70+ TOEFL Practice Test Exercises

This article is designed for ease of use as a practice guide for clearing the TOEFL exam. Each section contains a list of target words. These words are
defined and used in sample sentences.

Also Read: TOEFL Vocabulary Practice Test – 60 Questions with Answer

Unlike earlier versions of the TOEFL, the new version has no grammar section. Your knowledge of grammar is useful in helping you understand the readings and lectures, not in answering grammar-specific questions.

1) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“abandoned”, “precipitation”, “cultivation”, “fertilize”, “photosynthesis”

1. Through __________, green plants create organic materials with the help of chlorophyll.
2. The coastal city gets half of its __________ during the months of January, February, and March.
3. Farmers use various methods of land __________.
4. When they heard the hull crack, all but two of the sailors __________ ship.
5. Inexperienced gardeners may not realize how important it is that they __________ their plants.

Answers:

1. photosynthesis
2. precipitation
3. cultivation
4. abandoned
5. fertilize

2) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ obtain (a) weaken
2. __________ intensify (b) separate
3. __________ irrigation (c) lose
4. __________ aggregate (d) drainage
5. __________ adversely (e) positively

Answers:

1. c
2. a
3. d
4. b
5. e

3) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ persevere (a) to pass by without hitting
2. __________ anticipate (b) to give up
3. __________ famine (c) to not see something coming
4. __________ collide (d) harmless
5. __________ catastrophic (e) excess of food

Answers:

1. b
2. c
3. e
4. a
5. d

4) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. Residents of Hawaii must accept the possibility of a volcanic (eruption / perseverance).
2. Years after the accident, she was finally able to (anticipate / unleash) her feelings of anger.
3. Houses along the river often face (famine / flooding) during the rainy season.
4. Many people think it is cruel to (collide / plunge) live lobsters into boiling water.
5. A well-written essay should make some kind of (catastrophe / impact) on its readers.

Answers:

1. eruption
2. unleash
3. flooding
4. plunge
5. impact

5) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ physical (a) not an integral part
2. __________ migration (b) stay the same
3. __________ adapt (c) die
4. __________ inherent (d) staying in one place
5. __________ survive (e) mental

Answers:

1. e
2. d
3. b
4. a
5. c

6) Choose the word from the list that is closest in meaning to the underlined part of each sentence. Write it in the blank.

“diverse”, “evolved”, “generation”, “process”, “survive”

1. __________ Various languages are spoken on the Indian subcontinent.
2. __________ Making bread involves a sequence of steps that takes about three hours.
3. __________ Few sea turtles manage to live through their first year of life.
4. __________ This age group tends to support current educational policies.
5. __________ Her thinking about economics has changed slowly in the last several months.

Answers:

1. diverse
2. process
3. survive
4. generation
5. evolved

7) Find the word that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ stable (a) keep
2. __________ contamination (b) expand
3. __________ extinct (c) unsteady
4. __________ dispose of (d) existing
5. __________ shrink (e) purity

Answers:

1. c
2. e
3. d
4. a
5. b

8) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The (constraints / contamination) of being in prison made her hate society even more.
2. A recognition that the Earth is round was one of the (elemental / shrunken) advances in thought during the time period.
3. Mother Teresa, who helped the poorest of the poor, had a great (disposal / reservoir) of love within her spirit.
4. Automobiles are responsible for some (emissions / extinction) of greenhouse gases.
5. By the end of the storm, the hikers had (depleted / reserved) even their emergency stores.

Answers:

1. constraint
2. elemental
3. reservoir
4. emission
5. deplete

9) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“adjust”, “arbitrary”, “denominator”, “infinitesimal”, “rate”

1. Students felt that the exam was unfair and the grading system was rather __________.
2. The __________ of increase in prices made it difficult for people to afford basic goods.
3. Politicians promised great changes in the coming year, but any improvement in people’s lives was __________.
4. She quickly overcame her culture shock and found it easy to __________ to the new country.
5. You can add two fractions that have the same __________.

