VOCABULARY AND STRUCTURE

1. We were working overtime to cope with a sudden _____ in demand.

A. surge
B. boost
C. impetus
D. thrust
2. Athough the patient received intensive treatment, there was no _____
improvement in her condition.
A. decipherable B. intelligible
C. discernible
D. legible
3. She _____ to being a bit nervous about making her speech.
A. asserted
B. confessed
C. acknowledged D. granted
4. It was her first confrence as party leader, and she was determined to
_____ her authority on the proceedings.
A. press
B. thrust
C. stamp
D. mark
5. I dont want to go into all the details about why I left: _____ it to say that
I had a better offer from another company.
A. take
B. grant
C. give
D. suffice
6. Finish your meal with a cup of our delicious freshly _____ coffee.
A. grated
B. ground
C. shredded
D. minced
7. Money was short and people survived by _____ and saving.
A. scrimping
B. scavenging
C. scouring
D. scrounging
8. The Meteorological Office reported 20 centimetres of rain in October
this year _____ only 14 last year.
A. in comparison B. as against
C. in contrast
D. contrary to
9. Martin didnt _____ the prospect of telling his father that he had spent all
the money.
A. rejoice
B. envy
C. relish
D. desire
10. The confidence trickster _____ the old lady out of her life savings.
A. swindled
B. robbed
C. deceived
D. misled
11. Jessicas hopes were _____ when she wasnt selected for the team.
A. lowered
B. smashed
C. dashed
D. dimmed
12. The club took the unprecedented _____ of dropping their star player
before the big match.
A. move
B. tread
C. step
D. stride
13. ____, the people who come to this club are in their twenties and thirties.
A. By and large B. Altogether
C. To a degree D. Virtually
14. The train service has been a _____ since they introduced the new
schedules.
A. shambles
B. rumpus
C. chaos
D. fracas
15. His heartless treatment of his former colleague revealed a _____ of
cruelty in his nature.
A. taint
B. stain
C. mark
D. streak
16. Looking down the coral reef, we saw _____ of tiny, multi-colored fish.
A. swarms
B. flocks
C. teams
D. shoals
17. When it comes to the _____, Alice always supports her friends.
A. point
B. crunch
C. crisis
D. finale
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18. The transport minister _____ recent statistics to support the case for a
reduction in the speed limit.
A. named
B. quoted
C. summoned
D. claimed
19. The plan received _____ support although none of the committee spoke
openly in its favour.
A. tacit
B. mute
C. silent
D. quiet
20. During the riots, there were ____ between local residents and the police.
A. demonstrations B. sieges
C. rallies
D. clashes
WORD FORMATION
1. The act of _____ should be prohibited under any circumstances.
Everyone all has equal rights to vote. (FRANCHISE)
2. The boss ordered his staff to be _____ with each other in dealing with
the companys end-of-year burden. (LABOR)
3. The mayor was determined that he would do everything in his power to
_____ the murder case. (MYSTERIOUS)
4. Pending the _____ of KFC, the manager had to catch up on a huge
number of backlogs. (TAKE)
5. My mother _____ me a great deal of encouragement after I got bad
grades in my exam. (VOUCH)
6. His misunderstanding of the situation resulted in his _____. Everyone
could make out the embarassing remarks on his face. (COMPOSE)
7. The water _____ in the building is of great concern. It can damage the
walls if not managed properly and timely. (FILL)
8. Moving _____ is moving in a direction opposite to the direction the
hands of the clock moves. (CLOCK)
9. What she said has provoked violent _____ from critics as well as
celebrities. (BLAST)
10. Thanks to the _____ at the bottom of the page, the Chinese-Vietnamese
poem becomes more accessible. (NOTE)
OPEN CLOZE
Many people persuade themselves that they cannot understand mechanical
things, or that they have no head for figures. These convictions (21) _____
them feel enclosed and safe, and (22) _____ save them a great (23) _____
of trouble. But the reader who has a head for anything at (24) _____ is pretty
sure to have a head for whatever he really wants to put his mind (25) _____.
His interest, say (26) _____ mathematics, has usually been killed (27) _____
routine teaching, in exactly the (28) _____ way that the literary interest of
most scientists, and for (29) _____ matter of most non-scientists, has been
killed by the set book and the Shakespeare play. Few people would argue
that (30) _____ whose taste (31) _____ poetry has not survived (32) _____
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examination syllabus are fundamentally insensitive (33) _____ poetry. Yet

