ENVIRONMENT EXAMPLE MEANING

rain that contains harmful chemicals that

Burning fossil fuels in one country can cause
acid rain n collect in the atmosphere when fossil fuels are
acid rain in other countries.
burned
Our school has banned plastic bottles because to not allow something (eg. smoking, alcohol,
ban v
they're so bad for the environment. plastic bags, protest marches, etc.)
a gas that's released when carbon is burned
Trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide and
carbon dioxide (CO2) n (for example coal or oil), or when people or
release oxygen into the air.
animals breathe out
Travelling by air, driving a car or using coal-
a measurement of the amount of carbon-
carbon footprint n generated electricity will make your carbon
dioxide a person adds to the atmosphere
footprint bigger.
Cigarette smoke contains a number of a substance that has been linked to causing
carcinogen n
carcinogens. one or more types of cancer
I carpool to work with two of my neighbours
carpool v to share a car instead of driving one alone
who also work downtown.
to destroy a forest by cutting down all the
clear-cut v Forests never recover fully after being clear-cut.
trees
clearcutting (also Did you know that clearcutting is the worst way a forestry or logging practice in which most or
n
clearfelling) to use a forest's resources? all trees in an area are cut down
global changes in temperature, wind patterns,
Do you really think you know more about
climate change n rainfall, etc. mainly caused by the burning of
climate change than a real climate scientist?
fossil fuels like coal and oil
to put organic waste like vegetable peels,
Since we started composting we've reduced our uneaten food, grass clippings and leaves into a
compost v
garbage by half. large container that breaks it down into
healthy soil
Imagine how much pollution you cause by
commute v to travel from home to work and back
commuting by car for two hours a day?
Conservation wasn't a big issue until the book the protection and preservation of natural
conservation n
Silent Spring was published in 1966. environments and resources
Americans consume more than their share of to use things like energy, fuel, materials, food,
consume v
the earth's resources. water, etc.
Their contaminated milk powder made lots of carrying harmful bacteria or toxins that can
contaminated adj
babies really sick. cause disease or death
We moved our factory to a developing country
a poor nation that's gradually becoming richer
developing country n because of cheap labour and weak
and more advanced
environmental laws.
domestic waste (also How much domestic waste does your family
n rubbish or garbage from a house or apartment
household waste) produce every day?
If you donate money to Greenpeace, you'll be to give money or goods to an organization you
donate v
helping endangered animals. want to help or support
 You can be sent to jail for dumping hazardous to put waste in the wrong place (eg. put toxic
dump verb v
waste, you know. waste into a river)
a community with environmentally-friendly
eco-community or Our kids want to live in that eco-community
n buildings, clean technology and renewable
ecovillage near the forest.
energy like solar and wind
Every year more animals are listed as animals or plants in danger of becoming
endangered species n
endangered species. extinct or disappearing in the near future
Those energy-efficient light bulbs are much able to use less energy (esp. of vehicles,
energy-efficient adj
cheaper these days. appliances, buildings, etc.)
Fossil fuel companies have tried to damage the a person who protects the natural world and
environmentalist n image of environmentalists and climate educates others about environmental
scientists. problems
All those plants, insects and birds in your the complex system of relationships between
ecosystem n
garden are part of an ecosystem. living things and their environment
Cars emit harmful pollutants into the to release or project something (eg. light,
emit v
atmosphere. sound, smoke, gas, radiation, etc.)
Lots of Australian animals have become extinct no longer existing or lost forever (of an animal,
extinct adj
since the British took control. bird or plant species)
If you are going to fertilize your lawn, make to add chemicals or organic material to soil so
fertilize v
sure to use an organic fertilizer. that plants grow better
We need to know where each species fits in the the order in which organisms in an ecosystem
food chain n
food chain. eat one another
Burning fossil fuels is a major cause of global a fuel like oil or coal formed from very old
fossil fuel n
warming. plant and animal fossils
higher air and sea temperatures partly caused
global warming (also Rising sea levels, melting ice caps and coral reef
n by man-made increases in greenhouse-gas
climate change) bleaching are caused by global warming.
levels
If you want to save the planet, join one of the concerned with protecting the natural
green adj
green political parties. environment and the planet
The more greenhouse gases we produce, the a gas in the atmosphere that stops heat from
greenhouse gas n
worse climate change will get. escaping into space
Lots of animals will become extinct if their
habitat n the place in which a species normally lives
natural habitats are destroyed.
They increased their profits by dumping dangerous substances that need careful
hazardous waste n
hazardous waste into the ocean. disposal (eg. toxic or nuclear waste)
Taking public transport instead of driving a car
minimize v to reduce as much as possible
minimizes your impact on the environment.
a chemical that's sprayed on crops to stop
pesticide n Can't we find a pesticide that's safe?
insects from destroying them
The Environmental Protection Agency checks a substance or material that damages the
pollutant n
levels of pollutants. natural environment
to release waste substances into the air, water
pollute v Fumes from factories pollute our air.
and soil
the contamination of the environment, esp. by
All the pollution around here comes from
pollution n industrial waste products and chemicals like
factories and mines.
pesticides
 We need stronger laws in order to preserve our
preserve v to keep something in its original state
forests.
