IELTS: i-s
Phrase
the act of looking for a job
job hunting
I'm job hunting so I can move out of my parents' house. Renting an apartment isn't cheap!
I'm job hunting so I can move out of my parents' house. Renting an apartment isn't cheap!
Verb
show or prove to be right or reasonable
Security officials say the face-recognition (FR) system's great benefits justify any small inconvenience.
Noun
spare amount or measure given for contingencies
Among the dangers is the temptation to "push the envelope": To try to go closer to a rock wall, for instance, than anyone else. With no margin for error, you can pay for it with your life.
Verb
make partial or minor changes, typically to improve something or make it less extreme
Scientists are flu-proofing flocks of chickens by genetically modifying the bird to create a decoy polymerase. The virus latches on to the fake, preventing it from replicating.
Verb
watch or check on (a person or thing)
A mobile phone application, which helps jealous lovers keep tabs on their partners by secretly monitoring their texts, has been removed from sale by Google.
Verb
keep close watch over
An integrated didactic training concept explains the tasks to students while the system monitors their achievement.
Verb
keep under systematic review
If a fan's picture matched one in the database, security officials could closely monitor him or her and perhaps make an arrest.
Adjective
shared by or common to two or more people or groups
Gaga’s publicist stated, “Lady Gaga and Target came to a mutual decision to end their partnership a few weeks ago.”
Phrase
something regarded as different and endearing
To many, the Currituck might seem like an odd duck. Not only is it an ungainly craft, but it also flies the Army's jack. Its servile task is to take riverbottom sand from one place and move it someplace else.
Adjective
occurring or existing at the same time or in a similar way
In a parallel universe, young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far North to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible experiments by a mysterious organization.
Noun
fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen
An extremely rare phenomenon, a fire rainbow occurs when the sun's light passes through high-altitude cirrus clouds that have a high content of ice crystals.
Noun
fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen
The aurora is a natural, spectacular light display in the night sky, observed in polar regions: the Cree people call this phenomenon the "Dance of the Spirits."
Noun
fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen
Cloud-to-ground lightning bolts are a common phenomenon—about 100 strike Earth’s surface every single second. Each bolt can contain up to one billion volts of electricity.
Noun
form of fraud disguised as an investment opportunity
Madoff confessed in Dec. 2008 that his business had operated for about two decades as a Ponzi scheme in which some investors were paid off with money provided by new investors.
Verb
assume a position in order to have your picture taken
The starlet sparked outrage when she posed semi-naked for America's Vanity Fair magazine. She quickly condemned the images after publication.
Noun
latent qualities that may be developed and lead to future success
In concert, the song showed a lot of potential, especially in Apple's emotive and vocal performance as she sang, "I just want to feel everything."
Verb
tell what is going to happen in the future
Geologists listening in on “icequakes” that rumble through glaciers have developed a model that can predict a collapse up to 15 days before it happens.
Adjective
paid to participate in a sport or activity
professional
We went to the stadium to watch the professional athletes play.
We went to the stadium to watch the professional athletes play.
Verb
cause to appear on a surface or in space
Snake the Planet uses projection mapping techniques to project the classic game on to any available surface. Windows, signs and even people become pixelated obstacles in the game.
Verb
contribute to the progress or growth of
While promoting his new romantic caper movie The Tourist, which he stars in with Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp has dressed like, well, a tourist.
Noun
written record or draft of an agreement
Some Senators warn that even with a protocol asking for permission, opening Facebook up to allow third parties access to addresses and phone numbers still presents serious dangers.
Verb
try to get someone or something especially over a long period of time
On the Muppet Show, Kermit was often pursued by the wonderful Miss Piggy, who made no secret of her love for him. But Kermit generally rebuffed her advances.
Verb
follow someone or something in order to catch or attack them
US actress Lindsay Lohan has been sued by three men who claim she commandeered their car to pursue her recently-fired assistant in California.
Verb
try to get someone or something especially over a long period of time
Randy and Evi Quaid sought asylum status in Canada, saying they were being pursued by murderous "star whackers" who had killed eight of their friends from Hollywood.
Verb
follow someone or something in order to catch or attack them
Peter Knight, a member of the Private investigative firm, pursues a murderer who is trying to destroy the London Olympics.
