LEXICO-GRAMMAR

I. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.

1. They’ve been going ________ for so long now that all their friends expect them to marry soon.
A. dutch B. berserk C. round D. steady
2. The documentary gave him such a ________ that he gave up smoking immediately.
A. terror B. fear C. fright D. dread
3. It gets my ________ that she expects to look after the children every afternoon.
A. goat B. horse C. dog D. beetle
4. We were just ________ in the sitting area and somehow the window got broken.
A. beetling about B. haring off C. horsing around D. wolfing down
5. Uncle Tom’s a ________ who prefers his own company to anyone else’s.
A. drowned rat B. lone wolf C. lame duck D. top dog
6. I have to ________ it to William; he put in the hard work and got results.
A. hand B. present C. give D. applaud
7. Although the chemist’s initial experiment failed, she ________ upon a strong new material in the process.
A. tripped B. fell C. broke D. stumbled
8. Lawrence suggested ________ ourselves at the beginning of the long project in order to avoid exhaustion.
A. pacing B. rushing C. plodding D. racing
9. Julie is a very friendly employee with a smile that ________ happiness and positivity.
A. oozes B. radiates C. fosters D. boosts
10. There is a(n) ________ desire for more face-to-face contact, perhaps due to the increase in online
interaction in today’s world.
A emergent B divergent C detergent D insurgent
11. All three siblings agreed to ________ their resources in order to start their new business venture.
A. fuse B. blend C. mingle D. pool
12. Dennis is very ________ about things; he never lets anything stress him out.
A. tolerant B. impetuous C. warm-hearted D. laid-back
13. Vicky walked into the room ________ as brass and made her demands to the group.
A. bright B. bold C. proud D. loud
14. Many linguists fear that global languages could ________ local languages as the main means of
communication in these places.
A. displace B. disperse C. discard D. disband
15. It’s never a good idea to force people to change by ________ what has to happen.
A. dictating B. displacing C. disputing D. debasing
16. The changes in the line-up forced the pop group to ________ after friction developed between them.
A. displace B. disperse C. discard D. disband
17. The defendant on trial showed no ________ for his atrocious crime.
A. remorse B. reverse C. recourse D. recluse
18. The points raised about the exercise technique are not ________ to this presentation.
A pertinent B opportune C admissible D acceptable
19. The surgery hired a ________ to cover the patients while the doctor was on holiday.
A. practitioner B. provider C. locum D. physician
20. The new consultant is still feeling her ________ in the hospital.
A. bones B. pinch C. way D. weather

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II. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.
1. The clinic experienced an ________ of support from the community when they were threatened with closure.
A. outbreak B. overflowing C. outbursting D. outpouring
2. Her ________ behaviour made her the life of the party; everyone loved talking to her.
A exhaustive B fragrant C exuberant D. aromatic
3. The children are ________ by this new app; they can’t stop using it.
A revitalised B hypnotised C mesmerised D capitalised
4. In Britain major decisions are made in the ________ of power in Westminster.
A. aisles B. corridors C. hallways D. landings
5. Regional parliaments allow ________ for remote parts of the country or islands far from the capital.
A. self-government B. self-sufficiency C. self-regulation D. self-support
6. The system of checks and balances ensures that no individual has ________ to do as they please.
A. scope B. latitude C. carte blanche D. franchise
7. Although citizen-centred schemes involve residents in debates, full political ________ is kept by local
councillors and MPs.
A. autonomy B. autarchy C.autocracy D. authority
8. The high levels of air pollution is ________ a result of local factory emissions.
A. plainly B. abruptly C. distinctly D. markedly
9. The management are making ________ to increase the company’s efficiency.
A. measures B. steps C. moves D. deeds
10. The mere mention of cockroaches causes many people to________ in horror.
A. rebound B. falter C. recoil D. stagger
11. She had an unclear ________ of him in her mind, although she knew he would be old.
A. sight B. picture C. vision D. figure
12. Those without the major studios’ huge spending ________ are not convinced by the argument that
marketing movies can double their budget.
A. force B. strength C. weight D. power
13. The outcome was a ________ circle whereby women's work, perceived as low status, was poorly rewarded
and therefore regarded as unimportant.
A. relentless B. vicious C. brutal D. merciless
14. The best travel books of this year fall into three main categories: _________ informational, narrative, and
anecdotal.
A. truly B. fully C. literally D. purely
15. People are dying for _________ of medical treatment.
A. need B. absence C. want D. shortage
16. With just a little preparation and regular feeding and watering, you can guarantee that you have a ________
of colour throughout the summer.
A. disturbance B. riot C. demonstration D. rally
17. Through a series of protestations and exclamations, coyness and giggling, I ________ that she was talking
to her boyfriend.
A. assembled B. amassed C. harvested D. gathered
18. Sheila often borrowed wellingtons from her sisters, even though they were about three ________ too big.
A. sizes B. figures C. pairs D. numbers
19. The authorities and family members were searching for the ________ missing child.
A. judiciously B. frantically C. knowingly D. meticulously
20. Ed ________ to be an expert on Egyptian art, but I find it highly doubtful.
A. alleged B. imputed C. professed D. insisted

