VOA Special English Vocabulary Test (40 Questions)

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1.
convention
  n. a collection of recorded music
  n. any business that produces goods or provides services; the work and related activity in factories and offices
  n. a large meeting for a special purpose
  v. to take and hold or to control by force
 
2.
reach
  n. all the people in a place, city or country
  conj. equally; when
  v. to know what is meant; to have knowledge of
  v. to put a hand toward; to arrive at
 
3.
there
  v. to send to another country
  n. a part of the body that has a special purpose, such as the heart or brain
  ad. in that place or position; to or toward that place
  ad. having a small distance between two opposite surfaces; not fat
 
4.
lift
  n. the force produced when something is pushed down or against something else
  v. to take or bring up to a higher place or level
  n. anything on or in which a person or thing can travel or be transported, especially anything on wheels; a car or truck
  n. the space occupied by something; how long, wide or high something is
 
5.
brief
  n. a prison for those waiting to be tried for a crime or for those serving sentences for crimes that are not serious
  v. to move into or be in a position in which only the feet are on a surface; to be in one position or place
  n. a device of strong, light material that rises when filled with gas lighter than air
  ad. short; not long
 
6.
tax
  n. a strong, hard metal used to make machines and tools
  n. the money a person or business must pay to the government so the government can provide services
  v. to use force to move something toward the person or thing using the force; opposite push
  v. to aim one's finger toward; to aim
 
7.
engineer
  n. a long written work for reading
  n. a person who designs engines, machines, roads, bridges or railroads
  v. to go down quickly; to come down
  v. to express happiness or pleasure when someone arrives or something develops
 
8.
deaf
  ad. as much as necessary
  n. the bright object often seen in the night sky that orbits the earth about every twenty-nine days
  n. the space above the earth
  ad. not able to hear
 
9.
work
  v. to believe, think or imagine; to expect
  v. to go or come back; to bring, give, take or send back
  v. to use physical or mental effort to make or do something
  v. to make known publicly; to declare officially
 
10.
enzyme
  v. to make something go or move faster
  n. the group that includes children and their parents
  ad. acting safely; with much thought
  n. a special kind of protein; it produces changes in other substances without being changed itself
 
11.
black
  ad. not one or the other of two
  ad. the same in amount, size, weight or value; having the same rights
  n. the settlement of an argument where each side agrees to accept less than first demanded
  ad. dark; having the color like that of the night sky
 
12.
wire
  v. to make sounds to express pleasure or happy feelings
  n. a thin piece of tissue that sends information through the body to and from the brain
  n. a long, thin piece of metal used to hang objects or to carry electricity or electronic communications from one place to another
  pref. for, supporting (pro-labor, pro-government)
 
13.
marry
  ad. of or about a person or group that is secret; opposite public
  v. to join a man and woman together as husband and wife; to become husband and wife (usually in a religious or civil ceremony)
  v. to end (a dispute); to agree about (a problem)
  v. to make sick with something that causes disease
 
14.
rice
  prep. along or by the side of; together
  n. an opening for entering or leaving a building or room
  n. a food grain
  ad. many times
 
15.
program
  n. a plan of action; the different events or parts of a meeting or show
  n. the general condition of the body and mind; the condition of being free from sickness or disease
  v. to come to be
  n. a white substance found in sea water and in the ground, used to affect the taste of food
 
16.
public
  v. to separate into two or more parts; to divide or break into parts
  n. the best; the winner
  v. to say something or to do something that makes another person angry or dishonored
  ad. of or about all the people in a community or country; opposite private
 
17.
equal
  ad. added to; too
  n. any substance that is not solid or liquid; any substance that burns to provide heat, light or power
  ad. the same in amount, size, weight or value; having the same rights
  n. an electronic machine for storing and organizing information, and for communicating with others
 
18.
water
  n. a creature that lives and can breathe in water
  n. the liquid that falls from the sky as rain or is found in lakes, rivers and oceans
  n. what a person legally and morally should be able to do or have
  n. something round
 
19.
surround
  ad. not the same
  v. to form a circle around; to be in positions all around someone or something
  ad. short; not long
  prep. for the reason that
 
