VOCABULARY LISTS

Index

1. Types of Music

2. Types of Movies

3. Types of TV Shows

4. Types of Advertising

5. Things to Read

6. Types of Clothing

7. Electrical & Electronic Appliances

8.  Methods of Storing Memories

9.  Things That Some People Collect

10. Environmental Problems

11. Housework

12. Secondary School

13. Leisure Time & Relaxing

14. Rain

15. Restaurants & Food

16. Letters

17. Daily Routine

 

1. Types of Music

General

Band music (including marching bands)

Children’s music (incl. nursery rhymes)

Latin Dance music (e.g.,  Flamenco, Tango)

Electronic (Digital) music

Ethnic & national music (incl. Traditional Chinese music, Chinese opera, Folk songs)

Film music

Religious music

Classical European Music
Baroque music

Chamber music

Orchestral music (such as composed by Mozart, Beethoven etc.)

Opera

Ballet music

Modern Popular Music
Bluegrass

Blues

Country & Western music

Disco music (techno, trance …)

Hip-hop

Jazz (e.g., big band, ragtime)

Pop songs

Rap music

Reggae/Ska

Rhythm & Blues

Rock ‘n roll (incl. rockabilly,  heavy metal)

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 2. Types of Movies

Action & Adventure

Animated Cartoons

Comedy

Drama

Horror

Martial Arts

Musicals

Romance

Romantic Comedy

Science Fiction

Silent movies

(Suspense) Thrillers

Teen Movies

War Movies

Westerns

Documentary films

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 3. Types of TV Shows

Cartoons

Children’s Shows

Documentary Programs

Drama (e.g., police dramas)

Game Shows

Made-for-TV movies (incl. mini-series)

Musical video shows (e.g., MTV)

Reality TV

Situational Comedies (sitcoms)

Comedy shows

Soap Operas

Sports Programs (e.g., live broadcasts of sports events)

Talk Shows

The News

news programs (stress on first word)

Current Affairs & News Analysis (incl. interviews)

Variety Shows (E.g., The Chinese New Year family entertainment program)

Pop music videos

Other words

Advertisements (Make sure you can understand the British pronunciation of this word when you hear it)

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4. Types of Advertising

TV & radio advertisements (= TV & radio commercials)

Newspaper  & magazine ads (including the classified ads)

Billboards (next to main roads, railway lines, on subway station walls etc.)

Cell-phone text messages

Flyers & handouts (e.g., on the street, put into letterboxes etc.)

Internet advertisements (e.g., pop-up ads)

Posters (e.g. wall posters, bus stop posters)

Visible Logos:

on professional athletes’ clothing

on signs in front of shops etc.

on t-shirts, hats, jackets & other clothing

on handbags and other accessories

on Formula 1 cars

on racing yachts

on hot-air balloons

Advertisements in other prominent places:

on the side of buses and trains

Cinema advertising

Sports stadium advertising

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5. Things to Read

For News
Newspapers

News magazines

Company & organization newsletters

Magazines

Fashion magazines

Movie magazines

Computer magazines

News magazines

Sports magazines

Hobbyist magazines

Technical & professional journals

Art magazines

Home decoration magazines

Women’s magazines

Literature
Autobiographies

Biographies

Novels (Historical novels, Thrillers, Mystery stories, Romance novels, Detective Stories, Science Fiction)

Poetry

Plays

Short Stories

Essays

Literary Criticism

Educational
Textbooks

Reference books

Encyclopedias

‘How-to’ books

‘Self-help’ books

Entertainment

Comic books

Puzzle books

Personal Correspondence

Letters

Emails

Postcards

Faxes

Cell-phone text messages

On-line chatting
The Internet

The Internet now includes most of the examples above

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6. Types of Clothing

Casual Wear
a pair of jeans

a pair of slacks

a T-shirt

a sweater

a pair of shorts

a cardigan

Formal Wear
a business suit

a vest

a tie

a bow tie

a wedding gown

a ballroom gown

a tuxedo

an overcoat

a fur coat

Both Formal and Casual Wear
a pair of trousers (Br.) = a pair of pants (U.S.)
a shirt
a skirt
a dress
a blouse
a coat
a jacket
Sportswear
a tracksuit

clothes for football, basketball etc.

