LESSON 36

Vocabulary Items

When ETS eliminated the first section of Section 3, which consisted of 30 discrete vocabulary items, it
replaced them with an increased number of questions (from 12 to 18) about the vocabulary in the reading
passages. Most test-takers find that, in general, it is easier to answer vocabulary questions based on the
context of a passage than it is to answer questions about vocabulary in single, isolated sentences.
In vocabulary items, you must determine which of four words or phrases can best substitute for a
word or words in the passage.
Most of the questions ask about single words (usually nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs). Some
ask about two- or three-word phrases.
Sometimes two of the answer choices for these items might be “correct” definitions of the word that
is asked about. In those cases, you must decide which of the two is correct in the context of the passage.
In ordinary reading, there are several clues that can help you to determine the meaning of an
unknown word:
• Synonyms
The first state to institute compulsory education was Massachusetts, which made it mandatory for
students to attend school twelve weeks a year.
The word mandatory is a synonym for the word compulsory.
• Examples
Many gardeners use some kind of mulch, such as chopped leaves, peat moss, grass clippings, pine
needles, or wood chips, to stop the growth of weeds and hold in moisture.
From the examples given, it is clear that mulch is plant matter.
• Contrast
In the 1820s, the Southern states supported improvements in the national transportation system,
but the Northern states balked.
Since the Southern states supported improvements, and since a word signaling contrast (but) is
used, it is clear that the Northern states disagreed with this idea, and that the word balked
must mean objected or refused.
• General context
In a desert, vegetation is so scanty as to be incapable of supporting any large human population.
As is generally known, deserts contain little vegetation, so clearly the word scanty must mean
scarce or barely sufficient.
When answering vocabulary items, you must most often depend on the general context of the sentence to
help you choose the correct answer.
You should follow these steps to answer vocabulary items:
1. Look at the word being asked about and the four answer choices. If you are familiar with the
word, guess which answer is correct. Do NOT mark your answer sheet yet.
2. Read the sentence in which the word appears. If you were familiar with the word and guessed
at the answer, make sure that the word that you chose fits with the word as it is used in the
sentence. If you were unfamiliar with the word, see if context clues in the sentence or in the
sentences before or after help you guess the meaning.
3. If you are not sure which answer is correct, read the sentence with each of the four answer
choices in place. Does one seem more logical, given the context of the sentence, than the other
three? If not, do any seem illogical? (You can eliminate those.)
4. If you’re still not sure, make the best guess you can and go on.

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Sample Items
In Britain’s North American colonies, university-trained physicians were1234567890
at a premium. At the time of
the Revolution, there were probably only around 400 physicians and some 1234567890
3,000 practitioners who
had on-the-job training as barber-surgeons or physicians’ apprentices. Whether university trained or
not, none had much knowledge of the causes of disease, and the “cures” they often recommended—
bleeding, blistering, and the use of violent purgatives—were at best ineffective and at worst12345
12345
lethal.
123456789
1. The phrase 123456789
at a premium in the first sentence is closest in meaning to
123456789
(A) well-paid.
(B) not very numerous.
(C) very experienced.
(D) not well-respected.
The correct answer is (B). The phrase “only around 400” indicates that there was a shortage of
university-trained physicians.

2. Which of the following words could best be substituted for the word1234
1234
lethal in the last sentence?
(A) Impractical
(B) Brutal
(C) Impossible
(D) Deadly
The correct answer is (D). The phrase “at best ineffective and at worst lethal” indicates that the
correct answer must describe a situation much worse than ineffective. Choices (A) and (C) don’t
create logical sentences when substituted for lethal. Choice (B), brutal (which means savage or
violent), is more logical, but only choice (D) is synonymous with lethal.

EXERCISE 36.1
Focus: Using context clues to answer “click-on” items

Directions: Write the word from the passage that is the closest in meaning (or most nearly opposite
in meaning) in the blanks.

