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Cambridge 8, test 1, reading passage 1:

A chronicle of timekeeping
Shipment:
A load of goods sent by sea, road, or air, or the act of sending them.

 And last week the company said shipments from Quincy Farms had declined 5 percent because
of the cut.
 At the moment supervision of these shipments in most countries stops at the national border.

Wax:
A solid substance made of fat or oil and used to make candle, polish.

 Posed him in a uniform with a musket in front of a wax image of General Washington.
 The solid wax gives heavier protection. We also lost many recordings: the wax masters could be
broken.

Wane:
Become smaller, weaker, or less important.

 But with his popularity waning and the economy temporarily faltering, Park was in trouble even
in his own entourage.
 Even in the final years of the Soviet Union, the managers were stepping into the void created by
waning party power.

Wax and wane:

To increase and decrease over time

 Interest in the show has waxed and waned.

Conspicuous:
Very easy to notice, very great and impressive.

 It was a small country town, and Lauren looked very conspicuous in her fashionable New York
clothes.
 Cuzco's few tourists are conspicuous as they explore the old cobbled streets

Municipal:
Relating to or belonging to the government of a town or city.

 The museum and other municipal buildings are threatened.

 Although municipal waste seems to grow more slowly than income in rich countries, it does still
grow.
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Cosmic:
Relating to space or the universe_ extremely large.

 The universe is believed to have been created about 15 billion years ago in a cosmic explosion.
 I've only been back on the case, in cosmic terms, about two-and-a-half minutes.

Equinox:
One of the two times in a year when night and day are of equal length.
 Only during the time of the spring and autumn equinoxes do our aquariums have a tropical day.
 Dominic knows that in the 1960s the equinox had progressed to Aquarius.
Basin:
A round container attached to the wall in a bathroom, where you wash your hands and face SYN
sink:
 Water splashed in the basin of the fountain.
 It was a naturally sheltered basin, a trick of the undulating meadows along the Comer.
Anchor:
A piece of heavy metal that is lowered to the bottom of the sea, a lake etc to prevent a ship or boat
moving.
 These ancient trees are a spiritual anchor that our culture needs to hold on to.
 The anchors are usually linked by sundry cords and tapes of varying age and wear.
Nationwide:
Happening or existing in every part of the country SYN countrywide

 A nationwide hunt was launched yesterday for the killer of 13-year-old Nicola Jones.
 May 24 saw further nationwide strikes and demonstrations in 12 cities.

Passage reading 2:
Air traffic control in the USA

Congested:
Full of traffic_ a part of your body that is congested is very full of liquid, usually blood.
 Pedestrians picked their way across congested streets.
 Often looks rather besotted with a congested mottled and purple face; a bloated face but not
edema.
Beacon:
A light that is put somewhere to warn or guide people, ships, vehicles, or aircraft.
 Navigation was helped by a radio beacon set up by the Army on the island.
 It might have been an airport beacon back on Earth, and he stared at it with a tightening of the
throat.
Fortuitous:
Happening by chance, especially in a way that has a good result.
 A fortuitous fire destroyed all evidence of his wrongdoing.
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 Ironically enough, his main field experience occurred as a fortuitous consequence of the First
World War.
Vicinity:
(Of something) in the area around a particular place.
 This was one of the largest silk mills in the vicinity, although it started life as a corn mill.
 Many persons in the vicinity were awakened by the blast, and some were thrown from their
beds.
Reliance:
When someone or something is dependent on someone or something else SYN dependence.
 A decreasing reliance on the inflation tax can be discerned in all four countries.
 It is difficult to reverse half a century of total reliance on the car.
Cue:
An action or event that is a signal for something else to happen.
 Some people can cope with hearing loss by using other cues to meaning.
 Use the leash to give the dog cues about what you want him to do.
Realm:
A general area of knowledge, activity, or thought.

 But they do not exist in some half-real realm, neither fully actual nor merely possible.
 Feminism exists outside the realm of political instrumentality, as an idea.
Aviation:
The science or practice of flying in aircraft_ the industry that makes aircraft.
 At the same time Beaverbrook told the House of Lords of Britain's willingness to attend an
international conference on civil aviation
 Light aviation is an unpredictable business.
Turboprop:
A turbine engine that drives a propeller_ an aircraft that gets power from this type of engine.
 All my fellow passengers in the turboprop are asleep.
 The Aircraft division manufactures and assembles a range of turboprops and jetliners.
Cruise:
To move at steady speed in a car, aircraft.
 It was Friday night and the kids were out cruising up and down Main Street.
 The Jayhawks cruised to a 7-0 victory over the Eagles.

