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COLLOCATIONS (II)

Exercise 1
Look at this description of Cork, one of Ireland’s main towns. Underline any words or phrases that might be useful for
describing your own or any other town:

Cork City is the major metropolis of the south; indeed, with a population of about 135,000 it is the second largest city
in the Republic. The main business and shopping centre of the town lies on the island created by two channels of the
River Lee, with most places within walking distance of the centre. The buses tend to be overcrowded and the one-way
traffic system is fiendishly complicated. In the hilly area of the city is the famous Shandon Steeple, the bell-tower of St
Anne’s Church, built on the site of a church destroyed when the city was besieged by the Duke of Marlborough. Back
across the River Lee lies the city’s cathedral, an impending 19th century building in the French Gothic style. Cork has
two markets. Neither caters specifically for tourists but those who enjoy the atmosphere of a real working market will
appreciate their charm. The Crawford Art Gallery is well worth a visit. It regularly mounts adventurous exhibitions by
contemporary artists. The fashionable residential districts of Cork City overlook the harbour. There are other residential
areas on the outskirts.

Exercise 2
Check that you understand the text about Cork by answering the following questions:
a) Where is Cork?
b) Where is the shopping and business centre of Cork?
c) What is Cork’s traffic system like?
d) What is special about the site of St Anne’s Church?
e) In what style is the architecture of Cork Cathedral?
f) Can you buy souvenirs at the markets?
g) Is the Crawford Gallery worth visiting and why?
h) Where do Cork people live?

Exercise 3
The description of Cork comes from a guidebook for tourism. Write sentences about a town of your choice, using the
following expressions from the text:
The second/third/fourth ... est the main ... area of the town lies
Within walking distance of in the Victorian/Georgian/Classical/Baroque/French/Gothic style
Built on the site tend to be
Cater for whether or not it merits
To overlook those who enjoy
Well worth a visit/visiting on the outskirts
To mount an exhibition
To appreciate the charm
A working market/museum/steam railway/model

Exercise 4
Towns can be convenient places to live in because they have many facilities. They also have their own special
problems. Try to find out what the following words imply:
Sports cultural educational catering
Nightlife transport traffic jams slums
Vandalism overcrowding pollution crime

Exercise 5
Suggest three words that would collocate well with each of the nouns below:
a) .................................
................................. museum
.................................
b) .................................
................................. centre
.................................
c) ................................
................................ club
................................
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d) .................................
................................. college
.................................
e) ................................
................................ court
................................
f) ................................
................................ agency
................................

Exercise 6
Can you answer the following general knowledge question about the natural world and the environment?
a) Is the whale a fish or a mammal?
b) Which reptile alive today is a descendant of the dinosaurs?
c) Are the following trees deciduous or evergreen –poplar, yew, birch?
d) What does the bee take from flowers to make honey?
e) Name three animals that hibernate in winter.
f) What does a British boy or girl traditionally say while pulling the petals off a daisy one by one?
g) Which is the fastest of all land animals?
h) Which bird symbolises peace?
i) What plants or animals are the symbols of England, Scotland, Canada and New Zealand?
j) What do fish use their gills for?
k) Can you name an endangered species of plant of animal?
l) Which of the creatures is extinct –emu, dinosaur, phoenix?
m) Name three white flowers and three birds of any colour?
n) What plant or animal is the symbol of your country?
o) What is the highest mountain in Africa?
p) What is the longest river in Europe?
q) Where is the highest waterfall in the world?
r) What is a delta and which famous river has one?
s) Where are the Straits of Gibraltar and the Cape of Good Hope?

Exercise 7
Write an appropriate adjective to go with each of the following nouns:
Hedgehog mane petals eagle
Worm bark oak willow
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Exercise 8
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate words:
a) A tree’s ....................... go a long way under ground.
b) A cat sharpens its ....................... against the ....................... of a tree.
c) Most fruit trees ....................... in spring.
d) Plants will not ....................... unless they get enough water and light.
e) Flowers last longer in a vase if you crush the end of their .......................
f) A flower that is just about to open is called a .......................
g) Take care not to prick yourself. That plant has a sharp .......................
h) If we pick up those ......................., we can use them to start the fire.
i) Antonio’s as blind as a ....................... while Juan works at a .......................’s pace.
j) Most crops in the UK are ....................... in the autumn.

Exercise 9
Look at this description of a camel from an encyclopaedia. Underline any words which you think would frequently be
found in such descriptions of animals:

Camel A mammal of the family Camelidae, (2 species): the bactrian, from cold deserts in Central Asia and
domesticated elsewhere, and the dromedary; eats any vegetation; drinks salt water if necessary; closes slit-like nostrils
to exclude sand; humps are stores of energy-rich fats. The two species may interbreed; the offspring has one hump; the
males are usually sterile while the females are fertile.

Exercise 10
There are many different words referring to features of the environment. Find those which are interrelated and order
them since they are arranged on small to large scales:
Brook mountain bay wood puddle road
Copse stream footpath hillock river pond
Lane hill gulf cove lake forest

Exercise 11
Find out what the following words have in common:
Ridge shore glacier peak cliff cape
Source tributary waterfall mouth estuary gorge
Foot coast beach summit valley peninsula

Exercise 12
Look at this encyclopaedia entry about Iceland and note any words that refer to particular features of the environment:

Iceland An island republic in the North Atlantic. The landscape consists largely of barren plains and mountains, with
large ice fields particularly in the south-west. The island has active volcanoes and is known for its thermal springs and
geysers. With less than 1% of the land suitable for growing crops, the nation’s economy is based on fishing, and fish
products account for 80% of the exports. Area: 103,000 Km2 . Population: 227,000. Capital: Reykjavik.

Exercise 13
Give two names to go with the adjectives below. Try not to repeat any of the nouns you choose:
Sandy steep shallow rocky turbulent dangerous