Language Practice

Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 07 Lifestyle

It’s a new day …
Every day is new and different, but we all have habits that we repeat day after day – habits
connected with eating, drinking, working, and sleeping. Our habits can affect our health and
our mood, so from time to time it’s good to stop and notice what we do each day. Is there
something we could change?
habits (noun) – things that you do often and almost without thinking
mood (noun) – the way that you are feeling at a particular time

Starting the day

What time do you wake up? Do you get up immediately or stay in bed? Do you start
the day with positive thoughts about how good the day will be? What do you have for
breakfast? A good breakfast gives you energy for the whole morning.
wake up (phrasal verb) – to stop sleeping
get up (phrasal verb) – to get out of bed
positive (adjective) – thinking about the good things in a situation
have (something) for breakfast/lunch/dinner (collocation) – eat and drink
energy (noun) – the ability to be very active or do a lot of work without getting tired

Food and drink

Do you eat well? Do you drink enough water? A good diet is important for our minds as well
as our bodies. After working or studying, eating a meal with friends or family is a good way
to relax.
diet (noun) – the food that a person usually eats
relax (verb) – to rest while you are doing something enjoyable

Time and money

Do you live to work or work to live? Most people want to work hard and succeed in life, but
where’s the fun in making money if you don’t have time to spend it? It’s good to smile
and laugh every day, so try to spend time with people who are happy or watch something
that makes you laugh on TV or online.
succeed (verb) – to manage to achieve what you want
make money (collocation) – earn money
spend money (collocation) – pay money for something
spend time (somewhere/doing something) (collocation) – pass time
smile (verb) – to make a smile appear on your face
laugh (verb) – to make the sounds that show you are happy or amused
 ake someone laugh (smile, cry, etc.) (collocation) – cause someone to
m
laugh (smile, cry, etc.)
Ending the day
What time do you go to bed? Do you go to sleep immediately? And how many hours do you
sleep for? Six? Seven? Eight? It’s really important to get enough sleep. Five or six hours is not
enough. Oh yes, and remember to switch off your phone – you’ll sleep better if you do.
go to bed (collocation) – go to your bed at the end of the day
go to sleep (collocation) – start to sleep
get enough sleep (collocation) – get as much sleep as you need
switch (something) off (phrasal verb) – press a switch to turn something electrical off

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Vocabulary Basic 07 Lifestyle (continued)

Free time activities

get together with friends have a conversation get some exercise tell jokes

listen to music go to the gym take part (e.g. in a race) spend time outdoors
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 07 Your style

a bright pink shirt a striped silver tie a light blue dress black jeans a dark green skirt

a denim jacket a silk scarf high-heeled shoes a cotton t-shirt checked trousers

brown leather boots a grey suit gold earrings a woolly hat a silver necklace

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Pre-intermediate
Vocabulary Basic 07 Your style (continued)
It’s easy to find clothes that fit me,
as I’m an average size. But it’s much
harder to find clothes that look good
on me – that really suit me.
fit (verb) – to be the right size/shape
for somebody
suit (verb) – (about clothes and
colours) to make you look attractive
Some people don’t care about being
fashionable, but I love buying stylish
clothes.
fashionable (adjective) – in a popular
style at the time
stylish (adjective) – fashionable and
attractive
Language Practice
When I get home from work I like
to put on something really soft and
comfortable, and then just relax.
soft (adjective) – not hard or firm
comfortable (adjective) – makes you
feel physically relaxed and in no pain
I can never find clothes that fit me –
they’re either too tight or too loose!
tight (adjective) – (about clothes)
fitting very closely in a way that is
often uncomfortable
loose (adjective) – (about clothes) not
fitting closely, not tight
I work in an office and so I need
to wear smart clothes, but at the
weekend I prefer to be casual.
smart (adjective) – (about clothes)
good enough to wear on a formal
occasion
casual (adjective) – (about clothes)
not formal
You should choose your clothes
carefully – right now I’m wearing a
patterned tie and a plain shirt –
they look great together!
patterned (adjective) – decorated
with a pattern
plain (adjective) – (about clothes) all
one colour, without a pattern on it
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 08 Amazing journeys

