B2 TOPICS VOCABULARY LISTS AND IDEAS

Do you find it hard to talk about some specific topics because

you just don’t know what to say? If you cannot think of which ideas
and vocabulary you could use to talk about some of the main topics,
here is a compilation of terms, organised by subject and taken from
different sources. Some of the topics are connected between them,
so some of the words might be repeated.
This is also a working list (it is not finished – many more words could be
included in each category), but it should be enough to give you some ideas! :-)
Please, have a quick read-through and think about what you would answer if you
got one of the ‘Some aspects to think about’ points in your exam.

1. Technologies, computers and the Internet

 Smartphone
 Mobile phone
 Tablet /tablit/
 Device = gadget = aparato electrónico
 Be hooked on sth = be addicted to sth = estar enganchado a algo, ser adicto a
algo
 Be keen on sth = like = gustar, estar entusiasmado con algo
 Social networks = social networking sites
 Ebook
 Piracy /pairasi/
 Hackers
 Download /daunloud/
 Upload /aploud/
 Wi-fi /uai-fai/
 Surf the Internet = navegar por internet
 Touch screen
 Keyboard
 Broadband
 Streaming
 Network
 Update
 Back up
 Blogs
 Social networks
 Right to your privacy
 Big data
 Time waste
 Freedom of expression
 Keep people posted

1
  Delete the photos
 Technology at home
 Technology in education
 Technology and communication
 Too much technology?
 Bad for eyesight
 Traditional games vs online games
 No need for a phone
 Keeping in touch
 Keeping up with the times
 Devices designed for kids/elderly people
 Set a timetable
 Time suckers
 Gadgets
 Practical vs theoretical
 University and career prospects

2. Consumerism (online shopping, men v. women, the crisis,

shopping habits, television commercials, shopping addiction,
etc)
 Retail /ritail/ = venta al por menor
 Retailer = vendedor al por menor, tienda al por menor
 Wholesale trade = comercio al por mayor
 Wholesaler = vendedor al por mayor
 Purchase -noun and verb = compra / comprar
 Discount /discaunt/
 Sales
 Items /aitems/
 Bargain /baaagin/
 Online shopping
 Window shopping
 Local shops
 Shopping centre
 Back up = respaldar (local business)
 Globalisation
 Brand name = marca
 Flea market = mercadillo
 Shopping habits
 Shopaholic = adicto a las compras
 Be on a tight-budget = ir ajustado de dinero tener un presupuesto ajustado
 Shop online
 Shop assistant
 Loyalty
 Excessive consumerism
 Responsible consumption

2
  Shop around = comparar precios
 Best deals = ganga
 Buying spree
 High street shopping
 Local shops, local economy
 Small companies
 Multinational companies
 Invest in
 Spend wisely
 Big purchases
 Secondhand shops
 Sales
 Half price
 Get your money back
 Overspending
 Impulse buys
 Better value for money
 Free shipping
 Opening and closing hours
 Effect on the town’s economy
 Unemployment
 High season
 Sunday shopping
 Fair competition
 Shopping around the clock
 Part-time jobs
 Family-life problems for employees
 Black Friday
 Shopaholic
 Great offers and discounts on
 To be short of money / to be broke
 World economy
 Big shopping malls
 Teleshopping
 Catalogue shopping
 Deceptive advertising strategies

3. Crimes, law, politicians, corruption, public safety.

 Minor crimes = offences = delito menor
 Offender = infractor
 Pickpocket = carterista
 Speeding – verb = exceder el límite de velocidad
 Fine sb = multar a alguien. Ejemplo: I was fined = fui multado (me multaron)
 Rape = violación

3
  Kidnapping = rapto, secuestro
 Sentence – verb = sentenciar. Ejemplo: I was sentenced to 5-year imprisonment
 Release – verb = dejar en libertad
 Probation = libertad condicional
 Hackers
 Internet piracy
 Corruption – noun /corapshon/
 Corrupted – adj
 Vandalism
 Vandal
 Community service
 Commit a crime
 Bribery /braibery/ = soborno
 Blackmail = chantaje
 Commit fraud /froood/ = cometer fraude
 Drug dealer = traficante de drogas
 Drug dealing = tráfico de drogas
 Charge sb with sth = acusar a alguien por algo
 Be accused of
 Domestic violence
 Tax haven /heivn/ = paraíso fiscal
 Violence in films/cartoons, computer games
 Violence in our daily life
 Types of crimes and punishment
 How to prevent traffic accidents (speed cameras)

