Listening to the News: Voice of America-Book 1 (E)

base

the lowest part of something; foundation
The base of the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet tall.

design

to prepare or plan
The students wanted to design a house for their project.

engineer

someone who repairs devices
Hatherly worked as a hydraulic engineer.

knight

a soldier with a high social status, who fought while riding a horse in the past
King Arthur was a brave knight.

liberty

the condition of those who have freedom to choose what to do without being controlled
The United States is known as the land of liberty.

lightning

the bright FLASHES of light in the sky caused by a storm
She was struck by lightning and injured.

reduce

to make something smaller in size
We've decided to reduce the cost of the product.

statue

an image of a person, animal or thing made from something solid, like stone or metal
This statue is called Christ the Redeemer.

symbol

something that represents for something else
The mail company chose the symbol of a bird.

torch

a light to be carried in the hand consisting of some flammable substance
A torch gives you light and warmth.

common

belonging to or shared by two or more persons or a group
John is a very common name.

efficient

If something or someone is efficient, they do not waste energy.
My car is very efficient. I rarely have to buy gas.

guess

to suppose something is true, without evidence
I guess it will rain today.

inventor

a person who creates new devices
The inventor of the phone was an American named Bell.

limited

not high or great in number, amount
It is because there are limited sources of food and water in the desert.

probably

most likely; in most cases
People think that early flutes were probably pipes held in front of the mouth.

save

to set aside for future use
The fireman will save the child.

throw

to use your hand to make it go through the air
The pitcher can throw the baseball very fast.

tube

a plastic or metal container for soft substances
We rolled marbles down the tube.

damaged

injured or ruined
The car was damaged.

disappear

to stop being visible
My best friend suddenly disappeared from the party.

earthquake

shaking at the surface of the earth
There is an earthquake almost daily in Japan.

forever

being of a long duration, with no end in time
They wanted to be together forever, so they got married.

global

affecting the whole world
These global changes will affect people living in every part of the world.

grow

to cause or help plants to develop and get bigger
People grow food on the land.

sample

a part or something which represents the quality of the whole
The man showed the people wallpaper samples.

seed bank

a place used for seed storage
The seed bank takes up little space and is expensive to run.

site

a place
We found the perfect site for our picnic.

store

an establishment where merchandise is sold, usually on a retail basis
The store is open today.

accident

something that happens without being planned and that is not expected
There are many car accidents in this area, so be careful when driving.

amazing

surprising in a pleasing way
At the zoo we saw some amazing animals.

aquarium

a place made for keeping fishes and water plants
I enjoy looking at the fish in my huge aquarium.

artificial

not occurring in nature or in the natural world, but made to appear natural
artificial legs are made from light materials, like plastic.

athlete

a person who plays a sport
However, she will always be remembered as an amazing athlete.

comfortable

being physically relaxed and at ease
That hotel has very comfortable rooms.

flipper

a wide, flat arm used for swimming by certain animals like seals and turtles
Some mammals use flippers for swimming.

rubber

a strong, bendable material made from the juice of a tree
Where did the rubber ball go?

sock

a covering for the foot made of a woven or knitted material
My mother bought me five pairs of socks.

sore

When a part of your body is sore, it hurts.
After lifting the heavy box, Mona’s back was sore.

affect

to cause a change in or have an effect on something
The people were badly affected after the tornado ripped through their homes.

completely

in every way and manner possible
It's difficult to focus completely on one task.

favorite

best-liked; preferred
My favorite movie is horror movies.

foundation

an institution, usually concerned with charity or research, which is supported by private funds
Our foundation was established to help students pay for university.

habit

a thing that you do often
Smoking is a bad habit that can kill you.

pay attention

to focus in order to try to see or notice
pay attention to your teacher.

relaxing

pleasant and helps you to relax
A relaxing holiday gave me pleasure and satisfaction.

scary

causing fright or fear
The scary monster is living in my closet!

suggest

to put an idea before another person for consideration
Tom suggested to eat something before the movie starts.

trouble

a bad or difficult time
The trouble from the protesters is getting out of control.

accidentally

unexpectedly; by mistake
The little boy accidentally lit a match which caused his house to burn.

