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Why the lights are going out in South Africa - BBC News

Video vocabulary

can

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US / kæn /

UK / kən,kæn /

A1
  • noun
  • A metal container for storing food
  • other
  • Able to; have the skill to; have the time to
  • verb
  • To have permission to
  • To be possible to do
  • To preserve food by sealing it in a metal container

decision

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US / dɪ'sɪʒn /

UK / dɪˈsɪʒən /

A1
  • noun
  • Choice made after thinking; final judgment
  • Ability to make quick and confident choices

reject

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US / rɪˈdʒekt /

UK / rɪˈdʒɛkt /

A2
  • noun
  • Goods that are not suitable for sale at full price
  • Person others do not like, or refuse to accept
  • verb
  • To decide that something is not good enough
  • To refuse, deny to believe, accept, or consider

broadcaster

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US / ˈbrɔːdkɑːstə(r) /

UK / ˈbrɔːdkæstər /

A2
  • noun
  • Someone who broadcasts on radio or television

surprise

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US / səˈpraɪz /

UK / sərˈpraɪz /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • That surprises you; not expected
  • noun
  • Something unexpected that slightly shocks you
  • verb
  • To do something that another person didn't expect

address

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US / ə'dres /

UK / əˈdrɛs /

A1
  • noun
  • Exact street location of a place
  • A formal speech to a group of people
  • verb
  • To write the place someone lives on a letter
  • To refer to someone or something formally
  • To make a formal speech to a group of people
  • To try to find a solution to; think about

necessary

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US / 'nesəsərɪ /

UK / ˈnɛsɪˌsɛri /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Needed or required; unavoidable

really

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US / ˈri:əli /

UK / ˈriəˌli, ˈrili /

A1
  • adverb
  • Used to stress something that is said; definitely
  • In a true or accurate manner
  • Very

would

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US / wʊd /

UK / wʊd /

A1
  • other
  • Used to indicate something imagined
  • Used to ask or request something politely
  • Verb used to indicate possibility, request etc.
  • Used to indicate a preference
  • Used to indicate a reaction
  • Indicates something that occurred repeatedly
  • Used to indicate willingness or ability to do

fix

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US / fɪks /

UK / fɪks /

A2
  • noun
  • Answer to a problem
  • verb
  • To arrange or prepare something
  • To attach something so it will not move or change
  • To dishonestly arrange the result of a game
  • To make an animal unable to produce young
  • To make something whole or able to work again

not

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US / nɒt /

UK / nɑt /

A1
  • adverb
  • Word indicating the negative
  • (Used to form the negative of verbs)

our

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US / 'aʊə(r) /

UK / aʊr /

A1
  • determiner
  • Belonging to us

whole

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US / həul /

UK / hol /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Complete or full; all of
  • Being in a good condition
  • noun
  • Complete amount or sum; total

experience

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US / ɪk'spɪərɪəns /

UK / ɪkˈspɪriəns /

A1
  • noun
  • Thing a person has done or that happened to them
  • An event at which you learned something
  • Knowledge gained by living life, doing new things
  • verb
  • To gain knowledge by doing things

fabric

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US / ˈfæbrɪk /

UK / ˈfæbrɪk /

B1
  • noun
  • Cloth or material
  • Basic structure

ceo

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US / ˌsiː iː ˈəʊ /

UK / ˌsiː iː ˈoʊ /

C2
  • abbreviation
  • CEO for Chief Operating Officer

now

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US / naʊ /

UK / naʊ /

A1
  • adverb
  • At the present time or moment
  • Right away or in the next possible moment
  • Used to refer to something that just happened
  • Time between the present and a moment in the past
  • conjunction
  • Resulting from or because of something

operate

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US / ˈɒpəreɪt /

UK / ˈɑ:pəreɪt /

A1
  • verb
  • To control or handle something, such as a machine
  • To control or manage something such as a business
  • To be working or being used
  • To perform surgery on someone

south

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US / saʊθ /

UK / saʊθ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Direction to your right when facing the rising sun
  • Coming from the opposite direction from north
  • noun
  • The direction to your right of the rising sun

cut

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US / kʌt /

UK / kʌt /

A1
  • noun
  • Act/instance of reducing the size or amount of
  • Small opening made using a sharp object, knife
  • A wound on someone's skin caused by a sharp object
  • verb
  • To reduce the size or amount of something
  • To use knife or scissors to divide, open surfaces

but

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US / bət /

UK / bʌt,bət /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used before you say something different, opposite

illustrate

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US / ˈɪləstreɪt /

UK / ˈɪləˌstret, ɪˈlʌsˌtret /

A2
  • verb
  • To supply pictures to go along with words
  • To be an example that explains or proves something

give

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US / ɡɪv /

UK / ɡɪv /

A1
  • noun
  • Degree of flexibility in something, a material
  • verb
  • To hand over or present something to someone
  • To cause someone to have or experience something

life

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US / laɪf /

UK / laɪf /

A1
  • noun
  • All the living things e.g. animals, plants, humans
  • Period of time things live, from birth to death

single

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US / 'sɪŋɡl /

UK / ˈsɪŋɡəl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being one only, without others
  • Only; merely
  • Not married or in a relationship
  • noun
  • One run in cricket or a hit baseball
  • An individual song from a CD or album
  • Person who is not married or in a relationship

africa

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US / 'æfrɪkə /

UK / ˈæfrɪkə /

A1
  • noun
  • Continent between the Atlantic and Indian oceans

currently

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US / ˈkʌrəntli /

UK / ˈkʌrənt(ə)li /

A2
  • adverb
  • Happening or being in the present time

yet

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US / jet /

UK / jɛt /

A1
  • adverb
  • At a later time (used after ‘not’)
  • (Used to emphasize that thing is, will be greater)
  • Eventually; at a future time
  • Until now; up to the present
  • conjunction
  • Adding to what has been said, often as a contrast

could

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US / kəd /

UK / kʊd /

A1
  • other
  • Past form of 'can' to mean have ability
  • Used to ask for something politely, or to offer

determination

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US / dɪˌtɜ:mɪˈneɪʃn /

UK / dɪˌtɚməˈneʃən /

B1
  • noun
  • Will to achieve a goal despite difficulties

know

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US / nəʊ /

UK / noʊ /

A1
  • verb
  • To be familiar with a person or place, thing
  • To feel sure or be convinced about something
  • To discover or be aware of something
  • To be able to distinguish
  • To have knowledge of things

moment

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US / 'məʊmənt /

UK / 'moʊmənt /

A1
  • noun
  • Very short or brief period of time
  • A particular period in time

often

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US / ˈɔfən /

UK / ˈɔfən,ˈɑfən,ˈɔftən,ˈɑf- /

A1
  • adverb
  • Many times; frequently; on many occasions

station

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US / 'steɪʃn /

UK / ˈsteʃən /

A1
  • noun
  • Building, area, place used for a specific reason
  • A person's place in society
  • Place where you can catch a train or a bus
  • Company that broadcasts radio or TV programs
  • verb
  • (Army) to be posted to a place to perform duties
  • To put a person in a certain place or position

break

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US / breɪk /

UK / brek /

A1
  • noun
  • Time you stop an activity before continuing
  • End of a relationship
  • An escape from a place such as a jail
  • (Lucky) advantage or benefit from something
  • Find a solution or answer to a problem or crime
  • Change in the weather
  • verb
  • To create a new record e.g. running the 100m dash
  • To form a crack in something
  • To burst or become damaged
  • To end a relationship
  • To escape from a place such as a jail
  • To train a wild animal e.g. a horse
  • To separate into pieces by force, or by dropping
  • To act against a law, rule, or promise
  • To become known suddenly, as in the news
  • To not do what you promised e.g. not keep promises
  • To solve a crime, or answer a problem
  • To stop functioning properly
  • To suddenly start, open or commence
  • To change in pitch suddenly, as in a voice
  • To fall on the shore, as in waves
  • To begin or change suddenly; the dawn or weather
  • To defeat by causing the person to lose their will

conversation

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US / ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃn /

UK / ˌkɑnvɚˈseʃən /

A2
  • noun
  • Talking with other people; discussion or chat

challenge

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US / 'tʃælɪndʒ /

UK / ˈtʃæləndʒ /

A2
  • noun
  • An activity you wish to try that may be hard to do
  • Act of formally inviting someone to compete
  • A question to determine correctness of something
  • verb
  • To formally invite someone to compete at something
  • To question the correctness of something

malpractice

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US / ˌmælˈpræktɪs /

UK / mælˈpræktɪs /

C1
  • noun
  • Wrongful treatment or conduct by a doctor, etc.

