591
|
Infrastructure
|
The basic systems and services, such as transport and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively
|
592
|
Issue
|
Subject or problem which people are thinking and talking about
Eg: Don't worry about who will do it - that's just a side issue (= not the main problem).
|
593
|
Megacity
|
|
594
|
Obstacle
|
Something that blocks you so that movement, going forward or action are prevented or made more difficult
Eg: The biggest obstacle in our way was a tree trunk in the road.
|
595
|
Overpopulation
|
Overpopulation is one of the country's most pressing social problems.
|
596
|
Poverty
|
The condition of being extremely poor
Eg: Two million people in the city live in abject (= very great) poverty.
|
597
|
Resolution
|
An official decision that is made after a group or organization have voted
|
598
|
Setback
|
Something that happens which delays or prevents a process from advancing
Eg: There has been a slight setback in our plans.
|
599
|
Slum
|
A very poor and crowded area, especially of a city
Very untidy or dirty place
|
600
|
Solution
|
The answer to a problem
Eg: There's no easy solution to this problem.
|
601
|
Tolerance
|
Willingness to accept behaviour and beliefs which are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them
|
602
|
Traffic
|
The amount of vehicles moving along roads, or the amount of aircraft, trains or ships moving along a route
|
603
|
Urbanization
|
The process by which more and more people leave the countryside to live in cities
|
604
|
Adequate
|
Enough or satisfactory for a particular purpose
Eg: I didn't have adequate time to prepare.
|
605
|
Basic
|
Providing the base or starting point from to increase or become successful and produce a lot of money very quicklywhich something can develop; simple and not complicated
|
606
|
Booming
|
To increase or become successful and produce a lot of money very quickly
|
607
|
Crowded
|
If a place is crowded, it is full of people
Eg: By ten o'clock the bar was crowded.
|
608
|
Decent
|
Socially acceptable or good
|
609
|
One -sided
|
If a competition is one-sided, one team or player is much better than the other
Only considering one opinion in an argument in a way that is unfair
|
610
|
Long-sighted
|
Able to see things which are far away but not things which are near you
|
611
|
Overpriced
|
Too expensive
Eg: These shoes are very nice, but they're terribly overpriced.
|
612
|
Pressing
|
Urgent or needing to be dealt with immediately
Eg: The most pressing question is what do we do next?
|
613
|
Overwork
|
To (cause someone to) work too much
|
614
|
Staggering
|
]to walk or move with difficulty as if you are going to fall
|
615
|
Short-sighted
|
Describes someone who can only clearly see objects that are close to them
|
616
|
Address
|
The number of the house, name of the road and town where a person lives or works and where letters can be sent
|
617
|
Adjust
|
To change something slightly, especially to make it more correct, effective, or suitable
Eg: If the chair is too high you can adjust it to suit you.
|
618
|
Aggravate
|
To make a bad situation worse
|
619
|
Cause
|
The reason why something, especially something bad, happens
|
620
|
Compete
|
To try to be more successful than someone or something else
Eg: It's difficult for a small supermarket to compete against/with the big supermarkets.
|
621
|
Deal with
|
|
622
|
Deteriorate
|
To become worse
|
623
|
Enhance
|
To improve the quality, amount or strength of something
Eg: These scandals will not enhance the organization's reputation.
|
624
|
Exacerbate
|
To make something which is already bad worse
Eg: This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.
|
625
|
Face
|
1. [C]the front of the head, where the eyes, nose and mouth are
|
626
|
Flourish
|
To grow or develop successfully
Eg: My tomatoes are flourishing this summer - it must be the warm weather.
|
627
|
Overcome
|
To defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with something
|
628
|
Worsen
|
To become worse or to make something become worse
|
629
|
Transform
|
To change completely the appearance or character of something or someone, especially so that they are improved
|
630
|
Tackle
|
To try to deal with something or someone
Eg: I tackled him about his careless work.