Answers:

1. arbitrary
2. rate
3. infinitesimal
4. adjust
5. denominator

10) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ arbitrary (a) mix up
2. __________ maximize (b) intersecting
3. __________ sequence (c) minimize
4. __________ infinitesimal (d) huge
5. __________ parallel (e) planned out

Answers:

1. e
2. c
3. a
4. d
5. b

11) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“accuracy”, “adjacent”, “feasibly”, “integrally”, “structure”

1. She had no idea how they could __________ take a big vacation and remodel their house in the same year.
2. Daily meditation is used __________ with medication and massage as part of the recovery plan.
3. The rival politicians were raised in __________ counties.
4. If you build a __________ next to this river, you must be sure it is safe against floods.
5. Once he ran for public office, he understood the importance of checking public statements for __________.

Answers:

1. feasibly
2. integrally
3. adjacent
4. structure
5. accuracy

12) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ seep (a) fill
2. __________ gut (b) separate
3. __________ retain (c) stay contained
4. __________ compress (d) loosen
5. __________ overlap (e) throw away

Answers:

1. c
2. a
3. e
4. d
5. b

13) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. Please make sure this information (circulates / derives) throughout the office quickly.
2. The (installation / simulation) of the new telephones took three days.
3. In order to stay on schedule, we need to complete this project as (expeditiously / innovatively) as possible.
4. The smuggler moved cautiously through the airport to avoid (detection / maintenance).
5. Years of neglect had caused the building’s water pipes to (corrode / implement).

Answers:

1. circulate
2. installation
3. expeditiously
4. detection
5. corrode

14) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“combustion”, “convey”, “permeate”, “source”, “trigger”

1. It is often difficult to __________ the meaning of a poem to a large audience.
2. The __________ of the gossip was someone inside this office.
3. Her bad mood that day __________ the atmosphere in the laboratory.
4. The internal __________ engine revolutionized the way automobiles run.
5. A cigarette __________ the explosion.

Answers:

1. convey
2. source
3. permeated
4. combustion
5. triggered

15) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ rotate (a) separately, as an individual part
2. __________ solar (b) spin on an axis
3. __________ component (c) sun
4. __________ discretely (d) center
5. __________ nucleus (e) part

Answers:

1. b
2. c
3. e
4. a
5. d

16) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ degrade (a) stay out of a dispute
2. __________ anomaly (b) improve
3. __________ recede (c) questionable
4. __________ intervene (d) the norm
5. __________ indisputable (e) come forward

Answers:

1. b
2. d
3. e
4. a
5. c

17) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. A huge (anomaly / gap) between the wealthy and the working class often leads to social unrest.
2. The new computers enable us to (intervene / retrieve) information more quickly.
3. Although she wasn’t qualified for the job, she (indisputably / intuitively) felt that she should apply.
4. When he joined the military, he did not expect the officers to (degrade / recede) him.
5. The art in the foyer was an important (acquisition / consciousness) for the museum.

Answers:

1. gap
2. retrieve
3. intuitively
4. degrade
5. acquisition

18) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word or phrase from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word or phrase only once.

“be inclined to”, “contemplate”, “deify”, “exalted”, “sacrifice”

1. Traditionally, the Camerian society __________ its leaders, considering them to be sent from the land of the gods.
2. To do well in his university courses, he had to __________ a lot of his personal time.
3. The generation of American leaders known as “the Founders” are __________ by many scholars for their wisdom and courage.
4. She knew she would always __________ agree with what her mother said, so she struggled to remain unbiased.
5. The human resources department __________ whether they should let Mary go.

Answers:

1. deifies
2. sacrifice
3. exalted
4. be inclined to
5. contemplated

19) Choose the word from the list that is closest in meaning to the underlined part of each sentence. Write it in the blank.

“disease”, “fatal”, “persist”, “prognosis”, “wound”

1. __________ He sustained a serious injury in the war, so he was sent home immediately.
2. __________ Her sickness was so rare, doctors weren’t certain how to treat it.
3. __________ His motto was to keep trying, no matter what happened.
4. __________ The medical staff could not know for sure whether the treatment would work, but they made a confident prediction that the patient would recover.
5. __________ The airplane crash was tragic, killing many people immediately and inflicting injuries on others that would eventually prove deadly.

Answers:

1. wound
2. disease
3. persist
4. prognosis
5. fatal

20) Next to each definition, write the word that most closely fits it.

“aggravate”, “decrepit”, “forensics”, “terminal”, “vein”

1. __________ the science involved in solving crimes
2. __________ a vessel for carrying blood
3. __________ to make worse
4. __________ unable to be cured
5. __________ in very bad condition

Answers:

1. forensics
2. vein
3. aggravate
4. terminal
5. decrepit

21) For each word, choose the word or phrase that has the most similar meaning.Write the letter of your choice on the line.

