Lesson 1: Essential Words for the TOEFL

Jun 7, 2016

abroad ○ abrupt ○ acceptable ○ acclaim ○ actually ○ adverse ○ advice ○ attractive ○ autonomous ○ disapproval ○ disruptive ○ haphazardly ○ ideal ○ persistent ○ wide

abroad
[adv.] to or in another country
[Syn.] overseas, internationally

Louis Armstrong often traveled abroad.
Living abroad can be an educational experience.

abrupt
[adj.] quick, without warning
[Syn.] sudden

[adv.] abruptly
[n.] abruptness

There was an abrupt change in the weather.
After the incident everyone left abruptly.

acceptable
[adj.] allowable or satisfactory
[Syn.] permissible

[v.] accept
[adv.] acceptably
[n.] acceptability
[adj.] accepting

The idea was acceptable to everyone.
The registrar accepted more applicants than he should have.

acclaim
[n.] enthusiastic approval, applause
[Syn.] praise

[adj.] acclaimed
[n.] acclamation

Isaac Stem has won acclaim abroad.
Acclaimed authors often win Pulitzer Prizes.

actually
[adv.] being in existence, real or factual
[Syn.] truly

[adj.] actual

They were actually very good soccer players.
The actual time allotted to complete the test is two hours.

adverse
[adj.] displeasing, objectionable, or bad
[Syn.] unfavorable

[adv.] adversely
[n.] adversity
[n.] adversary

Adverse weather conditions made it difficult to play the game.
His indecision adversely affected his job performance.

advice
[n.] a recommendation given by someone not associated with the problem or situation
[Syn.] suggestion

[v.] advise
[adj.] advisable
[n.] advisability

Good advice is hard to find.
It is not advisable to stay up late the night before a test.

attractive
[adj.] calling attention to, pleasing, creating interest, pretty
[Syn.] appealing

[v.] attract
[n.] attraction
[n.] attractiveness
[adv.] attractively

The idea of working four, 10-hour work days was attractive to the employees.
The major attraction of the show was a speech by the president.

ideal
[adj.] having no flaw or mistake, excellent
[Syn.] perfect

[adv.] ideally
[n.] ideal

The beach is an ideal place to relax.
Candidates for the job should ideally have five years experience in similar positions.

persistent
[adj.] continuous, refusing to give up, firm in action or decision
[Syn.] constant

[v.] persist
[n.] persistence
[adv.] persistently

The attorney’s persistent questioning weakened the witness.
Her persistence earned her a spot on the team.

wide
[adj.] extending over a large area
[Syn.] broad

[adv.] widely
[n.] wideness

Pine forests are found over a wide area of the Pacific Northwest.
The senator has traveled widely.

autonomous
[adj.] by itself, with no association
[Syn.] independent

[adv.] autonomously

Mexico became an autonomous state in 1817.
Although working closely with the government, all businesses function autonomously.

disapproval
[n.] the act of disagreeing, not giving approval
[Syn.] objection

[v.] disapprove
[adv.] disapprovingly

Their disapproval of the plan caused the experiment to be abandoned.
The students disapproved of the plan of study.

disruptive
[adj.] causing confusion and interruption
[Syn.] disturbing

[v.] disrupt
[n.] disruption
[adv.] disruptively

Frequent questions during lectures can be disruptive.
The storm caused a disruption in bus service.

haphazardly
[adv.] having no order or pattern, by chance
[Syn.] arbitrarily, carelessly

[adj.] haphazard
[n.] haphazardness

It was obvious that the house was built haphazardly.
Susan completed the assignment in a haphazard way.

Choose the synonym.
1. autonomous
  1. sudden
  2. international
  3. abrupt
  4. independent
2. attractive
  1. appealing
  2. adverse
  3. arbitrary
  4. perfect
3. advice
  1. acclaim
  2. praise
  3. suggestion
  4. attention
4. perfect
  1. attractive
  2. abrupt
  3. actual
  4. ideal
5. widely
  1. truly
  2. broadly
  3. secretly
  4. abroad
6. haphazardly
  1. suddenly
  2. carelessly
  3. secretly
  4. constantly
7. constant
  1. acceptable
  2. persistent
  3. disruption
  4. abrupt
8. disturbing
  1. perfect
  2. disruptive
  3. attractive
  4. persistent
9. disapproval
  1. attraction
  2. attention
  3. objection
  4. persistence
10. unfavorably
  1. adversely
  2. haphazardly
  3. attractively
  4. acceptably
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the sentence.
1. American poet James Merrily received critical acclaim for his work entitled Jim’s Book.
  1. advice
  2. attention
  3. disapproval
  4. praise
2. As a government official, Benjamin Franklin often traveled abroad.
  1. widely
  2. overseas
  3. secretly
  4. alone
3. No fan, electric or otherwise, actually cools the air.
  1. haphazardly
  2. continuously
  3. persistently
  4. truly
4. A revolution in women’s fashion during the second half of the twentieth century made trousers acceptable for almost all activities.
  1. attractive
  2. available
  3. permissible
  4. ideal
5. The climate of Chicago is subject to abrupt changes of weather.
  1. extreme
  2. sudden
  3. adverse
  4. disruptive

Back