TOEFL core vocabulary

to publicly support or recommend a particular policy or course of action

主张；提倡

• Many economists advocate raising the minimum wage gradually rather than all at once.
• The report advocates a shift toward renewable energy sources.
• She has long advocated for stricter emissions standards.

Collocations: advocate for · strongly advocate · advocate a policy

possible to do easily or practically

可行的

• Engineers concluded that the bridge design was technically feasible but costly.
• It is not economically feasible to recycle every type of plastic.
• A feasible alternative would be to phase in the reform over five years.

Collocations: economically feasible · a feasible solution · technically feasible

to give a share of resources, money, or time for a particular purpose

分配；拨给

• The city allocated a larger budget to public transport this year.
• Teachers must allocate class time carefully between speaking and writing practice.
• Funds were allocated to hospitals hit hardest by the outbreak.

Collocations: allocate resources · allocate funds · allocate time

close and careful examination

严格审查；细察

• The company's accounting practices came under intense scrutiny after the scandal.
• Any claim in an academic essay should be able to withstand scrutiny.
• Public spending deserves closer scrutiny from independent auditors.

Collocations: come under scrutiny · close scrutiny · withstand scrutiny

to gradually weaken or damage something

削弱；损害

• Corruption undermines public trust in government institutions.
• Skipping the control group would undermine the credibility of the results.
• Persistent absenteeism can undermine a student's academic progress.

Collocations: undermine confidence · undermine trust · seriously undermine

to make an action or process easier

促进；使便利

• Online platforms have facilitated collaboration between researchers worldwide.
• Group discussion facilitates deeper understanding of difficult texts.
• The new visa rules are designed to facilitate international trade.

Collocations: facilitate communication · facilitate access · greatly facilitate

to change the shape, sound, or meaning of something so it becomes inaccurate or misleading

扭曲；使失真

• Selective statistics can distort the public's perception of crime rates.
• The lens distorts the image slightly near the edges.
• Nostalgia often distorts our memory of how difficult the past really was.

Collocations: distort the truth · distort reality · badly distorted

something that encourages a person to do something, often a reward

激励；诱因

• Tax incentives encouraged homeowners to install solar panels.
• Without a clear incentive, few residents bothered to recycle.
• The bonus scheme gives employees a strong incentive to meet deadlines.

Collocations: financial incentive · provide an incentive · incentive to

based on what is generally done or believed; traditional

传统的；常规的

• Conventional wisdom held that the market would keep growing indefinitely.
• The school abandoned conventional lecture formats for group projects.
• Electric vehicles are gradually replacing conventional cars.

Collocations: conventional wisdom · a conventional approach · conventional methods

based on random choice or personal opinion rather than reason or system

武断的；随意的

• Critics called the cutoff score arbitrary and unrelated to actual ability.
• The boundary between the two districts seems almost arbitrary.
• Grading should follow clear criteria, not an examiner's arbitrary judgment.

Collocations: seem arbitrary · an arbitrary decision · entirely arbitrary

logical and well organized; easy to follow

连贯的；条理清晰的

• A coherent essay links each paragraph clearly to the thesis.
• The government has yet to present a coherent plan for reducing emissions.
• Her argument was coherent, but it rested on questionable assumptions.

Collocations: a coherent argument · coherent plan · remain coherent

to become or make smaller, weaker, or less important

减少；削弱

• Public interest in the campaign diminished as the election approached.
• Automation need not diminish the value of human judgment in the workplace.
• Her achievements were not diminished by the controversy.

Collocations: diminish in importance · greatly diminished · diminishing returns

to cause a strong reaction, especially anger or argument

激起；引发

• The proposal provoked fierce debate among local residents.
• Her comments provoked criticism from environmental groups.
• Sudden price rises can provoke public unrest.

Collocations: provoke controversy · provoke a reaction · provoke criticism

a system in which people or things are ranked according to status or authority

等级制度；层级

• Employees near the bottom of the corporate hierarchy often have the least job security.
• The species establishes a clear social hierarchy within each group.
• Traditional classrooms often reflect a rigid hierarchy between teacher and student.

Collocations: social hierarchy · corporate hierarchy · climb the hierarchy

a new idea, method, or product; the process of introducing new ideas

创新

• Innovation in battery technology has made electric cars more practical.
• The company built its reputation on constant innovation.
• Government funding can encourage innovation in early-stage research.

Collocations: drive innovation · technological innovation · foster innovation