Destination - Nature and the universe

amazing (adj)

• Meaning 1:

  • This thing is so amazing! I don’t think a child can do this!

  • It was truly amazing to see how much work goes into a Broadway musical.

• Meaning 2:

  • He did an amazing job!

  • This is an amazing design of today’s lesson!

• very surprising, especially in a way that you like or admire

• (informal) very impressive; excellent

đáng kinh ngạc, tuyệt vời

climate (n)

• Meaning 1: Jessica loves living in a tropical/warm/mild/temperate/cold climate

• Meaning 2: Josh’s family wants to live in a cooler climate, as he can’t stand the harsh weather here.

1. [countable, uncountable] the regular pattern of weather conditions of a particular place - khí hậu

2. [countable] an area with particular weather conditions - vùng khí hậu, miền khí hậu

countryside (n)

• I don’t like living in either the countryside or the bustling city.

• The surrounding countryside is windswept and rocky.

[uncountable] land outside towns and cities, with fields, woods, etc. - vùng quê

environment (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • Protecting the environment is a must to prevent illnesses and maintain health.

  • The environment minister expressed concern over pollution levels.

• Meaning 2:

  • We’re living in a “concrete” but polluted environment, and this is a serious problem.

  • Hospitals have a duty to provide a safe working environment for all staff.

1. the ____ [singular] the natural world in which people, animals and plants live

2. [countable] the conditions in which a person, animal or plant lives or operates or in which an activity takes place

môi trường

extinct (adj)

• Meaning 1: University researchers have taken samples from a preserved dodo specimen in an attempt to uncover the extinct bird’s family tree.

• Meaning 2: Except for tourism, rickshaws are extinct in daily life, I think.

1. (of a type of plant, animal, etc.) no longer in existence

2. (of a type of person, job or way of life) no longer in existence in society

tuyệt chủng

forecast (v)

• Experts are forecasting a recovery of the economy.

• I think it’s challenging to forecast a set of long-term goals.

• Temperatures were forecast to reach 40°C.

​[transitive] to say what you think will happen in the future based on information that you have now - dự đoán

forecast (n)

• Welcome to the weather forecast programme again, I’m your today’s host.

• It is difficult to make long-term forecasts for a fast-growing industry.

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers.

[countable] a statement about what will happen in the future, based on information that is available now - dự báo

freezing (adj)

• Meaning 1: This water surface is too freezing for me to start swimming.

• Meaning 2: It is theoretically autumnal, but there are some freezing leaves on trees around here.

1. extremely cold - lạnh cóng

2. [only before noun] having temperatures that are below 0° Celsius - đóng băng

global (adj)

• Meaning 1: The Global pandemic has caused severe depression, loneliness, and other mental problems and difficulties in people.

• Meaning 2: We need to consider global aspects, not only one-way.

[usually before noun]

1. covering or affecting the whole world - toàn cầu

2. considering or including all parts of something - toàn bộ, toàn diện

heatwave (n)

• Heatwaves have caused many interruptions, including more CO₂ being released because of more ACs being turned on.

a period of unusually hot weather - đợt nắng nóng (như lò lửa - ?)

insect (n)

• Grasshoppers, or “châu chấu” in Vietnamese, are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera.

• Most birds spend most of the day eating insects.

• There are approximately 30 million species of insects worldwide.

• insect repellent (= a chemical that keeps insects away)

any small creature with six legs and a body divided into three parts, e.g., ants, bees, flies, etc., and they usually also have wings

lightning (n)

• a flash of lightning

• a violent storm with thunder and lightning

• He was struck by lightning and killed.

• Lightning strikes caused scores of fires across the state.

[uncountable] a flash, or several flashes, of very bright light in the sky caused by electricity - sấm sét, sấm chớp, tia sét, tia chớp

litter (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • You are not allowed to litter at the park, unless you want to be fined $1000.

  • Piles of books and newspapers littered the floor.

  • Broken glass littered the streets.

• Meaning 2:

  • The floor was littered with papers.