4. Inventions (past, present and predictions for the future,

cloning, playing with DNA, Robotics, etc)
 Hybrid cars /haibrid/
 GPS = Satnav
 Human cloning
 Flying cars
 Video cassette recorder
 Discover /discava/
 Discovery /discavery/
 3D printers = impresoras 3D
 Technological advances
 Genetic engineering
 Cloning human beings
 Breakthrough
 Patent /ˈpeɪ.tənt/
 Phenomenon
 Device
 Enable
 Challenge
 Instant Messaging

4
  Printing press
 Light bulb
 The Internet (most recent)
 Telephone
 Refrigerator
 Braille /breɪl/
 Thermometer /θəˈmɒm.ɪ.tər/
 Microscope /ˈmaɪ.krə.skəʊp/

5. Medicine (traditional v. alternative, NHS = National Health

System, lifestyle and health, etc)
 Laser eye surgery /leisa/
 Vaccines = vaccinations = vacunas
 AIDS /EIDS/ = SIDA
 Diabetes /daiabiiitis/
 Cholesterol
 Eating disorders = trastornos alimenticios
 Cancer
 GP = General Practitioner = médico de familia / cabecera
 Alternative Medicine
 Acupuncture
 Needles = agujas
 Homeopathy
 Osteopathy
 Have an operation = operarse. Ejemplo: She had an operation = la operaron
 Have sth done. Ejemplo: I have a massage done
 Cure
 Mainstream medicine = medicina tradicional
 Placebo
 NHS = National Health Service = Sistema Nacional de Salud (la Seguridad
Social)
 Ethical / unethical /ezikal/ /anezikal/
 Moral issues = cuestiones morales
 Development = desarollo
 Genetic modification /ginetic/
 Viruses /vairusis/
 Bacteria
 Dilemma
 Genome /ginoum/ = genoma
 Eradicate
 Diseases = illnesses
 Manipulation of genome
 Gene /giiin/ = gen
 Genetics /ginetics/ = genética (como ciencia)

5
  Genetically modified food = GMO
 Organisms
 Alteration
 Metabolism

Some aspects to think about:

 Prevention
 The health system in your country
 Misuse of antibiotics
 Self-diagnosis
 Immune system
 Medical malpractice
 The problem of drugs
 Most important advances in the last 20 years

6. Communication and relationships (networks, online dating,

etc).
 to break up: to end a romantic relationship
 to drift apart: to become less close to someone
 to enjoy someone’s company: to like spending time with someone
 to fall for: to fall in love
 to fall head over heels in love: to start to love someone a lot
 to fall out with: to have a disagreement and stop being friends
 to get on like a house on fire: to like someone’s company very much indeed
 to get on well with: to understand someone and enjoy similar interests
 to get to know: to begin to know someone
 to go back years: to have known someone for a long time
 to have a lot in common: to share similar interests
 to have ups and downs: to have good and bad times
 a healthy relationship: a good, positive relationship
 to hit it off: to quickly become good friends with
 to be in a relationship: to be romantically involved with someone
 to be just good friends: to not be romantically involved
 to keep in touch with: to keep in contact with
 to lose touch with: to not see or hear from someone any longer
 love at first sight: to fall in love immediately you meet someone
 to pop the question: to ask someone to marry you
 to see eye to eye: to agree on a subject
 to settle down: to give up the single life and start a family
 to strike up a relationship: to begin a friendship
 to tie the knot: to get married
 to be well matched: to be similar to
 to work at a relationship: to try to maintain a positive relationship with someone

6
  Fake profile
 Social media
 Face to face communication
 Potential partner
 Online profiles
 Upload
 confidence
 First impression
 Online dating platforms
 Casual sex
 Long-term relationship
 Ideal partner
 High expectations
 Dating through social media
 The smartphone generation
 Fear of rejection
 Swipe right (what you do when you like someone on the dating application
Tinder) / left (when you don’t)
 Match
 Confidence booster
 Safety
 Socialize
 Other options for meeting a partner: hiking, organised trips,
 Fake identities
 Paying to meet people

7. Education
 Kinds of learning: blend learning (online + tradicional learning al mismo
tiempo) / e-learning / traditional learning / online learning
 Qualifications = títulos académicos
 Skills = destrezas, habilidades
 Have a way with sth/ sb = tener buena mano con algo/ alguien, darse bien
 Subjects = asignaturas
 Cognitive abilities = habilidades cognitivas
 Mental exercise
 State education vs private education
 Boarding school = colegio internado
 A school run by nuns / priests = un colegio dirigido por monjas / curas
 Mixed school
 Single-sex school
 Language learning
 Career vs degree
 Vocational training = formación profesional
 Internship = periodo de prácticas, prácticas preprofesionales
 Intern = becario
 Grant = beca de estudios. Ejemplo: Erasmus grant