1. scar _________

(a) bandage (b) mark (c) shine (d) cover

2. augment _________

(a) take away (b) discuss (c) use (d) add to

3. complication _________

(a) added difficulty (b) improved performance (c) method of training (d) prediction about results

4. obese _________

(a) attractive (b) healthy (c) very overweight (d) high

5. cure _________

(a) heal (b) study (c) diagnose (d) tie up

Answers:

1. b
2. d
3. a
4. c
5. a

22) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The (procedure / scar) to prepare for the surgery took four hours.
2. Only seriously (certifiable / obese) people should get their stomachs surgically reduced.
3. He almost died during the operation because the doctors did not give him the right kind of (anesthesia / complication).
4. Doctors are now able to (cure / implant) many types of sickness that were usually fatal in the past.
5. Before (augmenting / injecting) a painkiller, the dentist rubbed cloves on the woman’s gums to numb them.

Answers:

1. procedure
2. obese
3. anesthesia
4. cure
5. injecting

23) For each word, choose the word or phrase that has the most similar meaning.Write the letter of your choice on the line.

1. divination __________

(a) demand (b) prediction (c) problem (d) route

2. haunt __________

(a) dry out (b) fail to show up (c) continue to disturb (d) search desperately

3. meditate __________

(a) clarify (b) expose (c) purge (d) think

4. invoke __________

(a) call (b) cry (c) inspire (d) reject

5. psychic __________

(a) empty (b) mental (c) powerful (d) vague

Answers:

1. b
2. c
3. d
4. a
5. b

24) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The leaders of the religious group are said to have (astrological / psychic) powers that allow them to move objects just by the power of their thoughts.
2. For years after the earthquake, she was disturbed by the (haunting / self-perpetuating) memories of destruction.
3. The boys told their new friend that they had seen (intermediaries / phantoms) in the cemetery at night.
4. During the scuffle, the citizens were prepared to (invoke / meditate) the right of citizen’s arrest because no police officers were present.
5. Her (divination / horror) of the results of their meeting impressed even the nonbelievers.

Answers:

1. psychic
2. haunting
3. phantoms
4. invoke
5. divination

25) Choose the word from the list that is closest in meaning to the underlined part of each sentence. Write it in the blank.

“assimilate”, “cremation”, “domesticate”, “folklore”, “ritual”

1. __________ In many cultures around the world, young boys are circumcised in a traditional ceremony.
2. __________ It is difficult to tame a bird that was born in the wild.
3. __________ Based on the oral legends about the fire, researchers estimate that about half of the townspeople died in the blaze.
4. __________ After the burning of the body, the remaining bits of bone are transferred to a large urn.
5. __________ Her husband could never fit into her family’s way of life.

Answers:

1. ritual
2. domesticate
3. folklore
4. cremation
5. assimilate

26) Write the best word next to each definition. Use each word only once.

“fossilize”, “relic”, “rite”, “saga”, “vestige”

1. __________ to harden after death
2. __________ a customary act
3. __________ a memento
4. __________ something remaining from the past
5. __________ a long story

Answers:

1. fossilize
2. rite
3. relic
4. vestige
5. saga

27) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“biased”, “counter”, “de facto”, “notion”, “paradigm”

1. During the trial, the defense lawyer __________ each claim with an opposite charge.
2. The basketball coach was naturally __________ toward the taller players.
3. After we saw the fancy car that the Jacobses bought, we gave up the __________ that they could not afford the basic things in life.
4. The battle was successful, as judged by the prevailing __________ of that era.
5. Even though Jovie was a cleaner, not a nanny, she was the baby’s __________ caregiver because his parents worked so many hours.

Answers:

1. countered
2. biased
3. notion
4. paradigm
5. de facto

28) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ amend (a) relieve
2. __________ burden (b) allow to operate freely
3. __________ oppress (c) leave as is
4. __________ indiscriminately (d) unbiased
5. __________ prejudiced (e) by making careful choices

Answers:

1. c
2. a
3. b
4. e
5. d

29) For each word, choose the word that has the most similar meaning. Write the letter of your choice on the line.

