Lesson 8: Essential Words for the TOEFL

Jun 7, 2016

accelerate ○ crack ○ create ○ creep ○ crush ○ cultivate ○ dictate ○ distinguish ○ flaw ○ harvest ○ mirror ○ obtain ○ particle ○ settle ○ transport

accelerate
[v.] to go faster
[Syn.] hasten

[n.] acceleration
[n.] accelerator

The action of molecules accelerates when they are heated.
The poor condition of the motor made acceleration difficult.

crack
[n.] a thin opening caused by breaking, a flaw
[Syn.] fracture

[v.] crack

Cracks in the ice allowed for fishing.
The wall cracked due to poor construction.

create
[v.] to make something new
[Syn.] produce

[adj.] creative
[adv.] creatively
[n.] creation
[n.] creator
[n.] creativity
[n.] creativeness

Thomas Edison created numerous inventions.
Jonas Salk was an extremely creative scientist.

creep
[v.] to move slowly and quietly close to the ground; to begin to happen
[Syn.] crawl

[adj.] creeping

Some mistakes are beginning to creep into his work.
Ivy is a creeping variety of plant.

crush
[v.] to press together so as to completely distort the shape or nature of the object
[Syn.] grind

[adj.] crushing
[n.] crush

The machine crushes com to produce com meal.
Passage of the legislation was a crushing blow to the president’s program.

cultivate
[v.] to plant and raise a crop; to encourage growth of a relationship or friendship
[Syn.] grow

[adj.] cultivated
[n.] cultivation

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.

dictate
[v.] to state demands with the power to enforce
[Syn.] impose

[adj.] dictatorial
[n.] dictator

The workers were not in a position to dictate demands to management.
His boss resembled a dictator.

distinguish
[v.] to hear, see, or recognize differences
[Syn.] discriminate

[adj.] distinguishable
[adj.] distinguished
[adj.] distinguishing

Some people cannot distinguish colors well.
Anteaters are distinguished by their long noses.

flaw
[n.] a small sign of damage that makes an item imperfect
[Syn.] defect

[adj.] flawed

There is a flaw in his theory.
They noticed that the contract was flawed.

harvest
[n.] the act of collecting a crop; the crops gathered
[Syn.] gather

[adj.] harvested
[v.] harvest

The United States had a comparatively good grain harvest this year.
They were able to harvest the crop before the rain.

mirror
[v.] to show, as in a mirror
[Syn.] reflect

[n.] mirror

The results of the study mirror public opinion.
The strength of the economy is mirrored in the standard of living of the people.

obtain
[v.] to gain or secure something
[Syn.] gain

[adj.] obtainable

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.

settle
[v.] to establish a home; to resolve a disagreement
[Syn.] colonize

[adj.] settled
[n.] settlement

People arriving from the south settled in California.
The lawyers settled their differences and came to an agreement.

transport
[v.] to move from one place to another
[Syn.] carry

[adj.] transportable
[adj.] transported
[n.] transportation

Flying is not always the fastest way to transport passengers to their destination.
The transportation expenses of products increase their final cost.

Choose the synonym.
1. flaw
  1. particle
  2. agile
  3. defect
  4. creation
2. dictate
  1. transport
  2. create
  3. grow
  4. impose
3. hasten
  1. crawl
  2. crush
  3. conceal
  4. accelerate
4. crop
  1. harvest
  2. advice
  3. mirror
  4. settlement
5. fragment
  1. authorization
  2. particle
  3. cultivation
  4. advantage
6. transport
  1. reveal
  2. carry
  3. clarify
  4. restore
7. obtain
  1. gain
  2. allow
  3. baffle
  4. assert
8. discriminate
  1. enhance
  2. persuade
  3. distinguish
  4. distort
9. reflect
  1. mirror
  2. confirm
  3. produce
  4. grind
10. colonize
  1. crawl
  2. cultivate
  3. replace
  4. settle
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the sentence.
1. Corn and soybeans are cultivated on Maryland’s eastern shore.
  1. grown
  2. found
  3. cooked
  4. acquired
2. Querns have been used for centuries to crush grains.
  1. harvest
  2. transport
  3. grind
  4. distinguish
3. Rows of suction-like tube feet enable the starfish to creep along the ocean floor.
  1. crawl
  2. feed
  3. race
  4. settle
4. In the 1930s, the poor business environment created a lack of confidence in the economy.
  1. dictated
  2. produced
  3. mirrored
  4. accelerated
5. The vivid colors of the opal are produced by impurities or small cracks in the stone.
  1. particles
  2. fractures
  3. flaws
  4. dents

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