17 The place where you live

A Location*
We live on the outskirts of town1, and it’s a very nice location. We used to live in the
centre, but we moved2 to our present flat when we had children because there’s more space3
for them to play and it has nice views4.
3
* the place and position of something an area that is empty or not used
1 4
on the edge of town the things you can see from a place
2
changed the place where we live

B Our flat
top floor
This is where we live. We rent1 a
flat on the second floor. There’s a second floor
family in the flat downstairs2, and
a young French couple upstairs, on
the top floor. It’s a modern block of balcony
flats3, and it’s quite good, although
the li!4 is small, and there’s no air
conditioning5.
1
pay money every week/month to use it
because it isn’t ours
2
on a lower level of a building
3
a building with a number of flats in it
4
the machine that takes people up or
down a floor
5
a system that keeps the air cool

Language help
Flat is more common in British
English; apartment is used in
American English but is
becoming more common in
British English. Apartments are front first floor
usually in large buildings; flats door
can be in a large building or steps
part of a larger house.
ground floor

C A house in the country

My parents own1 a cottage2. It’s a charming3 house and has lots of character4, but like
many old buildings, it’s quite dark (opp light), quite di!icult to heat5, and it doesn’t have
central heating6.
1
they bought it
2
a small house, that is old
and attractive, and usually found in the country
3
pleasant and attractive
4
it is interesting and unusual
5
make warm or hot
6
a system that heats a whole house

cottage

40 English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate

 Exercises

17.1 Are the sentences about the people on the opposite page true or false? If the sentence is
false, change it to make it true.
1 They live in a house. False. They live in a flat.
2 They used to live on the outskirts of town.
3 They own their flat.
4 They’ve got nice views from their flat.
5 They live on the first floor.
6 There’s a lift in the building.
7 A French couple live downstairs.
8 They own a cottage.
9 The cottage has lots of character.
10 The cottage is quite cold.
17.2 Are these generally positive or negative features of a home?
views positive air conditioning character
dark charming no central heating

17.3 Label the pictures.

1 a block of flats 2 3 4 5
6

17.4 Complete the sentences.

1 Our flat doesn’t have air conditioning .
2 I live the second floor, and my cousin lives , on the first floor.
3 My old flat was very small, but this one has much more .
4 The flat’s in a great : it’s near the centre of town but opposite a park and very quiet.
5 We live on the of town, but it’s only a twenty-minute walk to the centre.
6 The flat is on the third floor, but we can sit outside on the .
7 It’s a very big house, so it costs a lot of money to in the winter.
8 I’m on the second . I usually use the stairs, but take the if I’m
feeling lazy.
9 I live in Paris. I used to live in Marseilles, but I to Paris when I left university.
10 I love my apartment. It has big windows, so it’s nice and inside.

17.5 Over to you

Answer the questions about your home.
1 Do you live in a house or flat? 5 How long have you lived there?
2 If you live in a flat, what floor is it on? 6 Do you have these things:
3 Do you own your home or rent it? air conditioning? central heating?
4 Are you in the centre, or on the outskirts of a balcony?
your town?

English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate 41

18 Around the home
A Different homes
When we first got married, we lived in a one-bedroom flat with a small kitchen, a living
room and a bathroom. When our first child was born, she had to share our bedroom.
[use something at the same time as someone else] Now we live in a four-bedroom house. Our
bedroom has an en-suite bathroom [a bathroom connected to the bedroom], our two teenage
children have their own rooms [they do not have to share],
we have a spare room for guests, and another bathroom. Language help
Downstairs, there’s a living room, a dining room and a study
[a room where people can work]. We’ve also got a lovely big We usually talk about a sink in
kitchen with a fridge-freezer, a cooker with two ovens and a the kitchen, but a (wash)basin
dishwasher [a machine for washing dishes]. Next to it, there’s a in the bathroom.
small utility room where we keep the washing machine.

tiles freezer
tap kettle
microwave

cupboards sink oven cooker fridge

B Choices*
* when you decide between two or more possibilities

WHAT DO YOU PREFER?

FOR THE HOME LIGHTING GIFTS SALE

2 4

Some people like big some people like firm Do you like a wooden or a carpet?
soft sofas1 with lots (opp so!) armchairs. floor3 with a rug4,
of cushions2,
7

5
6

Curtains, or blinds? A duvet, or a sheet5 and a blanket6?

