Focus on speaking

agricultural society

society where people use the land only for agricultural purposes

automation

the use of machines to do work with very little supervision by people

automobile manufacturer

a person or organization that produce cars and other vehicles

bribery

the act or practice of giving and receiving illegal payments

by-products

a product which happens to be produced in the course of manufacturing another product

case

a legal matter that will be decided in court

charge

an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime

cleansing systems

systems that prevent industrial pollutants from escaping into the environment

commerce

the activity of buying and selling goods and services

consumers

someone who buys and uses goods and services

court

a place where trials are take place and legal cases are decided

cursor

a small flashing line on a computer screen that you move to mark the point where you are going to type or do something

disparity

a difference between things

to download

to move information to your computer from a computer system or the Internet

ecology

the relationship between the plants, animals, and the environment in a particular area

endangered species

a type of animal or plant that may soon become extinct

(search) engine

an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system

evidence

facts, statements or objects that help to prove whether someone has committed a crime

extinction

the situation when an animal, plant, or language no longer exists

factories

a building or group of buildings where large quantities of goods are produced using machines

fine

an amount of money that you have to pay because you have broken the law

global warming

the slow increase in the temperature of the Earth caused partly by the greenhouse effect

graft

gaining an unfair or dishonest advantage by influence or by bribery

guilty

someone who is guilty has committed a crime

habitat

the type of place where an animal normally lives in or a plant normally grows in

heavy industry

one that produces capital goods from heavy or bulky raw materials and needing heavy machinery, such as the iron and steel, shipbuilding, and engineering industry

to highlight

to mark a word, picture or file on a computer screen , usually before changing it or copying it

icon

a small picture on a computer screen that you choose by pressing a button with your mouse in order to open a particular program

the Industrial Revolution

the period of great changes in economic and social organization; a factory system was introduced in the production; a lot of machines and steam-power were invented

industrial societies

society where people produce goods at factories using machines

jury

a group of people, usually 12, who judge a court case

machinery

power-driven devices or instruments for doing work regarded collectively

minor offence

not a serious crime

money laundering

the passing of money from illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, through apparently legitimate businesses to allow it to be used further without being detected

moratorium

an official agreement to stop an activity temporarily

natural environment

the natural world, including the land, water, air, plants, animals, especially considered as something that is affected by human activity

organized crime

criminal activities that are carefully planned and controlled by a large powerful secret organization

outcome

the final result of a process, meeting, or activity

to paste

to move words, pictures on a computer screen from one place to another

personal gains

the money or other benefits that one can get from something

pollutants

a substance that is harmful to the environment

pull-down menu

a list of choices on a computer screen that you get by clicking on a word or words

raw materials

substances that have not been manufactured (such as wool, wood or coal)

to reboot

to start a computer system again after it has been turned off, or to start again

to scroll down

to move information down a computer screen in order to read it

sentence

a punishment given by a judge, usually involving a period of time that a person must spend in prison

smokestacks

a tall structure on a factory or ship through which smoke rises

standards of living

the type of life that a person or society has according to the amount of money they have

summit

a meeting or series of meetings between leaders of two or more countries

treaty

an official written agreement between two or more countries

trial

the process of examining a case in a court of law and deciding whether somebody is guilty or innocent

waste

what is left of something after the valuable parts of it have been used

waste disposal

the process of getting rid of waste

website

a place on the Internet where information is available about a particular subject

white-collar crime

crimes in which people who work in offices steal money from the company they work for

yield rate

an amount of something that is produced