title of a newspaper article is called the headline. If you don’t have time
to read the entire paper, you can just skim (look quickly at) the headlines,

especially those on the front page – the first page of the newspaper, which
usually has the most important stories.
Headlines on the front page

Many newspapers include the following sections:
• Local news, national news, and international news – information
about events in the city/area, country, and world
• Business & Finance
• Sports
• Entertainment/Leisure – this section has information about activities
you might do for fun, like festivals, concerts, and plays. It might also
have movie reviews – evaluations of new movies.
• Comics: These are the funny drawings

• Opinion / Columns / Editorial: The main articles of a newspaper are
supposed to report only the facts, but some papers have a special
section for expressing opinions. A column is an opinion article that is
published by the same writer frequently, and an editorial expresses the
opinion of the newspaper’s editors.
• Classified ads or Classifieds are small advertisements by people who
want to buy or sell things, looking for or offering a job, etc.
• Obituaries are reports about people who have died recently, describing
the person’s life.
People Working in Media

The general word for people who work in the media is the press. When a
company, politician, or celebrity holds a press conference, that’s a meeting
with reporters. There is also a press release, a publication designed
specifically to inform the media about an event.
The word reporter can be used for someone who writes articles for a
newspaper or presents news on TV. There’s a special name for the people who
stay inside the TV studio – those are the news anchors. The news anchors
usually introduce the story and then transfer it to a correspondent, a
reporter who presents from another location. The person who films the
correspondent is the cameraman/camerawoman.

News anchor, cameraman, and correspondent
Newspapers have an editor who revises and improves articles before they are
published, a proofreader to check for errors, and a fact-checker to confirm
the information and make sure it is true.
On radio, the person who presents the show is called the host. Many radio
hosts are pundits or commentators: they are presenting their opinions, not
just the facts. Radio shows often include sound bites – short audio recordings
from previously recorded speeches, interviews, or events.
radio host photographers

Finally, we have photographers who take pictures, and the especially
aggressive photographers who often pursue celebrities are called paparazzi.
Journalism
A story that is newsworthy means it is interesting and deserves to be
covered (reported) by the media. The noun form of “cover” is “coverage,” and
one common term is “in-depth coverage,” meaning very detailed reporting
about an event or issue. The news may include eyewitness reports – reports
from people who saw the event personally, with their own eyes.
A person from whom a journalist gets information is called a source. Some
sources have their names published, and others prefer to remain anonymous.

Some people prefer to say things “off the record” – meaning their words
should not be recorded or published.
The mainstream media (the big, popular news agencies) is supposed to be
objective – meaning to tell only the facts, without including opinions.
However, it is possible to “spin” the facts – present them in a way that
indirectly expresses an opinion, or influences the listener/reader in a certain
way.
Reporting that is not objective can be described as biased. And material that
is specifically designed to influence the beliefs of the listeners/readers is
called propaganda.
Some people also believe today’s news is too sensationalistic – it exaggerates
everything and makes it a spectacle. One extreme example of media
sensationalism is the tabloids – magazines that focus on celebrity gossip
(private information and rumors) and stories that may or may not be true.
The excessive publicity and excitement in media or advertising is often called
hype. There might be a lot of hype around a new movie or new product, or a
report of a scandal, threat, or other major event.
media, newspapers, magazines, radio, newsstand, subscription, article,
headline, skim, front page, comics, column, editorial, classifieds, obituaries,
press conference, press release, reporter, news anchor, correspondent,
cameraman, editor, proofreader, fact-checker, host, pundit, commentator,
sound bite, photographer, paparazzi, newsworthy, in-depth coverage,
eyewitness reports, source, off the record, mainstream media, objective, spin,
biased, propaganda, sensationalistic, tabloids, hype