One pillow7, or two?

42 English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate

 Exercises

18.1 You are in the kitchen. Where would you put these things?
1 milk? in the fridge
2 food that you want to heat very quickly?
3 meat that you are going to cook?
4 dirty clothes?
5 dirty saucepans?
6 clean cups and saucers
7 frozen food that you want to keep for several weeks?
18.2 What are these things, and which room(s) do you usually find them in?
1 girdef fridge, in the kitchen
2 snik
3 nacitusr
4 shiconus
5 ktelet
6 bashniswa
7 cparte
8 lipowl
9 shiwang chameni
10 kocero
11 chmariar
12 leits
18.3 Complete the sentences.
1 I’m happy with curtains or blinds ; I really don’t mind.
2 We used to have a floor, but it was a bit noisy so we put down a carpet.
3 When I got my new bedroom, my mum gave me a of curtains or blinds.
4 My mum works at home, so she spends all day in the on the computer.
5 As a child I had to a room with my sister, but now I’ve got my
bedroom.
6 We often have guests to stay, but fortunately we’ve got a room.
7 ‘Dad, there’s no water coming out of the in the kitchen sink.’
8 Some people like a sheet and , but I prefer a .
9 There’s a family bathroom, but I’ve got my own shower room next to the
bedroom.
10 Our kitchen is small but we have a room for the washing machine.

18.4 Over to you

Answer the questions. If possible, compare your answers with someone else.
1 What have you got on your kitchen floor?
2 What have you got on the bathroom floor?
3 What have you got on the floor in the living room?
4 Have you got curtains or blinds in your bedroom?
5 Have you got a duvet or sheets and blankets on your bed?

18.5 Over to you

Look at section B on the opposite page again. Which do you prefer, and why? Compare your
answers with someone else if possible.

English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate 43

18 Home styles, lifestyles
A Home styles
A squat /skwɒt/ is an empty building where people start living without the owner’s permission.
A hovel /ˈhɒvəl/ is a very small, dirty house or flat in a bad (or run down) condition.
Rented accommodation can be either furnished or unfurnished. [with or without furniture]
A penthouse is a luxury flat at the top of a building.
Council or social housing is rented accommodation provided by the state for people who have low
incomes. A council estate is a large group of such housing.
High-rise (flats) or tower blocks are flats in a tall, modern building with a lot of floors.
A granny flat is a set of rooms for an elderly person, connected to a relative’s house.

B Idioms and expressions relating to house and home

expression meaning example
get on like a get on very well with someone Happily, my mother-in-law and I have always
house on fire got on like a house on fire.
a household something/someone everyone Nike has become a household name.
word/name knows
on the house free of charge The restaurant owner o!ered us co!ees on
the house.
home truths information that is true but not It’s time he was told some home truths
pleasant or welcome about the way he’s been behaving!
nothing to write nothing special The town is OK but nothing to write home
home about about.
hit home become fully understood or The di!iculty of managing without a regular
fully felt salary is hitting home now.
make yourself at make yourself feel comfortable in Please just make yourself at home while
home someone else’s home I get dinner ready.

C Idioms and metaphors relating to life

expression meaning example
life in the fast lane a way of life that is full of activity and As a rock star, Joe lived life in the
excitement fast!lane.
have the time of have a wonderful time Paula’s having the time of her life
your life in Canada.
get a new lease become more energetic and active When Georgie moved jobs, she seemed
of life than before to get a new lease of life.
a dog’s life a very unhappy and di!icult life Ryan had a dog’s life in the army.
lead a sheltered have a life that is protected from Kyoko has led a very sheltered life and
life unpleasantness (also lead a busy/ may find it hard to adapt to the big city.
quiet/normal, etc. life)
(not) be a matter (not) be very serious If we miss the last train, it’s not a matter
of life and death of life and death.
take your life in do something very dangerous You’re taking your life in your hands
your hands if you cross the road here – go to the
zebra crossing!
breathe new life bring new ideas and energy to When Orla joined the sta!, she breathed
into something new life into the school.

