Toefl Important Vocabulary

• Cetaceans: Whales, porpoises, and dolphins.
• Mammals: Animals that have hair or fur and give birth to live young.
• Gills: Organs used by fish and other aquatic animals to breathe underwater.
• Streamlined: Shaped to reduce drag in water or air.
• Fluke: The large triangular tail of a whale.
• Blowhole: A hole in the top of the head used for breathing.
• Affinities: Similarities or relationships.
• Sea otters: Small marine mammals with dense fur.
• Pinnipeds: Seals, sea lions, and walruses.
• Extinct: No longer existing.
• Fossil record: The evidence of past life preserved in rock.
• Intermediate: Between two things or extremes.
• Transitional: Relating to or forming a passage from one state to another.
• Archaeocyte: An extinct group of ancestors of modern cetaceans.
• Jawbones: The bones that form the jaws.
• Enlarged space: A larger area or cavity.
• Fat or oil: A substance found in animals and plants.
• Underwater sound: Sound that travels through water.
• Ear opening: The opening to the ear.
• Cetacean adaptation: A feature that helps cetaceans survive in their environment.
• Mesonychids: An extinct group of carnivorous mammals.
• Shallow water: Water that is not deep.
• Bred: Produced offspring.
• Sediments: Material that settles at the bottom of a liquid.
• Vestigial: Remaining in an organism but having no function.
• Hind legs: The back legs of an animal.
• Propulsion: The force that drives something forward.
• Locomotion: The ability to move from one place to another.
• Pakicetus: The oldest known fossil whale.
• Basilosaurus: An early whale that lived around 40 million years ago.
• Ambulocetus natans: A whale that lived around 49 million years ago.
• Tethys Sea: An ancient ocean.
• River deposits: Material that has been carried by a river and deposited somewhere else.
• Skull: The bony structure that protects the brain.
• Skeletons: The framework of bones that supports the body of an animal.
• Cannonball: A heavy, round object used as ammunition.
• Iron braces: Metal supports used to strengthen a structure.
• Pinniped: A marine mammal with flippers.
• Tail: The end part of the body of an animal.
• Up and down: In a vertical direction.
• Sea lion: A large marine mammal with flippers and external ear flaps.
• In honor of: As a tribute to.
• Complete: Whole or entire.
• Precious: Valuable or important.
• Undoubtedly: Certainly or without a doubt.
• Decades: Periods of ten years.
• Alarming: Causing fear or concern.
• Expansion: The act of becoming larger or greater in size or amount.
• Threatened: In danger of being attacked or harmed.
• Accomplished: Achieved or completed.
• Subsequent: Following in time after something else.
• Accelerated: Made to happen faster.
• Erosion: The gradual wearing away of something by wind, water, or ice.
• Stony: Covered in stones.
• Finer: Smaller in size or amount.
• Mobile: Able to move freely or easily.
• Ridges: Long, narrow areas of higher ground.
• Absorption: The process of a liquid being soaked up by something.
• Raindrops: Drops of rain.
• Clay: A fine-grained soil that can be molded when wet.
• Tiniest: Extremely small.
• Spaces: Empty areas between things.
• Sealing: Closing or blocking something so that nothing can pass through.
• Penetration: The movement of a liquid or gas into a substance.
• Runoff: Water that flows over the surface of the land instead of soaking into the ground.
• Climatic Conditions: The weather conditions in a place over a long period of time.
• Global Warming: The gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans.
• Aridity: The condition of being dry with little or no rain.
• Ecological Balance: The state in which the numbers of organisms in a habitat are relatively stable.
• Semiarid Lands: Lands that are partly arid and partly humid.
• Delicate: Easily damaged or broken.
• Capacity: The ability to hold or contain something.
• Overcultivation: The farming of land for too long a period of time without letting it rest.
• Overgrazing: The keeping of too many animals on an area of land, so that the plants are eaten faster than they can grow back.
• Firewood Gathering: The act of collecting wood to burn as fuel.
• Overirrigation: The watering of land with more water than it needs.
• Population Densities: The number of people living in a particular area.
• Crop Failures: Times when crops do not grow well or do not produce enough food.
• Tracts: Areas of land.
• Susceptible: Likely to be harmed or damaged by something.
• Livestock: Animals that are kept by people for meat, milk, eggs, or wool.
• Economic Activity: An activity that is related to the production or distribution of goods and services.
• Trampling: The act of walking heavily on something so that it is damaged.
• Pulverization: The act of grinding or crushing something into a powder.
• Deterioration: The process of becoming worse in quality or condition.
• Progressive: Happening or developing gradually over a period of time.
• Cycle: A series of events that are repeated regularly in a fixed order.
• Necessitates: Makes something essential or unavoidable.
• Subsequently: As a result of what has happened before.
• Devoid: Completely lacking in something.
• Diminished: Made smaller or less.
• Peepshow: A machine with a small hole through which a viewer can look at a series of images.

• Projected: Shown on a screen.
• Darkened: Made dark.
• Kinetoscope: A type of early movie camera and projector.
• Parlors: Rooms or halls for public use.
• Arcades: Rows of shops or businesses.
• Successive: Following one after the other.
• Rounds: Parts of a fight or competition.
• Phonograph: A device used to play recorded sound.
• Ear tubes: Tubes that fit into the ears to listen to sound.
• Exhibitor: A person or company that shows films.
• Vaudeville: A type of entertainment with a variety of acts.
• Legitimate: Real or genuine.
• Town halls: Buildings used for public meetings.
• Makeshift: Temporary and not very well made.
• Fairgrounds: Areas where fairs are held.
• Amusement parks: Places where people can go for fun and entertainment.
• Advent: Arrival or coming into use.
• Mass consumption: The buying and using of large quantities of goods by the general public.
• Spectacles: Shows or performances.
• Musical and minstrel shows: Types of entertainment involving music, dancing, and comedy.
• Slide-and-lantern shows: Shows using images projected onto a screen.
• Master of ceremonies: A person who introduces performers or acts.
• Prerecorded: Recorded in advance.

