Objectives: to develop vocabulary related to the natural world, to practise countable and uncountable nouns and quantifiers
1. VOCABULARY
An animal that produces eggs and uses the heat of the sun to keep its blood warm
Any animal in which the female gives birth to babies, not eggs, and feeds them on milk from her own body
A type of small animal with six legs, a body divided into three parts, and often two pairs of wings, for example, an ant, beetle, or butterfly
A creature with feathers and wings, usually able to fly
Any large or small living thing that can move independently in the sea
A structure or other place where creatures, esp. birds, give birth or leave their eggs to develo
A set of animals or plants, members of which have similar characteristics to each other and which can breed with each
Animal skin that has been treated in order to preserve it and is used to make shoes, bags, clothes, equipment, etc…
One of the movable, usually long and flat, parts on either side of the body of a bird, insect, or bat that it uses for flying, or one of the long, flat, horizontal structures that stick out on either side of an aircraft
The soft, thick hair that covers the bodies of some animals, or the hair-covered skin of animals, removed from their bodies
The natural surroundings in which an animal or plant usually lives
The series of changes that a product, process, activity, etc. goes through during its existence
The land next to or close to the sea
A flat, sloping area of sand or small stones beside the sea or a lake
A large, dry area where there is very little rain and few plants
A large area full of trees, usually wild
An area of land that slopes up to a point higher than the surrounding land and then slopes down again, but which is smaller than a mountain
A piece of land completely surrounded by water
A large area of water that is not salty and is surrounded by land
A raised part of the earth’s surface, larger than a hill
The large mass of salt water that covers most of the earth’s surface
A forest in a tropical area that receives a lot of rain
Water that flows naturally through a wide channel that is surrounded by land
A large area of salt water that is partly or completely surrounded by land, or the salt water that covers most of the surface of the earth
Water from a river or stream falling over an edge of rock to a much lower level
The hard substance that forms the inside part of the branches and trunk of a tree, used to make things or as a fuel
3. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
COUNTABLE & UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
a. Countable nouns
Some nouns refer to things which, in English, are treated as separate items which can be counted. These are called countable nouns. Here are some examples:
- a car, three cars
- my cousin, my two cousins
- a book, a box full of books
- a city, several big cities
Singular and plural
Countable nouns can be singular or plural. They can be used with a/an and with numbers and many other determiners (e.g. these, a few):
- She’s got two sisters and a younger brother.
- Most people buy things like cameras and MP3-players online these days.
- These shoes look old now.
- I’ll take a few magazines with me for the flight.
b. Uncountable nouns
In English grammar, some things are seen as a whole or mass. These are called uncountable nouns, because they cannot be separated or counted.
Some examples of uncountable nouns are:
- Ideas and experiences: advice, information, progress, news, luck, fun, work
- Materials and substances: water, rice, cement, gold, milk
- Weather words: weather, thunder, lightning, rain, snow
- Names for groups or collections of things: furniture, equipment, rubbish, luggage
Other common uncountable nouns include: accommodation, baggage, homework, knowledge, money, permission, research, traffic, travel.
These nouns are not used with a/an or numbers and are not used in the plural.
- We’re going to get new furniture for the living room.
Not: We’re going to get a new furniture for the living room. or We’re going to get new furnitures for the living room.
- We had terrible weather last week.
Not: We had a terrible weather last week.
- We need rice next time we go shopping.
Some nouns always have plural form but they are uncountable because we cannot use numbers with them.
- I bought two pairs of trousers.
Not: I bought two trousers.
Other nouns of this type are: shorts, pants, pyjamas, glasses (for the eyes), binoculars, scissors.
3. Warning:
Some nouns which are uncountable in English are countable in other languages (e.g. accommodation, advice, furniture, information):
- They can give you some information about accommodation at the tourist office.
Not: They can give you some informations about accommodations at the tourist office.
- Can you give me some advice about buying a second-hand car?
Not: Can you give me some advices about buying a second-hand car?
4. TEST STRATEGY
Listening: Underline the key words in the sentences. Then listen out for these key words or their synonyms/paraphrases. This will help you understand which part of the recording the answer is in.
Remember to check your spelling.
Speaking: In part 1 of the speaking test, you often have to talk about your education and studies. Learning a range of words related to education and studying can help improve your performance.
Speaking & Writing: Try to use both V + adverb structures and adj + N structures in Writing and Speaking