Prepositions of movement

across a tightrope along the road towards the tunnel onto a box into the tunnel

through a tunnel out of a helicopter around the world past Mount Fuji over the Swiss Alps

Feelings
Happiness
When we feel happy we usually also feel calm and relaxed. If we’re looking forward to
something positive in the future, we might feel excited and if something happens the way we
want it to happen, we probably feel pleased.
happiness (noun) – the feeling of being happy
calm (adjective) – quiet, and not excited or afraid
relaxed (adjective) – calm and not worried
excited (adjective) – not calm, for example because you are happy about something that is
going to happen
pleased (adjective) – happy

Sadness
We feel sad and unhappy when we lose something or someone, especially if this is
something or someone we care about. When we hope for something and it doesn’t happen
we feel disappointed. When we are very sad we feel miserable.
sadness (noun) – the feeling of being sad
unhappy (adjective) – not happy
disappointed (adjective) – unhappy because what you wanted did not happen
miserable (adjective) – feeling very unhappy

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 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 08 Amazing journeys (continued)

Fear
We feel afraid, scared, and frightened when we believe we’re in a dangerous situation. In an
extremely dangerous situation, we feel terrified. Some people feel nervous or worried when
they think about a difficult situation coming up – for example an exam.
fear (noun) – the feeling that you have when you think that something bad might happen
afraid (adjective) – if you are afraid of something, it makes you feel fear
scared (adjective) – feeling fear; frightened
frightened (adjective) – full of fear or worry
afraid, scared, and frightened are close synonyms
terrified (adjective) – very frightened
nervous (adjective) – worried or afraid
worried (adjective) – unhappy because you think that something bad will happen

Anger
We might feel cross and angry when we don’t like what someone else says or does.
anger (noun) – the strong feeling that you have when something has happened or somebody
has done something that you do not like
cross (adjective) – feeling angry

Disgust
We feel disgusted and we might say ‘That’s disgusting!’ when we see, hear, smell, touch, or
taste something horrible that makes us feel sick, like a dead animal or rotten food.
disgust (noun) – a strong feeling of not liking something
disgusted (adjective) – if you are disgusted, you have a strong feeling of not liking something
that is very unpleasant

Surprise
We feel surprised when something happens and we didn’t know it was going to happen. It
can be a positive emotion, for example if we meet a friend in the street. When we are faced
with a very bad surprise, we feel shocked.
surprise (noun) – the feeling that you have when something happens suddenly that you did
not expect
surprised (adjective) – if you are surprised, you feel or show surprise
shocked (adjective) – an unpleasant feeling, usually from a very bad surprise
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 08 Life changes

give birth a birthday celebration buy a house a good education a graduation ceremony

an achievement get divorced encourage someone pass a test be independent

get an opportunity get a qualification attend an interview get married get engaged
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 09 Objects

valuable coins a rug perfume a brand-new car a dress

a bag a digital clock a silk shirt old-fashioned broken

valuable comfortable digital sharp damaged

tiny silk round a modern painting an ordinary phone

a thick blanket a light laptop a thin sheet an antique plate a leather belt

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 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 09 Objects (continued)

a special dress a heavy suitcase a huge cup a useful bag a plastic spoon

pretty flowers a nice, new house an old, tatty house a comfortable chair an uncomfortable chair

a round table a square table an antique watch a new watch a modern holiday place

an old holiday place a heavy box a light box a tiny needle a big needle

a huge tree a small tree

 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 09 Family

Family relationships

Jeff and Dean are twins. Flora has a lot of relatives called Eric has a lot of relatives called
Mary, but there’s no one in her close Charles, including his brother,
family called Mary. his grandfather and his great-
grandfather.

