VOCABULARY FOR READING

(CAM 7-CAM 10)

CAM 7
TEST 1

Passage 1: Let’s go Bats

Favour favour something to provide suitable conditions for a particular person,

group, etc.

 The warm climate favours many types of tropical plants.

Ancestry (n) /ˈænsestri/: the family or the group of people that you come from

Ancestor (n): a person in your family who lived a long time ago

SYNONYM forebear

Substantial (a): large in amount, value or importance

SYNONYM considerable

Obstruct (v): obstruct something to block a road, an entrance, a passage, etc. so

that somebody/something cannot get through, see past, etc.

obstruct somebody/something to prevent somebody/something from doing

something or making progress, especially when this is done deliberately

Facial vision: An awareness of obstacles without vision

Adapt (v): to change something in order to make it suitable for a new use or
situation

SYNONYM modify
  adapt something for something The gym has been adapted for use by
visually impaired students.

Comparable (a): similar to somebody/something else and able to be compared

Strike someone’s dumb with admiration

Coin (v): coin something to invent a new word or phrase that other people then
begin to use

Passage 2: Making every drop count

Manipulate (v): to control, use or change something with skill

Aqueduct (n) /ˈækwɪdʌkt/: a structure for carrying water, usually one built like a

bridge across a valley or low ground

Sewer (n) /ˈsuːə(r)/: an underground pipe that is used to carry sewage away from
houses, factories, etc.

Monumental (a): very important and having a great influence, especially as the
result of years of work / very large, good, bad, stupid, etc. / appearing in or serving
as a monument

Irrigation (n): the practice of supplying water to an area of land through pipes or
channels so that crops will grow

At the outset of

Diminish (v): to become smaller, weaker, etc.; to make something become

smaller, weaker, etc./ to make somebody/something seem less important than they
really are

SYNONYM decrease

Quadruple (v): to become four times bigger; to make something four times
bigger

Passage 3: Educating psyche

Psyche (n): the mind; your deepest feelings and attitudes

Mannerism (n): a particular habit or way of speaking or behaving that somebody
has but is not aware of

Hypnosis (n): an unconscious state in which somebody can still see and hear and
can be influenced to follow commands or answer questions

 under hypnosis She only remembered details of the accident under

hypnosis.

dispense with somebody/something to stop using somebody/something because

you no longer need them or it

SYNONYM do away with

Accredited (a) /əˈkredɪtɪd/: (of a person) officially recognized as something; with

official permission to be something/officially approved as being of an accepted
quality or standard

Notoriety (n) /ˌnəʊtəˈraɪəti/: the state of being famous for being bad in some way

Emulate (v) /ˈemjuleɪt/: to try to do something as well as somebody else because

you admire them

Spectacular (a): very impressive

SYNONYM breathtaking

Passage 3: Why pagodas don’t fall down

Unscathed (a) /ʌnˈskeɪðd/: not hurt

SYNONYM unharmed

Batter (v): to hit somebody/something hard many times, especially in a way that
causes serious damage

Flex (v): flex (something) to bend, move or stretch an arm or a leg, or pull a
muscle tight, especially in order to prepare for a physical activity

 He stood on the side of the pool flexing his muscles.

Craftsman (n): a person with a special skill, especially one who makes beautiful
things by hand

Consecutive (a): following one after another in a continuous series

TEST 2

Passage 2: The true Cost of food

collateral damage /kəˌlætərəl ˈdæmɪdʒ/: deaths of or injury to civilians (= people

not in the armed forces) or damage to buildings that are not connected to the
military during a war. People say ‘collateral damage’ to avoid saying ‘innocent
people being killed’

enervation (n) /ˌenəˈveɪʃn/: the feeling of being weak and tired

onward (a): continuing or moving forward

march (n): the march of something the steady development or forward

movement of something

staggering (a): so great, shocking or surprising that it is difficult to believe

SYNONYM astounding

Arable (a): connected with growing crops such as wheat

arable land/fields (= used or suitable for growing crops)

conservative (a): (of an estimate) lower than what is probably the real amount or
number

break away (from somebody/something)

to escape suddenly from somebody who is holding you or keeping you prisoner

o The prisoner broke away from his guards.

