Tuesday, August 14, 2012

< V > TOEFL Vocabulary (126)


Hurtle (verb) 
to move rapidly or forcefully
The effect would have been as though a lousy cosmic golfer tore up a giant chunk of turf
and sent it hurtling into orbit. 
 
Herculean (adjective) 
Greek hero renowned for his great strength and especially for performing 12 labors 
imposed on him by Hera; often not capitalized: of extraordinary power, extent, intensity, 
or difficulty 
But despite the herculean title, there's one thing he hasn't mastered.  After hundreds of
media interviews, roles in three films, and a large fan base that Viesturs calls the
"Grateful Ed Tour," he still struggles to fully answer this question: Why climb? 

Hurl (verb) 
to send through the air with a motion of the hand or arm
During 18 days in May 1924, hundreds of steam explosions from Kilauea hurled mud,
debris, and hot rocks weighing as much as 8 tons (7,000 kg) as far as two thirds of a mile
(1 km) from the center of Halema'uma'u the current crater within the larger volcanic
depression (caldera) at Kilauea's summit.

Hustler (noun) 
one who deceives another for financial gain  
Many hustlers sought to attract visitors and investors to the burgeoning mining areas
of California during the 1800's.

Hybrid (adjective) 
offspring of two plants or animals of different species or different varieties; a thing 
composed of diverse elements
Hybrid cars, designed to run on gasoline and electric power, will be more the rule than
the exception as US auto manufacturers become more environmentally aware. 
    
Hype (noun) 
extravagant or intensive publicity promotion
Although several successful mining ventures were launched, much of the hype was
bogus, a fact which suggests that most miners did not make much money even though
they were told that they would.

Hypersensitive (adjective) 
being extremely sensitive to something; having an acute reaction to external stimuli
Immunizing patients with bee venom can better prevent serious or even fatal reactions to
the more than one million Americans who are hypersensitive to bee stings.

Hypoxia (noun) 
a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body
When climbers reach the summit of Mount Everest, few feel as if they’re on top of the
world. The thin air at this extreme altitude offers only a third of the oxygen available at
sea level. Lack of oxygen, or hypoxia, starts a chain of reactions that can result in
altitude sickness. 

Hypnosis (noun) 
state like sleep in which one acts only on external suggestion
Most people have observed mild dissociative episodes in which they lose touch with their
surroundings. Examples include daydreaming, highway hypnosis, or losing oneself in a
movie or book. 

Hypothesize (verb) 
a proposition made as basis for reasoning, without the assumption of its truth
One attempt to solve the dark matter problem hypothesizes the existence of an
undiscovered particle already existed in the very early universe.

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