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Reading Passage #03: "Under certain circumstances..."

TestMagic Top 10 Vocab List

This exercise was written by Erin Billy.

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. We have NOT included the vocab that is already contained in the practice test.

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!

When you are done, click here for the answers.

Note: The buttons will NOT give you the answers. You will need to check your answers by yourself.

 

# New Word Part of Speech Sample Sentence Sample TOEFL Vocab Question
1. cope with (line 1)   Many

2. dive (line 2)   The e

3. scuba (line 3)   scuba is an acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

4. exerted (line 4)   The Sun exerts enough energy to sustain life on Earth.

5. balmy (line 10)   Many people choose to take their vacations in the tropics because of the balmy weather common in those areas.

6. well-being (line 11)   Many people enjoy eating home cooked food because doing so reminds them of the food they ate at home when they were growing up.

7. intoxication (line 12)   Every state in the US has laws prohibiting operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

8. dissolved (line 14)   Because they dissolve readily in water, sugar and salt are often used in experiments to teach children the properties and formation of crystals. 

9. joints (line 22)   Many beautiful pieces of sculpture have been created by using thin light welded pieces of metal in the sculpture.

10. breath is held (line 23)   Most cinemas use several film reels while showing a film since feature length films generally run from 90 to 140 minutes or more.

11. ascent (line 23)      
Answers 

 

 

 

 

 

Vocab Practice

New word, line #

Part of Speech

Related Word

Meaning
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

 

Explanations for the Questions

#

Explanation
20. B In each paragraph, we learn about all the things that can happen to divers when they feel the pressure of the water when they are diving.

None of the other answer choices is possible.
21. D

If we say that the diver is exposed to some pressure, then we are saying that the pressure is affecting the diver, or that the diver is feeling the pressure.

The best choice is subjected to.
22. A If we say that helium does not exert some effect, then we mean that the helium does not have this effect or that helium does not "give off" this effect.
23. D diffuses means to decrease in concentration or to spread out. For example, if we put a drop of blood into a glass of water, the blood will diffuse throughout the water and become less concentrated.

In this case, we might think that diffuses and travels are not related, but travels is the closest word that we have.
24. A In lines 19-21, we learn that nitrogen bubbles are formed if the diver rises to the surface too quickly.
25. C They refers to bubbles. bubbles is the closest plural noun, and it makes sense in the sentence: Bubbles can cause sever pains...
26. C rupture means burst, as in a balloon will rupture if we blow it up too much. However, even if we do not know the meaning of rupture, we might still be able to get the answer if we can understand the sentence: the change in volume may cause the lungs to distend and even rupture. distend  means to get bigger, as if it were being inflated with air, like a balloon getting bigger and bigger. The word even tells us that the next word is going to be stronger than the previous word. So, in this case, burst is stronger than distend. In class, I sometimes explain it like this:

distend < rupture
27. D In lines 25-26, we learn that an air embolism can cause rupture lungs. This is the most dangerous thing that is mentioned in the passage.
28. A In lines 27-28, we learn that a diver must ascend slowly. We need to know that ascend means rise to be able to get the right answer.

 

 

TestMagic Grammar Practice: Tough ones!

 

These grammar exercises are designed to reinforce the vocab you have just learned and certain "TOEFL traps."

When you are done, click here for the answers.

Note: The buttons will NOT give you the answers. You will need to check your answers by yourself.
11. Many inventors rush to patent their inventions before they announce them ------ their rights to the invention.
for their protection
so that they can protect 
protecting

so they can protect that
12. The early European settler in North America found that they could plant and harvest corn relatively easily.
settler
found
harvest

relatively
13. Cattle ranching is one of the most important agricultural activity in the United States, primarily because Americans have a passion for beef.
Cattle ranching
activity
primarily because

for
14. In order to satisfy America's passion for beef, cattle ranchers reserve many thousands of acres of grazing land ------.
to raise their cattle
after they raising their cattle
for the raising cattle

of cattle raising
15. A serrated knife is more effective at cutting bread than is smooth-edged knife.

smooth-edged
16. First-timers at gym should be careful not to lift too much weight so that they do not strain their muscles.
gym

17. While the technology to eliminate currency exists, ------ has ever been put into place.
no practical method

18. If the strands of a spider's web were woven together, ------ than metal wire of the same thickness.
the resulting cord would be stronger

19. Many beautiful piece of sculpture have been created by using thin light welded pieces of metal in the sculpture.
piece

20. Most cinemas use several film reels while showing a film since feature length films generally run at 90 to 140 minutes or more.

at

21. Many inventors rush to patenting their inventions before they announce them so that they can protect their rights to the invention.
patenting

22. The early European settlers in North America found that they could plant and harvest corn relatively easily.

c

23. Because livestock ranches produce some 40 billion pounds of meat per year, cattle ranching is considered leading agricultural activity in the United States.

leading 
24. In order to satisfy American's passion for beef, cattle ranchers reserve many thousands of acres of grazing land to raise their cattle.

25. A serrated knife is more effective at cutting bread than is a smooth-edged knife.

26. First-timers at a gym should be careful not to lift too much weight so that they do not strain their muscles.

27. While the technology to eliminate currency exists, no practical method has ever been put into place.

28. If the strands of a spider's web were woven together, the resulting cord would be stronger than metal wire of the same thickness.

29. Many beautiful pieces of sculpture have been created by using thin light welded pieces of metal in the sculpture.

30. Most cinemas use several film reels while showing a film since feature length films generally run from 90 to 140 minutes or more.

Answers

 Vocab answers: 1.C  2.A  3.A  4.C  5.D  6.A  7.C  8.B  9.B  10.D 11.B  12.A  13.B  14.A  15.D  16.A  17.C  18.B  19.B  20.C  21.A  22.C  23.D  24.A  25.D  26.D  27.C  28.D  29.C  30. B