ski clothes (a ski vest, a pair of ski pants, a ski jacket)

a pair of swimming costumes = a swimsuit

golf clothes

sports fishing clothes

Work clothes
a pair of protective overalls

a doctor’s gown

a lab coat

an apron

Uniforms

For the following groups:

school children

police

security guards

the military = the armed forces (army, navy, air-force)

mailmen = postmen

some company & factory employees

airline pilots & flight attendants

railway & bus-line employees

nurses

waiters and waitresses

sports teams

marching band members

Footwear

shoes

dress shoes (= formal shoes)

sandals

house slippers

thongs (U.S. = ‘flip-flops’)

gym boots (sneakers)

dancing shoes

martial arts slippers

sports shoes – football, golf, track & field

work boots

rain boots

fur-lined winter boots

high-heels

platform shoes

Hats
baseball caps

‘cowboy hats’

straw hats

Panama hats

Stetson hats

Arctic weather hats

cloth (toweling) hats

berets

fur hats

Chinese ‘coolie’ hats

woolen ‘beanies’

ski masks

hard hats (safety hats)

motorcycle helmets

Other
baby clothes

underwear

pyjamas (U.S. = pajamas)

a dressing gown

a raincoat

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7. Electrical & Electronic Appliances
 Home Appliances

Refrigerator

Microwave oven

Electric stove

Rice cooker

Blender/food mixer

Washing machine

Clothes dryer

Air conditioner

Electric heater (radiator)

Humidifier

Electric fan

Kitchen exhaust fan (above the stove)

Vacuum cleaner

Electric shaver

Electric toothbrush

Hairdryer

Reading lamp

Electric drill

Entertainment

DVD/ VCD player

Television

Radio

CD player

Tape player/tape recorder

Stereo system

Speaker(s)

Walkman

MP3/ MP4

Ipod

Communication

Telephone

Cell-phone (= mobile phone)

Message machine

Fax machine

Computer Appliances

Computer (including laptop computer = notebook computer)

Monitor

Scanner

Printer

Office

Fax machine

Photocopy machine (photocopier)

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8. Methods of Storing Memories

Photographs (in a photo album)

Photographs (stored as digital photos on a computer or an electronic storage device)

Diaries

Videos

Tape recordings

Keeping old letters

Storing emails

Keeping souvenirs and mementos

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9. Things That Some People Collect

Stamps

Coins

Sports cards

Rocks

Shells

Butterflies/Insects

Antiques

Art (paintings, calligraphy etc.)

Comics, magazines, old books

CD’s (music)

DVD’s (films)

Postcards

Dolls

Models (model cars, model trains, model ships, model planes etc.)

Matchboxes

Cigarette packs

Beer cans

Items with a special motif (eg., toys, models & pictures of dogs, cats or horses etc.)

Telephone cards

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10. Environmental Problems

The Problems

pollution: air pollution, water pollution (including oceanic pollution), soil pollution, (noise pollution)

global warming

species loss

deforestation

desertification

soil salinification

ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere

waste disposal

water shortage

Other Related Vocabulary

Pollution

fertilizer

factory waste

rivers and streams

heavy metals

Global Warming

melting of the glaciers and the polar icecaps

extremes of weather

The El Nino Phenomenon

The Greenhouse Effect

carbon dioxide; sulphur dioxide

man-made causes; possible natural causes

fuel

fossil fuels

hydrogen

wind power, solar power, solar cells

vehicle exhaust

power station

Water Shortage

recycling

Waste Disposal

recycling

Desertification

sand storms (dust storms)

overgrazing

goats (a major cause of desertification)

grasslands

reforestation

land regeneration

Species Loss

habitat loss

ecological balance

genetic diversity

genes; genetic engineering

natural compounds (from living organisms)

medicinal uses

genetically produced medicines (from the use of the genes of other species)

improved/higher food production (from the use of original crop genes)

Soil Salinification

the water table

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11. Housework

washing the dishes

sweeping (the floor)

mopping (the floor)

making the beds

preparing meals

washing vegetables

cooking

tidying

ironing

dusting

taking out the garbage

doing the laundry (washing clothes)

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12. Secondary School 

(‘Secondary School’ is rather formal; ‘high school’ is usually used.)

Physics
Chemistry
Geography
Politics
Mathematics [Math (U.S); Maths (Br.)]
P.E. (Physical Education) (This is not normally called a ‘school subject’.)
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13. Leisure Time & Relaxing
to relax (Don’t add ‘myself’ or any variation of ‘self’ after this word.)

to ‘wind down’

to ‘take it easy’

to take a stroll; to take/have a walk

to meditate

massage

sauna

sofa

soft, soothing music

holidays (Br.) = vacation (U.S.)

holiday   A ‘holiday’ (singular) usually refers to a public holiday, i.e., a day or small number of days when most people take time off work.

weekend

go on a trip

take a trip

to travel

to go sightseeing

a hobby

an interest

a pastime

to pass the time ( Do not say, “to kill time” except when you are talking about situations when time seems to be moving particularly slowly because you have nothing to do such as waiting for two hours at the train station to catch your train.)

