TOEFL Vocabulary Practice Test Set 8 - 40 Questions (281 to 320)


281. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.

The word "staples" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) combinations
  • (B) limitations
  • (C) accessories
  • (D) basic elements

Answer - D

282. Every Pomo basket maker knew how to produce from fifteen to twenty distinct patterns that could be combined in a number of different ways.

The word "distinct" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) systematic
  • (B) beautiful
  • (C) different
  • (D) compatible

Answer - C

283. Periodically, molten material wells out of the Earth's interior to invade the surface layers or to flow onto the surface itself.

The word "invade" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) move into
  • (B) neutralize
  • (C) cover
  • (D) deposit

Answer - A

284. Granite may be found on the surface of the contemporary landscape, but from its coarse texture we know that it must have formed through slow cooling at a great depth and later been laid bare by erosion.

The word "contemporary" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) vast
  • (B) natural
  • (C) existing
  • (D) uneven

Answer - C

285. The most finely grained igneous rock is volcanic glass or obsidian, which has no crystals.

The word "finely" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) minutely
  • (B) loosely
  • (C) sensitively
  • (D) purely

Answer - A

286. It was in the cities that the elements that can be associated with modern capitalism first appeared-the use of money and commercial paper in place of barter, open competition in place of social deference and hierarchy, with an attendant rise in social disorder, and the appearance of factories using coal or water power in place of independent craftspeople working with hand tools.

The phrase "in place of" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) connected to
  • (B) in addition to
  • (C) because of
  • (D) instead of

Answer - D

The word "attendant" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) avoidable
  • (B) accompanying
  • (C) unwelcome
  • (D) unexpected

Answer - B

287. Except for Boston, whose population stabilized at about 16, 000 in 1760, cities grew by exponential leaps through the eighteenth century.

The phrase "exponential leaps" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) long wars
  • (B) new laws
  • (C) rapid increases
  • (D) exciting changes

Answer - C

288. The quality of the hinterland dictated the pace of growth of the cities.

The word "dictated" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) spoiled
  • (B) reduced
  • (C) determined
  • (D) divided

Answer - C

289. The land surrounding Boston had always been poor farm country, and by the mideighteenth century it was virtually stripped of its timber. The available farmland was occupied; there was little in the region beyond the city to attract immigrants.

The word "virtually" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) usually
  • (B) hardly
  • (C) very quickly
  • (D) almost completely

Answer - D

290. Although there are several variations on the exact format that worksheet can take, they are all similar in their essential aspects.

The word "essential" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) introductory
  • (B) changeable
  • (C) beneficial
  • (D) fundamental

Answer - D

291. Next, the pertinent considerations that will be affected by each decision are listed, and the relative importance of each consideration or consequence is determined.

The word "pertinent" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) relevant
  • (B) preceding
  • (C) insightful
  • (D) responsive

Answer - A

292. A decision-making worksheet begins with a succinct statement of the problem that will also help to narrow it. It is important to be clear about the distinction between long-range and immediate goals because long-range goals often involve a different decision than shortrange ones.

The word "succinct" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) creative
  • (B) satisfactory
  • (C) personal
  • (D) concise

Answer - D

293. Focusing on long-range goals, a graduating student might revise the question above to "What will I do after graduation that will lead to a successful career?"

The word "revise" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) ask
  • (B) explain
  • (C) change
  • (D) predict

Answer - C

294. The ecosystems of the Earth provide an array of free public services that are essential for the support of civilizations.

The word "array" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) large number
  • (B) excess
  • (C) requirement
  • (D) model

Answer - A

295. They do know, however, that the theory once advanced in the nineteenth century --- that the productivity of the land can be infinitely increased by the application of capital, labor, and science --- is wrong.

The word "advanced" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) debated
  • (B) ignored
  • (C) proved
  • (D) proposed

Answer - D

296. Two reasons are usually advanced to account for this tardy development, namely, the mental difficulties and the physical difficulties encountered in such work.

The word "tardy" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) historical
  • (B) basic
  • (C) unusual
  • (D) late

Answer - D

297. The first of these, the mental difficulties, must be somewhat discounted. The impression that the ancient numeral systems are not amenable to even the simplest calculations is largely based on lack of familiarity with these systems.

The word "discounted" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) reduced
  • (B) contradicted
  • (C) disregarded
  • (D) interpreted

Answer - C

298. Without a plentiful and convenient supply of some suitable writing medium, any very extended development of the arithmetic process was bound to be hampered.

The word "hampered" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) impeded
  • (B) concluded
  • (C) unnoticed
  • (D) rejected

Answer - A

299. In the core of the Sun, the pressures are so great against the gases that, despite the high temperature, there may be a small solid core.

The word "great" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) dangerous
  • (B) unknown
  • (C) variable
  • (D) strong

Answer - D

300. The corona is a brilliant, pearly white, filmy light, about as bright as the full Moon. Its beautiful rays are a sensational sight during an eclipse. The corona's rays flash out in a brilliant fan that has wispy spike like rays near the Sun's north and south poles.

