Lesson 9A · New English File Advanced Vocabulary List

a small creature such as a bee or ant that has six legs, and generally one or two pairs of wings

"An ant is a social insect living in a colony."

"A stick insect is a master of camouflage, perfectly blending into branches to avoid being detected."

a young carnivorous mammal, such as a bear, lion, fox, etc.

"Lion cub played happily."

"The cute lion cub played happily with its mother in the zoo enclosure yesterday afternoon under the sun."

a young horse, especially one that is not older than one year

"The foal takes its first wobbly steps this morning."

"The foal wobbled on its long spindly legs trying to stand for the first time after birth."

a black and yellow insect that collects nectar and produces wax and honey, which can fly and sting

"A bee landed on the flower."

"Bees make honey in the hive and protect the queen."

a small bird with black plumage and an orange beak that is found in Eurasia and Northern Africa

"The male blackbird sings from the highest branch at dawn."

"The male blackbird's bright yellow beak contrasts sharply with its completely black plumage."

a small red or orange fish often kept as a pet

"The goldfish swam in circles."

"Contrary to popular belief goldfish have a memory span of several months and can be trained to perform simple tricks for food rewards."

an animal that is large, has a tail and four legs, and we use for racing, pulling carriages, riding, etc.

"The horse is fast."

"He rides a horse every weekend at the farm."

a structure in which bees live and make honey

"The entire hive works together to produce honey."

"The hive buzzed with activity as worker bees returned laden with pollen from spring flowers."

a framework made of metal bars or wires in which animals or birds can be kept

"The cage is clean."

"The parrot sat inside its large metal cage and repeated every word that the visitors said to it."

a small structure used as a shelter for a dog

"The dog sleeps in its kennel during cold winter nights."

"The dog wagged its tail excitedly when its owner approached the kennel in the morning."

a structure that a bird makes for laying eggs or keeping the hatchlings in

"The bird built a nest."

"The mother bird diligently gathered twigs and soft materials to construct a secure and cozy nest for her newly hatched chicks."

a small animal that has soft fur, a tail, and four legs and we often keep it as a pet

"The black cat crossed the street."

"The black cat stretched lazily on the windowsill enjoying the warm afternoon sunlight."

a powerful and large animal that is from the cat family and mostly found in Africa, with the male having a large mane

"The lion is the king of beasts."

"The male lion rested in the shade of a large acacia tree while the lionesses hunted for food to feed the entire pride."

a farm animal that has short legs, a curly tail, and a fat body, typically raised for its meat

"The pig rolled in the mud."

"The pig looked happy and very healthy on the farm."

to make a short high-pitched noise or cry

"The mouse squeaks inside the wall."

"The old wooden floorboards squeak loudly whenever someone walks across them especially late at night."

the high-pitched sound made by a horse

"The horse gives a loud neigh."

"The horse gives a loud neigh and gallops across the field toward the barn."

the cry of a cat

"The kitten says "meow" for food."

"The kitten says meow for food and rubs against his legs until he fills the bowl."

the full loud cry of a lion or another wild animal

"The lion's roar echoes through the savanna."

"The lion's roar echoes through the savanna and warns other animals to stay away from its territory."

to utter successive high sounds characteristic of a bird

"Birds twitter in the morning."

"The birds began to twitter cheerfully in the early morning hours as the sun started to rise over the horizon."

a sharp and curved nail on the toe of an animal or a bird

"The eagle's claw was sharp and terrifying."

"The cat used its sharp claw to tear the fabric of the sofa while the owner was away."

the horny and hard part at the end of a limb of a mammal, such as a horse

"The horse's hoof made a loud sound on the hard stone road."

"The farrier carefully examined the horse's hoof to make sure there were no cracks or signs of infection."

an animal that is like a horse but has shorter legs and longer ears, and is used for carrying things and riding

"The donkey carried heavy bags up the hill."

"Donkeys are often used as pack animals in mountainous regions because they are sure footed and can carry heavy loads over rough terrain without complaint."

an organization that helps those in need by giving them money, food, etc.

"Charity helps people in need."

"He donated a large sum of money to charity choosing to support organizations that provide clean drinking water to communities in developing countries."

in a deliberately hurtful or unkind way

"He was treated cruelly."

"The older children cruelly teased the new student about his accent and the teacher punished the bullies for their mean and hurtful behavior."

a type of animal or plant that is at risk of becoming extinct

"Tigers are endangered species."

"Conservation efforts are crucial to prevent the majestic tiger from becoming another one of the world's endangered species."

to hunt animals just for fun rather than for food or other practical purposes

"Some people hunt for sport, not for food."

"Many environmentalists disagree with the decision to hunt wild animals for sport."

the state of being confined, imprisoned, or held against one's will

"The lions were born in captivity."

"Many wild animals suffer stress when kept in captivity away from their natural environment and freedom."

exhibiting a complete lack of compassion or regard for human dignity

"The treatment is inhumane."

"The inhumane treatment of the prisoners caused international outrage and the government was forced to close the facility."

a container, typically made of glass or acrylic, used for keeping and displaying fish and other aquatic animals

"The fish tank needs to be cleaned weekly."

"The fish tank needs to be cleaned weekly and the algae grows quickly on the glass."

a living thing, like a cat or a dog, that can move and needs food to stay alive, but not a plant or a human

"The zoo has many animals."

"My daughter wants to adopt a small animal from the local shelter this weekend."

an animal with a beak, wings, and feathers that is usually capable of flying

"A robin is a bird."

