Essential Words for the TOEFL Lesson 6 Vocabulary Test

Choose the synonym.
instantaneous

traditional

extinguish

curious

adequately

immense

exceedingly

visibly

stamina

restrictively

North American trade patterns offer remarkable contrasts. Canada has a small population but with vast resources and high productivity. It has a low home consumption and depends on foreign trade more than any other developed country on the North American continent. The United States, on the other hand, has an immense domestic market and the highest per capita consumption of goods in the world. It depends mainly on trade within its national borders.

The word immense in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.

By the end of the 20th century, computers had greatly influenced the way in which we produced and printed documents. Letters and reports could be easily prepared on personal computers, because the user could see on the monitor what the text would look like when printed. The task of writing was made even easier with the advent of more advanced word processing programs that checked spelling and grammar before printing. A wide range of fonts became available to the public, and their number was far greater than that of conventional printing processes. Thanks to progress in laser printing technology, the quality of text printed by laser printer soon surpassed that of commercially typeset material.

The word conventional in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.

Contour mapping is the process by which a map is formed by constructing lines of equal values of that property from available data points. For example, a topographic map reveals the relief of an area by means of contour lines that represent elevation. In addition to topography, there are examples of geophysical, geochemical, meteorological, sociological, and other variables that are routinely mapped by the method. The availability of plotting devices has permitted mapping by computer, which reduces the effect of human bias on the final product.

The word routinely in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.

Motion-picture technology is a curious blend of the old and the new. In much of the equipment, state-of-the-art digital electronics may be working with a mechanical system invented in 1895. Moreover, the technology of motion pictures is based not only on the invention of still photography but also on a combination of several more or less independent technologies: camera and projector design, film manufacture and processing, sound recording and reproduction, and lighting and light measurement.

The word curious in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.

The durable surfacing of a road, airstrip, or similar area is known as a pavement. Its primary function is to transmit loads to the sub-base and underlying soil. Modern flexible pavements contain sand and gravel or crushed stone. These are compacted with a binder of bituminous material, such as asphalt or tar. Such a pavement demonstrates enough plasticity to absorb shocks. Rigid pavements are made of concrete, composed of coarse and fine aggregate and portland cement, and usually reinforced with steel rod or mesh.

The word rigid in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.

The Internet is a source of accessible entertainment, but research indicates that constant Internet use may cause a person’s attention span to shorten. Some experts estimate that the habitual user’s span can drop to as little as that of a goldfish, roughly nine seconds. Many blame this effect on the instantaneous nature of Internet content. Of course, attention depends as much on content as delivery. It is comparatively easy to switch off some images, but comparatively hard to abandon others. For example, computer games usually hold a user’s attention longer than advertising.

In stating that Internet entertainment is instantaneous, the author means that it is _____.

Water is a powerful solvent that acts as a catalyst for many reactions. It also stores heat and cold well. In terms of its composition, water has an unusually high boiling and freezing point. It also shows unusual volume changes with temperature. Water is easily the most complex of all common substances that are single chemical compounds.

The word complex in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.

Over several decades, scientists and engineers have confronted the issue of pollutants emitted by motor vehicles. Some of the waste products of the combustion process include carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas, and water vapor. Though these by-products are not really harmful, many scientists theorize that carbon dioxide may contribute to the problem of global warming. However, the combustion process also produces carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons, all of which are known threats to human health. Due to government regulations that set emission standards, motor vehicle companies have significantly reduced the amount of harmful gases that are discharged by installing catalytic converters in vehicles.

The word emitted in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.

The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney, was commonplace on many nineteenth-century farms. Although patented in 1794, the ingenious design was imitated so much by others that Whitney gained only a modest financial reward from his simple invention. The cotton gin soon revolutionized farming in many parts of the South.

The word commonplace in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.

The delicate look and feel of silk are deceptive. It is a strong, natural fiber, ranked in strength with synthetic nylon. To the naked eye, it appears to be smooth, but under the microscope, cultivated silk fiber looks coarse. It is the coolest of hot-weather fabrics, and it can absorb up to 30 percent of its weight in moisture without feeling wet.

The word coarse in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.