Essential Words for the TOEFL (7th edition) » Lesson 4

Word List
  • ambiguous
    adv. ambiguously; n. ambiguity
    →
    adj. of unclear meaning; something that can be understood in more than one way
    syn. vague
    The men received an ambiguous message from their boss.
    Her letter was full of ambiguities.
  • arbitrary
    adv. arbitrarily; n. arbitrariness
    →
    adj. an action or decision made with little thought, order, or reason
    syn. haphazard
    Her choice of clothing seemed arbitrary.
    The teacher arbitrarily decided to give the class a test.
  • assert
    adv. assertively; n. assertiveness; n. assertion; adj. assertive
    →
    v. to express or defend oneself strongly; to state positively
    syn. declare
    The government asserted its control over the banking system.
    The company president is an assertive individual.
  • astounding
    v. astound; adv. astoundingly
    →
    adj. very surprising
    syn. astonishing
    The scientists made an astounding discovery.
    The fans were astounded by their team’s success.
  • astute
    adj. astutely; n. astuteness
    →
    adj. very intelligent, smart, clever
    syn. perceptive
    He was an astute worker, finishing in half the time it took the others to finish.
    They astutely determined that there would be no chance to finish on time.
  • concur
    n. concurrence
    →
    v. to have the same opinion or draw the same conclusion
    syn. agree
    The director concurred with the conclusions of the committee’s report.
    Do you concur with the details of the business plan?
  • deceptively
    adj. deceptive; v. deceive; n. deception
    →
    adv. making something appear true or good when it is false or bad
    syn. misleadingly
    The magician deceptively made the rabbit disappear.
    Richard deceived Joe about the cost of the coat.
  • designate
    n. designation; n. designator
    →
    v. to specify, name, or select to do a task; to indicate
    syn. assign
    The president designated the vice president to represent him at the meeting.
    The designated driver drove every one home after the party.
  • determined
    n. determination; v. determine
    →
    adj. strong in one’s opinion, firm in conviction, to find out
    syn. resolute
    They were determined to go to graduate school.
    The judge determined that the man was lying.
  • elicit
    n. elicitation
    →
    v. to get the facts or draw out the truth
    syn. extract
    A lawyer will elicit all the facts necessary to prove her case.
    Elicitation of the truth can be difficult at times.
  • embody
    n. embodiment
    →
    v. to be a good example of a concept or idea
    syn. exemplify
    The constitution is an embodiment of American ideals.
    Charlotte embodies all of the qualities of a good leader.
  • instigate
    n. instigator; adj. instigative; adv. instigatively
    →
    v. to cause a conflict or argument
    syn. initiate
    No one knew who had instigated the demonstration.
    Dissatisfaction with government policies instigated the revolution.
  • mundane
    adv. mundanely; n. mundaneness; n. mundanity
    →
    adj. common or routine
    syn. ordinary
    The student’s mundane summer job frustrated her.
    His mother asked him to do all the mundane household chores.
  • petition
    n. petition
    →
    v. to make a request
    syn. appeal
    Canada petitioned the United Nations to consider its case.
    The student’s petition was denied.
  • relinquish
    n. relinquishment
    →
    v. to give up control
    syn. abdicate
    The troubled executive relinquished her control of the company.
    The relinquishment of his claim to the building will allow the building to be sold.
  • resilient
    adv. resiliently; n. resilience
    →
    adj. strong enough to recover from difficulty or disease
    syn. tenacious
    She has a resilient personality and will soon feel better.
    The doctor was surprised by his patient’s resilience.
  • stagnant
    n. stagnation; v. stagnate
    →
    adj. not moving or developing
    syn. still
    The stagnant water was a perfect home for frogs.
    Some say that television causes the mind to stagnate.
Matching

Choose the synonym.

  1. appeal
    • a. enrich
    • b. assert
    • c. petition
    • d. restore
  2. mundane
    • a. celebrated
    • b. ordinary
    • c. astounding
    • d. alterable
  3. instigate
    • a. initiate
    • b. empower
    • c. intensify
    • d. restore
  4. elicit
    • a. declare
    • b. withdraw
    • c. conform
    • d. extract
  5. abdicate
    • a. relinquish
    • b. alter
    • c. encourage
    • d. heighten
  6. misleadingly
    • a. abruptly
    • b. deceptively
    • c. progressively
    • d. truly
  7. stagnant
    • a. still
    • b. flowing
    • c. angry
    • d. enormous
  8. resilient
    • a. bothersome
    • b. vital
    • c. unbearable
    • d. tenacious
  9. embody
    • a. exemplify
    • b. entice
    • c. notice
    • d. enrich
  10. vague
    • a. intolerable
    • b. adverse
    • c. beautiful
    • d. ambiguous
Multiple-Choice Test Questions

  1. The creation and analysis of optical illusions involve mathematical and geometric principles, such as the proportionality between the areas of similar figures. Optical illusions and their effects are often created through careful physical attributes, such as a nonstandard use of perspective, distorted angles, deceptive shading, unusual juxtaposition, and color effects.

