Chapter 3 Flashcards
approach
v. move towards, come up to, draw near
How do you approach TOEFL study? Do you find this is an effective method? Why or why not?
design
n. plan, shape, pattern
What design would you choose for a brandnew home of your choice? Why?
environmental
n. ecological, green
How has our environmental crisis caused you to rethink your lifestyle?
inevitable
n. unavoidable, certain, expected
Do you think it is inevitable that you will get married and have kids?
temporary
adj. short-term, passing, impermanent
Which country would you like to visit for a temporary period?
underlying
adj. basic, core, fundamental
What are your underlying reasons for learning English?
contemporary
adj. modern, current, up-to-date
What kind of contemporary music do you like best? Why?
element
n. component, aspect, part
What element of life do you most enjoy? Why?
inclined
adj. like, liable, likely, apt
Why do you feel inclined to continue your schooling?
notion
n. idea, concept, view
What do you think of the notion of environmental art?
theme
n. subject, topic, idea
Would you rather see a film dealing with the theme of the human spirit or romantic love? Why?
acquisition
n. gaining, acquiring, purchase
Do you think the acquisition of material goods leads to happiness? Why or why not?
corporation
n. business, company, firm, conglomerate
Would you prefer to work for a large corporation or run your own small business? Why
found
v. establish, originate, set up
Would kind of organization would you like to found to help others? Why?
revenue
n. income, profits, returns
How do you think government revenues would be best spent in your country? Why?
team
n. group, party
What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a team? Explain.
commitment
n. promise, dedication
In what kinds of ways can you demonstrate a commitment to a friendship?
exploitation
n. abuse, mistreatment, use
What are your thoughts on the exploitation of workers in developing countries? For instance, what do you think of child labor?
initiative
n. plan, proposal, project
Can you think of a new initiative that would benefit students in your school? Explain.
scheme
adj. plan, secret plan, idea
What are some schemes used by men and women to attract partners?
volume
n. amount, quantity, degree
Which restaurant near you attracts the highest volume of customers? Why?
alter
v. change, modify, adjust
What aspect of your physical appearance or personality would you like to alter? Why?
component
n. part, section, element
Which component of the TOEFL exam do you find most challenging? Why?
emerging
adj. new, up-and-coming, rising
Which emerging entertainment artist do you like? Why?
identical
adj. alike, the same, equal
Do you think you should give an identical emphasis to work and pleasure? Why or why not?
sequence
n. order, arrangement
Do you think the birth sequence of children has any relationship to their personality development? Why or why not?
vary
v. differ, contrast, change, alter
Are you a person who enjoys routine or do you prefer to vary the types of activities you do? Why?
attach
v. join, affix, add
What kind of meaning do you attach to a university degree? Why?
dynamic
adj. active, changing, energetic
Do you think you are a dynamic individual? Why or why not?
factor
n. influence, aspect, reason
What is the major factor that led to your interest in learning English?
integrity
n. wholeness, reliability, honor, honesty
Do you think you possess integrity? Why or why not?
supplement
v./n. add to, enhance, complement
Do you believe in supplementing your diet with vitamins? Why or why not?
accommodate
v. house, have room for, contain
How many guests can your living space accommodate? Do you like to have guests? Why or why not?
formulate
v. prepare, put together, devise
What interesting plans or goals have you formulated for the future? Why have you chosen these plans or goals?
dimension
n. measurement
Do you think there are more than three dimensions? Why or why not
intense
adj. strong, powerful, forceful
Do you like intense people? Why or why not?
random
adj. chance, unsystematic, haphazard
Do you believe that events happen in a random manner or do you believe in destiny? Why?
version
v. specific variety, adaptation
Why is it that people often report different versions of the same series of events?
fluctuation
n. irregular variation, instability
Have fluctuations in the stock market affected you or anyone you know in recent years? Explain.
fundamental
adj. basic, essential, primary
What are some of the fundamental differences between your country and countries like the US and Canada?
expansion
n. growth, development, spreading out
What countries are currently undergoing economic expansion? How will this change the world power structure?
parallel
adj. side-by-side, corresponding, matching
Have you ever met a person who was living a life parallel to your own? Explain
scenario
n. possible situation, circumstances
In the best case scenario, where would you like to see yourself in ten years?
