TOEFL Words | Questions & Answers 29/44

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

Questions 281–290

281. Rice, beans, and dried fish were the staples of the coastal village's diet for most of the year.

The word "staples" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) leftovers
• (B) delicacies
• (C) seasonings
• (D) basic elements

282. Each region's pottery displayed a distinct glaze pattern, making it easy for archaeologists to trace where a piece was made.

The word "distinct" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) fragile
• (B) faded
• (C) different
• (D) identical

283. Underground pressure caused molten rock to invade cracks in the surrounding limestone, slowly reshaping the cave system.

The word "invade" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) move into
• (B) bypass
• (C) harden
• (D) dissolve

284. The glass footbridge nearby is thoroughly contemporary — built only twenty years ago — yet it has already needed repairs, unlike the three-century-old stone bridge beside it.

The word "contemporary" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) distant
• (B) fragile
• (C) modern
• (D) famous

285. The engraver worked so finely that the lettering along the coin's rim stayed legible even under a magnifying glass.

The word "finely" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) minutely
• (B) roughly
• (C) evenly
• (D) rapidly

286. Contactless cards were introduced in place of paper tickets at the subway gates, with an attendant rise in automated fare disputes at several stations.

The phrase "in place of" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) opposed to
• (B) similar to
• (C) separate from
• (D) instead of

The word "attendant" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) permanent
• (B) accompanying
• (C) minor
• (D) hidden

287. The town's population made exponential leaps after the railway line opened, more than tripling within a single decade.

The phrase "exponential leaps" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) brief pauses
• (B) small declines
• (C) rapid increases
• (D) steady patterns

288. The quality of nearby farmland largely dictated how quickly a frontier settlement could grow into a proper town.

The word "dictated" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) recorded
• (B) announced
• (C) determined
• (D) questioned

289. After decades of overuse, the hillside was virtually stripped of topsoil, leaving little that could support new crops.

The word "virtually" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) occasionally
• (B) partially
• (C) permanently
• (D) almost completely

290. Although formats vary slightly between schools, the essential steps of the lab report stay the same: hypothesis, method, results, and conclusion.

The word "essential" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) optional
• (B) outdated
• (C) repetitive
• (D) fundamental

Answers

• 281 — D: staples ≈ basic elements — the core items that make up something, often a diet.
• 282 — C: distinct ≈ different — clearly separate or distinguishable from others.
• 283 — A: invade ≈ move into — to enter and spread through a space.
• 284 — C: contemporary ≈ modern — belonging to the present time, as opposed to the past.
• 285 — A: finely ≈ minutely — in very small, precise detail.
• 286 — D, B: in place of ≈ instead of; attendant ≈ accompanying — replacing something, and something that comes along with a change.
• 287 — C: exponential leaps ≈ rapid increases — very fast growth, especially in numbers.
• 288 — C: dictated ≈ determined — controlled or decided the outcome of something.
• 289 — D: virtually ≈ almost completely — nearly entirely, with only a small exception.
• 290 — D: essential ≈ fundamental — absolutely necessary; forming the basic core.

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