Essential Words for the TOEFL Lesson 22 Vocabulary Test

Choose the synonym.

intricate

disregard

idle

archaic

bringabout

provoke

size

color

require

account

Southeast Asian culture has many themes. The most predominant of these have been in religion and national history. In religion the main interest was not in actual doctrine but in the life and personalities of the Buddha and the Hindu gods. In national history the interest was in the celebrated heroes of the past. This theme appeared only after the great empires had vanished and the memories of their glory and power endured.

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

The experience of the American frontier fostered raucous politics and rude manners. Conventions were disregarded and contempt for intellectual and cultural pursuits flourished. Brazen waste and the exploitation of natural resources abounded. The predominant spirit was to take while the taking was good. Frontier history includes many accounts of men who created empires and acquired great wealth within a short time.

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

For religious reasons, the Egyptians considered Canis Major the most important constellation in the sky. Many Egyptian temples were aligned so that at the rising or setting of Sirius, the starlight reached the interior altar. In the Egyptian calendar, the first practical calendar created, the advent of Sirius in the morning sky before sunrise marked the beginning of the annual flooding of the Nile.

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

Airplanes have extensive agricultural value. They are used to distribute fertilizer, to reseed forest land, and to control forest fires. Many rice growers use planes to seed, fertilize, spray pesticides, and even to hasten crop ripening by spraying hormones from the air.

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

The development of the audio CD was an improvement over the conventional records and tape recorders of previous decades. The CD created less background noise and was more durable since nothing mechanical has to touch the surface of the disc when it is played. However, it was the digital era of music that sparked an influx of new talent in the music industry. The ease with which one can produce music at home, coupled with the power of the Internet, has enabled many amateur musicians to publish their work.

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

Scientists are still seeking to account for the sudden appearance of precisely patterned circles in grain fields in the north of England. Known as crop circles, they range in size from two to eighty meters in diameter. Their circular geometric pattern is not explained by the way the grain was planted; nor is their flattened appearance easily explained by weather conditions. The farmers who work the land are as mystified as everyone else by these strange phenomena.

In stating that scientists are seeking to account for crop circles, the author means that they are trying to_____.

Tree buds may be vegetative or reproductive. Vegetative buds produce height growth until the growth process induces the formation of flowers. Exactly what is responsible for the formation of a reproductive bud varies, but changes in the number of daylight hours is a common signal in many plants.

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

Some leaders of the Han period in China exerted enormous pressure for the simplification and standardization of writing. The result was a new category of script called clerical script. The archaic seal script was often retained for formal titles. It was also adapted to the small seals that have been used as signatures from the Han period to the present. These small red stamps, often present on documents, letters, books, and paintings, signify either authorship or ownership.

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

There are six general classes of map symbols: size, lightness and darkness, direction, texture, shape, and color. The mixture of these “visual variables” creates the variety that is found on maps. For example, hue is used on urban planning maps to show differences in land use. Different shades may be used to indicate information such as changes in elevation or population density.

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

Sleep is an intricate form of the resting state. It is observed in animals that have highly developed nervous systems. When they sleep, their nervous systems shift into inactive modes that repair the body and alleviate many physical and mental ailments. These inactive modes are no less nuanced than active modes.

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