Passage reading 3:
Telepathy:

Spark:
A small action or event that causes something to happen, especially trouble or violence_ a flash of light
caused by electricity passing across a space.
 A spark created by loose wires was the cause of the explosion.
 Turner provided the team the spark they needed in the second half.
Derision:
When you show that you think someone or something is stupid or silly.
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 Even outside all these imaginings, rumor and derision held us in an unwelcome embrace.
 Raul looked him up and down, eyes opened wide with derision.
Brink:
A situation when you are in, usually a bad one.
 But when the bust came, he teetered with others on the brink of bankruptcy.
 Is it really news that a couple on the brink of separation should be arguing about the custody of
their children?
Swamp:
To suddenly give someone a lot of work, problems to deal with.
 About 3000 years ago a tidal wave swamped the coastal lowlands of Greece, causing massive
destruction.
 The dam burst, swamping the valley and hundreds of homes.
Tranquil:
Pleasantly calm, quiet, and peaceful.

 Efforts are being made to make life more tranquil in Japan's noisy and overcrowded cities.
 In summer, the normally calm, tranquil streets fill with crowds of tourists.
Beam:
A line of light shining from the sun, a lamp etc.
 Maggie stumbled across the field with only a narrow beam of light from her flashlight to help
her.
 We could see the beams of searchlights scanning the sky.

Flaw:
A mistake, mark, or weakness that makes something imperfect SYN defect.
 It was half price because of a slight flaw.
 In this he was fatally handicapped by his own inconsistencies, paradoxes and deep personal
flaws.
Leakage:
The deliberate spreading of secret information_ when gas,m water etc leaks in or out, or the amount of
it that has leaked.
 Leakages of confidential information.
Outright:
Clear, direct and complete.
 It would, however, be incorrect to deduce that in the nineteenth century only outright
deception was commented upon.
 The point is to avoid outright confrontation.
Plausible:
Reasonable and likely to be true or successful OPP implausible.
 I need to think of a plausible excuse for not going to the meeting.
 In any plausible way of forming Jupiter the hydrogen and helium are initially well mixed at a
molecular level.
Esoteric:
Known and understood by only a few people who have special knowledge about something.
 It brings us into touch with levels of ourselves untouched hitherto, and so it has a profound
esoteric significance.
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 It simply feels good to gain even esoteric knowledge, and that is more than enough.

Test 2, reading passage 1:

Sheet glass manufacture: the float process

Lime:
A white substance obtained by burning limestone, used for making cement, marking sports field etc SYN
quicklime.

 Some have occurred as a result of lime and fertilizer applications coupled with more intensive
grazing of livestock
 The lime was mixed with flowers of sulphur so that the walls would give off sulphurous fumes
when they got warm.

Unblemished:
Not spoiled by any mistake or bad behavior SYN spotless_ without marks or damage SYN flawless.
 He has established an unblemished reputation for accuracy.
 She is a woman with an unblemished reputation of fairness and competence.
Tint:
A small amount of a particular color SYN shade, hue.
 It was October, and the leaves had begun to take on their warm autumn tints.
 Petal colors include every tint between white and pink.
Ribbon:
A narrow piece of attractive cloth that you use, to tie your hair or hold things together.
 Christmas ornaments hung from red ribbons on the tree.
 Before her the long straight reach of the canal lay like a silver ribbon.
Mar:
To make something less attractive or enjoyable SYN spoil.
 He had handsome Arabic features, marred by a long scar across his face.
 The movie's premiere was marred by gang-related violence.
Tremor:
A small earthquake in which the ground shakes slightly_ a slight shaking movement in your body.
 The medication can cause hair loss, tremors, and increased weight.
 Another well-known effect of caffeine is increased hand tremor, which has been measured in
numerous experiments.
Ripple:
To move in small waves, or to make something move in this way.
 He saw ahead of him the rippling waters of the river.
 The occasional dip of an oar rippled the lake's glassy surface.

