Barron's TOEFL - Lesson 28

Question 1

(informal) annoying

Answer 1

aggravating

> > > I find him really aggravating.
The aggravating delay was caused by road repairs.

Question 2

1) to make a bad situation worse:
​
2) to make a disease worse:

Answer 2

aggravate /ˈæɡ.rə.veɪt/

> > > Attempts to restrict parking in the city centre have further aggravated the problem of traffic congestion.

> > > The treatment only aggravated the condition.

Question 3

the feeling you have when you think something is funny

Answer 3

amusement / əˈmjuːzmənt /

+ with/in amusement
»> Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
»> She looked at him in amusement.
»> Steve couldn’t hide his amusement.
+ to sb’s amusement (= in a way that makes someone laugh or smile )
»> They were dancing and singing in the car, “much to the amusement” of passers-by.
»> The cats are a constant “source of amusement” to us.

Question 4

funny and entertaining :

Answer 4

amusing / əˈmjuːzɪŋ / adjective

> > > I don’t “find his jokes at all amusing . “
a “highly amusing” (= very amusing ) film
+ an amusing story/anecdote/incident etc
The book is full of amusing stories about his childhood.
+ mildly/vaguely amusing (= a little amusing, but not very )
a mildly amusing spectacle

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In everyday English, people usually say funny rather than amusing :
Someone told me a really funny joke.

Question 5

(formal) an activity you do for entertainment:

Answer 5

diversion
noun uk ​ /daɪˈvɜː.ʃən/

> > > Reading is a pleasant diversion.

Question 6

a change in the direction or use of something, or the act of changing it

Answer 6

diversion / daɪˈvɜːʃ ə n, də- $ -ɜːrʒ ə n / noun

+ diversion of
»> the diversion of the river
»> the diversion of funds into the military budget

> > > ## the diversion of money to other projects(British English) a different way that traffic is sent when the usual roads are closed = US detour
Traffic diversions will be kept to a minimum throughout the festival.

Question 7

able to be believed or imagined

Answer 7

conceivable / kənˈsiːvəb ə l / adjective

OPP inconceivable
= possible , feasible

> > > “It is conceivable that” you may get full compensation, but it’s not likely.
We were discussing the problems from “every conceivable” angle.

> > > ## It is conceivable that humans will travel to distant planets one day.— conceivably adverb :
Conceivably, interest rates could rise very high indeed.
They could conceivably earn first place with their science project.

Question 8

conceive

Answer 8

/ kənˈsiːv / verb

(formal)
to imagine a particular situation or to think about something in a particular way

+ (cannot) conceive of (doing) something
»> Many people can’t conceive of a dinner without meat or fish.
+ conceive that
»> He could not conceive that anything really serious could be worrying his friend.
+ conceive what/why/how etc
»> I can hardly conceive what it must be like here in winter.

Question 9

Date

Merely
Barely

⛧ serial / ˈsɪəriəl/
⛧ cereal / ˈsɪəriəl/
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Answer 9

Tenth of March
March the tenth
———-

Merely: /miəli/
= only
➡ We’re merely good friends.
➡ He’s merely a boy.

Barely /beəli/
= hardly , ⚌ almost not
به سختی -
➡She was very old andbarely ableto walk.
⛧ barely audible/perceptible/visible/discernible etc
➡His voice was barely audible.

➡ She was barely aware of his presence.

Question 10

run out

phrasal verb

Answer 10

+ a) to use all of something and not have any more left :
»> I’ve got money you can borrow if you run out.
+ run out of
»> They ran out of money and had to abandon the project.
»> He’d run out of ideas.
+ b) if something is running out, there will soon be none left :
»> We must act now because time is running out.
»> My patience was running out.
»> His luck had run out (= there was none left ) .
+ 2 if an agreement, official document etc runs out, the period for which it is legal or has an effect ends SYN expire :
»> My contract runs out in September.

Question 11

a disease that is contagious can be passed from person to person by touch

Answer 11

contagious / kənˈteɪdʒəs / adjective

> > > ## The infection is “highly contagious”, so don’t let anyone else use your towel.A contagious person has a contagious disease:
Keep him out of school until he’s not contagious anymore.
———–
A contagious feeling spreads quickly among people:
Fear is contagious.
her contagious enthusiasm

[indigenous / ɪnˈdɪdʒ ə nəs / adjective formal
SYN native ]
———————————————————
an infectious illness can be passed from one person to another, especially through the air you breathe:
»> infectious diseases
»> Flu is highly infectious.

