Urgent plea to improve 'atrociously inadequate' winter shelter plan in Toronto
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
population
US / ˌpɒpjuˈleɪʃn /
•UK / ˌpɑpjəˈleʃən /
- noun
- Number of people who live in a country, area etc.
unacceptable
US / ˌʌnəkˈseptəbl /
•UK / ˌʌnɪkˈsɛptəbəl, -æk- /
- adjecitve
- Not being or behaving in the correct or right way
fail
US / feɪl /
•UK / fel /
- noun
- A mark on a test showing you did not pass
- verb
- To be unsuccessful in passing a class or exam
- To not do or provide something that is needed
- To stop working or functioning; to break down
- To not achieve a goal, or to go wrong
should
US / ʃʊd /
•UK / ʃʊd /
- other
- Used to indicate what is proper or reasonable
always
US / 'ɔ:lweɪz /
•UK / ˈɔlwez,-wɪz,-wiz /
- adverb
- For a very long time
- At all times; in every situation
- For ever
shelter
US / 'ʃeltə(r) /
•UK / ˈʃɛltɚ /
- noun
- Place to protect people/animals from abuse
- Structure that covers or protects things
- State of being protected from danger, bad weather
- verb
- To give animals, people a place away from abuse
- To find protection from danger/bad weather
weather
US / 'weðə(r) /
•UK / ˈwɛðɚ /
- noun
- Whether it is raining, sunny, cold etc. outside
- verb
- To successfully deal with a difficult situation
- To erode or become damaged due to the environment
bed
US / bed /
•UK / bɛd /
- noun
- Flat bottom surface of a lake, ocean etc.
- A piece of furniture that people sleep on
- An area on which other things are put
- Area of ground to grow vegetables or flowers
- verb
- To have sex with someone
- To plant, fix, or attach something firmly to
corner
US / 'kɔ:nə(r) /
•UK / ˈkɔrnɚ /
- noun
- Place where two lines, sides, corners etc. meet
- Edges of something, e.g. eyes, boxing ring
- verb
- To force into a position impossible to escape from
- To go around a bend in the road (often by driving)
burn
US / bɜ:n /
•UK / bɚn /
- noun
- Damage from fire or heat
- verb
- To destroy with fire
- To feel pain and heat
- To use as fuel for a fire to make light or heat
- To overcook food with too much heat it goes black
four
US / fɔ:(r) /
•UK / fɔr, for /
- number
- 4
lateral
US / 'lætərəl /
•UK / ˈlætərəl /
- adjecitve
- On the side; moving sideways
safe
US / seɪf /
•UK / sef /
- noun
- Metal box with a lock to keep valuable things in
- adjecitve
- Highly likely
- Being out of danger
develop
US / dɪ'veləp /
•UK / dɪˈvɛləp /
- verb
- To explain something in steps and in detail
- To create or think of something
- To grow bigger, more complex, or more advanced
- To make a photograph from film
monday
US / ˈmʌndeɪ /
•UK / ˈmʌndeɪ /
- noun
- Second day of the week; the day after Sunday
atrociously
US / əˈtrəʊʃəsli /
•UK / əˈtroʊʃəsli /
- adverb
- In an extremely bad or cruel way
extreme
US / ɪk'stri:m /
•UK / ɪkˈstrim /
- adjecitve
- Very great in degree
- Farthest from a center
- Very severe; very strong
- noun
- Effort that is thought more than is necessary
housing
US / ˈhaʊzɪŋ /
•UK / ˈhaʊzɪŋ /
- noun
- Homes; houses in general
- Cover for a machine
- verb
- To give someone a place to live
- To contain or store something
new
US / nju: /
•UK / nu, nju /
- adjecitve
- Not old, recently born, built or made
- Being or doing something for the first time
- Not felt, seen or known previously
- Having been recently bought or obtained
activate
US / ˈæktɪveɪt /
•UK / ˈæktəˌvet /
- verb
- To cause to happen; cause a chemical reaction
- To make something start working
tingly
US / ˈtɪŋɡli /
•UK / ˈtɪŋɡli /
- adjective
- Causing or experiencing a slight prickling or stinging sensation.
