How was the night sky key to our survival? | BBC Ideas – YouTube Dictation Transcript & Vocabulary
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Interactive Transcript & Highlights for Dictation
1.It's night-time in the Australian outback
2.And it's dark
3.Very dark
4.But if you look up, the sky is ablaze with light
5.We're looking towards the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, a vast pinwheel of about 100 billion stars
💡 Tap the highlighted words to see definitions and examples
Key Vocabulary (CEFR B1)
obscuring
A2To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious.
Example:
"obscuring the lighter parts of the sky."
understanding
B1To grasp a concept fully and thoroughly, especially (of words, statements, art, etc.) to be aware of the meaning of and (of people) to be aware of the intent of.
Example:
"understanding the sky was not the preserve of scientists,"
navigators
A2A person who navigates, especially an officer with that responsibility on a ship or an aircrew member with that responsibility on an aircraft.
Example:
"the Polynesians were the most accomplished navigators"
scattered
A2To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.
Example:
"scattered across the Pacific Ocean."
memorising
A2To learn by heart, commit to memory.
Example:
"memorising the rising and falling positions of the stars."
switching
A2To exchange.
Example:
"switching to a new one once the first either rose or set"
celestial
A2An inhabitant of heaven.
Example:
"Celestial navigation using the sun, moon, and stars"
observances
B1The practice of complying with a law, custom, command or rule.
Example:
"perfect for timing observances"
guaranteeing
B1To give an assurance that something will be done right.
Example:
"guaranteeing the return of spring."
judging
A2To sit in judgment on; to pass sentence on.
Example:
"but a way of judging time?"
| Word | CEFR | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| obscuring | A2 | To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. |
| understanding | B1 | To grasp a concept fully and thoroughly, especially (of words, statements, art, etc.) to be aware of the meaning of and (of people) to be aware of the intent of. |
| navigators | A2 | A person who navigates, especially an officer with that responsibility on a ship or an aircrew member with that responsibility on an aircraft. |
| scattered | A2 | To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse. |
| memorising | A2 | To learn by heart, commit to memory. |
| switching | A2 | To exchange. |
| celestial | A2 | An inhabitant of heaven. |
| observances | B1 | The practice of complying with a law, custom, command or rule. |
| guaranteeing | B1 | To give an assurance that something will be done right. |
| judging | A2 | To sit in judgment on; to pass sentence on. |
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