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14. Rain

humid
sticky
uncomfortable
refreshing
cooling
a storm
a thunderstorm
thunder
lightening
a deluge
to pour
to ‘rain cats and dogs’= to rain very heavily
a flood
an underpass
to inundate
the rainy season
the monsoon season
the tropics
a drought
parched
to sprinkle
a drop
not a drop
a dry spell
irregular
a trickle
to dry up
reservoir
a dam

to irrigate

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15. Restaurants & Food

menu

hotpot

seafood

Cantonese style food

Sichuan style food

American-style fast food

pizza

vegetarian

take-away food (U.S. = food to go)

hot = spicy

salty

sour

sweet

a cafe (this is a small restaurant, not a coffee shop such as Starbucks)

a restaurant

a cafeteria (this is usually a self-serve eating place such as in a school or factory)

a snack bar

instant noodles

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16. Letters

business letters

personal letters

postcards

love letters

spam

an attachment

to download

a computer virus

to keep in touch with someone

to hear from someone

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17. Daily Routine
usually, always, often, frequently, sometimes, rarely, seldom, never

alert

fresh

tired, tiring

to take a break

to go online

to check my email

warmed-up

in the evening(s)

in the afternoon(s)

in the morning(s)

in the middle of the night

during the day

during working hours
18. Animals
Major Biological Classifications of Animals

  • mammals
  • reptiles
  • amphibians
  • birds
  • fish
  • insects

———————————————-
Domesticated Animals
a) Pets
Dogs

  • Pekinese
  • Chihuahua
  • Poodle
  • Cocker Spaniel
  • Dachshund (‘sausage dog’)
  • Chow
  • Pug
  • Beagle
  • Collie
  • Boxer
  • Bull-dog
  • Bull-terrier
  • the ‘Asian dog’ (This dog can be found as a pet in remote villages in Asia as well as in towns and cities. Similar to the Australian Dingo)
  • Dalmatian
  • German Shepherd
  • Labrador
  • Golden Retriever

young dog = a puppy
Cats

  •  long-haired cats
  •  short-haired cats
  •  Siamese cats
  •  Burmese cats
  •  tabby cats
  •  alley cats (feral cats, street cats)
  •  a tom cat

young cat = a kitten
Birds

  •  the Asian mynah bird
  •  the canary
  •  the budgie ( = the parakeet = the budgerigar)
  •  the parrot
  •  the finch
  •  the pigeon

bird food: birdseed /fruit /nuts
Fish

  •  goldfish
  •  tropical fish

Other Pets

  • rabbits
  • guinea pigs
  • hamsters
  • gerbils
  • rats
  • ferrets
  • tortoises

b) Farmed animals

  • chickens
  • ducks
  • geese
  • pigs (= hogs)
  • sheep
  • beef cattle
  • dairy cows
  • goats

c) Work Animals

  • water buffalo
  • horses
  • donkeys
  • mules
  • camels
  • elephants
  • yaks
  • goats
  • dogs

——————————————
Wild Animals
a)  Endangered Animals of China

  • the panda
  • the tiger
  • the black bear
  • the wolf
  • the Mongolian wild horse
  • the elephant

b)  Other Wild Animals in China

  • rats and mice
  • snakes
  • yaks
  • foxes
  • deer
  • wild horses
  • monkeys

c)  Wild Animals in the Cities of China
The following wild animals are seen in some parts of some cities.

  • squirrels
  • ferrets
  • rats and mice
  • possums
  • bats
  • birds (sparrows, magpies, seagulls, swallows, crows/ravens, …)
  • feral cats

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19. Parks

  • the entrance
  • an entrance fee
  • a statue
  • sculptures
  • a fountain
  • a pool
  • a lake
  • a pond
  • a river
  • a bridge
  • a rockery
  • a bamboo grove
  • a fish pond
  • lawns
  • gardens
  • flowers
  • plants
  • trees
  • vines
  • bamboo
  • a park bench = a park seat
  • in the shade
  • in the sun
  • a pathway = a path
  • to stroll
  • to walk
  • to jog
  • to do exercises
  • to do stretching exercises
  • to do aerobics
  • to do tai ji = to practice tai ji (???)
  • to chat
  • to dance
  • to play a musical instrument
  • to perform
  • to sing
  • to entertain
  • to relax
  • to play chess

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20. Describing People
The adjectives below could be used in the following sentence: “She’s very _________. ” Or, “She’s a very _______ person.” Or, “She’s a very _______ type of person.”
Of course, instead of, ‘very‘ you can also use other words such as:  ‘quite‘, ‘rather‘, ‘somewhat‘ and, ‘extremely‘.

