topic-specific vocabulary

Geography
A. Put the words in each line in the box in order according to their size (the smallest first, the
largest last). In each list there is one word that does not belong with the others.

1. forest • tree • copse • beach • wood

2. road • peak • footpath • track • lane

3 mountain • hillock • shore • hill • mountain range

4. gorge • plain • waterfall • hollow • valley

5. gulf • ridge • inlet • bay • cove

6. cliff • brook • river • estuary • stream

7. city • continent • tributary • county • country

8. pond • puddle • ocean • sea • cape • lake

Can you think of any examples of the following in your country?

Forest

Mountain

Mountain range

Valley

Gorge

Plain

Gulf

River

Estuary

Sea

Lake

B. Put the words and expressions in the box into their correct category in the tables on the
next page. Some can be included in more than one category.

depopulation • mountainous • urban sprawl • fertile • ridge • cliff

densely populated • coast • under-developed • summit • industrialised
peninsula • shore • vegetation • glacier • beach • plateau
irrigation • conurbation • cape • source • coastline • tributary
waterfall • mouth • peak • overcrowding • highlands

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topic-specific vocabulary
Geography
Geographical features associated with Geographical features associated with
water and the sea land, hills and mountains

Words associated with agriculture and Words associated with towns and cities
rural land

C. Now look at this report of a journey and fill in the gaps with one of the words or
expressions from Tasks A and B. In some cases, more than one answer may be possible. You
may need to change some of the word forms.

We began our journey in the capital, Trinifuegos, a 1_________________________ conurbation of almost ten
million. It is not a pretty place; heavily 2_________________________ , with huge factories belching out
black fumes, and miles of 3_________________________ as housing estates and shopping centres spread out
from the 4_________________________ centre for miles. It was a relief to leave.

As soon as we got into the countryside, things improved considerably. The climate is dry and it is difficult
to grow anything, but thanks to 5_________________________ , which helps bring water in from the Rio
Cauto (the huge river with its 6_________________________ high up in the snow-covered
7_________________________ of the Sierra Maestra 8_________________________ ), the land is fertile
enough to grow the sugar cane on which much of the economy is based. We saw few people, however,
as many have moved to the towns and cities to look for more profitable work. It is largely due to this rural
9_________________________ that the sugar-cane industry is suffering.

Further south and we entered the Holguin 10_________________________ , with mountains rising high
above us on both sides. The land here drops sharply to the sea and the slow-moving waters of the Rio
Cauto give way to 11_________________________ which tumble over cliffs, and small, fast-moving
12_________________________ which are not even wide enough to take a boat. At this point, the road we
were travelling along became a 13_________________________ which was only just wide enough for our
vehicle, and then an unpaved 14_________________________ which almost shook the vehicle to pieces.

And then suddenly, the Pacific 15_________________________ was in front of us. Our destination was the
town of Santiago de Gibara, built on a 16_________________________ sticking out into the blue waters. The
countryside here undulates gently, with low 17_________________________ covered in rich tropical jungle.
The open 18_________________________ surrounding the 19_________________________ of the Rio Cauto as
it reaches the ocean is rich and 20_________________________ , ideal for growing the tobacco plants which
need a lot of warm, damp soil.

That night I lay in my cheap hotel, listening to the waves gently lapping the 21_______________________ ,
and when I eventually fell asleep, I dreamt of the people who had first inhabited this
22_________________________ almost two thousand years before.

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 topic-specific vocabulary
Business & industry
A. Look at sentences 1-16, and replace the words and expressions in bold with a word or
expression in the box which has an opposite meaning.

unskilled labourers • employees / workers / staff • credit • exports • loss

demand for • bust / recession • shop floor • state-owned industries
private • expenditure • lending • net • take on • retail • white-collar

1. We have a limited supply of computer base units. __________________________

2. Last year, our company made a huge profit. __________________________

3. Our gross profits are up by almost 150% on last year. __________________________

4. Banks across the country are reporting a sharp drop in borrowing. __________________________

5. The company will debit your bank account with £528 each month. __________________________

6. The wholesale market has experienced a downturn since

the recession began. __________________________

7. The government is encouraging short-term investors to put their

money into the public sector. __________________________

8. Private enterprises are under a lot of financial pressure. __________________________

9. Skilled workers are demanding a 15% pay rise. __________________________

10. If this continues, we will have to lay off members of staff. __________________________

11. Blue-collar workers across the country are demanding

improved working conditions. __________________________

12. He works for a company which imports camera equipment. __________________________

13. A lot of people have benefited from the recent boom in the
electrical industry. __________________________

14. The management refuse to compromise on the quality of

their products. __________________________

15. Overall revenue is down by almost 15%. __________________________

16. A fight broke out in the boardroom over terms and conditions of
employment. (Note: you will have to change the preposition in to on) __________________________

Don’t forget to keep a record of the words and expressions that you have learnt, review
your notes from time to time and try to use new vocabulary items whenever possible.

