FREE TOEFL MATERIALS

Essay Writing Tips 8 (A sample TOEFL outline)

2013-01-12T23:09:00.001-08:00

TOEFL Question: In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.

I. It is a good idea for teenagers to have jobs while they are students because they can learn about responsibility; they can learn the value of money and they can learn how to work as a member of a team.

II. Students can learn responsibility

a. They have to come to work on time every day

b. They must serve customers in a friendly manner

c. They have to maintain the store shelves with inventory

III. Students can learn the value of money

a. Students will learn that it takes a lot of time and effort to make money

b. Students will make wiser choices when buying things with their own money

IV. Students will learn how to work as a member of a team

a. Students will learn how to compromise with other employees (helping out when someone is sick, etc.)

b. Students will learn about the friendship that comes from teamwork (feeling like you can trust others)

V. Conclusion

It is a valuable experience for teenagers to have jobs while they are students because they will learn to be responsible adults. They will have an appreciation for money and they will learn about working with others. All of these traits will benefit them throughout their lives.

if you've found any dead links (as in links which no longer go to the place they should be going to)then tell me and i'll fix it and then let you know when I have, so you can find what you wanted again Please leave a comment IF you like the entry. It's like visiting a place where there is a guest book by the front door. Before you exit, you sign it to leave a note about your experience of the place. I know that people are visiting by virtue of site meter, but almost no one leaves a comment. If you are in a hurry (and who isn't these days?), just leave a "thanks". Thanks

Essay Writing Tips 7 (Preparing to write and writing your answer)

2013-01-12T23:08:00.001-08:00

I. Read and understand the essay question. (2 minutes).

II. Organize your ideas on paper by writing a short outline of the introduction, body and conclusion. (8 minutes).

III. Write your essay. Remember to restate the question in your introduction. Use clear details and LOTS of examples in the body of your essay. Finally, summarize the main ideas in the concluding paragraph of your essay. (15 minutes).

I. Reread your essay and make any changes in spelling, verb tense, word choice or sentence structure. (5 minutes).

Essay Writing Tips 6 (The elements of a good concluding paragraph)

2013-01-12T23:07:00.001-08:00

A good concluding paragraph should include a summary of your main points. It may also include the author’s opinion. It should NOT introduce any new ideas. A good concluding paragraph often leaves an impression on the reader. It may make the reader think more deeply about the topic.

Essay Writing Tips 5 (How to write good body paragraphs)

2013-01-12T23:05:00.002-08:00

Each paragraph in your essay introduces a new idea. It should include a thesis statement followed by support and examples. Be sure to use LOTS of examples. Within and between paragraphs be sure to use transition words like: on the other hand, however, though, for example, in contrast, likewise, in addition, first, finally. The paragraph should end with a concluding sentence which briefly summarizes the ideas in the paragraph.

if you've found any dead links (as in links which no longer go to the place they should be going to)then tell me and i'll fix it and then let you know when I have, so you can find what you wanted again Please leave a comment IF you like the entry. It's like visiting a place where there is a guest book by the front door. Before you exit, you sign it to leave a note about your experience of the place. I know that people are visiting by virtue of site meter, but almost no one leaves a comment. If you are in a hurry (and who isn't these days?), just leave a "thanks". Thanks

Essay Writing Tips 4 (How to write a good introduction)

2013-01-03T01:29:00.004-08:00

Let’s look at some more essay questions to see how to restate the question and how to write your thesis statement.

TOEFL essay question #1:

Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Restatement & Thesis:

People have two options when deciding where to eat. They can prepare meals and eat at home or they can go out to stands or restaurants. I prefer to go out to eat because the food is more varied and interesting, it is less work for me and it saves time.

Analysis:

The restatement mentions the two types of options people have for eating and tells which one the author prefers. In addition, it gives three reasons for that preference. These three reasons will make up the three main idea paragraphs in the body of the essay.

TOEFL essay question #2:

Is it better for children to participate in team sports or individual sports? Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Restatement & Thesis:

It is better for children to participate in team sports rather than individual sports. In team sports, children learn how to cooperate. They learn good sportsmanship and how to rely on their teammates. These are important lessons that will benefit children throughout their lives.

Analysis:

The first sentence clearly states the author’s opinion. This is followed by three reasons for the opinion. Finally, the author mentions life lessons. In the essay, the three reasons will make up the three main idea paragraphs in the body of the essay. In addition, the author will mention how each main idea is useful throughout life.

TOEFL essay question #3:

Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Restatement & Thesis:

There are many good reasons to live in a big city and an equal number of good reasons to live in a small town. I, myself, prefer to live in a small town because it is more personal and homey; it is easier to get around in and it is safer than a big city.

Analysis:

The first statement says that both a city and town have positive aspects. The next sentence tells the author’s preference and reasons for that preference. These reasons will make up the body of the essay.

Essay Writing Tips 3 (The parts of an essay)

2013-01-03T01:28:00.000-08:00

In every essay, there should be an introduction, a body and conclusion.

A. The introduction:

The introduction restates the question using different vocabulary and/or sentence structure. The introduction also includes your thesis statement…the most important sentence in your essay.

B. The body:

The body of your essay is also the “heart” of your essay. It will include your main ideas and details and examples to support those ideas. Each new idea should be a new paragraph. Typically, a TOEFL essay will have 3 – 4 body paragraphs.

C. The conclusion:

The conclusion will be your final paragraph. It will summarize all the main ideas in your essay and it may also include your opinion.

Essay Writing Tips 2 (Understanding the TOEFL question)

2013-01-03T01:27:00.001-08:00

There are different types of TOEFL questions. You never know which question you will receive, so you must be prepared to write on ALL the types of questions. It is very important that you completely understand the question BEFORE you begin to write. Below are some different essay question types.

1. Choose a point of view and support that view.
Example: Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

This type of question asks you to look at only ONE side of the issue…the side you agree with. DON’T write about both sides. You tell which side you agree with and support your ideas with details and examples.

2. Describe something.
Example: If you could invent something NEW, what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed?

In answering this type of question, you MUST be creative. It asks you to describe something NEW, something that does not exist. You must describe it in detail AND tell why it is necessary.

3. Compare two points of view and tell which one you agree with.
Example: Some people think that children should begin their formal education at a very early age and should spend most of their time on school studies. Others believe that young children should spend most of their time playing. Compare these two views. Which view do you agree with? Why?

In this type of question, you must write about BOTH sides of this issue and then tell which side you agree with. You may NOT say that you agree with both sides. You MUST make a choice. First, give support, details and examples of both sides of the issue. Then, tell which side you agree with and why.

4. Agree or disagree with something.
Example: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ONLY people who earn a lot of money are successful. Do you agree or disagree with this definition of success? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

In this type of question, you MUST agree or disagree. You cannot be unsure or indecisive. After you have said whether you agree or disagree, you must give convincing reasons and examples for your choice.

5. Explain why something is true.
Example: People remember special gifts or presents that they have received. Why? Give specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

In this question, you should use lots of examples. (For this question, you would use examples of gifts one might receive and tell why those gifts are memorable). Do not write in the first person, “I.” Write in more general terms.

