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Mr. Bright's English Class > TOEFL Vocabulary > Flashcards

TOEFL Vocabulary Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

vary (v)

A

[no object] : to be different or to become different : change

“Test scores vary from school to school.”

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2
Q

dwindle (v)

A

[no object] : to gradually become smaller

“His money had dwindled away.”

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3
Q

ascertain (v)

A

(formal)

[+ object] to learn or find out (something, such as information or the truth)

“They were unable to ascertain the cause of the fire.”

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4
Q

intimidate (v)

A

[+ object] to make (someone) afraid

“The boss is quite tough, but don’t let him intimidate you.”

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5
Q

confer (with) (v)

A

[no object] : to discuss something important in order to make a decision

“Franklin conferred with his attorneys.”

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6
Q

confer (on) (v)

A

[+ object] : to give (something, such as a degree, award, title, right, honor, etc.) to someone or something — usually + on or upon

“An honorary degree was conferred on him by the University.”

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7
Q

steep (v)

A

to put (food) in a liquid for a period of time

“Steep the tea for three minutes.”

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8
Q

What is the adjective form of ‘intimidate’?

“Public speaking is very ________.”

A

intimidating

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9
Q

Which thing can you NOT ascertain?

A. The cost of a project.
B. The reason something happened
C. What you want to eat for dinner
D. Who is guilty of a crime

A

You cannot ascertain:

C. What you want to eat for dinner

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10
Q

What can you NOT steep?

A. fabric
B. lemons
C. tea
D. chili peppers

A

You cannot steep:

A. fabric

(It must be food!)

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11
Q

What are synonyms of ‘confer with’?

A. consult, speak to
B. offer, give

A

A. consult, speak to

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12
Q

What are synonyms of ‘confer on’?

A. consult, speak to
B. offer, give

A

B. offer, give

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13
Q

What does ‘dwindle’ mean?

A. to quickly become smaller
B. to slowly become smaller
C. to become smaller and disappear
D. to quickly become bigger

A

‘Dwindle’ means:

B. to slowly become smaller

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14
Q

What is another way to say “It varies” in this context:
- “What do you eat for dinner?” “It varies.”

A. It changes from day to day.
B. I never know what I will eat.
C. I have trouble deciding what to eat.

A

“What do you eat for dinner?” “It varies.”

A. It changes from day to day.

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15
Q

What is the form of ‘intimidate’ in this sentence?

“I used to be ____________ by my boss.”

A

intimidated

“I used to be intimidated by my boss.”

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16
Q

pare

A

to make (something) smaller : to reduce (something) in size, amount, or number

“The company has to find a way to pare expenses.”

17
Q

utilize

A

to use (something) for a particular purpose

“We need to utilize our resources more effectively to get the job done faster.”

18
Q

What is NOT a meaning of ‘pare’?

A. to make smaller, to reduce
B. to cut off the outside of something
C. to connect to something by Bluetooth

A

What is NOT a meaning of ‘pare’?

C. to connect to something by Bluetooth

(That would be ‘pair’.)

19
Q

What word goes in the blank?

I am _____ resident of the common dorm.

A

a

I am a resident of the common dorm.

20
Q

Which word fits in this sentence?

“Please use/utilize the other door.”

A

use

Please use the other door.

‘Utilize’ is too formal.

21
Q

Which word fits in this sentence?

We have decided to use/utilize the other room as a workshop.

A

Both are ok. Utilize is more formal.

We have decided to use the other room as a workshop.
We have decided to utilize the other room as a workshop.

22
Q

fluid

A

a situation that is fluid is likely to change

“Our plans for the project are still somewhat fluid.”

23
Q

tranquil

A

pleasantly calm, quiet, and peaceful

“I live in a small, tranquil village in the mountains.”

24
Q

capitalize on

A

(business) to get as much advantage out of an event, situation etc. as you can

“We are well placed to capitalize on the growth of cable TV.”

25
Q

What word goes in the blank?

“The restrictions are not as tight right now. Let’s ___________ on this and begin as many new projects as we can.”

A. capitalize
B. advantage
C. talk
D. abuse

A

“The restrictions are not as tight right now. Let’s capitalize on this and begin as many new projects as we can.”

A. capitalize

26
Q

What is the meaning of ‘lethal’?

A

causing death, or able to cause death → fatal

“These chemicals are lethal to fish.”

27
Q

What is the meaning of ‘drastic’?

A

extreme and sudden

“We must take drastic action to save the environment.”

28
Q

What is the meaning of ‘obscure’?

A
  • not well known and usually not very important
  • difficult to understand

“He is an obscure poet from an obscure town. No one really knows much about him, and few people have read his poetry.”
“The legal code is often complex and uses obscure phrases.”

29
Q

What is the meaning of ‘net’?

A

the net amount is the final amount that remains after all the other amounts have been taken away

“My net salary is less than $20,000.”

30
Q

Which sentence is correct?

A. The net result of the new bridge will be fewer traffic jams.
B. The new bridge will make the result of fewer traffic jams net.

A

Sentence A is correct.

A. The net result of the new bridge will be fewer traffic jams.

‘Net’ must come before a noun.

31
Q

Which preposition goes in the blank?

“A truck cut us ____ on the highway. Our driver had to hit the brakes suddenly!”

A

off

“A truck cut us off on the highway. Our driver had to hit the brakes suddenly!”

32
Q

Which preposition goes in the blank?

“I was talking to my mom on the phone when we were suddenly cut ____. I had to call her back.”

A

off

“I was talking to my mom on the phone when we were suddenly cut off. I had to call her back.”

33
Q

Which preposition goes in the blank?

“Can you cut these pictures ____ of this magazine? I will make a poster for the event.”

A

out

“Can you cut these pictures out of this magazine? I will make a poster for the event.”

34
Q

What is the meaning of ‘ample’?

A

more than enough, plenty

“Everyone had ample time to study for the exam.”

35
Q

What is the meaning of ‘inadvertently’?

A

without realizing what you are doing

“Computer viruses can be spread inadvertently through e-mail.”

36
Q

What is the meaning of ‘modest’? (3 meanings)

A
  1. someone who is modest does not want to talk about their abilities or achievements
  2. not very great, big, or expensive
  3. modest clothing covers the body in a way that does not attract sexual interest

Mr. Bright's English Class (3 decks)

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