Lesson 6: Environment
- biodiversity – the variety of plants and animals in a particular place
- deforestation – the cutting down of trees in a large area, or the destruction of forests by people
- ecosystem – all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment
- emission – the act of sending out gas, heat, light, etc.
- erosion – the fact of soil, stone, etc. being gradually damaged and removed by the waves, rain, or wind
- exhaust – the waste gas from an engine, especially a car’s, or the pipe the gas flows through
- food chain – a series of living things in which each group eats organisms from the group lower than itself in the series
- fumes – strong, unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous gas or smoke
- impact – the effect or influence
- pollutant – a substance that pollutes something, especially water or the atmosphere
- refuse – rubbish; matter thrown away or rejected as worthless;
- achievable – a task, ambition, etc. that is one that is possible to achieve
- advantageous – useful
- at risk – in a dangerous situation
- chronic – (esp. of a disease or something bad) continuing for a long time
- conceivable – possible to imagine or to believe
- devastating – causing a lot of damage or destruction
- environmentally friendly – not harmful to the environment
- fruitless – unsuccessful or not productive
- futile – achieving no result; not effective
- immune – unaffected; protected from or unable to be influenced by something.
- impracticable – (of a course of action) impossible in practice to do or carry out.
- improbable – not likely to happen or be true
- irreparable – impossible to repair or make right again
- irreplaceable – too special, valuable, or unusual to be replaced by anything else
- irreversible – not possible to change; impossible to return to a previous condition
- liable – legally responsible for the cost of something
- pervasive – present or noticeable in every part of a thing or place
- pointless – having no useful purpose
- pristine – original and pure; not spoiled or worn from use
- questionable – not certain, or wrong in some way
- sustainable – causing little or no damage to the environment
- taxing – challenging; needing too much effort
- unattainable – not able to be achieved
- unlikely – not probable or likely to happen
- unprecedented – never having happened or existed in the past
- worthwhile – useful, important, or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made
- confront – to face, meet, or deal with a difficult situation or person
- contaminate – to make something less pure or make it poisonous
- dispose of something – to get rid of something; throw out or destroy
- inexorable – a process that cannot be stopped
- inevitable – certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented
- toll – suffering, deaths, or damage
- quest – a long search for something that is difficult to find
- insurmountable – (especially of a problem or a difficulty) so great that it cannot be dealt with successfully
- insoluble – (of a problem) so difficult that it is impossible to solve
- omnipresent – present or having an effect everywhere at the same time
- shred – to cut or tear something roughly into thin strips – burrow – a hole dug in the ground that an animal, such as a rabbit, lives in
- den – the home of particular types of wild animal
- ecology – the relationship of living things to their environment
- evolution – the way in which living things change and develop over millions of years
- extinction – a situation in which something no longer exists
- fauna – all the animals of a particular area or period of time
- flora – all the plants of a particular place or from a particular time in history
- habitat – the place where a plant or animal lives
- human nature – the behaviour and feelings common to most people
- Mother Nature – the nature, esp. when it is thought of as a force that affects people and the world
- predator – an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals
- prey – an animal that is hunted by another animal
- repercussion – negative effect
- scent – a pleasant natural smell
- vegetation – plants in general, or the plants that are found in a particular area
- vermin – small animals and insects that can be harmful
- disastrous – extremely bad or unsuccessful
- domesticated – brought under human control
- endangered – at risk or in danger of dying out completely
- extinct – not now existing
- vulnerable – able to be easily hurt, influenced, or attacked
- adapt – to change something in order to make it suitable for a new use or situation
- combat – to try to stop something unpleasant or harmful
- eradicate – to get rid of completely or destroy something bad
- hibernate – to spend the winter sleeping
- tolerate – to bear something unpleasant or annoying
- twig – a small, thin branch of a tree or bush, esp. one removed from the tree or bush and without any leaves
- coat – the hair, wool, or fur covering an animal
- beak – the hard, pointed part of a bird’s mouth
- hide – the strong, thick skin of an animal, used for making leather
- scales – one of the many very small, flat pieces that cover the skin of fish, snakes, etc.
- paw – the foot of an animal that has claws or nails, such as a cat, dog, or bear
- claw – one of the sharp, curved nails at the end of each of the toes of some animals and birds
- thorn – a small, sharp pointed growth on the stem of a plant
- petal – one of the thin soft coloured parts of a flower
- horn – a hard, pointed part, usually one of a pair, on the head of cows, goats, and other animals
- vegan – a person who does not eat or use any animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, or leather
- human being – a person
- meerkat – a small, grey Southern African animal that sometimes sits up on its back legs
- endemic – belonging to a particular area; inherent
- prickly pear – type of cactus (= desert plant) that has oval fruit
- paddock – a field of any size that is used for farming
- render – to cause something to change in a certain way, make.
- larva – the active immature form of an insect
- cane – the long, hollow stems of particular plants such as bamboo
- toad – a small animal, similar to a frog, that has dry, brown skin and lives mostly on land
- controversial – causing disagreement or discussion
- caterpillar – a small creature like a worm with many legs that eats leaves and that develops into a butterfly or other flying insect
- hedgehog – small animal with spikes on its back
- executive – director, someone in a high position
- slug – a small animal with a soft body like a snail without a shell
- forage – to go searching, esp. for food
- saliva – the natural, watery liquid in the mouth that keeps it wet and helps prepare food for digestion
- lineage – all the living things that are related directly to the same living thing that existed long ago
- marsupials – have pouch and teat, mainly in Australia
- trace – to find the origin of something
- foetus – a young human being or animal before birth, after the organs have started to develop
- equator – an imaginary line around the earth or another planet at an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole
- proximity – the state of being near in space or time
- scrap – to have a fight or an argument
- primarily – mainly
- litter – a group of animals that are born at the same time and have the same mother
- rodent – a type of small mammal with sharp front teeth
Some questions asked in previous IELTS Writing Paper that you would be able to write with the help of the vocabulary in this lesson:
- Managing global environmental issues should be handled by one organization on a global scale. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
- Many agricultural lands are being converted into commercial centres.
How does this affect the environment and the people’s lifestyle? Discuss this situation and provide suggestions to address these issues. Support your answer with specific reasons and examples. - Many efforts have been made by countries to address challenges concerning the environment but the situation has not improved. What are the possible reasons for environmental degradation? Are there any solutions to combat this problem? Support your answer with specific reasons and examples.
- Nowadays, it is possible to move ocean creatures from their natural habitat at sea and have them relocated to marine parks for the purpose of education and entertainment. Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages? Explain your reasons and support them with specific examples.
- The government should close companies that produce toxic waste materials without their own waste treatment facility in order to protect the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