  • friendly
  • easy-going
  • relaxed
  • mellow
  • open
  • natural
  • warm-hearted
  • generous
  • helpful
  • co-operative
  • humourous
  • funny
  • interesting
  • unique
  • special
  • impressive
  • kind
  • empathetic
  • nice
  • good
  • honest
  • considerate
  • selfless (the opposite is, ‘selfish’)
  • down-to-earth
  • extroverted
  • outgoing
  • gregarious
  • sociable
  • spontaneous
  • introverted (This means, ‘usually focused on one’s own thoughts’, such as a research scientist or an author.)
  • shy (This means, ‘a little fearful’ of other people)
  • private
  • quiet
  • studious
  • traditional
  • conservative
  • old-fashioned
  • fashionable
  • ‘cool’
  • ‘hip’
  • modern
  • fashion-conscious
  • stylish
  • well-groomed
  • well-dressed
  • attractive
  • good-looking
  • handsome
  • beautiful
  • pretty
  • elegant
  • graceful
  • gentle
  • statuesque (usually for tall women)
  • well-mannered
  • cultured
  • sophisticated
  • open-minded
  • confident
  • competitive
  • fearless
  • independent
  • individualistic
  • adventurous
  • persistent
  • industrious = hard-working
  • motivated
  • single-minded
  • goal-oriented
  • determined
  • ambitious
  • strong-willed
  • passionate
  • enthusiastic
  • well-balanced
  • positive
  • healthy
  • fit (= healthy)
  • health-conscious
  • athletic
  • physical
  • artistic
  • talented
  • musical
  • theatrical
  • dramatic
  • expressive
  • intelligent
  • bright
  • analytical
  • erudite = well-read (usually for older people)
  • well-educated
  • skilled
  • professional
  • thorough
  • careful
  • neat
  • precise
  • meticulous
  • reliable
  • punctual
  • knowledgeable
  • curious
  • far-sighted
  • insightful
  • wise
  • mature
  • responsible
  • intuitive
  • imaginative
  • creative
  • playful (usually children)
  • rambunctious (e.g., a 2-yr-old child)
  • energetic
  • adorable
  • cute
  • loveable
  • lovely
  • loving

Some nouns

  • a joy (e.g., ‘a joy to be around’)
  • an inspiration
  • an example
  • a model student
  • a model son
  • a devoted mother, a devoted teacher, a devoted doctor
  • a genius
  • a leader

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21. The Sections of a Newspaper
The following are the main sections that typical newspapers have.

  • The Local News Section
  • The International News Section
  • The Editorial Section
  • Letters to the Editor
  • The Business Section
  • The Entertainment Section
  • The Sports Section
  • The Classified Advertisements Section
  • The Comics (Comic Strips)

Other sections that most often appear in weekend editions of newspapers are:

  • The Travel Section
  • The ‘Magazine Section’ that features stories and information about modern living, fashion, home decoration etc.

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22. Types of Magazines
There are magazines for almost every topic of interest, whether a sport, hobby, general interest or a career interest.

  • Sports magazines (e.g. Basketball, Football, Golf magazines)
  • Tabloid magazines (Sensationalized & often exaggerated or untrue articles & gossip about celebrities. This magazine genre also includes magazines with unusual or sensationalized human-interest stories.)
  • Movie magazines (Stories and reviews about the latest films)
  • Music & Entertainment magazines (Articles about pop music & movies & entertainment celebrities)
  • News & Current Events magazines (News, news analysis & opinion pieces)
  • Women’s magazines (Topics of general interest to women, including parenting, family,  home, health, beauty & fashion, career & relationship advice, & short stories.)
  • Beauty & Fashion magazines (e.g., Vogue. Articles & many photographs on fashion & beauty for women)
  • Teen magazines (Usually for teenage girls – general interest magazines for teenagers with topics such as romantic short stories, romance advice, fashion & beauty advice, entertainment etc.)
  • Men’s magazines (Short stories & articles of interest to (usually) young men, including pictures of pretty girls)
  • Handyman magazines (=D.Y.I. magazines = Do-It-Yourself magazines) (Articles on how to do certain practical things such as repairing or making certain things)
  • Home and Gardening magazines (Articles about buying a home, home decoration, home maintenance, gardening etc.)
  • Car magazines
  • Military magazines (Articles & stories about military history, military equipment & weaponry)
  • Hobbyist magazines (E.g., stamp collecting, antiques, photography, different arts and crafts, pets, different games …)
  • Computer magazines (Articles about new developments and products in the world of computers)
  • Computer Game magazines
  • Business & Money magazines (Articles about personal money management, investing, the stock market etc.)
  • Puzzle magazines (With puzzles to solve)
  • Humor magazines (Jokes, funny cartoons, & humorous short stories)
  • Travel magazines (Articles about interesting places to visit)
  • Science and Nature magazines (E.g., National Geographic)
  • Health and Fitness magazines
  • Popular Psychology magazines (Self-help articles and articles on ‘pop psychology’ topics)
  • Literary magazines (Short stories, poetry, reviews of new books, etc.)
  • Short Story magazines (Various short stories to read. Different genres exist e.g., mystery stories, romance stories, crime stories, science fiction stories …)
  • Political magazines (Usually political analysis & opinion rather than objective political news)
  • Scholarly magazines (Specialized magazines for academics in different subjects)

