Test 1 - Reading - Passage 3 (1) · Cambridge IELTS Academic 18 Vocabulary List

an object sent into space to travel around the earth and send or receive information

"The satellite sends data daily."

"A communication satellite was launched into orbit to improve television and internet signals across the entire country."

a sharp piece of broken material, such as glass or pottery

"He stepped on a shard of broken glass."

"She stepped on a sharp shard of broken glass and had to go to the emergency room for stitches."

the scattered pieces of waste, remains, or broken objects, often left after destruction or an accident

"The storm left debris everywhere."

"Debris is the scattered remains of something broken or destroyed"

pursue to a conclusion or bring to a successful issue

"Follow through on your promises."

"It is not enough to make a promise; you must also follow through and actually do what you said you would do."

a heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group; used in alloys; occurs in natural alloys with platinum or osmium

"Iridium is a rare"

"Iridium was a rare metal found in meteorites and used in spark plugs and electronics."

an artificial satellite that relays signals back to earth; moves in a geostationary orbit

"The communications satellite relays TV signals."

"The communications satellite relayed television signals telephone calls and internet data across continents."

the universe, particularly when it is thought of as a systematic whole

"The cosmos is very mysterious."

"Looking at the stars at night reminds us how small we are compared to the vast and beautiful cosmos around us."

the path an object in the space follows to move around a planet, star, etc.

"The moon orbits around Earth."

"The International Space Station completes one orbit around the Earth approximately every ninety minutes at high speed."

something that poses danger or the possibility of harm

"Serious threat appeared suddenly."

"The threat of fire made everyone leave."

greatest in significance, importance, degree, or achievement

"She is the leading expert."

"The leading cause of death in the country is heart disease followed by cancer."

fragments from an explosion, causing damage to surroundings

"The bomb exploded and sent shrapnel flying everywhere."

"Shrapnel consists of small metal fragments scattered by an exploding shell or bomb"

a vehicle designed to travel in space

"The spacecraft docked with the space station."

"An uncrewed spacecraft was launched to explore the methane lakes of a distant moon."

to form a judgment on the quality, worth, nature, ability or importance of something, someone, or a situation

"Teachers assess student performance regularly."

"The teacher will assess the students' performance based on their homework participation and final exam scores."

with minimum waste of resources or energy

"She efficiently organized the files."

"She efficiently organized the files so that anyone could find what they needed quickly without wasting any time searching."

beyond what is acceptable or reasonable to imagine

"The idea is unthinkable."

"The unthinkable tragedy of losing a child is something no parent should ever have to experience in their lifetime."

lacking regulation, restraint, or governance, resulting in chaos, disorder, or wildness

"The fire is uncontrolled."

"The uncontrolled wildfire spread rapidly through the dry forest and firefighters worked around the clock to contain it."

a small piece or part that has broken off from a larger whole, often referring to objects or materials

"Small pottery fragment."

"Archaeologists found a small pottery fragment that provided important information about ancient civilization."

not able to be used or accessed effectively, typically due to damage, malfunction, or impracticality

"The phone is unusable."

"The unusable computer had a broken screen and a dead battery so she finally recycled it and bought a new one."

the time when it becomes impossible for one to return to a previous place or state or to make a different decision

"We have passed the point of no return."

"The plane had passed the point of no return so it could not turn back to the airport."

to work with someone else in order to create something or reach the same goal

"Scientists collaborate on important research projects together."

"The two artists decided to collaborate on a new song that would combine their unique musical styles."

a group of people appointed or elected to perform a specific function, task, or duty

"The planning committee will meet next Thursday to discuss the budget."

"A steering committee is a high-level advisory group that provides guidance on the overall strategic direction"

a principle or instruction based on which a person should behave or act in a particular situation

"The guideline is clear."

"The safety guidelines clearly state that all workers must wear hard hats and safety goggles while in the construction zone."

the capacity to be maintained for a long time and causing no harm to the environment

"Sustainability helps the planet."

"The company is committed to achieving long-term sustainability by reducing its carbon footprint and waste."

make inactive

"The heat inactivates the virus."

"The high heat from the cooking process can inactivate harmful bacteria and make the food safe to eat."

pieces of old satellites, rockets, or other objects that are left floating in space and no longer serve any useful purpose

"Space junk orbits the Earth at high speeds."

"The spacecraft had to maneuver to avoid a piece of space junk orbiting at high speed."

related to the study or science of how objects move in space, especially under the influence of gravity

"The model is astrodynamical."

"The astrodynamical calculations are necessary for plotting the trajectory of spacecraft traveling between planets in our solar system."

containing air or gas that is kept at a controlled, higher-than-normal pressure to allow safe or proper operation in certain environments

"The cabin is pressurized."

"The pressurized cabin of the airplane keeps passengers comfortable at high altitudes where the air is thin and cold."

to overcome a challenge or obstacle

"The army tried to conquer the city."

"The ancient Romans managed to conquer vast territories across Europe and parts of Africa and Asia."

(physics) the act of two or more moving items crashing into each other

"A collision occurred."

"The sudden collision between the two vehicles resulted in significant damage to both."

to put into use or action

"We deploy the troops."

"The company decided to deploy its resources more effectively to meet the growing market demand."

an organized grouping or arrangement of parts, elements, or ideas

"A constellation of stars."

"The astronomer identified a new constellation of stars in the northern hemisphere."

a sudden and unfortunate event that causes a great amount of death and destruction

"The flood was a big disaster."

"The oil spill was an environmental disaster that killed thousands of sea animals and polluted the beautiful beaches along the coast."

to forcefully come into contact with an object or surface

"Don't smash the glass."

"The boxer was warned not to smash his opponent with excessive force."

connected to the government or public life, rather than religion or the military

"A civil war began."

