Nâng cấp từ vựng IELTS Vocab Booster 2 Test 3- READING PASSAGE 3
As a whole, European countries see forests as performing a triple function: biological, economic and recreational. The first is to act as a ‘green lung’ for our planet; by means of photosynthesis, forests produce oxygen through the transformation of solar energy, thus fulfilling what for humans is the essential role of an immense, non-polluting power plant. At the same time, forests provide raw materials for human activities through their constantly renewed production of wood. Finally, they offer those condemned to spend five days a week in an urban environment an unrivalled area of freedom to unwind and take part in a range of leisure activities, such as hunting, riding and hiking. The economic importance of forests has been understood since the dawn of man – wood was the first fuel. The other aspects have been recognised only for a few centuries but they are becoming more and more important. Hence, there is a real concern throughout Europe about the damage to the forest environment which threatens these three basic roles.
The myth of the ‘natural’ forest has survived, yet there are effectively no remaining ‘primary’ forests in Europe. All European forests are artificial, having been adapted and exploited by man for thousands of years. This means that a forest policy is vital, that it must transcend national frontiers and generations of people, and that it must allow for the inevitable changes that take place in the forests, in needs, and hence in policy. The Strasbourg conference was one of the first events on such a scale to reach this conclusion. A general declaration was made that ‘a central place in any ecologically coherent forest policy must be given to continuity over time and to the possible effects of unforeseen events, to ensure that the full potential of these forests is maintained’.
That general declaration was accompanied by six detailed resolutions to assist national policy-making. The first proposes the extension and systematisation of surveillance sites to monitor forest decline. Forest decline is still poorly understood but leads to the loss of a high proportion of a tree’s needles or leaves. The entire continent and the majority of species are now affected: between 30% and 50% of the tree population. The condition appears to result from the cumulative effect of a number of factors, with atmospheric pollutants the principal culprits. Compounds of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide should be particularly closely watched. However, their effects are probably accentuated by climatic factors, such as drought and hard winters, or soil imbalances such as soil acidification, which damages the roots. The second resolution concentrates on the need to preserve the genetic diversity of European forests. The aim is to reverse the decline in the number of tree species or at least to preserve the ‘genetic material’ of all of them. Although forest fires do not affect all of Europe to the same extent, the amount of damage caused the experts to propose as the third resolution that the Strasbourg conference consider the establishment of a European databank on the subject. All information used in the development of national preventative policies would become generally available. The subject of the fourth resolution discussed by the ministers was mountain forests. In Europe, it is undoubtedly the mountain ecosystem which has changed most rapidly and is most at risk. A thinly scattered permanent population and development of leisure activities, particularly skiing, have resulted in significant long-term changes to the local ecosystems. Proposed developments include a preferential research program on mountain forests. The fifth resolution relaunched the European research network on the physiology of trees, called Eurosilva. Eurosilva should support joint European research on tree diseases and their physiological and biochemical aspects. Each country concerned could increase the number of scholarships and other financial support for doctoral theses and research projects in this area. Finally, the conference established the framework for a European research network on forest ecosystems. This would also involve harmonising activities in individual countries as well as identifying a number of priority research topics relating to the protection of forests. The Strasbourg conference’s main concern was to provide for the future. This was the initial motivation, one now shared by all 31 participants representing 31 European countries. Their final text commits them to on-going discussion between government representatives with responsibility for forests.
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Giải thích từ vựng
- Heritage (n) /ˈher.ɪ.tɪdʒ/ tài sản thừa kế, di sản
Eg: These monuments are a vital part of the cultural heritage of South America.
The area has been designated a world heritage site.
- Imbalance (n) /ˌɪmˈbæl.əns/ sự không cân bằng; sự thiếu cân bằng
Eg: There is huge economic imbalance between the two countries.
Collocation
- imbalance of/in sth
- imbalance between sth and sth
- cause/create/lead to an imbalance
- address/redress/correct an imbalance
- Frontier (n) /ˈfrʌn.tɪər/ biên giới/ giới hạn
Eg: Some of the frontier between Germany and Poland follows the course of the river Oder.
Nepal has frontiers with both India and China.
- Co-ordinate (v) /kəʊˈɔː.dɪ.neɪt/ điều hợp, phối hợp
Eg: We need someone to co-ordinate the whole campaign.
A number of charities are co-ordinating their efforts to distribute food to the region.
- Host (v) /həʊst/ chủ nhà
Eg: South Africa has submitted an application to host the World Cup.
Paris is bidding to host the next Olympics.