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topic-specific vocabulary
Business & industry
B. Match the words and expressions in the first box with a dictionary definition from the list
A - Q below.

1. automation 7. interest rates 13. output

2. unemployment 8. primary industries 14. income tax
3. inflation 9. secondary industries 15. VAT
4. balance of payments 10. service industries 16. deficit
5. taxation 11. nationalised industries 17. key industries
6. GNP 12. monopoly

A. The percentage charged for borrowing money. (The Bank of England has raised
__________________________ .)

B. Industries involved in the manufacture of goods. ( __________________________ rely on the ready

supply of raw materials.)

C. The value of goods and services paid for in a country, including income earned in other countries. (Last
year’s __________________________ was close to £25 billion.)

D. The amount which a firm, machine or person produces. (The factory has doubled its
__________________________ in the last six months.)

E. Industries involved in the production of raw materials. (Coal mining is an important

__________________________ .)

F Installing machinery in place of workers ( __________________________ can be a mixed blessing -

machines usually tend to be out of order when you need them most.)

G. Industries which do not make products but offer a service such as banking, insurance and transport.
( __________________________ have become more important in the last decade.)

H. The difference in value between a country’s imports and exports. (The government is trying to reduce
the __________________________ deficit.)

I. The amount by which expenditure is more than receipts in a firm’s or country’s accounts. (The
company announced a two million pound __________________________ .)

J. A system where one person or company supplies all of a product in one area without any competition.
(The state has a __________________________ of the tobacco trade.)

K. Industries which were once privately owned, but now belong to the state. (Workers in
__________________________ are to get a 3% pay rise.)

L. Lack of work. (The figures for __________________________ are rising.)

M. The action of imposing taxes. (Money raised by __________________________ pays for all government
services.)

N. The most important industries in a country. (Oil is a __________________________ which is essential to

the country’s economy.)

O. A state in an economy where prices and wages are rising to keep pace with each other. (The
government is trying to keep __________________________ down below 3%.)

P. A tax on money earned as wages or salary. (She pays __________________________ at the lowest rate.)

Q. A tax imposed as a percentage of the invoice value of goods or services. An indirect tax.
( __________________________ in Britain currently runs at 17.5%.)

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 topic-specific vocabulary
Business & industry
C. Now look at this extract from a business programme and fill in the gaps with one of the
words or expressions from Tasks A and B. In some cases, more than one answer may be
possible. You may need to change some of the word forms.

1____________________________________ rates are to rise by a further half a percent next month, putting
further pressure on homeowners paying mortgages. It will also discourage people from
2____________________________________ money from the high street banks, who are already under a lot
of pressure. Last year, the National Bank was forced to 3____________________________________ 2,000
members of staff across the country, adding to the country’s rapidly rising rate of
4____________________________________ .

5____________________________________ rose in the last year by almost 6%, despite the government’s
pledge to keep price and wage rises no higher than 3%. This has had a negative impact on
6____________________________________ , since the strong pound coupled with rising prices has made it
almost impossible for foreign companies to buy British goods and services. Especially affected are the
7____________________________________ producing pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

8____________________________________ workers in 9____________________________________ industries

across the country are demanding higher 10____________________________________ . Unions and workers
are negotiating with 11____________________________________ chiefs for an eight percent rise. This
follows the announcement that the government want more investors to put their money into the
12____________________________________ sector.

13____________________________________ for home computers has finally overtaken the

14____________________________________ , making it once again a seller’s market. There is now a two-
week waiting list to receive a new computer. This has pushed prices up by almost a third.

Bradford Aerospace Technologies, where overall 15____________________________________ for sales of

aircraft parts has dropped by almost 10% in the last quarter, will shortly become a
16____________________________________ industry in a final desperate attempt to keep it open. The
government has promised it will keep on the current workforce.

Bad news too for Ranger Cars, who this week announced a 17____________________________________ of
almost five million pounds. A spokesman for the company blamed high labour costs and the reluctance
by union leaders to approve increased 18____________________________________ at the firm’s factories.
They insist that the installation of new machinery will lead to redundancies.

Don’t forget to keep a record of the words and expressions that you have learnt, review
your notes from time to time and try to use new vocabulary items whenever possible.

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topic-specific vocabulary
Global problems
A. Complete sentences 1-15 with the correct word or expression from A, B or C. In each case
two of the options are incorrectly spelt.