organize

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US / ˈɔ:gənaɪz /

UK / ˈɔ:rgənaɪz /

A1
  • verb
  • To arrange and plan things, e.g. a party

reiterate

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US / rɪ'ɪtəreɪt /

UK / riˈɪtəˌret /

B2
  • verb
  • To say something again for further emphasis

economic

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US / ˌi:kəˈnɒmɪk /

UK / ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk, ˌikə- /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning trade, industry, and money

problem

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US / ˈprɒbləm /

UK / ˈprɑbləm /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Causing trouble
  • noun
  • Something difficult to deal with or causes trouble
  • Question to show understanding of a math concept

calculate

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US / 'kælkjʊleɪt /

UK / ˈkælkjəˌlet /

B2
  • verb
  • To find an answer using mathematics
  • To make an educated guess about something

estimate

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US / 'estɪmət /

UK / ˈɛstəˌmet /

A2
  • noun
  • Guess or calculation of cost, size or value
  • verb
  • To guess or calculate the cost, size or value of

month

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US / mʌnθ /

UK / mʌnθ /

A1
  • noun
  • One of 12 28-31 day periods in the year

almost

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US / 'ɔ:lməʊst /

UK / ˈɔlˌmost, ɔlˈmost /

A1
  • adverb
  • Only a little less than, nearly, not quite

before

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US / bɪˈfɔ:(r) /

UK / bɪˈfɔr,-ˈfor /

A1
  • adverb
  • At a time earlier than the present; previously
  • conjunction
  • In advance of something happening
  • preposition
  • In front of someone or something

construction

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US / kən'strʌkʃn /

UK / kənˈstrʌkʃən /

A2
  • noun
  • Act of building something; thing that is built
  • Something that is made using different parts
  • The way words are organized in a sentence
  • The way something is made or structured

expertise

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US / ˌekspɜ:ˈti:z /

UK / ˌekspɜːrˈtiːz /

B1
  • noun
  • The special knowledge that an expert has

initially

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US / ɪˈnɪʃəli /

UK / ɪˈnɪʃəli /

A2
  • adverb
  • At first; originally

last

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US / lɑ:st /

UK / læst /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Most recent; the latest
  • The one before
  • adverb
  • Final; with nothing following; after all others
  • Most recent; the latest
  • determiner
  • The one at the end
  • verb
  • To remain or continue for a certain period of time

have

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US / həv /

UK / hæv /

A1
  • verb
  • To drink, smoke, eat or use something
  • To experience the effects of something
  • To organize an event, or join in an activity
  • To own, possess, or hold something
  • To cause to happen or produce a particular effect

part

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US / pɑ:t /

UK / pɑ:rt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • To some degree; half; not fully
  • noun
  • Division of a book
  • Ratio of something, e.g. 3 of gin, 1 of tonic
  • A line in a person's hair, made with a comb
  • Character an actor plays on stage, movie, or TV
  • Some, but not all of a specific thing
  • Role in causing something to happen
  • verb
  • To make a line in a person's hair, by using a comb
  • To move two things apart creating a space
  • To leave someone, or to break off a relationship

plan

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US / plæn /

UK / plæn /

A1
  • noun
  • Drawing of how something should be done or made

without

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US / wɪˈðaʊt /

UK / wɪðˈaʊt, wɪθ- /

A1
  • preposition
  • Not with; not having

collapse

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US / kə'læps /

UK / kəˈlæps /

B1
  • verb
  • To fold (e.g. a stroller) down to make it smaller
  • To suddenly fall down or break apart into pieces
  • To fall down suddenly due to being ill or tired

government

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US / ˈgʌvənmənt /

UK / ˈɡʌvənmənt /

A1
  • noun
  • Group of people and system that rule a nation

his

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US / hɪz /

UK / hɪz /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Something belonging to a male person

process

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US / prə'ses /

UK / ˈprɑsˌɛs, ˈproˌsɛs /

A2
  • noun
  • Dealing with official forms in the way required
  • Set of changes that occur slowly and naturally
  • verb
  • To organize and use data in a computer
  • To deal with official forms in the way required
  • To prepare by treating something in a certain way
  • To adopt a set of actions that produce a result
  • To convert by putting something through a machine

social

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US / ˈsəuʃəl /

UK / ˈsoʃəl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Involving activity with people, e.g. in free time
  • Liking being with other people; friendly
  • Living together and depending on each other

with

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US / wɪð /

UK / wɪð, wɪθ /

A1
  • preposition
  • As an employee of a certain company
  • Against something or someone
  • By using something as a means
  • Due to; because of
  • Including
  • Possessing as a feature
  • Related to
  • (Of the manner/attitude by which you do something)
  • Used to express that people or things are together

interest

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US / 'ɪntrəst /

UK / ˈɪntrɪst, -tərɪst, -ˌtrɛst /

A1
  • noun
  • Best or most advantageous thing for someone
  • Activity or subject one enjoys doing or learning
  • Fee for borrowing money
  • verb
  • To make someone want to know about something
  • To persuade to do, become involved with something

accord

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US / ə'kɔ:d /

UK / əˈkɔ:rd /

B1
  • noun
  • Agreement or harmony
  • An agreement or treaty between countries
  • verb
  • To be in harmony or agreement; consent
  • To give (someone) the respect due to them

document

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US / 'dɒkjʊmənt /

UK / ˈdɑkjəmənt /

A2
  • noun
  • Official (printed) record that gives information
  • verb
  • To support an opinion with recorded evidence

flop

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US / flɒp /

UK / flɑ:p /

B2
  • noun
  • Book, movie etc. that is a total sales failure
  • Sound of something large hitting water
  • verb
  • To fall heavily, usually in a relaxed manner
  • To move loosely and without precision
  • (Of a show, program) to be a total failure

jacob

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US / ˈdʒeikəb /

UK / ˈdʒɛkəb /

A1
  • proper noun
  • (in the Bible) a Hebrew patriarch, the younger of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca, who persuaded

nelson

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US / 'nelsn /

UK / 'nelsn /

A1
  • noun
  • Any of several wrestling holds in which an arm is passed under the opponent's arm from behind and th
  • other
  • English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar

serve

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US / sɜ:v /

UK / sɚv /

A2
  • verb
  • To act in a particular position or office
  • To hit the first ball to an opponent in tennis etc.
  • To be used for a particular purpose
  • To give someone food or drinks
  • To give a person or group a service that is needed
  • To spend a particular amount of time in prison
  • To help customers find products and making sales
  • To give an official paper to appear in court

growth

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US / grəʊθ /

UK / groʊθ /

A2
  • noun
  • Improvement, development in a skill over time
  • A mass on the skin or body part related to illness
  • Act of growing

least

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US / li:st /

UK / list /

A1
  • adverb
  • In the smallest or lowest way
  • noun
  • Something that is of the lowest or smallest degree

right

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US / raɪt /

UK / raɪt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Correct or true
  • The south side of you looking at the rising sun
  • adverb
  • Exactly in a place or time
  • Being appropriate for a particular event
  • In a straight or direct manner
  • noun
  • Something you are legally or morally allowed to do
  • Ideal of what is just and good
  • Political view based on conservatism
  • verb
  • To fix something previously wrong or unjust
  • To make upright, as a boat that has turned over

afflict

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US / əˈflɪkt /

UK / əˈflɪkt /

B2
  • verb
  • To hurt someone or something; to cause pain

enforce

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US / ɪnˈfɔ:s /

UK / ɪnˈfɔ:rs /

A2
  • verb
  • To force something to be done or accepted
  • To make (a rule) active or effective

existential

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US / ˌegzɪˈstenʃəl /

UK / ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəl, ˌɛksɪ- /

B2
  • adjecitve
  • Philosophy concerning existence

hard

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US / hɑ:d /

UK / hɑː(r)d /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Difficult to do; difficult to understand
  • (Of facts) not able to be misunderstood; clear
  • (Of alcohol) strong
  • Involving or requiring lots of work, effort, care
  • Being full of pain, trouble, and problems
  • Strong
  • (Of edge) clear; sharp
  • Difficult to bend, break or cut; solid
  • adverb
  • With lots of force, power, or impact

get

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US / ɡet /

UK / ɡɛt /

A1
  • verb
  • To become affected by illness or disease
  • To begin to feel or understand an emotion or idea
  • To send or bring someone or something home, etc.
  • To go somewhere to obtain something
  • To (cause to) do a particular thing
  • To obtain, receive or be given something
  • To currently have
  • To prepare for use
  • To understand something being said or read

