Advanced Environment Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +: Environmental Issues and the Natural World (Part 4)
8 min read
Updated On
-
Copy link
Boost your band score with this guide on environment vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+. Learn high-level words, definitions, and example sentences related to environmental issues and climate change, ideal for Band 7.0+ in the writing, reading & speaking modules.
Table of Contents
- Advanced Vocabulary Table for IELTS Environment Topics
- Environment Vocabulary Related to Climate ChangeĀ
- Common Environmental Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Exercises Based on Advanced Environment Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +
- Answer Key for Exercises Based on Advanced Environment Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +
- Additional Resources for Improving Your Environment Vocabulary for IELTS


Limited-Time Offer : Access a FREE 10-Day IELTS Study Plan!
Environment issues and the natural world are topics that we live and breathe in every moment of our lives, making them crucial for Advanced Environment Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +. Mastering this specialized vocabulary will improve your ability to understand and discuss environmental issues, boosting your confidence and performance.
Therefore, this guide focuses on essential vocabulary related to environmental topics and exercises, helping you excel in the reading, writing, speaking, and listening sections of the IELTS exam.
Advanced Vocabulary Table for IELTS Environment Topics
Since IELTS vocabulary accounts for 25% of the total writing and speaking band score, it is important to learn the meaning and correct usage of the environment vocabulary for IELTS.
The table below presents definitions and real-world example sentences related to environmental issues and the natural world. Each word is relevant to IELTS Writing Task 2 or reading texts about industrial growth, sustainability, and global development.
Word |
Definition |
Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
Emerging |
becoming apparent or coming into existence |
Emerging economies face the dual challenge of growth and sustainability. |
Born |
resulting from a particular situation |
The protests were born out of years of environmental neglect. |
Multinationals |
large companies that operate in several countries |
Multinationals often set up factories in developing nations to reduce costs. |
Abundance |
a large quantity of something |
The region is known for its abundance of rare minerals. |
Exploration |
the act of searching for resources or information |
Oil exploration in the Arctic has raised environmental concerns. |
Vicious (Cycle) |
a sequence of events that reinforces itself in a harmful way |
Poverty and environmental damage often form a vicious cycle. |
Peripheral |
not central or important |
Environmental policies are often treated as peripheral concerns in politics. |
Plantation |
a large area where crops are grown commercially |
Vast rubber plantations have replaced natural forests in Southeast Asia. |
Prohibitive |
too expensive or restrictive to allow something |
The cost of eco-friendly farming methods is prohibitive for smallholders. |
Tracts |
large areas of land |
Huge tracts of rainforest have been cleared for agriculture. |
Environment Vocabulary Related to Climate Change
Besides going through IELTS vocabulary words list for Band 8 or 9 on growth, sustainability and eco-trends, it is also vital to learn words related to scientific data, climate change evidence, and natural disasters.
In the table below, you will find a list of such words, with meaning and usage sentences. Many of these terms are used in academic-style questions found in IELTS Reading or discussed in Speaking Part 3.
Word |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
Concur |
agree or have the same opinion |
Most climate experts concur that the planet is warming. |
Observe |
notice or perceive something |
Scientists observed a rapid increase in sea levels. |
Register |
record or indicate |
A sudden rise in temperature was registered last summer. |
Fluctuate |
rise and fall irregularly |
Global temperatures continue to fluctuate due to emissions. |
Convince |
cause someone to believe something |
The data convinced skeptics of climate change. |
Alarm |
cause concern or fear |
The retreat of glaciers has alarmed many researchers. |
Intense |
of extreme force or degree |
Intense storms are becoming more frequent due to warming. |
Local |
pertaining to a particular area |
Local communities suffer the most from deforestation. |
Onset |
the beginning of something, often negative |
The early onset of spring disrupted animal migration. |
Occur |
to happen or take place |
Heatwaves occur more often than they did decades ago. |
Learn how to use the IELTS environment vocabulary effectively from experts!
Common Environmental Acronyms and Abbreviations
You might come across acronyms in the IELTS Listening and reading sections, particularly in topics related to NGOs, climate science, or environmental policy. This table lists full forms and concise definitions to enhance comprehension and recognition.
Acronym |
Full Form |
Meaning |
---|---|---|
NGO |
Non-Governmental Organization |
An organization independent of government, often working on environmental or humanitarian issues. |
CO₂ |
Carbon Dioxide |
A greenhouse gas absorbed by trees; contributes to global warming. |
CH₄ |
Methane |
A potent greenhouse gas often produced by livestock. |
WWF |
World Wide Fund for Nature |
A leading global conservation organization with the panda logo. |
GM Food |
Genetically Modified Food |
Crops modified for improved yield or resistance to pests. |
CFCs |
Chlorofluorocarbons |
Chemicals from aerosols that damage the ozone layer. |
EPA |
Environmental Protection Agency |
A US government agency responsible for environmental regulation and protection. |
IPCC |
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |
A UN body assessing the science related to climate change. |
UNEP |
United Nations Environment Programme |
The global environmental authority that sets the international environmental agenda. |
REDD+ |
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation |
A UN initiative that rewards developing countries for forest conservation. |
GHG |
Greenhouse Gases |
Gases such as CO₂ and CH₄ that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. |
SDGs |
Sustainable Development Goals |
A set of global goals by the UN, including those focused on climate action and life on land and below water. |
Exercises Based on Advanced Environment Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +
Simply learning the word's meaning and some sentences will not help you improve your IELTS band score. You need to learn how to use it effectively, and for that, you need to take vocabulary exercises that will help your brain retain words longer by moving them from short-term to long-term memory.