6. Support an idea or plan.
Example: It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

In this question, first tell whether you support or oppose the plan and then tell why. Since this question is somewhat personal, it is ok to use personal pronouns such as: “I, me, my” in your answer.

Essay Writing Tips(Before you begin)

2013-01-03T01:25:00.001-08:00

I. Relax and feel confident.
II. Remember that you have 30 minutes to write your essay. Use your time wisely.
III. You may write your essay on the computer or on paper. Choose the one you are MOST comfortable with.
IV. You can write an excellent essay if you remember all these tips!

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (Z)

2012-12-04T01:02:00.000-08:00

ZEALOUS (noun: ZEALOT: fanatic): Full of enthusiasm or eagerness -a zealous student, first in his class. Antonym: perfunctory.

ZENITH: The highest point - the zenith of his career. Synonyms: acme, apex, culmination, summit. Antonym: nadir.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (W)

2012-12-04T00:31:00.002-08:00

WAIVE: To give up (privileges, etc.); to do without - waived his rights to the property. Synonyms: relinquish, forgo, forsake.

WHIM (adj.: WHIMSICAL): A sudden notion or passing fancy -frequently acted on the whim of the moment. Synonyms: caprice, vagary, crotchet.

WRITHE: To twist about (usually with pain) - writhed in agony on the floor. Synonyms: contort, squirm.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (V)

2012-12-04T00:30:00.002-08:00

VANQUISH: To subdue or conquer -an army vanquished with heavy losses.

VAUNT: To boast - proudly vaunted his strength. Synonyms: brag (noun: braggadocio, braggart), proclaim.

VENEER: A superficial appearance or show designed to impress one with superiority - pierced beneath his thin veneer of elegance. Synonym: gloss.

VENERABLE: Deserving respect or reverence because of age - a venerable leader.

VERNAL: Pertaining to spring-an array of vernal flowers. Antonym: hibernal (wintry).

VERSATILE: Able to do many things skillfully - versatile in all the arts.
VICARIOUS: Taking the place of another; felt, received, or done in place of another - took vicarious pleasure in his brother's victory.

VICISSITUDE: A change from one condition to another, often unexpected - suffered many vicissitudes of fortune.

VIRAGO: A scolding or ill-tempered woman - My neighbor's wife is a virago. Synonyms: shrew, termagant, vixen.

VITUPERATE (noun: VITUPERATION; adj.: VITUPERATIVE): To scold or blame loudly, find fault with in abusive language - an angry man, vituperating the world. Synonyms: berate, revile.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (U)

2012-12-04T00:29:00.003-08:00

UBIQUITOUS: Existing everywhere - The common cold is a ubiquitous complaint. Synonyms: omnipresent, universal.

UNTENABLE: Incapable of being defended or held - withdrew the argument as untenable.

UTILITARIAN (adj.): Materially or practically useful - beautiful, but not utilitarian.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (T)

2012-12-04T00:26:00.002-08:00

TANGIBLE: Real; actual - tangible gains which may be seen, and counted. Synonyms: material, veritable, perceptible, substantial.

TANTAMOUNT: Equivalent - an act that is tantamount to treason.

TAUNT (verb). To reproach with contempt - taunted him with the charge of failure to act promptly. Synonyms: mock, twit, gibe, sneer, deride. (noun): An insulting, jeering, or bitter remark - hurled taunts at his foes.

TEEMING: In abundance, fertile, highly productive - the teeming tropics, rank with vegetation. Synonyms: swarming, fruitful, fecund, abounding.

TEMERITY: Unwise or reckless boldness - leaped into battle with thoughtless temerity. Synonyms: audacity, presumptuousness, effrontery, rashness; (adj.) temerarious, foolhardy, venturesome. Antonyms: prudence, circumspection, wariness.

TEMPORAL: Worldly, as opposed to spiritual; existing for a time only - a man preoccupied with temporal matters. Synonyms: mundane, secular, civil.

TEMPORIZE: To delay or refuse to commit oneself in order to gain time - temporized while his friends hurried to his aid. Synonym: equivocate.

TENET: A principle of belief held as true - a tenet of religion which be maintained loyally. Synonyms: creed, doctrine, dogma.

TENUOUS: Slender; not substantial; of slight importance - clung desperately to his tenuous hope.

TRANQUIL: Calm; peaceful - a tranquil summer night. Synonyms: placid, serene. Antonyms: perturbed, ruffled, turbulent.

TRANSGRESS: To break a law or command; to violate a moral principle; to overstep a moral bound or limit - transgressed the bounds of decency; transgressed the law.

TREMULOUS: Trembling - tremulous with fright. Synonym: quivering.

TRIVIAL: Of little - importance - a trivial offense. Synonym: paltry. Antonyms: gross, momentous.

TRUCULENT (noun: TRUCULENCE): Cruel, fierce; harsh; threatening or intimidating savagely - a dispute marked by a truculent attitude on both sides.

TURGID: (1) Swollen, inflated - turgid rivers overflowing their banks. Synonyms: bloated, distended. (2) Using big or high-sounding words - a turgid prose style. Synonyms: pompous, bombastic, prolix.

A Collection of TOEFL Reading Comprehension 01

2012-10-18T02:23:00.000-07:00

All mammals feed their young. Beluga whale mothers, for example, nurse their calves for

some twenty months, until they are about to give birth again and their young are able to

find their own food. The behavior of feeding of the young is built into the reproductive

Line system. It is a nonelective part of parental care and the defining feature of a mammal, the

(5) most important thing that mammals-- whether marsupials, platypuses, spiny anteaters, or

placental mammals -- have in common.

But not all animal parents, even those that tend their offspring to the point of hatching or

birth, feed their young. Most egg-guarding fish do not, for the simple reason that their

young are so much smaller than the parents and eat food that is also much smaller than

(10) the food eaten by adults. In reptiles, the crocodile mother protects her young after they

have hatched and takes them down to the water, where they will find food, but she does

not actually feed them. Few insects feed their young after hatching, but some make other

arrangement, provisioning their cells and nests with caterpillars and spiders that they have

paralyzed with their venom and stored in a state of suspended animation so that their

(15) larvae might have a supply of fresh food when they hatch.

For animals other than mammals, then, feeding is not intrinsic to parental care. Animals

add it to their reproductive strategies to give them an edge in their lifelong quest for

descendants. The most vulnerable moment in any animal's life is when it first finds itself

completely on its own, when it must forage and fend for itself. Feeding postpones that

(20) moment until a young animal has grown to such a size that it is better able to cope. Young

that are fed by their parents become nutritionally independent at a much greater fraction

of their full adult size. And in the meantime those young are shielded against the vagaries

of fluctuating of difficult-to-find supplies. Once a species does take the step of feeding its

young, the young become totally dependent on the extra effort. If both parents are

(25) removed, the young generally do no survive.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The care that various animals give to their offspring.

(B) The difficulties young animals face in obtaining food.

(D) The importance among young mammals of becoming independent.

