Life is beautiful and beauty comes from the heart. The heart is like the sun and the sun in the sky is like the heart of our solar system.
Love and Anatomy
The word heart can be confusing. It can refer to the spiritual heart or the physical heart. Look at these collocations which refer to the physical heart:
He had a heart attack.
They died of heart disease.
I had an operation on my heart.
She had heart surgery.
My heart beats faster when I am excited.
The heart can also refer to the spiritual heart. It is the origin of love. If your heart is good and pure and not angry or jealous, your actions will be good and kind and understanding.
Romantic Love
The heart is also the seat of romantic love.
We often hear the word “heart” in love songs, like this:
Heartbeat! Why do you miss when my baby kisses me?
Word Family
Romance is a noun. Romantic is an adjective.
Are you looking for romance?
Beauty and Fashion
Advertising is a powerful force and the fashion industry is powered by advertising.
People want to be beautiful so they follow the latest fashions and try to look good. This includes buying the latest most fashionable clothes and wearing the most fashionable cosmetics and it even includes plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery to change the way they look.
But beauty comes from the heart!
Practise your English – Express your Opinion
What do you think? Is cosmetic surgery ok? Should people accept the body they were born with or alter it with surgery to try to conform to an image which was created by advertising companies?
Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Beauty and the Beast
Do you know the story of Beauty and the Beast?
Can you write a version of the basic story and post it in the comments section?
Word Family
Beauty
Beauty is a noun:
She is a real beauty!
What beauty!
Beautiful
Beautiful is an adjective.
She is really beautiful.
It is a beautiful day.
You are Beautiful
Do you know that beautiful song by James Blunt? Listen now and study the vocabulary and ideas behind the words: You are Beautiful!
Beautician
A beautician is a person who works in a beauty salon. Usually it is a woman who does nails, hair and skin treatments.
Are you a beautician?
Tell us about your job?
Note that “beauty salon” is a compound noun.
Beauty is only Skin Deep
Beauty is only skin-deep.
This is a saying like a proverb or an idiom. It means that true beauty is in the heart. Surface beauty is ephemeral. It is not long-lasting. It is superficial. True beauty comes from the heart .. or the soul.
[audio:whatthink.mp3]What do you think?
Tell us your opinion in the comments section below.
Links to More Lessons
Advertising is a Powerful Force
Verbs of Perception – look, sound, feel, taste, smell
Links to Listening
Listen to a Conversation about Beauty: Lerato
Listen to a classic love song about a beating heart at this link. Heartbeat.