    The word deceptive in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. elusive
    • b. misleading
    • c. altered
    • d. ambiguous
  2. The Seneca Falls Convention, held in 1848, started the woman’s suffrage movement in the United States. A “Declaration of Sentiments,” which called upon women to organize and to petition for their rights, was passed. However, one controversial resolution, calling for the right of women to vote, narrowly passed. The ridicule of that provision of the Declaration caused many backers of women’s rights to withdraw their support later on.

    The word petition in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. vote
    • b. demand
    • c. appeal
    • d. persist
  3. Space law is concerned with the proper uses of outer space. The most important treaty of space laws was the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. The participants who crafted the treaty concluded that the moon and all other celestial bodies were to be free for exploration and use by all nations. They also concurred that the use of weapons of mass destruction was to be forbidden in space.

    The word concurred in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. assumed
    • b. agreed
    • c. anticipated
    • d. observed
  4. It is a common misconception that the U.S. Congress has the constitutional power to legislate nearly anything for the general welfare. The Constitution gives Congress many powers, but it does not give Congress the power to legislate freely for the general welfare. In many instances, Congress may try to cause the states to do something by means of offers of subsidies or grants, but it cannot compel them to accept the incentives. The lawmaking process can become stagnant if the states do not agree with the proposed legislation.

    The phrase become stagnant in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. continue flowing
    • b. stop moving
    • c. be cancelled
    • d. create arguments
  5. Due to the astounding progress of integrated-circuit technology, an enormous number of transistors can be placed onto a single integrated-circuit chip. The first commercially successful microprocessor chip had only 4,800 transistors, but by the beginning of the 2000s, the newest high-end chips had 7.2 billion.

    The word astounding in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. astonishing
    • b. rapid
    • c. solid
    • d. resilient
  6. Deer populations have grown dramatically in the northeast United States in the last 20 years. Many residents are happy to have deer in their communities, but many others see them as a menace. Deer often wander into traffic, cause automobile accidents, trample lawns, eat flowers, and host insects that carry disease. Therefore, many residents are determined to restrict their movements, fence them out, or even eliminate them altogether.

    In stating that many people are determined to eliminate the deer, the author means that they
    • a. want to decide what to do.
    • b. support their increase.
    • c. insist on reducing them.
    • d. favor enlarging the herd.
  7. The game of chess was not well organized until 1946, when the world chess governing body, FIDE, asserted its control over international play. At that time, national chess groups immediately welcomed the chance to join the new federation. However, FIDE’s authority has not been universally recognized, and even today there is no general agreement as to the status of the world championship.

    The word asserted in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. enhanced
    • b. empowered
    • c. permitted
    • d. declared
  8. Social anthropologists attempt to illustrate the social emergence and evolution of the human race and to determine differences between human social organization and that of other primates. Despite the fact that all classifications of human societies and cultures are arbitrary, they also attempt to note differences between various human societies. In spite of these difficulties, anthropologists have made great advances in the identification and grouping of human civilizations.

    The word arbitrary in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. vague
    • b. haphazard
    • c. disputed
    • d. elusive
  9. The Monroe Doctrine allowed the United States to intervene in the affairs of Latin American countries in case of foreign invasion. Once the United States was designated to act on behalf of its neighbors to the south, episodes of foreign interference decreased until the 1960s, when Cuba wanted the support and economic aid of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

    The word designated in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. authorized
    • b. accustomed
    • c. determined
    • d. tempted
  10. J. Edgar Hoover was an astute professional who served as Director of the FBI for 48 years. A resilient and determined government official, Hoover’s tenure spanned one of the most important eras of modern U.S. history. His policies helped to shape and create what has now become a highly respected modern investigative organization.

    The word astute in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. acclaimed
    • b. celebrated
    • c. perceptive
    • d. eminent
Answer Key
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