Passage 1 1. Find the word or phrase in paragraph 1 that

Everyday life in the British colonies of North
America may now seem glamorous , especially as
reflected in antique shops. But judged by modern
standards, it was quite a drab existence. For most
people, the labor was heavy and constant from
daybreak to nightfall.
Basic comforts now taken for granted were
lacking. Public buildings were often not heated at
all. Drafty homes were heated only by inefficient
fireplaces. There was no running water or indoor
plumbing. The flickering light of candles and
whale oil lamps provided inadequate illumination.
There was no sanitation service to dispose of gar-
bage; instead, long-snouted hogs were allowed to
roam the streets, consuming refuse .
is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to the
drab
word glamorous. __________
2. Find the word or phrase in paragraph 2 that
is closest in meaning to the word refuse.
garbage
__________
Passage 2
Blood is a complex fluid composed of several
types of cells suspended in plasma, the liquid
portion of the blood. Red blood cells make up
the vast majority of blood cells. Hemoglobin in
the red blood cells picks up oxygen in the blood
and delivers it to the tissues of the body. Then

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 LESSON 36: VOCABULARY ITEMS
these cells carry carbon dioxide from the body’s
cells to the lungs.
Think of it as a railroad that hauls freight.
The cargo (oxygen) is loaded into a railroad car
(hemoglobin). Then the locomotive (a red blood
cell) carries the cars where they are needed.
After unloading, the train returns with a different
cargo (carbon dioxide) and the process starts
over.
Hemoglobin is the part of the cell that
traps oxygen and carbon dioxide. It contains a
compound called porphyrin that consists of a
carbon-based ring with four nitrogen atoms
facing a central hole. The nitrogen bonds to an
iron atom, and the iron then captures one
molecule of oxygen or carbon dioxide.
3. Find the word or phrase in paragraph 2 that
is closest in meaning to the word hauls.
carries
__________
4. Find the word or phrase in paragraph 2 that
is closest in meaning to the word cargo.
freight
__________
5. Find the word or phrase in paragraph 3 that
is closest in meaning to the word traps.
captures
__________
Passage 3
Taking over as president of Harvard in 1869,
Charles W. Eliot pioneered a break with the
traditional curriculum . The usual course of
studies at U.S. universities at the time
emphasized classical languages, mathematics,
rhetoric, and ethics. Eliot initiated a system
under which most required courses were
dropped in favor of elective courses. The
university increased its offerings and stressed
physical and social sciences, the fine arts, and
modern languages. Soon other universities all
over the United States were following Harvard’s
lead.
6. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word
initiated
pioneered . __________
7. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word
(course) offerings
curriculum . __________
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8. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word
stressed
emphasized. __________
9. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to the
elective
word required. __________
Passage 4
The Pleiades, named after the seven sisters of
Greek mythology, is a star cluster that can be
seen with the naked eye. It appears as a dipper-
shaped group of stars high overhead on autumn
evenings. It is so young (only a few million years
old) that many of its stars appear to be sur-
rounded by a luminous blue mist. This haze is
actually starlight reflecting off debris left behind
after the stars were formed. Our own Sun’s
stellar neighborhood probably looked much like
this just after its formation.
10. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word cluster.
group
__________
11. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word mist.
haze
__________
Passage 5
Interior designers may claim that a solitary
goldfish displayed in a glass bowl makes a
striking minimalist fashion statement, but
according to a team of British researchers,
goldfish learn from each other and are better off
in groups than alone. In one experiment, two
groups of goldfish were released into a large
aquarium separated by a transparent plastic
panel. On one side, food was hidden in various
locations. The fish on that side foraged for the
food while the fish on the other side of the clear
panel watched. When released into the feeding
area, these observant fish hunted for the food
exactly in the proper locations. Other experi-
ments showed that fish raised in a group are less
fearful of attack than fish raised alone. And not
only are they less skittish, they are also better at
avoiding enemies in the event of actual danger.
12. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word solitary.
alone
__________
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13. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word
clear
transparent . __________
14. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word foraged.
hunted
__________
15. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word skittish.
fearful
__________
Passage 6
Although business partnerships enjoy certain
advantages over sole proprietorships, there are
drawbacks as well. One problem that may afflict
partnerships is the fact that each general partner
is liable for the debts incurred by any other
partner. Moreover, he or she is responsible for
lawsuits resulting from any partner’s malpractice.
Interpersonal conflicts may also plague partner-
ships. All partnerships, from law firms to rock
groups, face the problem of personal disagree-
ments. Another problem is the difficulty of
dissolving partnerships. It is much easier to
dissolve a sole proprietorship than it is to
terminate a partnership. Generally, a partner who
wants to leave must find someone—either an
existing partner or an outsider acceptable to the
remaining partners—to buy his or her interest in
the firm.
16. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to the
advantages
word drawbacks. __________
17. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word liable.
responsible
__________
18. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word conflicts.
disagreement
__________
19. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word plague.
afflict
__________
20. Find the word or phrase in the passage that
is closest in meaning to the word dissolve.
terminate
__________

EXERCISE 36.2
Focus: Answering both types of vocabulary items about words or phrases in reading passages

Directions: Answer the items about the vocabulary in the passages. Mark the proper oval for
multiple-choice items and underline the appropriate word or phrase in the bold text to answer “click
on” items.