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23. Law

  • to commit a crime = to break the law
  • to disregard the law, to violate the law
  • to obey the law = to abide by the law
  • a law-abiding citizen
  • a crime = an infraction of the law = an offence
  • violent crime
  • economic crime
  • a crime of passion
  • criminal negligence
  • a “white collar crime”
  • a “victimless crime”
  • a criminal = a law breaker
  • a juvenile delinquent
  • be required by the law
  • against the law = illegal
  • within the law = legal, lawful
  • to “be above the law”
  • to “turn to crime”, to “be driven to crime”
  • organized crime
  • a criminal gang
  • to prohibit
  • to ban
  • treason
  • a felony
  • a misdemeanor
  • murder
  • manslaughter
  • assault
  • theft (a thief)
  • robbery (a robber)
  • burglary (a burglar)
  • rape (a rapist)
  • kidnapping
  • fraud
  • blackmail
  • bribery
  • graft
  • corruption
  • extortion
  • slander
  • to defame
  • smuggling
  • piracy
  • forgery
  • fake, counterfeit
  • drug trafficking
  • arson
  • insurance fraud
  • bigamy
  • vandalism
  • gambling
  • a petty crime
  • a ‘con man’, a confidence trickster
  • a victim
  • compensation
  • insider trading
  • prison = gaol (Br.) = jail (U.S. but also used in Britain & Australia)
  • punishment = a penalty
  • capital punishment = the death penalty
  • a sentence, to sentence, to pass sentence
  • a fine
  • a criminal record
  • a regulation, to regulate
  • a harsh law, a harsh sentence
  • a lenient sentence, a light sentence
  • to arrest someone
  • innocent, guilty
  • the police, the police force
  • a policeman, a policewoman, a police officer (U.S.)
  • a police station, a police car, a police dog
  • traffic police
  • a detective
  • forensic science
  • law enforcement, to enforce the law = to uphold the law
  • crime prevention
  • a deterrence
  • a crackdown on crime
  • to combat crime, to fight crime
  • to prosecute, to defend
  • to be convicted of a crime
  • evidence, proof
  • a witness
  • a law court = a court of law
  • a trial
  • a judge
  • a magistrate
  • a lawyer = an attorney (U.S.), a barrister (Br.), a solicitor (Br.)
  • to practice law
  • a law firm
  • a law suit, to sue somebody
  • a license, a business license, a driver’s license
  • to enact a law, to institute a law, to adopt a law
  • a annul a law, to repeal a law

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24. Water
Water Usage

  • consume/consumption
  • in agriculture
  • in industry
  • trickle irrigation
  • domestic uses (= household uses)
  • watering public lawns and gardens
  • taking/having a bath
  • taking/having a shower
  • cleaning/brushing your (my) teeth
  • flushing the toilet
  • washing the dishes
  • washing the car
  • turn off/turn on
  • a tap (U.S. = a faucet)
  • a running tap

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25. Games 
Adult games
chess
mahjong
weiqi (I suggest you use the Chinese name, not the Japanese name, ‘Go’)
card games (e.g., poker)
pool (= “8 ball”), billiards, snooker
computer games
drinking games

Children’s Games
(See also here for some traditional Chinese children’s games)
marbles
‘Hide and seek’
Hopscotch
‘Scissors, rock and paper’
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26. Playgrounds
Basic List
a swing
a slide = a slippery dip
a carousel
a see-saw
a jungle-gym = a set of monkey bars

The following internet articles will show you some good vocabulary (along with pictures) for the topic of children’s playgrounds and playground equipment.
http://www.aaastateofplay.com/ 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playground  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_gym  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/See-saw  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing