Target Listening (Practice Test)-Practice Book 4 Unit 12 (E)

agenda

a list, plan, outline, or the like, of things to be done, matters to be acted or voted upon, etc.
According to the agenda, I won't be giving my presentation until after we vote on Mr. Wilson's proposal.

astound

shock or greatly surprise
I was astounded to hear that Angela got into Harvard.

autism

a developmental disorder of children that impairs language and other communication skills in addition to social abilities
autism is more common in boys than girls.

batch

a group of things or people dealt with at the same time
I just made a batch of fresh-hot cookies.

beforehand

in advance; ahead of time
It is a good idea to ask your professor for permission to miss class beforehand.

buckled

securely fastened with a buckle
The buckled belt will keep you from moving around too much during the ride.

circumstances

a condition or factor which has effects on others
Several circumstances lead to his decision to leave the company.

confrontation

a tense meeting or a clash
The confrontation between the manager and the employee harmed the image of the company.

distinctive

having a special quality that is distinguished from others
James Earl Jones has a very distinctive voice which most people can easily recognize as the voice of Mufasa in the Lion King.

ecosystem

a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment.
The major oil spill will have a great impact on the surrounding ecosystems.

elegant

stylish in appearance; graceful; refined
Mary had exquisite tastes and had her house decorated with elegant furniture.

enlist

to enter, usually voluntarily, for military service
After our nation's capital was attacked, several young people enlisted in the military.

finalize

to complete all the details of something
We finalized my work contract today.

flavor

the distinctive taste of something as it is experienced in the mouth
The flavor of this drink is a bit too sweet for me.

fulfillment

satisfaction
The fullfillment I get from seeing my children do well in life is indescribable.

garment

a piece of clothing
Her garments are typically well-designed.

hatch

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

hazardous

dangerous, potentially harmful
Smoking cigarettes is hazardous to your health.

hesitation

to delay due to uncertainty of mind or fear
hesitation can be the difference between living and dying.

horizontally

to be parallel to the plane of the horizon; at right angles to the vertical
You should lie down horizontally in bed.

immensely

extremely
He seems to have a mind of his own, and also seems to be immensely popular.

inbox

where one's electronic mail is kept
I checked my inbox to see if I had any emails sent to me.

inhabitable

able to support and sustain life
There is not much inhabitable land on Greeland.

inhibit

to prevent; to hinder
Her lack of confidence inhibited her from getting a better job.

inseparable

unable to be divided
These wires are inseparable to the computer's memory.

intricate

very complicated or detailed
The blueprint of the building is very intricate.

linemen

in American football, one of the players on the line as a center, guard, tackle, or end
Their team probably has the best collection of linemen in the league.

longevity

the duration of life
Many people say that happiness is the key to longevity.

materialize

to cause to become real or actual
Money just doesn’t materialize from trees. You have to work for it.

metabolic

relating to the chemical processes in the body
Diabetes is a metabolic disease where the body does not produce enough insulin, so there is too much blood sugar.

microgravity

a condition, especially in space orbit, where the force of gravity is so weak that weightlessness results
Scientists have developed machines that simulate microgravity in a controlled environment.

mimic

to copy the way in which a particular person usually speaks and moves, usually in order to amuse people
The baby mimicked every sound the dog made.

movement

a progressive development of ideas toward a particular end
There was a powerful movement to unseat the president.

multimillion

pertaining to several million units of something
Mrs. Lee is in charge of a multimillion dollar company.

mutual

reciprocated respect for the other
The two lovers had a mutual affection for each other.

offense

the players or team unit that are responsible for attacking or scoring in a game
Michael enjoys playing offense more than defense because it is livelier.

opt

to choose
The kids opted to have pizza for dinner on Friday night.

petition

a formal or solemn written request
If you want to change a law, you can start by asking your neighbors to sign a petition.

prom

a formal dance usually held in high school
A prom is a formal dance at a school or college which is usually held at the end of the academic year.

prominent

well-known
He is a very prominent and successful author.

resort

to have recourse
The mother tried very hard to discipline her son without resorting to spanking.

respectively

in regard to each of two or more
The first and second prizes went to Tom and Larry, respectively.

self-reliance

dependence on one's own powers, resources, skills, thoughts, etc.
Her parents were surprised by the extent of her self-reliance.

stimulus

something that incites to action or exertion or quickens action, feeling, thought
We fed the brain some electrical stimuli to see how it would respond.

student council

committee of students in a high school or university that oversee student affairs
student council is always involved in arranging the fall dance.

tactics

the combination of military plans to achieve a strategy
The generals tactics were successful in capturing the enemy.

tickle

to touch someone lightly with the fingers to make them laugh or happy
My father would always tickle my belly when I was in a bad mood.

timid

lacking in self-assurance, courage, bravery
The timid deer ran off when it saw the people approach.

tuxedo

the complete semi-formal outfit, including jacket, dark trousers, and bow tie
Many of the male celebrities wore tuxedos to the awards ceremony.

wrongly

in a wrong manner; not rightly
You wrongly used company funds for your personal use.