Quiz – Lesson 27
Complete each sentence with the correct word. Two are not used!
biased eyewitness magazines propaganda
column front page newsstand pundits
comics headlines press conference reporter
coverage hype proofreader source
1. According to __________________ reports, police began shooting at the

suspect even though he did not present a threat.
2. Good thing the __________________ caught those grammar mistakes and
typos before the article was published!
3. I never listen to that radio show because it's extremely __________________
in favor of the conservative party.
4. The company is holding a __________________ to reveal its newest product,
which should be launched next month.
5. I subscribe to several __________________about fashion and design.
6. My kids enjoy reading the __________________ on Sunday.
7. Newspaper __________________ are designed to get the reader's attention.
8. One of my college professors writes a weekly __________________ about
economics in The New York Times.
9. Several political __________________ are criticizing the president's decision
to cut funding for the military.
10. The __________________ asked various people on the streets of Los
Angeles what they thought about the increase in taxes.
11. I don't understand the ridiculous amount of media
__________________ around that new movie - it doesn't look that great to me.
12. The journalist received a tip about the celebrity's plans to divorce
from a __________________ who is close to her family.
13. This was the biggest scandal in the past decade - it was on the
__________________ of every newspaper in the country.

14. I really enjoy the in-depth __________________ of the Olympic Games,
especially when they talk about the athletes' life stories.
Vocabulary Practice
1. Do you keep up with the news? Which of the media types do you get your
news from?
2. How often do you read the newspaper, read a magazine, listen to the radio?
Which ones do you like to read/listen to?
3. What are your favorite and least favorite sections of the newspaper?
4. What do you think is the best and worst part about working as a reporter?
5. Have you ever appeared on TV, on radio, or in the newspaper?
6. Is the news reporting in your country objective or biased?
7. Do you think news is too sensationalistic?
8. What are some of the major news stories in your country right now?
9. What's one issue about which there is a lot of hype at the moment?

QUIZ ANSWERS:
1. eyewitness
2. proofreader
3. biased
4. press conference
5. magazines
6. comics
7. headlines
8. column
9. pundits
10. reporter
11. hype
12. source
13. front page
14. coverage

Lesson 28: Crime & Punishment
Committing a Crime
The general word for a person who commits a crime is a criminal. A criminal
may try to flee – run away or escape from the police – or if he is armed (he
has a weapon like a gun) then he may get into a shootout with the police,
meaning he and the police are firing their guns at each other.
When the police catch a criminal, they arrest him by putting on handcuffs
and taking him to the police station.
Now the criminal must attend a trial where it will be decided if he is innocent
or guilty. The place where the trial is held is called the court. The judge is the
main authority in the process, and some cases may also have a jury – a group
of everyday people who will help decide the result.

When it is not yet certain if the person is innocent or guilty, he is usually
called a suspect. In court, the suspect is charged with (officially accused of)
the specific crimes he is believed to have committed. He may hire a lawyer to
help defend himself.
One way a suspect can prove his innocence is by giving an alibi – saying that
he was somewhere else at the time of the crime – if his alibi can be verified
with other people, then he may be innocent.
During the trial, evidence from the crime scene (the place where the crime
occurred) is presented, and the judge and jury may listen to witnesses –
people who saw the events personally – and to the testimony (statements) of
the victim, the person who was hurt/affected by the crime. Before making
statements in court, everyone must take an oath – strongly swearing to tell
the truth.
The final decision in a trial is called the verdict. If the suspect is found to be
innocent, then he is acquitted and released; if he is found to be guilty, then he
is convicted (officially declared guilty) and will be sentenced (given an
official punishment).
If the crime was minor, the criminal will probably have to pay a fine (money
paid as a penalty) or do community service (volunteer work). If the crime

was more serious, he will go to jail (prison). For extremely serious crimes, the
criminal may get a life sentence, meaning he will stay in prison for the rest of
his life, or even the death penalty, meaning he will be executed.
jail / prison
If either the criminal or the victim feel the verdict was unfair, they can appeal
– take the case to a court with higher authority for a re-consideration of the
case.
Specific Types of Crimes & Criminals

Someone who intentionally kills another person is a murderer or killer (the
crime is called murder). The crime of attacking another person is called
assault, and this type of criminal is usually called an attacker.
Crimes of a sexual nature include rape (forced sexual relations, when the
other person doesn’t want to) – a person who does this is a rapist. A more
general word for sexual crimes is sexual assault, and if it has been going on
for a long time, it is sexual abuse and the criminal is often called an abuser.
When a criminal takes someone against their will and imprisons them, this is
called kidnapping and the criminal is a kidnapper. Often the kidnapper
wants money (which is called a ransom) in exchange for releasing the
innocent person.

