Lesson 1: Holidays

good sense of humour: the ability to understand what is funny

introvert: someone who is shy

laid-back: see ‘easy-going’

to lose one’s temper: to suddenly become angry

narrow minded: opposite of ‘broad-minded’ (see above)

painfully shy: very shy

to put others first: to think of others before yourself

quick-tempered: to become angry quickly

reserved: shy

self-assured: confident

self-centred: thinks only of oneself

self-confident: believes in one’s own ability or knowledge

self-effacing: to not try to get the attention of others (especially in terms of hiding one’s skills or abilities)

to take after: to be like (often another member of the family)

thick-skinned: not easily affected by criticism

trustworthy: can be trusted

two-faced: not honest or sincere. Will say one thing to someone to their face and another when they are not present.

IELTS Business Vocabulary (Unit 13)

Lesson 13: Business
Part 1-style questions Examiner: Do you work or are you a student?
Hati: I run my own business actually … I have an online business selling cosmetics … I set up the business 5 years ago and I’m really enjoying working for myself …
Examiner: What is your ideal job?
Kaori: I don’t think I’d enjoy working for a big company … I think I’d like to go it alone and be self-employed … I’m not sure what area of business it would be but I think I’d enjoy the process ofdrawing up a business plan and seeing if I could be successful …
Examiner: Is your town a nice place to live?
Monique: It’s OK … the main problem we have is our local high street … it used to be a busy centre but lots of shops have gone bust … it must be very difficult to make a profit when you have huge supermarkets in the area and a lot haven’t been able to survive with such cut-throat competition …