Passage 1 a transcontinental railroad, and assumed a

The Civil War created feverish manufacturing studied stance of nonintervention in private
enterprise. The Social Darwinism of British
activity to supply critical material, especially in
philosopher Herbert Spencer and American
the North. When the fighting stopped,
economist William Graham Summer prevailed.
the stage was set for dramatic economic growth.
The theory was that business, if
Wartime taxes on production had vanished, and
the few taxes that remained leaned heavily on left to its own devices, would eliminate the
weak and nurture the strong. But as business
real estate , not on business. The population flow
expanded, the rivalry heated up. In the 1880s,
from farm to city increased, and the labor force
five railroads operating between New York and
it provided was buttressed by millions of newly
Chicago vied for traffic, and two more were
arrived immigrants willing to work for low wages
under construction. As a result of the battle, the
in the mills of the North and on the railroad
fare between the cities decreased to $1. Petro-
crews of the Midwest and West.
leum companies likewise competed savagely
The federal government’s position toward
and, in the 1880s, many of them failed.
economic expansion was nothing if not
accommodating . The government established
tariff barriers, provided loans and grants to build

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 LESSON 36: VOCABULARY ITEMS

1. The word feverish in paragraph 1 is closest 7. The word accommodating in paragraph 2 is

in meaning to closest in meaning to
(A) extremely rapid. (A) persistent.
(B) sickly and slow. (B) indifferent.
(C) very dangerous. (C) balanced.
(D) understandable. (D) helpful.

2. Which of the following is closest in 8. Look at the word stance in the bold text
meaning to the word critical in paragraph below:
1?
The federal government’s position
(A) Industrial toward economic expansion was
(B) Serious nothing if not accommodating. It
(C) Crucial established tariff barriers, provided
(D) Insulting loans and grants to build a transconti-
nental railroad, and assumed a studied
3. The phrase the stage was set in paragraph stance of nonintervention in private
1 is closest in meaning to which of the enterprise.
following?
Underline the word or phrase in the bold
(A) The play was over. text that is closest in meaning to the word
(B) The progress continued. stance.
(C) The foundation was laid.
(D) The direction was clear. 9. The word prevailed in paragraph 2 is
closest in meaning to
4. Look at the word newcomers in the bold
text below. (A) influenced.
(B) triumphed.
The population flow from farm to city (C) premiered.
increased, and the labor force it (D) evolved.
provided was buttressed by millions of
recent immigrants. These newcomers 10. The phrase left to its own devices in
were willing to work for low wages in paragraph 2 means
the mills of the North and on the
(A) forced to do additional work.
railroad crews of the Midwest and West.
(B) allowed to do as it pleased.
Underline the word or phrase in the bold (C) made to change its plans.
text that is closest in meaning to the word (D) encouraged to produce more goods.
newcomers .
11. Look at the word vied in the bold text
5. The phrase real estate in paragraph 1 refers below:
to
In the 1880s, five railroads operating
(A) tools and machines. between New York and Chicago vied
(B) actual income. for traffic, and two more were under
(C) new enterprises. construction. As a result of the battle,
(D) land and buildings. the fare between the cities decreased to
$1. Petroleum companies likewise
6. The word buttressed in paragraph 1 is competed savagely and, in the 1880s,
closest in meaning to many of them failed.
(A) concerned. Underline the word or phrase in the bold
(B) supplemented. text that is closest in meaning to the word
(C) restructured. vied.
(D) enriched.

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12. The word savagely in paragraph 2 is closest 15. The word showy in paragraph 2 is closest
in meaning to in meaning to which of the following?
(A) fiercely. (A) Ornamental
(B) suddenly. (B) Graceful
(C) surprisingly. (C) Colorless
(D) genuinely. (D) Powerful

