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Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 1 Passage 2

50 terms

Flip Type

stimulating

(adj) /ˈstɪm.jə.leɪ.tɪŋ/
causing excitement or interest

Example: The teacher gave a stimulating lecture about science.

apathy

(n) /ˈæpəθi/
lack of interest or concern

Example: His apathy made it hard for him to enjoy activities.

indifference

(n) /ɪnˈdɪfərəns/
a lack of interest or concern

Example: His indifference to the game surprised everyone.

agitated

(adj) /ˈædʒ.ɪ.teɪ.tɪd/
feeling anxious, nervous, or upset

Example: She felt agitated when waiting for the exam results.

restless

(adj) /ˈrɛstləs/
unable to relax or stay still

Example: The child felt restless during the long meeting.

motivate

(v) /ˈmoʊtɪˌveɪt/
to make someone want to do something

Example: The teacher tries to motivate her students.

infectious

(adj) /ɪnˈfɛkʃəs/
able to cause disease

Example: The doctor explained that some germs are infectious.

distinct

(adj) /dɪˈstɪŋkt/
clearly different or separate from others

Example: The five types of boredom are distinct from each other.

calibrating

(v) /ˈkæl.ɪ.breɪt/
to adjust or measure accurately

Example: The scientist is calibrating the instruments in the lab.

reactant

(n) /riˈæktənt/
a substance that undergoes a chemical change in a reaction

Example: The reactant mixed with water to create a new solution.

apathetic

(adj) /ˌæpəˈθɛtɪk/
having or showing little or no emotion or interest

Example: He felt apathetic about the game and didn't want to play.

arousal

(n) /əˈraʊ.zəl/
a state of being excited or awake

Example: The loud music created a sense of arousal in the crowd.

intriguingly

(adv) /ɪnˈtrɪɡ.wɪŋ.li/
in a way that causes interest or curiosity

Example: The movie was intriguingly different from what I expected.

specialize

(v) /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/
to focus on a particular area of study or work

Example: She wants to specialize in environmental science.

damaging

(adj) /ˈdæmɪdʒɪŋ/
causing harm or damage

Example: The storm had a damaging effect on the crops.

explosive

(adj) /ɪkˈsploʊsɪv/
able or likely to explode

Example: The explosive reaction surprised everyone at the lab.

engage

(v) /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/
to participate or become involved in something

Example: She likes to engage in interesting conversations.

prone

(adj) /proʊn/
likely to do or be affected by something

Example: She is prone to catching colds in winter.

creative

(adj) /kriˈeɪtɪv/
able to think of new and original ideas

Example: She is very creative and makes beautiful art.

polystyrene

(n) /ˌpɒlɪˈstaɪrin/
a lightweight material made from a type of plastic

Example: The children made a craft project using a polystyrene.

passive

(adj) /ˈpæs.ɪv/
not active or not participating in something

Example: In a passive situation, you let things happen without trying to change them.

wander

(v) /ˈwɒndər/
to walk around without a specific purpose

Example: I like to wander in the park after school.

convinced

(v) /kənˈvɪnst/
to make someone believe something is true

Example: She convinced him to join the team.

adaptive

(adj) /əˈdæptɪv/
able to change in order to fit new conditions

Example: Some animals are adaptive to different environments.

toxic

(adj) /ˈtɑksɪk/
poisonous or harmful

Example: Some plants are toxic and should not be touched.

fester

(v) /ˈfɛstər/
to become worse or more serious over time

Example: If you let your problems fester, they will only get bigger.

central

(adj) /ˈsɛn.trəl/
most important or main

Example: The central idea of the project is to help others.

inability

(n) /ˌɪnəˈbɪləti/
the state of not being able to do something

Example: Her inability to solve the puzzle frustrated her.

painfully

(adv) /ˈpeɪn.fəl.i/
in a way that causes physical or emotional suffering

Example: The movie was so long that it felt painfully boring.

irritability

(n) /ˌɪrɪtəˈbɪləti/
the state of being easily annoyed or angered

Example: His irritability made it hard for him to enjoy the party.