particularly

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US / pəˈtikjuləli /

UK / pɚˈtɪkjələli, pəˈtɪk- /

A2
  • adverb
  • Specially; more than others

president

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US / ˈprezɪdənt /

UK / ˈprɛzɪdənt,-ˌdɛnt /

A2
  • noun
  • Person in charge of a country, or organization

roughly

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US / ˈrʌfli /

UK / ˈrʌflɪ /

B1
  • adverb
  • Approximately; (of numbers) about; around
  • In a manner that is violent or not careful
  • In an inexact, imprecise or violent way
  • In a basic, simple manner

sue

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US / su: /

UK / su /

B2
  • noun
  • Person's name
  • verb
  • To take legal action against someone

about

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US / ə'baʊt /

UK / əˈbaʊt /

A1
  • adverb
  • To be ready to; going to
  • Nearly; approximately; roughly
  • Near; next to; close to
  • In every direction; in the area of
  • preposition
  • Concerning or of (a topic)

again

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US / ə'ɡen /

UK / əˈɡɛn /

A1
  • adverb
  • One more time, once more

current

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US / 'kʌrənt /

UK / ˈkɚrənt, ˈkʌr- /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Happening or being in the present time
  • noun
  • Electricity flowing through wires
  • Movement of water in a river, or air in the sky

chimney

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US / 'tʃɪmnɪ /

UK / ˈtʃɪmni /

B2
  • noun
  • Part of a building through which smoke escapes

even

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US / 'i:vn /

UK / ˈivən /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being equal in influence, power, possibility etc.
  • Being divided equally or fairly
  • (Of teams/contest) with similar chances of success
  • Smooth, level, or regular
  • Can be divided by 2; ending in 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0
  • At a regular, equally steady manner
  • Remaining steady and unchanging
  • adverb
  • (When this is surprising) as well; too
  • (Used to compare two things/stress the difference)
  • verb
  • To make something level; to flatten
  • To make something equal

govern

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US / ˈgʌvn /

UK / ˈgʌvərn /

B1
  • verb
  • To officially control land and make policies

like

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US / laɪk /

UK / laɪk /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being equal in status or kind to something else
  • Similar; the same
  • adverb
  • For example
  • preposition
  • Used as a filler; used to ad emphasis
  • In a way similar to the way something is done
  • Such as; for example
  • verb
  • To want to
  • To find something pleasing; to prefer something

people

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US / 'pi:pl /

UK / ˈpipəl /

A1
  • noun
  • Persons sharing culture, country, background, etc.
  • Men, Women, Children

threat

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US / θret /

UK / θrɛt /

A2
  • noun
  • Warning of probable trouble
  • A warning that you may be harmed

shut

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US / ʃʌt /

UK / ʃʌt /

A2
  • verb
  • To stop being open for business
  • To close something, e.g. a door

what

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US / wɒt /

UK / hwɑt, hwʌt, wɔt, wʌt,hwət, wət /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Thing or things that; the same kind as
  • Used to emphasize something you are about to say
  • adjecitve
  • Used to refer to a particular amount, or number
  • Used to place emphasis on a particular quality
  • adverb
  • To a certain degree
  • determiner
  • Question words used for asking for information
  • exclamation
  • Used to express excitement, shock, or surprise
  • Used to ask people to repeat something they said

week

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US / wi:k /

UK / wik /

A1
  • noun
  • Period of seven days from Sunday to Saturday

that

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US / ðæt /

UK / ðæt, ðət /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • The person or thing being talked about
  • Used to identify something both the speakers know
  • adverb
  • Used to reinforce adjectives and adverbs
  • To such a degree
  • conjunction
  • Used to connect a noun clause
  • Used to introduce an adverbial clause
  • Used to introduce a noun clause
  • determiner
  • Used as a noun to refer to something
  • pronoun
  • Referring an object far away
  • Used to refer to the relative pronoun ‘which’

find

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US / faɪnd /

UK / faɪnd /

A1
  • noun
  • Object discovered by chance
  • Things that have been discovered from searching
  • verb
  • To become aware of something that is happening
  • To discover or meet by chance
  • To decide if someone is guilty of a crime, or not
  • To learn through study, research, or effort
  • To discover something by looking for it

energy

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US / 'enədʒɪ /

UK / ˈɛnədʒi /

A2
  • noun
  • Physical or mental strength

lesson

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US / 'lesn /

UK / ˈlɛsən /

A1
  • noun
  • Something done to learn or teach something; class
  • Wisdom or knowledge received from an experience

down

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US / daʊn /

UK / daʊn /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being sad, sick, or unhappy
  • Not operating, working, or functioning as expected
  • adverb
  • In a sitting or lying position
  • Towards or on the ground, floor, or bottom
  • Written or copied onto a piece of paper or book
  • noun
  • A period of play in American Football
  • The soft, smooth hairs that cover a bird's body
  • preposition
  • Along something's path, course, or direction
  • Going from a higher position to a lower position
  • verb
  • To eat or drink very quickly and without stopping

extent

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US / ɪkˈstent /

UK / ɪkˈstɛnt /

A2
  • noun
  • Point, level or limit to which something reaches
  • Range or space included in something

during

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US / ˈdjʊərɪŋ /

UK / ˈdʊrɪŋ, ˈdjʊr- /

A1
  • preposition
  • At some point in the course of an event or thing

must

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US / məst /

UK / mʌst /

A1
  • noun
  • Something that is necessary or required
  • other
  • (Used to state that something ought to be true)
  • Used to say something is required or necessary

commentator

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US / ˈkɒmənteɪtə(r) /

UK / ˈkɑmənˌtetɚ /

B2
  • noun
  • Professional who discusses a particular subject

lack

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US / læk /

UK / læk /

A2
  • noun
  • The state of not having or not having enough of
  • A shortage of something
  • verb
  • To not have, or not have enough, of something

own

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US / əʊn /

UK / on /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Belong to oneself
  • determiner
  • Yours, his, hers, etc.; not belonging to another
  • pronoun
  • (Something) belong to myself
  • verb
  • To have something as your property

ultimately

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US / ˈʌltɪmətli /

UK / ˈʌltəmɪtli /

B1
  • adverb
  • Done or considered as the final and most important

example

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US / ɪgˈzɑ:mpl /

UK / ɪɡˈzæmpəl /

A1
  • noun
  • Thing, person which represents a category

fight

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US / faɪt /

UK / faɪt /

A1
  • noun
  • An argument or quarrel
  • Act of trying to hurt someone by hitting them
  • A struggle to do a difficult task
  • verb
  • To argue or quarrel with someone about something
  • To try to hurt someone by hitting them
  • To struggle to do a difficult task

happen

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US / 'hæpən /

UK / ˈhæpən /

A1
  • verb
  • To take place or occur

severity

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US / sɪ'verətɪ /

UK / səˈvɛrɪti /

A2
  • noun
  • Degree of seriousness of an event or situation

cartel

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US / kɑ:ˈtel /

UK / kɑ:rˈtel /

B2
  • noun
  • Groups united for a common (illegal) action

claim

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US / kleɪm /

UK / klem /

A2
  • noun
  • Demand for something that is believed to be due
  • Something said to be true when others don't agree
  • verb
  • To demand something that is believed to be due
  • To cause someone's life to come to an end
  • To say something is true when others may not agree

political

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US / pəˈlɪtɪkl /

UK / pəˈlɪtɪkəl /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Being active or interested in government matters
  • Diplomatic
  • Of the system of elections and government
  • Concerning government or public affairs
  • Involved in getting of power/influence in a group

stay

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US / steɪ /

UK / ste /

A1
  • noun
  • Legal order to stop or delay an action
  • Strong rope or wire that supports a ship's mast
  • Period of time spent living in or visiting a place
  • verb
  • To keep trying without giving up
  • To remain in the same place and not move away
  • To spend time visiting a place or someone's home

tell

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US / tel /

UK / tɛl /

A1
  • verb
  • To (strongly) advise a person to do something
  • To be able to guess
  • To say or communicate information to someone
  • To inform, but without speaking; indicate
  • To have a negative effect on someone
  • To order someone to do something; command
  • To recognize something based on certain signs
  • To report something to an authority
  • To explain something or teach someone something

transaction

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US / trænˈzækʃn /

UK / trænˈsækʃən, -ˈzæk- /

B2
  • noun
  • An exchange in business usually involving money

winter

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US / ˈwɪntə(r) /

UK / ˈwɪntɚ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • (Food) planted in fall and gathered next year
  • noun
  • Time or season of idleness or decay
  • Coldest season of the year
  • verb
  • To spend the cold months at a certain place

