​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

The vocabulary lists in the ​IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary course​ are the ​key words
and issues​ that you need to learn for IELTS.
They might look like​ just lists of words​, but they are ​not​. I’ve specifically chosen
these words after literally YEARS of research into the IELTS test.
You need to ​work on these words​ yourself and develop independent learner
skills so that you will ​remember them better​.
You need to find out or check:
● the meaning
● the form (verb, noun, adjective, adverb)
● the pronunciation
For example, let’s take the key word ​‘pollution’ ​from ​Week 1: The
Environment.
‘pollution’
You need to find and write down:
1) The meaning:​ ​the presence in the environment of a substance which has
harmful or poisonous effects.
2) A useful example:​ ​"There is ​too much pollution​ in towns and cities."
3) The form: ​uncountable noun
4) The pronunciation:​ /pəˈluːʃn̩/
5) Other forms:
a pollutant​ (countable noun) ​/pəˈluːtənt/
polluted ​(adjective) ​/pəˈluːtɪd/
to pollute​ (verb) ​/pəˈluːt/
6) Synonyms​ e.g contaminant, contamination, contaminated

Do this for most of the words in the list (write a translation too if you want!).
Please let me know if you have any questions at ANY point.

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

Day 1: Agriculture
intensive farming
organic food
pesticides/herbicides
monocrops
biodiversity
synthetic/chemical fertilisers
(fertile/fertility)
to cultivate/harvest/yield
GM food

Meanings and examples

Intensive Farming​: ​is the practice where a lot of labor and capital is employed to maximize agricultural produce or
yields, usually with heavy use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers relative to land area.
- Intensive farming​ techniques have decreased the quality and health benefits of meat.

Organic food: ​food that has been produced without the use of chemical/synthetic fertilizers, growth
substances, or pesticides
- There is no evidence that ​organic food​ has superior health benefits.

Pesticide: ​a substance that kills any pest, including insects and weeds.
- Widespread use of pesticides and herbicides has reduced biodiversity.

Herbicide:​ a type of pesticide that kills weeds

Monocrops/culture: ​planting the same crop in a field year after year with no crop rotation

Biodiversity​: ​the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat
- A variety of crops need to be cultivated in order to increase biodiversity.

Fertilizer:​ Farmers use fertilizers to the soil to help the growth of crops

Cultivate:​ raise or grow (plants), especially on a large scale for commercial purposes.
- "Farmers are encouraged to cultivate ​monocrops​"

Harvest:​ gather (a crop) as a harvest.

- "after harvesting, most of the crop is stored in large buildings"

Yield:​ produce or provide (a natural, agricultural, or industrial product).

"the land yields grapes and tobacco" an amount produced of an agricultural or industrial product.
"the milk yield was poor" = not much milk was produced

GM food: ​Food that has been ​genetically modified​ (had changes to its DNA) to resist or tolerate pesticides,
insects, or viruses, or to reduce waste or increase production.
- The impact of GM food needs to be thoroughly researched.

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

Day 2: Nature/The Environment

invasive species

threatened species

ecosystems

pest/predators/prey

immunity/resistance

flora and fauna

deforestation/soil erosion

Meanings

Invasive species​ – species that are not native (natural) to an area

Also known as ​alien​ species, ​introduced ​species, ​non-indigenous​ species, and ​non-native​ species e.g grey squirrels
(invasive) and red squirrels (native) in the UK.

Threatened – ​species that are likely to become endangered in the future if current trends continue.

- ‘Many species are threatened ​with​ (in danger of) extinction’

Ecosystem –​ ​a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

- the marine ecosystem of the northern Gulf has suffered irreparable damage"

Erosion - ​to wear away topsoil by water or wind.

- Erosion can be caused by intensive farming and overgrazing.

Pest –​ ​a destructive insect or other animal that attacks crops, food, livestock, etc.

- "the tomato plant attracts a pest called whitefly"

Predator – ​an animal that naturally preys on others.