2. The author lists various animals in line 5 to

(A) contrast the feeding habits of different types of mammals

(B) describe the process by which mammals came to be defined

(D) explain why a particular feature of mammals is nonelective

3. The word "tend" in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) sit on (B) move (C) notice (D) care for

4. What can be inferred from the passage about the practice of animal parents feeding their young?

(A) It is unknown among fish. (B) It is unrelated to the size of the young.

5. The word "provisioning" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) supplying (B) preparing (C) building (D) expanding

6. According to the passage, how do some insects make sure their young have food?

(A) By storing food near their young.

(B) By locating their nests or cells near spiders and caterpillars.

(D) By gathering food from a nearby water source.

7. The word "edge" in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) opportunity (B) advantage (C) purpose (D) rest

8. The word "it" in line 20 refers to

(A) feeding (B) moment (C) young animal (D) size

9. According to the passage, animal young are most defenseless when

(A) their parents are away searching for food

(B) their parents have many young to feed

(D) they first become independent

10. The word "shielded" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) raised (B) protected (C) hatched (D) valued

Question 11-21

Printmaking is the generic term for a number of processes, of which woodcut and

engraving are two prime examples. Prints are made by pressing a sheet of paper (or other

material) against an image-bearing surface to which ink has been applied. When the paper

is removed, the image adheres to it, but in reverse.

Line

(5) The woodcut had been used in China from the fifth century A.D. for applying patterns to

textiles. The process was not introduced into Europe until the fourteenth century, first for

textile decoration and then for printing on paper. Woodcuts are created by a relief process;

first, the artist takes a block of wood, which has been sawed parallel to the grain, covers it

with a white ground, and then draws the image in ink. The background is carved away,

(10) leaving the design area slightly raised. The woodblock is inked, and the ink adheres to the

raised image. It is then transferred to damp paper either by hand or with a printing press.

Engraving, which grew out of the goldsmith's art, originated in Germany and northern Italy

in the middle of the fifteenth century. It is an intaglio process (from Italian intagliare, "to

carve"). The image is incised into a highly polished metal plate, usually copper, with a

(15) cutting instrument, or burin. The artist inks the plate and wipes it clean so that some ink

remains in the incised grooves. An impression is made on damp paper in a printing press,

with sufficient pressure being applied so that the paper picks up the ink.

Both woodcut and engraving have distinctive characteristics. Engraving lends itself to

subtle modeling and shading through the use of fine lines. Hatching and cross-hatching

(20) determine the degree of light and shade in a print. Woodcuts tend to be more linear, with

sharper contrasts between light and dark. Printmaking is well suited to the production of

multiple images. A set of multiples is called an edition. Both methods can yield several

hundred good-quality prints before the original block or plate begins to show signs of wear.

Mass production of prints in the sixteenth century made images available, at a lower cost,

(25) to a much broader public than before.

11. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The origins of textile decoration (B) The characteristics of good-quality prints

12. The word "prime" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) principal (B) complex (C) general (D) recent

13. The author's purposes in paragraph 2 is to describe

(A) the woodcuts found in China in the fifth century

(B) the use of woodcuts in the textile industry

(D) the introduction of woodcuts to Europe

14. The word "incised" in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) burned (B) cut (C) framed (D) baked

15. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage/

(A) "patterns" (line 5) (B) "grain" (line 8)

16. The word "distinctive" in line 18 is closest in meaning to

(A) unique (B) accurate (C) irregular (D) similar

17. According to the passage, all of the following are true about engraving EXCEPT that it

(A) developed from the art of the goldsmiths

(B) requires that the paper be cut with a burin

(D) involves carving into a metal plate

18. The word "yield" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) imitate (B) produce (C) revise (D) contrast

19. According to the passage, what do woodcut and engraving have in common?

(A) Their designs are slightly raised.

(B) They achieve contrast through hatching and cross-hatching.

(D) They allow multiple copies to be produced from one original.

20. According to the author, what made it possible for members of the general public to own prints in the sixteenth century?

(A) Prints could be made at low cost.

(B) The quality of paper and ink had improved.

(D) Decreased demand for prints kept prices affordable.

21. According to the passage, all of the following are true about prints EXCEPT that they

(A) can be reproduced on materials other than paper

(B) are created from a reversed image

(D) require a printing press

Questions 22-31

The first peoples to inhabit what today is the southeastern United States sustained

themselves as hunters and gathers. Sometimes early in the first millennium A.D., however,

they began to cultivate corn and other crops. Gradually, as they became more skilled at

Line gardening, they settled into permanent villages and developed a rich culture, characterized

(5) by the great earthen mounds they erected as monuments to their gods and as tombs for

their distinguished dead. Most of these early mound builders were part of the

Adena-Hopewell culture, which had its beginnings near the Ohio River and takes its name

from sites in Ohio. The culture spread southward into the present-day states of Louisiana,

Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Its peoples became great traders, bartering jewellery,

(10) pottery, animal pelts, tools, and other goods along extensive trading networks that

stretched up and down eastern North America and as far west as the Rocky Mountains.

About A.D. 400, the Hopewell culture fell into decay. Over the next centuries, it was

supplanted by another culture, the Mississippian, named after the river along which many

of its earliest villages were located. This complex civilization dominated the Southeast from

(15) about A.D. 700 until shortly before the Europeans began arriving in the sixteenth century.

At the peak of its strength, about the year 1200, it was the most advanced culture in North

America. Like their Hopewell predecessors, the Mississippians became highly skilled at

growing food, although on a grander scale. They developed an improved strain of corn,

which could survive in wet soil and a relatively cool climate, and also learned to cultivate

(20) beans. Indeed, agriculture became so important to the Mississippians that it became

closely associated with the Sun – the guarantor of good crops. Many tribes called

themselves "children of the Sun" and believed their omnipotent priest-chiefs were

descendants of the great sun god.

Although most Mississippians lived in small villages, many others inhabited large towns.

(25) Most of these towns boasted at least one major flat-topped mound on which stood a

temple that contained a sacred flame. Only priests and those charged with guarding the

flame could enter the temples. The mounds also served as ceremonial and trading sites,

and at times they were used as burial grounds.

22. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The development of agriculture

(B) The locations of towns and villages

(D) The construction of burial mounds

23. Which of the following resulted from the rise of agriculture in the southeastern United States?

(A) The development of trade in North America

(B) The establishment of permanent settlements

(D) A migration of these peoples to the Rocky Mountains.

24. What does the term "Adena-Hopewell" (line 7) designate?

(A) The early locations of the Adena-Hopewell culture

(B) The two most important nations of the Adena-Hopewell culture

(D) Two important trade routes in eastern North America

25. The word "bartering" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) producing (B) exchanging (C) transporting (D) loading

26. The word "supplanted" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) conquered (B) preceded (C) replaced (D) imitated

27. According to the passage, when did the Mississippian culture reach its highest point of development?

(A) About A.D. 400 (B) Between A.D. 400 and A.D. 700

28. According to the passage, how did the agriculture of the Mississippians differ from that of their Hopewell predecessors?

(A) The Mississippians produced more durable and larger crops of food.

(B) The Mississippians sold their food to other groups.

(D) The Mississippians produced special foods for their religious leaders.

