Vocabulario para el examen TOEFL iBT®

A building where students live on campus. · My dormitory is a short walk from the science building.

A person who shares a room or apartment with you. · My roommate studies late, so I sleep with earplugs.

A student who helps look after the students on one floor of a dormitory. · Our resident assistant organized a movie night for the whole floor.

A large room where students eat meals on campus. · The dining hall serves breakfast until ten in the morning.

An arrangement to pay in advance for meals on campus. · I chose a smaller meal plan because I often cook.

A university official who keeps student records. · Ask the registrar for an official list of your courses.

Money given or lent to help students pay for college. · She applied for financial aid before the spring deadline.

The money paid for teaching at a college or university. · Tuition went up this year, so many students took part-time jobs.

Money given to a student, often for good grades or a special talent. · He won a scholarship that pays for most of his studies.

A campus building with places to eat, meet and relax. · The chess club meets every Friday in the student union.

A board where notices and announcements are put up. · I saw the job offer on the bulletin board outside the library.

Activities that introduce new students to a school. · During orientation, we toured the campus and met our advisors.

Done outside regular classes, such as clubs or sports. · Extracurricular activities helped me make friends in my first year.

To travel regularly between home and school or work. · Many students commute from nearby towns by train.

A bus that makes short, regular trips between fixed places. · The free shuttle runs between the campus and the train station.

A document that allows you to park in a certain area. · You need a parking permit to leave your car near the dorms.

A program that gives students part-time jobs, often on campus, to help pay for college. · Through work-study, I earn money putting books back on library shelves.

To put your name on a list to join something. · I signed up for the hiking club at the activities fair.

To take something to a place and leave it there. · Please drop off your room key at the front desk before you leave.

Not returned or paid by the expected time. · My library book is three days overdue, so I owe a small fine.

A campus office where students can talk to a trained person about stress or personal problems. · The counseling center offers free sessions to all students.

Played between teams from the same school. · Our dorm has an intramural soccer team that plays on Sundays.

To start living in a new home. · First-year students can move in two days before classes start.

Sad because you are away from your home and family. · I felt homesick during my first month, but it got easier.

A document that lists a course's topics, readings and rules. · The syllabus says the first essay is due in October.

A course you must finish before you can take another one. · Introductory chemistry is a prerequisite for this lab course.

A course that students choose rather than one they must take. · I took an elective in film studies just for fun.

The main subject a student studies for a degree. · Her major is economics, but she also loves music.

A second subject a student studies in less depth than the main one. · He added a minor in Spanish during his second year.

A unit that shows how much a course counts toward a degree. · This seminar is worth three credits.

To officially join a course or school. · More than two hundred students enrolled in the history course.

An official record of a student's courses and grades. · Graduate schools usually ask for a transcript from every college you attended.

The average of all a student's grades, shown as a number. · Her grade point average rose after she changed her study habits.

An exam given in the middle of a term. · I spent the whole weekend reviewing for my biology midterm.

Regular times when a professor is available to meet students. · Bring your questions to office hours on Wednesday afternoon.

A graduate student who helps a professor teach a course. · Our teaching assistant leads the discussion section every Friday.

A small class in which students discuss a topic with a teacher. · In the seminar, everyone has to lead one discussion.

To write down the important points while listening or reading. · Try to take notes in your own words during the lecture.

A piece of work that students are given to complete. · The assignment asks us to compare two short stories.

The latest time by which something must be done. · The deadline for the lab report is Friday at noon.

Extra time allowed to finish a piece of work. · She asked for an extension because she had the flu.

To attend a course without receiving a grade or credit. · Retired residents may audit some classes for free.

To officially leave a course or program. · He withdrew from the course after the first month.

To study a lot in a short time just before an exam. · Cramming the night before rarely works as well as regular review.

To fail to keep up with work or with other people. · If you miss several classes, it is easy to fall behind.

To reach the same level after being behind. · I used the holiday to catch up on my reading.

