Topic vocabulary: Social issues |
| abolish (v) |
to officially get rid of a law, system, practice, etc |
The law was abolished in 1963. |
| advocate (v) |
to publicly support a particular policy or way of doing things |
Do you advocate corporal punishment in schools? |
| alleviate (v) |
to make something less painful, severe or serious |
These measures are designed to alleviate suffering among the elderly. |
| bureaucracy (n) |
a complicated and annoying system of rules and processes |
I started to set up my own business but there was too much bureaucracy. |
| charity (n) |
an organisation to which you give money so that it can give money and help to people who are poor or ill, or who need advice and support |
There are one or two charities that I make regular donations to. |
| class (n) |
one of the groups into which people in a society are divided according to their family background, education, job or income |
My family are very middle class in a lot of ways. |
| community (n) |
the people who live in an area |
Politics should begin in the local community. |
| convict (v) |
to prove in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime |
He was convicted of murder. |
| convict (n) |
someone who is in prison because they have committed a crime |
Two convicts have escaped from the local prison. |
| corruption (n) |
dishonest or illegal behaviour by officials or people in positions of power, especially when they accept money in exchange for doing things for someone |
They've started an investigation into corruption. |
| deterrent (n) |
something that makes people decide not to do something by making them realise that something unpleasant could happen to them |
I think capital punishment serves as a deterrent. |
| heritage (n) |
the art, buildings, traditions and beliefs that a society considers important to its history and culture |
It's important that we preserve our national heritage. |
| immigration (n) |
the process in which people enter a country in order to live there permanently |
Is the level of 1mm1grat1on actually rising, or is it falling? |
| industrial action (n phr) |
a protest in which workers show that they disagree with a policy of their employer, for example by striking |
Unless something changes, we'll be taking industrial action. |
| institution (n) |
a large organisation such as a bank, hospital, university or prison |
It's hard spending all your life inside an institution like a children's home. |
| legislation (n) |
a law or set of laws |
There is already legislation to prevent that. |
| prejudice (n) |
an unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially the feeling of not liking a particular group of people |
Many women have had to deal with prejudice in the workplace. |
| prison reform (n phr) |
changes intended to make the prison system fairer or more effective |
I'm a great believer ,n prison reform. |
| privileged (adj) |
having advantages and opportunities that other people do not have, because you have a lot of money or high social status |
I suppose I come from quite a privileged background. |
| prosecute (v) |
to officially accuse someone of a crime and ask a court of law to Judge them |
The police decided not to prosecute and let him off with a warning. |
| state (n) |
the government of a country |
The health system is the state's responsibility. |
