Week 15(6/1-6/5)
1. purr /pɜː/
- to make a quiet continuous soft sound
E.g.: The cat purred as I stroked its fur.
2. melodiously /məˈləʊ.di.əs/
- very pleasant to listen to
3. pneumonia /njuːˈməʊ.ni.ə/
- a serious illness in which one or both lungs become red and swollen and filled with liquid
E.g.: People who are bedridden can easily get pneumonia.
4. puff /pʌf/
- to breathe fast and with difficulty, usually because you have been doing exercise
E.g.: He came puffing up the stairs.
5. abandon /əˈbæn.dən/
- to leave a place, thing or person forever
E.g.: We had to abandon the car.
6. abuse /əˈbjuːz/
- to use or treat someone or something wrongly or badly, especially in a way that is to your own advantage
E.g.: She is continually abusing her position/authority by getting other people to do things for her.
7. collapse /kəˈlæps/
- to fall down suddenly because of pressure or having no strength or support
E.g.: Thousands of buildings collapsed in the earthquake.
8. drought /draʊt/
- a long period when there is little or no rain
E.g.: This year (a) severe drought has ruined the crops.
9. harsh /hɑːrʃ/
- unpleasant, unkind, cruel or unnecessarily severe
E.g.: The children had had a harsh upbringing.
10. linked to
11. out of the question
- to be an event which cannot possibly happen
E.g.: A trip to New Zealand is out of the question this year.
12. resources /rɪˈzɔːs/
- a useful or valuable possession or quality of a country, organization or person
E.g.: The country's greatest resource is the dedication of its workers.
13. settlement /ˈset.l̩.mənt/
- an official agreement that finishes an argument
E.g.: It now seems unlikely that it will be possible to negotiate/reach a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
14. spray /spreɪ/
- a mass of very small drops of liquid carried in the air
E.g.: Can you feel the spray from the sea/waterfall?
15. standard of living
- the amount of money and comfort people have in a particular society
E.g.: The standard of living in many developing countries is low.
16. starvation /stɑːˈveɪ.ʃən/
- the state of having no food for a long period, often causing death
E.g.: Twenty million people face starvation unless a vast emergency aid programme is launched.
17. anthropologist /ˌænt.θrəˈpɒl.ə.dʒɪst/
- someone who scientifically studies humans, their customs, beliefs and relationships
18. deforestation /diːˌfɒr.ɪˈsteɪ.ʃən/
- the cutting down of trees in a large area; the destruction of forests by people
E.g.: Deforestation is destroying large areas of tropical rain forest.
19. barrel /ˈbær.əl/
- a large container, made of wood, metal or plastic, with a flat top and bottom and curved sides that make it fatter in the middle
E.g.: They drank a whole barrel of beer (= the contents of a barrel) at the party.
20. quintuple
21. carbon dioxide
- the gas formed when carbon is burned, or when people or animals breathe out
E.g.: carbon dioxide emissions
22. breeze /briːz/
- a light and pleasant wind
E.g.: She let the gentle breeze cool her face.
23. dust /dʌst/
- dry dirt in the form of powder that covers surfaces inside a building, or very small dry pieces of soil, sand or other substances
E.g.: The furniture was covered in dust and cobwebs.
24. flush out /flʌʃ/
- to do something in order to discover people who have been dishonest
E.g.: By cross-checking claims, we will flush out the fraudsters.
25. generate /ˈdʒen.ər.eɪt/
- to cause something to exist
E.g.: Her latest film has generated a lot of interest/excitement.