Objective Proficiency p 20. What will our society be like in 30 years time? Students' Contributions

Maria's contribution

• The increasing concern about resource depletion and altered weather patterns, lead to rather gloomy prospects for the future of mankind. 

Deplete: to reduce something by a large amount so that there is not enough left. E.g. Food supplies were severely depleted.

• Epidemics will be more common due to crowded dwelling units and poor sanitation

Dwelling: a house, flat/apartment, etc. where a person lives. E.g. The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices.

• East Asia is becoming the global hub of economy

Hub (of sth) : the central and most important part of a particular place or activity. E.g. the commercial hub of the city.

• China is surreptitiously “colonising”, or rather “buying”, third world countries.

Surreptitiously /ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəsli/ done secretly or quickly, in the hope that other people will not notice. E.g. Zarry surreptitiously passed him the answer.

• Surveillance by state police agencies has risen exponentially after the disastrous terrorist attacks suffered in the United States  

Exponentially: /ˌekspəˈnenʃəli /becoming faster and faster. E.g. to increase exponentially

• The so-called “clash of civilisations”, and the undisputed waning of religion’s influence upon western society in the past century have installed a strong feeling of uncertainty worldwide. 

Waning:  a gradual decrease in magnitude or extent. E.g. the waning of his enthusiasm was obvious; the waxing and waning of the moon.