Target Listening (Practice Test)-Practice Book 3 Unit 03 (E)

afford

able to have or do
Some students can afford to eat out every day because their parents pay for their tuition.

allergic

having a condition that makes a one become ill or develop skin or breathing problems from food or certain substances
I am allergic many kinds of nuts.

aspect

a feature, part of something
The teacher liked most aspects of the students' project except the presentation.

attitude

a position or manner indicative of feeling, opinion, or intention toward a person or thing
Exercising in the morning can change your attitude for the rest of the day.

blank

having no image
The TV went blank just as the movie was getting interesting.

blink

to close and open one or both of the eyes rapidly
The brightness of the sun makes my blink my eyes.

by mistake

due to an error
He opened his sister's mail by mistake.

camouflage

the covering that something has that makes it difficult to detect
The insect's camouflage prevented it from being eaten by other animals.

career

what a person does for a living
My writing career is starting to improve.

characteristic

a distinctive trait or feature
The most interesting characteristic about basketball player Yao Ming is his unbelievable height.

cuff

a fold or ban serving as a trimming or a finish for the bottom of a sleeve
The cuffs of his white shirt were dirty from working at a desk that hadn't been cleaned.

discrimination

unfair treatment because of race, sex, age, religion, etc.
After moving to a new country, she faced much discrimination because of her race.

distract

to take focus from
The nice weather was distracting the students from studying.

exhilarating

causing one to feel happy and energetic
The whole group found white-water rafting to be an exhilarating experience.

fabulous

almost impossible to believe, incredible
Her new movie is absolutely fabulous!

frame

to put something like a picture, mirror, etc., into a board or case for enclosing
My dad framed my drawing and hung it in his office.

hatch

to break out of an egg
My daughter is going to hatch chickens for her science fair project.

hysterically

uncontrollably emotional
We all laughed hysterically after we heard Jessica's joke.

initially

occurring at the beginning
After the auto accident, the mother initially did not want her daughter to drive.

investigate

to search and examine thoroughly
The principle investigated why the student was absent from school.

landmark

an obvious place or boundary
The Eiffel Tower is a famous landmark in Paris.

life span

the amount of time that an organism lives
The life span of humans is gradually increasing with every generation.

mackerel

a fish of the North Atlantic having wavy marks on the back
Mackeral is a commonly eaten fish.

mariachi

a member of a band which plays traditional Mexican music
The mariachis perfomed a lovely song at the wedding.

measure

any standard of comparison, estimation, or judgement
We are using measures that are consistent with the rest of the industrialized world.

overcome

to prevail over
I was not able to overcome my desire for dark chocolate.

paisley

a colorful pattern of curved shapes, usually on cloth
I bought my husband a new paisley tie.

paycheck

a salary or wage check
Most employees work hard to receive their paycheck.

picky

extremely fussy or choosy
Most children are picky when it comes to food.

plumber

a person whose job is to supply and connect, or repair water pipes, baths, toilets, etc.
You need a good plumber when you're building a house.

pregnant

having an unborn baby in the body
I never want to be pregnant.

preoccupy

completely engrossed in thought
I was so preoccupied with the movie that I forgot to start dinner.

resemble

to have a strong similarity in appearance to something else
His painting resembles the same style as Jackson Pollack.

shape

to have a definite form
In Japan, I bought a watermelon shaped like a square.

shiver

a tremble or quiver due to fear, cold, excitement, etc.
The blast of cold air gave me a shiver.

skyscraper

a very tall building
Because there is so much land in Texas, you do not see many skyscrapers.

solar panel

a bank of solar cells used for collecting sunlight and using it for energy
Many newer homes have solar panels on their roofs to take advantage of the sun as a source for free energy.

thunderstorm

a storm with thunder and lightning and heavy rain
Hurricanes and thunderstorms can cause very bad flooding.

unrealistic

not reasonable or believable
His ideas are interesting but they are also unrealistic.

wedding reception

a reception for wedding guests held after the wedding
In North America, a wedding reception lasts all evening with lots of dancing and eating.