| a small change made in something such as a design, plan, or system | modification,_,We’ve made one or two modifications to the original design. |
| a wild plant growing where it is not wanted that prevents crops or garden flowers from growing properly | weed,_,We are constantly battling against weeds in this area. |
| plants that are tolerant of particular weather or soil conditions can exist in those conditions | tolerant,_,We need to plant trees that are tolerant of salt sea winds. |
| causing harm | harmful,_,Unfortunately, farmers have often used chemicals which are harmful to the environment. |
| severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad or very serious | severe,_,She’s suffering from severe depression. |
| to use something such as a method, idea, or law in a particular situation, activity, or process | apply to,_,New technology is being applied to almost every industrial process. |
| the grain that bread is made from, or the plant that it grows on | wheat,_,The fields of wheat were dotted with bright red poppies. |
| a structure made of wires or bars in which birds or animals can be kept | cage,_,Once the hamster managed to get out of its cage and it took us days to find it. |
| the process of making air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use, or the state of being dangerously dirty | pollution,_,The costs of pollution control must be considered. |
| the cultivation of marine creatures for food | aquaculture,_,There are a lot of aquaculture projects along the coast here. |
| a large area of land where it is always very dry, and there is a lot of sand | desert,_,The plane crash-landed in the desert. |
| relating to the sea and the creatures that live there | marine,_,Pollution has affected many marine mammals. |
| having water that contains no salt | freshwater,_,He only goes freshwater fishing. |
| the time or state when someone or something is fully grown or developed | maturity,_,These insects reach full maturity after a few weeks. |
| the process of treating used objects or materials so that they can be used again | recycling,_,Recycling is important to help protect our environment. |
| something that you get because you have done something good or helpful or have worked hard | reward,_,The school has a system of rewards and punishments to encourage good behaviour. |
| a strong feeling that you must do the same things as other people of your age if you want them to like you | peer pressure,_,Teenagers often start smoking because of peer pressure. |
| an official rule or order | regulation,_,There seem to be so many rules and regulations these days. |
| the piece of paper or plastic that covers something when it is sold | wrapper,_,The street was covered in old sweet wrappers. |
| a container in a public place, for things people throw away, such as papers or cans | litter bin,_,The town has put up extra litter bins in an attempt to encourage people to throw their litter away. |
| to leave waste paper, cans etc on the ground in a public place | litter,_,People seem to think that littering streets with old take-away food is acceptable. |
| to gently persuade or encourage someone to take a particular decision or action | nudge,_,We’re trying to nudge them towards a practical solution. |
| an action, especially an official one, that is intended to deal with a particular problem | measure,_,Measures are being taken to reduce crime in the city. |
| the amount of energy, oil, electricity etc that is used | consumption,_,Vigorous exercise increases oxygen consumption. |
| to try to judge the value, size, speed, cost etc of something, without calculating it exactly | estimate,_,The tree is estimated to be at least 700 years old. |
| a company, organisation, or business | enterprise,_,Several similar enterprises have emerged over the last year. |
| if you pay money upfront, you pay it before any work has been done or before any goods are supplied | upfront,_,He requires you to pay him upfront. |
| to make as much use as possible of the ideas, experience, knowledge etc that a group of people has | tapping into,_,He helps people to tap into the training opportunities available. |
| a group, event etc that is less important or popular than the main group etc, or whose opinions are not accepted by most other people involved in the same activity | fringe,_,The environment is no longer a fringe issue. |
| a fashion, game, type of music etc that becomes very popular for a short time | craze,_,She started a craze for this type of jewellery. |
| someone who publicly supports someone or something | advocate,_,She’s a passionate advocate of natural childbirth. |
| used to say that although something is true of one thing, it is not true of another | whereas,_,The old system was fairly complicated whereas the new system is really very simple. |
| to tell information to someone and be given information in return | swap,_,We need to get together to swap ideas and information. |
| a business deal or action, such as buying or selling something | transaction,_,The bank charges a fixed rate for each transaction. |
| used when talking about a choice you have to make or about something that is not certain | whether,_,Maurice asked me whether I needed any help. |
| to state, giving clear reasons, that something is true, should be done etc | argue,_,It could be argued that a dam might actually increase the risk of flooding. |
| if you keep up with the Joneses, you try to have the same new impressive possessions that other people have | keep up with the Joneses,_,They're always trying to keep up with the Joneses. It's ridiculous. |
| a machine used for cutting grass | lawn mower,_,She kept the lawn mower in the garage. |
| a piece of clothing which has been used by someone and then given to another person | hand-me-down,_,She refused to wear hand-me-downs. |
| using a lot of petrol | gas-guzzling,_,Why do people want to buy gas-guzzling cars these days? |
| a situation in which there is not enough of something that people need. | shortage,_,There is no shortage of funds. |
| having enough money to buy or pay for something | affordable,_,The government needs to build more affordable housing. |
| happening or existing now | current,_,In its current state, the car is worth £1,000. |
| a word used especially in letters or speeches to introduce the subject you are writing or talking about | regarding,_,Regarding your recent inquiry, I have enclosed a copy of our new brochure. |
| when you get rid of something | disposal,_,It's important to have the safe disposal of radioactive waste. |
| not thinking about the needs and feelings of other people, especially because you are thinking about what you want | thoughtlessly,_,They thoughtlessly told her she couldn’t come to the party. |
| to get rid of something | discard,_,Discard any old cleaning materials. |
| something that may be dangerous, or cause accidents or problems | hazard,_,Polluted water sources are a hazard to wildlife. |
| extremely and suddenly | drastically,_,The size of the army was drastically cut. |
| the practice of burying waste under the ground, or the waste buried in this way | landfill,_,Landfill sites could pollute the environment around them. |