When a criminal takes control of an airplane, car, ship, or other vehicle, this is
called hijacking. And attacking innocent people for political or ideological
reasons is terrorism.
A number of crimes involve property. Intentionally setting fire to someone’s
property is called arson, and intentionally damaging property (for example by
breaking things or graffiti) is called vandalism – the names for people who
commit these crimes are arsonist and vandal.
The specific word for a criminal who breaks into a house or building to steal
things is a burglar. Many houses and companies have a burglar alarm to
alert the police if someone enters illegally.
More general words for a criminal who steals things are a robber or thief.
Remember that these words refer to the person, not the action – the action is
to rob (a place) – rob a bank – or to steal (an object) – steal a laptop.
(Click here for more information on the differences).

A couple specific types of thieves are a shoplifter, someone who takes items
from a store, and a pickpocket, someone who takes your money, cell phone,
or wallet out of your pocket – often without you noticing. Pickpockets often
work in crowded public places.
A group of criminals who help each other is called a gang. Many gangs are
involved in drug dealing – buying and selling illegal drugs like cocaine and
heroin.
Finally, there’s a category of crimes called white-collar crime – these are
non-violent crimes committed by business and government professionals.
White-collar crimes include:
• fraud: being dishonest in order to get an advantage
• embezzlement: stealing money that you are supposed to be taking care
of (ex. a company accountant stealing the company’s money)
• bribery: giving money to someone illegally in order to get a special
favor (ex. paying a police officer to let you go without a speeding ticket)
• identity theft: using someone else’s name and personal information to
open bank accounts, credit cards, or take out loans.
criminal, flee, armed, weapon, arrest, handcuffs, trial, court, judge, jury,
suspect, charged, lawyer, alibi, crime scene, witnesses, testimony, victim, oath,
verdict, acquitted, convicted, pay a fine, community service, jail, life sentence,
death penalty, appeal, murderer, killer, assault, attacker, rape, rapist, sexual
assault, sexual abuse, abuser, kidnapping, kidnapper, ransom, hijacking,
terrorism, arson, arsonist, vandalism, vandal, burglar, burglar alarm, robber,
thief, shoplifter, pickpocket, gang, drug dealing, white-collar crime, fraud,
embezzlement, bribery, identity theft

Quiz – Lesson 28
alibi burglar drug dealer kidnapped trial

armed community service flee lawyers victims
arrested convicted fraud shoplifters witnesses
1. A gang ______________________ the businessman's daughter and demanded

one million dollars as a ransom.
2. Corrupt businessmen can afford to hire excellent ______________________
and end up getting much less severe punishments for their crimes.
3. If a robber is ______________________, it's best to give him what he wants and
not try to fight back - no amount of money is worth possibly losing your
life.
4. The director of the charity was ______________________ of embezzlement
after it was proven that she had used donations to pay for her family's
vacation.
5. Security guards caught two ______________________ as they were leaving the
mall.
6. Sometimes ______________________ of sexual assault are ashamed to tell
anyone about the crime they suffered.
7. Teenagers who commit crimes such as minor vandalism are often
sentenced to ______________________.
8. The bank robbers tried to ______________________ in their getaway car, but
the police chased them through the city streets until catching them.
9. There was a lot of conflicting evidence in the case, and the
______________________ lasted nearly twelve months.
10. The company is being investigated for ______________________ after
charging customers for orders it never delivered.
11. The suspect's ______________________ - that he was at a bar at the
moment of the attack - was verified by two friends and the bartender.