carry

to hold or support something as you move with it
She carried my book self up the stairs.

collagen

the most abundant protein in the human body
She told me that the collagen synthesis repairs the wound.

faraway

very far away in space or time
Yellowstone National park is a faraway place from our house.

flexible

capable of being modified or adapted
Because she was self-employed, her schedule was very flexible.

increase

to make it larger or more
They’ve increased the price of gas by 15 cents!

jellyfish

a sea creature that has a clear soft body
jellyfish live in the sea.

lifeguard

an attendant employed at a beach or pool to protect swimmers from accidents
One lifeguard saved on my life when I fell into the swimming pool.

port

a place along a coast where ships load and unload things or passengers, or be sheltered during a storm
The port was full of ships and sailors.

sting

to prick or wound with a sharp-pointed
Do ants bite or sting?

badly

a severe or harmful way
He hurt his arm badly playing with friends.

cell

the smallest part of a living thing that can function independently
Tom shares his cell with Eugene.

combine

to join together in one whole
combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl and then mix them.

hurt

to suffer or feel pain
Casey got hurt playing football.

ingredient

a quality that is necessary for something to be good or work well
The ingredients of success include hard work and focus.

patient

one who receives medical care
This hospital has too many patients.

process

the steps to take to do something
Making a cake is a long process.

rub

to spread something along a surface while applying pressure
The man rubbed crumbs on the skin.

spray

to cover something with liquid in the form of many tiny drops or streams
If you want flowers to grow, you have to spray them with water.

sunburn

a skin inflammation caused by over exposure to the sun
I got a sunburn from playing tennis outside all day.

award

prize
The student was happy to win a writing award for her essay.

collapse

to fail or break down suddenly
Many beehives have collapsed in recent years and no one knows why.

consume

to eat or drink it
Jack consumed a whole plate of spaghetti.

dig

to move soil using one's hands or a tool in order to make a hole
My children love to dig holes in the sand.

fence

a structure like a wall which prevents people or animals from entering
There was a high fence around the lions in the zoo.

miner

a person who works in a mine
The miner was looking for gold.

mistake

an error; something done or thought that is incorrect
He made one mistake on the test.

rescue

To rescue someone means to remove them from danger.
The firefighter rescued the man from the burning building.

valuable

having high value
She has a lot of valuable jewelry.

warning

caution
However, the Trojans paid no attention to the warning.

average

typical
The average person works eight hours a day.

boring

uninterested in
This game is boring. Let’s play something more fun.

brand new

extremely new
This house is brand new.

connect

to attach something to something else
We were connected to our main branch in Hong Kong so we could have a voice conference.

crowded

full of people
The theater was so crowded that he couldn't get a seat.

expensive

high in price
That bag is too expensive.

foreign

outside one's own country
There are many foreign foods at the international food festival.

gasoline

a flammable liquid produced by mixing natural gas and PETROLEUM, used for fuel for vehicles (especially cars)
The gasoline was expensive to buy.

track

the two metal bars that trains and other vehicles travel on
A train moves down a track.

view

the things that you are able to see from a specific place
We have an apartment on the fourth floor with a great view of the sea.

acqua alta

involving the flooding of the most low-lying areas
The picture shows an acqua alta in St Mark's Square.

canal

a narrow, man-made body of water usually used for shipping or bringing water to farm fields
canals give ships a shortcut, or shorter distance to travel.

cause

to create an effect or result
The gloomy weather caused her to be depressed.

gate

a door in a wall or fence that opens and closes
I forgot to lock the gate.

get around

to go around somewhere
I was able to get around the security system and enter the building.

hurricane

a very severe storm with strong winds that usually occurs near the ocean
A hurricane can cause a lot of damage to a very large area.

lagoon

a shallow pond or channel of water
The children enjoyed relaxing by the lagoon.

replace

to put something in the place where it was before
Tomorrow I will try to replace my lost hat.

unique

the only one
Sue has a unique art style.

vacation

a period of time during which you relax and enjoy yourself away from home
What are you doing for summer vacation?

biting

causing a stinging sensation
James was biting Laura's arms.

camp

to establish or make a camp, usually in a wooded area
We camped in the valley by the river.