to leave a political party, state, etc., especially to form a new one

  The people of the province wished to break away and form a new state.

to move away from a crowd or group, especially in a race

 She broke away from the pack and opened up a two-second lead.

viable (a) that can be done; that will be successful / (biology) capable of

developing and surviving independently

SYNONYM feasible

Passage 3: Makete Integrated Rural Transport Project

Arduous (a) /ˈɑːdʒuəs/: involving a lot of effort and energy, especially over a
period of time

Institutionalization (n): the act of making something become established as part

of the normal systems, practices, etc. of an organization, society or culture

Scrutiny (n) /ˈskruːtəni/: careful and complete examination

SYNONYM inspection

TEST 3

Passage 1: Ant Intelligence

come in for something: to receive something, especially something unpleasant

 The government's economic policies have come in for a lot of criticism.

Repel (v): repel somebody/something (formal) to successfully fight somebody

who is attacking you, your country, etc. and drive them away

 to repel an attack/invasion/invader
Chant (n): words or phrases that a group of people shout or sing again and again /
a religious song or prayer or a way of singing, using only a few notes that are
repeated many times

Jingle (n): a short song or tune that is easy to remember and is used in advertising

Martial (a): connected with fighting or war

Ceaselessly (adv): without ever stopping

 He worked ceaselessly for charity.

Secrete (v) /sɪˈkriːt/: secrete something (of part of the body or a plant) to produce
a liquid substance

 Insulin is secreted by the pancreas.

 More saliva is secreted while chewing.

Propagate (v) /ˈprɒpəɡeɪt/: to produce new plants from a parent plant

Outstrip (v): outstrip something to become larger, more important, etc. than
somebody/something

 Demand is outstripping supply.

outstrip something to be faster, better or more successful than somebody you are
competing against

SYNONYM surpass

Forage (v): forage (for something) (of a person or an animal) to search widely for
food

 The female only leaves the young when she forages for food.

Hail (v): to describe somebody/something as being very good or special,

especially in newspapers, etc

Albeit /ˌɔːlˈbiːɪt/: although

 He finally agreed, albeit reluctantly, to help us.

Elaborate (a): very complicated and detailed; carefully prepared and organized

 elaborate designs

Passage 2: Population movements and genetics

Sound (a): sensible; that you can rely on and that will probably give good results /
good, detailed and complete / in good condition; not damaged, hurt, etc./ deep and
peaceful / good and accurate, but not excellent / severe.

Fluid (n): a liquid; a substance that can flow

Variant (n): variant (of/on something) a thing that is a slightly different form or
type of something else

 This game is a variant of baseball.

Interbreed (v): interbreed (something) (with something) if animals from

different species interbreed, or somebody interbreeds them, they produce young
together.

Credence (n) /ˈkriːdns/: a quality that an idea or a story has that makes you believe
it is true

 Historical evidence lends credence to his theory.

Belief in something as true

 Alternative medicine has been gaining credence (= becoming more widely

accepted) recently.

Passage 3

Heritage (n) /ˈherɪtɪdʒ/: the history, traditions, buildings and objects that a country
or society has had for many years and that are considered an important part of its
character

Woodland (n): an area of land that is covered with trees

Confine (v): to keep somebody/something inside the limits of a particular activity,
subject, area, etc.

SYNONYM restrict

 be confined to (doing) something The work will not be confined to the

Glasgow area.

Condemn (v): to force somebody to accept a difficult or unpleasant

situationSYNONYM doom

 be condemned to something He was condemned to a life of hardship.

Surveillance (n) /sɜːˈveɪləns/: the act of carefully watching a person suspected of a

crime or a place where a crime may be committed

SYNONYM observation

 The police are keeping the suspects under constant surveillance.

 surveillance cameras/equipment

Cumulative (a) /ˈkjuːmjələtɪv/: having a result that increases in strength or

importance each time more of something is added

 the cumulative effect of human activity on the world environment

Accentuate (v) /əkˈsentʃueɪt/: accentuate something to emphasize something or

make it easier to notice

 Her short hair accentuated her huge eyes.