1. distinctly ___________

(a) clearly (b) fully (c) softly (d) aggressively

2. erudite ___________

(a) strong (b) wise (c) complicated (d) plain

3. fortify ___________

(a) weaken (b) contemplate (c) strengthen (d) reshape

4. rigor ___________

(a) strictness (b) talent (c) peace (d) recklessness

5. suspend ___________

(a) tie (b) fill (c) hang (d) throw

Answers:

1. a
2. b
3. c
4. a
5. c

30) Choose the word from the list that is closest in meaning to the underlined part of each sentence.Write it in the blank.

“curriculum”, “implicitly”, “parochial”, “roster”, “secular”

1. ___________ The class list showed that only 12 students had enrolled for spring quarter.
2. ___________ Many parents feel that public schools are as good as private, religious schools.
3. ___________ The principal requested parents’ feedback on the new set of math classes.
4. ___________ In the United States, many private grade schools are not affiliated with a religion.
5. ___________ The janitor agreed indirectly not to turn in the students.

Answers:

1. roster
2. parochial
3. curriculum
4. secular
5. implicitly

31) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word or phrase in the left-hand column.Write the letter in the blank.

1. ___________ cease (a) stay still
2. ___________ artillery (b) not in the fighting
3. ___________ mobilize (c) continue
4. ___________ battle (d) make peace
5. ___________ in the trenches (e) light guns

Answers:

1. c
2. e
3. a
4. d
5. b

32) Choose the word from the list that is closest in meaning to the underlined part of each sentence. Write it in the blank.

“allegiance”, “hierarchy”, “ranked”, “ratio”, “strategy”

1. ___________ Destruction of the enemy’s radar defenses was rated very high in the plan of attack.
2. ___________ The president’s constant mistakes weakened the army’s loyalty to him.
3. ___________ Eventually, Gordon reached the highest level in the military’s system of positions, that of five-star general.
4. ___________ The planet Mercury is so small that the proportion of its volume to Earth’s is only about 1 to 20.
5. ___________ While other officers worried about day-to-day operations, General Helvetski kept his eye on long-term plans.

Answers:

1. ranked
2. allegiance
3. hierarchy
4. ratio
5. strategy

33) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. ___________ severely (a) invent
2. ___________ prevailing (b) fall down
3. ___________ devise (c) add on
4. ___________ collapse (d) extremely
5. ___________ annex (e) most common

Answers:

1. d
2. e
3. a
4. b
5. c

34) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The judge ruled that Harry was guilty of a (violation / conquest) of the seat-belt law.
2. Because Dalmatia was protected by high mountains, the empire could not (apex / annex) it.
3. We have to (conquest / devise) a way to fight this new disease.
4. Several armed groups joined together to (resist / collapse) the foreign invaders.
5. The (prevailing / invasive) belief held that the enemy’s peace moves were not sincere.

Answers:

1. violation
2. annex
3. devise
4. resist
5. prevailing

35) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. ___________ deny (a) say something isn’t true
2. ___________ chronologically (b) an end to being enemies
3. ___________ consequence (c) middle
4. ___________ reconciliation (d) in the order in which events happened
5. ___________ core (e) result

Answers:

1. a
2. d
3. e
4. b
5. c

36) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. When a nation becomes unwilling to listen to its allies, its international influence will (deny / diminish).
2. The release of many new movies (coincides / consequences) with the start of the holiday period.
3. The (core / milieu) of Roman power shifted to Constantinople after Rome was attacked repeatedly by armies from the north.
4. As our government becomes better at monitoring us, an (Orwellian / coincidental) future awaits us.
5. As you move directly east from one point on the Earth to another, your (longitude / chronology) changes.

Answers:

1. diminish
2. coincides
3. core
4. Orwellian
5. longitude

37) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. Buy a car now, before (equity / inflation) drives the price up.
2. Most investors make a mistake. During a stock-market (decline / subsidy) they get frightened and sell.
3. The government is giving a (regulation / subsidy) to tobacco farmers so they can compete with foreign producers.
4. Cortecal Inc. estimates that it spends $80.00 (per capita / net) on its annual picnic and on its New Year party for the company’s 1,300 employees.
5. I think that artificial “holidays”like Valentine’s Day or Secretary’s Day are just an attempt to turn private feelings into a(n) (commodity / equity).

