10 words
- cohesionnoun/koh-HEE-zhun/
the state of people being united and working well together
Shared festivals strengthen cohesion between people from different backgrounds.
Collocation: social cohesion · Similar: unity, solidarity
- marginalisedadjective/MAH-jih-nuh-lyzd/
treated as unimportant and pushed to the edge of society
Charities often speak up for marginalised groups who lack a voice.
Collocation: marginalised communities · Similar: excluded, disadvantaged, sidelined
- inequalitynoun/in-ih-KWOL-ih-tee/
an unfair difference in wealth or opportunity between groups
Rising income inequality can create tension between rich and poor.
Collocation: income inequality · Similar: disparity, imbalance
- altruismnoun/AL-troo-iz-um/
unselfish concern for the needs of other people
Donating blood to strangers is a simple act of altruism.
Collocation: an act of altruism · Similar: selflessness, generosity
- demographicnoun/dem-uh-GRAF-ik/
a section of the population sharing a feature such as age
Young adults are the fastest-growing demographic in many cities.
Collocation: a younger demographic · Similar: population group, sector
- ageing populationphrase/AY-jing pop-yoo-LAY-shun/
a society in which the share of older people keeps growing
An ageing population puts extra pressure on health services.
Collocation: cope with an ageing population · Similar: greying population
- welfarenoun/WEL-fair/
state help such as money or housing for people in need
Some argue that the welfare system discourages people from working.
Collocation: the welfare system · Similar: social security, state benefits
- integrateverb/IN-tih-grayt/
to become fully accepted as part of a group or society
Language classes help newcomers integrate into their new communities.
Collocation: integrate into society · Similar: fit in, assimilate
- alienationnoun/ay-lee-uh-NAY-shun/
a feeling of not belonging or being cut off from others
Long hours online can increase feelings of alienation among teenagers.
Collocation: a sense of alienation · Similar: isolation, estrangement
- grassrootsadjective/GRAHS-roots/
started by ordinary people rather than by leaders or organisations
The recycling scheme began as a small grassroots campaign.
Collocation: a grassroots movement · Similar: community-led, bottom-up
Grammar check
Choose the right option, then open the answer.
1. ___ loneliness is becoming a serious problem among older people.
The · A · No article · An
Show answer
No article: Abstract nouns used in a general sense take no article: 'Loneliness is...'.
2. Volunteers, many of ___ are retired, run the local food bank.
who · whom · them · which
Show answer
whom: After a preposition like 'of', use 'whom' for people in a non-defining relative clause.
3. If I had grown up in a bigger city, I ___ more comfortable in crowds now.
would have felt · will feel · would feel · had felt
Show answer
would feel: Mixed conditional: an unreal past cause with a present result ('now'), so 'would feel'.
4. What many communities need ___ more places where people can meet.
are · is · being · have
Show answer
is: In a 'What' cleft sentence, the 'What' clause is singular, so it takes 'is'.
5. ___ in the village for forty years, she knew every family there.
Living · Having lived · Lived · To live
Show answer
Having lived: A perfect participle shows a long period completed before the main action.
Use the words: speaking questions
- What can be done to help older people feel less isolated?
- Do you think people today are less involved in their local communities than in the past?
- Why do some people choose to volunteer, while others do not?
Answer them out loud with Dodo in the app for a band and better versions of your answers.