Question 12

to change from one form or state to another

Answer 12

convert / kənˈvɜːt $ -ˈvɜːrt / verb

+ convert something to/into something
»> They converted the spare bedroom into an office.
»> The stocks can be easily converted to cash.
»> a 19th-century converted barn (= barn changed into a house )

+ convert to/into
»> a sofa that converts into a bed
»> In the process, the light energy converts to heat energy.
»> people who have recently converted to vegetarianism

> > > When boiled, liquids convert to gases.
The conversion from Fahrenheit to centigrade can be easily made.
—————-
(to change to a different religion)
+ convert to
She converted to Catholicism.

Question 13

curative

Answer 13

/ ˈkjʊərətɪv $ ˈkjʊr- / adjective
+ able to or intended to cure illness
»> the spring’s alleged curative properties
— curative noun [ countable ] :
»> This herb was once thought to be a curative.

> > > The curative properties of certain plants have been well documented.
There is no simple cure for the ills of society.

curable / ˈkjʊərəb ə l $ ˈkjʊr- / adjective
an illness that is curable can be cured
OPP incurable
———-
cure verb [ transitive ]
1 to make an illness or medical condition go away :
»> Many types of cancer can now be cured.
»> an operation that can cure short-sightedness in 15 minutes

Question 14

weakness, especially as the result of illness

Answer 14

debility / dɪˈbɪləti, dɪˈbɪlɪti / noun ( plural debilities ) formal
»> physical and mental debility

Question 15

to make someone ill and weak

Answer 15

debilitate / dɪˈbɪləteɪt, dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt / verb [ transitive ] formal
»> He was debilitated by his illness.
— debilitating adjective :
»> a debilitating disease
—————
2 to make an organization or system less effective or powerful
»> The state is debilitated by inefficiency and corruption.

Question 16

to reduce the amount of something that is present or available

Answer 16

deplete / dɪˈpliːt / verb

> > > Salmon populations have been “severely depleted . “
— depletion / dɪˈpliːʃ ə n / noun [ uncountable ]
the depletion of the ozone layer
—————
She depleted all of her savings to buy the word processor.
The depletion of the Earth’s oil reserves poses a threat to our current style of life.
—————

> > > If we continue to deplete the earth’s natural resources, we will cause serious damage to the environment.

> > > The illness “depletes the body of” important vitamins.

(humorous)
»> That last holiday seriously depleted my bank account!

Question 17

deplorable

Answer 17

/ dɪˈplɔːrəb ə l / adjective (formal )
very bad, unpleasant, and shocking 
SYN appalling : 
>>> The prisoners were held in deplorable conditions . 
>>> His conduct was deplorable. 
------------

> > > I thought his behaviour was absolutely deplorable.
They are forced to live in deplorable conditions.
The children were raised in deplorable conditions

Question 18

someone who might become acustomer,buyer, etc.

Answer 18

⛧ a prospective customer/buyer/candidate, etc.

➡ What is the best way ofcontacting prospectivecustomers?

➡ Oneplanthas beensoldand seven have prospectivebuyers.

➡ Thecareersfairgivesstudentsa chance tomeetprospectiveemployers.

Question 19

trunk / trʌŋk / noun [ countable ]

Answer 19

1 TREE the thick central woody stem of a tree :
»> He left his bicycle leaning against a tree trunk .
+ trunk of
»> the trunk of an old oak tree
2 CAR American English the part at the back of a car where you can put bags, tools etc
SYN boot (British English)
»> Put your suitcase in the trunk.
3 ELEPHANT the very long nose of an ELEPHANT

Question 20

horticulture / ˈhɔːtəˌkʌltʃə, ˈhɔːtɪˌkʌltʃə $ ˈhɔːrtəˌkʌltʃər / noun

Answer 20

the practice or science of growing flowers, fruit, and vegetables

> > > ## He graduated in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and a minor in agronomy.— horticultural adjective
— horticulturalist

Question 21

biome / ˈbaɪəʊm $ -oʊm / noun

Answer 21

technical
a type of environment that is described according to the typical weather conditions and plants that exist there
زيست بوم
»> The different areas in fact, including the two biomes. The biomes are the clear domes that you see from here.

