C1 ADVANCED · VOCABULARY · TOPIC VOCABULARY
Health and well-being
Words like sedentary lifestyle, mental health, preventable and be under the weather.
Finn says
At C1, health questions cover lifestyle, mental health and public health policy. Learn the words in groups, with the words they go with, and try to use two or three of them next time you practise Speaking or Writing.
Lifestyle
a sedentary lifestyle
a life with little physical activity
Office work encourages a sedentary lifestyle.
mental health / well-being
psychological health / feeling good
Exercise benefits mental health.
processed food
food changed by industrial methods
We eat too much processed food.
be under the weather
feel slightly ill
I'm a bit under the weather today.
a wake-up call
an event that makes you realise you must change
The heart attack was a wake-up call.
burn the candle at both ends
work too much and sleep too little
You can't burn the candle at both ends forever.
Public health
preventable
able to be avoided
Many diseases are preventable.
life expectancy
how long people usually live
Life expectancy has risen dramatically.
obesity
being very overweight
Childhood obesity is increasing.
healthcare
medical services
Everyone should have access to free healthcare.
a chronic illness
a long-lasting illness
Diabetes is a chronic illness.
raise awareness
make people know about a problem
The campaign aims to raise awareness of mental health.
Make it better
The same idea, first in basic English, then in the kind of language that gets a higher mark.
- Basic: People don't move enough.Better: Many people lead a sedentary lifestyle.Precise and formal.
- Basic: I feel a bit ill.Better: I'm feeling a bit under the weather.Natural idiom for Speaking.
- Basic: People live longer now.Better: Life expectancy has increased.A key concept for essays.
- Basic: The campaign tells people about the problem.Better: The campaign raises awareness of the problem.The standard collocation.
Finn's exam tip
Match your register: under the weather and burn the candle at both ends are great in Speaking, but in a formal essay use sedentary lifestyle, life expectancy and preventable diseases.
Quick check
Choose the best answer.
🇪🇸 Guía en español: Phrasal verbs para el C1 Advanced: lista con ejemplos →
Practice → Check → Learn → Repeat ↻