11 Chuyên đề từ vựng ielts

11 CHUYÊN ĐỀ TỪ VỰNG IELTS
I. Business and money.
1. To take something into consideration/ account

Meaning: to consider or remember something when judging a situation

Example: No business will succeed if it fails to take the needs of customers into account/into
consideration.

2. To break into a market

Meaning: to enter a market with the connotation that entrance to the industry was difficult.

Example: It is difficult to break into the market for designer sportswear because there is too much
competition from leading brands like Nike.

3. To keep someone’s word

Meaning: to uphold one's promise; to do as one says

Example: I lent him a lot of money, so I hope that he keeps his word and repays the loan.

4. To reach a consensus

Meaning: to come to an agreement

Example: The directors of the company have reached a consensus on the new business plan.

5. To make the most of something

Meaning: to make something appear as good as possible; to exploit something; to get as much out
of something as is possible.

Example: They designed the advertisements to make the most of the product's features.

6. To go out of business

Meaning: if a company goes out of business, it stops doing business permanently, especially because
it has failed

Meaning: If we sold food at those prices we’d soon go out of business.

7. To do market research

Meaning: to collect information about what people buy and why

Example: Advertising companies do a lot of market research before they design promotion
campaigns.

8. To make cutbacks

Meaning: to decrease, to reduce

Example: The company made cutbacks at their stores in New York and many employees were
dismissed.

9. To manage expectations

Meaning: Seek to prevent disappointment by establishing in advance what can realistically be
achieved or delivered by a project, undertaking, course of action, etc.

Example: the company needs to manage the expectations of investors by presenting a realistic figure
for next year’s estimated profits.

10. To make a calculation

Meaning: to assess a situation and figure out (or guess) the outcome

Example: We cannot make a precise calculation of the price until we have all the costs.

11. To pay in arrears

Meaning: refers to making a payment to a supplier later than the terms of the arrangement under
which goods or services were purchased from the supplier.

Example: The company pays one month in arrears to all its suppliers and employees.

12. To buy at auction

Meaning: to buy something at a usually public sale of goods or property, where people make higher
and higher bids (= offers of money) for each thing, until the thing is sold to the person who will pay
most

Example: Buying a property at an auction can be a nerve-wracking or exhilerating experience.

13. To squander a chance/ savings

Meaning: to waste money or supplies, or to waste opportunities by not using them to your
advantage

Example: James squandered all his savings in an unsuccessful business venture to sell ice cream in
Alaska.

14. Overhead cost

Meaning: refers to regular costs required to run a business, such as rent, electricity, wages etc

Example: An increase in rents in the shopping mall increased the overhead costs of all the shops
which operated there.

15. A takeover

Meaning: an act of taking over a company by buying its shares

Example: Sony made a successful takeover of the broadcasting company CBS.

16. A merger

Meaning: the action of joining two or more businesses into one

Example: The directors of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Burger King are considering a merger of the
two companies.

17. A heavy workload

Meaning: having many tasks to perform

Example: Many employees of the company take time off work because of illness and stress due to
the heavy workload.

18. Compensation

Meaning: something that somebody gives you (usually money) because they have hurt you or
damaged something that you own

Example: I received a large sum of money as ompensation for the injury which I sustained at work.

19. Revenue

Meaning: the money that a government receives from taxes or which a company receives from its
business

Example: The tax revenues of the government have fallen as a result of the economic crisis.

20. White-collar

Meaning: working in an office, not a factory

Example: The insurance company is offering some white-collar jobs if you want to apply.

21. Blue-collar

Meaning: connected with people who do physical work in industry

Example: He’s a blue-collar worker in a car factory.

22. To run your own business

Meaning: to have a business which you own

Example: I was tired of working for other people, so I decided to run my own business.

23. To earn a living

Meaning: to earn money

Example: I used to earn a living as a teacher, but now I sell used cars.

24. Enhance their public image

Meaning: to make their company appear more attractive to people

Example: In order to enhance their public image, some companies donate large sums of money to
charities.

25. To grow a business

Meaning: to expand a business, usually a new one

Example: The company started one year ago with only one shop, but they have grown the business
and now have ten shops.

26. To gain a competitive edge

Meaning: to achieve an advantage over another company or organization, often by providing the
same goods or services at a lower price

Example: The high quality of VW cars, combined with their affordable price, has enabled the
company to gain a competitive edge over all its rivals in world markets.