Answers:

1. inflation
2. decline
3. subsidy
4. per capita
5. commodity

38) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. ___________ impoverish (a) enjoying special advantages
2. ___________ elite (b) to succeed
3. ___________ prosper (c) to make extremely poor
4. ___________ accumulate (d) belonging to a small group with excellent achievements
5. ___________ privileged (e) build up wealth

Answers:

1. c
2. d
3. b
4. e
5. a

39) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word or phrase from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“affluence”, “luxury”, “nobility”, “prestige”, “working class”

1. The __________ in the hotel was obvious from such features as solidgold faucets and stairs made of Italian marble.
2. In a show of his extreme __________, Jim Lavich flew 1,500 people to the Bahamas for his wife’s birthday party and ordered 300 casks
   of wine for them to drink.
3. The oldest and most respected furniture maker in western Michigan, VanEden Inc., earned its __________ by using good materials and listening to its customers.
4. France’s __________ was dismantled after the royal family was killed and lesser aristocrats were jailed during the revolution.
5. In the United States, many __________ families do not have health insurance because their employers don’t offer it.

Answers:

1. luxury
2. affluence
3. prestige
4. nobility
5. working class

40) Find the word that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ assess (a) dangerous
2. __________ hazardous (b) evaluate
3. __________ jointly (c) protect
4. __________ liability (d) responsibility
5. __________ safeguard (e) together

Answers:

1. b
2. a
3. e
4. d
5. c

41) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The building company is trying to (safeguard / acquire) the whole neighborhood so it can put up a mall.
2. To the average farm family, every child was (an asset / a liability), one more set of hands to gather eggs or plant beans.
3. Gary’s Cookie Shop has to move because the owner of the building won’t renew the (lease / asset).
4. The (hazardous / sole) adult influence on Sarah as she grew up was her grandmother.
5. Some people are born with the disease, but others (acquire / assess) it later in life.

Answers:

1. acquire
2. asset
3. lease
4. sole
5. acquire

42) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ compensate (a) good at finding business opportunities
2. __________ dynamic (b) hard-working
3. __________ enterprising (c) energetic
4. __________ industrious (d) move up
5. __________ promote (e) pay

Answers:

1. e
2. c
3. a
4. b
5. d

43) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. Some companies move their factories to poor countries in order to (exploit / compensate) the desperation of people who are willing to work for very low wages.
2. For the last five years, we’ve seen only (dynamic / marginal) improvements in our productivity.
3. Judging by actual money-generating (promotion / merit),Williams is the company’s most valuable employee.
4. I had a lot of (compensation / incentive) to move to our new facility in Minnesota, because two of my brothers live there.
5. Unless my employer stops polluting local rivers, I’m going to (resign / exploit).

Answers:

1. exploit
2. marginal
3. merit
4. incentive
5. resign

44) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ haggle (a) brave
2. __________ intrepid (b) in appropriate amounts
3. __________ extract (c) argue about price
4. __________ entrepreneurial (d) take out
5. __________ proportionately (e) business-oriented

Answers:

1. c
2. a
3. d
4. e
5. b

45) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. To avoid disease, many people drink only (distilled / extracted) water, which has been boiled to evaporation and then recondensed on a cold
   surface.
2. Most business travelers do not find it exciting to (haggle / shuttle) between one location and another.
3. According to the laws in this state, tobacco can be sold only by certain licensed (merchants / entrepreneurs) at special tobacco stores.
4. One early (reward / prototype) of the computer was called ENIAC and was as big as an average-sized laboratory.
5. The children were punished (intrepidly / proportionately), with the leader getting a longer sentence than the followers.

Answers:

1. distilled
2. shuttle
3. merchants
4. prototype
5. proportionately

46) Find the phrase that best describes each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ policy (a) a process of choosing
2. __________ candidate (b) a kind of power
3. __________ authority (c) a kind of person
4. __________ coalition (d) a way of handling a situation
5. __________ election (e) a kind of group

Answers:

1. d
2. c
3. b
4. e
5. a

47) Complete each sentence by filling in each blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“advocated”, “bitterly”, “contest”, “inaugurated”, “polled”

1. In the early twentieth century, politicians fought __________ about whether the U.S. dollar should be based on gold.
2. Only one month after he was __________, President Harrison fell sick and died.
3. My opponent says that I cheated on my taxes. I __________ that charge, and I will prove him wrong.
4. Their predictions about the election results were not very accurate because they __________ too few people in advance.
5. Last year, the Freedom Party __________ giving medical treatment even to people who could not pay for it.

