LESSON 20

PROGRESS TEST
1. In most lines of the following text, one word is missing, for each numbered line 1-17,
write the missing word in the space. Some lines are correct. Indicate these lines with a
tick (). The exercise begins with two examples.
By and large I detest holidays, Every vacation paradise I have ever been
to has provoked in me strong desire to pack my bags and get out
as soon as
1. the family will let me. The problem with paradise is theres never
interesting
2. to do there except sit around experiencing eternal bliss. And all often
it does
3. seem to me eternal. I dont think of it and I can only put up with it for so
long.
4. So every often, when the time comes for the family to sit around the
table and
5. plan where to go for the summer vacation I tentatively suggest that
actually it
6. would be every as much fun to stay at home. Each and every time,
of course, I
7. am loudly overruled by others who set about planning some beach
8. holiday or of my nightmares. I have high hopes, however, that this year
will be
9.quite a better than past holidays as we are going to visit my in-laws
in Sweden.
10. Sweden is no vacation paradise, cold in winter and rainy in the
summer,
11. though on the few occasions the sun shines, it can be very
beautiful. My
12. Swedish is also very basic, with the result that much of time I am there I
13. appear even more stupid than I do normally. I smile more, use
every hand
14. gesture I can, and am in respects nicer than I am in English, partly
because
15. I am not of a linguist and dont know how to be rude in Swedish.
16. My wife nor I has been over to see her parents, and, of course, the rest
of her
17. family for a good years, so all of us are looking forward to it a lot.

....
a.

...

2. Circle the option that best completes each sentence.

1. I dont think theres a of truth in what either defendant said.
a. gust
b. grain
c. spot
d. touch
2. One of days Im going to give him a piece of my mind.
a. our
b. those
c. these
d. the
3. I wouldnt want of my parents to know I have a boyfriend.
a. either
b. any
c. neither
d. none
4. The of people who attended the public meeting was surprisingly large.
a. figure
b. number
c. amount
d. sum
5. The film ends with the sheriff lying in a of blood.
a. bath
b. puddle
c. jet
d. pool
6. I gather there was doubt as to who should pay the bill.
a. any
b. some
c. the
d. every
7. Unfortunately too often one of our players gives the ball away.
a. all
b. every
c. none
d. once
8. I have rarely seen such an impressive sight as a of buffalo roaming over
the plains.
a. flock
b. swarm
c. pack
d. herd
9. I cant help thinking he offered his apology with a of irony.
a. touch
b. spot
c. torrent
d. dash
10. Few, if of the current team can stand comparison with the 1995 eleven.
a. none
b. any
c. many
d. some
11. It was a stroke of luck that he had always been able to write with hand.
a. both
b. each
c. every
d. either
12. can make a mistake; no one is perfect.
a. Nobody
b. Someone
c. Anyone
d. each
13. The full of the damage done by the storm only became clear at daybreak.
a. degree
b. amount
c. summary
d. extent
14. Thousands to see the opening night of Simons musical.
a. trickled
b. flocked
c. thronged
d. swarmed
15. It is difficult to conceive of the vast of energy required by top marathon
runners.
a. volumes
b. quantities
c. reserves
d. amounts

3. Finish each sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the
sentence printed before it.
a. You shouldnt complain about the service here: its not worth it.
It would be absurd for ..
b. Her financial problems only became clear later.
That
c. His belief in ghosts is a bit of a mystery to me.
I find it
d. My brothers refusal even to discuss the issue really annoys me.
What ...
e. Kingsley learned Russian in six weeks, which wasnt bad going for him
To have ..
4. Fill each of the numbered blanks with one suitable word.
The herring gulls ability to eat almost (1), from fish to the young of
its own kind, has made it one of the (2) species in Britain to be
actually thriving at this time. Its (3) have multiplied in recent years
because of the increasing (4) of edible refuse which is a by-product of
modern life; and it has extended its breeding range too. A surprisingly
(5) years ago the herring gull more often than (6) remained close to
the sea and nested on cliffs. Now many (7) nest can be found on
buildings in coastal (8) and inland on bogs and lakes. In winter
practically (9) British fishing ports and harbours are home to the gulls
while inland they either feed off farmland (10) find
(11) of food on (12) dumps, roosting at night on large reservoirs.
At breeding colonies, loud with wailing and yelping call astonishing
(13) their intensity, one of the parent birds, (14) the male or female,
stands guard against the (15) herring gulls from the moment the eggs
are laid. Otherwise there is every (16) that (17) of their
chicks would get the opportunity to begin their four-year growth to full maturity. In
courtship, the male and female stand beside one (18); the male then
turns and bows. Often, too one usually the male will offer (19)
other a present of seaweed, which they will (20) subsequently
proceed to devour.

5. Complete each sentence with the most suitable word or phrase.

1. I seem to be in energy this morning.
a. bereft
b. short
c. lack
d. low
2. Managers claim we are in desperate of greater investment in our
industries.
a. requirement
b. excess
c. need
d. lack
3. This neighbourhood looks a little and tatty these days.
a. well heeled
b. well off
c. rundown
d. down-and out
4. The builders told us that that pile of cement was to their requirements.
a. excess
b. extra
c. surplus
d. spare
5. The discovery of oil brought wealth to the country.
a. untold
b. unsaid
c. uncalculatedd. unannounced
6. Born into a rich family, he has for nothing all his life.
a. needed
b. required
c. lacked
d. wanted
7. This area is absolutely for more investment.
a. crying out
b. breaking down
c. better off
d. cutting back
8. The sudden in viewing figures encouraged more advertisers to turn to
television.
a. upshot
b. upturn
c. upkeep
d. uptake
9. Im afraid my youngest son has never been particularly quick on the
a. upshot
b. upturn
c. upkeep
d. uptake
10. That was a bit of a for the books: I never expected him to show up.
a. turn-up
b. turn-out
c. turn-in
d. turn-away