14.4 Words and Phrases

Vocabulary

Word Meaning Example sentence
magnify to make something look larger The lens magnifies tiny objects.
lens a curved piece of glass that bends light A magnifying glass has a single lens.
chalk a soft white rock (made of tiny shells) He examined a piece of chalk.
moss a small, soft green plant on damp ground An inch of moss looked like a forest.
hive a structure where bees live A water drop seemed like a hive of bees.
web the net a spider spins The spider spun a delicate web.
miniature a very small version of something The moss held miniature trees.
teeming full of; swarming with life The drop was teeming with tiny life.
intricate very detailed and complicated The web’s design was intricate.
wonder a feeling of surprise and admiration She looked on in wonder.
observe to watch carefully He learned to observe small things.
reveal to make known or show The lens revealed a hidden world.

Phrases and expressions

Expression What it means
a hive of bees a place full of busy activity
a whole new world something completely fresh and surprising
the naked eye seeing without any lens or instrument
look closely to observe carefully and in detail

Exam Tip Notice the science words (magnify, lens, observe) beside the nature words (moss, hive, web). The poem joins science and nature - a useful point to mention if asked about its theme.

Use what you’ve learnt

Fill each blank: magnify, moss, hive, intricate, wonder.

  1. The lens can ___ even the smallest object.
  2. A patch of ___ looked like a tiny forest.
  3. A drop of water seemed like a busy ___ of bees.
  4. The spider’s web had an ___ design.
  5. The child gazed in ___ at the hidden world.
  1. magnify   2. moss   3. hive   4. intricate   5. wonder