Essential Words for the TOEFL (7th edition) » Lesson 18

Word List
  • absurd
    adv. absurdly; n. absurdity
    →
    adj. clearly false; without reason
    syn. ridiculous
    Confidentially, I think his suggestion is absurd.
    They are absurdly irrational about the issue.
  • allocation
    adj. allocated; v. allocate
    →
    n. a share; a part set aside for a special purpose; an assignment of portions
    syn. distribution
    His allocation of materials was gradually used up.
    Allocating office space in the building was a difficult task.
  • balanced
    v. balance; n. balance
    →
    adj. a state where everything is of the same size or weight; an element on one side that counters an equal element on the other
    syn. equalized
    He made a balanced presentation of both points of view.
    The museum contains a pleasant balance of paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
  • brazen
    →
    adj. defiant or shameless
    syn. bold
    The student brazenly defended her thesis.
    The brazen politician did not withdraw from the debate.
  • come across
    →
    v. to find or discover, usually by chance
    syn. encounter
    The woman came across the old love letters while looking through photos of her youth.
    The professor came across the article while searching the Internet.
  • culminate
    n. culmination; adj. culminating
    →
    v. to finish; to reach a climax or the highest point
    syn. conclude
    The rock song culminated in a loud guitar solo.
    After four years of diligent study, the student’s hard work culminated in several offers of full scholarships for college.
  • demeanor
    →
    n. someone’s outward appearance or behavior
    syn. conduct ( n.)
    The old woman had a pleasant demeanor.
    The dog was huge, but its friendly demeanor eased my fears.
  • exert
    n. exertion
    →
    v. to put into use; to put forth an effort
    syn. apply
    He had to exert all of his strength to move the heavy box.
    Your body will be better prepared for physical exertion if you exercise daily.
  • fallacious
    adv. fallaciously; n. fallacy
    →
    adj. having errors
    syn. incorrect
    Her fallacious argument could not be defended.
    It is a fallacy to think that money will bring you happiness.
  • feasible
    adv. feasibly; n. feasibility
    →
    adj. able to be done
    syn. possible
    It is a feasible design for the high-rise building.
    Before they begin the project, a study must be done of its feasibility.
  • intuition
    adj. intuitive
    →
    n. a feeling or instinct
    syn. hunch
    He often relies on his intuition rather than analyzing the situation logically.
    Her intuition told her that there was more to the story than she knew.
  • lack
    adj. lacking; v. lack
    →
    n. a need for; an insufficient amount
    syn. shortage
    There was an inordinate lack of rain last fall.
    The mathematician was lacking in communication skills.
  • limber
    →
    adj. to be stretched; easily shaped
    syn. flexible
    The dancer has a limber body.
    He was able to perform the limber movements that are required of a gymnast.
  • means
    →
    n. ways
    syn. methods
    He was told to finish the job by any means available to him.
    The most convenient means of communicating with someone is by phone.
  • preconception
    adj. preconceived; v. preconceive
    →
    n. an opinion formed in advance without experience or knowledge of something
    syn. bias
    It is difficult to overcome preconceptions if we are not open to new ideas.
    His preconceived notions about Los Angeles disappeared after he visited the city.
  • robust
    adv. robustly; n. robustness
    →
    adj. showing good health; in good shape
    syn. energetic
    The robust economy is expected to continue growing quickly.
    The new product is selling robustly.
  • swift
    adv. swiftly; n. swiftness
    →
    adj. quick
    syn. fast
    The contestants were swift thinkers.
    They swiftly agreed with the conclusion of the report.
Matching

Choose the synonym.

  1. demeanor
    • a. function
    • b. conduct
    • c. expansion
    • d. bias
  2. intuition
    • a. hunch
    • b. decision
    • c. guess
    • d. analysis
  3. robust
    • a. energetic
    • b. flexible
    • c. narrow
    • d. ridiculous
  4. fast
    • a. swift
    • b. spacious
    • c. intrinsic
    • d. vital
  5. balanced
    • a. rigid
    • b. documented
    • c. fundamental
    • d. equalized
  6. distribution
    • a. shortage
    • b. allocation
    • c. methods
    • d. disapproval
  7. fallacious
    • a. inordinate
    • b. incorrect
    • c. unwarranted
    • d. inevitable
  8. apply
    • a. exert
    • b. expand
    • c. conclude
    • d. halt
  9. feasible
    • a. absurd
    • b. possible
    • c. limber
    • d. selective
  10. comeacross
    • a. proceed
    • b. travel
    • c. encounter
    • d. transport
Multiple-Choice Test Questions