It's really important to protect our water
protect v to keep from harm
supply.
Environmentalists will protest if the loggers try to show you disagree with something, esp. as
protest v
to destroy the forest. part of a group of protesters
The green bin's for things that can be recycled to make something new from materials that
recycle v
like paper and glass. have been used before
You can reduce your household waste by buying
reduce v to use less or make something smaller
products with less packaging.
Plant twenty trees in our reforestation project the planting of trees and plants to help a
reforestation n
and you'll get into our dance party for free! damaged or destroyed forest recover
We're producing cheaper renewable energy can be used without running out, esp. of
renewable adj
these days. energy sources like solar and wind
forms of energy that can be replaced naturally,
If you want to make money, invest in
renewables n such as hydro-electricity, solar energy and
renewables.
wind power
We won't have to rely on power companies if
rely (on) v to depend on (or need) someone or something
we use solar and wind power instead.
We try to reuse things like plastic bags and
reuse v to use again
bottles.
We're going to live in a self-sufficient farming able to function, or produce all that's needed,
self-sufficient adj
community. without outside help
The smog was so bad that we had to wear air- a thick dirty cloud at ground level caused by
smog n
filter masks. pollutants reacting to sunlight
Don't throw away your grass clippings; leave
throw (away) v to get rid of something you don't want
them on your lawn.
After the mine released toxic waste into the deadly or poisonous (of waste, chemicals,
toxic adj
river, all the fish died. pollutants, etc.)
toxin (toxic Smoke from factories often contains dangerous a poisonous substance that damages health or
n
chemical) toxins. the environment
We are using up the earth's natural resources
use (up) v to use something until there's none left
faster than ever.
Don't waste toilet paper; use one or two sheets to use more than necessary, or to use
waste v
instead of three or four. inefficiently
animals, birds, insects, etc. living naturally in
wildlife n I love taking pictures of wildlife in the forest.
the wild
Zero-emission vehicles like electric cars are releasing no greenhouse gases like carbon-
zero-emission adj
much cheaper now. dioxide or methane

COVID19 EXAMPLE MEANING

Animal diseases can potentially pass to humans
animal-human any point where animals (domestic and wild)
n at any animal-human interface such as a zoo,
interface and humans meet
farm or animal market.
 She had no idea her husband had coronavirus
asymptomatic adj showing no symptoms of a particular disease
because he was asymptomatic.
a person or animal that transmits a disease to
People who are asymptomatic can still be
carrier n others, whether suffering from it themselves
carriers.
or not
be infected with a disease and able to transmit
Some people may carry coronavirus without
carry v it to others, whether symptomatic or
knowing it.
asymptomatic
With this many new positive cases, the evidence transmission of a disease directly within a
community spread n suggests that we now have community spread community and not by importation from a
right here in our county. foreign source
By insisting on strict contact tracing as soon as identification and monitoring of people who
contact tracing n someone was potentially infected, they may have had contact with an infectious
managed to control the spread of the disease. person
describing a disease that can pass from person
Patients who are still contagious are kept in
contagious adj to person, usually by direct contact; describing
isolation.
a person with such a disease
Only a medical professional can properly
diagnose v identify an illness by examining the symptoms
diagnose the cause of your problem.
If you're not happy with the doctor's diagnosis identification of an illness by examination of
diagnosis n
you could always get a second opinion. the symptoms
Health care personnel wear protective clothing the spray produced when people cough or
droplets n to guard against the disease carried in droplets sneeze, and which can spread diseases like
when infected people sneeze or cough. COVID-19
The city was devastated by an epidemic of occurrence of a particular disease in a large
epidemic n
cholera in the 19th century. number of people in a particular area
Authorities hope that by introducing social change the steep upward curve on a graph of
distancing they will be able to flatten the curve new disease cases to a flatter, shallower
flatten the curve v
and avoid hospitals being rapidly overwhelmed upward curve over a longer time period
with new cases. through measures such as social distancing
It is believed that scientists were secretly
modification of a virus (naturally or artificially)
gain-of-function n engaged in gain-of-function research in a race
that makes it more virulent or deadly
to create new bioweapons.
This virus is unlike other coronaviruses because
there is currently no herd immunity to it, he an indirect protection from a disease resulting
said. According to Prof. Sir Andrew Pollard, from a large percentage of the population
herd immunity n Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, herd gaining immunity (as a result of either
immunity to Covid-19 by vaccination is not recovering from the disease or being
possible because it still infects vaccinated vaccinated)
individuals.
When they know the incubation period they will the time from a person’s first exposure to a
incubation period n
know how long to keep people in quarantine. disease to the time when symptoms develop
affect a human or animal with a disease-
infect v But can it infect human beings?
causing organism
They were able to cure the infected left lung
infected adj before the infection could spead to the right affected with a disease-causing organism
lung.
