AFARINESH IELTS House | خانه آیلتس آفرینش: Recent Episodes
Afarinesh IELTS House
AFARINESH RADIO IELTS - PODCAST 73
Describe a healthy lifestyle you know
You should say:
What it is
How you know it
When you do it
And explain why you think it is healthy
Well, with the advent of technology almost everyone's all about squeezing in some form of digitally manipulated routine to guarantee themselves a clean bill of health. I would normally have an opposing stance regarding this issue but let's be honest, what we are observing is a seismic shift from being absolutely sedentary to amazingly active. I wanna talk a bit about my own lifestyle which is more coordinated thanks to my state of the art smart watch. So, gotta say every single factor that determines how healthy you are, is accounted for and taken care of this way. Ever heard of the phrase you snooze, you lose? This contraption is there to prevent that from happening. You know, mind boggling and bewildering features make you kinda self conscious about your body which is not totally a bad thing. A little obsession will do you good when it comes to going the extra mile to remain healthy and active. As matter of fact, I had no idea that such a device existed until a friend of mine bought one and unveiled the mysteries it held. Having used this watch for almost two years, gotta say the positive metrics of my well-being are off the charts.
AFARINESH IELTS RADIO – PODCAST 72
What qualities, according to you, are required for any person to be admired?
To be honest, I believe human's brain is hardwired to praise truthfulness, diligence, loyalty and you know the list goes on. But these three I guess mark the most basic characteristics that all people around the globe would unanimously consider meritorious. It goes without saying that other personality traits such as having a high irritability threshold are equally admirable.
Do you think people also see the weaknesses of the people they follow or they just avoid them?
Very good question. There are folks who don't wanna see the reality of those they idolize and put on a pedestal. As if they were in a trance of some sort or hypnotized if you will, which would justify every single action of their admired celebrity hands down. Perfection is a myth and no one is an exception even those with sizeable followings on social media
Which celebrities, according to you, should be admired more ? politicians, authors, sports person or movie star?
In my humble opinion, it's kinda beside the point. I think, anyone in any position or area of work should be revered as long as they're propelling their community towards progress. Take an author for example who tries to provide insights into being a better member of the society or a movie star whose reputation of doing charity work precedes them. They equally deserve respect
AFARINESH IELTS RADIO – PODCAST 71
Describe the person in your family who you most admire.
You should say:
what their relationship is to you
what they have done in their life
what they do now
You know, my family and relatives have not been the most
accomplished by any means and because of that I usually steer clear of
them all on the off chance that they might actually rub off on me. But
today I wanna talk about one of my uncles who unfortunately bought the
farm a couple of years back. The thing about him is, he was always a dogooder
and tried to help as many souls as possible. The funny part of it
is, he failed a lot doing so but let's be honest, it's the thought that counts
right? This guy's legacy is a hospice that provides palliative care for
terminally ill patients which he founded 3 years before he died. Now his
children preside over the matters there but the credit I assume goes to
him. I'm sure that if he were around, he would feel so proud of himself
knowing that his efforts eventually came to fruition. I do revere his
integrity and his unflinching devotion that no matter how many setbacks
he had to overcome, he would always do so with guns blazing. Too bad
his not around anymore
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 70
Talk about A Joke That Made You Laugh
You should say:
Who told you joke?
When and where?
What the joke was?
Why did you find it interesting?
I suppose you've heard the proverb ; laughter is the best medicine. I'm a firm believer in that but to be honest, these days our mental status is only deteriorating due to the ever growing turmoil we undergo. Having said that, once a fellow colleague or a pal cracks wise, I'll immediately look chipper and it kinda makes my day. Although I'm surrounded by stern looking fellas in my workplace where there's a zero tolerance policy for flippancy, one colleague of mine whose reputation precedes him when it comes to cracking jokes, never fails to put a smile on my face every now and then. If my memory serves right, it must have been about a month ago that I blew my top after my boss read me the riot act for not complying with some of the stupid rules of the company. Putting his levity to work, this friend of mine presumably decided to cheer me up and make me feel good you know, He passed me a note that read "How do you make people think you’re the boss?
Stand around and do nothing"
Actually, The more I thought about it, the less it made sense and that sort of made me laugh at it for quite a while. You know the vacuity of the joke was the punchline and the fact that it was meant to be funny but it was not.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 69
Describe a Fountain you really liked
You should say:
🔹Where it is?
🔹How did you learn about it?
🔹Describe the fountain?
🔹Why did you like it so much?
Well, I've always been a recluse, I don't seek others' company and I usually keep to myself. That given, I sometimes go for a stroll in a nearby park which is mostly frequented by old timers. You know, this park happens to have some dancing waters and fountains. Whenever I swing by that park, I kinda make sure that I spend at least 10 minutes or so staring at one specific fountain which throws the water high in the air. In my eyes, it looks majestic. Honestly I have no idea why I see grandeur in a run of the mill fountain. It's most probably because once the water is elevated, one's forced to look at the sky too and that's when the exquisiteness of it all merges with the dominance of the sky and that leaves you speechless. Talking about its shape, it's nothing ritzy; the pipe that pumps the water out is quite visible and a part of it has actually succumbed to corrosion. Nonetheless, it's what fascinates me the most these days.
recluse
majestic
grandeur
exquisite
Ritzy
Succumb
Corrosion
Merge
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 68
Is it a good idea to save money?
No doubt it is. These days, money talks so the more you have the better your life will get. Now, I don't mean that one should act like a scrooge or hoard bills on the off chance that one day it will make them a billionaire. All I'm saying is that we should strike a happy medium between splurging and indulging
Do you think that people are happier if they have money?
Happiness is a relative subject, highly dependent on one's state of mind and outlook towards life. No amount of money can perk you up if your psyche is not in the right place. With money you can buy a house not a home, with money you can buy a clock but not time, with money you can buy a bed but not sleep. I think folks need a shift in their attitude towards happiness and discard the idea of the wealthier the better
What can shops do to make shopping more pleasant for their customers?
A lot of things I guess. What tops the chart is having a satisfying refund policy. we have all seen a close friend or relative regretting having bought a defective item that they were not refunded for, once taken back to the shop. Next, salespeople should exhibit sublime attitude when dealing with customers. Nobody would ever want to do business with a cranky piece of work.
AFARINESH IELTS RADIO – PODCAST 67
Describe a shop that has opened in your hometown.
You should say:
What shop it is
What it sells (or, what you usually buy there)
when you first started going to this shop (or, how you came to know
about this shop)
and explain why you like (to go to) this shop
Honestly speaking, I've never been much of
shopaholic but I see some people inclined to shop till they drop and I don't wanna pass judgment I
guess; you know, to each his own. That being said,
there's this pawnshop located in the proximity to my apartment where I wouldn't hesitate to drop by
provided I can carve out some time. The thing is
you can find anything there, ranging from second hand engagement rings whose owners have failed to settle up to stolen items which have got no proper provenance. Call me an opportunist if you want but these days I'm strapped for cash and I will snatch a good bargain if I see one. To the best of my recollection, I started swinging by this place around a couple of months ago and the next thing I knew, it
became my regular haunt on weekends; Thanks to David of course, he was the one who suggested that
I should go and take gander at the stuff there in the first place. Anyhow, what really drives me to purchase items from this place is that it's the real McCoy if you catch my drift, and I don't have to haggle over the prices that much as I'm usually a
guy who drives a hard bargain in any situation. Plus,
the owner is actually a gaunt old man that
resembles a dude I used to know.
Language focus
Shop till they drop
تا†قرون†آخر†خرج†کردن
Pass judgement
قضاوت†کردن
To each his own
هر†کس†هر†طوری†مایله†رفتار†میکنه
Carve out some time
وقت†داشتن
Settle up
تسویه†حساب†کردن
Provenance
منبع†و†منشا
Strapped for cash
بی†پول
Regular haunt
مکانی†که†یه†شخص†معمولا†میره†چون†بهش†خوش†میگذره
Real McCoy
مکان†یا†چیز†واقعی
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 66
IELTS Part 3 Questions
What kinds of jobs are easy to get in a foreign country?
Tough to tell, you know. For a guy who's never been abroad I can only tell you the hearsay and
it's like if you wanna have a cushy job, you can't pull it off with subpar qualifications. Of course
you can always start mopping the floors of restaurants or something to make a couple of bucks
but what kind life are you gonna have that way right?
Should young adults work abroad?
It totally hinges on the fact that whether a person is good for it or not. I mean, if you figure you
got the makings and you could cut the mustard, go for it. But if you realize you're better off in
your own country, the heck with it, stay there and make a name for yourself. It's a very relative
thing, you know what I'm saying
Do Iranian parents encourage their children to work abroad?
Not work, but study I guess. Those who could afford living abroad are usually the ones who have
been pampered by their parents since day 1, they wouldn't wanna see their kids working their
fingers to the bone you know. For that reason, parents would go out of their way to make sure
their child is settled pretty comfortably.
Language Focus
Tough to tell
Hard to tell
Hearsay
Information that you have heard but do not know to be true, rumor
A cushy job
A job that is easy, stress-free, and/or very well paid
Subpar
Used to describe something that is below average, or below what is expected
Hinges on
If one thing hinges on another, the first thing depends on the second thing or is very influenced
by it
Have (got) the makings
To seem likely to develop into something
Cut the mustard
To come up to expectations
Make a name for yourself
To become famous or respected by a lot of people
Pampered
Given special treatment that makes you feel as comfortable as possible or gives you whatever
you want
Working their fingers to the bone
To work extremely hard, especially for a long time
Go out of their way
To try very hard to do something, especially for someone else
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 65
Describe a country where you would like to work for a short time
You should say:
- Where you would like to work
- What kind of job it would be
- When would you like to go
- And explain why you want to work there
You know, since I was a young kid I've always wanted to land a job that has got to do with police work. Honestly I was spurred on by the American movies I used to watch. Seeing how cool the cops were, the uniforms they put on, guns hanging in their holsters, they all had me daydreaming about it for hours. I'm 27 now, I'm not sure if I've passed the eligibility cut-off to become a real cop in America, but I would like to try my hand at it. You know, In America, cops have a free hand in dealing with those associated with murders and felons. Aside from that, as a cop you'll have considerable clout in the society. Anybody would think twice before deciding to mess with a police officer there. I don't basically care about raking in millions of dollars or just having a simple life devoid of any particular glam. I kina think this job would be pulling it off big time, you know. Anyhow I just wanna do a 1-year stint in an American police department and then quit. You know in the movies, something dangerous is always lurking around when you're a police officer and the cop would always die in the end. I just wanna seal a different fate for myself.
Language Focus
Spurred on
To urge, encourage
Holsters
A holder for carrying a handgun or other firearm, typically made of leather and worn on a belt or under the arm.
Eligibility cut-off (age)
Having an age which is acceptable
Have a free hand
The freedom to do things and make decisions without being controlled by
Felons
Someone who has committed a crime
Raking in
To earn or get a large amount of money
Devoid of
Entirely lacking or free from
Glam (Glamour)
An exciting and often illusory and romantic attractiveness
Pulling it off big time
Succeed in doing something difficult
Stint
A fixed or limited period of time spent doing a particular job or activity
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 64
IELTS Part 3 Questions
Do you think you are a polite person?
Well, that's for others to say, it would sound so self-serving to call myself polite I assume. But generally, I try to make sure that my behavior wouldn't offend anyone. But if someone's asking for it, you know, as the saying goes, you give as good as you get. By the way, the places I go to and the people I break bread with are all nice guys. And and, you need to be respectful if you wanna earn respect, it's a two way street if you catch my drift.
Can you give me some other examples of how people show politeness in your country?
Well, there are instances galore. You can find this thing among strangers who haven't even met once, like on the bus or the subway, you find youngsters giving up their seats to elderly people. Or the times when two friends meet up on the street, they don't just wave at each other or even pretend not to have seen one another at all, they usually approach each other warmly and fist bump, because of covid of course, and fill each other in on new developments in their life and then shoot the breeze and everything.
How can parents teach their children to be polite?
I figure they gotta teach it through their actions. They gotta set a good example. As you know children have malleable personalities. They're like a clean slate and as a parent you decide how to form it. Plus, parents gotta be super careful about their kids' circle of friends. If they're kids are hanging out with churlish brats, you know, it's gonna rub off on them.
Language Focus
Sound so self-serving
Concern for oneself before others.
Someone’s asking for it
To act in a way that warrants the punishment or other repercussion that follows.
Give as good as you get
Respond with equal force when attacked
Break bread with
To share a meal with someone. This expression means more than just eating; it is sharing a sense of brotherhood with someone or some group of people. ... Perhaps you are enemies; breaking bread with someone indicates a sense of forgiveness and moving forward to the affair.
It’s a two way street
A situation or relationship involving mutual or reciprocal action or obligation.
Catch my drift
To understand the general meaning of some situation or piece of information
Galore
In abundance
"There were prizes galore for everything."
Giving up their seats to elderly people
Giving your seat/place to someone on transport
Shoot the breeze
Have a casual conversation
Fist bump
A gesture of greeting or affirmation in which two people lightly tap each other's clenched fist.
Set a good example
To behave in a way that other people should copy
Malleable
Able to be hammered or pressed into shape without breaking or cracking
Churlish brats
A child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish
Rub off on them
To have one's characteristics, mannerisms, or behavior be adopted by someone with whom one has spent a lot of time
A hunk of junk
A clutter of undesirable objects, normally stacked.
Futile
Having no effect or achieving nothing.
“All my attempts to cheer her up proved futile.”
Come in handy
To be useful.
“This money will come in handy when we go on vacation.”
To have a head for sth
To have the mental ability to do something well.
“I've always been good at math—I guess I just have a head for numbers.”
Take to it like a duck to water
To adapt to or learn something very quickly and naturally, as if it were innate. “Sarah took to her bike like a duck to water. She was born to ride.”
Getting it down
To become skilled or proficient at something.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 63
Describe a polite person whom you know
You should say:
- Who this person is
- How you know him/her
- And explain why you think this person is polite
Well, gotta say these days you could barely find anyone who would mind their p's and q's and would behave accordingly. I mean, what we observe basically is people's atrocious behavior toward each other. But amidst this snafu in which we're stuck, I happen to know a guy who's stayed true to his admirable behavior and treats everyone with respect. You know, this dude is one of my fast friends called Ramin. We kinda started getting to know each other when we were so young. Well, he was a rambunctious, naughty boy back then, I don't know what happened though, few years forward he did a whole 180 and and grew into this quiet as a mouse kid. I've seen him under various circumstances and dollars to donuts, this guy would be on his best behavior no matter what. Let me give you a for instance, well, couple of months back we were at this party and there was this nincompoop trying to get fresh with us, I would have smashed his face in a second but Ramin decided to take the high road and behave politely. When I calmed down I appreciated him for his proper conduct which saved us from getting into an unnecessary braw.
Language Focus
Mind their p's and q's
Mind their manners, mind their language, be on their best behaviour, watch what they’re doing
Behave accordingly
To behave in a logical manner based on what you feel, learn, or are told
Atrocious Very bad
Snafu A situation in which nothing happens as planned and everything goes wrong
Rambunctious
Full of energy and difficult to control
Did a whole 180
If a person does “a whole 180,” it means they've completely changed their mind or opinion on something.
Dollars to donuts
To suggest that something is very likely to be true or that one has a strong hunch about something.
Nincompoop
A silly or stupid person
Brawl
A physical fight involving a group of people
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 62
IELTS Part 3 Questions
- Do Iranian people like to travel abroad?
- I can't say for sure given the fact that people are really different. But, I figure a good trip to another country is right up everyone's alley. The idea definitely has a nice ring to it, you get to observe how others live. And and if you're not too conceited, you are probably gonna try to adopt some good customs and apply them to your own life.
- Who prefers travelling abroad, the young or the old?
- Youngsters are more vivacious and bubbly. You know, they're all about getting out there and experiencing everything by themselves. On the other hand, the elderly usually seek peace and quiet. Somewhere off the beaten path with picturesque sceneries to gaze upon and the trip to a whole new country most def would sound vapid to them.
- Which is better for knowing more about a country travelling or reading books about it?
- Both will do. If I got the dough to foot the bills I'd prefer first-hand experience of how it actually feels to live in a different country. Books are like the second best thing. If you're strapped for money, then you could go either for the books or the Internet. Ultimately, whatever floats your boat. It's more like very personal decision and it varies from one person to another.
Language Focus
Right up everyone's alley
To be what someone likes or is good at doing
Has a nice ring to it
To sound nice, good, pleasing to the ear
Conceited
someone who is conceited behaves in a way that shows they think they are very intelligent, skillful, or attractive. This word shows that you do not like people like this.
Vivacious and bubbly
Lively and attractive
Off the beaten path
Far away from the places that people usually visit
Picturesque
A picturesque place or scene is attractive, especially because it is old and interesting
Most def
= most definitely
Vapid
Showing no sign of intelligence or imagination, and therefore very boring
To foot the bills
To pay for something
Strapped for money
In need of money
Whatever floats your boat
Do what brings you joy
Afarinesh IELTS Radio – Podcast 61
Describe a short trip that you often take but do not like. You should say:
- Where you go
- When you go there
- Why you go there
- And explain why you do not like this trip
You know what, due to the pandemic and all the buzz about remote working and stuff, many of the trips that I would usually have to take are called off. I'm not gonna lie. I like it. Some would probably see this as a sadistic pleasure but I don’t, I mean, this is just a boon in these tough times. Anyhow, I still have to take my wife to shopping centers every day, clockwork. When the pandemic hit and as the community grew more secluded, she was always complaining about being cooped up inside and feeling devastated since her contact with friends had gotten cut off. Then it hit me, I might not be able to make this grim menace go away, but I could make it easier on her by taking her to malls on a daily basis. I should also mention, we try to avoid peak hours so we usually drop by there in the afternoons. We're fully adherent to the safety guidelines though, you know, trying to stave off the virus and everything. But, truth be told, frequenting the malls has become such a hassle for me. I mean, a couple of days a week would be ok, but every darn day? You know, it has truly become a nuisance that I could barely put up with. I don't honestly know what it takes to make her shake this habit but I'll do whatever so she would let me take a breather.
Language Focus
All the buzz about
A feeling of excitement, energy, and pleasure that something gives you.
Called off
To cancel something
Sadistic pleasure
Getting pleasure by being cruel to or hurting another person
Clockwork
Very regularly, or at exactly the planned times
It hit me
To have a sudden realization
Stave off
To stop something bad from happening, or to keep an unwanted situation or person away, usually temporarily
Take a breather
Take a short break from one's activities in order to relax
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 60
IELTS Part 3 Questions
Do you want to become a foreign language teacher in the future? Why?
Matter of fact, I don't really have my heart set on becoming a language instructor. I mean I might dabble in teaching just to make a buck, you know, to keep the wolf from the door till I get myself a solid gig or a job in company. The reason is, it takes the patience of Job, handling the students and everything. By the way, if you're going to do something serious, you gotta do that to a tee, you can't just cobble up some lesson plan and think that you're a real teacher.
Do you think grammar is important when you learn a foreign language? why?
Of course, it is, no grammar means that you're gonna be incapable of stringing words together. Then, you'd realize that the vocabulary you know is only a hunk of junk. That being said, just learning the rules will be futile since it won't turn into active knowledge that you could readily use. You outta make sure that you learn it through speaking the language and getting feedback. You know a partner could come in handy. Someone with a better level of language knowledge.
Why do some people learn a language faster than others?
Your guess is as good as mine. I'm no expert but, I hear that it's got something to do with the knack. Some folks just have a head for languages and they take to it like a duck to water. That aside, the more infatuated you are with the culture of a language, the higher the probability of you getting it down. I guess, it's all about the tie with the culture, how strong it is and how bad you want it.
Language Focus
Have my heart set on sth
To want something very much, so that you would be very disappointed if you do not get it. “She’s got her heart set on ballet lessons.”
Dabble in sth
To do something sporadically or as a hobby.
“Oh, I only dabbled in painting when I was younger.“
Make a buck
To earn money
“I am just working hard, trying to make a buck.”
To keep the wolf from the door
To have or earn enough money to afford things (such as food and clothing) that is needed to live.
“They make just enough to keep the wolf from the door.”
The patience of Job
The ability to remain patient and to do what you think you should do despite having many problems.
Todothattoatee
To do sth perfectly or completely.
Cobble up
To assemble or complete something quickly.
“The incoherent argument in your paper tells me that you cobbled it up in study hall.”
stringing words together
If you string words or sentences together, you manage to say something that other people can understand.
“People tend to be very impressed if you can string together a couple of sentences in Japanese.”
A hunk of junk
A clutter of undesirable objects, normally stacked.
Futile
Having no effect or achieving nothing.
“All my attempts to cheer her up proved futile.”
Come in handy
To be useful.
“This money will come in handy when we go on vacation.”
To have a head for sth
To have the mental ability to do something well.
“I've always been good at math—I guess I just have a head for numbers.” Take to it like a duck to water
To adapt to or learn something very quickly and naturally, as if it were innate. “Sarah took to her bike like a duck to water. She was born to ride.”
Getting it down
To become skilled or proficient at something.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 59
Describe a person you know who speaks a foreign language well. You should say:
- who this person is
- what language(s) they know
- what he/she uses this language (or, these languages) for
- and explain why you think they (he/she) learned it well
- Well, I tend to keep my circle tight as I'm the guy with my own eccentricities and it really does mandate such circumstances. You know, being involved in language learning and things, I'm always rubbing elbows with bilinguals, polyglots, and stuff. So I'm no stranger to seeing individuals with a normal knack for speaking English. But you know how this works right, there is always someone who's got the edge over the others. I remember it was almost a year ago that I was hit up on one of my social media apps. At first, it was nothing more than a voice message but as soon as I tapped the play button, I was flabbergasted. Well this gal at first struck me as a native English speaker, and I was like tell me about your whereabouts, and she goes like, born and raised in Iran. Goodness gracious I was damn near floored. Anyhow, I decided to suss her out and see what her story was. I almost grilled her for an hour. You know, it was necessary for to me understand how she'd got that awesome. She told me that she knew how to speak English and French. When I asked her about her job, she said that she was basically a teacher and that's why she could speak English with that exemplary finesse. I got a habit of keeping people who are worth their salt close. You know, it's been a year that we've known each other and we have conversations in English all the time.
Language Focus
keep my circle tight
Having fewer friends due to some circumstances
Hey, bro there many fake friends you better keep your circle tight.
Eccentricity the quality of being strange.
"the eccentricity of his views"
Mandate
to give official permission for something to happen:
The UN rush to mandate war totally ruled out any alternatives.
Rub elbows with an associate or come into contact with another person.
"he rubbed elbows with TV stars at the party"
Polyglots knowing or using several languages.
"a polyglot career woman"
Knack
an acquired or natural skill at doing something.
"he had a knack for communicating"
Get the edge over someone
To have an advantage over one.
I've been preparing for this debate for weeks so that I have the edge over my opponent. Hit up on to discover someone or something.
Flabbergast surprise (someone) greatly; astonish.
"This news has left me totally flabbergasted"
Gal
a girl or young woman.
strike (someone) as
to cause (someone) to think about someone or something in a particular way It strikes me as peculiar that she left without a word.
Her comment struck me as odd.
Whereabouts the place where someone or something is.
"his whereabouts remain secret"
Goodness gracious
goodness, gracious. ... Exclamation of surprise, dismay, or alarm, as in Goodness gracious! You've forgotten your ticket
floor
to surprise or confuse someone so much that they are unable to think what to say or do next: I didn't know what to say - I was completely floored.
Suss somebody out
(slang, transitive) To come to understand (a person). We've sussed him out — he only drinks on Fridays and only in that bar in town. (slang, transitive) To manage to work (something) out, to determine (something).
Grill someone
ask that person many questions, similar to cross-examination in a courtroom. In the first example/illustration above, Harry was grilled by his date; he thought her questions were excessive.
Exemplary
serving as a desirable model; very good. "exemplary behavior"
Finesse
impressive delicacy and skill. "orchestral playing of great finesse"
worth your salt
good at your job:
Any accountant worth their salt should be aware of the latest changes in taxation.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 58
Describe a time you enjoyed a free day off work or school You should say:
- When it was
- What you did
- How long the free time lasted
- And explain how you felt about it
- It was about a month ago that I got up at the crack of dawn to embark on my daily grind, I mean I've got this new gig at a company that actually requires me to be there at 8 sharp and clock in. Anyhow, I was already behind on a physics lab so I could have used some spare time to cram. You know, I was sort of in luck, before I hit the road, my boss phoned me up only to let me know that I was off the clock that day as there was some maintenance underway at that time. Being off the hook was something that I'd been looking forward to for some time... Well, I got all gussied up, and sat in on some biz related powwows. What I also did was to cover the materials for school. Always being in the thick of it, I barely have enough time to eat let alone study well for an exam, but that day came as a blessing. Honestly, that day sort of got me thinking that maybe I should free up some time to get around doing stuff. Our lives have got so hectic that we've lost sight of the point of living. We think the more we actually work, the better we'll get but that's misguided. I figure it's mandatory for everyone to realize how profound and precious life is and wasting it away doing backbreaking grunt work is not gonna do any good.
Language Focus
Crack of dawn
a time very early in the morning; daybreak.
"I've been up since the crack of dawn"
grind
a difficult or boring activity that needs a lot of effort:
Having to type up my handwritten work was a real grind.
The daily grind of taking care of three children was wearing her down. Gig
a job
She's well qualified, but I think it's unlikely she will get the gig.
cram
study intensively over a short period of time just before an examination. "lectures were called off so students could cram for the semester finals" Hit the road set out on a journey.
Off the clock
Most commonly it is used to mean that you currently not working. For example, if your work shift is over and you're heading home, and a customer asks you to help them, you may tell them 'Sorry, I'm off the clock, go speak to someone at the till'.
Maintenance
the process of keeping or continuing something:
The office is charged with the maintenance of customary practices and ceremonies. maintenance noun [U] (PRESERVING)
Underway
having started and in progress; being done or carried out.
"recruitment is well underway"
Off the hook no longer in difficulty or trouble.
"I lied to get him off the hook"
Gussied up
If someone is gussied up, they are dressed very smartly. If something is gussied up, it is made more interesting or attractive.
They all got gussied up.
Biz
a business, especially one connected with entertainment.
"the music biz"
Let alone
used to indicate that something is far less likely or suitable than something else already mentioned.
"he was incapable of leading a bowling team, let alone a country"
Blessing a beneficial thing for which one is grateful.
"great intelligence can be a curse as well as a blessing"
Hectic
full of incessant or frantic activity.
"a hectic business schedule"
Lose sight of something
Be no longer be able to see (someone or something)
We must not lose sight of our goal.
Misguided
having or showing faulty judgment or reasoning.
"their misguided belief that they were defending the honor of their country"
One figure that
One presumes or anticipates (that); one reckons or thinks (that).
If we can maintain these increasing profits, I figure that we'll be able to open a second branch by the end of the year.
Mom figures it's time I moved out and found a place of my own to live.
Mandatory required by law or mandate; compulsory.
"wearing helmets were made mandatory for pedal cyclists"
Profound
(of a state, quality, or emotion) very great or intense.
"profound feelings of disquiet"
Backbreaking
(of manual labor) physically demanding.
"a day's back-breaking work"
Grunt work
Grunt work is an expression used to describe thankless and menial work.
Grunt work can also refer to jobs that lack glamour and prestige or are boring and repetitive.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 57
IELTS Part 3 Questions
How do people in your country celebrate birthdays?
Depending on their financial status they could either keep it pretty low-key or go to great lengths in order to make it as epic as it gets. With that being said, they all have a lot in common. I mean, there is are a lot of balloons, which people would usually pop after the party. And... I almost forgot, the cake you know, which is the part and parcel of the celebration. You can't do away with it for sure. Even if it's an itty bitty cake, you gotta have it there.
Are birthdays more important for children or for adults?
