Culture
multicultural society, cultural mosaic, disseminate, mainstream
be customary, be unorthodox, be in the minority; gone are the days when=people do not do
sth any longer,
core values, social mores, stem from sth
a bonding mechanism, assimilate into a new culture=fit into a new culture
unspoken rules=rules that can only be thought of or felt, be incompatible with sth=too
different from another thing to be able to exist with it, language barrier
primitive, indigenous people, remote ancestors
have vanished, remain intact
be nostalgic; be forward-looking
has a resurgence in popularity, make a comeback, regain its vitality
awkward, be ill at ease
lingua franca, a single international language, preserve the individuality of cultures
be bilingual, monolingual
a close-knit community, a sense of alienation
buildings
under construction, the construction industry, be dilapidated
be a showcase for, represent sth, central location
imposing, elegant
light and airy, well-ventilated, be spacious
be a very significant landmark, a concrete jungle, be an eyesore, be a blot on the
landscape
commercial building, residential building, lobby, theme park
be a far cry from, be entirely different from, convert sth into
parties and festivals
set off fireworks=let off fireworks=light fireworks, firework display=firework show
public events
ring in the New Year, New Year's resolution
go overboard with, be ill-equipped to do sth
have a blast, enjoy oneself immensely
let s b's hair down; feel inhibited
feel out of place, find a niche for oneself
a wet blanket, a party animal
government
play a regulatory role, regulate and oversee, rules and regulations
impose a ban on sth, impose a burden on s b sth
should abolish sth; should implement sth, put sth into effect
high on the government's agenda, place a high priority on sth, reform,
translate sth into action
take draconian/stringent measures to, government's laxity in sth
to counteract sth, countermeasures
a recurring problem, an enduring solution
it is short-sighted to, s b would be well-advised to
have the authority to do sth, formulate policies, plans, strategies
have a monopoly over sth, be entitled to sth, be entitled to do sth
national defence, safeguard our security, arms race
budget deficit, government spending, government expenditure
be at the taxpayer's expense, relieve tax burden
subsidise sth, allocate money to sth
trade barriers, free trade
hunger and poverty, wealth and prosperity
underprivileged, charitable organisations
health insurance, insurance premium
international aid, low-interest loans
safeguard social stability, enhance relations between countries
a chronic problem, a chronic shortage of
Environment
dispose of sth, disposable
vicious circle, adverse effect
non-biodegradable material, reusable, recyclable material, pollution reduction
use sth wastefully, hydro-electric power
the biosphere, endangered species, equilibrium
ozone layer, the atmosphere
cause irreversible damage, be permanently damaged
global warming, greenhouse effect
car emissions, exhaust fumes, respiratory diseases
soil erosion, desertification, groundwater, seawater desalination
chemical fertiliser, pesticide
acid rain, be saturated with
upset the ecosystem, redress the ecological balance
industrial waste, discharge
at the expense of sth/s b , at the cost of sth
natural disaster, ecological degradation
oil shortage, be in short supply
fossil fuel, solar energy, wind energy
noise pollution, light pollution
get on one's nerves, is a nuisance
Animals
animal rights, animal exploitation
food chain, birds of prey, beasts of prey
pharmaceutical company, animal testing, animal experimentation
habitat, wildlife
make good companions, desire company, crave companionship, stray animals
Home Appliances
in good condition, in mint condition, be subjected to wear and tear, upgrade sth
no frills, bells and whistles
the battery has run down, on the blink, manufacturer, refund
clunky, cumbersome, handy
Development
facilitate the development of sth, inhibit the development of sth,
arrest the development of sth, accompany sth
lag behind, make improvements, forge ahead, has improved beyond all recognition
be an instrument of social change, bring sth to a standstill, be unchanged
there has been a shift in..., shift emphasis/attention/focus from...to...
the economic swings of boom and slump, economic recession
have far-reaching effects, ripple effect, chain reaction
knowledge economy, leisure industry
relentless urbanisation, the influx of
central business district, pedestrian zone, car-free zone, noisy and smoggy
be made/rendered obsolete by sth, be displaced by sth
birth rate, population ageing
overcrowded, population density
be old-fashioned, avant-garde
at this stage, at present, at this point, a critical juncture
sth has ushered in..., has fundamentally changed sth, be a milestone
sth is no longer a necessity, sth remains a necessity
be counterproductive, cause as many problems as sth solves
not etched/carved in stone, not set in stone
an age-old problem, an enduring problem
pose a problem for s b, pose a threat to sth
thriving economy, sluggish economy
Family and childhood
sth runs in the family, be hereditary
someone's attachment to s b/sth, be estranged from s b, empty-nest syndrome
family bonds, family break-up
the sense of obligation, fulfill someone's obligation
breadwinner, financial burden, gender prejudice
take s b/sth for granted, be grateful to s b, charity begins at home
feel homesick, a home from home
have fond memories/recollections of sth, leave a bad taste in one's mouth
household chores, housework, errands
love and devotion, love, honor and cherish
absence makes the heart grow fonder,
the apple of one's eye
bring up, raise s b
child-rearing, child-bearing
maternal instinct, nurturing instinct
be divorced, be married
Solutions
pave the way for sth, lay the groundwork for sth, stumbling block
preventative measures, take precautions against sth, ensure sth
the end justifies the means, well-intentioned
be a necessary evil, the lesser of two evils
adopt a wait-and-see attitude take immediate action
add fuel to the fire, aggravate sth, exacerbate sth
be barking up the wrong tree, a misguided plan
a feasible alternative to, a viable alternative to
the last resort, have no option but to do sth
it's about time, it's high time
tackle a problem, overcome an obstacle
a desirable ideal rather than an achievable reality, in theory...in reality...
Expressing thoughts and opinions for task-2
have mixed views on, reach consensus on
i take the view that, be of the opinion that
be a highly charged issue, ignite fierce debate, be a well-established fact
the tide of opinion is now running steadily against, the majority of people oppose
it stands to reason that, the concerns that...are well-justified
it is an inescapable fact that, be unavoidable
...be noticeable, ...be substantial
the underlying cause of sth is, a fundamental mistake made by Mona is...
One possible solution is to..., many countries are now considering sth as a solution to
Expressing thoughts and opinions for task-1
see an upward trend, witness a downward trend, see an opposite trend
surge to, soar to
peak at, reach the highest point
a decline, a slump
fall consistently from A to B, fall continuously from A to B
plummet to, drop swiftly to, go up steeply to
bottom out, drop to its lowest level
reach a plateau, level out at, maintain the same level, remain stable
fluctuate around, fluctuate between A to B
...is predicted, ...is anticipated, is projected to, is forecast to
exceed..., surpass
double, be twice as many as, be three times as many as
be in stark contrast with, is in marked contrast with
over the following...days/mouths/years
is only marginally more...than..., is only fractionally more...than...
is considerably more...than...
be composed of, consist of
in inverse proportion to, in proportion to
the corresponding figure, interestingly, not surprisingly
whereas, while
notably, namely, essentially, particularly, merely, realistically, historically
considerably, relatively, correspondingly