Unit 4 - Humanity | Exercises and Flashcards

Unit 4, Speakout Advanced 3rd Exercises and Flashcards

These exercises focus on Unit 4, Speakout Advanced 3rd

Wordlist for Unit 4, Speakout Advanced 3rd Exercises

Word	Definition	Example
technological breakthrough	A major advance in technology	The new vaccine is a technological breakthrough
pioneer	A person who is among the first to explore or develop something new	She is a pioneer in medical research
endeavour	An effort or attempt to achieve something	He will endeavour to complete the project on time
push boundaries	To challenge limits or explore new possibilities	Scientists push boundaries in their research
expand the world	To increase knowledge or opportunities globally	New discoveries expand the world of science
trailblazer	A person who is the first to do something, leading the way for others	She is a trailblazer in environmental activism
persistence	Continuing to try despite difficulties	His persistence led to success
conquer	To overcome or defeat something	They aim to conquer the highest peak
blaze a trial	To create a new path or way forward	She blazed a trail in the tech industry
scope	The range or extent of something	The scope of the project is wide
determination	Firmness of purpose; resolve	His determination is inspiring
private enterprise	Business owned by individuals rather than the government	Private enterprise can boost the economy
humankind	All human beings collectively	This invention benefits all humankind
artificial intelligence	Computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence	Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving
hyperloop tunnel	A proposed high-speed transportation system	The hyperloop tunnel promises faster travel
indulge the vision	To allow or support a creative idea or dream	Investors indulge the vision of space travel
startlingly	Surprisingly or shockingly	The results were startlingly accurate
expandable station	A facility that can grow or be added to in size	The expandable station can house more astronauts
obstacle	A barrier or hindrance to progress	He overcame every obstacle in his path
deprived of	Lacking something essential	The region is deprived of clean water
thirst for	A strong desire for something	He has a thirst for knowledge
back a project	To support or fund a particular initiative	Investors back the project with funding
fuel your motivation	To inspire or drive your desire to achieve something	Set goals to fuel your motivation
pursue an ambition	To actively work towards a goal or dream	She decided to pursue an ambition to write
push the limits	To test the boundaries of what is possible	Athletes push the limits of endurance
raise funding	To gather financial support for a project	They need to raise funding for the new school
realise a dream	To make a goal or aspiration come true	She worked hard to realise her dream of becoming a doctor
satisfy your curiosity	To fulfill your desire to learn or know more	The trip will satisfy your curiosity about history
serve science	To contribute to scientific knowledge or research	This research will serve science well
shareholder	An owner of shares in a company	He is a shareholder in the company
venture	A risky or daring journey or project	They started a new business venture
traffic congestion	Overcrowding of vehicles on roads	Traffic congestion is a big problem in the city
shattered	Broken into pieces; emotionally devastated	He felt shattered after the long flight
snooze	To sleep lightly or briefly	I hit the snooze button on my alarm
blindingly obvious	Very clear or evident	The solution was blindingly obvious
gravely mistaken	Seriously wrong in understanding	He is gravely mistaken about the facts
immediately important	Urgently needed or relevant	This matter is immediately important
infinitely preferable	Much better in every way	This option is infinitely preferable to the other
ludicrously high	Ridiculously high	The price is ludicrously high
vehemently opposed	Strongly against something	She is vehemently opposed to the idea
wildly inaccurate	Very wrong or false	The rumors were wildly inaccurate
face the day	To confront the challenges of a new day	After a coffee, I can face the day
go through a rough patch	To experience a difficult time	They are going through a rough patch in their marriage
have a knock-on effect	To cause additional effects or consequences	The new law will have a knock-on effect on businesses
giving a helping hand	Offering assistance or support	She enjoys giving a helping hand to those in need
make ends meet	To manage one's finances to cover basic expenses	It's hard to make ends meet on a low salary
spread the word	To share information widely	Please spread the word about the event
vulnerable people	Those who are at risk or in need of protection	We need to protect vulnerable people
compassionate society	A community that cares for and supports others	A compassionate society cares for its members
emphasise	To give special importance to something	The teacher will emphasise the importance of reading
all-elusive	Difficult to find or achieve	The all-elusive goal was finally achieved
fob off	To avoid dealing with someone or something	He tried to fob off his responsibilities onto others
fertiliser	A substance added to soil to help plants grow	Farmers use fertiliser to help crops grow
greenhouse	A structure for growing plants in a controlled environment	Plants thrive in a greenhouse environment
circular economy	An economic system aimed at minimizing waste	The company promotes a circular economy
aloof	Distant or uninvolved	She seemed aloof at the party, not talking to anyone
appreciative	Grateful or thankful	He was appreciative of her help
compassionate	Showing concern for others' suffering	The nurse was compassionate towards her patients
conscientious	Diligent and responsible in doing tasks	She is a conscientious worker, always meeting deadlines
intuitive	Understanding something instinctively or naturally	Some people have an intuitive understanding of math
resourceful	Able to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties	He is resourceful and can solve problems quickly
selfless	Putting others' needs before one's own	His selfless act saved the drowning child
aligning incentives	Adjusting rewards to motivate desired behavior	Aligning incentives can motivate employees to perform well
business model	A plan for how a company will make money	The company's business model focuses on sustainability
collaborative consumption	Sharing goods and services among individuals	Collaborative consumption reduces waste
drive customer loyalty	To encourage customers to remain loyal to a brand	Excellent service can drive customer loyalty
finite resources	Limited supplies that will run out	We must use finite resources wisely
investment opportunities	Chances to invest money for potential profit	There are many investment opportunities in the market
on-demand access	Immediate availability of services or goods	The app provides on-demand access to movies
sharing economy	An economic model based on sharing resources	The sharing economy promotes resource efficiency
zero waste	A philosophy aimed at eliminating waste	Their goal is to achieve zero waste production
endangered	At risk of extinction	The tiger is an endangered species
become extinct	To cease to exist	Dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago
vertebrate mammal	Animals with a backbone that are warm-blooded	The dog is a vertebrate mammal
species	A group of similar organisms that can breed together	There are many species of birds in the forest
in captivity	Living in controlled environments, such as zoos	The panda was born in captivity
kick it off with	To start something in a particular way	Let's kick off the meeting with introductions
at an unprecedented rate	Faster than ever before	Technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate
global assessment	An evaluation that considers worldwide factors	The UN conducts a global assessment of climate change
grave impacts	Serious or severe effects	Climate change has grave impacts on the environment
pool evidence together	To gather and combine information or data	Researchers pool evidence together to support their claims
seemingly infinite	Appearing to be endless	The universe is seemingly infinite
set to disappear	Likely to vanish or be lost	The ancient ruins are set to disappear without protection
take immediate action	To respond quickly to a situation	We need to take immediate action to address the issue
the brink of extinction	Very close to becoming extinct	The polar bear is on the brink of extinction

