Vocabulary

• such as: For example; like
• thanks to: Because of; as a result of.
• rather than: More exactly; more correctly
• talking about: To discuss a particular topic.
• contrasted with: To be strikingly different from something else.
• set forth: To explain; present a plan; express in words
• in addition to: Besides; as well as
• as well as: Also; in addition to
• think of: To look on as (being something specific); consider
• ever since: Continuously from a past time until now.
• access: Way to enter a place, e.g. a station or stadium
• aspect: Way something looks or seems to be
• evidence: Factual proof that helps to establish the truth
• period: Set amount of time during which events take place
• improve: To make, or become, something better
• philosophy: Study of ideas about the basic nature of life
• decline: To bend towards the ground
• demand: Desire customers have to buy product, service
• legacy: Literature, arts etc. from previous generations
• explore: To examine something in detail to learn about it
• influence: To affect or change something indirectly
• feature: Special report in a magazine or paper
• encourage: To increase the chance of something happening
• gravity: (Of a situation) extreme seriousness
• prevalent: Being common; occurring frequently
• cause: Belief, goal or organization that people support
• divine: Concerning or coming from God or a god
• challenge: An activity you wish to try that may be hard to do
• expand: To make something larger in size, number, amount
• medieval: Old or out of date and not of much use
• labor: To struggle to do something because it's difficult
• renaissance: Period of intense activity in art and science
• civilization: A highly developed society
• trade: A specific industry, e.g. shoe making
• censorship: Removing inappropriate material from books, films
• fall: Season after summer and before winter; Autumn
• literature: Writing valued as art, e.g. fiction, drama, poetry
• development: Act or process of growing bigger or more advanced
• comedy: Amusing play, film, usually with a happy ending
• revolutionary: Marking a significant change in something
• breakthrough: Important discovery in doing something difficult
• philosopher: Person studying the meaning of truth and life
• century: Period of 100 years
• system: Set of organized, planned ideas that work together
• polish: Act of making something clean and shiny
• support: To give assistance or advice to someone
• modern: Of the present time; up to date; contemporary
• middle: Place that is halfway between two things
• ban: To make something illegal or not allowed
• solar: Concerning the sun, or its heat
• rise: To wake up and get out of bed after sleeping
• supper: Evening meal, often when informal
• include: To make someone, something part of a group
• start: First time or place that a thing exists; beginning
• catholic: One of many Christian belief systems
• human: A person; a man, woman or child
• historical: Connected with the past
• apex: Highest point (of something); peak
• center: Community place people go health or social reasons
• astronomer: Scientist studying stars and other bodies in space
• classical: Concerning the culture of ancient Greece or Rome
• reformation: Religious movement to reform the Catholic Church
• rebirth: When learning, a culture etc. begins again
• protestant: Person believing in Protestantism
• heresy: Act of rebelling against accepted religion
• legitimize: To make something seem acceptable or credible
• inquisition: Forcefully asking many difficult questions