12. My neighbor used to beat his wife almost every night, until finally
she called the police and they ______________________ him.
13. There were no ______________________ to the murder, so the police
had to investigate purely based on the physical evidence at the crime
scene.
14. While I was traveling, a ______________________ broke into my house
and stole my TV.
15. The college student bought 300 grams of LSD from a
______________________.
Vocabulary Practice
1. What crimes have you heard about recently in the news?
2. Have you or anyone you've known ever been arrested?
3. Describe a famous criminal trial that has gotten a lot of publicity in your
country.
4. Are there any actions that are not technically crimes, but you think they
should be?
5. What precautions do you take to avoid being the victim of a crime?

6. Have you ever stolen anything, or had anything stolen from you?
7. Do you support the death penalty? Why or why not?
8. Do you think it's possible for a criminal to be rehabilitated to participate in

society? Why or why not?
9. In your opinion, what is the best way to reduce crime?
10. Do you think that punishment for crime should be the same whether the
criminal is a minor (less than 18 years old) or an adult? Why or why not?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. kidnapped
2. lawyers
3. armed
4. convicted
5. shoplifters
6. victims
7. community service
8. flee
9. trial
10. fraud
11. alibi
12. arrested
13. witnesses
14. burglar
15. drug dealer

Lesson 29: Religion
Today’s lesson will introduce you to some basic vocabulary for the world’s
five major religions:
Name of religion Name of a person who

practices it
Christianity Christian
Islam Muslim
Hinduism Hindu
Buddhism Buddhist
Judaism Jew (noun)

Jewish (adjective)
Belief that there is no A person who holds this

god = Atheism belief = Atheist
Christianity
The place where Christians meet is called a church, and
one symbol that is frequently used is the cross. There are
many different types of Christianity, but the two main
groups are the Catholic church and the Protestant
church.
The main leaders in Christianity are:
• The Pope, cardinals and priests (in Catholicism)
• Pastors (in Protestantism)

the Pope pastor
Christians believe in the trinity (one God with three persons) – God the
Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit – and their holy book is the Bible.
The basic belief of Christianity is that all humans have sinned (done bad
things) but the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ provides salvation.
After death, believers in Jesus go to heaven and unbelievers go to hell.
Christians are often baptized as a symbol of their commitment to the faith.
Islam
Muslims believe in one God (Allah) and the prophet Muhammad – a prophet
is a human being who receives special knowledge directly from God, to share
the message with humanity. The special book for Muslims is called the Koran.

A Muslim religious leader is an imam, and Muslims meet in a mosque. Their
main belief is that humans must submit to the will of God in order to go to
Paradise after death.
mosque praying
In addition to faith, some of the main practices of Islam include:
• Praying five times a day
• Giving money to charity (to help poor people)
• Making a pilgrimage (a special trip to a holy place) to the city of Mecca
• Fasting – not eating food, for religious reasons
Hinduism
Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, meaning it has
many gods and also goddesses (female gods).
There are also many sacred books (something
that is “sacred” or “holy” means it has special
religious significance or is inspired by god).
It is difficult to define specific Hindu beliefs,
because Hinduism is a fusion of many different
traditions – but one example is the belief that
humans and animals are reincarnated – meaning the soul (the essential
essence of life) is born again into another body, living many lives until
achieving enlightenment (the highest form of spiritual experience).

One Hindu concept that has been adopted into the English language is karma
– the idea that if you do good things, good things will happen to you; and if you
do bad things, bad things will happen to you.
Hindu practices include yoga, meditation, and worship (love and devotion to
a god or goddess).
Buddhism
Buddhism does not have a specific god; it is based on the teachings of the
Buddha, who lived sometime between the 6th to 4th centuries B.C. and is
considered to have reached enlightenment.
According to Buddhism, humans can end their suffering by avoiding

attachment to worldly things and seeking to achieve nirvana – perfect peace /
happiness.
Buddhist practices include meditation and mantras (specific phrases that a
person repeats or chants to help them develop spiritually) as well as simple
mindfulness – the practice of being completely aware and conscious of each
moment, thought, and action.