20.
good
  n. a device or system for sending sounds, especially the voice, over distances
  ad. from higher to lower; in a low place
  ad. away from the inside; opposite of in
  ad. pleasing; helpful
 
21.
reason
  n. the cause for a belief or act; purpose
  ad. smooth; having no high places
  n. the written record or description of past events; the study of the past
  n. a device that uses radio signals to learn the position or speed of objects that may be too far away to be seen
 
22.
boat
  v. to hit again and again
  n. an organization that keeps and lends money
  n. something built to travel on water that carries people or goods
  ad. without delay; very near in time or place
 
23.
root
  v. to give form to
  n. the part of a plant that is under the ground and takes nutrients from the soil
  n. a thin piece of tissue that sends information through the body to and from the brain
  n. the liquid that falls from the sky as rain or is found in lakes, rivers and oceans
 
24.
best
  v. to desire; to wish for
  v. to break into pieces; to end the existence of
  prep. from a time in the past until now
  ad. the most good
 
25.
protein
  n. substances responsible for the growth of tissue and for fixing damaged tissue
  n. a talk given to a group of people
  ad. at that time; existing
  n. something known only to a few and kept from general knowledge
 
26.
move
  n. forces, groups or nations joined together
  n. the movement of people, vehicles or ships along a street, road or waterway
  v. to change position; to put or keep in motion
  v. to make a sudden attack
 
27.
bring
  v. to come with something
  v. having the power to do something
  pref. not (dishonest, disobey)
  n. the general condition of the body and mind; the condition of being free from sickness or disease
 
28.
temperature
  n. a substance found in nature that is not an animal or a plant, such as coal or salt
  n. any instrument or device designed to help one do work
  ad. lost; not found
  n. the measurement of heat and cold
 
29.
transportation
  v. to direct and observe the work of others
  n. the act or business of moving goods or people
  n. something round
  ad. separated from others
 
30.
laser
  n. an instrument that makes a thin, powerful light
  n. the group that includes children and their parents
  ad. like something else but not exactly the same
  ad. the most important or largest
 
31.
climate
  v. to make less or smaller in number, size or amount; to cut
  ad. of or about the energy produced by splitting atoms or bringing them together; of or about weapons that explode by using energy from atoms
  v. to join a man and woman together as husband and wife; to become husband and wife (usually in a religious or civil ceremony)
  n. the normal weather conditions of a place
 
32.
push
  ad. having a small distance between two opposite surfaces; not fat
  v. to make less in size or amount
  v. to use force to move something away from the person or thing using the force; opposite pull
  ad. great in size, importance or amount
 
33.
gray
  ad. having the color like that made by mixing black and white
  v. to keep or put away for future use
  n. a very small town
  n. the making of sounds by singing or using a musical instrument
 
34.
without
  v. to cause injury or destruction
  n. a number of people or things together; a gathering of people working for a common purpose
  prep. with no; not having or using
  n. a form of energy that flows through wires to provide heat and light, and power to machines
 
35.
loyal
  n. a small animal that often lives with humans
  v. to make better; to become better
  n. a device that receives electronic signals and makes them into pictures and sounds; the system of sending pictures and sounds by electronic signals over a distance so others can see and hear them on a receiver
  ad. showing strong friendship and support for someone or something
 
36.
river
  v. to lose blood
  n. a large amount of water that flows across land into another river, a lake or an ocean
  ad. at any time
  n. the time between when the sun goes down and when it rises, when there is little or no light
 
37.
must
  v. a word used with an action word to mean necessary
  ad. not short; measuring from beginning to end
  ad. not gentle; causing much pain, sadness or damage
  v. to control or to restrict freedoms by force
 
38.
apologize
  n. that which something is known to have or be; amount of value or excellence
  v. to express regret for a mistake or accident for which one accepts responsibility
  n. any game or activity of competition involving physical effort or skill
  v. to discover or learn something by searching or by accident; to decide a court case
 
39.
prize
  n. a movement; a continuing change of position or place
  n. something offered or won in a competition; something of value that one must work hard for to get
  v. to say; to make a statement
  n. a government lawmaking group
 
40.
tie
  v. to join or hold together with some material
  v. to stretch out in area or length; to continue for a longer time
  v. to make good or right again
  ad. not able to see