Target Listening (Practice Test)-Practice Book 4 Unit 05 (E)

abandoned

forsaken or deserted
The sick cub was abandoned by its mother.

apparently

clearly, plainly
apparently it is going to rain today.

apricot

a small yellow-orange fruit
The round orangish apricot is similar to a plum.

asphalt

a mixture of substances including crushed rock, gravel, or the like, used for paving
Road crews fill the holes in the road with sticky, black asphalt.

aspiring

someone who is trying to become a successful actor, politician, writer, etc
Some aspiring musicians move from small towns to large cities like Los Angeles for more opportunities.

baggy

hanging loosely
Circus clows typically wear baggy pants.

burglary

the act of breaking into a house or establishment with the intent to steal
There have been several burglaries in the neighborhood.

carbonated

a drink like cola this is fizzy becaue it contains bubbles of carbon dioxide
I prefer juices to carbonated drinks.

commence

to begin
The ceremony will commence after all of the audience members have been seated.

commotion

a large, confusing amount of noise and movement
After the announcement, there was a great deal of commotion as all customers rushed to aisle 7.

contradict

to show or state the opposite
He said he was at home Thursday night, but his wife contradicted his story and said he wasn't there.

criticism

an evaluation, often on the negative side
I thought that Mary's criticism of Tonya's painting was a little rough.

daunting

very challenging; fearsome
Due to the schedule change, she faced the daunting task of studying for five exams in a single night.

dyslexia

a disorder marked by a difficulty recognizing written words
His dyslexia caused him to do poorly in school; he had a difficult time reading.

explosive

eruptive
The terrorists used explosives to destroy the governmental building.

far-fetched

unrealistic
Brandon's idea seemed too far-fetched for everyone to agree on.

fascinating

very interesting, incredible
The story of the beginning of the church is fascinating.

fighting spirit

agressiveness; courage
He overcame the difficulties with a fighting spirit.

flare

to suddenly intensify
My old knee injury flared up while I was playing basketball.

grin

to smile slightly
When I told her the good news, she just grinned without saying anything

harsh

severe
The children grew up in a very harsh environment.

hypnosis

a trance, as if being asleep
The patient tried hypnosis to see if her problems could be revealed.

immense

extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree
Zack has an immense amount of debt to clear up.

immodest

not properly restrained; shamless
The immodest host made many of the guests feel uncomfortable.

initiative

the first step
The student took the initiative to learn Chinese before going on his exchange program to China.

intriguing

causing interest
I found the street performers to be very intriguing.

investigator

one whose job is to perform research to find the cause and or person who committed a crime
The investigator quickly went about collecting clues.

movie-goer

one who goes to see movies
movie-goers were asked to rate the movie

outrageous

highly unusual or unconventional
The judge gave me an outrageous fine even though it was my first offense.

overdue

past due
My library books are overdue.

overwhelming

overpowering in effect or strength
The soldier experienced overwhelming joy at seeing his newborn child for the first time.

perspective

the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one
Her perspective of the situation was very different than mine.

porch

an exterior part of a building, usually a home, that has a cover
During summer evenings, I like to sit out on the porch and relax.

progressive

characterized by change
The fashion designer's style was considered very progressive for his time.

refund

to pay back money received or spent
I got a refund for the items I bought at the store.

rickety

likely to fall or collapse; shaky
I was worried that the rickety chair would not be able to hold me.

senator

title of respect accorded a person who is or has been a member of the Senate
The Texas senator came to our school to discuss politics with us.

simultaneously

occurring or done together or at the same time
The boy was very gifted and was able to learn five languages simultaneously.

sloppy

not clean or orderly
The sloppy room would take all day to clean and rearrange.

sourdough

a mixture of flour and water which is left to ferment and then used to make bread
sourdough bread is tougher to chew than bread prepard the normal way.

sportscaster

a person who gives information about sports on a TV or radio sports program
Many sportsfans would love to have a job as a sportscaster.

subconscious

occurring in the mind just beyond the state of consciousness
Breathing and blinking are subconscious functions that occur naturally without thought.

susceptible

capable of being affected
A city without walls is susceptible for an enemy invasion.

sweltering

extremely hot
August is typically a sweltering month.

torture

punishment involving severe pain in order to force information or a confession
torture is illegal under international law, but prisoners are still physically and mentally abused in many situations.

unanimous

in complete agreement
The jury were unanimous in their opinion that the defendant was guilty of murder.

unconventional

different from what is usual or the way most people do things
Jason uses unconventional methods for teaching.

uptight

nervous, jittery, or annoyed
Don't be so uptight about your grades.

victorious

having achieved a victory
We were victorious on the playing field.

vulnerable

easy to attack
Because the deer was standing in the middle of an open field, he was a vulnerable target.