Buddhists who dedicate their lives to spiritual practice are called monks.
Judaism
Some key Jewish beliefs are that there is only one God and that humans must
obey God’s commandments and live ethically. Judaism looks forward to the
future coming of the Messiah, a person who will save the entire world and all
of humanity.
Jewish people gather in a synagogue or temple and the religious leader is

called a rabbi. The Jewish holy book is also the Bible or the Scriptures, but it
is different from the Christian Bible – it is only the Old Testament, whereas
Christians use both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

rabbi
A few of the important Jewish practices are celebrating religious holidays,
circumcising baby boys (removing part of the skin of the penis) and keeping
kosher, meaning following the rules for eating taught in the Bible – eating
pork and shellfish is prohibited, for example.
Other Religions
There are a number of other religions practiced by various people groups
around the world. These may include sacrifice (killing an animal to please the
gods), use of amulets (special small objects for protection), and worship of
ancestors (people in your family who died many years ago).
amulet
New Age spirituality is a mix of beliefs and practices aiming to reach a higher
level of consciousness and peace – such as astrology (reading the future from

the stars), fortune-telling (reading the future through other methods), use of
crystals, and holistic/alternative medicine.
crystals
Finally, the verb we use for officially changing from one religion to another is
to convert.
Christianity, Christian, Islam, Muslim, Hinduism, Hindu, Buddhism, Buddhist,
Judaism, Jew, Jewish, atheism, atheist, church, cross, Catholic, Protestant,
Pope, cardinal, priest, pastor, trinity, Bible, sin, resurrection, salvation, heaven,
hell, baptized, prophet, imam, mosque, Koran, praying, charity, pilgrimage,
fasting, polytheistic, goddess, sacred, reincarnated, soul, enlightenment,
karma, yoga, meditation, worship, Buddha, nirvana, mindfulness, monk,
Messiah, synagogue, temple, rabbi, Scriptures, Old Testament, New Testament,
holiday, circumcise, kosher, sacrifice, amulets, ancestors, astrology, fortune-
telling, crystals, holistic/alternative medicine, convert

Quiz – Lesson 29
Can you complete each word?
1. A female god is a g __ __ __ __ __ __.
2. A Jewish place of worship is a synagogue or t __ __ __ __ __.
3. Something that has special religious significance is s __ __ __ __ __ or holy.
4. A Muslim place of worship is called a m __ __ __ __ __.
5. A p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ is a trip to a holy place, for religious reasons.
6. When someone officially changes their religion, they c __ __ __ __ __ __.
7. According to Christianity, believers go to h __ __ __ __ __ after they die.
8. An a __ __ __ __ __ is a symbol that is believed to provide magical
protection.
9. Christians believe in Jesus' r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ - that he died and
came back to life.
10. Muslims p __ __ __ five times a day.
11. One symbol frequently displayed in churches is a c __ __ __ __.
12. Reading the future through cards, a crystal ball, or other methods
is called f __ __ __ __ __ __ - t __ __ __ __ __ __.
13. Sitting quietly, controlling your breathing, and focusing your mind
is called m __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
14. Someone who has dedicated their life to spiritual practice and
lives in a monastery is a m __ __ __.
15. A p __ __ __ __ __ __ is someone who has received a direct message
from God in order to share it with humanity.
16. The ancient members of your family are your a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
17. The main Catholic religious leader is the P __ __ __, and a leader in a
local church is a p __ __ __ __ __.
18. When a soul is r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, it is born into another
body to live another life.
19. The name for the religion of Muslims is I __ __ __ __.
20. A Jewish religious leader is called a r __ __ __ __.

Vocabulary Practice
1. What are the major religions in your country?
2. Describe your own religious beliefs and practices. Is religion important in

your daily life?
3. Do you have any friends of different religions?
4. Would you ever date or marry someone of a different religion?
5. What's one religious belief/practice you don't agree with?
6. Do you think religion causes more benefit or more harm to society, and
why?
7. What do you think about the relationship between religion and science?
8. In your opinion, is it OK for people to try to convince others to convert?
9. Do you think some religions are better than others?
10. What do you think is the hardest part about being a religious leader?