adaptation
n. variation, alteration, adjustment, altered copy
Have you even seen a film adaptation of a novel? If so, which one? Do you prefer books or movies? Why?
complex
adj. multipart, multifaceted, complicated, involved
Is the English grammar system more complex or simpler than that of your own language? Why?
evolution
n. development, progression, advancement
According to the Theory of Evolution, humankind evolved from apes. Assuming that this is true, how do you think humans will evolve in the future
controversial
adj. debatable, hot, contentious, divisive
What controversial topic do you like to discuss? Why?
enormous
adj. huge, massive, vast, giant
What types of jobs involve enormous responsibility? Would you like to have a job like this? Why or why not?
journal
n. diary, magazine, academic publication
Do you keep a daily journal in English, or do you have an essay journal where you write at least one TOEFL essay per week? Why or why not?
assemble
v. collect, gather, amass, accumulate
Have you ever assembled a group of people together for a particular purpose? If yes, tell what happened. If not, can you think of a reason you might like to do so in the future?
conceive
v. imagine, envision, visualize, envisage
Can you conceive of a time when you will have achieved all of the goals you have currently set out for yourself? How will you feel at that point? Why?
interpretation
n. understanding, explanation, analysis
Would you like to study dream interpretation? Why or why not?
diversity
n. variety, assortment, range
Why do you think the world has been designed to incorporate such vast diversity?
generation
n. group of contemporaries
What are the main differences between your generation and your parents’ generation? Why?
paragraph
n. section, group of sentences
What are the main parts of a properly written paragraph? Do you have any difficulty in writing one? Why or why not?
precise
adj. exact, accurate, specific
Do you know the precise meaning of all of the words on this list? Will you know them by tomorrow? Why or why not?
publish
v. put out, print, distribute
Would you like to have a book published? Why or why not?
section
n. part, segment, division
Which section of the newspaper do you prefer reading? Why?
summarize
v. listing main points, reducing, outlining
Are you good at summarizing movies you have seen and books you have read? Explain.
process
n. procedure, method, series of steps
What is the process involved in preparing your favorite meal?
resource
n. material, supply, wealth, asset
What kind of natural resources does your country have in plentiful supply? Which one is most important to its economy? Why?
successive
adj. consecutive, succeeding, following
Do you know of a sports team that has won the championship title in two successive years? If so, which team?
survival
n. continued existence, endurance
Which of your personal attributes assists you most in survival? How?
enforce
v. make obligatory, implement, insist on
Do you prefer landlords who enforce the right to quiet enjoyment in an apartment or do you prefer a more lenient approach?
regulation
n. rule, guideline, law
Are there any school or city regulations you disagree with? If so, what are they and why do you disagree with them?
thereby
trans. in this way, thus, in so doing
Do you plan to study at an English university, thereby solidifying your knowledge of the language? Why or why not?
construction
n. building, creation, erection
Would you support the construction of a new student lounge for your school or would you prefer new classroom furniture? Why?
offset
v. counterbalance, compensate for
In conversations with native speakers, how do you offset your lack of comparable vocabulary knowledge?
ensure
v. make sure, make certain, guarantee
What are three things you do to ensure you stay in good health?
structure
n. building, built object
If you could build any sort of structure, such as a bridge, building, or monument, what kind of structure would you build? Why?
behalf
n. as a representative of, for the benefit of
If you were speaking on behalf of the citizens of your country, what would be your biggest complaint or grievance?
equipment
n. tools, gear, apparatus
What kind of sports equipment do you own? How often do you use it? Why?
output
n. amount produced
How much written output can you produce in 30 minutes? Will you be able to write your TOEFL essay in the allotted time?
facilities
v. amenities, services, conveniences
What kinds of facilities are important to you in choosing a school, college, or university? Why?
policy
n. plan, guidelines, document
Does your school have an “English Only” policy? If yes, does this get on your nerves? If no, do you think it should? Why or why not?
residential
adj. housing
Would you rather live in the residential section of a city or in a suburban area? Why?
available
adj. obtainable, on hand, untaken
Are there a good number of available men or women in your city? Why or why not?
