Lesson overview
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398 words/phrases to learn
cultivation
preparing and growing crops or plants
irrigation
a means of supplying water for agriculture
precipitation
water that falls to the Earth’s surface
a famine
severe hunger; a drastic food shortage
catastrophic
extremely harmful
to abandon
to leave; to give up
adversely
affecting in a harmful, negative way
to anticipate
to sense or expect something before it happens
to aggregate
to collect together into a whole
to fertilize
to supply nourishment to plants
to intensify
to increase in power or strength
to obtain
to gain possession of; to get
photosynthesis
the process where plants make food using sunlight
to collide
to come together with great or violent force
an eruption
a sudden, often violent, outburst
a flood
an overflowing of water; an excessive amount
an impact
a strong influence
to persevere
to keep going in spite of obstacles
to plunge
to go down suddenly
to unleash
to release a thing or emotion
exponentially
at an increasing rate
a denominator
the number written below the line in a fraction
to maximize
to increase to the maximum
innovative
new and creative
to adjust
to change a small amount
to derive
to come from
arbitrary
chosen for no specific reason
maintenance
the process of keeping something in good condition
infinitesimal
infinitely small
parallel
being an equal distance apart everywhere
a proportion
a section of a whole
a rate
the amount of change per unit of time
to sequence
to arrange in succession
to circulate
to move in a circular route
to corrode
to be weakened by chemical reactions
detection
the discovery of something
expeditiously
quickly and efficiently
to implement
to make use of; to carry out
an installation
a large piece of equipment installed for use
a simulation
an imitation of a real event
combustion
burning
a reservoir
a place where a liquid is stored
solar
relating to the sun
a component
one part of a whole
an emission
a substance discharged into the air
to convey
to transport from one place to another
discretely
separately; distinctly
a nucleus
a central or essential part
to permeate
to spread or flow throughout
to dispose of
to get rid of
to rotate
to turn around; to take turns
a source
a point of origin
to trigger
to initiate
a constraint
a restriction
a contamination
addition of a germ or hazardous substance
to deplete
to decrease the supply of a resource or material
elementally
in terms of elements; basically
an extinction
complete disappearance
to shrink
to become reduced in size
stable
firm and dependable
agnostic
being unsure of whether there is a god
animism
the belief that natural objects have souls
atheist
one who does not believe in the existence of god
to deify
to worship as a god
ecclesiastical
relating to a church
to exalt
to praise or honor
pious
having or exhibiting religious reverence
to sacrifice
to give up smthg valued for smthg else later on
astrological
related to the stars and their supposed effect
divination
telling the future by finding patterns in objects
self-perpetuating
having the power to renew oneself
to haunt
to continually appear as a ghost
a horror
a strong fear mixed with disgust
an intermediary
acting as an agent between people or things
to invoke
to call on for support
to contemplate
to consider thoughtfully
to be inclined to
to favor an opinion or a course of action
to meditate
to think quietly and deeply for a long time
a phantom
a ghost
psychic
having mental powers beyond natural laws
to evolve
to develop
to adapt
to adjust to the circumstances
intuitively
by means of unconscious reasoning
diverse
showing a lot of differences within a group
indisputable
unquestionable
a feature
a characteristic
a generation
a group of people born at about the same time
inherent
a natural characteristic of something
a migration
a movement from one place to another by a group
physical
related to the body or material things
a process
a series of steps leading to a result
to survive
to continue living
acquisition
the act of taking possession of something
an anomaly
something unusual
consciously
with awareness of one’s actions
to degrade
to reduce in value or strength
a gap
an opening; a distance between two things
to intervene
to come between
to recede
to move back or away from
to retrieve
to bring or get back
a relic
something left over from ancient history
accuracy
precision; exactness
to assimilate
to consume and incorporate
to fossilize
to become preserved in stone after death
a vestige
a visible trace that something once existed
adjacent
next to
integrally
in a centrally important manner
to compress
to press together
feasibly
in a way that is possible
to gut
to empty or hollow out
to overlap
to lie over part of something
to retain
to keep or hold
to seep
to move slowly, as a liquid or gas might
a structure
something constructed, such as a building
a cremation
the act of burning the dead
to domesticate
to make something suitable for being in a home
folklore
traditional myths of a people
a rite
a ceremony meant to achieve a certain purpose
ritually
as part of a traditional ceremony or habit
a saga
a long story about important events long ago
to cure
to restore to health
a prognosis
an estimation of how a disease will develop
a disease
a sickness
a vein
the tubes that carry blood to the heart
to inject
to insert a liquid by means of a syringe
a scar
a mark on the skin left after a wound has healed
fatally
Causing death or disaster
forensics
scientific investigation of a criminal case
to aggravate
to make worse; to anger or intensify
to persist
to continue to exist
terminal
at the end
to wound
to injure
anesthesia
a state of reduced sensation
