Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The words listed below can be used when talking about social issues, such as crime,
corruption or human rights.
- Do the exercises and check your answers with the Answer Key
- For further practice, try and use some of these words when you are answering the
practice question at the end of the writing task 2 document.
Mini Dictionary
addict = (noun) someone who takes illegal or crime rate = (noun) the ratio of crimes in an
harmful drugs and cannot stop area to the population of that area; usually
e.g. A drug addict can show signs of expressed per 1,000 population per year
depression, angry outbursts, manic behavior,
irritability, moodiness and overall attitude e.g. A while back, Police Commissioner
change. Johnson, of Philadelphia, stated that
poverty is to blame for the increased crime
addiction = (noun) a strong need that someone rate in the city.
feels to regularly take an illegal or harmful drug
e.g. Nicotine is considered addictive because it cycle of addiction = (noun)a downward
alters brain functioning and because people spiral of unhappiness, followed by drug use
use it compulsively. Addiction to nicotine is not and temporary relief, that leads to physical
immediate - it may take weeks or months to and mental dependence
develop. e.g. The cycle of addiction is created by
changes in brain chemistry and
addictive = (adjective) something that is perpetuated by physiological,
addictive is so enjoyable that you want to do it psychological, and emotional dependency.
or have it as often as possible
e.g. Tobacco is highly addictive. deprivation = (noun) a situation in which
people do not have basic things that they
alcoholism = (noun) a medical condition that need to live a comfortable life
makes it difficult for you to control the amount e.g. Social deprivation is the reduction or
of alcohol you drink prevention of culturally normal interaction
e.g. Studies show, however, that the risk factors between an individual and the rest of
that lead to alcoholism and the consequences society.
of alcohol abuse differ among men and
women. divorce = (noun) a legal way of ending a
marriage e.g. I want a divorce.
altruistic = (adjective) thinking or behaving in a
way that shows you care about other people divorce = (verb) take legal action to end
and their interests more than you care about your marriage e.g. She still refuses to divorce
yourself him.
e.g. Someone who is altruistic always puts others
first. family breakdown = (noun) the failure of a
relationship through divorce, separation or
death.
e.g. Family breakdown can lead to
behavioural problems in children.
offender = (noun) someone who has committed violent crime = (noun) a crime in which the
a crime e.g. Community punishment is used offender uses or threatens to use violent
for less serious offenders. force upon the victim (e.g. murder, rape,
robbery, etc.)
overcrowding = (noun) unpleasant conditions e.g. While many crimes have fallen in recent
caused by too many people or things being in years, sadly some types of violent crime
the same place have been on the increase.
e.g. Overcrowding in houses can arise from
several causes, and the physical and
psychological effects on people living in
overcrowded conditions can be quite severe.
Exercise
1
-
GAP-FILL
Fill
in
the
gaps
with
words
from
the
Mini
Dictionary.
The
first
letters
are
there
for
you.
1. V__________ C__________ in England and Wales has fallen by almost a half a peak in 1995 but we are
2. There are many factors that can contribute to the c r in America: the economy,
geography and the weather all seem to play a role. Social scientists, politicians and law enforcement
officials continually attempt to identify the factors that influence criminal activity in the hope that they
3. Criminal justice systems often deal with y o differently from adult offenders.
6. The two men were arrested only a week after they were released from p .
8. Two men wanted in connection with a m at Stafford Station have been captured on CCTV.
9. G
is
a
much
misunderstood
form
of
art.
It
is
not
art
or
literature
in
the
conventional
sense
of
the
terms,
but
it
is
an
expression
of
people's
inner
feelings,
and
are
therefore
just
as
expressive,
and
even
more
raw,
than
polished
works
of
art.
5. HOMELESS/
HOMELESSNESS
can
happen
to
anyone,
with
reasons
ranging
from
relationship
breakdown,
debt
and
unemployment
to
mental
health
issues,
drug/alcohol
issues
6. In
the
media,
it
is
difficult
to
be
ALTRUISTIC/
IMPARTIAL
because
people
interpret
what
they
read
and
hear
differently.