| an animal like a large hairy elephant that lived on Earth thousands of years ago | mammoth,_,They have recently discovered some mammoth bones along the coastline. |
| to find something after searching for it, especially something that has been buried in the ground or lost for a long time | unearthed,_,In one shop, I unearthed a wonderful collection of 1920s toys. |
| if a scientist or archaeologist excavates an area of land, they dig carefully to find ancient objects, bones etc | excavated,_,Schliemann excavated the ancient city of Troy. |
| a layer of soil that is always frozen in countries where it is very cold | permafrost,_,Most of Mars seems to be covered with a layer of permafrost, kilometers deep in places. |
| one of a pair of very long pointed teeth, that stick out of the mouth of animals such as elephants | tusk,_,Sadly, elephants are being killed for their tusks. |
| a person who studies ancient societies by examining what remains of their buildings, graves, tools etc | archaeologist,_,He works for English Heritage as an archaeologist. |
| in a way that is unkind | unfavourably,_,She spoke unfavourably about the experience. |
| failing to make you believe that something is true or real | unconvincing,_,Some readers will find the arguments unconvincing. |
| one of the people who live in a particular place | inhabitant,_,The city has six million inhabitants. |
| correct and true in every detail | accurate,_,The brochure tries to give a fair and accurate description of each hotel. |
| something that is believable can be believed because it seems possible, likely, or real | believable,_,That scenario is entirely believable. |
| making you believe that something is true or right | convincing,_,Courtenay played the role in an utterly convincing way. |
| a favourable report, opinion, or reaction shows that you think that someone or something is good or that you agree with them | favourable,_,The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. |
| providing many useful facts or ideas | informative,_,It was an informative and entertaining book. |
| to make something such as a system or building more modern | modernise,_,They lived in a tastefully modernized old farmhouse. |
| a quick increase of business activity | boom,_,The boom has created job opportunities. |
| if you are obliged to do something, you have to do it because the situation, the law, a duty etc makes it necessary | oblige,_,The minister was obliged to report at least once every six months. |
| the number of people who attend a game, concert, meeting etc | attendance,_,Last year’s fair saw attendance figures of 32,000. |
| time when you are not working or studying and can relax and do things you enjoy | leisure,_,Watching television is now the nation’s most popular leisure activity. |
| used for saying that something is certain to happen and cannot be avoided | inevitably,_,The decision will inevitably lead to political tensions. |
| a long search for something that is difficult to find | quest,_,World leaders are now united in their quest for peace. |
| careful thought, or an idea or opinion based on this | reflection,_,A moment’s reflection will show the stupidity of this argument. |
| relating to or inherited from an ancestor | ancestral,_,She lives in the large ancestral home. |
| to make someone want to have or do something, even though they know they really should not | tempt,_,I’m tempted to buy that dress. |
| the attention that someone or something gets from newspapers, television etc | publicity,_,It’s important to gain good publicity for the school. |
| intended to interest, excite, or shock people | sensational,_,Newspapers often write sensational stories about celebrities. |
| a place where a large number of historical records are stored, or the records that are stored | archive,_,If you want that information you need to visit the national archives. |
| when you are very interested in something | absorption,_,I don’t understand James’ absorption with military history. |
| if something or someone is predictable, you know what will happen or what they will do | predictable,_,The snow had a predictable effect on traffic. |
| very bad luck, or something that happens to you as a result of bad luck | misfortune,_,It seems the banks always profit from farmers’ misfortunes. |
| someone’s welfare is their health and happiness | welfare,_,Our only concern is the children’s welfare. |
| exactly right or suitable for someone or something | tailor-made,_,The job’s tailor-made for you. |
| influenced by the actions and needs of consumers | consumer-driven,_,The company is offering consumer-driven health plans. |
| having very high moral standards or principles | high-minded,_,She has a high-minded view of what the human spirit can achieve. |
| a moral rule or belief about what is right and wrong, that influences how you behave | principle,_,It’s against my principles to accept gifts from clients. |
| common aims, beliefs, ideas etc are shared by several people or groups | common,_,It was exciting to discover that we had a common ancestor. |
| a family group that consists not only of parents and children but also of grandparents, aunts etc | extended family,_,She enjoyed the benefits of having an extended family. |
| a family unit that consists only of a husband, wife, and children | nuclear family,_,Our nuclear family is quite large. |
| completely | dead,_,The road was dead straight. |
| the traditional beliefs, values, customs etc of a family, country, or society | heritage,_,These beautiful old buildings must be protected as they are part of our heritage. |
| your relation to a place because you were born there, or your family used to live there | root,_,Alex Haley’s story about his search for his roots became a bestseller. |
| someone who was a member of your family a long time in the past | forebear,_,I think some of my forebears were criminals. |
| the activity of praying or singing in a religious building in order to show respect and love for a god | worship,_,Worship of the old gods still continues in remote areas of the country. |
| the study of the history of families | genealogy,_,But now she puts her energy into helping others research their own genealogy. |
| happening very easily or quickly, and not able to be controlled | runaway,_,The film was a runaway success. |
| the main bad character in a film, play, or story | villain,_,Books and films often portray the villains as heroes. |
| a man who is admired for doing something extremely brave | hero,_,He had dared to speak out against injustice, and overnight he became a national hero. |
| when someone tries to make something or someone seem better than they really are | sham,_,It all turned out to be sham and hypocrisy. |
| an attitude of doubting that particular claims or statements are true or that something will happen | scepticism,_,I was disappointed by his scepticism when I announced my plans. |
| to use something that is bigger, better, or more successful in order to help another product or project succeed | piggy-back,_,They have brought out several DVDs that piggy-back onto the success of the TV programme. |
