7 Describing people: appearance

A Hair, face, skin and complexion /kəmˈplekʃən/

She’s got straight hair She’s got long, wavy hair She’s got curly hair He’s got a crew-cut.
and she’s thin-faced/ and she’s round-faced/ and is black. He’s white.
she’s got a thin face. she’s got a round face.

He’s bald /bɔːld/ and He’s got a beard and He’s got receding He used to have black
has freckles. moustache /mʊsˈtɑːʃ/ hair and a few hair but now it’s gone
and has a chubby face. wrinkles /ˈrɪŋkəlz/. grey, almost white.

What sort of person would you find attractive? Blonde, fair, dark or ginger-haired / red-haired?
She has such beautiful auburn hair. /ˈɔːbən/ [red-brown]
Fair and dark can be used for hair, complexion or skin. Some people like getting a tan in summer
[exposing their skin to the sun so that it goes darker], although the risks of getting sunburnt are well
known.

B Height and build

Fat may sound impolite. Instead we can say that someone is rather plump or stout, or a bit
overweight. If someone is broad and solid, we can say they are stocky. A person with good muscles
can be well-built or muscular. [generally said about men] Someone who is very fat can be described
as obese /əʊˈbiːs/, especially when talking in a medical context.
Someone who is thin can be described as slim [positive] or skinny [negative]. If someone has a nice
figure, they have an attractive shape. [generally said about women]

C General appearance
She’s a very smart and elegant woman, always well-dressed; her husband is quite the opposite,
very scruffy and untidy-looking / messy-looking.
Chloe looked stunning in her red dress. [very attractive]
He’s very good-looking, but his friend’s rather unattractive. [opp attractive]
Her eyes are her best feature. [the most attractive
part of her face] Language help
Do you think beautiful women are always
attracted to handsome men? I don’t. I think The suffix -ish is useful for describing people
personality matters most. (see Unit 70). She’s tallish. He has brownish
First impressions are always important. hair. He must be thirtyish / in his thirties.
[your first reaction to someone]

20 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
7.1 Choose a word from the opposite page to complete these sentences.
1 I wish I could get a tan like yours but my skin just goes red in the sun.
2 My cousin used to have a lovely but she’s put on weight in all the wrong places since
she stopped taking much exercise.
3 Thomas’s eyes are his best – they’re so large and sparkly and such a deep brown.
4 Jess is in her thirties but she still has the same lovely fresh as her young daughter has.
5 Staff at the bank were told to dress smartly for work so they would always create a
good on customers.
6 I’d call her rather than ginger-haired – her hair’s dark brown with just a tinge of red in it.
7 George says that the round his eyes just show that he has smiled a lot in his life.
8 Even in jeans Alina manages to look .
9 Carla looks beautiful in old clothes and without any make-up but when she’s dressed up for an
evening out she’s absolutely .

7.2 Answer these remarks with the opposite description.

1 A: I thought you said he was the short, chubby one.
B: No, no, no, not at all, he’s the tall, thin-faced one.
2 A: Was that his brother, the one with wavy hair?
B: No, completely the opposite, his brother’s
3 A: She’s always quite well-dressed, so I’ve heard.
B: What! Who told you that? Every time I see her, she’s
4 A: So Charlene’s that rather plump, fair-haired woman, is she?
B: No, you’re looking at the wrong one. Charlene’s
5 A: So, tell us about the new boss; good-looking?
B: No, I’m afraid not; rather
6 A: I don’t know why, but I expected the tour guide to be fiftyish or rather plump.
B: No, apparently she’s only

7.3 WANTED! MISSING! Complete the gaps in these police posters with your own ideas.

WANTED WANTED FOR

MISSING WANTED
FOR MURDER ARMED ROBBERY DEAD OR ALIVE

Ian Prowse Sandra King Jasmin Kaur, Age 7, Jack ‘Dagger’ Flagstone
White, height 6ft, White, height 5ft 4, Asian, height 4ft, White, height 6ft,
............................. -faced, .............................. hair, thin-.............................. ............................. , with
................................. hair, ............................. build, ....................................... , ................ and ............... ;
................................. skin ............................ -faced ................................. hair ............................... build.

7.4 Over to you

Write a description of each of these people, giving information about their hair and face, their
height and build and general appearance:
1 you yourself
2 your best friend
3 a neighbour
4 your ideal of a handsome man / a beautiful woman

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 21

 8 Describing people: personality
A Intellectual ability
lots of ability intelligent bright clever sharp shrewd
able gifted talented brainy (informal)
lacking ability stupid foolish simple silly brainless daft
dumb dim thick
(the last five are predominantly informal words, and they can all be
offensive)
clever, in a negative way, using cunning crafty sly
brains to trick or deceive

B Attitudes towards life

Amal is pessimistic while Nia is optimistic – he always expects the worst to happen while she looks
on the bright side.
It is strange that one of the twins is so extroverted while the other is so introverted – Ben loves
being the focus of attention while Jake prefers to be alone with his thoughts.
I feel very tense (or wound up / stressed out**) after a very busy day at work but, after a hot bath,
I’ll soon feel relaxed.
Eva is very sensible – she’d never do anything stupid. In other words, she’s very practical and
down-to-earth.
Roberto is very sensitive – he gets very upset (or worked-up, more informal), if he feels people are
criticising him.

