Essential Words for the TOEFL (7th edition) » Lesson 11

Word List
  • amenity
    →
    n. something that makes life easier or more enjoyable
    syn. convenience
    She missed all the amenities of home when she went camping.
    One expects many amenities at a five-star hotel.
  • disperse
    adj. dispersed
    →
    v. to cause to move in many different directions
    syn. circulate
    The high winds and rain dispersed the crowd.
    After the hurricane, dispersed belongings cluttered the street.
  • element
    adj. elemental; n. element*
    →
    n. a part of the whole
        *environment
    syn. component
    Her presence added an element of humor to the group.
    Hard work and perseverance are the basic elements of success.
  • elementary
    →
    adj. simple in structure, easy to do
    syn. primary
    The solution to the problem was actually quite elementary.
    You must take Elementary Physics before you can enroll in the advanced course.
  • eliminate
    adj. eliminated; n. elimination
    →
    v. to remove, free oneself of something
    syn. delete
    Mistakes must be eliminated before you hand in a term paper.
    The elimination of the runner from the race was decided by the judge.
  • emerge
    n. emergence
    →
    v. to come into view, or existence
    syn. appear
    It took an hour for the newborn chick to emerge from its egg.
    The sun emerged from the thick rain clouds, giving hope that the game would be played.
  • emphasize
    adv. emphatically; adj. emphatic; n. emphasis
    →
    v. to show that something is especially important or exceptional
    syn. highlight
    The professor emphasized certain aspects of the historical period.
    When asked if they would like to leave class early, the students answered with an emphatic “yes.”
  • encircle
    adj. encircled
    →
    v. to make a circle around
    syn. surround
    The players encircled their coach after winning the big game.
    The encircled celebrity actually became afraid of her fans.
  • erratic
    adv. erratically
    →
    adj. no regular pattern in thinking or movement; changeable without reason
    syn. inconsistent
    The artist’s paintings have an erratic quality, some being excellent, and others mediocre.
    The unstable chemical reacted erratically.
  • exaggerate
    adj. exaggerated; n. exaggeration
    →
    v. to make something more than what it is
    syn. overstate
    The federal government exaggerated the success of its programs.
    To say that his business is successful would be a slight exaggeration.
  • integral
    adv. integrally; n. integrallity
    →
    adj. to be an essential or basic part of something
    syn. vital
    Knowledge of spelling is an integral part of writing in any language.
    A film’s music is integral to drawing the viewers into the story.
  • justify
    n. justification; adj. justifiably
    →
    v. to show to be right or reasonable; to support
    syn. defend
    The young boy could not justify his rude behavior.
    There was no justification for the criminal’s attack.
  • mortify
    n. mortification
    →
    v. to embarrass
    syn. humiliate
    He was mortified upon forgetting his lines during the play.
    She mortified her son by showing Alice his baby pictures.
  • overbearing
    →
    adj. persistently overconfident or controlling
    syn. oppressive
    The old woman’s overbearing demeanor did not make her approachable.
    The teacher tried his best to not be overbearing when speaking to his students.
  • precipitate
    →
    v. to speed up the occurrence or development of something
    syn. hasten
    Romeo and Juliet’s relationship precipitated a violent conflict.
    Trade with other cultures was the main precipitant for the advent of the Renaissance.
  • prevalent
    n. prevalence
    →
    adj. existing widely or commonly
    syn. commonplace
    Comfortable trade winds are prevalent in the Caribbean islands.
    There is a prevalence of disease where poor sanitation conditions exist.
  • release
    n. release
    →
    v. to allow to come out; to give freedom
    syn. free
    A new movie was just released.
    The release of the Supreme Court’s decision was expected today.
Matching

Choose the synonym.

  1. amenity
    • a. advice
    • b. convenience
    • c. element
    • d. emphasis
  2. justify
    • a. defend
    • b. conform
    • c. disperse
    • d. forbid
  3. overbearing
    • a. consistent
    • b. oppressive
    • c. unstable
    • d. benign
  4. mortify
    • a. frighten
    • b. humiliate
    • c. criticize
    • d. extinguish
  5. exaggerate
    • a. impress
    • b. dominate
    • c. elaborate
    • d. overstate
  6. disperse
    • a. circulate
    • b. classify
    • c. distort
    • d. encircle
  7. release
    • a. free
    • b. restore
    • c. settle
    • d. block
  8. vital
    • a. rigid
    • b. complex
    • c. erratic
    • d. integral
  9. commonplace
    • a. elementary
    • b. rudimentary
    • c. prevalent
    • d. uniform
  10. emerge
    • a. join
    • b. distort
    • c. appear
    • d. release
Multiple-Choice Test Questions

  1. Kapok is made from the silky fiber that encircles the seeds of the tropical silk-cotton tree. This dense mat of cottony fibers surrounds each seed within the fruit. However, unlike cotton fibers, kapok fibers do not lend themselves to spinning. Since they are water resistant and buoyant, kapok fibers were extensively used for padding and insulation until the development of synthetic fibers.

