The United States and Venezuela are facing growing tension in the Caribbean, especially as drug-smuggling boats lead to more military activity. In this lesson, youāll learn 25 important vocabulary words that explain whatās happeningāand help you understand English news more easily.ā Speak Better English With Me https://brentspeak.as.me/ Use code Fall15 for 15% off. š OVER 100 BONUS ENGLISH LESSONS? Become a channel member. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCakDTg9dhhAsr3WmHyJDa-g/joinLink to Newscast: https://youtu.be/1bu1G5RFvFU?si=MPkUXN-iN3oYbKU4 1. Buildup: a slow increase of something : There was a buildup of soldiers near the border. 2. Tensions: stress or bad feelings between groups or countries : Tensions grew between the U.S. and China over trade. 3. USS Gerald Ford: a very large U.S. Navy ship used for aircraft and military operations : The USS Gerald Ford sailed into the area for training. 4. Conducting: doing or carrying out an activity : The military is conducting training this week. 5. Joint Exercises: training done together by two or more countries : The U.S. and Trinidad are doing joint exercises. 6. Trinidad & Tobago: an island country in the Caribbean made of two main islands : The cruise ship arrived near Trinidad & Tobago. 7. Puerto Rico: a U.S. territory in the Caribbean : Many ships travel between Puerto Rico and nearby islands. 8. Specifically: in a detailed or exact way : They were looking specifically for a man in the crowd with a red jacket. 9. Essentially: basically; in simple terms : The whole movie is essentially about a magical quest. 10. Reaper Drones: unmanned aircraft used for watching or attacking targets : Reaper drones flew over the ocean to look for threats. 11. Hellfire Missiles: powerful missiles carried by drones or helicopters : The drone was armed with Hellfire missiles. 12. Suspected: thought to be guilty without proof yet : The boat was suspected of carrying drugs. 13. Smuggling: secretly moving illegal items from one place to another : The teenagers tried smuggling candy into the theater because the theaterās candy was too expensive. 14. Frequency: how often something happens : The frequency of buses on weekends is much slower. 15. Intensity: how strong or serious something is : The sunās intensity was too strong, so I had to put on my sunglasses.: The movieās intensity kept the students on the edge of their seats. 16. Particular: specific; one exact thing : I donāt want any candy; I want this particular one.: They chose that particular restaurant because it was quiet. 17. Naval: related to a countryās navy : There were many naval ships in the area. 18. Navel: the small round spot on your stomach (belly button) : He put sunscreen on his navel at the beach. 19. Destroyers: fast, powerful navy ships used for defense : Two destroyers were being built in a nearby naval shipyard. 20. Submarine: a special ship that can travel underwater : The submarine moved silently under the ocean. 21. Postured: positioned or arranged to show strength or readiness : The military postured its ships near the area to show it was ready. 22. Get Rid Of: to remove something; to throw something away : They want to get rid of old, broken equipment. 23. Heās In: he has decided to join or agree to something : We asked him to help us move this weekend, and he said, āIām in.ā 24. Vulnerable: easily hurt or in danger : Without warm clothes, we were vulnerable to the cold weather. 25. Antagonizing: making someone angry on purpose : He kept antagonizing the other group by shouting at them.