A way of adjusting grades based on how the whole class did. · The professor graded the difficult exam on a curve.

Being present at classes, or how often someone is present. · Attendance counts for ten percent of the final grade.

An idea that a study or experiment is designed to test. · Our hypothesis was that plants grow faster with music.

Facts or numbers collected so that they can be studied. · We collected data from every class in the school.

A small group chosen to represent a larger group. · The sample included students from four different universities.

A set of questions asked to many people to learn their opinions or habits. · Nearly half of the people in the survey preferred to study at night.

A factor that can change in an experiment. · Temperature was the only variable we changed.

The results of a study or investigation. · The findings suggest that sleep improves memory.

Facts or signs that show whether something is true. · There is little evidence that the new method works better.

To examine something carefully in order to understand it. · We analyzed the results with a simple computer program.

To explain or decide what something means. · Scientists sometimes interpret the same results in different ways.

To mention a source as support for an idea. · Always cite the articles you use in your paper.

Using someone else's words or ideas as if they were your own. · The university treats plagiarism as a serious offense.

The checking of research by other experts before it is published. · The article was changed twice during peer review.

A list of the sources used in a piece of writing. · Add every book you used to the bibliography.

Close to a number or amount, but not exactly. · Approximately one third of the participants left the study early.

To change and improve a piece of writing. · She revised her essay after reading the teacher's comments.

A short summary at the start of a research article. · Read the abstract first to decide if the article is useful.

The set of methods used in a study. · The methodology section explains how the interviews were done.

Based on facts rather than on personal feelings. · A good report gives an objective account of the results.

An unfair preference that affects how someone judges something. · Asking only your friends could add bias to the survey.

A connection between two things that change together. · The study found a correlation between exercise and better grades.

To decide that something is true after studying the facts. · The researchers concluded that the new drug was safe.

The main argument of an essay, or a long piece of research written for a degree. · State your thesis clearly in the first paragraph.

To do a planned task, such as an experiment. · The team carried out the experiment over three months.

Large or important enough to matter or be noticed. · There was a significant difference between the two groups.

A living thing, such as a plant, an animal or a bacterium. · Even a tiny organism can change its environment.

A group of living things of the same kind that can breed together. · Scientists discover new species of insects every year.

The natural home of a plant or animal. · Wetlands provide a habitat for many kinds of birds.

An animal that hunts and eats other animals. · Owls are skilled predators that hunt at night.

An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal. · Mice are common prey for foxes.

To change in order to survive in new conditions. · Some birds have adapted to life in busy cities.

To develop gradually over many generations. · Whales evolved from animals that once lived on land.

The smallest unit of a living thing. · Every cell in your body contains instructions for growth.

A part of a cell that passes features from parents to their young. · A single gene can affect the color of a flower.

A particular quality or feature, such as eye color. · Long legs are a useful trait for animals that run.

The young of an animal or plant. · Sea turtles do not care for their offspring after they hatch.

To produce young or new plants. · Some plants reproduce by sending out long stems along the ground.

To move to another region at certain times of the year. · These butterflies migrate thousands of kilometers every autumn.

To spend the winter in a state like deep sleep. · Some bears hibernate for several months each winter.

Colors or patterns that help an animal hide. · The moth's camouflage makes it almost invisible on tree bark.

The process plants use to make food from sunlight, water and air. · Photosynthesis takes place mainly in the leaves.

A substance that living things need in order to grow. · Healthy soil is full of nutrients.

All the living things in an area, together with their physical environment and the ways they affect one another. · Removing one species can upset the whole ecosystem.

At risk of disappearing completely. · The frog is endangered because its forest is shrinking.

No longer existing anywhere. · Many large mammals became extinct at the end of the last ice age.

A living thing such as a mushroom or mold. · A fungus in the soil helps the tree's roots take in water.

To carry pollen from one flower to another so that seeds can form. · Bees pollinate many of the crops we eat.

A close relationship between two different species, often helping both. · The clownfish and the sea anemone live in symbiosis.