early

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US / ˈɜ:li /

UK / ˈɜ:rli /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Happening or appearing before
  • adverb
  • Coming/happening before others in a time sequence
  • Happening sooner than expected

meet

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US / mi:t /

UK / mit /

A1
  • noun
  • Sporting competition e.g. swimming
  • verb
  • To provide something that is necessary
  • To come together at a certain time or place

any

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US / 'enɪ /

UK / ˈɛni /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • One, or some, no matter which
  • pronoun
  • One (thing) of many; some

come

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US / kʌm /

UK / kʌm /

A1
  • verb
  • To arrive at a place
  • (Of mail) to be delivered
  • To move toward someone; go with someone
  • To reach a certain point or state

failure

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US / ˈfeɪljə(r) /

UK / 'feɪljər /

A1
  • noun
  • When things go wrong; lack of function
  • Act or result of not achieving your goals

distance

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US / 'dɪstəns /

UK / ˈdɪstəns /

A2
  • noun
  • Lack of friendliness toward another person
  • Amount of space between two places or things
  • verb
  • To make it clear that you are not involved

judicial

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US / dʒuˈdɪʃl /

UK / dʒuˈdɪʃəl /

B2
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning the orders and laws of a court

particular

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US / pəˈtɪkjələ(r) /

UK / pɚˈtɪkjəlɚ, pəˈtɪk- /

B2
  • adjecitve
  • One specific (one)
  • Having firm ideas about what is desirable
  • Being special or more than is typical

think

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US / θɪŋk /

UK / θɪŋk /

A1
  • verb
  • To have an idea about something without certainty
  • To have an idea, opinion or belief about something

anything

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US / ˈeniθɪŋ /

UK / ˈɛniˌθɪŋ /

A1
  • pronoun
  • A thing of any kind

false

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US / fɔ:ls /

UK / fɔ:ls /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Not real or genuine

disaster

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US / dɪ'zɑ:stə(r) /

UK / dɪˈzæstɚ, -ˈsæs- /

A2
  • noun
  • State of extreme ruin and misfortune

from

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US / frəm /

UK / frʌm, frɑm,frəm /

A1
  • preposition
  • Starting at a particular place, time or level

grip

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US / ɡrɪp /

UK / ɡrɪp /

A2
  • noun
  • Strong understanding of an idea
  • Control over something or someone
  • Part of an object to help you hold onto it
  • Act of holding something firmly
  • other
  • Control over something or someone
  • verb
  • To hold someone's interest
  • To hold something in your hand very firmly

national

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US / 'næʃnəl /

UK / ˈnæʃənəl, ˈnæʃnəl /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning a nation as a whole
  • noun
  • A person of a particular country

out

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US / aʊt /

UK / aʊt /

A1
  • adverb
  • No longer stylish (e.g. fashion)
  • Away from home, business, or the usual place
  • In a direction/movement away from inside or center
  • noun
  • Act when a batter cannot continue playing
  • verb
  • To tell people a secret

february

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US / ˈfebruəri /

UK / ˈfebrueri /

A1
  • noun
  • 2nd month of the year

keep

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US / ki:p /

UK / kip /

A1
  • noun
  • Large, strong tower in the middle of a castle
  • Money spent on you so you can live in a place
  • verb
  • To continue doing something; not to stop
  • To stop balls going in a goal in sports
  • To not give back or return something
  • (Of food) to not spoil or not rot
  • To take possession of something to own, e.g. a pet
  • To have and continue to hold something
  • To do something that you have promised or agreed
  • To stay in a certain place or condition
  • To maintain the rules

lie

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US / laɪ /

UK / lai /

A2
  • noun
  • An untrue statement, when you know it is not true
  • verb
  • To be in a horizontal or flat position
  • To say something that you know is not true

something

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US / ˈsʌmθɪŋ /

UK / ˈsʌmθɪŋ /

A1
  • adverb
  • In some degree or measure
  • noun
  • a person or thing of some value or consequence
  • pronoun
  • Thing that is not yet known or named
  • Approximately

participate

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US / pɑ:ˈtɪsɪpeɪt /

UK / pɑ:rˈtɪsɪpeɪt /

B1
  • verb
  • To take part with others in doing something

region

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US / 'ri:dʒən /

UK / ˈridʒən /

A2
  • noun
  • Part of a country, of the world, area, etc.

sometimes

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US / ˈsʌmtaɪmz /

UK / ˈsʌmˌtaɪmz /

A1
  • adverb
  • Only at certain times; occasionally

and

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US / ənd /

UK / ənd, ən,ænd /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used to refer to two or more things
  • Plus; in addition; on top of that
  • Used to introduce an action that follows another

back

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US / bæk /

UK / bæk /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Farthest from the front e.g. in a classroom
  • adverb
  • Have returned to a place you were before
  • noun
  • The part of a chair that the upper body leans upon
  • Location at the rear of something
  • The reverse of side something
  • Area on the rear of your body
  • verb
  • To bet money on something
  • To go backwards in a car
  • To support and encourage someone or some cause

commitment

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US / kə'mɪtmənt /

UK / kəˈmɪtmənt /

A2
  • noun
  • Permanent love or concern for person, thing
  • Promise or decision to do something for a purpose

ignore

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US / ɪɡ'nɔ:(r) /

UK / ɪɡˈnɔr, -ˈnor /

A2
  • verb
  • To not listen to, look at, or pay attention to

money

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US / 'mʌnɪ /

UK / ˈmʌni /

A1
  • noun
  • Coins or notes we use to pay for things

until

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US / ənˈtɪl /

UK / ʌnˈtɪl /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Up to; to a time when something happens
  • preposition
  • Before (a specific time)

affect

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US / ə'fekt /

UK / əˈfɛkt /

A2
  • verb
  • To cause a change in something else

heed

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US / hi:d /

UK / hid /

B2
  • other
  • To pay careful attention to something or someone
  • verb
  • To take notice of; pay attention to; care about

irresponsible

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US / ˌɪrɪˈspɒnsəbl /

UK / ˌɪrɪˈspɑ:nsəbl /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Acting without thinking of the consequences

nine

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US / naɪn /

UK / naɪn /

A1
  • number
  • 9

put

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US / pʊt /

UK / pʊt /

A1
  • phrasal verb
  • to make a light stop shining by pressing or moving a switch
  • verb
  • To move or place a thing in a particular position
  • To rate something in importance or value
  • To write or say something in a certain manner

only

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US / ˈəunli /

UK / ˈonli /

A1
  • adverb
  • Just one; just that amount or thing; not more than
  • Not very important or serious
  • Just that type of thing, person
  • Short time ago; not before a certain time
  • conjunction
  • Except; but

two

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US / tu: /

UK / tu /

A1
  • number
  • 2

call

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US / kɔ:l /

UK / kɔl /

A1
  • noun
  • A order or request for action
  • The sound an animal makes, often when in danger
  • A correct prediction, e.g. a decision in a game
  • A short visit to a place or person
  • A decision by a referee or umpire in a game
  • verb
  • To make a request or order for action
  • (Animal) to make sounds to warn of danger
  • To announce the date of an election
  • To make a judgment about something
  • To give someone or something a name
  • To guess in advance the result or outcome
  • To visit a place or person for a short time
  • To phone someone
  • To speak, announce or shout in a loud voice

coal

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US / kəʊl /

UK / kol /

A2
  • noun
  • Dark hard substance from the earth burnt as a fuel

double

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US / 'dʌbl /

UK / ˈdʌbəl /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning or intended for use by two people
  • Two times the amount or degree; twice
  • Made of two parts that are the same, similar
  • noun
  • Person that is exactly like someone else
  • verb
  • To be used for two functions at the same time
  • To make or become twice as much

partially

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US / ˈpɑ:ʃəli /

UK / ˈpɑ:rʃəli /

B1
  • adverb
  • In part; in some degree; not wholly

leave

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US / li:v /

UK / liv /

A1
  • noun
  • Permission to do something
  • Vacation time; time off work
  • verb
  • To go away from; depart
  • To gift property to someone after you die
  • To allow something to continue happening
  • To let something remain unused or available
  • To let something or someone remain somewhere

picture

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US / 'pɪktʃə(r) /

UK / ˈpɪktʃɚ /

A1
  • noun
  • General situation or state of being
  • Mental image of what something is or looks like
  • Movie; film
  • Painting, drawing or photograph on paper or screen
  • verb
  • To understand or imagine something
  • To imagine someone or something in an image

