TOEFL · Arts & Humanities · Intermediate

• literature

  n. written works valued as art

  She studies English literature.

• fiction

  n. stories about imaginary events

  He prefers fiction to history.

• plot

  n. the main events of a story

  The plot of the film was clever.

• theme

  n. the central idea of a work

  The theme of the novel is love.

• narrative

  n. a spoken or written account of events

  The narrative follows a young hero.

• genre

  n. a category of art or writing

  Mystery is her favorite genre.

• metaphor

  n. a phrase that compares without like or as

  The poem uses a striking metaphor.

• symbol

  n. something that stands for an idea

  The dove is a symbol of peace.

• imagery

  n. vivid descriptive language in art

  The poem is rich in imagery.

• verse

  n. writing arranged in lines and rhythm

  The song's verse is very poetic.

• prose

  n. ordinary written language not in verse

  His prose is clear and simple.

• rhyme

  n. matching sounds at the ends of lines

  The poem has a steady rhyme.

• tragedy

  n. a serious play with a sad ending

  The tragedy moved the audience to tears.

• comedy

  n. a light play meant to amuse

  The comedy had everyone laughing.

• drama

  n. a serious play or its genre

  She acts in a popular drama.

• dialogue

  n. a conversation in a play or book

  The dialogue felt very natural.

• plot twist

  n. a sudden change in a story

  The plot twist surprised readers.

• manuscript

  n. an author's handwritten or original text

  The old manuscript was hard to read.

• edition

  n. a particular version of a published work

  This is the first edition of the book.

• publication

  n. the act of issuing printed work

  The publication of the novel was delayed.

• critic

  n. a person who judges art or writing

  The critic praised the new film.

• review

  n. a written opinion of a work

  The review of the play was positive.

• masterpiece

  n. an outstanding work of art

  The painting is a true masterpiece.

• composition

  n. a piece of music or art, or its arrangement

  The composition won a major prize.

• composer

  n. a person who writes music

  The composer wrote many symphonies.

• symphony

  n. a long musical work for an orchestra

  The orchestra played a famous symphony.

• orchestra

  n. a large group of musicians

  The orchestra tuned their instruments.

• harmony

  n. a pleasing combination of notes

  The choir sang in perfect harmony.

• tempo

  n. the speed of a piece of music

  The song has a fast tempo.

• tone

  n. the quality of a sound or mood

  The poem has a sad tone.

• canvas

  n. a cloth surface used for painting

  The artist stretched a fresh canvas.

• portrait

  n. a painting of a person

  She painted a portrait of her mother.

• landscape

  n. a painting of natural scenery

  The landscape shows green hills.

• exhibition

  n. a public display of art

  The exhibition drew large crowds.

• architecture

  n. the art of designing buildings

  Gothic architecture features tall arches.

• architect

  n. a person who designs buildings

  The architect drew the new museum.

• structure

  n. the way something is built or arranged

  The structure of the poem is complex.

• foundation

  n. the base on which something is built

  A strong foundation supports the tower.

• column

  n. a tall vertical support in a building

  Marble columns lined the temple.

• arch

  n. a curved structure over an opening

  The stone arch framed the gate.

• dome

  n. a rounded roof

  The dome of the church is famous.

• philosophy

  n. the study of ideas about life and knowledge

  He studies ancient philosophy.

• philosopher

  n. a person who studies philosophy

  The philosopher wrote about justice.

• logic

  n. reasoning done in a careful way

  Her argument follows clear logic.

• argument

  n. a set of reasons for a view

  His argument convinced the class.

• concept

  n. an abstract idea

  Freedom is a key concept in the book.

• ethics

  n. rules about right and wrong

  The class discussed medical ethics.

• morality

  n. ideas about good and bad behavior

  The story explores human morality.

• wisdom

  n. deep knowledge and good judgment

  The elder shared his wisdom.

• heritage

  n. traditions passed down over time

  The festival honors local heritage.

• civilization

  n. an advanced society with culture

  Ancient civilization built great cities.

• empire

  n. a group of nations under one ruler

  The empire spread across many lands.

• dynasty

  n. a line of rulers from one family

  The dynasty ruled for centuries.

• monument

  n. a structure built to honor someone

  A monument marks the old battle.

• ruins

  n. the remains of old buildings

  Tourists visit the ancient ruins.

• era

  n. a long period of time in history

  The work belongs to a golden era.

• revolution

  n. a major sudden change in society

  The revolution changed the nation's art.

• linguistics

  n. the scientific study of language

  She majored in linguistics.

• grammar

  n. the rules for forming sentences

  English grammar can be tricky.

• vocabulary

  n. the set of words a person knows

  Reading builds your vocabulary.

• dialect

  n. a regional form of a language

  They speak a southern dialect.

• translation

  n. the act of changing words to another language

  The translation kept the original tone.

• interpretation

  n. an explanation of a work's meaning

  Her interpretation of the poem was new.

• context

  n. the setting that gives meaning

  The painting must be seen in context.

• influence

  n. the power to affect art or thought

  Jazz had a big influence on him.

• movement

  n. a trend in art shared by many

  The painting belongs to a famous movement.

• abstract

  adj. not showing real objects directly

  He prefers abstract painting.

• realistic

  adj. showing things as they really are

  The portrait is very realistic.

• elegant

  adj. graceful and refined in style

  The building has an elegant design.

• vivid

  adj. bright and full of life

  The poem paints a vivid scene.

• formal

  adj. following strict rules of style

  The essay uses formal language.

• sacred

  adj. holy and treated with respect

  The temple is a sacred place.

• medieval

  adj. relating to the Middle Ages

  The castle is a medieval ruin.

• contemporary

  adj. belonging to the present time

  She collects contemporary art.

• original

  adj. new and not copied

  His style is highly original.

• inspire

  v. to fill someone with an idea or feeling

  The sea inspired the painter.

• portray

  v. to show or describe in art

  The novel portrays village life.

• depict

  v. to represent in a picture or words

  The mural depicts a great battle.

• illustrate

  v. to add pictures to explain

  She illustrates children's books.

• compose

  v. to write music or a text

  He composed a song for the film.

• publish

  v. to make a written work public

  She published her first novel.

• narrate

  v. to tell a story aloud

  He narrated the documentary.

• interpret

  v. to explain the meaning of something

  Critics interpret the play in many ways.

• appreciate

  v. to value and enjoy something

  She learned to appreciate jazz.

• analyze

  v. to study something in detail

  Students analyze the poem's structure.

• reflect

  v. to think deeply about something

  The diary reflects her inner life.

• restore

  v. to repair something to its original state

  They restored the old painting.

• preserve

  v. to keep something safe from harm

  The city preserves its old temples.

• exhibit

  v. to display in public

  The artist exhibits her work yearly.

• sculpt

  v. to shape material into a figure

  He sculpts figures from clay.

• recite

  v. to say a text aloud from memory

  She recited a poem on stage.

• debate

  n. a formal discussion of opposing views

  The debate lasted two hours.

• quotation

  n. words taken from a text or speech

  The essay opens with a quotation.

• essay

  n. a short piece of formal writing

  She wrote an essay on art.

• biography

  n. the written life story of a person

  He read a biography of the king.

• myth

  n. a traditional story about gods or heroes

  The myth explains the seasons.

• legend

  n. an old story believed to be partly true

  The legend tells of a hidden city.

• folklore

  n. the traditional stories of a people

  Folklore shapes the village festival.

• protagonist

  n. the main character in a story

  The protagonist faces a hard choice.

• antagonist

  n. the main opponent in a story

  The antagonist tries to stop the hero.

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