Lesson 6: Environment – Writing Band 8 Vocabulary

Lesson 6: Environment

1. biodiversity – the variety of plants and animals in a particular place
2. deforestation – the cutting down of trees in a large area, or the destruction of forests by people
3. ecosystem – all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment
4. emission – the act of sending out gas, heat, light, etc.
5. erosion – the fact of soil, stone, etc. being gradually damaged and removed by the waves, rain, or wind
6. exhaust – the waste gas from an engine, especially a car’s, or the pipe the gas flows through
7. food chain – a series of living things in which each group eats organisms from the group lower than itself in the series
8. fumes – strong, unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous gas or smoke
9. impact – the effect or influence
10. pollutant – a substance that pollutes something, especially water or the atmosphere
11. refuse – rubbish; matter thrown away or rejected as worthless;
12. achievable – a task, ambition, etc. that is one that is possible to achieve
13. advantageous – useful
14. at risk – in a dangerous situation
15. chronic – (esp. of a disease or something bad) continuing for a long time
16. conceivable – possible to imagine or to believe
17. devastating – causing a lot of damage or destruction
18. environmentally friendly – not harmful to the environment
19. fruitless – unsuccessful or not productive
20. futile – achieving no result; not effective
21. immune – unaffected; protected from or unable to be influenced by something.
22. impracticable – (of a course of action) impossible in practice to do or carry out.
23. improbable – not likely to happen or be true
24. irreparable – impossible to repair or make right again
25. irreplaceable – too special, valuable, or unusual to be replaced by anything else
26. irreversible – not possible to change; impossible to return to a previous condition
27. liable – legally responsible for the cost of something
28. pervasive – present or noticeable in every part of a thing or place
29. pointless – having no useful purpose
30. pristine – original and pure; not spoiled or worn from use
31. questionable – not certain, or wrong in some way
32. sustainable – causing little or no damage to the environment
33. taxing – challenging; needing too much effort
34. unattainable – not able to be achieved
35. unlikely – not probable or likely to happen
36. unprecedented – never having happened or existed in the past
37. worthwhile – useful, important, or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made
38. confront – to face, meet, or deal with a difficult situation or person
39. contaminate – to make something less pure or make it poisonous
40. dispose of something – to get rid of something; throw out or destroy
41. inexorable – a process that cannot be stopped
42. inevitable – certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented
43. toll – suffering, deaths, or damage
44. quest – a long search for something that is difficult to find
45. insurmountable – (especially of a problem or a difficulty) so great that it cannot be dealt with successfully
46. insoluble – (of a problem) so difficult that it is impossible to solve
47. omnipresent – present or having an effect everywhere at the same time
48. shred – to cut or tear something roughly into thin strips – burrow – a hole dug in the ground that an animal, such as a rabbit, lives in
49. den – the home of particular types of wild animal
50. ecology – the relationship of living things to their environment
51. evolution – the way in which living things change and develop over millions of years
52. extinction – a situation in which something no longer exists
53. fauna – all the animals of a particular area or period of time
54. flora – all the plants of a particular place or from a particular time in history
55. habitat – the place where a plant or animal lives
56. human nature – the behaviour and feelings common to most people
57. Mother Nature – the nature, esp. when it is thought of as a force that affects people and the world
58. predator – an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals
59. prey – an animal that is hunted by another animal
60. repercussion – negative effect
61. scent – a pleasant natural smell
62. vegetation – plants in general, or the plants that are found in a particular area
63. vermin – small animals and insects that can be harmful
64. disastrous – extremely bad or unsuccessful
65. domesticated – brought under human control
66. endangered – at risk or in danger of dying out completely
67. extinct – not now existing
68. vulnerable – able to be easily hurt, influenced, or attacked
69. adapt – to change something in order to make it suitable for a new use or situation
70. combat – to try to stop something unpleasant or harmful
71. eradicate – to get rid of completely or destroy something bad
72. hibernate – to spend the winter sleeping
73. tolerate – to bear something unpleasant or annoying
74. twig – a small, thin branch of a tree or bush, esp. one removed from the tree or bush and without any leaves
75. coat – the hair, wool, or fur covering an animal
76. beak – the hard, pointed part of a bird’s mouth
77. hide – the strong, thick skin of an animal, used for making leather
78. scales – one of the many very small, flat pieces that cover the skin of fish, snakes, etc.
79. paw – the foot of an animal that has claws or nails, such as a cat, dog, or bear
80. claw – one of the sharp, curved nails at the end of each of the toes of some animals and birds
81. thorn – a small, sharp pointed growth on the stem of a plant
82. petal – one of the thin soft coloured parts of a flower
83. horn – a hard, pointed part, usually one of a pair, on the head of cows, goats, and other animals
84. vegan – a person who does not eat or use any animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, or leather
85. human being – a person
86. meerkat – a small, grey Southern African animal that sometimes sits up on its back legs
87. endemic – belonging to a particular area; inherent
88. prickly pear – type of cactus (= desert plant) that has oval fruit
89. paddock – a field of any size that is used for farming
90. render – to cause something to change in a certain way, make.
91. larva – the active immature form of an insect
92. cane – the long, hollow stems of particular plants such as bamboo
93. toad – a small animal, similar to a frog, that has dry, brown skin and lives mostly on land
94. controversial – causing disagreement or discussion
95. caterpillar – a small creature like a worm with many legs that eats leaves and that develops into a butterfly or other flying insect
96. hedgehog – small animal with spikes on its back
97. executive – director, someone in a high position
98. slug – a small animal with a soft body like a snail without a shell
99. forage – to go searching, esp. for food
100. saliva – the natural, watery liquid in the mouth that keeps it wet and helps prepare food for digestion
101. lineage – all the living things that are related directly to the same living thing that existed long ago
102. marsupials – have pouch and teat, mainly in Australia
103. trace – to find the origin of something
104. foetus – a young human being or animal before birth, after the organs have started to develop
105. equator – an imaginary line around the earth or another planet at an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole
106. proximity – the state of being near in space or time
107. scrap – to have a fight or an argument
108. primarily – mainly
109. litter – a group of animals that are born at the same time and have the same mother
110. rodent – a type of small mammal with sharp front teeth

Some questions asked in previous IELTS Writing Paper that you would be able to write with the help of the vocabulary in this lesson:

1. Managing global environmental issues should be handled by one organization on a global scale. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
2. Many agricultural lands are being converted into commercial centres.
   How does this affect the environment and the people’s lifestyle? Discuss this situation and provide suggestions to address these issues. Support your answer with specific reasons and examples.
3. Many efforts have been made by countries to address challenges concerning the environment but the situation has not improved. What are the possible reasons for environmental degradation? Are there any solutions to combat this problem? Support your answer with specific reasons and examples.
4. Nowadays, it is possible to move ocean creatures from their natural habitat at sea and have them relocated to marine parks for the purpose of education and entertainment. Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages? Explain your reasons and support them with specific examples.
5. The government should close companies that produce toxic waste materials without their own waste treatment facility in order to protect the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.