7
  College vs university
 Discipline
 Behaviour = comportamiento
 Behave = comportarse (bien o mal)
 Favourite subjects
 Home schooling
 Choosing a degree
 Online teachers available
 Traditional lessons
 Flexibility and independence
 Variety of materials online
 Guided learning
 Extra support
 One-on-one tutoring
 Going to class
 E-learning
 University project
 Teamwork
 Bilingual schools

Some aspects to think about:

 Too much homework

 Importance of parents’ support
 Importance of good marks
 Learning more important than grades
 Importance of solving own problems
 Homework appropriate to their age
 Importance of being responsible
 Immature attitude
 Importance of obeying rules
 Teachers too strict
 Importance of giving teenagers freedom

8. Money (the crisis, politicians, banks, goverments, economic

situation, 40-year mortgages, celebrities, sportspeople, etc)
 Wealthy – adj = rico
 Earnings = ingresos = Incomes – ingresos
 Expenses = gastos
 Overdraft = descubierto bancario
 Be in the red = estar en números rojos
 Be in the black = tener saldo a favor
 Fare = tarifa de billete (train, bus, etc.)
 Fees – tasas (university) / honorarios (lawyers…)

8
  Pay by credit card
 Pay in cash = pagar en metálico
 Current account
 Withdraw money = retirar dinero
 Bank statement = extracto bancario
 Pocket money – paga (para los niños)
 Tip – noun = propina
 Tip sb – dar una propina alguien
 Mortgage = hipoteca. Ejemplo: a 30-year mortgage
 Loan /loun/ = préstamo
 Be in debt – tener una deuda
 Be on a tight budget = tener un presupuesto ajustado
 Tighten your belt – apretarse el cinturón
 Live beyond your means – vivir por encima de tus posibilidades
 Currency – moneda (euro, pound, dollar…)
 Recession
 Bankruptcy
 Money and happiness
 Money problems
 Borrowing money from relatives or friends
 Compulsive shopping
 To be well off
 Pay in instalments

Some aspects to think about:

 Gap between the rich and the poor

 Becoming rich at a young age

9. Environment/ climate change/ global warming (carbon

footprint – make sure you know what it is)
 Natural world
 The Earth
 Habitat
 Biodiversity /baiou- dai- ver- si- ti/
 Reforestation
 Fossil fuel = combustible fósil
 Rain forest = bosque tropical
 Solar energy
 Wind farm = parque eólico
 Hybrid cars /haibrid/
 Ozone layer /leia/ = capa de ozono
 Recycling = reciclaje
 Alternative energy
 Renewable energy
 Ultraviolet radition

9
  Earthquake = terremoto
 Tornado /toooneidou/
 Hurricane /harriken/
 Hail /heil/ – noun and verb = granizo y granizar
 Storm
 Tsunami
 Drought /draut/ = sequía
 Blizzard = tormenta de nieve, ventisca
 Carbon footprint = impacto ecológico
 Global warming = calentamiento global
 Environmentally-friendly – adj. = respetuoso con el medio ambiente
 Eco-friendly – adj. = ecológico
 Bags
 Waste = desechos, residuos, desperdicios
 The 3 Rs: reuse, reduce, recycle
 Containers /konteiners/
 Landfill = vertedero
 Threat /zret/ = amenaza – noun
 Threatening /zretening/ = amenazador – adj.
 Environmentally-friendly
 Renewable energies
 Sustainable
 Self-sufficient
 Plastic waste
 Zero waste
 Single-use plastic: straws, glasses and cutlery, bottles, etc.
 Endangered species
 Natural disasters
 Pollution

10. Travelling/ living abroad

 Dream holiday
 Exotic destination
 Adventurous
 Taking risks
 Once in a lifetime
 Eco-tourism
 Local community
 Cultural diversity
 Escape the routine
 Multicultural environment
 Break away from the routine
 Escape a monotonous life
 Luxurious accommodation
 Cultural holiday

10
 Landmarks
 Historical aspects
 Tourist spots
 Off the beaten track
 Foodies
 Festivities and important dates
 Traffic
 Means of transport
 Destination
 Journey
 To get a lift
 Check in, check out
 Arrive on time
 Delayed flight
 Take off
 Landing
 Go hitchhiking
 Train fares
 Go on a cruise
 Cabin crew
 Window or aisle seat
 Go sailing
 Arrive at your destination
 Grab a taxi
 Sea views
 To be on holiday
 Organise trips to museums
 The road / the highway / the port / the airport
 Arrival / departure time
 Baggage
 Customs/customs officer
 Direct/transfer flight
 Rent a car
 Car breakdown
 Insurance
 Accommodation
 High season / low season
 Package deal
 Travel agency
 Youth hostel
 Foreign culture
 Move abroad
 Be immersed in a culture
 Work or study opportunity
 Double your chances of
 Enriching experience
 Challenges

