Correct use of english vocabulary 02: Describing the World - Thẩm Tâm Vy

 Thẩm Tâm Vy, Christmas Eve, 2018 CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY ~ UNIT 2 
CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY 02 
Describing the World 
Climate 
 Travelling from north to south in Nigeria, you pass through a fascinating series of 
landscapes. Rainfall1 in the south-east can be extremely high in the wet season, whereas 
the northern part of the country is arid2 and prone to3 drought4 during the dry season. 
1. the amount of rain that falls, for example in a month or in a year - 2 dry - 3 tending to have a 
particular negative characteristic - 4 long period without rain 
Vegetation 
 More than 30% of the landscape of Canada lies inside the Arctic Circle, where the land 
can stay frozen for up to nine months of the year. In these regions, known as the tundra 
1
, vegetation 
2
 is limited. Further south, dense, coniferous 
3
 forests known as taiga cover 
large areas of land. Towards the border with the United States are the grasslands of the 
prairies 
4
 and the mixed, temperate forests. 
1
 area in the north with no trees and permanently frozen ground 
2
 plant life 
3
 trees that are 
evergreen [in leaf all year round] and produce cones, unlike deciduous trees, which lose their 
leaves in winter 
4 
flat grasslands in Canada and northern USA (similar to steppes in Asia or 
pampas in South America) 
Agriculture 
 Rice is the main crop grown in the south of China, along with tea, cotton, fruit and 
vegetables. The rice is planted in flooded paddy fields 
1
. A good year can see two crops 
of rice and one of vegetables harvested. In the drier, hillier north and west, farmers 
generally harvest a single crop of cereals 
2
 and, in addition, tend 
3
 sheep and cattle. 
1
 fields planted with rice growing in water - 
2
 type of grass cultivated to produce a grain, e.g. a 
food plant like rice, wheat or maize - 
3
 take care of 
Industry 
 France is one of the world’s leading developed 1 nations. It is home to large 
manufacturing 
2
, steel and chemical industries. The country is an important and major 
producer of aircraf and cars and is at the forefront 
3
 of technology and engineering. Its 
sizeable nuclear industry generates 
4
 a significant proportion of the nation’s electrical 
power. Like many developed countries, France provides a lot of help and aid to 
developing 
5
 countries. 
1
 with a modern, industrial economy - 
2
 producing goods in large numbers - 
3
 in an important 
position - 
4
 produces/creates - 
5
 describes a country that is poor and does not have a modern, 
industrial economy 
Population 
 Brazil is a vibrant mixture of peoples. Some are descended from
1
 indigenous 
2
 tribes, 
others from the Portuguese, who were the colonial power in Brazil for 300 years. Many 
Brazilians have African ancestors
3
 brought over in the 17
th
 century as slaves to work on 
sugar plantations. 
 During the 20
th
 century, large numbers of European migrants 
4
 settled 
5
 in the south. 
1
 are related to someone who lived in the past - 
2
 existing naturally in that place - 
3
 relatives from 
earlier times: we are our ancestors’ descendants - 4 people who move to live in another country 
or another part of their own country (ofen for reasons of economic need; an emigrant is 
someone who leaves a country, an immigrant is someone who moves to live in a country)- 
5
 made their homes 
PRACTICE 
I. Match the two parts of the collocations from above. Note the words are not all in bold. 
1. coniferous a. plantation 
2. developed b. industry 
3. paddy c. forest 
4. chemical d. field 
5. sugar e. nation 
II. Here are some other words which collocate with the words in the right-hand column in 
the exercise above. There are three for each of the five words. Can you match them? 
coffee deciduous dense developing manufacturing oil pharmaceutical 
rain magnetic rubber tea textile wheat independent sovereign 
III. Complete the sentences using a word from the box. There may be more than one 
possible answer. 
descendants ancestors migrants emigrants immigrants 
1. I believe my.................came to Britain from France in the 17th century. 
2. Many................. lef Russia for France afer the Revolution in 1917. 
3. The USA has traditionally welcomed................. from all over the world. 
4. Our largest cities are full of .................looking for work and a better life. 
5. Some Scots are said to be the.................of 16th century Spanish sailors shipwrecked 
off the Scottish coast. 
IV. Rewrite the underlined words using words and expressions from the opposite 
page. 
1. Recently, the country’s economy has suffered a decline in industry concerned with 
making things. 
2. The university has long been in a very important position in agricultural science. 
3. The river delta tends to suffer catastrophic flooding on a regular basis. 
4. One can ofen see local shepherds looking afer large flocks of sheep on the hillsides. 
5. In the late 18
th
 century, migrants made their home in the uncultivated lands towards 
the north of the country. 
6. In the extremely dry southern provinces, plant life is sparse. 
7. In the cold northern regions, the landscape consists mostly of permanently frozen 
ground with no trees. 
8. The tribes that have always existed naturally in the eastern jungles are now facing 
threats to their way of life. 
9. The farmlands are dotted with woods that lose their leaves in winter, while the large 
forests of trees that are always in leaf provide the country with much-needed timber. 
10. The flat grasslands of the northern USA experienced a severe long period with no 
rain last year. 
(*|*) 
~ 
 Thẩm Tâm Vy, Christmas Eve, 2018 CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY ~ UNIT 2 
 Climate Vegetation 
Agriculture Industry 
Population 
ANSWER KEY