Reading Practice - Vocabulary Questions

The word ​degradation​ is closest in meaning to ...

• Deterioration

• Damage

• Construction

• Integration

Answer explanation

A​ is correct because deterioration is closest in meaning to degradation as both refer to a process in which something gets progressively worse or less. From the prefix "​de-​" you can assume that this word implies something decreasing or negative, which allows you to eliminate choices ​C​ and ​D​.

The phrase ​corresponded with​ is closest in meaning to ...

• Dealt with

• Measured

• Accounted for

• Aligned with

Answer explanation

D​ is correct because correspond with, in this situation, refers to two events that happen at the same time - they are aligned with each other. The two events that happened at the same time were "​the rising time of the bright star Sirius in the predawn sky...​" and "​...the flooding of the Nile River​"

The word ​sophisticated​ in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ...

• Refined

• Basic

• Intelligent

• Serious

Answer explanation

A ​is correct because “​refined​” is closest in meaning to “​sophisticated​” in this situation. In this context, the beginning sentence of the second paragraph contrasts the information from the prior paragraph with words like "​however​" and "​more sophisticated​". Since the experiments in the previous paragraph took place in 1887, we can assume that they were fairly simple, so we can eliminate "​basic​" (​B​) and "​serious​" (​D​).

The word ​intrigued​ is closest in meaning to ...

• Occupied

• Guided

• Confused

• Interested

Answer explanation

D​ is correct because “​interested​” is a synonym of “​intrigued​”, which tends to indicate a stronger interest in something or someone. If you continue to read within and after this sentence, you will find that the mystery is interesting, "​...because it marks the end of the dinosaur age. For tens of millions of years these great creatures had flourished and dominated. Then, they suddenly disappeared...​". In this situation, it's easy to eliminate "​guided​" (​B​) and "​occupied​" (​A​).

The word ​interconnectedness​ is closest in meaning to ...

• Association

• Interrogation

• Dependence

• Togetherness

Answer explanation

A ​is correct because “​association​” is closest in meaning to “​interconnectedness​”. If you break down this word into parts, "​inter-​" usually implies that something is "​in​" or "​between​". "​Connect​" is the base word that you are probably familiar with and the suffix "​-ness​" is a noun and implies that something is in a current state or condition. With all this information, you can easily eliminate "​interrogation​" (​B​) and "​dependence​" (​C​).

The word ​dispute​ is closest in meaning to ... 

• Conversation

• Argument

• Experiment

• Disassociation

Answer explanation

B​ is the correct answer because "​argument​" is closest in meaning to "​dispute​". In this context, the first part of the sentence is a contrasting clause, beginning with the word "​although​", emphasizes that there was some disagreement (argument), but the rest of the sentence concede that, "​...Mendeleev’s contributions to the development of the periodic table are now more widely recognized.​". Therefore, it makes sense to infer that "​dispute​" is similar to "​argument​".