C Attitude towards other people

Enjoying others’ company: sociable gregarious*
Disagreeing with others: quarrelsome argumentative
Taking pleasure in others’ pain: cruel sadistic
Relaxed in attitude to self and others: easy-going even-tempered laid-back**
Not polite to others: impolite rude ill-mannered discourteous*
Telling the truth to others: honest trustworthy reliable sincere
Unhappy if others have what you do not have yourself: jealous envious

D One person’s meat is another person’s poison

Some characteristics can be either positive or negative depending on your point of view. The words
in the right-hand column mean roughly the same as the words in the left-hand column except that
they have negative rather than positive connotations.
positive associations negative associations
determined obstinate stubborn pig-headed
thrifty economical stingy mean tight-fisted miserly*
self-assured confident self-important arrogant full of yourself**
unconventional original eccentric odd peculiar weird**
frank direct open blunt abrupt brusque curt
broad-minded unprincipled permissive
enquiring* inquisitive nosy**
generous extravagant
innocent naive
ambitious pushy**
assertive aggressive bossy**
* These words are much more common in written than in spoken English.
** These words are much more common in spoken than in written English.

22 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
8.1 Match the words on the left with their opposites on the right.
1 clever f a introverted
2 extroverted b tight-fisted
3 rude c courteous
4 cruel d gregarious
5 generous e kind-hearted
6 unsociable f dim

8.2 Do you think that the speaker likes or dislikes the people in these sentences? Reword each
sentence to give the opposite impression (negative rather than positive or vice versa).
1 Carmen’s very thrifty. Likes - Carmen's very stingy. 5 Nico’s quite bossy.
2 Molly’s usually frank. 6 I find Marcus self-important.
3 Grace is quite broad-minded. 7 Don’t you think James is nosy?
4 Sam can be aggressive. 8 Freya is very original.

8.3 Pair the words that have similar meanings.

brainless - silly

brainless curt gifted rude tense

brusque direct honest sensible tight-fisted
crafty down-to-earth impolite silly trustworthy
cunning frank miserly talented wound up

8.4 Magazines often publish questionnaires which are supposed to analyse aspects of your
personality. Look at the words below and match them to the corresponding question.
pessimistic argumentative sensitive sociable
extravagant assertive inquisitive reliable

1 If you arrange to meet at 7 pm, do you arrive at 7 pm? reliable

2 When you have a problem, do you think the worst will happen?
3 Do you find it easy to tell your boss if you feel he or she has treated you badly?
4 Do you always look out of the window if you hear a car draw up?
5 Do you often buy your friends presents for no particular reason?
6 Do you frequently disagree with what other people say?
7 Do you lie awake at night if someone has said something unkind to you?
8 Do you prefer to be in the company of other people?

8.5 What questions like those in 8.4 could you ask to find out if a person is the following?
1 thrifty Do you use up leftover food?
2 blunt 4 intelligent 6 original 8 stressed out
3 sensible 5 even-tempered 7 obstinate

8.6 Over to you

Choose two people who are important in your life. Describe them using adjectives in this unit
and give reasons why you chose each adjective.
EXAMPLE My brother is sociable because he loves being with other people.

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 23

16 Work
A Jobs in a workplace
director [member of the board of a company] executive /Ig'zekjUtIv/ [important person who
makes big decisions] administrator [person who runs the office day-to-day] skilled worker
[trained to do specific tasks, e.g. building a computer] unskilled worker [doing a job that needs no
training] receptionist [visitors must check in with them] public relations officer [gives information
about the company to the media] union representative [looks after the staff’s interests] researcher
[investigates and develops new products] supervisor [makes sure workers are doing their job properly]

Common mistakes
The best way of getting to work (NOT job) depends on where you live.
Wish me luck in my new job (NOT work).
Job refers to a particular role or position. Jack’s got a new job as a researcher.
Work refers to activities that you do. Jack’s work is very demanding.

B Trades and professions

civil servant designer judge
[person who works for [person who takes
a government department decisions in legal cases]
putting policies into action] PROFESSIONS
[jobs that require lecturer
scientist considerable training [university teacher]
physiotherapist and/or qualifications] ambassador
/fIzi@U'Ter@pIst/ [chief diplomat or person
[person who treats economist representing his/ her
muscle injury by [expert in financial government abroad]
rubbing and moving matters]
injured areas] banker

designer carpenter
[person skilled
firefighter
at making things
TRADES with wood]
[skilled manual jobs
childminder requiring on-the-job plumber
[person looking after others’ and other training] [person who works
children in her own home while with the supply and
their parents are at work] connection of water pipes]

C Collocations of words connected with work

It’s not easy to get/find work round these parts. I’ve been offered work / a job in Paris.
What d’you do for a living? I’m in publishing/banking, etc.
It’s hard to make a living as a freelance writer. [earn enough money to live comfortably]
She’s not prepared to take on that job. [suggests ‘having personal responsibility’]

hours of work to do shiftwork or to work shifts [nights one week, days the next week]
to be on flexi-time [flexible working hours] to work nine-to-five [regular day work]
not working to go/be on strike [industrial dispute] to get the sack [thrown out of your job]
to be fired (more formal than ‘get the sack’; often used in direct speech: ‘You’re fired!’)
to be made redundant [thrown out, no longer needed] to be laid off (more informal
than ‘made redundant’) to be on / take maternity (woman) or paternity (man) leave
[before/after the birth of a baby] to be on / take sick leave [illness] to take early
retirement [retire at 55]
other useful to be a workaholic [love work too much] to be promoted [get a higher position]
expressions to apply for a job [fill in forms, etc.]