I reckon it's much of a bigger deal for kids than it is for adults. Or at least that's how it used to be back in the day. But recently, things have changed and adults seem to be fretting over having a birthday more. For kids, it's a not-to-be-forgotten milestone. The thing is, since they'll be in the limelight for a few hours, they wanna make it happen at any cost, and you know how kids crave attention.
Why some people dislike attending parties?
Some folks are biologically hardwired to detest being surrounded by others and therefore they give it a wide berth. I have never been a loner or a shut-in, so it beats me why some guys would really want to keep to themselves in lieu of blending in with others. Anyhow, I don't wanna sound like a pessimist but, sometimes staying away from others could keep potential problems at bay. I mean sometimes people rub you the wrong way and keeping a safe distance is a must you know.
Language Focus
Low key
not elaborate, showy, or intensive; modest or restrained.
"Their marriage was a very quiet, low-key affair"
Part and parcel
An integral or essential piece; that which must be done or accepted as part of something else. Regular maintenance is part and parcel of owning a car.
Do away with sth
put an end to; remove.
"The desire to do away with racism"
Itty-bitty
very small; tiny.
"itsy-bitsy candles that couldn't light the path of an ant" Reckon
be of the opinion.
"he reckons that the army should pull out entirely"
Fret over something
When you fret over something, it consumes your thoughts. Milestone a significant stage or event in the development of something. "the speech is being hailed as a milestone in race relations" Limelight
the focus of public attention.
"the shock win has thrust him into the limelight"
Crave
feel a powerful desire for (something).
"If only she had shown her daughter the love she craved"
Hardwired
make (a pattern of behavior or belief) standard or instinctive.
"It takes about three weeks for a new habit to be hardwired in your brain"
Detest dislike intensely.
"she really did detest his mockery"
Give it a wide berth stay away from someone or something.
"I'd sworn to give women a wide berth"
A loner
a person that prefers not to associate with others.
"my interest in birdwatching had made me a bit of a loner"
A shut-in
A shut-in is a person confined indoors, especially as a result of physical or mental disability agoraphobia
Beats me
not know; to not understand
keep something/someone at bay
prevents someone or something from approaching or having an effect. "drugs were keeping severe pain at bay"
Rub someone the wrong way
irritate or repel someone (as by stroking a cat against the lie of its fur). "his supreme self-confidence is likely to rub many up the wrong way"
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 56
Describe a party that you joined You should say:
- When it took place
- Where it was
- What you did there
- And how you felt about the party
- I am no party animal but there have been times that I crashed blowouts because of my buddies you know. I mean, I always sort of get dragged to such places. I, kinda, try to be a social butterfly, and to strike up friendships, joining parties, somehow, has always proved to be surefire way. Well, I remember that a couple of months ago, I got this invitation to a friend's goodbye party. He was sort of gonna depart, I don't know where to but to me, all that mattered was, the fact that I'd actually amp things up around there since I knew everyone therein and I wouldn't feel shy or anything. Well, to cut it short, things didn't turn out to be the way I expected. Upon my arrival to that epic to be a party, things started to go south. First, a friend of ours, who was actually a pill, put a hell of a damper on all the fun by making a scene with his girlfriend. Right after that, there came the final blow, a damn power outage. You can't imagine how bummed out everyone was. Matter of fact, each one of us had crawled into a corner doing literally nothing the whole time. So that was basically it, you know, we kept going through the motions and kinda, skedaddling as soon as we said goodbye to that old friend.
Language Focus
Party animal
a very gregarious and outgoing person who enjoys parties and similar social activities.
"a buzzing bar makes this a good place for party animals"
Crash
to go to a party or other event without an invitation:
We tried to crash the party, but the bouncers wouldn't let us in.
Blowout
a large or lavish meal or social gathering.
"it is difficult to imagine the slim person going for a real blowout"
Buddy
a close friend.
"they had become the best of buddies"
drag someone into something
to make someone become involved in a situation when they do not want to
The US was afraid of being dragged into the war.
Social butterfly
a person who is socially dynamic, networking, charismatic, and personally gregarious. It may also refer to Social Butterfly, a character in the comic book series Livewires.
Strike up
begin a friendship or conversation with someone in a casual way. "he struck up a conversation with her in the lobby"
Surefire certain to succeed.
"bad behavior is a sure-fire way of getting attention"
Amp up
increase. to increase the power or force of (something) to excite, arouse, or work up (a person, emotions, etc)
Epic Party
a party of epic proportions, everyone gets wasted. the party grows until the cops come in and end it. a party that everyone remembers. even the police.
Go south fall in value, deteriorate, or fail.
"Lazio saw his poll numbers go south almost immediately"
A pill a tedious or unpleasant person.
Put a damper on sth have an effect on it which stops it from being as enjoyable or as successful as it should be.
The cold weather put a damper on our plans.
Blow
an unexpected event that has a damaging effect on someone or something:
Losing his job was a severe blow to his confidence.
Power outage
an interruption in the supply of electricity:
Storms caused power outages in hundreds of homes last night.
Bum out
disappoint, upset, or annoy: It really bummed me out that she could have helped and didn't. Skedaddling departs quickly or hurriedly; run away.
"when he saw us, he skedaddled"
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 55
Describe someone you would like to study or work with You should say:
- Who this person is
- How long you have known this person
- What you have done together
- And explain why you would like to study or work with this person
- Well, I'm a guy with a lot of experience when it comes to studying. Not that I'm a freeloader who just pores over tomes and does nothing to provide for his family. I mean, since I'm the breadwinner of the family, I'm expected to put food on the table. Anyhow, I got a whole different level of a knack for studying, and not everyone stacks up to me in this matter. I remember when I had to get ready for the IELTS exam, there was this dude that I knew for almost 2 months and he suggested that we study together. Initially, I was gonna turn him down, as, you know, I'm a beast when it comes to studying and I knew that the upshot would be him getting messed up in the head competing with me. But, since he was so persistent, I caved in eventually. Actually, things didn't go as I expected, and I remember, whenever we set a deadline for finishing a book, he would beat me to it, without miss. What can I say, he was my nemesis but in a good way. Studying with him was actually a springboard to discover my own true potentials and I revere his diligence. It takes moxie to accept a challenge with a guy who you know has a better track record than you and beat them in their own. Frankly speaking, by doing so he taught me a lot of things, least of which was to study harder.
Language focus
When it comes to when the specified matter is under consideration.
"it pays to be proactive when it comes to your health"
A freeloader
a person who takes advantage of others' generosity without giving anything in return. Pore over to read or study (something) very carefully He pored over the map for hours.
Tome
a book, especially a large, heavy, scholarly one.
"a weighty tome"
Breadwinner
a person who earns money to support their family, typically the sole one.
"When Roland's grant ran out, Val became the breadwinner"
Knack
an acquired or natural skill at doing something.
"he had a knack for communicating"
Stack up measure up; compare.
"our rural schools stack up well against their urban counterparts"
Dude
a man; a guy (often as a form of address).
"hey dude, what's up?"
Initially
at first
"Initially, he thought a new concept was nonsense"
Turn someone down reject an offer or application made by someone.
"The RAF turned him down on medical grounds"
A beast
a person that is extremely talented at whatever they do upshoot
the final or eventual outcome or conclusion of a discussion, action, or series of events. "the upshot of the meeting was that he was on the next plane to New York"
Messed up
Confused
Persistent
continuing firmly or obstinately in an opinion or course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
"one of the government's most persistent critics"
Cave in capitulates or submit under pressure.
"the manager caved into his demands"
Nemesis a long-standing rival; an arch-enemy.
"will Harry Potter finally defeat his nemesis, Voldemort?"
Springboard
Something that provides you either with the opportunity to follow a particular plan of action or the encouragement that is needed to make it successful
Potential
having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future. "A campaign to woo potential customers"
Revere
Feel deep respect or admiration for (something).
"Cézanne's still lifes were revered by his contemporaries"
Diligence
Careful and persistent work or effort.
"Few party members challenge his diligence as an MP"
Moxie
Force of character, determination, or nerve.
"When you've got the moxie, you need the clothes to match"
Track record
The best-recorded performance in a particular athletics event at a particular track. The past achievements or performance of a person, organization, or product.
"He has an excellent track record as an author"
Beat
Defeat (someone) in a game or other competitive situation.
"She beat him easily at chess"
Least of
Something of the lowest importance, strength, value, etc.
That is the least of my worries/problems.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 54
IELTS Speaking Part 3
Why is it important for people to save some money?
It’s intuitively mandatory for everyone to save up for a rainy day. You know, one day you’re gonna wake up only to find out that you’re up “you know what” creek without a paddle, like your check, has bounced and that behooves you to have a life contingency plan that you could probably fall back on when in a bind like this. or ... the more common case scenario, some racked up overheads that you failed to settle for a couple of months, could turn out to be a real pain in the neck if you don’t have enough liquidity.
In your view should children be taught how to manage money?
Of course, they should. I believe money management is an acquired skill that has to be dealt with as soon as children can wrap their heads around the significance of dough. Matter of fact, money-savvy kids learn not to skimp on necessary items and that also they have to keep tabs on where their money goes. In other words, they’ll make sure that it’s the right place whether to save or spend, and another upshot of this whole thing is that they know that money does not grow on trees.
Do you think girls are better than boys at saving money?
Nah, I believe that gender per se is not the determining factor in this case. I figure personality types, regardless of the gender of an individual determine whether that specific person is a good hoarder or not. What’s more, the circumstances in society could galactically direct people towards being more budget-minded. All these aside, word has it that women are better with money and managing it, about which I have no doubts since I know how profligate men could be sometimes.
Language Focus
Intuitive
an intuitive idea is based on a feeling rather than on knowledge or facts
SYN instinctive: He seemed to have an intuitive awareness of how I felt.
Mandatory
if something is mandatory, the law says it must be done SYN compulsory, obligatory → discretionary
save something for a rainy day
to save something, especially money, for a time when you will need it
be up the creek without a paddle
to be in a difficult situation
If we don’t get this contract, we’re up the creek!
Bounce
if a check bounces, or if a bank bounces a check, the bank will not pay any money because there is not enough money in the account of the person who wrote it
it behooves somebody to do something
used to say that someone should do something because it is right or necessary, or it will help them
contingency
an event or situation that might happen in the future, especially one that could cause problems: a contingency plan
fall back on
have recourse to when in difficulty.
"they normally fell back on one of three arguments" Beinabind
In a difficult situation, usually of one's own making; having a dilemma; faced with a problem or a set of problems for which there is no easy solution.
Case scenario
It can be used to describe outcomes in short-term or long-term events. If something is described as the best-case scenario, this means that it is what people want to happen and are working to achieve. It can be compared to the worst-case scenario, which would be the worst possible outcome.
Rack up
get a large number or amount of something
The film racked up five Oscar nominations.
Overheads
money that you pay regularly as the costs of operating a business or organization settle
pay money that is owed
settle a bill/account/claim
I always settle my account in full each month.
Turn out
happen in a particular way, or to have a particular result, especially one that you did not expect
be a pain (in the neck)
be very annoying: There were times when Joe could be a real pain in the neck.
liquidity
when a business or a person has money or goods that can be sold to pay debts
acquire
gain knowledge or learn a skill: He spent years acquiring his skills as a surgeon.
wrap (one's) head around
comprehend something that one considers challenging, confusing or a foreign concept.
dough
money
savvy
someone who is savvy is clever and knows how to deal with situations successfully: savvy consumers
skimp on
not spend enough money or time on something, or not use enough of something, so that what you do is unsuccessful or of bad quality
It’s vital not to skimp on staff training.
keep (close) tabs on somebody/something
watch someone or something carefully to check what they are doing: The police have been keeping tabs on Rogers since he got out of prison. the upshot (of something)
the final result of a situation:
The upshot was that after much argument they all agreed to help her. Money doesn't grow on trees
This means that money is something that must be earned and that it is not easy to acquire it. It often means that you should be careful how much you spend because money is not an infinite resource
Perse
used to say that something is being considered alone, not with other connected things: The color of the shell per se does not affect the quality of the egg.
Determining
causing something to occur or be done in a particular way; serving to decide something. "money may have been the determining factor in his decision"
I figure
think or conclude; consider
Hoarder
a person who hoards things. "I'm a bit of a hoarder"
hoard
collect and save large amounts of food, money, etc, especially when it is not necessary to do so: families who hoarded food during the strike
Galactically
With regard to galaxies, or in a galactic context. To a huge degree; immensely.
Budget-minded
Someone who is budget-minded is always thinking about their budget.
She is conscious of how much things cost, how much income or resources she has, and what she can afford
Profligate
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. "profligate consumers of energy"
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 53
Describe a time you spent a lot of money on something. You should say:
What you bought
When you bought it
Where you bought it
And explain why you spent a lot of money to buy it.
Well,
mind
the month. But the thing that I’m about to tell you goes further and beyond just any normal type of buying. It goes back to the time when I realized I gotta fly the nest and quit squatting in my parents’ house. As a matter of fact, the things between us came to a head sometimes and we had a bit of sticky wicket, you know. After some time, for better or worse, I decided to buy my own place and Some of my buddies and a couple of cousins fronted me some cash and I finally managed to scrape the money together. Truth be told, I sort of felt liberated when I secured a place of ownership, regardless of the fact that I was gonna be living in the boondocks. You know, never before had I owned anything serious bought with my own dough so, I kinda felt like a king who’d just reclaimed his territory. Now that I think about it, I couldn’t have done anything better with the money I’d put together over years. I knew It was time I’d done something reasonable with it since it was burning a hole in my pocket. Looking book, I don’t feel remorseful or anything. Hadn’t I bought the place, I’d have probably gotten into a venture and lost the whole money. You know, I just don’t have the initiative and kinda make whole lots of ridiculous spur-of-the-moment decisions.
I’m not a skinflint by any means. I mean, if I’m hell-bent on buying something, I don’t splash out on that specific item even if it means I gotta be scarping by for the rest of
Language Focus
Skinflint
One who is very reluctant to spend money; a miser.
By any means
in any way possible; at all; somehow
be bent on
be determined to do or have something: He was bent on getting married as soon as possible
splash out
spend money freely.
"she splashed out on a Mercedes"
scrape by
to live with barely enough money
fly the nest
(of a young person) leave their parents' home to set up home elsewhere.
Squat
Live in a place without paying rent
Come to a head
if a problem or difficult situation comes to a head, or something brings it to a head, it suddenly becomes worse and has to be dealt with quickly
Things came to a head in the summer.
A sticky wicket
is a metaphor used to describe a difficult circumstance? It originated as a term for difficult circumstances in the sport of cricket, caused by a damp and soft pitch.
front someone some money which means to advance it on their behalf, or possibly loan it to them
If you scrape together an amount of money or a number of things, you succeed in obtaining it with difficulty.
The boondocks
is an American expression from the Tagalog word bundók ("mountain"). It originally referred to a remote rural area, but now, is often applied to an out-of-the-way area considered backward and unsophisticated by city-folk.
Liberated
free from social conventions or traditional ideas, especially with regard to sexual roles. "the modern image of the independent, liberated woman"
Dough
money
He made a huge pile of dough working for an investment bank.
Reclaim
get back something that you have lost or that has been taken away from you
Territory
Land
burn a hole in your pocket
if money burns a hole in your pocket, you want to spend it as soon as you can
Remorse
a strong feeling of being sorry that you have done something very bad → regret:
a venture
an activity or plan of action, often in business, that involves risk or uncertainty
Initiative
the ability to use your judgment to make decisions and do things without needing to be told what to do
spur of the moment
used to say that a decision, action, etc. is sudden and done without any planning: We hadn't planned to go away - it was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 52
IELTS Speaking Part 3
Do you think history is important?
Well, the thing is I’m not so the hair on fire excited about history since I personally live by the motto, let what lies in the past lie in the past. But it was like I couldn’t ditch all my history classes in school and kinda had to attend. Nevertheless, history could be significant if we manage to grasp the reality of life through that. I mean not taking everything for granted, counting our blessings, and making the most of them while we’re still alive, and not pushing up daisies. By the way, we would also learn to not let our accomplishments go to our head, you know being mortal and all that stuff.
Do you think museums should be free?
Well, there ain’t no such thing as free lunch. you know, You all the time gotta pay your dues for doing anything. With that in mind, first of all, I gotta say it’s technically impossible to visit a museum free of charge. But I believe, the government should bankroll such places so they wouldn’t go after people’s pockets. matter of fact, they should actually let folks take pleasure in seeing what went down when they weren’t around, or even if that idea seems so far-fetched, then scratch it and let’s stick with a couple of nights a week free plan.
Do you think going to museums and art galleries is beneficial for children?
You know, kids, mostly wet behind ears would not get a lot out of popping by museums and galleries. I think it’s a total waste of time and energy to take kids to museums if we think we’re doing them good this way unless there is nothing else for them to do, it’s all right to tag along with adults going there. You know, they need action, somewhere they could be playing, cavorting and to the best of my knowledge, the museum is not the most appropriate place for that purpose
Language Focus
Hair on fire
If something sets your hair on fire, it excites you or catches your attention urgently.
The motto
a short sentence or phrase was chosen as encapsulating the beliefs or ideals of an individual, family, or institution.
The family motto is ‘Faithful though Unfortunate.
Ditch
Get rid of or give up.
Plans for the road were ditched following a public inquiry.
Grasp
Understand something, especially something difficult:
I think I managed to grasp the main points of the lecture.
Take sth for granted
Fail to properly appreciate (someone or something), especially as a result of overfamiliarity.
The comforts that people take for granted.
Count your blessings
Be grateful for the good things in your life, often to stop yourself from becoming too unhappy about the bad things. Relieved and thankful.
Push up daisies (die)
The phrase alludes to one having been buried, with daisies growing over one's burial plot.
You'll be pushing up daisies when Mom finds out that you dented her brand-new car.
sth goes to your head
If something goes to someone's head, it makes that person think that they are very important and makes them a less pleasant person: Don't let fame/success go to your head.
Mortal
(of a living human being, often in contrast to a divine being) subject to death. All men are mortal.
Pay one’s due
Experience difficulties before achieving success.
This drummer has paid his dues with the best. Bankroll
Support (a person, organization, or project) financially. The project is bankrolled by wealthy expatriates.
Go after someone’s pocket
Get money from someone.
Go down
been recorded or remembered in a particular way.
"his name will go down in history"
Be around
Exist, be relevant, or have significance, usually specified by a particular period of time. Yes, I'm still around after all these years.
wet behind the ears
lacking experience; immature.
"he's a nice young fellow but a bit wet behind the ears"
Pop by
to visit a place or person for a short period of time
Do somebody good
If you say that something will do someone good, you mean that it will benefit them or improve them. It's probably done you good to get away for a few hours.
You don't do anybody any good by getting yourself arrested.
Tag along with
Go somewhere with a person or group, usually when they have not asked you to go with them: I don't know her, she just tagged along with us.
Cavort
Jump or dance around excitedly.
The players cavorted about the pitch.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 51
Describe a historical period that you are interested in. You should say:
- What the historical period is
- How you know it
- What happened during that period
- And why you find it interesting
- It’s so funny, you know, history was never my strong suit back in the day when I was a high schooler. I’d usually just ditch classes and play truant only because of subjects like history that used to bore me out of my gourd. I hope what I said doesn’t depict me as a Goofus, cause the hand to god, I’m not. Anyhow, since I’m a die-hard fan of historical movies and tv series, as an ancillary benefit of watching them, I get to know about what actually went down hundreds of years ago when there was no civilization and no human rights. one of the most attractive epochs in history that signifies merciless brutality and savagery is the Vikings’ era. Now, I’m not saying that I’m a history guru but the knowledge and facts that I’ve garnered, all prove that this period of time, is nothing like any other peaceful period in history where everything was all hunky-dory, it’s pretty macho. It only takes a google search to see how petrifying gore everything could have got back then. The way I saw it, the only thing that mattered among the Vikings was that how adroit men could prove to be in ganking their foes. In case you’re wondering, chivalry was not admired whatsoever. If anything, going out on a limb for your friends and stuff would have certainly gotten your goose cooked.
Language Focus:
someone’s strong suit
something that someone does well
Tact has never been his strong suit.
ditch
ditch school means to leave school and not go back there for the rest of the day.
Play truant
stay away from school without leave or explanation.
"he often played truant and he usually wrote his own absence notes"
Bore someone out of their gourd
be so bored you don't know what to do, basically to be bored out of your mind
depict
show
Goofus
a foolish or stupid person (often used as a general term of abuse).
Hand to God
I swear to God
die-hard
strongly or fanatically determined or devoted
die-hard fans
ancillary
providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization, system, etc.
"ancillary staff"
Go down
be recorded or remembered in a particular way. "his name will go down in history"
Epoch
a particular period of time in history or a person's life. "the Victorian epoch"
Signify
be an indication of.
"This decision signified a fundamental change in their priorities"
Merciless
having or showing no mercy:
There are reports of merciless attacks on innocent civilians.
Brutality savage physical violence; great cruelty.
"brutality against civilians"
Savagery the quality of being fierce or cruel.
"a crime of the utmost savagery"
Guru
an influential teacher or popular expert.
"a management guru"
Garner
gather or collect (something, especially information or approval).
"the police struggled to garner sufficient evidence"
hunky-dory
fine; going well.
"everything is hunky-dory"
macho
behaving forcefully or showing no emotion in a way traditionally thought to be typical of a man: He's too macho to admit he was hurt when his girlfriend left him.
petrifying
overwhelmingly frightening
gore
gruesomeness depicted in vivid detail
adroit
clever or skillful.
"he was adroit at tax avoidance"
gank one’s foe
attack an enemy by surprise while they are off guard in hopes of getting a kill on them
chivalry
the medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code.
"the age of chivalry"
go out on a limb
in or into a dangerous or uncompromising position, where one is not joined or supported by anyone else; vulnerable.
get your goose cooked
The meaning of "your goose is cooked" is nominal "you are in big trouble" but it can include "you caused yourself big trouble."
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 50
IELTS Speaking Part 3
Why do children laugh a lot?
Well, basically, they don’t face situations where a whole lot of crazy thoughts start rambling through their heads, you know, they kind of make light of literally every single thing and, as you surely have seen before, they make a laughingstock out of very critical issues as if they were not even a part of the reality of the world. Matter of fact, as grown-ups have observed how sordid life could get at times, their sense of humor has faded away to some extent. You could always find a tinge of hedonism in every kid’s lifestyle. They all have it in different degrees.
Why don’t adults laugh easily?
As I said before, there is a good chance that as a human being you’d go through a lot of ups and downs over the course of your life, experiencing terrible events sometimes. I believe that’s exactly why you cannot be a ray of sunshine all the time, bringing the best out of everyone or cheering them up and putting a smile either on your own or other dudes’ faces. we shouldn’t forget that, when you come of age, the number of responsibilities handed over to you would rack up ad infinitum.
What kind of people can make people laugh?
You gotta have it in you, I mean, you’re either cut out for it or you’re not. When you’re gifted that way, as soon as you open your mouth and utter a word, you’ll have your audience laughing their heads off. I think the key is to make your jokes sound as genuine as they get by putting your heart and soul into them. It’s like even the contours of your face have to fit the profile otherwise your jokes will all fall flat and you’ll just end up embarrassing yourself.
Language focus
Face sth
have a problem:
Passengers could face long delays. Ramble through one's head
Get in one's head
Make light of
treat as unimportant
"I didn't mean to make light of your problems"
make a laughing stock out of
To subject someone or something to a mockery or ridicule; to make fun of someone or something.
The president's decision to appoint TV personalities as her advisors have made a laughingstock of our country in front of the entire world.
Critical
something that is critical is very important because what happens in the future depends on it
Sordid
very dirty and unpleasant SYN squalid: a sordid little room
At times
sometimes; on occasions.
"she is at times cruel and ruthless" to some extent
partly
What you say is true to some extent, but it’s not the whole picture.
A tinge of
a very small amount of a color, emotion, or quality
Hedonism
believing that pleasure is the most important thing in life
ups and downs
the mixture of good and bad experiences that happen in any situation or relationship
over the course of sth
while something is happening or continuing
The insurance covers you if you are injured in the course of your employment.
a ray of sunshine
someone who is happy and makes a difficult situation seem better
bring the best out of someone
create the circumstances where someone exhibits his or her best qualities, which are usually strength, kindness, patience, or courage.
Cheer someone up
Make someone happy
Come of age
reach the age when you are legally considered to be a responsible adult
rack up
get a number or amount of something, especially a number of points in a competition:
He racked up 41 points.
ad infinitum
Continuing without ever ending – often used humorously: I have to explain A, then B, and C, and so on ad infinitum.
cut out for it
naturally able or suited to do or be (something) Why do you think that you're cut out for this job? utter a word
say a word
laugh one’s heads off
laugh heartily or uncontrollably.
"the audience laughed its head off all the way through the show"
putting one’s heart and soul into sth
make a lot of effort to do something: She puts her heart and soul into her work. Contour
the shape of the outer edges of something such as an area of land or someone’s body the contours of her face
Fall flat
fail completely to produce the intended or expected effect.
"his jokes fell flat"
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 49
Describe a film or a TV show that made you laugh a lot. You should say:
What it was
when it happened
who was with you
and explain why it made you laugh
Well, I’m a movie buff, I kinda watch every flick getting released without a miss. Since I usually get a lot of time to myself and I’m constantly trying out new ways to kill time, watching movies has always been a viable option for me. Talking about the genres which appeal to me most, first off, gotta make it clear that I have never been a finicky person. I mean I’d watch anything as long as they’re primo stuff. You know, comedy movies always put me in a good mood and make me quite perky. Man, I remember it as if it were yesterday, there were a bunch of us dudes having a swell time and chatting in one of my cousin’s crib, it was like, 4 am and we’d almost crapped out when someone thought it would be fun to watch dumb and dumber, starring Jim Carrey. Boy, I was super exhausted but being a fan of Jim Carrey I said: whateves, let’s do this. Honestly, as soon as the movie started I was in stitches, I simply couldn’t help laughing my guts out. Basically, no one else could have pulled it off like Jim Carry, he just fit the profile, you know what I’m saying? He was doing everything with such panache and finesse, one would have thought that the dude is certifiable for real, I mean his performance was totally admirable. Well, that night was one in a million for me and The movie was superb.
Language Focus A movie buff
When you say that someone is a movie buff what you mean is that the individual is very enthusiastic about movies.
Flick a cinema film.
"a Hollywood action flick"
Viable
capable of working successfully; feasible.
"The proposed investment was economically viable"
Appeal to
interest or attract someone:
It's a program designed to appeal mainly to 16 to 25-year-olds.
Finicky
(of a person) fussy about their needs or requirements.
"a finicky eater"
Primo
Excellent
Perky
cheerful and lively.
Swell
great or excellent
crib
A person's place of residence
Crapped out
Exhaustion at work or school due to excessive socializing and partying on evenings or weekends.
whateves
A way to say whatever without the "r".
In stitches laughing uncontrollably.
Laugh one’s gut out
a laugh in an uncontrolled way
I thought I'd bust a gut (laughing) when you showed up in that silly outfit.
Pull sth off
succeed in achieving or winning something difficult.
"he pulled off a brilliant first-round win"
Fit the profile
Be suitable for sth
panache
a way of doing things that makes them seem easy and exciting, and makes other people admire your → style
with panache
They played and sang with great panache.
finesse
if you do something with finesse, you do it with a lot of skill and style Dario played the sonata with great finesse.
Certifiable
1- a capable of being certified, certifiable teachers
b chiefly US: GENUINE, AUTHENTIC a certifiable liar
a certifiable movie star
2- fit to be certified as insane: CRAZY downright certifiable behavior
admirable
deserving the highest esteem: EXCELLENT
an admirable achievement
one in a million
a person or thing that is very unusual, special, or admired Thanks for all the help you've given me. You're one in a million. Superb
marked to the highest degree by grandeur, excellence, brilliance, or competence
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 48
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
Do you use technology to communicate with friends?
