Test 2 - Reading - Passage 3 (2) · Cambridge IELTS Academic 17 Vocabulary List

showing a variety of distinct types or qualities

"The group is diverse."

"The diverse student body represents many different cultures and backgrounds and everyone learns from each other."

nothing more than what is to be said

"It was merely a joke."

"It was merely a joke and I did not mean to offend anyone so please do not take it seriously."

original and pioneering in a certain field, often setting a new standard for others to follow

"The research is groundbreaking."

"The groundbreaking research opened up an entirely new field of study and many young scientists followed in the footsteps of the lead author."

to resist or hold back from doing or saying something

"Please refrain from smoking inside."

"Please refrain from using your mobile phone during the movie because it distracts other audience members."

to the fullest or complete degree

"The house was entirely destroyed by fire."

"The house was entirely destroyed by the fire and the family lost all of their belongings in the disaster."

at or within a reasonable distance for seeing

"The end is in sight."

"The end of the project was finally in sight after months of hard work and the team celebrated with a pizza party."

the origin or source of a particular thing

"Art provenance checked."

"Experts carefully checked the provenance of the painting before buying it for the museum collection."

happening or existing before something else

"I have a prior engagement."

"We need to address the prior issues before moving on to new ones."

to show that something is false or incorrect

"Scientists disprove the old theory with evidence."

"The scientist conducted a series of experiments to disprove the popular but incorrect theory about the cause of the disease."

an idea or belief that one thinks is true without having a proof

"That is a false assumption."

"She made a wrong assumption about his intentions and later regretted it deeply."

to provide a valid reason or explanation for an action, decision, or belief, usually something that others consider wrong

"He can't justify it."

"The young man tried to justify his rude behavior by saying that he was very tired and stressed from work."

an opinion or decision that is formed based on one's belief or circumstances

"From my standpoint."

"From my standpoint the decision was not fair to all parties involved in the project."

a person or thing that does not follow a general rule or is excluded from a class or group

"There is an exception."

"Children under five are usually granted an exception to the museum's admission fee."

to desire to have or become something

"Many young athletes aspire to become champions."

"Many young athletes aspire to compete in the Olympic Games and win a gold medal for their country."

a situation in which two things happen simultaneously by chance that is considered unusual

"It is a coincidence that we wear the same shirt."

"It was a strange coincidence that both sisters wore the same dress to the party without planning it."

an event or experience that is unfortunate, unsuccessful, or troublesome, often due to poor planning, bad judgment, or unforeseen circumstances

"The hike ends in misadventure when they get lost."

"The hike ends in misadventure when they get lost and have to spend the night in the woods."

the fact of accidentally experiencing or discovering something that is pleasant or valuable

"Our meeting at the airport was pure serendipity."

"By pure serendipity I ran into an old friend at the airport after not seeing him for twenty years."

to attach or fasten something to another object or surface

"Affix the stamp to the envelope."

"Please affix a stamp to the envelope before placing it in the mailbox for delivery."

a songbook containing a collection of hymns

"The congregation sings from the hymnbook."

"The congregation sings from the hymnbook and follows the choir director's hand signals."

to a degree that exceeds expectations or standards to a significant extent

"The team played phenomenally."

"Her debut novel was phenomenally well-received, quickly becoming a bestseller and garnering critical acclaim."

a small piece of colored paper that is sticky on one side and can be easily removed, used for leaving notes

"I wrote it on a post-it."

"She left a bright yellow post-it on my desk with a reminder about the meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning."

concealing crafty designs for advancing your own interest

"A designing look."

"Her designing smile hinted at a hidden agenda she was pursuing."

lacking creativity or novelty, making it uninteresting due to its overuse or predictability

"The comment is banal."

"The banal conversation about the weather bored everyone at the party and they wished someone would start a more interesting topic."

to show clearly that something is false, wrong, or not as it appears

"His smile gave the lie to his anger."

"The photographs gave the lie to his claims that he had never visited that place before."

the quality of being useful when applied

"This tool has utility."

"The real utility of this new software lies in its ability to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks."

having the ability to last over a long period of time

"Their love is enduring."

"The enduring friendship between the two men lasted for over sixty years and they supported each other through good times and bad."

to assign a quality to someone or something in order to categorize them

"They label him lazy."

