Destination B1 - Unit 36 (Vocabulary): Nature and the universe

amazing

(adj) very surprising, especially in a way that makes you feel pleasure or admiration. "The view from the mountain was amazing."

climate

(n) the usual weather conditions in a particular place. "The Mediterranean climate is good for growing olives."

countryside

(n) land that is away from towns and cities, with fields, woods, etc. "They live in the countryside, far from the city."

environment

(n) the air, water, and land around us, or the natural world in general. "We must protect the environment from pollution."

extinct

(adj) no longer existing. "Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years."

forecast

(v) to say what you think will happen in the future, especially the weather; (n) a description of what is likely to happen in the future. "Experts forecast that the economy will improve.", "The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow."

freezing

(adj) extremely cold. "It’s freezing outside today!"

global

(adj) relating to the whole world. "We face global problems such as climate change."

heatwave

(n) a period of unusually hot weather. "The country suffered its worst heatwave in 50 years."

insect

(n) a small creature with six legs and usually wings. "Bees and butterflies are insects."

lightning

(n) a flash of bright light in the sky during a storm. "The tree was struck by lightning."

litter

(v) to leave rubbish lying around; (n) rubbish such as paper, cans, or bottles left in a public place. "People should not litter the streets.", "The park was full of litter."

local

(adj) relating to the area that is near or around you. "We went to a local restaurant."

locate

(v) to find the exact position of something. "The police managed to locate the missing child."

mammal

(n) an animal that gives birth to live babies and feeds them with milk. "Humans and elephants are mammals."

mild

(adj) not very cold, hot, or strong. "The winter here is very mild."

name

(v) to give a person or thing a name; (n) the word by which someone or something is called. "They named the baby after his grandfather.", "My name is Anna."

origin

(n) the point where something begins or comes from. "The origin of the universe is still a mystery."

planet

(n) a large round object in space that moves around a star. "Earth is the third planet from the Sun."

preserve

(v) to keep something in its original state or prevent it from being damaged. "We must preserve historical buildings."

recycle

(v) to process used materials so that they can be used again. "The factory recycles paper and plastic."

reptile

(n) an animal that produces eggs and uses the heat of the sun to control its blood temperature. “Crocodiles are reptiles.”

rescue

(v) to save someone or something from a dangerous situation; (n) the act of saving someone. "The firefighters rescued three people from the fire.", "He received an award for bravery in the rescue."

satellite

(n) an object that moves around a planet or star; a device sent into space to send or receive signals. "The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite."

shower

(n) a short period of rain or snow. "You're soaked! Did you get caught in the shower?”

solar system

(n phr) the Sun and the planets that move around it. "The solar system consists of the Sun and eight planets."

species

(n) a group of animals or plants of the same kind. "There are many species of birds in this forest."

thunder

(n) the loud noise that you hear after lightning in a storm. "The children were frightened by the thunder."

wild

(adj) living or growing in natural conditions, not controlled by people. "Tigers are wild animals."

wildlife

(n) animals, birds, insects, etc. that live in natural conditions. "The park is home to a lot of wildlife."

blow up

(phr v) to explode, or to make something explode. "The bomb blew up in the city centre."

build up

(phr v) to increase in amount, size, or strength. "Tension is building up before the match."

clear up

(phr v) to make a place tidy by removing things from it or putting them where they should be. "Dad was clearing up in the kitchen."

go out

(phr v) if a light or fire goes out, it stops burning or shining. "The candles went out suddenly."

keep out

(phr v) to prevent someone from entering a place. "Danger! Keep out!"

put down

(phr v) to stop holding something and place it somewhere. "She put down her bag."

put out

(phr v) to stop something from burning. "They managed to put out the fire quickly."

put up

(phr v) put something on a wall (eg, a picture). "The teachers will put a notice up about the new courses.”

at most

(prep. phr) no more than. "The journey will take two hours at most."

at the top (of)

(prep. phr) in the highest part of something. "She stood at the top of the stairs."

at the bottom (of)

(prep. phr) in the lowest part of something. "He found his keys at the bottom of his bag."

in the beginning

(prep. phr) at the start of something. "In the beginning, I found the job difficult."

in the distance

(prep. phr) far away but able to be seen or heard. "We saw mountains in the distance."

in total

(prep. phr) when everything is added together. "There were 50 students in total."

on top (of)

(prep. phr) in the highest position. "She put the vase on top of the table."

centre

(n) the middle point or part of something. "The town centre is very busy."

central

(adj) in the middle of something. "The station is in a central location."

circle

(n) a flat, round shape. "The children sat in a circle."

circular

(adj) shaped like a circle. "The table had a circular design."

danger

(n) the possibility of harm or death. "He was in great danger."

dangerous

(adj) likely to cause harm. "It’s dangerous to drive fast on wet roads."

deep

(adj) having a large distance from the top to the bottom. "The water is very deep here."

deeply

(adv) extremely or strongly. "She was deeply moved by the story."

depth

(n) the distance from the top to the bottom of something. "The lake has a depth of 30 metres."

destroy

(v) to damage something so badly that it no longer exists. "The building was destroyed by fire."

destruction

(n) the act of destroying something. "The storm caused widespread destruction."

destructive

(adj) causing great damage. "The earthquake was very destructive."

fog

(n) thick cloud close to the ground that is difficult to see through. "We had to drive slowly because of the fog."

foggy

(adj) with a lot of fog. "It’s very foggy this morning."

garden

(n) a piece of land used for growing flowers, vegetables, etc. "She grows roses in her garden."

gardener

(n) someone who takes care of a garden. "The gardener planted new trees."

gardening

(n) the activity of working in a garden. "He enjoys gardening in his free time."

invade

(v) to enter a place with an army and take control of it. "The country was invaded by foreign troops."

invasion

(n) an attack by an armed force to enter and take control. "The invasion began at dawn."

invader

(n) a person or army that invades a country. "The invaders destroyed the city."

nature

(n) all the animals, plants, rocks, etc. in the world not made by people. "We should spend more time in nature."

natural

(adj) existing in nature, not made by people. "Natural disasters can be very dangerous."

naturally

(adv) in a way that is usual or expected; by nature. "She reacted naturally to the surprise."

pollute

(v) to make air, water, or land dirty and dangerous. "The river is polluted by chemicals."

pollution

(n) the process of making air, water, or land dirty and dangerous. "Air pollution is a serious problem."

polluted

(adj) dirty and dangerous because of harmful substances. "The city is polluted with smog."

afraid of

feeling fear about something. "She’s afraid of spiders."

aware of

knowing about something. "Are you aware of the risks?"

enthusiastic about

showing strong interest or enjoyment. "He’s enthusiastic about learning languages."

serious about

believing something is important and showing real effort. "She’s serious about her studies."

short of

not having enough of something. "We’re short of time."

escape from

to succeed in getting away from a place. "The prisoner escaped from jail."

prevent sb from

to stop someone from doing something. "The rain prevented us from going out."

save sth from

to stop something from being harmed. "He saved the child from drowning."

think about

to consider something. "I need time to think about your offer."

worry about

to feel anxious about something. "Don’t worry about the exam."

damage to

harm caused to something. "The storm caused damage to the houses."

an increase in

a rise in the amount or level of something. "There has been an increase in global temperatures."