Peterson’s MASTER TOEFL VOCABULARY with Answers
diagnostic test
PRACTICE TEST 1: DIAGNOSTIC
Directions: In questions 1–15 each sentence has a word or phrase underlined.
Below each sentence there are four other words or phrases, marked (A), (B), (C), and
(D). You are to choose the one word or phrase that best keeps the meaning of the
original sentence if it is substituted for the underlined word or phrase.
4. It is futile to go shopping when you don’t
have any money.
(A) useless
(B) brilliant
(C) idiotic
(D) challengi ng
5. The actress had to raise her voice in order
to be audible in the balcony.
(A) musical
(B) dramatic
(C) heard
(D) appreciated
6. Dictators do not tolerate opposition of any
kind.
1. Oil is one of the principal sources of en- (A) unders tand
ergy. (B) permit
(A) most expensive (C) justify
(B) most important (D) execute
(C) most difficult
(D) most popular 7. Earthquakes occur frequently in parts of
California.
2. No one can survive for very long without (A) instantly
water. (B) annually
(A) reproduce (C) spontaneously
(B) prosper (D) often
(C) transcend
(D) exist 8. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King fought
to put an end to racial segregation in the
3. The assignment was to write a synopsis of United States.
our favorite novel. (A) integration
(A) evaluati on (B) education
(B) summary (C) separation
(C) critique (D) torture
(D) dramatizati on
,9. The number of illiterate young people in 13. A familiar adage says that the early bird
her country continues to rise. gets the worm.
(A) unable to read and write (A) proverb
(B) without children (B) lady
(C) sports participants (C) gentleman
(D) wealthy (D) book
10. Since his wound was superfi ci al, only a 14. A television ad shows a busy baker with a
small bandage was requi red. new computer that the advertiser claims
(A) frivolous will help him “make dough.”
(B) on the surface (A) a baking mixture
(C) deep (B) more customers
(D) supercilious (C) money
(D) bread
11. The main road will be closed until the
blizzard ends. 15. At every faculty meeting, Ms. Volatile
(A) snowstorm always manages to put her foot in her
mouth.
(B) hurricane
(A) trip over her big feet
(C) tornado
(B) say the wrong thing
(D) thunderstorm
(C) move rapidly
12. Tennis wear has become a very lucrative (D) fall asleep
business for both manufacturers and ten-
nis stars.
(A) illegal
(B) circumstantial
(C) expansive
(D) profitable
, answers diagnostic test
ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATIONS
1. B 6. B 11. A
2. D 7. D 12. D
3. B 8. C 13. A
4. A 9. A 14. C
5. C 10. B 15. B
1. The correct answer is (B). If your 6. The correct answer is (B). The key
answer is wrong, write the word on a 3 words in this sentence are dictators and
5-inch card. Include the synonyms main, opposition. You know that dictators by
chief, and major. As you continue to study nature do not (B), permit opposition, so
in this book, add to your file all words the other three alternatives will not fit
that you discover you do not know. Keep with what you know about dictators.
the cards in alphabetical order for easy
7. The correct answer is (D). The word
reference.
frequently is commonly used, so you
2. The correct answer is (D). All four should know its meani ng.
choices can be used to make a meaning-
8. The correct answer is (C). Knowing
ful sentence. Therefore, you had to know
about Martin Luther King will help you
that survive is the same as (D), exist. If
answer this item correctly. The fact that
you do not know the meaning of the
segregation and separation both begin
words given as alternatives, add them to
with se may lead you to the correct an-
your card list.
swer here. However, there is no guaran-
3. The correct answer is (B). If you know tee that all words that begin with the
that critique and evaluation have ap- same syllable will mean the same thing.
proximately the same meaning, critical
9. The correct answer is (A). The word
writing, then you can assume that nei-
illiterate is composed of two parts—il,
ther is the correct answer. Dramatiza-
which is a prefix meaning not, and liter-
tion of a novel would certainly not be an
ate, which means able to read and write.
assignment a teacher would give. By
elimination and using your good sense, 10. The correct answer is (B). The prefix
you get the correct answer. super means above. Another clue is that
only a small bandage is needed, so the
4. The correct answer is (A). Neither
wound must not be deep. It is true that a
brilliant nor challenging would describe
frivolous person is superficial, but the
the experience of shopping with no money.
word applies to people not to inanimate
Idiotic is not a word used to describe the
things. Supercilious might be the correct
shopping experience.
answer, since it begins with the same
5. The correct answer is (C). All of the prefix. You would have to know that
alternatives relate to an actress’s experi- supercilious means haughty and there-
ence on stage. The key word in this sen- fore applies only to people.
tence is balcony. What would be necessary
11. The correct answer is (A). All four
for an actress if there are people in the
alternatives relate to a serious weather
balcony? She would have to be (C), heard,
disturbance. You would have to know that
not musical, dramatic, or appreciat ed.
only a blizzard creates the hazard of snow.
diagnostic test
PRACTICE TEST 1: DIAGNOSTIC
Directions: In questions 1–15 each sentence has a word or phrase underlined.