The word "sensational" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) spectacular
  • (B) predictable
  • (C) bizarre
  • (D) constant

Answer - A

301. She also photographs away from her studio at various architectural sites, bringing camera, lights, mirrors, and a crew of assistants to transformthe site into her own abstract image.

The word "transform" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) move
  • (B) extend
  • (C) change
  • (D) interpret

Answer - C

302. At first she works only with objects, concentrating on their composition ; then she lights them and adds color from lights covered with colored filters.

The word "composition" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) arrangement
  • (B) brightness
  • (C) quality
  • (D) size

Answer - A

303. She visits each location several times to make sketches and test shots. Until she brings in the lights, however, she cannot predict exactly what they will do to the image, so there is some improvising on the spot.

The word "shots" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) injections
  • (B) photographs
  • (C) loud noises
  • (D) effective remarks

Answer - B

304. With its radiant color and plantlike shape, the sea anemone looks more like a flower than an animal.

The word "shape" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) length
  • (B) grace
  • (C) form
  • (D) nature

Answer - C

305. The upper end of the sea anemone has a mouth surrounded by tentacles that the animal uses to capture its food.

The word "capture" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) catch
  • (B) control
  • (C) cover
  • (D) clean

Answer - A

306.When disturbed, a sea anemone retracts its tentacles and shortens its body so that it resembles a lump on a rock.

The word "retracts" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) pulls back
  • (B) relaxes
  • (C) reproduces
  • (D) lifts up

Answer - A

307. The first such attempt, the ambitious Project Mohole, got under way during the 1960's and proved the value of deep-sea drilling by making several test holes in the mantle beneath the crust before spiraling costs led to its cancellation.

The word "spiraling" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) rising
  • (B) necessary
  • (C) unpredictable
  • (D) circular

Answer - A

308. Soon afterward, however, work began on themoremodest Deep Sea Drilling Project, which is not aimed at reaching the mantle but at exploring the crust itself.

The expression "more modest " is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) more sophisticated
  • (B) more timid
  • (C) less ambitious
  • (D) less controversial

Answer - C

309. This venture uses a special ship, the Glomar Challenger, which can be held precisely in position in the sea --- without any anchor --- by sound-wave guiding systems and computer-controlled propellers.

The word " precisely" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) exactly
  • (B) clearly
  • (C) economically
  • (D) practically

Answer - A

310. Throughout the colonial period there was amarked shortage of women, which varied with the regions and was always greatest in the frontier areas.

The word "marked" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) underlined
  • (B) graded
  • (C) prolonged
  • (D) distinct

Answer - D

311. Puritan town councils expected widows and unattached women to be selfsupporting and for a long time provided needy spinsters with parcels of land.

The phrase "unattached women" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) women without high social status
  • (B) women without property
  • (C) unmarried women
  • (D) unemployed women

Answer - C

312. The artisan who makes pottery in North America today utilizes his or her skill and imagination to create items that are beautiful as well as functional, transforming something ordinary into something special and unique.

The word "functional" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) useful
  • (B) strong
  • (C) inexpensive
  • (D) original

Answer - A

313. The potter uses one of the Earth's most basicmaterials: clay. Clay can be found almost anywhere.

The word "basic" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) familiar
  • (B) fundamental
  • (D) dirty

Answer - B

314. They then pour on the liquid glaze and let it run over the clay surface, making any kind of decorative pattern that they want.

The word "pattern" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) model
  • (B) color
  • (C) puzzle
  • (D) design

Answer - D

315. Horses live in amonochrome world. Light visible to human eyes, however, occupies only a very narrow band in the whole electromagnetic spectrum.

The word "monochrome" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) monotonous
  • (B) ultraviolet
  • (C) one-dimension
  • (D) one-color

Answer - D

316. The world would look eerily different if human eyes were sensitive to infra-red radiation.

The word "eerily" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) strangely
  • (B) increasingly
  • (C) slightly
  • (D) superficially

Answer - A

317. They are, in fact, remarkably discerning in color gradation. The color sensitivity of normal human vision is rarely surpassed even by sophisticated technical devices.

The word "surpassed" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) recorded
  • (B) exceeded
  • (C) found
  • (D) provided

Answer - B

318. Once, just before he died, when he was sick with the flu, I took him a sack full of oranges. The joy I felt in giving that simple gift is undiminished by time. He said he liked oranges, too. "

The word "undiminished" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) not exaggerated
  • (B) not lessened
  • (D) unequaled

Answer - B

319. And he was kind to me; I will always be grateful that in his absolute warmth and generosity he fulfilled my deepest dream(and need) of what a poet should be. "

The word "dream" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) nightmare
  • (B) expectation
  • (C) sleep
  • (D) misconception

Answer - B

320. "After my first meeting with Langston Hughes I vowed I would write a book about him for children someday.

The word "vowed" is closest in meaning to which of following?

  • (A) confided
  • (B) believed
  • (C) denied
  • (D) promised

Answer - D


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