2020-03-10 TOEFL: word roots, reading vocab

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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Word Roots (list 1) - With a partner, try to think of one or two words to explain the meaning of each root.
ab (abduct, abdicate) = away/down
act/ag/ex (active, agent, executive) = do
ad (advocate, addition, advance) = toward/onto (Many words that begin with ‘a’ and a double consonant come from this root, such as “afford”, “aggressive”, “apply”.)
aer/aero (aerial, aerate) = air
agri/agro (agriculture, agribusiness, agrarian) = field/farm
ambi (ambidextrous, ambiguous, ambivalent) = both
amb/ambul (amble, ambulatory, ambulate) = move/walk
ami/amo (amiable, amorous) = love/friendship
andro (android, androgen) = man/male (The complementary root for female is “gyn”.)
anim (animate, animal) = movement/motive
ann/enn (annual, millennium, anniversary) = year
ante/anti (antecedent, anteroom, anticipate) = before
anthropo (anthropology, philanthropy) = humanity
anti (antibacterial, antisocial) = against (If something is in front of you it’s stopping you.)
aqua (aquamarine, aqueduct, aquarium) = water (sometimes specifically fresh water)
arch (monarch, hierarchy, archbishop) = first (in importance or power)
archa (archaeology, archaic) = first (in time) / old
art (artist, artifact, artisan) = skill
astro/aster (astronomy, astrology, asteroid, disaster, asterisk) = star
aud/audi (audience, audible) = hear/listen
auto (automatic, autograph) = self
bell (belligerent, rebellious, antebellum) = war
bene (benefit, benevolent) = good
bi (bilingual, bilateral, bisexual) = two
bio (biology, biography, biosphere) = life
cept/ceive (intercept, receive) = catch/capture (these also come from the same root)
cardi/cardio (cardiac, cardiology) = heart
carn (carnivore, carnal) = meat (if it’s dead) / flesh (if it’s alive)
cede/ceed (intercede, exceed) = go
cent (century, centimeter, centennial) = hundred(th)
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Reading Question Types:
- fact
- negative fact
- vocabulary
- inference
- purpose
- paraphrase
- reference
- sentence insertion
- summarize
- organize/categorize
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Vocabulary Questions
- These always ask about the meaning of a word in the context of the passage.
Cambridge exercise R1 describes different types of context clues that can help you with this.
34 B
35 D
36 A
37 boll wevils = insects that can destroy crops
38 carnivores = meat-eating animals
39 chronometer = marine timekeeping device
40 C
41 D
42 A
43 benign = not deadly / not harmful
44 thrives = does very well / prospers
45 viscous = resistant to motion
46 C
47 C
48 B
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BREAK
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49 gentian = a type of flower
50 chanter = part of a bagpipe
51 alleviated = reduced (for negative things)
52 A
53 B
54 C
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exercise R2 - Answer the vocabulary questions about these short passages in 30 seconds each. Then compare your answers with a partner and try to convince them of your answers if you disagree. Point out the context clues you used to reach your conclusion.
1 B
2 D
3 A
4 D
5 C
6 A
7 B (“notorious” is negative in English)
8 C
9 A
10 D
11 D (“exploit” is negative)
12 B
13 C
14 D
15 B
16 C
17 A
18 A
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“score” has many distinct meanings, so you always need to make sure to look at the context:
- sheet music (especially one that contains all the different parts)
- music written for some specific purpose
- number of points in a game or on an assignment
- earn points in a game or on an assignment
- scratch into a hard surface
- twenty
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connotation = the positive or negative associations a word has
(denotation = the literal thing a word refers to)
- You might have a word in your language that denotes more or less the same thing as the English word, but the connotation may be very different.
- euphemisms (words with more positive or polite connotations for subjects we try to avoid) often don’t translate properly between languages
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Often one of the wrong answer choices for a vocabulary question will be a similar word with a different connotation.
(Collocations are closely related and have to do with what sorts of words are often used with another word.)
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Cengage exercise 2.2
Take 5.5 minutes to answer the questions about passage 1. Then compare your answers.
1 B
2 C
3 C (Both expressions are metaphors for setting up circumstances so something can happen.)
4 D
5 A
6 D (“it was nothing if not ____” = “it was very ____”)
7 B
8 B
9 A
10 A (This supports the sentence about the rivalry heating up.)
11 A
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Homework: finish the Cengage handout