- "wolves are major predators of small mammals"

Prey​ – an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food. (verb - to prey on)

- "small birds that prey on insect pests"

Immunity/resistance​ - ​the ability not to be affected by something, especially adversely.

- "some animals have developed resistance to pesticides"

Flora​ and ​fauna​ ​= ​plants and animals

The word "​flora​" is used to discuss plant life, while the word "​fauna​" refers to animal life

Deforestation​ - the action of clearing a wide area of trees.

- Forest fires are one of the most important sources of land degradation that lead to ​deforestation​ and soil
erosion

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

Day 3: Wildlife/animals

Wildlife/Animals

bred in captivity/
in the wild
carnivore/herbivore

evolution

endangered

extinct

marsupial

loss of habitat

Meanings

Captive breeding (animals which are bred in captivity) ​- keeping animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife
reserves and zoos often to help species that are threatened by human activities such as habitat loss or over-hunting or
fishing.

The opposite of 'in captivity' is '​in the wild​', in their natural environment.
- ‘It is much better for children to see animals in the wild than in captivity.’

Carnivore – ​meat eating mammals ​Herbivore – ​an animal that eats plants

Evolution - ​the process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed from earlier forms
during the history of the earth.

- ‘​Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection made us rethink our place in the world.’

Endangered – ​species in danger of extinction if the harmful factors affecting their populations continue to operate.

- ‘We need legislation to protect endangered species’

Extinct - ​(of a species, family, or other larger group) having no living members e.g. dinosaurs

- “Humans are responsible for many species becoming extinct”

Marsupial – ​a mammal group that includes ​kangaroos​ and ​wombats​. The females have pouches that contain mammary
glands and that shelter the young until fully developed.

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

Day 4: Pollution

fossil fuels

single-use plastic

non-biodegradable

renewable energy

global warming/climate change

ozone layer depletion

greenhouse gases/

emissions/exhaust fumes/

oil spills

detergents

acid rain

Meanings

pollution - ​the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects.
"the level of pollution in the air is rising"

fossil fuels - ​a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
"we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels”

Single-use plastics, ​or ​disposable​ plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled e.g. plastic bags,
straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging.
‘we must find an alternative to single-use plastics’

The term ​non-biodegradable​ describes substances that do not ​decay/rot/break down ​to a natural, environmentally
safe condition over time by biological processes.

Renewable energy​ - any naturally occurring, theoretically inexhaustible source of energy, such as solar, wind, tidal,
wave, and hydroelectric power, that is not derived from fossil or nuclear fuel.

Global warming:​ a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the
greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants.
- ‘We need to do more to prevent global warming’

Ozone depletion:​ gradual thinning of Earth’s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by the release of chemical
compounds from industry and other human activities.
"these chemicals contribute to ozone depletion"

Forest fires are one of the most important sources of land degradation that lead to ​deforestation​ and soil erosion

Oil spill:​ an escape of oil into the sea or other body of water. ​"this was the site of a disastrous offshore oil spill"

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

Day 5: Recycling

Recycling

waste disposal

landfill

reduce, reuse, recycle

groundwater

hazardous waste

incineration

to bury waste

illegal dumping/fly-tipping

Meanings

waste disposal​: removing and destroying or storing damaged, used or other unwanted domestic,
agricultural or industrial products and substances. Disposal includes burning (incineration), burial at landfill
sites or at sea, and recycling. ​"We need to ensure waste disposal does not harm the environment’’

landfill:​ a site where solid waste burial is controlled and managed.

- "tons of edible food end up in landfill”

reduce:​ to lessen in amount, number or other quantity.

reuse:​ to extend the life of an item by using it again, repairing it, modifying it or creating new uses for it.
recycle:​ collecting and reprocessing already manufactured materials for remanufacture either as the same
thing or as part of a different product. (e.g. taking a plastic bottle and turning it into a park bench or another
bottle)
- "The ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra is starting to have an effect’’

groundwater: ​water beneath the earth's surface that fills the spaces and flows between soil particles and
rock. Groundwater is what you find in​ wells​ and springs.

hazardous waste:​ poisonous waste that can cause problems for living organisms or the environment.

incineration:​ the destruction of something, especially waste material, by burning.

