Essential Words for the TOEFL Lesson 16 Vocabulary Test

Choose the synonym.

convey

engender

growth

meticulously

retrieve

encompass

apex

systematically

paramount

mimic

The first elevated rail system was successfully operated in New York City in 1871, using steam power. Because steam power had many disadvantages, the lines were later electrified. An extensive network of elevated lines was built in New York City. It was in service for many years, but was systematically eliminated because of its antiquated appearance and because it contributed to traffic congestion.

The word systematically in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.

Municipal solid waste must be collected and treated in order to reduce the total volume and weight of the material that requires final disposal. Treatment changes the form of the waste and makes it easier to handle. It can also be used to recover certain materials, as well as heat energy, for recycling or reuse.

The word recover in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.

American biographer and historian Samuel Eliot Morrison colorfully recreated notable stories of modern history. Combining a gift for storytelling with meticulous scholarship, he took the reader back into history to relive the adventures of such characters as Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher Columbus, and Sir Francis Drake. He also recorded the accomplishments of the U.S. Navy during World War II.

The word meticulous in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.

Space medicine protects human beings from the environment of space and studies their reactions to that environment. The foundations of space medicine can be traced to aviation medicine. The term aerospace medicine has evolved to encompass practice in both areas. Aerospace medicine has been a certified subspecialty of the American Board of Preventive Medicine since 1953.

The word encompass in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.

If some motion is possible according to physical laws, then a motion in which events appear in reverse order is also possible. For example, it would be unusual to observe a real process in which a vase broken on the floor collects itself and flies up whole into a person’s hand. Nevertheless, according to known physical laws, such a process is not impossible, although it is too unlikely to expect it to actually happen.

The word unlikely in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.

In 1896 a Swedish chemist first assessed the effects of greenhouse gases. He showed that activities such as burning coal, destroying forests, and even raising cattle dangerously increase atmospheric concentrations of such gases as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Since then, heightened awareness of the effects cars and factories have on the environment has led to more concern about these gas concentrations. Recently they have been blamed for an apparent warming trend in Earth’s atmosphere.

In referring to heightened awareness, the author means that people are_____.

Great technological advances were made during the infancy of the United States’ industrial growth. But the modern trends of the 1920s brought about problems as well as benefits. Many Americans had trouble adjusting to the impersonal, fast-paced life of cities. The complex life in cities tended to weaken the strong family ties that had always been part of American society.

The word infancy in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.

Careful testing is one of a pharmaceutical company’s most important responsibilities. Pharmaceutical companies and the Food and Drug Administration constantly guard against the possibility of a harmful drug being sold to the public. But even the most careful testing cannot always reveal the possibility that a drug may produce an inadvertent harmful effect.

The word inadvertent in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.

Basketball was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian-American, in 1891. Today, it is the world’s most popular indoor sport. Basketball emphasizes teamwork and the athletic qualities of endurance, speed, and agility. Tall players have an advantage because they can reach closer to the basket or above other players to shoot and rebound the ball. Smaller players make contributions to their teams as shooters and ball handlers.

The word emphasizes in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.

Daniel Webster was a well-known American speaker, and one of the most capable lawyers and statesmen of his time. He used his speaking ability to establish a strong national government in the Senate. He also applied the speaking skills he had mastered as a lawyer to heighten his appeal for the end to slavery.

The word heighten in the passage is closest in meaning to_____.