38 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
16.1 Which of the job titles in A opposite would best describe the following?
1 The person who represents the workers’ interests in disputes with the management in a factory.
union representative
2 A person who has a high position in a company and whose job it is to make important
decisions.
3 An important person in a company who sits on the board.
4 A worker whose job requires no special training, for example, an office cleaner.
5 A person generally in charge of the day-to-day organisation of a company/department.
6 A person whose job it is to keep an eye on the day-to-day work of other workers.
16.2 Choose job or work to complete these sentences.
1 I’ll pay for the plumbing work when it’s finished.
2 I’d like to apply for a in your office.
3 You should delegate more to your personal assistant.
4 Let’s stop for a coffee on our way home from .
5 A in a museum wouldn’t be as tiring as one in a restaurant.
16.3 Using the expressions in C opposite, say what you think has happened / is happening.
1 I’m not working now; the baby’s due in three weeks. She’s on maternity leave.
2 He’s enjoying life on a pension, although he’s only 58.
3 One week it’s six-to-two, the next it’s nights.
4 They’ve made her General Manager as from next month!
5 I was late so often, I lost my job.
6 I get in at nine o’clock and go home at five.
7 Your trouble is you are obsessed with work!
16.4 Which jobs do these people have? Would you call the following a trade, a profession or an
unskilled job?

1 physiotherapist -profession 2 3

4 5 6
16.5 Fill in the collocations.

I’d love to 1 get/ have a job in journalism, but it’s not easy without qualifications. Since
I have to earn a 2 somehow, I’ll have to get 3 wherever I can find it.
I’ve been 4 some part-time work editing a new book, but I’m not sure I want to
5
it .

16.6 Over to you

Think of five people you know who work for a living. Can you name their jobs in English? If you
can’t, look them up in a good bilingual dictionary.

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 39

24 Environmental problems
A The problems and their causes

A variety of environmental problems now affect our entire world. As globalisation1 continues,
local issues become international ones, so today there are few places in the world that do not suffer
from environmental problems. Some of the major problems now affecting the world are acid
rain2, air pollution3, global warming4, hazardous5 waste, ozone depletion6, smog7, water
pollution, overpopulation, and rainforest destruction8. People are also worried about the
greenhouse effect, where an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide [CO2] and other gases9
in the Earth’s atmosphere10 causes a gradual warming of the surface of the Earth. This global
warming is leading to the thawing of the polar ice caps11 and all this is causing concern
about climate change. Both human behaviour and climate change have led to many animal
and plant species12 becoming endangered13 or even extinct14.

1 increasing business, cultural and other contacts between countries 2 rain which contains harmful chemicals

as a result of burning substances such as oil and coal [acid = a type of liquid that reacts chemically with other
materials, sometimes dissolving them] 3 damage caused to the air by harmful substances or waste
4 rise in the world’s temperature 5 dangerous 6 reduction in the ozone layer [layer of air above the Earth
containing ozone which prevents harmful ultraviolet light from the sun from reaching Earth]
7 air pollution found in cities caused by a mixture of smoke, gases and chemicals (the word has been formed

from smoke + fog) 8 destroying (cutting down) forest in a tropical area which receives a lot of rain
9 substance in a form that is neither solid nor liquid 10 the mixture of gases around the Earth
11 ice covering the areas at the North and South Poles 12 types 13 very few in number, at risk of

becoming extinct 14 not existing any longer

Language help
The prefix over- means too much. Overfishing means that people have fished so much that it is
having a serious effect on fish populations. Overpopulated means there are so many people
living in an area that life is difficult there.

B Dealing with the problems

Worldwide efforts are being made to improve the situation. Green parties and green or ecological
policies are mainly concerned with protecting the environment. Conservation organisations are
developing nature reserves where plants and animals are protected. Some farmers produce organic
food, which avoids the use of harmful chemicals. More companies try to behave in a way that is
environmentally friendly or ecologically sound. Societies attempt to dispose of waste in a more
responsible way, by, for example, recycling as much as possible. People aim to reduce their carbon
footprint by using cars less so that they cut down on their use of fossil fuels, for example.

C Word families
noun verb adjective adverb
globalisation globalise global globally
environment, environmentalist environmental environmentally
pollution, pollutant pollute polluting
destruction destroy destructive destructively
disposal dispose disposable
reduction reduce reduced

54 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
24.1 Answer each question, using a word or expression from the box.
acid rain carbon dioxide endangered species extinct global warming
globalisation hazardous waste ozone layer polar ice caps destruction of rainforests
smog water pollution

1 What happened to dinosaurs about 65 million years ago? They became extinct.
2 What is the name for a special layer in the Earth’s atmosphere which helps protect our planet?
3 What word can be used to describe the increasing contact between countries that has a major
impact on life today?
4 What causes problems because it is difficult to dispose of safely?
5 What have scientists shown to be melting worryingly fast at the North and South Poles?
6 What does the chemical symbol CO2 represent?
7 What has been happening in the Amazon area and in other tropical areas like Indonesia and
Malaysia?
8 What problem is a type of air pollution?
9 What can cause harm to plant or other life when it falls on the land or sea?
10 What is the Siberian tiger an example of?
11 What has caused much plant and animal life in rivers in industrial areas to die out?
12 What is the term for the phenomenon describing the rise in the Earth’s average temperature?

24.2 Match words to form compound nouns.

1 acid fuel acid rain 6 greenhouse disposal
2 carbon change 7 nature reserve
3 climate party 8 organic depletion
4 fossil footprint 9 ozone effect
5 green rain 10 waste food

24.3 Choose a word from the opposite page to complete each sentence.
1 An environmentalist is a person who does what they can to help protect the environment.
2 items like plastic cups and paper plates are labour-saving but have a harmful effect on
the environment.
3 The government says it is aiming for a significant in this country’s use of fossil fuels over
the next ten years.
4 The company plans to part of a nature reserve in order to build its new warehouses.
5 Carbon monoxide (CO) is an example of an air .
6 The melting of the polar ice caps will have a impact on the environment.
7 Staff can of all recyclable items in these green bins.
8 Air pollution may the lives of people with respiratory illnesses.
9 This company is proud of its friendly policies.