to augment
to make bigger or better by adding to
certifiably
in a manner that is officially recognized
a complication
a factor that makes something more complex
decrepit
weakened or worn out
to implant
to set in firmly
obese
excessively overweight
a procedure
a specific way of performing or doing something
a curriculum
a course of study
parochial
restricted in outlook
distinctly
clearly
longitude
location east or west of the prime meridian
erudite
highly educated
rigor
following rules strictly
Orwellian
relating to oppressive government control
to fortify
to strengthen
milieu
general environment or surroundings
a consequence
a result, usually one that is negative
implicitly
without being explicitly stated
a roster
a list, especially of names
secular
not related to religion
to suspend
to stop for a period; to hang
chronologically
in order according to time
to coincide
to happen at the same time
a core
an area or object at the center
to deny
to say that something is not true
to diminish
to make something smaller or weaker
a reconciliation
a coming back together after a disagreement
a conquest
a takeover by force
strategic
related to long-term plans for achieving a goal
to battle
to fight against
to be in the trenches
in the middle of the hardest fighting or work
allegiance
loyalty
to cease
to stop
a hierarchy
a system of levels of importance
an apex
the highest point
to mobilize
to start moving
to rank
to put into order depending on importance
a ratio
the relationship of one number to another
to resist
to refuse to give in
to annex
to make something (land) part of another unit
to collapse
to fall down, usually because of weakness
to devise
to work out a plan
invasive
aggressively entering into someone's territory
an artillery
a set of large guns that shoot powerful shells
prevailing
strongest or most common
severely
harshly; extremely
a violation
an action that breaks a law or agreement
to accumulate
to build up a large amount of something
affluence
wealth and the lifestyle that goes with it
elite
belonging to a special, honored group
to impoverish
to make a person or group poor
luxury
extreme comfort
nobility
a group of socially/politicially prominent people
prestige
honor and respect
privileged
enjoying special advantages
to prosper
to do well, usually in business
working class
people in low-paid jobs, often manual labour
to acquire
to get
to assess
to estimate
an asset
a possession that has positive value
hazardous
dangerous
jointly
together with
to lease
to rent for a long time
a liability
legal responsibility for something; a disadvantage
a proprietor
owner of a business or a building
to safeguard
to protect
sole
only
a commodity
a primary product that can be bought and sold
to haggle
to argue back and forth about a price
equity
the value of shares in an investment
entrepreneurial
ability to create business opportunities
inflation
a general increase in prices
net
final amount after costs
to decline
to decrease or go down
per capita
per person
to regulate
to control according to a set of rules
a subsidy
money given by a government to support an activity
tangible
real; able to touch
to extract
to take out
to distill
to purify liquid or extract essence
to shuttle
to move back and forth between two places
intrepid
fearless
a merchant
a person who makes a living by selling things
proportionately
divided according to a ratio
to allocate
to assign or distribute for a specific purpose
a prototype
a preliminary version of a product
a reward
something given in recognition of an achievement
an election
a process in which people choose officials
a coalition
different groups working together for a goal
integrity
personal honesty and good character
cynically
distrustful of human integrity
authority
the power to make decisions
bitterly
strongly and with a lot of bad feelings
a candidate
someone who wants to be chosen for a position
to contest
to challenge
to inaugurate
to start formally
a policy
an approved way for approaching a situation
to advocate
to speak out in favor of something
to poll
to ask people for their opinions or votes
bribery
giving gifts to a government to get privileges
to erode
to wear away
grotesque
extremely unattractive
prevalent
common
to reform
to make changes
a scandal
a wrongdoing that hurts someone’s reputation
to unmask
to expose something that is hidden
to accuse
to say that someone did something wrong
evidence
the facts around a particular proposition
guilty
responsible for doing something bad
allegedly
according to what people say
civil
involving a dispute between two citizens
to convict
to decide that someone is guilty of a crime
an offense
an act that breaks the law
a suspect
someone who might have committed a certain crime
a verdict
a judgment in a court case
a peer
a person who is one’s social equal
to witness
to see something happen first hand
to condemn
to speak out against smthg in very strong terms
to apprehend
to capture
to ascertain
to find something out
an inquiry
an investigation
bureaucratic
related to an organization with lots of procedures
to implicate
to suggest that someone was involved in a crime
intrusively
interfering in an unwanted way
to seize
to take something against its owner’s will
surveillance
a process of watching someone for a long time
piracy
stealing a ship or cargo; unlawful copying
abduction
kidnapping
to smuggle
to illegally bring things into a country
a misconception
a mistaken belief
to coerce
to put pressure on someone to do something
to detain
to hold someone in a place for a period of time
deviant
in a style that is abnormal in a negative way
to distort
to twist; to alter for the worse or misrepresent
to juxtapose
to place next to one another