27. Maximize profits

Meaning: to increase profits to the highest possible level

Example: The company has hired a marketing consultant to recommend how to maximize profits
next year.

28. To conduct a business

Meaning: to operate a business in a particular way

Example: It is important to conduct a business with honesty in order to gain the confidence of
customers.

29. To be made redundant

Meaning: to lose one’s job

Example: The car factory has closed and 1000 employees have been made redundant.

30. Pension scheme

Meaning: a system in which you and your employer pay money regularly into a fund, to use when
you retire from work

Example: One of the benefits of working for a big corporation is that such large companies usually
provide a good pension scheme.

2. Communication and persionality
1. to hide one’s light under a bushel

Meaning: to conceal one’s talents and skills

Example: Please don't hide your light under a bushel—the Society needs your valuable expertise.

2. to throw a tantrum

Meaning: to become very angry and unreasonable

Example: When you are a grown-up, you don't throw a tantrum if something offends you, you
discuss it.

3. to stamp one’s mark on sth

Meaning: to affect or change something in a way that allows people to recognize one’s influence

Example: She has stamped her own mark on the British film industry.

4. a clash of personalities

Meaning: a situation in which two people disagree because they have very different personalities

Example: There had been a clash of personalities between the two leaders over the question of
defence policy.

5. to have a superiority complex

Meaning: to have a feeling that one is superior to others

Example: She has a superiority complex, imagining that she is somehow better at everything than
her classmates.

6. to hear something through the grapevine

Meaning: to hear news from someone who heard that news from someone else, to learn of
something informally and unofficially by means of gossip or rumor.

Example: Never believe the gossip that you hear through the grapevine – always try to find the truth
from an official source.

7. to act one’s age

Meaning: to behave in a way suitable for someone as old as you are

Example: During the most recent years of her career, Madonna has faced criticism for her revealing
outfits, her outrageous performances and her decision to collaborate with her younger
contemporary contemporaries, with many calling for her to “act her age”.

8. codes of conduct

Meaning: voluntary rules which people accept in a situation

Example: The Code of Conduct is voluntary but it is seen as a sign of best practice.

9. to assimilate knowledge

Meaning: to absorb and understand knowledge

Example: Some people claim that children assimilate knowledge more easily than adults, citing
studies into the way that young children learn.

10. to marshal facts

Meaning: to organise facts in support of an idea

Example: His tutor asked him to marshal facts on the history of China in preparation for the exam.

11. to be a team player

Meaning: a person who willingly cooperates with others

Example: Employees who are good team players are more likely to be selected for promotion.

12. the downfall of communication

Meaning: the decline of communication

Example: Texting and social media are causing the downfall of society's interpersonal
communication.

13. a breakdown in communications

Meaning: a misunderstanding which results from people failing to discuss and resolve something

Example: The dispute between the workers and the employer was the result of a breakdown in
communications over wages.

14. to live in harmony with one another

Meaning: to live with others in a way which avoids conflict or disagreement

Example: The students who share the house are all good friends and they are able to live in harmony
with one another.

15. to keep abreast of something

Meaning: to have the most recent information about something

Example: This new service helps doctors keep abreast of the newest drugs available.

16. to accelerate the flow of information

Meaning: to spread information with a higher speed to create faster response times and more
accurate interactions

Example: The new software, Wildtech, is intended to help accelerate the flow of information among
scientists, and forest and wildlife managers.

17. behind the times

Meaning: refers to a person who is old-fashioned and has not adopted certain modern customs,
beliefs, or behaviors

Example: He was angry when they said that his accounting methods were behind the times because
he did not use computer software.

18. set in his or her ways

Meaning: A person who is set in his or her ways is stubborn and committed to their current way of
doing things. They aren’t open to changing, even if the change would be an improvement

Example: As people get older, they often become set in their ways and are reluctant to try anything
new.

19. a social butterfly

Meaning: refers to an extroverted person who loves to socialize

Example: A social butterfly is a person who is socially dynamic, networking, charismatic, and
personally gregarious.

20. a stickler for sth

Meaning: Someone who is a “stickler for something” is a person who strongly insists on that quality
or behavior, and wants or expects other people to maintain the same standard

Example: The author described himself as a stickler for details, who loves things done right the first
time.