• Celluloid: A plastic substance used for making photographic film.
• Mutoscope: A type of early movie machine that used individual cards to show images.
• Minuscule: Very small.
• Life-size: The same size as a real person or thing.
• Proportions: The size or relationship between different parts of something.
• Prizefights: Boxing matches.
• Popular dramas: Plays that are enjoyed by many people.
• Classical plays: Plays written in a traditional style.
• Trick photography: Photography that creates special effects.
• Manipulation: The act of controlling or influencing something.
• Kinetoscope parlors: Places where people could watch short films through a Kinetoscope.
• Showmen: People who organize and present shows.
• Projection devices: Machines used to show images on a screen.
• Early projection devices: The first machines used to show films to large audiences.
• Vaudeville theaters: Theaters that presented a variety of acts.
• Technological marvel: A remarkable achievement in technology.
• Engages in: Participates in.
• Approaches: Methods or ways of understanding.
• Inborn: Natural and present from birth.
• Stimuli: Things that cause a reaction.
• Instinctive: Unlearned and automatic.
• Stereotypical: Fixed and predictable.
• Moderates: Controls or regulates.
• Offshoot: A development from something else.
• Desirable: Worth wanting or having.
• Genetically determined: Controlled by genes.
• Dominant factor: Most important element.
• Struggle for survival: Competition for existence.
• Linked to: Connected or associated with.
• Subsequent generations: Following generations.
• Attacked on numerous grounds: Criticized for various reasons.
• Outwit: To be smarter than someone or something.
• Dominated by: Controlled by.
• At the mercy of: Helpless against.
• Frustrations: Feelings of disappointment or anger.
• Repress: To hold back or control something unpleasant.
• Freudian perspective: Sigmund Freud's theory of human behavior.
• Pent-up: Suppressed or held back.
• Outlets: Ways of expressing something.
• Indirect ways: Not directly aimed at the source.
• Safety valve: A way to release pressure and prevent an explosion.
• Values: Beliefs about what is important.
• Interpret: To understand something in a particular way.
• Unjust: Unfair or wrong.
• Intervene: To become involved in a situation.
• Distort: To misinterpret or twist the truth.
• Hypothesized: Proposed or suggested as an explanation.
• Theoretical: Based on theory rather than fact.
• Neural: Related to nerves or the nervous system.
• Evokes: To call forth or produce a feeling.
• Hostility: Unfriendly or aggressive feelings.
• Psychodynamic: A school of psychology that emphasizes unconscious thoughts and motivations.
• Psychoanalysis: A form of therapy based on psychodynamic theory.
• Cognitive: A school of psychology that emphasizes the role of thoughts and beliefs in behavior.
• Catharsis: The release of strong emotions, especially anger, through expression.
• Dissonance: A state of mental discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs.
• Reinforcement: The strengthening of a behavior by rewarding it.
• Propensity: A natural tendency or inclination.
• Prevalent: Widespread or common.
• Malleable: Flexible and easily changed.
• Etiology: The cause or origin of something
• Imparted: Passed on knowledge or skills.
• Apprentices: People learning a trade from a skilled craftsperson.
• Journeymen: Skilled workers who had completed their apprenticeships.
• Merchant Capitalists: Business owners who provided raw materials and sold finished products.
• Part-time: Working for some of the day or week.
• Raw material: Unprocessed materials used to make finished goods.
• Machinery: Machines used to perform tasks
• Unskilled/Semiskilled Laborers: Workers with little or no formal training.
• Stimulated: Encouraged or caused to happen more often.
• Transportation Networks: Systems of roads, railways, canals, etc. that connect places.
• Availability: The existence or presence of something.
• Capital: Money used to start or run a business.
• Credit: The ability to borrow money.
• Regimented: Strictly controlled or organized.
• Leisurely: Relaxed and slow-paced.
• Bursts: Short periods of intense activity.
• Craftsmanship: The skill of making things by hand.
• Productivity: The amount of work produced in a certain time.
• Pace: Speed or rate.
• Dependable: Reliable and trustworthy.
• Self-disciplined: Able to control oneself.
• Necessitated: Made necessary.
• Regimented Schedule: A strict timetable.
• Discarded: Abandoned or stopped using.
• Disrupted: Interrupted or interfered with.
• Absenteeism: The act of being absent from work.
• Fundamental Change: A complete or major change.
• Transformed: Changed completely.
• Organized: Formed a group to act together.
• Unions: Organizations of workers formed to protect their rights.
• Momentum: Force or speed of movement.
• Panic: A sudden financial crisis.
• Solidarity: Unity or agreement of feeling or action.
• Strike: A refusal to work in order to get better working conditions.
• Collective Action: Taking action together as a group.
• Antagonisms: Hostile feelings or disagreement.
• Differentiation: The state of becoming different or distinct.
• Extremes of Wealth: A large gap between the rich and the poor.
• Spearheaded: Led or initiated.
• Division of Labor: Breaking down work into smaller tasks.
• Skilled Tasks: Jobs requiring specialized knowledge and ability.
• Resenting: Feeling bitterness or indignation.
• Differentiated Society: A society with distinct social classes.
• Superimposed: Placed on top of something else.
• Heterogeneous: Composed of different kinds of things