Yeah, my phone is chock full of social media apps and I often use them. it’s much better than any other means of communication, instant messaging, and everything. It’s not just me who’s using these apps, almost 9 out of 10 of my friends are full-blown social media addicts. It’s like ok until you haven’t used them, but once you install one of them, you’ll get hooked and can’t really give it a wide berth.
Does social media help to build your relationships?
It does, to some extent. There are also downsides, which actually come with the territory. I mean every new development would sure as hell have some drawbacks that would one way or another affect your life. But since I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy, I tend to look more at the positive aspects and tune out the negatives. I figure if you’re a little wary about your relationships, you could develop very good relationships which could even lead to bigger and permanent ones.
Is it important for kids to have friends?
Kids ought to touch base with peers since they’re living at a critical age which is actually the cornerstone of their future life. You know Humans are sociable creatures and hardwired to be in constant contact with each other. This urge is even more deeply felt when it comes to kids. That is where they figure out their flairs and through persistent give and takes that takes place while they’re in relationships, they would flourish.
Language Focus
Chuck-full
filled to overflowing.
"my case is chock-full of notes"
Full-blown
fully developed.
"The outbreak has the potential to become a full-blown pandemic"
Get hooked
strongly attracted to something or someone:
We were afraid she was getting hooked on painkillers, so we changed the medication.
give somebody/something a wide berth
avoid someone or something
the downside
the negative part or disadvantage of something
OPP upside: Digital cell phones offer more security, but the downside is that they have less power.
Come with the territory
be an unavoidable result of a particular situation.
Drawback
a disadvantage of a situation, plan, product, etc:
It’s a great city – the only drawback is the weather.
The glass-half-full
used to refer to an attitude of always thinking about the good things in a situation rather than the bad ones:
Align yourself with people who think the glass is half full.
Tend to
if something tends to happen, it happens often and is likely to happen again: People tend to need less sleep as they get older.
Tune out
to ignore or stop listening to someone or something:
A bored child may simply tune out.
Figure
form a particular opinion after thinking about a situation
figure (that)From the way he behaved, I figured that he was drunk. Wary
someone who is wary is careful because they think something might be dangerous or harmful.
Touch base
talk to someone for a short time to find out how they are or what they think about something:
I just wanted to quickly touch base with you: did you get an email from my secretary about the meeting?
A critical age
something that is critical is very important because what happens in the future depends on it
SYN crucial
Cornerstone
something that is extremely important because everything else depends on it
Hardwired
if an attitude, way of behaving, etc is hard-wired, it is a natural part of a person's character that they are born with and cannot change:
The desire to communicate seems to be hard-wired into our brains.
Urge
a strong wish or need SYN desire
Flairs
a natural ability to do something very well
SYN talent: Jo has a flair for languages.
Persistent
Continuing to exist or happen, especially for longer than is usual or desirable: Persistent rumors
Give and take
a willingness between two people or groups to understand each other, and to let each other have or do some of the things they want
SYN compromise: In any relationship, there has to be some give-and-take.
Flourish
Develop well and be successful
SYN thrive: The economy is booming and small businesses are flourishing.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 47
Describe a childhood friend of yours. You should say:
- Who this friend is
- What you did at that time
- How you know about each other
- And describe why you chose to describe this occasion
- I remember when I was a kid, I was a child who everybody would call husky. I was the tough kid on the block and pretty much intimidating I would say. So, it’s not hard to imagine that I wouldn’t probably hit it off with just anyone. If I wanted to make a friend, that specific person should’ve been as tough as I was. That cherry-picking attitude kinda left me a loner you know. The thing is, I wouldn’t really mind being alone, I was self-sufficient if you catch my drift. Anyways, once I was taking a stroll around the hood and I saw this tiny pushover getting bullied by some other kids. Now I wasn’t sure if I should have done anything, but me being me, I went there and got the poor kid out of that pickle. That was the beginning of our life-long friendship. His name is Ramin. Although I didn’t take an instant liking to him, he grew on me in time. we used to do stuff together, fooling around in the neighborhood, beating up other kids in the block, and a whole lot of other things which I’m not really proud of. Anyways, that’s how we got to know each other and we’ve been friends ever since. Now that I’m a grown-up, I don’t keep to myself as I used to before but this experience has always stuck with me because making a friend that way was not exactly my MO.
Language Focus
Husky
a man or boy who is husky is big and strong
Intimidating
making you feel worried and not confident:
Some people find interview situations very intimidating.
Hit it off
be naturally friendly or well suited.
Cherry-pick
to choose the best things or people you want from a group before anyone else has the chance to take them
A loner
someone who prefers to be alone or who has no friends: Ken’s always been a bit of a loner.
Self-sufficient
able to provide all the things you need without help from other people: a self-sufficient farm
If you catch my drift
The phrase "if you catch my drift" is merely a marker to alert the listener (or reader) that there is an inference to be drawn.
Take a stroll
walk in a relaxed way, especially for pleasure: People were strolling along beside the river. On Sunday, they took a stroll in the park.
Hood
a neighborhood
Pushover
be easy to persuade, influence, or defeat: They aren’t the best team in the league, but they’re no pushover, either.
Bully
threaten to hurt someone or frighten them, especially someone smaller or weaker
Out of the pickle
in a (pretty) pickle
PROBLEM to be in a very difficult situation and not know what to do
Take an instant liking to someone
to begin to like someone or something: He immediately took a liking to Steve.
Grow on somebody
become increasingly liked or enjoyed by someone: Living in a small town was tough at first, but the place grows on you.
Fool around
behave in a silly way, especially in a way that might have dangerous results: Don't fool around with matches.
Beat up
hurt someone badly by hitting them: Her boyfriend got drunk and beat her up. Stick with someone stay close to someone, or continue to do something: Stick with me, and we’ll do lots of interesting things. MO
The way a particular person tends to do things.
‘his MO isn't prescribing the solution but sparking more questions’
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 46
Describe a time when you received money as a gift You should say:
- Who gave it to you
- When was it given to you
- Where it happened
- How you felt about it
- Well, I don’t think if I could pin down one specific case right now since I’m always getting money as a gift from people around me. You know, in my book this sort of thing stands for lack of respect. It’s somehow like telling someone “Hey, I couldn’t care less about you and your birthday or whatever it is, so why don’t you just take this money and get yourself something, cause I’m up to my eyeballs in work”. Any ways, let me tell you about this birthday of mine for which I’d been preparing myself since a month prior to the event. The thing is, I was just keeping it all on the DL and pretended that it’d totally slipped my mind. You know, in my heart of hearts, I had this feeling that everybody knew about it and they were gonna throw me a surprise party. The funny fact is, that’s just how I perceived stuff and not even one shred of that beautiful thought came true. On the eve of my birthday, I just received an envelope from my parents with some money inside and an apology for forgetting my birthday. I was absolutely taken aback and was about to lose my cool. You know, I couldn’t have felt any worse. I sort of managed to keep a cool head and didn’t let my anger get the better of me, though. Eventually, I found a way to creep out and headed towards a park close by and tried to let it all blow over.
Language Focus
Pin down
cause or force (someone) to make a definite statement or decision about something Reporters tried to pin him down on the specific changes he wants to make to the tax laws.
Stands for being an abbreviation of or symbol.
"BBC stands for British Broadcasting Corporation"
I couldn’t care less
If a person says, “I couldn't care less” about something, it means that the amount of care and concern they have about something could not be any less, any lower. This makes sense. Therefore when someone says I could care less, it should mean the opposite, that they are concerned
I’m up to my eyeballs in something
phrase informal. to have a very large amount of something to do or deal with. We're up to our eyeballs at work.
Prior to
before.
"she visited me on the day prior to her death"
Keep everything on the DL
Down-low (also "on the down-low" or "on the DL") may refer to any activity or relationship kept discreet. Specifically, it may refer to Keeping an act, action, or some other piece of information a secret. Down-low (sexual slang): Men who identify as heterosexual, but have sex with men secretly.
Slip one's mind
Be overlooked or forgotten, as in I meant to pick up the wine but it slipped my mind. This idiom was first recorded in about 1340.
Heart of hearts
in your heart of hearts. phrase. If you believe or know something in your heart of hearts, that is what you really believe or think, even though it may sometimes seem that you do not.
Throw sb a party
throw a party (for someone) Fig. to have a party; to hold a party; to arrange a party. Bill threw a party for his sister before she went away to college.
Shred of
a very small amount of something
Taken aback
If you are taken aback by something, you are surprised or shocked by it and you cannot respond at once. Roland was taken aback by our strength of feeling. [ + by] Derek was taken aback when a man answered the phone.
Lose ones cool
maintain (or fail to maintain) a calm and controlled attitude.
"he finally lost his cool with a photographer and threatened to hit him"
Keep a cool head
stay calm in a difficult situation: I don't know how you manage to keep such a cool head in such a hectic, stressful office!
Creep out
cause (someone) to have an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or fear: to give (someone) the creeps That guy really creeps me out.
Blow over
(of trouble) fade away without serious consequences.
"if he would simply cool off, the whole matter would soon blow over"
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 45
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
Will the way we dress influence the way we behave?
Yeah, I guess so. It’s kinda interesting you know; I’ve got firsthand experience with this one. It’s pretty much like when you put on something which represents a specific cult, you seem somehow drawn to it. Much like, whether you like it or not, that sort of attitude wraps around you like a prehensile tail and so inundated you’ll get that you wouldn’t be able to disentangle yourself from it. Well, you could feel it in your bones, I mean the urge to put your money where your mouth is, you know what I’m saying, you throw a bunch of clothes together making you look like a hippy, you might as well act like one
Where do people in your country buy clothes?
This whole online shopping thing is gaining momentum these days. Since everyone’s almost always swamped with their duties, tasks, and jobs, they could barely make time to hit the malls to buy clothes. This way of shopping is actually at an all-time high right now. On the other hand, some folks like me, are a bit old school, I couldn’t for the life of me bring myself to order clothes online. It’s gotta be physical 100%. I gotta be able to touch the fabric and try that stuff on to see if it fits
Do people were formal clothes more often or less often than in the past?
I’d say, they’re less inclined to wear formal, kinda restraining clothes, I’m not quite sure though. I think society is becoming more and more receptive to new fads and vogues, especially the ones which are all about loose and comfy clothes. I mean, you wouldn’t be pigeonholed or called names if you decided to spend a day at work in your jeans and T-shirt rather than your suit which’ll give you a hard time moving around. Yet, this doesn’t mean they wanna throw their formal clothes away either. Sometimes, it is just inevitable, you know.
Language Focus
Firsthand
(of information or experience) from the original source or personal experience; direct. "first-hand accounts of activities behind the enemy lines"
Cult
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object. "the cult of St Olaf"
attitude
a settled way of thinking or feeling about something.
"he was questioned on his attitude to South Africa"
wrap around somebody fold or drape something onto someone. He wrapped a towel around himself and went to answer the telephone
prehensile
(of parts of the body) able to hold on to things, especially by curling around them: a prehensile tail
inundated
overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with. "we've been inundated with complaints from listeners"
urge
a strong desire or impulse.
"he felt the urge to giggle"
put your money where your mouth is
take action to support one's statements or opinions.
hippy
(especially in the 1960s) a person of unconventional appearance, typically having long hair, associated with a subculture involving a rejection of conventional values and the taking of hallucinogenic drugs.
"hippies and spiritual seekers made their way to India in the sixties in search of enlightenment"
gain momentum
move faster
The wagon gathered/gained momentum as it rolled down the hill.
swamped with
If something swamps a person, system, or place, more of it arrives than can be easily dealt with: Foreign cars have swamped the UK market.
I'm swamped with work at the moment.
for the life of
If you say that you cannot for the life of you understand or remember something, you are emphasizing that you cannot understand or remember it, even if you try hard. [informal, emphasis] I can't for the life of me understand why you didn't think of it.
bring oneself to do sth
be unable to do something because it is too unpleasant or embarrassing, or makes you too upset
He can’t even bring himself to talk to me.
inclined
likely or wanting to do something: Tom is inclined to be lazy.
No one seemed inclined to help. restraining intended to keep someone under control or prevent someone from doing something. "Cara put a restraining hand on his arm"
fad
an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived; a craze.
"some regard green politics as no more than the latest fad"
Vogue
the prevailing fashion or style at a particular time.
"the vogue is to make realistic films"
pigeonhole
assign to a particular category, typically an overly restrictive one. "I was pigeonholed as a ‘youth writer’"
give sb a hard time
deliberately make a situation difficult for someone
inevitable
certain to happen; unavoidable. "war was inevitable"
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 44
Describe an occasion that you wore formal clothes.
You should say:
- What occasion it was
- When it was
- Where it was
- And explain why you wore it
- It must have been around a couple of years ago, you know one of my cousins actually decided that it was time for him to tie the knot and settle down. I vividly recall, a couple of days prior to the reception he was all hyped and jittery. He kinda kept preaching to everyone all day long, how they better be dressed and all. He made it clear that everybody had to dress up and look absolutely dapper. You know, I’m sort of always finicky when I gotta put on clothes for some ceremony. But the thing is, I’m all bout comfy clothes and pretty much informal stuff I’d say. You know it makes me feel awkward big time, just to wear stuff in which you’ve literally got no room to stretch or bend. Sort of makes you feel like a wooden stick. Anyhow, as corny as the whole idea sounded, I didn’t make a fuss about it and thought I’d just follow suit. As I recall, since I had never worn any formal clothes up to that time, I had to hit a couple of malls looking for fancy, flashy but sort of formal clothes. I managed to buy a beautiful black tux with a bow- tie which actually came with it. When I first saw myself in the mirror with tuxedo on, it felt like a dressed to kill kinda situation. I ain’t gonna lie but I was in the spotlight during the whole thing. Anyways, it definitely was a hell of an experience.
Language Focus
It was time
(it is) past the time when something should have happened: It’s about time she got a job.
Tie the knot
get married
Settle down
begin to live a quiet and steady life by getting a regular job, getting married, etc
Vividly
in a way that produces powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind. "Margaret remembers vividly the day she received the grim news"
Recall
bring (a fact, event, or situation) back into one's mind; remember.
"I can still vaguely recall being taken to the hospital"
Prior to
before
"she visited me on the day prior to her death"
Hyped
Extremely excited, ecstatic, stoked
Jittery
nervous or unable to relax.
"Caffeine makes me jittery"
Preach
earnestly advocate (a belief or course of action).
"my parents have always preached toleration and moderation"
Dress up
dress in smart or formal clothes.
synonyms: dress smartly, dress formally, wear evening dress;
Dapper
(of a man) neat and trim in dress and appearance.
"he looked very dapper in a dark silk suit"
Big time
on a large scale; to a great extent.
"this time they've messed up big time"
Finicky
showing or requiring great attention to detail.
"his finicky copperplate hand"
Comfy
comfortable.
"comfy furniture"
Corny
trite, banal, or mawkishly sentimental.
"It sounds corny, but as soon as I saw her I knew she was the one"
Make a fuss
become angry and complain.
"I thought Mum might make a fuss but she was in a good mood"
Follow suit
conform to another's actions.
"Spain cut its rates by half a per cent but no other country has followed suit" Bow-tie
a necktie in the form of a bow or a knot with two loops.
Tuxedo
a suit of formal evening clothes including a tuxedo.
Dressed to kill wearing glamorous clothes intended to create a striking impression.
In the spotlight
Someone or something that is in the spotlight is getting a great deal of public attention. Webb is back in the spotlight.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 43
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
• Is there any situation people disobey the law?
Of course, there is, I mean there are countless cases where people violate the law and tell you what. They wouldn’t even blink when they understand what’s happened. Now I don’t know if it’s the culture or it actually has something to do with their upbringing but some of these folks even relish having done heinous crimes and gotten away with it. I believe, if the law is to be enforced, we first gotta make sure that instead of conventional punishments, we got different leverage that’ll uphold the law. If people obey the law for its own merit, we can rest assured that no one’s ever gonna mess with it under any circumstances.
• Do people like being a policeman in your country?
I figure, most little kids got this dream. You know, they wanna be tough so they would easily be drawn to the idea of being a cop in the future. Although this kind of dream is usually cherished in childhood, kids normally grow out of it and start thinking a bit more logically that not everyone has to be a cop and that when you pray for rain you gotta deal with the mud too, like being a cop means your life’s on the line and you gotta be prepared for literally anything horrendous happening you. Yeah, anyway, I guess it’s a good thing that this chimera fizzles out as time goes by and kids come of age.
What qualities should a police officer have?
Well, a police officer gotta bear in mind that he’s taken an oath to defend innocent people. Next is, you can’t be slacking once you put on the uniform. I mean, there is so much at stake that if a police officer doesn’t do their due diligence, it might equal letting someone die or even worse. Something else I gotta say is about the crooked cops who’re either on the take or they’re in bed with the criminals somehow. If venality takes over in this line of work, then I think you could imagine what sort of life people would have. A case in point would be some of those Latino countries like Mexico or El Salvador.
Language focus
Violate
Disobey or do something against an official agreement, law, principle, etc: 34 protesters were arrested for violating criminal law.
They wouldn’t even blink
Pretend to be ignorant of; disregard or condone: a mayor who refused to blink at corruption.
Upbringing
The way that your parents care for you and teach you to behave when you are growing up → brings up: Mike had had a strict upbringing.
Relish
To enjoy an experience or the thought of something that is going to happen
Heinous
Extremely bad: The food in the cafeteria is pretty heinous.
Get away with sth
Escape blame, punishment, or undesirable consequences for (an act that is wrong or mistaken). "If he thinks he can get away with cheating me, he's very much mistaken"
Enforced
Made to happen, especially by things you cannot control enforced absence/separation, etc
Leverage
The influence that you can use to make people do what you want: diplomatic leverage by the US
Uphold
If a court upholds a decision made by another court, it states that the decision was correct OPP overrule: The conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal.
Merit
An advantage or good feature of something
Rest assured
Be certain that something will happen
Mess with sth
Meddle or interfere with.
"Stop messing with things you don't understand"
I figure
I expect or think that something will happen
Be drawn to sth
Be attracted to sth
Cherish
If you cherish something, it is very important to you: He cherished his privacy.
Grow out of sth
Become too mature to retain (a childish habit).
"Most children grow out of tantrums by the time they're three"
When you pray for rain you gotta deal with mud too
When you wish for something you also have to deal with the aftermath, effects, and consequences
Be on the line
Be at risk
Horrendous
Frightening and terrible SYN horrific: a horrendous experience
Chimera
Something, especially an idea or hope that is not really possible and can never exist: trying to present that chimera, ‘a balanced view’
Fizzle out
Gradually stop happening, especially because people become less interested: Their romance just fizzled out.
Come of age
Reach adult status (in UK law at 18, formerly 21).
Bear in mind
Remember a fact or piece of information that is important or could be useful in the future SYN keep (something) in mind
Take an oath
A solemn appeal to a deity, or to some revered person or thing, to witness one's determination to speak the truth, to keep a promise, etc.
Slack
Not taking enough care or making enough effort to do things correctly – used to show disapproval SYN careless: Slack defending by Real Madrid allowed Manchester United to score.
At stake
If something that you value very much is at stake, you will lose it if a plan of action is not successful: They have to win the contract – thousands of jobs are at stake.
Due diligence
Reasonable steps were taken by a person to avoid committing a tort or offense.
Crooked
Dishonest: a crooked cop
On the take
Someone who is on the take is receiving illegal income such as bribes. [informal] I can also name cops who are on the take.
Be in bed with someone
Work with a person or organization, or to be involved with them, in a way that causes other people not to trust you: The newspaper editor is obviously in bed with the president.
Venality
Willingness to use power and influence in a dishonest way in return for money
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 42
Describe a good law in your country.
You should say:
- What the law is
- How you first learned about this law
- Who benefits from this law (who is affected by this law)
- And explain why you think this is a good law
- Well, I believe laws could keep communities together, so to me, that’s something to be thought out from the ground up. You know, when you got these obligatory laws by which everyone’s bound to abide, you can rest assured that neither morality nor functionality of the society would collapse. One of these laws that stands out to me is, of course, the age limit law for driving. Kids are trying to take over, I mean they put their face where it doesn’t belong. Like, small babies as young as 2 years old or so are flicking pages and things on their parents’ phones. I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if we gave teenagers this much latitude. Now, I’m not saying I’m against teenagers’ freedom or anything, but it’s a given, that since young people are not that right in the head, the chances are, if they were permitted to drive at a lower age than 18, manslaughter reports would be racked up unprecedentedly in less than a week. Plus, this law not only does good for pedestrians but also saves young kids from themselves. you know what I’m saying, it’s like these kids are even physically ineligible to be driving anything, you know, they might well hurt themselves in the process. I personally got to know that there exists such a law when I was 9 or 10. It was not such a curveball, you know, I was not even interested in driving at that
- Thought out
- If something is carefully/well/badly thought out, it is carefully/well/badly planned: To me, the whole idea seems to be badly thought out. [ before noun ] a well-thought-out plan. Planning, expecting, and arranging.
- from the ground up
- From the first step through to completion; entirely. This place is a real dump—we'll have to rebuild it from the ground up. I built this company from the ground up—I'm not going to sell it, ever.
- Obligatory
- something that is obligatory must be done because of a law, rule, etc SYN compulsory, mandatory
- be bound to
- to be very likely to do or feel a particular thing
- Abide
to accept and obey a decision, rule, agreement, etc, even though you may not agree with it: You have to abide by the referee’s decision.
Rest assured
be certain that something will happen: You can rest assured that you're going to get a good deal. Note: Used to make someone feel safe or less worried about something.
Morality
beliefs or ideas about what is right and wrong and about how people should behave:
Functionality
the quality of being suited to serve a purpose well; practicality.
"I like the feel and functionality of this bakeware"
Collapse
if a system, idea, or organization collapses, it suddenly fails or becomes too weak to continue: The luxury car market has collapsed.
Stand out
be very easy to see or notice:
The outlines of rooftops and chimneys stood out against the pale sky.
Take over
take control of something
flicking pages
flipping pages
latitude
freedom to choose what you do or say
it’s a given
a basic fact that you accept as being true: Sandra will be at least 15 minutes late – that’s a given.littleminutegiveThe concept is taken as a given in social studies.
Manslaughter
The crime of killing someone illegally but not deliberately → homicide, murder: She was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.
rack up
to get a number or amount of something, especially a number of points in a competition: He racked up 41 points.
Unprecedently (adv)
never having happened before, or never having happened so much: He took the unprecedented step of stating that the rumors were false.
Pedestrians
someone who is walking, especially along a street or other place used by cars
Ineligible
not allowed to have or do something because of a law or rule OPP eligible
Curveball
something such as a question or event that is surprising or unexpected, and therefore difficult to deal with:
Every so often life will throw you a curveball.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 41
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
Is it better to buy clothes in small shops?
I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I mean, I’d personally rather try on tons of clothes before coming to a final decision as to which one I’d ultimately buy. With that being said, I don’t think I could limit myself to a handful of choices I’d probably get in these small shops. What’s more, they can’t afford those designer clothes people always crave and that means you could only buy clothes that are for the birds. Bottom line, I don’t see any point in buying from shops which borderline small cubicles, one oughta try numerous places before making their mind up.
What is good customer service?
Responsibility comes first I guess. You know, it’s not just true about inferior brands, even some of those up-and-coming manufacturing companies try to weasel their way out of providing decent customer services by cutting corners and fooling people into believing that the issue they need help with is not covered by their constitution. In addition, long-haul support for the products they let out in the market gotta be mandatory. I mean if you’re not sure that your product is gonna last long, why the heck would you let people use it in the first place.
Why is shopping such a popular activity?
I’ve never managed to wrap my head around why there exist constant shoppers. Many of them don’t even have a clear idea of what they’re buying. You know some people of course believe that it’s kinda cathartic. Let me put it this way, you put all your negative thoughts behind you and zero in on buying some brand new stuff that could change your bore-fest life in some ways. But here is this other theory of mine where I think it’s actually a ham-fisted effort to compensate for the inability to lace up and face the music. That somewhere in your life, something is really wrong.
Language focus
I’d rather
would rather PREFER
used to say that you would prefer to do or have something: I’d rather have a quiet night in front of the TV.
Tons
very much or very many: I feel tons better after a rest.
Crave
have an extremely strong desire for something: an insecure child who craves attention
For the birds
be silly, useless, or not practical
the bottom line
used to tell someone what the most important part of a situation is, or what the most important thing to consider is: In radio, you have to keep the listener listening. That’s the bottom line.
Cubicle
a small part of a room that is separated from the rest of the room: a shower cubicle
Ought to
used to say that someone should do something because it is the best or most sensible thing to do
Make up one’s mind
decide which of two or more choices you want, especially after thinking for a long time: I wish he’d hurry up and make his mind up.
Inferior
not good, or not as good as someone or something else
Up and coming
likely to become successful or popular: up-and-coming young artists
Weasel
avoid doing something you should do by using clever or dishonest excuses
Decent
of a good enough standard or quality: a decent salary
Cut corners
save time, money, or energy by doing things quickly and not as carefully as you should: Don’t try to cut corners when you’re decorating.
Constitution
a set of basic laws and principles that a country or organization is governed by
Long haul
over a very long distance
Mandatory
if something is mandatory, the law says it must be done
Why the heck
used to show that you are annoyed or to emphasize what you are saying: Oh heck! I’ve lost my keys!
In the first place
used to talk about the beginning of a situation, or the situation before something happened: Why did you agree to meet her in the first place?
Wrap one’s head around sth
Find a way to understand or accept (something) I just couldn't wrap my mind around what had happened.
Cathartic
helping you to remove strong or violent emotions: a cathartic experience
Bore-fest
something that is very boring
Ham-fisted
not at all skillful or careful in the way that you deal with people
Compensate
replace or balance the effect of something bad: Because my left eye is so weak, my right eye has to work harder to compensate.
Lace-up
meaning to get ready and keep on going through the struggles of life
Face the music
accept the unpleasant results of one's actions
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 40
Describe a shopping center that you have visited or that you know about it
You should say:
- Where the shopping center is
- How people travel to the shopping center
- What kinds of shops it has
- And explain whether you think this is a good place to go shopping
- Well, truth be told, I’m not much of a shopaholic, not that I don’t like killing time wandering around stores and malls, don’t get me wrong. I’d actually pop in places and try on clothes or start fiddling with gizmos and things you know in the case of electronic stores, of course, time permitting. As a matter of fact, If I had a pick among the centers I regularly drop by, my choice would absolutely be this big mall situated right downtown where people swarm in the day in day out. Being located in the heart of the town, this center enjoys easy access from any part of the city. Talking about the way people get there, There is the subway that people usually take, not to mention, there is also the ragtag public bus, that would get people from A to B, the last part was just in jest though, the bus is awesome. Well, here comes the best part, you can literally find just about anything in this center. Looking for a sledgehammer to kill your nosey neighbor? There is a good chance that you’re actually gonna find it there. I think the types of shops to be running there have been perfectly thought out since there is no way you’re gonna find two shops in the same business. The way I see it, this fact has helped expand the variety of goods being sold there so they could cater to the needs of the majority of the customers. To give you my final word about this center, gotta say this place is a far cry from any other garden variety malls you see scattered here and there.
- Language Focus
- Shopaholic
- A shopaholic is a person considered to be addicted to shopping. Shopaholic can also refer to A slang term for Compulsive Shopping also known as Compulsive buying disorder.
- Wander around
- to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction: We spent the morning wandering around the old part of the city.
- Pop in
to go into a building for a short time
Try on
to put on a piece of clothing in order to see how it looks and whether it fits
What a lovely dress! Why don’t you try it on?