Below each sentence there are four other words or phrases, marked (A), (B), (C), and
(D). You are to choose the one word or phrase that best keeps the meaning of the
original sentence if it is substituted for the underlined word or phrase.
4. It is futile to go shopping when you don’t
have any money.
(A) useless
(B) brilliant
(C) idiotic
(D) challengi ng
5. The actress had to raise her voice in order
to be audible in the balcony.
(A) musical
(B) dramatic
(C) heard
(D) appreciated
6. Dictators do not tolerate opposition of any
kind.
1. Oil is one of the principal sources of en- (A) unders tand
ergy. (B) permit
(A) most expensive (C) justify
(B) most important (D) execute
(C) most difficult
(D) most popular 7. Earthquakes occur frequently in parts of
California.
2. No one can survive for very long without (A) instantly
water. (B) annually
(A) reproduce (C) spontaneously
(B) prosper (D) often
(C) transcend
(D) exist 8. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King fought
to put an end to racial segregation in the
3. The assignment was to write a synopsis of United States.
our favorite novel. (A) integration
(A) evaluati on (B) education
(B) summary (C) separation
(C) critique (D) torture
(D) dramatizati on
,9. The number of illiterate young people in 13. A familiar adage says that the early bird
her country continues to rise. gets the worm.
(A) unable to read and write (A) proverb
(B) without children (B) lady
(C) sports participants (C) gentleman
(D) wealthy (D) book
10. Since his wound was superfi ci al, only a 14. A television ad shows a busy baker with a
small bandage was requi red. new computer that the advertiser claims
(A) frivolous will help him “make dough.”
(B) on the surface (A) a baking mixture
(C) deep (B) more customers
(D) supercilious (C) money
(D) bread
11. The main road will be closed until the
blizzard ends. 15. At every faculty meeting, Ms. Volatile
(A) snowstorm always manages to put her foot in her
mouth.
(B) hurricane
(A) trip over her big feet
(C) tornado
(B) say the wrong thing
(D) thunderstorm
(C) move rapidly
12. Tennis wear has become a very lucrative (D) fall asleep
business for both manufacturers and ten-
nis stars.
(A) illegal
(B) circumstantial
(C) expansive
(D) profitable
, answers diagnostic test
ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATIONS
1. B 6. B 11. A
2. D 7. D 12. D
3. B 8. C 13. A
4. A 9. A 14. C
5. C 10. B 15. B
1. The correct answer is (B). If your 6. The correct answer is (B). The key
answer is wrong, write the word on a 3 words in this sentence are dictators and
5-inch card. Include the synonyms main, opposition. You know that dictators by
chief, and major. As you continue to study nature do not (B), permit opposition, so
in this book, add to your file all words the other three alternatives will not fit
that you discover you do not know. Keep with what you know about dictators.
the cards in alphabetical order for easy
7. The correct answer is (D). The word
reference.
frequently is commonly used, so you
2. The correct answer is (D). All four should know its meani ng.
choices can be used to make a meaning-
8. The correct answer is (C). Knowing
ful sentence. Therefore, you had to know
about Martin Luther King will help you
that survive is the same as (D), exist. If
answer this item correctly. The fact that
you do not know the meaning of the
segregation and separation both begin
words given as alternatives, add them to
with se may lead you to the correct an-
your card list.
swer here. However, there is no guaran-
3. The correct answer is (B). If you know tee that all words that begin with the
that critique and evaluation have ap- same syllable will mean the same thing.
proximately the same meaning, critical
9. The correct answer is (A). The word
writing, then you can assume that nei-
illiterate is composed of two parts—il,
ther is the correct answer. Dramatiza-
which is a prefix meaning not, and liter-
tion of a novel would certainly not be an
ate, which means able to read and write.
assignment a teacher would give. By
elimination and using your good sense, 10. The correct answer is (B). The prefix
you get the correct answer. super means above. Another clue is that
only a small bandage is needed, so the
4. The correct answer is (A). Neither
wound must not be deep. It is true that a
brilliant nor challenging would describe
frivolous person is superficial, but the
the experience of shopping with no money.
word applies to people not to inanimate
Idiotic is not a word used to describe the
things. Supercilious might be the correct
shopping experience.
answer, since it begins with the same
5. The correct answer is (C). All of the prefix. You would have to know that
alternatives relate to an actress’s experi- supercilious means haughty and there-
ence on stage. The key word in this sen- fore applies only to people.
tence is balcony. What would be necessary
11. The correct answer is (A). All four
for an actress if there are people in the
alternatives relate to a serious weather
balcony? She would have to be (C), heard,
disturbance. You would have to know that
not musical, dramatic, or appreciat ed.
only a blizzard creates the hazard of snow.