reduce

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US / rɪ'dju:s /

UK / rɪˈdus, -ˈdjus /

A2
  • verb
  • To try to decrease, e.g. your weight if overweight
  • To boil a liquid until it has decreased in amount
  • To make something smaller in size, amount, level

where

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US / hwɛə /

UK / hwɛr, wɛr /

A1
  • conjunction
  • At or in the place which
  • In whatever place
  • pronoun
  • Word you use to ask the location of something

blame

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US / bleɪm /

UK / blem /

A2
  • noun
  • Act of saying someone did something bad
  • verb
  • To say someone is responsible for something bad

home

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US / həʊm /

UK / hom /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • A sports team's own field or place of play
  • adverb
  • Into the correct or intended position
  • noun
  • House, apartment or building to be rented or sold
  • Institution for sick or elderly people
  • Place where a person or a family lives
  • Country where a person lives or was born
  • Region that is native to peoples, plant or animals
  • verb
  • To move towards a particular target location

just

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US / dʒʌst /

UK / dʒʌst /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Proper or appropriate; as is deserved
  • Doing or being what is right or fair
  • Legally correct; having enough evidence
  • adverb
  • Almost; nearly
  • Exactly at the time of
  • Exactly (the same as, like)

nation

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US / 'neɪʃn /

UK / ˈneʃən /

A1
  • noun
  • Area or region controlled by a government and army

talk

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US / tɔ:k /

UK / tɔk /

A1
  • noun
  • Style of speaking
  • Discussion between two countries
  • Giving information in front of people; lecture
  • Saying things or ideas to someone with words
  • verb
  • To make a formal speech about something
  • To say things or ideas to someone with words

begin

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US / bɪ'ɡɪn /

UK / ˈbeɡɪn /

A1
  • verb
  • To do the first part of an action; to start

overall

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US / ˌəʊvər'ɔ:l /

UK / ˈovɚˌrɔl /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Viewed as a whole; in general, not as details

rich

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US / rɪtʃ /

UK / rɪtʃ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Having a lot of money or valuable possessions
  • Containing a lot of exciting events or experiences and therefore very interesting
  • (of a color, sound, smell, etc.) Pleasantly deep or strong
  • If food is rich, it contains a large amount of oil, butter, eggs, or cream.

such

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US / sʌtʃ /

UK / sʌtʃ /

A1
  • determiner
  • Being similar to
  • (Thing) as previously stated or referred to
  • adverb
  • (Used to emphasize the quality of an adjective)

for

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US / fə(r) /

UK / fɔr,fə /

A1
  • preposition
  • Used to show the purpose, or need of something

through

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US / θru: /

UK / θru /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • having finished using or doing something
  • adverb
  • From the beginning of something until the end
  • preposition
  • Over, in, across an entire thing or place
  • Allowing you to pass between, or to
  • By a particular way or process; by the use of

why

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US / waɪ /

UK / hwaɪ, waɪ /

A1
  • adverb
  • Question word to ask for a reason
  • exclamation
  • (Used to express surprise or approval)

amount

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US / ə'maʊnt /

UK / əˈmaʊnt /

A1
  • noun
  • Quantity of something
  • verb
  • To add up to a certain figure

crisis

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US / 'kraɪsɪs /

UK / ˈkraɪsɪs /

B1
  • noun
  • Unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty

head

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US / hed /

UK / hɛd /

A1
  • noun
  • Counter for the number of cattle
  • Natural mental ability or intelligence
  • Leader or person with the greatest authority
  • Mind; mental ability; mental state
  • Side of a coin with a head on it
  • Top part of your body with eyes and a mouth
  • Starting point of something, e.g. a river
  • verb
  • To hit a ball with your head in a game
  • To be first or at the front or top (e.g. a list)
  • To travel or move toward a particular place; To go in a particular direction
  • To become the leader of something
  • To lead or be responsible for something

never

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US / 'nevə(r) /

UK / ˈnɛvɚ /

A1
  • adverb
  • Not ever; not at any time

coffee

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US / ˈkɒfi /

UK / ˈkɔ:fi /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • A brown chocolate color
  • noun
  • A brown drink made from roasted beans and water

crime

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US / kraɪm /

UK / kraɪm /

A2
  • noun
  • Act that is believed to be a mistake or foolish
  • Act that is against the law; murder, theft etc.

shortage

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US / ˈʃɔ:tɪdʒ /

UK / ˈʃɔ:rtɪdʒ /

A2
  • noun
  • A lack of something necessary

set

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US / set /

UK / sɛt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Prepared for something; ready
  • noun
  • Complete group of something
  • Place where a television show or movie is filmed
  • Group of games in a tennis match
  • Device that receives radio or television signals
  • verb
  • To make a clock state or ring at a particular time
  • To decide upon or choose something
  • To make something ready for use (e.g. table)
  • To decide on a price for something
  • To become hard (of glue, concrete etc.)
  • To be located in a specific place or time
  • To put (e.g. a vase) down carefully in a place
  • To put someone in a certain condition or state
  • (Of the sun) to go lower than the horizon

source

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US / sɔ:s /

UK / sɔrs, sors /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Produces or provides what is wanted or needed
  • noun
  • Piece of information; a person giving information
  • Place from which something necessary comes
  • verb
  • To get, e.g. a raw material, from somewhere

well

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US / wel /

UK / wɛl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being in a fortunate, good condition or state
  • Healthy and in good condition
  • adverb
  • In an acceptable, proper, or successful manner
  • In a complete, total, or full manner
  • A great and considerable degree
  • In a successful way, in a good or satisfactory way
  • exclamation
  • Used to begin or continue a particular statement
  • Used to show you want to start saying something
  • Used to express that you are waiting for a reply
  • You say this to change the topic of a conversation
  • Used to indicate you are making a final remark
  • noun
  • Long deep hole in the ground to get water
  • verb
  • To cause your eyes to fill with tears

corrupt

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US / kə'rʌpt /

UK / kəˈrʌpt /

B1
  • adjecitve
  • Being damaged or spoiled
  • Misusing power, as by taking bribes, to get rich
  • verb
  • To persuade someone to act illegal or immorally
  • To cause to become damaged or spoiled
  • To lack integrity or be dishonest

broadly

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US / ˈbrɔ:dli /

UK / ˈbrɔdlɪ /

B1
  • adverb
  • In a general (not detailed) manner

much

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US / mʌtʃ /

UK / mʌtʃ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Very; to a high level or degree
  • adverb
  • A lot; large amount; a high degree of
  • Nearly; basically
  • On many occasions; often
  • noun
  • A large amount; a great quantity

system

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US / 'sɪstəm /

UK / ˈsɪstəm /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Working in an organized, logical way
  • noun
  • Set of organized, planned ideas that work together

under

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US / ˈʌndə(r) /

UK / ˈʌndɚ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • In the same place as another thing, but lower
  • adverb
  • In a lower quantity or price than expected
  • preposition
  • According to the terms of an agreement or law
  • Managed or controlled by the authority of
  • Being of a lesser quality or amount than expected
  • Influenced or affected by something or someone
  • Less or lower in age, amount, size or number

generation

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US / ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn /

UK / ˌdʒɛnəˈreʃən /

A2
  • noun
  • Act or process of producing or causing something
  • People born and living at about the same time

hour

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US / 'aʊə(r) /

UK / aʊr /

A1
  • noun
  • 60 minutes
  • Particular time of the day
  • Fixed, regularly occurring time

inquiry

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US / ɪn'kwaɪərɪ /

UK / ɪnˈkwaɪri, ˈɪnˌkwaɪri, ˈɪnkwəri, ˈɪŋ- /

B1
  • noun
  • Process of seeking information
  • Official examination to get information

light

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US / laɪt /

UK / laɪt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being bright making it easy to see; not dark
  • Being pale and lacking darkness of color
  • Not heavy; weighing only a little
  • adverb
  • Carrying few bags when traveling
  • noun
  • A source of energy that makes a room or area bright
  • Way in which something or someone is understood
  • verb
  • To cause something to burn; put a burning match to
  • To provide a way to see ahead

promise

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US / 'prɒmɪs /

UK / ˈprɑmɪs /

A1
  • verb
  • To say you will certainly do something

though

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US / ðəu /

UK / ðo /

A1
  • adverb
  • Although, despite the fact that

difficult

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US / 'dɪfɪkəlt /

UK / ˈdɪfɪˌkʌlt, -kəlt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Hard; not easy; you need to work hard to do it