11
  Home country
 Rewarding
 Master a new language
 Day trip
 Means of transport
 Low-cost airlines
 Best/worst journey
 Best place to live
 Weather and mood
 Adaptation to other cultures
 Things we cannot live without
 Immersion in the local culture
 Campsite fees
 Getting away for the weekend
 No delays
 Early morning flight
 Share petrol and motorway expenses
 Broadens our mind
 Wandering around
 Meandering

11. Food and healthy lifestyle (eating disorders, stress, eating

habits, etc.)
 Calorie
 Healthy
 Nutritional
 Obese
 Child obesity
 PE
 Baked goods
 Open-air sports
 Bike lanes
 Sugary drinks
 Sedentary
 Longevity
 Cholesterol
 Diabetes
 Blood pressure
 Exercise
 Flexibility
 Bone mass
 Enhance self-esteem
 Reduce stress
 Weight loss
 Elderly people

12
  Heart disease
 Physical
 Fight stress
 Vigorous
 Joint
 Stroke
 Disease
 Balanced diet
 Mediterranean diet
 American diet
 Fast food
 Pre-cooked food
 Super-sizing
 Your eating habits
 Eating clean
 Going on a diet
 Crash diets
 Protein
 Balanced diet
 Excessive exercise
 Cutting carbs
 Counting calories
 Staying hydrated
 Following a meal plan
 Watching what you eat
 Getting your daily dose of vitamins
 Vegetarian /vegeteirian/ and vegan /vígan/
 Gluten free
 GMO, genetically modified organisms
 Organic
 Sugar free
 Low fat
 High in fiber
 Superfoods
 Water sports
 Extreme sports
 Trends
 No time for cooking
 Processed food

12. The media (the news, newspapers, the radio, TV and

children, reality shows, advertising, etc)
 Media medios de comunicación
 Mass media medios de comunicación masivos
 Television televisión

13
 Program (US) programa
 Programme (GB) programa
 Broadcasting transmisión
 Soap opera telenovela
 Sitcom comedia
 Drama drama, obra de teatro
 Series serie
 Serial miniserie
 Film (GB) película
 Movie (US) película
 Documentary documental
 News broadcast noticiero, noticioso
 Current affairs programme programa de temas actuales
 Music programme programa musical
 Sports programme programa de deportes
 Weather forecast pronóstico del tiempo
 Variety show programa de variedades
 Talk show programa de entrevistas
 Game show, quiz show programa concurso
 Reality show programa de telerealidad
 Commercial anuncio
 Episode episodio, capítulo
 Character personaje
 Newsreader presentador de las noticias
 Host presentador
 Hostess presentadora
 Actor actor
 Actress actriz
 Aerial antena
 Satellite satélite
 Satellite dish antena satelital
 Radio radio
 Radio antenna antena de radio
 TV set televisor
 Cable box conversor de cable
 Headset auriculares
 Headphones auriculares
 Vcr videograbadora
 DVD player reproductor de DVD
 Blu-ray player reproductor de blu-ray
 Home theatre home theatre
 Speakers parlantes, altavoces
 Remote control control remoto

14
  Newspaper, paper periódico
 Daily newspaper diario
 Weekly newspaper semanario
 Tabloid tabloide, periódico de formato más pequeño
 Broadsheet periódico de formato más grande
 Popular newspaper periódico popular (de formato más pequeño)
 Quality newspaper periódico de calidad (de formato más grande)
 Journal periódico
 Press prensa
 Headlines titulares
 Editorial editorial
 Article artículo
 Business news noticias de economía, finanzas
 Sports reports noticias de deportes
 Cinema review críticas de cine
 Book review críticas de libros
 The letters page correo de lectores
 Cartoons chistes, viñetas
 Crossword crucigrama
 Ad, advertisement aviso, anuncio
 Classified ads avisos clasificados
 Supplement suplemento
 Magazine revista
 Comic revista de historietas
 Mass media

Some aspects to think about:

 News: objective or biased?

