Core Nonfiction Reading-Book 1 (E)

alcohol

drinks such as beer and wine
I never drink alcohol - I drink orange juice.

code

a set of signs that passes information from one person to another
There are a number of codes for putting English into a form usable by a computer.

contribute

to help cause a result
His gambling contributed to his downfall.

factor

one of the things that cause something to happen
There are various factors to be considered.

genetic

passed down from older family members to younger ones at birth
If the children are red-haired, one of their parents must have a gene for red hair.

length

the amount of time something lasts
Please write down the length of time it takes you to do this.

resist

to remain strong against something
A healthy diet should help your body resist infection.

risk

the chance of something bad happening
He advised us not to go through with the plan because of the risks involved.

chain

an order, series, or sequence of events
a chain of events

consumer

a person who buys or uses a thing
The average consumer spends 12 dollars per year on toothpaste.

decade

a period of ten years
A decadeis a period of ten years.

hence

therefore; for this reason
hence, I shall have to stay.

item

a separate thing, piece, or part
Farms should grow food items near where those foods are sold.

kilometer

a measure of distance that equals one thousand meters
Fresh foods are often grown less than 150 kilometers from where they are sold.

rural

in the country; not near a city
a rural area

tent

a cloth structure that you go inside to avoid weather
When we go on holiday, we usually sleep in a tent.

well-established

created or built long ago and still here because it is successful
Some large cities have many well-established farmers’ markets.

worse

“more bad" than a bad thing
My exam results were bad but his were much worse than mine.

at least

the smallest amount possible; not less than
I have seen the movie at least seven times.

calorie

a measure of energy used by humans and animals
My diet allows me only 1,200 calories per day.

casual

done in a usual, relaxed way
The professor told us to ask casual questions about the lecture.

intensity

the amount of strength, energy, or focus given to an activity
The heat continues with increased intensity.

invest

to put effort into reaching a goal
He invested a lot of time in his education.

moderate

of a medium or typical amount
a product of moderate quality

pace

speed; how fast something or someone moves
Runners in a long race kept up a steady pace.

pay attention

to focus one's eyes and thoughts on something
When you exercise, pay attention to your breathing.

session

a period of time used for an activity
a filming session

target

a goal; what a person wants to do or achieve
We will not meet the sales target this year.

associated

connected with or related to
The front of the brain is associated with working memory.

chemical

a basic element studied by scientists, especially chemists
Some chemicals give off harmful fumes.

confused

not able to understand
The man seemed rather confused.

iron

a kind of metal; a chemical found in beef and in the human body
The ground is as hard as iron.

likewise

in the same way
Eating the right foods can benefit one’s brain. likewise, eating less has benefits.

nut

a food that grows inside a hard shell
During the fall, squirrels collect a lot of nuts, seeds and fruits.

protein

a necessary part of our diet, found in meat, nuts, and soy
The brain uses protein from our diet to boost our memory and thinking.

punch

power or effectiveness
What kinds of foods benefit your brain and have a mental punch?

signal

a sign or message that tells someone or something to do something
He gave the signal to advance.

vitamin

a necessary part of our diet, often found in fruit and vegetables
A healthy diet is full of vitamins.

arcade

a place with many games that can be played for a small fee
They were hanging out at the arcade.

complex

not simple; having many parts
a complex problem

console

a machine that connects a screen and a gaming system
I plugged in the video game console.

culture

the language, customs, and beliefs that a group of people share
Learning about different cultures has always enlightened my knowledge.

graphics

pictures or images on the screen of a computer, television, etc.
The graphics in the newest video games are amazing!

interactive

involving two or more things working together
an interactive system

popular

liked or enjoyed by many people
She is very popular with children.

profit

the money a business makes
I made a profit of $8,000 on my house.

technology

tools or equipment that come from scientific knowledge
a college of science and technology

text

words; writing
First the text was printed, then the drawings added.

colony

a group of people in a place far from their original home
France used to have many colonies in Africa.

conflict

a disagreement; a fight
There was considerable conflict about which plan should be accepted.

dig up

to uncover something that is under the ground by moving dirt
They're digging up the road yet again.

evidence

something that shows an idea to be true
Do you have enough evidence of his guilt to arrest him?

heritage

the things that make up the history of a group or nation
We must all take care to preserve our national heritage.

last

to go on or continue in time
I hope this fine weather lasts.

nowadays

at the present time; recently and in the near future
Food is very expensive nowadays.

repair

to fix; to put back into good condition
The plumber came to repair our faucet.

resource

the supply of materials which bring this wealth
We have used up all our resources.

settle

to move to a new place and make it your home
Many Scots settled in New Zealand.

amazing

very surprising; wonderful
an amazing sight

biologist

a scientist who studies living things
Biologists visit caves to learn about the unusual animals in them.

cave

a natural space or hole in the earth
The children explored the caves.

design

a picture, drawing, or pattern
I don't like the design of that building.

equipment

the items that are needed to do something
The mechanic could not repair the car because he did not have the right equipment.