worryingly

(adv) /ˈwɜːr.i.ɪŋ.li/
in a way that causes worry or concern

Example: It is worryingly common for people to feel stressed every day.

repeatedly

(adv) /rɪˈpiːtɪdli/
in the same way many times

Example: She asked the question repeatedly until she got an answer.

engage

(v) /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/
to participate or become involved in something

Example: I want to engage with my friends at the party.

explore

(v) /ɪkˈsplɔr/
to look around and discover new things

Example: They like to explore the forest every weekend.

threshold

(n) /ˈθrɛʃhoʊld/
the level or point at which something starts or changes

Example: She has a high boredom threshold.

detrimental

(adj) /ˌdɛtrɪˈmɛn.təl/
causing harm or damage

Example: Too much screen time can have detrimental effects on your health.

prospect

(n) /ˈprɒs.pɛkt/
the possibility of something happening in the future

Example: She has good prospects for a successful career.

alleviate

(v) /əˈliːviˌeɪt/
to make something less severe

Example: He tried to alleviate his boredom by reading a book.

approach

(v) /əˈproʊtʃ/
to go closer to someone or something

Example: He decided to approach the teacher with his question.

speculate

(v) /ˈspɛk.jə.leɪt/
to think about something and make guesses about it

Example: People often speculate about what might happen in the future.

overstimulation

(n) /ˌoʊ.vərˈstɪm.jə.leɪ.ʃən/
too much stimulation, causing confusion or stress

Example: Some people feel tired because of overstimulation from their phones.

motivation

(n) /ˌmoʊ.tɪˈveɪ.ʃən/
the reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way

Example: Her motivation to study hard made her a top student.

trait

(n) /treɪt/
a quality or characteristic of a person

Example: Kindness is a good trait to have.

curiosity

(n) /ˌkjʊə.riˈɒs.ɪ.ti/
a strong desire to know or learn something

Example: Her curiosity led her to explore the old house.

proneness

(n) /ˈproʊ.nəs/
the quality of being likely to experience boredom

Example: Some people have a high proneness to boredom.

associated

(adj) /əˈsoʊsieɪtɪd/
related to someone or something

Example: The two problems are associated with each other.

chronic

(adj) /ˈkrɒnɪk/
lasting for a long time or constantly recurring

Example: She has a chronic illness that needs regular treatment.

susceptible

(adj) /səˈsɛptəbl/
easily influenced or affected by something

Example: Some people are susceptible to colds during the winter.

phenomenon

(n) /fəˈnɑːməˌnɒn/
a fact, occurrence, or circumstance that can be observed

Example: The aurora borealis is a beautiful phenomenon in the night sky.

cope

(v) /koʊp/
to deal effectively with something difficult

Example: Sometimes it is hard to cope with stress.

Master the Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 1 Passage 2 vocabulary with our flashcard exercise.

1 comment on “Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 1 Passage 2”

Thuỳ Trang says:

December 1, 2025 at 5:58 pm

The teacher gave a stimulating lecture about science.
His apathy made it hard for him to enjoy activities.
His indifference to the game surprised everyone.
She felt agitated when waiting for the exam results.
The child felt restless during the long meeting.
The teacher tries to motivate her students.
The doctor explained that some germs are infectious.
The five types of boredom are distinct from each other.
He is calibrating the machine now.
The two reactants combined to create a new substance.
He felt apathy towards the political debate.
The unexpected noise caused a sudden arousal.
The story was intriguingly complex.
Our company specializes in software development.
Smoking is damaging to your health.
The scientists worked with an explosive chemical compound.
It is important to engage with the local community.
They like to explore the forest every weekend.
She has a high boredom threshold.
Too much screen time can have detrimental effects on your health.
She has good prospects for a successful career.
He tried to alleviate his boredom by reading a book.
He decided to approach the teacher with his question.
People often speculate about what might happen in the future.
In modern society there is a lot of overstimulation.

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1 comment on “Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 1 Passage 2”

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