ANSWERS:
1. goddess
2. temple
3. sacred
4. mosque
5. pilgrimage
6. convert
7. heaven
8. amulet
9. resurrection
10. pray
11. cross
12. fortune-telling
13. meditation
14. monk
15. prophet
16. ancestors
17. Pope / priest
18. reincarnated
19. Islam
20. rabbi

Lesson 30: Essential Concepts
Time
There are…
• 60 seconds in 1 minute
• 60 minutes in 1 hour
• 24 hours in 1 day
• 7 days in 1 week
• About 4 weeks in 1 month
• 12 months in 1 year
• 10 years in 1 decade
• 100 years in 1 century
Make sure to use the correct preposition with each time expression!
Times Days/Dates Weeks/Months/Years/

Decades/Centuries
At On In
- At 4:00 - On Monday - In the last week of May

- At ten minutes to five - On July 4th - In September
- At half past three - On the first day - In 2002
of the month
- In the 1940s
- In the 1800s
- In the 7th century

To talk about unspecified times in the recent past, use these words:
• I’ve been studying a lot lately.
• She recently graduated.
• I saw him just the other day.
(= yesterday or several days ago)
To talk about unspecified times in the distant past, use these words:
• I sent the package a while ago, has it arrived yet?
• We met ages ago – sometime in the 1970s, if I’m not mistaken.
To talk about the present, use these words:
• Kids nowadays are really good with computers.
• In high school I wore glasses, but nowadays I wear contacts.
(nowadays is used to contrast the present with times years ago)
• The product is currently unavailable.
• Let’s take a break for now.
• My laptop is broken, so I can’t get online for the time being.
(currently, for now, and for the time being are used for situations that will
probably change in the future)
Numbers
Here’s how to talk about big numbers in English:
• 100 = one hundred
• 1,000 = one thousand
• 1,000,000 = one million
• 1,000,000,000 = one billion
When talking about specific numbers, we do not add –S:

• 350 = three hundred and fifty (not “three hundreds and fifty”)
Only add an –S when you don’t know exactly how many:
• Hundreds of people attended.
To express small numbers, we have fractions and decimals:
• ½ = one half
• 2/3 = two thirds
• ¼ = one fourth (quarter)
• …etc.
When saying a number with a decimal, we use the word point:
• 1.8 = one point eight
• 7.43 = seven point four three
However, if the decimal is a price, then we say it differently – it’s more similar
to the way we say time:
• $1.80 = one eighty
• $7.43 = seven forty three
Numbers fall into two categories:
• even numbers can be divided evenly by two: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10…
• odd numbers cannot be divided evenly by two: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9…
Finally, let’s learn the words used in basic math:
• 2 + 3 = 5: two plus three equals five
• 9 – 8 = 1: nine minus eight equals one
• 10 x 4 = 40: ten times four equals forty
• 18 / 3 = 6: eighteen divided by three equals six

In everyday English, we usually say “is” instead of “equals”: two plus three is
five, nine minus eight is one, etc.
Size and Distance

The words big and small are used to talk about general size. Some more
extreme words meaning “very big” are huge, enormous, and gigantic; some
more extreme words meaning “very small” are tiny and minuscule.
Tall and short are used for vertical measurement – usually for people, but
also for tall buildings and trees.
Long and short are used for horizontal measurement (a long rope) as well as
for time (a short film, a long wait), hair, legs, and books.
For distances we use near/close to and far / a long way:
• The bank is near the school.
• The bank is close to the school.
• The bank is far from the hospital.
• The bank is a long way from the hospital.
For measuring across a road, river, or another thing with boundaries on the
sides, we use wide and narrow.
a wide road a narrow road

Finally, for measuring vertically in an enclosed space, use deep and shallow
(deep/shallow water).
seconds, hour, day, week, month, year, decade, century, lately, recently, the
other day, a while ago, ages ago, nowadays, currently, for now, for the time
being, hundred, thousand, million, billion, half, third, fourth, point, quarter,
even numbers, odd numbers, plus, minus, times, divided by, equals, big, small,
huge, enormous, gigantic, tiny, minuscule, tall, short, long, near, close to, far, a
long way, wide, narrow, deep, shallow