  • He was arrested for littering.

• ​[transitive] ____ sth to be spread around a place, making it look untidy

• ​[transitive, usually passive, intransitive] to leave things in a place, making it look untidy

xả rác

litter (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • Can you please not drop litter and put it in the trash?

  • Students, please clean up your litter to make the class clean again.

• Meaning 2:

  • A litter of pens and pencils on this table makes my mum feel annoyed.

  • A litter of things on there kept him choosy.

• [uncountable] small pieces of rubbish such as paper, cans and bottles, that people have left lying in a public place

• [singular] ____ of sth a number of things that are lying in an untidy way

rác

local (adj)

• Meaning 1:

  • Local newspapers for Chinese people are no longer printed and published since August 1, 2025.

  • Those are local goods, so don’t be too worried about their quality.

  • It was difficult to understand the local dialect.

• Meaning 2:

  • Her tooth was extracted under local anaesthetic.

[usually before noun]

1. belonging to or connected with the particular place or area mentioned or the place you live - địa phương

2. affected only a part of the body - ảnh hưởng cục bộ

locate (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • The mechanic located the fault immediately.

  • Rescue planes are trying to locate the missing sailors.

• Meaning 2:

  • The café is located in an apartment on the walking street.

  • They located their headquarters in Swindon.

  • Locating offices directly next to the labs is preferred by most researchers.

• Meaning 3:

  • There are tax breaks for businesses that locate in rural areas.

1. [transitive] ____ sb/sth to find the exact position of sb/sth

2. [transitive] ____ sth + adv./prep. to put or build something in a particular place

định vị, xác định vị trí

1. [intransitive] + adv./prep. (especially North American English) to start a business in a particular place - khởi nghiệp ở một vị trí nào đó

mammal (n)

• The evolution of mammals has progressed through numerous stages since the first appearance of their synapsid ancestors in the Pennsylvanian subperiod of the late Carboniferous period.

• Humans, or we, are one of the kinds of mammals. We have many languages, and we have a complex nervous system.

[countable] any animal that gives birth to live young, not eggs, and feeds its young on milk, e.g. humans, cats, dogs, whales, etc.

mild (adj) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • The symptoms were mild.

  • She receives a mild punishment/criticism from her parents when she gets low marks.

• Meaning 2:

  • The weather is so mild that it is suitable for us to have a picnic today.

  • Mild weather may not be an option for her, but extreme weather may be.

• Meaning 3: Nancy is always mild; she barely cares about things around her.

1. not severe or strong

2. (of weather) not very cold, and therefore pleasant - mát mẻ, dễ chịu

3. (of feelings) not great or extreme

nhẹ nhàng

mild (adj) [2]

• Meaning 1: Olivia prefers having spicy dishes to mild ones.

• Meaning 2: Nicole is very mild; she rarely disputes with anyone.

1. (of a taste) not strong, spicy or bitter

2. (of people or their behaviour) gentle and kind, not usually getting angry or violent

nhẹ nhàng

name (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • This part of the boulevard is named by an excellent former Prime Minister, Võ Văn Kiệt.

  • Parents always name their child with hopes, expectations on them.

  • The planet Mars is named for the Roman god of war.

• Meaning 2:

  • He refused to name his accomplice.

  • Can you name all the Vietnamese provinces and municipalities before July 1, 2025?

• Meaning 3:

  • They're engaged, but they haven't yet named the day (= chosen the date for their wedding).

1. [often passive] to give a name to sb/sth

2. to say the name of somebody/something

3. to state something exactly

[transitive]

name (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • His name is Jixue, and he started their relationship first.

  • The main character’s name is Max.

  • The little girl over there’s name is Chi, and she’s very arrogant.

  • Look! There are a couple of identical names, like Anh, Khang, etc.

• Meaning 2:

  • He's made quite a name for himself (= become famous).

  • The college has a good name for languages.

  • This kind of behaviour gives students a bad name.

