American English · B1 · Unit 21
Life in the US
Life in the US
By the end you can
- Say what surprised you about life in the US
- Compare everyday life in the US with your country
- Understand a text about how people live
Words and phrases
| American English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| what surprised me | the surprising thing for me | What surprised me was how big everything is. |
| compared to | next to (in a comparison) | Compared to my country, people here drive everywhere. |
| back home | in my home country | Back home, we walk everywhere. |
| people tend to | people usually | People tend to eat dinner early here. |
| tipping | giving extra money for service | Tipping is a big part of life here. |
| sales tax | tax added when you pay, not shown in the price | The price on the shelf doesn't include sales tax. |
| small talk | short, friendly chat about simple things | Everyone makes small talk with the cashier. |
| it took me a while | I needed time | It took me a while to get used to the huge portions. |
| whereas | but in contrast | Here people move often, whereas back home they stay in one town. |
| a driver's license | a card that lets you drive (British: a driving licence) | You need a driver's license for almost everything here. |
| the suburbs | areas of houses outside a city | Most of my coworkers live in the suburbs. |
Then talk it through
A visitor asks you what's surprising about everyday life in the US. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.