Test 4 - Reading - Passage 2 · Cambridge IELTS Academic 15 Vocabulary List

covered with growing trees and bushes etc

"The hill is wooded."

"The wooded area behind the house was home to deer and rabbits and the children loved exploring the trails through the trees."

a deep narrow valley with steep sides, usually worn by a stream

"The hiker fell into a deep ravine."

"The hikers had to carefully navigate the treacherous terrain around the deep ravine to reach their destination safely."

an area of land, particularly in reference to its physical or natural features

"The rocky terrain was difficult to cross."

"Terrain refers to the physical features and surface characteristics of a tract of land"

to provide clarification, understanding, or insight into a topic, situation, or problem

"This document sheds light on the mystery."

"The document sheds light on the secret negotiations that took place between the two countries last year."

a person who collaborates with one or more individuals in writing a book, article, or other work

"Co-author helped write book."

"She was thrilled to have a renowned historian as her co-author for the new academic publication."

a teacher lower in rank than a full professor but higher than an assistant professor

"He is an associate professor."

"He is an associate professor in the history department, specializing in ancient civilizations and their impact."

to shape one's hands in a rounded or curved manner

"Cup your hands to hold water."

"He cupped his hands around the warm mug of tea to feel the heat on his cold fingers."

the state of being unclear due to multiple possible meanings

"The ambiguity of the statement confused everyone."

"The contract contained a dangerous ambiguity about who was responsible for repairs and both parties interpreted the clause differently."

to express one's thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively so that others can understand them easily

"He spoke slowly to make himself understood."

"He spoke slowly and clearly to make himself understood by the audience who were not native speakers."

a person who protects a large group of sheep as a job

"The shepherd watched the flock."

"The shepherd led his flock of sheep through the mountain pass using his trained dog to keep the animals from wandering off."

a variety of techniques used to visualize the structure and function of the brain and nervous system

"Neuroimaging shows which parts of the brain are active."

"Neuroimaging shows which parts of the brain are active when a person performs a specific task."

to compare two people or things so that their differences are noticeable

"Her dark hair contrasts with fair skin."

"The designer chose to contrast the bright yellow walls with dark wooden furniture."

a region of the brain responsible for auditory processing, memory, language comprehension, and visual perception

"The temporal lobe processes hearing memory."

"The temporal lobe processes auditory information and is essential for memory formation and language comprehension."

a region of the brain responsible for cognitive functions such as decision-making or problem-solving

"The frontal lobe controls personality."

"The frontal lobe controls personality judgment problem solving and voluntary movement initiation."

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."

the cerebral hemisphere to the left of the corpus callosum that controls the right half of the body

"The left hemisphere of the brain controls speech in most people."

"The left hemisphere of the brain controls speech in most people and is dominant for language processing."

the way in which language expresses the speaker's or writer's attitude, opinion, or degree of certainty regarding a statement or proposition

"Must expresses strong modality."

"Modality refers to the linguistic expression of possibility, necessity, or probability, often through modal verbs like "can", "must", or "might"."

a situation in which a particular animal or plant no longer exists

"The dodo bird was hunted to extinction many years ago by humans."

"Extinction is the complete and permanent disappearance of a species from the Earth"

gradually decreasing until little remains

"The supplies are dwindling."

"The dwindling supply of clean water worried the residents and the government imposed restrictions on lawn watering and car washing."

an inhabitant of an island

"The islander knows every cove and beach."

"The islander had lived on the remote atoll his entire life and knew every reef and current."

to make progress or take action toward achieving something

"You need to take a step forward."

"Losing weight is difficult but taking the first step is the most important part of the journey."

a primary school for the first six or eight grades

"Elementary school goes from kindergarten to fifth grade."

"Elementary school goes from kindergarten to fifth grade and each student has one main classroom teacher."

to officially tell people something

"The president declared a state of emergency."

"The president declared a state of emergency after the earthquake caused widespread destruction across several states."

in a situation where something harmful or dangerous is likely to happen, often due to a warning or risk

"He acted under threat of violence."

"He acted under threat of violence so the judge decided to be lenient with his sentence."

at or to a certain distance away in physical space

"Move off the road."

"Please step off the busy road and wait on the sidewalk until the traffic has completely cleared."

(of an area) having a lot of mountains

"The region is mountainous."

"The mountainous region receives heavy snowfall every winter and the roads are often closed for several days at a time."

(of a surface) having a sharp slope or angle, making it difficult to climb or walk up

"The mountain is steep."

"The hikers found the steep ascent of the mountain extremely challenging but ultimately rewarding."

having a surface that is covered with large, uneven, or rough rocks, stones, or boulders

"The path is rocky."

"The rocky path up the mountain was hard to climb without proper hiking boots."

a raised landform, hill, or incline

"The hill has a slope."

"The gentle slope of the meadow made it an ideal location for a leisurely picnic."

the action of producing a sound to signal, summon, or attract attention

"Hear the whistle."

"The referee's whistle signaled the end of the intense and closely contested match."

a way, system, object, etc. through which one can achieve a goal or accomplish a task

"He found a way."

