Master the Cambridge IELTS 11 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 2 vocabulary with our flashcard exercise.
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Cambridge IELTS 11 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 2
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civilisation
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(n) /ˌsɪv.ɪ.ləˈzeɪ.ʃən/
the way that a group of people live together, with laws, culture, and government
Example: The ancient civilisation built impressive structures.
ethnographer
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(n) /ɛθˈnɒɡrəfə/
a person who studies cultures and societies
Example: The ethnographer visited many villages to learn about their traditions.
adventurer
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(n) /ədˈvɛn.tʃər.ər/
a person who enjoys new and exciting experiences
Example: The adventurer climbed the highest mountain.
extraterrestrial
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(adj) /ˌɛkstrətəˈrɛstriəl/
relating to things that come from outside the Earth
Example: Some people believe in extraterrestrial life.
linguistic
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(adj) /lɪŋˈɡwɪstɪk/
related to language
Example: She studies linguistic patterns in different cultures.
archaeological
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(adj) /ˌɑːrkiəˈlɒdʒɪkl/
related to the study of ancient cultures through their buildings, tools, and other remains
Example: The archaeological team discovered many artifacts on the site.
genetic
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(adj) /dʒəˈnɛtɪk/
relating to genes or heredity
Example: The study focused on genetic information of the plants.
definitively
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(adv) /dɪˈfɪnɪtɪvli/
in a way that is certain and not able to be doubted
Example: The scientists definitively proved their theory.
folklore
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(n) /ˈfoʊkˌlɔːr/
the traditional beliefs, legends, and stories of a culture
Example: Many stories about monsters are part of local folklore.
scrawny
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(adj) /ˈskrɔːni/
very thin and weak
Example: The cat looked scrawny after being lost for weeks.
sediment
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(n) /ˈsɛdɪmənt/
small pieces of material that settle at the bottom of a liquid
Example: The river carried sediment to the ocean.
lush
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(adj) /lʌʃ/
having a lot of healthy and green plants
Example: The garden is lush with flowers and trees.
fragile
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(adj) /ˈfrædʒaɪl/
easily broken or damaged
Example: The glass vase is fragile and can break easily.
fertilise
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(v) /ˈfɜːrtɪlaɪz/
to make soil or land more suitable for growing plants
Example: Farmers often need to fertilise their fields to grow healthy crops.
volcanic
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(adj) /vɑːlˈkænɪk/
related to or produced by a volcano
Example: The volcanic rocks were formed from lava.
ash
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(n) /æʃ/
the grey or black powder that is left after something has burned
Example: She cleaned the ash from the fireplace.
scarce
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(adj) /skɛrs/
in short supply; not enough
Example: Resources became scarce after many trees were cut down.
canoe
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(n) /kəˈnuː/
a small, light boat that is pointed at both ends and is moved by paddles
Example: They went out to the lake in a canoe.
erosion
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(n) /ɪˈroʊʒən/
the process by which soil and rock are worn away
Example: Heavy rain caused erosion on the hillside.
yield
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(v) /jiːld/
to produce or provide something
Example: The farm yields a lot of fruits.
descend
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(v) /dɪˈsɛnd/
to move or go down
Example: The sun will descend behind the mountains.
cannibalism
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(n) /ˌkæn.ɪˈbæl.ɪ.zəm/
the practice of eating the flesh of one's own kind
Example: In some ancient cultures, cannibalism was practiced as a ritual.
collapse
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(v) /kəˈlæps/
to fall down suddenly
Example: The old building may collapse if it is not repaired.
isolated
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(adj) /ˈaɪsəˌleɪtɪd/
separated from others; alone
Example: The island was isolated from the rest of the world.
scenario
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(n) /sɪˈnɛə.ri.oʊ/
a situation or sequence of events that could happen in the future
Example: The teacher gave us a scenario to discuss in class.
accelerate
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(v) /əkˈsɛləˌreɪt/
to make something go faster
Example: The car can accelerate quickly when needed.
self-destruction
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(n) /ˌsɛlf dɪsˈtrʌkʃən/
the act of causing one's own destruction or failure
Example: His bad choices led to his self-destruction.
interpret
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(v) /ɪnˈtɜrprɪt/
to explain the meaning of something
Example: She can interpret the complex poem for us.
