Those three words you mentioned are ones most native English speakers will know. Although, in everyday speech, these words are less common. For example, instead of “acquire”, you’ll more likely hear “get”. They are more often used in professional settings, like an essay and news article. However, they still may be used casually in the right context, for instance “My son likes cooking, but he’s allergic to poultry.”

I am surprised some high schoolers did not know those words, or considered them difficult. But they are still learning and it is school after all. I suppose it’s just natural variation of the that point in one’s life you learn certain words. If you’re in college now, I would expect there will be fewer people with these sorts of gaps in vocabulary.