    The word encircles in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. releases
    • b. circulates
    • c. surrounds
    • d. disperses
  2. Lewis and Clark’s expedition’s central objective, the discovery of the “water communication,” was not realized. However, a huge blank space on the map of North America had been filled as a result of the expedition. The rumor and myth related to the American West had been eliminated and new knowledge about the Wild West was made known to the American people.

    The word eliminated in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. released
    • b. circulated
    • c. deleted
    • d. exaggerated
  3. The most elementary type of convection can be explained by the fact that heat rises. Convection currents permit buildings to be heated without the use of circulatory devices. The heated air moves solely by gravity. In the atmosphere, convection causes the wind to blow. Most severe weather conditions, such as tornadoes, result from particularly sharp convection currents.

    The word elementary in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. dispersed
    • b. erratic
    • c. prevalent
    • d. primary
  4. The key element of the air conditioner is a fluorocarbon refrigerant that flows constantly through the conditioner’s mechanisms. It becomes a liquid and gives off heat when it is compressed, and becomes a gas and absorbs heat when the pressure is removed. The mechanisms that evaporate and compress the refrigerant are divided into two areas, one on the interior, which includes an air filter, fan, and cooling coil, and one on the exterior, which includes a compressor, condenser coil, and fan.

    The word element in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. amenity
    • b. component
    • c. purpose
    • d. advantage
  5. A common inhabitant of the southwest United States, the prairie dog lives in groups called coteries. A breeding coterie contains one male, one to four females, and the young of the past two years. Several coteries form large groups called wards, which are determined by the structure of the terrain. The wards in turn are united into towns—complex dwellings of interconnecting burrows and many entrances. The towns may cover as many as 65 to 160 acres, which contain thousands of individuals. While the prairie dog population is thought to have once been in the billions, urban development of the southwestern region has precipitated a population decline of nearly 95 percent.

    The word precipitated in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. hastened
    • b. halted
    • c. avoided
    • d. altered
  6. The sport utility vehicle, or SUV , is the most popular type of automobile in the United States today. SUVs are spacious, powerful, and rugged; they have more room for passengers, equipment, groceries, and boxes than ordinary cars. Therefore, they are more commonly found in the country than in the city, and in some suburban neighborhoods they are more prevalent than compact cars or vans. Even their high consumption of gas has little effect on their popularity.

    In stating that SUVs are more prevalent than compact cars, the author means that they
    • a. cost more than compact cars.
    • b. are more numerous than compacts.
    • c. take up more parking space.
    • d. use more gas than other vehicles.
  7. Water whirlwinds, commonly called waterspouts, are whirling columns of air and watery mist. Brief whirlwinds are erratic in motion, but the longer-lasting ones move slowly with the prevailing winds and are more regular in their movement. Storms generate most waterspouts, but tornado spouts, generated in thunderstorms, in association with tropical cyclones, are the most dangerous.

    The word erratic in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. unique
    • b. inconsistent
    • c. arbitrary
    • d. complex
  8. Partly because it has promoted U.S. interests, the Monroe Doctrine has had considerable effect and enjoyed strong support in the United States. It has been used to justify intervention in the internal affairs of other American nations. However, U.S. diplomatic relations are strained due to growing anxiety over the prevalent instability of Latin American politics and recent controversial interventions.

    The word prevalent in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. definite
    • b. determined
    • c. constant
    • d. commonplace
  9. A caricature is a picture or other representation that exaggerates a particular physical, facial appearance, dress, or the manners of an individual to produce a distinct comical effect. It is used to ridicule political, social, or religious situations and institutions, or actions by individuals, groups, or classes of a society. The latter types of caricature are usually done with satirical rather than humorous intent, in order to encourage political or social change.

    The word exaggerates in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. emphasizes
    • b. astonishes
    • c. embellishes
    • d. fabricates
  10. Geologic changes provide a convincing explanation for the puzzling way that plant species are spread around the world. The conifers of the genus Araucaria, for example, have large seeds that do not float in seawater and are dispersed only short distances. However, they have been found either as fossils or as actively growing plants on all continents and on some islands that appear to be fragments of continents.

    The word dispersed in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. scattered
    • b. discarded
    • c. arranged
    • d. released
Answer Key
Favorite Books
Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know

The study of the English language has spread all over the world, and high school and college students everywhere have come to realize that language mastery depends on the possession of a comprehensive vocabulary. This is just what 1100 Words You Need to Know has been offering through the five earlier editions and continuing on this sixth one.

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