Here are the most common vocabulary relating to the topic ‘Technology’. These words are collected from different sources and can be used in both productive sections of IELTS. They can also help you better understand the Reading section of the test.
- rocket science (noun phrase) – an activity requiring considerable intelligence and ability.
– Choosing the best pension provider is not rocket science.
– Finding a way out of this mess does not require rocket science.
– Timing can be everything, even in rocket science. - user-friendly (noun) – if something, especially something related to a computer, is user-friendly, it is simple for people to use.
– This software is very user-friendly.
– The company’s high-tech tools help manufacturers make their appliances more user-friendly for consumers. - cutting-edge (adj) – very modern and with all the newest features.
– They have made some cutting-edge scientific discoveries recently. - computer-literate (adj) – able to use computers and related technology efficiently.
– Candidates must be computer literate and proficient in MS Office
– This supposedly makes the program easier to access for people who are computer-literate. - hardware (noun) – the physical and electronic parts of a computer, rather than the instructions it follows.
– Much of our existing military hardware is obsolescent.
– The machine allows multitasking without the need to buy extra hardware. - software (noun) – the instructions that control what a computer does; computer programs.
– He’s written a piece of software that does your taxes for you.
– Andrew, can you help me install this software? - cyberactor (noun) – someone who uses computer technology and the internet to achieve something, especially something bad that is done for political or criminal reasons.
– Many people point to the country as an aggressive cyberactor.
– Malicious cyberactors have repeatedly exploited vulnerabilities in government systems. - access (noun) – the ability to use a system such as the internet, or the way in which you can do this.
– Do you have access to the internet?
– Business travellers expect free internet access. - junk mail (noun) – letters or emails, usually advertising products or services, that are sent to people although they have not asked to receive them.
– There’s a letter for you and the rest is junk mail.
– Over 3.3 billion items of junk mail were delivered by the Royal Mail last year. - digital (adj) – relating to computer technology, especially the internet.
– The business has invested heavily in the latest digital technology.
– In the digital world, the tools available to a marketer are utterly different. - automatic (adj) – an automatic machine, process, or system is able to operate, complete a task, or move by itself without being controlled by a person:
– Tick the ‘automatic update’ box and the date and time will be updated for you.
– These automatic cameras have a special focusing mechanism. - gadget (noun) – a small machine or piece of electronic equipment that has a particular purpose.
– With competition heating up, the latest gadgets have added features to set them apart from the competition.
– Have you seen this handy little gadget – it’s for separating egg yolks from whites. - video conferencing (noun) – a system that allows two or more people who are in different places to talk to and see each other using electronic technology.
– The free app offers video conferencing for up to 100 participants, provided the meeting runs for no longer than 40 minutes.
– They said they are looking for a continuation of the trend to videoconferencing as an alternative to air travel. - advanced (adj) – using the most modern methods, technology, etc.
– An advanced search engine allows you to add additional criteria to your query.
– In addition to nuclear power, we are committed to developing advanced technologies for wind and solar energy. - foolproof (adj) – (of a plan or machine) so simple and easy to understand that it is unable to go wrong or be used wrongly.
– I don’t believe there’s any such thing as a foolproof system for making money.
– First, no technology is foolproof, especially electronic technology; we still need very old-fashioned backup systems.