Reading passage 2:
The little ice age
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Glacial:
Relating to ice glaciers, or formed by glaciers.
 Attempts to light a fire in the glacial dining-room had to be abandoned when it smoked out the
house.
 But we are no longer limited by the glacial rate of natural genetic innovation.
Northeasterly:
Towards or in the northeast_ a northeasterly wind comes the northeast.
 They set off in a northeasterly direction.
Perish:
To die, especially in a terrible or sudden way.
 Everyone aboard the ship perished when it sank off the coast of Maine.
 We must make sure that democracy does not perish.
Herring:
A long thin silver sea fish that can be eaten.
 Girls, caught by the arm, have snow rubbed into their hair like salt into a herring.
 The herring was never quite considered a member of the fish family.
Fleet:
A group of ships, or all the ships in a navy.
 There are unconfirmed reports that the seventh fleet is moving into the area.
 We have the largest fleet of trucks in the state.
Offshore:
In order the sea and not far from the coast.
 More than 100 offshore funds pay an income in sterling.
 Needless to say, the use of offshore centers is never far from being a controversial matter.
Regime:
A government, especially one was not elected fairly or that you disapprove of for some other reason.
 The US supported several right-wing regimes in Central America.
 The military regime refused to recognize the elections.

Reading passage 3:
The meaning and power of smell

Olfactory:
Connected with the sense of smell.
 Frustrated female appetites are consoled with olfactory stimulation: bananas, strawberries,
raspberries in the soap or bath oil.
 The temporal responsiveness of insect olfactory organs is truly remarkable.
Grimace:
To twist your face in an ugly way because you do not like something, because you are feeling pain, or
because you are trying to be funny.
 He grimaced and scratched his short, curly black hair where it stuck out from under his tartan
cap.
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 He married his high school sweetheart, though he grimaces at that term.

Sensation:
A feeling that you get from one of your five senses, especially the sense of touch.
 A common sign of brain tumors is a tingly, numb sensation in the toes and fingertips.
 She felt a cold sensation as the icy water dripped down her back.
Realm:
A general area of knowledge, activity, or thought.
 But they do not exist in some half-real realm, neither fully actual nor merely possible.
 Feminism exists outside the realm of political instrumentality, as an idea.

Test 3, reading passage 1:

Striking back at lighting with lasers

Fury:
Extreme, often uncontrolled anger SYN rage.
 Shaking with uncontrollable fury, she stood up to confront him.
 Today, public fury alternates with apathy.
Brew:
To make beer_ to make a drink of tea or coffee.
 Any wonder that there is a campaign-finance scandal brewing in Washington?
 His face was like something brewed up out of spit and bile.
Stumble:
To hit your foot against something or put your foot down awkwardly while you are walking or running,
so that you almost fall.
 I finished the whiskey, then stumbled upstairs and into bed.
 The room was dark, and Stan nearly fell over a chair as he stumbled to the phone.
Nifty:
Something that is nifty is good because it is clever, skilful, or effective.
 It's a nifty computer game that teaches math skills.
 He scooped up the heavy wet snow, digging hard, his mind ticking through the mechanics of a
last nifty illusion.
Zapper:
A thing you use for changing CHANNEL s on a television from a distance SYN remote control _a piece of
electrical equipment that attracts and kills insects.
 More than 15 million viewers now own a zapper.
 This will ease the effects of these sleep zappers.
Torrential:
Having the qualities of a torrent; characterized by a very rapid flow, moving in a fast and violent stream.
 He spent many nights sleeping in an open orchard in torrential rain until he located a small cave.
 I woke to the sound of torrential rain.

Hailstone:
A small ball of frozen rain.
 He and Jimmy lay beneath the wagon as a barrage of hailstones beat hard on the planks above.
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 I found a small but perfectly-formed hailstone on my knee, which must have got in through the
air vent.

Reading passage 2:
The nature of genius
Cult:
An extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion.
 A spokesman denied the group is a cult and said members could leave whenever they wanted.
 Members of the cult are not allowed to marry or own property without permission.
Divinity:
The study of God and religious beliefs SYN theology.
 His power was greater than that of all the other divinities together.
 The eternal, overarching divinity whom Graves' favorite goddess personified has gone by many
names.
Boffin:
A science_ someone who is very clever.
 A few science boffins were asked for their opinions, but otherwise the article gave very little
information.
 Government boffins have been explaining a new weapon that destroys people but leaves houses
intact
Anecdote:
A short story based on your personal experience.
 Personal anecdotes have no place in an academic essay.
 But he illustrates his points with telling anecdotes that make good, and fast, reading.
Corporal:
A low rank in the army, air force etc.
 Sergeants and corporals outnumber private soldiers.
 Smith and Petrossian, the corporals, were checking kit, pushing among the reluctant men.
Paediatrics:
The area of medicine that deals with children and their illnesses.
 He was senior house officer in paediatrics at the District Hospital.
 His medical special interests had been embryology, paediatrics, and homoeopathy.
Vantage point:
A good position from which you can see something _A way of thinking about things that comes from
your own particular situation or experiences SYN point of view.
 We enjoyed the lights of Los Angeles from a vantage point high above the city.
 From her piggyback vantage point she heard dry reeds whisper and water splash.
Mundane:
Ordinary and not interesting or exciting SYN boring.
 Most of the law cases he deals with are pretty mundane.
 My initial job was pretty mundane, but later I was given more responsibility.
Prodigy:
A young person who has a great natural ability in a subject or skill.
 Everest climbers display prodigies of endurance.
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 He watched his would-be freshman prodigy Alton Ford make just one of two free throws at the
other end.
Outstrip:
To do something better than someone else or be more successful.
 Even the most primitive computer can outstrip the human brain in certain types of calculation.
 Girls are now outstripping boys in all school subjects.
Unpalatable:
An unpalatable fact or idea is very unpleasant and difficult to accept.
 Senator Long tends to avoid unpalatable social issues.
 As a consequence land has become unproductive as unpalatable weeds have replaced nutritious
fodder.

