Target Listening (Practice Test)-Practice Book 4 Unit 03 (E)

adolescent

growing to manhood or womanhood
The adolescent girl was in a hurry to grow up.

adventurous

inclined or willing to engage in some adventures
The hikers had an adventurous spirit.

advocate

to support or encourage
He advocated the control of firearms in the county.

algebra

math that deals with general statements of relations and other symbols to represent specific sets of numbers, values, etc.
You need to know basic math skills before you can enroll in an algebra class.

alleviate

to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe
The drugs did not alleviate her pain; in fact, they made it worse.

auction

a public sale in which property or items of merchandise are sold to the highest bidder
The auction raised over a million dollars for cancer research.

axolotl

a rare breed of salamander
The axolotl lives its entire life underwater.

breed

a type or class
The Rottweiler is a very aggressive breed of dog, which most people are scared of.

caiman

any of several tropical American crocodilians
A caiman should only be handled by trained professional because they are quite dangerous.

censorship

the act of preventing or modifying a publication or broadcast
To protect children from harmful media, the government called for media censorship.

charity

an organization that helps poor people
I always make it a point to give a portion of my salary to charity every month.

compliment

something nice that is said to or about someone else
His compliments made the shy girl blush.

congestion

a condition of overcrowding
New York City suffers from major traffic congestion.

contemplation

view or reflect upon attention
I was in deep contemplation when the professor asked a difficult philosophical question.

controversial

causing disagreement
Religion and politics are controversial subjects that people tend to shy away from.

demonstrate

to display, to prove
Arriving to work on time everyday demonstrated the new secretary's sense of responsibility.

disobedience

a situation in which one does not obey the rules
Civil disobedience in the form of a violent protest gained the attention of the governor.

donate

to give away so as to help
I usually donate more money to charities during the Christmas season.

endangered

facing possible extinction
The endangered white storks were released into the wild.

evolve

to develop gradually
Some people believe that the whale evolved from some sort of wolf.

external

existing on the outside of something
The disk drive doesn't work on her computer, but I have an external disk drive she can use

funeral

of, or relating to a ceremony for the dead
The funeral ceremony will take place at 10 am Wednesday.

gill

an organ that allows animals to breathe underwater
gills allow fish to breathe underwater.

grumble

to be displeased about something
Garret grumbled about having to finish his homework before going outside to play.

hindsight

recognition of the realities, possibilities, or requirements of a situation, event, etc., after its occurrence
It is easy to criticize things in hindsight.

innovative

using new methods or ideas
The child was quite innovate and did not require any toys to keep him busy; he could make things out of an empty box.

inspirational

imparting inspiration
Her life was inspirational to many young women.

judicial

related to courts and judges
In the United States, the judicial branch of the government is the Supreme Court.

larvae

the immature, wingless, feeding state of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis
The larvae from a frog are called tadpoles.

laundromat

a place where a person pays money to wash their own clothes
I had to go to the laundromat to wash my clothes because my washer was broken.

legislative

having the function of making laws
The French Parliament is the legislative body of the French government

magnificent

splendid, brilliant
The king wore a magnificent crown on his head.

masterpiece

a person's greatest piece of work
One of Auguste Rodin's masterpieces is the 'Thinker'.

mollusk

any of a class of soft, boneless animals living inside hard shells, such as clams, oysters, and scallops
When they visit the sea, they like to eat fresh mollusks.

mourner

a person who attends a funeral to mourn for the deceased
There were several mourners at the celebrity's funeral.

nonviolent

without violence
nonviolent protests often have a larger impact than violent ones.

participate

take part in something
We have to all participate in the school’s homecoming rally.

plaid

having differently colored yarns in a crossbarred pattern
Betsy wore a cute plaid skirt to school.

ponder

to think deeply
I took some time to ponder his ideas over a walk.

privilege

special right or benefit granted to a person
When the children do not obey their parents, they lose their privilege of watching TV.

proponent

a person who supports or argues in favor of something
His neighbor is a strong proponent of recycling and environmental conservation.

randomly

in a way lacking a system or order
She randomly selected the clothes she would wear for the day.

resident

a person who lives in a certain area
The residents of Hawaii enjoy a very scenic view.

skyrocket

to rise quickly, to increase at a fast pace
Our family's income skyrocketed when my mom got a great new job.

strapless

not having any straps over the shoulders
I think a strapless gown looks very elegant.

strategy

planning in order to achieve a goal
The company's strategy is simple: make good products and sell theem at a low price.

substitute

to put in place of something else
The student teacher was substituting for the regular professor in class today.

subtract

to take away or make smaller
You need to subtract these numbers to get the correct answer.

transition

to change
My university has transitioned from quarters to semesters.

utilize

to put to use
She utilized her negotiation skills to get the contract.