29. Why does the author mention that many Mississippians tribes called themselves "children of the Sun" (line 22)?

(A) To explain why they were obedient to their priest-chiefs.

(B) To argue about the importance of religion in their culture.

(D) To provide an example of their religious rituals.

30. The phrase "charged with" in line 26 is closest in meaning to

(A) passed on (B) experienced at

31. According to the passage, the flat-topped mounds in Mississippian towns were used for all of the following purposes EXCEPT

(A) religious ceremonies (B) meeting places for the entire community

Question 32-40

Overland transport in the United States was still extremely primitive in 1790. Roads were

few and short, usually extending from inland communities to the nearest river town or

seaport. Nearly all interstate commerce was carried out by sailing ships that served the

Line bays and harbors of the seaboard. Yet, in 1790 the nation was on the threshold of a new

(5) era of road development. Unable to finance road construction, states turned for help to

private companies, organized by merchants and land speculators who had a personal

interest in improved communications with the interior. The pioneer in this move was the

state of Pennsylvania, which chartered a company in 1792 to construct a turnpike, a road

for the use of which a toll, or payment, is collected, from Philadelphia to Lancaster. The

(10) legislature gave the company the authority to erect tollgates at points along the road

where payment would be collected, though it carefully regulated the rates. (The states had

unquestioned authority to regulate private business in this period.)

The company built a gravel road within two years, and the success of the Lancaster Pike

encouraged imitation. Northern states generally relied on private companies to build their

(15) toll roads, but Virginia constructed a network at public expense. Such was the road

building fever that by 1810 New York alone had some 1,500 miles of turnpikes extending

from the Atlantic to Lake Erie.

Transportation on these early turnpikes consisted of freight carrier wagons and passenger

stagecoaches. The most common road freight carrier was the Conestoga wagon, a vehicle

(20) developed in the mid-eighteenth century by German immigrants in the area around

Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It featured large, broad wheels able to negotiate all but the

deepest ruts and holes, and its round bottom prevented the freight from shifting on a hill.

Covered with canvas and drawn by four to six horses, the Conestoga wagon rivaled the log

cabin as the primary symbol of the frontier. Passengers traveled in a variety of

(25) stagecoaches, the most common of which had four benches, each holding three persons.

It was only a platform on wheels, with no springs; slender poles held up the top, and

leather curtains kept out dust and rain.

32. Paragraph 1 discusses early road building in the United States mainly in terms of the

(A) popularity of turnpikes (B) financing of new roads

33. The word "primitive" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) unsafe (B) unknown (C) inexpensive (D) undeveloped

34. In 1790 most roads connected towns in the interior of the country with

(A) other inland communities (B) towns in other states

35. The phrase "on the threshold of" in line 4 and 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) in need of (B) in place of

36. According to the passage, why did states want private companies to help with road building?

(A) The states could not afford to build roads themselves.

(B) The states were not as well equipped as private companies.

(D) Private companies had greater knowledge of the interior.

37. The word "it" in line 11 refers to

(A) legislature (B) company (C) authority (D) payment

38. The word "imitation" in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) investment (B) suggestion (C) increasing (D) copying

39. Virginia is mentioned as an example of a state that

(A) built roads without tollgates

(B) built roads with government money

(D) introduced new law restricting road use

40. The "large, broad wheels" of the Conestoga wagon are mentioned in line 21 as an example of a feature of wagons that was

(A) unusual in mid-eighteenth century vehicles

(B) first found in Germany

(D) responsible for frequent damage to freight

Question 41- 50

In Death Valley, California, one of the hottest, most arid places in North America, there is

much salt, and salt can damage rocks impressively. Inhabitants of areas elsewhere, where

streets and highways are salted to control ice, are familiar with the resulting rust and

Line deterioration on cars. That attests to the chemically corrosive nature of salt, but it is not

(5) the way salt destroys rocks. Salt breaks rocks apart principally by a process called crystal

prying and wedging. This happens not by soaking the rocks in salt water, but by moistening

their bottoms with salt water. Such conditions exist in many areas along the eastern edge

of central Death Valley. There, salty water rises from the groundwater table by capillary

action through tiny spaces in sediment until it reaches the surface.

(10) Most stones have capillary passages that suck salt water from the wet ground. Death

Valley provides an ultra-dry atmosphere and high daily temperatures, which promote

evaporation and the formation of salt crystals along the cracks or other openings within

stones. These crystals grow as long as salt water is available. Like tree roots breaking up a

sidewalk, the growing crystals exert pressure on the rock and eventually pry the rock apart

(15) along planes of weakness, such as banding in metamorphic rocks, bedding in sedimentary

rocks, or preexisting or incipient fractions, and along boundaries between individual

mineral crystals or grains. Besides crystal growth, the expansion of halite crystals (the same

as everyday table salt) by heating and of sulfates and similar salts by hydration can

contribute additional stresses. A rock durable enough to have withstood natural conditions

(20) for a very long time in other areas could probably be shattered into small pieces by salt

weathering within a few generations.

The dominant salt in Death Valley is halite, or sodium chloride, but other salts, mostly

carbonates and sulfates, also cause prying and wedging, as does ordinary ice. Weathering

by a variety of salts, though often subtle, is a worldwide phenomenon. Not restricted to

(25) arid regions, intense salt weathering occurs mostly in salt-rich places like the seashore,

near the large saline lakes in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and in desert sections of

Australia, New Zealand, and central Asia.

41. What is the passage mainly about?

(A) The destructive effects of salt on rocks.

(B) The impressive salt rocks in Death Valley.

(D) The damaging effects of salt on roads and highways.

42. The word "it" in line 9 refers to

(A) salty water (B) groundwater table (C) capillary action (D) sediment

43. The word "exert" in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) put (B) reduce (C) replace (D) control

44. In lines 13-17, why does the author compare tree roots with growing salt crystals?

(A) They both force hard surfaces to crack.

(B) They both grow as long as water is available.

(D) They both cause salty water to rise from the groundwater table.

45. In lines 17-18, the author mentions the "expansion of halite crystals...by heating and of sulfates and similar salts by hydration" in order to

(A) present an alternative theory about crystal growth

(B) explain how some rocks are not affected by salt

(D) introduce additional means by which crystals destroy rocks

46. The word "durable" in line 19 is closest in meaning to

(A) large (B) strong (C) flexible (D) pressured

47. The word "shattered" in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) arranged (B) dissolved

48. The word "dominant" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) most recent (B) most common

49. According to the passage, which of the following is true about the effects of salts on rocks?

(A) Only two types of salts cause prying and wedging.

(B) Salts usually cause damage only in combination with ice.

(D) Salt damage at the seashore is more severe than salt damage in Death Valley.

50. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about rocks that are found in areas where ice is common?

(A) They are protected from weathering.

(B) They do not allow capillary action of water.

(D) They contain more carbonates than sulfates.