TEST 4

Passage 1: Pulling strings to build pyramids

Peruse (v) /pəˈruːz/: to read something, especially in a careful way

Drag (v): to pull somebody/something along with effort and difficulty

Harness something to control and use the force or strength of something to

produce power or to achieve something
  attempts to harness the sun’s rays as a source of energy
 We must harness the skill and creativity of our workforce.

Passage 2: Endless Harvest

Crash (n): a sudden serious fall in the price or value of something; the occasion
when a business, etc. Fails

SYNONYM collapse

 Some economists have been predicting another crash for years.

Subsistence (n): the state of having just enough money or food to stay alive

 Many families are living below the level of subsistence.

Passage 3: Effects of noise

Transient (a): continuing for only a short time

SYNONYM fleeting, temporary

 the transient nature of speech

CAM 8
TEST 1

Passage 1: A Chronicle of Timekeeping

Chronicle (n): a written record of events in the order in which they happened

 Her latest novel is a chronicle of life in a Devon village.

Advent (n): the advent of something/somebody the coming of an important

event, person, invention, etc.

wax and wane

to increase then decrease in strength, importance, etc. over a period of time

Ex: Public interest in the issue has waxed and waned over the years.
Conspicuous (a) /kənˈspɪkjuəs/: easy to see or notice; likely to attract attention

Regulate (v): to control something by means of rules / to control the speed,

pressure, temperature, etc. in a machine or system

Passage 2: Air traffic control in the USA

Oversee (v): oversee somebody/something to watch somebody/something and

make sure that a job or an activity is done correctly

SYNONYM supervise

Rudimentary (a) /ˌruːdɪˈmentri/: dealing with only the most basic matters or
ideas

SYNONYM basic

 They were given only rudimentary training in the job.

 His understanding of the language is very rudimentary.

Vicinity (n) /vəˈsɪnəti/: the area around a particular place

 in the vicinity (of something) Crowds gathered in the vicinity of Trafalgar

Square.

Metropolitan (a): connected with a large or capital city

 the New York metropolitan area

Blanket (n): to cover something completely with a thick layer

 The ground was soon blanketed with snow.

Rigorous (a): done carefully and with a lot of attention to detail

SYNONYM thorough

 a rigorous analysis
Demanding that particular rules, processes, etc. are strictly followed

SYNONYM strict

Passage 3: Telepathy

Telepathy (n) /təˈlepəθi/: the direct communication of thoughts or feelings from

one person to another without using speech, writing, or any other normal method.

Compelling (a): that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and
exciting / so strong that you cannot resist it / that makes you think it is true

Concur (v): to agree

Rule somebody/something out (as something) to state that something is not

possible or that somebody/something is not suitableSYNONYM exclude

 Police have not ruled out the possibility that the man was murdered.

to prevent somebody from doing something; to prevent something from happening

 His age effectively ruled him out as a possible candidate.

TEST 2

Passage 1: Sheet glass manufacture: the float process

Molten (a): (of metal, rock or glass) heated to a very high temperature so that it
becomes liquid

 molten lead
 a stream of molten lava

Unblemished (a): not spoiled, damaged or marked in any way

 He had an unblemished reputation.

Passage 2: The little ice age

embark on/upon something;

1. (formal) to start to do something new or difficult

 o She is about to embark on a diplomatic career.
o Remember these basic rules before embarking upon major home
improvements.

at the mercy of somebody/something

1. not able to stop somebody/something harming you because they have power
or control over you
o I'm not going to put myself at the mercy of the bank.
o We were at the mercy of the weather.

See-saw (n): a situation in which things keep changing from one state to another
and back again

Amplify (v): amplify something to increase something in strength, especially

sound

 to amplify a guitar/an electric current/a signal

to add details to a story, statement, etc.

 amplify something You may need to amplify this point.

Proliferate (v): to increase rapidly in number or amount

SYNONYM multiply

 Books and articles on the subject have proliferated over the last year.

Passage 3: The meaning and power of smell

Feeble (a): very weak/ not effective; not showing energy or effort

Elusive (a): difficult to find, define or achieve

 Eric, as elusive as ever, was nowhere to be found.

 the elusive concept of ‘literature’
 A solution to the problem of toxic waste is proving elusive.
 TEST 3

Passage 1: Striking back at Lightning with Lasers

Inflict (v): to make somebody/something suffer something unpleasant

 inflict something on/upon somebody/something They inflicted a

humiliating defeat on the home team.

