Test 4 - Reading - Passage 3 · Cambridge IELTS Academic 17 Vocabulary List

someone who competes against another person or group with the intention of winning, proving themselves, or achieving a specific goal

"The challenger fights for the title."

"The challenger defeated the reigning champion in a stunning upset victory."

to establish a standard or expectation that others should strive to meet or exceed

"She set the bar very high for herself."

"The previous winner set the bar very high so this year competitors will have to work extremely hard."

a predisposition to like something

"He has a fondness for old jazz records."

"He has a fondness for old jazz records and spends weekends searching for rare albums in used record stores."

a strong feeling of enjoyment, excitement, or thrill derived from an activity or experience

"The ride gave a kick."

"He gives the soccer ball a hard kick and it flies into the top corner of the net."

the sport of parachuting from a fixed structure or cliff

"BASE jumping leaps from fixed objects."

"BASE jumping leaps from fixed objects and the parachute is deployed very close to the ground."

at exactly the same time

"The two events happened simultaneously."

"The two events happened simultaneously so the president could not attend both of them at the same time."

exceptional skill, expertise, or mastery in a particular field or activity

"Her athletic prowess is well known."

"Her athletic prowess is well known and she has won many medals in national competitions."

an impressive or remarkable achievement or accomplishment, often requiring great skill or strength

"Climbing is amazing feat."

"Climbing Mount Everest is an amazing feat that requires great courage and serious physical preparation."

possessing great skill in a certain field

"She is an accomplished pianist."

"The accomplished pianist had performed in concert halls around the world and she received a standing ovation after every show."

causing great surprise or amazement due to being impressive, unexpected, or remarkable

"The view is astonishing."

"The astonishing speed of the cheetah makes it the fastest land animal on earth."

to teach a single student or a few students, often outside a school setting

"Mary tutors students in mathematics."

"The retired teacher volunteers to tutor struggling students in mathematics at the local community center every Tuesday evening."

the highest title a player can achieve, awarded by FIDE to players who have demonstrated exceptional skill and achievement in chess tournaments and matches

"He became a chess grandmaster at age twenty."

"The chess grandmaster won many international tournaments during his long career."

not initiated; deficient in relevant experience

"The uninitiated person was confused."

"The uninitiated visitor was confused by the complex customs of the tribe and the guide patiently explained each ritual."

to unfold in a particular way

"The drama played out on stage."

"The final scene of the movie will play out the dramatic confrontation between the hero and the villain."

to bring back something from the memory

"I cannot recall his name."

"The witness could not recall the exact details of the accident because it happened very quickly."

in a way that can be trusted to work well or be accurate

"The car runs reliably."

"The old truck reliably starts every morning even in the cold winter and the farmer trusts it completely for his daily work."

demanding or requiring a considerable amount of effort and energy to deal with

"The work is taxing."

"The taxing job required long hours and constant travel and the employee eventually burned out and decided to find a less demanding career."

a feeling of extreme tiredness

"Exhaustion forced him to sleep."

"She felt complete exhaustion after working long hours without any rest for many days."

to occur, often referring to something unwelcome

"The cold set in."

"As the winter months approached, a persistent fog began to set in, making driving conditions quite hazardous."

not thorough or complete enough to be useful or reliable

"His knowledge is patchy."

"The patchy internet connection made it impossible to stream the movie and she gave up after waiting for the video to buffer."

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."

broken into small, disconnected parts or pieces

"The vase is fragmented."

"The data is fragmented and scattered across multiple files so it is hard to analyze completely."

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."

to the highest or utmost degree

"She is supremely confident in her abilities."

"She is supremely confident in her abilities and never doubts herself even when facing a difficult challenge."

having a natural talent, intelligence, or ability in a particular area or skill

"She is a gifted artist."

"The young musician was incredibly gifted, mastering complex pieces with apparent ease."

not published

"His novel is unpublished."

"The unpublished manuscript was discovered in the author's attic after his death and it became a bestseller many years later."

to distribute or assign resources, funds, or tasks for a particular purpose

"We allocate funds for projects."

"The company decided to allocate a significant portion of its budget towards research and development for new products."

to give all or most of one's time, effort, or resources to a particular activity, cause, or person

"She dedicated her book to her mother."

"She decided to dedicate her entire life to helping homeless animals find loving permanent homes."

a strong and uncontrollable interest or attachment to something or someone, causing constant thoughts, intense emotions, and repetitive behaviors

"Her obsession with cleanliness made her wash her hands constantly."

"His obsession with collecting vintage watches eventually consumed all of his savings and free time."

a Latin phrase (or its abbreviation) used to indicate that special attention should be paid to something

"Nota bene means "note well" in Latin."

"The nota bene at the bottom of the page warned readers about an important exception."

referring to an event or occurrence that is about to happen very soon

"The event is forthcoming."

