Master the Cambridge IELTS 14 Academic Reading Test 4 Passage 1 vocabulary with our flashcard exercise.
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Cambridge IELTS 14 Academic Reading Test 4 Passage 1
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immortal
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(adj) /ɪˈmɔːrtəl/
living forever; not able to die
Example: In stories, gods are often immortal beings.
deteriorate
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(v) /dɪˈtɪəriəreɪt/
to become worse or less good
Example: The paint on the old house will deteriorate if it is not maintained.
reproduce
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(v) /ˌriːprəˈduːs/
to make more of something or to have young
Example: The ants reproduce quickly in their colony.
trait
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(n) /treɪt/
a quality or characteristic of someone or something
Example: Honesty is a good trait to have.
isolated
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(adj) /ˈaɪsəˌleɪtɪd/
separated from others; alone
Example: The student felt isolated in the new school.
pupae
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(n) /ˈpjuːpeɪ/
a stage in an insect's development after it has changed from a larva and before it becomes an adult
Example: The scientist studied the pupae under a microscope.
telltale
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(n) /ˈtɛlˌteɪl/
a sign that shows something has happened
Example: The footprints were a telltale of where the animal had walked.
tethered
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(adj) /ˈtɛðərd/
attached or tied to something
Example: The fruit fly was tethered to the dish with a small string.
mandibles
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(n) /ˈmændəˌbəlz/
the lower jaw or a set of jaws of an insect or crustacean
Example: The ant used its mandibles to carry food.
aggressive
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(adj) /əˈɡrɛsɪv/
likely to attack or confront; aggressive in nature
Example: The dog was aggressive and scared the other animals.
flare
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(v) /flɛr/
to suddenly increase in intensity or brightness
Example: The fireworks will flare up in the sky.
counterpart
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(n) /ˈkaʊntərpɑrt/
a person or thing that has the same job or purpose as another
Example: The teacher spoke to her counterpart at the other school.
density
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(n) /ˈdɛn.sɪ.ti/
the amount of mass in a given volume
Example: The density of water is one gram per cubic centimeter.
synaptic
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(adj) /sɪˈnæp.tɪk/
relating to the connections between nerve cells in the brain
Example: The researchers studied the synaptic activity in the ants' brains.
neuron
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(n) /ˈnjʊə.rɒn/
a cell in the nervous system that sends and receives messages
Example: A neuron helps us feel and move.
serotonin
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(n) /ˌsɛrəˈtoʊnɪn/
a chemical in the body that helps to control mood and feelings
Example: Serotonin helps people feel happy.
dopamine
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(n) /ˈdoʊpəˌmiːn/
a chemical in the brain that helps control movement and feelings of pleasure
Example: Dopamine helps you feel happy when you do something fun.
coincide
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(v) /koʊˈɪnsaɪd/
to happen at the same time or in the same place
Example: The two events coincide perfectly this weekend.
thorough
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(adj) /ˈθɜroʊ/
complete and including everything
Example: She gave a thorough explanation of the project.
senescence
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(n) /sɪˈnɛsəns/
the process of growing old
Example: The study looked at senescence in different types of animals.
predator
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(n) /ˈprɛdətər/
an animal that hunts other animals for food
Example: The lion is a powerful predator in the jungle.
harsh
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(adj) /hɑːrʃ/
severe or cruel
Example: The weather can be harsh in winter.
steep
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(adj) /stiːp/
having a sharp slope or angle
Example: The hill is too steep to climb easily.
entomologist
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(n) /ˌɛntəˈmɑlədʒɪst/
a scientist who studies insects
Example: The entomologist explained how ants communicate with each other.
unique
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(adj) /juˈnik/
being the only one of its kind
Example: Her dress was unique and stood out at the party.
clone
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(v) /kloʊn/
to make a copy of something
Example: Scientists can clone plants in a lab.
biologist
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(n) /baɪˈɒlədʒɪst/
a scientist who studies living things
Example: The biologist studies different types of plants.
doctoral
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(adj) /ˈdɒk.tər.əl/
relating to a doctorate or the highest level of university degree
Example: She is working on her doctoral research.
thesis
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(n) /ˈθiːsɪs/
a long piece of writing on a particular subject, especially for a university degree
Example: She wrote her thesis on ant behavior.
age-defying
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(adj) /ˈeɪdʒ dɪˈfaɪ.ɪŋ/
making someone or something seem younger than they are
Example: She uses age-defying creams to keep her skin smooth.
feat
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(n) /fiːt/
an achievement or accomplishment
Example: Climbing the mountain was a great feat.
vast
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(adj) /væst/
very large in size or amount
Example: The ocean is vast and full of mysteries.
majority
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(n) /məˈdʒɔr.ɪ.ti/
the greater number or part
Example: The majority of people prefer tea over coffee.
complexity
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(n) /kəmˈplɛksɪti/
the state of being complicated or difficult to understand
Example: The complexity of the project made it hard for the team to finish on time.
trait
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(n) /treɪt/
a quality or characteristic of a person or thing
Example: Kindness is a good trait to have.
contrast
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(n) /ˈkɒntræst/
the difference between two or more things
Example: There is a big contrast between the two pictures.
range
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(n) /reɪndʒ/
the different amounts or types of something
Example: The store sells a wide range of toys.
estimate
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(v) /ˈɛstɪmeɪt/
to guess the value or amount of something
Example: I can estimate how long the trip will take.
track
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(v) /træk/
to follow or go after something
Example: I need to track my package to see where it is.
exact
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(adj) /ɪɡˈzækt/
completely correct or precise
Example: She knew the exact time of the meeting.
attend
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(v) /əˈtɛnd/
to go to or be present at an event or place
Example: I will attend the meeting tomorrow.
prey
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(n) /preɪ/
an animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal
Example: The hawk searches for prey in the sky.
poorly
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(adv) /ˈpʊrli/
in a way that is not good or satisfactory
Example: The students performed poorly on the test.
elderly
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(adj) /ˈɛldərli/
being old or near the end of life
Example: The elderly man walked slowly with a cane.
caretaker
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(n) /ˈkɛr.teɪ.kər/
a person who looks after someone or something
Example: The caretaker keeps the park clean and safe.
counterpart
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(n) /ˈkaʊntərˌpɑrt/
a person or thing that has a similar function or position as another
Example: The teacher's counterpart at the other school is very helpful.
aggressively
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(adv) /əˈɡrɛsɪvli/
in a way that shows a lot of energy and force
Example: The team played aggressively to win the game.
identify
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(v) /aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ/
to recognize or establish what something is
Example: The teacher can identify the best students.
structure
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(n) /ˈstrʌk.tʃɚ/
the way in which something is built or organized
Example: The structure of the building is very strong.
process
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(n) /ˈprɑːses/
a series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end
Example: The process of learning a new language can be exciting.
decline
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(v) /dɪˈklaɪn/
to become less or weaker
Example: The team's performance did not decline over the season.
proceed
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(v) /prəˈsiːd/
to continue or go forward
Example: You should proceed with your project.
thoroughly
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(adv) /ˈθɜːr.ə.li/
in a very detailed and careful way
Example: She looked through the book thoroughly before the test.