Test 2 - Listening - Part 3 (1) · Cambridge IELTS Academic 18 Vocabulary List

causing a great deal of harm, suffering, or damage

"The earthquake was catastrophic."

"The catastrophic flood swept away houses and bridges along the entire river valley."

a mountain with an opening on its top, from which melted rock and ash can be pushed out into the air

"An active volcano can erupt at any time."

"A shield volcano has a broad, gentle slope formed by flowing lava over time."

to understand something, especially when it may initially appear confusing or unclear

"I can't make sense of this."

"It took me hours to make sense of the complicated instructions in the manual."

a set of specialized terms that are used in a specific science, art, business, or profession

"Medical terminology is hard for patients to understand."

"Medical terminology could be confusing for patients who did not understand the Latin roots."

one of a network of observation posts where meteorological data is recorded

"The weather station records temperature and rainfall."

"The weather station recorded temperature humidity wind speed and rainfall data hourly."

during a specific period in the past

"At the time I did not understand."

"At the time I did not understand what was happening but later everything became clear to me."

a suspension of fine particles, such as dust, smoke, or moisture, in the air, causing reduced visibility

"The haze made it hard to see."

"A thick haze of smoke from the wildfire reduced visibility for miles around the city."

related to or formed by the activity of volcanoes

"The soil is volcanic."

"The volcanic eruption sent ash and smoke high into the sky and covered nearby towns with debris."

relating to the period of time before the widespread adoption of industrial processes and technologies

"The society is pre-industrial."

"The pre-industrial society relied on manual labor and animal power because machines had not yet been invented."

an abundant tasteless odorless multivalent nonmetallic element; best known in yellow crystals; occurs in many sulphide and sulphate minerals and even in native form (especially in volcanic regions)

"Sulfur is yellow."

"Volcanic activity releases gases containing sulfur, which can contribute to the distinctive smell of the air."

(used with `of' or `with') noticeably odorous

"The flower is smelling."

"The freshly baked bread was wonderfully smelling, filling the entire kitchen with its warm aroma."

a rise in something's amount, degree, size, etc.

"The company plans an increase in production."

"The increase in traffic accidents prompted the city to lower the speed limit on dangerous roads."

related to the process of breathing and the organs involved in it, such as the lungs and airways

"The infection is respiratory."

"The respiratory infection caused coughing and difficulty breathing and the patient was given an inhaler to open his airways."

respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin

"The pollen triggers a severe asthma attack."

"The smoky air triggered an asthma attack that sent the child to the emergency room."

a senior official whose job is living in a foreign country and representing their own country

"The ambassador met the president."

"An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat who represents a nation in a foreign country"

used to convey that something seems to be true based on the available evidence or information

"Apparently he did not receive my message."

"Apparently he did not receive my message because his phone was turned off all day yesterday."

a scientist who studies the natural world, including plants, animals, and ecosystems

"The naturalist studied birds in the forest."

"The famous naturalist studied birds and animals in the forest for many years."

in a way that is easily understandable or noticeable

"He obviously did not know the answer."

"He obviously did not know the answer because he kept looking at the ceiling and avoiding eye contact."

to slowly move in the air or on water

"The boat drifts slowly down the river."

"The small boat began to drift away from the shore because nobody had tied it securely to the dock."

in a quick or immediate way

"The river flows swiftly."

"The river flows swiftly after the heavy rains so it is not safe to go swimming or kayaking right now."

the sudden outburst of lava and steam from a volcanic mountain

"The volcano's eruption was huge."

"The sudden eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii in ash and pumice."

causing severe damage, destruction, or emotional distress

"The storm was devastating."

"The devastating earthquake destroyed entire villages and left thousands of people homeless."

with changes or occurrences happening every hour or during each passing hour

"He gets paid by the hour."

"The traffic gets worse by the hour during rush hour in this busy city centre."

to do something before someone else gets the chance to do it

"Beat her to the prize."

"She was determined to beat her opponent to the finish line and claim the championship title."

important or great enough to be noticed or have an impact

"The change is significant."