Reading passage 3:
How does the biological clock tick?

Mutation:
A change in the GENETIC structure of an animal or plant that makes it different from others of the same
kind.
 A minor mutation should be deemed an eccentricity and nothing more.
 A second bug experienced a mutation that allowed it to make use of the acetate excreted from
the first.
Frugal:
Careful to buy what is necessary.
 Hidden hotel costs can be a source of frustration to the frugal traveler.
 The monks lead a frugal life, allowing themselves only the bare essentials.
Hedgehog:
A small brown European animal whose body is round and covered with sharp needle-like spines.
 A hedgehog tries to climb up the net and when it hears you approach it promptly rolls up into a
ball.
 I wanted to see a baby hedgehog.
Lethargic:
Feeling as if you have no energy and no interest in doing anything.
 All this hot weather is making me feel lethargic.
 The spectacular play inspired his lethargic teammates to start playing harder.
Comrade:
A friend, especially someone who shares difficult work or danger.
 They belonged to every organization, social club, old comrades association, and church for
miles around.
 And the same tensions continued after 1975 as southern Communists balked at domination by
their northern comrades.
Spar:
To practice boxing with someone.
 Foreman was cut over his right eye while sparring.
 The two have sparred for months over the health bill.
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Test 4, passage 1:
Land of the rising sum

Curriculum:
The subject that are taught by a school, college.
 Are politicians the best people to be developing the educational curriculum?
 We cover the curriculum by choosing things the kids will be interested in.
Homogenize:
To change something so that its parts become similar or the same.
 The American landscape is being homogenized by malls and fast-food restaurants.
 Plans to homogenize the various school systems.
Render:
To cause someone or something to be in a particular condition.
 Both runways have been rendered useless by enemy bombings.
 Galan rendered his drawing of a new commercial center in less than a week.
Quote:
To repeat exactly what someone else has said or written.
 Dr. Morse quoted three successful cases in which the drug was used.
 I don't think the company is doing very well, but don't quote me on that.

Reading passage 2:
Biological control of pests

Engender:
To be the cause of a situation or feeling.
 Their financial success has engendered jealousy among their neighbors.
 Although the plot failed, the reaction it engendered is significant.
Superbug:
A type of bacterial that cannot be killed by traditional drugs.
 That did kill many, but some mosquitoes became resistant: A superbug had evolved.
 The tots were struck down by a superbug in the intensive care unit at the London hospital.
Glaring:
Very bad and very noticeable.
 It was a glaring example of bad judgment," said one official who asked not to be named.
 It was a glaring error, which cost the company over $2 million in lost business.

