Unit 10

Word

Definition

Example

lesson

a period of time when you are taught something.

It was such an interesting lesson that the time seemed to fly by!

pass

to be successful in an exam or test.

Gabriel was so pleased when he passed the English test.

primary

relating to the first years of school.

I've still got lots of friends from primary school.

pupil

a child who goes to school.

There are 30 pupils in my class.

read

to look at and understand written words.

I've been reading an interesting book about music.

secondary

relating to the school for students aged about 11–18.

When I was 11, I started at my local secondary school.

student

a person who studies at school, college, or university.

I'd love to be a student at a large university.

study

to learn about a subject by reading or attending classes.

We've been studying the Ancient Romans in history at school.

subject

a topic you study at school, like maths or history.

My favourite subject at school is history.

take

to do or sit for an exam or class.

If you fail the exam, you can take it again next year.

break up

stop going to school for the holidays

We break up on Friday and then we can relax!

copy out

write something again exactly as it's been written

Please copy out the first sentence on page 57.

drop out

leave (a course) before the end

Otis hated college and he dropped out after only a few weeks.

fall behind

not be at the same level as

You need to work hard or you'll fall behind the others.

go over

repeat to make something clear

Let's go over the definition one more time.

hand

give to someone in authority

When you have finished your exam, hand your paper in to the examiner.

has his nose in a book

to be reading or studying for a long time.

Kai loves reading, he always has his nose in a book.

learn it by heart

to memorize something perfectly.

When I find a poem I really like, I try to learn it by heart.

learn the ropes

to learn how to do a job or activity.

Once you've learnt the ropes, this job is quite easy.

pass the test with flying colours

to pass something very successfully.

You're good at maths so I'm sure you'll pass the test with flying colours.

put your thinking cap on

to start thinking carefully about a problem.

Put your thinking cap on and you'll find a solution to the problem.

teach a lesson

to make someone understand the result of doing something wrong.

It's time somebody taught that bully a lesson!

camel

a large desert animal with a long neck and a hump on its back.

Camels can live for a long time without water.

desert

a very dry area of land with little rain or plants.

Take lots of water if you're going out into the desert.

dolphin

a smart sea animal that looks like a fish but breathes air.

Dolphins don't enjoy performing or doing tricks.

elephant

a very large grey animal with a trunk and big ears.

They say that elephants never forget!

giraffe

a tall animal with a very long neck and legs.

Giraffes have long necks to reach the tops of trees.

gorilla

a large, strong ape that lives in forests.

Did you know gorillas make a new nest every night?

grassland

an area of land covered with grass.

Many animals live in the grasslands in Africa.

lion

a large wild cat known as “the king of the jungle.”

When we were on safari, we could hear the lions roaring.

lizard

a small reptile with a long body and tail.

A small lizard ran across the hot rock.

monkey

an animal that lives in trees and has a long tail.

Monkeys can use their tails to hold onto branches.

ocean

a very large area of salt water that covers most of the Earth.

Does anything live at the bottom of the ocean?

rainforest

a thick forest in a hot area with a lot of rain.

Sadly, the rainforests are disappearing.

shark

a large, dangerous sea fish with sharp teeth.

There aren't any sharks in the sea here, are there?

snake

a long, thin animal that slides on the ground and has no legs.

Watch you don't stand on that snake!

tiger

a large wild cat with orange fur and black stripes.

Most tigers are orange and black, but I've seen white tigers.

whale

the largest animal in the ocean, a mammal that breathes air.

We were all scared when a whale appeared beside our boat.

zebra

an African animal like a horse with black and white stripes.

Is it possible to ride a zebra like you can ride a horse?

bring up

raise a child

I was brought up by my grandparents.

cut

break something down into pieces

He cut the vegetables up and started making the soup.

end up

the result of a past action or event

We're travelling across the USA and planning to end up in San Francisco.

fill up

make something full

Before a long drive, I always fill up the car with petrol.

grow up

grow older / become an adult

My best friend grew up in Spain, so she's fluent in Spanish.

keep up

continue to do something

Our basketball team won the league last year, so hopefully we can keep up the winning ways this year!

split up

to end a relationship

Apparently, 5% of animals are together for life and don't split up.

wake up

stop sleeping or feel energetic

The noisy traffic outside the hotel woke him up really early.

disgust

to make someone feel very uncomfortable or sick.

The smell of rotten food disgusted everyone.

explain

to make something clear or easy to understand.

The teacher explained the rules of the game.

nature

everything in the world not made by people, like animals and plants.

I love walking in nature and seeing the trees and birds.

poison

a substance that can make you very ill or kill you.

Some mushrooms contain poison and are dangerous to eat.

scene

a part of a film, play, or situation.

The last scene of the movie was very emotional.

science

the study of how the world works through observation and experiments.

Science helps us understand how things work.

sun

the bright star that gives us light and heat.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

tropic

a region of the Earth near the equator with a hot climate.

Many exotic plants grow in the tropics.