"waste disposal by incineration releases toxic fumes”

to bury waste:​ to put waste in beneath the earth's surface

‘Waste buried in landfill often contaminates groundwater.’

fly-tipping: ​ illegally leaving things that you do not want next to a road, in fields, in rivers etc.

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

Day 6: Water

Water

marine pollution

water contamination

over-fishing

irrigation

reservoir

glacier

drought

flood

Meanings

marine pollution ​- the entry into the ocean of chemicals, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise,
or the spread of invasive organisms.

water contamination - ​when​ ​water quality is reduced so that it becomes unusable or creates a hazard.​ ​"the
risk of contamination by sewage, chemicals or oil spills"

to overfish: ​to ​deplete the stock of fish in (a body of water) by excessive fishing.
"this part of the Mediterranean is terribly overfished"

irrigation​ - ​the supply of water to land or crops to help growth

"the river supplies water for irrigation of agricultural crops"

reservoir​ -​a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
"the more water we use, the more land has to be flooded for reservoirs"

glacier​ - A huge mass of ice, that is constantly moving very slowly to its own weight.

drought​ - ​a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.

"global warming could be the cause of Europe's recent droughts"

flood -​ When normally dry land areas are covered in water resulting from the overflowing of the natural or
artificial confines of a river or other body of water.
"the villages have been cut off by floods and landslides"

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

Day 7: Tourism

Tourism

culture shock

eco-tourism

sustainability

carbon footprint

indigenous people

globalisation

responsible tourism

Meanings

culture shock:​ the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to
an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes.
"Many students experience culture shock when they study abroad”

eco-tourism/responsible tourism
tourism directed towards exotic, often threatened, natural environments, intended to support
conservation efforts and observe wildlife
‘Responsible tourism requires that operators, governments, local people and tourists take responsibility, take
action to make tourism more sustainable.’

sustainability:
the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level/ the avoidance of the depletion of natural
resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.
"Many international treaties have the goal of global environmental sustainability"

carbon footprint
the amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such as a
person’s activities or a product’s manufacture and transport)
​‘​You can reduce your carbon footprint by flying less and using public transport’

indigenous​ ​people(s)​, also known as aboriginal ​people(s) or native people(s), ​are ethnic groups who
are the original inhabitants of a given region, in contrast to groups that have settled, occupied or
colonized the area more recently. e.g. Maori (New Zealand) Aboriginal (Australia) Inuit (US).

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

BONUS: Words that are also relevant and useful for this topic

ENERGY

ENERGY

(un)sustainable (non)renewable alternative

solar power solar panels

wind power wind turbines

hydropower station a nuclear power station To generate electricity

rechargeable batteries bio fuels hydrogen fuel cells

fossil fuels coal, gas, oil unleaded petrol

hybrid cars

To consume energy energy consumption

eco-friendly environmentally-friendly green

Global Warming

GLOBAL WARMING

The greenhouse effect greenhouse gases CO2 (carbon dioxide)

The ozone layer ozone depletion

extreme weather patterns climate change flooding, droughts

coastal/soil erosion To erode deforestation

polar ice caps melting The rising of sea levels polar bears at risk

loss of habitat loss of biodiversity loss of ecosystems

endangered species species in danger of extinction threatened species

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.

 ​ IELTS 28-Day Vocabulary Challenge Booster

Damage

DAMAGE

inevitable irreversible devastating

unprecedented life-threatening

over-population urban spread/sprawl

Solutions

SOLUTIONS

insoluble unattainable inevitable

problematic pointless/futile doubtful

doable possible manageable

Copyright Fiona Wattam @ ​www.IELTSetc.com​. All rights reserved. 2019.