So, given below are some exercises based on environment vocabulary for IELTS that will help you improve your word choice and boost your vocabulary.
Environmental Issues in the Developing World
A
The issues for 1. ______ economies are a little more straightforward. The desire to build on undeveloped land is not 2. ______out of desperation or necessity, but is a result of the relentless march of progress. Cheap labour and a relatively highly-skilled workforce make these countries highly competitive and there is a flood of inward investment, particularly from 3. ______looking to take advantage of the low wages before the cost and standard of living begin to rise. It is factors such as these that are making many Asian economies extremely attractive when viewed as investment opportunities at the moment. Similarly, in Africa, the relative 4. ______of precious metals and natural resources tend to attract a lot of 5. ______companies and a whole sub-industry develops around and is completely dependent on this foreign-direct investment. It is understandable that countries that are the focus of this sort of attention can lose sight of the environmental implications of large-scale industrial development, and this can have devastating consequences for the natural world. And it is a 6. ______cycle because the more industrially active a nation becomes, the greater the demand for and harvesting of natural resources. For some, the environmental issues, though they can hardly be ignored, are viewed as a 7. ______concern. Indeed, having an environmental conscience or taking environmental matters into consideration when it comes to decisions on whether or not to build rubber-tree 8. ______or grow biofuel crops would be quite 9. ______indeed. For those involved in such schemes it is a pretty black-and-white issue. And, for vast 10. ______of land in Latin America, for example, it is clear that the welfare of the rainforests matters little to local government when vast sums of money can be made from cultivating the land.
1) a. emerging | b. emergent | c. convergent | d. resurgent |
2) a. grown | b. born | c. bred | d. arisen |
3) a. multinationals | b. migrants | c. continentals | d. intercontinentals |
4) a. premonition | b. abundance | c. amplitude | d. accumulation |
5) a. exploitation | b. exploration | c. surveyance | d. research |
6) a. vacuous | b. viscous | c. vexatious | d. vicious |
7) a. parallel | b. extrinsic | c. peripheral | d. exponential |
8) a. plantations | b. homesteads | c. ranches | d. holdings |
9) a. proscriptive | b. prohibitive | c. prospective | d. imperative |
10) a. regions | b. plots | c. tracts | d. sectors |
Abbreviations
B
- NGO______[Hint: an organisation that is independent of the government]
- C02______[Hint: a type of gas which trees absorb]
- CH4______[Hint: a type of gas cattle produce a lot of]
- WWF______[Hint: a leading international nature organisation (panda logo)]
- GM Food______[Hint: crops that scientists have tampered with]
- CFCs______[Hint: produced by aerosol sprays]
Observed Global Climate Change
C
However, in many cases, you will either have to change the form or the tense.
Use each word once only.
concur | intense |
occur | local |
onset | observe |
alarm | convince |
register | fluctuate |
There is now, by and large, 1.______,among scientists that Global Warming is real. The fact that an average surface temperature rise of approximately one degree was 2.______during the 20th century, in addition to the fact that the rate of warming 3.______in the latter half of same and was nearly double that of the first 50 years is enough to 4.______most scientists. Climate proxies also suggest that, with the exception of 5.______warming and cooling events such as Europe’s Little Ice Age, this is the first significant and prolonged temperature 6.______in the best part of 2000 years on a global level. Further evidence in support of the warming hypothesis comes by way of the fact that, also during the 20th century, a considerable rise in sea levels was 7.______, and, across both hemispheres, southern and northern, glaciers went into retreat, and remain so. Oceanic warming, albeit gradual up to now, has also been confirmed, and the 8.______rate of melting of polar ice, coupled with a general rise in humidity and the increasingly early 9.______of spring each year are factors the likelihood of the simultaneous coincidental 10.______of which scientists say is virtually nil.
Looking for environment vocabulary to impress your IELTS examiner?
Book a seat for our FREE IELTS webinars!
Answer Key for Exercises Based on Advanced Environment Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +
Environmental Issues in the Developing World 3
Ex. A:
- a
- b
- a
- b
- b
- d
- c
- a
- b
- c
Abbreviations
Ex. B:
- Non-governmental Organization
- Carbon Dioxide
- Methane Gas
- World Wide Fund (for Nature)
- Genetically Modified Food
- chlorofluorocarbons
Observed Global Climate Change
Ex. C:
- concurrence
- registered
- intensified
- convince
- localised
- fluctuation
- observed/registered
- alarming
- onset
- occurrence
Additional Resources for Improving Your Environment Vocabulary for IELTS
Here are some additional links to help you learn more environment vocabulary for IELTS:
- Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND THE NATURAL WORLD (Part 1)
- Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND THE NATURAL WORLD (Part 2)
- Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +: Environmental Issues And The Natural World (Part 6)
- Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND THE NATURAL WORLD (Part 7)
- Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +: Environmental Issues And The Natural World (Part 8)
To conclude, mastering advanced vocabulary related to environmental issues and the natural world can greatly enhance your IELTS performance. By incorporating the terms and phrases from Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: Environmental Issues and The Natural World (Part 4) into your study routine, you’ll improve your ability to tackle complex topics and express your ideas more effectively. This targeted practice not only boosts your confidence but also helps you achieve a higher score across the IELTS Speaking, listening, writing, and reading sections of the exam.
Useful Links:
- Top 11 IELTS Vocabulary Books
- 100+ Advanced Vocabulary Word List for IELTS (PDF Available)
- 1200 Common Words in IELTS Listening to Boost Vocabulary
- Vocabulary for IELTS (Essential words for popular topics in IELTS)
- IELTS Speaking Vocabulary - 30 Academic Words that will Help you Score IELTS Band 9 (Part 1)


Start Preparing for IELTS: Get Your 10-Day Study Plan Today!
Improve your Vocabulary from our Vocabulary Topics
Recent Articles

Nitika Gupt

Nehasri Ravishenbagam

Nehasri Ravishenbagam
Post your Comments