- Bring together: gom lại; nhóm lại, họp lại, đi đến sự đồng thuận
Eg: The VaccinesWork campaign had long been used to bring together immunization advocates online.
- Combat (v) /kəmˈbæt/ chiến đấu, chống lại (một tình trạng xấu)
Eg: The government is spending millions of dollars in its attempt to combat drug abuse.
- Extension (n) /ɪkˈsten.ʃən/ sự mở rộng
Eg: Martin Luther King, Jr, campaigned for the extension of civil rights to (= for them to include) black people.
The extension of police powers in the province has been heavily criticized.
- Undertake (v) /ˌʌn.dəˈteɪk/ làm, định làm, bảo đảm
Eg: The bill requires owners to undertake remedial work on dilapidated buildings.
This is one of the largest aid projects ever undertaken.
- Initial (a) /ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/ ban đầu, đầu
Eg: My initial surprise was soon replaced by delight.
The initial earthquake was followed by a series of aftershocks.
- Joint (a) /dʒɔɪnt/ chung (giữa hai hay nhiều người)
Eg: The project was a joint effort between the two schools.
The two Russian ice skaters came joint second in the world championships.
- Discard (v) /dɪˈskɑːd/ bỏ, loại bỏ, vứt bỏ, thải hồi
Eg: Discarded food containers and bottles littered the streets.
Cut the melon in half and discard the seeds.
- Ignore (v) /ɪɡˈnɔːr/ lờ đi, phớt đi, làm ra vẻ không biết đến / bác bỏ
Eg: She can be really irritating but I try to ignore her.
Một số từ đồng nghĩa:
- Disregard He disregarded the advice of his doctor and went back to work.
- Turn a blind eye to Until now, the mayor has turned a blind eye to the city’s homelessness problem.
- Close your eyes to The administration closed its eyes to human-rights abuses by its soldiers.
- As a whole: nói chung, toàn thể
Eg: The population as a whole is getting healthier.
- Immense (a) /ɪˈmens/ mênh mông, bao la, rộng lớn
Eg: He inherited an immense fortune.
Một số từ đồng nghĩa:
- Big They live in a big house in the country.
- Large A large number of people were crowded into the room.
- Great The party was a great success.
- Enormous They bought an enormous house in the suburbs.
- Raw material (n) vật liệu thô
Eg: The increase in operating costs is due to higher energy costs and increases in the price of raw materials such as iron ore.
- Unrivalled (a) /ʌnˈraɪ.vəld/ không gì sánh được, vô song, vô địch
Eg: The museum boasts an unrivalled collection of French porcelain.
- Myth (n) thần thoại, chuyện hoang đường, chuyện tưởng tượng
Eg: Statistics disprove the myth that women are worse drivers than men.
It can be difficult to disentangle fact from myth.
- Artificial (a) /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/ nhân tạo, tổng hợp
Eg: Her bouquet was made of artificial flowers.
The match will be played on an artificial surface.
- Transcend (v) /trænˈsend/ vượt quá, hơn
Eg: The best films are those which transcend national or cultural barriers.
- Inevitable (a) /ɪˈnev.ɪ.tə.bəl/ không thể tránh được, chắc chắn xảy ra
Eg: The accident was the inevitable consequence/result/outcome of carelessness.
Unfortunately, violence is the inevitable corollary of such a revolutionary change in society.
- Unforeseen (a) /ˌʌn.fəˈsiːn/ không biết trước, không dự kiến; bất ngờ
Eg: Due to unforeseen circumstances the cost of the improvements has risen by 20 percent.
- Surveillance (n) /səˈveɪ.ləns/ sự giám sát
Eg: The police have kept the nightclub under surveillance because of suspected illegal drug activity.
- Result from (phrasal verb ) do, bởi
Eg: His difficulty in walking results from a childhood illness.
Distortion of the glass could result from abrupt changes in air temperature.
- Accentuate (v) /əkˈsen.tʃu.eɪt/ nhấn mạnh, làm nổi bật, nêu bật
Eg: Her dress was tightly belted, accentuating the slimness of her waist.
The new policy only serves to accentuate the inadequacy of help for the homeless.
- At risk (idiom): ở trong tình thế nguy hiểm
Eg: All houses within 100 metres of the seas are at risk of flooding.
As with all diseases, certain groups will be more at risk than others.
If we go to war, innocent lives will be put at risk.
- Harmonise (v) /ˈhɑː.mə.naɪz/ làm hài hoà, làm cân đối, làm hoà hợp
Eg: The garden has been designed to harmonise with the natural landscape.
The plan is to harmonise safety standards across all the countries involved.
