British English

tourist

tour·ist [tourist tourists]   [ˈtʊərɪst]    [ˈtɔːrɪst]    [ˈtʊrɪst]  noun
1. a person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure
• busloads of foreign tourists
• a popular tourist attraction/destination/resort
• the tourist industry/sector

• Further information is available from the local tourist office.

2. (BrE) a member of a sports team that is playing a series of official games in a foreign country 
Collocations:
Travel and tourism
Holidays/vacations
have/take (BrE) a holiday/(NAmE) a vacation/a break/a day off/(BrE) a gap year
go on/be on holiday/vacation/leave/honeymoon/safari/a trip/a tour/a cruise/a pilgrimage
go backpacking/camping/hitchhiking/sightseeing
plan a trip/a holiday/a vacation/your itinerary
book accommodation/a hotel room/a flight/tickets
have/make/cancel a reservation/(especially BrE) booking
rent a villa/(both BrE) a holiday home/a holiday cottage
(especially BrE) hire/ (especially NAmE) rent a car/bicycle/moped
stay in a hotel/a bed and breakfast/a youth hostel/a villa/(both BrE) a holiday home/a caravan
cost/charge $100 a/per night for a single/double/twin/standard/(BrE) en suite room
check into/out of a hotel/a motel/your room
pack/unpack your suitcase/bags
call/order room service
cancel/cut short a trip/holiday/vacation
Foreign travel
apply for/get/renew a/your passport
take out/buy/get travel insurance
catch/miss your plane/train/ferry/connecting flight
fly (in)/travel in business/economy class
make/have a brief/two-day/twelve-hour stopover/(NAmE also) layover in Hong Kong
experience/cause/lead to delays
check (in)/collect/get/lose (your) (especially BrE) luggage/(especially NAmE) baggage
be charged for/pay excess baggage
board/get on/leave/get off the aircraft/plane/ship/ferry
taxi down/leave/approach/hit/overshoot the runway
experience/hit/encounter severe turbulence
suffer from/recover from/get over your jet lag/travel sickness
The tourist industry
attract/draw/bring tourists/visitors
encourage/promote/hurt tourism
promote/develop ecotourism
build/develop/visit a tourist/holiday/(especially BrE) seaside/beach/ski resort
work for/be operated by a major hotel chain
be served by/compete with low-cost/(especially NAmE) low-fare/budget airlines
book sth through/make a booking through/use a travel agent
contact/check with your travel agent/tour operator
book/be on/go on a package deal/holiday/tour
buy/bring back (tacky/overpriced) souvenirs 
Example Bank:
• I bought a tourist guide to Paris.
• Pompeii is one of Italy's prime tourist attractions.
• Recently Edinburgh has become a popular tourist centre.
• She works as a tourist guide.
• The Story of the Loch Ness Monster has attracted many tourists to the area.
• The city has unrealized tourist potential.
• The festival is accompanied by a huge influx of tourists.
• The high level of crime is frightening away tourists.
• The theme park is the region's most popular tourist facility.
• The town is off the usual tourist route.
• Their economy is dependent on tourist dollars.
• the exploitation of women by sex tourists
• the local tourist information office
• the part of town most frequented by tourists
• the reduction in tourist traffic due to the violence
• A busload of tourists arrived at the village.
• A tourist bus crashed on a remote mountain road last night.
• He entered the country on a tourist visa.
• It was the beginning of the tourist season.
• Local people rely on the tourist industry for employment.
• Local roads cannot cope with the increase in tourist traffic.
• She was guiding a group of tourists around the castle.
• The Taj Mahal is one of the most important tourist sights in India.
• The coastline of Vietnam has massive tourist potential.
• The number of tourists visiting London is rising again.
• The temple is a major tourist attraction.
• The town is a popular tourist destination.
• There is a tourist information centre by the car park.
• There is little accommodation available for tourists.
• Tourists flock to the ruins, causing further erosion.
• We have a large influx of tourists in the summer.
• We travelled on minor roads and tracks, away from the tourist trail.
• We visited all the usual tourist spots.