24.4 Over to you

Answer these questions.
1 Which of the environmental problems in A exist in your country?
2 Do you think climate change is having any impact in your country?
3 How much support do green parties have in your country?
4 What could power cars instead of petrol or diesel?
5 Suggest three things people can do to reduce their carbon footprint.

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 55

25 Towns
A Describing a city
The words city and town are sometimes used interchangeably but a city is generally large with a
wider range of facilities. This is a description of Cork, one of Ireland’s main cities. Which words or
phrases might be useful for describing your own or another town?

Cork city is the major metropolis of the south; indeed, with a population
of about 119,500, it is the second largest city in the Republic. The main
business and shopping centre of the town lies on the island created by
two channels of the River Lee, with many of the suburbs within walking
distance of the centre. The buses tend to be overcrowded and the one-way
traffic system is extremely complicated. In the hilly area of the city is the
famous Shandon Steeple, the bell-tower of St Anne’s Church, built on the
site of a church destroyed when the city was besieged by the English in 1690.
Back across the River Lee lies the city’s cathedral, an imposing 19th-century
building in the French Gothic style. Cork has two markets. Neither caters specifically for tourists but those who
enjoy the lively atmosphere of a real working market will appreciate their charm. The town has good sports
and arts facilities. The Crawford Art Gallery is well worth a visit. It regularly puts on adventurous exhibitions
by contemporary artists. The fashionable residential districts of Cork city overlook the picturesque harbour.
There are other residential areas on the outskirts.

B Facilities
Sports: swimming pool sports centre golf course tennis courts football pitch skating rink
Culture: theatre opera house concert hall radio station art gallery
Education: school college university library adult education centre museum
Catering, accommodation and night-life: restaurant take-away hotel B&B (bed and breakfast)
youth hostel club
Transport: bus service taxi rank car hire car park parking meters
Other: health centre law courts registry office citizens’ advice bureau job centre
department store chemist’s garden centre police station Town/City Hall
estate agent housing estate industrial estate

C Problems in cities
problem effect cause
traffic jams traffic very slow; commuters get very too much traffic, especially in the
stressed rush hour
slums housing in a bad condition poverty - people don’t have money to
spend on housing
vandalism pointless destruction of property poverty; lack of hope
overcrowding difficult living conditions too many people living in one place
pollution deterioration in health traffic and industrial

D Adjectives to describe a city

picturesque [very pretty and attractive], historic, spacious [with plenty of space], elegant, magnificent,
lively, deserted [no one on the streets, e.g. at night], bustling [with lots of movement], packed [very
crowded], filthy [very dirty], run-down [in a very bad condition]

Common mistakes
There are a lot of open spaces in the centre of London. (NOT There are a lot of open places in …)

56 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
25.1 Check that you understand the text about Cork by answering the following questions.
1 Where is Cork? Cork is in the south of the Republic of Ireland.
2 Where is the shopping and business centre of Cork?
3 What is Cork’s traffic system like?
4 What is special about the site of St Anne’s Church?
5 In what style is the architecture of Cork Cathedral?
6 Can you buy souvenirs at the markets?
7 Why is the Crawford Gallery worth visiting?
8 Where do Cork people live?

25.2 Fill in the gaps in this description of a town. Use words from the text about Cork.

Cambridge has the 1 second oldest university in

England (after Oxford). It has a 2
of around
108,900, many of whom are students. The main tourist
3
of the town lies in the city centre, around
the university colleges. A number of the old university
4
buildings are built on the of former
monasteries or convents. Most of the more picturesque
colleges 5 the River Cam.
Most of the main hotels in the town are within walking 6 of the centre. The town
centre has a lively fruit and vegetable 7 and it 8
to be very crowded on
Saturdays. The Fitzwilliam Museum is well 9
visiting as is an art gallery called Kettle’s
Yard which regularly puts on quite varied 10
by a range of artists. The town also has
plenty of sports 11 catering for both young and old. An interesting new Science Park
has been built on the 12 of the town, about two kilometres from the city centre.

25.3 Look at the facilities listed in B. Think of a town and tick all those facilities which the
town has.

25.4 Suggest three words which would collocate well with the nouns below. The words do not
have to be on the left-hand page.
1 history / science / folk / museum 4 / / / court
2 / / / centre 5 / / / club
3 / / / college 6 / / / agency

25.5 Which of the facilities in B might you go to in order to:

1 dance? a club 4 get married? 7 borrow a book?
2 play tennis? 5 buy a house? 8 buy a meal to eat at home?
3 find a taxi? 6 see an exhibition? 9 do an evening class?

25.6 What are the problems in C for these suggested solutions?

1 They should provide good-quality state housing. slums
2 There should be stricter laws about traffic emissions.
3 They should restrict the number of people living in any one area.
4 People who destroy public property should be made to do community service.
5 We need a much better public transport system.

25.7 Over to you

Write a description of the town where you live or another town you know well, using as much
of the vocabulary from this unit as possible.

