2012年TOEFL词汇模拟题精选系列五

. The answer appears to be that they were the first group of predatory ensocial insects that both lived and foraged primarily in the soil and in rotting vegetation on the ground.
The word "rotting" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) decaying
(B) collected
(C) expanding
(D) cultivated

. Richly organized colonies of the kind made possible by eusociality enjoy several key advantages over solitary individuals.
The word "key" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) uncommon
(B) important
(C) incidental
(D) temporary

 Composers today use a wider variety of sounds than ever before, including many that were once considered undesirable noises.
The word "wider" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) more impressive
(B) more distinctive
(C) more controversial
(D) more extensive

. Non-Western music typically divides and interval between two pitches more finely than Western music does, thereby producing a greater number of distinct tones, or microtones, within the same interval.
The word "thereby" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) in return for
(B) in spite of
(C) by the way
(D) by that means

420. The population of Los Angeles (114,000 in 1900) rose spectacularly in the early decades of the twentieth century, increasing a dramatic 1,400 percent from 1900 to 1930. A number of circumstances contributed to the meteoric rise of Los Angeles.
The word "meteoric" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) rapid
(B) famous
(C) controversial
(D) methodical

 A

 B

 D

 D

 A