• Western tourists rarely visit the area.

adjective
1. that you are pleased to have, receive, etc
• a welcome sight
• Your letter was very welcome.

• The fine weather made a welcome change.

2. (of people) accepted or wanted somewhere
• Children are always welcome at the hotel.
• Our neighbours made us welcome as soon as we arrived.
• I had the feeling we were not welcome at the meeting.

• a welcome guest

3. ~ to do sth (informal) used to say that you are happy for sb to do sth if they want to
• They're welcome to stay here as long as they like.

• You're welcome to use the pool.

4. ~ to sth (informal) used to say that you are very happy for sb to have sth because you definitely do not want it
• It's an awful job. If you want it, you're welcome to it!  
Word Origin:
Old English wilcuma ‘a person whose coming is pleasing’, wilcumian (verb), from wil- ‘desire, pleasure’ + cuman ‘come’. The first element was later changed to wel- ‘well’, influenced by Old French bien venu or Old Norse velkominn.  
Example Bank:
• He made it plain that Holman's interest in his business affairs was not entirely welcome.
• New members are welcome to the club.
• The 1% rate cut is extremely welcome.
• They made us very welcome in their home.
• Visitors are always welcome.
• You are perfectly welcome to stay here, if you don't mind the mess.
• You are perfectly welcome to stay here: I can't offer five-star accommodation, that's all.

• You would be a most welcome guest.

middle-aged

ˌmiddle-ˈaged [middle-aged]      adjective

1. (of a person) neither young nor old

2. the middle aged noun plural people who are middle-aged

3. (disapproving) (of a person's attitudes or behaviour) rather boring and old-fashioned

• He has a very middle-aged attitude to life.

adjective
of or connected with N or S America, especially the US
• I'm American.
• American culture/tourists  
Word Origin:
from modern Latin Americanus, from America, which dates from the early 16th cent. and is believed to derive from the Latin form (Americus) of the name of Amerigo Vespucci, who sailed along the west coast of South America in 1501.  
Culture:
America
The United States of America is called by several different names, both by the people who live there and by people in other countries. These names include the USA, the United States, the US, the States and America. The official name, the United States of America, first appears in the Declaration of Independence of 1776, when the country was called ‚the thirteen united States of America’. America is widely used as a name for the US, though this seems unfair on all the other nations in the Americas (= the continents of North and South America). Songs like America and America the Beautiful are about the US. Americans also use informal names like the US of A and Stateside, especially when they are out of the country. Other names, e.g. ‚the land of the free’, ‚the land of liberty’, ‚God’s country’, ‚the melting pot ’ and ‚the greatest nation on earth’, show their pride in their country. People in Britain and America sometimes refer humorously to each other’s countries as ‚the other side of the pond’, i.e. the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
North America refers to a continent and region, and includes Canada and Mexico as well as the US. Between the US and South America is the region of Central America. Sometimes the countries of Central and South America are together referred to as Latin America.
America and the Americas are said to have been named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorerwho sailed to South America in 1499, visiting the area that later became known as Brazil, and also the Bahamas. Vespucci believed that the land he had discovered was a new continent, not part of Asia as Columbus had thought. By 1538, the famous map-maker Gerhardus Mercator was using the name ‚America’, the Latin form of Vespucci’s name, for the New World (= North and South America, as opposed to Europe).
People from the US are called Americans, though British people may, rather rudely, call them ‚Yanks’. People from other countries in the Americas are called by national names derived from the name of their country, e.g. Canadians. The adjective used to describe things from the US is American. The US is always referred to in organizations such as the American Legion and in expressions like ‚the American dream ’. US is also used as an adjective, as in the US Olympic team. Official names of government organizations may use United States, e.g. the United States Military Academy. 
More About:
America
The continent of America is divided into North America and South America. The narrow region joining North and South America is Central America.
North America, which is a geographical term, consists of the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Latin America, a cultural term, refers to the non-English speaking countries of Central and South America, where mainly Portuguese and Spanish are spoken. Mexico is part of Latin America.
The United States of America is usually shortened to the USA, the US, the States or simply America: ▪ the US President ◊ ▪ Have you ever been to the States? ◊ ▪ She emigrated to America in 1995. Many people from other parts of the continent dislike this use of America to mean just the US, but it is very common.

