VCAT English Practice - Climate and Weather Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards derived from the VCAT English 01 transcript regarding global warming, heat waves, and the transitions between El Niño and La Niña.

Intensifying

Becoming stronger, more serious, or increasingly severe in intensity.

Expansive

Covering a wide area or lan rộng trên phạm vi lớn.

Hallmarks

Typical signs or characteristics that are typical of a specific phenomenon or cause.

Tied (a record)

To achieve the same score or measurement as a previous record, making them equal.

Urban heat island effect

A phenomenon where urban areas experience higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas, especially overnight.

Exacerbate

To make a problem, health consequence, or bad situation worse or more severe.

Human-induced

Caused or brought about by human activity rather than natural processes.

Induce

To cause something to happen, to persuade someone, or to bring about something artificially such as labor.

Conducive to

Providing the right conditions or making it easy for something to happen or exist.

Simultaneous

Happening, existing, or done at exactly the same time across different locations or contexts.

Deadliest

Causing the most deaths or being the most fatal among forms of extreme weather.

Soar

To rise or increase very quickly to a high level, such as temperatures reaching the triple digits.

Triple digits

Numerical values equal to or exceeding $100$, used here to describe extreme temperatures in Fahrenheit.

Heat index

A measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.

Compound

To make a difficult situation, such as a public health threat, even worse by adding further complications.

Premature deaths

Deaths that occur before the average age of death in a certain population, often attributed to environmental stressors.

Underestimate

To fail to guess or understand the real cost, size, or difficulty of something, such as present and future heat risks.

Warrant

To make a particular action necessary, such as requiring more aggressive preparation and adaptation.

Adaptation

The process of changing or adjusting to suit new or different conditions, specifically regarding climate risks.

Brutal

Extremely harsh, unpleasant, or severe, often used to describe intense summer heat.

Kick into gear

To start working or functioning in an active, effective, or official capacity.

Neutral phase

A stage in the Pacific ocean climate cycle where temperatures hover close to normal, with neither El Niño nor La Niña being dominant.

Clear-cut

Unambiguous, easy to perceive, and definite in nature or influence.

Wane

To decrease in vigor, power, or influence; to become weaker.

Backdrop

The general situation or context in which an event happens, such as climate change influencing specific weather events.

Worsen drought

To make a period of abnormally low rainfall and dry conditions more severe.

Supercharge

To significantly increase the power, energy, or intensity of something, such as the Atlantic hurricane season.

Making landfall

The process of a tropical storm or hurricane reaching the coast after being over the ocean.

Relentless march

The steady, persistent, and unstoppable progression of a phenomenon like climate change.