The Billion Ant Mega Colony and the Biggest War on Earth – YouTube Dictation Transcript & Vocabulary
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Interactive Transcript & Highlights for Dictation
1.In nearly every corner of the earth, ants wage war against each other
2.Their weapons are what nature gave them
3.Some have strong armor, deathly stingers, or sharp mandibles
4.And then there's this tiny and not very impressive ant, but it rules the biggest empire any ant has ever built
5.A colony spanning continents and fighting wars that leave millions of casualties
💡 Tap the highlighted words to see definitions and examples
Key Vocabulary (CEFR C1)
effective
A2A soldier fit for duty
Example:
"Here, Argentine ants prepare their most effective weapon against their competitors: bodies."
offspring
A2A person's daughter(s) and/or son(s); a person's children.
Example:
"But this strategy has a downside: As colonies grow and produce a lot of offspring,"
mutations
A2Any alteration or change.
Example:
"mutations occur and new colonies adapt to new environments."
stowaways
A2A person who hides on board a ship, train, etc. so as to get a free passage.
Example:
"On one of them, a few Argentine ant queens hitched a ride as stowaways"
establishing
B1To make stable or firm; to confirm.
Example:
"establishing sister locations in California, Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Australia,"
anywhere
A2In or at any location or an unknown location.
Example:
"Their colonies range from fairly small to very large and could be found anywhere:"
prepare
A2Preparation
Example:
"Here, Argentine ants prepare their most effective weapon against their competitors: bodies."
downside
A2A disadvantageous aspect of something that is normally advantageous.
Example:
"But this strategy has a downside: As colonies grow and produce a lot of offspring,"
gardens
A2An outdoor area containing one or more types of plants, usually plants grown for food or ornamental purposes.
Example:
"Not just our homes: our gardens and fields are also impacted by Argentine ants,"
impacted
A2To collide or strike, the act of impinging.
Example:
"Not just our homes: our gardens and fields are also impacted by Argentine ants,"
| Word | CEFR | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| effective | A2 | A soldier fit for duty |
| offspring | A2 | A person's daughter(s) and/or son(s); a person's children. |
| mutations | A2 | Any alteration or change. |
| stowaways | A2 | A person who hides on board a ship, train, etc. so as to get a free passage. |
| establishing | B1 | To make stable or firm; to confirm. |
| anywhere | A2 | In or at any location or an unknown location. |
| prepare | A2 | Preparation |
| downside | A2 | A disadvantageous aspect of something that is normally advantageous. |
| gardens | A2 | An outdoor area containing one or more types of plants, usually plants grown for food or ornamental purposes. |
| impacted | A2 | To collide or strike, the act of impinging. |
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