TOEFL Words | Questions & Answers 8/44

This page gives you ten original TOEFL-style vocabulary items built around the target words below. Answer all ten first, then check your choices against the answer key at the end.

TOEFL Words | Questions 071-080

071. The vaccine needle can puncture the vial's rubber seal without leaving the medicine exposed to air.

The word "puncture" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) pierce
• (B) widen
• (C) melt
• (D) seal

072. In the sculpture, the artist fused metal and glass into a single flowing shape that seemed to shift color in the light.

The word "fused" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) combined
• (B) separated
• (C) polished
• (D) measured

073. Bright storefront displays are designed to lure shoppers inside during the busy holiday season.

The word "lure" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) attract
• (B) warn
• (C) confuse
• (D) delay

074. The surgeon confirmed that the implant had been correctly placed before closing the incision.

The word "placed" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) removed
• (B) labeled
• (C) deposited
• (D) photographed

075. Careful record-keeping kept the two breeding programs discrete, so their genetic lines never mixed.

The word "discrete" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) identical
• (B) separate
• (C) temporary
• (D) visible

076. After the factory closed, the local food bank quickly became overtaxed as demand for assistance tripled within a month.

The word "overtaxed" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) slightly delayed
• (B) poorly funded
• (C) heavily burdened
• (D) quickly expanded

077. Critics called the outdated ventilation system inadequate for a building that now housed three times as many workers.

The word "inadequate" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) deficient
• (B) efficient
• (C) flexible
• (D) temporary

078. Once the lease expired, closing the small shop became inevitably necessary, no matter how loyal its customers were.

The word "inevitably" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) suddenly
• (B) quietly
• (C) formally
• (D) unavoidably

079. Several columnists lamented the closing of the neighborhood theater, arguing that the town was losing part of its identity.

The word "lamented" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) complained about
• (B) predicted
• (C) welcomed
• (D) ignored

080. Among the paintings in the exhibit, only a handful were considered of the first rank by the visiting curators.

The phrase "first rank" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) broadest range
• (B) top tier
• (C) newest style
• (D) boldest technique

Answers

• 071 — A: puncture ≈ pierce — to make a hole by pressing something sharp into it.
• 072 — A: fused ≈ combined — joined together into one.
• 073 — A: lure ≈ attract — to draw something in, often with something appealing.
• 074 — C: placed ≈ deposited — set down carefully in a specific spot.
• 075 — B: discrete ≈ separate — distinct and not mixed with others.
• 076 — C: overtaxed ≈ heavily burdened — put under more strain than it can easily handle.
• 077 — A: inadequate ≈ deficient — not enough for what is needed.
• 078 — D: inevitably ≈ unavoidably — certain to happen; impossible to prevent.
• 079 — A: lamented ≈ complained about — expressed sorrow or regret over something.
• 080 — B: first rank ≈ top tier — among the very best of its kind.

For more practice like this, browse the vocabulary hub or try a full reading practice set.