CITY AND URBANIZATION

1. TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT

1) transport infrastructure= the basic structure on which a transport system is built and
which makes it able to work

Developing international tourism in this area may add to the burdens on the already-overburdened
transport infrastructure.

2) road network= a large road system consisting of many similar parts that are connected
together

Some people complain that the quiet countryside has been ruined by road networks.

3) traffic bottleneck= a place where a road is narrow or blocked

The traffic bottlenecks make goods transport difficult.

4) inch along= move very slowly

The traffic was stalled and we inched along across the bridge.

5) be out of bounds to sb. = be a place you are not allowed to enter

Certain areas are used for particular experiments and are therefore temporarily out of bounds; to the
public.

6) bumper-to-bumper= ( of traffic) very close together and moving slowly

A new study shows that the daily struggle of bumper-to-bumper traffic is getting worse.

7) the volume of traffic= the total amount of traffic

The volume of traffic on the roads has increased dramatically.

8) traffic density= the amount of traffic in a place

Aerial photos can show traffic density.

9) be jam-packed= full of people or things that are very close together

The bus terminal was jam-packed with commuters.

10) commuter= someone who has to travel a long distance to work every day

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The bus was jam-packed with complaining commuters.

11) petrol= a liquid that is used to supply power to vehicles

The report gives monthly summaries of regional petrol prices for the UK.

12) hybrid car= a car that uses two or more power sources
These experts argue that a hybrid car is as reliable as any traditional car.

13) fuel consumption= the burning of coal, gas or oil to produce heat or power
Driving at high speeds significantly increases your fuel consumption.

14) a gas guzzler = a car that is expensive to drive because it uses a lot of petrol
Big cars tend to be gas guzzlers. Small cars are more fuel-efficient

15) reckless driving= driving without worrying about the possible results
He was found guilty of reckless driving, fined heavily and disqualified from driving for three months.

16) drunk driving= unable to control someones own driving behaviour because he/she has
drunk too much alcohol

Drunk driving may cause bodily harm or death and thus should be legally prohibited.

17) impair a persons driving ability= reduce ones driving ability

Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a persons driving ability.

18) get somewhere safe and sound = get somewhere unharmed

It was a difficult drive but we arrived home safe and sound.

19) twists and turns= a complicated situation or plan of action

It was difficult to figure out the twists and turns in the plot

20) a free-for-all= a completely uncontrolled situation

During the afternoon rush hour, the traffic was a messy free-for-all.

21) well-organised= well-arranged

aul changed from one project to another because his first job was not well-organised

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 22) at the intersection= at a place where roads join or cross each other
One way of making sure that the pedestrians are safe is to increase signage at the intersections.

23) jam on the brakes =suddenly stop the car

Chloe jammed on the brakes when the lights turned red.

24) go over the speed limit= drive a car faster than the fastest speed legally allowed
Going over the speed limit is particularly dangerous when it snows.

2. BUILDINGS:
1) under construction= being built
2) he construction industry= the building industry
3) be dilapidated= (of buildings) partly ruined or decayed

The abandoned building looks dilapidated.

4) be a showcase for... = be the event or situation that makes it possible for the best
features of sth. to be seen

Buildings are showcases for the artistic achievement of citizens.

5) represent sth. = be typical of sth.

This building is significant because its exterior represents an excellent example of the post-modem style
of architecture.

6) central location= convenient for using shopping centres, theaters, etc.

What about the location? I t d be nice to be central.

7) imposing = large or powerful in appearance

Buckingham palace is an imposing building and is always surrounded by huge crowds of people.

8) elegant= with a pleasing and stylish appearance

The Palace of Westminster is visually elegant.

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 9) light and airy= = bright and having plenty of fresh air=well-ventilated= having plenty of fresh
air

The laboratory is spacious and well-ventilated.

10) be spacious = have a great deal of space inside

Schools are usually modem in design and spacious inside.

11) be a very significant landmark= be an easily recognisable building

This building is a very significant landmark in the neighbourhood.

12) be an eyesore=be a blot on the landscape= (of buildings) make a place less attractive
Timothy thinks that outlandish-looking building is a blot on the ___________landscape

13) commercial building= a building that is used for business activities

The project aims to improve the energy efficiency of commercial buildings

14) residential building= a building that is used for dwelling purposes

They are conducting research on the energy consumed in residential buildings

15) theme park= a park that contains a wide variety of rides and shows
The young couple got great fun and enjoyment by visiting the popular theme parks

16) convert sth. into... = cause sth. to change in form

Its now in the process o f being converted into a film museum.

