400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL

400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL abandon (v.) to leave; to give up Ex: To save their lives, the sailors had to ~ the sinking ship. adversely (adj.) in a harmful way; negatively Ex: Excessive rainfall early in the spring can ~ affect the planting of crops. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by affect. aggregate (adj.) gathered into or amounting to a whole Ex: It is impossible to judge last year's performance without knowing the ~ sales numbers. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a term like sum, total, or numbers. cultivation (n.) preparing the land to grow crops; improvement for agricultural purposes Ex: With the development of land ~, hunters and gatherers were able to settle in one place. fertilize (v.) to supply with nourishment for plants by adding helpful substances to the soil Ex: This farm ~+ tomatoes more than any other crop. intensify (v.) to increase in power; to act with increased strength Ex: Jacob's long absence ~+ his certainty that he should marry Rose. irrigation (n.) the supplying of water to dry land Ex: In dry areas of the country, you can see ditches all over the farm-land for ~. obtain (v.) to gain possession of; to get Ex: After a series of difficult interviews, he finally was able to ~ the job. photosynthesis (n.) the process by which green plants make their own food by combining water, salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence of light Ex: Oxygen is a by-product of the process of ~. precipitation (n.) water that falls to the Earth's surface Ex: In the Pacific Northwest, the high level of ~ ensures rich, green plant life. anticipate (v.) to expect; to sense something before it happens Ex: By placing sensors in earthquake-prone areas, scientists can ~ some tremors in time to warn the public. catastrophic (adj.) extremely harmful; causing financial or physical ruin Ex: The architect died in a ~ elevator accident. collide (v.) to come together with great or violent force Ex: As usual, their holiday was ruined when their in-laws' views on politics ~+ with their own. eruption (n.) a sudden, often violent, outburst Ex: The ~ of Mount St. Helens in 1980 caused 57 deaths and immeasurable change to the face of the mountain. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase. famine (n.) severe hunger; a drastic food shortage Ex: The potato ~ in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century caused large numbers of Irish people to emigrate to America. flood (n.) an overflowing of water; an excessive amount Ex: The constant rain and poor drainage system caused a ~ in town. Ex: The political party sent out a ~ of letters criticizing their opponents. impact (n.) a strong influence Ex: The speech about the importance of education made an ~ on me. Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by on or of. persevere (v.) to keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to maintain a purpose Ex: The hikers ~+ despite the bad weather and the icy trail. plunge (v.) to go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in a short time Ex: He jumped off the diving board and ~+ into the pool. Ex: The value of the company's stock ~+ after its chief executive was arrested. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an into phrase. unleash (v.) to release a thing or an emotion Ex: When they saw the strange man on their property, they ~+ their dogs. Ex: He is from such an unemotional family, he will never learn to ~ his feelings. adapt (v.) to adjust to the circumstances; to make suitable Ex: Dinosaurs could not ~ to the warmer temperatures. Ex: The teacher ~+ the exercises for his more advanced students. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by to. diverse (n.) various; showing a lot of differences within a group Ex: India is one of the most linguistically ~ countries in the world. Usage Tips: An -ly adverb (e.g., linguistically) often comes before ~. evolve (v.) to develop; to come forth Ex: Modern-day sharks ~+ from their ancestor Eryops, which lived more than 200 million years ago. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by into or from. feature (n.) part, characteristic Ex: The best ~ of this car is its heated seats. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by of. generation (n.) a group of people born at about the same time Ex: As older managers retired, a new ~ of leaders took control of the company. Usage Tips: Before ~, an adjective like new, next, earlier, or older is common. ~ is often followed by of. inherent (adj.) naturally characteristic; always found within something, because it's a basic part of that thing Ex: No job can be interesting all the time. Boredom is ~ in any kind of work. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by in. migration (n.) movement from one place to another by a group of people or animals Ex: The ~ of farm workers from one state to the next depends primarily on the harvest. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by to or from. physical (adj.) related to the body; related to materials that can be seen or felt Ex: Because of the shape of its throat, an ape does not have the ~ ability to speak. Ex: The mountains form a ~ barrier between the west and the east. Usage Tips: ~ usually comes before the noun it describes.