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 57

32 Holidays
A Places to stay and types of holiday
campsite: a place where you can pitch a tent or park a caravan
self-catering flat/apartment: a flat which you rent; you cook for yourself
guesthouse: accommodation like a hotel but cheaper and with fewer services
youth hostel: cheap accommodation, mainly for young people, with, perhaps, ten or more people
sleeping in bunk beds in one room
package holiday: a holiday in which you pay for travel, accommodation and food (even occasionally
excursions) in advance
cruise: a holiday spent touring (or cruising) on a boat, stopping off to go sightseeing at different ports
an adventure holiday: a holiday involving unusual, exciting and possibly dangerous activities -
suitable for adventurous people
B Holiday messages
Reply Forward

Dear Zara
Having a wonderful holiday. It’s so nice to get
away1. We’re staying at an amazing campsite 1 go somewhere different
up in the mountains. It’s very remote2 and we 2 far from other places
had to drive up an unbelievably winding3 road 3 with lots of bends, not at
to get here. But once we made it, the views 4 all around
all straight
over the surrounding4 countryside made the 5 very frightening
terrifying5 drive worthwhile. I'm sending a
photo of our camping spot.
Love, Sami

Reply Forward

Dear Nico
This is turning out to be probably the most 1 one that will always be
memorable1 holiday I’ve ever had. The remembered (a memorable
town is absolutely fascinating2 with lots holiday is a strong
of very impressive3 buildings. Our hotel is collocation) 2 extremely
delightful4 - if a little inconvenient5 from
interesting 3 grand,
the transport point of view - and the food
making an impact
in this area is exceptional6. These are 4 charming 5 hard to get
some of the old buildings in the town.
to 6 unusually good
Wish you were here too!
Francesca

C Holiday brochures
These are often written in quite exaggerated language. Here are some typical adjectives with nouns
that they collocate with.
breathtaking views / scenery / pistes (ski slopes) [breathtaking (like stunning) suggests that something is
so magnificent that it takes your breath away]
exclusive access / club / shops [only the most special people can use the facilities]
exhilarating feeling / ride / walk [makes you feel excited and full of energy]
exotic beauty / charm / location [unusual and more exciting than your everyday reality]
glamorous surroundings / film star / hotel [especially exciting and attractive]
luxurious cruise ship / accommodation / lifestyle [provides great comfort]
picturesque streets / villages / cottage [very pretty; attractive to look at - as pretty as a picture]
unspoilt charm / village / woodland [still in a beautiful and natural state]
unique opportunity / charm / facilities [so special it does not exist anywhere else]
70 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate
 Exercises
32.1 Complete this table. Use a dictionary to help you, if necessary.
adjective noun verb
fascinating fascination
delightful
exhilarating
glamorous
luxurious

32.2 Fill in the gaps in this holiday message with appropriate adjectives from the opposite page.
Reply Forward

Hi,
Am having a wonderful holiday here. The town here is very old and quite 1 fascinating . The
guidebook says it is remarkable for its 2 charm and it is right! It is surrounded by
magnificent mountains and yesterday I went for an 3 climb. Even though it isn’t too
expensive, the hotel is quite 4 and the view from my balcony is 5 .
Wish you were here!
Love, P

32.3 Complete these sentences with a word from the opposite page.
1 At the youth hostel Anya insisted on sleeping in the top bunk .
2 As soon as we got to the campsite we our tent.
3 Visitors to our hotel have access to our own private beach.
4 It’s often cheaper to go on a holiday, where everything is paid for in advance.
5 I’d love to hire a boat and spend a month round the Mediterranean, wouldn’t you?
6 I wouldn’t recommend that hotel. It’s extremely ; it’s seven miles to the nearest beach
and ten miles to the town.
7 Our trip to South Africa was undoubtedly the most holiday I’ve ever had.
8 A narrow road led up the mountain to the cottage we’d rented.

32.4 Which of the adjectives from C could describe each of these?

1 a club which only a select group of members can go to an exclusive club
2 a hotel with very expensive facilities and very attentive staff
3 a village with very pretty buildings and lots of flowers
4 a view from the top of a mountain over a magnificent landscape
5 the opportunity to go on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday
6 a walk along a windswept beach

32.5 Over to you

Answer these questions. Write sentences.
1 Which of the holiday places and types of holiday in A have you or your friends experienced?
2 Which would you prefer and why - a holiday in the centre of a historic city or one in a remote
village with spectacular surrounding countryside?
3 What’s the most memorable holiday you’ve ever had?
4 Which would you say is the most impressive city you’ve visited?
5 What would you say is the most fascinating place you’ve been to?
6 Have you ever had a holiday experience you’d describe as terrifying?

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 71

35 Communications and the Internet
A The Internet
The Internet / the net is a network connecting millions
of computer users worldwide. The World Wide Web / the
Web is a huge portion of the Internet containing linked
documents, called pages.
If you have a broadband connection then your access to
the Internet should be fast. Many cafés and other public
places now offer people a wi-fi /waɪfaɪ/ connection to
the Internet - this means that you can access the Internet
through a wireless network, i.e. without needing a cable
of any kind.
When you browse, you look for information on the Internet. The software that helps you do this can
be called a browser (e.g. Internet Explorer® or Firefox®). You use a search engine to help you locate
what you want. Google® is one of the best known search engines and people now talk about googling
someone or something. You can easily spend a lot of time surfing the net / the Web. [navigating
around the Internet, sometimes aimlessly]
A website is a document on the Web giving information about a particular subject, person or
institution. The introductory page is called the home page. From this there are links to other pages.
Good websites are easy to navigate or find your way around. One option on many websites is an FAQ
page. This stands for ‘frequently asked questions’, a list of common questions and helpful answers.
You can bookmark websites that you log on1 to frequently.
If a website gets a lot of hits, that means that it has been visited by a lot of people.
Sometimes you need to subscribe to a site, which means you become a member of it.
This may involve having a special username and choosing a password. You will only
be able to log in2 to the site if you enter this information correctly.
You can store your data on your computer or phone, or you can store it in the cloud3. .
1 opp= log off 2 opp = log out 3 a network of servers on the Internet where data can be stored and viewed
from any device