Hail (n): small balls of ice that fall like rain

Conductor (n): a substance that allows electricity or heat to pass along it or

through it

 Wood is a poor conductor.

Passage 2: The Nature of Genius

Begetter (n): a person who creates something

Ambivalent (a): ambivalent (about/towards somebody/something) having or

showing both positive and negative feelings about somebody/something

Prodigy (n): a young person whose intelligence or skill is unusually good for their
age

 a child/an infant prodigy

Mist : The origins of the story are lost in the mists of time (= forgotten because it
happened such a long time ago).

Vantage point

a position from which you watch something

 The cafe was a good vantage point for watching the world go by.

a point in time or a situation from which you consider something, especially the
past
  From the vantage point of the present, the war seems to have achieved
nothing.

Mundane (a) /mʌnˈdeɪn/:not interesting or exciting

SYNONYM dull, ordinary

 a mundane task/job

mediocre (a) /ˌmiːdiˈəʊkə(r)/: not very good; of only average standard

 a mediocre musician/talent/performance

Manifestation (n): an event, action or thing that is a sign that something exists or
is happening; the act of appearing as a sign that something exists or is happening

 The riots are a clear manifestation of the people's discontent.

Hard-won (a): that you only get after fighting or working hard for it

 She was not going to give up her hard-won freedom so easily.

Outrageous (a) /aʊtˈreɪdʒəs/: offensive and unacceptable

SYNONYM scandalous

very unusual and intended to shock people slightly

 She says the most outrageous things sometimes.

Supremacy (n) /suˈpreməsi/: a position in which you have more power, authority
or status than anyone else

 the battle for supremacy in the region

unpalatable (a): unpleasant and not easy to accept

SYNONYM distasteful

not pleasant to taste

  unpalatable food

integrity (n) /ɪnˈteɡrəti/: the quality of being honest and having strong moral
principles

Passage 3: How does the biological clock tick?

Inexorable (a) /ɪnˈeksərəbl/: (of a process) that cannot be stopped or

changedSYNONYM relentless

 the inexorable rise of crime

Equilibrium (n) /ˌiːkwɪˈlɪbriəm/: a state of balance, especially between different

forces or influences

 Any disturbance to the body's state of equilibrium can produce stress.

a calm state of mind and a balance of emotions

 He sat down to try and recover his equilibrium.

Invert (v)/ɪnˈvɜːt/: invert something (formal) to change the normal position of

something, especially by turning it into a position in which the top of it is where
the bottom of it normally is or by arranging it in the opposite order

 Place a plate over the cake tin and invert it.

 The shape looked like an inverted V.

Frugally (adv) /ˈfruːɡəli/: in a way that uses only as much money or food as is
necessary

 to live/eat frugally

OPPOSITE extravagantly

Hibernation (n): a state like deep sleep in which some animals spend the winter

 to go into/come out of hibernation

Lethargy (n) /ˈleθədʒi/: the state of not having any energy or enthusiasm for doing
things

SYNONYM listlessness, inertia

 The report criticizes the lethargy shown by employers when it comes to job
creation.

TEST 4

Passage 1: Land of the rising sum

elaborate (v): to explain or describe something in a more detailed way

 elaborate (on/upon something) He said he was resigning but did not

elaborate on his reasons.

Homogeneity (n) /ˌhəʊməʊdʒəˈniːəti/: the quality in a group of people or things of

being all the same or all of the same type

Passage 2: Biological control of pests

Engender (v): engender something to make a feeling or situation exist

 The issue engendered controversy.

Potent (a): having a strong effect on your body or mind / powerful

 a potent drug
 That chilli sauce is pretty potent stuff.

escalate (v): to become greater, worse, more serious, etc.; to make something
greater, worse, more serious, etc.

 the escalating costs of healthcare

indiscriminate (a): an indiscriminate action is done without thought about what

the result may be, especially when it causes people to be harmed

nuisance (n): a thing, person or situation that is annoying or causes trouble or

problems
  I don't want to be a nuisance so tell me if you want to be alone.

behaviour by somebody that annoys other people and that a court can order the
person to stop

 He was charged with causing a public nuisance.

