IELTS Mock Test Vol 20 - Reading Test 3 Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering topics from IELTS Mock Test Vol 20, Reading Test 3, including frozen food preservation, coral reef conservation, and the development of machine intelligence.

Frozen food

Food that has been preserved by freezing to make meal preparation easier.

Preserve

To keep something in its original state or in good condition for a long period.

Refrigeration

The process of cooling or keeping food cold to slow down spoilage.

Insulated

Protected with a material that prevents the loss of heat or keeps something cold.

Mechanical ice

Ice produced by a machine, which was a major breakthrough in refrigeration technology.

Compressor

A part of a refrigeration system that compresses gas to keep the freezer cold.

Condenser

A component that releases heat from a cooling system.

Evaporator coil

A coil that plays a vital role in cooling within a refrigeration system.

Freezing point

The temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid, such as $0^\text{o}C$ for water.

Deterioration

The process of becoming progressively worse or spoiling.

Palatable

Pleasant to taste or acceptable to eat.

Indigenous

Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

Quick-freezing

A process of freezing food rapidly to help it retain a better texture.

Cellophane

A thin, transparent wrapping material made from viscose.

Obstacle

A thing that blocks one's way or prevents progress, such as high cost.

Ration

To allow each person to have only a fixed amount of a particular commodity, especially during a war.

Appliances

Devices or machines, usually electrical, that are used in the home for tasks like cooking or cleaning.

Segmented tray

A tray divided into separate sections, used for freezing individual meals.

Turnover

The total amount of money taken by a business in a particular period.

Food service sales

Revenue generated from the industry of serving food, such as in restaurants or cafeterias.

Abundant

Existing or available in large quantities; plentiful.

Freezer compartments

Specific sections within a refrigerator used for freezing food.

Nutritional value

A measure of the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc.) provided by food items.

Spoil food

To cause food to decay or become unfit for consumption, often due to heat.

Ice transportation business

The industry focused on moving ice from one place to another, which declined with the advent of refrigeration.

Wealthy

Having a great deal of money, resources, or assets; rich.

A great deal of

A large amount or quantity of something.

Artificial reef

A man-made underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life.

Conservationist

A person who advocates for or acts for the protection and preservation of the environment and wildlife.

Polyps

Small individual organisms that make up coral reefs.

Algae

Simple non-flowering aquatic plants that provide food for coral polyps.

Photosynthesis

The process by which algae and plants use sunlight to synthesize nutrients from carbon dioxide and water.

Symbiotic relationship

A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species.

Ocean bed

The bottom of the ocean.

Marine species

Organisms that live in the sea or ocean.

Bleaching events

Occurrences where corals lose their vibrant colors and turn white due to environmental stressors like rising temperatures.

Thermal stress

Physical stress placed on organisms, such as coral, by extreme temperatures.

Ocean acidification

The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, which harms shell-forming species.

Deoxygenation

The process of oxygen being removed or lost from a body of water.

Habitat destruction

The process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species.

Greenhouse gas emissions

The release of gases like carbon dioxide that contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

React

To respond in a particular way to a stimulus or change in environment.

Spawn

The process of releasing eggs and sperm by aquatic animals like fish and coral.

Artificial spawning

Man-made or assisted methods to encourage the reproduction of fish or coral.

Restoration efforts

Actions taken to repair or return a damaged ecosystem to its original state.

Blighted reef

A coral reef that has been damaged or is in poor condition.

Encourage

To give support, confidence, or hope to someone to join or perform an action.

Critically important

Extremely essential or vital for a particular system or ecosystem.

Tried and tested

A phrase describing a method or tool that has been used successfully and is proven to work.

Extreme storms

Severe weather events that can cause physical damage to structures like coral reefs.

Contamination

The action of making something impure or unsuitable by contact with something harmful.

Alterations

Changes or modifications, such as those affecting sea temperature.

Cope well with

To deal effectively with something difficult or changing conditions.

Changed sea conditions

Modifications in the marine environment to which species must adapt.

Try out

To test a new method or idea to see if it works.

Speed up

To increase the rate at which something happens.

Reproduction

The biological process by which new individual organisms are produced.

Colonise other planets

The act of establishing a settlement or community on planets other than Earth.

Terraform

To transform a planet to resemble the Earth, especially so that it can support human life.

Benign

Gentle and kindly; in a technical sense, not harmful.

Analogous to

Comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared.

Exploit mineral resources

To take advantage of and use natural mineral materials for commercial or industrial gain.

Pressing need

An urgent requirement that demands immediate attention.

Morally dubious

Questionable or uncertain in terms of ethical standards and values.

Outstrip human intelligence

To become faster, greater, or better than the level of human intellectual capacity.

Sense one's environment

The ability of a robot or organism to detect and respond to its surroundings using sensors.

Adeptly

In a way that is very skilled or proficient at something.

Fret

To be constantly or visibly anxious and worried.

Highly ambitious

Characterized by a strong desire to achieve something difficult or large-scale.

Tendency to personify

The human inclination to attribute human characteristics or personalities to non-human things like AI.

Autonomous threat

A danger posed by a system that can act or function independently without human control.

Singularity

A hypothetical point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unfathomable changes to human civilization.

Idiot savant

A person (or system) who has a mental disability but exhibits exceptional skill or brilliance in a specific limited field.

Malicious designer

An individual with harmful intent who creates or programs a system.

Outweigh

To be heavier, greater, or more significant than something else.

Supremacy

The state or condition of being superior to all others in authority, power, or status.

Dystopian

Relating to or denoting an imagined state or society where there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is post-apocalyptic.

Carve out the sphere

To establish or expand an area of influence or dominance.

Divide

A significant difference or separation between two groups or things.

Clear cut

Sharply defined; easy to perceive or understand.

For one's own safety

An action taken to ensure the protection and well-being of oneself.

Imaginative

Having or showing creativity or a high level of inventiveness.

Mediocre

Of only moderate quality; not very good.

Ethical aspects

Considerations related to moral principles and what is right or wrong.

The extent of

The area, length, or degree to which something covers or reaches.

Advances in machine intelligence

Technological improvements and progress in the field of artificial intelligence.

Inclination

A person's natural tendency or urge to act or feel in a particular way.

Attribute to

To regard something as being caused by or belonging to a specific person or thing.

Non-human entities

Beings or objects that are not human, such as robots or AI.

Inanimate

Not alive; showing no signs of life.

Key difference

A fundamental point of contrast between two things.

Outnumber

To be more numerous than.

Independent thought

The ability to think or form opinions without being influenced or controlled by others.

Take over

To assume control of something.

Portrayal

The way in which someone or something is described or represented in a work of art or literature.

Confuse with

To mistake one thing for another.

A change of approach

The act of using a different method or way of dealing with a situation.

Have a perspective on

To have a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.