"It is unfair to label individuals based on stereotypes rather than their actual performance."

to propose an idea or theory for discussion

"Can you advance a theory?"

"The scientist was prepared to advance a bold new hypothesis about the origins of the universe."

(biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration

"The new variation grew."

"Geneticists are studying the new variation that has emerged in the local bird population."

a natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment

"Natural selection favors beneficial traits."

"Natural selection favors beneficial traits and over time those traits become more common in the population."

a goal that one wants to achieve

"The main objective is to reduce costs."

"The main objective is to reduce costs by twenty percent while maintaining the same quality level."

to function in a specific way

"The machine will operate soon."

"This new software is designed to operate efficiently across multiple platforms."

to restrict movement or actions through restraint or confinement

"They constrain the movement."

"Strict regulations can constrain economic growth, limiting opportunities for new businesses."

to stop supporting an idea, policy, concept, etc.

"They abandon the plan."

"The government was forced to abandon its proposed tax reforms due to widespread public opposition."

to investigate something to gain knowledge or understanding about it

"Explore the new area."

"The team will explore the uncharted territory to document its unique flora and fauna."

to support someone or try to justify an action, plan, etc.

"Defend your friend."

"She felt compelled to defend her colleague's decision, explaining the complex circumstances that led to it."

to give a brief description of something excluding the details

"He outlines the main points clearly."

"The professor asked the students to outline their essays before writing the full draft to organize their ideas clearly."

to point out the faults or weaknesses of someone or something

"It is easy to criticize others."

"It is easy to criticize others but much harder to recognize and improve our own weaknesses."

someone or something considered to possess unmatched or unparalleled qualities of perfection

"She is the ideal candidate for the job."

"She is the ideal candidate for the job because she has the right skills and experience."

acknowledgment or approval given to someone or something for their achievements, qualities, or actions

"She received international recognition."

"She received international recognition for her important discovery in cancer research last year."

the general opinion that the public has about someone or something because of what they did in the past

"Her reputation is solid."

"The company’s reputation was damaged by the scandal."

a doubting or questioning attitude towards ideas, beliefs, or claims that are generally accepted

"He shows skepticism always."

"A healthy dose of skepticism is essential when evaluating unverified claims and conspiracy theories."

a process or state in which something becomes more advanced, stronger, etc.

"This is a development."

"The rapid development of renewable energy technologies is crucial for combating climate change."

to try to find a particular thing or person

"I seek help now."

"Many job seekers seek opportunities that align with their long-term career aspirations and personal values."

to move away from one's area of interest or original path

"Do not turn away from me."

"The artist decided to turn away from traditional techniques to explore a more abstract style."

the fact that something must happen or is needed

"Necessity is important."

"Food and water are necessities."

to give rise to a certain reaction or feeling, particularly suddenly

"His words provoke anger."

"The controversial statement was intended to provoke a strong reaction from the public."

to make minor changes to something so that it is more suitable or better

"You can modify the settings easily."

"You will need to modify your workout routine if you want to see any real improvement in your strength."

to come to an agreement after a dispute by reducing demands

"We must compromise to reach an agreement."

"We must compromise to reach an agreement because neither side will get everything they want."

absolute or complete, without any admixture or qualification

"Her joy was pure."

"The scientist sought pure, unadulterated data to ensure the validity of her findings."

with exceptional intelligence, skill, or creativity

"The plan worked brilliantly."

"The scientist brilliantly solved the complex equation that had baffled researchers for years."

having or showing cleverness, creativity, or skill

"That idea is ingenious."

"The inventor came up with an ingenious solution to the complex problem."

(of a task or job) repetitive, routine, and not requiring much thought or creativity

"This is a mechanical job."

"The repetitive, mechanical nature of the assembly line work led to widespread employee dissatisfaction."

in a manner that refers to the essential aspects of something

"It is fundamentally wrong."

"The two theories are fundamentally different, despite sharing a common historical origin."

to mention someone or something of prominence as a support or reason for an argument or action

"He invokes his rights."

"The lawyer decided to invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination during the intense questioning."

improbable or unlikely to happen or be the case

"It is doubtful."

"It is doubtful that he will show up because he has never been reliable in the past."

lacking experience, wisdom, or understanding about the world, often resulting in being overly trusting or easily deceived

"She is naive."

"The naive young woman believed the charming stranger's promises and she was devastated when he disappeared with all her savings."