Reading for the Real World 3/e-Book 2 Unit 05 (E)

arable

suitable for farming
There isn't much arable land in a desert.

commonplace

very common or ordinary
The remarks in the meetings were not commonplace.

compelling

able to capture and hold attention; very interesting
The novel was so compelling that I decided to find more books by the same author.

compound

to make something worse
Mixing two or many elements together will eventually create a new compound.

compress

to press or squeeze
compress the layers of mud as tightly as you can.

conserve

to use carefully in order to prevent loss or waste
We had to conserve our energy.

contaminate

to make dirty or impure by adding something harmful
The town's water-supply has been contaminated by chemicals from the factory.

continent

one of the earth's major land masses
Asia is the world's largest continent.

coral

a tropical sea animal that lives in colonies and whose hard skeletons form reefs
corals live deep under the sea.

destination

the place to which someone or something is going or being sent
Hawaii is a common destination for many vacationers.

dioxide

any chemical compound that includes a molecule with two oxygen atoms
Our new chain uses eco-friendly carbon dioxide.

displacement

the movement of something as a result of an outside force or circumstance
Someone caused the furniture's displacement in her room.

dynamic

the way that two or more people behave with each other because of a particular situation
We finally have a healthy dynamic.

ecology

the interactions between living things and their environment
The ecology of a place needs to be considered when adding new animals to the area.

emission

something produced or given off , especially a gas or radiation
The emission from cars creates air pollution.

equilibrium

balance
The sudden drop in prices upset the equilibrium of the economy.

essentially

in the most basic or general way
There are three essentially different ways of tackling the problem.

finite

having a limit
Only a finite number of situations can arise.

grid

a network of wires and equipment that supplies electricity to a large area
We located our town using the grid.

instability

the state of being likely to change
Due to political chaos, the government had a lot.

ion

an atom or molecule with a positive or negative charge
Such an atom is called a negative ion.

lag behind

to be in a position that is behind others; to develop more slowly
We lag behind other nations in the exploitation of the air.

looming

close to happening
We may have a looming problem in Iran.

nanomaterials

materials of which a single unit is between 1 and 1000 nanometers in size
Commission Communication on the regulatory aspects of nanomaterials.

propel

to push
The strong wind propelled the leaf through the air and across the street.

range

the distance over which a vehicle can travel before it needs more fuel
Two men were shot at close range.

rebate

an amount of money that a consumer receives back for buying a particular product or service
You are allowed a rebate of $10.

retreat

to move back
The army retreated because they were losing the battle.

shrink

to become smaller
Be careful not to wash your sweater in hot water because it could shrink.

toxic

poisonous
Don't they have a reliable system of toxic waste disposal?