📚 Vocabulary Deep Dive
B1B2 – WHAT IS COOL? AND CAN I BE?
🎯 Learning Priorities
Focus on these words based on their importance for understanding the text:
the quality of being fashionable, attractive and confident in a way that people admire
📝 “A recent international study claims to have discovered the secret of coolness”
to try very hard to do something difficult
📝 “People who are born introverts will probably struggle to seem consistently socially confident”
as stated or reported by someone
📝 “According to the researchers, people can increase how cool they seem”
stated that something is true, especially when it might not be
📝 “with only ten percent claiming they actually were”
always behaving or happening in the same way
📝 “Results were remarkably consistent across age, gender, education and location”
in a way that is certainly true and cannot be disagreed with
📝 “Who is undeniably cool? Charli XCX, certainly.”
in a way that appears easy and natural, without trying hard
📝 “identifying six key characteristics that make someone seem effortlessly desirable”
in addition to what has been said; furthermore
📝 “Moreover, simply having those characteristics isn't enough”
the ideas, attitudes, or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal
📝 “Selling out to the mainstream was looked down upon”
usually does something or usually happens in a particular way
📝 “Coolness tends to come from obsessive artistic vision or family problems”
if a quality or characteristic rubs off on you, you start to have it because you are with another person who has it
📝 “hoping some coolness will rub off on them”
regarded as inferior or not worthy of respect
📝 “Selling out to the mainstream was looked down upon”
showing no emotion or feelings on your face or in your behavior
📝 “being inexpressive makes you seem cold rather than cool”
the social group consisting of people who do physical or manual work for wages
📝 “Most twentieth-century cool icons were poor or working class”
in a way that involves doing things or taking action
📝 “which is worse than being actively uncool”
📖 Complete Vocabulary Reference
All vocabulary items organized by theme:
Core Concept Vocabulary
Central terms for discussing the main topic of coolness and its characteristics
the quality of being fashionable, attractive and confident in a way that people admire
📝 “A recent international study claims to have discovered the secret of coolness”
in a way that is certainly true and cannot be disagreed with
📝 “Who is undeniably cool? Charli XCX, certainly.”
in a way that appears easy and natural, without trying hard
📝 “identifying six key characteristics that make someone seem effortlessly desirable”
stated that something is true, especially when it might not be
📝 “with only ten percent claiming they actually were”
Discourse Markers and Connectors
Words that structure arguments and add information in formal writing
as stated or reported by someone
📝 “According to the researchers, people can increase how cool they seem”
in addition to what has been said; furthermore
📝 “Moreover, simply having those characteristics isn't enough”
usually does something or usually happens in a particular way
📝 “Coolness tends to come from obsessive artistic vision or family problems”
Descriptive and Evaluative Terms
Adjectives and adverbs used to describe characteristics and behaviors
always behaving or happening in the same way
📝 “Results were remarkably consistent across age, gender, education and location”
showing no emotion or feelings on your face or in your behavior
📝 “being inexpressive makes you seem cold rather than cool”
in a way that involves doing things or taking action
📝 “which is worse than being actively uncool”
Social and Cultural Terms
Vocabulary describing social classes, attitudes and cultural phenomena
the social group consisting of people who do physical or manual work for wages
📝 “Most twentieth-century cool icons were poor or working class”
the ideas, attitudes, or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal
📝 “Selling out to the mainstream was looked down upon”
regarded as inferior or not worthy of respect
📝 “Selling out to the mainstream was looked down upon”
Action and Process Verbs
Verbs describing challenges, influences and changes
to try very hard to do something difficult
📝 “People who are born introverts will probably struggle to seem consistently socially confident”
if a quality or characteristic rubs off on you, you start to have it because you are with another person who has it
📝 “hoping some coolness will rub off on them”
🎮 Practice Activities
Word Formation
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets
The singer’s _____ (cool) has made her a fashion icon.
She is _____ (deny) one of the most talented artists today.
His face remained completely _____ (express) during the interview.
The team worked _____ (effort) together to complete the project.
She _____ (active) participates in all class discussions.
Collocation Matching
Gap Fill
_____ the study, most people think they are not cool.
Introverts often _____ to appear socially confident in large groups.
The research findings were _____ across all age groups and countries.
She is _____ talented, even her critics admit it.
His positive attitude _____ on everyone around him.
Gap Fill Multiple Choice
_____, having the right characteristics isn't enough to be cool.
In the past, selling out to the _____ was considered uncool.
Many cool icons came from _____ backgrounds.
People who are _____ uncool are worse off than those who are just neutral.
The survey showed that only 10% _____ they were actually cool.