group
US / ɡru:p /
•UK / ɡrup /
- noun
- Two or more musicians who play music together
- Number of people or things gathered together
- verb
- To combine or collect objects or people together
hundred
US / 'hʌndrəd /
•UK / ˈhʌndrɪd /
- number
- 100
month
US / mʌnθ /
•UK / mʌnθ /
- noun
- One of 12 28-31 day periods in the year
adaptive
US / ə'dæptɪv /
•UK / əˈdæptɪv /
- adjecitve
- Able to adjust to new conditions
accord
US / ə'kɔ:d /
•UK / əˈkɔ:rd /
- noun
- Agreement or harmony
- An agreement or treaty between countries
- verb
- To be in harmony or agreement; consent
- To give (someone) the respect due to them
center
US / 'sentə /
•UK / ˈsɛntɚ /
- noun
- Community place people go health or social reasons
- Place in the middle of something
- Person or thing that is attracting attention
- verb
- To direct focus toward something
fall
US / fɔ:l /
•UK / fɔl /
- noun
- Season after summer and before winter; Autumn
- A drop in amount; decrease
- Dropping from a standing position to the ground
- verb
- To drop in amount; to decrease
- To come down from a higher position suddenly
- To go from standing to the ground, by accident
with
US / wɪð /
•UK / wɪð, wɪθ /
- preposition
- As an employee of a certain company
- Against something or someone
- By using something as a means
- Due to; because of
- Including
- Possessing as a feature
- Related to
- (Of the manner/attitude by which you do something)
- Used to express that people or things are together
last
US / lɑ:st /
•UK / læst /
- adjecitve
- Most recent; the latest
- The one before
- adverb
- Final; with nothing following; after all others
- Most recent; the latest
- determiner
- The one at the end
- verb
- To remain or continue for a certain period of time
have
US / həv /
•UK / hæv /
- verb
- To drink, smoke, eat or use something
- To experience the effects of something
- To organize an event, or join in an activity
- To own, possess, or hold something
- To cause to happen or produce a particular effect
plan
US / plæn /
•UK / plæn /
- noun
- Drawing of how something should be done or made
fifteen
US / ˌfɪfˈti:n /
•UK / fɪfˈtin /
- number
- 15
most
US / məʊst /
•UK / most /
- adverb
- Very; extremely
- Greatest possible degree
- pronoun
- Nearly all of something
forty
US / 'fɔ:tɪ /
•UK / ˈfɔrti /
- number
- 40
garden
US / ˈgɑ:dn /
•UK / ˈgɑ:rdn /
- noun
- Yard; ground outside your house to grow plants
- Public park in which visitors can see flowers
- verb
- To work in a yard to grow plants, vegetables
minus
US / ˈmaɪnəs /
•UK / ˈmaɪnəs /
- adjecitve
- Being close to the bottom of a letter grade
- noun
- Negative quality; disadvantage
- Sign that indicates subtraction
- preposition
- Being less than zero in number
- Used when subtracting one number from another
- verb
- To take one number away from another; subtract
temperature
US / ˈtemprətʃə(r) /
•UK / ˈtɛmpərəˌtʃʊr,-tʃɚ,ˈtɛmprə- /
- noun
- When you your body heat is above normal
- How hot or cold something is, e.g. the weather
call
US / kɔ:l /
•UK / kɔl /
- noun
- A order or request for action
- The sound an animal makes, often when in danger
- A correct prediction, e.g. a decision in a game
- A short visit to a place or person
- A decision by a referee or umpire in a game
- verb
- To make a request or order for action
- (Animal) to make sounds to warn of danger
- To announce the date of an election
- To make a judgment about something
- To give someone or something a name
- To guess in advance the result or outcome
- To visit a place or person for a short time
- To phone someone
- To speak, announce or shout in a loud voice
far
US / fɑ:(r) /
•UK / fɑr /
- adjecitve
- A long way away
- Being a long way away
- adverb
- To a large degree or extent
reduce
US / rɪ'dju:s /
•UK / rɪˈdus, -ˈdjus /
- verb
- To try to decrease, e.g. your weight if overweight
- To boil a liquid until it has decreased in amount
- To make something smaller in size, amount, level
where
US / hwɛə /
•UK / hwɛr, wɛr /
- conjunction
- At or in the place which
- In whatever place
- pronoun
- Word you use to ask the location of something
completely
US / kəmˈpli:tli /
•UK / kəmˈpliːtli /
- adverb
- In every way or as much as possible
two
US / tu: /
•UK / tu /
- number
