TOEFL Words | Questions & Answers 43/44

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 421-430

421. Suburban housing did not grow apace with the sudden rise in factory jobs nearby.

The phrase "apace with" is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• (A) aside from
• (B) ahead of
• (C) as fast as
• (D) in favor of

422. Traditional weaving techniques prevailed in the region long after machine looms became widely available.

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

• (A) dominated
• (B) declined
• (C) vanished
• (D) diversified

423. The novel vividly depicted daily life in a small fishing village during the 1930s.

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

• (A) invented
• (B) described
• (C) predicted
• (D) questioned

424. She is regarded as one of the foremost experts on coral reef restoration.

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

• (A) most cautious
• (B) controversial
• (C) most recent
• (D) leading

425. The farm switched to intensive cultivation methods to increase yield on a small plot of land.

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

• (A) seasonal
• (B) concentrated
• (C) traditional
• (D) affordable

426. Economic models often rest on the assumption that consumers act rationally.

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

• (A) premise
• (B) legal requirement
• (C) market trend
• (D) personal bias

427. The delay was merely a minor inconvenience compared with the storm that followed.

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

• (A) rarely
• (B) only
• (C) obviously
• (D) eventually

428. Older factories were emitting far more pollution than the newer plants nearby.

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

• (A) storing
• (B) measuring
• (C) producing
• (D) filtering

429. The exhibit traces the artist's career, spanning more than five decades of work.

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

• (A) covering
• (B) launching
• (C) reviewing
• (D) ending

430. Wolves will often pursue weaker members of a herd rather than risk injury from a stronger animal.

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

• (A) avoid
• (B) feed
• (C) shelter
• (D) chase

Answers

• 421 — C: apace with ≈ as fast as — at the same speed as something else.
• 422 — A: prevailed ≈ dominated — remained the most common or widespread.
• 423 — B: depicted ≈ described — shown or represented in words or images.
• 424 — D: foremost ≈ leading — ranked as the most important or prominent.
• 425 — B: intensive ≈ concentrated — using a lot of effort in a small area.
• 426 — A: assumption ≈ premise — an idea accepted as true and used as a basis for reasoning.
• 427 — B: merely ≈ only — nothing more than; simply.
• 428 — C: emitting ≈ producing — sending out, especially gas, light, or sound.
• 429 — A: spanning ≈ covering — extending across a period or distance.
• 430 — D: pursue ≈ chase — to follow in order to catch.

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