These are words 351 to 375 of the top 400 words of the New Academic Word List: words that appear again and again in university texts and in the Academic IELTS Reading and Writing tasks. For each word, read the example, try to guess the meaning, then reveal it and mark honestly how you did. Then say the word aloud, record yourself and compare it with the model voice. When you have finished, try the gap quiz and save your results.
The New Academic Word List was compiled by Charles Browne, Brent Culligan and Joseph Phillips (2013) from academic texts, and its words are ranked by the authors. We teach the top 400 in rank order. How the list was made
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The words
351
protocol
noun
Doctors follow a strict protocol.
collocationsfollow a protocol · safety protocol · a strict protocol
an agreed set of steps or rules for how to do something
Watch out: Protocol also means polite official behaviour.
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352
progressive
adjective
She holds progressive views.
collocationsprogressive views · a progressive policy · progressive tax
in favour of new ideas and social change, or developing step by step
Watch out: Progressive is also a grammar term: the present progressive.
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353
aesthetic
adjective
The building has great aesthetic appeal.
collocationsaesthetic appeal · aesthetic value · aesthetic judgement
connected with beauty and the arts
Watch out: The American spelling is esthetic.
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354
exploit
verb
Some companies exploit cheap labour.
collocationsexploit resources · exploit workers · exploit an opportunity
to use something fully, or to treat someone unfairly for your own gain
Watch out: Exploit can be positive: exploit an opportunity.
Watch out: Suicide is a sensitive word. Use it carefully and kindly.
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372
pi
noun
The number pi is about 3.14.
collocationsthe value of pi · calculate pi · pi equals
the number you get when you divide the distance around a circle by its width, about 3.14
Watch out: Pi sounds like the word pie.
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373
monkey
noun
A monkey climbed the tree.
collocationsa wild monkey · monkey business · a pet monkey
a small animal with a long tail that climbs trees
Watch out: The plural is monkeys, not monkies.
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374
habitat
noun
Forests are the habitat of many birds.
collocationsnatural habitat · wildlife habitat · destroy a habitat
the natural home of a plant or animal
Watch out: Habitat is the place where a species lives.
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375
assignment
noun
The teacher set a difficult assignment.
collocationscomplete an assignment · hand in an assignment · set an assignment
a piece of work given to a student or worker
Watch out: Say hand in an assignment, not give an assignment.
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Gap quiz
Each sentence has one gap. Drag a word into the gap, or tap a word and then tap the gap. The words are the ones you have just practised, and some of them have changed shape (for example, is or made).
Doctors must follow a strict for washing their hands, a set of agreed steps.
She holds views and supports new ideas and reform in society.
The appeal of the building is its beauty, not its use.
Companies should not their workers by paying them far too little.
employs many people in rural areas, where they grow crops and raise animals.
A medical treats patients, and doctors and nurses are two examples.
Please write your name, age and on the form.
There is no exact between the two grading systems used in the two countries.
A leader chooses what works in practice rather than what would be ideal.
Workers' rose after the factory bought new machines.
Follow the on the sign to find the exit.
Rabbits quickly, and a single pair can have many young each year.
The radio on the match described every goal as it happened.
A sticky was left in the pan after all the water boiled away.
The ladder was and could have fallen at any moment.
After a long meeting the group reached a and everyone agreed.
Try to the instructions so that everyone can follow them.
The of a circle is the distance from its centre to its edge.
Plastic flowers are , made by people and not grown in nature.
Farmers gathered the wheat in late summer, and it was a good year.
Public health campaigns try to reduce the number of deaths by among young people.
The number is about 3.14 and is used to find the area of a circle.
A climbed the tree and ate a banana.
The forest is the natural of many birds, insects and small mammals.
The teacher set an on climate change that is due on Friday.
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Word list: New Academic Word List 1.2 by Charles Browne, Brent Culligan and Joseph Phillips (2013), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The list gives the words and their order; the meanings, examples and exercises on this page are our own.