chieftain
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(n) /ˈtʃiːf.tən/
a leader of a group or tribe
Example: The chieftain made decisions for the village.
assert
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(v) /əˈsɜrt/
to say something clearly and firmly
Example: He will assert his opinion during the meeting.
dominance
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(n) /ˈdɑː.mə.nəns/
the state of being in control or having power over others
Example: The leaders showed their dominance in the meeting.
sledge
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(n) /slɛdʒ/
a type of sled used for hauling heavy loads over snow or rough ground
Example: They used a sledge to carry the heavy stones.
haul
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(v) /hɔːl/
to pull something heavy with effort
Example: They will haul the boxes to the truck.
topple
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(v) /ˈtɑːpl/
to fall over or cause to fall
Example: The wind can easily topple the small tree.
catastrophe
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(n) /kəˈtæstrəfi/
a sudden event that causes great damage or suffering
Example: The hurricane was a real catastrophe for the town.
heroic
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(adj) /hɪˈroʊ.ɪk/
very brave or showing great courage
Example: The firefighters made heroic efforts to save the people in the building.
wind-lashed
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(adj) /wɪnd-læʃt/
exposed to strong winds
Example: The wind-lashed fields struggled to produce crops.
infertile
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(adj) /ɪnˈfɜrˌtaɪl/
not able to produce plants or crops
Example: The farmers were worried about their infertile land.
windbreak
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(n) /ˈwɪndˌbreɪk/
a structure that protects an area from wind
Example: Farmers build a windbreak to protect their crops from the strong winds.
prehistoric
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(adj) /ˌpriːhɪˈstɔːrɪk/
relating to a time before written history
Example: The prehistoric people made tools from stone.
pioneer
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(n) /ˌpaɪəˈnɪr/
a person who is one of the first to explore or settle a new area
Example: The pioneers traveled many miles to find new land.
sustainable
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(adj) /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/
able to be maintained or continued over a long period without harming the environment
Example: The farm uses sustainable methods to grow crops.
contend
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(v) /kənˈtɛnd/
to argue or state that something is true
Example: They contend that the idea is not correct.
manoeuvre
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(v) /məˈnuːvər/
to move or guide something in a skillful way
Example: They can easily manoeuvre the boat through the narrow channel.
replica
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(n) /ˈrɛplɪkə/
a copy or model of something
Example: The artist created a replica of the famous statue.
groove
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(n) /ɡruːv/
a long, narrow cut or indentation
Example: The artist created a groove in the wood for decoration.
extinct
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(adj) /ɪkˈstɪŋkt/
no longer in existence; having no living members
Example: Dinosaurs are now extinct.
overrun
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(v) /ˈoʊ.vɚ.rʌn/
to spread over or occupy a place too much or too quickly
Example: The rats overrun the island and affected the palm trees.
reseed
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(v) /ˌriːˈsiːd/
to plant seeds again or in a new place
Example: We need to reseed the lawn this spring.
doom
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(n) /duːm/
an unpleasant fate or disaster
Example: The storm brought doom to the small town.
deforestation
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(n) /diːˌfɔːr.ɪˈsteɪ.ʃən/
the process of cutting down or burning all the trees in an area
Example: Deforestation can harm many animals that live in the forests.
immunity
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(n) /ɪˈmjunɪti/
the ability to resist disease
Example: Vaccines can help increase your immunity to certain illnesses.
decimate
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(v) /ˈdɛsɪˌmeɪt/
to kill a large part of a group or to greatly reduce their number
Example: The disease decimated the population in just a few years.
shrivel
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(v) /ˈʃrɪvəl/
to become smaller and wrinkled
Example: The leaves shrivel in the dry heat.
steward
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(n) /ˈstuːərd/
a person who looks after something
Example: He is the steward of the community garden.
ingenious
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(adj) /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/
very smart or clever
Example: The engineer came up with an ingenious solution to the problem.
reckless
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(adj) /ˈrɛk.ləs/
not caring about the danger or the consequences of one's actions
Example: The reckless driver caused an accident on the highway.
abject
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(adj) /ˈæb.dʒɛkt/
extremely bad or severe
Example: The villagers faced abject poverty after the disaster.
unlikely
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(adj) /ʌnˈlaɪkli/
not likely to happen or be true
Example: It is unlikely that it will rain today.