Infest (v): (especially of insects or animals such as rats) to exist in large numbers
in a particular place, often causing damage or disease

 be infested (with something) The kitchen was infested with ants.

 shark-infested waters

Parasite (n): a small animal or plant that lives on or inside another animal or plant
and gets its food from it

Passage 3: Collecting Ant Speciments

Taxonomy (n): the scientific process of classifying things (= arranging them into
groups)

 plant taxonomy

CAM 9
TEST 1

Passage 1: William Henry Perkin

Synthetic (a): artificial; made by combining chemical substances rather than

being produced naturally by plants or animals

SYNONYM man-made

Prompt (v): to make somebody decide to do something; to cause something to

happen

SYNONYM provoke

to encourage somebody to speak by asking them questions or suggesting words

that they could say
Patent (n): an official right to be the only person to make, use or sell a product or
an invention; a document that proves this

Utilize (v) utilize something (as something) to use something, especially for a
practical purpose

SYNONYM make use of

Passage 2: is there anybody out there

Haunt (v): haunt somebody if something unpleasant haunts you, it keeps coming
to your mind so that you cannot forget it

 The memory of that day still haunts me.

Intermittently (adv): in a way that stops and starts often over a period of time; not
regularlySYNONYM sporadically

 Protests continued intermittently throughout November.

Tenuous (a): so weak or uncertain that it hardly exists

 a tenuous hold on life

mere (a): used when you want to emphasize how small, unimportant, etc.
somebody/something is

 It took her a mere 20 minutes to win.

 A mere 2 per cent of their budget has been spent on publicity.

used when you are saying that the fact that a particular thing is present in a
situation is enough to have an influence on that situation

 His mere presence (= just the fact that he was there) made her feel afraid.

Inconceivable (a): impossible to imagine or believe

SYNONYM unthinkable

 It is inconceivable that the minister was not aware of the problem.

Attenuate (v): to make something weaker or less effective

 The drug attenuates the effects of the virus.

Traverse (v): traverse something to cross an area of land or water

 skiers traversing the slopes

 The region is traversed by several roads.

Passage 3: The history of the tortoise

revert to phrasal verb

revert to somebody/something

(law) (of property, rights, etc.) to return to the original owner again

revert to something (formal)

to return to a former state; to start doing something again that you used to do in the
past

 Try not to revert to your old eating habits.

to return to an earlier topic or subject

 So, to revert to your earlier question…

Overlap (n): overlap (between something and something) a shared area of

interest, knowledge, responsibility, etc.

 There is (a) considerable overlap between the two subjects.

the amount by which one thinga period of time in which two events or activities
happen together

 There will be an overlap of a week while John teaches Ann the job.

covers another thing

 an overlap of 5 cm on each roof tile

 TEST 2

Passage 1

Preliminary (a) /prɪˈlɪmɪnəri/: happening before a more important action or event

SYNONYM initial

 After a few preliminary remarks he announced the winners.

Ventilation (n): the fact of allowing fresh air to enter and move around a room,
building, etc.

Amount to

phrasal verb
amount to something

to add up to something; to make something as a total

o His earnings are said to amount to £300 000 per annum.

Exacerbate (v): exacerbate something to make something worse, especially a

disease or problem

SYNONYM aggravate

 His aggressive reaction only exacerbated the situation.

Reverberation (n): a loud noise that continues for some time after it has been
produced because of the surfaces around it

SYNONYM echo

 The reverberations of the drum were still vibrating in the air.

Stimulus plural stimuli /ˈstɪmjələs/(n): something that helps somebody/something

to develop better or more quickly
  stimulus for something Books provide children with ideas and a stimulus
for play.

something that produces a reaction in a human, an animal or a plant

 sensory/verbal/visual stimuli
 The animals were conditioned to respond to auditory stimuli (= sounds).

Distressing (a): making you feel extremely upset, especially because somebody is
suffering

 What could be more distressing than the death of their only child?

Imperative (a): very important and needing immediate attention or action

SYNONYM vital

 imperative (that…) It is absolutely imperative that we finish by next week.