FAQ

Why is understanding humanity-related vocabulary important?

These words allow you to discuss global issues, technological progress, and social initiatives with clarity. They help bridge gaps in understanding and emphasize the shared responsibilities of humankind.

What does “push boundaries” mean in the context of humanity?

It refers to exploring new ideas, technologies, or territories that were previously thought impossible. For instance, developing artificial intelligence is an example of pushing boundaries in technology.

How can “compassionate society” be achieved?

A compassionate society prioritizes empathy, support for vulnerable people, and shared values. It can be achieved through policies, community programs, and fostering awareness about societal issues.

What’s the significance of a “technological breakthrough”?

A technological breakthrough is a major advancement that revolutionizes industries or improves quality of life, such as the invention of the internet or the development of renewable energy.

What does “pursue an ambition” mean, and why is it important?

To pursue an ambition is to actively work toward achieving a goal or dream. It’s important because it fuels personal growth and contributes to societal progress.

How does “collaborative consumption” contribute to sustainability?

Collaborative consumption, or the sharing economy, reduces waste and promotes efficient use of resources by enabling people to share or rent goods and services instead of owning them.

What is “zero waste,” and why is it a key concept?

Zero waste is a philosophy and goal of eliminating all waste by reusing, recycling, or composting materials. It’s crucial for conserving finite resources and reducing environmental harm.

What does “on-demand access” mean in modern society?

On-demand access refers to the ability to instantly access goods or services whenever needed, often through digital platforms. This concept is central to today’s convenience-driven economy.

Why is “the brink of extinction” a critical phrase?

It highlights the urgent need to protect endangered species and ecosystems. Preventing extinction is essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance.

How can we “fuel motivation” for tackling global challenges?

Motivation can be fueled by raising awareness, sharing success stories, and providing incentives or resources to those working toward solutions. Encouraging collaboration and emphasizing achievable goals also play a vital role.

What does it mean to “align incentives” in business?

Aligning incentives ensures that the goals of individuals, companies, and society are in harmony. For example, businesses can be motivated to adopt sustainable practices if it also benefits their profits and reputation.