WORK:
1) job security = being free from the threat of losing ones job
It s a choice between higher pay and job security.

2) job satisfaction= the pleasant feeling you get from a job

The sense of belonging to a team contributes towards job satisfaction.

3) be entitled to sth. = be given the right to do sth.

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The majority of the workers have been entitled to paid holidays.

4) a sense of fulfilment= having the opportunity to develop ones abilities and interests
Madison found a sense of fulfilment and joy as a teacher.

5) frustration= the feeling of being upset because you cannot achieve sth.
All her efforts met with frustration.

6) brain drain = a situation in which professionals go to another country in order to improve

their living or working conditions

This brain drain was caused by highly-skilled people only offering their services to the highest bidder.

7) work experience= the experience and skills that a person gains in doing a particular job (
likely to be written incorrectly as working experience by non-native English speakers)

Paul decided to get work experience in South America because he wanted to learn about Latin American
life.

8) excessive workload= work overload

The employees have been complaining about the excessive workload they had to do too much in too
little time.

9) be labour intensive= be a process that requires a lot of effort

However, the process took a long time and was labour intensive.

10) an oppressive deadline= a deadline that is too short and difficult to meet
Working to oppressive deadlines can increase the risk of a heart attack.

11) work under enormous stress = work under great pressure

Jasmine is very resilient and effective at working under enormous stress

12) an employee-friendly environment= an environment that emphasises the happiness

and self-fulfilment of employees

The company will build an employee-friendly environment, with various programmes from childcare and
family care to leisure support.

13) workplace= the place where you work ( likely to be incorrectly written as work unit by
non-native English speakers)

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It is in everyones interest to maintain a high level of security in the workplace.

14) work long hours for low pay= work many hours a day for very little money
15) leisure activities= recreational activities carried out when someone is free from work or
other duties

A wide range of leisure activities is available to students outside class time.

16) a demanding job = a job that requires a lot of time, energy or attention
The work was too physically demanding.

17) contract= a legal agreement between two people or two businesses that says what each
should do for the other

It may be that your contract gives you better rights, or your holiday rights might be specified in a
collective agreement.

18) work ethic= the belief that hard work is good for developing ones moral character
Riley is a perfect example of dedication. We really admire his work ethic.

19) flexible arrangement= a plan that can be changed easily according to the situation
Telecommuting may give employees very flexible work arrangements with their employers.

20) work schedule= a list of planned activities to be done at work showing the dates when they
are intended to be done

They created a calendar to organise public events and work schedules.

21) routine work= the things a person does in a fixed order

He found doing the routine work boring.

22) be well-staffed= have capable staff

A properly designed programme should be well-staffed and well-managed.

23) be short-staffed= do not have sufficient members of staff

Now the company is seriously short-staffed because business is picking up.

24) have access to= have the right or opportunity to use sth.
In the course of your work you may have access to information relating to the companys business.

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 25) cause friction between... and... = cause disagreement between... and...
This decision has caused friction between the employees and the manager.

26) conflicts arise= has caused angry disagreement

Sometimes conflicts arise between older and younger employees.

27) stress-induced diseases= diseases caused by great worry

There has been a continuous search for the cure for stress-induced diseases.

28) the pace of work= the speed at which someone works

Successful professionals tend to work at a steady pace.

29) occupational hazard= a risk for people doing a particular job

Every company should have goals to eliminate occupational hazards in the workplace.

30) occupational disease= a disease commonly acquired by people in a particular occupation

Noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common occupational diseases in the UK.

31) backbreaking tasks / laborious tasks = tasks that are hard and need a great deal of
effort

The toughest part of Katie s job is not the laborious/backbreaking tasks.

32) manual work / manual labour= physical work

There is a big demand for manual labour in the construction industry.

33) mental work= work that involves a great deal of thinking

Many people feel that mental work can be physically exhausting.

34) be in charge of sth. = have control over and be responsible for sth.
Mr. Thompson is in charge of this department.

35) has an attitude problem= does not take someones own job seriously
Justin has a real attitude problem. In fact, hes just a slacker

36) be an eager beaver= a person who is willing to work very hard

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Whos the eager beaver who came in at the weekend to finish this work off?

