400 must-have words for the toefl

Question 1

1. abandon

Answer 1

v. To leave; to give up
traducción: abandonar, rendirse, dejar
-To save their lives, the sailors had to abandon the sinking ship.-
Parts of speech: abandonment (n)

Question 2

2. adversely

Answer 2

adv. In a harmful way; negatively
traducción: desfavorablemente, negativamente
-Excessive rainfall early in the spring can adversely affect the planting of crops.-
*Usage tips: Adversely is often followed by affect.
*Parts of speech: adversity (n) [adversidad, infortunio, desafio], adverse (adj) [adverso, contrario, desfavorable]

Question 3

3. aggregate

Answer 3

adj. Gathered into or amounting to a whole
It is impossible to judge last year’s performance without knowing
the aggregate sales numbers.
Usage tips Aggregate is often followed by a term like sum, total, or
numbers.
Parts of speech aggregate v, aggregate n

Question 4

4. cultivation

Answer 4

n. Preparing the land to grow crops; improvement for
agricultural purposes
With the development of land cultivation, hunters and gatherers
were able to settle in one place.
Parts of speech cultivate v

Question 5

5. fertilize

Answer 5

v. To supply with nourishment for plants by adding helpful
substances to the soil
This farm fertilizes tomatoes more than any other crop.
Parts of speech fertilizer n, fertilization n

Question 6

6. intensify

Answer 6

v. To increase in power; to act with increased strength
Jacob’s long absence intensified his certainty that he should marry
Rose.
Parts of speech intensification n, intense adj

Question 7

7. irrigation

Answer 7

n. The supplying of water to dry land
In dry areas of the country, you can see ditches all over the farmland
for irrigation.
Parts of speech irrigate v

Question 8

8. obtain

Answer 8

v. To gain possession of; to get
After a series of difficult interviews, he finally was able to obtain
the job.

Question 9

9. photosynthesis

Answer 9

n. The process by which green plants make their
own food by combining water, salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence
of light.
Oxygen is a by-product of the process of photosynthesis.
Parts of speech photosynthesize v

Question 10

10. precipitation

Answer 10

n. Water that falls to the Earth’s surface
In the Pacific Northwest, the high level of precipitation ensures rich,
green plant life.

Question 11

11. anticipate

Answer 11

v. To expect; to sense something before it happens
By placing sensors in earthquake-prone areas, scientists can anticipate
some tremors in time to warn the public.
Parts of speech anticipation n, anticipatory adj

Question 12

12. catastrophic

Answer 12

adj. Extremely harmful; causing financial or physical
ruin
The architect died in a catastrophic elevator accident.
Parts of speech catastrophe n, catastrophically adv

Question 13

13. collide

Answer 13

v. To come together with great or violent force
As usual, their holiday was ruined when their in-laws’ views on politics
collided with their own.
Parts of speech collision n

Question 14

14. eruption

Answer 14

n. A sudden, often violent, outburst
The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 caused 57 deaths and
immeasurable change to the face of the mountain.
Usage tips Eruption is often followed by an of phrase.
Parts of speech erupt v

Question 15

15. famine

Answer 15

n. Severe hunger; a drastic food shortage
The potato famine in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century caused
large numbers of Irish people to emigrate to America.

Question 16

16. flood

Answer 16

n. An overflowing of water; an excessive amount
The constant rain and poor drainage system caused a flood in town.
The political party sent out a flood of letters criticizing their
opponents.
Parts of speech flood v

Question 17

17. impact

Answer 17

n. A strong influence
The speech about the importance of education made an impact
on me.
Usage tips Impact is usually followed by on or of.
Parts of speech impact v

Question 18

18. persevere

Answer 18

v. To keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to
maintain a purpose
The hikers persevered despite the bad weather and the icy trail.
Parts of speech persist v, persistent adj

Question 19

19. plunge

Answer 19

v. To go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in a
short time
He jumped off the diving board and plunged into the pool.
The value of the company’s stock plunged after its chief executive
was arrested.
8 Nature
Usage tips Plunge is often followed by an into phrase.
Parts of speech plunge n

Question 20

20. unleash

Answer 20

v. To release a thing or an emotion
When they saw the strange man on their property, they unleashed
their dogs.
He is from such an unemotional family, he will never learn to unleash
his feelings.