ANSWER KEY

ACDDA ABCDB CACBC ABBDA DCBAB CCACD BBDCC AADBC AAAAD BCBCC

28 Top Tips For Exams and Tests

2012-10-18T02:05:00.000-07:00

Practical Exam Tips

1) Pens and Pencils
Some exams require the use of PENS, while others have to be completed in PENCIL. Make sure you know what you should be using in every paper before you go in.
2) Websites
All the major examination boards have websites these days, usually with sample papers and examiners' reports that you can download. These sites are well worth a visit as they may offer a lot of sound advice. The examiners' report, for instance, can give you an idea of exactly what it is that they are looking for.
3) Take Spares
Take spare pens and pencils just in case the one you are using stops working.
4) On time not In time
Allow for problems, hold-ups and traffic jams on the way and make sure you arrive with time to spare so that you can go in calmly rather than in a frantic rush.
5) It may sound stupid, but ...
Don't forget to read the instructions and make sure you know what you are being asked to do. You should go into the exam well aware of what is expected of you, but you should always check. Don't, however, waste a lot of time on this.
6) Honesty- 1
A language exam is not a test of honesty and you will not be penalized if you tell the examiners that you are CANCER rather than SAGITTARIUS in a written question simply because you are sure of how to spell it. Language Tests are quite simply that; they are designed to test your language and not your honesty- don't worry about lying or being economical with the truth in order to show off your accurate language use.
7) Zzz
Try to get a good night's sleep the night before any exam.
8) Hangovers
Try to avoid alcohol the night before an exam, especially in quantity, as a bad hangover is among the very worst things to be suffering from in an exam room.
Writing Tips

9) Writing- 1
Don't carried away and overload your writing with too many obvious connectives and contrastives; if every sentence has two or three such words or expressions, then the writing can seem strained and artificial. Remember- you can try too hard as well as not hard enough.
10) Writing- 2
Write on alternate lines (leaving every second line blank) so that you have space to make changes when checking through your work.
11) Writing- 3
Always credit your sources in academic writing, even when you are referring to ideas rather than actually quoting.
Multiple Choice Tips

12) Psychological Warfare
Examiners can choose the same letter successively for the correct answer. After three consecutive answers with the same letter, many students may well start to feel confused and worried. Eventually, many candidates will start changing their answers simple because they don't believe that examiners would have half a dozen of more questions with the same letter one after the other. They can and sometimes do; this is a real test of your comprehension and reduces the possibility of scoring by guessing.
13) Right word, wrong answer
With multiple choice comprehension questions based on a text, a simple trick is to take obvious and prominent words from the text and put them in an incorrect option. Seeing a word or phrase from the text is not enough; these questions are designed to test comprehension not recognition of a word from the passage.
Speaking Tips

14) Speaking- 1
Don't bother learning speeches and trying to say them verbatim (word-for-word) in interviews; examiners will usually spot this without too much difficulty and mark you down for it. It is very hard to do this and sound natural.
15) Speaking- 2
Do think over your answers to common questions about yourself. This an opportunity for examiners to get a general picture of your language level, especially your ability to talk about past, present and future experiences, so run these thing over in your mind and try to include corresponding verb forms accordingly.
16) Speaking- 3
If you are asked to talk about or describe a photograph, don't get too hung up on describing every visible detail. Instead, be prepared to speak in general terms about it and how the theme it illustrates affects you.
Listening Tips

17) Listening- 1
You are often given false information first that sounds as if it could be the answer to the question. An instance of this is where the information given matches one of the answers, but does not fit the criterion given in the question- the person could be talking about last week, say, when the question asks about next week. The correct information usually, but not always, comes afterwards.
18) Listening- 2
Nearly right is not the same thing as right; examiners often give information that sounds more or less correct, but is in some way unsatisfactory Adverbs and modals are often used to send you the wrong way; the listening text might use 'She may well be late' and the question 'She will be late'- this is not an exact match and consequently could easily be the wrong answer. It has to be 100% accurate to be right.
19) Listening- 3
In longer listening passages, they often try to lull you into losing concentration by having quite long sections where no information relevant to the exercise is given, then out of the blue they hit you with a couple of answers in quick succession.
20) Listening- 4
Although most longer listening passages begin with an introduction that lets you get into the flow before they start testing you, you cannot depend on this; the first word could in theory be the answer to the first question.
21) Listening- 5
Examiners will often place a word directly from the passage in a wrong answer and use a synonym *[syn.] in the correct answer; check the meaning and do not rely on word recognition to get the right answer.
Examiners & Exam Myths

22) Examiners- 1
Examiners are, by and large, sadistic so-and-sos. Their sole aim in life is to trap you and catch you out.
23) Examiners- 2
In multiple choice exercises, examiners have been known to use the same letter for the correct answer several times in succession (a, a, a, a, a, etc). This is unsettling and can make students worry that their answers must be wrong; it does not. I once gave a Cambridge Proficiency group an entire Reading Comprehension exercise (25 questions) with the same answer for all. The students started changing their answers and choosing wrong ones because they couldn't believe that this was possible. While I have never seen it, there is nothing to stop them doing it. They are there to test your understanding and will play psychological games to make you doubt yourself, and this is one little trick they use. It also has the advantage of reducing the possibly of inaccurate scores achieved by guessing, as few would guess in a regular pattern, but would try to vary their answers across the range of possibilities. From their perspective, grouping a few consecutive answers with the same letter makes sense.
24) Examiners- 3
Many students and teachers try to analyse exams and work out patterns. In one Cambridge First Certificate exercise, there were usually between four and six correct sentences. Then one year there were only two. Patterns may help, but beware of relying on them; examiners will change them without warning.
25) Exam Myth 1
Apparently, a philosophy student got a first class grade for a paper which had "Is this a question?" as an essay title. Instead of going into the nature of questions, etc, he or she simply wrote "Yes, if this is an answer." Perhaps you should read Exam Myth 2 before feeling encouraged to do likewise.
26) Exam Myth 2
When asked "What is courage?", another philosophy student wrote "This." He or she failed; even though it was, indeed, courageous to stake their degree on such an answer, it was not held to have answered the question. The answer was an example and not an explanation.
27) Exam Myth 3
An Oxford undergraduate, or so the story goes, discovered an ancient regulation that allowed a gentleman to send the invigilator to buy a quart (Two pints or 1.14 liters of ale (beer) during the exam for the student's refreshment. He duly ordered it and produced his evidence and was bought the beer. The following day, the invigilator approached him with a hat, gown and sword, which another old regulation stipulated had to be worn at all times. So, the student had to to sit through the exam in a stuffy hall on a hot day in a heavy hat, etc.
28) Exam Myth 4
A student used amphetamines (a chemical stimulant) to stay awake to study all night in the days leading up to an exam, hoping to make up for lost time. Feeling shattered on the morning of the exam, they took a huge dose to make sure they were bright and alert and didn't fall asleep halfway through. Throughout the exam, they scribbled away frantically; writing page after page. Unfortunately, they'd taken so much of the stimulant that they failed to notice that they had written everything on the same side of paper, which meant that instead of handing in a dozen sheets of paper, they had one so covered in writing that it had turned black.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (S)

2012-06-11T20:47:00.002-07:00

SACROSANCT: Very holy - a shrine. regarded as sacrosanct. Synonyms: consecrated, inviolable, hallowed.

