B2Film
The Martian
2015 · Ridley Scott
12 key words from The Martian — learn them before you watch for a much richer experience.
Word
Meaning
Example
botanistn
a scientist who studies plants
Watney uses his skills as a botanist to grow potatoes on Mars.
rationn/v
a fixed amount of food / to limit supply carefully
Watney carefully rations his food to survive longer.
improvisev
to create or do something without preparation
Watney has to improvise solutions with limited tools.
trajectoryn
the path of a moving object through space
NASA calculates the exact trajectory for the rescue mission.
habitatn
a place where a person or animal lives
The habitat is Watney's only shelter on Mars.
orbitn/v
the path of a spacecraft around a planet
The crew adjusts their orbit to intercept Watney.
resourcefuladj
able to find clever solutions to difficult problems
Watney is incredibly resourceful in every crisis.
moralen
the confidence and spirit of a group
Watney's video logs boost the rescue team's morale.
simulatev
to imitate a real situation for testing
NASA simulates the rescue mission dozens of times first.
malfunctionn/v
when a machine stops working properly
The MAV antenna malfunction is the original crisis.
calculusn
advanced mathematics involving rates of change
Watney needs calculus to work out his survival timeline.
perseverancen
continuing despite difficulties
Watney's perseverance is the heart of the film.
12 words · B2 · Film
💡
Study tip
Watney's humour and NASA's technical language sit side by side — great for learning both casual and scientific registers.
Practice Exercises
Unlock with Pro to practice these words
Unlock exercises for The Martian
3 interactive exercises — Fill in the Blank, Word Match and Quick-Fire Quiz — available with Pro.
- ✓Fill in the Blank
- ✓Word Match game
- ✓Quick-Fire MCQ quiz