182 READING COMPREHENSION

Sxru 5: VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT QUESTIONS

On the TOEFL test vou rvill sometimes be asked lo determine the meaning of a
difficult r.tord or expression, a ri'ord or expression that you do not knorv. In this
case, the passage often gives vou a clear indication of r.vhat the word or expression
means.

Example
A line in the passage:
. . . She has a lar-ue gelanium gror,r'ing in a pot in the corner of' her
apartment. . . .

The question:
A "geranium" is probablv u'hich of the following?
(A) A sofa
(B) A chair
(C) A fish
(o) 4 de4

In this of question, you are not expected to knou, the meaning of the word
t_-vpe
geraniunt.Instead, you should understand from the context that if the geranitun is
gron,ing in a pot, then it is probablv a plant. Answer (D) is therefore the best
answer.
The following chart outlines the kev information that you should remember
about vocabularv questions on the TOEFL test.

VOCABU LARY QU ESTION S CONTAI NI NG DI FFICULT WORDS

HOW TO IDENTIFY What is the meaning . .. ?

THE QUESTION Which of the following is closest in meaning to . . . ?
. .. could best be replaced by which of the followingT

WHERE TO FIND The question usually tells you in which line of the passage the
THE ANSWER words or expression can be found.

HOW TO ANSWER 1 Find the word or expression in the passage.

THE QUESTION
2 Read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
3 Look for context clues to help you understand the meaning.
A
Choose the answer that the context indicates.
 READINGCOMPREHENSION 183

TOEFL EXERCISE 5: Study each of the passages, and choose the best answers to
the questions that follow.

PASSAGE OlttrE (Questions 1-4)

When babies are born, they always have blue eyes. This is because the melanin, the
pigment that colors the eyes, is not on the surface of the iris. Instead, it is within the
creases of the iris. Because there is little melanin on the surface of the iris, the eyes
Line appear blue.
(5) After a fer,t, months, the melanin moves to the surface of the iris. It is the amount of
melanin on the surf'ace that detel'mines a person's permanent eve color, so it is at this
point that a babvs eves develop the color thev r,r,ill have for a lifetime.

1. The u'ord "pigment" in line 2 is 3. The word "permanent' in line 6 could

closest in meaning to best be replaced by
(A) skin (A) changeable
(B) muscle (B) lasting
(C) tissue (C) dark
(D) color (D) possible

2. The rvord "surface" in line 2 is closest 4. The word "point" in line 7 could best
in meaning to be replaced bv which of the
(A) following?
top
(B) inside (A) Dot
(C) back (B) Era
(D) bottom (C) Time
(D) Place
 184 READING COMPREHENSION

PASSAGE MO (Questiorrs 5-9)

The chili pepper is native to the Americas, but nou'adavs it is found all over the
rvorld. It is an extlemelv popular spice in manv cultures and is, in fact, the r,",orld's
second favorite spice, after salt. There are more than a hundred species of chili peppers,
Line some which are quite mild and others rvhich are incrediblv hot and spicl'.
(5) Today chili peppers are used to spice a variety of foods, e.g., salsa, meat and rice
dishes, and er,en jam and jell--v. In the past, chili peppers had some other, more unusual
uses. In ancient Merico, 1'or example, chilies cotrld be used to pa1- taxes. In addition, in
Panama, these peppers \vere used to protect aqainst sharks.

5. The tord "favorite" in line 3 is 8. "Jam" in line 6 is probablv

closest in meaning to (A) a t5;pe of cliili
(A) most popular (B) something to eat
(B) most delicious (C) something to rvear
(C) best knou,n (D) a container for chilies
(D) most recognizecl
9. The expression "protect against" in
6. The u'ord "species" in lir-re 3 is closest line 8 could best be replaced b1,'
in meaning. to * hich of the |ollo* ing? (A) lean asainst
(A) Plants (B) hunt for
(B) Uses (C) flirt u,ith
(C) Ivpes (D) defend against
(D) Sizes

7. The rvord "mild" in line 4 could best

be replaced br,
(A) strong tasting
(B) cold
(C) delicate tasting
(D) amiable
 READINGCOMPREHENSION 185

PASSAGE THREE (Questiotts l0-15)

At the end of the Revolutionarv War, America u,as no longer a colonv; instead,
America was a new, voung country that needed to set up its own government. There rvas
a lot of disagreement throu,ehout the country as to the tvpe of government that was
Line best. One of the major issues uras whether there should be a strong federal government
(5) with little power in the hands o{'the individual states or a rveak central government and
powerful states.
It is interesting to note that it rvas many- of the Revolutionary War rreterans urho
u'ere in I'arror o['a strong central go\rernment. Because o1'lheir efforts in r.vinning the
war over the British, after the u,ar thev became a po\ /erful political force, and as a
(10) u,hole thev u'ere extremelv nationalistic.
There u'ere also financial reasons that veterans supported a strong national
government. The revolutionar\r congress had ended the r.l'ar rvith a large amount of
debt, and a large portion of this debt u'as in bzrck pav and pensions to soldiers. Manv
soldiers believed that lr,ith a strong fecleral government, thev had ar better chance of
(15) collecting the monev ou,ed to them.

10. A "colonv" in line 1 is 13. In line 7, "r'eterans" refers to

(A) an independent countrv- (A) governmentofficials
(B) a tvpe ol'government (B) fornrer soldiers
(C) a dependent zrrea (C) voters
(D) a continent (D) current members of the armed
forces
11. The expression "set up" in line 2
could best be repl:rced bv rvhicl-r of 14. The rvord "financial" in line 11 is
the follou,ing? closest in meaning to
(A) Defend (A) monetarv
(B) Organize (B) important
(C) Argue about (C) militar.r
(D) Prolect (D) national

12. The'uvord "federal" in line 4 is 15. The u,ord "back" in line 13 could best
closest in meaning to be replaced br.lr,hich of the
follou,ing?
(A) state
(B) rveak (A) Reverse
(C) central (B) Lorv-income
(D) neru (C) Retr,rrnable
(D) Alreadv earned