IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER BY NGOC BACH

IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH Every day a new word A CONFLICT OF INTEREST On the one hand, the conservation role of zoos is now regarded as their primary function So, the welfare of animals must be given the top priority Instead of confinement in cages, as in the old days, zoos must now provide large enclosures which afford the wild animals ample space The idea is that these enclosures should replicate as faithfully as possible the natural habitats of the animals Given ideal conditions, it may even be possible to run a captive breeding programme which, if successful, might provide the best chance of survival for endangered species Several species, such as the giant panda, have been rescued from the brink of extinction through such programmes On the other hand, directors of zoos face a conflict of interest Zoos have to make money and, in order to this, have to attract a large number of visitors The provision of nearnatural conditions of captivity is expensive and few zoos receive government subsidies to help them to balance their budgets Not only that, but visitors want to see the animals up close, which is not always easy when the animals are roaming in extensive enclosures If caves, for example, are part of the bear enclosure, then if the bears are sleeping in their caves, then the public will be unable to see them The result will be disappointment VOCABULARY NOTES:  a conflict of interest occurs when a person or organisation is involved in competing interests, when serving one interest could involve working against another interest Often, it might be a financial conflict, This is a noun phrase, and in the plural the form ‘conflicts of interest’ is the normal usage Example: The company faced a conflict of interest It could use the profits from the previous year to raise the wages of the workers, or it could instead give a big bonus to the shareholders It is also used in another context, when someone cannot make an objective decision because they will be affected by the result Example: In a courtroom, members of the public are not allowed to sit on a jury if they know the person accused There would be a conflict of interest, since their personal knowledge of the accused would affect their ability to make an objective judgment of that person’s guilt or innocence The phrase can be used in either the speaking or writing papers It is a natural expression and also formal enough to use in an essay Think about a situation in which you – or + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH someone that you know – has faced a conflict of interest You might be able to use it when speaking about your career, for example Topically, there is a conflict of interest between those who want to see people return to work, and those who fear the health dangers of the spread of the corona virus if this is done too soon + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH Every day a new word A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE In the writing paper, this expression is suitably formal for task 2: ‘Among many educated young people today, there is increasing concern over the environment In particular, they fear that the planet will no longer be able to sustain human life as climate change results in crop failures, and pollution is contaminating the water that people drink and the air that they breathe Governments across the world are facing a crisis of confidence as these young people no longer believe in the commitment of their rulers to tackle environmental issues seriously In other words, governments are suddenly panicking because they have lost the trust and support of their people Their failure to take measures to protect the environment has encouraged many of the younger generation to take to the streets to protest against those governments’ VOCABULARY NOTES:  a crisis of confidence refers to a situation in which people no longer believe that a government or organisation is working properly, and therefore those people will no longer support it They no longer trust that government to act correctly or to the right thing This is a noun phrase, and the plural form is irregular: ‘crises of confidence’ In the speaking paper, the expression can also be used to refer to a time when you stopped believing in your ability to something: ‘Even though I had studied hard, I recall that I had a crisis of confidence just before my exams I was in a panic, because I no longer trusted myself to be able to answer the questions I was a bag of nerves, and so anxious that I doubted my ability to remember anything at all Luckily, as soon as I sat down with the paper in front of me, all of my exam nerves disappeared and I passed with flying colours’ In this context, you reach a critical point – a crisis – where there are two possibilities: you overcome the problem and regain your confidence, or you are so anxious that you lose your confidence and either you will not take the exam, or fail it + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH Every day a new word POSE A THREAT TO (SOMETHING OR SOMEBODY) Paragraph 1: One danger of globalisation is the increased prevalence of worldwide pandemics After the Ebola, SARS and MERS outbreaks in recent years, the corona virus now poses a serious threat to the well-being and even the lives of people all over the world International travel and commerce have enabled the virus to spread rapidly, endangering in particular the most vulnerable in society Those who are already suffering from long-term illnesses, the malnourished and the elderly are at the greatest risk In future, governments must coordinate their efforts in an international response to global pandemics, led by the World Health Organisation The next outbreak might be worse, and so the international community must be better prepared VOCABULARY NOTES:  to pose a threat to somebody or something means to present a difficult or dangerous situation That situation is likely to cause problems for