generate

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US / ˈdʒenəreɪt /

UK / ˈdʒɛnəˌret /

A2
  • verb
  • To create or be produced or bring into existence
  • To create electricity, heat, energy and power

news

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US / nju:z /

UK / nu:z /

A1
  • noun
  • Broadcast on radio or TV about recent events
  • Information about recent events

question

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US / 'kwestʃən /

UK / ˈkwɛstʃən /

A1
  • noun
  • Issue or problems you are dealing with
  • What you ask about; issue
  • verb
  • To ask for or try to get information
  • To have or express concerns or uncertainty

struggle

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US / 'strʌɡl /

UK / ˈstrʌɡəl /

A2
  • noun
  • Strong efforts made to do something difficult
  • verb
  • To try very hard to do something difficult

vast

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US / vɑ:st /

UK / væst /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Being very large in size or amount

into

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US / 'ɪntə /

UK / ˈɪntu /

A1
  • preposition
  • Moving or going inside something
  • In the same direction as; in the direction of
  • So as to become; taking the state of

power

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US / 'paʊə(r) /

UK / ˈpaʊɚ /

A1
  • noun
  • Legal or official right to perform certain actions
  • Ability to move forcefully and quickly
  • Energy of something (e.g. electricity or fuel)
  • Mathematical way to multiply a number
  • Condition of being in political control
  • Physical force, energy, and strength
  • verb
  • To give energy to something, e.g. by electricity
  • To move something forcefully and quickly

one

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US / wʌn /

UK / wʌn /

A1
  • pronoun
  • You; we; people in general; someone
  • The thing or person previously referred to
  • adjecitve
  • Used to refer to people generally
  • Being a strong example of (something mentioned)
  • number
  • Number 1

other

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US / 'ʌðə(r) /

UK / ˈʌðər /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • A thing different from that mentioned
  • determiner
  • (Something) else; not the first (one)
  • pronoun
  • Being the one and only thing of that category

turn

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US / tɜ:n /

UK / tɚn /

A1
  • noun
  • Place where changing of direction happens
  • Your time or chance to perform a duty
  • Your chance to play or do in say a game
  • Unexpected change, as in the weather
  • verb
  • To become (a particular age)
  • To become a different quality, color, etc.
  • To change the direction of something, e.g. a car
  • To move in an opposite direction or position
  • To shape metal with a spinning tool

than

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US / ðən /

UK / ðən /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used to compare two things that are not equal

alone

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US / ə'ləʊn /

UK / əˈlon /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Apart from others
  • Without equal
  • adverb
  • Without anyone or anything else

electricity

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US / ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti /

UK / ɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪti,ˌilɛk- /

A2
  • noun
  • Energy generated positive and negative charges

investment

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US / ɪnˈvestmənt /

UK / ɪnˈvɛstmənt /

A2
  • noun
  • Something purchased hoping its value will increase
  • Act of giving time, energy to see a future reward

murder

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US / 'mɜ:də(r) /

UK / ˈmɚdɚ /

A2
  • noun
  • Something that is difficult or painful to do
  • Crime of deliberately killing a person
  • verb
  • To intentionally kill a person
  • To spoil, ruin something by doing it poorly

seek

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US / si:k /

UK / sik /

A2
  • verb
  • To ask someone for help
  • To search for; try to find or do; look for
  • To try to achieve something

rate

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US / reɪt /

UK / ret /

A1
  • noun
  • Current price or cost of something
  • Speed or frequency of events over time
  • verb
  • To assess something or consider its qualities

the

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US / ðə /

UK / ðə /

A1
  • article
  • Used to refer to something already mentioned
  • Used to show there is only one of something
  • determiner
  • Used to describe all of a family

baseless

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US / ˈbeɪsləs /

UK / ˈbeɪsləs /

B2
  • adjecitve
  • Without any reason or justification

broad

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US / brɔ:d /

UK / brɔd /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • General; not detailed
  • Wide; from the shorter two sides to the other

less

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US / les /

UK / lɛs /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Smaller in amount or degree
  • adverb
  • To a smaller degree
  • noun
  • A smaller amount
  • preposition
  • With the subtraction of

specific

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US / spəˈsɪfɪk /

UK / spɪˈsɪfɪk /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Precise; particular; just about that thing
  • Concerning one particular thing or kind of thing

term

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US / tɜ:m /

UK / tɚm /

A1
  • noun
  • Conditions applying to an agreement, contract
  • Length of time something is expected to happen
  • Fixed period of weeks for learning at school
  • The (precise) name given to something
  • verb
  • To call; give a name to

congress

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US / 'kɒŋɡres /

UK / ˈkɑŋɡrɪs /

B1
  • noun
  • Meeting of elected or appointed representatives
  • American governing body of elected representatives

may

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US / meɪ /

UK / me /

A1
  • noun
  • 5th month of the year
  • other
  • Used to express a desire
  • Expresses permission, possibility or probability
  • Used to show that a thing could be true

play

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US / pleɪ /

UK / pleɪ /

A1
  • noun
  • Loose, free movement between two objects
  • Single action in a sports game
  • Performance in which people act in a theater
  • verb
  • To act as a character in a movie, or on stage
  • To perform music on an instrument
  • To use a device, e.g. a video game
  • To do something for enjoyment and fun
  • To do or perform a game or sport

ready

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US / 'redɪ /

UK / ˈrɛdi /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being likely or about to do something
  • Being willing to do a task
  • verb
  • To prepare something for use or action

this

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US / ðɪs /

UK / ðɪs /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Used to indicate something already been discussed
  • Used to indicate something happening around now
  • adverb
  • An indication by a physical motion or gesture
  • A specific amount of
  • determiner
  • Person, thing, or idea near you
  • pronoun
  • Person, thing that has already been discussed

word

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US / wɜ:d /

UK / wɚd /

A1
  • noun
  • Unit of language that has a meaning
  • Promise
  • Short remark or piece of information
  • verb
  • To express something by choosing particular words

attempt

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US / ə'tempt /

UK / əˈtɛmpt /

A2
  • noun
  • Effort made to try to do or accomplish something
  • verb
  • To try to do something challenging or difficult

also

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US / 'ɔ:lsəʊ /

UK / ˈɔlso /

A1
  • adverb
  • In addition; too; in a similar way

cyanide

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US / ˈsaɪənaɪd /

UK / ˈsaɪəˌnaɪd /

A1
  • noun
  • Any of a class of organic compounds containing the cyano radical -CN; an extremely poisonous salt of

generator

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US / ˈdʒenəreɪtə(r) /

UK / ˈdʒɛnəˌretɚ /

B2
  • noun
  • Machine that produces electrical power

how

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US / haʊ /

UK / haʊ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • To what degree? in what amount?
  • adverb
  • (Used to explain the way to do something)
  • exclamation
  • For what purpose or reason?
  • (Used to ask someone or something's condition)

year

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US / jə: /

UK / jɪr /

A1
  • noun
  • Unit of time equal to 12 months or 365 or 366 days
  • Used to refer to the age of a person

you

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US / jʊ /

UK / ju /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Person someone is speaking or writing to
  • Person or people in general

comrade

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US / ˈkɒmreɪd /

UK / ˈkɑ:mræd /

B2
  • noun
  • Someone you work or fight side by side with

demand

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US / dɪ'mɑ:nd /

UK / dɪˈmænd /

A2
  • noun
  • Desire customers have to buy product, service
  • A strong request for someone to do something
  • verb
  • To strongly request someone to do something

make

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US / meɪk /

UK / mek /

A1
  • noun
  • Product made by a particular company; brand
  • verb
  • To arrange or prepare something e.g. dinner
  • To get to (a place) on time
  • To gain the status of (teacher, lawyer, etc.)
  • To create something by putting things together
  • To earn a certain amount of money at a job
  • To cause or force a person to do something
  • To cause something to happen or be formed

run

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US / rʌn /

UK / rʌn /

A1
  • noun
  • Journey between two places made by ship or car
  • Series of similar things or successes and failures
  • Act of running; exercise of running
  • verb
  • To depart or travel according to a schedule
  • To cause an animal to move in a certain direction
  • (Of an engine) to be operating
  • To start or use a computer program
  • To flow in a certain direction, like a liquid
  • To manage or operate a business
  • To operate or drive something
  • (Of a road) to go from one place to another
  • To move your legs faster than walking

steal

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US / sti:l /

UK / stil /

A1
  • noun
  • A bargain; something bought very cheaply
  • Act of taking the ball or a base from another
  • verb
  • To move quietly or secretly to or from a place
  • To secretly take something that belongs to another

