400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL » LESSON 33 - Friendship

Word List
  • affection [əˈfekʃən] n.
    An emotional closeness or warmth
    Usage tips     Affection is often followed by a for phrase.
    Parts of speech     affectionate adj.
  • associate [əˈsəuʃɪeɪt] v.
    To regularly spend time together
    Carol doesn’t associate with people who smoke.
    Usage tips     Associate is often followed by a with phrase.
    Parts of speech     association n., associate n.
  • bond [bɒnd] n.
    A close connection
    Parts of speech     bond v.
  • clique [kliːk] n.
    High-schoolers form cliques to gain security and acceptance.
    Usage tips     Clique indicates a negative feeling toward a group.
    Parts of speech     cliquish adj.
  • confide [kənˈfaɪd] v.
    To tell very personal things
    Usage tips     Confide is almost always followed by an in phrase.
  • exclusive [ɪksˈkluːsɪv] adj.
    Keeping out all but a few people
  • fluctuate [ˈflʌktjʊeɪt] v.
    To change often, from one condition to another
    Earth’s climate fluctuates between warm periods and cold periods.
    Parts of speech     fluctuation n.
  • in common .adv
    As a shared characteristic
  • solidarity [ˌsɒlɪˈdærɪtɪ] n.
    Standing together despite pressure to move apart
    Usage tips     Solidarity is usually used in political contexts.
  • willing [ˈwɪlɪŋ] adj.
    Agreeable and ready to do something

TOEFL Prep I Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

______ 1. affection(a) liking someone or something
______ 2. bond(b) to move back and forth
______ 3. clique(c) standing together in a political cause
______ 4. fluctuate(d) a connection
______ 5. solidarity(e) an exclusive group

TOEFL Prep II Circle the word that best completes each sentence.

  1. Charles is (exclusive / willing) to be friends with Dory, but he is already dating another girl.
  2. If I (associate / confide) in you, do you promise to keep what I say a secret?
  3. When it comes to weather, Minnesota and North Dakota have a lot (in common / in a bond).
  4. One of the main reasons to go to an exclusive college is that you get to (associate / fluctuate) with some of the country’s future leaders.
  5. The court said that the club’s membership rules were unjustly (willing/ exclusive) because they kept out people of certain ethnic groups.
Answer Key
  1. a
  2. d
  3. e
  4. b
  5. c
  1. willing
  2. confide
  3. in common
  4. associate
  5. exclusive
Answer Key

TOEFL Success Read the passage to review the vocabulary you have learned. Answer the questions that follow.

You can walk into any high school and spot the cliques: the jocks hang out here, the geeks there, the Goths and preppies in their areas. Teenagers feel a strong need to belong to a group, to associate with people with whom they share common interests or goals. Since adolescence is often a time when teens feel turmoil in their home lives, they seek affection and friendship outside the home.They look for other young people to bond with when their parents don’t seem to “understand.” Teens going through the various crises of adolescence can more easily confide in others their own age, with whom they have more in common. Teen cliques are by no means exclusive; membership can fluctuateon an almost daily basis, but the important thing is that group members feel a sense of solidarity and are willing to stick together.

  1. According to the reading, why do adolescents search for friendship outside the home?
    • a. They want to be accepted by the jocks and Goths.
    • b. They think their parents don’t understand the problems they face.
    • c. They want to be in a different clique every day.
    • d. They want to talk about their parents with other teenagers.
  2. According to the reading, do teens stay in the same groups all the time?
    • a. Yes, because their parents want them to.
    • b. Yes, because they share common interests.
    • c. No, they may move from group to group quite frequently.
    • d. No, most groups don’t accept new members.
Answer Key
Answer Key
  1. b
  2. c
Favorite Books


Read more