they cheerfully write (34) _____ the large intellectual pleasures of science
(35) _____ if they belonged only to minds (36) _____ a special cast. Science
is not a special sense. It is as wide as the literal meaning (37) _____ its
name: knowledge. The notion of the specialised mind is, (38) _____
comparison, (39) _____ modern as the notion of the specialised man, the
scientist, a word which is only (40) _____ hundred years old.
SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
1. If you want my advice, I would forget about buying a new house.
If I __________________________________________________.
2. Tim insisted on being told the complete story.
Nothing but ___________________________.
3. The only thing that makes this job worthwhile is the money.
Were ___________________________________________.
4. Janes husband will be returning from South America quite soon.
It wont ______________________________________________.
5. The council rarely allows appeals against its decisions.
Hardly _______________________________________.
6. The permit expires at the end of this month.
The permit is not _____________________.
7. I fully intend to find out who is responsible for the graffiti.
I have every ____________________________________.
8. They feel the same way about each other. MUTUAL
__________________________________.
9. He began by giving us a summary of his progress so far. OUTSET
_____________________________________________.
10. I travel by bus only when I have no alternative. RESORT
______________________________________.
PHRASAL VERBS PRACTICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Demand for the product is expected to peak five years from now and then to _____.
A. taper off
B. fall down
C. set back
D. drift away
Lack of sleep over the last few months is finally _____ Jane.
A. catching up with
B. getting on with
C. coming over
D. putting on
The last bus had gone so we were _____ with the problem of how to get home that night.
A. affronted
B. caught
C. trapped
D. faced
The company had severe problems and the board decided to _____ it up.
A. fold
B. close
C. wind
D. put
I didnt set _____ to start an argument, it just happened.
A. off
B. out
C. about
D. up
If you want to be sure of receiving a copy of the magazine, I suggest you _____ an annual
subscription.
A. put down
B. take out
C. write off
D. send up

7.
8.
9.

10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

The teacher obviously didnt like me because she was always _____ on me.
A. setting
B. picking
C. keeping
D. getting
Michael put his mistake _____ to lack of concentration.
A. down
B. over
C. through
D. up
The newspaper had been tipped _____ about the stars arrival and sent a photographer to the
airport.
A. up
B. in
C. off
D. on
If I make a fool of myself in front of my friends, Ill never _____ it down.
A. let
B. give
C. settle
D. live
The thick fog _____ out any possibility of our plane taking off before morning.
A. ruled
B. struck
C. stamped
D. crossed
Jack was _____ to the fact that he couldnt take his holiday in June.
A. accepted
B. complied
C. agreed
D. resigned
When the funds finally _____, they had to abandon the scheme.
A. faded away
B. clamped down
C. petered out
D. fobbed off
The Press thought the football manager would be depressed by his dismissal but he just ____.
A. ran it down
B. called it off
C. turned it down
D. laughed it off
Old Mr Browns condition looks very serious and it is doubtful if he will _____.
A. pull through
B. pull up
C. pull back
D. pull out
The BBC tries to _____ for all tastes with its four national programmes.
A. suit
B. furnish
C. regard
D. cater
The old ship will be towed into harbour and _____.
A. broken up
B. broken down
C. broken in
D. broken off
Making private calls on the office phone is severely _____ on in our department.
A. frowned
B. criticised
C. regarded
D. objected
He was so mean that he couldnt bear to ___ the smallest sum of money for the charity appeal.
A. pay off
B. part with
C. give in
D. let out
The completion of the new Town Hall has been _____ owing to a strike.
A. held off
B. held down
C. held up
D. held on

21. Anne was afraid the neighbours would despise her for not having a washing machine. LOOK
Anne was afraid __________________________________________________________.
22. It might be better if that paragraph was omitted. LEAVE
It might be better __________________________.
23. Bill reckoned that his success was due to incredible luck. PUT
Bill ____________________________________________.
24. Why not tell him the truth and be finished with it? GET
Why not tell him ___________________________?
25. The children pestered us for sweets. KEPT
The children ___________________.
26. He continued his story, even though no one was listening. WENT
He ______________________________________________.
27. How do you explain the difference between the two witnesses stories? ACCOUNT
How _______________________________________________________?
28. I found it when I was looking through some old papers. CAME
I _______________________________ some old papers.
29. We could just discern the buildings through the fog.
We _____________________________________ fog.
30. He has a good relationship with all his students. GETS
He ________________________ all his students.

IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS / FIXED PHRASES

31. The suspect was deported to his own country to _____ charges of fraud.
A. stand
B. consider
C. face
D. defend
32. Before you sign the contract, _____ in mind that you wont be able to change anything later.
A. bear
B. hold
C. retain
D. reserve
33. Several passengers received minor injuries when the train unexpectedly came to a _____.
A. delay
B. stand
C. brake
D. halt
34. John refused to put his career in _____ by opposing his boss.
A. jeopardy
B. hazard
C. risk
D. stake
35. The climbers sought _____ from the storm.
A. escape
B. refuge
C. solace
D. defence
36. With its engine disabled, the fishing vessel was at the _____ of the storm.
A. whim
B. mercy
C. control
D. grip
37. Marianne seemed to take _____ at my comments on her work.
A. annoyance
B. insult
C. offence
D. indignation
38. After feeling off _____ for days, Tom finally went to see his doctor.
A. food
B. colour
C. fitness
D. balance
39. The boss _____ into a rage and started shouting at Robert to do as he was told.
A. flew
B. charged
C. rushed
D. burst
40. Politicians should never lose _____ of the needs of the people they represent.
A. view
B. sight
C. regard
D. prospect
41. In the _____ of security, personnel must wear their identity badges at all times.
A. requirement
B. interests
C. demands
D. assistance
42. Lindseys excuses for being late are beginning to _____ rather thin.
A. get
B. turn
C. wear
D. go
43. The storm ripped out tent to _____.
A. slices
B. shreds
C. strips
D. specks
44. Can I _____ your brains for a moment? I cant do this crossword by myself.
A. have
B. pick
C. minds
D. use
45. All those late nights must be _____ their toll because Becky looks quite exhausted.
A. taking
B. having
C. holding
D. keeping
46. You havent heard all the facts so dont _____ to conclusions.
A. dash
B. jump
C. spring
D. fly
47. The party leader travelled the length and _____ of the country in an attempt to spread his
message.
A. width
B. distance
C. diameter
D. breadth
48. His answer was so confused that I could hardly make any _____ of it at all.
A. interpretation
B. lucidity
C. intelligibility
D. sense
49. They always kept on good _____ with their next-door neighbours for the childrens sake.
A. friendship
B. relationship
C. will
D. terms
50. Although he was under no ____ the shopkeeper replaced the defective battery free of charge.
A. urgency
B. guarantee
C. obligation
D. insistence
51. The overcrowded living conditions _____ a heavy strain on the family.
A. set
B. put
C. made
D. pressed
52. The government has made no _____ in the fight against inflation; indeed, the situation has
worsened recently.
A. headway
B. effect
C. avail
D. triumph
53. They managed to free him from the burning car in the _____ of time before the tank exploded.
A. tick
B. wink
C. nick
D. brink
54. He has been given work as a window cleaner even though he has no _____ for heights.
A. head
B. skill
C. ability
D. balance

55. Teachers have learned to take shortages of text books and equipment in their _____.
A. stride
B. scope
C. habit
D. course
56. The boys parents were prepared to go to any _____ to keep his name out of the papers.
A. ways
B. depths
C. measures
D. lengths
57. It suddenly _____ his mind that he had forgotten to tell his wife he would be late.
A. passed
B. filled
C. crossed
D. occurred
58. In those days a girl could not get married if her father _____ his consent.
A. forbade
B. upheld
C. rejected
D. withheld
59. The accusation left him quite _____ with rage.
A. dumb
B. silent
C. speechless
D. mute
60. He cannot _____ ignorance as his excuses he should have known what was happening in his
own department.
A. insist
B. plead
C. refer
D. defend
61. His arrival was completely unexpected. TOOK
His arrival ________________________.
62. If only you had tired harder you might have passed the exam. EFFORT
If only ______________________________________________.
63. He is certainly not stupid. MEANS
He is _________________.
64. You dont appreciate me, she complained. GRANTED
She _________________________________.
65. We didnt go in case we were recognised. FEAR
We ________________________________.
66. It was obvious that the old house was past its prime. DAYS
It was obvious that ____________________________.
67. Dont pay any attention to what she says. NOTICE
Dont ______________________________.
68. Not many people attend the meeting. TURNOUT
Theres __________________________.
69. They are unlikely to come. DOUBT
It _____________________.
70. Thats got nothing to do with you. BUSINESS
_____________________________.