CHANGING THE PLANET CH. 1

Question 1

the cutting down of trees in a large area, or the destruction of forests by people

Answer 1

deforestation

Question 2

the gas formed when carbon is burned, or when people or animals breathe out

Answer 2

carbon dioxide

Question 3

the fact of soil, stone, etc. being gradually damaged and removed by the waves, rain, or wind

Answer 3

erosion

Question 4

the process by which land changes into desert, for example because there has been too much farming activity on it or because a lot of trees have been cut down

Answer 4

desertification

Question 5

a semi-arid area or climate (= general type of weather) has little rain but is not completely dry

Answer 5

semi-arid

Question 6

very dry and without enough rain for plants

Answer 6

arid

Question 7

to eat too much grass in an area or to have too many animals eating grass in an area, which damages the environment

Answer 7

overgraze

Question 8

rain that contains large amounts of harmful chemicals as a result of burning substances such as coal and oil

Answer 8

acid rain

Question 9

plants in general, or plants that are found in a particular area

Answer 9

vegetation

Question 10

a natural or chemical substance that is spread on the land or given to plants, to make plants grow well

Answer 10

fertilizer

Question 11

a chemical substance used to kill harmful insects, small animals, wild plants, and other unwanted organisms

Answer 11

pesticide

Question 12

gases ejected from an engine as waste products

Answer 12

exhaust fumes

Question 13

a large area of land covered with grass

Answer 13

grassland

Question 14

a person who takes care of a large group of animals of the same type

Answer 14

herder

Question 15

the young of an animal

Answer 15

offspring

Question 16

a plant whose yellowish-brown grain is used for making flour, or the grain itself (pszenica)

Answer 16

wheat

Question 17

Something easy to recognize because it is different from other things

Answer 17

distinctive

Question 18

to change something, usually slightly, or to cause the characteristics of something to change

Answer 18

alter

Question 19

to reduce something in size or amount, especially supplies of energy, money, etc.

Answer 19

deplete

Question 20

to say something suddenly and without thinking, usually because you are excited or nervous

Answer 20

blurt something out

Question 21

If something …, it causes people to approve of it or agree with it

Answer 21

strike a chord

Question 22

approximately

Answer 22

roughly

Question 23

to become four times as big, or to multiply a number or amount by four

Answer 23

quadruple

Question 24

very interesting because of being unusual or mysterious

Answer 24

intriguing

Question 25

a person in charge of a meeting or organization

Answer 25

chairman

Question 26

the quality of being good and deserving praise

Answer 26

merit

Question 27

a soft substance that is like a wet powder and consists of very small pieces of a solid material that have fallen to the bottom of a liquid

Answer 27

sediment

Question 28

the process of becoming a fossil (= something preserved in rock for a very long period)

Answer 28

fossilization

Question 29

the shape of a bone, a shell, or a plant or animal that has been preserved in rock for a very long period

Answer 29

fossil

Question 30

the act of keeping something the same or of preventing it from being damaged

Answer 30

preservation

Question 31

clearly or obviously

Answer 31

plainly

Question 32

lasting for only a short time; temporary

Answer 32

transient

Question 33

to understand something, especially something difficult

Answer 33

grasp

Question 34

a powder, produced by the male part of a flower, that causes the female part of the same type of flower to produce seeds. It is carried by insects or the wind

Answer 34

pollen

Question 35

using only black, white, and grey, or using only one colour

Answer 35

monochrome

Question 36

a wide area of flat land without trees in Canada and the northern US

Answer 36

prairie

Question 37

to discover the meaning of something written badly or in a difficult or hidden way

Answer 37

decipher

Question 38

a process in which small pieces of a solid material fall to the bottom of a liquid and form a layer

Answer 38

sedimentation

Question 39

a wall built across a river that stops the river’s flow and collects the water, especially to make a reservoir (= an artificial lake) that provides water for an area

Answer 39

dam

Question 40

able to be seen or understood

Answer 40

discernible

Question 41

to move or spread slowly out of a hole or through something

Answer 41

seep

Question 42

to become an acid or to make something become an acid

Answer 42

acidify

Question 43

to stop something bad from happening, or to keep an unwanted situation or person away, usually temporarily

Answer 43

stave something/someone off

Question 44

to happen or make something happen sooner or faster

Answer 44

accelerate

Question 45

in a fast or sudden way

Answer 45

rapidly

Question 46

to last for a long time, usually longer than it should or longer than people expected

Answer 46

drag on

Question 47

to prevent something bad from happening

Answer 47

avert

Question 48

a drug used to treat fevers such as malaria

Answer 48

quinine

Question 49

a house or place to live in

Answer 49

dwelling