IELTS: d-i
Noun
computer systems able to do what normally requires human knowledge and skills
Deeply ensconced in a top-secret military program, three pilots struggle to bring an artificial intelligence program under control... before it initiates the next world war.
an extra charge added to the price of the ticket by the company selling the ticket
booking fee
I don't like having to pay a booking fee to get my tickets, but it's better than having to wait in line at the ticket booth!
I don't like having to pay a booking fee to get my tickets, but it's better than having to wait in line at the ticket booth!
Noun
facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
Each face seen by the gate-mounted cameras was compared to data in local and federal law-enforcement computer systems.
Noun
argument about a particular subject, esp. one in which many people are involved
As an ex-smoker myself, I can understand the pleasure of smoking cigarettes. There is no debate however, that smoking is not good for your health. Here are some really creative anti-smoking ads that make us think twice.…
Noun
period of ten years
NYC lost one its quintessential characters -- the enigmatic Joe Ades died at 75. He spent decades selling $5 vegetable peelers at Union Square and other locations around town.
Verb
arrive at a fact or a conclusion by reasoning
After the party is attacked by a pack of quadrupedal alien beasts, Royce deduces that the planet is some type of game preserve and that the humans are being hunted as game.
Noun
thing made for a particular purpose, esp. a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment
Yasir Afifi found a black rectangular device attached to his car. After posting photos of it online, the FBI came to his house demanding it back.
Verb
make or become less
In the early 1980s Cubatao was one of the most polluted cities in the world. Since then hard providences have been taken to diminish pollution.
Noun
honor or award given to someone for excellence
If the NBA were to retire #23 leaguewide, the newly inducted Hall of Famer says there are several more players just as worthy of the distinction.
Noun
act of delivering something to a store or business
Five years ago, Chinese filmmakers had to go to Hong Kong producers tofinance their films, since those people controlled the distribution pipeline outside China.
Adjective
considered in relation to trade, industry, and the creation of wealth
Financial corporations can earn money without creating real economic value. This problem is much larger than perfidy of any one bank.
Verb
to appear out of or from behind something
Here is a flashmob video with a little more class than we're used to: a full orchestra emerges from alleyways and storefronts to play the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in the town square of Sabadell, Spain.
Noun
unexpected or casual meeting with someone
Close encounters are likely to cause impaired judgment and embarrassing displays of rapture. To be sure, behind the gold teeth and devil-may-care insouciance, there is a heart-melting softie.
Verb
come upon, as if by accident
In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with leading lady Ann Darrow.
Noun
the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives
environment
Organic farming without harmful chemicals is becoming more popular since it's better for the environment.
Organic farming without harmful chemicals is becoming more popular since it's better for the environment.
Noun
extensive area of land, usually with a large house, owned by one person or organization
On the French Riviera and built in 1902 by King Leopold II of Belgium, this 80,000 sq/ft estate boasts 19 bedrooms, sports courts, a bowling alley, multiple kitchens and dining rooms and movie theatre, all in the main villa.
Noun
a person that sells, rents and manages land and property for clients
estate agent
I'm thinking of moving but I need to sell my house, do you know a good estate agent?
I'm thinking of moving but I need to sell my house, do you know a good estate agent?
Noun
be greater than something in quantity, degree, or scope
Subway expects its number of international restaurants to exceed its domestic ones by 2020.
Adjective
portraying nudity or sexual activity in an open and direct way
Revealed to have sent explicit pictures of himself naked in the bath to topless model Sonia Wild, Cole said: "I gave a phone away that still had stuff in its memory. I thought I had deleted it."
Verb
to make use of for one's own advantage
exploiting
"Lincoln," Steven Spielberg's biographical drama, portrays the 16th president of the United States as a leader who was not above twisting arms and exploiting the system to get the right thing done.
"Lincoln," Steven Spielberg's biographical drama, portrays the 16th president of the United States as a leader who was not above twisting arms and exploiting the system to get the right thing done.
Verb
send goods or services to another country for sale
A German man was arrested for exporting live tarantulas into the US, which he smuggled in via the post, in parcels declared as gifts.
Noun
condensed solution taken from a plant or drug
Growers from the Netherlands have discovered how to create rainbow petals. A special extract injected in the stem creates flowers with unusually bright and vibrant colors.
Noun
of or relating to the central government of a country or group of states
Reebok came to an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission over the hyped-up claims that its EasyTone shoes could tone leg and butt muscles better than regular shoes.
Noun
of or relating to the central government of a country or group of states
Google’s plan to digitize every book ever published and make them widely available was derailed when a federal judge rejected a sweeping $125 million legal settlement.
Noun
of or relating to the central government of a country or group of states
Each face seen by the gate-mounted cameras was compared to the data in local and federal law-enforcement computer systems.
Noun
authority is divided between one central and many regional governments
The Defense of Marriage Act reflects the American federal system. If same-sex marriage is such a good idea, why not prove this by allowing it in a limited number of jurisdictions—and then see what happens?
