UNIT IV: EXPAND YOUR VOCABULARY

Vocabulary:

capitol: (usually the Capitol) (singular) the building in Washington DC where the US Congress meets to work on new laws.

capital: a large amount of money that is invested or is used to start a business.

collaborate: work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something.

corroborate: to provide evidence or information that supports a staement, theory, etc. (synonym: confirm)

affluent: having a lot of money and a good standard of living. (synonym: prosperous, wealthy).

effluent: liquid waste, especially chemicals produced by factories, or sewage.

indigent: very poor, needy, penniless, impoverished.

indigenous: originating or occurring naturally in a particular place. (synonym:native, original).

compulsive: impossible to control and therefore sometimes harmful.

compulsory: obligatory.

assistance: help, aid, support.

assistant: helper.

Collocations:

civil society

civil rights

non-governmental organization(s)

sustainable development

renewable energies

urban areas≠rural areas

cultural diversity

cultural heritage

culture shock

health care

social justice

poverty elimination

property rights

equal pay

climate change

deeply rooted

micro-credits

endangered species

birth rate

water pollution

ecological crisis

forest preservation

recycling waste

Idioms:

I am all ears: I am listening carefully.

Keep in touch: stay in contact/keep communicating with even though you may live far apart.

What’s up?: used to ask someone what the problem is:”What's up - why does everyone look so serious?What's up with Terry?”

What’s on?: used to mean 'what is happening'. This phrase is often used as the title of the part of a newspaper that tells you about events and entertainment happening in the next week or month.

What's done is done: said when you cannot change something that has already happened.

What are you driving at?: What do you mean?

Be up to sth/doing sth: be able to do something: “Do you feel up to going back to work today? She just isn't up to staying up so late.”

What can I say?: I do not know what to say.

Without hurrying: taking one’s time.

Take your leave: go away from a gathering.

Take your life: kill yourself.

To water down: 1. to dilute something. “Who watered the orange juice down?” “Jim watered down the orange juice.”

2. to water something thoroughly. “Will you water the lawn down tonight?” “Water down the lawn thisevening so it will grow tomorrow.”

3. Fig. to reduce the effectiveness or force of something. (Fig. on {2}.) “Please don't water mydeclaration down.” “The new laws watered down the power of the president.”

Be certain to get or achieve sth: be in the bag.

To the letter: exactly as instructed; exactly as written.

Off the record: If someone says something off the record, they do not want it to be publicly reported.

Fifty-fifty: divided equally.