1. Thousands of buildings were flattened in the San Francisco _______________________________ of 1906.

A. earthquack B. earthquake C. earthquaik
2. The _______________________________ damaged properties all along the coast.
A. hurricane B. hurriccane C. huriccane
3. A _______________________________ struck the southern coast with tremendous force.
A. tornadoe B. tornado C. tornaddo
4. The _______________________________ caused immense damage in the regions along the coast.
A. taifun B. typhone C. typhoon
5. The _______________________________ has been dormant for years, but last month it showed signs of
new life.
A. volcano B. vulcano C. volcanoe
6. Several _______________________________ were heard during the night as the army occupied the city.
A. explossions B. explosiones C. explosions
7. The American _______________________________ of 1861-1865 was fought between the south and the
north.
A. civil war B. sivil war C. civvil war
8. There has been a major _______________________________ on the motorway.
A. acident B. accident C. acciddent
9. _______________________________ rain has brought serious problems.
A. Torrential B. Torential C. Torrantial
10. The storm caused widespread _______________________________ along the coast.
A. devvastation B. devustation C. devastation
11. The _______________________________ were caused by heavy rain.
A. floodes B. floods C. flouds
12. Relief workers are bringing food to _______________________________-stricken areas.
A. draught B. drought C. drouhgt
13. _______________________________ is widespread in parts of Africa, with millions suffering from
malnutrition.
A. famine B. fammine C. faminne
14. The authorities are taking steps to prevent an _______________________________ of cholera.
A. epidemmic B. epidemic C. eppidemic
15. The _______________________________ was spread from rats to fleas and then on to humans.
A. plague B. plaque C. plaigue

B. Complete sentences 1-10 with an appropriate word or expression from the box. In some
cases, more than one answer is possible. There are five words which do not fit into any of the
sentences.

disaster • survivors • spouted • suffering • ran • erupted • broke out

shook • casualties • spread • refugees • relief • flamed • wobbled • swept

1. The disease _______________________________ rapidly, killing everybody in its path.

2. The fire _______________________________ through the slums, destroying everything.

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 topic-specific vocabulary
Global problems
3. When the volcano _______________________________ , people panicked and tried to escape.
4. The ground _______________________________ violently when the earthquake began.
5. Fierce fighting _______________________________ between government soldiers and rebel forces.
6. A funeral was held for the _______________________________ of the fire.
7. An aid convoy was sent to help _______________________________ of the hurricane.
8. _______________________________ from the conflict in Mantagua have been fleeing across the border.
9. The poor people in the city have experienced terrible _______________________________ as a result of
the disaster.
10. International aid agencies are trying to bring _______________________________ to the starving
population.

C. Now look at this report and fill in the gaps with one of the words or expressions from Tasks
A and B. In some cases, more than one answer may be possible. You may need to change some
of the word forms.

REPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CHARITIES SUPPORT FOUNDATION (ICSF)

The last year has been a particularly busy one for the ICSF. Outlined below are a few of the areas we have
been busy in.

1. Following 1_______________________________ rain in eastern Mozamlumbi in January, millions were

made homeless as 2_______________________________ waters rose. The water also became polluted
and there was a cholera 3_______________________________ as people continued to use it for drinking
and cooking. Furthermore, as the harvest had been destroyed and there was not enough food to go
round, 4_______________________________ became a problem. Charities around the world worked
particularly hard to bring 5_______________________________ to the area.
2. Mount Etsuvius, the 6_______________________________ which had been dormant since 1968,
7_______________________________ suddenly in April. Thousands had to be evacuated to camps thirty
miles from the disaster area. They still have not been rehoused.
3. The 8_______________________________ in the Caribbean in July, which saw wind speeds of up to 180
miles per hour, caused immense 9_______________________________ on many islands. Islands off the
Japanese coast also suffered their worst 10_______________________________ in almost thirty years,
with prolonged winds in excess of 150 miles per hour. There were many
11_______________________________ who had to be evacuated to hospitals which were not properly
equipped to deal with the disasters.
4. The 12_______________________________ in the northern part of Somopia continued into its second
year, with millions of acres of crops destroyed by lack of rain. Meanwhile, the
13_______________________________ between those loyal to the president and those supporting the
rebel leader continued into its fifth year. 14_______________________________ from the conflict have
been fleeing across the border, with stories of atrocities committed by both sides.
5. In October, a fire 15_______________________________ through Londum, the ancient capital of Perania.
The 16_______________________________ , which probably started in a bakery, destroyed thousands of
homes. There were several 17_______________________________ when the fire reached a fireworks
factory, and a number of people were killed.
6. An outbreak of bubonic 18_______________________________ was reported in the eastern provinces of
Indocuba in November. It is believed to have been caused by a sudden increase in the number of rats
breeding in the sewers.

A full report will be available in February, and will be presented to the appropriate departments of the
United Nations shortly afterwards.
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