Vocab English 1 (Reading) doc

Theme 1: Banking and Finance
balance / 'bæləns /
1. [countable] the amount of money that you have in your bank account
 My bank balance isn't very healthy.
2. [countable] the balance of a debt is the amount of money that you still owe after you have paid
some of it
 The balance is due at the end of the month.
bureau de change noun / bjʊərəʊ də'ʆɒndʒ / plural a shop where you can change foreign
money
checking account [countable] a bank account that you can take money out of at any time,
and for which you are given checks to use to pay for things
savings account noun [countable] a bank account in which you keep money that you want to
save for a period of time, and which pays you interest on the money you have in it
debit card noun [countable] a plastic card with your signature on that you can use to pay for
things. The money is taken directly from your bank account
credit card noun [countable] a small plastic card that you use to buy goods or services and pay
for them later
 We accept all major credit cards.
denomination noun / dɪnɒmɪ'neɪʆən / [countable] the value shown on a coin, paper money,
or a stamp
deposit noun / dɪ'pɒzɪt / [countable]
1. a part of the cost of something you are buying that you pay some time before you pay the rest of
it
• a deposit of/ put down a deposit (on something)
 A deposit of 10% is required.
 We put down a deposit on a house last week.
 We ask for one month's rent in advance, plus a deposit of $500.
2. an amount of money that is paid into a bank account ￚ opposite withdrawal
• deposit into
 I'd like to make a deposit (=pay some money) into my savings account.
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ceiling noun / 'siːlɪŋ / [countable] the largest number or amount of something that is officially
allowed
• ceiling of
• impose/set/put a ceiling (on something)
• raise/lower the ceiling (on something)
 a public spending ceiling of £240 billion
 The government imposed a ceiling on imports of foreign cars.
direct debit noun [uncountable and countable] an instruction you give your bank to pay money
directly out of your account regularly to a particular person or organization
interest rate noun [countable] the percentage amount charged by a bank etc when you
borrow money or paid to you by a bank when you keep money in an account there
loan noun / ləʊn / [countable] an amount of money that you borrow from a bank etc
• a loan of
 a loan of £60,000
 I had to take out a loan to buy my car.
 It'll be years before we've paid off the loan.
 The organization was allowed to make loans to private businesses.
 An interest-free loan fund is available for students who find themselves in unforeseen
financial difficulty.
 They were unable to keep up with their loan repayments.
mortgage noun / 'mɔːgɪdʒ/ [countable] a legal arrangement by which you borrow money from
a bank or similar organization in order to buy a house, and pay back the money over a period of
years
 They've taken out a 30 year mortgage (=they will pay for their house over a period of 30
years).
 We decided to use Fred's redundancy money to pay off the mortgage.
 Mortgage rates are set to rise again in the spring.
 She was having trouble meeting her mortgage payments.
mortgage verb [transitive] if you mortgage your home, land, or property, you borrow money,
usually from a bank, and if you cannot pay back the money within a particular period of time, the

bank has the right to sell your property in order to get the money you owe it
 We mortgaged our house to start Paul's business.
overdraft noun / 'əʊvədrɑːft / [countable] the amount of money you owe to a bank when you
have spent more money than you had in your account
 a £250 overdraft
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payee noun / peɪ 'iː / [countable] the person or organization to whom money, especially a check,
must be paid
remittance noun / rɪ'mɪtəns /
1. [countable] formal an amount of money that you send to pay for something
2. [uncountable] when you send money
• on remittance of something
 We will forward the goods on remittance of £10.
standing order noun [uncountable and countable] an arrangement by which a bank pays a
fixed amount of money from your account every month, year etc ￚ see also direct debit
statement noun / 'steɪtmənt / [countable] a record showing amounts of money paid, received,
owed etc
 I haven't received my bank statement for last month yet.
transfer verb / træns 'fɜː/ [transitive] to move money from one account or institution to another
• transfer something (from something) to something
 I'd like to transfer $500 to my checking account.
traveler’s check an internationally accepted check for a sum in a particular currency that can
be exchanged elsewhere for local currency or for goods and is usually guaranteed against loss or
theft.
recognize verb /'rekəgnaɪz/[transitive] [not in progressive] to know who someone is or what
something is, because you have seen, heard, experienced, or learned about them in the past
 I didn't recognize you in your uniform.
 It was malaria, but Dr Lee hadn't recognized the symptoms.
realize verb /'rɪəlaɪz/ to know and understand something, or suddenly begin to understand it
• realize (that)

