Test 3 - Reading - Passage 3 · Cambridge IELTS Academic 16 Vocabulary List

to give someone or something the means or ability to do something

"Technology enables people to work remotely."

"The scholarship enabled her to attend university because she could not afford the tuition fees without financial assistance."

to notice or discover something that is difficult to find

"Dogs can detect drugs at airports."

"The advanced security system is designed to detect even the smallest movement inside the building during the nighttime hours when it is dark."

as a reaction or answer to something

"In response to your letter I am writing back."

"In response to your question I can tell you that we are working on the problem."

having a consistent or balanced relationship in size, amount, or degree relative to something else

"The pay is proportional."

"The punishment should be proportional to the crime so a small mistake should not ruin your life."

reacting to people and events quickly and in a positive way

"The child is responsive."

"The responsive website adjusts to fit any screen size and users can easily read the content on their phones tablets or computers."

(of a plant) to develop small, immature growths that will eventually become leaves, flowers, or shoots

"The trees bud in spring."

"The trees in the garden are just beginning to bud as the cold winter weather finally starts to recede."

to precisely locate or identify something or someone

"We need to pinpoint the exact location."

"The mechanic managed to pinpoint the exact source of the strange noise coming from the engine after inspecting the car for an hour."

to strongly want something, especially when it is not likely to happen soon

"She longs for her homeland."

"After being away for so long she began to long for the comfort of her own home and family."

something that poses danger or the possibility of harm

"Serious threat appeared suddenly."

"The threat of fire made everyone leave."

the act of deactivating or making ineffective (as a bomb)

"The deactivation of the alarm requires a code."

"The deactivation of the alarm requires a code and the system will be disarmed for maintenance."

a reappearance of an earlier characteristic

"The reversion to old policies angers the staff."

"The reversion to old policies angers the staff and they demand an explanation from management."

to go back to a previous state, condition, or behavior

"He reverted to his old habits."

"After the crisis was resolved the company reverted to its normal operating procedures and daily business activities resumed as usual."

to continue again after an interruption

"The meeting resumes after a short break."

"The workers will resume construction on the new building as soon as the weather improves and the rain stops."

the time in which a machine, like a computer, is not operational

"The factory experienced unexpected downtime due to a machine failure."

"Scheduled downtime for server maintenance is essential to apply security patches and prevent a much larger future system outage."

something that is used to measure a particular condition or value

"The traffic light is an indicator of when to stop."

"The traffic light is an indicator of when to stop and drivers must obey its signals."

large in quantity, extent, or degree

"The damage is considerable."

"The project required a considerable amount of time and money but the results were worth the investment."

prior to a particular time or event

"Thank you in advance for your help."

"Thank you in advance for your help and I promise to return the favor when you need something from me."

having or consisting of two aspects, parts, functions, etc.

"She has dual citizenship."

"She has dual citizenship in Canada and France so she can live and work in both countries without any restrictions."

the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface

"The stone makes a splash as it hits the water."

"The stone makes a splash as it hits the water and ripples spread outward in concentric circles."

the act of washing or cleaning something by immersing it in liquid

"Leave the beans to soak overnight in water."

"Leave the beans to soak overnight in water so they soften and cook faster the next day."

(of a plant) to produce new leaves

"The trees leaf out in spring."

"The oak trees in the forest begin to leaf out in early spring after the long dormant winter period."

the highest or most advanced point reached after a period of development or effort

"The championship game is the culmination of the season."

"The championship game is the culmination of the season and both teams have worked hard to reach this point."

the branch of biology that deals with how individual features and different characteristics are passed through genes

"Genetics explains how traits pass down."

"Modern genetics has unlocked the mysteries of heredity and gene expression mechanisms."

in accordance with truth

"Give me the precise time."

"The precise measurements are important for the experiment to be successful."

a small thin-bladed surgical knife particularly used in surgery

"The scalpel cuts precisely."

"The scalpel's extremely sharp blade allowed the surgeon to make precise incisions with minimal tissue damage."

in a way not like anything else

"Each snowflake is uniquely shaped."

"Each snowflake is uniquely shaped and no two are exactly alike because of how they form in the clouds."

someone who works with another person in order to create or produce something such as a book

"Collaborator worked on project."

"The artist found a perfect collaborator in the musician for their multimedia exhibition."

concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles

"Applied science solves problems."

"The engineer focused on applied physics to develop practical solutions for the city's infrastructure challenges."

to develop something using certain facts, ideas, situations, etc.

"Base your decision on evidence."

"The movie is based on a true story about a soldier who saved many lives during the war."

having a quality, place, or condition that gives an advantage or makes something suitable for a purpose

"The camera is positioned."

"He positioned the ladder carefully against the wall before climbing up to clean the gutters on the roof."

a special protein in plants that can sense light and help control how the plant grows, develops, and responds to changes in light and temperature

"Phytochrome is a plant pigment that detects light."

"Phytochrome is a plant pigment that detects light and helps regulate flowering and seed germination."

a part of a living thing, such as a cell or protein, that senses light and helps the body or plant respond to it

"The retina contains photoreceptor cells for vision."

"The retina contains photoreceptor cells for vision and they convert light into electrical signals."

a tool designed to measure the temperature of the surrounding air or environment

"The thermometer is broken."

"He used a digital thermometer to accurately measure the patient's body temperature."

to cause something to happen

"The loud noise triggers his anxiety."

