Key terms & definitions

Selfless concern for other people’s welfare, rather than acting for personal benefit.

A thin sheet of aluminium used in packaging laminates as a barrier against oxygen and light.

An ionic compound with the formula Al₂O₃, containing aluminium ions and oxide ions.

Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gaseous exchange takes place.

A tiny air sac in the lungs where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves it.

A tiny air sac in the lungs where gases are exchanged between air and blood.

A tiny air sac at the end of the bronchioles where gases are exchanged between the air and the blood.

A person who takes part in sport without being paid to do so.

The principle that people should participate in sport without being paid to play.

A battle between Greeks and Amazons, or an artistic representation of such a battle.

A mythical people of warrior women whom Greek stories associated with horse-riding, hunting and warfare, often locating them near the Black Sea.

Fossilised tree resin that can be cut, carved, drilled and polished to make jewellery.

Background sound that establishes an environment, such as insects and birds in a forest.

Keeping suitable foods at room temperature rather than in a fridge or freezer.

Wording that has more than one reasonable interpretation, so different people may understand the question differently.

The presence of more than one possible meaning or interpretation.

Uncertainty that allows more than one plausible interpretation.

The possibility of interpreting the same visual stimulus in more than one way.

The presence of more than one plausible meaning or explanation without a conclusive choice between them.

A situation in which the given sides and angle allow two different triangles, because an acute angle and its obtuse supplement have the same sine.

An image that can reasonably be interpreted in more than one way.

A strong desire to achieve something. In Great Expectations, Pip’s ambitions include education, social advancement and winning Estella’s love.

Mixed or conflicting feelings towards someone or something.

A surprise attack launched from a concealed position against an approaching enemy.

A formal change or addition to a constitution.

A proposed change to the wording or provisions of a bill.

A belief that anyone can achieve success and a better life through hard work and opportunity. In post-war America, it was often associated with a secure job, home ownership and material comfort.

A financial demand made in 1525 without parliamentary approval to fund Henry VIII’s planned invasion of France. Resistance forced its abandonment.

A Buddha associated with the western Pure Land, towards which the deceased’s head may be positioned in Japanese Pure Land funerals. Also known as Amitabha Buddha.

The ‘Standing Prayer’: a central Jewish prayer consisting of blessings of praise, requests and thanksgiving, recited standing and facing Jerusalem.