9.4 Words and Phrases

Vocabulary

Word Meaning Example sentence
spectacular extremely impressive or striking The valley was a spectacular sight.
vibrant bright and full of life The flowers glowed in vibrant colours.
phenomenon a remarkable natural event The vanishing sea is a strange phenomenon.
recede to move back or withdraw At low tide the sea recedes far out.
crater a large bowl-shaped hollow A meteorite formed the round crater.
meteorite a rock that falls to Earth from space A meteorite struck the basalt rock.
basalt a hard, dark volcanic rock The crater lies in basalt.
heritage valued things passed down through generations These wonders are part of our heritage.
preserve to protect and keep safe We must preserve such places.
awe a feeling of wonder and respect Visitors stood in awe of the lake.
backdrop the scenery behind something Flowers bloomed against a snowy backdrop.
unique the only one of its kind Lonar’s lake is truly unique.

Phrases and expressions

Expression What it means
play hide-and-seek (here) appear and disappear, like the sea at Chandipur
far and wide over a large area
stand in awe to feel deep wonder and respect
a sight to behold something wonderful to look at

Exam Tip Geography words like crater, meteorite, basalt, and phenomenon appear in this chapter. Learn how to spell and use them — descriptive non-fiction often asks you to define a term or use it in a sentence.

Use what you’ve learnt

Fill each blank: recede, vibrant, crater, preserve, phenomenon.

  1. At low tide, the waters ___ far from the shore.
  2. The valley blazed with ___ colours.
  3. A meteorite created the round ___.
  4. The vanishing sea is a rare ___.
  5. We must ___ these wonders for the future.
  1. recede   2. vibrant   3. crater   4. phenomenon   5. preserve