Natasha has a lot of cousins, but she Amy is the eldest child, Kira is the Martha and Hannah are half-sisters.
is an only child. middle child and Sammy is the
youngest child.

Neil is Bea’s step‑brother. Julian has one niece and two Alice is Steve’s mother-in-law.
nephews.
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 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 09 Family (continued)

Personality adjectives

I’m confident and I'm not really shy,

easy-going. I get the but I’m a quiet
best out of people person so I don’t
that way. really go out much.

People say I’m very

gentle and I always
try to be cheerful.

confident – feeling or showing
that you are sure about your own
opinions, abilities, etc.
easy-going – calm, relaxed, and
not easily worried or upset by what
people do
shy – nervous and uncomfortable gentle – kind and calm; treating
about meeting and speaking to people in a careful way
people cheerful – feeling and showing that
quiet – not talking very much you are happy

I’m quite
I’m always I’m intelligent and
creative. I’m not
patient and polite, hard-working. I’ve
really talented, but
whatever the guests been the same since
I really enjoy trying to
say to me. I was at school.
make nice things.
patient – able to stay calm and not creative – using skill or imagination intelligent – having the ability to
get angry to make or do new things understand, learn, and think
polite – having good manners and talented – having natural skill hard-working – working with effort
showing respect for others or ability and energy

I tell people what I

think of them. Some
people say I’m rude,
but I don’t think I am.
I think I’m just honest.

rude – not polite

honest – telling the truth
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 10 Expeditions

A charity expedition
To raise money for charity, 25 crew members drove an
emergency vehicle around the world: not a police car, not an
ambulance, but a fire engine called Martha.
raise money (collocation)
– get money from people for a particular purpose, e.g. for charity
charity (noun) – an organization that collects money to help
people who are sick, poor, etc.
crew (noun) – all the people who work on a ship, plane, or
emergency vehicle
crew member (noun) – someone who is part of the crew
emergency vehicle (noun) – a police car, fire engine, or
ambulance
ambulance (noun) – a special vehicle for taking ill or injured
people to hospital
fire engine (noun) – a special vehicle that carries equipment for
dealing with fires

The expedition, called Follow that Fire Engine, set off from
London on 16th July 2010 and arrived back in London on 10th
April 2011. They were raising money for three charities – two
that support people who have cancer (a terrible disease which
affects people of all ages) and one charity that helps firefighters
who have been injured at work.
expedition (noun) – a long journey for a special purpose
set off (phrasal verb) – to leave on a journey
support (verb) – to help somebody or something by, for
example, giving them encouragement or money
cancer (noun) – a very serious disease in which lumps (tumours)
grow in the body
disease (noun) – an illness of the body in humans, animals,
or plants
injured (adjective) – physically or mentally hurt

Steve Moore led the expedition in memory of his father. He

and the crew did the trip in eight stages. The route took them
through 26 countries, so they crossed a lot of borders along
the way!
lead (an expedition) (collocation) – to be in control of or be the
leader of an expedition
stage (noun) – part of a journey
route (noun) – a way from one place to another
border (noun) – a line that divides two countries
cross a border (collocation) – pass over a border to go from one
country to another

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Vocabulary Basic 10 Expeditions (continued)

They travelled through some beautiful scenery. They also got stuck
in some really bad traffic jams. (Was this photo taken during the rush
hour or is the traffic always like this here?) They met lots of local
people – and some interesting wildlife too!
get stuck (in something) (collocation) – become unable to move
rush hour (noun) – the times each day when there is a lot of
traffic because people are travelling to or from work
local (adjective) – from a particular place (near you)
wildlife (noun) – animals, birds, insects, etc. that are wild and live
in a natural environment