cure

To cure means to cause an illness or injury to end or disappear.
My dentist cured me of my toothache.

disease

an illness
The girl can't go to school because she has a heart disease.

hit

to make contact with a person or object, quickly and with a lot of force, often using a hand
The stone hit the side of the road.

hut

A hut is a house made of wood, grass, or mud that has only one or two rooms.
We all went into the hut to sleep.

insect

a very small animal with six legs, and sometimes with wings
We found an insect in our bed.

itchy

having or causing an itching sensation
She was not going to let her itchy hands stop her.

mosquito net

a net used to keep mosquitoes from entering an area
Not a single mosquito bite the baby because they slept with a mosquito net.

terrible

very unpleasant or bad
The winter was terrible because it was so cold.

athlete

a person plays sports
Doctors worry that young athletes will use steroids to get stronger.

comfortably

affording physical comfort
Kelly was comfortably sleeping in Jim's table.

compete

to try to do beat others in a contest or competition
You can’t compete with people who have money.

cruel

causing pain to others
Cinderella had a very cruel step-mother.

deliver

to bring
The letter was delivered the next afternoon.

entertainment

something that entertains
The movie was our entertainment for tonight.

festival

a celebration, especially a public one. Eg. Christmas
Everyone in town went to the annual spring festival.

musher

the driver of a dog sled
The musher sled down the mountains with 4 sled dogs.

supplies

things that you keep for future use
We gather our supplies before we have art class.

temperature

a measure of hotness or coldness
The temperature in the desert is very high during the day.

attack

to cause physical harm to a person or damage a place or thing
The wolf will attack if you threaten it.

destroy

to put an end to something completely
Winds from a tornado can pick up cars and destroy houses.

garbage

waste material
The boy cleaned up the garbage around his house.

pest

an insect or small animal that ruins plants or food supplies
Mosquitoes can truly be a pest after a humid rainy day.

roam

To roam means to move around without a plan or purpose.
All day the cows roamed around the field eating grass.

scare off

cause someone or something to go away
The unusual news report scared off the nations.

survive

to stay alive
My dog survived her fall into the water.

territory

A territory is a piece of land that belongs to a country but isn't a state.
Gibraltar is a territory of Great Britain.

trap

to be a part of an uncomfortable event that is hard to escape
The hunter trapped the rabbit in a cage and brought it home for dinner.

trash can

a place, often metal or plastic, where garbage is put
Don't forget to empty the trash cans.

afraid

feeling fear, frightened
The little girl was afraid when she saw the bear.

aircraft

a vehicle capable of flying
What type of aircraft will we use to fly?

dangerous

involving danger, harm, or death
Hiking alone at night is dangerous.

disappointed

unhappy because something is not what one wanted
She felt disappointed because everyone at school forgot her birthday.

equipment

the tools, supplies, or materials
What sort of equipment will I need to climb?

force

to make a person or group do something
He forced his way into the house.

goal

result or aim
The goal of this exercise is to increase reading speed.

pop

a sudden, brief, loud sound
The can made a pop sound when I opened it.

stomach

an organ used for digesting food
He has a big stomach. Ivan said, "My stomach hurts."

visit

to go somewhere for a short period of time
Soon, I’m going to visit Rio for the first time!

adventure

an unusual, exciting activity such as a journey or experience
Walton was going to start a great adventure and wished he had a friend to share it with.

behave

to act in a particular manner
His child behaves well in school.

bother

to disturb a person when they are busy or want to be alone
Please don't bother with the boxes right now.

confident

having a great deal of trust
She was confident in climbing the mountain in an hour.

dessert

a sweet type of food eaten after the main meal
We had chocolate pudding for dessert.

dominant

When someone or something is dominant, they are stronger than others.
The gorilla is one of the dominant animals in the jungle.

experiment

a test that is done to see if a new idea or theory is good or not
This is an experiment to see if our new idea will work.

in general

usually; mainly
In general, students are not allowed to eat in the classroom during class hours.

overall

in general, considering everything
His overall grade in school was not bad, although he was not do well in science.

reconsider

to think again about something
Jennifer will reconsider traveling tonight.