somebody or something Therefore, note that we use the expression when there is a dangerous situation, or the chance of a dangerous situation (a risk), but the expected bad result has not yet happened In paragraph 1, something (the corona virus) presents a situation which endangers the lives of people all over the world So, in that example, something poses a threat to everybody It has resulted in the death of millions of people, but the possible bad result of everybody being infected with corona virus has not yet happened In writing or speaking, we can write or say that the dangers or difficulties are very great by using an adjective, such as a serious threat, a grave threat, or an unforeseen threat if the threat is unexpected or unpredicted In addition to adding an adjective, there are similar expressions which can be used, such as to pose a (serious) risk to/ to pose a (grave) danger to something or somebody The first paragraph deals with the topic of health, but the expression can be used in other contexts, for example: Paragraph 2: + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH There must be tougher punishments for people who drink and drive They pose a grave threat/danger to other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians The police should carry out increased testing using breathalysers, and those drivers who fail the test should be detained and banned from driving for life If this saves just one innocent life, then this harsh measure will be justified In paragraph 2, somebody (a drunken driver) causes a problem for everybody who uses the roads In this case, the bad result of an innocent person dying on the roads has not yet happened, although a person who drinks and drives makes this dangerous situation more likely Although it is formal enough to be used in writing task 2, we can also use it in the speaking paper, for example: Paragraph 3: One of my worst travel experiences was flying at night during a storm The noise of the thunder was terrifying Over the intercom, the captain reassured us that stormy conditions were common at that time of the year He said that we shouldn’t worry as the storm did not pose a risk to our safety, and that we had/we’d no need to feel concerned However, that’s one flight that I will never forget In paragraph 3, something (a storm) presented a dangerous situation for somebody (me) There was a chance (a risk) that the storm might cause the aircraft to crash, but it did not happen  There are other, less common, situations in which something poses a threat to something For example: The Great Fire of London in 1666 spread so rapidly that it posed a threat to the Tower of London but, at the last moment, the direction of the wind changed  Also, somebody can pose a threat to somebody, for example: In the USA, it is unlikely that any candidate will pose a serious threat to President Trump in the elections + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH Every day a new word FACE A DILEMMA Paragraph In several European countries, scientists calculate that the corona virus outbreak has now reached a peak They expect the number of deaths and the number of new cases of the virus to gradually decline In this situation, the governments of those countries now face a dilemma On the one hand, there are fears that if the restrictions presently imposed are lifted too quickly, then the corona virus may once again begin to spread among the population On the other hand, poorer people are suffering financially during this outbreak They need to return to work as soon as possible in order to pay their bills and feed their families VOCABULARY NOTES:  to face a dilemma: if you face or are faced with something difficult or unpleasant, you are in a situation that is going to affect you and you are going to have to deal with it In this expression, you have to face or deal with a dilemma A dilemma is a difficult situation in which you have to choose between two or more alternatives A person or an organisation may face a dilemma, because only people can choose between different alternatives In paragraph 1, the governments of Europe face a difficult situation – a dilemma - because the spread of the corona virus is slowing down They now have hard choices to make about when to lift the restrictions on the movement and activities of the population Some people will criticise the governments for acting too quickly and irresponsibly Others will criticise the governments for acting too slowly and cautiously So, in paragraph the context of ‘face a dilemma’ is that the subject (European governments) have to deal with (= to face) a difficult situation (the impact of the corona virus) There are two or more possible solutions, and choosing the best solution is a dilemma Do the governments lift the restrictions quickly, slowly or not lift any restrictions at the moment? In other words, they face a dilemma It is common to use an adjective to describe the dilemma, for example: Paragraph Not all sportsmen and sportswomen take up their sport for fame and fortune The most famous boxer in the history of the sport, Muhammad Ali, faced a grave moral dilemma at + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH one point in his career The US government ordered him to join the army and to go to Vietnam If he refused, he would lose all his titles as the heavyweight boxing champion of the world Ali refused to fight in the war, and so he lost all his boxing titles Opinion in the US was divided Some people called Ali unpatriotic, but others respected him for showing the same moral courage in his life as the physical courage that he showed in his sport In paragraph 2, a person (not an organisation) faced a dilemma In this context, he had only two choices, and the two choices were opposite He could fight in the US army, or he could refuse to fight In addition to using face a dilemma in writing task 2, it is also a useful expression in the speaking part of the exam You can use it, for instance, to talk about a personal experience Here is one example: Paragraph I’d