Follow that Fire Engine saw a few car crashes, but fortunately
they weren’t involved in any crashes themselves. Of course,
Martha broke down several times and had a few flat tyres along
the way!
car crash (noun) – an accident where a car or other vehicle hits
something and is damaged
be involved in (a car crash) (collocation) – be hurt or damaged in
a car crash
break down (phrasal verb) – to stop working (used about a
vehicle or machine)
a flat tyre (noun) – no or not enough air in the black rubber part
that goes around the wheel
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 10 Education

Two language classrooms

A secondary school
The teacher is strict and has to keep discipline in the classroom. The students must pay attention to the teacher.
The students usually sit in rows and face the front of the class. They have to work hard and obey the rules – they
will be in trouble if they break the rules! They can choose different subjects such as German, History and Science.
During class the students have to take notes and answer questions on worksheets. At the end of the year they
usually have to do an exam.
Before going to secondary school, the students probably went to a primary school in the same area. After
secondary school, if they pass their exams, many will go on to university or college. Most students in the UK have
this kind of education.
secondary school (noun) – a school for children aged 11-18
strict (adjective) – not allowing people to break rules or behave badly
discipline (noun) – training people to obey rules and behave well
pay attention to (collocation) – watch or listen to someone or something carefully
sit in rows (collocation) – sit in lines of seats
face the front (collocation) – have your face or your body pointing towards the front, e.g. towards the front of the
class
work hard (collocation) – work with energy and attention
obey the rules (collocation) – do what you are told to do
break the rules (collocation) – do something that is against the rules
subject (noun) – an area of knowledge that you learn at school, university, etc.
take notes (collocation) – write down some words quickly to help you remember something
worksheet (noun) – a piece of paper with questions or exercises on it that you use when you are studying something
do an exam (collocation) – sit for or write an exam
primary school (noun) – a school for children aged 5-11
pass an exam (collocation) – achieve the necessary standard in an exam (OPPOSITE fail an exam)
education (noun) – the teaching or training of people, especially in schools

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Vocabulary Basic 10 Education (continued)

A private language school

The teacher works hard to make classes fun for the students. She corrects the students’ work in class and marks
the students’ homework, usually at home in the evening. The students should go back over their notes after the
lesson.
The students often sit in a semi-circle, facing the teacher. They have a good reason to work hard and try to do well
because they have paid for the classes. Many students here are learning English so that they have a better chance of
getting a good job.
Students in a private language school often come from a variety of countries, and speak different first languages.
They may have a range of different problems with English grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. There may also
be students in the school who use a different alphabet in their first language.
private language school (noun) – a school or college where people pay to learn a language
correct (someone’s) work (collocation) – correct the mistakes in someone’s written work
mark homework (collocation) – mark the mistakes in someone’s written work and give them a grade or number to
show how well they have done
go back over someone’s (work/notes) (collocation) – study something again in order to learn it better
sit in a semi-circle (collocation) – sit in a half circle shape
work hard (collocation) – work with energy and attention
do well (collocation) – be successful (OPPOSITE do badly)
have a good chance of (doing something) (collocation) – a big possibility that something will happen
have problems with (collocation) – find something difficult
pronunciation (noun) – the way people pronounce things
alphabet (noun) – a set of letters in a fixed order that you use when you are writing a language
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 11 The news

How do we get the news?
Newspapers
Fewer and fewer people use newspapers to find out what’s going
on. In the 1980s more than 75% of Americans got a newspaper every
week – now this figure is down to around 35%.
find out what’s going on (collocation) – get information about what’s
happening in the news

Online
Around 50% of Brits get their news online. They visit news websites,
such as the BBC, where they can browse the headlines, read
articles online and sometimes download video clips of breaking
news stories. Many British newspapers also have popular online sites,
such as The Guardian.
visit a news website (collocation) – go to a place on the Internet
where a news organization puts news stories
browse the headlines (collocation) – look at the main news stories
without reading the details
read articles online (collocation) – read news stories on the Internet
download video clips (collocation) – copy digital videos from the
Internet to your computer, tablet, or smart phone