"The loud noise could trigger a panic attack in people who suffer from severe anxiety disorders."

to develop a particular kind of animal or plant by choosing and mating specific ones to get certain qualities

"They breed dogs."

"The farmer decided to breed a new variety of wheat that was resistant to common diseases."

able to recover quickly from difficult situations

"The plant is resilient."

"Despite facing numerous setbacks, the determined entrepreneur remained resilient and continued to pursue her business goals."

to make information that was previously unknown or kept in secrecy publicly known

"The report will reveal the truth."

"The investigation revealed shocking evidence that completely changed the direction of the criminal case."

the purpose or intended use of something

"What is its function?"

"The primary function of this device is to regulate air quality within the building."

relating to or consisting of cells, the basic structural units of living organisms or systems

"It is cellular."

"The complex structure of the human body is built upon countless interconnected cellular components."

a measuring instrument or device used to determine the size, capacity, amount, or extent of something

"The pressure gauge is broken."

"This specialized gauge is essential for accurately measuring the precise thickness of the metal sheet."

a piece of information discovered as a result of a research

"The finding surprised all scientists."

"The finding of the research showed that children who read more books tend to perform better in school."

connected to the parts of the DNA in cells, called genes, that determine hereditary traits

"The disease is genetic."

"The genetic disease is inherited from parents and scientists are working to develop treatments that can correct the faulty genes."

something such as a button or key that turns a machine, lamp, etc. on or off

"Press the light switch."

"He flipped the light switch several times but nothing happened so he realized the electricity had probably been cut off due to an unpaid bill."

to control or decide how something should happen or be done

"You cannot dictate me."

"The powerful CEO continued to dictate the company's strategic direction without consulting the board."

the rate or speed at which something progresses or changes

"The pace was fast."

"The brisk pace of the runner indicated they were well-prepared for the marathon."

a dense, silvery, toxic metal that is liquid at room temperature and can form different chemical compounds

"Mercury is a liquid."

"Historically, mercury was used in thermometers due to its unique liquid state at room temperature."

to encourage or provoke a response, reaction, or activity

"Caffeine stimulates the nervous system temporarily."

"The teacher used colorful pictures and videos to stimulate the students interest in the history lesson about ancient Egypt."

the season or period during which crops are collected from the fields

"The harvest was good."

"Farmers eagerly anticipate the autumn harvest, hoping for bountiful yields after a long growing season."

strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough handling

"The rope was tough."

"This new material is incredibly tough and will withstand extreme weather conditions."

related to heat or temperature, including how heat moves, how materials expand with temperature changes, and the energy stored in heat

"He wears thermal underwear."

"The thermal camera detected heat signatures from the survivors trapped under the rubble and the rescue team quickly dug them out."

a role or position of guiding or influencing others by taking initiative or setting an example for others to follow

"She has lead."

"Her natural lead in the team inspired confidence and motivated everyone to perform better."

to rise in amount, rate, etc.

"Prices will accelerate."

"The new technology will accelerate the company's growth and market penetration."

a location away from an office, laboratory, or studio where practical work or data collection occurs

"He worked in the field."

"The botanist spent months in the field collecting rare plant specimens."

to form a bond between atoms or molecules through the sharing or transfer of electrons

"Atoms bind together."

"In this chemical reaction, the atoms will bind through the sharing of electrons."

to make something such as a process, piece of equipment, etc. start working

"Activate the alarm now."

"You need to activate your account before you can access the premium features."

to be the influencing factor that causes something to make progress

"Ambition will drive him."

"Her strong desire for success will drive her to work tirelessly towards achieving her goals."

the relative speed or pace of progress, growth, or decline

"The rate is fast."

"The economic growth rate has shown a significant increase over the past quarter."

to prevent something from growing or developing

"Please suppress the weed."

"The government implemented policies to suppress the growth of the illegal trade."

to become separated or disconnected from something else

"Detach the coupon from the paper."

"You must detach the bottom part of the form and mail it back to us with your payment."

to show the effects of a gene in an organism's phenotype

"Genes express themselves."

"Certain environmental factors can influence how specific genes express themselves in the organism."

(biology) to change gradually and over generations into forms that are better adapted to the environment and fitter to survive

"Animals evolve over time."

"Over millions of years, species evolve to better adapt to their environmental pressures and challenges."

to take something for one's own use, often without permission

"They co-opted her idea."

"The marketing team decided to co-opt the popular social media trend for their own campaign, even though it was originally created by a small independent brand."

(of a plant) to produce or display blossoms or blooms

"The roses flower in June."

"The beautiful rose bushes in the garden will flower in late spring and continue blooming through the summer months."

a short piece of poem

"The poem had a rhyme."

"The children's book was written in rhyme to make it more fun for parents to read aloud."

to control or decide how something should happen or be done

"You cannot dictate me."

"The powerful CEO continued to dictate the company's strategic direction without consulting the board."

used to indicate a logical result or effect

"He did not study consequently he failed."

"He did not study consequently he failed the exam and had to repeat the entire course during the summer."

to find or discover something by searching for its features, characteristics, or details

"Identify the object."

"Investigators worked tirelessly to identify the source of the mysterious signals emanating from deep space."

to cause something to change

"Do not alter the original document."

"The new medication may alter your sleep patterns so take it in the morning rather than at night."

documentary validation

"He gave his support."

"The detective requested additional support to corroborate his witness's testimony."