PREPARATION FOR NEC 2021- No 37

I. MINITEST ONLINE- No 6
Part 1. Choose the best answer
1. She _______ agreed to go with him to the football match although she had no interest in the game at all.
A. apologetically B. grudgingly C. shamefacedly D. discreetly
2. Police have not so far been able to ___________ a confession from the people accused of the bombing.
A. excoriate B. exculpate C. extort D. expropriate
3. The campaign was launched by David with a long ______ against the lack of action of the people in authority.
A. diatribe B. oath C. affidavit D. avowal
4. Reducing plastic waste in school is a(n) ___________ aim, but enforcing them at gunpoint will likely turn
the plan into a failure.
A. exemplary B. glistening C. blazing D. laudable
5. Although Mike is quite good at singing, he is barely a(n) ______ by comparison with professional singers.
A. dilettante B. greenhorn C. apprentice D. probationer
6. Although he appeared to enjoy a jet-setting life, he ___________ publicity and avoided nightclubs..
A. rejigged B. derided C. eschewed D. abated
7. Paradoxically, it is usually even harder for people to give up gambling after losing because they want to
___________ their losses in the next game.
A. recoup B. rehab C. rectify D. repent
8. Living to 100 will not be a pleasure anymore if you have to __________ around getting increasingly frail.
A. lumber B. dodder C. waddle D. dawdle
9. The meditation course has really helped his ___________ to abate, making him calmer and more
considerate.
A. irascibility B. fanaticism C. fervor D. mendacity
10. The princess's nanny's autobiography really gives the ___________ on life among the royals.
A. show-down B. know-how C. low-down D. look-out
11. He did everything to ___________ favour with his superiors in the hope of getting promoted.
A. hoard B. curry C. drag D. butter
12. Children are more likely to be spoiled when their parents ___________ them.
A. dote on B. cosset at C. pamper round D. cosy up to
13. China was ___________ among the powers of the Eight-Nation Alliance by the end of the 19th century.
A. thrashed out B. parceled out C. dished out D. slipped out
14. Mary finally decided to ___________ and broke up with Jack after having been together for 4 years.
A. get off her base B. take the plunge
C. play possum D. jump the gun
15. Their company is so debt-ridden that I think it’s safe to say they’re ___________ at this stage.
A. down for the count B. down in the dumps
C. down at the heel D. down to the last penny
Part 2. Give correct form of words in brackets
1. __Claimants_________ for unemployment benefits are more and more numerous as the economic crisis is
getting worse in this country. (CLAIM)
2. My brother enjoys _bachelorhood__________ so much that I think he will never get married.
(BACHELOR)
3. Their parents had an almost ___supernatural________ ability to understand what was going on in their
children's minds. (NATURAL)
4. It is rumoured that the millionaire has connections with the criminal __underworld_________ of Japan.
(WORLD)
5. The _investiture__________ of the Prince of Wales took place in 1969, a year before the first Earth day
was celebrated. (INVEST)
**Vocabulary:
1. Extort (v): get something by force or threats with difficulty
2. Diatribe (n): angry speech or piece of writing that severely criticizes sth/sb
3. Laudable (a): deserving praise
4. Dilettante (n): person who is interested in a subject without real commitment
5. Eschew (v): avoid sth intentionally
6. Recoup (v): get back the money you have lost
7. Dodder (v): move slowly and weakly, esp because of old age
8. Irascibility (n): the quality of being made angry easily
9. Curry favor with sb (phr): seek to gain favor by flattery or attention
10. Dote on sb (phr): love someone completely and believe they are perfect
11. Parcel sth out (phr): divide something and give the separate parts to different people
12. Be down for the count (phr): almost defeated
13. Claimant (n): person asking for sth they think they have the right for
14. Bachelorhood (n): the state of being a bachelor
15. Underworld (n): criminal organizations
16. Investiture (n): ceremony in which someone is given an official rank
II. WRITING
Some people think that governments should spend money on health awareness education while others
argue that it is better to build hospitals. Discuss both view and give your opinion.
Increasing attention has been placed on health and its related issues due to improved living standards. It is,
therefore, believed that more financial resources should be allocated to education on health awareness while
others regard the construction of hospitals as a more effective option. This piece of writing aims to discuss
both viewpoints and later presents my opinion on the matter.

On the one hand, it is indisputable that health education is of vital importance to encourage more health-
conscious attitudes and reduce hospitalization expenses. Firstly, a thorough understanding of personal health
cultivated in health awareness programs promotes responsible eating plans and active bodily workout. One
of the most attention-gaining health-related issues of the modern world is the obesity epidemic whose origin
is typically attributed to unhealthy lifestyles, either on excessive fat intake or insufficient physical exercises.
However, as individuals become well-informed on nutritional values and several ailments, the probabilities
are that they will adopt more proactive health-promoting behaviors, dispensing with preventable illnesses.
Besides, the promotion of education on health awareness helps reduce healthcare costs, particularly on
health treatment plans. It is witnessed that in many nations, especially the United States, extravagant hospital
costs incurred often discourage people, even those in serious medical conditions, from hospitalizing.
Therefore, should the problem is attacked from its source with more health-conscious behaviors, the liability
of people being contracted with such diseases will be substantially decreased.

Hospital infrastructure, on the other hand, is also fundamental for several reasons. In the first place, it
enables better treatment of critical diseases. Although common diseases like obesity or colds can often be
prevented in the comfort of one’s own home with healthier lifestyles, chronic ailments like lung cancer,
however, necessitates specialized medical cares from professional facilities and practitioners. Also, for those
with genetically inherited diseases, without proper intervention and support from doctors, it is likely that
these diseases will continue to be passed down on future generations to come, adversely affecting their
living conditions. Besides, with medical expertise, the provision of hospital allows for more accurate
identification of diseases. For example, during the covid 19 pandemic, frequent visits to specialized medical
clinics is, all too often, required by governments so as to control the outbreak and disease spread considering
the long incubation period.
In conclusion, although the arguments are valid for both sides, it is my firm conviction that given healthcare
knowledge and lessened hospital expenses, health awareness programs seem to benefit people more.
However, for a healthy society as a whole, prevention and treatment are of equal importance, therefore
exacting equal attention from authorities.