TV and radio
In Europe and the USA, TV and radio are still the most popular ways for
people to keep up-to-date with the news. TV and radio audiences
also trust the news they get this way more than any other.
keep up-to-date with the news (collocation) – make sure you have
the most recent information about the news
audience (noun) – all the people who are watching a television
programme (or film, play, etc.), or listening to a radio programme

Social media
Nowadays, more than one in three people, especially young people,
use social media to get the latest news. A lot of people like to share
news stories online too, on sites like Facebook and Twitter. News
travels so fast these days, and it’s easy to follow news stories as
they develop on social media.
social media (noun) – websites used for social networking, e.g.
Facebook, Twitter, etc.
get the (latest) news (collocation) – discover what’s happening in
your area, city, country, or around the world
share a news story online (collocation) – tell people about a news
story on the Internet, often by posting a link on social media
news travels (collocation) – news goes from person to person and
place to place
follow a news story as it develops (collocation) – regularly check a
news story to see what happens next

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Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 11 The news (continued)

Who makes the news?
News presenter
A TV news presenter reads the news on camera from the TV studio.
Radio news presenters also work in a studio, but don’t have to
worry as much about their clothes and make-up! The news is usually
broadcast live, so the viewers and listeners watch and hear the
news programme as it is being made.
(TV news) presenter (noun) – a person who introduces a TV (or radio)
programme
(TV) studio (noun) – a room or building where films, TV or radio
programmes are made
broadcast (verb) – to send out programmes on television or radio
live (adverb) – seen (or heard) as it is happening (also an adjective, e.g.
a live programme)
viewer (noun) – a person watching a television programme

Editor
The editor makes the decisions about which stories to cover and
which ones to cut. Editors work in all kinds of news organizations,
including newspapers, online, and on television and radio news
programmes.
editor (noun) – a person who is in charge of a television programme,
newspaper, magazine, etc., and who decides what should be included
news organization (compound noun) – an organization that collects
and broadcasts or publishes the news

Reporter
Reporters go out of the studio to report the news as it happens. They
may report on local news, foreign news, sports, or any other area.
If they work in television, they’ll also have a camera operator with
them.
reporter (noun) – a person who collects and reports news for
television, newspapers or radio, often from outside the studio
report (verb) – to present a written or spoken account of an event in a
newspaper, on television, etc.
camera operator (noun) – a person whose job is operating a camera
for making films or television programmes

Journalist
Journalists collect and write news stories. They research the stories,
check that the facts are correct, and prepare news reports.
journalist (noun) – a person whose job it is to collect and write news
stories for newspapers, magazines, television and radio
research (verb) – to study something carefully and try to discover new
facts about it
check the facts (collocation) – to make sure the information is correct
prepare a news report (collocation) – to get a news story ready
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 11 Healthy nation

Food and cooking

oven saucepan sauce frying pan pancake

dairy food seafood fast food raw food frozen food

spices recipe

Popular cuisines
A world of flavour
These days it’s easy to try delicious foods from around the world. Most towns and cities
have restaurants and cafés that serve international dishes and it’s easy to find recipes for
food from other countries online. What’s your favourite cuisine – Indian, Spanish, Chinese,
Thai, or something else?
delicious (adjective) – having a very pleasant taste
cuisine (noun) – the style of cooking of a particular country

Indian
Indian food is very tasty, with lots of spicy curries served with rice. Different areas of
the country have different kinds of dishes, with fish and seafood eaten a lot on the coast.
Vegetarian food (made with rice, beans, and lentils) is popular in India, but plenty of
dishes are made with meat too.
tasty (adjective) – having a good flavour
spicy (adjective) – having a strong flavour because it has lots of spices in it
vegetarian (adjective) – food that doesn’t contain meat
vegetarian (noun) – a person who doesn’t eat meat or fish
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Vocabulary Basic 11 Healthy nation (continued)

