“Fighting Invisible Killers” ESL Vocabulary Miss McCallian February 3-7, 2014

trench noun; a long, narrow ditch, either in the ground or in the ocean floor example: We dug a six-inch-deep trench in the garden for the tomato plants.

crucial (KROO-shuhl) adjective; extremely important or necessary example: The senator’s support is crucial to getting this bill passed.

deteriorate verb; to become or make worse example: This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but the food has really deteriorated.

administer verb; 1. to manage or supervise; 2. to give something to someone example 1: The mayor appointed an official to administer the new bike-safety program. example 2: The nurse administered David’s medicine at the same time each day.

infectious adjective; 1. able to be passed from person to person by germs example 1: The doctor said that Julian had contracted an infectious disease, probably by coming in contact with sick people in the hospital. 2. capable of spreading easily example 2: The happy mood was infectious, and soon all of the guests were smiling.

traumatic adjective; 1. relating to or describing serious injury or shock to the body; 2. emotionally shocking and deeply upsetting

obliterate verb; destroy completely example: The massive tsumani obliterated the coastal towns. There was nothing left of them.

Drug-resistant bacteria http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/antimicrobialresistance/understanding/pages/drugresistancedefinition.aspx When scientists say that bacteria are “drug-resistant” it means that they can grow in the presence of a chemical (drug) that would normally kill it or limit its growth. The bacteria resists the drug, causing the person to still be sick.