Fiddle with
to change or handle (something, such as the controls of a machine) in a way that shows one is not sure what to do
Gismo
a small piece of equipment – used when you cannot remember or do not know its correct name SYN gadget
Drop by
to visit someone you know, usually without arranging a particular time
Swarm
if people swarm somewhere, they go there as a large uncontrolled crowd:
Day in day out
continuously or repeatedly over a long period of time.
"I worked with you day in, day out"
Ragtag
a ragtag group is not tidy or properly organized: a ragtag fighting force In jest
something you say that is intended to be funny, not a serious SYN joke: I wasn’t sure whether to treat her words as a jest.
in jest
His serious face told me that he was not speaking in jest.
Sledgehammer
a large heavy hammer
A far cry from
be very different to.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 39
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
How do you feel about the amount of advertising on television?
Well, what I can say is that it doesn’t appeal to me watching the channels chockablock with ads. I mean, it’s right everybody’s fending for themselves and the only they care about is filling their coffers with the moola they make out of those ads but the thing they don’t know about this whole messed up strategy is the dwindling number of viewers which is inevitable. Anyhow, Let’s say I’d just prefer to download and watch stuff in lieu of wasting my precious time watching vacuous ads.
To what extent are people influenced by the advertising they see on television?
The answer to your question depends on what kind of people we’re actually talking about. You have no idea how naïve some people are, they’d literally take everything for granted and don’t dare question the reliability of their surroundings whatsoever. On the other hand, there actually exist, guys, you can’t easily take for a ride and fool them into buying your shoddy products. It’s kind of obvious you know, advertisers see these people around and decide to cash in.
Why do people still enjoy going to the cinema to watch a film?
I’m sure the main reason is the vibes they get, you know all that buzz, getting hyped and a little carried away especially if the movie playing is a doozy. haha All right, consider this, when you’re home alone and you’re watching a flick it might not be as enjoyable as it is when you do it with a friend, now imagine a hundred people all watching the same thing. The experience would be legit, no doubt. I believe this is the main reason why we still see movie theatres crawling with people.
Language Focus
Appeal to someone
to attract, please, or interest The idea appealed to him. Chockablock
very full
shelves chockablock with books Fend for
To look after or take care of oneself without assistance from anyone else. Moving to a new country for college really made me learn to fend for myself. I won't be home from work until about 9 o'clock, so you and your sister will have to fend for yourselves for dinner.
Fill one’s coffer
Making money
Moola
money
Messed up
unhappy and emotionally confused:
She was really messed up as a teenager.
Dwindling
diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength.
"traffic has dwindled to a trickle"
Inevitable
certain to happen and impossible to avoid: A further escalation of the crisis now seems inevitable.
In lieu
instead of: extra time off in lieu of payment
Vacuous
showing no intelligence or having no useful purpose: a vacuous expression
a vacuous romantic novel
Naïve
not having much experience of how complicated life is so that you trust people too much and believe that good things will always happen → innocently: a naive young girl
Take sth for granted
fail to properly appreciate (someone or something), especially as a result of overfamiliarity. "the comforts that people take for granted"
Whatsoever
used to emphasize a negative statement
SYN whatever: He’s had no luck whatsoever.
Take sb for a ride
deceive or cheat someone.
"it's not pleasant to find out you've been taken for a ride by someone you trusted"
Shoddy
made or done cheaply or carelessly
shoddy goods/service/workmanship etc
We’re not paying good money for shoddy goods.
unfair and dishonest: shoddy journalism—shoddily
shoddily adverb
shoddiness noun [uncountable]
Cash in
to make a profit from a situation in a way that other people think is wrong or unfair
Vibes
the good or bad feelings that a particular person, place, or situation seems to produce and that you react to
Buzz
a strong feeling of excitement, pleasure, or success, or a similar feeling from drinking alcohol or taking drugs:
Get hyped
to stimulate, excite, or agitate
Get carried away
lose self-control.
"I got a bit carried away when describing his dreadful season"
Doozy
something that is extremely good, bad, strange, big, etc: I’ve heard lies before, but that one was a real doozy!
Flick
a film: an action flick
Legit
legal or allowed by official rules: Don’t worry, the deal’s strictly legit.
honest and not trying to deceive people: Are you sure he’s legit?
be crawling with something
FULL to be completely covered with insects, people etc: The floor was crawling with ants.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 38
IELTS Speaking Cue Card
Describe a television program that you watch.
You should say:
- What kind of television program it is
- What usually happens in the television program
- Why you enjoy watching the television program
- And explain why you would recommend the television program to other people.
- I’m not so big on TV shows and hardly ever does any program grab my attention. For one thing, I’m usually running around like a headless chicken. That barely allows me to tune everything else out and watch TV programs. Anyhow, once, at the behest of one of my cousins I agreed to watch a tv show named The Moment of Truth. You know, I don’t just paint everything with the same brush and I also believe that you gotta give everything the benefit of the doubt. That being my motto, I set aside all the prejudices against the TV that every single program is an absolute waste of time and started to tune in. As a matter of fact, it’s a reality TV show that puts people on a chair with polygraph equipment attached and starts digging up dirt on them. The thing is, the participants should only tell the truth about all the questions they’re asked. I can’t deny... you know. I’ve been a regular viewer ever since. The selling point I believe is when the person on the chair starts feeling a little cornered and hopeless. You know, the stakes are high kinda, when everyone close to you is watching you come clean about things you’ve been holding back from them while pretending to be a saint. I figure every now and then we all ought to do a little bit of soul-searching and imagine what would happen if we were exposed for all the lies we’ve been telling people.
Language Focus
to be big on something to be very interested in something, or enjoy something a lot: I’m not very big on musicals.
run around like a headless chicken to be very busy doing a lot of things, but in a way that is not very effective: Oh my gosh, I am so busy at work! I’m running around like a headless chicken!
at the behest of someone because someone has asked for something or said it must happen: A special meeting will be held at the senator's behest.
to paint everything with the same brush
to unfairly categorize someone or something as being the same as another person or thing, usually in a negative manner: Just because the CEO turned out to be a rotten scoundrel doesn't mean we should paint the entire company with the same brush.
to dig up dirt on someone
to uncover negative information about someone or something: Once I contact my usual sources at the tabloids, I should be able to dig up dirt on that actress.
to be cornered forced into an awkward, embarrassing, or inescapable position: A cornered fox.
soul-searching
careful thought about your beliefs, attitudes, or actions because you think it is important to behave in an honest and moral way: After much soul-searching, he decided it was wrong to vote in the elections.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 37
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
- What can schools do to help students prepare for the next stage of their lives?
Well, given the current state of education all around the world specifically in developing countries such as ours, I think we’re a long way away from giving students down to earth instructions in order to get their act together and man up for jumping to the next lily pad in their life. The way I see it, they gotta keep the memorization to a minimum and provide opportunities so that the students could get some real hands-on experience how to deal with the kinda life they’ll actually face. Simply put, there should be less talk, more action. I mean they gotta find the students’ strong suit and work on it.
- What advice would you give someone who doesn’t like school?
I’ve always lived by the motto “follow you heart, it gets you to the right place” and I will make sure to pass this on to everyone I meet. I think school and education are overrated. Some kids simply don’t possess the makings for this whole education thing and just to keep their folks happy and follow the mainstream they push themselves to do it. You know, I’d definitely nix the idea of studying where there is neither will nor passion to continue education. After graduation, they understand education was not all it was cracked up to be so I believe they’d be better off dropping out of school and seek their true talent.
- How do you think school life differs from university life?
I think they’re worlds apart. First off, the values change we you enter university. I mean, it’s not like you’re gonna be into the same child’s play you used to when you were a schoolboy. It’s ironic you know, when you’re at school the teachers twist your arm to study but and don’t give in, but in university, while you’re left to your own devices and nobody says a thing, you feel the urge to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Aside from these, I can’t actually think of any other major differences between the two. One more thing, I figure there is also no stupid high school prankster in university.
Language focus
Down to earth
with no illusions or pretensions; practical and realistic.
Man up
be brave or tough enough to deal with an unpleasant situation
Hands-on experience
Knowledge or skill that someone gets from doing something rather than just reading about it or seeing it being done
Simply put
used for saying that you are just giving the basic facts about a complicated situation
Strong suit
something at which one excels.
noun: one's strong suit; plural noun: one's strong suits
"compassion is not Jack's strong suit"
Pass sth on
to tell someone something that another person has told you:
If he provided us with any information, no one passed it on to me.
Overrate
have a higher opinion of (someone or something) than is deserved.
"an overrated player"
Possess
to have a particular quality or ability: Different workers possess different skills.
The makings
the essential qualities needed for something.
"she had the makings of a great teacher"
Mainstream
the ideas, attitudes, or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal or conventional.
"they withdrew from the mainstream of European politics"
Nix
to answer no to something or say that you will not allow something: They nixed the idea of filming in Ireland.
Crackup
praise
wasn't all that it was cracked up to be
Be better off
to be in a better situation, if or after something happens:
He'd be better off working for a bigger company.
Seek
to try to achieve or get something: Do you think the President will seek re-election?
Worlds apart
very different or distant.
"our daughter's school is worlds apart from school as I knew it in the 1960s"
First off
as a first point; firstly.
"first off, I owe you a heck of an apology"
Ironic
happening in a way contrary to what is expected, and typically causing wry amusement because of this.
"It was ironic that now everybody had plenty of money for food they couldn't obtain it because everything was rationed"
Urge
to strongly suggest that someone does something
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps
Improve your situation by your own efforts.
Prankster
someone who plays tricks on people to make them look silly
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 36
IELTS Speaking Cue Card
Describe a popular teacher that you know.
You should say:
- What this teacher looks like
- What sort of person this teacher is
- What this teacher helps you to learn
- And explain why this teacher is popular
Well, this guy, this teacher that I’m gonna talk about is not exactly an icon in my country but he’s done an awesome job as a psychology teacher. As a matter of fact, we crossed paths when I was a high schoolboy. Back in the day, I thought I was a rebel and would put on a lot of air. I was called the cock of the walk by my homies and u know to be honest I considered that a feather in my cap. Despite all this stuff, I was never a full-blown hoodlum and hopefully managed to steer quite clear of all the thuggery that was the rage among teenagers at that time. Anyways, being the guy I described, I usually didn’t give a hoot about the school lessons and I was always flunking my courses. You know, when our first class with my psychology teacher started, I felt deep down that it was a page-turner. He not only made me see the bigger picture that I was in the dark about but offered a helping hand at every point along the way. He went out of his way to help me turn over a new leaf. All of a sudden everything around me started to make sense and I knew it was high I got my act together and started hustling for a more meaningful life. My teacher was always as cool as a cucumber, you know, he had the aura around him that nothing would ever put him off. He was a talk man who was most of the time wearing usual clothes. After some time I learned that I was not his only successful project, he had also been a life-saver to so many other teenagers. Aside from teaching at school, he owned an office downtown where people would visit him for the pep talk and things. I guess because of his talent and finesse at his job, he had actually made a name for himself.
Language Focus
Icon
someone famous who is admired by many people and is thought to represent an important idea: a sixties cultural icon
Cross paths
meet someone by chance and not by choice. The last time I crossed paths with Fred, we ended up arguing about something inconsequential
Rebel
someone who opposes or fights against people in authority: Anti-government rebels attacked the town.
Put on airs
think or behave as though one is superior to others or better than one really is; to have or assume a pretentious or self-aggrandizing attitude. I think John is really a decent fellow at heart, but I really wish he wouldn't put on such airs about his writing abilities. Stop putting on airs, Mary, you're not some world-class actor—you're just an amateur like the rest of us!
Cock of the walk
a man who is too confident and thinks he is better than everyone else
Homies
A crowd of friends from the street, ghetto, hood, club, block, or other.
Feather in one’s cap
If you describe something that someone has achieved as a feather in their cap, you mean that they can be proud of it or that it might bring them some advantage.
Full-blown
having all the qualities of something that is at its most complete or advanced stage: The drop in shares could develop into a full-blown crisis.
Hoodlum
a criminal, often a young person, who does violent or illegal things SYN gangster
Steer clear of
avoid someone or something unpleasant or difficult: Jo tried to steer clear of political issues.
Thuggery
violent behavior in which people fight and attack others: the problem of football thuggery
don’t give a hoot
not care at all about someone or something
Flunk
to fail a test: Tony flunked chemistry last semester.
The bigger picture
If you describe something that someone has achieved as a feather in their cap, you mean that they can be proud of it or that it might bring them some advantage.
In the dark in a state of ignorance.
"the player is still in the dark about his future"
Go out of one’s way make a special effort to do something.
"Mrs. Mott went out of her way to be courteous to Sara"
Turn over a new leaf start to act or behave in a better or more responsible way.
It was high time
he appropriate time for something; also, past the appropriate time. For example, It's high time we did something about Martha's dog, or It's high time your children were in bed.
Get one’s act together
to start to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way:
She's so disorganized - I wish she'd get her act together.
Hustle
to hurry in doing something or going somewhere: We need to hustle if we’re going to make this flight. Aura
a quality or feeling that seems to surround or come from a person or a place
Put sb off
make someone dislike something or someone, or to discourage someone from doing something: The smell of hospitals always puts me off.
A lifesaver
someone or something that helps you avoid a difficult or unpleasant situation: A microwave oven can be a real lifesaver when you’re pressed for time.
Pep talk
a talk intended to make someone feel more courageous or enthusiastic. "I was to meet my editor for a pep talk"
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 35
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
- Why do many people enjoy participating in national celebrations?
I mean if the opportunity presents itself, it could literally be anything. You know, it heavily depends on the amount of free time they could possibly get. There are national holidays where you could get a couple of days off and start putting your mind into how to get together and spend some face time with your kith and kin. I shouldn’t forget to mention the family occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and you know a whole lot of others events. Of course, sometimes they might give you a headache especially when they’re dragged out more than they should but they gotta be looked upon as a reunion gift in our super hectic life. All in all, I think families do cherish these special events and they’re putting a spotlight on them since these events are the only way to keep the family bonding alive
- What sort of things do you think countries will celebrate to the future?
Well, it gives them a sense of togetherness. I mean Them sort of relish having a reason to be around others. They feel like oooh let’s paint the town red cause we gotta. I would say a celebration is not in and of itself something that’d put anyone in an exuberant mood, but it’s exactly us who make it sound special, and of course, we should. I mean we desperately need to be exposed to good vibes, given the current state of affairs in our lives. We actually define whether we are going to be happy or not and these celebrations would just propel us a tad further in that direction. It’s more like when you’re surrounded by all that upbeat atmosphere while spending time with your posse of friends, their happy mood could easily rub off on you and make you happy as a clam too.
- What sort of occasions do family and friends like to celebrate?
I think this issue falls under international holidays rather than national ones. Some groundbreaking discoveries might provide enough reason to add another celebration to the calendar. Of course, variegated events could lead to brand new celebrations and holidays, I mean it is tough to put your finger on the right one since tomorrow is indeed a mystery and I’m sure as hell no good fit to prophesy anything solid. These hypothetical celebrations might also have some religious grounds like some sects of religion join ranks and celebrate the day. The point is, whatever it is that might possibly pave the way for a new celebration or holiday, it should definitely be something big that could ultimately leave its huge mark.
Language Focus
Literally
according to the most basic or original meaning of a word or expression: The name of the cheese is Dolcelatte, literally meaning ‘sweet milk’.
Put one’s mind into sth
decide you are going to do something and to put a lot of effort into doing it: If you'd just put your mind to it, I'm sure you could do it.
Face time
the time that you spend talking to someone when you are with them, rather than on the telephone
Kith and kin
family and friends
Drag out
to make something continue for longer than necessary
Let’s not drag this meeting out any more than we have already.
Hectic
very busy or full of activity: I’ve had a pretty hectic day.
The spotlight
a lot of attention in newspapers, on television, etc
Bonding
a process in which a special relationship develops between two or more people
Relish
to enjoy an experience or the thought of something that is going to happen
Paint the town red
go out to bars, clubs, etc to enjoy yourself
Exuberant
happy and full of energy and excitement: an exuberant personality
Expose sb
to put someone in a situation where they are not protected from something dangerous or unpleasant Propel
move someone into a new situation or make them do something
Tad
slightly: It’s a tad expensive.
Upbeat
positive and making you feel that good things will happen
Posse
a group of the same kind of people
Posse of
I was surrounded by a posse of photographers.
Rub off on
if a feeling, quality, or habit rubs off on you, you start to have it because you are with another person who has it
She refused to give up, and her confidence rubbed off on the others.
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking work involves making new discoveries, using new methods, etc: groundbreaking research
Variegated
VARIOUS/OF DIFFERENT KINDS consisting of a lot of different types of thing
Prophesy
Say what will happen in the future, especially using religious or magical knowledge
Pave the way
Make a later event or development possible by producing the right conditions: The Supreme Court decision paved the way for further legislation on civil rights.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 34
IELTS Speaking Cue Card
Describe a special event that takes place in your country
You should say:
- When the event takes place
- Why it takes place
- What people do
- And explain why the event is special
- Ah... you know, there is this festival or kind of a celebration which takes place a week before the new year, on the last Tuesday of the year to be exact. Now, I’m not 100% positive that I could pin down the main reason why people celebrate it but word has it that it’s an ancient and culturally rooted tradition. It’s like since the new year is around the corner at that time, people feel like welcoming it in a special and not to mention raucous way. Let me give you the low down on how it all transpires. First, you ought to know that this ain’t no indoor blast where some low-key party is thrown and then everything settles down. Actually, Firecrackers and hand-made grenades, not small but humongous ones are normally used to give color to the whole event and get rid of all those year-long pent-up bad vibes. I figure you might still be thinking about the part where I mentioned the hand-made bombs. Well, you heard right, I wish it was just the innocuous firecrackers but they’re real bombs that are potentially lethal and there are a lot of casualties each year and to top it all off some of these people do not even pull through and wouldn't make it to the new year. By the way, it’s much similar to the 4th of July but I doubt if that one renders people dead at the end. Frankly speaking, I’m neither capable nor willing to change people’s traditions but I believe every single life counts so folks gotta be a bit more careful with their actions during this festival. Finally, I think this festival’s casualty-prone nature makes it stand out among others.
- Language Focus
- Take place
- occur
- "People laid flowers at the spot where the crash took place" Pin down
- If you pin someone down, you force them to make a decision or to tell you what their decision is, when they have been trying to avoid doing this. She couldn't pin him down to a date
- Word has it
- used to refer to something that is generally thought to be true although not official or known to be a fact:
Word has it (that) they may separate.
(Just)around the corner
not far away, or going to happen soon:
There's a great restaurant just around the corner.
Feel like
to have a desire to do or have something:
He was so rude, I felt like leaving immediately.
Low down
the most important facts about something: Ryan gave me the lowdown on the meeting.
Transpire
to happen:
Exactly what transpired remains unknown.
Low-key
not intended to attract a lot of attention to an event, subject, or thing: They want the funeral to be as low-key as possible.
Blast
a sudden very loud noise, especially one made by a whistle or horn
Throw / have a party
Settle down
to become quiet and calm, or to make someone quiet and calm:
Firecracker
a small firework that explodes loudly
Grenade
a small bomb that can be thrown by hand or fired from a gun: a hand grenade humongous
very big SYN enormous: rich people living in humongous houses
pent-up
pent-up feelings or energy have not been expressed or used for a long time: years of pent-up anger and frustration
vibes
the good or bad feelings that a particular person, place, or situation seems to produce and that you react to
innocuous
not offensive, dangerous, or harmful SYN harmless: an innocuous remark
lethal
causing death, or able to cause death → fatal: a lethal dose of heroin
casualty
someone who is hurt or killed in an accident or war: Our aim is to reduce road casualties.
pull through
to stay alive after you have been very ill or badly injured, or to help someone do this: His injuries are severe but he’s expected to pull through.
make it to sth
to be able to be present at a particular event I can’t make it on Friday.
We made it to the meeting.
Render
cause someone or something to be in a particular condition
prone
likely to do something or suffer from something, especially something bad or harmful
stand out
to be very easy to see or notice: The outlines of rooftops and chimneys stood out against the pale sky.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio Part 33
IELTS Speaking Part3
- How should tourists behave when they’re in a different country?
Without a doubt, behaving accordingly is a must when you enter a new place. For my money, this is super important while visiting a country as a tourist since the way you behave represents the culture you come from. I mean you gotta be on your best behavior and mind your p’s and q’s so you wouldn’t piss anybody off during your visit or even worse hurt the environment. Well, not only should we watch our own actions but keep the children we take with us on a tight leash because they actually got a thing for driving everybody up a wall when they encounter anything novel in their life. And one more thing, you gotta make sure you peruse a couple of books regarding your destination country’s culture before going there. One ought to be super careful when visiting a foreign country is all I’m saying.
- What can local people do to help tourists enjoy their visit?
Well, well, the locals could at least put on a smile when talking to a tourist. God, you have no idea what a grim expression can do with the mentality of a person about a country. They could also try to either guide them about what’s what in their place or provide them with 3 hots and a cot for a couple of days so the visitors could kinda feel at home. One might say this is so idealistic, but hand to God, ... I’d do that if need be. You know, there is this app called couch surfing, if you’re into that kinda stuff and you got the means to offer accommodation, sign up, and then you can let others know that you’re keeping an open house for the tourists.
- What can tourists learn from visiting new places?
I’d say the culture. I have this theory that every single trip you make anywhere is a unique experience that could give you food for thought later on. 90 % of people are strictly biased about their own culture and this bars them from wanting to learn new things. I think we gotta try to elicit the good and positive aspects of culture and combine them with ours I mean What’s wrong with making an attempt to take your culture up a notch. You know people usually take a special interest in trying different dishes, seeing places and taking selfies... Now, I don’t say they shouldn’t. But the question is, do we really learn enough so as to make a difference in our lives or not.
Language Focus
Without a doubt
indisputably
"he was, without doubt, the very worst kind of reporter" Accordingly
in a way that is appropriate to the particular circumstances. "we have to discover what his plans are and act accordingly"
To be on your best behavior
to behave very well, usually because you want to please someone
to watch your p’s and q’s
to be careful about behaving in a polite or proper way We knew to mind our p's and q's around our aunt.
To piss sb off
to annoy someone:
He never helps with the housework and it's starting to piss me off.
To keep (someone) on a short leash
To maintain strict or tight control over someone; to not allow someone very much independence or autonomy.
Ever since George nearly lost his life savings in a drunken poker match, his husband started keeping him on a short leash.
To have a thing for sth
To have very strong feelings about someone or something, especially feelings that are unusual or unreasonable. I have a thing about flying in planes; it scares me.
Drive someone up the wall
If you say that something or someone is driving you up the wall, you are emphasizing that they annoy and irritate you. [informal, emphasis] The heat is driving me up the wall.
Novel
interestingly new or unusual.
"he hit on a novel idea to solve his financial problems"
To encounter sth
unexpectedly be faced with or experience (something hostile or difficult).
"We have encountered one small problem"
Peruse
read (something), typically in a thorough or careful way.
"he has spent countless hours in libraries perusing art history books and catalogs" Ought to
used to show when it is necessary or would be a good thing to perform the activity referred to by the following verb:
You ought to be kinder to him.
To put on a smile
to please someone; to make someone happy. We are going to give Andy a pretty good raise, and I know that'll put a smile on his face.
A grim expression
very serious and unfriendly
His face was set in a grim expression.
Mentality
a person's particular way of thinking about things:
I can't understand the mentality of people who hurt animals.
what's what
the facts of a situation:
Gloria will know what's what.
Three hots and a cot (uncountable) (slang) prison. (slang) shelter. be/feel at home
to feel comfortable and relaxed:
By the end of the week she was beginning to feel at home in her new job.
Idealistic
characterized by idealism; unrealistically aiming for perfection.
"idealistic young doctors who went to work for the rebels"
Hand to God
"I swear to God." People use it to convince others they're telling the truth If need be
if necessary
open house
a time during which a school, institution, etc., is open to the public for exhibition or for some specific occasion.
Biased
unfairly showing favoritism towards something or someone
bar sb from sth
to prevent something or someone from doing something or going somewhere, or to not allow something:
The center of the town was barred to football supporters.
Elicit
evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone.
"I tried to elicit a smile from Joanna"
take it up a notch
'to try harder / make more effort / to make something more exciting, intense, or interesting'. The expression is sometimes written as "Kick it up a notch". It has the same meaning as "take it up a notch".
take interest in
become concerned or interested in someone or something.
so as to
in order to do something
I drove at a steady 50 mph so as to save fuel.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio-Part 32
Well, I’m usually in my work up to my eyeballs and that doesn’t leave me much time to meander here and there. You know, my boss isn’t exactly the most generous person and he’s made it quite clear several times that no backlog would be tolerated. Anyhow, once I was on this 5-day vacation in Singapore when I decided to swing by different places through the country. actually, the first leg of the journey got me to this village, you know I’m no scatterbrain but the name escapes me at the moment. Anyways, let me get down to the meat and potatoes of this event. I first ran to this dude who seemed pretty natty. Well, my gut told me that he was one of the locals. He offered to take me on a tour around the village. Although I was not really interested, I thought maybe since I’d already been there, wouldn’t really hurt to see what the village was all about. Taking him up on his offer, I specifically asked him to take me to the historical stuff. As soon as he heard what I’d asked for, god... I remember it play by play, he said that I was in for a treat. I’m afraid my plain description won’t do justice to the grandeur of the place. It was like I was in a movie or something every building was super old. I was right near floored when I saw the craftsmanship in the designs on the buildings. You know the fact that I’d been looking for something just like this and it was right under my nose that whole time and I was gonna turn down that dude’s offer, makes me think that I actually
Language Focus
Up to my eyeballs
Extremely busy (with something); deeply or overly involved (in something); possessing, filled up with, or overwhelmed by an excessive amount (of something). There's no way I can take a vacation right now, I'm up to my eyeballs at work at the moment! I only meant to be peripherally involved in David's business venture, but, before I knew it, I was in up to my eyeballs! Dana was worried she wouldn't find any work as an accountant working for herself, but she's up to her eyeballs in clients!
Meander
to walk slowly and change direction often, especially without a particular aim ➔SYNONYM wander
They meandered around the old town admiring the architecture.
Blockage
the state of being blocked
to cause/clear the blockage
Swing by
To visit a place or person for a short time ➔SYNONYM drop by/in/round
Iʼll swing by your house on the way home from work.
leg (of something) one part of a journey or race ➔SYNONYM section, stage
The final leg of the trip was by donkey
Scatterbrain
a person who is always losing or forgetting things and cannot think in an organized way
Get down to sth
to start to direct your efforts and attention towards something: I've got a lot of work to do, but I can't seem to get down to it.
Natty
well designed; clever
a natty little briefcase
Gut
he place where the natural feelings that make you react in a particular way are thought to be I had a feeling in my guts that something was wrong
Take sb up on sth
to accept an offer that someone has made: Could I take you up on that offer of a lift, Rob?
Play by play
relating each event as it occurs
do justice to ˈsomebody/ˈsomething; do somebody/something ˈjustice
to treat or represent somebody/something fairly, especially in a way that shows how good, attractive, etc. they are
That photo doesnʼt do you justice.
Grandeur
the quality of being great and impressive in appearance ➔SYNONYM splendor
the grandeur and simplicity of Roman architecture
Craftsmanship
the level of skill shown by somebody in making something beautiful with their hands The whole house is a monument to her craftsmanship.
Under one's nose
if something is under somebodyʼs nose, it is very close to them but they cannot see it
I searched everywhere for the letter and it was under my nose all the time!
Turn down
to reject or refuse to consider an offer, a proposal, etc. or the person who makes it Why did she turn down your invitation?
AFARINESH IELTS Radio-Part 31
IELTS Speaking Part 3
- Do you think that people eat healthier food than they did in the past?