Alive but not active or growing for a period of time. · The seeds stay dormant until the spring rains arrive.

The usual weather in a place over a long period. · The region's climate is hot and dry for most of the year.

The slow wearing away of land by water, wind or ice. · Erosion has created deep valleys in the soft rock.

Sand, mud or small stones carried and dropped by water or wind. · The river leaves sediment where it meets the sea.

A huge mass of ice that moves slowly over land. · The glacier has become much smaller over the past century.

A long period with little or no rain. · The drought forced farmers to plant fewer crops.

The remains or shape of an ancient living thing preserved in rock. · The students found a fossil of a small shellfish.

The hard outer layer of the earth. · Earthquakes happen when parts of the crust suddenly move.

A mountain that can send out hot melted rock, gas and ash. · The volcano has been quiet for several hundred years.

To burst out suddenly, as a volcano does. · When the volcano erupted, ash covered the nearby towns.

Slowly, over a long period of time. · The coastline is gradually moving inland as the cliffs wear away.

Water held under the ground in soil and rock. · Many villages depend on groundwater for drinking.

Able to be replaced naturally, like wind or sunlight. · The city wants all its electricity to come from renewable sources.

A gas or other substance sent out into the air. · Cars are a major source of carbon emissions.

A substance that makes air, water or soil dirty or harmful. · Factories must reduce the pollutants they release into rivers.

The protection of nature and natural resources. · Conservation groups planted trees along the riverbank.

The cutting down of large areas of forest. · Deforestation has made the hills more likely to flood.

Able to continue for a long time without harming the environment. · The farm uses sustainable methods to protect the soil.

The layer of gases around the earth. · The atmosphere protects us from much of the sun's harmful light.

Water that falls from the sky as rain, snow or hail. · Precipitation is highest here in late autumn.

The regular rise and fall of the level of the sea. · At low tide, you can walk out to the small island.

An area of land, especially its physical features. · The rocky terrain made the hike slow and difficult.

To use up a large part of a supply of something. · Overfishing has depleted the fish stocks in the bay.

To make something dirty or harmful by adding a substance. · Oil from the damaged ship contaminated the beach.

Very dry, with very little rain. · Few trees can grow in such an arid landscape.

The force that pulls objects toward each other, and toward the earth. · Gravity keeps the moon in orbit around the earth.

The curved path of an object around a planet or star. · The space station completes one orbit about every ninety minutes.

The force that slows down surfaces that rub against each other. · Friction between the tires and the road helps a car stop.

The smallest unit of a substance, made of atoms joined together. · A water molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

The smallest unit of a chemical element. · Everything around us is made of atoms.

A basic chemical substance, such as iron or oxygen. · Gold is an element that stays shiny for centuries.

A substance made of two or more elements joined together. · Table salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.

To mix completely into a liquid. · Sugar dissolves faster in hot tea than in cold water.

To change from a liquid into a gas. · The puddles evaporated quickly in the afternoon sun.

To change from a gas into a liquid. · Steam condenses into drops on the cold window.

A very small piece of matter. · Dust particles floated in the beam of light.

The speed of something in a particular direction. · The rocket's velocity increased as it climbed.

Relating to magnets or able to attract iron. · Some birds may use the earth's magnetic field to find their way.

Energy sent out as waves or tiny particles, such as light or heat. · The sun gives off radiation in many forms.

An instrument that makes distant objects look closer. · Through the telescope, we could see the rings of Saturn.

A huge group of stars held together by gravity. · Our galaxy contains billions of stars.

Used to show that two things are very different. · Iron sinks in water; in contrast, most kinds of wood float.

A small rocky object that travels around the sun. · Most asteroids lie between Mars and Jupiter.

To allow heat or electricity to pass through. · Copper conducts electricity very well, so it is used in wires.

To become larger. · Metal expands slightly when it gets hot.

Having a lot of mass in a small space. · Lead is so dense that a small piece feels heavy.