Answers:

1. bitterly
2. inaugurated
3. contest
4. polled
5. advocated

48) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ accuse (a) to determine that someone is guilty
2. __________ convict (b) responsible for a crime
3. __________ civil (c) a social equal
4. __________ guilty (d) being related to a personal dispute, not a crime
5. __________ peer (e) to say someone did a bad thing

Answers:

1. e
2. a
3. d
4. b
5. c

49) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The most likely (suspect / witness) in the murder was the victim’s brother, but no one actually saw the crime.
2. The new president (allegedly / guiltily) had his main opponents killed, but he denies it.
3. At one time in the United States, possession of marijuana was a minor (verdict / offense).
4. The (witness / peer) made a poor impression on the jury because he couldn’t remember many details about the crime scene.
5. Juries are instructed to arrive at a unanimous (verdict / convict), one agreeable to all members of the jury.

Answers:

1. suspect
2. allegedly
3. offense
4. witness
5. verdict

50) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ ascertain (a) unnoticeably
2. __________ intrusively (b) simple and straightforward
3. __________ seize (c) give back
4. __________ condemn (d) cause doubt about
5. __________ bureaucratic (e) praise

Answers:

1. d
2. b
3. e
4. a
5. c

51) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“apprehend”, “evidence”, “implicate”, “inquiry”, “surveillance”

1. Officials could not __________ Basil because people in villages and towns throughout the country were willing to hide him.
2. During their __________ of O’Brien’s house, detectives audio taped his phone conversations.
3. Until we finish our __________ into the disappearance of the cash, all employees are suspects.
4. Even if there is __________, such as fingerprints, that might __________ someone in a crime, there might be other indications that
   the person is innocent.

Answers:

1. apprehend
2. surveillance
3. inquiry
4. evidence, implicate

52) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ assail (a) against
2. __________ contrary (b) guess
3. __________ hypothesize (c) showing differences or opposition
4. __________ impair (d) vigorously attack
5. __________ versus (e) cause problems for

Answers:

1. d
2. c
3. b
4. e
5. a

53) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. Most police departments have laboratories, where scientists (assail / analyze) evidence according to scientific procedures.
2. The new police chief would not (tolerate / impair) any joking around in the police station.
3. Everyone assumed Travis was innocent, despite evidence to the (contrary / suspicious).
4. A judge who feels unable to think (versus / objectively) about a case should withdraw from it.
5. The bomb squad was called after a (suspicious / contrary) package was delivered to the governor’s office.

Answers:

1. analyze
2. tolerate
3. contrary
4. objectively
5. suspicious

54) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ cynically (a) respectfully
2. __________ evade (b) corruption
3. __________ integrity (c) cover up
4. __________ prevalent (d) uncommon
5. __________ unmask (e) get caught

Answers:

1. a
2. e
3. b
4. d
5. c

55) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The president resigned because a (scandal / bribery) made it impossible for him to lead.
2. Laws that let the police monitor criminals can (erode / evade) the privacy of innocent citizens too.
3. After Downforth Castle was bought by apartment developers, it became a (prevalent / grotesque) jumble of poorly built additions.
4. In some places, people who are pulled over for traffic offenses use (scandal / bribery) to avoid getting a ticket.
5. President Carazza came to office promising (reform / integrity) of the prison system.

Answers:

1. scandal
2. erode
3. grotesque
4. bribery
5. reform

56) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ detain (a) clarify
2. __________ distort (b) by accident
3. __________ villainy (c) let go
4. __________ intentionally (d) normal
5. __________ deviant (e) good deeds

Answers:

1. c
2. a
3. e
4. b
5. d

57) Choose the word from the list that is closest in meaning to the underlined part of each sentence. Write it in the blank.

“abducted”, “coerced”, “piracy”, “predicament”, “smuggled”

1. __________ The police force’s difficult situation involved a bank robber who threatened to shoot a bank employee if any police approached.
2. __________ Despite laws restricting animal imports, thousands of monkeys and lemurs and other wild animals are brought illegally into the United States.
3. __________ The enemy captured and took away the general’s son.
4. __________ Two men were convicted of stealing a boat near the Riau Islands.
5. __________ By threatening to set fire to their ship, the governor of Bermuda pressured the pirate crew to give themselves up.