42 English Vocabulary in Use Advanced

 Exercises
18.1 Complete the following table about the types of accommodation in A opposite.

accommodation What kind of person lives there? Would you like to live there? Why/
Why not?
squat Example: Example:
a homeless person, or someone who I wouldn’t like it because you never know
wants to make a political statement about when you might be evicted.
property ownership
furnished accommodation
social housing
granny flat
high-rise
hovel
penthouse

18.2 Fill the gaps in these sentences with words and phrases from B and C opposite.
1 From the moment we met, we got on like a house .
2 Jenna’s so selfish, she deserves to be told a few .
3 The new restaurant is OK but nothing really to .
4 So what that you didn’t get the promotion – it’s not a matter of .
5 I’m not sure I’d like to have a celebrity lifestyle, living life in the .
6 As a child, the writer a sheltered life in a small village in the back of beyond.
7 We need someone to come and some new life into the project.
8 We soon managed to ourselves at home in our holiday cottage.
18.3 Choose expressions from B and C opposite to replace the underlined words in
these!sentences.
1 We had the most marvellous time on holiday this year.
2 As soon as spring comes, I feel as if I’m becoming energetic and active again.
3 The problems caused by the floods are only making themselves fully felt now.
4 I imagine that being a servant in the past must have been very hard and tedious.
5 All over the world, everybody knows about McDonald’s.
6 He’s taking a big risk if he gets in a car with Ben at the wheel!
7 Because we were such frequent customers, the restaurant gave us a meal free.
8 Our holiday apartment was quite adequate but not particularly special in any way.
18.4 Here are some more expressions with home and life. Use the context to work out what
the underlined expressions mean.
1 The poet said that he had had a period of depression but that he had never considered
taking his own life.
2 The comedy duo’s superb performance brought the house down.
3 Our customers come from many di!erent walks of life – we have doctors, shop assistants,
computer programmers, you name it!
4 The system turned out to be a house of cards – it didn’t take much to bring it down.
5 Whenever my nephews arrive for a visit, they eat us out of house and home.
6 I love having George around – you can rely on him to be the life and soul of the party.

English Vocabulary in Use Advanced 43

21 The visual arts
A Changing tastes

T
Throughout
hroughout
suspicious
the the
of of
centuries,
thethe
new
centuries,
artart
people
movements
havehave
people tended
of of
to be
tended
their period.
to be
suspicious new movements their period.
At At
thethe
endendof ofthethe19th
19th century,
century, forfor
example,
example, people
people were
were
1 1
shocked by Impressionism , criticising
shocked by Impressionism , criticising its practitioners its practitioners
2 2 3
asascareless
carelessdaubers
daubers . Later,
. Later,when
when faced
faced with Cubist
with Cubist3
paintings, the public were puzzled by
paintings, the public were puzzled by those too. The those too. The
4 4 5 5 6 6
Surrealists
Surrealistswere wereinitially
initiallydeemed
deemedcrazy. crazy.Op-art
Op-artwas was
7 7
criticised
criticisedbecause
because itsitssubject
subject matter
matterwas wassaid to to
said consist
consist
of of
nothing
nothingof of significance.
significance. However,
However, nowadays,
nowadays, liking
liking
8 8
Surrealism or Op-art is considered perfectly
Surrealism or Op-art is considered perfectly acceptable, acceptable,
9 9
andandimages
images fromfromthese
these schools
schools of of
artart appear
appear
everywhere,
everywhere, from
fromposters
posters to to
advertising
advertising campaigns.
campaigns.
Perhaps
Perhaps because
because of of
thethe ubiquity
ubiquity of of
advertising,
advertising, people
people
10 10
tend to be more visually literate
tend to be more visually literate than they used than they used to to
be,be,
11 11
and so are perhaps inured to surprises.
and so are perhaps inured to surprises. Perhaps new Perhaps new
movements
movements in in
artart
will meet
will meet with less
with hostility
less hostilityin in
future.
future.