intentionally
on purpose
a predicament
a difficult situation
villainy
the acts of a villain
addictive
causing very strong habit formation
a cartel
a group controlling supply to maintain high prices
concentrated
strong because large amounts are in a space
to interdict
to keep something from reaching a certain place
to modify
to make small changes
potent
powerful
residual
left behind after most of a thing has gone
subtly
in a barely noticable way
paternal
relating to a father
a descendant
a direct relative in a later generations
kin
relatives
sentiment
opinion based on feelings
ancestral
related to family members from earlier generations
in common
as a shared characteristic
clique
a group unfriendly to people outside the group
cohesion
ability to stay together as a unit
legitimate
conforming to the laws
proximity
nearness
a sibling
a brother or sister
affection
an emotional closeness or warmth
associate
to regularly spend time together
bond
a close connection
to confide
to tell personal secrets
an inheritance
things passed down to you from your ancestors
exclusive
keeping out all but a few people
to fluctuate
to change often, from one condition to another
solidarity
standing together in the face of opposition
willing
agreeable and ready to do something
passion
an extremely strong positive emotion
obnoxious
bothersome; deliberately annoying
despondent
sad and without hope for the future
arrogantly
showing a high opinion of self and lower of others
antipathy
a strong, long-lasting negative feeling
devotion
willingness to keep supporting someone you admire
a dilemma
a difficult choice between two things
to engender
to bring into being
complex
involving interaction of many different parts
loyal
faithful
a proliferation
an increase in the number of something
reciprocity
exchanging things for mutual benefit
to vanish
to disappear suddenly
vitriolic
showing extreme, hateful anger
to berate
to say insulting things
contemptuous
having no respect
to despise
to hate very much
humiliation
a loss of respect
shame
a feeling of dishonor
to stigmatize
to be given a visible mark of disgrace
to discriminate
to make a clear distinction
status quo
the systems and conditions that exist now
biased
leaning unfairly in one direction
prejudiced
causing to judge unfairly
a burden
something that is carried; a source of worry
to counter
to act in opposition to
de facto
in fact doing a job, even if not officially
a notion
a fanciful belief
to oppress
to keep down by force
fringe
the edge
adolescent
characteristic of a teenager
a paradigm
a set of assumptions
to amend
to alter for the better
a cause
a political or social goal
a conflict
a struggle between opposing sides or ideas
delinquency
serious misbehaviour
hedonistic
excessively interested in seeking pleasure
hypocritically
accusing other people of your own weaknesses
manipulation
influencing someone to do what you want
to rebel
to go against an established system or authority
to promote
to move someone to a higher position in a company
to analyze
to examine something so as to understand it
industrious
hard working
to assail
to attack or criticize forcefully
to resign
to quit one’s job
contrary
opposite
to hypothesize
to make a testable prediction of a theory
to impair
to make something less effective than usual
inference
a conclusion drawn from evidence
suspicious
believing that something is wrong
to tolerate
to allow something to go on happening
versus
against
to compensate
to give back something of equal value as given
objectively
based on unbiased standards, not on personal view
dynamic
full of energy
enterprising
creative in thinking of ways to make money
to exploit
to take advantage of
an incentive
a benefit to motivate people to do a certain thing
marginal
at the margin; at the edges
merit
success based on one’s work, not on luck
realism
a technique picturing things as they really look
abstract
not concrete and realistic
symbolic
acting as a sign for some other thing or idea
a context
a larger environment that something fits into
ambiguous
having more than one possible meaning
illiterate
unable to read
to depict
to show in pictures
a dimension
a direction along which something can be measured
esthetically
relating to beauty or appearance
a connotation
a meaning that is implied, not stated directly
intrinsic
being part of the basic nature of something
a perspective
a way of seeing from a particular location
a portrayal
a description that reflects a point of view
to denote
to mean something clearly and directly
an inscription
something written into a piece of rock or metal
advent
coming; arrival
to decipher
to figure out or decode meaning
ingenious
very clever and imaginative
phonetic
related to the sounds in a language
a spectrum
a range of different things, usually colors
cast
the group of actors in a play, movie, tv show, etc
exotic
interesting because of coming from a faraway place
vanity
an excessive concern for one’s appearance
hilarious
very funny
a skit
a short, informal play
improvisation
something created without preparation
capricious
moving unpredictably from one thing to another
incompetent
lacking the ability to perform a task
amateurish
not good enough to be the work of professionals
charismatic
extremely attractive and charming
zeal
enthusiasm
bulk
largeness and a heavy appearance
cumbersome
difficult to carry because of weight or shape
to inhibit
to discourage or to slow down
a minimum
the smallest possible amount or level
striking
easily attracting attention
a medium
a channel or way for a meaning to be expressed
gala
expensive; full of celebration
a trend
a general movement in a particular direction
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