VOL 3 - Reading Test 02

supplement one's diet with + noun

add another type of food to one's normal diet Ex. Some animals supplement their diet with insects.

survive in harsh conditions

continue living despite difficult circumstances Ex. Certain species can survive in extremely harsh conditions.

become extinct

stop existing because all members of a species have died Ex. Several species have become extinct due to habitat destruction.

the natural habitat of + noun

the normal environment where an animal or plant lives Ex. Forests are the natural habitat of many wild animals.

represent (v)

to exist or be present in a particular place or group Ex. These birds are widely represented in tropical regions.

distinguish (v)

to recognize or identify a difference between things Ex. It is difficult to distinguish between the two species.

comprise (v)

to consist of or include something Ex. The family comprises more than one hundred species.

subsequent (adj)

happening after something else Ex. The population declined rapidly in subsequent years.

ruminant (n)

an animal that brings food back from its stomach and chews it again Ex. Cows are ruminants that mainly eat grass.

herbivorous (adj)

eating mainly or only plants Ex. Most species in this group are herbivorous.

incisor (n)

one of the front teeth used for cutting food Ex. Rabbits use their incisors to cut through plants.

browsing (n)

the activity of eating leaves, shoots, or other vegetation Ex. Browsing animals often feed on leaves and small branches.

graze (v)

to eat grass or other plants growing close to the ground Ex. Cows usually graze in open fields.

cloven (adj)

divided into two parts Ex. Cows have cloven hooves.

hoof (n)

the hard part at the bottom of the foot of animals such as horses and cattle Ex. The animal has large hooves that help it walk through mud.

horn (n)

a hard pointed structure that grows from the head of some animals Ex. Male buffaloes usually have large horns.

sheath (n)

a covering around something Ex. The horn has a bony core covered by a hard sheath.

unbranched (adj)

not divided into separate parts or branches Ex. Unlike antlers, bovid horns are unbranched.

shed (v)

to naturally lose something such as hair, skin, or a covering Ex. Some animals shed their skin as they grow.

territorial (adj)

defending a particular area against other animals Ex. Wolves can be highly territorial animals.

carcass (n)

the dead body of an animal Ex. The vultures gathered around the animal's carcass.

scrub (n)

land covered with small bushes and plants Ex. Some species are able to survive in dry scrub.

arid (adj)

extremely dry, with very little rain Ex. Some sheep have adapted to arid desert environments.

tundra (n)

a very cold region where few trees can grow Ex. Some animals can survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic tundra.

wetland (n)

land that is covered with or saturated by water Ex. Wetlands provide important habitats for many birds and animals.

swampy (adj)

very wet and muddy Ex. The animal's wide feet allow it to move across swampy ground.

harsh (adj)

very difficult or unpleasant to live in or deal with Ex. Some animals are specially adapted to harsh environmental conditions.

enclosure (n)

an area surrounded by a fence or other barrier Ex. The government introduced laws to prevent the enclosure of important grasslands

splayed (adj)

spread outwards rather than being close together Ex. The animal has splayed hooves that help it walk through wetlands.

gallop (v)

to run very fast Ex. The entire herd began to gallop across the grassland.

erect (adj)

standing straight up Ex. The animal's hairs become erect when it senses danger.

retain (v)

to keep something rather than losing or removing it Ex. Ruminants retain undigested food in their stomachs.

regurgitate (v)

to bring swallowed food back into the mouth Ex. Cows regurgitate their food before chewing it again.

grind down (phr v)

to crush something into smaller pieces Ex. The animal uses its cheek teeth to grind down tough plants.

be at risk of extinction

be in danger of becoming extinct Ex. Many wild animals are at risk of extinction because of habitat loss.

in considerable numbers

in relatively large numbers Ex. The species can still be found in considerable numbers.

well-conceived (adj)

carefully planned and thought out Ex. The government introduced a well-conceived program to encourage renewable energy.

sitting (n)

the process of choosing a location for something Ex. The sitting of experimental stations was based on different climatic conditions.

residential (adj)

relating to homes or places where people live Ex. The government introduced a residential solar-energy program.

halt (v)

to stop something Ex. A change in government priorities halted the research program.

come to the fore (idiom)

to become more important or prominent Ex. After the US program ended, Japan's solar-energy project came to the fore.

lavish (adj)

very luxurious or involving more than is necessary Ex. The simulated homes were designed to represent a lavish lifestyle.

insurmountable (adj)

impossible or extremely difficult to overcome Ex. The researchers found no insurmountable technical problems.

subsidy (n)

money given by a government to reduce the cost of something Ex. The government offered a subsidy to encourage people to install solar panels.

subsidise (v)

to financially support something, usually with government money Ex. The government subsidised the installation of solar systems.

immensely (adv)

extremely; to a very great degree Ex. The program proved immensely popular among homeowners.

embrace (v)

to willingly accept or adopt something Ex. Japan embraced residential photovoltaics on a large scale.

stringent (adj)

very strict and demanding Ex. Governments are introducing stringent environmental regulations.

building code (n)

a set of official rules for the design and construction of buildings Ex. New building codes may require houses to use less energy.

stipulate (v)

to officially require something as a condition Ex. New building regulations may stipulate the use of renewable energy.

outlay (n)

an amount of money that must be spent, especially initially Ex. Although the initial outlay is high, solar panels can save money in the long term.

stand to gain (phrase)

to be likely to benefit from something Ex. Everyone stands to gain from cleaner and more sustainable energy.

prompt a response (phrase)

to cause another person or organization to react Ex. Japan's initiative prompted responses from Europe and the US.

elaborate (adj)

involving many carefully planned or complicated details Ex. Learning to read requires elaborate instruction and conscious effort.

conscious effort (n)

deliberate mental effort that you make intentionally Ex. Learning a new language requires a conscious effort to remember new vocabulary.

triumph (v)

to succeed after competing with or overcoming something Ex. No single method has triumphed in the debate over reading instruction.

rote (n)

learning something by repeating or memorising it without necessarily understanding it Ex. Students may learn some vocabulary by rote before they understand how the words are formed.

at a glance (idiom)

immediately after looking at something briefly Ex. Experienced readers can recognise many common words at a glance.

phoneme (n)

the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another Ex. Children learn that different letters can represent different phonemes.

constitute (v)

to form or make up something Ex. These principles constitute the foundation of effective reading instruction.

storyline (n)

the sequence of events that forms the main story Ex. Children may use clues from the storyline to guess unfamiliar words.

intuitive (adj)

based on a natural understanding rather than conscious reasoning Ex. The whole-language method has intuitive appeal because it seems natural to make reading enjoyable.

compelling (adj)

very convincing or persuasive Ex. There is compelling evidence that phonics plays an important role in reading.

illuminating (adj)

providing useful information or making something clearer Ex. Classroom studies comparing different methods were particularly illuminating.

draw from (phrasal verb)

to use information, experience, or ideas from a particular source Ex. The teaching method drew from the children's own experiences with language.

be enmeshed in (phrase)

to be deeply involved or connected with something complicated Ex. The debate is enmeshed in wider philosophical differences about education.

scepticism (n)

doubt about whether something is true, useful, or reliable Ex. Researchers faced scepticism from educators who questioned the value of laboratory studies.

champion (v)

to strongly support or defend a person, idea, or cause Ex. Progressive educators champion student-centred learning.

bear on (phrasal verb)

to be relevant to or have an effect on something Ex. Linguistic research bears directly on how reading should be taught.

grounded in (phrase)

based firmly on a particular idea, principle, or knowledge Ex. Effective reading instruction should be grounded in an understanding of letter-sound relationships.