Architecture Vocabulary: Building Materials, Styles, and Features, Study Guides, Projects, Research of English Language

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I E L T S

by

Rawdon Wyatt

iv

contents

Contents

Page Title Page Title

General vocabulary

1 Addition, equation and conclusion 2 Around the world 3 Changes 1 5 Changes 2 7 Condition 8 Confusing words & false friends 1 10 Confusing words & false friends 2 12 Context & meaning 1 14 Context & meaning 2 16 Context & meaning 3 18 Contrast and comparison 19 Emphasis & misunderstanding 20 Focusing attention 21 Generalisations & specifics 23 Groups 24 How something works 25 Joining or becoming part of something bigger 26 Likes & dislikes 27 Location & direction 30 Modified words 32 Objects & actions 34 Obligation & option 35 Opinion, attitude & belief 37 Opposites: adjectives 38 Opposites: verbs 39 Ownership, giving, lending & borrowing 40 Phrasal verbs 1 41 Phrasal verbs 2 43 Phrasal verbs 3 44 Phrasal verbs 4 46 Presenting an argument

47 Reason & result 48 Shape & features 49 Size, quantity & dimension 51 Spelling 52 Stopping something 53 Success & failure 54 Task commands 55 Time 56 Useful interview expressions

Topic-specific vocabulary

58 Architecture 61 The arts 64 Business & industry 67 Children & the family 69 Crime & the law 71 Education 73 The environment 75 Food & diet 78 Geography 80 Global problems 82 Healthcare 84 The media 86 Men & women 89 Money & finance 91 On the road 93 Science & technology 96 Sport 98 Town & country 100 Travel 102 Work

105 Answers

general vocabulary

Addition, equation & conclusion

1 Put the following words and phrases into their correct place in the table depending on their function.

along with also and as well as besides correspondingly equally furthermore in addition in brief in conclusion in the same way likewise moreover similarly thus therefore to conclude to summarise to sum up briefly too we can conclude that what’s more

Addition Equation Conclusion and equally in conclusion

2 Complete these sentences with one of the words or phrases from above. In most cases, more than one answer is possible.

1. Tourism brings much-needed money to developing countries. .................................................... , it provides employment for the local population.
2. .................................................... bringing much-needed money to developing countries, tourism provides employment for the local population.
3. Tourists should respect the local environment. .................................................... they should respect the local customs.
4. .................................................... industrial waste, pollution from car fumes is poisoning the environment.
5. In order to travel, you need a passport. .................................................... , you might need a visa, immunisation jabs and written permission to visit certain areas.
6. Drugs are banned in Britain - .................................................... weapons such as guns and knives.
7. All power corrupts. .................................................... , absolute power corrupts absolutely.
8. You shouldn’t smoke, drink, take drugs or eat unhealthy food. .................................................... , you should live a more healthy lifestyle.
9. The ozone layer is becoming depleted, the air in the cities is becoming too dirty to breathe and our seas and rivers are no longer safe to swim in. .................................................... pollution is slowly destroying the planet.
10. Your grades have been very poor for the past two years. .................................................... you need to work really hard if you want to pass your exams next month.

general vocabulary

Changes 1

1 Look at the graph, and complete the sentences with the correct form of the words and phrases in the box. In most cases, more than one option is possible.

decline decrease drop fall fluctuate go down go up increase peak at reach a peak of remain constant remain steady rise

English school student numbers: May – August.

Briarwood School of English Speakeasy School of Languages

Windsor Language Centre Harefield College

Student numbers

150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 May June July August

Between May and August…

1. …student numbers at the Briarwood School of English increased^ / …………… / …………….
2. …student numbers at the Windsor Language Centre …………… / …………… / …………… /

…………… / …………….

3. …student numbers at the Speakeasy School of Languages …………… / …………….
4. …student numbers at Harefield College ……………. They …………… / …………… 120 in June.

2 Look at this table, and complete the sentences on the next page with words and phrases from the box. In some cases, more than one answer is possible. There is one word or phrase that you do not need.

Petrol prices January £1.10 / litre June £1.55 / litre February £1.12 / litre July £1.52 / litre March £1.15 / litre August £1.53 / litre April £1.18 / litre September £1.58 / litre May £1.16 / litre October £1.60 / litre

downward trend dramatically gradually sharply slightly steadily upward trend

general vocabulary

Changes 1

1. Between January and April, petrol prices increased …………… / …………….
2. In May, petrol prices fell …………….
3. In June, petrol prices rose …………… / …………….
4. Overall, there has been an …………… in petrol prices

3 Look at the task in the box, then complete the sample answer with words and phrases from Exercises 1 and 2. In some cases, more than one answer may be possible.

The graph below shows the number of visitors to three seaside towns over a five-month period. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Seahaven Bridgeport Westhampton

Visitor numbers x 1000

16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

April May June July August

Sample answer The graph shows how many people visited three seaside towns between April and August.