1, 3, 4, 6, 8 2
types of artist and schools of art of the last 150 years someone who paints quickly and carelessly
(disapproving) 5 considered; formal 7
content 9
art movement 10 educated with regard to art
11
not a!ected by

B Words for commenting on art

original: new in a special and interesting way (opp. = predictable)
highbrow: intended for educated, intelligent people (often disapproving) (opp. = lowbrow)
impenetrable: extremely di!icult to understand (opp. = transparent)
sophisticated: showing advanced skills and understanding (opp. = primitive)
challenging: demanding considerable e!ort to be understood (opp. = undemanding)
dazzling: inspiring great admiration because it is brilliant in some way (opp. = pedestrian)
evocative: calling up images and memories (opp. = uninspiring)
thought-provoking: making people think (opp. = unstimulating)
exquisite: having rare beauty or delicacy (opp. = clumsy)
intriguing: interesting because it is strange or mysterious (opp. = dreary)
peerless: better than any other (opp. = run-of-the-mill)
tongue-in-cheek: not intended to be taken seriously, despite appearing serious (opp. = earnest)
priceless: extremely valuable (opp. = worthless)
skilful: clever, masterly, done well (opp. = poorly done)

C Art and metaphor

Notice how words connected with art can be used when talking about literature.

The writer paints his hero in a fascinating light. Minor characters are more shadowy or sketchy
but they are also depicted quite powerfully, even though the focus is, inevitably, on the two
central characters. These are portrayed with great sensitivity. The heroine is particularly
colourful and we see how her character is shaped and moulded by events. Some say the author
illustrates his motifs in a black-and-white fashion, but the image he creates to illuminate the
evils of slavery will remain with me for ever.

48 English Vocabulary in Use Advanced

 Exercises
21.1 Choose a word from the text in A opposite to answer the questions.
1 What is the early 20th century school of art which shows unusual or impossible things happening?
2 What is the mid 20th century school of art which has its origins in optical illusions?
3 What is the early 20th century school of art which depicts people or objects as a set of geometric
shapes?
4 What is the late 19th century school of art whose aim was to represent the e!ects of light on
people or scenes?
5 What phrase can be used to mean the content of a painting or other work of art?
6 What phrase can be used to describe someone with an educated understanding of art?
21.2 Read the sentences and answer the questions.
1 Finn enjoys painting but he’s a dauber not an artist.
Does the speaker have a high or low opinion of Finn’s work?
2 Curious as it now seems, the artist’s work was deemed morally dangerous.
Is this sentence more likely to come from a formal or informal source?
3 The sculptor is now inured to criticism.
How is the sculptor a!ected by criticism?
4 While at art school, Matilda was particularly interested in the Cubist school of art.
What is the di!erence between art school and school of art?
21.3 Look at the adjectives in B opposite. Divide them into these categories:
usually positive associations usually negative associations negative or positive associations
21.4 Choose one of the words from each pair of opposites in B and think of a work of art (of
any kind) that you could apply it to. Write a sentence explaining why it applies.
EXAMPLE I think that the paintings by Salvador Dali could be called intriguing, because he uses such curious and surprising!images.

21.5 Choose the correct word to complete these sentences.

1 I think that the artist’s cartoons are usually rather highbrow / dreary / lowbrow as they are
intended to appeal to a mass audience.
2 When an artist sent in an ordinary red brick to an exhibition, no one was sure whether it was
impenetrable / run-of-the-mill / tongue-in-cheek or intended as a serious statement.
3 Although the artist’s early work is very sophisticated, some of his later pieces are surprisingly
primitive / thought-provoking / original in style.
4 I find pictures of dull grey street scenes rather dreary / peerless / dazzling.
5 The design on that china plate is earnest / exquisite / transparent – however did they manage to
paint such fine detail?
6 Although his photographs are quite challenging / evocative / intriguing, it is worth making the
e!ort to understand them.
21.6 Make a verb–noun–adjective word formation table with these words from C opposite.

paint sketch depict portray colour shape illustrate illuminate

21.7 Over to you

Visit the websites of well-known museums and art galleries and look at some of the works of
art in them. Use words from this unit to describe the works you see.

