Essential Words for the TOEFL (7th edition) » Lesson 8

Word List
  • accelerate
    n. acceleration; n. accelerator
    →
    v. to go faster
    syn. hasten
    The action of molecules accelerates when they are heated.
    The poor condition of the motor made acceleration difficult.
  • crush
    adj. crushing; n. crush
    →
    v. to press together so as to completely distort the shape or nature of the object
    syn. grind
    The machine crushes corn to produce cornmeal.
    Passage of the legislation was a crushing blow to the president’s program.
  • cultivate
    adj. cultivated; n. cultivation
    →
    v. to plant and raise a crop; to encourage growth of a relationship or friendship
    syn. grow
    The professionals had common interests that allowed them to cultivate a working relationship with each other.
    The cultivation of diverse crops in pre-Columbian America is well documented.
  • derive
    →
    v. to come from or find something from its starting point
    syn. obtain
    The English word “decadent” is derived from the Latin word “decadere.”
    He derives great joy from growing vegetables in his backyard.
  • dictate
    adj. dictatorial; n. dictator
    →
    v. to state demands with the power to enforce
    syn. impose
    The workers were not in a position to dictate demands to management.
    His boss resembled a dictator.
  • distinguish
    adj. distinguishable; adj. distinguished; adj. distinguishing
    →
    v. to hear, see, or recognize differences
    syn. discriminate
    Some people cannot distinguish colors well.
    Anteaters are distinguished by their long noses.
  • docile
    adv. docilely; n. docility
    →
    adj. easy to control or train
    syn. manageable
    The moose is typically a very docile animal.
    Many rebellious young people see docility as a weakness.
  • engender
    →
    v. to cause something new to exist; to create
    syn. produce
    The politician’s charisma engendered enthusiasm.
    Economic conditions in the 1950s engendered an era of industrial growth.
  • engross
    n. engrossment; adj. engrossing
    →
    v. to become completely occupied or involved in an activity
    syn. engage
    The teacher’s lecture engrossed the entire class.
    O. Henry’s short stories engross readers all the way to their surprise endings.
  • flaw
    adj. flawed
    →
    n. a small sign of damage that makes an item imperfect
    syn. defect
    There is a flaw in his theory.
    They noticed that the contract was flawed.
  • harvest
    adj. harvested; v. harvest
    →
    n. the act of collecting a crop; the crops gathered
    syn. gather
    The United States had a comparatively good grain harvest this year.
    They were able to harvest the crop before the rain.
  • mammoth
    n. mammoth
    →
    adj. very large
    syn. enormous
    The successful entrepreneur is now known as a mammoth in the computer world.
    The physics teacher required the students to purchase a mammoth textbook.
  • mirror
    n. mirror
    →
    v. to show, as in a mirror
    syn. reflect
    The results of the study mirror public opinion.
    The strength of the economy is mirrored in the standard of living of the people.
  • negotiate
    n. negotiation; n. negotiator
    →
    v. to find a middle ground, come to an agreement
    syn. bargain
    He negotiated with his teacher for an extension on the project.
    The negotiations brought about an end to the conflict.
  • obtain
    adj. obtainable
    →
    v. to gain or secure something
    syn. gain
    The university obtained a new particle accelerator.
    The painting by Whistler was not obtainable.
  • particle
    →
    n. a very small piece of something
    syn. fragment
    Particles of dust can destroy electronic instruments.
    Small particles of matter hold the keys to understanding the origin of life.
  • transport
    adj. transportable; adj. transported; n. transportation
    →
    v. to move from one place to another
    syn. carry
    Flying is not always the fastest way to transport passengers to their destination.
    The transportation expenses of products increase the final cost of the item.
Matching

Choose the synonym.

  1. flaw
    • a. particle
    • b. agile
    • c. defect
    • d. creation
  2. dictate
    • a. transport
    • b. engender
    • c. grow
    • d. impose
  3. hasten
    • a. crawl
    • b. crush
    • c. conceal
    • d. accelerate
  4. crop
    • a. harvest
    • b. advice
    • c. mirror
    • d. settlement
  5. fragment
    • a. authorization
    • b. particle
    • c. cultivation
    • d. advantage
  6. mammoth
    • a. assertive
    • b. enormous
    • c. chronic
    • d. minuscule
  7. manageable
    • a. docile
    • b. relaxed
    • c. lovable
    • d. mundane
  8. discriminate
    • a. enhance
    • b. persuade
    • c. distinguish
    • d. distort
  9. reflect
    • a. mirror
    • b. confirm
    • c. produce
    • d. grind
  10. derive
    • a. confirm
    • b. bargain
    • c. deduce
    • d. obtain
Multiple-Choice Test Questions

  1. Testing metals for quality assurance can be accomplished by several methods. One common nondestructive technique, used to locate surface cracks and flaws in metals, employs a penetrating liquid. Normally this fluid is brightly dyed or fluorescent. After being spread over the surface of the material, it soaks into any tiny cracks. The liquid is cleaned off, allowing cracks and blemishes to be easily seen.