|
631
|
Remedy a situation
|
|
632
|
Regulate
|
To control something, especially by making it work in a particular way
Eg: You can regulate the temperature in the house by adjusting the thermostat.
|
633
|
Raise
|
To lift something to a higher position
|
634
|
Present
|
Something which you are given, without asking for it, on a special occasion, especially to show friendship, or to say thank you
|
635
|
Modify
|
To change something such as a plan, opinion, law or way of behaviour slightly, usually to improve it or make it more acceptable
|
636
|
Linger
|
To take a long time to leave or disappear
Eg: The smell from the fire still lingered days later
|
637
|
Include
|
To contain something as a part of something else, or to make something part of something else
|
638
|
Acid rain
|
Rain which contains large amounts of harmful chemicals as a result of burning substances such as coal and oil
|
639
|
Biodiversity
|
The number and types of plant and animal species that exist in a particular environmental area or in the world generally
|
640
|
Contamination
|
The water supply is being tested for contamination (= the presence of unwanted or dangerous
|
641
|
Deforestation
|
The cutting down of trees in a large area; the destruction of forests by people
Eg: Deforestation is destroying large areas of tropical rain forest.
|
642
|
Disposal
|
When you get rid of something, especially by throwing it away
|
643
|
Drought
|
A long period when there is little or no rain
Eg: This year (a) severe drought has ruined the crops.
|
644
|
Ecosystem
|
All the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment
|
645
|
Emission
|
When gas, heat, light, etc. Is sent out
Eg: The Green Party have called for a substantial reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases by the UK.
|
646
|
Environment
|
The air, water and land in or on which people, animals and plants live
|
647
|
Erosion
|
Soil/coastal erosion
|
648
|
Exhaust
|
To make someone extremely tired
|
649
|
Fertilize
|
. To spread a natural or chemical substance on land or plants, in order to make the plants grow well
|
650
|
Food chain
|
A series of living things which are connected because each group of things eats the group below it in the series
|
651
|
Fumes
|
Strong, unpleasant and sometimes dangerous gas or smoke
|
652
|
Greenhouse gases
|
A gas which causes the greenhouse effect, especially carbon dioxide
|
653
|
Pollutant
|
A substance that pollutes
Eg: Sulphur dioxide is one of several pollutants that are released into the atmosphere by coal-fired power stations.
|
654
|
Waste
|
Unnecessary or wrong use of money, substances, time, energy, abilities, etc
Eg: That meeting achieved absolutely nothing - it was a complete waste of time.
|
655
|
Threat
|
A suggestion that something unpleasant or violent will happen, especially if a particular action or order is not followed
|
656
|
Strain
|
A force or influence that stretches, pulls or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing damage
|
657
|
Refuse
|
To say that you will not do or accept something
Eg: He asked me to give him another loan, but I refused.
|
658
|
Process
|
A series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result
|
659
|
Chronic
|
(especially of a disease or something bad) continuing for a long time
|
660
|
Inevitable
|
Certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented
|
661
|
Inexorable
|
Continuing without any possibility of being stopped
Eg: the inexorable progress of science
|
662
|
Dump
|
To put down or drop something in a careless way
|
663
|
Confront
|
To face, meet or deal with a difficult situation or person
|
664
|
Worthwhile
|
Useful, important or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made
|
665
|
Vital
|
Necessary for the success or continued existence of something; extremely important
|
666
|
Viable
|
Able to work as intended or able to succeed
|
667
|
Useless
|
Of no use; not working or not achieving what is needed
Eg: Without fuel, the vehicles will become useless for moving supplies.
|
668
|
Unprecedented
|
Never having happened or existed in the past
|
669
|
Unlikely
|
Not likely
Eg: He seems an unlikely-looking policeman (= He is not what I expect a policeman to look like).
|
670
|
Unattainable
|
Not able to be achieved
|
671
|
Taxing
|
Difficult or needing a lot of thought or effort
|
672
|
Sustainable
|
|