  1. Early analog televisions used carrier waves that were picked up by a receiving antenna and then carried to the television receiver. Inside the receiver, the video and audio signals were separated and amplified. They then passed into the picture tube, which used a narrow beam of electrons that bombarded, in a scanning motion, the back of a screen coated with a fluorescent compound. This process culminated in the projection of images on the screen.

    The word culminated in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. proceeded
    • b. began
    • c. resulted
    • d. repeated
  2. A simple example of a means by which energy is converted from one form to another is demonstrated in the tossing of a ball into the air. When the ball is thrown vertically from the ground, its speed and its kinetic energy decreases steadily until it comes to rest momentarily at its highest point.

    The word means in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. description
    • b. method
    • c. theory
    • d. benefit
  3. The First Continental Congress was formed to protest the British Parliament’s intrusion into certain colony affairs. This congress urged the colonies to arm themselves for defense of their rights. It believed that it would be absurd not to give a forceful response to England’s closing of the port of Boston. By the time the Second Continental Congress convened, the American Revolution had begun.

    The word absurd in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. ridiculous
    • b. difficult
    • c. feasible
    • d. fallacious
  4. The modern sport of gymnastics was essentially the result of the work of the German Friedrich Jahn, in the early nineteenth century. He invented many of the exercises and some of the apparatus of later gymnastics, such as the parallel bars, the rings, and the horizontal bar. Jahn’s work was aimed mainly at strengthening the body. The result of gymnastics training is a well-toned, limber body.

    The word limber in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. flexible
    • b. slender
    • c. tiny
    • d. disciplined
  5. Many experts believe that in the early years of the twenty-first century the lack of water, rather than the availability of fertile land, will be the major obstacle to increased worldwide food production. As with land, the amount of water available for agricultural use cannot easily be increased. Research is now being conducted to improve water availability and thereby increase the amount of land available for farming.

    The word lack in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. misuse
    • b. abuse
    • c. shortage
    • d. distribution
  6. The aim of TV advertising is to motivate viewers to spend money on products; the aim of TV news is to give a balanced view of people, products, and events. These aims sometimes conflict with each other. While advertisers stress product features that contribute to a feeling of well-being or enhanced status, reporters have an obligation to describe products more objectively. Reporters have a responsibility to describe both positive and negative product features.

    In referring to a balanced view, the author is referring to
    • a. a clearly biased summary.
    • b. information for and against.
    • c. an advocate’s point of view.
    • d. factual support for TV ads.
  7. A typical cellar may be located beneath a house. It may also be located outdoors, partly underground, with the upper part mounded over with earth. This would protect items from freezing and maintain a fairly uniform temperature and humidity level. Unheated basements or heated and insulated ground-level buildings make it feasible to store fruits and vegetables for short periods.

    The word feasible in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. balanced
    • b. possible
    • c. enacted
    • d. persuasive
  8. The operating system of a computer network protects computers from access by illegal users. It also prevents data corruption introduced by unintentional mistakes made by legitimate users. A robust security scheme is particularly important for computers that are connected to a communications network, since it has many potential users.

    The word robust in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. steady
    • b. intrinsic
    • c. strong
    • d. complex
  9. Knowledge of how early wheels were constructed is derived from “chariot burials” found in the city-states of Kish and Ur. Wheels were formed from three planks of wood that were clamped by wooden struts and bound with leather tires that were held in place by copper nails. The simplicity of their design allowed for swift repairs.

    The word swift in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. steady
    • b. ample
    • c. suitable
    • d. rapid
  10. The law of large numbers, popularly known as “the law of averages,” is often thought to require that future outcomes balance past outcomes. This is a fallacy. A three-digit lottery number has the same probability of being selected every day. The fact that it has not been selected for a given number of days does not increase this probability.

    The word fallacy in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. endorsement
    • b. sufficiency
    • c. misconception
    • d. preconception
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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