What 'scientific innovation' covers: Scientific innovation is part of the theme Human ingenuity. You need vocabulary to talk about inventions, technology, research, artificial intelligence and how science changes our lives — and to give your opinion about them.
The words below are common English B vocabulary. Treat the list as a glossary: learn each term with its meaning, then reuse them in the reading and writing sections.
- innovation
- a new idea, method or invention; the act of creating something new
- invention — to invent
- a new device or product someone has created — to create it
- (technological) advance
- a step forward; a way technology improves over time
- discovery — to discover
- finding something that existed but was not yet known — to find it
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- computer systems that can do tasks that usually need human thinking
- research — to research
- careful study to find out new facts — to carry out that study
- scientist
- a person who studies science or does research
- to solve a problem
- to find an answer or a way to deal with a difficulty
- to improve our lives
- to make daily life better or easier
- sustainable
- able to continue without harming the environment for the future
- ethics — ethical
- ideas about what is right and wrong — morally acceptable
- risk — risky
- the chance that something could go wrong — involving such a chance
- breakthrough
- an important new discovery that solves a problem or moves science forward
| Useful expression | What it means |
|---|---|
| Artificial intelligence is changing the world. | AI is having a huge effect on daily life. |
| This invention can solve real problems. | It is genuinely useful, not just clever. |
| Scientific research saves lives. | Studies in medicine and science keep people alive. |
| We have to use technology responsibly. | We should think about ethics, not just progress. |
| I'm interested in advances that are sustainable. | I value technology that doesn't harm the planet. |
Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text about a new invention, a listening interview with a scientist, a Paper 1 article about technology, or your oral. Reusing precise topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).
Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Around scientific innovation, the common debates are: progress vs the risks of new technology, artificial intelligence replacing jobs, and the ethics of research. Take a position and back it up.
Opinion phrases (use these to introduce a view)
- In my opinion… / From my point of view… — to introduce what you think
- It seems to me that… / I believe that… — a slightly softer way to give a view
- The most important thing is… — to highlight your main point
- On the one hand… on the other hand… — to weigh up two sides
- I (completely) agree that… / I'm not convinced that… — to react to an idea
Risks of new technology
- Some inventions can take away people's jobs.
- Artificial intelligence raises problems of ethics and privacy.
- Not all innovation reaches everyone equally.
Benefits of science
- Medical research saves many lives.
- Technology can help protect the environment.
- Advances solve real problems and improve daily life.
Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.
Stop wasting time on topics you know
Our AI identifies your weak areas and focuses your study time where it matters. No more overstudying easy topics.
Try Smart Study Free7-day free trial • No card required
Read like Paper 2: Here is a short blog post — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.
A day at the AI museum: Last weekend I visited an artificial intelligence museum that has just opened in my city. Honestly, I went in feeling a little sceptical, but I came out delighted.
In the first room, a robot guide explained each invention to us in several languages. Then I tried an app that diagnoses illnesses from a single photo, and I was amazed by how fast it was. What I liked most was a workshop where a scientist showed us how technology can help the environment. I left thinking that innovation isn't something to fear: used well, it improves our lives and solves real problems.
- sceptical
- doubtful; not easily convinced that something is true or good
- a guide
- someone (or here, something) that shows visitors around and explains things
- to diagnose
- to identify an illness from its signs
- a workshop
- a practical session where someone teaches you how to do something
- the environment
- the natural world — air, water, land and living things
IB-style task — one Paper 2 question
One question, step by step
- The question — "According to the text, what did the app the writer tried do?"
- Find it in the text. Look for the word "app": "I tried an app that diagnoses illnesses from a single photo, and I was amazed by how fast it was."
- The answer — It diagnoses illnesses from a single photo. The words are right there in the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.
The task: Your school is running a science week. Write a blog post for other students: describe an innovation or discovery that impressed you and give advice for approaching science without fear.
Use an informal, friendly register. Write 250–400 words.
Blog structure — 5 steps
1
Catchy title
A title, often a question. "Does AI scare you?"
2
Greeting + topic
Greet the reader and say what the post is about. "Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about…"
3
Your experience
Describe an innovation you saw, in the past. "Last weekend I visited an AI museum…"
4
Two or three tips
Give advice using imperatives. "Get informed first", "try new technology without fear", "think about others".
5
Motivating close
Finish with an encouraging line. "Visit a science exhibition this week!"
Title → Greeting → Experience → Tips → Close
Model: the 5 steps in action
The blog post, step by step
- Does artificial intelligence scare you? A museum changed my mind.
- Hi everyone! I'm Maya, and today I want to talk about something exciting: scientific innovation.
- Last weekend I visited an artificial intelligence museum. I tried an app that diagnoses illnesses from a photo, and I discovered inventions that help the environment.
- So here are three tips. First, get informed before you form an opinion. Second, try out new technology without fear. And third, always think about how it can help other people.
- The most important thing, though, is to use science responsibly. Visit a science exhibition this week — you'll be surprised how many real problems innovation is already solving.
Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:
A — Language /12
- Range of tenses: past "I visited", imperatives "get informed", "try"
- Connectors: "so", "though", "first/second/third"
- Topic vocabulary, used accurately
B — Message /12
- Task fully done: describes an innovation AND gives advice
- Ideas developed with concrete examples
C — Conceptual /6
- Blog conventions: a catchy title
- Direct address: "Hi everyone", "you'll be surprised"
- A persuasive, personal tone
See how examiners mark answers
Access past paper questions with model answers. Learn exactly what earns marks and what doesn't.
Try Exam Vault Free7-day free trial • No card required
How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words. Read the questions first, listen for the key idea, then answer.
Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the speaker's words.
Transcript — Nora the inventor: Hi, I'm Nora and I'm a designer. A few years ago I invented a sustainable material made from the pineapple leaves that are left over in the fields. Before, those leaves were thrown away as rubbish, but now they're turned into a kind of plant-based leather. I did a lot of research in the lab, and at first I failed many times. For me, the most important thing about innovation is solving a real problem and looking after the environment.
IB-style task — two listening questions
Two questions, step by step
- Q1 — What did Nora make her material from? Listen just after "a sustainable material made from": "the pineapple leaves that are left over in the fields." That is your answer.
- Q2 — What matters most to her about innovation? She says it at the end: "solving a real problem and looking after the environment."
Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one short part of the recording — listen for the words around it, not the whole thing.