2013年托福词汇精选试题及答案8

1. The external surfaces of plants, in addition to being covered by an epidermis and a waxy cuticle, often carry spiky hairs known as trichomes, which either prevent feeding by insects or may even puncture and kill insect larvae.

The word "puncture" is closest in meaning to which of following?

(A) pierce

(B) pinch

(C) surround

(D) cover

2. Orchids are unique in having the most highly developed of all blossoms, in which the usual male and female reproductive organs are fused in a single structure called the column.

The word "fused" is closest in meaning to which of following?

(A) combined

(B) hidden

(C) fertilized

(D) produced

3. To lure their pollinators from afar, orchids use appropriately intriguing shapes, colors, and scents. At least 50 different aromatic compounds have been analyzed in the orchid family, each blended to attract one, or at most a few, species of insects or birds.

The word "lure" is closest in meaning to which of following?

(A) attract

(B) recognize

(C) follow

(D) help

4. Once the right insect has been attracted, some orchids present all sorts of one-way obstacle courses to make sure it does not leave until pollen has been accurately placed or removed.

The word "placed" is closest in meaning to which of following?

(A) estimated

(B) measured

(C) deposited

(D) identified

5. By such ingenious adaptations to specific pollinators, orchids have avoided the hazards of rampant crossbreeding in the wild, assuring the survival of species as discrete identities. At the same time they have made themselves irresistible to collectors.

The word "discrete" is closest in meaning to which of following?

(A) complicated

(B) separate

(C) inoffensive

(D) functional

6. The public school system suddenly found itself overtaxed. While the number of schoolchildren rose because of wartime and postwar conditions, these same conditions made the schools even less prepared to cope with the flood.

The word "overtaxed" is closest in meaning to which of following?

(A) well prepared

(B) plentifully supplied

(C) heavily burdened

(D) charged too mucd