ANDROID PHONES, REUSABLE COFFEE CUPS AND NIGHTS IN: RESEARCH REVEALS WHAT’S CONSIDERED 'COOL' IN 2018 



If your idea of what’s considered cool includes Netflix, takeaways, iPhones, and ice cream, then it’s time to revaluate your life choices because according to new research all of these things are so last year.

Instead, it’s all about Android, reusable coffee cups and going to the gym.

Exploring the cool-scale of 2,000 adults, researchers have put together a definitive list of what’s trendy in 2018 including everything from food and sport to tech, grooming and even hobbies.

When it comes to food trends, avocado aficionados will be pleased to hear that the fleshy green fruit is still considered cool as are other healthy options such as cooking from scratch, being teetotal, and filtered water.

That being said, the survey also revealed that having a balanced diet is super-stylish, meaning you can still get away with indulging in baking, pizza, coffee, craft ale and gin.

The health kick doesn’t stop at trendy fruit and veg though with sports like yoga, pilates and barrecore making the list alongside HIIT training and regular trips to the gym.

If fitness isn’t your thing, other hobbies that will up give you some serious cool points include hosting dinner parties, spending at charity shops, listening to records and helping the family, while a quarter admitted that staying in is the new going out.

Despite the impending death of facial hair, the data found that beards are still considered cool among the masses as are tattoos, and that Facebook and iPhones have been replaced by Instagram and Android.

Working from home and travelling off the beaten track were also found to be trendier, and an eco-conscious movement saw reusable coffee cups voted as one of the most popular items of 2018.

Surprisingly, just 18 per cent of participants considered themselves to be up-to-date with the latest trends, while three in 10 said they had been branded “cool” by work colleagues, best friends and even strangers.

Over a third of Brits added that they would be happy if they were described as “cool” by someone younger than themselves, with one in five admitting to getting a confidence boost from such forms of flattery.

Top 30 things which are considered “cool” in 2018:
1. Reusable coffee cups
2. Going on holiday to unusual places off the beaten track     3. Going to the gym   
4. Having a balanced diet     
5. Staying in rather than going out     
6. Working from home
7. Record players     
8. Fitness trackers    
9. Coffee     
10. Being able to cook from scratch     
11. Being teetotal or cutting back on your drinking/drinking alcohol free beverages   
12. Yoga/Pilates/ Barrecore    
13. Craft ale     
14. Hosting a dinner party     
15. Instagram     
16. Cycling     
17. Gin     
18. Filter water bottles     
19. Tattoos     
20. Beards     
21. Baking     
22. Avocado     
23. Frozen yogurt    
24. Android phones    
25. HIIT training     
26. Being a fan of things from ‘before your time’ / nostalgia  27. Helping the family     
28. Charity shops     
29. The 80s     
30. Pizza

Article Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/what-is-cool-2018-survey-android-reusable-coffee-cups-avocado-hiit-training-a8382381.html
Image Source: https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/701/one-change-improve-hiit-workout-preformance-1513345031.jpg?resize=980:*

VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Aficionado (n.) ~ a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime
2. Teetotal (adj.) ~ choosing or characterized by abstinence from alcohol
3. Indulge (v.) ~ allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of
4. Craft ale (n.) ~ a beer made in a traditional or non-mechanized way by a small brewery
5. Impending (adj.) ~ to be about to happen
6. Flattery (n.) ~ excessive and insincere praise, especially that given to further one's own interests
7. Off the beaten track (idiom) ~ an unusual route or destination
8. Nostalgia (n.) ~ a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What are the current popular leisure activities in your ｃountry?
2. Which do you prefer, staying in for the night or going out with your friends? Discuss your option.
3. What fitness activities diet trends are common for people in Korea these days?
4. What do you think are the factors that affect the popularity of social activities of people?