transition
n. change, changeover, move
How is the transition from childhood to adulthood marked in your country?
period
n. length of time
For what period of time have you been studying English? Do you consider yourself a fast or slow learner? Why?
prohibit
n. forbid, ban, disallow
Do you prohibit guests from smoking in your home? Why or why not?
access
n. admission, right to use, get into, open
Have you ever been refused access to social networking websites while at school? Do you believe that schools should have the right to limit online access?
locate
v. find, place, position
Have you ever used social networking sites to locate old friends who may now be living in different locations? If so, do you communicate with them frequently
undergo
v. go through, experience, endure
How would you help a friend or family member who was undergoing difficulties? Have you had the opportunity to do so recently? Explain.
accompany
v. go with, escort, complement
If you could go out for an evening with a celebrity, which one would you choose to accompany you? Why?
criteria
n. factor, standard, measure
What criteria do you use when selecting a friend? Why? What criteria do you use when selecting a romantic partner? Why?
income
n. salary, pay, earnings
What income would you like to earn per year? Why?
protocol
n. procedure, etiquette, guidelines
Would it be proper protocol to contact a professor at home? Why or why not?
site
n. location, place, website
What is the most beautiful site you have ever seen? Explain.
communicate
v. exchange information, share
Can you recall a funny situation related to difficulties you have had trying to communicate in English? Explain.
discretion
n. tact, prudence, free choice, will
Do you use discretion when talking to your parents about your personal life? Why or why not?
prospective
adj. potential, future, likely
What prospective colleges or universities are you thinking of attending? Why have you identified these particular institutions?
registered
adj. enlisted, enrolled, signed up
Are you a registered user of any Internet sites? If yes, why? If no, why not?
sum
n. total, amount, addition
What sum will you have to pay for yearly tuition to the college or university of your choice? Do you think what you gain will be worth the money? Why or why not?
attain
v. reach, accomplish, achieve
Which of your goals is most important for you to attain? Why?
constructive
adj. positive, useful, productive
Do you appreciate constructive criticism or do you take the view that all criticism is bad? Why?
coordinate
v. organize, direct, manage, match
Do you have an easy or difficult time trying to coordinate schedules with friends so that you can enjoy each other’s company
grade
n. mark, score, rating
In what subject did you attain the highest grade in high school? Are you planning to continue to study this subject? Why or why not?
primarily
adv. chiefly, mainly, mostly
Do you think all people are primarily good? Why or why not?
volunteer
v./n. offer one’s services/unpaid work
Have you ever done, or do you want to do, any sort of volunteer work? Why or why not?
conflict
n. disagreement, argument, difference
Do you think conflict in a romantic relationship is a good or a bad thing? Explain.
cooperative
adj. helpful, supportive, mutual
Would you say you are more cooperative or more competitive? Why?
error
n. mistake, inaccuracy
Does it bother you when you make errors in English? Why or why not?
integral
adj. essential, vital, important
What is integral to your personal happiness? Why?
resolve
v. settle, work out, solve
Can you describe a recent conflict you have had with someone? How did you resolve it?
annually
adv. yearly, per annum, per year
Do you like to take vacations annually? Why or why not? When did you last travel? How was the experience?
financially
adv. monetarily, economically, money-wise
Would you like to be financially independent? Why or why not? How do you think you might achieve this goal?
induce
v. persuade, encourage, tempt
What are some methods you could use to induce a potential date to go out with you?
legal
adj. lawful, permissible, official
Do you think smoking should be legal or illegal? Why?
source
n. basis, foundation, starting place
What kinds of sources can you use in writing an academic research paper? Have you written any of these? If so, what topic was the most interesting to you? Why?
enhance
v. improve, increase, develop
Can you think of any way you could enhance your appearance? Is your appearance an important concern? Why or why not?
incident
n. event, occurrence, occasion
What recent incident put a smile on your face? Why?
inspect
v. examine, check, look over
After writing an essay, do you take the time to inspect it for errors? If yes, how long do you generally take? If not, why not?
promote
v. encourage, help, support
Can you think of anything you can do as an individual to promote world peace? Why or why not?
chemical
n. substance, element, compound
Do you worry about the chemicals you may be consuming in processed foods and soft drinks? Why or why not?