- 2
and
US / ənd /
•UK / ənd, ən,ænd /
- conjunction
- Used to refer to two or more things
- Plus; in addition; on top of that
- Used to introduce an action that follows another
back
US / bæk /
•UK / bæk /
- adjecitve
- Farthest from the front e.g. in a classroom
- adverb
- Have returned to a place you were before
- noun
- The part of a chair that the upper body leans upon
- Location at the rear of something
- The reverse of side something
- Area on the rear of your body
- verb
- To bet money on something
- To go backwards in a car
- To support and encourage someone or some cause
major
US / 'meɪdʒə(r) /
•UK / ˈmedʒɚ /
- adjecitve
- Main league; esp. referring to American baseball
- Important, serious, or large in scope, size
- noun
- High-ranking officer in the army
- Main subject you study at university
- verb
- To study a particular subject at university
propose
US / prə'pəʊz /
•UK / prəˈpoz /
- verb
- To make an offer of marriage
- To offer or put forward an idea for consideration
adopt
US / əˈdɒpt /
•UK / əˈdɑ:pt /
- verb
- To legally take a child into your family
- To take on responsibility for something
indoor
US / ˈɪndɔ:(r) /
•UK / ˈɪnˌdɔr, -ˌdor /
- adjecitve
- Located, done, or used inside a building
separation
US / ˌsepəˈreɪʃn /
•UK / ˌsɛpəˈreʃən /
- noun
- A line that separates; a point of parting; a gap
- State of not live together, but are still married
conference
US / ˈkɒnfərəns /
•UK / ˈkɑnfərəns, -frəns /
- noun
- Series of lectures held as an event
- An association of US sports teams
hurst
US / hɜ:st /
•UK / hɜ:st /
- noun
- A hillock.
can
US / kæn /
•UK / kən,kæn /
- noun
- A metal container for storing food
- other
- Able to; have the skill to; have the time to
- verb
- To have permission to
- To be possible to do
- To preserve food by sealing it in a metal container
drastically
US / 'drɑ:stɪklɪ /
•UK / ˈdræstɪkl:ɪ /
- adverb
- In a sudden, extreme or severe manner
tough
US / tʌf /
•UK / tʌf /
- adjecitve
- (Of food) difficult to chew or bite through
- Very difficult to do or deal with
- Having strict standards
- Being firm and not easily bent or broken
- Being strong physically or mentally
- Being difficult to persuade
- Capable of violence
inadequate
US / ɪnˈædɪkwət /
•UK / ɪnˈædɪkwɪt /
- adjecitve
- Unsatisfactory; not good enough; not enough
really
US / ˈri:əli /
•UK / ˈriəˌli, ˈrili /
- adverb
- Used to stress something that is said; definitely
- In a true or accurate manner
- Very
plea
US / pli: /
•UK / pli /
- noun
- Response given by a person charged with a crime
- Urgent request
urgent
US / ˈɜ:dʒənt /
•UK / ˈɜ:rdʒənt /
- adjecitve
- Very important and needing immediate attention
- That needs to be done quickly
not
US / nɒt /
•UK / nɑt /
- adverb
- Word indicating the negative
- (Used to form the negative of verbs)
seventy
US / ˈsevnti /
•UK / ˈsɛvənti /
- number
- 70
big
US / bɪɡ /
•UK / bɪɡ /
- adjecitve
- Popular
- Serious
- Large
little
US / 'lɪtl /
•UK / ˈlɪtl /
- adjecitve
- Being short in length of time
- Not great in size, amount, or degree; small
- Being very young or younger than others
- adverb
- By an amount or degree that is not very much
- Not often; rarely
- noun
- A person's name
the
US / ðə /
•UK / ðə /
- article
- Used to refer to something already mentioned
- Used to show there is only one of something
- determiner
- Used to describe all of a family
into
US / 'ɪntə /
•UK / ˈɪntu /
- preposition
- Moving or going inside something
- In the same direction as; in the direction of
- So as to become; taking the state of
one
US / wʌn /
•UK / wʌn /
- pronoun
- You; we; people in general; someone
- The thing or person previously referred to
- adjecitve
- Used to refer to people generally
- Being a strong example of (something mentioned)
- number
- Number 1
open
US / 'əʊpən /
•UK / ˈopən /
- adjecitve
- Available for use; accessible
- Not being hidden; available for others to see
- Being available for customers to enter or use
- Allowing everyone to use or take part in
- Not secret anymore
- Not closed or shut
- Willing to accept new ideas and thoughts
- noun
- Name for a tennis or golf competition
- verb
- To make accessible or able to be used, e.g. road
- To start the activities or services of a business