SAGACIOUS (noun: SAGACITY): Wise; shrewd - proved to be sagacious in his judgment. Synonyms: perspicacious, astute, sapient, discerning, sage.

SALLOW: Sick - a sallow complexion. Synonym: pallid. Antonyms: rubicund, ruddy, florid.

SALLY: (verb): To rush forth suddenly - sallied out to meet the enemy. (noun): A Witty remark - amused the audience with his sallies against his opponent. Synonyms: quip, banter.

SANCTIMONIOUS: Pretending to be religious - showed his hypocrisy in a sanctimonious display of piety.

SANGUINARY: Bloody - a sanguinary battle. Synonym: gory.

SANGUINE: Of a hopeful disposition; blood-red in color - a perennial optimist, sanguine in temperament. Synonyms: buoyant, ardent.

SARTORIAL: Pertaining to a tailor or clothes - a picture of sartorial perfection.

SATELLITE: (1) An attentive or flattering follower - a prince surrounded by many satellites. Synonyms: lackey, toady, disciple, adherent; adj., fawning, obsequious, partisan. (2) A country influenced or controlled by another - Freedom is conspicuously absent ,in the Soviet satellites. (3) A body (natural or artificial) which revolves around a larger body, generally a planet - The moon is the only natural satellite of the earth, but in recent years it has been joined by many artificial satellites.

SCINTILLA: A trace; a particle - not a scintilla of convincing evidence. Synonyms: iota; vestige.

SCOURGE (verb): To punish severely; to afflict; to whip - a disease that scourged the country. Synonyms: excoriate, flay. (noun). A whip or other means of punishment; a cause of affliction - The Black Plague was a dreadful scourge of the Middle Ages. Synonym: tribulation.

SCRUTINIZE: To examine carefully -scrutinized the contents of the letter.

SHIBBOLETH: A party slogan - a shibboleth designed to attract votes.

SIMPER (verb): To smile in a silly or affected way simpered as he greeted each guest. (noun): An affected or silly smile - stood nervously, a simper on his face. Synonym: (verb and noun) smirk.

SINECURE: Employment entailing little or no responsibility or labor - His job was a sinecure.

SINISTER: Threatening or showing evil; dishonest - the sinister look of a gangster.

SLEAZY: Flimsy and cheap - sleazy cloth which is used only in cheap garments. Synonym: unsubstantial.

SLOVENLY: Untidy-severely criticized the student's slovenly appearance. Synonyms: slipshod, slatternly, frowzy.

SOPORIFIC: Tending to induce sleep - a poorly written novel, soporific in effect.

SORDID: Mean and base; filthy - Sordid motives breed selfish actions. Synonyms: degraded, vile, ignoble.

SOVEREIGN: Supreme m power and authority; independent of the control of any other government - possessing sovereign powers; a sovereign state. Synonyms: autonomous, imperial, majestic, paramount.

SPORADIC: Occurring singly, at irregular intervals; scattered - sporadic cases of illness.

SPURN: To refuse or reject with contempt - an offer that was spurned instantly. Synonyms: repel, snub.

STOIC: Indifferent, calm in bearing pain or pleasure; practising remarkable self-control over emotions - maintained a stoic attitude despite all his trials. Synonyms: stolid, impassive.

STRINGENT: Strict; compelling, constraining stringent regulations; stringent requirements. Synonyms: exacting, rigid. Antonym: lax.

STUPENDOUS: Amazing by, virtue of its immense size, force, or any quality in exceptional degree - The circus is a stupendous spectacle. Synonyms: astounding, prodigious, monstrous, marvelous, colossal, awful.

SUCCULENT: juicy - a succulent steak. Antonyms: desiccated, vapid.

SULTRY: Close, hot, and moist - sultry tropical weather.

SUPINE: (1) Lying flat on the back - resting in a supine position. Antonym: erect. (2) Inert, inactive, averse to taking action - a supine, ineffective administrator. Synonyms: listless, torpid.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (R)

2012-06-11T20:46:00.004-07:00

RACONTEUR: A skilled storyteller - held spellbound by a superb raconteur.

RADICAL (noun): One who advocates extreme basic changes - The reform movement was led by a radical. (adj.): Thorough, extreme - radical measures adopted to meet the emergency. Antonym (noun and adj.): conservative.

RAMIFICATION: A branching; sub-division - studied the subject in all its ramifications.

RAZE: To tear down completely- razed the old building. Synonyms: level. Antonym: rear.

RECAPITULATE: To restate in a brief, concise form; to sum up - recapitulated the main ideas.

RECIPROCAL: Mutual; done in return for something received - held each other in reciprocal esteem.

RECUMBENT: Lying down; leaning back or down - resting in a recumbent position.

REDOLENT: (1) Fragrant - a room redolent of roses. Synonym: aromatic. (2) Reminiscent of - redolent of olden times.

REDOUBTABLE: Commanding fear or respect - cringing before a redoubtable enemy. Synonym: formidable.

REFUTE: To prove incorrect or false-refuted his opponent's argument. Synonyms: rebut, confute. Antonyms: substantiate, confirm, corroborate.

REITERATE: Repeat (several times) - reiterated his story once more.

REMUNERATIVE: Profitable - a remunerative job. Synonyms: lucrative, gainful.

RENEGADE: One who forsakes political or party principles or his religious faith - a renegade from his former allegiance. Synonyms: turncoat, apostate, recreant, traitor.

REPRISAL: Injury inflicted in turn for one received - took action in reprisal against his neighbor. Synonym: retaliation.

RESENTMENT: Feeling of displeasure or indignation resulting from mistreatment or abuse - showed resentment at what he considered an unwarranted insult. Synonyms: umbrage, dudgeon, animosity.

RESILIENT: Elastic; light-hearted; possessing power of recovery - a resilient Spirit, refusing to admit defeat. Synonyms: flexible, pliable, supple, limber.

RESPITE: (1) Temporary deferment or cessation of work or pain - a brief respite from labor. Synonym: surcease. (2) A temporary delay in the execution of -a sentence - granted the doom man a temporary respite. Synonym: reprieve.

RETRIBUTION: The reward or punishment exacted for an injury, wickedness, or other action - suffered just retribution for his folly. Synonyms: requital, nemesis.

RETRIEVE: (1) To make good -retrieved a mistake. (2) To recover -retrieved the suitcase left at the station. (3) To restore - retrieved his lost fortunes.

REVERBERATE: To echo - a shot reverberating through the valley. Synonym: resound.

RUDIMENTARY: In an early stage of development - possessing only a rudimentary, knowledge of physics. Synonym: incipient.

RUE (adj.: RUEFUL): To be sorry for-He will rue the day he left home. Synonyms: regret, repent.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (Q)

2012-06-11T20:46:00.001-07:00

QUASH: To crush; to render void - quashed a rebellion; quashed an indictment. Synonyms: suppress, extinguish, quell; annul.

QUERULOUS: Given to fault-finding and complaining - Her querulous nature estranged many people. Synonyms: fretful, whining, captious, carping, peevish, petulant. Antonym: affable.

