Nature & Environment
Words for the natural world, geography, and environmental issues
Overview
25 A2 words for talking about the natural world, geography, and environmental topics.
Words
agriculture /ˈæɡrɪkʌltʃər/
noun — A2
Meaning: farming and growing crops
Examples:
- Agriculture is the main industry in this region.
- Modern agriculture uses a lot of technology.
Collocations: agriculture industry, sustainable agriculture
Word Family: agriculture (n.) → agricultural (adj.)
atmosphere /ˈætməsfɪər/
noun — A2
Meaning: the gases surrounding the earth; the feeling of a place
Examples:
- Pollution is damaging the atmosphere.
- The restaurant has a great atmosphere.
Collocations: earth’s atmosphere, friendly atmosphere, warm atmosphere
climate /ˈklaɪmət/
noun — A2
Meaning: the usual weather conditions in a place
Examples:
- The climate here is warm and dry.
- Climate change is a serious issue.
Collocations: climate change, tropical climate, cold climate
coast /kəʊst/
noun — A2
Meaning: land next to the sea
Examples:
- We drove along the coast.
- The coast is beautiful in summer.
Collocations: south coast, coast to coast, coastal town
Word Family: coast (n.) → coastal (adj.)
continent /ˈkɒntɪnənt/
noun — A2
Meaning: one of the seven large land areas of the world
Examples:
- Africa is the second largest continent.
- She has visited every continent.
Collocations: African continent, on the continent
crop /krɒp/
noun — A2
Meaning: a plant grown for food in large amounts
Examples:
- Rice is the main crop in this area.
- The crops were destroyed by the flood.
Collocations: grow crops, crop failure, crop production
desert /ˈdezət/
noun — A2
Meaning: a large dry area of land with very little rain
Examples:
- The Sahara is the world’s largest desert.
- Very few plants can survive in the desert.
Collocations: desert island, in the desert, desert landscape
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/
verb — A2
Meaning: to damage so badly that it no longer exists
Examples:
- The fire destroyed the building.
- War destroys entire communities.
Collocations: completely destroyed, destroy everything
Word Family: destroy (v.) → destruction (n.) → destructive (adj.)
disaster /dɪˈzɑːstər/
noun — A2
Meaning: a sudden event causing great damage
Examples:
- The earthquake was a terrible disaster.
- The project was a complete disaster.
Collocations: natural disaster, disaster relief, disaster area
Word Family: disaster (n.) → disastrous (adj.)
earthquake /ˈɜːθkweɪk/
noun — A2
Meaning: a sudden shaking of the ground
Examples:
- A major earthquake hit the city.
- Earthquakes are common in Japan.
Collocations: major earthquake, earthquake zone, earthquake damage
flood /flʌd/
noun, verb — A2
Meaning: a large amount of water covering an area; to overflow
Examples:
- The flood damaged hundreds of homes.
- The river flooded the village.
Collocations: flash flood, flood damage, flood warning
Word Family: flood (n./v.) → flooding (n.)
forest /ˈfɒrɪst/
noun — A2
Meaning: a large area covered with trees
Examples:
- We went for a walk in the forest.
- Forests are being cut down too quickly.
Collocations: rain forest, forest fire, forest area
island /ˈaɪlənd/
noun — A2
Meaning: a piece of land surrounded by water
Examples:
- We took a boat to the island.
- Bali is a popular island destination.
Collocations: tropical island, desert island, island life
landscape /ˈlændskeɪp/
noun — A2
Meaning: the visible features of an area of land
Examples:
- The landscape was breathtaking.
- She painted a beautiful landscape.
Collocations: urban landscape, beautiful landscape, landscape painting
ocean /ˈəʊʃn/
noun — A2
Meaning: a very large area of sea
Examples:
- The Pacific Ocean is the largest.
- Plastic pollution is harming our oceans.
Collocations: across the ocean, ocean floor, Indian Ocean
planet /ˈplænɪt/
noun — A2
Meaning: a large round object in space that moves around a star
Examples:
- Earth is the third planet from the sun.
- We must protect our planet.
Collocations: planet Earth, save the planet, on the planet
pollution /pəˈluːʃn/
noun — A2
Meaning: damage to the air, water, or land caused by harmful substances
Examples:
- Air pollution is a major health risk.
- We need to reduce pollution.
Collocations: air pollution, water pollution, reduce pollution
Word Family: pollution (n.) → pollute (v.) → polluted (adj.)
recycle /riːˈsaɪkl/
verb — A2
Meaning: to process used materials so they can be used again
Examples:
- We recycle paper and glass.
- Please recycle your plastic bottles.
Collocations: recycle waste, recycle bin, recycled material
Word Family: recycle (v.) → recycling (n.) → recyclable (adj.)
region /ˈriːdʒən/
noun — A2
Meaning: a large area of land
Examples:
- The wine comes from a specific region of France.
- The northern region has a cold climate.
Collocations: in the region of, region of, mountain region
Word Family: region (n.) → regional (adj.)
river /ˈrɪvər/
noun — A2
Meaning: a large natural stream of water
Examples:
- The river flows through the city.
- They walked along the river bank.
Collocations: river bank, river mouth, by the river
soil /sɔɪl/
noun — A2
Meaning: the top layer of earth in which plants grow
Examples:
- The soil here is very fertile.
- Plants need good soil to grow.
Collocations: fertile soil, soil quality, rich soil
species /ˈspiːʃiːz/
noun — A2
Meaning: a group of animals or plants that are alike
Examples:
- Many species are in danger of extinction.
- This is a rare species of bird.
Collocations: endangered species, rare species, native species
storm /stɔːm/
noun — A2
Meaning: very bad weather with strong wind and rain
Examples:
- A terrible storm hit the coast.
- The storm lasted all night.
Collocations: thunderstorm, storm damage, storm warning
valley /ˈvæli/
noun — A2
Meaning: a low area of land between hills or mountains
Examples:
- The village is in a beautiful valley.
- The valley is surrounded by mountains.
Collocations: river valley, in the valley, valley floor
waste /weɪst/
noun, verb, adjective — A2
Meaning: (n.) unwanted material; (v.) to use more than needed; (adj.) not needed
Examples:
- Don’t waste water.
- The factory produces too much waste.
Collocations: waste of time, waste paper, reduce waste, waste disposal
Word Family: waste (n./v.) → wasteful (adj.)
Quick Review
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| agriculture | n. | farming |
| atmosphere | n. | air; feeling |
| climate | n. | weather pattern |
| coast | n. | seaside land |
| continent | n. | large land area |
| crop | n. | farmed plant |
| desert | n. | dry land |
| destroy | v. | damage completely |
| disaster | n. | terrible event |
| earthquake | n. | ground shaking |
| flood | n./v. | water overflow |
| forest | n. | tree area |
| island | n. | land in water |
| landscape | n. | land view |
| ocean | n. | large sea |
| planet | n. | space body |
| pollution | n. | harmful damage |
| recycle | v. | reuse materials |
| region | n. | large area |
| river | n. | water stream |
| soil | n. | earth layer |
| species | n. | animal/plant group |
| storm | n. | bad weather |
| valley | n. | low land |
| waste | n./v. | unwanted; overuse |