TOEFL Words | Questions & Answers 42/44

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 411-420

411. Eager volunteers lined up outside the clinic hours before it opened for free vaccinations.

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

• (A) cautious
• (B) silent
• (C) reluctant
• (D) enthusiastic

412. Historians consider the telegraph an important antecedent of the modern telephone network.

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

• (A) predecessor
• (B) successor
• (C) rival
• (D) component

413. Buyers found the renovated loft especially appealing because of its large windows and open layout.

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

• (A) affordable
• (B) spacious
• (C) attractive
• (D) traditional

414. Directors chose the abandoned quarry as the locale for the film's final chase scene.

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

• (A) budget
• (B) place
• (C) director
• (D) cast

415. Each fingerprint pattern is considered unique to the individual who produced it.

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

• (A) faint
• (B) symmetrical
• (C) singular
• (D) visible

416. Beetles and fungi break down rotting logs, returning nutrients to the forest floor.

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

• (A) decaying
• (B) fallen
• (C) burning
• (D) frozen

417. Clear communication is a key factor in the success of any remote team.

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

• (A) expensive
• (B) important
• (C) visible
• (D) seasonal

418. The new antenna gives rural households access to a wider range of television channels.

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

• (A) more extensive
• (B) more affordable
• (C) more reliable
• (D) more limited

419. The factory switched to recycled materials, thereby cutting production costs by nearly a third.

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

• (A) in place of
• (B) prior to
• (C) by that means
• (D) as opposed to

420. The young musician's meteoric rise to fame surprised even her closest friends.

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

• (A) gradual
• (B) brief
• (C) rapid
• (D) risky

Answers

• 411 — D: eager ≈ enthusiastic — showing strong interest and readiness.
• 412 — A: antecedent ≈ predecessor — something that existed before another thing.
• 413 — C: appealing ≈ attractive — pleasing or drawing interest.
• 414 — B: locale ≈ place — a specific location for an event.
• 415 — C: unique ≈ singular — being the only one of its kind.
• 416 — A: rotting ≈ decaying — breaking down through natural decomposition.
• 417 — B: key ≈ important — essential to a result or outcome.
• 418 — A: wider ≈ more extensive — covering a larger range.
• 419 — C: thereby ≈ by that means — as a result of the action just described.
• 420 — C: meteoric ≈ rapid — happening very quickly, like a shooting star.

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