Answers:

1. predicament
2. smuggled
3. abducted
4. piracy
5. coerced

58) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ cartel (a) stop
2. __________ interdict (b) remaining
3. __________ juxtaposed (c) next to
4. __________ residual (d) without drawing attention
5. __________ subtle (e) a kind of group

Answers:

1. e
2. a
3. c
4. b
5. d

59) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. With a (subtle / residual) nod of his head, the inspector signaled his agents.
2. Sunlight is a (concentrated / potent) source of energy for electricity generation, but it can be expensive to collect and store.
3. Things other than drugs can be (addictive / subtle), such as gambling or even television.
4. A security official tries to (modify / interdict) foreign terrorists before they can enter the country.
5. Your advertisement created the (misconception / cartel) that everything was on sale for 50 percent off.

Answers:

1. subtle
2. potent
3. addictive
4. interdict
5. misconception

60) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ ancestral (a) fatherly
2. __________ descendants (b) children, grandchildren, etc.
3. __________ legitimate (c) what one thinks or feels
4. __________ paternal (d) acceptable and right
5. __________ sentiments (e) related to earlier generations

Answers:

1. e
2. b
3. d
4. a
5. c

61) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“cohesion”, “inheritance”, “kin”, “proximity”, “siblings”

1. You can’t expect to have family __________ if the members don’t respect each other.
2. In our family, the __________ who are closest in age get along the best.
3. If someone dies without a will, the possessions usually go to the next of __________.
4. Medical bills in his last year greatly reduced the __________ going to Tom’s wife.
5. Legally, parents have the same __________ of relationship to an adopted child as to their biological children.

Answers:

1. cohesion
2. siblings
3. kin
4. inheritance
5. proximity

62) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ affection (a) liking someone or something
2. __________ bond (b) to move back and forth
3. __________ clique (c) standing together in a political cause
4. __________ fluctuate (d) a connection
5. __________ solidarity (e) an exclusive group

Answers:

1. a
2. d
3. e
4. b
5. c

63) Circle the word or phrase that best completes each sentence.

1. Charles is (exclusive / willing) to be friends with Dory, but he is already dating another girl.
2. If I (associate / confide) in you, do you promise to keep what I say a secret?
3. When it comes to weather, Minnesota and North Dakota have a lot (in common / in a bond).
4. One of the main reasons to go to an exclusive college is that you get to (associate / fluctuate) with some of the country’s future leaders.
5. The court said that the club’s membership rules were unjustly (willing / exclusive) because they kept out people of certain ethnic groups.

Answers:

1. willing
2. confide
3. in common
4. associate
5. exclusive

64) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ complex (a) an easy choice
2. __________ dilemma (b) simple
3. __________ loyal (c) a decrease
4. __________ proliferation (d) appear
5. __________ vanish (e) unfaithful

Answers:

1. b
2. a
3. e
4. c
5. d

65) Choose the word from the list that is closest in meaning to the underlined part of each sentence. Write it in the blank.

“despondent”, “devotion to”, “engender”, “passion”, “reciprocity”

1. __________ In a good relationship, there is a lot of give and take.
2. __________ Mr. Foster’s strong love for teaching makes him successful.
3. __________ Rhonda was extremely sad after the death of her cat.
4. __________ Sometimes, a small characteristic, like a nice smile, can cause love.
5. __________ My continuing support for the candidate is based on my admiration for her.

Answers:

1. reciprocity
2. passion
3. despondent
4. engender
5. devotion to

66) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ arrogantly (a) very bitter and hurtful
2. __________ berate (b) to criticize and insult
3. __________ humiliation (c) annoying
4. __________ obnoxious (d) too proudly
5. __________ vitriolic (e) embarrassment

Answers:

1. d
2. b
3. e
4. c
5. a

67) Circle the word that best completes each sentence. Be careful: Many words in this chapter are very close in meaning to each other. Pay attention to small details in order to choose the best.

1. As a teenager, Dean did a lot of stupid things that he now feels (humiliation / shame) about.
2. Many foreigners feel that their appearance (stigmatizes / despises) them in this country.
3. Because the president was (obnoxious / contemptuous) of France’s opinion long ago, the French are not eager to help him now.
4. Mark (despises / berates) Henry and refuses to see him at all.
5. Turkey’s historic (antipathy / shame) toward Greece may be softening with the new generation.