Spanish
With its salads, paella and casseroles, Spanish food is a good example of
the Mediterranean diet. People in Spain often grill fresh fish, meat and
vegetables or sauté them in a little oil. They usually use olive oil – and
Spain produces more olives and olive oil than any other country in the
world!
the Mediterranean diet (noun) – the food which people eat in
Mediterranean countries (e.g. France, Spain, Italy, Greece)
grill (verb) – to cook food by heating it from above
sauté (verb) – to cook food in a small amount of fat over a high heat

Chinese
Chinese cuisine includes a wide range of cooking techniques, including
frying, boiling, baking and steaming. Rice and noodles are important
ingredients in Chinese cuisine, along with fish, meat and vegetables.
Seasonings such as soy sauce, vinegar, chillies, garlic and ginger give
Chinese food its distinctive character.
fry (verb) – to cook something in hot fat or oil
boil (verb) – to cook something in boiling water
bake (verb) – to cook something in an oven in dry heat, e.g. a cake
steam (verb) – to place food over boiling water so that it cooks in
the steam
ingredient (noun) – one of the items you need to make something to eat

Thai
Thai food combines hot, sour, sweet and salty flavours. Rice is at the
centre of every Thai meal. When several people eat a Thai meal together,
lots of different dishes are served which are shared by everyone. These
include delicious soups and curries or seafood and vegetables rolled
in thin pancakes with flavourings like coconut milk, lime juice, chilli
and ginger.
hot (adjective) – (about food) causing a burning feeling in your mouth;
very spicy
sour (adjective) – having a sharp taste like that of a lemon
flavour (noun) – the taste (of food)
roll (verb) – to make something into the shape of a tube, e.g. a pancake

Eating for health and pleasure

Whatever food you choose, remember that a balanced diet can help
you stay healthy. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and not too much
sugar, fat or salt. Eat with friends and enjoy your meals!
a balanced diet (collocation) – the food that a person usually eats,
which is healthy because it has the correct amount of fat, fruit, rice,
pasta, etc.
fat (noun) – the substance containing oil that we get from animals,
plants, or seeds and use for cooking
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 12 Work

Fields of work

law medicine education engineering business

Jobs

accountant lawyer professor judge

salesman/saleswoman vet librarian electrician

The world of work

Getting a job
There are a lot of jobs out there – but how do you get a good one? One way is to find and
apply for vacancies online. There are lots of websites you can use to search for jobs.
Remember, any job that you do (even if it’s not your dream job) will give you experience,
and this will help you in your future working life.
apply for (verb) – to make a formal request for a job, especially in writing
vacancy (noun) – a job that is available for somebody to apply for
experience (noun) – the knowledge or skill that you get from seeing or doing something

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 Language Practice
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Vocabulary Basic 12 Work (continued)

Work and life
What work/life balance would you like? In the past, many people used to work nine-to-
five hours. These days, it’s easier to find a job with flexible working hours, so that you
can choose when you want to work. And not everyone has to work full-time. Lots of
companies offer part-time jobs.
flexible (adjective) – can be changed easily
working hours (noun) – the times that you go to work, e.g. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
full-time (adjective, adverb) – for the whole of the normal period of work
part-time (adjective, adverb) – for only part of the working day or week

Technology
How shall we have this meeting? Modern technology makes it easy for people who don’t
work in the same place to communicate and work in teams on projects. Email and online
meetings make it easier for employees to work from home.
technology (noun) – scientific knowledge or equipment
team (noun) – a group of people who work together
project (noun) – a piece of work, often involving many people, that is planned and
organized carefully
employee (noun) – a person who works for somebody
work from home (collocation) – do some or all of your job at home

Your place of work

How would you like to work here? Many offices these days look like this: open-plan with
comfortable seating areas. The idea is that a pleasant working environment makes
people work better.
open-plan (adjective) – not divided into separate rooms (used to describe a large area
inside a building)
working environment (noun) – the conditions in which you work

