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IELTS Reading Unit 3 ADVANCED: Clean Water

Terms in this set (40)

scarcity (n)
a ​situation in which something is not ​easy to ​find or get
abundant (adj)
more than enough
urgent (adj)
needing ​attention very ​soon, ​especially before anything ​else, because ​important
issue (n)
a ​subject or ​problem that ​people are ​thinking and ​talking about
contract (v)
(formal) to ​catch or ​become ​ill with a ​disease; become ill
water-borne (adj)
carried by or through ​water
sanitation (n)
the ​systems for taking ​dirty ​water and other ​waste ​products away from ​buildings in ​order to ​protect people's ​health
sub-Saharan (adj)
relating to the ​part of the ​continent of ​Africa that is ​south of the Sahara Desert
access (n) (v)
the ​method or ​possibility of getting near to a ​place or ​person
pipe (v)
to ​transport something in a pipe
drainage (n)
the ​system of ​water or ​waste ​liquids ​flowing away from ​somewhere into the ​ground or down ​pipes
provision (n)
the ​act of ​providing something
consumption (n)
the ​act of using, ​eating, or ​drinking something
treated water (n)
water which has been purified, removing existing water contaminants or reducing their concentration so that the water becomes fit for its desired use.
surface water (n)
natural water that has not penetrated much below the surface of the ground
unprecedented (adj)
never having ​happened or ​existed in the past
precedent (n)
an ​action, ​situation, or ​decision that has already ​happened and can be used as a ​reason why a ​similar ​action or ​decision should be ​performed or made
premises (n)
the ​land and ​buildings ​owned by someone, ​especially by a ​company or ​organization
sustainable (adj)
causing little or no ​damage to the ​environment and ​therefore ​able to ​continue for a ​long ​time; able to ​continue over a ​period of ​time:
scrap metal (n)
discarded metal suitable for reprocessing
washer (n)
a ​flat ​ring of ​metal, ​rubber, or ​plastic that is put ​somewhere, ​especially between a ​screw or ​bolt and a ​surface, or between ​joined ​pipes, in ​order to make a ​better ​connection between them
(at) interval (n)
repeated after a ​particular ​period of ​time or a ​particular ​distance
encase (v) (adj)
to ​cover or ​surround something or someone ​completely
water line (n)
a horizontal mark on a wall or other surface that was made by water during a flood and that shows how high the water was; shoreline
PVC (n
(abbreviation) for polyvinyl ​chloride: a ​type of ​plastic, used ​especially for making ​clothes, ​floor ​coverings, and ​bags
suction (n)
the ​act of ​removing ​air from a ​space ​resulting in a ​lower ​pressure in that ​space, either ​causing ​liquid, ​gases, or other ​substances to ​enter, or ​causing two ​surfaces to ​stick together
parameter (n)
a set of ​facts or a ​fixed ​limit that ​establishes or ​limits how something can or must ​happen or be done
indicator (n)
something that ​shows what a ​situation is like
assessment (n)
the ​act of ​judging or ​deciding the ​amount, ​value, ​quality, or ​importance of something, or the ​judgment or ​decision that is made
constrain (v)
to ​control and ​limit something
contaminant (n)
a ​substance that makes something less ​pure or makes it ​poisonous
exclude (v)
to ​intentionally not ​include something
concentration (n)
the ​exact ​amount of one ​particular ​substance that is ​found in another ​substance
temporal (adj)
relating to ​practical ​matters or ​physical things; time
spacial (adj)
relating to the ​position, ​area, and ​size of things
public health (n)
the ​government ​system for ​providing for the ​health ​needs and ​services of all the ​people of a ​country or ​region; health in general
current (adj)
of the ​present ​time
catchment (n) (adj)
the amount of water caught; the area drained by a river or body of water. Also called catchment basin.
tremendous (adj)
very ​great in ​amount or ​level, or ​extremely good
applaud (v)
(formal) to say that you ​admire and ​agree with a person's ​action or ​decision; praise
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