verify

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US / 'verɪfaɪ /

UK / ˈvɛrəˌfaɪ /

B2
  • verb
  • To prove that something is right, accurate or true

anticipate

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US / æn'tɪsɪpeɪt /

UK / ænˈtɪsəˌpet /

B1
  • verb
  • To expect or look ahead to something positively
  • To be aware of something that might happen

plant

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US / plɑ:nt /

UK / plænt /

A2
  • noun
  • Factory or a place where things are made
  • Living thing with leaves and roots growing in soil
  • verb
  • To firmly position something (in the ground)
  • To put seeds, flowers, trees in the ground

price

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US / praɪs /

UK / praɪs /

A1
  • noun
  • Person's name
  • Cost of something in money
  • verb
  • To determine or set the cost of something

state

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US / steɪt /

UK / stet /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning region within a country
  • noun
  • Region within a country, with its own government
  • Situation or condition something is in
  • verb
  • To say; declare as fact

zuma

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US / /

UK / /

A1

contract

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US / 'kɒntrækt /

UK / 'kɑ:ntrækt /

A1
  • noun
  • Legal agreement, e.g. for doing work for money
  • Agreement to pay someone to kill a person
  • verb
  • To become ill as a result of getting a disease
  • To make an agreement for doing work for money
  • To reduce in size, length due to heat loss
  • To reduce the amount of

population

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US / ˌpɒpjuˈleɪʃn /

UK / ˌpɑpjəˈleʃən /

A2
  • noun
  • Number of people who live in a country, area etc.

someone

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US / ˈsʌmwʌn /

UK / ˈsʌmˌwʌn, -wən /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Person who is not known or named

story

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US / 'stɔ:rɪ /

UK / ˈstɔri, ˈstori /

A1
  • noun
  • One of many floors or levels in a building
  • Account or description of how something happened

true

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US / tru: /

UK / tru: /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Agreeing with the facts; not false; real or actual

capture

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US / 'kæptʃə(r) /

UK / ˈkæptʃɚ /

B1
  • verb
  • To attract and hold e.g. interest, attention
  • To record, tape, or film something
  • To catch and prevent from being free
  • To take control of a place or object by force

mismanagement

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US / ˌmɪs'mænɪdʒmənt /

UK / ˌmɪs'mænɪdʒmənt /

B1
  • noun
  • Management that is careless or inefficient

too

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US / tu: /

UK / tu /

A1
  • adverb
  • In addition, also; with emphasis
  • Say that something is more than you want

corruption

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US / kəˈrʌpʃn /

UK / kəˈrʌpʃən /

B1
  • noun
  • State of being damaged or spoiled
  • Illegal, immoral dishonesty

consultancy

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US / kən'sʌltənsɪ /

UK / kənˈsʌltnsi /

B2
  • noun
  • Business of giving (paid) expert advice

fail

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US / feɪl /

UK / fel /

A1
  • noun
  • A mark on a test showing you did not pass
  • verb
  • To be unsuccessful in passing a class or exam
  • To not do or provide something that is needed
  • To stop working or functioning; to break down
  • To not achieve a goal, or to go wrong

unless

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US / ənˈles /

UK / ʌnˈlɛs /

A2
  • conjunction
  • Negative of 'if'

actually

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US / ˈæktʃuəli /

UK / ˈæktʃuəli /

A1
  • adverb
  • Used to add new (often different) information

rough

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US / rʌf /

UK / rʌf /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Causing or involving violence, force, and harm
  • (Of situations) tough; difficult to get through
  • Being imprecise, inexact, and not detailed
  • Not gentle or not soft
  • Having an uneven or not smooth surface
  • Raw and natural
  • (Of sea weather etc.) not calm with strong winds
  • Involving or causing sudden, forceful movements
  • adverb
  • In a manner that is difficult, or violent
  • noun
  • Violent, loud, and unpleasant person
  • Incomplete drawing or draft done lacking detail
  • verb
  • To make something less smooth

here

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US / hɪə(r) /

UK / hɪr /

A1
  • adverb
  • In this place; at this location, position or time

new

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US / nju: /

UK / nu, nju /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Not old, recently born, built or made
  • Being or doing something for the first time
  • Not felt, seen or known previously
  • Having been recently bought or obtained

production

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US / prəˈdʌkʃn /

UK / prəˈdʌkʃən, pro- /

A2
  • noun
  • Process of producing or growing food naturally
  • Process of making something on a large scale
  • Process of making a movie or TV show

small

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US / smɔ:l /

UK / smɔl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Little in size; not big
  • (Of letters) not written in capital letters
  • Being insignificant or minor
  • (Of a business) with few people or things; local
  • (Of voice) being soft and quiet
  • (Of a child) being young

day

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US / deɪ /

UK / de /

A1
  • noun
  • A period of 24 hours beginning at midnight
  • The period of time when it is light outside
  • Person's name

deny

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US / dɪ'naɪ /

UK / dɪˈnaɪ /

A2
  • verb
  • To refuse to allow or accept something

explain

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US / ɪk'spleɪn /

UK / ɪkˈsplen /

A1
  • verb
  • To make clear or easy to understand by describing

point

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US / pɔɪnt /

UK / pɔɪnt /

A1
  • noun
  • An item to be discussed
  • Small spot or dot
  • Fact or detail
  • Feature of something
  • The size of the text on a page or screen
  • A certain time or stage in a process
  • Certain position in time or space
  • Idea or fact you try to convince people about
  • Measurement of scores in a game, sport
  • Sharp end of something, e.g. a pen or pin
  • verb
  • To face a certain direction, e.g. north
  • To indicate something with your finger to others

four

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US / fɔ:(r) /

UK / fɔr, for /

A1
  • number
  • 4

eat

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US / i:t /

UK / it /

A1
  • verb
  • To put food in your mouth

economy

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US / ɪ'kɒnəmɪ /

UK / ɪˈkɑnəmi /

A1
  • noun
  • Using money, resources in a careful, effective way
  • Total of all goods, services and wages in an area

million

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US / ˈmɪljən /

UK / ˈmɪljən /

A1
  • number
  • 1,000,000

while

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US / waɪl /

UK / hwaɪl, waɪl /

A1
  • conjunction
  • In spite of the fact that; although
  • During the time that; at the same time
  • noun
  • Short amount of time

after

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US / 'ɑ:ftə(r) /

UK / ˈæftɚ /

A1
  • adverb
  • Later than another time, or behind something
  • conjunction
  • Following something before
  • preposition
  • When an event happened or time has passed

already

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US / ɔ:lˈredi /

UK / ɔlˈrɛdi /

A1
  • adverb
  • Having happened or been done before this time

always

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US / 'ɔ:lweɪz /

UK / ˈɔlwez,-wɪz,-wiz /

A1
  • adverb
  • For a very long time
  • At all times; in every situation
  • For ever

itself

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US / ɪtˈself /

UK / ɪtˈsɛlf /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Referring to it

many

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US / 'menɪ /

UK / ˈmɛni /

A1
  • determiner
  • Used to refer a large number of things

warn

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US / wɔ:n /

UK / wɔrn /

A2
  • verb
  • To tell someone about possible danger

will

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US / wɪl /

UK / wɪl /

A1
  • noun
  • Desire or choice of someone
  • Document saying who gets your money when you die
  • Strong desire to do something; determination
  • Desire to do something; strong wish to do
  • other
  • Used with verbs to express the future
  • verb
  • To leave property to someone after your death
  • To use mental effort to make something happen
  • Am (is, are) likely to do
  • To influence someone to do something
  • To make something happen by strongly wanting it

both

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US / bəuθ /

UK / boθ /

A1
  • determiner
  • Used to refer to two things at the same time
  • pronoun
  • Used to refer to two things at the same time

reliance

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US / rɪˈlaɪəns /

UK / rɪˈlaɪəns /

B1
  • noun
  • State of being dependent on something for help

all

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US / ɔ:l /

UK / ɔl /

A1
  • adverb
  • Completely; totally
  • determiner
  • Being every one of something
  • pronoun
  • 100% of something; the complete amount

its

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US / ɪts /

UK / ɪts /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Referring to or belonging to ‘it’
  • determiner
  • Of something; belonging or related to something
  • other
  • Possessive form of “it”

produce

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US / prə'dju:s /

UK / prəˈdus, -ˈdjus, pro- /

A1
  • noun
  • Fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables
  • verb
  • To grow something naturally
  • To make something appear
  • To manufacture something using machines
  • To control the making a movie or television show