"The company explored various innovative means to improve customer satisfaction and boost overall sales figures."

to convey or communicate something, such as information, ideas, or emotions, from one person to another

"Radios transmit signals over long distances."

"The radio tower can transmit signals over a very long distance allowing communication with ships far out at sea."

to make a connection between someone or something and another in the mind

"People associate dark clouds with rain."

"Most people associate the color red with love and passion but it can also symbolize danger and anger."

in a way that is unusually impressive, effective, or surprising

"She is remarkably talented for her age."

"She is remarkably talented for her age and can play three different musical instruments very well indeed."

capable of adjusting easily to different situations, circumstances, or needs

"My schedule is flexible."

"The flexible work schedule allows employees to choose their own hours as long as they complete their tasks each week."

to understand or assign meaning to something

"Interpret the meaning."

"It is difficult to interpret the abstract artist's intentions behind the provocative work."

the area or extent within which something operates, has influence, or exercises control

"What is the scope?"

"The scope of the investigation was limited to the financial transactions of the past fiscal year."

to completely understand, acknowledge, or become aware of the existence, validity, or importance of something

"I recognize you from school."

"It is crucial to recognize the significant impact that climate change is having on our planet."

an object or thing used in place of another

"This is a good substitute."

"She used honey as a substitute for sugar in the recipe because it was healthier."

considered a separate or distinct entity

"Each individual is unique."

"Every individual has the right to express their opinions freely."

the specific number of waves that pass a point every second

"High frequency means many waves."

"The radio station broadcasts at a specific frequency, allowing your receiver to tune in accurately."

a vocal or musical sound with a particular pitch, intensity, and quality

"Her tone was kind."

"The speaker's warm and encouraging tone made everyone feel comfortable and motivated to participate."

the degree of highness or lowness of a tone that is determined by the frequency of waves producing it

"The singer hit a high pitch."

"The soprano's voice reached an incredibly high pitch, captivating the entire audience."

to slightly alter or move something in order to improve it or make it work better

"Adjust your seat before driving."

"You may need to adjust the seat height if you cannot reach the pedals comfortably while driving the car."

the position that someone or something faces, points, or moves toward

"Which direction should we go?"

"The arrow indicates the correct direction for the emergency exit."

to recognize and mentally separate two things, people, etc.

"It is hard to distinguish identical twins."

"It can be very difficult for young children to distinguish between right and wrong without proper guidance from their parents or teachers."

the act of doing or performing something again

"Avoid repetition."

"The teacher emphasized the importance of avoiding unnecessary repetition in the student's essay."

the surrounding discourse that provides clarity and understanding to a language unit, helping to determine its interpretation

"Understand the context."

"It is crucial to consider the historical context when interpreting ancient literature and its meanings."

a group of people who share the same culture, usually in traditional societies

"The folk danced happily."

"Ancient folk traditions are often preserved through oral storytelling and communal rituals."

new and unlike anything else

"This is a novel idea."

"The scientist proposed a novel method for purifying water that had never been tried before in this region."

indicating that the quantity or count mentioned does not exceed a specified value

"You can choose up to three items."

"You can invite up to ten guests to the wedding so please send me the list soon."

by means of a particular person, system, etc.

"She sent it via email."

"The package was delivered to the correct address via a trusted courier service."

an order, particularly given by someone in a position of authority

"The command was clear."

"The captain issued a direct command to advance, leaving no room for hesitation."

to do something or provide a reply based on what others have done or said

"She will respond quickly."

"The government promised to respond promptly to the citizens' concerns about public safety."

the ability or power to achieve something or develop into a certain state in the future

"It has great capacity."

"The stadium has the capacity to hold over fifty thousand spectators."

free from external control, influence, or constraint

"She is independent."

"The country fought to become independent and govern its own affairs."

the source or point of beginning of something, such as the historical, cultural, or linguistic roots of a word, concept, or phenomenon

"What is its origin?"

"Determining the precise origin of this ancient custom requires extensive historical research and analysis."

not well-known or widely recognized

"He is an obscure writer."

"Despite his groundbreaking research, the scientist remained an obscure figure in the academic community."

relating to the original inhabitants of a particular region or country, who have distinct cultural, social, and historical ties to that land

"They are indigenous people."

"The indigenous tribe fought to preserve their ancestral lands and unique cultural heritage from exploitation."

to gain control of a place or people using armed forces

"They conquer the land."

"The victorious army managed to conquer the entire kingdom within a year."

a small isolated group of people

"A small pocket of resistance remained."

"Despite the overwhelming opposition, a small pocket of rebels continued their fight."

feeling or being disconnected from others, either physically or socially

"The house is isolated."

"The isolated cabin in the woods had no electricity or running water and the nearest neighbor was more than ten miles away through dense forest."

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."

to make progress or take action toward achieving something

"We must take a step."

"To achieve our goals, we need to take a significant step forward."

to protect something against danger or harm

"We must preserve it."

"Efforts are underway to preserve the ancient artifacts from further deterioration."