Promulgate (v) /ˈprɒmlɡeɪt/: to spread an idea, a belief, etc. among many people/

to announce a new law or system officially or publicly

Passage 2: Venus in transit

Treat to

phrasal verb
treat somebody to something

1. [often passive] to entertain somebody with something special

o The crowd were treated to a superb display of tennis.

Alleged (a) /əˈledʒd/: stated as a fact but without any proof

 the alleged attacker/victim/killer (= that somebody says is one)

 the alleged attack/offence/incident (= that somebody says has happened)

outperform (v): outperform somebody/something to achieve better results than

somebody/something
  The company has consistently outperformed its larger rivals.

CAM 10
TEST 1

Passage 1: Stepwells

Utilitarian (a) /ˌjuːtɪlɪˈteəriən/: designed to be useful and practical

rather than attractive

 Her clothes were utilitarian, unlike the elaborate dresses the other girls
were wearing.

Heyday (n): the time when somebody/something had most power or success, or
was most popular

SYNONYM prime

Recede (v): to move gradually away from somebody or away from a previous
position

 The sound of the truck receded into the distance.

Crater (n): a large hole in the top of a volcano / a large hole in the ground caused
by the explosion of a bomb or by something large hitting it

Elaborate (a): very complicated and detailed; carefully prepared and organized

Derelict (a) /ˈderəlɪkt/: not used or cared for and in bad condition

Passge 2: European transport systems 1990-2010

Spectacular (a): very impressive

SYNONYM breathtaking

Vigorous (a): very active, determined or full of energy / strong or healthy

SYNONYM energetic

Passage 3: The psychology of innovation

State of the art (a): using the most modern or advanced techniques or methods; as
good as it can be at the present time

Inhibit (v): to prevent something from happening or make it happen more slowly
or less frequently than normal

TEST 2
Passage 1: Tea and the Industrial Revolution

Static (a): not moving, changing or developing

Mortality (n): the number of deaths in a particular situation or period of time

Passage 3: Museums of fine art and their public

Apprentice (n) /əˈprentɪs/: a young person who works for an employer for a fixed
period of time in order to learn the particular skills needed in their job

Implicit (a): suggested without being directly expressed

be/stand in awe of somebody/something : to admire somebody/something and be

slightly frightened of them/it

TEST 3
 Passage 1: The Context, Meaning and Scope of Tourism

Scope (n): the opportunity or ability to do or achieve something

SYNONYM potential

Distinct (a):

- easily or clearly heard, seen, felt, etc.

Ex: His voice was quiet but every word was distinct.

- clearly different or of a different kind

Ex: The results of the survey fell into two distinct groups.

- used to emphasize that you think an idea or situation definitely exists and is
important

 Ex: I had the distinct impression I was being watched.

# Distinctive (a): having a quality or characteristic that makes something different

and easily noticed

Passage 2: Autumn leaves

Dismantle (v): to take apart a machine or structure so that it is in separate pieces /

to end an organization or a system gradually in an organized way.

Deplete (v): to reduce something by a large amount so that there is not enough
left; to be reduced by a large amount

Acute (a): very serious or severe / very sensitive and well developed / intelligent
and quick to notice and understand things

Passage 3: Beyound the blue horizon

Seafaring (a): connected with work or travel on the sea

Cemetery (n): an area of land used for burying dead people, especially one that is
not next to a church

Descendant (n): a person’s descendants are their children, their children’s

children, and all the people who live after them who are related to them /
something that has developed from something similar in the past

TEST 4
Passage 1: The megafires of California

Erratically (a): not in a regular way; in a way that does not follow any plan or
regular pattern and that you cannot rely on

Halt (v): to stop; to make somebody/something stop

Traverse (v) /trəˈvɜːs/: to cross an area of land or water

Passage 3: When evolution runs backwards

As good as : very nearly

 The matter is as good as settled.

 He as good as called me a coward (= suggested that I was a coward without
actually using the word ‘coward’).
 She’s as good as won.

Atavistic (a) /ˌætəˈvɪstɪk/ : related to the feelings, attitudes and behaviour of

humans in ancient times that have been passed on to modern humans as a habit
or instinct