TOEFL Words | Questions & Answers 30/44

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 291–300

291. The committee reviewed only the pertinent financial records, setting aside older files that had no bearing on the current audit.

The word "pertinent" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) relevant
• (B) archived
• (C) duplicated
• (D) anonymous

292. The report opened with a succinct summary of the survey's main findings before moving into detailed tables.

The word "succinct" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) technical
• (B) lengthy
• (C) delayed
• (D) concise

293. After the internship ended, she decided to revise her original plan and apply to graduate programs instead.

The word "revise" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) publish
• (B) cancel
• (C) change
• (D) repeat

294. Wetlands provide a wide array of benefits, from flood control to habitat for migratory birds.

The word "array" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) large number
• (B) shortage
• (C) warning
• (D) diagram

295. Economists once advanced the theory that unlimited resource extraction could sustain growth indefinitely, a claim later disproven.

The word "advanced" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) funded
• (B) disproved
• (C) forgotten
• (D) proposed

296. Historians point to poor record-keeping as one reason for the tardy recognition of the region's early trade networks.

The word "tardy" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) official
• (B) partial
• (C) frequent
• (D) late

297. Early skeptics discounted the explorer's account of the island until later expeditions confirmed his descriptions.

The word "discounted" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) recorded
• (B) confirmed
• (C) disregarded
• (D) translated

298. A shortage of durable paper hampered the spread of printed pamphlets throughout the region for several decades.

The word "hampered" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) impeded
• (B) accelerated
• (C) documented
• (D) funded

299. The pressure inside the pipeline must remain great enough to keep gas flowing steadily across hundreds of miles.

The word "great" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) brief
• (B) minimal
• (C) uniform
• (D) strong

300. Photographers described the aurora as a sensational sight, with ribbons of green and violet light stretching across the sky.

The word "sensational" is closest in meaning to:

• (A) spectacular
• (B) faint
• (C) familiar
• (D) brief

Answers

• 291 — A: pertinent ≈ relevant — directly related to the matter at hand.
• 292 — D: succinct ≈ concise — expressed clearly in few words.
• 293 — C: revise ≈ change — to alter a plan, document, or opinion.
• 294 — A: array ≈ large number — a wide range or collection of things.
• 295 — D: advanced ≈ proposed — put forward an idea or theory for consideration.
• 296 — D: tardy ≈ late — happening or arriving after the expected time.
• 297 — C: discounted ≈ disregarded — dismissed as unlikely or unimportant.
• 298 — A: hampered ≈ impeded — slowed down or obstructed progress.
• 299 — D: great ≈ strong — considerable in force or intensity.
• 300 — A: sensational ≈ spectacular — impressively striking or dramatic to see.

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