1. a word or words that a particular person, animal, place or thing is known by - tên

2. ​[usually singular] a reputation that somebody/something has; the opinion that people have about somebody/something - danh tiếng

origin (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • The origin of Vietnam’s southern part dates back to around the 17th century.

  • Most coughs are viral in origin (= caused by a virus).

  • The word burlesque is Italian in origin.

  • This dish has its origins in Guangdong.

• Meaning 2:

  • Alisa's family’s origin used to be very affluent.

  • children of various ethnic origins

  • a person’s country of origin (= where they were born)

  • He’s a Hanoian by origin.

1. the point from which something starts; the cause of something

2. a person’s social and family background

[countable] nguồn gốc, nguyên quán

planet (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • There are countless planets in the universe that need studying.

  • The planet Earth/Mars/Mercury/Venus/etc.

• Meaning 2:

  • The planet is getting more polluted than ever, so we should do something about it.

  • The planet always has serious wars due to disagreements between countries.

1. [countable] a large round object in space that moves around a star (such as the sun) and receives light from it

2. the ____ [singular] used to mean ‘the world’, especially when talking about the environment - thế giới

hành tinh

preserve (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • Alan leaves nothing to chance so that he can preserve his academic excellence.

  • Efforts to preserve safety and peace between the two countries have been temporarily made.

  • He was anxious to preserve his reputation.

• Meaning 2:

  • Celine sings a lot, so her voice always needs preserving.

  • He made every effort to preserve his mental and physical health.

  • This old haircut is well preserved, though there has been an amount of damage.

• Meaning 3:

  • Endangered species until now need to be preserved in national parks.

  • The society was set up to preserve endangered species from extinction.

  • She wanted to preserve him from harassment.

  • To preserve life should always be the goal.

1. ____ sth to keep a particular quality, feature, etc.; to make sure that something is kept

2. [often passive] to keep something in its original state in good condition

3. ____ sb/sth (from sth) to keep somebody/something alive, or safe from harm or danger

[transitive] bảo tồn, bảo vệ, gìn giữ, giữ gìn

recycle (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • It is not a good idea to leave out lots of papers. Recycling them should be good.

  • I love recycling, mostly with papers, on which I usually write some strange things again that have been used.

  • Salt water is recycled using a special filter.

  • The bottles were being recycled into a lower-quality product.

  • He makes his fuel from used grease recycled from local restaurants.

• Meaning 2:

  • I reckon that recycling old hot songs will be a breakthrough, as it may make them more interesting, depending on the artist’s creativity.

  • I’m fed up with him recycling jokes and old humorous stories.

  • They endlessly recycle the same worn-out arguments.

1. ____ sth to treat things that have already been used so that they can be used again

2. ​____ sth to use the same ideas, methods, jokes, etc. again

[transitive] tái chế

reptile (n)

• Reptiles, mostly crocodiles and some particular kinds of snakes, are one of the primates for their complex nervous system and body structure.

• Reptiles, like snakes and crocodiles, have cold blood and scaly skin, and they lay eggs.

any animal that has cold blood and skin covered in scales, and that lays eggs - bò sát

rescue (v)

• Meaningful actions have been recorded over the years in Vietnam, including a man rescuing a boy from falling down in an apartment during the quarantine.

• The woman was rescued from her burning home by firefighters.

• You rescued me from an embarrassing situation.

• The house was rescued from demolition.

​to save sb/sth from a dangerous or harmful situation - giải cứu

rescue (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • We had given up hope of rescue.

  • A wealthy benefactor came to their rescue with a generous donation.

1. [uncountable] the act of saving somebody/something from a dangerous or difficult situation; the fact of being saved

2. [countable] an occasion when somebody/something is saved from a dangerous or difficult situation

giải cứu

satellite (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • The use of satellite phones meant that journalists could report directly from the arena of the battlefront.

  • My car was fitted with a satellite navigation system.

  • The software enables the user to set up a satellite communications link.

  • The interview came live by satellite from Hollywood.