Havoc:
A situation in which there is a lot of damage or a lack of order, especially so that it is difficult for
something to continue in the normal way SYN chaos.
 A weak yen creates havoc in several ways for Detroit.
 Direct sunlight plays havoc with the varnish.
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Avid:
Doing something as much as possible.
 Tim's father is an avid collector of old blues and jazz records.
 As a keen writer and avid newspaper reader, Jenny had always wanted to be a journalist.
Glory:
The importance, honor, and praise that people give someone they admire a lot.
 The designs reflect the glories of French fashion.
 He was bitter because he couldn't inherit the glory they unwittingly advertised.
Weevil:
A small insect that feeds on grain, flour etc and spoil it.
 Help at hand away with vine weevil Pippa Greenwood outwits this frustrating plant predator.
 He was the weevil in the fruit, according to Rex, the canker in their midst.
Weed:
A wild plant growing where it is not wanted that prevents crops or garden flowers from growing
properly.
 Dorothea bent down and pulled weeds out of the garden.
 Everyone called me a weed when I was at school because I was so bad at sports.
Devious:
Using dishonest tricks and deceiving people in order to get what you want.
 In the film, he plays a devious defense lawyer named Richard Adler.
 Their method of collecting money was devious, but not illegal.
Hyacinth:
A garden plant with blue, pink, or white bell-shaped flowers and a sweet smell.
 As I turned out the lights, I caught a whiff of the intense fragrance of hyacinths.
 Crocus, tulips, grape hyacinths and the rest can follow.
Nuisance:
A person, thing, or situation that annoys you or causes problems.
 Rabbits can be a nuisance to gardeners.
 The overgrown vacant lot was declared a public nuisance.
Defoliant:
A chemical substance, used especially in war, that makes all the leaves of plants drop off.
 Chemical defoliants would not be used against crops, nor would producers be arrested or
property confiscated.
Hispid:
Having or covered with rough rigid coarse hairs or bristles (of animal parts or plants).
Plague:
To cause pain, suffering, or trouble to someone, especially for a long period of time.
 Elway has been plagued all season by back problems.
 Heavy rains continue to plague the state.
Beetle:
An insect with a round hard back that is usually black. Verb: to go somewhere quickly and leaning
forward.
 It is useless to beetle your brow in what you clearly believe to be a threatening fashion.
 If you are curious about the bombardier beetle, by the way, what actually happens is as
follows.
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Reading passage 3:
Collecting Ant Specimens
Stray:
To move away from the place you should be.
 A number of Charles's men were killed because they had strayed out of formation.
 Do women instinctively want to find a mate and never stray?
Bait:
Food used to attract fish, animals, or birds so that you can catch them.
 I felt I was arguing on behalf of myself and the other two, who never rose to the bait.
 Don't you know you're using that boy like bait to catch a fish?
Pitfall:
A problem or difficulty that is likely to happen in a particular job, course of action, or activity.
 And Magic can count on more pitfalls before his team is back to prominence again.
 It would be wise to note at this point that there can be pitfalls.
Rotten:
Badly decayed and no longer good to use.
 I wouldn't climb that tree if I were you - some of the branches look rotten.
 The floor in the bathroom is all rotten.
Trunk:
The thick central woody stem of a tree.
 As the phrase suggests, a main trunk of cables splits off into branches which supply individual
subscribers.
 Barbara Molland had found the box in a trunk that stood under the window in Kate's room.
Bark:
The outer covering of a tree.
 Black too is a color, and the deep ridges of persimmon tree bark are an almost-black striated
with dark gray.
 Wood and bark Wood and bark are essential constituents of a vast number of instruments.
Nest:
A place made or chosen by a bird to lay its eggs in and to live in.
 About as pleasant to come across as a nest of vipers.
 Individuals could invest in stocks and bonds themselves, creating their own retirement nest
eggs.
Forage:
To go around searching for food or other supplies.
 A light rum and tonic in hand, he abandoned his post for the kitchen to forage for food.
 A troupe of golden-crowned kinglets was foraging close to the ground.
Forceps:
A medical instrument used for picking up and holding things.
 For larger hooks, a good pair of curved surgical forceps cannot be bettered.
 He seized a horrible pair of forceps and I closed my eyes as he started flexing his muscles.
Shrub:
A small bush with several woody stem.
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 Inside, the complex is immaculate, with neatly trimmed shrubs and rose bushes lining each
building.
 It also is useful to wrap this synthetic material around shrubs that are prone to freeze damage.
Debris:
The pieces of something that are left after it has been destroyed in an accident, explosion.
 The beach was littered with debris.
 Fragments of building debris can form a large part of the total number of finds from a site.
Marsh:
An area of low flat ground that is always wet and soft.
 She caught a few words: marsh, explosion, death.
 You play over a salt marsh, or bayou, from tee to green.
Sift:
To put flour, sugar etc through a sieve or similar container in order to remove large pieces_ to examine
information, documents etc carefully in order to find something out or decide what is important and
what is not.
 It will take a while to sift through all these magazines.
 Police continued to sift through the statements of various witnesses Saturday

Twig:
A small very thin stem of wood that grows from a branch on a tree.
 And again in what directions do the branches and smaller twigs grow?
 He found a not very effective twig and scraped.
Funnel:
A thin tube with a wide top that you use for pouring liquid into a container with a narrow opening, such
as a bottle _a metal CHIMNEY that allows smoke from a steam engine or steamship to get out
 An opening in a small pipe near the end of the funnel chuffed steam in bursts.
 One is reduced to her ribs; the other still has her steel plating and her funnel.
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