Noun
lacking any definite plan or order or purpose
Yarn bombing has been described as warm and fuzzy defiant art. Those who engage in the street graffiti delight in creating random acts of art on urban architecture.
Verb
rove, roam, or wander
Sir Richard Branson's plan to import lemurs to the Caribbean, where they would range free on his islands, has conservationists roaring about dire consequences.
Noun
governing authority of a political group
By 1938, Hitler’s regime occupied Austria and Czechoslovakia. Their movement into Poland began World War II, which took the lives of over seventy million people.
Verb
turn down as inadequate, inappropriate, or not to one's taste
NBA players have rejected the latest contract offer by league owners, a decision that likely jeopardizes the 2011-2012 season.
Noun
act of setting a person or animal free from imprisonment
Syrian President Bashar Assad released hundreds of political prisoners in an attempt to appease demonstrators furious about a murderous government crackdown on dissent.
Verb
set free someone who is imprisoned or trapped in some way
One half of shark attacks are attributable to great whites. New research finds that great whites, who are naturally curious, are "sample biting" and then releasing their victims rather than hunting humans.
Verb
allow something to move, act, or flow freely
Tradition demands that statues depicting Ganesh are praised through prayer and offerings and then released into the sea. This will take away the year's misfortunes and set the stage for a prosperous future.
Verb
count on or have faith in something
Global warming is changing the rhythms of climate that all living things rely upon.
Verb
reach a decision and back it with determination
The unforgettable war between the tyrannical Big Nurse Ratched and Randle Patrick McMurphy, the boisterous, fun-loving new inmate who resolves to oppose her.
Noun
something that a country has and can use to increase its wealth
Hydroelectric power is a timeless, renewable resource that has fuelled Ontario's economic growth since the beginning of the twentieth century. Today, OPG operates 65 hydroelectric stations on 24 river systems.
Verb
continue to hold or have
The Dalai Lama, who retains his role as spiritual leader, was pleased to hear that his political functions had been devolved to Harvard University academic Lobsang Sangay.
Verb
continue to hold or have
The ghostly looking Mexican axolotl retains some of its larval features for life, including its feathery pink external gills.
Verb
make known or visible
Lip-syncing hero Keenan Cahill made his late-night debut on 'Chelsea Lately' and revealed his latest YouTube masterpiece --a duet with 50 Cent.
Noun
money that is made by or paid to a business
For all the rising box-office revenues, Chinese cinema has yet to mine akey stream of potential riches: spin-offs. In Hollywood, box-office receipts account for just 30 per cent of a film's revenues.
Verb
go backward, or move something in a backward direction
In Sands of Time, a young fugitive prince and princess must stop a villain who unknowingly threatens to destroy the world with a special dagger that enables the magic sand inside to reverse time.
Adjective
free from danger or risk
Be honest, now. Is 1-2-3-4 the password to some of your supposedly secure accounts? If you crunch the numbers, over 10 percent of all cards use that particular number, and crooks know this.
Noun
large, flat piece of equipment that uses the sun's light or heat to create electricity
Tokelau, which consists of three small Pacific atolls administered by New Zealand, gets 93% of its electricity from solar panels, and the other 7% from a sustainable supply of coconuts.
Noun
the existing state of affairs
Many would-be activists are reluctant to put their jobs and reputation on the line to publicly advocate for cannabis law reform. The pressure to conform to the status quo can be even greater in politically conservate locales.
Noun
carefully devised plan of action to achieve a goal
The acquisition of brands4friends is clearly the California corporation’s strategy to develop a fashion wing that the world will take seriously as such.
Verb
present to a person or organization for consideration or judgment
After you’ve watched your favorite shows, submit your choice sound bite in the comments section. We’ll highlight the most-voted quote tomorrow morning, and give due praise to the submitter.
Adjective
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement
Exorbitant claims to the BP relief fund have drawn scrutiny. Kenneth Feinberg, overseer of the fund, has made it clear that claims will not be paid out without sufficient documentation.
Phrase
continue to live despite danger or hardship
has survived crazy stunts
And who is the best stunt actor of all? Film critics say martial arts expert Jackie Chan, who has survived crazy stunts in over 100 films!
And who is the best stunt actor of all? Film critics say martial arts expert Jackie Chan, who has survived crazy stunts in over 100 films!