- To make a space or hole appear in something
- To move or change so that it is no longer closed
- To start something, e.g. a new business
than
US / ðən /
•UK / ðən /
- conjunction
- Used to compare two things that are not equal
stand
US / stænd /
•UK / stænd /
- noun
- Effort to fight against something
- Piece of furniture; device to hold or support
- Place in a stadium where spectators watch
- Table where things are sold at a fair or market
- verb
- To be a candidate in an election
- To be able to accept someone, something; bear
- To last for a long time
- To be upright; not be sitting or lying down
- To place something in a particular position; place
- To be (as stated)
- To still be valid
- To have an opinion about something
make
US / meɪk /
•UK / mek /
- noun
- Product made by a particular company; brand
- verb
- To arrange or prepare something e.g. dinner
- To get to (a place) on time
- To gain the status of (teacher, lawyer, etc.)
- To create something by putting things together
- To earn a certain amount of money at a job
- To cause or force a person to do something
- To cause something to happen or be formed
also
US / 'ɔ:lsəʊ /
•UK / ˈɔlso /
- adverb
- In addition; too; in a similar way
five
US / faɪv /
•UK / faɪv /
- number
- 5
live
US / lɪv /
•UK / liv /
- adjecitve
- Being broadcast as events happen, not recorded
- Carrying electric current; able to give a shock
- Glowing because burning; hot
- Not yet killed (for food)
- adverb
- (Music, drama) as it is performed
- verb
- To be alive
- To experience a particular type of life
- To make your home in a house or town
year
US / jə: /
•UK / jɪr /
- noun
- Unit of time equal to 12 months or 365 or 366 days
- Used to refer to the age of a person
you
US / jʊ /
•UK / ju /
- pronoun
- Person someone is speaking or writing to
- Person or people in general
this
US / ðɪs /
•UK / ðɪs /
- adjecitve
- Used to indicate something already been discussed
- Used to indicate something happening around now
- adverb
- An indication by a physical motion or gesture
- A specific amount of
- determiner
- Person, thing, or idea near you
- pronoun
- Person, thing that has already been discussed
action
US / 'ækʃn /
•UK / ˈækʃən /
- noun
- Something that a person or thing does
- verb
- To act to do something
advocate
US / 'ædvəkeɪt /
•UK / ˈædvəˌket /
- noun
- A lawyer who protects a clients interests
- Person who supports a movement for changes
- verb
- To request change
- To publicly support a belief
hard
US / hɑ:d /
•UK / hɑː(r)d /
- adjecitve
- Difficult to do; difficult to understand
- (Of facts) not able to be misunderstood; clear
- (Of alcohol) strong
- Involving or requiring lots of work, effort, care
- Being full of pain, trouble, and problems
- Strong
- (Of edge) clear; sharp
- Difficult to bend, break or cut; solid
- adverb
- With lots of force, power, or impact
get
US / ɡet /
•UK / ɡɛt /
- verb
- To become affected by illness or disease
- To begin to feel or understand an emotion or idea
- To send or bring someone or something home, etc.
- To go somewhere to obtain something
- To (cause to) do a particular thing
- To obtain, receive or be given something
- To currently have
- To prepare for use
- To understand something being said or read
right
US / raɪt /
•UK / raɪt /
- adjecitve
- Correct or true
- The south side of you looking at the rising sun
- adverb
- Exactly in a place or time
- Being appropriate for a particular event
- In a straight or direct manner
- noun
- Something you are legally or morally allowed to do
- Ideal of what is just and good
- Political view based on conservatism
- verb
- To fix something previously wrong or unjust
- To make upright, as a boat that has turned over
thirty
US / 'θɜ:tɪ /
•UK / ˈθə:ti /
- number
- 30
select
US / sɪ'lekt /
•UK / sɪˈlɛkt /
- verb
- To choose a suitable thing from a group
watch
US / wɒtʃ /
•UK / wɑtʃ /
- noun
- Period of time someone is responsible for guarding
- Device you wear on your wrist that shows the time
- Official warning statement, e.g. of bad weather
- verb
- To keep in check, manage, or control something
- To look at something for entertainment, e.g. TV
- To guard a place or people; protect child, etc.