who

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US / hu: /

UK / hu /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Which person
  • Used to introduce information about people

unfortunate

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US / ʌnˈfɔ:tʃənət /

UK / ʌnˈfɔrtʃənɪt /

B1
  • adjecitve
  • Having bad luck; bringing a bad result

billion

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US / ˈbɪljən /

UK / ˈbɪljən /

A2
  • noun
  • Number 1,000,000,000

damage

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US / ˈdæmɪdʒ /

UK / ˈdæmɪdʒ /

A2
  • noun
  • Physical harm that is done to something
  • verb
  • To harm physically; to hurt or break something

they

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US / ðeɪ /

UK / ðe /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Two or more people, animals, or things

very

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US / 'verɪ /

UK / ˈvɛri /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning a large degree or amount
  • adverb
  • A lot; much; many
  • Used to stress or emphasize a noun

act

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US / ækt /

UK / ækt /

A1
  • noun
  • What someone did; action; behavior
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  • Introduction to Video Content
  • Why the lights are going out in South Africa - BBC News
    South Africa, one of Africa's richest countries, is facing a major challenge - power cuts. These outages are not only impacting people's daily lives but also taking a toll on the country as a whole.
    Lasting for nine to ten hours at a time and rotating around the country, the power cuts have a devastating effect. It may be alarming, but it is not unexpected. South Africa had been warned about the impending crisis for many years, even dating back twenty years or more.
    However, these warnings went unheeded, and now South Africa finds itself in its current predicament. In just one year, there were planned power cuts on 205 days, and this year, there have already been 129 days with power cuts - leaving only two days without any interruption. The cuts can last for hours at a time and are necessary because the electricity system cannot meet the demand. Without these cuts, there is a risk of the entire system collapsing, potentially leading to a week-long blackout.
    The impact of these power cuts goes beyond inconveniences at home. They have a profound effect on crucial aspects of society such as communication. The situation feels like an enforced national shutdown, although a complete blackout has not occurred yet. Regular power cuts have become a part of life in South Africa.
    To understand why this is happening, we need to look at the country's coal-fired power stations. These power stations account for 86% of the electricity produced in South Africa, but they are struggling to keep up. The state power utility, Eskom, admits that these stations are unreliable, and one consultancy suggests that they are overworked and not adequately maintained.
    These challenges have their roots in decisions made over the past few decades. The African National Congress (ANC) has been in power for the past 29 years, with Thabo Mbeki succeeding Nelson Mandela as president in 1999. Nine years later, Mbeki admitted that when Eskom recommended investing more in electricity generation, the government rejected the proposal. It was a mistake. Eskom was right.
    The power crisis in South Africa highlights the consequences of neglecting long-term planning and failing to invest in the energy sector. Urgent action is needed to address the current situation and ensure a reliable electricity supply for the people of South Africa.
  • Subtitles section
  • South Africa is one of Africa's richest countries, but it can't keep the lights on.
  • Power cuts are affecting people at home, on the roads, at work too.
  • And it's taking its toll.
  • Nine hours, 10 hours of no electricity as it rotates around the country.
  • It's really very devastating to the country to have electricity turned off.
  • It may be devastating, but it's not a surprise.
  • Well, this is a disaster of South Africa's own making because there were calls, there were warnings from many years ago, not even just 20 years, but dating back.
  • But the warnings weren't heeded.
  • And this is the point that South Africa has reached.
  • Last year, there were planned power cuts on 205 days.
  • This year, it's already 129.
  • That's every single day except two.
  • And these power cuts can last for hours.
  • They're needed because the system can't meet demand.
  • Without them, the whole system could collapse.
  • People would experience a week without any electricity at all.
  • And that's going to affect things like communications.
  • It's like an enforced national shutdown.
  • This hasn't happened yet, but regular power cuts are now part of life.
  • And to explain why, we need to look at South Africa's coal-fired power stations.
  • They account for 86% of the electricity it produces, but they're struggling to keep up.
  • The state power utility, Eskom, admits they're unreliable.
  • One consultancy says they're run exceptionally hard and under-maintained.
  • And this connects the decisions, reaching back years.
  • For the last 29 of them, the African National Congress, the ANC, has been in power.
  • In 1999, Thabo Mbeki succeeded Nelson Mandela as president.
  • Nine years later, he admitted, when Eskom said to the government, we think we must invest more in terms of electricity generation, we said no.
  • We were wrong.
  • Eskom was right.
  • Or as the broadcaster Ready Clubby puts it...
  • Eskom anticipated, they projected, they knew that South Africa would run out of energy unless it made the necessary investments.
  • The government ignored them.
  • In 2007, though, after years of warnings, the government did act.
  • Construction began on two enormous coal power stations, but this hasn't gone to plan.
  • Ultimately, the design turned out to be a flop.
  • Not only did they turn out to cost more than double of what they were projected initially, they also took roughly double as long to actually be built.
  • The ANC has sought to distance itself from the process.
  • It said of one contract, the ANC has not participated in the said transaction.
  • Wherever the blame lies, after 16 years, these power stations are not at capacity.
  • Last year, the Kisile plant had to be partially shut down after a chimney collapsed.
  • In 2021, an explosion at the Madupi plant damaged the generator.
  • Work goes on at both to fix the problems.
  • And the overall challenge of electricity production connects to something else too, corruption.
  • And there were new allegations earlier this year.
  • The source was André de Reuter, who until February was CEO of Eskom.
  • According to South Africa's News 24, Mr. de Reuter is now believed to be staying in Germany.
  • He left South Africa earlier this year after he'd given an interview.
  • And in it, he claimed at least four organised crime cartels are operating in Eskom, and that someone had put cyanide in his coffee in an attempted murder.
  • The BBC can't verify that claim.
  • And Mr. de Reuter went on.
  • My rough estimate of the amount of money that gets stolen in Eskom every month is in the region of a billion rand.
  • Every month.
  • A billion rand is about $55 million.
  • $55 million a month.
  • And this is the BBC's Nomsa Maseke on a conversation that Mr. de Reuter alleges that he had.
  • When he questioned the powers that be, particularly from the governing party, he was told, allow the comrades to eat.
  • In his response to André de Reuter, the ANC said it rejected his unfortunate, irresponsible, and baseless claims of alleged political meddling and corruption at the embattled power utility.
  • It says allegations about the ANC are false and that it's suing him for defamation.
  • It adds, we will challenge him for saying our party is corrupt and failing to prove how.
  • But Mr. de Reuter isn't alone in connecting the power cuts to allegations of malpractice.
  • Money was set aside, billions, to give to the power utility, to invest in new coal stations, generating power capacity, bringing in expertise, and so on.
  • It is that money that was looted and stolen under corruption.
  • And corruption has been documented by a vast judicial inquiry.
  • Last year, it found 14.7 billion rand of Eskom's contracts are calculated to have been afflicted by state capture, in other words, by corruption.
  • That's more than $900 million.
  • Much of it looted during the 2010s, when Jacob Zuma was president.
  • Mr. Zuma's always denied corruption allegations.
  • But more broadly, this inquiry captured the extent of corruption in South Africa.
  • And that's why the power cuts are about much more than electricity.
  • So the power crisis in this country is one small example of the true picture of what South Africa is currently going through, be it corruption, be it crime, you know, be it mismanagement.
  • South Africa's current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has talked of his commitment to fighting corruption.
  • That is long-term work, as is addressing South Africa's power capacity and reducing its reliance on coal.
  • But right now, the power cuts are happening, and they're coming at a cost.
  • Because of the electricity shortage in particular, the rate of economic growth is often close to 1%, sometimes less than 1%, and is actually less than our population growth rate.
  • As all of this plays out, South Africa heads into what the government calls an exceptionally difficult winter.
  • And it's reiterated its determination to get to grips with the crisis.
  • But on power cuts, or load-shedding as it's called, there have been promises before.
  • There will never, never, never be load-shedding again.
  • That's not what happened.
  • And this illustrates why, to some commentators, this is a story of long-term political failure.
  • The problem here is a lack of leadership and short-sightedness, where political expediency was put above the well-being of the nation.
  • And that's why the economy and the people of South Africa are paying such a heavy price.
  • The ANC would deny its interests are anything other than South Africa's, but it doesn't deny the severity of the moment.
  • The energy crisis is an existential threat to our economy and to the social fabric of our country.
  • And so, while this is a story specific to South Africa, there's a broader lesson here, that systems do have breaking points, moments when the state can no longer provide for the people it serves, moments that are almost always years in the making.