IELTS Masterclass UNIT 2 CONFLICTING INTERESTS
cramped
Uncomfortably small or restricted
substantial
large in amount
steep
(of a slope, flight of stairs, or angle) rising or falling sharply; almost perpendicular
quota
a limited amount of something that is officially allowed
demographer
a person who studies changes in numbers of births, marriages, deaths, etc. in an area over a period of time
implication
a result or effect that seems likely in the future
a conflict of interest
a situation where someone cannot make fair decisions because they are influenced by something
halt
bring or come to an abrupt stop
tranquil
calm and quiet
inexorable
continuing without any possibility of being stopped
hazardous
dangerous
scrap
discard or remove from service (a redundant, old, or inoperative vehicle, vessel, or machine), especially so as to convert it to scrap metal
disastrous
extremely bad
patriotic
showing love for your country and pride in it
brute
someone who behaves in a very violent and cruel way
statistician
someone who studies or is an expert in statistics
asset
something which a person or company owns which has a value
offspring
the child of a person or animal
destined
to be certain to be something or do something in the future
drown
to die because you are under water and cannot breathe, or to kill someone in this way
suffocate
to die because you cannot breathe or to kill someone by stopping them from breathing
envisage
to imagine something happening, or think that something is likely to happen
soar
to increase to a high level very quickly
fluctuate
to keep changing, especially in level or amount
gauge
to measure a distance, size, or amount
squeeze
to move somewhere where there is very little space
cling to sth
to refuse to stop believing or hoping for something
commute
to regularly travel between work and home
exodus
when a large number of people all leave a place together
congestion
when something is full or blocked, especially with traffic
exempt
with special permission not to have to do something or pay something
