Answers:

Reading Passage #01: "Around the year 1500..."

TestMagic Top 10 Vocab List

This list is designed to help you learn new TOEFL vocabulary and remember it.

TestMagic has chosen the Top 10 words or phrases that are most likely to appear on your next TOEFL test and put them on this list.

NOTE: The first passages on a paper TOEFL are often easier than the others. This passage is relatively simple and does not have as much difficult vocab as do other passages.

To make full use of this list, you should look at the Parts of Speech (that will help you with the grammar section), and read each Sample Sentence. The Sample Sentences are designed to be easy to remember and understand. Furthermore, each sentence has other useful vocabulary in it as well.

Finally, test yourself by taking the little quiz in the last column. Choose the answer that is closest in meaning to the words in bolded red. TestMagic has simulated the TOEFL vocab questions here--they are just as tricky as the real TOEFL questions!

Good luck! Any comments? Contact TestMagic!

 

 

# New Word Part of Speech Sample Sentence Sample TOEFL Vocab Question
1. colonized vt1 The hunters and gatherers of pre-Colombian North America had long colonized both the interior and the coasts when the European settlers arrived.
governed
divided
settled

mapped
2. interior cn Nomadic by nature, the land-hunting peoples of the interior of North America spread to the coasts by the 1500's.
coasts
mountainous regions
states

inland areas
3. respectively adv Although Portugal and France played large roles in the colonization of the Americas, South America and North America were colonized largely by the Spanish and the British, respectively.
According to the passage, which country played the most important role in colonizing North America?
Portugal
France
Spain

Britain
4. overland adj Overland travel in colonial America was often difficult due to the dense forests, mountainous terrain, and harsh weather.
Which of the following vehicles would a pioneer in colonial America most likely have used?
a wagon
an automobile
a canoe

a boat
5. hordes cn Early settlers came to the frontier West in a trickle, but once word of gold spread across the young nation, would-be millionaires came to California in hordes.
throngs
wagons
small groups

trickles
6. swampy adj The swampy areas of southern Florida become a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes in the summertime.
hot
tree-covered
marshy

dangerous
7. bred past participle Huskies, specially bred to resist cold and endure long treks in the snow, are especially well-adapted to pulling sleds and performing others tasks in the snow.
born
trained
expected

raised
8. turn of the season cn With the development of the calendar, the pre-Colombian peoples of North America learned to predict the turn of the seasons and as a result, the optimal time to plant crops.
new seasons
storms
ideal harvest times

spices
9. damp adj Damp ground common after rainfall is ideal for sprouting plants provided the ground is not saturated with water.
moist
muddy
frozen

tilled
10. hauling ncn The pre-Colombian peoples of the Americas had many apparatuses to aid in hauling supplies and materials overland, few of which utilized the wheel.
purchasing
making
transporting

vending

 

 

TestMagic Grammar Practice: Tough ones!

 

These grammar exercises are designed to reinforce the vocab you have just learned and certain "TOEFL traps."
1. The hunters and gatherers of pre-Colombian North America ------ the interior and the coasts when the European settlers arrived.
long had colonized both
had long colonized both
had both colonized long

long  both colonized had
2. Nomadic by nature, ------ of the interior of North America spread to the coasts by the 1500's.
the land-hunting peoples
the land-hunted people
people who hunted the land

the land people hunters
3. Although Portugal and France played large roles in the colonization of the Americas, South America and North America were ------ Spanish and the British, respectively.
colonizing by the
colonized largely the
to colonize the large

colonized largely by the
4. Overland travel in colonial America was often difficult ------ , mountainous terrain, and harsh weather.
because the dense forests
although dense forests
due to the dense forests

because of the forest were dense
5. Early settlers came to the frontier West in a trickle, ------ the young nation, would-be millionaires came to California in hordes.
but once word of gold spread across
however word of gold spread
and the word about the gold spread

but word of gold spread
6. The swampy marshlands of southern Florida become a breeding ground ------ mosquitoes in the summertime.
for disease-carrying
for diseases
because of diseased

to carry the disease
7. Huskies, specially bred to resist cold and endure long treks in the snow, are especially ------ pulling sleds and performing others tasks in the snow.
adapted well because
well-adapted to
adapting well for

adapted to the well
8. ------ the calendar, the pre-Colombian peoples of North America learned to predict the turn of the seasons and as a result, the optimal time to plant crops.
Despite the development of
Because the development of
By the development

With the development of
9. Damp ground common after rainfall is ideal for ------ the ground is not saturated with water.
sprout plants provide
sprouting plants provided
plants to sprout

plants sprouts if
10. The pre-Colombian peoples of the Americas had many apparatuses to aid in hauling supplies and materials overland, few ------ the wheel.
of which utilized
that utilized
of whom utilized

utilize after which