Vocabulary in context
The next important skill that you need for the IELTS exam is understanding vocabulary
through context. In the exam you are not allowed to use your dictionary, so when there are
words you don't know you either have to ignore them or try to understand their meaning in
context. Do you know the meaning of the word below?
affluent
By itself it's hard to guess. Here is the word in a sentence:
Australia is an affluent nation.
Now you know that affluent is an adjective that can be used to describe a country, but the
precise meaning is still unclear. Here is another sentence providing more context for the word:
Affluent countries likeAustralia and Canada have a responsibility to help poorer countries.
From this you can guess that affluent has a similar meaning to wealthy.
Activity 2.3: Understanding vocabulary through context
Look at the word in italics in each of the following sentences and decide the part of speech of the word (noun, verb, etc.) and its approximate meaning.
A. eminent
She is an eminent psychologist who has won a number of awards.
Part of speech:
Approximate meaning:
B. exacerbate
Climate change is likely to exacerbate existing flood problems in India and Bangladesh.
Part of speech:
Approximate meaning:
C. nocturnal
Nocturnal animals usually have eyes that are adapted to seeing in the dark.
Part of speech:
Approximate meaning:
D. aroma
Many people think that the aroma of coffee is better than the taste.
Part of speech:
Approximate meaning:
E. jeopardy
Hundreds of jobs will be in jeopardy if the factory closes.
Part of speech:
Approximate meaning:
F. revere
Many traditional cultures revere the elderly for their wisdom and experience.
Part of speech:
Approximate meaning:
The skills you have looked at in this chapter can be used in all IELTS questions. In the next chapters, you will look at specific question types used in the IELTS and how to answer each one.
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