 Does watching the news influence people?
 How are traditional media adapting to new technologies?
 How do you prefer to keep informed?
 Public television vs private networks
 Junk tv
 Gossip magazines
 Favourite radio stations
 Favourite programmes

13. Charity (animal rigths, famous people, governments, ways of

raising money, etc.)
 Associations
 Altruism
15
 Ambassador
 Care
 Cooperation
 Contributions
 Donation
 Generosity
 Help
 Homeless
 Organization
 Orphan
 Philanthropy
 Raise money
 Rescue
 Social work
 Street children
 Sponsor - a person or organization that provides funds for a project or activity
carried out by another.
 Support
 Volunteer
 Fundraiser
 Support
 Disaster
 Contribution
 Needy
 Hope
 Global poverty
 Migration
 Refugees
 Developing countries
 Donor
 Campaign
 Fund-raising events
 Nonprofit
 Initiative
 Sensitivity
 Commitment
 Responsibility
 Actively
 Participation
 Community
 Foundation
 Western countries
16
  Rewarding
 Raise awareness
 NGO homeless
 Handicapped
 Elderly
 Visually-impaired

14. Appearance (cosmetic surgery, beautiful models and perfect

bodies, television, etc.)
 Middle-age
 Slender figure
 In his/her 30s/40s: to be 30/40 something
 Youthful appearance
 Cosmetic/plastic surgery
 Beauty and physical attractiveness
 Cosmetic procedures
 Becoming more popular
 Health risks
 Risks and rewards
 Ageing
 Cosmetic industry
 Improve your looks
 Non-surgical procedures
 Having treatment
 Natural-looking
 Surgeons
 Dermal fillers
 Unrealistic expectations
 Breast implants
 Self-esteem
 Lack of self-worth
 Go under the knife
 Tummy-tuck
 Liposuction
 Reconstructive surgery
 Copying celebrities
 Addicted to cosmetic surgery
 Paid by the NHS
 Side effects
 To remain youthful
 Empowerment
17
  Only for the wealthy
 Whim
 Photoshop

Some aspects to think about:

 Ideas: Risks of surgery

 Alternatives to cosmetic surgery
 Investment
 Psychological benefits
 Lookalikes
 Worth the investment
 Dress codes: a question of respect
 Wearing uniforms
 Fashion: a slavery?
 Clothes and personality

15. Work and the job market (parents and child raising, civil
servants, men v. women, unskilled workers, immigrants, etc)
 Work timetable = horario laboral
 Shifts = turnos de trabajo
 Take holidays = cogerse vacaciones
 Take a day off = cogerse un día libre
 Be under pressure = tener mucha presión
 Pay rise = subida salarial
 Wages = sueldo
 Salary = salario
 Offer sb a pay rise = ofrecerle a alguien una subida salarial
 Working conditions
 Be on sick leave / be on maternity leave = estar de baja por enfermedad / de
maternidad
 Be on the dole = estar cobrando prestación por desempleo
 Be in charge of sth / sb = estar a cargo de algo/alguien, ser responsable de
algo/alguien
 Be promoted = ser ascendido / get a promotion = ser ascendido
 Unemployment
 Civil servants
 Relationship with colleagues
 Flexible hours
 Work-life balance
 Employee vs own boss
 Work-at-home jobs
 Convenient

18
  High salary
 Satisfying job
 Retirement
 Working for a large or small organisation
 To hire
 Employee
 Employer
 Colleagues
 Coworkers
 Full-time
 Part-time
 Flex-time
 Shifts
 Work overtime
 Go to work
 Get off work
 Commute
 Work remotely
 Get a pay raise (or a raise)
 Get a promotion
 To be fired
 To be laid off
 To quit a job
 To leave a job
 To retire
 Life/work balance
 + see Current Issues topic on Unemployment

16. Family and relationships (present and past, changes, the

elderly, marriage, etc)
 Social media /midia/
 Keep in touch with sb = mantener el contacto con alguien
 Lose touch with sb = perder el contacto con alguien
 Share interests
 Loneliness = soledad
 Unsocial vs social
 False sense of connection
 Share posts
 Read posts
 Google – verb = buscar en Google
 Disconnect
 Be hooked on = be addicted to
 Anxiety /ansaieti/
 Online dating
 Marriage
 Divorce
 Get divorced

19
  Get married
 Common-law partner = pareja de hecho
 Cohabit = vivir juntos (sin casar)
 Be aware of fake profiles = ser consciente de perfiles falsos
 Speed dating
 Blind dates = citas a ciegas
 Swinging = intercambio de parejas
 Single-parent family = familia monoparental
 Fly the nest = volar del nido (independizarse y dejar la casa de los padres)
 Devote my time/ my life to sth / sb = dedicar mi tiempo/ mi vida a algo / alguien
 Ups and downs = altibajos (en una relación sentimental o de amistad)
 Love at first sight = amor a primera vista
 Be just good friends
 Have a lot in common
 Get to know sth / sb= tener la oportunidad de conocer algo/ a alguien
 Get on well with stb = llevarse bien con alguien
 Importance of the family
 Close friendship
 New types of relationships
 Relationships through social media
 Family gatherings

