Welcome to the final edition of Spotlight Vocabulary in 2019!
This series is designed to introduce you to quality articles that will not only help you to pass tests like IELTS or OET but also improve your life.
These are not the only articles we read in December; you can find more on our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
How To Use These Articles
If you have time to do nothing else – just read them!
If you have a little more time, record the words you find in an app, such as Anki.
Don’t just capture the new word – write down the whole sentence. Learning new vocabulary in context will help you to remember it and use it accurately – especially when it comes to collocation.
Finally, use the words you learn. You need to make these words a part of your active vocabulary.
For the ultimate practice, book a lesson with one of our teachers or submit a Writing Correction.
Technology and Privacy
This is an important topic which crops up more and more frequently in the IELTS test and our everyday lives…
“Really precise, longitudinal geolocation information is absolutely impossible to anonymize.” It’s obvious, but this @nytimes piece really brings home how we’ve given other people almost unlimited surveillance power over our lives. https://t.co/A9XOLGIByW
— Matthew MacDonald (@prosetech) December 20, 2019
Science and History
If the surveillance above doesn’t scare you, check out this article about how we know the eye and skin colour, as well as diet of a 6000-year-old Neolithic girl…
Some good vocabulary in this article by @iansample for #IELTS test takers. Also, a warning not to leave your gum lying around, – or we might discover you are a blue-eyed neolithic female hunter-gatherer who had duck and hazelnuts for dinner https://t.co/bnEt106FXe
— Andy T (@withanexpert) December 22, 2019
Plants
Plants are a tricky topic and can come up in both the Speaking and the Writing sections of the IELTS test. This article also contains vocabulary which could be useful in the OET test…
Some great vocabulary for #IELTS in this article by @dpcarrington: ‘A snowdrop discovered on Facebook, a miracle berry that tricks your tastebuds and a rubbery shrub that oozes its own superglue are among new plant species that were discovered in 2019.’ https://t.co/WMdwAUDxx8
— Andy T (@withanexpert) December 24, 2019
The Environment
Microplastic might be an expression you’ve never heard before, but you might be hearing it more and more…
Microplastic has been found raining on London & in ‘Arctic snow and mountain soils, to many rivers and the deepest oceans’. Good #vocabulary for #IELTS in this article by @dpcarrington. Also, time to wake up & take action! https://t.co/kfRgyaKCWW
— Andy T (@withanexpert) December 28, 2019
This article blends technology with food and the environment, all common topics in IELTS…
In this article, @karenriallovera discusses the future of #food & a potential agricultural revolution which could help the #environment & feed the world. This is a vocabulary-rich article that could help you with several #IELTS Writing Task 2 topics. https://t.co/yaEPNcUkrj
— Andy T (@withanexpert) December 29, 2019
Should we conserve or kill wildlife, some arguments and counterarguments you find useful on test day here…
Is it ethical to save grey squirrels or to let them die? This conundrum is tackled by @jgilchrist13. Good vocabulary for #IELTS on topics covering animal welfare, invasive species and ecology. Where do you stand? https://t.co/yYNTY69VLh
— Andy T (@withanexpert) December 31, 2019
Happiness
It seems the IELTS partners want you to be happy, since this topic has appeared several times in recent years. This article will give you some ideas and vocabulary you can use…
Happiness is a topic that resurfaces regularly in the #IELTS #Writing and #Speaking tests. This article by @wbandhappiness will arm you enough ideas to – dare I say – keep you and the examiner happy. https://t.co/ZEyWPpAbFe
— Andy T (@withanexpert) December 29, 2019
Health and Obesity
The New Year is almost upon us, so why not make it your goal to learn new vocabulary and lose weight…
Anyone trying to lose weight & pass the #IELTS test? Or maybe you are taking #OET. This article by @MariaXCross will prove useful for every scenario. This topic is becoming more frequent & this article contains useful health and food-related vocabulary. https://t.co/ji1g730LDS
— Andy T (@withanexpert) December 31, 2019
And there’s more…
We have not shared all of last months collection.
To see the missing articles, and articles from previous months – visit our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
See you next month!