Time Efficiency

Vocabulary: Target Words & Definitions

1. Adjust

• Definition: To change; to get accustomed to something.
• Example:
  • Travelers are advised to adjust their watches before arriving in the new time zone.
• Related Forms: adjustment (n.), adjustable (adj.)

2. Arbitrary

• Definition: Chosen simply by whim or chance, not for any specific reason.
• Example:
  • The decision to build a school in Blackberry Township was arbitrary, without any thought to future housing patterns.
• Related Forms: arbitrate (v.), arbitrator (n.), arbitrarily (adv.)

3. Denominator

• Definition: The number written below the line in a fraction.
• Example:
  • In the fraction 1⁄2, the number 2 is the denominator.
• Usage Tip: The phrase “lowest common denominator” means “the most basic and unsophisticated things that most people share.”
• Related Forms: denominate (v.), denomination (n.), denominational (adj.)

4. Exponentially

• Definition: At a very fast rate.
• Example:
  • In Turkey, the value of the lira has decreased exponentially in the last several decades.
• Usage Tip: Derived from mathematics, where an exponent indicates how many times a number is multiplied by itself.
• Related Forms: exponent (n.), exponential (adj.)

5. Infinitesimal

• Definition: Immeasurably small.
• Example:
  • The number of contaminants in the water was infinitesimal, so the water was safe to drink.
• Related Forms: infinitesimally (adv.)

6. Maximize

• Definition: To increase or make as great as possible.
• Example:
  • A coach helps each athlete maximize his or her potential.
• Related Forms: maximum (n.), maximum (adj.)

7. Parallel

• Definition: Being an equal distance apart everywhere.
• Example:
  • The street where I live runs parallel to the main road through town.
• Usage Tip: “Parallel” is often followed by “to.”
• Related Forms: parallel (n.), parallel (adv.)

8. Proportion

• Definition: A part in relation to the whole.
• Example:
  • The average employee spends a large proportion of each workday answering e-mails.
• Usage Tip: “Proportion” is often followed by “of.”
• Related Forms: proportionate (adj.), proportionally (adv.)

9. Rate

• Definition: The cost per unit of a good or service; also refers to the speed or degree of change in a given time.
• Examples:
  • Postal rates in Japan are among the highest in the world.
  • Some grasses grow at the rate of one inch per day.
• Related Forms: rate (v.), rating (n.)

10. Sequence

• Definition: To organize or arrange in succession.
• Example:
  • Volunteers have been asked to sequence the files and organize the boxes.
• Related Forms: sequence (n.), sequentially (adv.)

TOEFL Preparation Exercises

TOEFL Prep I: Fill-in-the-Blanks

Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the best word from the list. Change the form of the word if necessary (each word is used only once).

Word List: adjust, arbitrary, denominator, infinitesimal, rate

1. Students felt that the exam was unfair and the grading system was rather __________.
2. The __________ of increase in prices made it difficult for people to afford basic goods.
3. Politicians promised great changes in the coming year, but any improvement in people’s lives was __________.
4. She quickly overcame her culture shock and found it easy to __________ to the new country.
5. You can add two fractions that have the same __________.

TOEFL Prep II: Opposites

Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of each word in the left-hand column. Write the corresponding letter in the blank.

1. Arbitrary
2. Maximize
3. Sequence
4. Infinitesimal
5. Parallel

Options:
(a) mix up
(b) intersecting
(c) minimize
(d) huge
(e) planned out

TOEFL Success: Reading Comprehension

Passage:

Time is, as we all know, money. Such valuation of time leads people to extreme efforts to maximize their use of time. Some people obsess over knowing the exact time. They buy clocks and watches that automatically adjust themselves over the Internet or by radio waves. These measurements allow them infinitesimal accuracy in dealing with time. Regardless of how one tracks time, most people share a common goal: They want to use time effectively. Since about 1982, this efficiency has increased exponentially each year, thanks to computers and their ability to multitask. In multitasking, a computer executes several different tasks in parallel. Rather than being set arbitrarily, each task is given a priority in the computer’s operating system, and time is spent in proportion to the priority of the task. The computer executes different sequences of tasks at different clock cycles, thereby increasing the rate of output from a process.

Questions:

1. Why does the author mention computer multitasking in this article?
   a. because it is new
   b. because it measures time better than any clock
   c. because it helps people to arrange their activities sequentially
   d. because it is a good example of the efficient use of time
2. The underlined word “sequences” in the passage is closest in meaning to:
   a. styles
   b. lengths
   c. orderings
   d. difficulty levels

Answer Keys

• TOEFL Prep I Answers:
  1. arbitrary
  2. rate
  3. infinitesimal
  4. adjust
  5. denominator
• TOEFL Prep II Answers:
  1. e
  2. c
  3. a
  4. d
  5. b
• TOEFL Success Answers:
  1. d
  2. c