The temperature at which a liquid turns into a gas. · Water has a lower boiling point high in the mountains.

A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being changed itself. · The enzyme acts as a catalyst during digestion.

The range of colors that appears when light is split. · A prism splits white light into a spectrum of colors.

Very old; from a time long ago. · The ancient city was built beside a great river.

A society with its own culture, government and cities. · Writing developed separately in several early civilizations.

An object made by people long ago, especially one of historical interest. · The museum displays artifacts found during the excavation.

To dig carefully in the ground to find ancient objects. · Archaeologists excavated the site for five summers.

A long period of history with a particular character. · The steam engine began a new era of travel.

A series of rulers from the same family. · The dynasty ruled the kingdom for nearly three centuries.

A group of countries or regions ruled by one ruler or government. · The empire's roads connected distant provinces.

A territory controlled by a distant country. · The colony traded furs and timber with Europe.

A place where people come to live and build homes. · Remains of an early settlement were found near the coast.

In the end, after a long time or many events. · The small village eventually grew into a busy market town.

A sudden and complete change, often of government. · The revolution ended the rule of the king.

An original document or object from the time being studied. · Letters written by soldiers are valuable primary sources.

A collection of historical records, or the place where they are kept. · She spent a month reading old letters in the city archive.

A book or document written by hand. · The monks copied every manuscript slowly and carefully.

Words cut or written on stone, metal or another surface. · The inscription on the stone names an ancient king.

A gradual loss of strength, power or importance. · Historians disagree about the causes of the empire's decline.

To grow or develop very successfully. · Trade flourished after the new port opened.

To take control of a place or people by force. · The army conquered the region in a single summer.

A path regularly used by merchants to move goods. · The town grew rich because it lay on a major trade route.

Belonging to the Middle Ages in European history. · The medieval castle still stands on the hill.

To keep something in its original state. · The dry desert air preserved the wooden tools.

To have existed since a particular time in the past. · The oldest part of the church dates back to the twelfth century.

Moving from place to place instead of living in one place. · Nomadic groups followed the herds across the plains.

Arranged in the order in which events happened. · The exhibition presents the paintings in chronological order.

The way a person or animal acts. · The study looked at the behavior of children in groups.

Relating to thinking, learning and memory. · Puzzles may help keep older adults' cognitive skills sharp.

The way you notice or understand something through the senses. · Hunger can change our perception of smells.

The reason for doing something, or the wish to do it. · Praise increased the students' motivation to practice.

Something that causes a reaction in a person, animal or plant. · A sudden loud noise is a strong stimulus for a sleeping baby.

Behaving in the same way as most people in a group. · The experiment showed how strong the pressure toward conformity can be.

Influence from people of your own age to behave like them. · Peer pressure can lead teenagers to take risks.

A usual or accepted way of behaving in a group. · In some cultures, it is the norm to remove your shoes indoors.

Partly, but not completely. · To some extent, our friends shape the music we like.

The growth of cities as people move from the countryside. · Rapid urbanization has put pressure on housing.

Relating to the make-up of a population, such as age or income. · Demographic changes mean the country will soon have more retired people.

A person who takes part in a study or activity. · Each participant answered questions about their sleep.

A person who answers a survey or questionnaire. · Most respondents said they read the news on their phones.

Something that happens or exists and can be observed. · Online fame is a new phenomenon created by social media.

To affect how someone thinks or behaves. · Parents strongly influence their children's eating habits.

A habit of behaving in a particular way. · People have a tendency to remember bad news more easily.

To believe that something is true without proof. · Do not assume that everyone shares your opinion.

Present from birth rather than learned. · Some researchers think the ability to learn language is innate.

To make a behavior, idea or feeling stronger. · Rewards can reinforce good habits in young children.

A feeling of worry or nervousness. · Many students feel anxiety before giving a presentation.

Communication or contact between people. · Online classes reduce face-to-face interaction between students.

