Vocabulary and Context Flashcards
6 cards from real Duolingo English Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Vocabulary and Context flashcards as text
In the Duolingo English Test, encountering the word 'serendipity' in a reading passage, which context clue strategy would help determine its meaning?
Answer: Examining surrounding sentences for descriptions of fortunate discoveries
Context clue strategies involve examining surrounding text for definitions, examples, or descriptions that illuminate the target word's meaning. Sentences near 'serendipity' would likely describe happy accidents or fortunate discoveries.
Which of the following pairs presents the greatest challenge in the 'Read and Select' task?
Answer: 'benevolent' and 'benevorous'
'Benevolent' (real) and 'benevorous' (fake but plausible) are difficult to distinguish because they share a root and both follow English word-formation patterns. The other pairs have obvious differences that make identification easy.
A vocabulary question asks about the word 'ubiquitous.' A test taker has never seen this word before. What partial knowledge might help?
Answer: Knowing that 'ubi-' relates to location in Latin
Knowledge of Latin roots can help decode unfamiliar words. 'Ubi-' relates to 'where/everywhere' in Latin, which connects to 'ubiquitous' meaning 'found everywhere.' This etymological knowledge is a powerful vocabulary strategy.
In the context of the Duolingo English Test, what is a 'collocate' and why does it matter for vocabulary scoring?
Answer: A word that naturally pairs with another word in common usage
A collocate is a word that naturally co-occurs with another (e.g., 'make a decision' not 'do a decision'). Knowledge of collocations demonstrates deep vocabulary knowledge and natural language use, which is assessed in writing and speaking sections.
How does the difficulty of vocabulary items change throughout the Duolingo English Test?
Answer: The adaptive algorithm increases difficulty when answers are correct and decreases when incorrect
As a computer-adaptive test, the Duolingo English Test adjusts vocabulary difficulty based on performance. Correct answers lead to more challenging words, while incorrect answers lead to easier ones, allowing precise measurement of vocabulary level.
A test taker encounters these words in a 'Read and Select' task: 'ephemeral, transient, perpetual, eternize.' Which ones are real English words?
Answer: All four are real English words
All four are real English words. 'Ephemeral' means short-lived, 'transient' means temporary, 'perpetual' means never-ending, and 'eternize' means to make eternal or immortalize. Recognizing less common but legitimate words like 'eternize' tests advanced vocabulary.