Quiz – Lesson 30
Practice writing the big & small numbers:
Ex) 15,811 = fifteen thousand, eight hundred and eleven
a. 175 = _________________________________________________________________
b. 810 = _________________________________________________________________
c. 7,206 = _________________________________________________________________
d. 4,500,000 = _________________________________________________________________
e. 36,000 = _________________________________________________________________
f. 9,790 = _________________________________________________________________
g. 125,000 = _________________________________________________________________
h. 780,392 = _________________________________________________________________
i. 1 ¾ = _________________________________________________________________
j. 9.2 = _________________________________________________________________
k. 25.78 = _________________________________________________________________
l. 3 ½ = _________________________________________________________________
m. $39.99 = _________________________________________________________________
n. $1.65 = _________________________________________________________________

Circle the correct word:
1. A mouse is a short / small animal.
2. It takes a big / long time to make progress.
3. It's too big / far to walk; you need to drive.
4. This is a shallow / short book; you can read it in an hour.
5. My brother is longer / taller than me.
6. The river is so enormous / shallow that you can cross it on foot.
7. I have short / tiny brown hair.
8. The sofa is so close / wide that it won't fit through the doorway.
9. There's a supermarket near / short the highway.
10. This necklace is full of narrow / tiny diamonds.
11. Russia is a big / tall country.
12. We climbed up a deep / huge mountain.
13. That road is very narrow / shallow - only one car can pass at a
time.
14. You can dive into the deep / wide part of the swimming pool.

QUIZ ANSWERS
a. one hundred and seventy-five
b. eight hundred and ten
c. seven thousand, two hundred and six
d. four million, five hundred thousand
e. thirty-six thousand
f. nine thousand, seven hundred and ninety
g. one hundred and twenty-five thousand
h. seven hundred and eighty thousand, three hundred and ninety-two
i. one and three-quarters (or three-fourths)
j. nine point two
k. twenty-five point seven eight
l. three and one half (or and a half)
m. thirty-nine ninety-nine
n. one sixty-five
QUIZ ANSWERS:
1. small 8. wide
2. long 9. near
3. far 10. tiny
4. short 11. big
5. taller 12. huge
6. shallow 13. narrow
7. short 14. deep
Image source: Kraaiennest

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You keep your clothes in a closet - on hangers - or in a dresser - inside the

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a dresser with five drawers

At night, you go to bed or go to sleep – and in the morning, you wake up

• What time do you go to bed?

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Try to complete these sentences now:

• I brush my teeth ________ times a day.

You can keep food cold in the refrigerator (or

Other foods are kept inside cabinets or on a shelf

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fork, spoon, and knife

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couch / sofa chair bookcase

Structure of the House

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Some houses have a basement that is underground, and an attic to store

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alarm clock fridge pot spoon

Bedroom Bathroom Kitchen

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Send me your text at homework@espressoenglish.net and I’ll correct it!

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Bedroom Bathroom Kitchen

(the kitchen also has a

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• earn money = Receive money from doing work.

Earning & Saving Money

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• I am… (rich / middle-class / poor).

• Metal money is called coins. This is a 1-cent coin.

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Borrowing & Lending Money

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8) My company ________ my salary directly into my checking account.

9) My roommate's really ________. He always eats my food, but he doesn't help

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15) My husband is _________ up for a motorcycle - he hopes to buy one next

The quiz answers are at the end of the lesson.

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2. What kinds of bank accounts do you have?

3. What items do you usually spend a lot of money on?

4. Do you invest in the stock market? Do you think investing in the

5. When was the last time you made a deposit?

6. When was the last time you made a withdrawal?

7. Where is the closest ATM to your house?

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11. What's the most expensive thing you own?

15. Who is the most generous person you know?

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Complete this sentence now: “I’m wearing a _______________________________ shirt.”

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dress shirt blouse tank top