People are nuts, they do know what they’re putting in their belly, yet they couldn’t care less. I mean you gotta have a lucid idea what’s going down in food courts. The over the top use of the same amount of oil they use for cooking is lethally toxic. The thing is, people just don’t realize it now, and they’ll come around when it’s too little too late; I mean when they’ve developed some sort of cancer or something. I sort of geek out over health issues u know and being so, I know the statics pretty much well and sorry to break the news but as far as food habits are concerned, we’re headed south 100000 miles per hour.
- How important do you think it is for families to eat meals together?
Well, to my mind family bonding is not something you could do away with, and that’s if you want to experience living in a cordial family circle. For my money, having your meals along with your beloved ones is the part and parcel of forging a cast-iron relationship. In this day and age, with almost everyone leading a super hectic life, severing our itty bitty connections we got left such as having a meal with family, will definitely wreak havoc on our so-called life. Just to reiterate what I said, given our back-breaking lifestyles, we gotta put whatever we got on our hands on the back burner for a while and start working on putting our families back together.
- What effects does modern technology have on the food we eat?
So I just wanna see the glass half-full here and not be a pessimist. Taking a gander at the appliances in your kitchen would make you see my point. Whipping up meals in a blink of an eye for instance is what the microwave has made us able to do right? Who’d have thought that one day, you’d hit a place up and they’d bring you your food using a drone? Now, I know it is not widespread in our country but in countries which are ahead of the curve, such services are provided for the customers. To cut the long story short, it’s not only made everything swift, but it’s also helped us worry less about what to put on our tables
Language Focus To be nuts
To be crazy
Belly
Stomach
Couldn’t care less
If a person says, “I couldn't care less” about something, it means that the amount of care and concern they have about something could not be any less, any lower. This makes sense. Therefore when someone says I could care less, it should mean the opposite, that they are concerned
Lucid
expressed in a way that is clear and easy to understand: You must write in a clear and lucid style.
Lethally with death as a result.
"they were lethally injected with a cocktail of poisons"
in a very harmful or destructive way.
"his premiership will be lethally undermined"
Toxic
poisonous.
"the dumping of toxic waste"
Come around
to change your opinion so that you now agree with someone or are no longer angry with them Geek out
: to become excited or enthusiastic about a favored subject or activity
Break the news
to tell someone about some important new information
Do away with sth
INFORMAL
put an end to; remove.
"the desire to do away with racism"
Cordial
cordial. If you like someone but you wouldn't say they're your friend, you might describe your relationship as cordial. Use cordial to describe a greeting or relationship that is friendly and sincere. In Middle English, this adjective meant "of the heart,"
The part and parcel
An essential or basic element, as in Traveling is part and parcel of Zach's job.
Forge
verb (used with object), forged, forg·ing. to form by heating and hammering; beat into shape. to form or make, especially by concentrated effort: to forge a friendship through mutual trust. to imitate (handwriting, a signature, etc.) fraudulently; fabricate a forgery.
Sever
to end a relationship with someone, or a connection with something, especially because of a disagreement SYN break off
sever ties/relations/connections/links etc (with/between somebody)
Itty bitty
very small; tiny.
Wreak havoc
: to cause great damage
A powerful tornado wreaked havoc on the small village.
Reiterate
to state or do over again or repeatedly sometimes with wearying effect
Backbreaking
backbreaking work is physically difficult and makes you very tired
Put sth on the back burner
When you put something on the back burner, you make it a low priority. In other words, you've decided that the task or activity on the back burner isn't immediately important.
To see the glass half full
To view a situation as generally better or more hopeful than might otherwise be perceived; to be optimistic. When it comes to the state of the world, I tend to see the glass as half full. People forget all the progress that has been made.
Take a gander at
Take a look at
Whip up
Prepare quickly
In a blink of an eye
Within a very short period of time
Drone
an aircraft that does not have a pilot but is controlled by someone on the ground, used especially for dropping bombs or for surveillance (= careful watching of a place):
Ahead of the curve
phrase. People, products, or ideas that are ahead of the curve are more advanced or modern than others of their kind.
To cut a long story short
phrase. In British English, you use to cut a long story short to indicate that you are going to state the final result of an event and not give any more details. In American English, you say to make a long story short.
Swift
happening or done quickly and immediately: My letter received a swift reply.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 30
Describe a restaurant that you enjoyed going to.
You should say:
and explain why you enjoyed eating in this restaurant.
All right, so, the thing is I eat out more often than not. People keep telling me that it’s unwholesome, you know like the food they serve you at joints and restaurants but I keep hitting them nonstop. Anyways, the bottom line is, no one has ever managed to talk me out of it. This place we went to once, u know, a couple of buddies of mine and I, is called Gloria. It is located somewhere near downtown. Anyways, It was the first time I’d seen Sloppy Joes on a menu and I was like oh my goodness, I gotta be dreaming or something. When it comes to eating, I can’t simply strike a happy medium, you know I either pork out or don’t eat at all. So I ordered 3 sloppy joes. Anyhow, let me tell you a little about the ambiance. Having been to numerous restaurants, I could easily tell the good and bad ones apart. As a matter of fact, Gloria was second to none, you know what I’m saying, everything was spick and span and the things were in order. One thing I liked most about this place was that I didn’t have to drool over people having their meals while I had to wait for some 20 minutes or so to finally get my food. The waiters were all quite busy and ready to take and bring your order right away. The food was also out of this world.
Language focus
Eat out
to eat in a restaurant instead of at home:
Do you eat out a lot?
Unwholesome
not characterized by or conducive to health or moral well-being.
"The use of the living room as sleeping quarters led to unwholesome crowding" Joint
a bar or restaurant that serves food and drinks at low prices:
- where the restaurant was
- why you chose this restaurant
- what type of food you ate in this restaurant
We had lunch at a hamburger joint and then went to see a movie.
Hit somewhere
to reach a place, especially on your way to somewhere else
When you hit the traffic lights, turn left.
The bottom line
used to tell someone what the most important part of a situation is, or what the most important thing to consider is:
In radio, you have to keep the listener listening. That’s the bottom line.
Talk sb out of sth
to persuade someone not to do something:
Her parents tried to talk her out of getting engaged. Buddy
a friend: We’re good buddies.
Sloppy joe
A sloppy joe is a sandwich consisting of ground beef or pork, onions, tomato sauce or ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings served on a hamburger bun.
Strike a happy medium to find a compromise position; to arrive at a position halfway between two unacceptable extremes.
Pork out
To eat (a specific thing) gluttonously or to excess.
Once a month, my friends and I get together and pork out on pizza and watch cheesy horror movies.
Ambiance
the qualities and character of a particular place and the way these make you feel SYN atmosphere
pleasant/relaxing/friendly etc ambiance
The restaurant’s new owners have created a welcoming ambiance.
Second to none
to be the best:
The quality of Britain’s overseas aid program is second to none.
Spick and span
a room, house, etc that is spick and span is completely clean and tidy SYN immaculate
Drool over
to envy or desire someone or something. (Alludes to drooling from hunger.) The boys stood there, drooling over the fancy sports car.
Out of this world
extremely good, enjoyable, etc:
The graphics and sounds are out of this world.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Part 29
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions:
• Why do some people choose to read the news on the internet rather than in the newspaper?
Well, today you can get your hands on just about anything in a split second using the internet. People wanna be kept in the loop about everything and this requires instant accessibility to the news all around the world and also its updates. Whereas buying a newspaper might give you the low down on what’s cooking, the chances that you get an update on an issue on the same day are actually slim to nil. What’s more, you’re not wasting your precious time taking unnecessary walks down the block to find newsstands. This fact is definitely not to be ignored, we humans are drawn to whatever makes our lives easier.
• How is internet news different from the news you read in the newspaper?
Well, I figure the core difference between these two types of news outlets is that the internet version contains more visuals, unlike the other one. Simply put, unabridged articles are brought to you through which you could even reenact the whole story of an article. Yet another difference is that you can keep up with the latest updates of breaking news. Take Washington post online as an example. Every page is stacked with lots of updates, a feature that is not provided by the traditional newspaper.
• Will internet news ever replace newspapers?
I’m not sure if it already hasn’t. I mean I see folks around me even the old-timers, they all got smartphones and the majority are regular internet users. The point being, they’re only a click away from the whole news thing. It makes perfect sense now, next time you see piles of newspapers ready to be thrown away since nobody’s willing to buy them, think of what I said and don’t be shocked. Anyways, I personally like it when I see things taking a turn for the better so I’m not gonna cry at this sight
Language focus
Get your hands on sth
to succeed in getting something:
She’s only marrying him to get her hands on his money.
A split second
an extremely short period of time
Keep in the loop
To be part of a group of people who make important decisions
Require
need something:
Campbell’s broken leg will probably require surgery.
Low down on sth
the most important facts about something: Ryan gave me the lowdown on the meeting.
Slim to nil
almost none
"What are their chances of winning?" "Slim to nil."
What’s cooking
What's going on? What's happening? So what's cooking these days? How have you been?
Core
the most important or central part of something
news outlet
a newspaper, television company, or other mass media which publishes news stories Spreading inaccurate information does not befit a news outlet.
Unabridged
a piece of writing, speech, etc that is unabridged is in its full form and has not been made shorter: the complete and unabridged works of Dickens
Reenact
to perform the actions of a story, crime, etc that happened in the past: At the church, children re-enacted the Christmas story.
Keep up with learn about or be aware of (current events or developments).
"even though he's been traveling, he's kept up with what's going on back home"
Breaking news
newly received information about an event that is currently occurring or developing. "some breaking news now of a rescue situation in California"
Stacked with
covered or filled with a large number of things: The fridge is stocked with food.
Folk
people:
I’m sure there is some folk who would rather they weren’t here.
The point being
The point is
To be willing to
prepared to do something, or having no reason to not want to do it
Take a turn for the better
To improve in condition, especially quickly or suddenly.
Thankfully he's taken a turn for the better—the doctors weren't sure he'd survive for a while there.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Part 28
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue card
Describe an interesting story that you heard or read about in the news.
You should say:
• • •
when you heard or read about the story what the story was about why the story was in the news and explain why you thought the story was interesting.
It wasn’t more than a month ago, you know, I was heading home right from work and all I was thinking about was to get home, feed my face and have my usual forty winks. Well, True to form I turned the radio on and I expected some rock n’ roll but it was actually the news that was going on, I started to tune in something I usually don’t do. At first, I didn’t realize how interesting its gonna get but for some reason unbeknown to me, I kept on listening. The anchorman was reading a report of a mother and son reuniting after spending 20 years apart from each other. As the story unfolded, I learned that the son had gone missing back then while playing around in their neighborhood. The police couldn’t crack the case and it was declared to be an abduction. Despite all the effort and time that was put into it, the case remained an unsolved mystery. The mother didn’t give up though, she searched every nook and cranny. Working the leads, she got from numerous sources, finally, after 20 years she managed to locate her son in a neighboring country. She traveled there and found him working at a dirty joint for making a couple of bucks to get by. You know the interesting and at the same time, mind-boggling point of this whole story was the mother’s incessant search for her son. I still haven’t figured out what could drive a person to have hopes of finding a long-gone son.
Language focus
head
to go or travel towards a particular place, especially in a deliberate way head for/towards/back, etc
The ship was heading for Cuba.
It’s about time we were heading home.
feed your face
to eat a lot of food SYN stuff yourself
Have forty winks
To sleep for a short time; to take a nap.
Dad's upstairs catching forty winks before dinner.
Tune in
to watch or listen to a broadcast on radio or television
tune in to
get their information by tuning in to foreign radio stations.
Unbeknown
unbeknown to somebody
without that person knowing about it:
Unbeknown to him, his wife had been trying to phone him all morning.
Anchorman
someone who reads the news on TV and introduces reports SYN anchor
Reunite
to come together again or to bring people, parts of an organization, political party, or country together again
be reunited with somebody
The children were finally reunited with their families. The band will reunite for a US tour.
Unfolded
if a story unfolds, or if someone unfolds it, it is told:
As the story unfolds, we learn more about Max’s childhood.
Abduction
to take someone away by force SYN kidnap:
every nook and cranny
every part of a place:
We searched every nook and cranny.
Lead
a piece of information that may help you to solve a crime or mystery
SYN clue: The police have checked out dozens of leads, but have yet to find the killer.
Joint
a cheap bar, club, or restaurant: a hamburger joint
Get by
to have enough money to buy the things you need, but no more: I don’t earn a huge salary, but we get by.
Mind-boggling
difficult to imagine and very big, strange, or complicated: a problem of mind-boggling complexity
Incessant
continuing without stopping SYN constant:
The child’s incessant talking started to irritate her. Incessantly adverb:
They quarreled incessantly.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio Part 27
IELTS Speaking part 3
Why do some people find the internet addictive?
Well, we gotta be realistic here. You see the internet provides you with all you need. U simply got everything at your fingertips. It does actually make everything happen quite faster and since we human beings are hardwired to know more and more; it’d be hard to let go of it once we’re hooked on the internet drug. To put it another way, you’re gonna be craving your fix all the time, and given that it doesn’t cost that much to get yourself some good internet service, there would be nothing hindering you from wanting to use it. Another thing is u might end up rabbit holing while looking at something online. This, in fact, is a whole another reason for spending too much there
What would the world be like without the internet?
I simply wanted to know how to cultivate this plant, I ended up rabbit holing for hours I can’t even imagine. First off, nothing would go viral the way it does now and god could we actually live without all these dramas around us? I mean I might sound ridiculous saying this, but the thing is it actually does keep us posted about virtually anything. In the event of some hypothetical internet outage, we’d be in the absolute dark about what’s going down in the world around us. Equally important is the fact that you’d have to run your own errands personally and physically going out there. Well, I’m talking about large-scaleimpacts such as no online transactions. That would ruin the whole world I believe
Do you think that the way people use the internet may change in the future?
Yeah, I do. Well, I figure people will be spending more time making friends with others, considering the ever-increasing social media buzz nowadays. Another point is, right now we’re living in an all-time high business expansion era and the internet, through its spread, is going to be a critical instrument in driving people towards buying products and services. I do believe since we’re talking large amounts of money, this function will dominate the internet. I mean there is no such thing as free lunch right? So if someone’s bringing you the latest TV series to download, they’re gonna have to ask you to at least take a gander at a couple of ads and make your visit worth they're while too.
Language Focus
Provide sb with sth
give something to someone or make it available to them, because they need it or want it ⇨ provision:
Tea and biscuits will be provided. provide something for somebody
The hotel provides a shoe-cleaning service for guests.
provide somebody with something
The project is designed to provide young people with work.
At fingertips
have something at your/their etc fingertips to have knowledge or information ready and available to use very easily:
We have all the facts and figures at our fingertips.
Hardwired
if an attitude, way of behaving etc is hard-wired, it is a natural part of a person's character that they are born with and cannot change:
The desire to communicate seems to be hard-wired into our brains.
Hooked on
if you are hooked on something, you enjoy it very much and you want to do it as often as possible hooked on
I got hooked on TV when I was sick.
Crave sth
to have an extremely strong desire for something: an insecure child who craves attention
Hinder
to make it difficult for something to develop or succeed SYN hamper: His career has been hindered by injury.
policies that will hinder rather than help families
Rabbit hole
: a bizarre or difficult state or situation — usually used in the phrase down the rabbit hole
Cultivate
to prepare and use the land for growing crops and plants: The land was too rocky to cultivate.
Keep sb posted
keep somebody posted spoken to regularly tell someone the most recent news about something keep somebody posted on
I’ll keep you posted on his progress.
Hypothetical
based on a situation that is not real, but that might happen hypothetical situation/example/question
Outage
a period of time during which a service such as the electricity supply cannot be provided SYN power cut British English:
a power outage
Go down
happen:
the type of guy who knows what’s going down What’s going down?
Large scale
a large-scale map, model, etc is drawn or made bigger than usual, so that more details can be shown Buzz excitement
Dominate
to control someone or something or to have more importance than other people or things: The industry is dominated by five multinational companies.
have/take a gander at something
spoken to look at something
AFARINESH IELTS Radio (Part 26)
Describe a website you use that helps you a lot in your work or studies.
You should say:
- What the website is
- How often you use the website
- What information the website gives you
- And explain how your work or studies would change if this website didn’t exist.
- Well, there are zillions of websites out there that are tailor-made in a way, that they would do their best to cater to their specific users. I do study English a lot and I’m kinda into learning new words and vocabulary. There is this website “vocabulary.com”, as you can see the name is self-explanatory, it’s all about words. I mean if you’re looking for a place to get bombarded by words, this website is where you wanna be. I personally spend as many as 3 hours or so when I log into my account on vocabulary.com. it’s sort of like time flies and you lose the track of it just like that. Now, let me tell you a bit about how this website gives you what you need. If you’re a guy like me who goes nuts over learning words then you’re definitely always trying to make your learning as competitive as it gets, I mean you gotta feel challenged to step up your game right? Vocabulary.com literally makes it a game in which you compete against vocab buffs who might even be able to run rings around you no matter how competent you are. Whenever I think about what would have possibly happened if this website didn’t exist, it sends a shiver down my spine. I mean I can’t even imagine how many books it would have taken to contain all these words and gosh I don’t even wanna think how I would have had to move all these books around if vocabulary.com was not there.
- Language focus:
- Zillions
- a very large number of things
- a zillion
- I’ve seen that movie a zillion times.
- zillions of something
- zillions of mosquitoes
- Tailor-made
- exactly right or suitable for someone or something The job’s tailor-made for you.
- Cater to
To provide a particular group of people with the things they need or want: an LA bank catering to Asian businesses
To be into sth
to like and be interested in something:
I’m really into folk music.
Self-explanatory
clear and easy to understand without needing any more explanation:
The video controls are pretty self-explanatory.
Bombarded
to do something too often or too much, for example criticizing or questioning someone, or giving too much information:
The office was bombarded by telephone calls.
Time flies
used to say that a period of time seems to pass very quickly:
‘Is it midnight already?’ ‘Well, you know what they say – time flies when you’re having fun!’
Lose track of sb/sth
to pay attention to someone or something, so that you know where they are or what is happening to them, or to fail to do this:
It’s difficult to keep track of all the new discoveries in genetics.
Go nuts over/about
to like someone or something very much:
My wife is nuts about kids.
Step up
to increase the amount of an activity or the speed of a process in order to improve a situation: The health department is stepping up efforts to reduce teenage smoking.
Literally
according to the most basic or original meaning of a word or expression: The name of the cheese is Dolcelatte, literally meaning ‘sweet milk’. Buffs someone who is interested in wine, films, etc and knows a lot about them run rings around somebody to be able to do something much better than someone else can: I’m sure you can run rings round him.
Competent
having enough skill or knowledge to do something to a satisfactory standard OPP incompetent:
A competent mechanic should be able to fix the problem.
send shivers/chills up (and down) your spine
to make you feel very frightened or excited:
The eerie howl of the siren sent chills up her spine.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio Part-25
IELTS SPEAKING PART 3
- Why is it good to discuss problems with other people?
It’s clear that we’re so limited in terms of our brain capacity. U know like I am no know-it-all fella and I’m quite sure the majority also think this way. Discussing our issues with others, especially with those that we’re in the same boat with, expands our knowledge since we are gonna get a whole lot of other ideas simply by putting our heads together. From personal experience, this has always been a viable way to the best solution to my problems. Plus, you don’t have to take whatever others say for granted, u could also add a touch of your own intuition and make sure that you’re not just gathering a hodgepodge of never plausible ideas.
- Do you think that it’s better to talk to friends and not family about problems?
It heavily depends on what kind of a problem it is that we’re talking about. I mean sometimes, or I would say most of the time, the family has this habit of blowing things out of proportion and then a lot of heads would roll. All I’m saying is that you could save yourself a lot of unnecessary drama just by sharing your problems with a close circle of friends you trust most. Now, I’m not saying that families don’t offer a helping hand when u need it, the problem is that this helping hand might also slap u in the face. So I’d say you’re better off without it. By the way, trusting someone as a friend is very critical. You let some dude in on your secrets only to realize what a terrible mistake you’ve made when he shows the cloven hoof.
- What do you think will be the future impact of technology on communication in the workplace?
It’s really hard to say u know. U can’t ever get a good grasp of it. I mean as far as the forms technology can take in our lives, the sky’s the limit. But I’m sure whatever technological advancement is achieved in the future would be mainly paving the way to bring about faster and more secure communication than what we already got. I haven’t figured out the right term yet, but an ultra-instant automation system maybe, something that makes communication super faster than now, that way we’d have genuinely efficient working hours. What’s more is, security might be enhanced. Not all working places are all about handling worthless trivialities. In some cases, highly valuable information might be transmitted among the staff. Security kind of matters in these cases.
Language Focus Know it all fella
one who claims full knowledge
be in the same ˈboat
to be in the same difficult situation
put our/your/their ˈheads together
to think about or discuss something as a group
Viable
that can be done; that will be successful ➔ SYNONYM feasible
a viable option/proposition There is no viable alternative
take somebody/something for ˈgranted
to be so used to somebody/something that you do not recognize their true value any more and do not show that you are grateful
Her husband was always there and she just took him for granted. a touch [singular] slightly; a little
Intuition
[uncountable] the ability to know something by using your feelings rather than considering the facts Intuition told her that he had spoken the truth.
He was guided by intuition and personal judgment.
The answer came to me in a flash of intuition.
Hodgepodge
a number of things mixed together without any particular order or reason a hotchpotch of ideas
Plausible
reasonable and likely to be true
Blow sth out of proportion
To make something seem more important, better, worse, etc. than it really is The whole affair was blown up out of all proportion.
Be better off
used to say that somebody is/would be happier or more satisfied if they were in a particular position or did a particular thing
Sheʼs are better off without him.
let somebody ˈin on something | ˌlet somebody ˈinto something
(informal) to allow somebody to share a secret Are you going to let them in on your plans?
Dude
a man
show the cloven hoof
To reveal one's evil or malicious nature. The devil is typically depicted with cloven hooves. ...
Grasp of sth
a personʼs understanding of a subject or of difficult facts He has a good grasp of German grammar.
the skyʼs the ˈlimit
(informal) there is no limit to what somebody can achieve, earn, do, etc. With a talent like his, the skyʼs the limit
ˌpave the ˈway (for somebody/something)
to create a situation in which somebody will be able to do something or something can happen
This decision paved the way for changes in employment rights for women.
Figure out
To think about somebody/something until you understand them/it
Term
A word or phrase used as the name of something, especially one connected with a particular type of language
a technical/legal/scientific, etc. term
a term of abuse
‘Registerʼ is the term commonly used to describe different levels of formality in language.
Ultra-instant
Extremely fast
Automation
the use of machines to do work that was previously done by people Automation meant the loss of many factory jobs.
Genuinely
truly; in a way that is exactly what it appears to be and is not artificial, There are some genuinely funny moments in the film.
The election result was genuinely democratic.
a genuinely new kind of politician
Enhanced
(of the quality, value or status of somebody/something) increased or improved enhanced efficiency
Triviality
a matter that is not important
I donʼt want to waste time on trivialities.
Transmit
to pass something from one person to another
Matter
To be important or have an important effect on somebody/something
Today’s cue card:
Describe an interesting discussion you had as part of your work or studies
You should say:
- What the subject of the discussion was
- Who you discussed the subject with
- What opinions were expressed
- And explain why you found the discussion interesting
- First off, I gotta say that I’m not too hot on discussions with any average joe, I mean if the one you’re talking to is too much self-serving that can’t stomach opposing ideas, then your whole effort to persuade them is literally wasted. Next is, u gotta make sure your interlocutor is intellectually on par with you so your words don’t sound gibberish to them. Anyhow, I guess it was around a year ago that I and a partner of mine were getting our language institution ready and were sort of on the home stretch. U know a big step in any start-up is to advertise well and as I recall it was on a scorching dog day that we got ourselves into this heated discussion. He said we should put up fliers everywhere all over the city and let the potential students know about our whereabouts. As a matter of fact, this dude was old school and I had to remind him of both the cost-effectiveness and the spread of internet-based advertising. God, he was so obsessed with this flyer thing that for a second I thought I was gonna cave. Well He actually made sense to some extent, he would argue that his way was kinda more concentrated and he was right, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t show him the big picture that at the end of the day internet ads could actually do much better than fliers. What was so interesting about this discussion was that I knew I was absolutely right, but I couldn’t put the point forward.
- Language focus
- First off
- Before doing anything else:
- First off I’d like you all to fill in an evaluation sheet.
- used before saying the first of several things you want to say, especially when you are annoyed:
- First off I didn’t agree with the comments in your email.
- be hot on something
a. to know a lot about something: He’s pretty hot on aircraft.
b. to be very strict about something SYN tight: The company is very hot on security.
Afarinesh IELTS House
www.afarinesh.org
Joe
the ordinary average person
self-serving
showing that you will only do something if it will gain you an advantage – used to show disapproval: self-serving politicians
to stomach sth
to be able to accept something, especially something unpleasant
SYN endure
A 26% water rate increase is more than most residents can stomach.
hard/difficult to stomach
Rob found Cathy’s attitude hard to stomach.
Wasted effort wasted journey/trip/effort etc a journey etc that does not achieve anything: I’m sorry you’ve had a wasted trip. Mr. Newton isn’t here. Interlocutor
your interlocutor is the person you are speaking to
be on a par (with something)
EQUAL to be at the same level or standard:
The wages of clerks were on a par with those of manual workers.
Gibberish
something you write or say that has no meaning or is very difficult to understand SYN nonsense:
You’re talking gibberish!
On the home stretch
the last part of an activity
Start-up
a new small company or business, especially one whose work involves computers or the Internet: an Internet start-up
Scorching
Afarinesh IELTS House www.afarinesh.org
extremely hot:
the scorching desert heat scorching hot day
Dog day
the hottest days of the year
Flier or flyer
a small sheet of paper advertising something: People were giving out flyers advertising the event.
Potential
likely to develop into a particular type of person or thing in the future
SYN possible
potential customer/buyer/client
new ways of attracting potential customers
Whereabouts
the place or area where someone or something is:
He showed great reluctance to reveal his whereabouts.
Cost-effective
bringing the best possible profits or advantages for the lowest possible costs
Be obsessed with sth
to think about something or someone much more than is necessary or sensible:
Stop obsessing about your hair. It’s fine.
Cave
to finally stop opposing something, especially because someone has persuaded or threatened
cave in to
The chairman is expected to cave in to pressure from shareholders.
Make sense
to be a sensible thing to do
To some extent
Afarinesh IELTS House www.afarinesh.org
to a certain extent/to some extent/to an extent (=partly)
We all to some extent remember the good times and forget the bad.
the big picture
We were so caught up with the details, we lost sight of the big picture (=the situation considered as a whole).
do better
do well/badly
used to ask or talk about how successful someone is at something
put sth forward
a. to suggest a plan, proposal, idea, etc for other people to consider or discuss SYN propose: They put forward a number of
b. to suggest formally that you or someone else should be considered for a particular job, membership of an organization, etc:
Her name was put forward for the lead role in the play.
c. to arrange for an event to start at an earlier time or date put somebody/something ↔ forward
The men’s final has been put forward to 1:30
Afarinesh IELTS House www.afarinesh.org
AFARINESH IELTS Radio- Podcast 23
IELTS Speaking Test part 3
Q1- What is the best age for children to start computer lessons?
The younger the better. I mean I can’t say for sure. Some kids are indeed precocious and as soon as they get some instruction it becomes second nature to them. I’d be laying it on kinda thick if I say that this is true for all kids. I think kids around 6 or 7 are quite receptive and if teaching them how to use a computer is intertwined with some sort of game, they’d go out of their way to learn more and more. Take the case of the smartphones, who would have thought that very little kids, I’m talking 4 3 and even 2 would actually operate them and play with them. We gotta start early, even prior to school we should start the instructions
Q2- Do you agree or disagree that computers will replace teachers one day?
I don’t really think it’s gonna materialize. It’s true, we can see the cutting edge technology progressing at an unprecedented pace but we should not miss one very crucial fact and that’s, a computer cannot be as flexible as a real human being. Even the most complicated computers with mind-boggling capabilities are masterminded by humans. Don’t get me wrong I’m not against them. they have indisputably remained the most efficient teacher assistants and they’ll continue to be this way in the future. Even if they could replace the teachers, putting them in charge means depriving students of real-world interaction they could have had with human teachers. All in all, I reckon the chances of this thing happening are quite small.
Q3- How much has technology improved how we communicate with each other?
How we get in touch today, is definitely a far cry from the way we did back then. Anyone’s just a single message away from you. U know We’re just extending our friends’ circle. What actually passes for friendships nowadays is not the genuine face-to-face interactions we once had. But, Since I’m a half glass full kind of guy I’m kinda more attracted by the positive points of this change which actually puts our inclination towards removing the physical boundaries into perspective. We’re hard-wired to be sociable and as a matter of fact, can’t simply do away with it. thanks to technology we’ve expanded our relationships with each other and also the world out there
Language Focus
Precocious
a precocious child shows intelligence or skill at a very young age, or behaves in an adult way – sometimes used to show disapproval in British English:
a precocious child who walked and talked early
Second nature
an acquired deeply ingrained habit or skill after a while, using the gearshift becomes second nature
Lay on thick
To exaggerate or overstate a feeling or emotion.
She really laid it on thick when her pet died.
Receptive
willing to consider new ideas or listen to someone else’s opinions: You might find them in a more receptive mood tomorrow.
a receptive audience
Intertwined
if two things intertwine, or if they are intertwined, they are twisted together intertwine with
a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls
Go out of one’s way
do something with more effort than is usual or expected: She went out of her way to make me feel welcome.
Prior to sth
before:
All the arrangements should be completed prior to your departure.
Materialize
happen or appear in the way that you expected: Problems were expected, but they never materialized.
Cutting edge
the newest and most exciting stage in the development of something at the cutting edge (of something)
research that’s at the cutting edge of genetic science
Unprecedented
never having happened before, or never having happened so much:
He took the unprecedented step of stating that the rumors were false. Crime has increased on an unprecedented scale.
Crucial
something that is crucial is extremely important because everything else depends on it SYN vital
crucial to
This aid money is crucial to the government’s economic policies.
crucial in/to doing something
The work of monks was crucial in spreading Christianity.
play a crucial role/part in something
The city of Mycenae played a crucial role in the history of Greece.
Mind-boggling
difficult to imagine and very big, strange, or complicated: a problem of mind-boggling complexity
Mastermind
to think of, plan, and organize a large, important, and difficult operation: The project was masterminded by Morris, then aged 29.
Ridley, as commerce secretary, masterminded the privatization.
Indisputable
an indisputable fact must be accepted because it is definitely true: The evidence was indisputable.
—indisputably adverb
Charge
the position of having control or responsibility for a group of people or an activity
in charge (of something)
He asked to speak to the person in charge.
the officer in charge of the investigation
Stern put Travis in charge of (=gave him control of) the research team. Owens came in and took charge of (=took control of) the situation.
A commander in each county was to have charge of the local militia.
Deprive sb of sth
to prevent someone from having something, especially something that they need or should have: A lot of these children have been deprived of normal home life.
Reckon
think or suppose something reckons (that)
Do you reckon he’ll agree to see us?
Get in touch
talking or writing to someone:
We’ll get in touch (=start talking or writing to you) as soon as we know the results of the test. Can I have your phone number in case I need to get in touch with you?
be a far cry from something to be very different from something:
The company lost £3 million, which is a far cry from last year’s £60 million profit.
Extend
continue for a longer period of time, or to make something last longer: Management has agreed to extend the deadline.
Pass for sb or sth
if something passes for another thing, it is so similar to that thing that people think that is what it is: With my hair cut short, I could have passed for a boy.
Interaction
the activity of talking to other people, working together with them etc interaction with/between
the degree of interaction between teacher and student
A half glass full person
somebody sees the glass as half-empty/half-full used to say that a particular person is more likely to notice the good parts or the bad parts of a situation
Inclination
feeling that makes you want to do something:
My natural inclination was to say no. an inclination to do something
Neither of my children showed the slightest inclination to follow me into journalism.
Teachers simply do not have the time or the inclination to investigate these matters.
put something into/in perspective (=consider something in a sensible way by comparing it with something else, or to help you do this) Let's put this data into perspective. | I saw their suffering, and it really put my own problems into perspective.
Hard-wired
if an attitude, way of behaving, etc is hard-wired, it is a natural part of a person's character that they are born with and cannot change:
The desire to communicate seems to be hard-wired into our brains.
Do away with sth
get rid of something or stop using it:
People thought that the use of robots would do away with boring low-paid factory jobs.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio-Podcast 22
Cue card
Describe a time when you started using a new technological device ( e.g. a new computer or phone).
You should say:
- What device you started using
- Why you started using this device
- How easy or difficult it was to use
- And explain how helpful this device was to you
- Well, nowadays all it’d take for you to catch up with the numerous technological devices being produced and hitting the market is just a quick google search. You got any trouble working anything out, you can find the very gadget doing that sort of thing spot-on on your behalf, actually, they’re a dime a dozen. As a matter of fact, a year ago I bought a brand new smartwatch with jaw-dropping features. Back in the day it was not that popular, but today you know, the story’s quite different, just take walk down the block and you could almost see that 4 out 10 are each wearing one of these little gizmos. Anyhow, I sort of reading of a couple of reviews before buying one and by the look of things, I can say it was the whole package. Its best-selling point was the cutting-edge health care system that would give you the low-down on how your body is functioning and whether you’d get a clean bill of health or not. Despite all its complicated functions, there was actually nothing to it when it came to using it. The absolute clear instructions would undoubtedly walk you through the whole thing. In all fairness, I had no idea what a game-changer this smartwatch would be in my life. It could not only be a cell phone in its own right but also provide me with a whole lot more features than I could ever imagine. U know, when someone dropped me a line on my phone, I didn’t have to reach into my pocket to get my cellphone anymore. God, I could also snap high-quality photos with it.
1. Catch up with
improve and reach the same standard as other people in your class, group, etc: If you miss a lot of classes, it’s very difficult to catch up.
catch up with
At the moment our technology is more advanced, but other countries are catching up with us.
come from behind and reach someone in front of you by going faster catch up with
Drive faster – they’re catching up with us.
2. Hit the market
hit the shops/streets if a product hits the shops, it becomes available to buy: I managed to get a copy of the book before it hit the shops.
3. Work sth out
think carefully about how you are going to do something and plan a good way of doing it: UN negotiators have worked out a set of compromise proposals.
work out what/where/how etc
We need to work out how we’re going to get there.
4. Spot-on
exactly right:
Judith is always spot-on with her advice.
5. On your behalf
because of or for someone:
Oh, don’t go to any trouble on my behalf.
6. Dime a dozen
very common and not valuable
PhDs are a dime a dozen nowadays
7. Jaw-dropping
Amazing
8. Gismo
a small piece of equipment – used when you cannot remember or do not know its correct name SYN gadget
9. Cutting-edge
the newest and most exciting stage in the development of something
10. Low-down
the most important facts about something: Ryan gave me the lowdown on the meeting.
11. In all fairness
used to introduce a statement that puts a less harsh or critical light on someone or something. She did poorly, but in all fairness, she was tired.
12. Game changer
a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way.
13. Drop sb a line
write a short letter to someone:
Drop us a line to let us know how you’re getting on.
14. Snap a picture
Take a picture
AFARINESH IELTS RADIO – Podcast 21
Speaking Part 3
- What kinds of jobs do young people not want to do in your country?
I think the youngsters are sort of growing touchy, they’d easily be put off if the job they’re supposed to apply for involves anything close to manual work. My lil brother’s actually a case in point. I kinda remember that there was a time that he’d do anything for a decent amount of salary, he actually did a stint as a waiter at a good burger joint in the hood. Well, to be honest, this sort of personal trait of him has unfortunately undergone an about-face. You know he thinks stuff should be handed over to him on a silver platter. Gotta tell u this ain’t just my brother who feels that way, kinda being around others with similar attitudes has somehow rubbed off on him.
- Who is best at advising people about choosing a job? Teachers or parents.
I guess both maybe. U know I have this theory that you cannot ever get enough of good advice. The more u garner experience the better you will act in critical situations. teachers are I’d say more sophisticated, u ever need to make a logical decision whether to choose a job or not, u can make sure the teacher's ideas definitely make more sense than others u know why? Cause they’re supposed to be a beacon showing us the right way. On the other hand, parents feel for their children and they’re more emotionally supportive this happens actually when they find their children on the horns of a dilemma.
- Is money the most important thing when choosing a job?
I believe that money is ONE of the important things to be taken into account before deciding whether to go for a job or think better of it. The dough is worth nothing if it means sacrificing your face time with your family. I mean most people are willing to have 9 to five jobs but going beyond that, something that requires you to work shifts back-to-back would definitely drive anyone insane after a while. We, human beings are hard-wired to be greedy it doesn’t make any difference how much u make a year, you’d always be hustling for more and more, we kinda have to learn how to curb our insatiable desires like our hunger for money.
Collocations and Useful Phrases:
Touchy
easily becoming offended or annoyed SYN sensitive touchy about She is very touchy about her past. Put somebody off
to make you dislike something or not want to do something:
Don’t let the restaurant’s decor put you off – the food is really good.
A stint
a period of time spent doing a particular job or activity
a stint in/at
Mark did a two-year stint in the arm
Joint
a cheap bar, club, or restaurant: a hamburger joint
Hood
American English informal a neighborhood
Undergo
if you undergo a change, an unpleasant experience, etc, it happens to you or is done to you: The country has undergone massive changes recently.
About-face
a complete change in the way someone thinks or behaves
SYN U-turn: The administration seems to have done a complete about-face on gun control.
give/hand sth to sb on a (silver) platter
to allow someone to get something very easily, without having to work for it:
If you sell your share in the company now, you're handing the ownership to him on a silver platter.
if a feeling, quality, or habit rubs off on you, you start to have it because you are with another person who has it
She refused to give up, and her confidence rubbed off on the others.
can’t get enough of something/somebody
to enjoy something so much that you want more and more of it: Her millions of fans can’t get enough of her.
Garner
to take or collect something, especially information or support
glean
The party garnered 70 percent of the vote.
Sophisticated
having a lot of experience of life, and good judgment about socially important things such as art, fashion, etc:
a sophisticated, witty American
Make sense
a) to have a clear meaning and be easy to understand:
Read this and tell me if it makes sense b) to be a sensible thing to do
Beacon
a person, idea, etc that guides or encourages you
be on the horns of a dilemma
to be in a situation in which you have to choose between two equally unpleasant or difficult situations
Take sth into account
to consider or include particular facts or details when making a decision or judgment about something
Dough
money
Face time
the time that you spend talking to someone when you are with them, rather than on the telephone face time with
In return for his donation, he wanted face time with the President.
Hard-wired
if an attitude, way of behaving, etc is hard-wired, it is a natural part of a person's character that they are born with and cannot change:
The desire to communicate seems to be hard-wired into our brains.
Hustle
to do something with a lot of energy and determination:
Cindy’s not a great player, but she really hustles.
Curb
to control or limit something in order to prevent it from having a harmful effect: measures to curb the spread of the virus
Insatiable
always wanting more and more of something insatiable appetite/desire/demand etc
(for something) his insatiable appetite for power Our insatiable thirst for knowledge
insatiably adverb
AFARINESH IELTS Radio Podcast 20
Cue card:
§ Describe someone you know who has started a business. You should say:
§ Who this person is
§ What work this person does
§ Why this person decided to start a business
§ and explain whether you would like to do the same kind of work as this person
I sort of used to think that starting a business on your own could be extremely difficult and that if you couldn't 1.get your hands on the 2.prerequisites and the resources for running 3.a start-up you would easily find yourself 4.in hot water. Hopefully not long ago I 5.had a change of heart regarding this matter actually a friend of mine, not a 6. loaded one by any means of course informed me that he kind of wanted to run an online business the primary purpose of which was to provide the potential customers with the ability to buy the grocery needs online and have them delivered ASAP. As much as I hate to admit I was the first one to tell him that his idea would never 7. fly; not that I'm a dream wrecker or anything I wanted to stop 8.a fiasco which was just about to take place; at least I better say that's how I thought well. This buddy of mine 9. had some second thoughts after hearing my words but being the 10. tenacious dude he is, he thought better of my thinking and went on with his plan. You know he had this sort of idea that people would actually 11.crave anything that would let them 12.linger on in their comfort zone even 13. a wee bit more. He had a point you know nowadays the internet has become a 14. metastasizing entity and every 15. Tom Dick and Harry have got the access to 16.at their fingertips. anyways he kind of managed to gather up the money 17.to get his idea off the ground. Man, I gotta admit two years from that day and he's already 18. sitting pretty I don't think if I could ever bring myself to do as he did. I’m not that much of a risk-taker you know; it's almost always 19.all duck or no dinner with these cases and were I presented with the same opportunity I'd definitely find another way to success.
Collocations and useful phrases
- Get your hands on sth
- informal to succeed in getting something: She’s only marrying him to get her hands on his money.
- Prerequisite
- something that is necessary before something else can happen or be done: A reasonable
- proficiency in English is a prerequisite for the course.
- A start-up
- a new small company or business, especially one whose work involves computers or the
- Internet: an Internet start-up
- In hot water
In trouble
- Have a change of heart
- If you have a change of heart, you change your opinion or the way you feel about something:
- She was going to sell her house but had a change of heart at the last minute.
- Loaded
- very rich: Giles can afford it – he’s loaded.
- a plan that will fly will be successful and useful: News is that the plan for the new hotel isn’t going to fly.
- A fiasco
- an event that is completely unsuccessful, in a way that is very embarrassing or disappointing
- SYN disaster: The first lecture I ever gave was a complete fiasco.
- Have second thoughts
- a change of opinion or resolve reached after considering something again.
- "on second thoughts, perhaps he was right"
- Tenacious
- determined to do something and unwilling to stop trying even when the situation becomes
- difficult: a tenacious negotiator
- Crave
- to have an extremely strong desire for something: an insecure child who craves attention
- Linger on
- to stay somewhere a little longer, especially because you do not want to leave
- a wee bit
- LITTLE/NOT VERY to a small degree: She looked a wee bit confused.
- Metastasize
- to spread or grow
- every/any Tom, Dick and Harry
- anyone at all, used especially when you mean that something should be done only by particular people, not by everyone: You can't expect him to tell every Tom, Dick, and Harry what he earns, can you?
- have something at your/their
- to have knowledge or information ready and available to use very easily: We have all the facts and figures at our fingertips.
- get off the ground
- SUCCESSFUL to start to be successful: Her show never really got off the ground in the UK.
- sit pretty
- to be in a highly favorable situation
- all duck or no dinner
- Of a situation, action, or effort resulting in either total success or total failure; all or nothing. We've got one last chance to secure an investor for the company, so it's all duck or no dinner with this meeting!
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 19 Part2
Is it important to practice when learning something new?
Of course, as the saying goes practice does make perfect, and the more you work on the materials you try to learn, the faster and better you will be (1) on the uptake. There might be some individual differences among people (2) in terms of their learning habits. I mean someone might be (3) a quick study and (4) get his head around the issue (5) at hand and he'll learn the whole thing in no time. But here I'm talking about the majority, and this majority has to have constant practice to make the stuff being learned (6) stick in their mind. I've always done this and it works 100 percent.
Do you prefer teaching people with images or by telling them?
For my money, visual aids are (7) indispensable. You can't just (8) do away with them, u know what I mean. By using images, you're not only transferring the info through hearing ability but also drawing on your audience's visual sense. Another plus point of using visuals is that u don't have to be a cliché chatterbox anymore, boring your student to death with unnecessary words, I mean a picture paints a thousand words just
(9) save yourself the trouble of talking too much.
Do you think that young people can teach old people?
Of course. why not. Teaching is an art and if a teacher (10) knows his stuff it would not make that much difference whether the students are older or younger than him. I believe if you’ve got the (11) gift of the gab you'd make everyone (12) tune in in a way that the age of the students would (13) not matter in the slightest. I'm quite sure that the old (14) folks would not mind this issue either. I say this stuff cause I've seen and done it myself and I can (15) assure you that the experience for both groups is (16) legit.
1. be slow/quick on the uptake (informal)
to be slow or fast at understanding something
- in terms of something
- if you explain or describe something in terms of a particular fact or event, you are explaining or describing it only in relation to that fact or event
- describe/measure/evaluate etc something in terms of something
- Femininity is still defined in terms of beauty.
- A quick study
- someone who learns things quickly
- get your head around something
be able to understand something
I just can’t get my head around what’s been going on here.
- at hand
- a)likely to happen soon:
- The recent economic performance suggests that a major crisis is at hand. b)close to you and available to be used:
- Don’t worry, help is at hand!
- c)needing to be dealt with now:
- Peter turned his attention to the task at hand.
- stick in sb’s mind REMEMBER
- if something sticks in your mind, you remember it well because it is unusual or interesting: It’s the kind of name that sticks in your mind.
- Indispensable
- someone or something that is indispensable is so important or useful that it is impossible to
- manage without them SYN essential
- Do away with something
- to get rid of something or stop using it:
- People thought that the use of robots would do away with boring low-paid factory jobs.
- Trouble
- an amount of effort and time that is needed to do something
- save somebody the trouble (of doing something)
- If you’d asked me first, I could have saved you the trouble.
- know your job/subject/stuff
- (=be good at and know all you should about a job or subject)
- the gift of the gab
- an ability to speak confidently and to persuade people to do what you want:
- Jo has always had the gift of the gab.
- Tune in
- to realize or understand what is happening or what other people are thinking.
- not in the slightest
- not at all:
- ‘Did he mind lending you the car?’ ‘Not in the slightest.’
- Folks (especially American English) People
- Assure somebody
- to tell someone that something will definitely happen or is definitely true so that they are less
- worried SYN reassure
- Legit
- legal or allowed by official rules: Don’t worry, the deal’s strictly legit.
- honest and not trying to deceive people: Are you sure he’s legit?
AFARINESH IELTS Radio (Podcast 19 Part 1)
Cue card:
Describe a situation when you had to teach something to a relative or a friend You should say:
-
whom you taught
-
what you taught
-
whether it was easy or difficult to teach
And explain how you felt after teaching him/her
Well, teaching is a quite demanding thing to (1) pull off effectively. I've actually never put myself in the position of a teacher before, officially though. I mean if I'm asked to do it (2)incessantly, I'd eventually (3)let my guard down and give it my best shot but it's not by any means (4)my strong suit. Knowing stuff is one thing but conveying that something to others is sure as heck a whole different thing. One of my recent (5) face-offs with this monster (6)AKA teaching was when my cousin, not the most stable person I know actually, put me under a lot of pressure so I would teach her some English. I'd already (7)sized her up regarding her knowledge in English and guess what she is not only not (8)competent in English, she also thinks she knows a lot anyways I ended up sitting right in front of her and she was waiting for me to (9)utter something. I was gonna teach her some grammar but every time I was gonna make a point she would start questioning my teaching skills. I decided to (10) bite the bullet and don't say a thing because I didn't wanna (11) escalate things. Well, it didn't go like that the whole time, I mean I (12) got a threshold of patience, and when she called me a teaching robot I said that's it and (13) hit the ceiling. I also (14) gave her a piece of my mind about her low IQ. She also (15) burst into tears when she was leaving. Gosh... I gotta admit that was one tough experience that (16) took a heavy toll on me. Anyways I felt quite terrible afterward. I wanted to (17) patch things up so I called her and apologized.
Collocations and useful phrases
1. pull something ↔ off informal to succeed in doing something difficult: The goalkeeper pulled off six terrific saves.
2. Incessantly
Incessant continuing without stopping
- let (one's) guard down
- To become less guarded or vigilant; to stop being cautious about potential trouble or danger. Also worded as "let down (one's) guard.
- " We'll wait long enough for them to let their guard down before we launch our invasion. There will always be people in this business looking to exploit you, so you can never let your guard down.
- Strong suit
The best or highest valued ability of a person. Mostly used in a negative sense to emphasize that
someone is not good at a particular activity.
- Face-off
- informal a fight or argument: a face-off between police and rioters
- AKA
- (also known as) used when giving someone or something’s real name together with a different
- the name they are known by John Phillips, aka The Mississippi Mauler
- Size sth/sb up
- to look at or consider a person or situation and make a judgment about them SYN assess
- It only took a few seconds for her to size up the situation.
- Competent
- having enough skill or knowledge to do something to a satisfactory standard OPP incompetent:
- A competent mechanic should be able to fix the problem.
- Utter
- to say something:
- ‘You fool!’ she uttered in disgust.
- bite the bullet/ informal
- ACCEPT to start dealing with an unpleasant or dangerous situation because you cannot avoid it
- any longer: I finally bit the bullet and left.
- Escalate
- if fighting, violence, or a bad situation escalates, or if someone escalates it, it becomes much
- worse
- high/low pain/boredom etc threshold (=the ability or inability to suffer a lot of pain or boredom
- before you react to it)
- hit the roof/ceiling/ informal ANGRY to be very angry
- Ranieri returned, saw the mess, and hit the roof.
- give somebody a piece of your mind/ informal
- ANGRY/ to tell someone that you are very angry with them: After the game, he gave the players a piece of his mind.
- burst into tears (=suddenly start crying) She burst into tears and begged me to stay.
- Take a heavy toll on
- a very bad effect that something has on something or someone over a long period of time a heavy toll on the environment
- Patch things up
- to end an argument because you want to stay friends with someone: Try to patch up your differences before he leaves.
AFARINESH IELTS RADIO Podcast 18
🔴 Describe a recent change in your life You should say:
• what the change was
• when it happened
• how you felt about it
• and explain if it was a positive or negative change for you
I can't simply (1)come up with a quite remarkable change in my life. Not that it doesn't take place, don't get me wrong. Actually, there are changes (2)galore in any body’s life since we're all dynamic by nature, and going through the daily (3)ups and downs leaves its mark for better or worse. It must have been a couple of months back when a change of events led me through a different path than the one I was on. So, what actually (4)sparked this whole event to (5)transpire was the behavior of a new friend of mine who has a reputation for being so (6)nonchalant towards anything that happens to him. First, I used to think like wow, this guy's really (7)messed up. No responsibility, not even the slightest amount of(8) remorse about anything. And about me, I'm a person who (9)gets his bearings (10)at any cost and has (11)scruples all the time to make sure to behave accordingly. For once, I wanted (12) to give it a shot and see where I would (13)end up (14)cutting myself some slack while dealing with my life. You know, It was(15) out of this world, I mean I didn't (16)have the usual jitters anymore. I was just taking my time doing whatever it was I was doing and if I didn't meet the deadline, (17)I couldn't care less. But you gotta believe in it for real... Saying it doesn't equal doing it by any means. It is a great way of living and I love it.
Collocations and Useful Phrases:
- comeupwithsomethingphrasalverb to think of an idea, answer, etc:
- Is that the best excuse you can come up with?
- We’ve been asked to come up with some new ideas.
- Galore
- in large amounts or numbers: bargains galore in the sales
- Upsanddownsinformalthemixtureofgoodandbadexperiencesthat happen in any situation or relationship:
- We have our ups and downs like all couples.
- spark2 BrE AmE verb
- [transitive] (also spark something ↔ off) to be the cause of something,
- especially trouble or violence SYN provoke:
- The police response sparked outrage in the community. A discarded cigarette sparked a small brush fire.
- Transpire
- [transitive] formal to happen:
- Exactly what transpired remains unknown.
6. nonchalant
behaving calmly and not seeming interested in anything or worried
about anything:
‘Has he got a girlfriend?’ Jill asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
—nonchalance noun [uncountable] —nonchalantly adverb:
He smiled nonchalantly.
7. ˌmessed ˈup BrE AmE adjective informal
someone who is messed up has emotional or mental problems
because of something that has happened to them
8. remorse a strong feeling of being sorry that you have done something
very bad ⇨ regret:
Throughout the trial, he had shown no remorse.
remorse for
She felt a pang of remorse for what she had done.
be full of remorse/be filled with remorse
Filled with remorse, Dillon decided to resign.
—remorseful adjective
—remorsefully adverb 9. .get/findyourbearings
a) to find out exactly where you are: He paused to get his bearings.
b) to feel confident that you know what you should do next: An introduction session helps new students get their bearings.
10.at ˈany cost
under any circumstances
He is determined to win at any cost.
11. scruple
a belief about what is right and wrong that prevents you from doing bad things ⇨ qualm
scruples about doing something
He had no scruples about selling faulty goods to people.
a man with no moral scruples
without scruple
They made thousands of families homeless without scruples.
12. give sth a shot give sth a try
13.end up
to be in a particular situation, state, or place after a series of events,
especially when you did not plan it:
He came round for a coffee and we ended up having a meal together.
I wondered where the pictures would end up after the auction.
end up doing something
Most slimmers end up putting weight back on.
end up with
Anyone who swims in the river could end up with a nasty stomach upset.
end up as
He could end up as President.
end up like
I don’t want to end up like my parents.
14. cut/give somebody some slack spoken to allow someone to do something without criticizing them or making it more difficult:
Hey, cut me some slack, man. I’m only a few bucks short.
15. out of this world informal extremely good, enjoyable, etc: The graphics and sounds are out of this world.
16. informal a nervous worried feeling, especially before an important event:
The jitters are worst in the capital, where 61% of people are fearful of a terrorist attack.
17.couldnʼt care ˈless
(informal) used to say, often rudely, that you do not think that somebody/ something is important or worth worrying about
Quite honestly, I couldnʼt care less what they do
AFARINESH IELTS Radio- Podcast 17
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Discussion topics:
• What things make an office comfortable to work in?
I think a certain number of factors would play a part in making a workplace as (1) comfy as it gets. I don’t think I’ll be exaggerating if I said that the workplace is like home to some people especially for those who have the habit of working overtime. With that in mind, I’d say the first and a quite (2) crucial thing is to make sure that your office is quiet so you don’t get disturbed every now and then. By the way, having a couple of family pictures here and there, some stuff that could (3) convey a sense of attachment to your (4) next of kin, I figure would (5) put the damper on the need to leave early because of missing your beloveds. By the way, if you ever(6) had the liberty of choosing the people you gotta work with, make sure your interests are (7) aligned in the first place .. that’ll save you a lot of trouble later on.
• Do you agree that the building people work in is more important than the collogues they work with?
I guess I believe otherwise. So from where I sit, both the building and the colleagues work (8) in tandem and finally define our productivity or job satisfaction. Having a brand new office with high-end facilities would not guarantee a good performance at work (9) by any means. A contrary scenario could also be correct, my cousin actually, was so (10) diligent when it came to working as he was involved in some pretty major stuff there but since his workplace didn’t really (11) live up to the hype he started to lose interest. He’d only been working for a year when he resigned.
• Why do people become workaholics?
Well, actually becoming a non-stop working machine is sometimes the end result of being obsessed with getting all the jobs done at the same time. I am a workaholic, I’m giving you (12) a firsthand account of why I feel this way. So there is this thing (13) eating your brain up all the time, (14) figuratively speaking though, and whenever you stop to take five, it keeps telling you that there is not gonna be any one(15)
picking up your slack so (16) put some muscle into it and (17) buckle down. There might also be some other reasons as well which I’m not aware of but I guess it’s got a root in the (18) psyche. Well it might sound like a cool thing on the surface as it sort of (19) propels you to work more but the question is at what cost? (20) Working your fingers to the bone is not the solution I believe
Collocations and useful phrases
- comfy
- comfortable: a comfy chair
- crucial
- something that is crucial is extremely important because everything else depends on it SYN vital
- convey
- to communicate or express something, with or without using words
- convey a sense/an impression/an idea etc.
- You don’t want to convey the impression that there’s anything illegal going on.
- next of kin
- our closest living relative or relatives:
- May I have your name, address, and next of kin, please?
- put a damper on something DISAPPOINTED
- to make something less enjoyable, active, or great than it could have been:
- A couple of knee injuries put a damper on his football career.
- liberty
- freedom and the right to do whatever you want without asking permission or being afraid of authority
- align
- to publicly support a political group, country, or person that you agree with aligning yourself with somebody/something
- Church leaders have aligned themselves with the opposition.
- in tandem
- AT THE SAME TIME /doing something together or at the same time as someone or something else:
- The two companies often work in tandem.
- by any means
- An action, an object, or a system by which a result is achieved
10. diligent
someone who is diligent works hard and is careful and thorough:
a diligent student
11. live up to the hype
12. first-hand experience/knowledge/account PERSONALLY/YOURSELF the experience that has been learned or gained by doing something yourself or by talking to
someone yourself
journalists with the first-hand experience of working in war zones
13. eating One's Brain
Said of an individual, circumstance, or location perceived as insidiously annoying.
14. figuratively
a figurative word or phrase is used in a different way from its usual meaning, to give you a particular idea or picture in your mind
15. take up/pick up the slack
to make a system or organization as efficient as possible by making sure that money, space, or people are fully used:
Without another contract to help pick up the slack, employees may face job losses.
16. put some muscle into it
used to tell someone to work harder
17. buckle down
to start working very hard
18. psyche
someone’s mind, or their deepest feelings, which control their attitudes and behavior
19. propel
to move, drive, or push something forward
20. work your fingers to the bone (also work your socks off informal)WORK
HARD
to work very hard
to be as good as expected and anticipated by the public
I heard that album was great and it certainly lived up to the hype. I love it!
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 16
Describe a song or a piece of music you like. You should say:
- What the song of music is
- What kind of song or music it is
- Where you first heard it
- And explain why you like it.
- Well to be honest, (1) I got an ear for music in general but what (2) appeals to me most is rap and more specifically Eminem’s songs are my first choice. there is this super amazing song called lose yourself, it’s my (3) jam. I mean (4) words fail me, I can’t just say how I feel about it. It’s a lyrical miracle, like the first few minutes you figure you’ve got the whole idea and then little by little the concepts start to shape in your mind, that’s exactly when you understand you’ve just been (5) scratching at the surface and there is actually a whole lot more to it than you thought. let me (6) shed a bit more light on this, the song seems (7) high-tempo but that only takes some getting used to, by the way, there is also this highly coordinated (8) crescendo combined with metaphorical rhymes at the end of the verses building upon each other and eventually there comes the coup de grace leaving you literally overwhelmed. I can’t get enough of it you know what I’m saying. As a matter of fact, I first heard this song when I was in high school, I remember I’d just got back and I was sort of watching the idiot box you know, right in the middle of that a friend of mine dropped by bringing a movie called 8 miles, well, both the protagonist and the singer was Marshal Mathers AKA Eminem. Man, I was in a state of euphoria when I heard the song it was like it’d sparked something inside of me and taken my life to a whole new level. Well to me, it was nothing if not spiritually ascending ... I don’t really know you might think of this as hyperbole but it is genuinely how I feel about this song.
Collocations and useful phrases 1. Tohaveanearforsth
If someone has an ear for music or languages, they are good at hearing, repeating, and understanding these sounds:
She's never had much of an ear for languages.
- Ifsomeoneorsomethingappealstoyou,theyseemattractiveand interesting
- The program appeals to young children.
- Jam
- A song or piece of music, especially one by a rap or rock group
- words fail me
- Used to say that you are so surprised, angry, or shocked that you do not know what to say
- Toscratchthesurface
- To deal with only a very small part of a subject or problem I think we have only scratched the surface of this problem.
- Toshedlighton
- To make something easier to understand, by providing new or better information
- Research has shed light on the causes of the disease.
- Investigators hope to shed light on what started the fire.
- Tempo
- The speed at which music is played or should be played
- Crescendo
- If a sound or a piece of music rises to a crescendo, it gradually becomes louder until it is very loud
OPP diminuendo:
The shouting rose to a deafening crescendo.
The curtains opened as the music reached a crescendo.
9. Themetaphoricaluseofawordisnotconcernedwithrealobjectsor physical events, but with ideas or events of a non-physical kind: The word has a metaphorical as well as a literal meaning.
10.Coup de grace
An action or event that ends or destroys something that has gradually been getting weaker
a hit or shot that kills someone or something
11.Can’t get enough of something/somebody informal
To enjoy something so much that you want more and more of it:
Her millions of fans can’t get enough of her.
12.Protagonist
The most important character in a play, film, or story SYN main character
13.Euphoria
An extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement which usually only lasts for a short time:
There was a general atmosphere of pessimism after the euphoria of last year.
14.hyperbole
A way of describing something by saying it is much bigger, smaller, worse, etc than it actually is
SYN exaggeration:
It was not hyperbole to call it the worst storm in twenty years.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio (Podcast 15)
Describe something you did that was new or exciting.
You should say:
- what you did
- where and when you did this
- who you shared the activity with
- and explain why this activity was new or exciting for you.
- you know... I DO have a lot of friends and to be honest they’re not really the most stable people to (1)hang out with. What I mean by this is that they sort of live at the moment and (2)spontaneity is what (3)makes them tick of course. They have this habit of (4)pushing the limits all the time in order to discover (5)uncharted territories, (6)metaphorically speaking though. I remember once we were driving around in a kind of gloomy evening, well, if I’m not mixing up things given that (7)I got a memory like a
- sieve, anyhow there we were killing time (8)shooting the breeze... We were sort of (9)getting the blues and suddenly someone (10)came up with trying paintball. It didn’t really (11)strike me as a brilliant idea but since I’d been known to (12)dabble when it came to handling gun stuff, I wasn’t (13)reluctant either to (14)have a shot at it. Uhh, we actually got to a spot in the back of beyond that was known to one of the guys... It was more of a field, looked pretty much like a golf course with barriers situated here and there to somehow function as shelters. II knew from personal experience that when the game started there would have been the (15)fusillade of the balls aimed at us so I reckoned the whole area within the first few minutes. anyways, my expertise (16)came in handy we had a great time actually, and it’s become such an amazing memory ever since I tried paintball for the very first time with my friends, as I said I had been to a couple of similar situation but this one was a whole new ball game. (17)In a nutshell,
- I gotta say it was way more than what I thought I’d get from that event. I mean, We decided to go for something (18)off the cuff and it turned out to be (19)mesmerizing.
- Collocations and useful phrases
1. Hang out with someone
informal to spend a lot of time in a particular place or with particular people
hang out with
I don’t really know who she hangs out with. Where do the youngsters hang out?
- Spontaneity
- the quality of being spontaneous
- There is a lack of spontaneity in her performance.
- the contrast between an adultʼs formality and a child’s spontaneity
- Make someone tick
- The things that motivate someone; the reasons why a person behaves in a certain way. I'd love to sit you down for an interview and find out what makes you tick. Growing up hearing about her grandfather's heroic deeds in the war is a major part of what makes Janet tick.
- Push the limits
- Uncharted
- that has not been visited or investigated before; not familiar
- They set off into the countryʼs uncharted interior
(figurative) I was moving into uncharted territory
(= a completely new experience) with this relationship.
6. Metaphorically
in a way that uses or contains metaphors
Iʼll leave you in Robinʼs capable hands— metaphorically speaking, of course! Metaphor: a word or phrase used to describe somebody/
something else, in a way that is different from its
normal use, in order to show that the two things have
the same qualities and to make the description more powerful, for example, She has a heart of stone;
- Have a memory like a sieve
- (informal) to have a very bad memory; to forget things easily
- Shoot the breeze
- (North American English, informal) to have a conversation in an informal way
➔SYNONYM chat
We sat around in the bar, shooting the breeze.
9. Get the blues
the blues [plural] (informal) feelings of sadness
the Monday morning blues
Put additional hard work into your original hard work in order to achieve something, its not easy to step
out of your comfort zone but it's necessary to achieve something.
10. Come up with
to think of an idea, answer, etc:
Is that the best excuse you can come up with? We’ve been asked to come up with some new ideas.
11. strike somebody as (being) something to seem to have a particular quality or feature:
His jokes didn’t strike Jack as being very funny. it strikes somebody as strange/odd etc that
It struck me as odd that the man didn’t introduce himself before he spoke.
12. Dabble(in/with something) to take part in a sport, an activity, etc. but not very seriously
She is a talented musician but is content to just dabble.
13. ▪ reluctant, not willing to do something, although you may be persuaded after a while. Also used when someone does something after at first being unwilling to do it: He was reluctant to talk about his childhood. | She gave a reluctant smile. | the government's reluctant agreement to hold talks | a reluctant hero
14. shot (at something/
at doing something) (informal) the act of trying to do or achieve something
The team is looking good for a shot at the title.
- Fusillade
- a quick series of shots fired from a gun, or a quick series of other objects that are thrown
- fusillade of
- a fusillade of bullets
- Come in handy (informal) to be useful
- The extra money came in very handy.
17. (put something) in a nutshell
(to say or express something) in a very clear way, using few words
To put it in a nutshell, weʼre bankrupt. 18. Off the cuff
of speaking, remarks, etc.) without previous thought or preparation Iʼm just speaking off the cuff here—I havenʼt seen the results yet
19. Mesmerizing
having such a strong effect on you that you can not give your attention to anything else
Her performance was mesmerizing
AFARINESH IELTS Radio- Podcast 14
Describe a situation where you helped an old person. You should say:
- when you helped?
- where you helped?
- how you helped?
- how you felt about it?
- Whenever I start thinking about what the future’s got (1) in store for me down the road, say 40 years it sorts of makes me (2) cringe. Well, getting old and living in the (3) decrepitude is no good thing. (4) Best case scenario, you’re gonna have an offspring to rely on of course if they’re generous enough to be that way, and that’s a big if. U know The world has kind of a funny way of keeping things balanced I don’t mean to be superstitious but if you do good by people then most probably you’ll work thing without (5) a hitch during your whole life. That being my (6) credo, whenever I see an old-timer in trouble I’ll do my best to be of some use and help the poor (7) fella out. Some months ago, I was heading home from work, and man I was (8) fried. I was literally sleeping at the wheel. I decided to (9) pull over and get some fresh air before going on driving since it’d got a little (10) stuffy in the car. It was then that I noticed an old man who I reckon was in his 70’s had (11) had a bit of a spill and (12) sprained an ankle. (13) I didn’t know him from Adam, yet I didn’t hesitate even a sec to help him. When I actually got to him I noticed he’d panicked and (14) wouldn’t budge. First I made sure that it was only his ankle and that he didn’t have a fracture I was also afraid of a potential concussion so I even checked to see if he was fully conscious. Not knowing what to do next, I called an ambulance. right after that, I noticed that he was mumbling something and when (15) I picked up my ears I realized that he was thanking me. It meant the world to mean since all I did was just (16) a ham-fisted attempt to help and it seemed as if I’d done something extraordinary.
Collocations and useful phrases:
- Instore(forsomebody)FUTURE
- If something unexpected such as a surprise or problem is in store for someone, it is about to
- happen to them:
- There is a real treat in store for you this Christmas! As we left, I wondered what the future held in store.
- cringe
- To feel embarrassed by something you have said or done because you think it makes you seem silly
- She cringed at the sound of her own voice.
- It makes me cringe when I think how stupid I was.
- Decrepit(adj)
- In bad condition:
- The buildings were in a decrepit state. He was a rather decrepit old man.
- Decrepitude noun [uncountable]
- The best-case scenario (=the best thing that might happen)
- Ahitch
- A small problem that makes something difficult or delays it for a short time Technical/slight/last-minute hitch
- In spite of some technical hitches, the first program was a success.
- The whole show went without a hitch.
- Credo
- A formal statement of the beliefs of a particular person, group, religion, etc. American Express is emphasizing its ‘the customer is first’ credo.
- fella A man
- There is a fella outside who wants to see you.
- fried
- Unable to think clearly, because you are tired, anxious, etc.:
- My brain is just totally fried.
- Pullover
To drive to the side of the road and stop your car, or to make someone else do this: The policeman signaled to him to pull over.
Pull somebody/something over
He pulled the car over.
A cop pulled him over and gave him a speeding ticket.
10.Stuffy
A room or building that is stuffy does not have enough fresh air in it: It is getting stuffy in here – do you mind if I open the window?
11.have/ take a spill
12.
To damage a joint in your body by suddenly twisting it SYN twist
I fell down the steps and sprained my ankle.
13.Not know someone from Adam KNOW SB informal
To not know someone at all
14.budge
15.prick (up) your ears LISTEN
If you prick up your ears or your ears prick up, you listen carefully because you have heard something interesting
Jay pricked up his ears when I mentioned a vacation.
16.Ham-fisted
Not at all skillful or careful in the way that you deal with people SYN inept
They made several ham-fisted attempts to spy on her. CLUMSY/not at all skillful with your hands SYN clumsy
To have a fall; to tip over.
Sprain
To change one's opinion or stated position; yield:
Once her father had said “no,” he wouldn't budge.
Describe a time when you visited a friend or family member at their workplace.
You should say:
AFARINESH IELTS Radio- Podcast 13
who you visited
where this person worked
why you visited this person’s workplace
and explain how you felt about visiting this person’s workplace.
It was not more than a year ago that I had to (1) swing by my cousin’s office which was located (2) in the vicinity of a big mall, u know kind of (3) rendezvous for me and my (4) buddies. My cousin is actually a lawyer, or that’s what he’d told me. I was sort of in a legal (5) dilemma and I was in urgent need of some professional advice. If I’m on the right (6) chronological track, it was a December morning, I (7) hit a couple of relatives up to make sure about the (8) whereabouts of my cousin. I mean, the word had it that he was the boss around there. When I got there, first I had to ask around and even describe him in terms of his appearance since his name didn’t actually (9) ring any bells for anyone. * The (10) butler who was around actually helped me a lot in finding my cousin’s place. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at, it was a small (11) cubicle. The sad thing was, he didn’t even have (12) enough room to stretch his legs, and (13) by the look of things I understood that he was (14) swamped. Being the considerate guy I am, I wanted to (15) make a U-turn and (16) bug out ASAP. Oh, I can never forget the look on his face when he (17) caught a sudden glimpse of me. He totally (18) went beet red. I started to pretend everything was (19) A-Ok and that I wasn’t actually noticing his (20) wretched condition (21) in the slightest. He invited me to his friend’s office, a real office I mean. Only then did I understand that he was not an actual lawyer but a (22) paralegal. It was quite funny; he was trying to distract me from the fact that he was fake by (23) rattling on about how hard it is to have a job in the legal system. I was just playing along the whole time making sure my presence was not making him inconvenient. As soon as he was done I got up and said that I am feeling a bit (24) indisposed and had to see a doctor immediately. That did it actually. Later on I got this feeling that I had no right to (25) turn up without notice at my cousin’s workplace. I (26) have no clue what I was thinking when I decided to (27) throw my cousin for a loop by what I did. Well, I learned my lesson I guess.
Collocations and useful phrases:
- Swing by (something) VISIT To visit a place or person for a short time
- I’ll swing by the grocery store on my way.
- Vicinity NEAR
- In the vicinity (of something) in the area around a particular place
- The stolen car was found in the vicinity of the station. There used to be a mill in the vicinity.
- Rendezvous
- A place where two or more people have arranged to meet
- Boats picked us up at pre-arranged rendezvous.
- Buddy (informal FRIENDLY) A friend
- We’re good buddies.
- Dilemma
- A situation in which it is very difficult to decide what to do because all the choices seem equally good or equally bad
- A moral dilemma
- In a dilemma
- I’m in a dilemma about this job offer.
- This placed Robert Kennedy in a dilemma.
- be in a dilemma/ After years of recession, the company was in a dilemma over its future.
- face a dilemma/be faced with a dilemma /Women may still be faced with the dilemma of choosing between jobs and families.
- pose/create a dilemma /The difficult economic situation poses a dilemma for investors. put/place somebody in a dilemma/ His divided loyalties placed him in a dilemma.
- resolve/solve a dilemma /People often need help with resolving their dilemmas.
- explain your dilemma (=talk about it)/ He explained his dilemma to me.
- a difficult/serious dilemma/ He was in a serious dilemma because neither option seemed very desirable.
- A terrible dilemma /She was in a terrible dilemma because she loved both men.
- A moral/ethical/political etc dilemma/ Doctors face a moral dilemma over how long to prolong someone's life.
- personal dilemma/ The men who were on strike faced a personal dilemma over whether to return to work.
- painful dilemma (=a very difficult one) She faced the painful dilemma of having to decide whether to tell the police about her son's
- A common/familiar dilemma (=one that a lot of people have) Deciding whether to put an elderly parent in a nursing home is a common dilemma.
the central dilemma (=the main one) The Prime Minister's central dilemma was whether the war was justified.
A way out of a dilemma (=a way to solve it) There seemed to be no way out of the dilemma.
6. Chronological
Arranged according to when things happened or were made
We arranged the documents in chronological order.
7. Hit sb up
To ask someone for money
Did he hit you up for cash again?
8. Whereabouts
the place or area where someone or something is
He showed great reluctance to reveal his whereabouts. 9. Ring a bell/ informal REMEMBER
If something rings a bell, it reminds you of something, but you cannot remember exactly what it is
Her name rings a bell but I can’t remember her face.
10. Butler
The main male servant of a house
11. Cubicle
A small part of a room that is separated from the rest of the room
A shower cubicle
Office workers in their cubicles
12. Room space [uncountable]
somewhere for a particular thing, person, or activity
I hope there’s going to be enough room in the fridge.
room for /My suitcase was so full I didn’t have room for anything else.
room to do something /The museum doesn’t have enough room to show everything in their collection.
plenty of room/enough room/There’s plenty of room in the boot for your luggage.
Stretch your legs informal WALK
To go for a walk, especially after sitting for a long time
13. By the look of sth
The way something seems to be:
The neighbors are back from holiday by the looks of it (=that is how it seems). look I don’t like the look of this new policy (=I do not like the way it seems).
14. Swamp
To suddenly give someone a lot of work, problems, etc to deal with SYN inundate
15.
Make a U-turn
1. a turn that you make in a car, on a bicycle, etc, so that you go back in the direction you came from
make/do a U-turn
He made a quick U-turn and sped away.
2. complete change of ideas, plans, etc
make/do a U-turn
Critics accused the government of doing a U-turn on its promise to increase education spending.
be swamped by/with something
16.
To leave quickly
Bug out
17. Catch a glimpse of
A quick look at someone or something that does not allow you to see them clearly
They caught a glimpse of a dark green car.
brief/fleeting/quick glimpse (=a very short look)
We only had a fleeting glimpse of the river.
18. To go beet red
19.
In good condition
SYN satisfactory
We took the car in for a check, and it was A-OK.
20. Wretched
Extremely bad or unpleasant
SYN miserable
I was shocked to see their wretched living condition
21. In the slightest
To emphasize a negative statement
22. Paralegal
Someone whose job is to help lawyers do their work
23. Rattle on
To talk quickly for a long time about boring things/ SYN go on
Nancy would rattle on for hours about her grandchildren.
24. Indisposed
To redden in the face (blush), typically due to embarrassment.
She went beet red when her crush came up and talked to her.
I went beet red when the teacher made me speak in front of the whole class
A-ok
Ill and therefore unable to be present
Mrs. Rawlins is temporarily indisposed.
25. Turn up
To arrive at a place, especially in a way that is unexpected
You can’t just turn up and expect a meal.
Turn up late/early/on time etc
Steve turned up late, as usual.
26. Not have a clue
To not have any idea about the answer to a question, how to do something, what a situation is etc:
‘Do you know how to switch this thing off?’ ‘I haven’t a clue.’
27. knock/throw somebody for a loop American English informal To the surprise and upset someone
AFARINESH IELRS Radio- Podcast 12
Describe a competition (e.g. TV, college/work, or sports competition) that you took
part in.
You should say:
and explain why you chose to take part in this competition.
Actually, I guess I'm a competitor by nature. Since I was a kid I have always been taking part in a lot of competitions and I still do (1) without a miss. When I (2) came of age, I started to feel like it was (3) high time I (4) set out to discover a new me. In fact, I never wanted to (5) be a garden variety schoolboy (6) cramming for my exams (7) day in day out. Well, Back in the day when I was in high school competition was to be held and I was all about being a part of it. For once in my life, I had found an (8) outlet and it was to find myself a (9) spot in the national mathematics competition. You know, Math was my (10) forte and I would always (11) run rings around my fellow classmates in that subject. When the date for registrations in the competition was announced, I was automatically skipped ahead of my classmates by the school's VP since everyone knew the rest of the school didn't stand chance to me whenitcametomath.Iclearlyrememberthewholethingasifitwasyesterday,I was (12)summoned to the VPs office and I was kinda (13) briefed on the event. I was actually promised a (14) hefty amount of money by the school alone if I could have ranked first in the competition. The main prize though was the (15) endorsement that the first would get to take part in the next round which was indeed at an international level l. I (16) was beside myself with joy to see that I was in the (17) limelight. You know how the kids are... They (18) crave attention, so did I back in the day and that sort of was the (19) impetus for me to want to take part. Despite the fact that my family was against me putting myself under that much pressure, I did it and I'm happy about it cause if I hadn't, I would have regretted the missed opportunity for the rest of my whole life.
Collocations and useful phrases
- Without miss Without fail
- Come of age
- To reach the age when you are legally recognized as an adult and become old enough to vote If something has come of age, it has reached its full successful development.
- If it is about time/high time that someone did something, it should have been done sooner or a long time ago
- what kind of competition it was and how you found out about it
- what you had to do
- what the prizes were
It's about time (that) the school improved its meals service.
It is high time for Europe to take responsibility for its own defense.
- Set out
- To start an activity with a particular aim
- She set out with the aim of becoming the youngest ever winner of the championship. [+ to infinitive] They set out to discover a cure for cancer.
- Garden variety Ordinary, commonplace
- Cram
- To try to learn a lot very quickly before an examination
- She's cramming for her history exam.
- Day in day out(especially of something boring) done or happening every day for a long period of time
- I have to do the same boring jobs day in day out.
- Outlet
- A way in which emotion or energy can be expressed or made use of
- Her work provided no outlet for her energies and talents.
- Writing poetry was his only form of emotional outlet.
- Spot
- A particular place
- This looks like a nice spot for a picnic.
- Forte
- A strong ability, something that a person can do well I'm afraid sewing isn't one of my fortes.
11.
- Summon
- To order someone to come to or be present at a particular place, or to officially arrange a meeting of people
- General Rattigan summoned reinforcements to help resist the attack.
- I'm afraid I'll have to go - I'm being summoned by my wife.
- On July 20th, the council was summoned to hear an emergency report on its finances.
- Brief
- To give someone instructions or information about what they should do or say
- We had already been briefed about/on what the job would entail.
- Hefty
- Large in amount, size, force, etc
- A hefty bill/fine
- Her salary will go up by a hefty 10%.
- A hefty woman with dyed blond hair
- Endorsement
- When you make a statement of your approval or support for something or someone
If someone runs rings around you, they are very much better, faster, or more successful at
something then you are:
Our girls' hockey team has run rings around all their opponents this year.
The campaign hasn't received any political endorsements.
He hoped to secure the quick endorsement of the plan from the President.
- Be beside yourself
- If you are beside yourself with a particular feeling or emotion, it is so strong that it makes you almost out of control
- He was beside himself with grief when she died.
- The limelight
- Public attention and interest
- She's been in the limelight recently, following the release of her controversial new film.
- Crave
- To have a strong or uncontrollable want for something Many young children crave attention.
- Impetus
- Something which encourages a particular activity or makes that activity more energetic or effective
- The recent publicity surrounding homelessness has given (a) fresh impetus to the cause.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio – Podcast 11 Cue Card:
Describe a day when you thought the weather was perfect. You should say:
- Where you were on this day
- What the weather was like on this day
- What you did during the day
- And explain why you thought the weather was perfect on this day.
- I've experienced both good and bad days when it comes to weather but, picking one among all, ooo that's a tough one. Well, just(1) for the record I'm quite (2)cold sensitive so I'm gonna put the freezing winter days (3) on hold for the time being and go with a more (4) palatable version belonging to (5) a dog day's evening. Prior to the evening of that day, it was (6) scorching hot and the temperature was rising with no end in sight. I had actually been sent (7) on a snipe hunt by one of my close friends for the whole morning and by the time I got back home, I'd already got the sunburn all over my neck. Surprisingly, in the evening everything (8) took a turn for the better. The temperature started to cool down and I was feeling a whole lot better. Initially, I was staying at home (9) nursing a cold lemonade till one of my homeboys (10) hit me up and asked if I (11) was eager to (12) go for a spin in his father's Cadillac. Being the coolest guy on the block, I said I'm down and he was right in front of the house (13) in a jiffy. It was such a blessing u know, feeling the breeze on your skin in such a hot season. Eventually, there came (14) the icing on the cake, I couldn't believe my eyes it started to (15) drizzle, when this was happening we were already in a café enjoying the whole thing. I wanted that amazing weather to
- (16) linger on for a little longer but deep down I knew that it was going to fade away like a beautiful dream. You know, I've actually been (17) recounting the same story for a number of people and most of them (18) reckons that it's just been an ordinary day that I experienced at that time. There is actually more to it than that, we shouldn't ignore the fact this was happening in the middle of summer, and in my opinion that's what makes it (19) superb.
- Collocations and useful phrases:
1.
2. 3.
4.
for the record
something that you say before you tell someone something important that you want them to remember
And, just for the record, we were never any more than good friends.
If an activity is on hold, it has been intentionally delayed
Everything's on hold again because of the bad weather. The film's been put on hold until the financial situation improves.
Palatable Acceptable
cold sensitivity or cold intolerance is unusual discomfort felt by some people when in a
cool environment.
5. 6.
7.
8.
I'm afraid the members won't find all these changes very palatable.
The dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer.
scorching hot
Very hot
It was scorching hot inside the greenhouse.
Snipe hunt
-
- An elaborate practical joke in which an unsuspecting person takes part in a bogus hunt for a snipe typically being left alone in the dark with instructions not to move until the snipe appears.
-
- A futile search or endeavor.
To take a turn for the better.
To improve,
We thought she was on her deathbed but now she's taken a turn for the better.
The antonym is taken a turn for the worse, meaning “get worse, deteriorate,” as in
Unemployment has been fairly low lately, but now the economy's taken a turn for the
worse.
To nurse
9.
To hold a drink for a long time without drinking it
Mark was sitting in the corner nursing an almost empty pint glass.
10. To hit somebody up
to ask someone for something She hit me up for $20.
11. To be eager to do something
wanting very much to do or have something, especially something interesting or enjoyable the children's eager faces
[+ to infinitive] She sounded very eager to meet you.
They crowded around the spokesperson, eager for any news.
12. Spin
a short journey in a car for pleasure
Rupert took me for a spin in his new car.
13. Jiffy
a very short time
I'll be with you in a jiffy. 14. The icing on the cake
something which makes a good situation even better
I was just content to see my daughter in such a stable relationship but a grandchild, that really was the icing on the cake.
15. To drizzle
To rain in small light drops
It's been drizzling all day.
16. To linger on
to take a long time to leave or disappear
After the play had finished, we lingered for a while in the bar hoping to catch sight of the actors.
The smell from the fire still lingered days later.
It's impossible to forget such horrific events - they linger (on) in the memory forever.
17. To recount
to describe how something happened; to tell a story
He recounted his adventures since he had left home.
[+ question word] He was fond of recounting how he had played for Manchester United when he was 19.
18. To reckon
to think or believe
I reckon it's going to rain.
[+ (that)] How much do you reckon (that) it's going to cost?
"Can you fix my car today?" "I reckon not/so (= probably not/probably)."
19. Superb
of excellent quality; very great He is a superb dancer. Taylor scored a superb goal at the end of the first half.
AFARINESH Radio – Podcast 10
Well, If I ever had the chance to (1) try my hand at something, I would definitely go for bungee jumping. I mean it's not like I know a lot about this kind of activity but I've always felt how (2) dope it feels like to do it (3) vicariously. I guess you already know what it is, but anyways to provide you with (4) the lowdown on this whole jumping thing, you're gonna have to jump from a very tall structure with an elastic rope attached to your feet. (5) In words of one syllable, it's all about the adrenaline rush that you'll get when you dive headfirst. Even the idea of doing this one day gives me (6) an inexplicable sensation that is absolutely (7) out of this world. Talking about the learning process, your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea what it takes to become a real jumper whatsoever but the one thing I'm 100% positive about, is that it not only takes some real (8) guts to jump but also requires you to be perfectly flexible otherwise you might have a joint dislocated or even worse. In my opinion, it's the (9) eccentric yet unique feeling you have when u do it that makes it so (10) fab. It's sort of like you either do this or you don't. There is no middle-of-the-way thing. My point is that, once you jump you are gonna have to (11) follow through because you don't really have any other options to consider. I guess if the opportunity presents itself I will definitely grab it but the thing is where I come from people are not really (12) hot on doing this yet, however, it does not mean that I can't take a trip to make this dream come true. (13) Come to think of it, I guess I'm gonna start (14) looking it up and sign up for it right away.
Collocations and useful phrases:
- try your hand at sth
- to try doing something for the first time
- I might try my hand at a bit of Chinese cookery.
- Dope (slang)
- Excellent, great, impressive
- Vicariously (adv)
- Vicarious (adj) experienced as a result of watching, listening to, or reading about the activities of other people, rather than by doing the activities yourself
- They get a vicarious thrill from watching motor racing.
- Through her letters, we were able vicariously to experience her excitement.
- The lowdown
- the most important facts and information about something
- Our fashion editor gives you the lowdown on winter coats for this season.
- In words of one syllable
- in simple language avoiding long, difficult or specialized words
- Could you explain to me in words of one syllable how an electron microscope works?
- Inexplicable (adj)
- unable to be explained or understood
- For some inexplicable reason, he's decided to cancel the project.
- Out of this world informal
- extremely good
- What a restaurant - the food was out of this world!
- Guts informal
- bravery; the ability to control fear and to deal with danger and uncertainty [+ to infinitive] It takes a lot of guts to admit to so many people that you've made a mistake.
- Eccentric (adj)
- strange or unusual, sometimes in a humorous way
- eccentric behavior eccentric clothes
- Fab
- informal for fabulous (GOOD)
- I bought some fab jeans on Saturday.
- Follow through phrasal verb
- to complete the movement of hitting, kicking, or throwing a ball by continuing to move your arm or leg in the same direction
- You need to follow through more on your backhand.
- be hot on sth informal
- to think that a particular thing is very important and to demand that it is done well or
- correctly
- They're very hot on dresses at work so she always looks very smart for the office.
- Come to think of it
- on reflection (said when an idea or point occurs to one while one is speaking).
- "come to think of it, that was very daring of you"
- Look sth up
- to try to find a piece of information by looking in a book or on a computer
- If you don't know what the word means, look it up in a dictionary.
AFARINESH IELTS RADIO
I'm gonna describe an occasion where I got into an unwanted but amusing conversation with a then-friend of mine about how I managed my expenses and (1)overhead. given the fact that I had become the (2)paragon of a money manager among my buddies, my friend was dying to know what the secret was. Well, he had every right to be surprised since as I remember I wasn't (3)making a lot of notes back then but I used to live a quiet (4)posh life. He said (5)quote-unquote, I know for a fact that (6)money burns a hole in your pocket yet you manage to (7)make ends meet, (8)spill the beans what are you (9)holding out on me. Anyways, I told him that saving up was the thing he was looking for. He didn't seem to believe me at first but little by little he(10) came to this realization that it was actually how I'd managed to (11)knock it out of the park. I said that I'd never (12)thrown money down the rathole buying unnecessary accessories they bought and I'd actually (13)dialed down the food expenses by eating healthy and at the same time low price foodstuff. In other words, it was like (14)killing two birds with one stone. Not only was I (15)piling up bills, but also making sure that I was putting the right kind things in my belly. I guess I managed to change his perspective towards saving up... I mean real kind of saving up.
Collocations and useful phrases
- Overhead
- regular costs that you have when you are running a business or an organization, such as rent, electricity, wages, etc.
- Paragon
- a person who is perfect or who is a perfect example of a particularly good quality I make no claim to be a paragon.
- Make notes
- Make money
- Posh
- typical of or used by people who belong to a high social class a posh accent/voice
- They live in the posh part of town.
- Quote unquote
used at the beginning and end of a word or phrase that someone else has said or written, to emphasize that you are repeating it exactly
- Money burns a hole in your pocket
- if money burns a hole in your pocket, you want to spend it as soon as you have it
- Make ends meet
- to earn just enough money to be able to buy the things you need
Many families struggle to make ends meet
8. Spill the beans
to tell somebody something that should be kept secret or private
- Hold out on sb
- to refuse to tell or give somebody something
- Come to realization
- the process of becoming aware of something
- Knock sth out of the park
- do something exceptionally well.
- Throw money down the rathole
- Throw money down the drain
- Dial down
- reduce
- Kill two birds with one stone
- achieve two things at the same time with one action
- Pile up
- to become larger in quantity or amount
➔ SYNONYM accumulate
Work always piles up at the end of the year.
AFARINESH IELTS Radio
(1)First off, I gotta say that I hate being (2) stood up. As a matter of fact, it's kind of an insult in my book. Well, a couple of months ago I remember that after a tough day's work, I decided to go shopping but unfortunately one of my friends who actually happened to be a very close (3)buddy of mine wanted to(4) tag along. Of course, I'd love to (5) hang around with a familiar face (6) accompanying me through the city but this guy had a reputation for (7) dragging his feet on such occasions. I remember that I (8) implored him to (9) put his stuff on the back burner for a little while and (10) get a move on. Well, he said Ok, but I knew deep down that he didn't mean it. It took him in the (11) neighborhood of 2 hours to get ready. By the time he arrived at the place we were supposed to(12) meet up I had already thought better of going shopping since I had a whole project to take care of back home and I was kinda pressed for time. Not only did I (13) give him a hard time for some 20 minutes, but also told him not to(14) hit me up again as I didn't want to have a friend like him. I actually sort of a guy who wouldn't(15) squander even a minute as time is the most precious (16)asset I possess. And during those 2 hours, I was just hoping that at least he would (17)give me an airtight alibi for his (18)tardiness so I can possibly convince myself but he (19)made no bones about it and said that he was kinda like getting ready. Well, I didn't(20) buy it.
Collocations and useful expressions
- first ˈoff
(informal, especially British English) before anything else First off, letʼs see how much itʼll cost.
- ˌstand somebody ˈup
(informal) to deliberately not meet somebody you have arranged to meet Iʼve been stood up!
- Buddy
(North American English also bud) (informal) a friend an old college buddy of mine
Howard and Mick were drinking buddies.
We were good buddies.
Iʼd like you to meet an old college buddy of mine.
- ˌtag aˈlong (behind/with somebody)
to go somewhere with somebody, especially when you have not been asked or invited Do you mind if I tag along with you tonight
ˌhang aˈround with somebody
(informal) to spend a lot of time with somebody
Accompany sb
(formal) to travel or go somewhere with somebody His wife accompanied him on the trip.
drag your ˈfeet/ˈheels
to be deliberately slow in doing something or in making a decision
Implore sb
to ask somebody to do something in an anxious way because you want or need it very mu
ch
➔ SYNONYM beseech, beg
implore somebody to do something she implored him to stay.
- on the back ˈburner
(informal) (of an idea, a plan, etc.) left for the present time, to be done or considered late r.
- get a ˈmove on
(informal) you tell somebody to get a move on when you want them to
- in the neighborhood of
(of a number or an amount) approximately; not exactly It cost in the neighborhood of $500.
hurry
- ˌmeet ˈup (with somebody)(rather informal) to meet somebody, especially by arrangement
They met up again later for a drink.
- give somebody a hard ˈtime
to deliberately make a situation difficult and unpleasant for somebody They really gave me a hard time at the interview
- Hit sb up
to waste money, time, etc. in a stupid or careless way
- Asset
a person or thing that is valuable or useful to somebody/something In his job, patience is an invaluable asset.
-
Airtight alibi( an excuse for something that you have done wrong) (figurative) an airtight alibi (= one that can not be proved to be false)
-
Tardiness
the fact of arriving, happening or being done late the tardiness of the companyʼs response
-
make no bones about (doing) something to be honest and open about something; do not hesitate to do something She made no bones about telling him exactly what she thought of him.
-
Buy sth
[transitive] buy something (informal) to believe that something is true, especially something that is not very likely
You could say you were ill but I donʼt thinktheyʼd buy it (= accept the explanation).
To give someone a phone call, page, instant message, email, any form of communication
Just hit me up on my celly, I'll pick up right away.
- Squander
Describe an advertisement you like.
You should say:
what type of advertisement it is what product it advertises where you first saw it
And explain why you think this advertisement is effective.
Well, (1) I’m not really hot on the stuff happening on the TV or in the newspaper, so you might say the chances of me (2) coming across advertisements are quite small since (3) media outlets are normally(4) the hubs of the ads. Anyways, I remember that I once saw (5) an alluring ad, I can’t quite place the exact date though. Now I’m gonna try to give you (6) a play-by-play version of what I saw in the ad so you can (7) picture the whole thing. It was actually about an energy drink that would (8) perk you up as soon as you started taking your first (9) sip. Well, one of the reasons it had me fixed for a while not being able (10) to take my eyes off of it was due to the fact that it was on the TV where I saw it, my point being, I seriously doubt if it could have had the same effect if it was in the newspaper let’s say. It showed quite a lot of different situations where a tired (11) John Doe was trying to (12) run some errands or study but since he was (13) beat because of having worked long hours, he would actually (14) nod off (15) time after time. Eventually, some superman showed up right beside him and gave him an S-Bomb, yeah that’s what it was called. It was said that one of the ingredients of the drink was a certain chemical that would deactivate a part of the brain responsible for the body’s energy (16) depletion. From where I sit, it was quite convincing because it’d focused on one of the most common issues of daily life. Well, it was showing a path through which you could (17) bypass nature’s law and be (18) on the ball despite being super tired. I think we’re all looking for an S-Bomb even if it’s (19) a sham.
Collocations and Useful Phrases:
To be hot on sth (informal)
To think that a particular thing is very important and to demand that it is done well or correctly
They're very hot on dresses at work so she always looks very smart for the office.
Come across sth (phrasal verb)
To find something by chance
He came across some of his old love letters in his wife's drawer.
- Media outlet
A publication or broadcast program that provides news and feature stories to the public through various distribution channels.
Media outlets include newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet.
- Hub (noun)
The central or main part of something where there is the most activity
The City of London is the hub of Britain's financial world.
The computer department is at the hub of the company's operations.
- Alluring (adjective)
Attractive or exciting
I didn't find the prospect of a house with no electricity very alluring.
- Play by play (adjective)
A detailed commentary of an event as it unfolds.
- To picture sth (verb)
To imagine something
Try to picture yourself lying on a beach in the hot sun.
- perk (sb) up (phrasal verb)
To become or cause someone to become happier, more energetic, or active She perked up as soon as I mentioned that Charles was coming to dinner.
He perked up at the news.
Would you like a cup of coffee? It might perk you up a bit.
- To sip
To drink, taking only a very small amount at a time
This tea is very hot, so sip it carefully. She slowly sipped (at) her wine.
- Not take your eyes off sb/sth
To not stop looking at someone or something
He was so handsome - I couldn't take my eyes off him.
- John Doe (noun)
An average or typical person
- To run some errands
To make a short journey either to take a message or to take or collect something I'll meet you at six, I've got some errands to do/run first.
- Beat (adjective)
Extremely tired
I'm beat - I'm going to bed.
You've been working too hard, you look deadbeat.
- To nod off (phrasal verb) informal
To begin sleeping, especially not intentionally
After our busy day, we both sat and nodded off in front of the TV.
- Time after time
Again and again
Time after time, she gets involved in relationships with unsuitable men.
- Depletion (noun)
Reduction
The depletion of the ozone layer
Increased expenditure has caused a depletion in our capital/funds.
- Bypass
To ignore a rule or official authority
They bypassed the committee and went straight to senior management.
- To be on the ball
To be quick to understand and react to things
I didn't sleep well last night and I'm not really on the ball today.
- Sham (noun)
Something which is not what it seems to be and is intended to deceive people, or someone who pretends to be something they are not
It turned out that he wasn't a real doctor at all - he was just a sham. They claimed that the election had been fair, but really it was a sham.
Describe someone who helped you with a big decision in your life
Who he/she was
When you first met him/Her How he/she helped you
Why you think he helped you
Throughout my life, I’ve always had a lot of mentors who’d show me what path to choose a life’s all about big decisions and changes. There have also been times when I decided to(1) put as much trust as possible in fate and do stuff(2) willy nilly but true to form, it always(3) landed me in the wrong direction. One thing I couldn’t actually(4) take any chances on was the matter of my education. When I was around 18 I had this feeling that studying won’t actually (5)do me any good. I used to ask myself, 20 years down the road am I gonna be successful or I better start up a business instead while I still have the time on my side? To make sure that I wasn’t being(6) impulsive, I decided to(7) take the matter up with my uncle since he was believed to(8) have a way of making tough decisions. We were close as I’d known for my entire life but I was always (9)walking on eggshells when I was around him, well what can I say he was full of wisdom and I would(10) get the heebie-jeebies sometimes to be honest because I always had to make sure whatever I did(11) was on the up and up. I remember quite clearly, I went to him and said, I’m gonna(12) drop out and I need(13) your take on this. (14)To the best of my recollection, he kept talking to me for about 2 hours non-stop telling me about how big the mistake I was making actually was. I don’t wanna lie but at first, I thought he was only trying to(15) talk me out if it because he thought it was the right thing but when he(16) gave me the account of his own life that he had dealt with the same toss-up I believed him. I was(17) itching to know why he (18)took such a special interest in my problem that he spent 2 hours explaining everything so I asked him. He replied, well boy, family comes first I don’t want you to regret your decision.
Collocations and useful phrases:
1. put/place your trust in somebody/something to trust sb or sth
You shouldn’t put your trust in a man like that
2. Willy-nilly
A) If something happens willy-nilly, it happens whether you want it to or not: He found himself drawn, willy-nilly, into the argument.
B) withoutplanning,organization,orcontrol:
Companies were accused of raising prices willy-nilly.
- To land somebody in trouble/hospital/court etc to cause someone to have serious problems or be in a difficult situation:
A. Connie’s going to land herself in big trouble if she keeps arriving late for work. B. She developed pneumonia which landed her in hospital.
- To take a chance
- to do something that involves risks:
- The rope might break, but that’s a chance we’ll have to take.
- After losing $20,000 on my last business venture, I’m not taking any chances this time.
- take a chance on
- He was taking a chance on a relatively new young actor.
- He decided to take his chances in the boat.
- do some good/do somebody good to have a useful effect:
- A. She works for a small charity where she feels she can do some good. B. I’lltalktohimbutIdon’tthinkitwilldoanygood.
- Impulsive
- someone who is impulsive does things without considering the possible dangers or
- problems first
- A. Rosa was impulsive and sometimes regretted things she’d done. In a burst of impulsive generosity, I offered to pay.
- —impulsively adverb:
- ‘Oh, Anne, I do love you!’ he said impulsively.
- —impulsiveness noun [uncountable]
- ˌtake something ˈup with somebody
- to speak or write to somebody about something that they may be able to deal with or help you with
- They decided to take the matter up with their MP.
- have a way with somebody/something
- to be good at dealing with somebody/something
- He has a way with small children
- walk-on eggs/eggshells
If you are walking on eggs /eggshells, you are being very careful not to do anything wrong
When my mother is staying at our house, I feel like I'm walking on eggshells.
- To get the heebie-jeebies
- to be nervous or act in a nervous way
- be on the up and up
- a) British English informal to be becoming more successful:
- a brilliant young player who is on the up and up
- b) American English is spoken if a person or business is on the up and up, they are honest and do things legally
- To drop out
- to leave a school or university before your course has finished
- drop out of
- Bill dropped out of college after his first year.
- take on something (informal)
- the particular opinion or idea that somebody has about something
- Whatʼs his take on the plan?
- To the best of my recollection
- To the best of my recollection (= if I remember correctly) I was not present at the meeting.
- give an account (of someone or something) (to someone) And give someone an account of someone Or something
- to tell a narrative about someone or something to someone.
- Please give an account of your day to my secretary. Give me an account of every minute.
- Toss-up
- a situation in which either of two choices, results, etc. is equally possible
- ‘Have you decided on the color yet? ʼ ‘ Itʼs a toss-up between the blue and the green.
17. To itch
(often used in the progressive tenses) to want to do something very much
Heʼs itching to get back to work.
18. take an interest in something (=be interested in something)
Jacky first took an interest in golf when he was about six years old.
Describe a rule you didn’t like in school. You should say
What it was
How others thought about this rule Why you didn’t like it
And how it could have been implemented in a better way
Well,actually the question made me (1)reminisce about past and it (2)dug up a lot of good memories that I had back in the day. Of course, there were some bad days and I did some crazy stuff, but I tried to (3)tune them out since, first of all, there’s no use (4)crying over a spilt milk and secondly what else would it possibly do except for ruining my beautiful picture of that time. Anyways something that really bothered me when I was in high school was the fact that I had to keep my cellphone turned off all the time, but come on, I mean we were boys, and boys wouldn’t really obey these rules right? Actually I’m not going to pass a judgment whether it was a good or bad thing, but since having a cellphone was a new thing for all of us, everyone (5)went gaga for it (6)right out of the gate. I,for one thing, wanted to (7)keep tabs on what was going all around the world and I would use my cellphone’s internet to check out the news all the time.
Well the authorities in charge especially the schools V.P got a whole lot more sensitive about this new (8)gizmo which had presumably driven the students to distraction so they started (9)frisking us every now and then they would actually take away any of these vicious devils they could find not to mention give our parents a (10)heads-up that their boy was (11)going off the rail and would (12)flunk his courses unless there was a change in their parenting. Well, I’m not really taking my own side here and saying that the regulations were good for nothing, but I’m not surely taking theirs either since I believe they could have done a better job on changing the (13)mindset how to use the (14)state of the art technology in a more acceptable way instead of bringing up that much (15)hostility between the kids and the school crew.
Collocations and Useful Phrases
1. To reminisce about something
[intransitive] reminisce (about something/somebody) to think, talk or write about a happytime in your past We spent a happy evening reminiscing about the past
2. To dig something up
to find hidden or forgotten information by careful searching:
They tried to dig up something from his past tospoil his chances of being elected.
3. To tune something out
to put someone or something out of one’s consciousness; to cease paying attention to something.
I had to tune the radio outin order to concentrate. I tuned out what thespeaker was saying and daydrea med for a while.
4. To cry over a spilt milk
to waste time worrying about something that has happened that you cannot do anything about
As the saying goes— itʼs no use crying over spilt
5. Go gaga for something
(informal) to react with enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree. He always goes gaga over his favorite band's newest album.
6. Right out of the gate
Immediately; at or from the very starting position.
7. To keep tabs on something or somebody
To watch something carefully in order to know what is happening so
that you can control a particular situation
Itʼs not always possible to keep tabs on everyone’s movements.
8. Gizmo
a general word for a small piece of equipment, often one that does something in a new and clever way
Itʼs a new car, full of gadgets and gizmos.
9. To frisk
frisk somebody to pass yourhands over somebodyʼs body to search them for hidden weapons , drugs, etc
10. Heads-up
a piece of information given in advance of something or as advice
Send everyone a heads-up about the changes well in advance.
11. To go off the rail
to start behaving in a strange or unacceptablemanner, for example, drinking a lot or taking drugs
She went completely off the rails after her sister died.
12. To flunk somebody
To make somebody fail an exam, a test, or a course bygiving them a low mark/grade
Sheʼs flunked 13 of the 18 students.
13. Mindset
a set of attitudes or fixed ideas that somebodyhas and that are often difficult to change
➔ SYNONYM mentality
a conservative mindset
the mindset of the computer generation
14. State of the art
using the most modern or advanced techniques or methods; as good as it can be at the present time
The system was state of the art.
a state-of-the-art system
The Physics Department has state of the art facilities.
15. Hostility
unfriendly or aggressive feelings or behavior
hostility (to/towards somebody/something) feelings of hostility towards people from other backgrounds
hostility (between A and B) There was open hostility between the two schools
🎧 بشنوید:👆رادیو آیلتس آفرینش
🔴مصاحبه با یکی از داوطلبان سنتر عصر دین و دانش
🔹شرایط برگزاری آزمون کتبی و شفاهی
🔹سؤالات آزمون
🔹نقاط ضعف و قوت عصر دین و دانش و ...
The cue card
Talk about an interesting conversation you had or a speech you heard.
You should say:
Who the speaker was
When you heard him or heard/talked with him or her
What the speech or conversation was about
And why it was interesting to you
Truth be told, I don’t think I can 1.come up with an interesting conversation or a speech that I heard that 2.knocked me out of my senses and made me realize that there is much more to this world that I was imagining at that time. However, when I was surfing the net, I gotto this video of the most 3.inspirational pieces of advice from Steve Jobs that 4.caught my attention, so I started watching it to see what can come out ofit, and what’s worth mentioning is that I was not a fan back then. He was simply just 5.not my cup of tea, but after further consideration, I guess 6. I had a change of heart. I was incredible 7.mesmerized by his 8.searingly intense personality, his static genius, furious drive. I mean this might have revolutionalized industries, so I guess the reason he was one of the most influential people in my life could be the fact that he was the example of hard work and 9.diligence; someone that would give us hope knowing that despite all hardship we are going through in life, if we 10.set our mind to something, at the end of the day we can do it. One of the quotations that caught my attention was him saying that you have to trust in something whether it’s your 11.gut, your destiny, life, karma whatever. Believing that the 12.dots will connect down the road will give u the confidence you need to follow your heart. But the one that actually 13.triggered the major 14.turning point in my life was the one that he was talking about him looking in a mirror every single morning thinking if today were the last day of his life, would he want to do what he was about to do that day and whenever the answer had been no for too many days 15.in a row, he knew that he needed to change something. That moment was the 16.epiphany of my life. I started 17.pondering, thinking if what I was doing at that very moment was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and the answer was no, so I guess if I were to choose an interesting speech, I would go with this one.
Collocations and useful phrases
1. To come up with something:
To suggest or think of an idea or plan
E.g. She's come up with some amazing scheme to double her income.
2. To knock somebody out of their senses
To impress somebody
3. inspirational (adj)
making you feel hopeful or encouraged
E.g., He gave an inspirational reading of his own poems.
4. catch someone's attention/imagination/interest, etc.
To make you notice something and feel interested
E.g. A ship out at sea caught his attention.
E.g. Her pictures caught my imagination.
5. not be somebody’s cup of tea
If something or someone is not your cup of tea, they are not the type of thing or person that you like e.g.Thanks for inviting me, but ballet isn't really my cup of tea.
6. To have a change of heart
If someone has a change of heart, they change their opinion or the way they feel about something
E.g. She was going to sell her house but had a change of heart at the last minute.
7. Mesmerize
[T often passive] to have someone's attention completely so that they cannot think of anything else
E.g. I was completely mesmerized by the performance.
8. searingly (adv)
In a way that is very powerful
E.g. a searingly realistic drama
9. Diligent
1. approving careful and using a lot of effort
E.g. a diligent student
E.g. Leo is very diligent in/about his work.
E.g. Their lawyer was extremely diligent in preparing their case
2. Done in a careful and detailed way
E.g. The discovery was made after years of diligent research
Diligence noun [U]
She hoped that her diligence would be noticed at work.
10. set/put your mind to something
To decide you are going to do something and to put a lot of effort into doing it
E.g. If you'd just put your mind to it, I'm sure you could do it.
11. Gut feeling/reaction informal
A strong belief about someone or something which cannot completely be explained and does not have to be decided by reasoning
E.g.I have a gut feeling that the relationship won't last.
- The dots will connect down the road
This means that your life is like connect the dots, each prominent event that happens whether good or bad happens for a reason, and eventually, all the dots will connect to your future. It is up to you whether you want to make each dot worth it and to give each event of your life a meaning!
13. Trigger something (off)
To make something happen suddenly
E.g. nuts can trigger off a violent allergic reaction.
14. the Turning point
The time at which a situation starts to change in an important way.
E.g. The turning point in her political career came when she was chosen to fight a crucial by-election.
15. in a row
One after another without a break
E.g. She has been voted Best Actress three years in a row.
16. Epiphany
When you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you or a powerful religious experience
17. To ponder
To think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time
E.g. She sat back for a minute to ponder her next move in the game.
🎧 بشنوید: رادیو آیلتس آفرینش
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🔹شرایط برگزاری آزمون کتبی و شفاهی
🔹سؤالات آزمون
🔹نقاط ضعف و قوت پروشات و ...
Cue card 1
Talk about the last gift you received
What it was
When you got it
Who gave it to you
And explain why it is special
The last gift I received 1.goes back to a month ago almost ….and I remember back then 2.I had butterflies in my stomach uhmmm… let’s say the reason that I was so 3.apprehensive about the whole situation was the fact that I had no idea if I had made enough friends to get me gifts ,and it was my very first time far far away from home ,miles and miles away that I was going to celebrate my birthday without friends and family , so not really a perfect timing I guess. For quite a while I was struggling with the thoughts wondering what would happen to me, but what I received on the birthday was something that I still 4.can’t wrap my head around; the love and support that I received from my people was 5.tremendously huge, but I would like to talk about that one present that 6.stood out at that very moment for me ,so when I got home back from work after an 7.excruciating day, I saw let’s say a package, and it was beautifully wrapped with 8.a heartwarming personal note on the present , and I had no idea from whom that was. What I was impressed with was the whole colorful style of the wrapper, and the note was so touching that it got me in tears. I didn’t see this coming at all, but when I opened it, it was this ice cream box of my favorite chocolate ice-cream that has got this 9.exquisite taste and it was a gift from my flatmates . I guess that will be the memory that I will always have in my mind.
Collocations and useful phrases:
1. Go back
To have existed since a time in the past
E.g.Their relationship goes back to when they were at university together.
E.g. Our house goes back to (= has existed since) the 18th century.
2. To have butterflies (in your stomach) informal
To feel very nervous, usually about something you are going to do
E.g. I had terrible butterflies before I gave that talk in Venice.
3. Apprehensive
Feeling worried about something that you are going to do
E.g. I'm a bit apprehensive about tomorrow's meeting.
4. Can’t get/wrap your head around
If you say that you can't get your head around something, you mean that you cannot understand it
E.g. I just can't get my head around these tax forms.
5. Tremendously
Tremendous (adjective)
very great in amount or level, or extremely good
E.g. They were making the most tremendous amount of noise last night.
E.g. She's been a tremendous (= very great) help to me over the last few months.
E.g. You won? That's tremendous!
Tremendously (adverb) We all enjoyed ourselves tremendously.
6. To stand out
To be very noticeable
E.g. The black lettering really stands out on that orange background.
7. Excruciating
Extremely boring or embarrassing
E.g. excruciating boredom
E.g. His confession, when it came, was excruciating.
8. Heartwarming
Adjective (especially of an event, action or story) seeming to be something positive and good and therefore causing feelings of pleasure and happiness
E.g.a heartwarming tale of triumph over adversity
9. Exquisite
describes feelings such as pleasure or pain that are extremely strong, or qualities that are extremely good;
E.g. Great exquisite joy
E.g. The pain was quite exquisite.
E.g. A vase of exquisite workmanship
E.g. A good comedian needs to have an exquisite sense of timing.