QUIXOTIC: Extravagantly romantic or idealistic; highly impractical - a quixotic scheme that can never materialize. Synonyms: utopian, visionary, fantastic.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (P)

2012-06-11T20:45:00.003-07:00

PANACEA: A remedy for all ills - seeking a panacea to cure our social troubles. Synonym: nostrum.

PANEGYRIC: A speech or writing of extravagant praise - delivered a panegyric at his friend's testimonial dinner. Synonyms: eulogy, adulation, tribute, laudation (adj. laudatory), encomium. Antonyms: censure, disparagement, derogation, castigation, depreciation.

PARADOX: A self -contradictory statement; something 'that appears to be absurd and yet may be true -"Life is too important a matter to he taken seriously." - a paradox by Oscar Wilde. Synonym: anomaly.

PARAPHRASE: To restate the meaning of a passage in other words - paraphrased the poem in a few lines of prose.

PARODY (noun): A humorous imitation of an author's style and mannerisms - wrote a parody on Kipling's "Gunga Din." Synonym: burlesque. (verb): To write a parody - parodied the popular authors of the (lay to his audience's amusement. Synonym: Mimic.

PECCADILLO: A petty fault-possesses one peccadillo among his many virtues. Synonyms: frailty, foible, flaw, blemish.

PECUNIARY: Pertaining to money - involved in pecuniary difficulties. Synonyms; financial, fiscal, monetary.

PEDANT (adj.: PEDANTIC): One who proudly shows off his learning or who overrates his knowledge - like a pedant glorying in his scholarly trifles.

PENSIVE: Sadly thoughtful - softly sang his pensive song. Synonyms: reflective, meditative, contemplative, musing.

PEREMPTORY: Positive in expressing an opinion - gave a peremptory judgment. Synonyms: decisive, resolute, imperious, positive, dogmatic. Antonyms: indecisive, tentative.

PERTINACIOUS: Clinging doggedly to an opinion or purpose - pertinacious in his efforts. Synonyms: obdurate, tenacious, persistent, persevering, intractable, inflexible.

PERUSE: To read carefully - perused the important letter.

PERVERSE: Willfully bent on doing the wrong thing - a perverse lad, always disobeying his parents. Synonyms: headstrong, froward, refractory, wayward, fractious.

PETRIFY: To paralyze with horror, fear, or surprise - petrified by the enemy bombardment. Synonyms: stupefy, stun, bewilder, amaze.

PLAGIARISM. Adopting and reproducing, without acknowledgment, the writings or ideas of another and passing them off as one's own - denied the charge of deliberate plagiarism.

PLATITUDE: A dull and commonplace remark - bored people by his pompous phrases and platitudes. Synonyms: bromide, truism, axiom.

PLEBEIAN: Pertaining to the common people; hence, common or vulgar - plebeian in his tastes and outlook. Antonyms: patrician, aristocratic.

PLEBISCITE. A direct vote by the people - The decision to confederate was ratified by plebiscite.

POIGNANT: (1) Gripping and moving the feelings powerfully - a poignant grief. (2) Piercing, biting, pointed - a poignant cry; poignant wit.

PONDEROUS: Very heavy; clumsy; dull - a ponderous speech, extremely boring.

PRECARIOUS: Uncertain or risky - earning a precarious livelihood, providing no luxuries.

PRECIPITOUS: (1) Very steep - a precipitous cliff. (2) Descending rapidly - a precipitous decline in popularity.

PRELUDE: An introduction, forerunner, or preliminary step - a short prelude to the play. Synonyms: preface, prologue, preamble. Antonym: epilogue.

PREROGATIVE: A privilege or power attaching to a position - It is a woman's prerogative to refuse to tell her age. Synonym: license.

PRESTIGE: Esteem or influence accorded for recognized achievements or reputation - As Senator he enjoyed great prestige. Synonym: distinction.

PRESUMPTION: (1) Something taken for granted - acted on a reasonable presumption. (2) Going beyond proper bounds; impudent boldness - His question was downright presumption. Synonyms: effrontery, forwardness, arrogance.

PREVARICATE: To disguise or conceal the truth to lie - prevaricated in order to avoid detection. Synonyms: quibble, equivocate; (adj.) mendacious. Antonyms: (noun) veracity, verity; (adj.) forthright.

PROCRASTINATE: To postpone or put off to another time - missed his opportunity by procrastinating too long. Synonyms: defer, delay.

PROGNOSTICATE (noun: PROGNOSIS): To forecast - The Weather Bureau prognosticates daily. Synonyms: presage, portend, augur, forebode.

PROLETARIAT: The wage-earning class - a truckman, humble member of the proletariat.

PROMONTORY: A cliff - an imposing promontory along the coast. Synonyms: headland, precipice.

PROMULGATE: To publish or proclaim; to spread abroad The President promulgated a decree. Synonym: disseminate.

PROTUBERANT: Bulging or swelling out - a protuberant jaw. Antonyms: receding, recessive.

PROVISIONAL: Temporary; for the time being - a provisional plan until a permanent decision is reached. Synonym: tentative.

PROXIMITY: Nearness-worked in close proximity to his home. Synonyms: propinquity, vicinity. Antonym remoteness.

PSEUDONYM: A false name assumed by a writer - concealed his identity by a pseudonym. Synonyms: alias, pen name, nom de plume.

PUNITIVE: Inflicting, or concerned with, punishment - took punitive measures against deserters.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (O)

2012-06-11T20:44:00.002-07:00

OBDURATE: Hard-hearted; stubborn - an obdurate, unrepentant criminal. Synonyms: adamant, unyielding, inflexible. Antonyms: submissive, docile, compliant.

OBLIVIOUS (noun: OBLIVION): Forgetful; absent-minded - walking oblivious of his surroundings. Synonyms: unmindful, heedless, abstracted.

OBSESSION: A persistent feeling, idea, activity, etc., which dominates a person; the state of being exclusively preoccupied by a fixed idea - Now that he has learned bowling, it has become his obsession. Synonyms: mania, infatuation (a foolish passion), monomania.

OBSOLETE: No longer in use - an obsolete word, not even included by most dictionaries. Synonyms: archaic, antiquated.

OBTRUSIVE (verb: OBTRUDE): Thrusting oneself or itself into undue prominence - made himself obnoxiously obtrusive. Synonyms: intrusive, aggressive.

OBVIATE: To prevent, dispose of, or make unnecessary by appropriate actions - an act which obviated all objections. Synonyms: preclude, forestall.

OMNIPOTENT: All-powerful - an omnipotent despot.

ONUS: Burden; duty; obligation - bore the onus of his difficult office creditably.

OSTENSIBLE: Apparent; pretended - his ostensible, though not actual, purpose. Synonyms: professed, plausible (that is, appearing true, reasonable, or fair), specious.