 Breast milk can help protect babies against process of infecting; state of being infected;
infection n
various infections. infectious disease
describing a disease that can be transmitted
infectious adj Avoid the dogs as they may still be infectious. through the environment; describing a human
or animal capable of spreading an infection
They will isolate anyone suspected of having keep an infected person away from healthy
isolate v
the disease. people
separation of infected people from healthy
Travellers arriving from the infected area were
isolation n people for serious contagious diseases like
immediately put in isolation.
COVID-19
official restriction of movement within or
Sweden was one of the few countries that did
lockdown n access to an area in the interests of public
not impose blanket lockdowns.
health
a piece of fibre or cloth that fits over the nose
The World Health Organization have historically
and mouth to protect other people from the
mask n offered varying advice on whether or when
wearer's germs and/or the wearer from germs
people should wear masks.
in the air
an epidemic, or even pandemic, of madness
driven by individual irrational fear. It occurs
when a large portion of society loses touch
with reality and descends into delusion. Mass
Psychologists cite the American and European
psychosis sufferers are unaware of their
witch hunts of the 16th/17th centuries and
mass psychosis n condition. In blind panic they subconsciously
20th-century totalitarianism as examples of
sink to a lower moral and spiritual level,
mass psychosis.
becoming increasingly irrational, irresponsible,
emotional and unstable — able finally to
commit atrocities that they would normally be
incapable of
the word novel means “new”, and a newly
Until they gave it a name, they mostly referred
novel coronavirus n identified coronavirus strain is often called a
to COVID-19 as novel coronavirus (disease).
novel coronavirus
There was another outbreak of the disease in a sudden occurrence of a disease (or other
outbreak n
1993 but the cause was uncertain. unpleasant thing)
Fortunately, most pathogens are dealt with by a micro-organism or germ such as a bacterium
pathogen n
the body's immune system. or virus that can cause disease
Authoritites usually try to determine who
patient zero was in any given outbreak as can the person identified as the first to become
patient zero n
help answer important questions about how, infected with a disease in an outbreak
when and why it started.
test that detects viral particles in blood or
The PCR test is one of the tools that doctors use
PCR test n other body fluids. (PCR = polymerase chain
to diagnose certain coronavirus diseases.
reaction)
Much of the PPE worn by doctors and nurses special clothing, headgear, goggles, masks and
personal protective
n has to be worn once only and destroyed after other garments that shield people from injury
equipment (PPE)
use. or infection
In January an infected American woman describing the spread of a disease from one
person-to-person adj
returning home from China transmitted the person to another, typically through touch
 virus to her husband, marking the first known including shaking hands, kissing, sexual
example of person-to-person spread of the virus intercourse etc.
in the USA.
For centuries it's been common for ships isolation and monitoring of people who seem
arriving from infected areas to be kept in healthy but may have been exposed to an
quarantine n
quarantine at the docks, originally for 40 days infectious disease to see if they develop
which is where the term comes from. symptoms
testing of people for the presence of a disease.
They now conduct screening for all incoming
screening n For COVID-19 the first step in screening is
passengers.
usually taking a person’s temperature
The prime minister's wife has tested positive for
isolate oneself; put oneself in quarantine,
self-isolate v COVID-19 and the couple are now self-isolating
away from other people
and working by phone and Skype.
practice of encouraging people to minimize
The government has instructed schools to take
contact and closeness, whether by banning
social distancing n social distancing measures to slow the spread
large groups/meetings or by maintaining a
of the virus.
minimum distance between people
One so-called "superspreader" in South Korea person infected with a virus etc who transmits
superspreader n infected at least 37 people at her church with or spreads it to an unusually large number of
the virus. people
Anyone who is symptomatic is advised to phone
symptomatic adj showing symptoms of a particular disease
a doctor and get tested.
Typical symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, a physical or mental feature that indicates
symptoms n
coughing, and shortness of breath. illness/disease
if you take a test for an infection and you test
test negative/test The President is pleased to announce that he negative, that means you do not have the
v
positive has tested negative for the virus. infection. If you test positive, that means you
have the infection
Transmission of many diseases can be direct or transfer of a disease from animal to human or
transmission n
indirect. from human to human
Many diseases are transmitted through physical often passive: cause a disease to pass from
transmit v
contact. animal to human or from human to human
Doctors cannot currently treat COVID-19
attempt to cure or alleviate an illness or injury
treat v directly and instead concentrate on relieving
through medical care
symptoms.
There is currently no specific antiviral treatment
medical care given to a patient for an illness or
treatment n for COVID-19, and infected patients receive
injury
supportive care to help relieve symptoms.
Antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral
describing something like, caused by, or
viral adj infections because they don't kill viruses, only
relating to a virus or viruses
bacteria.
To protect yourself from zoonotic diseases it's describing a disease that can be transmitted
zoonotic adj
best to avoid bites and scratches from animals. from animals to humans