B Online communication

You can communicate with others by email. With an email you can include an
attachment. You can attach a photo, for example. You can also send someone
an e-card. A server is a powerful central computer from which other computers
get information. If your (ISP) internet service provider’s server is down [not
functioning], you may not be able to send emails.
You can use your computer to Skype friends and family - the software allows
you to make phone calls using your computer and the Internet, and you can see
which people on your contact list are online at the same time. If you each have
a webcam, you can see each other as you talk.
Many modern online programs can be called interactive, i.e. they allow users
to become involved in the exchange of information. For example, social
networking sites like Facebook are a popular way for people to keep in touch
with their friends.
A wiki is a website which allows users to add, delete and edit its contents.
Wikipedia is perhaps the world’s largest wiki. Blogs are also interactive as they
are a kind of online diary that readers can add comments to. Many people are
involved in online gaming, playing with people who they have never met. Often
these games make use of virtual reality. [a set of images and sounds produced by a
computer, which represent a place or a situation that the gamer can take part in]

76 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
35.1 Which word from the box matches each definition?

attachment bookmark browser contact list navigate internet service provider

password search engine server cloud
1 email addresses, phone numbers, etc. for the people you know contact list
2 something that you send with an email
3 an individual combination of letters and digits that you use to log in to a
website
4 a way of accessing a favourite website quickly
5 software that allows you to surf the web
6 a company that enables you to use the web
7 software that helps you to locate the websites that you need
8 a large computer that holds information that can be accessed by smaller
computers
9 to find your way around a website or between websites
10 a network of servers where you can store your data on the Internet

35.2 Choose a word from the opposite page to complete each sentence.
1 WWW stands for World Wide Web .
2 I read that journalist’s every day - he’s always got something interesting to
say and often readers add some very interesting comments.
3 I couldn’t the Internet last night. The server must have been .
4 It’s wonderful being able to my cousins who live in Australia - I love seeing them
as well as talking to them.
5 I’ve decided to to my favourite newspaper’s website. It doesn’t cost much and it
has lots of interesting stuff there.
6 I like this website because it has lots of very useful to all sorts of other sites
that interest me.
7 My brother loves online gaming, particularly reality games.
8 An website is one which allows users to add comments to it or edit its
content in some way.

35.3 Are these statements true or false? If they are not true, correct them.
1 Google® is the name of a browser. False - Google is the name of a search engine.
2 FAQ stands for Fast Answers to Questions.
3 If a café says that it has wi-fi access, you can get online with your laptop there.
4 A wiki is a kind of computer device.
5 When you want to use some websites you may be asked to enter a password.
6 If you send someone an e-card they will receive it in the post.
7 When you want to stop using the net, you log on.
8 A website’s home page is the one where you will find key information about the site
and links to its other pages.

35.4 Over to you

Answer these questions about yourself.
1 What do you mainly use the Internet for? 4 How often do you use social networking sites?
2 What is your search engine of choice? 5 Do you write a blog or read anyone else’s blog?
3 Which websites have you bookmarked? 6 Do you enjoy online gaming?

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 77

36 Social media
A Social media verbs
My friend posted a video of I probably update my status
her baby and it was shared about twice a week. I like
over a thousand times! telling people what I’m doing.

Over 100,000 people

Send me a friend request, subscribe to his video
and then you can see the channel and follow him
pictures I took. on Twitter.

B A social media app Language help

Many of the words in this unit
are used as both nouns and
verbs. For example:
Here’s our round-up of the latest apps. This month we loved
CatNapp, a new social media app that allows users to share 24 people liked my post.
information about their favourite pets. My post got 24 likes.
I commented on her status.
We found it very easy to use. You create a profile of your cat,
I wrote a comment on her
upload a favourite photo and include some basic information status.
about it (age, colour, favourite food). You can then post
updates about what your cat has been doing, share links1 to 1 connections to other websites
things you find interesting or comment on other cats’ profiles. 2 times people have watched it
You can rate videos of other cats’ adventures (from one to five 3 times people have clicked ‘like’
stars) or see how many views2 or likes3 your post got. The 4 messages to tell you when
most popular post each month wins a prize!
something has happened
We found it a little annoying that you can’t turn off
notifications4 when a friend writes something new, but
overall cat lovers will adore it. Highly recommended.

C Online privacy

Top tips for staying safe online

On social media, it’s important to think about who can see your personal information:
• If you have to give personal information (e.g. date of birth, address) when you create an account,
make sure that it’s kept private. It’s better not to give this information if you don’t have to.
• Always check your privacy settings [choices on your account about what people see on your profile]
regularly and make sure you understand who can see what you post. For example, often your
profile picture is public, but you can usually make posts on your timeline [collection of photos
and other posts on your profile] private.
• Remember that if you are tagged [your name and a link to your profile is added] in someone else’s post,
it might be seen by a lot of people you don’t know. You can ask people to remove the tag if necessary.
• Use direct messages [messages that only the people in the conversation can see] for private
conversations, especially if you discuss where you live, paying for things, etc.
• Delete old accounts on sites that you are not using any more. You might forget what information
they contain, or the default [what happens automatically if you don’t change it] privacy settings
might change.

78 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
36.1 Fill in the gaps with the words below.

follow request post share subscribe status

1 If you liked this video, please share it with your friends.
2 I hate it when people hundreds of photos from their holiday.
3 Do you know Monica Coto? She’s just sent me a friend on Facebook.
4 I just updated my to tell people we’ve arrived safely at the hotel.
5 You can to our channel, and we’ll email you when a new video comes out.
6 Mo likes to chefs and food writers on Twitter.

36.2 Circle the correct word.

1 I’ve just uploaded comments / photos of Saturday’s football match to the team Facebook page.
2 Yi Ling posts / views a lot of updates about her training for the 10k run.
3 Jo posted a really interesting article about Formula 1 racing, but it didn’t get any likes / rates.
4 To enter the competition, share / view this picture on your timeline before 8 pm on Friday.
5 Did you rate / upload that restaurant we went to? I’d give it one star!
6 Elena made a video for the animal charity she works for and it got 3,000 views / uploads.
7 An old friend commented / viewed on one of my photos, asking where I was living now.