Noun
system of government in which states form a unity but stay independent in internal affairs
In a federal system, the central and the constituent governments both act directly on the people through laws and through the actions of elected and appointed governmental officials.
Verb
record in a public office or in a court of law
The Borders bookstore chain has filed for bankruptcy, a sign of society's shift to browse-and-choose consumption, preferring snippets and excerpts over whole stories.
Adjective
relating to the management of large amounts of money esp. by government or large companies
Financial corporations can earn money without creating real economic value. This problem is much larger than perfidy of any one bank.
Adjective
relating to or involving banking or money
A handful of entrepreneurs have raised millions of dollars by pitching the concept of products they have yet to make. But financial backers have no clear way of getting a refund if young businesses fail to deliver.
Verb
bring something into existence or effect
In a promotion for Lynx body spray, commuters at London's Victoria Station looked up to see an angel, generated by augmented reality, fall to the earth.
Noun
group of individuals of similar age with similar ideas and attitudes
Companies are using robot wars, in which students create and demolish robot gladiators, to attract a new generation of employees to high-tech manufacturing.
Noun
all of the offspring that are at the same stage of descent from a common ancestor
Cao vit gibbons are within a few generations of reaching the carrying capacity of their current habitat. And because the forest has become fragmented by development, there is no easy way for young gibbons to disperse.
a film based upon historical events and famous people
historical drama
Some historical dramas attempt an accurate portrayal of a historical event or biography, while others are fictionalized tales based on persons or events.
Some historical dramas attempt an accurate portrayal of a historical event or biography, while others are fictionalized tales based on persons or events.
Verb
explain or make (something) clear by using examples, charts, pictures, etc.
On a hunting trip in 1902 Roosevelt famously ordered the mercy killing of a wounded black bear. It was then illustrated by a national cartoonist, and the toy teddy bear was born.
Verb
have an effect upon
To slake Sao Paulo's thirst for electricity Brazil will erect a dam on the Xingu River, a plan which may severely impact the lives of the Kayapo natives.
Noun
effect of one person, thing, or action on another
If done with no environmental impact study on the unique and delicate ecosystem of a coastal area, this project may result in the destruction of mangrove trees and natural reefs buffers, resulting in extreme beach erosion.
Noun
action of one object forcibly hitting another
Montreal police are investigating a violent ice hockey impact where one player was left with severe concussion and a cracked vertebra after another slammed him into a glass partition.
Verb
have as a logical consequence
Hulu announced a new feature, Hulu Kids. Just as the name would imply, it arrives as a child-friendly section in the Hulu app.
Noun
positive motivational influence
Inspired by a gauntlet thrown down by the X Prize Foundation, and a million dollar incentive, the Illinois-based company Elastec has developed a revolutionary oil skimmer.
Noun
something that encourages a person to do something or to work harder
Sweden is trying a new method of speed-limit enforcement: gamification. It's based on positive incentives. For safe driving, you are entered into a lottery to win a portion of the fine money paid by speeders.
Noun
a single human being, as distinct from a group, class, or family
Online networks are helping to move power away from government to individuals and small institutions, leaving dictators in fear of the power of clicktivism.
Verb
bring about, give rise to
Gremlins, described as tinkers and tricksters, often took the blame for inexplicable malfunctions in planes. Critics explain gremlin sightings as hallucinations induced from stress.
Verb
conclude something based on evidence or reasoning
"Africa is inferred to be the continent of origin for all modern human populations. But the details of human prehistory and evolution in Africa remain largely obscure."
Verb
conclude by reasoning
Toddlers listening to their parents can learn from uh... verbal fumbling. When toddlers hear, um, a stumble, they infer that the next word will be unfamiliar.
Noun
large-scale public systems and services of a country or region
infrastructure
Europe is investing in its infrastructure, and the results are breathtaking. Through the English Channel tunnel, trains can speed from Big Ben to the Eiffel Tower in 2.5 hours.
Europe is investing in its infrastructure, and the results are breathtaking. Through the English Channel tunnel, trains can speed from Big Ben to the Eiffel Tower in 2.5 hours.
Adjective
part of the nature of something
By having a webcam surgically implanted into the back of his skull, artist Wafaa Bilal aims to lose the subjectivity inherent in photography.
Verb
give equal opportunity and consideration to a group
The Beatles took a stand for civil rights when they refused to perform at a segregated concert in Jacksonville, Florida. Officials relented and allowed the venue to be integrated.
Verb
examine the particulars to learn about something hidden or complex
investigate
Sugata Mitra put a computer in a hole in the wall and let children, who didn’t know any English or what the internet was, investigate. After two months, the kids learned pretty much all by sharing knowledge with each other.
Sugata Mitra put a computer in a hole in the wall and let children, who didn’t know any English or what the internet was, investigate. After two months, the kids learned pretty much all by sharing knowledge with each other.
Phrase
plan to do or achieve something
set goals
Whether it's to lose weight, climb a mountain or run a marathon, it's important to set goals for yourself!
Whether it's to lose weight, climb a mountain or run a marathon, it's important to set goals for yourself!