- Exclude (v) /ɪkˈskluːd/ không cho (ai…) vào (một nơi nào…); không cho (ai…) hưởng (quyền…)/ loại trừ
Eg: Women are still excluded from the club.
Microbes must, as far as possible, be excluded from the room during an operation.
Couples who are childless can feel excluded from the rest of society.
- Boundary (n) /ˈbaʊn.dər.i/ đường biên giới, ranh giới
Eg: The Ural mountains mark the boundary between Europe and Asia.
Residents are opposed to the prison being built within the city boundary.
- Fragile (a) /ˈfrædʒ.aɪl/ dễ vỡ, dễ gây, dễ hỏng; mỏng mảnh, mỏng manh
Eg: Some objects are too fragile to be moved between the museums.
Some of the more fragile items are kept in a locked case.
Một số từ đồng nghĩa:
- Breakable Put breakable ornaments on a high shelf when young children come to visit.
- Delicate The plant has delicate white flowers.
- Brittle The ground was a carpet of dried leaves and brittle twigs.
- Weak The floors were uneven and too weak to support the heavy equipment.
- Priority (n) /praɪˈɒr.ə.ti/ sự ưu tiên; điều được xét trước hết
Eg: The management did not seem to consider office safety to be a priority.
Banks normally give priority to large businesses when deciding on loans
- Allocate (v) /ˈæl.ə.keɪt/ chỉ định; dùng
Eg: The local council has decided not to allocate funds for the project.
- Luyện tập
Bài 1: Chọn từ trong khung để hoàn thành các câu bên dưới
| imbalance | extension | combat | hosting | together |
| co-ordinating | frontier | undertaken | heritage | initial |
- Orders to buy or sell large quantities of stocks can lead to an ………………………. in supply and demand for shares.
- A fund has been set up to preserve the town’s ………………………………………
- Right now I’m having problems …………………………………. thought and speech.
- The city is …………………………………. the winter Olympics next year.
- Two armed men were caught trying to cross the …………………………… at night.
- I have to ………………………………………… this constant desire to eat chocolate.
- I’m just beginning to realize the enormity of what I have ……………………………
- The article is an ………………………………….. of the ideas Professor Fox developed in an earlier book.
- The project is only in the ……………………………….. phase as yet, but it’s looking quite promising.
- It is necessary to bring ……………………….. all the Christmas gifts and help you to spider.
Bài 2: Chọn đáp án đúng để điền vào chỗ trống
- He makes toys from things people ………………………………………. A. discard B. ignore
- We not only want to help our employees, but also help the community as a …………………. A. frontier B. whole
- They spent an ………………………………………… amount of time getting the engine into perfect condition. A. immense B. unrivalled
- The parents were given …………………………………………….. custody of the child. A.initial B. joint
- These trees provide the raw …………………………………… for high-quality paper. A. material B. myth
- I smiled at her but she just ……………………………….. me. A. transcended B. ignored
- The college remains ……………………………….. in the range of courses it offers. A. unrivalled B. artificial
- The article rebuts five ………………………………….. about the Vatican. A. extensions B. myths
- The group makes music that …………………………… traditional pop categories. A. transcends B. ignores
- The eclipse of the ruling political party was ………………………………….. A. unforeseen B. inevitable
- The parking lot is kept under video ………………………………. A. surveillance B. boundary
- You have to learn to get your ……………………………………. right. A. extensions B. priorities
- About 87 percent of lung cancers are thought to ………………………….. from smoking. A. result B. transcend
- When talks did occur, they tended to ……………………………. differences between the two groups. A. harmonise B. accentuate
- Tom has been ……………………………………….. from school for bad behaviour. A. excluded B. undertaked
- She’s been fitted with an ……………………………… leg. A. unrivalled B. artificial
- The costs have risen by 20% owing to …………………………………… circumstances. A. unrivalled B. unforeseen
- A disagreement about …………………………………. is at the heart of the dispute. A. boundaries B. priorities
- Initiatives to ……………………………. world tax systems have been met with much resistance. A. exclude B. harmonize
- Children are at greater …………………………. for these diseases. A. boundary B. risk
- Seasonal illnesses expose how …………………………………. the region’s healthcare infrastructure is. A. fragile B. inevitable
Bài 1:
1.imbalance 2. heritage 3. co-ordinating 4. hosting 5. frontier
- combat 7. undertaken 8. extension 9. initial 10. together
Bài 2:
1.A 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. A
- B 7. A 8. B 9. A 10. B
- A 12. B 13. A 14. B 15.A
- B 17. B 18. A 19. B 20. B 21. A