The number of visitors to Seahaven (1) increased^ (2) …………… between April and June, then

(3) …………… (4) …………… in July, and continued to (5) …………… in August. For the first four

months, visitor numbers to Bridgeport (6) …………… , but then (7) …………… (8) ……………

in the final month. Westhampton visitor numbers (9) …………… from April to June, then

(10) …………… (11) …………… in July and finally (12) …………… 11,000 in August.

Overall, there was an (13) …………… in the number of visitors to Seahaven and Westhampton,

but a (14) …………… in the number of people visiting Bridgeport.

general vocabulary

Changes 2

2 Now do the same with these.

adapt cut decline disappear expand improve promote relax replace transform

1. Email has largely …………… the traditional letter as a means of written business communication.

The plan is to …………… all the old desktop computers in the library with netbooks.

2. Some companies are slow to …………… to a changing market.

Courses can be …………… to suit the needs of individual students.

3. The symptoms of illnesses like measles aren’t usually serious, and …………… within a few days.

As the sun …………… behind the clouds, the temperature quickly dropped.

4. A college course can help you to find a job or get …………… at work.

The ‘Peter Principle’ is a theory which says that in a big company, everyone eventually gets …………… to a job that is beyond their ability.

5. Some people think that the government should …………… the rules regarding building on protected land.

For the final part of the exercise, you need to repeatedly tighten, then …………… your stomach muscles.

6. The government’s aim in the next five years is to …………… educational standards.

The best way of …………… your English is to practise using it as much as possible.

7. Water freezes in the pipes, forcing them to …………… and burst.

Britain’s universities …………… at an unprecedented rate at the end of the twentieth century.

8. Supermarkets …………… prices on many basic items to attract more customers.

I believe that governments should increase spending on the arts instead of …………… it.

9. Email and social networking websites have …………… the way people communicate.

When it was closed down, the old fire station was …………… into an art gallery.

10. House prices are so high that the number of people buying their own home has …………… in the last five years.

Because so many people are out of work, living standards are …………… rapidly.

general vocabulary

Condition

1 Complete the second sentence in each pair so that it has the same or a similar meaning to the first sentence. Use the words or phrases in bold, and any other words that are necessary.

1. You can borrow my dictionary if you return it before you go home.

providing that You can borrow my dictionary providing that you return^ it before you go home.

2. I should get my assignment finished this weekend if I have enough time.

provided that I should get my assignment finished this weekend ………………………. enough time.

3. You can’t go to university if you don’t get good exam grades at school.

unless You can’t go to university ………………………. good exam grades at school.

4. Students can use the common room in the evening if they tidy up any mess they make.

on condition that Students can use the common room in the evening ………………………. up any mess they make.

5. Pollution will get worse if we continue to live in a throwaway society.

as long as Pollution will get worse ………………………. to live in a throwaway society.

6. Children will always prefer fast food to fresh fruit and vegetables, even if you tell them how unhealthy it is. no matter how Children will always prefer fast food to fresh fruit and vegetables, ………………………. tell them it is unhealthy.
7. Computer programming is complicated, even if you read a lot of books about it.

however many Computer programming is complicated, ………………………. read about it.

8. Crime is a problem, even if you live in a small town or in the countryside.

wherever Crime is a problem, ………………………. live.

2 Complete these sentences using an appropriate word or phrase from above and your own ideas.

1. British universities will accept students from abroad ………….........................................…………….

………………………………………………………………………………............................................……..

2. Working for a large company can be a fulfilling experience ……….............................……………….

……………………………………………………………............................................………………………..

3. The environmental situation will continue to worsen ……….......................................………………..

……………………………………………………………………………............................................………..

4. Travelling helps you understand more about the world around you ….........................……………..

…………………………………………………………………………………............................................…..

general vocabulary

Confusing words & false friends 1

9. canal / channel

A …………… system joined the two main rivers, which made transporting goods much quicker.

When television first became popular in the early 1950s, there was only one …………….

10. conscientious / conscious

Most people are ............... of the need to protect the environment.

…………… workers should be rewarded for their hard work.

11. considerable / considerate

In my opinion, some people are not very …………… of those around them.

A …………… amount of money was spent on developing the product.

12. continual / continuous

The computer system has given us …………… problems ever since we installed it. Some days it works, other days it doesn’t.

The …………… noise from the new motorway has forced many people to move.

13. control / inspect

New teachers often find it difficult to…………… their classes.

Environmental health inspectors regularly …………… commercial kitchens for cleanliness, especially those in restaurants.

14. criticism / objection

I have no …………… to people using their mobile phones on buses or trains.

Plans for the new stadium have attracted fierce …………… from local people.

15. damage / harm / injury

He suffered a serious …………… which needed immediate hospital treatment.