American is usually used to talk about somebody or something from the United States of America: ▪ Do you have an American passport? ◊ ▪ American football ◊ ▪ I’m not American, I’m Canadian. Latin American and South American are used to refer to other parts of the continent: ▪ Latin American dance music ◊ ▪ Quite a lot of South Americans study here.

Italian

Italian [Italian]   [ɪˈtæliən]    [ɪˈtæliən]  noun, adjective

(a person) from Italy

twice

twice   [twaɪs]    [twaɪs]  adverb
1. two times; on two occasions
• I don't know him well; I've only met him twice.
• They go there twice a week/month/year.

• a twice-monthly/yearly newsletter

2. double in quantity, rate, etc
• an area twice the size of Wales
• Cats sleep twice as much as people.
• At 56 he's twice her age.
• Charges have risen at twice the rate of inflation.
more at lightning never strikes (in the same place) twice at  lightning  _n., once bitten, twice shyonce or twice at  once  _adv., think twice about sth at  think  _v.
Idiom: twice over  
Word Origin:

[twice] late Old English twiges, from the base of two  + -s (later respelled -ce to denote the unvoiced sound); compare with once.

Internet

Inter·net (also inter·net)  [ˈɪntənet]    [ˈɪntərnet]  noun (usually the Internet) (also informal the Net) singular
an international computer network connecting other networks and computers from companies, universities, etc
• I looked it up on the Internet.
• You can buy our goods over the Internet.
• All the rooms have access to the Internet/Internet access.
• an Internet service provider (= a company that provides you with an Internet connection and services such as email, etc.)
see also  intranet, WWW
See also: internet  
Word Origin:
[Internet] 1970s (denoting a computer network connecting two or more smaller networks): from inter-  ‘reciprocal, mutual’ + network.  
Collocations:
Email and the Internet
Email
receive/get/open an email
write/send/answer/forward/delete an email
check/read/access your email
block/filter (out) junk/spam/unsolicited email
exchange email addresses
open/check your inbox
junk mail fills/floods/clogs your inbox
have/set up an email account
open/send/contain an attachment
sign up for/receive email alerts
Connecting to the Internet
use/access/log onto the Internet/the Web
go online/on the Internet
have a high-speed/dial-up/broadband/wireless (Internet) connection
access/connect to/locate the server
use/open/close/launch a/your web browser
browse/surf/search/scour the Internet/the Web
send/contain/spread/detect a (computer/email) virus
update your anti-virus software
install/use/configure a firewall
accept/enable/block/delete cookies
Using the Internet
visit/check a website/an Internet site/sb's blog
create/design/launch a website/social networking site
start/write/post/read a blog
update your blog/a website
be in/meet sb in/go into/enter an Internet chat room
download/upload music/software/a song/a podcast/a file/a copy of sth
share information/data/files
post a comment/message on a website/an online message board/a web forum/an internet chat room
stream video/audio/music/content over the Internet
join/participate in/visit/provide a (web-based/web/online/Internet/discussion) forum
generate/increase/monitor Internet traffic 
Example Bank:
• Attempts to regulate the Internet are usually doomed to failure.
• He likes watching movies, reading, and surfing the Internet.
• It is possible to earn a degree over the Internet.
• Many of the sites launched at the peak of the Internet boom have now disappeared.
• More and more people are shopping on the Internet.
• Registering an Internet domain name is now an essential part of setting up a company.
• She likes to go on the Internet in the evenings.
• She often talks to fans via live Internet chats.
• She went on the Internet to check air fares.
• The auction was held in Paris with an Internet link to New York.
• They began scouring the Internet for information about his condition.
• Thousands logged on to view the live Internet broadcast of the concert.
• Travellers can check their email at the Internet cafe in the square.
• a broadband/high-speed Internet connection
• issues facing the music industry in the Internet age
• software for downloading Internet files
• the bank's Internet arm
• the challenges of providing Internet connectivity to rural communities
• the laying of fast networks to carry Internet traffic