• realize who/what/how etc
 I suddenly realized that the boy was crying.
 I'm sorry, I didn't realize who you were.
at somebody's convenience =at a time that is best and easiest for someone
 These meals can be prepared in advance, and served at your convenience.
for somebody's convenience
 For your convenience, the bank is open until 7 p.m.
authorize verb /'ɔːθəraɪz /[transitive] to give official permission for something
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• authorize somebody to do something
 The city council authorized staff to purchase a new computer system.
p.a. = per annum
 a salary of $40,000 per annum
retain verb / rɪ 'teɪn / [transitive] to keep something or continue to have something
 You have the right to retain possession of the goods.
 The state wants to retain control of food imports.
collective adjective / kə'lektɪv / [only before noun] shared or made by every member of a
group or society
 a collective decision made by all board members
 our collective responsibility for the environment
affective adjective / ə 'fektɪv / (medical) relating to or having an effect on the emotions
 affective disorders
terminate verb / 'tɜːmɪneɪt / = end
 The court ruled that the contract must be terminated.
effective adjective / ɪ'fektɪv /
1. successful, and working in the way that was intended
 the most effective ways of reducing inner city congestion
2. [no comparative, not before noun] if a law, agreement, or system becomes effective, it officially
starts
• effective from

 The cut in interest rates is effective from Monday.
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Theme 2: Marketing
advertising / 'ædvətaɪzɪŋ / [uncountable] the activity or business of advertising things on
television, in newspapers etc
• television/radio/newspaper advertising
• advertising campaign/strategy
 Both candidates are spending millions on television advertising.
 the advertising slogan 'Come alive with Pepsi'
advertisement noun / əd 'vɜːtɪsmənt / [countable]
• advertisement for
 The Sunday papers are full of advertisements for cars.
 They put an advertisement in The Morning News, offering a high salary for the right
person.
 The organizers of the concert had taken out a full page advertisement in The New York
Times.
brand noun / brænd / [countable] a type of product made by a particular company, that has a
particular name or design
• brand of
 What brand of detergent do you use?
distribute verb / dɪ 'strɪbjuːt / [transitive]
1. to share things among a group of people, especially in a planned way
• distribute something among/to somebody
 Clothes and blankets have been distributed among the refugees.
 a man distributing leaflets to passers-by
2. to supply goods to shops and companies so that they can sell them
 Milk is distributed to the local shops by Herald's Dairies.
innovation noun / ɪnə'veɪʆən / [ Countable and Uncountable ] a new idea, method, or invention
• innovation in
 recent innovations in English teaching

 We must encourage innovation if the company is to remain competitive.
 Many people feel bewildered by the speed of. technological innovation.
objective noun / əb 'dʒektɪv / [countable] = goal
 He vowed to achieve certain objectives before the end of his presidency.
 The degree program has two main objectives.
 Managers should set specific performance objectives for their teams.
 The main objective was to improve children's knowledge of geography.
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profit noun / 'prɒfɪt / [uncountable and countable] money that you gain by selling things or doing
business, after your costs have been paid ￚ opposite: loss
 Our daily profit is usually around $500.
 They sold their house at a healthy profit.
 Few independent movies turn a profit.
 The property company made a huge profit on the deal.
 Profits are up by a third.
 Marston’s profits rose last year to $17 million.
 The group’s pre-tax profits slumped to £25.5m.
promote verb / prə'məʊt / [transitive]
1. ▶ENCOURAGE◀
 a meeting to promote trade between Taiwan and the U.K.
2. ▶BETTER JOB◀
• promote somebody to something
 Helen was promoted to senior manager.
3. To help sell a new product, film etc by offering it at a reduced price or by advertising it
 She's in London to promote her new book.
purchase verb / 'pɜːtʆəs / [transitive] = buy something
 You can purchase insurance on-line.
 Where did you purchase the car?
 Tickets may be purchased in advance from the box office.
purchase noun [uncountable and countable] formal something you buy, or the act of buying it

• day/date/time of purchase
 She paid for her purchases and left.
 This product should be consumed on the day of purchase.
 I enclose my receipt as proof of purchase.
resource noun / rɪ 'zɔːs /
1 ▶LAND/OIL/COAL ETC◀
 Canada's vast mineral resources
 a country which is rich in natural resources
2 ▶MONEY/PROPERTY ETC◀ all the money, property, skills etc that you have available to use
when you need them
 She had no financial resources.
 pool your resources (=put together all the resources that each of you can provide)
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revenue noun / 'revənjuː/ money that a business or organization receives over a period of time,
especially from selling goods or services
 Strikes have cost £20 million in lost revenues.
 an increase in tax revenues of 8.4%
revise verb / rɪ'vaɪz / [transitive] to change something because of new information or ideas
 The college has revised its plans because of local objections.
 We have revised our estimates of population growth.
deadline noun / 'dedlaɪn / [countable] a date or time by which you have to do or complete
something
• deadline for something/ deadline of something
• meet/miss a deadline
• set/impose a deadline
• tight/strict deadline (=a deadline that is difficult)
 The deadline for applications is May 27th.
 It has to be in before the deadline of July 1st.
 working under pressure to meet a deadline
 They've set a deadline of Nov 5.