17. Ageing
 Ageing = aging = envejecimiento
 Ageless = siempre joven, eterno, inmortal
 Aged = anciano
 Toddler = baby learning to walk = bebé que gatea
 Kid/child = niño
 Childhood = niñez
 Adolescent = adolescente
 Adolescence = adolescencia
 Teenager = young = youngster = youth = joven
 In his teens = en su adolescencia
 Adult = adulto
 Adulthood = adultez
 Middle-aged = de mediana edad
 In his early thirties = de 30 a 33 años
 In his mid thirties = de 34 a 36 años
 In his late thirties = de 37 a 39 años
 Elderly = anciano
 Old = viejo, anciano
 Old man = viejo, anciano
 Old lady = vieja, señora mayor, anciana
 Old maid = solterona
 Old age = vejez
 As old as the hills = más viejo que matusalén (lit. Tan viejo como las montañas)

20
  Of old = de antaño, viejo
 To come of age = reach the age at which one has adult's rights = pasar a tener
 Los derechos de un adulto
 To be of age = ser mayor de edad, tener los derechos de un adulto
 To be underage = ser menor de edad
 To be overage = be too old = ser demasiado viejo
 To feel/look one's age = sentir/parecer la edad
 To act one's age = behave according to one's age = comportarse según la edad
 For ages = for a long time = por muchos años
 By/at the age of = a la edad de
 Ageing
 Growing old/getting old
 Population
 Health care
 Fertility rate
 Family planning
 Mortality rate
 Life expectancy
 Retirement age
 Pensionable
 Adulthood
 Midlife/middle age
 Senior citizen/old person
 Elderly
 Ageing adult
 Senility
 Ageism: unfair treatment of people because of their age
 Twilight years: the last years of someone’s life
 Working life
 Lifespan

18. Success (young age, celebrities, success and private life,

work, stress, corruption, etc)

 Manage to do something
 Be able to do something despite difficulty
 A resounding success
 A complete success
 Make a breakthrough
 Make a sudden and dramatic discovery
 Take off
 Suddenly start to be successful or popular
 Make headway
 Make progress
 Prove successful

21
 Turn out to be successful
 Be (quite) a feat
 Be a major achievement
 Pull something off
 Complete a project or plan successfully
 Suffer a (minor/major) setback
 Have an often temporary reversal in progress or good fortune
 Fail miserably
 Be spectacularly unsuccessful at something
 A letdown
 A disappointment
 An uphill battle
 A challenging task whose success is not guaranteed
 Fall through
 Fail at the last minute due to unforeseen events (plan, project)
 Be doomed to failure
 Be condemned to certain failure
 Do something as a last resort
 Choose an undesirable yet necessary option when no others work
 Backfire
 Have the opposite and undesired effect
 Girl group = A female band who often just sing and dance
 To be destined for stardom = To have a high chance of becoming famous
 Talent shows = Contests involving people with skills like singers
 To have a bright future ahead of them = Their later life will be positive
 To be thrown into the lights of stardom = To become famous very quickly and
gain lots of attention
 To become famous almost overnight = To get fame very quickly
 To be a household name = A famous person whose name is well-known
 He went on to make money = To earn money later
 At his peak = When he was most famous/creative/productive
 Hardly a day went by without X happening = X took place almost every day
 Newspaper gossip columns = Sections in a newspaper for rumours about famous
people
 Has-beens = People who are no longer famous
 Only time will tell = The result/conclusion can only be seen at a later date
 Consistency = a harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or parts
 Creativity = the ability to bring something into existence
 Dedication = complete and wholehearted fidelity
 Effort = use of physical or mental energy; hard work
 Empowerment = the act of conferring legality or sanction or formal warrant
 Open-minded = ready to entertain new ideas
 Opportunity = a possibility from a favorable combination of circumstances
 Perseverance = the act of persisting
 Prosperous = in fortunate circumstances financially
 Vision = the ability to see
 Attitude = a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings

22
  Character = a property that defines the individual nature of something
 Endurance = a state of surviving; remaining alive

19. Dogs and pets

 Abandoned/stray dogs
 Dogs’ home
 To be put down
 Keeping a pet
 Fear of dogs
 High maintenance
 Member of the family
 Noisy and dirty
 Having a pet-free home
 Fur
 To walk the dog
 Hygiene
 Hygienic
 Pets as presents
 Animals are not objects
 Big responsibility for a young child
 Vet’s fees
 Expensive to keep
 Feeding the dog
 A playmate for an only child
 Beneficial for children
 Development of responsibility
 Helping with its care

20. House and city

 Problem with street drinking
 Noisy nightlife
 Neighbourhood
 Small crime
 Buy
 Rest
 Swap
 Property
 Save up money
 Afford
 Commute
 The buzz of the city
 Move in together
 Prices have dropped
 Mortgage
 The suburbs

