Learning English

Session 1

UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

UN
United Nations

EU
European Union

FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation

AOB
Any Other Business (used in meetings and business communication)

DVD
Digital Versatile Disc

FYI
For Your Information (used in business communication, and sometimes spoken)

UFO
Unidentified Flying Object

UNICEF
United Nations Children's Fund

WHO
World Health Organisation

CV
Curriculum Vitae

scuba
self-contained underwater breathing apparatus

ILO
International Labour Organization

WTO
World Trade Organisation

ASEAN
Association of Southeast Asian Nations

ASAP
as soon as possible

BTW
by the way

AOB
any other business

Session 3

could do with
need or want something (used in spoken English)

wrinkles
lines on the skin, which usually appear with age

procedures
operations

breast augmentation
operation to make breasts bigger

rhinoplasty
type of surgery to change the nose

cosmetic surgery
operation done to improve someone’s appearance

anaesthetics
drugs which stop people feeling pain

antibiotics
drugs which prevent infection

to go under the knife
have an operation

nose jobs
operation to change the nose

skin graft
piece of skin taken from one part of the body and used to repair another

trenches
long, narrow holes soldiers dig and stay in

innovator
creator of new things

ward
part of a hospital with beds for patients

disfigured
describes someone whose appearance has been damaged

rib cartilage
strong tissue found in bones if the chest

facelift
operation to tighten the skin of the face to make it look younger

Session 4

cosmetic surgery
a medical operation aimed at changing someone's appearance rather than their health

to go under the knife
to have a medical operation

vanity
being interested in your own appearance.

aesthetics
(here) how beautiful you look

surgeons
people trained to perform operations, usually in a hospital

fix-all
situation where everything is sorted out

headlong
doing something quickly without thinking

pay the price
face the consequences of taking a risk

facelift
(here) a medical procedure where loose skin is tightened to make the face look younger

considered
given a lot of thought

what you see is what you get
accept what you see as it's not going to change

Session 5

embracing
holding someone in your arms to show you love them

deny
to say something is not true

deceived
tricked

cowardly
not brave enough to do something they should

Bunburying
invented word which means inventing a person (either for yourself or a different person) to give you an excuse for behaving in a different way or to avoid situations

inexcusable
describing behaviour that is very bad

muffins
small, round breads that are sliced and eaten hot with butter

heartless
showing no feeling or consideration for others

Reverend
title for a person who performs religious duties in the Christian Church

christened
given a name (usually as a baby) during a religious ceremony in the Christian Church

right
something a person is allowed to do or have

constitution
state of someone's health