submit verb / səb'mɪt / to give a plan, piece of writing etc to someone in authority for them to
consider or approve
 submit an application/claim/proposal etc
 All applications must be submitted by Monday
submission noun / səb'mɪʆən /
in-house adjective, adverb working within a company or organization
 We have an in-house training unit.
caring adjective / 'keərɪŋ / thinking about what other people need or want and trying to help
them
 a warm and caring man
 a caring attitude
 The school aims to educate children in a caring environment.
focus verb / 'fəʊkəs / to give special attention to one particular person or thing
• focus on something; focus your attention/mind/efforts on something
 He felt he needed to focus more on his career.
 She tried to focus her mind on her work.
 We need to focus public attention on this issue.
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Theme 3: Hospitality
hospitality noun / hɒspɪ'tæləti / [uncountable]
1. friendly behavior towards visitors
 Thanks for your hospitality over the past few weeks.
2. services such as food and drink that an organization provides for guests at a special event
 Improving customer service is complex and fundamental to all sectors of the hospitality
industry.
bartender / 'bɑːtendə/ someone who makes, pours, and serves drinks in a bar or restaurant
beverage noun / 'bevərɪdʒ / [countable] a hot or cold drink
 alcoholic beverages
catering noun / 'keɪtərɪŋ / [uncountable] the activity of providing and serving food and drinks at
parties, meetings etc for money

 Who did the catering?
 catering business/service etc
cater verb / 'keɪtə/ [intransitive and transitive] to provide and serve food and drinks at a party,
meeting etc, usually as a business
• cater for
 This is the biggest event we've ever catered for.
 The hostel caters for single people who are unable to find affordable accommodation.
cocktail lounge noun a public room in a hotel, restaurant etc, where you can buy alcoholic
drinks
complimentary adjective / kɒmplɪ'mentəri / given free to people
 There was a complimentary bottle of champagne in the hotel room.
 I've got some complimentary tickets for the theatre tonight.
hygiene noun / 'haɪdʒiːn / [uncountable] the practice of keeping yourself and the things around
you clean in order to prevent diseases
• good/poor/proper hygiene
 the importance of personal hygiene
 a food hygiene training course
 The restaurant had been shut down following complaints of poor hygiene.
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front desk noun [uncountable] the desk where visitors go when they arrive at a hotel or
organization
housekeeper noun / 'haʊs kiːpə / [countable] someone who is employed to manage the
cleaning, cooking etc in a house or hotel
landlord noun / 'lændlɔːd / [countable] a man who rents a room, building, or piece of land to
someone
premise noun / 'premɪs / premises [plural] the buildings and land that a shop, restaurant,
company etc uses
• off the premises; on the premises
 Schools may earn extra money by renting out their premises.
 The manager escorted him off the premises.

 The wonderful desserts are made on the premises.
reservation noun / rezə 'veɪʆən / [countable] = booking
 Customers are advised to make seat reservations well in advance.
 Groups of ten or more should make advance reservations.
 Many newcomers were upset that they would be unable to camp there after having made
reservations months in advance.
reserve verb / rɪ 'zɜːv / [transitive] = book
• reserve something for somebody/something
 I'd like to reserve a table for two.
 Do you have to reserve tickets in advance?
seasonal adjective / 'siːzənəl / [usually before noun] happening, expected, or needed during a
particular season
 seasonal workers/employment etc
 seasonal jobs in the tourist industry
take advantage of something (to do something) to use a particular situation to do
or get what you want
 I took advantage of the good weather to paint the shed.
 You'll want to take full advantage of the beachfront clubs.
pick verb / pɪk / [transitive] choose a person or thing because they are the best or most suitable
• pick somebody/something for something
• pick somebody/something as something
• pick somebody to do something
 Students have to pick three courses from a list of 15. I
 I wasn't picked for the hockey team.
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 The hotel was picked as the best small hotel in the area.
 He was picked to run in the 100 meters.
minor noun [countable] someone who is below the age at which they become legally responsible
for their actions
 This film contains material unsuitable for minors.

