Here’s a list of essential vocabulary if you’re preparing for the Cambridge English B2 First (FCE) exam. These are excellent words and phrases that you can use in the writing and speaking papers of the exam to get top marks.
General
| environment place where people, plants, and animals live |
Petrol cars are having a negative effect on the environment. |
| environmental relating to the environment |
Petrol cars are causing huge environmental damage. |
| wildlife animals, birds, and plants living in their natural habitat |
We must protect our country’s magnificent wildlife. |
| carbon footprint amount of carbon dioxide produced by a person or company’s activity |
I try not to fly too much in order to keep my carbon footprint low. |
Problems
| endangered species animals or plants that may soon become extinct |
Because of hunting, rhinos are now an endangered species, |
| become extinct to longer exist (plants and animals) |
Scientists are worried that Rhinos could become extinct very soon. |
| extinction a situation where an animal or plant does not exist |
Rhinos are facing the threat of extinction. |
| flood when a place is covered with water |
The city flooded because of the heavy rain. |
| greenhouse effect the gradual warming of the Earth due to pollution and gases |
The greenhouse effect is one of the major causes of global warming. |
| greenhouse gases gases, especially carbon dioxide, that cause the greenhouse effect |
The level of greenhouse gases has been rising for many years. |
| fumes gas or smoke which is usually dangerous |
Cars and factories give off many fumes. |
| unsustainable using more of something than can be replaced naturally |
Unsustainable farming is causing huge damage to the environment. |
| traffic lots of cars, lorries etc using roads |
We can reduce traffic by driving our cars less. |
| congested roads roads which are blocked with traffic |
Traffic is moving slowly because all the roads are congested. |
| overpopulation too many people in a place for the amount of food, space and resources |
The government is worried about overpopulation in some parts of the country. |
| climate change changes in the planet’s weather, particularly causing it to get warmer |
If we act now we can stop the effect of climate change. |
| global warming the gradual increase in the earth’s temperature caused by greenhouse gases |
Scientists believe that global warming is the biggest threat to our lives. |
| emissions gas that is sent out to the air |
Carbon dioxide emissions have increased this year. |
| pollution release of harmful materials into the environment |
Fumes from cars are causing huge levels of pollution. |
| ozone layer protective layer in the Earth’s atmosphere that protects from UV radiation |
We must do more to protect the ozone layer. |
| hole in the ozone layer | Emissions of certain gases have caused the hole in the ozone layer |
| rising sea levels the increasing level of the sea’s surface |
Sea levels have been rising for the past decade. |
| carbon dioxide levels | Carbon dioxide levels are increasing every year. |
| deforestation process of cutting down trees in a large area |
The rainforest has seen mass deforestation due to development. |
| toxic waste poisonous waste |
It is illegal for factories to dump their toxic waste in the sea |
Energy
| fossil fuels fuel that comes from the ground, such as oil or coal |
We need to rely less on fossil fuels in order to save the planet. |
| solar energy energy from the sun |
Solar energy is a growing industry. |
| solar panels a special panel which convert sunlight into electricity |
Many people these days are installing solar panels on their roofs. |
| solar farm a large installation of solar panels for generating electricity |
New solar farms will mean less dependence on fossil fuels. |
| wind energy energy from wind |
Wind energy is a very cost-effective way to produce electricity. |
| wind turbines large constructions which convert wind into energy |
Some people complain about the site of wind turbines. |
| wind farm a large installation of solar panels for generating electricity |
The government are investing more in wind farms |
| nuclear energy/power energy produced by a nuclear reactor |
Scientists are aware of the risks of nuclear power. |
| natural resources materials from nature which we can use such as wood, coal, minerals, water |
The country’s natural resources are running out. |
Solutions
| environmentally friendly not harmful to the environment |
Nowadays I only buy environmentally friendly house products. |
| renewable resources natural sources of energy which don’t run out, e.g. solar and wind |
People are becoming more aware of renewable resources. |
| organic free from artificial chemicals, in food and animals |
More people are switching to organic food these days. |
| sustainable able to continue over a period of time and not harmful to the environment |
Sustainable farming methods are becoming more popular because of climate change. |
| sustainability | The company is focusing more on sustainability for the long term. |
| recycle / recycling use waste materials again |
We can all recycle our paper, glass and plastic. |
| biodegradable able to break down naturally |
Many supermarkets now use biodegradable bags instead of plastic bags. |
| green energy energy that is clean and doesn’t pollute the environment |
The government are going to invest more money in green energy. |
| conserve energy save energy |
Conserving energy saves money and is good for the environement. |
| cut down (on) reduce, use less of something |
We are trying to cut down on our use of plastic bags. |
| reduce do less of something |
The company want to reduce its emissions next year. |
| reuse plastic bags | It’s better to reuse your plastic bags instead of throwing them away. |
| reforestation planting lots of trees to replace ones that have been cut down |
The government is going to plant thousands of trees as part of their reforestation project. |
| switch off electrical equipment | I try to switch off all my electric equipment before I go to bed. |
Politics
| Paris Agreement international agreement between countries to make changes to affect climate change |
The Paris Agreement was signed in 2016 by 196 countries. |
| activist person who takes action in order to make political change |
Environmental activists have been trying to change the law on petrol cars. |
| protest make a strong public expression of disagreement |
People are protesting against the government this week in the capital city. |
What other words and phrases can you think of? Have any questions? Please let me know in the comments.