Michael Green: Why we should build wooden skyscrapers

Important Vocabulary Words From The Video

slums

Slums are neighborhoods that are usually very poor. They are usually located in cities, and they usually have a high rate of crime.

  • The slums are located near the city center.
  • The slums are a result of the city's rapid growth.
soaks

To soak something is to soak it in water or some other liquid. This is usually done to soften it or to make it more pliable.

  • The clothes will soak up the water and become soft.
  • The sponge soaks up the water and becomes saturated.
urbanizing

Urbanizing is the process of turning a rural area into a city. This usually happens when the population of the town or city starts to grow rapidly, and the farmland that surrounds it becomes too small to support the growing population.

  • The city is urbanizing, which is why the population is growing so quickly.
  • The city is trying to urbanize the area, but it's not going very well.
thicknesses

When you are talking about the different thicknesses of something, you are referring to its thickness in terms of how many layers it has.

  • The cake is made from three different thicknesses of cake.
  • The fabric is made from a variety of different thicknesses of fabric.
sifted

To sift is to separate the good from the bad. You can sift grains, flour, or sand through a filter to get the desired particles.

  • The teacher sifted the papers to make sure that only the good ones were put in the box.
  • The police sifted through the evidence to try to find the suspect.
predictably

When something is predictably happening, you can predict it with certainty. This means that it is usually the same thing that happens every time.

  • The weather is predictably hot and humid.
  • The police are predictably using excessive force.
sequester

When a government decides to sequester money or resources, they mean to keep them locked away so that they can't be used. This can be done for a number of reasons, including to protect them from political enemies or to prevent them from being used for unauthorized purposes.

  • The government is sequestering the money because they don't trust the president with it.
  • The government is sequestering the money to prevent it from being used to finance the war.
truthfully

To say something is truthfully is to say that it is actually the truth. Sometimes people use the word to mean that something is true in the sense that it is accurate.

  • He said that he was going out for a walk, but he actually went to the park to meet up with his girlfriend.
  • The teacher said that the test was easy, but it was actually very difficult.
skylines

To see a skyline is to see the buildings and other structures that are high up in the sky. Skylines can be beautiful, and they can be a reminder of how far we have come.

  • The skyline is beautiful, and it's a nice reminder of how far we have come.
  • I can't see the skyline because the buildings are blocking it.