English Vocabulary in Use Advanced 49

30 Brick walls and glass ceilings
A Buildings
To build something/someone up can be used metaphorically to mean to praise someone or
something in a way that will increase expectations of them: The press has built up the young
footballer so much that it must be extra pressure on him.
Note how cement is used to fix bricks firmly in place and to make relationships more solid. It can be
used in this way both as a noun and a verb: Let’s have a drink together to cement our partnership.
To come up against a brick wall is used metaphorically, meaning to meet a barrier: When I tried to
find out who had opened my letters, I came up against a brick wall.
Ceiling can be used to suggest a limit to something: They put a ceiling on the number of planned
redundancies.
The glass ceiling is a phrase used to refer to an invisible barrier that stops people, especially
women, from rising to top positions at work.
Roof is used in a number of common metaphors: The roof fell in on my world on the day he died.
[My world collapsed …]
Conversely, the floor can give way metaphorically when you faint.
The informal phrase go through the roof is used about prices, meaning to increase in a rapid,
uncontrolled fashion.
Hit the roof means get very angry: My mother will hit the roof when she sees what we’ve done.
Window, both literally and metaphorically, means an opening.
A window of opportunity is a chance to do something special: If you see a window of opportunity,
then take advantage of it.
If a quality or idea goes out (of) the window, it means it departs: Once the boys started going
around together, common sense went out of the window.
As a very tall building, tower conveys an idea of distance from ordinary people. If someone lives in
an ivory tower, he/she does not know about the unpleasant and ordinary things that happen in life:
Academics are often criticised for living in their ivory towers.
If a person is a tower of strength, they are extremely strong (in an emotional rather than a physical
sense): Our friends were a tower of strength when our house burnt down.
If a person or thing towers above something or someone, they are either outstandingly tall or
outstanding in some other positive way: Lauren towers above all her classmates, although she is
actually one of the youngest students.

B Entrances
Gateway is used metaphorically in the
phrase be a gateway to, meaning give an
opportunity to get somewhere: A degree in
law is a gateway to a well-paid job.
Door can also be used in a similar way to
gateway above, but it is also used in many
other metaphorical phrases as well: Failing
his final exams closed/shut a lot of doors
for him. Knowing several languages opens
doors when it comes to finding work. The
new year gives us the opportunity to close
the door on the past and make a fresh start.
Doing something through/by the back door
suggests doing it uno!icially: Jack came into
the business by the back door – the manager knew him from university. Doing something behind
closed doors suggests secrecy: Unfortunately, the decision was taken behind closed doors and no one
knows exactly why it was made.
Key can be used as a noun to suggest the importance of something: This research may provide/hold
the key to developing a cure for cancer. Knowing the right people is the key to success in that country.

66 English Vocabulary in Use Advanced

 Exercises
30.1 Match up the words to make metaphors. Explain what each metaphor means.
1 glass a strength
2 ivory b opportunity
3 brick c ceiling
4 back d tower
5 window of e wall
6 tower of f door
30.2 Complete these sentences with the appropriate verb.
1 The price of fuel has through the roof.
2 We hope that this scientist’s work may the key to solving the problem.
3 A degree in economics the door to a number of interesting job opportunities.
4 Whenever you try to initiate something in this company you find that, sooner or later, you
up against a brick wall.
5 Lucy’s father the roof when he saw that she’d dyed her hair purple.
6 Ben over all the other lawyers in his firm. He is by far the most able.
7 Her argument with the board last year has, unfortunately, a lot of doors for her in
this company.
8 The roof in on their world the day that war was declared.
30.3 Rewrite the underlined parts of these sentences using one of the expressions on the
opposite page.
1 My brother is always enormously supportive whenever I have a problem.
2 We’ll never know what the US and Russian Presidents said to each other when they met in private.
3 The fee for this work will depend on the time it takes, but cannot be more than $20,000.
4 The cost of petrol has risen dramatically in the last six months.
5 Having children often makes a marriage stronger.
6 Winning an Olympic medal can provide an opportunity to develop a career in the media.
7 The most important decision we have to take now is where to locate our business.
8 The professor has spent all his life in one university or another and really finds it very di!icult to
cope in the real world.
9 Lena has always said what an incredible person Max is – I hope I won’t be disappointed when I
meet him.
30.4 Here are some more metaphors based on aspects of buildings. Can you guess what the
underlined expressions mean and rewrite them?
1 He earns very little, barely enough to keep the wolf from the door.
2 The speaker’s request for questions was met with a wall of silence.
3 Working on this project together should help to lay the foundations for a good relationship in the
future.
4 Nathan’s prolonged illness left his business in ruins.
5 This government should clean up its own backyard before criticising other countries.

30.5 Over to you

Which of the metaphors in this unit also work as metaphors when translated literally into
your own language? Look at exercise 30.4 as well as the opposite page.

English Vocabulary in Use Advanced 67