Essential Words for the TOEFL Lesson 23 Vocabulary Test

Choose the synonym.

intrusive

obliged

assemble

formidable

similarto

teeming

hesitatingly

allusion

regularly

renown

New annual growth of trees produces growth rings. In most instances, the age of a tree can be reliably determined by counting the rings of a trunk’s cross section. Most of the growth ring wood cells are dead. Only young xylem cells, those that grow during the current growing season, are alive. As a result, the ratio of dead to living wood cells increases as the girth of the tree increases.

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

Lightships and buoys have an important function in coastal waters. They mark channels and thereby safely guide passing ships around hazards or shallow waters. Their great advantage is mobility, making them readily redeployable to meet changing conditions. For example, submerged hazards such as sandbars can change location rapidly under the influence of the sea. The use of buoys makes it possible to efficiently mark safe channels at all times.

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

The construction of the Saint Lawrence Seaway was an undertaking of great proportions. Constructing a link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic seaboard had been proposed since 1535. Locks built in the 1800s by Canada became operational in 1901 on the upper Saint Lawrence River. But this original seaway was not deep or wide enough for modern ships. Canada and the United States constructed the new seaway, which became operational in 1959.

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

In European folklore, mermaids are mythical beings who, like sprites, have magical and prophetic powers. They love music and song. Though very long-lived, they are mortal and have no souls. Although sometimes kindly, mermaids are generally dangerous to man. Their gifts have typically brought misfortune, and, if offended, they have caused floods or other disasters. To see one on a voyage is an omen of shipwreck.

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

In Western cultures, the absence of a formal definition of responsibilities has produced an ambiguous and often conflicting set of expectations for young people. At the same time, young people are prone to experience peer pressure. They are told to behave maturely, while being denied access to the rights and privileges of adults.

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

Among the great orchestras of the world, the Philadelphia Orchestra stands out for several reasons. One is the overall quality of its musicians, although it is especially renowned for its violin players. Another is the orchestra’s famous recordings of nineteenth-century music, including the nine symphonies of Ludwig von Beethoven. A third is the orchestra’s many international concert tours. For example, it was the first U.S. orchestra to visit China.

In saying that this orchestra is especially renowned for its violinists, the author means that it_____.

The body of scales or bracts of a cone contains the reproductive organs of certain flowerless plants. The cone, a distinguishing feature of pines and other evergreens, is crudely analogous to the flowers of other plants.

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

Most physicians participate in continuing education to keep up with the massive amount of information being discovered each year in their fields. Many states require that physicians periodically prove that they have actively participated in continuing medical education in order to maintain their certification to practice medicine.

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

Peace pipes are the large, ornately decorated tobacco pipes of the Indians of eastern North America. They functioned as symbols of truce and were ceremonially smoked for purposes of binding or renewing alliances. Peace pipes attained so much symbolic importance that it was thought that smoking the pipe with others compelled everyone present to be united in friendship.

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

The Spanish conquerors attempted to replace Aztec medicine with their own. When Aztec medical personnel resisted they were killed and Spanish medicine intruded into Aztec culture. However, some elements of Spanish medicine were compatible with the folk medical practices and became part of a new folk system. Mexican folk medicine thrived, yet there were many regional differences.

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