23
  Area
 Quarter
 Closing times
 Favourite room
 Cosy
 Spacious
 Furnished
 Housework
 Two cleaning sessions a week
 Ironing
 Washing up
 Doing the shopping
 Doing the laundry and folding clothes
 House help (unaffordable)
 Buying a dishwasher
 Careless tenant
 Damage to your property
 Low rent – no profit
 Contract
 Owner’s obligation to replace broken items
 Furniture
 Appliances
 Unexpected expense

21. TV
 Addicted to TV
 Favourite TV programme
 Junk television
 Censorship
 Public televisions vs pay TV
 Local channels
 Flat screen
 Broadcast
 Couch potato
 Host
 To switch
 Channel
 Remote control
 Breaking news
 Guest
 Live
 Weather forecast
 Talk show
 Cartoon
 Soap opera
 Sitcom

24
  Game show
 Reality show
 Headlines
 Audience ratings
 TV viewers
 + more vocabulary under ‘Media’

22. Spanish political system

 Head of state
 Main political parties
 General elections
 Political problems: lack of jobs, corrupt politicians, etc. (see Current issues
topic)
 Spain is a parliamentary monarchy
 The monarch is the head of the state
 The prime minister is the head of the government
 Congress of Deputies
 Spain’s political system is a multi-party system
 Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE)
 People’s Party (PP)
 Regional parties
 Far-left and far-right parties
 Autonomous communities
 Catalan politics
 Independence of Catalonia

23. Sports
 Sport facilities
 Sports and the media
 Sportsperson you admire
 Exercise in the open air
 Early-morning exercising
 Water sports
 Personal trainer
 Cardio workout
 Stadium
 Team
 Athlete
 Contest
 Defeat
 League
 Season
 Tournament
 Captain
 Skill

25
  Medal
 Professional
 Referee
 Spectator
 Victory
 Amateur
 Award
 Champion
 Final score
 Half-time
 Leisure
 Opponent
 Performance
 Pitch
 Strategy
 Tactics
 Trophy

24. Driving
 Cars: Need or luxury
 Public transport or private cars
 Fines
 Dangerous driving
 Speeding
 Cycle lanes
 Cycling to work or school
 Road safety
 Affordable cars
 Government aids to get a car
 Second-had cars
 Depreciation rate
 Never had a car before
 Not worth repairing

25. Being disabled in spain

 Laws to support and protect
 1982 social integration for disabled people act
 Equal opportunities
 Wheelchair
 Grants
 Funding
 Adapting the workplace
 Social security contributions
 Tax reductions
 State benefits

26
  Low income
 Recruit disabled workers
 Public sector
 Facilities for people with disabilities
 Mobility problems
 Wheelchair ramps
 Disabled access
 Toilets for the disabled
 Integration
 Social support
 Visibility
 Awareness

Some aspects to think about:

 Public places: adapted for disabled poeple

 Finding a job
 People’s attitudes towards disabilities
 What needs to be done

26. Books/films
 An action movie: a film with fast moving scenes, often containing violence
 To be engrossed in: to be completely focused on one thing
 Bedtime reading: something to read in bed before you go to sleep
 To be a big reader: someone who reads a lot
 To be based on: to use as a modal
 A box office hit: a financially successful film
 To be heavy-going: difficult to read
 A blockbuster: a film that is a big commercial success
 To catch the latest movie: to see a film that has just come out
 The central character: the main person in a film or book
 A classic: of the highest quality
 To come highly recommended: to be praised by another person
 Couldn’t put it down: wasn’t able to stop reading a book
 An e-book: a digital book
 An e-reader: a device for reading e-books
 To flick through: to look quickly through a book
 To get a good/bad review: to receive positive or negative feedback
 To go on general release: when a film can be seen by the general public
 Hardback: a book with a rigid cover (see ‘paperback’ below)
 A historical novel: a story set in the past
 A low budget film: a film made with a small amount of money
 On the big screen: at the cinema
 A page turner: a book that you want to keep reading
 Paperback: a book with a flexible cover (see ‘hardback’ above)
 Plot: the main events in a film or book

27
  To read something from cover to cover: to read a book from the first page to the
last
 Sci-fi: science fiction
 To see a film: to see a film at the cinema (see ‘watch a film’ below)
 The setting: where the action takes place
 Showings: performances of a film
 Soundtrack: the music that accompanies a film
 Special effects: the visuals or sounds that are added to a film which are difficult
to produce naturally
 To take out (a book from the library): to borrow a book from the library
 To tell the story of: to outline the details of someone’s life or an event
 To watch a film: to watch a film on TV (see ‘to see a film’ above)

Some aspects to think about:

 Is reading a hobby of the past?