OSTRACIZE: To banish; to exclude from public favor or privileges - a former premier ostracized by popular vote. Synonym: outlaw.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (N)

2012-06-11T20:42:00.001-07:00

NAUTICAL: Pertaining to ships or navigation - a nautical career. Synonyms: marine, naval, maritime. NETTLE: To irritate or provoke - nettled by his critics. Synonyms: vex, pique, goad. NOCTURNAL: Pertaining to, or occurring in, the night - awakened by the sounds of a nocturnal prowler. Antonym: diurnal. NOISOME: Foul-smelling; harmful-the swamp gave off a noisome odor. Synonyms: malodorous, fetid, disgusting; noxious, deleterious. Antonym: salubrious. NONCHALANT: Unmoved or indifferent; casual - reacted to the news in a nonchalant manner. Synonym: apathetic. Antonyms: enthusiastic, zealous. NOSTALGIA: Homesickness - felt nostalgia for the old homestead. NOTORIOUS: Widely known (in a bad sense) - a notorious gambler. NOVICE: A beginner - conducted himself in politics like a novice. Synonyms: tyro, neophyte. Antonym: virtuoso. NOSTALGIA: Homesickness - felt nostalgia for the old homestead. NOTORIOUS: Widely known (in a bad sense) - a notorious gambler. NOVICE: A beginner - conducted himself in politics like a novice. Synonyms: tyro, neophyte. Antonym: virtuoso. Please leave a comment IF you like the entry. It's like visiting a place where there is a guest book by the front door. Before you exit, you sign it to leave a note about your experience of the place. I know that people are visiting by virtue of site meter, but almost no one leaves a comment. If you are in a hurry (and who isn't these days?), just leave a "thanks". Thanks

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (M)

2011-09-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

MACHIAVELLIAN: Sacrificing moral principles in order to attain power; politically cunning; crafty - a machiavellian design, wickedly contrived. Synonym: unscrupulous.

MALICIOUS (noun: MALICE): Bearing, or acting with, deliberate ill-will or spite - hurting with malicious intent. Synonyms: rancorous, malignant, malevolent, virulent, vindictive. Antonym: benign.

MASQUERADE (verb): To assume a deceptive appearance or character - a thief masquerading as an honest man. Synonyms: dissemble, feign. (noun): A disguise; a group of people in disguise or fancy costumes - a masquerade so perfect no one could guess his identity.

MAUDLIN: Sentimental to the point of tears - turned maudlin at the mention of his lost dog. Synonym: mawkish, lachrymose.

MEANDER: To walk about (or talk) aimlessly; to wind about (as a stream) - meandered through the town, looking into shop windows. Synonym: ramble.

MEDIOCRE: Average in quality - a mediocre performance, unworthy of his talents.

MERCENARY: Acting solely from a consideration of reward or profit - actuated by a mercenary motive. Synonym: venal.

MERETRICIOUS: Attracting in a false, cheap, or showy manner- a meretricious beauty that is too flashy to be real. Synonyms: tawdry, specious.

METICULOUS: Fussy about minute details - took meticulous pains with his composition. Synonyms: fastidious, punctilious, overscrupulous, finical, methodical. Antonyms: desultory, perfunctory, slovenly.

METTLE (adj.: METTLESOME: high-spirited ): Disposition; spirit; courage - His mettle was tried in battle. Idiom: to be on one's mettle (meaning, “ready to do one's best”). Synonyms: temperament, ardor.

MICROCOSM: A little world, or a universe in miniature this village, a microcosm of the great outside world. Antonym macrocosm (world on a large scale).

MIMIC: To make fun of or copy by imitating - mimicked the comedian's gestures.

MISANTHROPIC (noun: MISANTHROPE): Hating or distrusting mankind - condemned for his misanthropic views. Antonyms: philanthropic, altruistic.

MISNOMER: A name or term that describes wrongly - To call him a brave man is really a misnomer.

MONOLOGUE: A speech by one person - The actor gave his views in a dramatic monologue. Synonym: soliloquy. Antonyms: colloquy (adj. colloquial): conversation between two or more persons; dialogue: conversation between two persons.

MOROSE: Gloomy; ill-humored - shunned because of his morose temper. Synonyms: sulky, crabbed, sullen, splenetic, saturnine. Antonyms: blithe, genial.

MOTLEY: Of various colors; of mixed ingredients - a motley costume; a motley crowd. Synonyms: checkered (referring to a varied career), piebald, variegated, diverse, heterogeneous. Antonym: homogeneous.

MOTTLED: Spotted or streaked with varied colors - a mottled pony. Synonyms: blotched, dappled.

MUNDANE: Of, or pertaining to, the world, as contrasted with the spirit - mundane affairs. Synonyms: earthly, terrestrial, secular, temporal.

MURKY: Dark; cloudy - a murky cavern. Synonyms: dismal, tenebrous, fuliginous. Antonyms: resplendent, glowing, lustrous, luminous, fulgent, coruscating.

MUTABLE: Given to frequent change in nature, mood, or form - mutable in mood as a spring wind. Synonyms: vacillating, fickle, inconstant, fitful, mercurial, wavering, capricious. Antonyms: constant, steady.

MYRIAD: Innumerable - the myriad stars in the heavens.

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (L)

2011-04-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

LABYRINTH (adj.: LABYRINTHINE): A structure or intricate passage out of which it is difficult to find one's way (also applied to spiritual and intellectual complexities) - confused by a labyrinth of intellectual discussions. Synonym: maze.

LACHRYMOSE: Causing or given to shedding tears - a lachrymose tragedy.

LACONIC: Saying much in few words - a laconic reply that spoke volumes. Synonyms: concise, pithy, terse, succinct, taciturn, reticent. Antonyms: verbose, prolix, redundant, diffuse, tautological, turgid, garrulous, voluble.

LARCENY: Theft - indicted for grand larceny.

LATENT: Hidden; present but not fully developed - latent talent that time will reveal. Synonyms: dormant, quiescent, covert, potential. Antonyms: apparent, patent.

LAVISH: (1) Profuse or generous - lavish in praise. Synonyms: ample, superabundant. (2) Given to extravagance - a lavish spender. Synonyms: prodigal, munificent, magnanimous. Antonyms: parsimonious, niggardly, frugal, penurious.

LETHAL: Deadly - a lethal weapon. Synonyms: mortal, fatal.

LONGEVITY: Prolonged duration of life - a country remarkable for the longevity of its inhabitants.

LOW: To bellow softly like cattle - the lowing herd in the meadow. Synonym: moo.

LUCID: Clear; transparent; easily understood - a lucid explanation of a difficult text. Synonyms: pellucid, perspicuous, intelligible, limpid, luminous, translucent. Antonyms: abstruse, obscure.

LUDICROUS: Ridiculous; producing laughter - a ludicrous remark that set them all to roaring. Synonyms: mirthful, droll, comical, absurd. Antonyms: doleful, lugubrious, dismal.

LUMINARY: An eminent person; a celestial body - the platform graced by a number of luminaries.

Please leave a comment IF you like the entry. It's like visiting a place where there is a guest book by the front door. Before you exit, you sign it to leave a note about your experience of the place.I know that people are visiting by virtue of site meter, but almost no one leaves a comment.If you are in a hurry (and who isn't these days?), just leave a "thanks".Thanks

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (K)

2011-03-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (L)

2011-03-28T11:03:00.000-07:00