Question 22

a type of weather or a part of the world that is never very hot or very cold

Answer 22

+ temperate climate/zone/region etc
»> temperate regions.‧
»> The weather here continues to be temperate!
———

(formal) behaviour that is temperate is calm and sensible
OPP intemperate

Question 23

the tropics

Answer 23

the hottest part of the world, which is around the EQUATOR :
plant species found in the tropics

Question 24

an imaginary line drawn around the middle of the Earth that is exactly the same distance from the North Pole and the South Pole

Answer 24

equator , Equator / ɪkweɪtə $ -ər / noun

the equator

+ on/at/near the equator
a small village near the equator

Question 25

having an end or a limit

Answer 25

finite AC / ˈfaɪnaɪt /  adjective 
 OPP infinite : 
= limited
>>> the Earth’s finite resources 
>>> There were a finite number of explanations for the unusual reactions.

Question 26

someone who is perceptive notices things quickly and understands situations, people’s feelings etc well – used to show approval

Answer 26

perceptive / pəˈseptɪv $ pər- / adjective

> > > a perceptive young man
highly perceptive comments
You’re right. “That’s very perceptive of you”.

Question 27

tranquil

word family

Answer 27

/ ˈtræŋkwəl, ˈtræŋkwɪl / adjective
pleasantly calm, quiet, and peaceful :
»> a small tranquil village
»> His tranquil manner of expression made us all feel more secure.
—————–
tranquilly (noun)
»> The tranquility of the lake at sunrise inspired a profound sense of well-being.
——————
tranquillize , tranquillise British English , tranquilize American English / ˈtræŋkwəlaɪz, ˈtræŋkwɪlaɪz / verb
[to make a person or animal calm or unconscious by using a drug]

tranquillizer , noun [ countable ]
[a drug used for making someone feel less anxious ]

> > > For the patient showing extreme distress, a tranquillizer may be indicated.
Hofmeyr gave the elephant a small shot of tranquillizer.

Question 28

trap

verb

Answer 28

trap ( past tense and past participle trapped , present participle trapping )
1 [ usually passive ] to prevent someone from escaping from somewhere, especially a dangerous place :

> > > Twenty miners were trapped underground.
Dozens of people were trapped in the rubble when the building collapsed.
There’s no way out! We’re trapped!

2 be/feel trapped to be in a bad situation from which you cannot escape
be/feel trapped in
»> Julia felt trapped in her role of wife and mother.

3 to catch an animal or bird using a trap

4 British English to get a part of your body crushed between two objects SYN pinch American English :
»> Mind you don’t trap your fingers in the door.
»> pain from a “trapped nerve “

Question 29

to keep something or continue to have something

Answer 29

retain W2 AC / rɪˈteɪn / verb ( formal )

> > > You have the right to retain possession of the goods.
The state wants to retain control of food imports.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say keep rather than retain :
»> Keep all your receipts.

> > > A lot of information can be retained in your computer.
Limestone is known to retain moisture.

Question 30

be conducive to something

Answer 30

conducive / kənˈdjuːsɪv $ -ˈduː- / adjective

formal
if a situation is conducive to something such as work, rest etc, it provides conditions that make it easy for you to work etc :

> > > an environment conducive to learning

Question 31

to start something happening

Answer 31

set/start/keep the ball rolling

> > > To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.
Let’s go ahead and get the ball rolling here.

Question 32

agglutination

/ əɡlutəneɪʃ ə n, əɡlutɪneɪʃ ə n $ əɡlutneɪ- / noun [ uncountable ]

Answer 32

1 the state of being stuck together
2 the process of making new words by combining two or more words, such as combining ‘ship’ and ‘yard’ to make ‘shipyard’

> > > At the beginning, our planet was no more
than a chaos of re, a cloud of agglutinated dust particles, like so many similar
clusters in the universe.

Question 33

innumerable

/ ɪˈnjuːm ə rəb ə l $ ɪˈnuː- / adjective

Answer 33

very many, or too many to be counted
SYN countless :
»> She’s served on innumerable committees.
»> She has received innumerable get-well cards and flowers.
»> a chain of innumerable living beings that have
succeeded one another on Earth over nearly 4 billion years.