No more ‘job for life’

Keep moving! The idea of a ‘job for life’ is becoming a thing of the past and most people
will have several different employers in their lifetime. Some people are made redundant
by the organization they work for. Others choose to change jobs in order to get ahead in
their career or because they want a new challenge. Always say ‘yes’ to training: you will
need to keep learning and developing throughout your career.
employer (noun) – a person or company that employs other people
be made redundant (collocation) – be put out of work because you are no longer needed
for a job
organization (noun) – a group of people who form a business together
change jobs (collocation) – leave one job in order to start a different job
get ahead (phrasal verb) – to make progress and be successful in something, especially a
career
career (noun) – the series of jobs that someone has in a particular field of work
challenge (noun) – something new and difficult that forces you to make a lot of effort
training (noun) – the process of learning the skills that you need to do a job
 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 12 Work-life balance

Hobbies

I like to hang out with friends in my
free time.
hang out with somebody
(collocation) – to spend a lot of time
with somebody
I spend a lot of time playing
online games with friends and with
complete strangers, too!
spend time (collocation) – to use
time for a particular purpose; to pass
time
Sometimes I’ll binge-watch a whole
TV series in a day at the weekend!
binge-watch a TV series (collocation)
– to watch several episodes of a TV
programme on one occasion, usually
by means of DVDs or digital streaming

I go to my salsa class every Thursday I check out my friends’ latest posts I try to get some exercise, like going
evening. on social media. for a long walk, or a swim in the local
leisure centre, but only if I have time.
go to salsa class (collocation) – to check out posts (collocation) – to
go to a class about a type of Latin look at messages sent to discussion get some exercise (collocation) – to
American dance music groups on the Internet or pieces of do a physical activity to stay healthy
writing that forms part of a blog or become stronger

(continued on next page)

 Language Practice
Pre-intermediate

Vocabulary Basic 12 Work-life balance (continued)

Work
Mark is a training manager in a large construction company. He works long
hours and he feels stressed most of the time because he spends too much
time in the office. And as a result, he has difficulty sleeping at night.
work long hours (collocation) – to regularly spend a great amount of time
working
feel stressed (collocation) – to feel too anxious and tired to be able to relax
have difficulty sleeping (collocation) – to have a problem falling or staying
asleep

Sarah works as a personal assistant in the human resources department of a

large company. She has to get up very early because she has a long commute
to work. But she chooses to work part-time, so she only goes into the office
three days a week. She has a stressful job, but she enjoys her work and she
has lots of time for family and friends.
have a long commute (collocation) – to travel regularly for a great amount of
time by bus, train, car, etc. between your place of work and your home
work part-time (collocation) – to spend part of the day or week doing a job
have a stressful job (collocation) – to do paid work that causes a lot of anxiety
and worry
enjoy work (collocation) – to get pleasure from your job
have time for family and friends (collocation) – to not be busy so that you
can be with your parents, children, or other people you like

Ben works as a sales manager and he travels a lot for his job. He works in
a small team of five people and he gets on well with his colleagues. He
relaxes in the evenings by watching TV.
travel a lot for your job (collocation) – to regularly go from one place to
another to do paid work
work in a team (collocation) – to work together with a group of people for a
particular job
get on well with colleagues (collocation) – to have a good relationship with
the people that you work with
relax (verb) – to rest while you are doing something enjoyable, especially after
work or effort

Jane used to be a marketing manager for a large engineering firm, but now
she has her own company and works from home. She likes being her
own boss, but she misses working in a team. The thing she likes best is not
getting stuck in traffic jams anymore!
have your own company (collocation) – to control or be in charge of a
business organization that belongs to you
work from home (collocation) – to do a job while staying at your house
be your own boss (collocation) – to be in control of your own business or
organization without having someone else tell you what to do
get stuck in a traffic jam (collocation) – to be unable to move or move very
slowly in a long line of vehicles on a road