B2, C1 Level English Vocabulary
Happy Friday, word lovers! Here’s another word which frequently appears in the headlines.
✨ CURB✨
This means to limit or control something (often something harmful)
Pronunciation: It rhymes with ‘verb’
🔹 If Sally doesn’t CURB her spending, she won’t be able to pay her bills.
🔹 The city imposed stricter traffic restrictions in order to CURB pollution.
🔹 Raising awareness about endangered species can help to CURB wildlife smuggling.
🔹 Immunization programs aim to CURB outbreaks of preventable illnesses in children.
Now for some headlines:
“South African researchers test use of nuclear technology to CURB rhino poaching.” (AP)
“EU agrees sweeping new digital rules in effort to CURB big tech’s power” (The Guardian)
“‘Fire is medicine’: How Indigenous practices could help CURB wildfires” (PBS)
“Spain Seeks to CURB Foreign Buyers Amid Growing Housing Crisis” (New York Times)
CURB can also function as a noun
“Planning a European getaway? Airbnb CURBS, beach bans, and fines could impact your trip ” (Business Today)
“Amid drought, water curbs in Portugal’s Algarve, Spain’s Catalonia” (Reuters)
Over to you!
1. What habits should people curb to live healthier lives?
2. What can politicians do to help curb noise pollution?
3. What actions should sports clubs take to curb anti-social behaviour?
4. When it comes to advertising, which products should face stricter curbs?
5. What curbs would you like to see introduced to protect young people online?
6. During droughts, how can we encourage people to curb their water consumption?
You can write your answer(s) in the comments or in my EnglishSmarts Telegram channel.