36.3 What do we call…?

1 The page with information about the user of social media: profile
2 The photo of the user:
3 The page where a person’s photos and posts appear:
4 The message a person receives when something new happens:
5 Part of a private conversation:

36.4 Fill the gaps with words from C opposite.

1 I’m a teacher, so I make sure everything in my profile is p rivate .
I don’t want my students to see it.
2 To find your p settings, click on the ‘lock’ icon at the top of the screen
3 If you want everyone to be able to see that post, make sure that it’s p .
4 Please don’t t me in any of those photos - I look terrible!
5 If you want to buy the skirt, please send me a d message.
6 To create an a , you have to give your email address and a password.
7 The d setting for new posts on this site is Friends Only, but it’s easy to
change if you want to share something publicly.

36.5 Over to you

Answer these questions about yourself.
1 What was the last thing you posted on social media?
2 How many views and/or likes did it get?
3 How often do you comment on other people’s posts?
4 Have you checked your privacy settings recently? Is your profile public or private?

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 79

37 The press and the media
A Radio and television
Read these extracts from TV listings.
4.00 pm Jessica: talk show1 with Jessica 7.00 pm Documentary: Are we killing our kids?
Brown; today’s guest, Rona Fredale Investigating5 the junk food industry
5.00 pm Cartoons2: crazy fun for kids of 8.00 pm The Happy Couple: sitcom6 about a pair
all ages of newly-weds
5.30 pm Golden Chance: game show3 with 9.00 pm Roundup: sports programme with all the
Bob Langley day’s top action - tonight: rugby final
6.00 pm News and weather forecast 10.00 pm The Day in Politics: current affairs7
programme. Presenter8: James Hill
6.30 pm Didbury Street: the nation’s 10.30 pm Wikdal: detective drama set in Norway.
favourite soap4 Episode9 3: A second body is found
1 usually has a host and famous people who answer questions about themselves 2 film where the characters

are drawn rather than real 3 show where people compete to win prizes 4 short for soap opera - a series

of TV/radio programmes about the lives of a particular group of characters, continuing over a long period and
broadcast (several times) every week 5 trying to find out the facts/truth about something 6 funny TV/

radio show where the same characters appear in a different story each week 7 news about political events

happening now 8 person who introduces the show 9 one of the parts into which a story is divided

B Other expressions connected with TV and radio

The (mass) media refers to TV, radio, newspapers and the Internet, i.e. means of communication
which reach very large numbers of people.
Subtitles enable people to read what the characters are saying (maybe in translation).
If a film is dubbed, you hear the speech in your own language.
To receive a lot of TV channels, you may need a satellite dish on the roof or wall of your house.
Many channels depend on (TV) commercials to make money. You may be able to stream radio and TV
broadcasts from the Internet and you may be
able to watch catch-up TV, or TV on demand,
Language help
which allow you to watch programmes whenever The noun means (a way of doing something)
you like. A lot of radio and TV stations offer free always ends in s, even in the singular. The Internet
podcasts which you can download. is an important means of communication.

C Newspapers
A popular or tabloid newspaper usually focuses on1 sensation2 rather than real news, whereas
a quality newspaper is usually more interested in serious news. A tabloid often has stories about
celebrities, sport, scandals3 and crime, while a quality paper focuses more on serious journalism4
with in-depth5 articles. To read newspapers on the Internet, you may have to subscribe / pay a
subscription6.
1 emphasises / pays attention to 2 very exciting or interesting events 3 events which shock people in a moral

way 4 the work of collecting, writing and publishing or broadcasting news and articles 5 done carefully and in
great detail, explaining the reasons for events 6 pay a sum of money regularly (e.g. once a year)

D Verbs connected with the media

The BBC World Service broadcasts throughout the world. [transmits TV/radio programmes]
They’re televising the opening of Parliament tomorrow. (or, less formal: showing)
The film was shot / made on location in Australia. [filmed in a real place, not in a studio]
The series is set in London in the 1980s. [place/time where the drama happens]
Within minutes of the event, people were tweeting about it. [posting very short messages on the Internet]

Common mistakes
Remember that the noun news is uncountable and takes a singular verb. I have some news for you.
(NOT I have a news.) The news is on TV at 7 pm. (NOT The news are on TV.)

80 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
37.1 What sort of TV programmes from A opposite are these people talking about?

1 ‘It investigated 2 ‘Walt Disney made a 3 ‘The Minister of 4 ‘It’s so funny,

how the banks had lot of them. Mickey Education was on especially when the
wasted billions of Mouse was probably it, discussing the old uncle appears. We
euros in bad loans.’ his most famous.’ new schools policy.’ can’t stop laughing.’
documentary

5 ‘My mum watches it every 6 ‘We wanted to 7 ‘They always solve 8 ‘He interviewed that
day. She knows all the find out if it was the murder in the young star who just
characters as if they were going to rain end, but it’s very won an Oscar, oh,
real.’ tomorrow.’ exciting.’ what’s her name?’

9 ‘The prize is £500,000 this

10 ‘They showed a repeat of the Manchester
week. That’s a lot of money!’
United versus Valencia match.’