"The colorful bird sat quietly on the branch and sang a beautiful song to attract a mate."

an animal in its early stages of development, typically before reaching maturity

"The young animal sleeps."

"The young animal was still dependent on its mother for survival and nourishment."

the young offspring of a cow or bull, typically less than one year old

"The calf is young."

"The farmer watched as the newborn calf struggled to stand on its wobbly legs."

a newly-hatched bird, especially a domestic bird

"The mother hen protected her chicks."

"The fluffy yellow chick followed its mother hen everywhere pecking at the ground for seeds and insects."

a young goat

"The kid jumped playfully."

"The mother goat watched over her playful kid as it explored the meadow."

a young dog, especially one that is less than a year old

"The puppy is playful."

"The golden retriever puppy chewed on an old shoe because its teeth were growing and the rubber felt good on its sore gums."

having life or currently alive

"This is a live fish."

"The documentary captured the raw beauty of the live performance in its natural habitat."

an African songbird of the finch family with yellow feathers, often kept as a pet

"The canary sang beautifully."

"The small, bright yellow canary sang a cheerful melody from its cage in the sunlit room."

an animal with a tail and four legs that we keep as a pet and is famous for its sense of loyalty

"The dog barked loudly."

"Their dog is friendly and always greets visitors at the door."

a building, typically found on a farm, designed to house horses

"The stable smells of hay and horses."

"The stable smelled of hay horses and leather with each animal dozing in its individual stall."

sounds that are usually unwanted or loud

"The noise is loud."

"Constant noise from the construction site next door made it impossible for her to concentrate on studying for her final law school exams."

a small animal that lives in fields or houses, and often has fur, a long furless thin tail, and a pointed nose

"A mouse ran across the floor."

"The tiny mouse quickly disappeared behind the old wooden cabinet in the corner."

the vocal sound produced by a dog

"The dog's bark was loud."

"The sudden, sharp bark of the dog alerted everyone to the approaching stranger."

(of animals, especially pigs) to make a low sound from the nose and throat

"Pigs grunt in mud."

"The weightlifter grunted loudly as he struggled to lift the heavy barbell above his head during the competition."

the hard or pointed part of a bird's mouth

"The bird used its beak to eat."

"The woodpecker used its sharp beak to drill holes into the tree trunk looking for insects."

a thin flat membrane of the body of many sea creatures, used for swimming and keeping balance

"The shark's fin cut the water."

"A fin is a thin, flat part of a fish's body that helps it swim and stay balanced."

the thick, soft hair that grows on the body of some animals such as cats, dogs, etc.

"The cat's fur was soft and black as coal."

"The dog's thick fur keeps him warm during the cold winter months when the temperature drops below freezing."

a hard, pointed, often curved structure found on the head of some animals, such as cows, goats, and sheep, made of keratin or bone, used for defense, display, or digging

"The bull has two sharp horns."

"A horn is a hard, pointed structure on an animal's head that it uses for defense or digging."

an animal's foot that typically has a combination of nails, claws, fur, and pads

"The dog lifted its injured paw off the ground."

"The bear left a huge paw print in the mud near the riverbank where it had been searching for fish."

the hard protective case or covering of some animals such as a snail, mussel, crab, or turtle

"The turtle has a hard shell."

"The snail retreats into its protective shell when it senses danger, seeking refuge from predators."

the part of the body of an animal, a bird or a fish that sticks out at the back, which can move

"The dog wagged its tail happily."

"The dog wagged its tail excitedly when its owner returned home from work after a long day."

any of the two parts of the body of a bird, insect, etc. used for flying

"The bird's wing was broken in the storm."

"The butterfly fluttered its delicate wings slowly as it landed on the colorful flower."

a farm bird that we keep to use its meat and eggs

"The chicken laid an egg."

"We ate chicken for dinner after the long trip."

a bird with short legs and a wide beak that naturally lives near or on water or is kept by humans for its eggs, meat, or feathers

"A duck swam on the pond."

"The farmer decided to raise a flock of ducks for their meat and eggs."

a large mouse-like animal with a long tail, which spreads diseases

"A rat ran behind the wall."

"Rats are highly intelligent animals that can learn complex tasks but they are also carriers of diseases that have caused major epidemics throughout human history."

problems or difficulties that arise, especially in relation to a service or facility, which require resolution or attention

"This is an issue."

"The company is working to resolve the technical issue that has been preventing customers from accessing their online accounts."

to prevent someone or something from being damaged or harmed

"Protect your eyes from sun."

"Wearing sunscreen can help protect your skin from harmful UV rays and prevent premature aging and skin cancer."

the natural world around us where people, animals, and plants live

"We must protect the environment."

"The environment is cleaner when people reduce waste and pollution."

to deal with or behave toward someone or something in a particular way

"Treat people kindly."

"It is fundamentally important to treat all individuals with respect, regardless of their background or beliefs."

to have your home somewhere specific

"I live here."

"They decided to live in a small cottage nestled deep within the enchanting forest."

(of an animal or plant) living or growing in a natural state, without any human interference

"The horse is wild."

"The wild horses ran freely across the open plain and no one had ever been able to tame them despite many attempts."

(of an animal) to have sex and give birth to young

"Dogs breed in spring."

"Many species of fish breed during specific seasons to ensure the survival of their young."

the state of something at a particular time

"The condition was serious."

"The condition of the road worsened after heavy rains caused mudslides and large cracks to appear on the asphalt surface."