Lesson 22: Essential Words for the TOEFL

Jun 7, 2016

account ○ archaic ○ hasten ○ hue ○ illustration ○ inactive ○ intricate ○ magnitude ○ oblige ○ overlook ○ poll ○ position ○ practical ○ predominant ○ prompt

account
[n.] a report of an event; money kept in a bank; a statement of something used or received, usually a financial report
[Syn.] story

[adj.] accountable
[v.] account
[n.] accounting
[n.] accountant

His account of the incident varied from that of the other witnesses.
We need an accounting of all the money that was spent.

archaic
[adj.] very old, old-fashioned; no longer used
[Syn.] ancient

These archaic methods of farming must be brought up to date.
His speech was full of archaic expressions.

hasten
[v.] to cause to go faster; move forward more quickly
[Syn.] accelerate

[adv.] hastily
[adj.] hasty
[n.] hastiness

After notifying his family of the accident, he hastened to add that he had not been hurt.
You should not make important decisions hastily.

hue
[n.] color
[Syn.] color

The hue of the sunset was beautiful.
The hue of the room gave it a warm feeling.

illustration
[n.] a visual image, typically used to explain
[Syn.] picture

[adj.] illustrated
[adj.] illustrative
[v.] illustrate
[n.] illustrator

The illustration makes the process of condensation more understandable.
This experiment illustrates how certain chemicals can react violently when combined.

inactive
[adj.] not moving; not involved
[Syn.] idle

[n.] inaction
[n.] inactivity

The virus remains inactive for a long period of time.
Her inaction has caused her to miss many opportunities to advance her career.

intricate
[adj.] having many parts; finely detailed
[Syn.] complex

[adv.] intricately
[n.] intricacy

The intricate design of the vase made it a valuable piece for her collection.
I cannot begin to understand all of the intricacies of modern automobile motors.

magnitude
[n.] of great size or importance
* to increase
[Syn.] dimension

[adv.] magnificently
[adj.] magnificent
[v.] magnify
[n.] magnification

The magnitude of shock waves determines the damage that occurs during an earthquake.
The invention of the telephone was a magnificent achievement for mankind.

oblige
[v.] to have to do something
[Syn.] require

[adv.] obligingly
[adj.] obliging
[adj.] obligatory
[n.] obligation

She obliged he friend to choose a new lab partner.
Payment of the student activity fee was obligatory.

overlook
[v.] to ignore or neglect
[Syn.] disregard

[adj.] overlooked

Scientists must not overlook any aspect of experimental procedure.
The overlooked error raised his score on the test.

poll
[n.] questionnaire; a vote of public opinion
[Syn.] survey

[n.] polling
[n.] pollster

The poll indicated that conservation of the environment was the number one issue with college students.
The pollster asked the questions in a nonpartisan manner.

position
[n.] place where something can be found; job
[Syn.] location

He held a very high position in the firm.
The position of aircraft wings causes the lift that allows the plane to leave the ground.

practical
[adj.] convenient or effective
[Syn.] functional

[n.] practicality

Her ambitious plan was not very practical.
Three fundamental issues in measurement are reliability, validity, and practicality.

predominant
[adj.] the most noticeable or powerful element
[Syn.] principal

[adv.] predominantly
[v.] predominate
[n.] predominance

The predominant export of the Middle East is petroleum.
Many cities in the southwest are predominantly Hispanic.

prompt
[v.] to cause something to happen; to do quickly; to be on time
[Syn.] induce

[adv.] promptly
[n.] promptness

His emotional plea prompted the director to give him a second chance.
Promptness is an important factor in many societies.

Choose the synonym.
1. intricate
  1. functional
  2. complex
  3. predominant
  4. inordinate
2. disregard
  1. overcome
  2. disperse
  3. decline
  4. overlook
3. idle
  1. initiated
  2. inundated
  3. inactive
  4. intrinsic
4. archaic
  1. plentiful
  2. ancient
  3. placid
  4. absurd
5. hasten
  1. accelerate
  2. shelter
  3. heighten
  4. generate
6. picture
  1. position
  2. zenith
  3. preconception
  4. illustration
7. size
  1. allocation
  2. magnitude
  3. expand
  4. advent
8. color
  1. hue
  2. illustration
  3. facet
  4. scenery
9. require
  1. survey
  2. induce
  3. oblige
  4. relinquish
10. account
  1. currency
  2. poll
  3. treasury
  4. story
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the sentence.
1. The production of steel and the mining of coal are the predominant industries of Pennsylvania.
  1. principal
  2. inactive
  3. archaic
  4. overlooked
2. Curiosity prompted Leonardo da Vinci to become the world’s greatest designer.
  1. hastened
  2. defied
  3. induced
  4. obliged
3. The first practical calendar was developed by the Egyptians.
  1. functional
  2. accurate
  3. standard
  4. intricate
4. In order to detect the position of a particle, light must be reflected from it.
  1. hue
  2. location
  3. magnitude
  4. existence
5. In a recent newspaper poll, the compact disc was mentioned as the most popular medium of recorded music.
  1. survey
  2. account
  3. illustration
  4. convention

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