tolerate verb / 'tɒləreɪt / [transitive]
1. to allow people to do, say, or believe something without criticizing or punishing them
 Drug dealers will not be tolerated in this community.
2. = stand, bear
 I told him I wasn't going to tolerate his drinking any longer.
 For years the workers have had to tolerate low wages and terrible working conditions.
license noun /'laɪsəns/ [countable] an official document giving you permission to own or do
something for a period of time
 The dealers applied for an export license.
 He was arrested for driving without a license.
 The Tennessee Valley Authority applied for a license to operate the facility.
 I forgot to renew my driving license.
licensed adjective / 'laɪsənst / having a license to sell alcoholic drinks
 a licensed restaurant
accidental adjective / æksɪ'dentl / happening without being planned or intended opposite:
deliberate
 Buy an insurance policy that covers accidental damage
comply verb / kəm 'plaɪ / to do what you have to do or are asked to do
• comply with
 Failure to comply with the regulations will result in prosecution.
 Companies must comply with European employment laws.
 The gas stations that fail to comply with the law will be fined.
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Theme 4: Oce
administration noun / ədmɪnɪ'streɪʆən / [uncountable] the activities that are involved in
managing the work of a company or organization
 We're looking for someone with experience in administration.
 The health service spends too much on administration.
• the administration (=the people who do this work)
 the college administration

agenda noun / ə'dʒendə / [countable] a list of the subjects to be discussed at a meeting
 the next item (=subject) on the agenda
 Have you got a copy of the agenda for tomorrow's meeting?
executive noun / ɪg 'zekjʊtɪv / [countable] a manager in an organization or company who helps
make important decisions
 a marketing executive
 top executives on high salaries
flex-time /'flekstaɪm/ American English [uncountable] a system in which people work a particular
number of hours each week or month, but can change the times at which they start and finish each
day
 The group members used flex-time without clocks and effectively policed their own team
discipline.
intern noun / 'ɪntɜːn / someone who has nearly finished training as a doctor and is working in a
hospital
 She refused to be treated by an intern and demanded to see a qualified doctor.
promotion noun / prə'məʊʆən /
1. [uncountable and countable] a move to a more important job or position in a company or
organization
 I want a job with good prospects for promotion.
 Your promotion to Senior Editor is now official.
2. [uncountable and countable] an activity intended to help sell a product, or the product that is
being promoted
 a winter sales promotion
résumé noun / 'rezjʊmeɪ / [countable] a short written account of your education and your
previous jobs that you send to an employer when you are looking for a new job
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stationery noun / 'steɪʆənəri / [uncountable] materials that you use for writing, such as paper,
pens, pencils etc
maternity / mə'tɜːnəti / [only before noun] relating to a woman who is pregnant or who has just
had a baby

 a blue maternity dress
 maternity benefits/pay etc
maternity leave noun [uncountable] time that a mother is allowed to spend away from work
when she has a baby
• on maternity leave
 Karen will be on maternity leave next month.
 The 42-clause Bill gives pregnant workers the right to a minimum of 14 weeks' maternity
leave.
sick leave noun [uncountable] time that you are allowed to spend away from work because you
are sick
• on sick leave
 He has been on sick leave for more than three months.
attach verb / ə'tætʆ / [transitive] to fasten or connect one object to another
• attach something to something
• the attached form/check/leaflet etc
 Attach a recent photograph to your application form.
 Please fill in and return the attached reply slip.
select verb / sɪ'lekt / [transitive] = choose, pick
• select somebody for something
 He had hopes of being selected for the national team.
• select somebody/something as something
 York was selected as the site for the research centre.
• select somebody/something from something
 They selected the winner from six finalists.
• select somebody to do something
 Simon's been selected to go to the conference.
elect verb / ɪ'lekt / [transitive usually passive] to choose someone for an official position by voting
• elect somebody to something
• elect somebody (as) president/leader/mayor etc
 the country's first democratically elected government

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 Ken Livingstone was elected (as) mayor of London in May 2000.
Theme 5: Shopping
bar code noun [countable] a group of thin and thick lines printed on products you buy in a shop,
and which a computer can read. It contains information such as the price
bargain noun / 'bɑːgən / [countable] something you buy cheaply or for less than its usual price
 There are no bargains in the clothes shops at the moment.
 That second-hand table was a real bargain.
 Thousands of bargain hunters queued up for hours.
bargain verb to discuss the conditions of a sale, agreement etc, for example to try and get a
lower price
• bargain (with someone) (for/over something)
 workers bargaining for better pay
 They bargained over the level of wages.
 women bargaining with traders
cash register noun a machine used in shops to keep the money in and record the amount of
money received from each sale
discount noun / 'dɪskaʊnt / [countable] a reduction in the usual price of something
• 10% discount/discount of 25% etc
• at a discount
• offer/give somebody a discount (on something)
• discount price/fare/store/shop/warehouse
 Members get a 15% discount.
 Employees can buy books at a discount.
 The Young Persons Railcard gives you a discount on rail travel.
 discount airfares to Europe
loyalty card noun [countable] a card given by a shop, supermarket, etc that gives customers
who often buy things there advantages such as lower prices, money back on goods etc
refund noun / 'riːfʌnd / [countable] an amount of money that is given back to you if you are not
satisfied with the goods or services that you have paid for