cancel

a request will not happen
She cancelled the rest of her plans because of the rain.

chance

an opportunity to do something
I had a chance to see the Roman Coliseum last summer.

day off

a day when one does not have to go to work or school
I get fourteen days off a year.

electricity

the power formed by moving electrons
The light won't turn on because we have no electricity.

flood

to fill or cover an area with water
Hurricanes have the power to flood entire cities.

reason

the basis or motive for an action
What is the reason you are late to class this time?

rush

to rush or move quickly
We are rushing because he is in a hurry.

sandbag

a bag filled with sand
He hit the sandbag as hard as he can.

warn

to tell someone about something bad or dangerous
They warned the children not to touch the crocodiles.

worried

marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble
You don't appear worried about the situation?

brace

device that holds or fastens two or more parts together or in place
She uses her brace before playing tennis.

condition

the state that they are in
The patient’s condition was very good.

crooked

not straight
The first person to see a white whale with a crooked jaw will have this gold coin.

dwarfism

the condition of being a dwarf
The doctor told the patient that dwarfism is treatable.

guard

to watch people or things in order to protect them from harm or danger
It was his duty to guard the princess as they traveled from one place to another.

miniature

If something is miniature, it is very small.
The boy enjoys playing with his miniature train set in his bedroom.

raise

to collect money or gather people to support something
We had a bake sale at school to raise money for our field trip.

scare

to frighten someone
It scared me to think I was alone in the building.

tiny

being extremely little
The insect was so tiny I couldn’t see it.

weigh

to see how heavy it is
The little dog weighed exactly 3 kgs.

besides

other than
besides teaching, he also tutors on weekends.

cost

to have as a price
These shoes cost twenty dollars.

destroy

to put an end to something completely
Winds from a tornado can pick up cars and destroy houses.

fix

to repair something
My dad is going to fix my computer.

memory

devices used to store information for use in a computer
The laptop memory was damaged when I dropped my laptop on the floor.

overseas

in a foreign land that is across the sea
She will be travelling overseas.

pile

a group of similar things placed on top of each other
Soon there was a big pile of soft leaves.

ship

to transport goods to a person or place by boat or plane
The sofa was shipped from England.

solution

a way to solve or deal with a problem
The only viable solution to the family's situation was that the children had to quit school.

tsunami

tital wave caused by the displacement of water
The March 11 tsunami in Japan left more than 28000 peopld dead or missing.

cruise

a trip on a large ship for pleasure
He bought two tickets for a cruise.

energetic

having or showing much energy
Baskerville took me by the hand and shook it energetically.

explore

to travel to a place in order to learn more about it
Jeremy found a hidden cave and decided to explore it.

journey

a period of travel. or the process of going from one place to another
The man was on a long journey from Russia.

museum

a place where objects from the field of art, science, or history
The painting is at the Louvre. That’s a museum in Paris.

operate

To operate means to work or function.
I’m sorry, but the trains are not operating today.

propeller

spinning blades that helps move an aircraft
Sadly, the propellers on airplanes can sometimes harm flying birds.

shipyard

places where ships are repaired and built
The shipyard has been owned by Mr.Grey since 1999.

steer

To steer something is to control where it goes.
He steered the go-cart around the track.

top

a toy designed to be spun on the ground; spinner
A top spins when Jason let it go.

cousin

the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt, also known
Tommy's cousin came to visit him for the summer.

flute

a long, thin musical instrument which is played by blowing into a hole at one end
My sister can play the flute.

government

the group of people who rule a nation
The children’s father worked at a government office in the city.

practice

to do something repeatedly in order to improve a skill
I must practice playing piano every day.

requirement

something that is a necessity
Before you schedule an interview, you should verify that you meet all of the requirements.

space

the area within which all the stars and planets exist
An astronaut is a person who travels into space.

spacecraft

a machine designed to fly outer space
Spacecrafts can travel through space.

tourist

a person who travels for pleasure
There are a lot of tourists here.

trip

a journey or visit to a place
We are going on a trip to the mountains next week.

waiting list

a list of persons waiting, as for reservations, appointments, living accommodations, or admissions to a school
I am on the waiting list for the class.