TOEFL Words | Questions & Answers 41/44

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 401-410

401. At the heart of the old town stands a stone clock tower visible from almost every street.

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

• (A) center
• (B) surface
• (C) history
• (D) outskirts

402. The reporter's graphic account of the flood left readers with a lasting sense of the damage.

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

• (A) technical
• (B) official
• (C) brief
• (D) vivid

403. Researchers identified two distinct dialects spoken within the same small valley.

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

• (A) visible
• (B) related
• (C) separate
• (D) rare

404. In many insect colonies, a single class of workers serve as the colony's primary defense.

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

• (A) expand
• (B) function
• (C) vanish
• (D) travel

405. For years, the small workshop was the sole supplier of replacement parts for the antique machines.

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

• (A) nearby
• (B) cheapest
• (C) only
• (D) original

406. New telescopes have greatly improved astronomers' chances of detecting faint, distant galaxies.

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

• (A) avoiding
• (B) naming
• (C) counting
• (D) finding

407. Long hours at a desk have made many office workers far more sedentary than earlier generations.

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

• (A) inactive
• (B) isolated
• (C) stressful
• (D) unsafe

408. A surge in tourism boosted local employment significantly during the summer months.

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

• (A) measured
• (B) raised
• (C) delayed
• (D) replaced

409. The committee decided to narrow the scope of the investigation to just two departments.

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

• (A) cost
• (B) location
• (C) extent
• (D) staffing

410. The prolific inventor filed more than two hundred patents over the course of his career.

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

• (A) famous
• (B) productive
• (C) retired
• (D) cautious

Answers

• 401 — A: heart ≈ center — the central or most important part.
• 402 — D: graphic ≈ vivid — described in vivid, detailed terms.
• 403 — C: distinct ≈ separate — clearly different from one another.
• 404 — B: serve ≈ function — to act in a particular role.
• 405 — C: sole ≈ only — being the single one, with no others.
• 406 — D: detecting ≈ finding — discovering the presence of something.
• 407 — A: sedentary ≈ inactive — involving little physical movement.
• 408 — B: boosted ≈ raised — increased in level or amount.
• 409 — C: scope ≈ extent — the range covered by something.
• 410 — B: prolific ≈ productive — producing a large amount or number.

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