"We are eagerly awaiting the forthcoming release of the highly anticipated sequel to the popular film."

a group of brain areas in the front and upper-middle parts of the brain that work together to control attention, decision-making, problem-solving, and working memory

"The frontoparietal network is involved in attention and working memory."

"The frontoparietal network is involved in attention and working memory and is active during cognitive tasks."

wearing a blindfold

"The blindfold test was fair."

"The blindfold test required the participants to identify different flavors without seeing the food and many of them failed."

to play against someone in a game or contest

"They will take on."

"Our team is ready to take on any opponent in the upcoming championship tournament."

to cause something or someone to be noticeably different or better than others

"The colors stand out."

"Her unique approach to problem-solving allowed her to stand out among her peers."

having an elevated quality, either morally or intellectually, that is far above the ordinary

"His rarefied intellect impressed."

"The rarefied air at the top of the mountain made it difficult to breathe and the climbers used oxygen tanks to continue."

a group of people having a religion, ethnic, profession, or other particular characteristic in common

"Our community is nice."

"The online community offered support and shared resources for people with rare diseases."

a place where people do scientific experiments, manufacture drugs, etc.

"The laboratory has many tools."

"The chemistry students wore safety goggles and white lab coats while working in the laboratory on their assigned experiment."

having or showing excessive or uncontrollable worry or interest in something

"He is obsessed with video games."

"He is obsessed with video games and plays for hours every day without taking breaks."

to complete or perfect something, particularly by adding an accomplishment, a success, etc.

"It will crown his career."

"Winning the Nobel Peace Prize will undoubtedly crown his lifelong dedication to humanitarian efforts and global diplomacy."

a competition in which the best player or team is chosen

"Win championship title."

"The team worked very hard to win the national championship title this season successfully."

to secure a position in a ranking based on measured success or accomplishment

"Rank the players."

"The athletes will rank themselves based on their performance in the final competition this weekend."

to make something required, necessary, or appropriate

"This calls for action."

"The escalating crisis clearly calls for immediate and decisive intervention from authorities."

a meeting devoted to a particular activity

"We had a long session."

"The intensive training session focused on developing advanced negotiation skills for the sales team."

to think about a concept or situation in detail

"Let's run through it."

"Before the presentation, she decided to run through the key points with her colleagues."

a flat, usually rectangular surface used for playing tabletop games

"Play on the board."

"The intricate strategy game required a large wooden board with many detailed spaces."

difficult to achieve or deal with

"The task is tough."

"The tough exam required months of preparation but he studied hard every day and managed to pass it successfully."

more than average, but not too much

"The test was fairly easy."

"The test was fairly easy and most students finished it well before the time was up."

highly typical and recognizable example of a common situation, behavior, or mistake

"That is a classic mistake."

"Forgetting to check the expiration date on food is a classic mistake that many people make."

significantly better or greater than what is typical or expected

"Her talent is exceptional."

"The exceptional student graduated at the top of her class and received scholarship offers from several prestigious universities."

not firmly established or decided, with the possibility of changes in the future

"We made tentative plans."

"We made tentative plans to meet on Friday but we will confirm the time later."

a unit used to represent the degree, size, or quantity of something

"Please measure the room."

"You need to measure the length of the wall carefully before buying new curtains for the window."

to find a solution to a problem

"Let's work out this."

"The detectives are working out the complex financial motives behind the elaborate corporate fraud."

a sign or clue of a possible opportunity

"It was a hint."

"The subtle hint in his email suggested a potential opportunity for collaboration."

to lead one to believe or consider that something exists or is true

"It suggest a problem."

"The subtle changes in the patient's behavior suggest a deeper, underlying medical condition that needs investigation."

to think about or understand information carefully and in steps

"Please process this."

"The system will process all incoming applications according to the established protocol."

a slight indication or sign that something is the case

"The detective finds a clue at the crime scene."

"The detective finds a clue at the crime scene and it leads him to the identity of the killer."

to succeed in doing or achieving something

"He will claim victory."

"After years of dedicated training, the athlete was finally able to claim the championship title she had long desired."

a simplified summary that lists the main points or key ideas of a subject, providing an organized framework

"Give me an outline."

"The professor provided a detailed outline of the course curriculum for the semester."

a series of related items or events arranged in a specific order

"A string of beads."

"The detective followed a string of clues that eventually led him to the perpetrator."

to involve or be about someone or something

"This concerns you."

"The new regulations will directly concern all small business owners in the district."

to purposefully channel or apply one's attention, energy, or emotions toward a specific goal, person, or task

"Direct your attention."

"The manager decided to direct all his energy toward improving team morale and productivity."

the information or events that stimulate action or response

"Your input is needed."

"The consultant's valuable input was crucial in shaping the company's new marketing strategy."

to keep information in the mind so it can be remembered or used later

"Store the food."

"It's important to store this vital information securely for future reference and analysis."

in a manner that accurately represents facts, details, or the original source

"The report faithfully describes the event."

"The artist faithfully reproduced the original painting, capturing every subtle detail and brushstroke."