like to talk about a memorable family event – my sister’s wedding I remember that it took place on the weekend before before I was due to sit a really important exam I was faced with a tricky dilemma Should I spend the weekend studying, or should I travel to Ho Chi Minh city for the wedding? To be honest, it wasn’t a difficult choice, and of course I wanted to be there on such a happy day for my sister Even if I failed my exam, there would always be another chance in future I would never have missed her special day Notice that in paragraph 3, we use the passive form: I was faced with a dilemma The preposition ‘with’ follows the passive form and goes before ‘a dilemma’ Notice also the use of a more informal adjective (‘tricky’) in this speaking example Again, there are two possible choices I choose one thing – to go to the wedding Therefore, I cannot the other thing – to stay home and study for the exam + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH Every day a new word ON THE BRINK OF Paragraph 1: In the current corona virus crisis, there is finally some optimistic news It is reported that researchers are on the brink of developing a vaccine which will protect against the virus Of course, it is not yet available, because during the next few months the vaccine will have to be tested Trials on humans must show that the new vaccine is effective and also that there are no serious side effects However, scientists are hopeful that a cure for the corona virus will be available for everyone very soon, perhaps even this year VOCABULARY NOTES:  on the brink of: this expression is used when something important, terrible or exciting is about to happen If it happens, we expect it to happen almost immediately It is followed by a noun or by an -ing word (see paragraphs and 2) The noun ‘brink’ can be used alone to mean the edge of a very steep place For example, you might warn a child: You can go to the top of the mountain, but don’t go near the brink because you might slip and fall In this example, the ‘brink’ is the piece of land on the edge of the mountain where, if a child moves, it might fall over the edge and down the mountain In paragraph 1, researchers are about to discover something important, and we expect this discovery/development to happen very soon It is important and exciting because it may prevent more people from being infected by the corona virus Note that they have not yet developed a vaccine, because they have to test it first However, very soon it may be possible to use the vaccine on everyone So, it is almost ready, but it is not ready yet The expression can also be used when we expect something terrible to happen, for example: Paragraph 2: It is now time to halt the exploitation of the world’s natural resources All over the planet, numerous species of plants and animals have either become extinct or they are on the brink of extinction Human activity has resulted in the loss of wildlife habitats through such practices as deforestation, marine pollution, and intensive agriculture For example, only a small number of tigers still exist in Indonesia, and wildlife experts forecast that soon there will be none left, except perhaps a few in zoos In paragraph 2, there are still tigers in Indonesia However, their numbers are so small that scientists expect that in a few years there will be no more tigers in that country In other + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH words, they are not yet extinct, but very soon the tigers will probably be extinct There will be no more Indonesian tigers Most of us think that will be terrible It can be used as a formal expression, but it is still informal enough to be used in the speaking part of the exam For example: Paragraph 3: Well, I think that advertising can have harmful effects I remember when a new i-Phone appeared in the shops One of my friends was crazy about it, but he didn’t have enough money to buy it He confessed to me that he was on the brink of stealing one from a shop when he decided to resist the temptation He did the right thing, but I believe that marketing is responsible for a lot of crime, especially shoplifting In paragraph 3, the friend was about to steal the i-Phone, but at the last moment he decided not to steal it We can imagine that he almost picked up the i-Phone to put it in his pocket, but then at the last second he decided not to commit the crime Here, we used the expression in relation to the topic of ‘advertising’ (imagine a Part Speaking question on this topic) + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH Every day a new word A CRIME OF PASSION Paragraph It is simplistic to believe that longer prison sentences always act as a deterrent Many crimes are not planned in advance A high proportion of shoplifters, for example, see some item on display in a store and, at that very moment, they desire to possess that item so much that they are tempted to steal it Some violent crimes, too, are unplanned, in particular crimes of passion Take the case when a man may assault or murder his wife or girlfriend, because of sudden jealous rage if he discovers her with another man Although he may regret his violent reaction for the rest of his life, at the moment of committing the crime he is not considering the possibility of spending years in prison He is simply mad with anger and jealousy, and not thinking about what he is doing This is no excuse, of course – he has injured or killed another person and must spend years in prison However, these examples illustrate that the threat of long imprisonment does not deter crime in all cases VOCABULARY NOTES:  a crime of passion: this is a violent crime committed because of strong emotional feelings A person commits a crime of passion against another person because of a sudden, strong feeling of rage or jealousy It is not a crime which has been planned in advance On the contrary, it takes place spontaneously as an immediate, unthinking response to a situation In paragraph 1, a man hits or kills his partner (usually his wife or girlfriend) if