explore

to look around a new place
The oceans have not yet been fully explored.

helmet

a hard hat to protect the head
Soldiers wear helmets when fighting.

outline

a line around an object or shape
He drew the outline of the face first, then added the features.

species

animals or plants of the same type
There are several species of zebra.

underground

under the earth's surface
Worms are underground animals.

admired

respected and looked up to
People want to be special and admired.

alien

someone that is from another planet
He claims that he was abducted by aliens.

appealing

interesting and liked by people
Everybody says she is attractive. Maybe it's because of her appealing look.

hero

someone who does something good or brave
The boy was regarded as a hero for saving his friend's life.

imaginary

not real; made up
Her illnesses are usually imaginary.

inspire

to make someone want to do something
The players were inspired by the loyalty of their supporters and played better football than ever before.

reliable

believed or trusted to do what is needed
Is this information reliable?

struggle

to try very hard to do something difficult
I am struggling to understand my new boss.

survive

to live through a difficult or dangerous time
He didn't survive long after the accident.

unique

special or different from everyone else
His style is unique.

comfort

a good feeling; a feeling of ease
They now live in comfort.

expand

to make larger
Metals expand when heated.

exposure

being shown or being in contact with
Prolonged exposure to hot sun can be harmful.

instinct

a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is not learned
As winter approaches, swallows fly south from Britain by instinct.

limit

a point where something ends
We must limit the amount of time we spend on this work.

link

to connect
The new train service links the suburbs with the heart of the city.

region

an area; a part of a country
Do you know this region well?

zone

a space with limits and certain characteristics
They decided to stay in their personal zone as there were too many crowds of people.

attract

to cause to like or be interested in something
She attracted all the young men in the neighborhood.

emotion

a feeling
Fear, joy, anger, love, and jealousy are all emotions.

loyal

supporting something or someone for a long time
a loyal friend

mall

a large building with many different shops inside
Teenagers love to hang out at the mall.

secure

safe; protected
Is your house secure against burglary?

tense

tight; not flexible; unable to stretch
My shoulders are feeling tense.

urgency

the feeling that something is very important and needs immediate attention
This is a matter of great urgency.

wallet

a small folding case that holds money, credit cards, etc.
His wallet has been stolen.

charity

an organization that works to help people who are in need
Many charities sent money to help the victims of the disaster.

degree

a piece of paper that proves a person finished college or university
He earned a degree in chemistry.

distribute

to give out; to hand out
He distributed sweets to all the children in class.

donate

to give (money, clothes, food, time, etc.) for free in order to help others
He donated $100 to the fund.

needy

needing or requiring care or help
It is our duty to help needy people.

patient

a person who is under the care of a doctor
The hospital had too many patients.

talent

a special ability that allows someone to do something well
a talent for drawing

volunteer

to offer to do something without being asked or required
He volunteered to act as messenger.

average

ordinary or usual
The average person is not wealthy.

charming

very pleasing or appealing
a charming smile

connect

to find something in common with someone
We connected because we have many things in common.

employ

to be someone's boss; to have someone working for you or your company
She is employed as a teacher.

formally

in important situations; being very careful or correct
formally he is known as Dr. Evan Gowan, but his friends call him Ev.

involved

part of
I am involved in four different events today.

overnight

when something that usually takes a long time happens very quickly or suddenly
He was an overnight success.

own

to have or possess a thing
I own a car.

reality

something that exists or happens
It was a relief to get back to reality after hearing the ghost story.

unusual

different; not normal or common
It is unusual for him to arrive late.

abuse

a harmful or negative way of treating someone or something
She abused the servants.

alone

by themselves; not with other people or animals of the same species
She has lived alone for the last three years.

cage

something like a box made from wire or metal bars used for keeping animals in
The lion has escaped from its cage.

educational

related to the action or process of teaching and learning
Zoos are educational for children and adults.

maze

a complex system of passages that is easy to get lost in and difficult to find the way out of
I'm lost in a maze of rules and regulations.

path

a long, narrow area to walk along, usually found outside
There is a path through the fields.

puzzle

a game or toy that requires problem-solving
a jigsaw puzzle; a crossword puzzle

socialization

the act of spending time with others while doing things and communicating
socialization is important for zoo animals.

stimulating

interesting; making you think or feel; stopping you from being bored
Mazes are stimulating for people and animals.

suffer

to experience pain, illness, or injury
She suffers from stomachaches.

accurate

correct; exact; without mistakes
an accurate drawing

bias

a tendency to think a certain way
a bias against people of other religions

criminal

a person who breaks the law
Some criminals are so good at telling lies that they can fool police officers.

cue

a sign or signal that something is not as it seems
The special school taught people how to watch for cues from liars.

detect

to notice or find after searching, study, or effort
She thought she could detect a smell of gas.

monitor

to keep track of; to watch in order to notice changes
These machines monitor the results constantly.

spot

to identify or notice
No one watching the play was able to spot the murderer.

sweat

to produce salty water through the skin when hot or nervous
Vigorous exercise makes you sweat.