"The significant increase in temperature over the past century is a clear sign of climate change caused by human activity."

anything that takes place, particularly something important

"The event was fun."

"The annual music festival is a major cultural event attracting thousands of attendees."

exceptionally large or extensive in scope, degree, or impact

"It is massive."

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

a fact or piece of information gathered by noticing or watching something carefully

"This is my observation."

"My careful observation of the patient's behavior revealed subtle but significant changes."

having the same quality, level, or effect throughout

"He is consistent."

"Her performance has been consistently excellent throughout the entire competition."

a detailed record or narrative description of events that have occurred

"Give me an account."

"The detective requested a detailed account of the events that transpired on the night of the incident."

to create a company or organization with the intention of running it over the long term

"They establish a new charity."

"The organization was established more than fifty years ago to help homeless people find shelter and food."

an atmosphere in which visibility is reduced because of a cloud of some substance

"There is fog."

"A dense fog rolled in from the sea, significantly reducing visibility for all vessels."

to extend or increase in influence or effect over a larger area or group of people

"Ideas spread quickly now."

"The wildfire spread rapidly through the dry forest because of the strong winds."

in all parts of a place, group, or area

"News spread across the nation."

"We walked across the bridge to the other side of the river where the old castle is located."

to have a sudden or complete understanding of a fact or situation

"He finally realized his mistake."

"He did not realize how much his words had hurt her until he saw the tears streaming down her face."

a distinct period of history or culture, or a specific moment or duration of time

"These are hard times."

"During those difficult times, people relied on each other for support and shared what little they had."

a length of time defined by the repetition of a process or phenomenon

"This is a period."

"The geological period known as the Jurassic was characterized by the dominance of dinosaurs."

to say or feel that someone or something is responsible for a mistake or problem

"Do not blame others for mistakes."

"Do not blame others for your mistakes instead take responsibility and learn from what happened."

to acknowledge someone as the source, agent, or possessor of an action, achievement, or quality

"We credit him with success."

"The entire team will credit her with the groundbreaking discovery that changed the field."

to try to find information in a dictionary, computer, etc.

"Students look up a word online."

"If you do not know the meaning of a word you should look it up in a reliable dictionary or online."

without assistance from others

"He worked independently."

"After years of training, the young entrepreneur decided to launch her business independently."

arising directly from a specific cause or reason, without any intervening factors

"This is an immediate result."

"The immediate consequence of the strike was a complete shutdown of all factory operations."

extremely large in degree or intensity

"The building is enormous."

"The enormous whale surfaced near the boat and the tourists gasped as the giant creature spouted water into the air."

to think or believe that it is possible for something to happen or for someone to do something

"I expect you to arrive on time."

"You should expect some delays due to the heavy snow that fell overnight on the highways."

a grey powder that is produced as a result of a substance getting burned

"Cigarette ash fell onto the clean carpet."

"Volcanic ash can spread for thousands of miles"

having an extreme or intense quality

"The pain was terrible."

"The athlete experienced terrible pain after the injury, forcing him to withdraw from the competition."

a visual or oral communication delivered to an audience, often using slides or other aids, to inform or persuade

"The presentation was good."

"Her insightful presentation effectively highlighted the key findings of the recent market research study."

remaining after part of something has been used, taken, or dealt with

"This is left."

"After the party, only a small amount of cake was left for the next day."

information or context necessary to understand a situation, event, or problem

"Give background info."

"Understanding the historical background is crucial to fully comprehending the current political situation."

to think or believe that something is possible or true, without being sure

"I suppose it's true."

"I suppose the train will be here soon, but I'm not entirely certain of the exact arrival time."

a phenomenon or event that follows from and is caused by a previous action or occurrence

"Serious consequence followed."

"The consequence of not paying your bills on time is that your credit score will drop and future loans will be more expensive or harder to get."

not influenced or derived from something else

"It is primary."

"The primary goal of the research is to discover a cure for the disease."

a book or a document that supplies information in a research and is referred to

"What is your source here?"

"A reliable source of information is essential when writing an academic essay or conducting scientific research."