    The word flaws in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. bends
    • b. defects
    • c. cavities
    • d. dents
  2. An important task of management is to motivate individual workers to coordinate their collective efforts to achieve an organization’s goals. The concepts and methods used to structure work and to design organizations have changed considerably. An organization’s age can often be predicted by the way work is structured. Work practices tend to reflect the organization’s design theory present at the time the organization was founded.

    The word reflect in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. influence
    • b. mirror
    • c. cultivate
    • d. accelerate
  3. The Mayflower Compact was a document signed by 41 of the male passengers on the Mayflower before their landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts. The passengers, concerned that some members of the company might leave the group and settle on their own, negotiated laws amongst themselves to create the document. The Mayflower Compact created a political body whose purpose was to form a simple government. Those who signed the compact pledged to abide by any future laws and regulations.

    In stating that the settlers negotiated, the author means that
    • a. they traded livestock
    • b. they fought a war
    • c. they agreed immediately
    • d. they reached a compromise
  4. Before the invention of electroacoustic equipment that generates and measures sound, the available hearing tests gave approximate results in the best cases. A person’s hearing could be explained in terms of the ability to distinguish between the ticking of a watch and the clicking of coins or to determine the distance at which conversational speech or a whispered voice could no longer be understood.

    The word distinguish in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. discriminate
    • b. listen
    • c. clarify
    • d. conceal
  5. When DNA is subjected to restriction-enzyme activity, fragments of various sizes are formed. This process reveals a unique pattern of restriction-enzyme DNA. This specific DNA pattern found in each human genetic lineage is unique, because each person, except for identical twins, is formed from different combinations of the genetic material from two family lines. The pattern of sizes of the DNA from an individual is unique and can serve as a “DNA fingerprint” of that person.

    The word fragments in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. growths
    • b. modifications
    • c. flaws
    • d. particles
  6. The invention of the airplane was a crushing blow for proponents of hot air ballooning. Early advocates of ballooning such as Jean-Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries thought it would transform international travel. Instead, the cost of launching a balloon, the problem of controlling a balloon in high winds, and the instant attractiveness of more stable airplane travel have kept ballooning from becoming more than a hobby for a limited number of wealthy adventurers.

    In stating that the airplane’s invention was a crushing blow for proponents of ballooning, the author means that it
    • a. led directly to the invention of the airplane.
    • b. caught on immediately among the public.
    • c. promoted hot air ballooning internationally.
    • d. kept ballooning from becoming more popular.
  7. Farming continues to be an important activity on the eastern shore of Maryland. The eastern shore specializes in chickens for urban markets along the East Coast. Although market vegetables are also produced for the same urban markets, corn and soybeans continue to be the two most important crops cultivated on Maryland’s eastern shore.

    The word cultivated in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. grown
    • b. gathered
    • c. developed
    • d. extracted
  8. The earliest grain mills were hand-powered devices. Querns, which have been used for centuries to crush grains, are examples of such milling devices. A quern has an upper grinding stone with a handle. This handle rotates inside another stone, which contains the grain.

    The word crush in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. produce
    • b. roughen
    • c. grind
    • d. elicit
  9. Creating chocolate is an involved process. First, the cacao beans must be meticulously harvested from the cacao tree. The irresistible chocolate candies we are familiar with are derived from these beans. The cacao beans must be crushed and then go through a process known as tempering—a repeating cycle of warming and cooling of the liquefied product.

    The word derived in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. distinct
    • b. theoretically
    • c. separated
    • d. obtained
  10. The economic depression that plagued the United States in the 1930s was unique in its size and its consequences. During the worst period of the Depression, in 1933, one in every four American workers was out of a job. The great industrial slump engendered extreme hardship throughout the world that persisted throughout the 1930s.

    The word engendered in the passage is closest in meaning to
    • a. accelerated
    • b. produced
    • c. omitted
    • d. developed
Answer Key
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