16. Look at the word slim in the bold text

Passage 3 below:
All birds have feathers, and feathers are unique
to birds. No other major group of animals is so Feathers form the soft down of geese
easy to categorize . All birds have wings, too, but and ducks, the long showy plumes of
wings are not peculiar to birds. ostriches and egrets, and the strong
Many adaptations are found in both feathers flight feathers of eagles and condors.
and wings. Feathers form the soft down of geese Wings vary from the short, broad ones
and ducks, the long showy plumes of ostriches of chickens, who seldom fly, to the
and egrets, and the strong flight feathers of long slim ones of albatrosses, who
eagles and condors. Wings vary from the short, spend almost all their lives soaring on
broad ones of chickens, who seldom fly, to the air currents.
long, slim ones of albatrosses, who spend almost Underline the word or phrase in the bold
all their lives soaring on air currents. In pen- text most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to
guins, wings have been modified into flippers the word slim.
and feathers into a waterproof covering. In kiwis,
the wings are almost impossible to detect. 17. The word detect in paragraph 2 is closest
Yet diversity among birds is not so striking in meaning to
as it is among mammals. The difference between
(A) utilize.
a hummingbird and a penguin is immense, but
(B) extend.
hardly as startling as that between a bat and a
(C) observe.
whale. It is variations in details rather than in
(D) describe.
fundamental patterns that have been important
in the adaptation of birds to many kinds of 18. Which of the following is closest in
ecosystems. meaning to the word diversity in paragraph
3?
13. Look at the words peculiar to in the bold
text below: (A) Function
(B) Heredity
All birds have feathers, and feathers are (C) Specialty
unique to birds. No other major group (D) Variety
of animals is so easy to categorize. All
birds have wings, too, but wings are 19. Look at the word striking in the bold text
not peculiar to birds. below:
Underline the word or phrase in the bold Yet diversity among birds is not so
text closest in meaning to the words striking as it is among mammals. The
peculiar to . difference between a hummingbird and
a penguin is immense, but hardly as
14. The word categorize in paragraph 1 is startling as that between a bat and a
closest in meaning to whale.
(A) appreciate. Underline the word or phrase in the bold
(B) comprehend. text closest in meaning to the word
(C) classify. striking.
(D) visualize.

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 LESSON 36: VOCABULARY ITEMS

20. The word hardly in paragraph 3 is closest 24. Which of the following could best substi-
in meaning to tute for the word rugged in paragraph 1?
(A) definitely. (A) Streamlined
(B) not nearly. (B) Roomy
(C) possibly. (C) Sturdy
(D) not always. (D) Primitive

21. The word fundamental in paragraph 3 is 25. Which of the following is closest in
closest in meaning to meaning to the word jolts in paragraph 1?
(A) basic. (A) Signs
(B) shifting. (B) Shocks
(C) predictable. (C) Sights
(D) complicated. (D) Shots

26. The phrase bound for in paragraph 1 is

Passage 4 closest in meaning to
Manufactured in the tranquil New England town
of Concord, New Hampshire, the famous (A) belonged to.
Concord Coach came to symbolize the Wild (B) destined for.
West. Its rugged body and a suspension system (C) built by.
of leather straps could handle the hard jolts from (D) paid for.
rough roads. A journalist in 1868, describing a
27. Look at the word splendidly in the bold
railroad shipment of 30 coaches bound for
text below:
Wells, Fargo and Company, wrote, “They are
splendidly decorated . . . the bodies red and the “They are decorated splendidly . . . the
running parts yellow. Each door has a handsome bodies red and the running parts
picture, mostly landscapes, and no two coaches yellow. Each door is superbly painted,
are exactly alike.” mostly with landscapes, and no two
Wells, Fargo and Company was founded in coaches are exactly alike.”
1852 to provide mail and banking services for
Underline the word or phrase in the bold
the gold camps of California and later won a
text closest in meaning to the word
monopoly on express services west of the
splendidly.
Mississippi. A Wells, Fargo Concord Coach
carried nine to fourteen passengers plus baggage 28. Look at the word plush in the bold text
and mail. The accommodations were by no below:
means plush. However, while conditions may
have been primitive and service not always The accommodations were by no
prompt, the stagecoach was the swiftest method means plush. However, while condi-
of travel through much of the Far West. tions may have been primitive and
service not always prompt, the stage-
22. The word tranquil in paragraph 1 is closest coach was still the swiftest method of
in meaning to travel through much of the Far West.

(A) peaceful. Underline the word or phrase in the bold

(B) bustling. text most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to
(C) industrial. the word plush.
(D) tiny.
29. Which of the following is closest in meaning
23. The word symbolize in paragraph 1 is to the word swiftest in paragraph 2?
closest in meaning to (A) Most comfortable
(A) recollect. (B) Cheapest
(B) fulfill. (C) Most direct
(C) deny. (D) Fastest
(D) represent.

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