 Ebooks vs traditional books – what do you prefer?
 Is fiction necessary?
 Reading for pleasure in a foreign language: utopia?
 The best book/writer ever
 Last two films seen
 Films in original version
 Dubbed vs subtitled

27. Globalisation
 World economy
 Social integration
 Cultural diversity
 English as a lingua franca
 Minority languages
 No distance and barriers thanks to the Internet
 Easiness to travel (low cost companies)
 International trade, imports and exports
 Global trends
 Multinationals
 Economic growth
 Integration
 Monetary system
 Prosperity
 Standard of living
 Stock market
 Income distribution
 Integration
 Cultural conflicts
 Cultural stereotypes
 Cultural diversity

28
  Local culture
 Global village

28. Change
Some aspects to think about:

 Social changes
 Social rights: women, feminism, same-sex couples
 Previous rural life vs current urban lifestyle
 Changes in personal life
 Education
 Career
 Marriage
 Life choices: creating a family vs enjoying a child-free life
 Technological developments
 Social media
 Communication gadgets
 Education and IT
 Online shopping
 Are exposed to fewer dangers than previous generations?
 Child kidnapping
 Isolation in big cities
 Violence in society
 Fake identities online
 Crime in younger generations
 Value system
 Something that will never change
 Generational differences
 Struggle to find a job
 The dangers and risks of teenage years

29. Social issues

 Social aids: education, health

 Housing benefits
 Single-parent benefits
 Study grants
 Public health system
 Medical coverage
 Universal health system
 Health insurance

 Alcoholism, drugs and rehabilitation

29
  Stigma of addiction
 Rehabilitation programmes
 New addictions: social media
 New drugs
 Early detection
 Parental support
 Psychological treatment

 Punishment: fines, community service

 Economic fines
 Hard labour
 Community service
 Helping society
 Reinsertion

 Future after prison

 Reinsertion into society
 Inmates/prisoners
 Adaptation programmes
 Trust in the prison system

30. Current issues

Some aspects to think about:

 Charities you know: what kind of work they do (see topic 13)
 Unemployment rates
 Economic crisis
 Recession
 Temporary contracts
 Claims for unemployment benefit
 Work / a job / labour
 Workforce
 Workplace
 Equal opportunities x unequal
 Occupation / position
 Job advertisement / advert / ad
 Carrier
 Benefits payments
 Jobless rate / unemployment rate
 Average earnings /salaries /wages /pays
 Joblessness / unemployment
 Financial crisis
 To work part-time

30
 A full-time job
 To work part-time
 To work full-time
 To work flexi-time
 To work nine-to-five
 To work shifts ( to do shift work)
 To work overtime
 Youth unemployment
 Training, schooling
 To gain /get skills
 Skilled /qualified x unskilled / unqualified worker
 To re-qualify (for a car mechanic)
 Re-qualification
 Affordable housing
 State housing
 Social housing
 Working class
 School leavers
 University graduates
 Yearly / monthly / weekly income
 Yearly / monthly / weekly costs
 To pay income tax
 To pay value added tax (vat)
 To fill in a tax return form
 Family / personal savings
 Labour market
 Labour law
 Job interview
 Personal adviser
 To terminate / end employment ( to dismiss sb., to fire sb., to sack) /to make
sb. Redundant
 To lose a job
 Loss of employment
 Redundancy payment
 To register at the labour office / unemployment office / job centre
 To claim / apply for unemployment benefit / jobseekers allowance
 Claimants of/ applicants for job seekers allowance / … of unemployment
benefit
 To look for/ search for / seek a new job
 Jobseeker
 To apply for a job
 To write a job application letter
31
  To fill in an job application form
 To have an interview
 To go to an audition
 To get a new job / to be accepted
 To fill a position / a vacancy
 A superior x a subordinate
 To be on maternity (parental) leave
 To be on sick leave
 Self-employment
 Self-employed person
 To employ / to recruit
 Employee
 Employer
 Employed x unemployed
 Employment x unemployment
 Employable x unemployable
 To sign an employment contract
 Employment policy /strategy
 The ministry of labour and social affairs
 Labour Law

 Corruption: is society worried about it?

 Transparency
 Bribery
 Bureaucratic corruption
 Conflict of interest
 Ethics
 Extortion
 Favouritism
 Fraud
 Illegally-funded political parties
 Illicit financial flows
 Integrity
 Money laundering – blanqueo de dinero
 Nepotism – enchufismo
 Public and private sector
 Tax evasion – avoidance

 Recent news you have heard

32
 Brexit
 Immigration
 Spanish general and regional elections
 Trump administration
 Venezuela’s political instability

33