 They refused to give me a refund.
 Return your purchase within 14 days for a full refund.
 You should go down there and demand a refund.
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tax refund: money that you get back from the government when it has taken too much money
in taxes from your salary
be out of stock/in stock = be unavailable or available in a particular shop)
 I'm sorry, that swimsuit is completely out of stock in your size.
stock verb if a shop stocks a particular product, it keeps a supply of it to sell
 We stock a wide range of kitchen equipment.
undersell verb / ʌndə'sel/ to sell goods at a lower price than someone else
further adjective more or additional
• further details/information etc
• a further 10 miles/5 minutes etc
 Are there any further questions?
 Visit our website for further details.
 Cook gently for a further 10 minutes.
until further notice = until you are told that something has changed
 Lacunza ordered the suspension of the elections until further notice.
on average based on a calculation about how many times something usually happens, how
much money someone usually gets, how often people usually do something etc
 On average, men still earn more than women.
 Nearly 80% of Swiss citizens on average turn out to vote.
static adjective / 'stætɪk / not moving, changing, or developing
 Economists predict that house prices will remain static for a long period.
contender noun / kən'tendə / [countable] someone or something that is in competition with
other people or things
• a serious/strong/leading etc contender (for something)
 a contender for the Democratic nomination
 Her new album has to be a strong contender for the Album of the Year award.

peer noun / pɪə/ [countable] [usually plural] formal your peers are the people who are the same
age as you, or who have the same type of job, social class etc
 American children did less well in math than their peers in Japan.
rival company/firm/team etc
 Sheena left her job and went to work for a rival company.
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Theme 6: Transportation
cancellation noun / kænsə'leɪʆən / [uncountable and countable] a decision that an event that
was planned will not happen
 Rail passengers are fed up with cancellations and delays.
 Bad weather led to the cancellation of the game.
 The restaurant is fully booked this evening, but we will let you know if there are any
cancellations.
freight noun / freɪt / [uncountable] goods that are carried by ship, train, or aircraft, and the
system of moving these goods
 freight services
 We'll send your personal belongings by air freight and your furniture by sea freight.
schedule noun / 'skedʒʊl / [countable]
1. a plan of what someone is going to do and when they are going to do it
• on schedule (=at the planned time)
• ahead of/behind schedule (=before or after the planned time)
 The majority of holiday flights depart and arrive on schedule.
 Meg's new book is still well ahead of schedule.
 I'm going to be working to a very tight schedule.
2. a list that shows the times that buses, trains etc leave or arrive at a particular plac
schedule verb [transitive usually passive] to plan that something will happen at a particular time
• be scheduled for June/Monday etc
• be scheduled for release/publication/completion etc
• be scheduled to do something
 The elections are scheduled for mid-June.

 Her first album is scheduled for release in September.
 Meetings are scheduled to take place all over the country.
 We will not cancel your holiday less than 8 weeks before the scheduled departure date.
land verb [intransitive] to arrive somewhere in a plane, boat etc
• land on/in/at etc
 We expect to be landing in Oslo in about fifty minutes.
 In 1969, the first men landed on the moon.
in advance (of something) before something happens or is expected to happen
 I should warn you in advance that I'm not a very good dancer.
 The airline suggests booking tickets 21 days in advance.
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 Could you distribute copies well in advance of the meeting?
Theme 7: Health
bench press noun a lift or exercise in which a weight is raised by extending the arms upward
while lying on a bench
cardio- prefix / kɑːdiəʊ / medical relating to the heart
 a cardiograph (=machine that measures movements of the heart)
 cardiovascular (=the heart and the tubes through which blood flows in your body)
cross-training noun [uncountable]
1. an exercise program that includes many different kinds of exercise, so that all of your muscles
are used
 Cross-training helps you add variety to your workouts.
2. when people in a company learn about each other's jobs, so that they understand each other
better and work together better as a team
 Cross-training is a vital part of job rotation.
Pilates noun / pɪ'lɑːtiz / [uncountable] a type of exercise based on yoga and dance that you do
with special equipment which makes you push, pull, and stretch, so that your body moves more
easily and becomes stronger
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