TOEFL Words | Questions & Answers 24/44

This page drills ten TOEFL-level words in fresh context sentences. Read each sentence, choose the closest meaning for the bolded word, then check your answers against the key at the end.

Questions 231–240

231. Since the bridge inspection revealed corrosion in two support beams, engineers closed the span to heavy vehicles until repairs were finished.

The word "since" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) although
• (B) because
• (C) unless
• (D) whenever

232. Container shipping revolutionized international trade by cutting loading times from days to hours at major ports.

The word "revolutionized" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) slightly limited
• (B) briefly delayed
• (C) dramatically changed
• (D) quietly ended

233. Part of the appeal of solar panels for rural homeowners is the promise of lower electricity bills within a few years.

The word "appeal" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) attraction
• (B) expense
• (C) warranty
• (D) delivery

234. New irrigation channels spawned a cluster of small farms across the previously dry valley within a decade.

The word "spawned" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) created
• (B) destroyed
• (C) relocated
• (D) taxed

235. The new suspension bridge surpassed every earlier span in the region, both in length and in the weight it could carry.

The word "surpassed" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) resembled
• (B) exceeded
• (C) followed
• (D) delayed

236. Meteorite fragments found in the desert are thought to have broken away from the metallic core of a much larger body.

The word "core" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) center
• (B) surface
• (C) orbit
• (D) shadow

237. Ancient seeds were found embedded in layers of volcanic ash that had preserved them for centuries.

The word "embedded" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) dissolved
• (B) encased
• (C) exposed
• (D) burned

238. Park rangers trained volunteers in spotting invasive plant species along the riverbank before they could spread further.

The word "spotting" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) removing
• (B) identifying
• (C) planting
• (D) counting

239. For decades, the prevailing scientific dogma held that the disease spread only through direct contact, until new evidence proved otherwise.

The word "dogma" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) treatment
• (B) argument
• (C) mystery
• (D) belief

240. Sensitive instruments aboard the probe were designed to detect faint traces of methane in the planet's thin atmosphere.

The word "detect" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) reduce the size of
• (B) delay the arrival of
• (C) discover the presence of
• (D) apologize for the loss of

Answers

• 231 — B: since ≈ because — introduces a cause or reason in this context.
• 232 — C: revolutionized ≈ dramatically changed — transformed something in a major, lasting way.
• 233 — A: appeal ≈ attraction — the quality that makes something desirable.
• 234 — A: spawned ≈ created — gave rise to something new, often rapidly.
• 235 — B: surpassed ≈ exceeded — went beyond a previous standard or record.
• 236 — A: core ≈ center — the innermost part of a structure or body.
• 237 — B: embedded ≈ encased — surrounded and held in place by material.
• 238 — B: spotting ≈ identifying — noticing and recognizing something specific.
• 239 — D: dogma ≈ belief — an idea accepted as true, often without question.
• 240 — C: detect ≈ discover the presence of — to notice something that is hard to observe directly.

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