"The country transitioned from military rule to a more civil form of government."

a part of an organization such as a university, government, etc. that deals with a particular task

"The HR department handles all employee issues."

"The State Department is the executive branch department of the U.S. federal government responsible for international relations and crafting the country's foreign policy."

used to multiply a number by another

"Three times four is twelve."

"Three times five equals fifteen so you need to practice your multiplication tables."

a value that represents the central or typical point in a set of data, often calculated as the mean, median, or mode

"His grades are above average."

"The average temperature in July was twenty five degrees Celsius with high humidity."

to grow in number, amount, size, or value

"Prices continue to rise steadily."

"The temperature is expected to rise significantly tomorrow according to the latest weather forecast."

with a sudden and significant change; dramatically

"The temperature dropped sharply."

"The temperature dropped sharply overnight and we had to turn on the heater to keep the house warm."

to indicate a potential danger or risk to someone or something

"The storm threaten us."

"The aggressive rhetoric from the opposing party began to threaten the stability of the government."

a specific area with unique characteristics

"The no-parking zone is strictly enforced."

"The coastal zone was vulnerable to flooding during hurricanes and tropical storms."

to cover a significant distance or expanse

"The road will stretch."

"The vast desert landscape seemed to stretch endlessly towards the distant horizon."

the angular distance of a celestial object above the horizon

"The altitude is high."

"The aircraft maintained a steady altitude to avoid turbulence in the upper atmosphere."

without being exact

"Roughly half of the students passed."

"Roughly half of the students passed the exam while the other half failed and will have to retake it."

a person who controls or works an apparatus, machine, or system

"The machine operator worked."

"The skilled operator expertly maneuvered the complex machinery to complete the intricate task."

to control the direction of a moving object, such as a car, ship, etc.

"She steers the car around the corner."

"The captain managed to steer the large ship safely through the narrow channel despite the strong currents."

an accident in which a vehicle, plane, etc. hits something else

"The crash was serious."

"The car crash involved three vehicles and closed the highway for two hours while police investigated the cause of the accident."

to use a supply of energy, fuel, etc.

"Cars consume fuel."

"Electric vehicles are designed to consume significantly less energy than traditional gasoline cars."

in a manner different from the one that has been mentioned

"Go now, otherwise wait."

"You should study diligently for the exam, otherwise you might not pass."

to trace the existence or origin of something to a specific point in time

"Let's go back then."

"Historians often go back to ancient texts to understand the origins of current traditions."

a period of history marked by particular features or events

"The invention of the printing press began a new era."

"The digital era has completely transformed the way people communicate around the world."

to examine something scientifically, typically to discover facts or evidence

"We must investigate this."

"The detectives will investigate the mysterious disappearance of the valuable artifact."

to begin dealing with a problem or task in a focused and energetic manner

"Let's attack this problem."

"She decided to attack the complex coding issue with renewed vigor and a clear strategy."

to gather information in order to produce a book, report, etc.

"She will compile the research data."

"The researcher spent months compiling data from hundreds of different sources to support her academic thesis."

exceptionally large or extensive in scope, degree, or impact

"It is massive."

"The construction project required a massive amount of resources and labor."

information or facts collected to be used for various purposes

"The survey collected a lot of data."

"Analyzing big data requires sophisticated algorithms and powerful computational resources."

a classification of organisms into groups based on similarities of structure or origin etc

"The taxonomy groups plants."

"Modern biological taxonomy classifies species based on their evolutionary relationships and genetic makeup."

to find out the exact size of something or someone

"He measures the length of the table."

"The tailor carefully measured the customer's arms and legs to ensure that the custom made suit would fit perfectly when it was finished."

a feature or quality of something

"It has a nice property."

"The unique property of this material is its ability to change color with temperature."

any of the available possibilities that one can choose from

"We need to find an alternative route."

"Since the main road was closed due to construction, we had to find an alternative route through the countryside to reach the village on time."

to cause or give rise to something

"Generate more power."

"The new technology is designed to generate clean energy from renewable sources."

to be the first cause of a chain of events, actions, or reactions that unfold unexpectedly

"The news set off a reaction."

"The unexpected announcement of the merger seemed to set off a chain of volatile market fluctuations."

completely out of control

"The train is runaway."

"The runaway train could not be stopped and the passengers were terrified as it sped down the mountain track."

a large, continuous flow or outpouring of something, such as light, hair, or even emotions, falling or spreading downward in abundance

"A cascade of water."

"She admired the cascade of golden hair that flowed down her back."

to cause something to develop into a particular state, condition, or quality

"This will render the task easy."

"The new software update will render the old system completely obsolete."

to keep someone or something under observation, typically for safety or security purposes

"They monitor the area."

"Security personnel will monitor the perimeter closely to prevent any unauthorized access."

available to or involving all parties

"We have a shared interest."

"The shared interests of the two friends brought them closer together and they spent many hours discussing their favorite books."

a business or organization that provides services to other parties, especially by representing them in transactions

"The agency helped."

"The agency arranged the trip and answered all the questions."

the act or process of organizing different parts of something so that they can properly work as a whole

"Coordination is important."

"Effective coordination among the different departments is crucial for the successful launch of the new product."

to let something, like air or gas, escape through an opening or passage

"Vent your anger safely."

"He needed to vent his anger and frustration after being treated unfairly by his boss for the third time."

remaining after the main part has been used or taken away

"I ate the leftover pizza."

"I ate the leftover pizza for breakfast because there was nothing else to eat."

a sudden, forceful release of energy due to a chemical or nuclear reaction, causing rapid expansion of gases, loud noise, and often destruction

"The explosion was loud."

"The unexpected explosion caused significant structural damage to the building."