- To look at carefully to work out what is happening
- To protect and care for someone or something
like
US / laɪk /
•UK / laɪk /
- adjecitve
- Being equal in status or kind to something else
- Similar; the same
- adverb
- For example
- preposition
- Used as a filler; used to ad emphasis
- In a way similar to the way something is done
- Such as; for example
- verb
- To want to
- To find something pleasing; to prefer something
people
US / 'pi:pl /
•UK / ˈpipəl /
- noun
- Persons sharing culture, country, background, etc.
- Men, Women, Children
site
US / saɪt /
•UK / saɪt /
- noun
- Place that is reserved for a particular activity
- Location of building work
- Location of something
- Place where something of special interest happened
- Website
- verb
- To place something in a particular position, area
that
US / ðæt /
•UK / ðæt, ðət /
- adjecitve
- The person or thing being talked about
- Used to identify something both the speakers know
- adverb
- Used to reinforce adjectives and adverbs
- To such a degree
- conjunction
- Used to connect a noun clause
- Used to introduce an adverbial clause
- Used to introduce a noun clause
- determiner
- Used as a noun to refer to something
- pronoun
- Referring an object far away
- Used to refer to the relative pronoun ‘which’
winter
US / ˈwɪntə(r) /
•UK / ˈwɪntɚ /
- adjecitve
- (Food) planted in fall and gathered next year
- noun
- Time or season of idleness or decay
- Coldest season of the year
- verb
- To spend the cold months at a certain place
city
US / 'sɪtɪ /
•UK / ˈsɪti /
- noun
- Area with many buildings, roads and people
own
US / əʊn /
•UK / on /
- adjecitve
- Belong to oneself
- determiner
- Yours, his, hers, etc.; not belonging to another
- pronoun
- (Something) belong to myself
- verb
- To have something as your property
place
US / pleɪs /
•UK / ples /
- noun
- Particular location, area or region
- verb
- To put someone in a particular type of situation
- To put something in a certain location or position
during
US / ˈdjʊərɪŋ /
•UK / ˈdʊrɪŋ, ˈdjʊr- /
- preposition
- At some point in the course of an event or thing
include
US / ɪnˈklu:d /
•UK / ɪnˈklud /
- verb
- To make someone, something part of a group
search
US / sɜ:tʃ /
•UK / sɜ:rtʃ /
- noun
- Examination of person to find something
- Action to find an answer to a problem
- Action of trying to find someone or something
- verb
- To examine a person's clothing to find something
- To look for an answer or explanation to a problem
- To look carefully for someone or something
its
US / ɪts /
•UK / ɪts /
- adjecitve
- Referring to or belonging to ‘it’
- determiner
- Of something; belonging or related to something
- other
- Possessive form of “it”
violation
US / ˌvaɪə'leɪʃn /
•UK / ˌvaɪəˈleʃən /
- noun
- Abuse, damage or total disregard
- Act of failing to obey a rule or law
change
US / tʃeɪndʒ /
•UK / tʃendʒ /
- noun
- Exchange of one set of clothes for another
- Money in the form of coins instead of paper
- Money returned after giving too much
- Act of making or becoming something else
- verb
- To exchange one set of clothes for another
- To exchange one kind of money for another
- To replace something with another thing
- To make or become something else
- To go from one train, bus, etc. and go to another
encampment
US / ɪn'kæmpmənt /
•UK / ɛnˈkæmpmənt /
- noun
- Temporary living area for soldiers
hold
US / həʊld /
•UK / hold /
- noun
- Section of a ship or plane used for storing things
- Influence or power held over someone
- Place of support for hands or feet when climbing
- verb
- To agree to keep something for someone
- To have the capacity to support/contain something
- To control an area and protect it from attack
- To not allow someone to leave a place
- To cause an event to happen at a place or time
