CLASSROOM Grammar Elite
for Junior Secondary Students
Words by Theme

Theme: Nature and environment (p.174)

1. 
   Green fingers (n. phr.): good at gardening
   
   
   e.g.
   Grandpa has green fingers (園藝技能). He can grow anything.


2. 
   Rooftop (n.): the outside surface of the roof of a building
   
   
   e.g.
   Some environmentalists (環保人士) have come up with (提出) an ecological (生態的) solution of building rooftop (屋頂) gardens and using food scraps (廚餘) as fertiliser (肥料).


3. 
   Organic (adj.): relating to growing food without using artificial chemicals
   
   
   e.g.
   People choose to buy organic (有機的) food because they do not have artificial (人造的) chemical (化學的) residues (殘留物) like pesticides (殺蟲劑) or synthetic (合成的) auxins (生長激素).


4. 
   Fertiliser (n.): a substance added to soil to make plants grow more successfully
   
   
   e.g.
   Fertiliser (肥料) is widely (廣泛地) used because it can provide nutrients (營養) for crops to grow and thus crop yields (收成) can be increased.


5. 
   Process (v.): to treat raw material in order to change it
   
   
   e.g.
   Although the factories are located in remote (偏遠的) areas, the black smoke and toxic (有毒的) gases emitted (排放) when processing (加工) materials have drifted (飄) to the town.


6. 
   Leftover (n.): food remaining after a meal
   
   
   e.g.
   In order to raise children’s awareness (意識) of food waste, parents should lead by example (以身作則) and pack (打包) leftovers (剩菜) to take away.


7. 
   Compost (v.): to collect and store plant materials so that they can decay and be added to soil to improve its quality
   
   
   e.g.
   Since food scraps (廚餘) are high in grease (油脂) and water, they can be upcycled (升級再造) and composted (製成堆肥).


8. 
   Food waste (n. phr.): unwanted food
   
   
   e.g.
   South Korea is now recycling (回收) 95% of its food waste (食物殘渣) after introducing compulsory (強制的) household food waste recycling.


9. 
   Eco-friendly (adj.): not harmful to the environment
   
   
   e.g.
   All the bags made by that social enterprise (社會企業) are labelled (貼標籤) ‘ eco-friendly (環保的) product’.


10. 
    Concern (n.): a worried or nervous feeling about something
    
    
    e.g.
    Although food can be made more attractive (有吸引力的) by adding pigments (色素), there is concern (關注) about whether synthetic (合成的) pigments can pollute the environment during processing (加工).


11. 
    Insecticide (n.): a chemical substance that is used to kill insects
    
    
    e.g.
    Biologists (生物學家) worry that the overuse (過度使用) of insecticide (殺蟲劑) could disrupt (擾亂) the biosphere (生物圈) and lead to ecological (生態的) imbalances (失衡).