lesson 2 Flashcards
primitive
belonging to a very simple society with no industry, etc.
phenomenon
a fact or an event in nature or society, especially one that is not fully understood
obscure
not well known
SYNONYM unknown
regional
of or relating to a region
diversity
a range of many people or things that are very different from each other
SYNONYM variety
to underestimate
to think or guess that the amount, cost or size of something is smaller than it really is
captivating
taking all your attention; very attractive and interesting
SYNONYM enchanting
to deplete
to reduce something by a large amount so that there is not enough left; to be reduced by a large amount
to dominate
to control or have a lot of influence over somebody/something, especially in an unpleasant way
to withdraw
to move back or away from a place or situation; to make somebody/something do this
fungus
an organism (= a living thing) that is similar to a plant without leaves, flowers or green colouring, and that usually grows on plants or on decaying matter. mushrooms and mildew are both fungi.
tolerance
tolerance (of/for somebody/something) the quality of being willing to accept or tolerate somebody/something, especially opinions or behaviour that you may not agree with, or people who are not like you
plausible
reasonable and likely to be true
archeology
the study of cultures of the past, and of periods of history by examining the parts of buildings and objects found in the ground
ancestor
a person in your family who lived a long time ago
SYNONYM forebear
derelict
(especially of land or buildings) not used or cared for and in bad condition
cemetery
an area of land used for burying dead people, especially one that is not next to a church
seedling
a young plant that has grown from a seed
equivalent
a thing, amount, word, etc. that is equal in value, meaning or purpose to something else
abundant
existing in large quantities; more than enough
SYNONYM plentiful
assumption
a belief or feeling that something is true or that something will happen, although there is no proof
to disrupt
to make it difficult for something to continue in the normal way
battle
a fight between armies, ships or planes, especially during a war; a violent fight between groups of people
unintentional
not done deliberately, but happening by accident
to eradicate
to destroy or get rid of something completely, especially something bad
SYNONYM wipe out
to praise
words that show that you approve of and admire somebody/something
peculiar
strange or unusual, especially in a way that is unpleasant or makes you worried
infrastructure
the basic systems and services that are necessary for a country or an organization to run smoothly, for example buildings, transport and water and power supplies
to be willing
ready or pleased to help and not needing to be persuaded; done or given in an enthusiastic way
to evacuate
to move people from a place of danger to a safer place
measure
to judge the importance, value or effect of something
SYNONYM assess
trait
a particular quality in your personality
to cultivate
to prepare and use land for growing plants or crops
introverted
more interested in your own thoughts and feelings than in spending time with other people
inherent
that is a basic or permanent part of somebody/something and that cannot be removed
SYNONYM intrinsic
extroverted
lively and confident, and enjoying being with other people
to rehabilitate
to help somebody to return to a normal, healthy life after they have been in prison or very ill
stamina
the physical or mental strength that enables you to do something difficult for long periods of time
to acquire
to gain something by your own efforts, ability or behaviour
transformation
a complete change in somebody/something
evolution
the slow steady development of plants, animals, etc. during the history of the earth, as they adapt to changes in their environment
principle
a moral rule or a strong belief that influences your actions
irreversible
that cannot be changed back to what it was before
characteristic
a typical feature or quality that something/somebody has
intriguing
very interesting because of being unusual or not having an obvious answer
to retain
to keep something; to continue to have something
SYNONYM preserve
likelihood
the chance of something happening; how likely something is to happen
SYNONYM probability
juvenile
relating to young people who are not yet adults
to evolve
to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form; to develop something in this way
