Test and expand your IELTS vocabulary with this 15-question quiz covering environment, education, technology, and work topics. Designed for Band 7+ aspirants, this quiz challenges your word knowledge in real-world contexts and aids preparation for higher IELTS scores.
Which word best completes the sentence: 'Many governments implement strict policies to ensure the ____ of endangered species in national parks.'
Explanation: Conservation refers to the protection and preservation of natural resources or species, making it the best fit here. Consumption means using up resources, which has the opposite meaning. Convenience relates to ease and comfort, which is unrelated to environmental policies. Constitution is a set of fundamental principles for governance, and does not connect to protecting species.
In educational settings, which term describes the set of subjects and materials taught at a school or university?
Explanation: Curriculum is the correct term for a planned sequence of study in educational institutions. Curriculum vitae is a document detailing work experience and is not used for academic content. Corollary refers to a result or consequence, not a set of study materials. Criterion means a standard used for judgment, not a collection of subjects.
Which adjective describes a new device, method, or idea that is original and advanced compared to existing alternatives?
Explanation: Innovative means introducing or using new ideas or methods that are original and useful. Invasive refers to something spreading undesirably, often used negatively. Inactive means not active or not functioning, and indicative simply shows or points out, so neither fits the context.
If an employee formally tells their employer they are leaving their job, what is this action called?
Explanation: To resign is to formally quit a job, matching the description. Resist means to oppose, not to leave a job. Re-sign, though similar in spelling, means to sign again and implies continuing rather than leaving. Reserve refers to booking or saving something for later, unrelated to employment status.
What is the correct term for gases released into the atmosphere, often from vehicles or factories, that can contribute to pollution?
Explanation: Emissions refer specifically to substances, especially gases, emitted into the air by various sources. Emotions are feelings, which are not related to pollution. Admissions concern entering a place or institution. Missions refer to tasks or assignments and are unrelated to environmental science.
In many developing countries, improving ____ rates, which means the ability to read and write, is a key goal for educational reform.
Explanation: Literacy is the term for reading and writing ability, making it appropriate in this educational context. Literature refers to written works but not the skill of reading or writing. Liability means being responsible for something, which is unrelated. Liberty denotes freedom, which is out of context here.
The introduction of ____ in factories has reduced the need for manual labor by using machines and computer systems to perform tasks.
Explanation: Automation refers to the use of machines and technology to operate processes without human intervention. Autonomy means independence or self-governance, not mechanization. Auction involves selling goods to the highest bidder, and allocation means distributing resources, both unrelated to machine-based task performance.
In a company downsizing, employees may be made ____ when their jobs are no longer required due to restructuring.
Explanation: Redundant describes people who lose their jobs because their roles are no longer necessary. Redundancy is the noun form but does not describe the people themselves. Refundable means eligible for a refund, and reductive refers to oversimplification, so they are incorrect.
A city that uses renewable energy sources and limits waste generation is often described as ____.
Explanation: Sustainable means able to be maintained without harming the environment, suitable for describing ecological actions. Substantial means large or considerable, not related to environmental practices. Sustained means continued over time but lacks the ecological nuance. Subordinate refers to lower rank, unrelated here.
Activities such as music clubs, debating teams, and sports that are not part of the standard school program are called ____ activities.
Explanation: Extracurricular refers to activities outside the formal curriculum, fitting the context. Extraterrestrial means from outside Earth. Extradepartmental means outside a specific department, not a common term in schools. Extraneous means irrelevant or unnecessary, not intended here.
The term ____ describes the gap between those who have easy access to computers and the internet and those who do not.
Explanation: Digital divide is the recognized term for disparities in access to technology. Data divergence refers to data moving apart in values, irrelevant here. Digital direction and divided digits are not standard phrases related to technology access.
A person who works independently for different clients rather than being employed full-time by a single company is called a ____.
Explanation: Freelancer is the correct term for someone working independently on various projects. Franchisee is a person who runs a franchise business, a different context. Follower refers to someone who follows others and is not related to employment. Founder means the creator of a company or project.
Successful conservation initiatives often lead to increased ____ in forests, referring to the variety of plant and animal life.
Explanation: Biodiversity means the variety of living organisms in a particular habitat, directly matching the context. Bioactivity refers to biological activity, not diversity. Biosafety covers safe handling of biological material but not diversity. Biography is a written life story, entirely unrelated.
Students with outstanding academic achievements may receive a ____ to help pay for their tuition fees.
Explanation: A scholarship is financial aid granted for academic excellence or other achievements. Schooling refers to education in general, not a financial award. Scholarly is an adjective describing someone academic, and scholar is a person who studies, not a financial benefit.
A company concerned about hackers stealing sensitive information should invest in robust ____ measures.
Explanation: Cybersecurity refers to the protection of computer systems from theft or damage, directly addressing the concern. Cybernetics is the study of control systems, unrelated to protective measures. Cyberspace describes the environment of the internet, not its security. Cyclicality means recurrence in cycles, not relevant here.
When an employee is given a higher position in their company due to good performance, this advancement is called a ____.
Explanation: Promotion is the advancement to a higher role or rank within a company for good performance. Provision refers to supplying something, not advancement. Prominence means being well-known or important, not a work status. Promptness refers to being punctual, which does not describe career advancement.