The 30 Most Useful Idioms and their Meaning

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CRITICAL THINKING EXPLAINED

TABLE MANNERS AROUND THE WORLD

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BREXIT HAPPENED. IS THE EU WORTH IT?

UPDATED CONTENTS FOR THE TEST

TOPICS FOR THE WRITING AND SPEAKING:

What do you think of homeopathy? Is it a life-changing revolutionary miracle cure or is it a scam based on fake pseudo-science with no real effect on health?

What is the best way to find your better half? Are online matching websites a good option or is face-to-face interaction the only real way to discover if he/she is the one?

Is complimenting or catcalling a woman always wrong? Where is the line between a well-intended comment and a sexist offence bordering sexual harassment?

What is the secret to a happy marriage/relationship? How would you describe a good partner? Would you be able to forgive infidelity? Would you tell a friend if you discovered their partner was being unfaithful?

Why are people so gullible and naive regarding fake news and urban legends? Do you believe everything that you are told or do you contrast the information in case it is biased?

What do you think is the future of cities? Are you optimistic about their environmental impact and the quality of life of its dwellers? Are cities going to be green and efficient places where people live a happy and healthy cosmopolitan life or are they becoming inhospitable, polluted, stressful and inegalitarian?

If you had to plan a vacation, would you rather go to an exotic, vibrant, chaotic city like Cairo or to a spotless, well-run, affluent city like Vienna? What are their pros and cons?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town like Icod? On the whole, is life in the country healthier? And more eco-friendly?

SPEAKING DEBATES:

1 Life in a big city vs life in a small town

2 Catcalling is sexual harassment vs complimenting is not always wrong

3 Homeopathy and alternative medicine is a scam vs traditional medicine needs to adapt and adopt, learn from alternative remedies and adopt new therapies

4 Online dating vs traditional dating

6 The future of cities is terrible vs the future of cities is promising

7 Holidays in Cairo vs holidays in Vienna

TOP TIPS:

WRITING: You will have to write 2 texts of approximately 200 words

SPEAKING: You have to speak for about 5 minutes individually (monologue), and then for about 7 minutes with a partner, giving your opinion and debating in pairs (dialogue).

WRITING AND SPEAKING: You will always have a choice between at least two options, so don't worry, in all the cases you will have an extra chance to escape from the topics you don't like ;)

GENDER EQUALITY

VOCABULARY REVISION LOVE RELATIONSHIPS

LONDON BRIDGE BLACK FRIDAY ATTACKS

BLACK FRIDAY, CYBER MONDAY, GIVING TUESDAY

MADRID CLIMATE SUMMIT

WHAT`S THE SECRET TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE?

PRINCE HARRY: PROUD FATHER

HOW ROMANCE RUINED LOVE

Vocabulary

movement
group of people working together to support an idea

zeitgeist
the spirit of a particular time

benchmark
a standard from which other things are judged

idealised (thing)
an, often imagined, perfect version of something

nitty-gritty
the important or practical detail involved in a situation or thing

flawed
a thing which is imperfect in some way

LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT MATCH

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Vocabulary

• being the third wheel
  (here) being in a place where you are not needed
  soulmatesomeone who thinks and behaves like you, and loves you
  reputabletrustworthy
  algorithmset of instructions which help a computer to do calculations
  catfish (informal)person who creates a fake online dating profile, in order to trick people into giving them money
  sassyvery confident
  eagernessenthusiasm
  nichespecific to a group
  extra-marital affairsecret sexual or romantic relationship that your husband or wife does not know about
  red facesembarrassment
  casual sexsexual relationship that will not develop into a romantic relationship
  chemistry(here) physical attraction between people
  blind datemeeting with romantic purposes between two people who don't know each other, and which was organised by someone who knows them both
  flirtingbehaving towards somebody in a way that shows that you are sexually or romantically attracted to them
  fussy
  (here) demanding; wanting specific things and refusing to accept alternatives

WHEN ARE WE CROSSING THE LINE?