he unexpectedly finds her in the arms of another man In that moment, he is so angry that he becomes violent and he loses control of his actions His emotions make him blind to the results of his actions He does not consider the terrible consequences In more normal circumstances, perhaps he would never be violent or hurt anyone This is a noun phrase Note the plural form in paragraph 1: crimes of passion It may be a useful expression in writing task 2, if you have to write about the topic of crime and punishment Although the expression is formal, you can also use it in the speaking paper, Part You could give your opinion about the punishment that should be given for crimes as part of your answer See paragraph for an example: Paragraph + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) 10 IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH Well, I believe that we can’t always assume that there’s a connection between harsh punishments and a reduction in crime For example, a crime of passion is committed by someone who is not even thinking about possible future punishment During the recent corona virus outbreak, I read about a man who threw his wife from the balcony of their hotel They’d been waiting for weeks to return home to the UK, confined to their hotel room Of course, nobody can excuse his actions, but we can explain his emotional instability which led to this tragic and terrible murder However, in that moment of madness, the man gave no thought to the years that he’d have to spend in prison for his crime In paragraph 2, there are all the elements which define a crime of passion The crime is violent – the man throws his wife from the balcony He did not consider the consequences – of course, the police will catch him and he will spend years in prison for his terrible action He was out of control for a few moments If he had waited for even a few seconds after an argument with his wife, perhaps if he had taken a shower or had a drink, he would never have killed his wife He could not think like a rational person, because he was mad with rage for those few tragic moments + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) 11 IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH Every day a new word IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES Paragraph 1: The use of technology in the classroom has increased dramatically in recent years However, while some people believe that teachers will soon be replaced by computers, others argue that a computer should be regarded simply as another teaching aid, in the same way as a book Although IT in the classroom is sometimes characterised as interactive learning, the only real interactive learning is that which takes place between students and teachers, and between students and students Dialogue, the key to developing critical thinking, is not possible either with a textbook or with a software programme Of course, such programmes play an important role in improving educational outcomes They are flexible, often exciting, visual and challenging They can pose questions to test knowledge, but they cannot interact in the sense of opening a dialogue with students VOCABULARY NOTES:  improve educational outcomes: this expression can simply be used to mean ‘to help students to learn more effectively’ More often, however, we think of the expression in terms of: ‘to achieve better exam results’ You decide which meaning to use in your writing  In paragraph 1, the discussion is about the increasing use of technology in education, and whether the role of the teacher can be replaced by computers The answer given is NO, because computers are just another educational tool that can be used by teachers when the teacher thinks they will help students to learn more effectively The expression is, therefore, not used in the context of exam results here Then, some reasons are given why good software programmes often help students to learn, although they have limitations The expression could also be used in the speaking part of the exam, most probably in Part 3, if you are asked to talk about topics of technology or education Paragraph provides one example of how it might be used: Paragraph 2: Well, of course, I think it’s important to consider different approaches to help students to learn From my own personal experience, for example, my school introduced more computers in the classroom in an attempt to improve educational outcomes Our teacher + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) 12 IELTS VOCABULARY BOOSTER 2020 BY NGOCBACH chose some really interesting and challenging software to make us think at the same time that we were enjoying the activities She said that she chose the activities which would help us to understand, not simply to memorise information which would be forgotten as soon as the exams finished Governments may plan to replace teachers with computers Computers are cheaper, they’re never ill, never take maternity leave and what happens in the classroom can be controlled Even discipline could be maintained using surveillance cameras linked to security guards based in the school I hope this won’t be the future for education  In paragraph 2, the examiner has asked a question about the increasing use of technology in the classroom The answer given is positive, in terms of the potential use of computers as a means to improve educational outcomes However, emphasis is given to the need to choose software programmes that will make children think and develop their understanding These are the educational outcomes which are important, not the use of computers simply so that children will memorise information more effectively for exam purposes + Thông tin lớp offline tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5/2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/package + Hotline tư vấn đăng ký học: 0974657403 (email tư vấn: ieltsbach1707@gmail.com) 13 ... tháng 5 /2020: https://ieltsngocbach.com/offline + Thông tin lớp online package tháng 5 /2020: 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