TOEFL Words | Questions & Answers 36/44

This page drills ten more TOEFL vocabulary targets with new example sentences. Read each sentence, pick the option closest in meaning to the bolded word, then check the answer key at the end.

TOEFL Words | Questions 351-360

351. Farmers who signed long-term contracts were largely shielded from the sharp price swings that affected the rest of the market.

The word "shielded" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) raised
• (B) protected
• (C) informed
• (D) rewarded

352. Thick fog enveloped the harbor within minutes, forcing every incoming ferry to slow to a crawl.

The word "enveloped" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) surrounded
• (B) delayed
• (C) flooded
• (D) chilled

353. House prices in the district rose gradually over fifteen years rather than jumping suddenly after any single event.

The word "gradually" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) unpredictably
• (B) sharply
• (C) briefly
• (D) by degrees

354. The committee disagreed about the causes of the delay; at any rate, the project would not open on schedule.

The phrase "at any rate" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) regardless
• (B) moreover
• (C) presumably
• (D) surprisingly

355. Small fishing villages are scattered along hundreds of kilometers of coastline, with long stretches of empty shore between them.

The word "scattered" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) densely populated
• (B) carefully mapped
• (C) irregularly distributed
• (D) rarely photographed

356a. She earned a seat on the board by virtue of her decades of experience managing large construction projects.

The phrase "by virtue of" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) prior to
• (B) because of
• (C) in spite of
• (D) aside from

356b. Development on the island is tightly circumscribed by zoning rules meant to protect the remaining wetlands.

The word "circumscribed" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) expanded
• (B) funded
• (C) financed
• (D) restricted

357. The exact cause of the outbreak remained indeterminate for months despite extensive laboratory testing.

The word "indeterminate" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) unusual
• (B) uncertain
• (C) irrelevant
• (D) widespread

358. Repeated storms thwarted the climbers' attempts to reach the summit before the short weather window closed.

The word "thwarted" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) resumed
• (B) delayed only
• (C) frustrated
• (D) postponed

359. Of all the seedlings planted that spring, the hardiest survived the drought with barely any visible damage.

The word "hardiest" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) most unusual
• (B) tallest
• (C) most vigorous
• (D) earliest

360. The steel framework of the old warehouse remained standing long after the walls and roof had collapsed.

The word "framework" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) structure
• (B) surface
• (C) appearance
• (D) decoration

Answers

• 351 — B: shielded ≈ protected — kept safe from something harmful.
• 352 — A: enveloped ≈ surrounded — covered on all sides.
• 353 — D: gradually ≈ by degrees — slowly, over a period of time.
• 354 — A: at any rate ≈ regardless — whatever else is true.
• 355 — C: scattered ≈ irregularly distributed — spread out unevenly.
• 356a — B: by virtue of ≈ because of — as a result of a quality or fact.
• 356b — D: circumscribed ≈ restricted — limited within fixed boundaries.
• 357 — B: indeterminate ≈ uncertain — not clearly known or fixed.
• 358 — C: thwarted ≈ frustrated — prevented from succeeding.
• 359 — C: hardiest ≈ most vigorous — best able to survive harsh conditions.
• 360 — A: framework ≈ structure — the supporting parts that hold something up.

Keep building your word list on the vocabulary hub, then apply these words to full passages in reading practice.