The low levels of dangerous chemicals in the river were enough to cause …………… to aquatic life.

A lot of …………… was caused to buildings along the coast during the storm.

16. during / for / while

The college closes …………… two weeks at the end of December.

He died …………… trying to cross the desert alone.

Many creatures stay underground ………….. daylight hours.

17. however / moreover

The plan was good in theory. ……………, in practice it was extremely difficult to implement.

The plan was excellent. ……………, it was clear from the beginning that it was going to attract a lot of interest.

18. injured / wounded

I believe that we should do more to help and support soldiers who have been …………… in combat.

Several workers were …………… when the drilling platform collapsed.

general vocabulary

Confusing words & false friends 2

Complete the following sentence pairs with the appropriate word or phrase.

1. job / work

Everybody has the right to a decent …………… with good pay.

During the economic recession, a lot of people found themselves out of …………….

2. lay / lie

If you’re suffering from dehydration, you should drink plenty of water and sit or …………… down for a while.

Before you begin the experiment, you should …………… a large plastic sheet on the ground.

3. look at / watch

We need to …………… the situation carefully over the next few weeks and see how things develop.

We need to …………… the problem carefully and decide if there is anything we can do about it.

4. loose / lose

Some people are very competitive and hate to ……………a game or competition.

The surface is mainly composed of …………… soil and small stones.

5. make / cause

The noise from traffic outside the school can …………… it hard to hear what the teacher is saying.

Hurricanes …………… widespread damage in urban areas.

6. nature / countryside

Thousands of …………… lovers head for the national parks every weekend.

I’d rather live in the …………… than in a city.

7. per cent / percentage

It is a myth that only ten …………… of Americans hold a passport.

Only a small …………… of land is privately owned.

8. permission / permit

I’m afraid we can’t …………… photography in the museum.

We received …………… to attend the meeting, as long as we didn’t interrupt.

9. personal / personnel

My own …………… view is that professional football players are paid far too much.

The company was in trouble until there was a change of …………… on the management team.

10. possibility / chance

We might go to Spain for our field trip. Another …………… is that we’ll go to Italy instead.

If we act now, we have a good …………… of finding a cure for the disease.

general vocabulary

Context & meaning 1

When we see a new word (in a reading passage, for example), we can often work out what it means, or get an idea of what it means, by looking at the context in which it appears (for example, what is the passage about, what is the sentence about and what information comes before and after the word?). Identifying the meaning of a word from its context is an especially useful skill in the IELTS Reading Test.

1 Look at these words, and answer the questions which follow.

nocturnal cites coherently feat

1. Without seeing them in a sentence, do you know (or can you guess) what the words in the box mean?

nocturnal: Yes / No cites: Yes / No coherently: Yes / No feat: Yes / No

2. Now look at the words in the passage. Can you guess what they mean now? In your own words, explain what they might mean.

The remarkable success of Simon Weber’s book on owls, bats, foxes and other nocturnal creatures, A Call in the Dark , is probably not surprising in view of the popularity of his recent television series, ‘Night Prowlers’. It is a very thorough book by an author who is an expert in his field and who has clearly done a lot of research. In addition to describing his own findings, he cites the research carried out by others, including Wright and Lawson in the 1990s, and discusses where they might have gone wrong with some of their assumptions. He writes coherently on the subject, beginning by looking at basic facts before discussing progressively complex theories, without once confusing his readers. This is a remarkable feat , considering the complexity of the subject and the science that is often involved.

nocturnal: ……………………………………………................................…………………………………..

cites: …………………………………………………....................................…………………………..

coherently: ………………………………………………………….................................…...………………..

feat: ……………………………………………………………………………......................................

2 Look at the words in bold in sentences 1 – 15, and try to decide what they mean.

1. The journey across the hills was long and arduous , much of it having to be done on foot in temperatures of over 40°C.
2. Foxes are a common sight in our towns and cities, where they forage in dustbins, in gardens and on waste ground.
3. The cuckoo is a rare and elusive bird which is often heard but rarely seen.
4. The research they carried out was exhaustive , so by the time the project was complete, they knew everything they had to know about their subject.
5. The hotel we stayed in was a mediocre place, with small rooms, rather dull food and an uninspiring view of a car park.

general vocabulary

Context & meaning 1

6. Research suggests that children are more resilient than adults when it comes to getting over an illness.
7. The room was extremely untidy, with stacks of books and piles of paper all over the floor, and unwashed coffee cups on the tables.
8. He was an extremely prolific author, writing three or four novels a year as well as many short stories.
9. Water is essential for human life, so it is imperative we make sure that in the future there is enough for everyone.
10. Attempts to implement change met with strong resistance at first, but gradually people realised that this change was needed.
11. Many men say that they are willing to share the burden of domestic duties like washing and cooking, but I doubt that they mean it.
12. The building is designed to sway slightly in strong winds, but it’s still a rather frightening sensation when you are on the upper floors.
13. Many people would like to own a house in the city centre, but prohibitive property prices mean that very few of them would ever be able to buy such a place.
14. The city centre has some beautiful old buildings, but there are some extremely ugly industrial estates on the fringe.
15. Employees are encouraged to use their initiative when they are faced with a problem and there is nobody more senior there to help them.