Answers:

1. shame
2. stigmatizes
3. contemptuous
4. despises
5. antipathy

68) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ adolescent (a) not doing what you’re supposed to
2. __________ conflict (b) clash; not fit together
3. __________ delinquency (c) edge
4. __________ fringe (d) like a teenager
5. __________ status quo (e) current conditions

Answers:

1. d
2. b
3. a
4. c
5. e

69) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“cause”, “hedonistic”, “hypocritically”, “manipulation”, “rebel”

1. Senator Bond,who often lied to Congress, __________ called the president a liar.
2. Some monks criticized the well-fed, art-loving people of fifteenth century Florence for being __________.
3. During the 1970s, college students fought for one __________ after another, from saving the whales to changing the government.
4. Even though it’s illegal, __________ of lawmakers by rich companies is common.
5. It’s natural for young people to __________ against society, but not with violence.

Answers:

1. hypocritically
2. hedonistic
3. cause
4. manipulation
5. rebel

70) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ abstract (a) to show
2. __________ depict (b) depiction
3. __________ esthetically (c) presenting an idea, not a realistic picture
4. __________ perspective (d) in a way that relates to beauty
5. __________ portrayal (e) way of seeing things from a certain place

Answers:

1. c 2
2. a
3. d
4. e
5. b

71) Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The materials that go into a work of art usually have little (abstract / intrinsic) value.
2. In the 1970s, artists known as “the Boston School” revived (realism / context) by rejecting abstract techniques and trying to capture the actual appearance of their subjects.
3. The colors of light that we can see are known as the visible (spectrum / perspective).
4. Medieval artists did not try to use (context / perspective) to give a sense of depth to their paintings.
5. The small, separate strokes of impressionist paintings give the works a dreamlike (portrayal / dimension).

Answers:

1. intrinsic
2. realism
3. spectrum
4. perspective
5. dimension

72) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ advent (a) approach or arrival
2. __________ decipher (b) newly invented in a clever way
3. __________ ingenious (c) to figure out the meaning
4. __________ inscription (d) related to spoken sounds
5. __________ phonetic (e) something written into a hard surface

Answers:

1. a
2. c
3. b
4. e
5. d

73) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“ambiguous”, “connotation”, “denote”, “illiterate”, “symbolic”

1. If my father told me to be quiet, the __________ was “I have a headache.”
2. The president’s response,“Wait and see,”was __________, meaning that perhaps he would take action, perhaps not.
3. In English writing, a mark called an apostrophe usually __________ a missing letter, as in isn’t for is not.
4. A circle with a plus attached is __________ of “woman” and of the planet Venus.
5. Farley was a poor, __________ boy from a remote area who later taught himself to read and write.

Answers:

1. connotation
2. ambiguous
3. denote
4. symbolic
5. literate

74) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ amateurish (a) group of people in a movie
2. __________ cast (b) very funny
3. __________ hilarious (c) unable to perform a task
4. __________ incompetent (d) enthusiasm
5. __________ zeal (e) not like professionals

Answers:

1. e
2. a
3. b
4. c
5. d

75) Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary. Use each word only once.

“charismatic”, “gala”, “improvisation”, “medium”, “skit”

1. The sixth-grade class put on a little __________ about Thanksgiving Day.
2. The year ended with a __________ celebration featuring a professional orchestra.
3. Gena’s skills at __________ saved the play when she forgot her real lines.
4. Television is a passive __________ because it demands no input from the viewer.
5. Movie stars that are especially __________ often take advantage of their charm to go into politics.

Answers:

1. skit
2. gala
3. improvisation
4. medium
5. charismatic

76) Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

1. __________ capricious (a) encourage
2. __________ exotic (b) maximum
3. __________ inhibit (c) ordinary
4. __________ minimum (d) predictable
5. __________ vulnerable (e) well protected

Answers:

1. d
2. c
3. a
4. b
5. e

77) Circle the word that best completes the sentence.

1. The (trend / bulk) of his sweater made him look fatter than he really was.
2. Some analysts see a relationship between fashion (trends / vanity) and the ups and down of the economy.
3. The outfits worn by firefighters are (vulnerable / cumbersome) and heavy.
4. Her necklace was especially (cumbersome / striking) because of the diamonds it contained.
5. (Vanity / Bulk) led my grandfather to dye his hair and to dress like someone 40 years younger.

Answers:

1. bulk
2. trends
3. cumbersome
4. striking
5. Vanity

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