  • They could track the tagged sea turtles by satellite.

• Meaning 2:

  • The moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth.

  • Jupiter has many satellites orbiting it.

1. an electronic device that is sent into space and moves around the earth or another planet to communicate by radio, television, etc. and to gather information. - vệ tinh nhân tạo

2. ​a natural object that moves around a larger natural object in space - vệ tinh

shower (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • Jack is in the shower. Would you like to leave a message to him?

  • I've just got out of the shower.

  • an en-suite shower room

  • She was getting into the shower when the doorbell rang.

• Meaning 2:

  • Nina is having/taking a shower.

  • Jill is putting a shower gel.

  • Anderson loves taking cold/hot shower.

• Meaning 3:

  • We were caught in a heavy/scattered shower.

  • There's a chance of showers this afternoon.

  • wintry showers (= of snow)

  • a shower of rain/hail/hailstones

• Meaning 4:

  • a meteor shower

  • a shower of leaves/sparks from the fire/kisses

  • There were showers of rain during summer.

1. a piece of equipment producing a flow of water that you stand under to wash yourself; the small room or part of a room that contains a shower - vòi sen

2. the act of washing yourself with a shower - tắm bằng vòi sen

3. a short period of rain or snow - mưa rào và tuyết rơi ngắn hạn

4. a large number of things that arrive or fall together - rào (?)

solar system (n phr)

• Meaning 1: The Solar System consists of the sun and all the planets that orbit around it.

• Meaning 2: We don’t know how many solar systems there are in each galaxy.

1. ​the ____ [singular] the sun and all the planets that move around it

2. ​[countable] any group of planets that all move around the same star

Hệ Mặt Trời

species (n)

• I usually call all birds “birds”, because I don’t really know which birds species they are.

• a conservation area for endangered species

• a native species of fish

• Nearly 850 species of birds have been identified within the country's borders.

• The effect of climate change on species richness was evaluated.

(pl.: species) ​a group into which animals, plants, etc. that are able to have sex with each other and produce healthy young are divided, smaller than a genus and identified by a Latin name - loài

thunder (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • If you hear thunder constantly, the strom is likely to be very near to your place.

  • the rumble of distant thunder

  • a clap/crash/roll of thunder

  • Thunder crashed in the sky.

• Meaning 2:

  • the thunder of horses' hooves

  • The thunder of gunfire announced the beginning of the attack.

[uncountable] ​

1. the loud noise that you hear after a flash of lightning, during a storm

2. ​a loud noise like thunder

sấm, tiếng sấm

wild (adj) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • You should be careful with wild animals when visiting this place.

  • Don’t pick wild mushrooms if you are not sure if it is safe or not.

  • Their aim is to document wild populations of fast-disappearing species.

• Meaning 2:

  • This area is new and wild, but it may be not anymore in few years’ time.

  • The island is a wild and lonely place.

  • This is truly wild and unspoilt countryside.

1. living or growing in natural conditions; not kept in a house or on a farm

2. in its natural state; not changed by people

hoang dã

wild (adj) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • Jim has a wild personality, which makes his classmates around worry and feel scared.

  • The boy is wild and completely out of control.

  • He had a wild look in his eyes.

• Meaning 2:

  • The crowd went wild.

  • It makes me wild (= very angry) to see such waste.

  • Everything about her drove him wild (= made him like her very much).

• Meaning 3:

  • Take a wild guess!

  • A wild schedule shouldn’t be an option when planning for the trip.

1. having no discipline or control - hoang dã

2. full of very strong feeling - cuồng nhiệt, mãnh liệt

3. not carefully planned; not sensible or accurate - sơ khai

wildlife (n)

• The bacteria pose a real threat to wildlife.

• The forest is home to a wealth of wildlife.

• policies designed to protect wildlife

• Development of the area would endanger wildlife.

• a wildlife habitat

• a wildlife refuge/sanctuary

[uncountable] ​animals, birds, insects, etc. that are wild and live in a natural environment - động vật hoang dã