• unlimited/unmetered Internet access

effective

ef·fect·ive   [ɪˈfektɪv]    [ɪˈfektɪv]  adjective
1. producing the result that is wanted or intended; producing a successful result
• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders.
• Aspirin is a simple but highly effective treatment.
• drugs that are effective against cancer
• Some people believe that violence is an effective way of protesting.
• I admire the effective use of colour in her paintings.
Opp:  ineffective 

see also  cost-effective

2. only before noun in reality, although not officially intended
• the effective, if not the actual, leader of the party
• In spite of what they are told, parents have no effective choice of schools.

• He has now taken effective control of the country.

3. (formal) (of laws and rules) coming into use
• The new speed limit on this road becomes effective from 1 June.
Derived Word: effectiveness
See also: effectivity  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin effectivus, from efficere ‘accomplish’, from ex- ‘out, thoroughly’ + facere ‘do, make’.  
Thesaurus:
effective [effective effectiveness] adj.
• a simple but highly effective treatment
successful • • powerful •
Opp: ineffective
effective/successful/powerful in sth
effective/successful/powerful in doing sth
an effective/successful/powerful campaign/challenge  
Example Bank:
• The drug is generally effective in reducing pain.
• This method is effective enough with greenfly.
• We find advertising on the radio very effective.
• What makes a TV programme politically effective?
• a highly effective technique
• directly effective treaty provisions
• effective at keeping out the wind
• effective in helping people to stop smoking

• He argued that long prison sentences could be a very effective deterrent for offenders.

trait

trait [trait traits]   [treɪt]    [treɪt]  noun
a particular quality in your personality
• personality traits
• Awareness of class is a typically British trait.  
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent.: from French, from Latin tractus ‘drawing, draught’, from trahere ‘draw, pull’. An early sense was ‘stroke of the pen or pencil in a picture’, giving rise to the sense ‘a particular feature of mind or character’ (mid 18th cent.).  
Example Bank:
• She shares several character traits with her father.
• We do not know which behavioural traits are inherited and which acquired.
• a collection of traits associated with schizophrenia
• the composer's stylistic traits

• personality/character traits

optimism

op·ti·mism   [ˈɒptɪmɪzəm]    [ˈɑːptɪmɪzəm]  noun uncountable ~ (about/for sth)
a feeling that good things will happen and that sth will be successful; the tendency to have this feeling
• optimism about/for the future
• We may now look forward with optimism.
• a mood of cautious optimism
• There are very real grounds for optimism.
• Both sides have expressed optimism about the chances of an early agreement.
Opp:  pessimism  
Word Origin:
[optimism] mid 18th cent.: from French optimisme, from Latin optimum ‘best thing’, neuter (used as a noun) of optimus ‘best’.  
Example Bank:
• Despite the crisis a cautious optimism prevailed.
• Her optimism turned out to be misplaced.
• I find it hard to share his optimism.
• The 1970s began still full of optimism.
• The government expressed optimism about the success of the negotiations.
• The news caused a wave of optimism.
• There are now very real grounds for optimism.
• There was a note of optimism in his voice.
• We can look to the future with considerable optimism.
• When the 1970s began, we were still full of optimism.
• great optimism for the future
• renewed optimism among mortgage lenders
• He returned with renewed optimism about the future.

• Some people talked of a mood of cautious optimism.