37.2 Fill the gaps with words from B opposite.

1 Which do you prefer if a film is in a foreign language, to read subtitles or to have the film
d ?
2 I downloaded a great p about bees. I listened to it on my MP3 player in bed last night.
3 I hate it when c interrupt a good film. I usually go and make a cup of tea while they’re on.
4 We’ve got a new s d on our roof. We can r hundreds of
channels now.
5 I’d like a job in the m , perhaps in TV or radio.
6 A lot of people use social networking sites as their main m of communication with
their friends.
7 People often download b from the Internet so they don’t need to watch them on the
day they are transmitted.
8 With a fast broadband connection, you can s TV shows directly from the Internet.
37.3 Sort these words into two categories: ‘tabloid’ and ‘quality’ newspaper.
celebrity news complex political debate scandals in-depth reviews of books
competitions and prizes sensational crimes long articles huge headlines
tabloid quality
celebrity news

37.4 Rewrite the words in bold using verbs from the opposite page.
1 The documentary looked into investigated the food industry and emphasised
school meals.
2 The programme was filmed / in Northern Finland. (two answers)
3 CNN sends news programmes around the world.
4 They’re showing the cup final next week. (give a more formal verb)
5 The drama takes place in Paris in the 1880s.
6 Do you ever send those short messages over the Internet about news events?
37.5 Over to you
Which types of media do you use most? Give your reasons.

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 81

39 Crime
A Crimes and criminals
crime definition criminal verb
murder killing someone murderer murder
shoplifting stealing something from a shop shoplifter shoplift
burglary stealing something from someone’s home burglar burgle
smuggling taking something illegally into another country smuggler smuggle
kidnapping taking a person hostage in exchange for money or other kidnapper kidnap
favours, etc.
terrorism violent action for political purposes terrorist (terrorise)
fraud deceiving people in order to take money from them fraudster defraud
taking someone, especially a child, usually in order to abductor abduct
abduction harm them

All the verbs in the table above are regular. Note that the verb terrorise is mainly used in a general
way, meaning to make others very frightened, rather than just relating to the crime.

B Investigating crime
Ross committed a crime when he robbed a bank. Someone witnessed the crime and told the police.
The police arrested Ross and charged him with bank robbery. They also accused his twin brother,
Ben, of being his accomplice1. The police investigated the case2 and collected evidence3 at the
crime scene. They found Ross’s fingerprints and they also found DNA evidence4 that linked him to
the crime, so they were confident they had proof5 that the two men were guilty.
1 someone who helps someone commit a crime 2 a crime that is being investigated 3 information used in a
4 evidence from hair or skin that can be analysed
court of law to decide whether the accused is guilty or not
5 evidence that shows conclusively whether
scientifically and be shown to come from a particular person
something is a fact or not

C Trial and punishment

The case came to court1, and Ross and Ben were tried2. The trial3 did not last very long. Ross
and Ben both pleaded not guilty4 in court. Their lawyer did her best to defend them, but the
prosecuting lawyer produced a very strong case against them. After brief deliberations5, the
jury passed verdict on them. They decided that Ross was guilty, and he was convicted of6
robbery, but Ben was innocent7. The judge acquitted Ben of any involvement in the robbery,
but sentenced Ross to three years in prison/jail. As well as a prison sentence, Ross also had to
pay a large fine. Ross served two years in prison, but was released from prison a year early.
He got time off for good behaviour.
1 the place where a judge makes legal decisions 2 were put through a legal process to decide whether they
3 the legal process in court whereby an accused person is investigated and tried
committed the crime or not
4 said they did not commit the crime 5 discussions 6 found to be guilty of a crime 7 not guilty of a crime

D People connected with crime and the legal process

offender: someone who commits an illegal act (an offence)
judge: the person who leads a trial and decides on the sentence, i.e. the punishment when someone
is found guilty
jury: group of citizens (12 in the UK and, usually, the US) who decide on the verdict, i.e. whether the
accused is guilty or not
victim: a person who suffers as the result of a crime
suspect: a person who is suspected of committing an offence
witness: a person who sees a crime being committed

84 English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

 Exercises
39.1 Which crime is each person accused of?
1 Zoe stole a chocolate bar from a shop. Zoe is accused of shoplifting.
2 Harry took a film star’s son and said she could only have him back if she paid a large sum
of money.
3 Ophelia shot her husband in the heart.
4 Noah tried to take a large amount of cigarettes into his country without paying the due tax.

5 Tom broke into someone’s house and stole a TV and a computer.

6 Mike used a website to sell people holiday homes that didn’t really exist.

39.2 Fill in the gaps in the newspaper article below with words from B opposite.

CRIME WATCH
A man has been 1 by police and 2 with burglary after a
house in the city centre was broken into last night. Experts have searched the
3
and found several items which they have taken away to be used
as 4 in court. The police believe the burglar may have had an
5
, so they are calling for anyone who 6 the crime to come
forward and help them catch the second burglar.

39.3 A preposition is missing in each of these sentences. Add it.

1 The judge sentenced the accused
to
>ten years in prison.
2 Many prisoners end up getting time for good behaviour.
3 The police have charged the driver of the red sports car speeding.
4 The two girls are suspected taking sweets from the shop without paying.
5 Sam was found guilty today but the judge will decide his sentence tomorrow.
6 The jury passed a verdict of guilty the accused.

39.4 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.

1 The judge gave the accused six months in prison as punishment. (sentenced)
The judge sentenced the accused to six months in prison.
2 The police think Bert is guilty but they cannot show this to be true. (proof)
3 In court the accused said he did not commit the crime. (pleaded)
4 The murder case is still being looked into by the police. (investigation)
5 Anyone suffering because of a crime can join this support group. (victim)
6 The detective thought the jealous lover killed the woman. (suspected)
7 The bank robbers are currently being tried at a court in London. (trial)
8 Nathan is hoping to be let out of prison soon. (released)

39.5 Over to you

Find out about how criminals are caught and punished in your country. Answer the questions.
1 Who decides if someone is guilty or innocent?
2 Who decides on their sentence?
3 Can criminals get time off their sentence for good behaviour?
4 How are victims of crime helped?

English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate 85