- To use hands or arms to carry or keep something
- To have a specific quality or property
- To keep an image, belief or feeling in your mind
- To have or own something
- To wait before being able to talk on the phone
- To limit the movement of someone in a sport
space
US / speɪs /
•UK / spes /
- noun
- Empty area kept for a specific reason, like a car
- Empty area with nothing in it
- Area in the sky where the stars are
- Area between written words on a page
- verb
- To make a certain distance or time between
believe
US / bɪ'li:v /
•UK / bɪˈliv /
- verb
- To think or accept that something is true
- To have a particular opinion about something
human
US / 'hju:mən /
•UK / ˈhjumən /
- adjecitve
- Concerning or characteristic of people
- noun
- A person; a man, woman or child
announce
US / əˈnaʊns /
•UK / əˈnaʊns /
- verb
- To make a public statement about a plan, decision
network
US / ˈnetwɜ:k /
•UK / ˈnetwɜ:rk /
- noun
- Group of computers connected to each other
- System of connections
- Group who work closely with each other
- Group of radio or television stations, programs
- verb
- To join a group of computers together
- To exchange information with colleagues, contacts
they
US / ðeɪ /
•UK / ðe /
- pronoun
- Two or more people, animals, or things
add
US / æd /
•UK / æd /
- verb
- To include as well
- To put two things or numbers together, e.g. 2+2
hotel
US / həʊ'tel /
•UK / hoˈtɛl /
- noun
- Place where people can stay when traveling
nathan
US / 'nɑ:stɪ /
•UK / ˈnæsti /
their
US / ðɛː /
•UK / ðer /
- determiner
- Belonging to them
frostbite
US / ˈfrɒstbaɪt /
•UK / ˈfrɔ:stbaɪt /
- noun
- Serious damage to fingers, etc. due to extreme cold
homeless
US / ˈhəʊmləs /
•UK / ˈhomlɪs /
- adjecitve
- Having no home; living on the streets
improvement
US / ɪmˈpru:vmənt /
•UK / ɪmˈpruvmənt /
- noun
- Addition or change that makes something better
warm
US / wɔ:m /
•UK / wɔrm /
- adjecitve
- Friendly, sincere and kind to others
- Being friendly or sincere
- Slightly hot; not very hot
- verb
- To become more friendly or to like something
- To make something hotter
just
US / dʒʌst /
•UK / dʒʌst /
- adjecitve
- Proper or appropriate; as is deserved
- Doing or being what is right or fair
- Legally correct; having enough evidence
- adverb
- Almost; nearly
- Exactly at the time of
- Exactly (the same as, like)
report
US / rɪ'pɔ:t /
•UK / rɪˈpɔrt, ˈport /
- noun
- Account of the necessary facts and information
- The telling of news in the media
- Official statement about something
- verb
- To submit a report or bill to the government
- To write in a newspaper or speak on a news program
- To state something officially
- To officially present yourself to an authority
- To describe something by telling it to others
for
US / fə(r) /
•UK / fɔr,fə /
- preposition
- Used to show the purpose, or need of something
immediate
US / ɪˈmi:diət /
•UK / ɪˈmidiɪt /
- adjecitve
- Being the very next to or just after
- Done without delay; straight away
website
US / ˈwebsaɪt /
•UK / 'websaɪt /
- noun
- Collection of webpages in one location
news
US / nju:z /
•UK / nu:z /
- noun
- Broadcast on radio or TV about recent events
- Information about recent events
street
US / stri:t /
•UK / strit /
- noun
- Road in a city with buildings and places to walk
eighty
US / 'eɪtɪ /
•UK / ˈeti /
- number
- 80
hour
US / 'aʊə(r) /
•UK / aʊr /
- noun
- 60 minutes
- Particular time of the day
- Fixed, regularly occurring time
evolve
US / ɪ'vɒlv /
•UK / ɪˈvɑlv /
- verb
- To develop certain features
- To develop or change slowly over time
- To slowly change or develop into something better
die
US / daɪ /
•UK / daɪ /
- noun
- Cube with dots numbering 1-6 on it used in games
- verb
- To cease to function or work
- (Of a thing) to stop being used or done
- (Of a person) to stop living