37) be an indicator of ability= be something that can be regarded as a sign of ability

Age is not of itself an indicator of ability

38) feel out of ones element= feel uncomfortable in a particular situation

39) be attuned to... = be familiar with sth. and be able to deal with it in a sensitive way

Most British companies still aren t really attuned to the needs of this market.

40) work around the clock= work continuously / work non-stop =work all day and all night

The construction workers worked non-stop to build a new school for the children.

41) distract sb. from sth. = make sb. stop giving his/her attention to sth.
42) divert sb. s attention from... = take sbs attention away from sth.
43) lead a busy life= lead a life full of activities

Keira leads a busy life. She doesn t even have time to sit down to enjoy a relaxing meal.

44) be tied up at work= be prevented from doing sth. because of being busy at work
45) a stressful and time-consuming job= a job that takes a lot of time to do and cause a
lot of pressure
46) job prospects= chances of success in a job or career
Learning a second language fuels childrens intelligence and makes their job prospects brighter.

47) incentive= sth. that encourages a person to fulfil a task

48) motivation = willingness to do sth.
49) build a close rapport between... = develop close agreement or sympathy with each
other
50) glass ceiling = an invisible barrier that prevents women from entering the ranks of senior
level management

Many women complain about the glass ceHing that bars them from upper management in large
corporations

51) discriminate against sb. = treat sb. unfairly because of their beliefs, race or other
features

In this country, employees are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of gender.

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a signicant feature of modern life alienate v.

the tempo (or pace) of life fatigue n.& v.

accelerate v. fatigued adj.

the current (or present) situation; the status sleeplessness/sleep-deprivation/insomnia

quo
depression n.
intense (or keen/stiff/erce) competition
pretentious/ostentatious
workplace n.
materialistic adj.
job (or employment) opportunities
money-worshipping/mercenary adj.
career path
sedentary lifestyle
career prospect
sedentary adj.
job-hopping n.
obesity n.
job hopper
obese adj.
colleague n.
high-fat adj.
workaholic n.
calorie n.
recruit v.
over nourishment n.
labour (or labor) pool
nourishing/nutritious/alible adj.
operating costs/overhead costs
nutrient(s) n.
pursue maximum prot
nutrition n.
laissez-faire management
recipe n.
productive adj.
the increasing availability of convenience food
counterproductive adj.
availability n.
productivity n.
processed food
telecommute v.
sophisticated ready-prepared microwavable
telecommuting n. meals

create alienation between people home-cooked meals

alienated adj.

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Traditional foods are an important aspect of needy/poverty-
culture and social life. stricken/impoverished/deprived/indigent/destit
ute adj

poverty alleviation
quality family time
impede/hinder/hamper/obstruct/inhibit v.
entertainment/diversion/recreation/amusemen
t n. have access to

leisure n. function n.

wellbeing n. 23

welfare n. (e.g. welfare system) superior adj.

urbanisation (or urbanization ) inferior adj.

metropolis n. architecture n.

metropolitan adj. exterior n.

cosmopolitan adj. (e.g. a cosmopolitan city interior n.

population growth rundown/decrepit/rickety/dilapidated adj.

population explosion (or boom) tear down/knock down/demolish/raze v.

family planning/birth control relocate v.

population density old buildings of special aesthetic value

demographics n. buildings of historic signicance

vernacular dwellings high-rise building(s)

vernacular adj. skyscraper(s) n.

suburb n. concrete jungle

the gap between the urban area and rural area; raise the utilisation rate of land
the disparity between the city and
beautify the cities/better the cityscape
the countryside
cityscape n.
eliminate v.
mass car ownership
afuent/wealthy/well-off adj.
rising car ownership

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a trend may seem inexorable surveillance camera

undesirable consequences punitive measures

a desirable option discourage unnecessary car use

car wrecks (or accidents/crashes) a road tax

trafc accident perpetrator(s) road congestion pricing schemes

speed limit Public transport (or transportation) options are

plentiful, convenient and reliable.
long distance travel
alternative means (or modes) of transport (or
jaywalk v. transportation)
jaywalker n. commute v.
pedestrian(s ) n. commuter n.
trafc jam(s)/trafc congestion commuter rail network
congested adj. a network of cycle lanes and other facilities for
gridlock n. cyclists

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