A fixed and often unfair idea about a type of person or group. · The film challenges the stereotype of the lonely scientist.

The state of being healthy, happy and comfortable. · Regular exercise improves both physical health and well-being.

To deal successfully with a difficult situation. · Students learn different ways to cope with stress.

The amount of something that is available to buy. · When supply falls and demand stays high, prices usually rise.

The wish of people to buy something, or the amount they want. · Demand for bicycles rose sharply during the summer.

A person who buys goods or services. · Consumers are paying more attention to how products are made.

The money a business receives from selling things. · The café's revenue doubled after it started selling lunch.

The money left after all costs have been paid. · The company made a small profit in its first year.

A plan for how money will be spent. · The club's budget does not include travel costs.

A general rise in prices over time. · Inflation means that the same money buys less each year.

To put money into something in order to earn more later. · She invested her savings in a small bakery.

A person who starts and runs a new business. · The young entrepreneur sold handmade bags at the market.

A newly created company. · The startup has only six employees but many customers.

The work of advertising and selling products. · Their marketing focuses on students and young families.

The joining of two companies into one. · After the merger, several offices were closed.

A company that sells similar products to the same customers. · The shop lowered its prices to keep up with its competitors.

Relating to selling goods directly to the public. · She works in a retail store on weekends.

To earn exactly as much money as you spend. · The new café expects to break even by the end of next year.

To pay another company to do part of your work. · Many firms outsource their customer service.

The amount of work done in a certain time. · A shorter workday did not reduce productivity.

Something that encourages a person to do something. · Free coffee was an incentive for staff to arrive early.

A period when the economy shrinks and many jobs are lost. · Many small shops closed during the recession.

The part of all sales in a market that one company has. · The new phone quickly gained market share.

Complete control of a market by one company. · The railway once had a monopoly on travel between the two cities.

To change often, going up and down. · Fruit prices fluctuate with the seasons.

Producing a lot of money. · Selling coffee to commuters turned out to be surprisingly lucrative.

To reduce the amount of something you use or spend. · We cut back on eating out to save for a trip.

A type of art, music or writing, such as mystery or jazz. · Science fiction is her favorite genre.

A story or a description of events. · The novel's narrative jumps between two time periods.

The main character in a story. · The protagonist is a young doctor in a small mountain town.

The series of events in a story. · The plot becomes more exciting in the second half.

The main idea or message of a work of art. · Friendship is the central theme of the play.

A way of describing something by calling it something else with similar qualities. · Calling the busy city a jungle is a common metaphor.

A painting, drawing or photograph of a person. · The portrait shows the artist's grandmother in her garden.

A work of art made by shaping stone, wood, metal or another material. · A bronze sculpture stands at the entrance to the park.

A public show of works of art or other objects. · The exhibition attracted thousands of visitors.

At first, before something changed. · The theater was originally built as a train station.

A particular way of thinking about something; a point of view. · The documentary tells the story from the farmers' perspective.

Art that uses shapes, colors and lines instead of showing real things. · Some visitors find abstract art difficult to understand.

A person who judges and writes about books, films or art. · Critics praised the director's first film.

The people who watch or listen to a performance. · The audience stood and clapped at the end.

To send out a program on radio or television. · The concert was broadcast live on national radio.

The work of collecting and reporting news. · She studied journalism and now writes for a local newspaper.

To show or describe something in a picture or a story. · The mural depicts farmers working in the fields.

A particular explanation of what something means. · Each actor brings a new interpretation to the role.

To represent an idea or quality. · In the painting, the open window symbolizes freedom.

To create or perform something without preparing it first. · The musicians improvised for several minutes before the last song.

Relating to beauty and to what looks good. · The building is practical, but it has little aesthetic appeal.

An outstanding work of art, or the best work of an artist. · Many readers consider the novel her masterpiece.

A film, play or show based on a book or another work. · The film adaptation leaves out several characters.

To produce a book, article or magazine for the public. · Her first collection of poems was published last spring.