400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL LESSON 3 – Evolution and Migration Vocabulary Test

Word List

adapt [əˈdæpt] v.

To adjust to the circumstances; to make suitable

→ Dinosaurs could not adapt to the warmer temperatures.

Usage tips     Adapt is often followed by to.

Parts of speech adaptation n., adapter n., adaptable adj.

diverse [dʌɪˈvəːs] n.

Various; showing a lot of differences within a group

→ India is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world.

Usage tips     An -ly adverb (e.g.,linguistically) often comes before diverse.

Parts of speech     diversify v., diversity n., diversification n.

evolve [iˈvɑlv] v.

To develop; to come forth

→ Modern-day sharks evolved from their ancestor Eryops, which lived more than 200 million years ago.

Usage tips     Evolve is often followed by into or from.

Parts of speech     evolution n., evolutionist n.

feature [ˈfitʃər] n.

Part, characteristic

→ The best feature of this car is its heated seats.

Usage tips     Feature is often followed by of.

Parts of speech     feature v.

generation [ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃ(ə)n] n.

A group of people born at about the same time

→ As older managers retired, a new generation of leaders took control of the company.

Usage tips     Before generation, an adjective like new, next, earlier, or older is common. Generation is often followed by of.

Parts of speech     generational adj.

inherent [ɪnˈhɪərənt] adj.

Naturally characteristic; always found within something, because it’s a basic part of that thing

→ No job can be interesting all the time. Boredom is inherent in any kind of work.

Usage tips     Inherent is often followed by in.

Parts of speech     inherently adv.

migration [maɪˈɡreɪʃ(ə)n] n.

Movement from one place to another by a group of people or animals

→ The migration of farm workers from one state to the next depends primarily on the harvest.

Usage tips     Migration is often followed by to or from.

Parts of speech     migrate v., migrant n., migratory adj.

physical [ˈfɪzɪk(ə)l] adj.

Related to the body; related to materials that can be seen or felt

→ Because of the shape of its throat, an ape does not have the physical ability to speak.

Usage tips     Physical usually comes before the noun it describes.

Parts of speech     physically adv.

process [ˈproses] v.

A series of steps leading to a result

→ To get a good job, most people go through a long process of letter-writing and interviews.

Usage tips     Process is often followed by of plus the -ing form of a verb.

Parts of speech     proceed v., process v.

survive [sərˈvaɪv] v.

To continue living (despite some danger or illness)

→ After getting lost in the mountains, Gordon survived by eating wild plants and catching fish.

Usage tips     Survive is often followed by a phrase with by.

Parts of speech     survivor n., survival n.