3 Now match the words in bold in sentences 1 – 15 above with their definitions (a) – (o) below.

(a) A serious or difficult responsibility that you have to deal with. burden

(b) Producing a lot of things, ideas, etc. ………………..

(c) The ability to decide what to do in an independent way. ………………..

(d) Able to quickly become healthy, happy or strong again. ………………..

(e) Move or swing slightly from side to side. ………………..

(f) Difficult or impossible to catch or find. ………………..

(g) Make something such as in idea, plan, system, etc., start to work. ………………..

(h) Extremely difficult and involving a lot of effort. ………………..

(i) The outer edge of something. ………………..

(j) So expensive that nobody can afford it. ………………..

(k) Thorough and complete. ………………..

(l) To search in a wide area for something, especially food. ………………..

(m) Piles of things placed one on top of another. ………………..

(n) Extremely important and urgent. ………………..

(o) Average or below average. ………………..

general vocabulary

Context & meaning 2

2 Now do the same with these.

1. The track has a coarse surface, providing better grip for bicycle tyres and making them less likely to skid on tight corners. Soft and smooth. Correct / Incorrect
2. The idea of a tunnel under the sea was first propagated by engineers in the nineteenth century, but it was almost 200 years before it became a reality. Designed and built. Correct / Incorrect
3. Everyone was in favour of making the city centre traffic free, but public opinion shifted when locals realised that vehicles would need to be diverted through residential areas. Changed or moved. Correct / Incorrect
4. People like the new system, but because of the costs involved we do not believe it is viable , and we need to look for other options. Popular with people. Correct / Incorrect
5. Some of Shakespeare’s plays are often attributed to other writers, although more recent research suggests that they were all his own work. Given to someone else as a gift, donation, etc. Correct / Incorrect
6. Although the inventor had a patent for his new product, other companies rapidly began copying and selling it, and he was forced to take legal action against them. An award or prize. Correct / Incorrect
7. Spiders usually trap their prey in webs, but others actively hunt for it.

An animal that is caught and eaten by another animal. Correct / Incorrect

8. Some illnesses are serious enough to require medical treatment, but for minor health problems, a visit to the doctor is usually not warranted. To be unable to do something. Correct / Incorrect
9. We need to come up with a radical solution to the problem of crime in our towns and cities, since everything else seems to have failed. New and very different from the usual way. Correct / Incorrect
10. During the meeting, we made progress on peripheral issues, but unfortunately we failed to deal with the issues that had been causing us the most problems. The main or most important part of something. Correct / Incorrect
11. I hate flying, and nothing could induce me to get on an aeroplane.

Stop or prevent something. Correct / Incorrect

12. There were several small problems with the original device, and it needed to be refined slightly before it could go on sale. Turned off and then on again. Correct / Incorrect

general vocabulary

Context & meaning 3

Sometimes, in addition to its context, we can work out what a word means from ‘clues’ in the word itself. These clues are usually in the form of one or two words (or parts of words) that we already know, often with the addition of prefixes and / or suffixes. For example: Healthcare = health + care The town lacks basic healthcare facilities, so people have to travel many miles to see a doctor. Deforestation = de + forest + ation. Deforestation has resulted in the destruction of thousands of acres of tropical forest. Facial = face + ial (the e is removed) The company started off producing a range of facial cleansers and moisturisers which had not been tested on animals.

1 Can you work out what the words in bold in these sentences mean? Check your answers at the back of the book.

1. The country is very poor, and one in seven children dies in infancy.
2. All the employees are asked to produce a written evaluation of their performance and hand it to the personnel manager.
3. The new drug does not cure the illness, but can prolong the patient’s life by up to five years.
4. The farm was on top of a windswept hill, miles from the nearest town.
5. Oil prices increased threefold over a five-year period.
6. The historical document has been examined by several distinguished scholars , but none of them can tell if it is genuine or fake.
7. When you deliver the package, make sure that the recipient signs for it.
8. The centrepiece of the new museum is a Henry Moore sculpture that was bought from a private collector.
9. The city offers a multitude of interesting and exciting activities for people of all ages.
10. Government statistics on the numeracy skills of ten-year-olds suggests that more emphasis needs to be placed on the teaching of mathematics in school.
11. The average lifespan of an elephant is 60 – 70 years.
12. Several interesting objects were found during the archaeological dig, but none of them were of any great monetary value.