21. to be user-friendly

Meaning: to be easy to use, without a need for advanced skills

Example: One feature of modern communications technology is that, in general, it is user-friendly.

22. social networking sites

Meaning: a website on which you communicate with people who share your interests

Example: Young people today waste too much time on social networking sites such as Facebook or
Twitter.

23. to break off a relationship/to break off negotiations

Meaning: to end something suddenly

Example: The US and China broke off negotiations earlier today on the new trade agreement.

24. to reach a stalemate/to reach deadlock

Meaning: a disagreement in which neither side is able to find a solution

Example: The talks between the superpowers broke up when both sides reached deadlock over
important issues.

25. to have social skills

Meaning: to have the personal skills required for successfully communication and interaction

Example: In all jobs which involve dealing with the public, it is important to have good social skills.

26. to have a laid-back attitude

Meaning: relaxed, not worrying about anything

Example: Our teacher had a laid-back attitude in the classroom, but she was always well-prepared
and committed to her students.

27. to be a workaholic/a shopaholic

Meaning: a person who spends too much time working/too much time shopping

Example: Although I take my studies seriously, I would not describe myself as a workaholic, because
I have other interests too.

28. to see the big picture

Meaning: to understand all the important aspects of a situation

Example: Students sometimes get confused with so many details to remember, but our history
teacher is able to make us see the big picture.

29. to be generous/helpful to a fault

Meaning: to be very generous/helpful to others, even when it can cause problems for oneself

Example: My parents are generous to a fault, and they have helped me a lot with my education.

30. to make small talk/to exchange pleasantries

Meaning: to talk in a polite way about unimportant matters such as the weather

Example: I enjoy a serious discussion and I don’t like to make small talk or exchange pleasantries
with others simply in order to be polite.

3. Crime and punishment.
1. crime of passion

Meaning: refers to a crime, especially murder, caused by sexual jealousy

Example: People who carry out crimes of passion often regret their actions later, when they reflect
on what they have done.

2. to serve a prison sentence

Meaning: to carry out confinement in prison as a punishment

Example: They are serving long prison sentences for their part in the assassination.

3. to turn to crime/ drugs

Meaning: To start committing crimes or using drugs.

Example: During periods of high youth unemployment, some youngsters turn to crime to obtain
money.

4. to be tough on crime

Meaning: To punish crime severely

Example: The crime rate is likely to fall if governments take strong measures to be tough on crime.

5. to contest the verdict

Meaning: not agree with the decision of the jury after the trial of a case

Example: In many countries, the accused person has the right to contest the verdict which was
reached in the court.

6. to take into consideration

Meaning: to think about a particular fact or detail and allow it to have some influence when you are
making a decision

Example: The previous criminal records of those who are found guilty must be taken into
consideration when a sentence is passed.

7. to reintegrate back into society/ community

Meaning: to restore someone through education or therapy

Example: There is an increasing focus among policy-makers and practitioners on identifying
programs and strategies that will help prisoners successfully reintegrate back into their communities
without re-offending.

8. to be soft on crime

Meaning: not to impose strict punishments on offenders

Example: In order to deter criminals effectively, governments must not follow policies which are soft
on crime.

9. a policy of zero tolerance

Meaning: a policy of applying laws very strictly, so that every illegal action is punished, even if it is
not very serious

Example: I would argue that the most effective way to reduce crime is to implement a policy of zero
tolerance.

10. a chance of rehabilitation

Meaning: a chance of helping someone to have a normal life after serving a prison sentence

Example: We should give ex-offerders a chance of rehabilitation and teach them how to become
useful members of society.

11. to embark on something

Meaning: To start something new

Example: Young people sometimes embark on a life of crime as a result of the bad influence of
criminals whom they know.

12. to make a fresh start

Meaning: to try something new after making mistakes in one’s life

Example: I believe that people should have the opportunity to make a fresh start after they are
released from prison.

13. to act as a deterrent

Meaning: a measure which makes somebody less likely to do something

Example: Longer prison sentences would act as a deterrent and would be one useful measure to
tackle rising crime.

14. to release back into society.

Meaning: to give freedom to prisoners who have finished their sentences.

Example: He was released back into society after serving two years of a five-year sentence.

15. corporal punishment