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III. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.
1. Mia felt _______ resentful when her coworker got promoted over her and stormed out of the office.
A. sublimely B. intensely C. aggregately D. absentmindedly
2. He was a very _______ person, always laughing and telling jokes.
A. jolly B. introverted C. caustic D. gratifying
3. He tried to be as _______ as possible, but his garish attire made it difficult.
A. accessible B. amenable C. incessant D. inconspicuous
4. Mr Jones is _______, unfortunately, so you’ll have to call again tomorrow.
A. indifferent B. inimitable C. indisposed D. incongruous
5. This conservative, evangelical megachurch, just outside San Diego, is a _______ of activity on a Sunday
morning.
A. mest B. home C. seat D. hive
6. He must have been hungry; he _______ that burger in record time and ordered another.
A. whipped up B. tucked in C. chopped up D. bolted down
7. The only room available was, to say the least, _______. There was no carpet, no curtains, and the only
furniture was a bed and a small bedside table.
A. snug B. dreary C. stark D. cushy
8. What they are saying about the art theft is pure ______; nobody knows who did it.
A. ambiguity B. hoax C. scam D. speculation
9. _______ over the loss of her pet fish, Wendy contemplated getting a kitten.
A. Despondent B. Dependent C. Affected D. Effected
10. You could tell she was very nervous, as she was _______ heavily.
A. conspiring B. aspiring C. inspiring D. perspiring
11. If you want to be taken notice of, you must learn to _______ yourself.
A. convert B. divert C. assert D. revert
12. The football stadium was illuminated by _______.
A. spotlights B. searchlights C. flashlights D. floodlights
13. I found the training exhausting as the coach always pushed us to the _______.
A. restriction B. border C. limit D. frontier
14. She loves reading – she always has her _______ in a book.
A. nose B. eyes C. face D brow
15. I couldn’t come to your party as the date _______ with my holiday.
A. clashed B. struck C. opposed D. occured
16. Amanda was upset by his rejection, but decided to _______ the past behind her and get on with her life.
A. push B. fix C. drop D. put
17. It has taken them all this time to _______ on a name for their baby.
A. decide B. conclude C. assent D. consent
18. It was _______ plain to the new employees that they should be polite to the customers.
A. put B. stated C. made D. explained
19. The only thing they felt he was capable of was _______ film reviews.
A. writing in B. turning out C. signing off D. summing up
20. Roads were _______ as police searched for the escaped prisoner.
A. washed up B. cut off C. sealed off D. kept out

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IV. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.
1. After months of trying to find a cheap flat in the centre of town, he’s finally _______ in the sponge.
A. thrown B. swept C. cleared D. polished
2. It is highly unlikely that I will ever return to my homeland, and now _______ memories are all that I have.
A. close B. pet C. standing D. fond
3. When I started talking about Miranda, Steven _______ and left.
A. cut corners B. cut it fine C. cut short D. cut me dead
4. I can tell you _______ with this work – it’s just not up to your usual standard.
A. cut corners B. cut it fine C. cut short D. cut me dead
5. I looked across the room and saw a woman who made my heart _______.
A. swing B. trip C. flutter D. glide
6. Tom _______ went into work on his day off due to staff shortages.
A. grudgingly B. maliciously C. unanimously D. covertly
7. The couple went through a few _______ years but still managed to stay together.
A restless B. lawless C. thunderous D. turbulent
8. The employee was dismissed because she _______ her boss' signature on certain documents.
A. forged B. purged C. counterfeited D. impersonated
9. Many homeless people have been _______ for years with little prospect of finding proper housing.
A. down and out B. down in the dumps
C. down and dirty D. down the drain
10. The prince offered to _______ his claim to the throne in favor of his son.
A. pronounce B. denounce C. announce D. renounce
11. Kelly's on a _______ exercise program so she can lose weight before the summer.
A. recurrent B. repetitive C rigorous D. reinforcing
12. The company filed for bankruptcy and immediately began _______ its assets.
A. terminating B. discharging C. dispatching D. liquidating
3. After an official investigation the defendant was _______ and set free.
A validated B. authenticated C. exonerated D. rehabilitated
14. That country's diplomatic _______ was the largest group at the conference.
A. contingent B. battalion C. franchise D. chapter
15. Richard’s remark was completely true; he really hit the _______ with what he said.
A. bottom line B. brass tacks C. bull’s-eye D. nuts and bolts
16. It will take a team of editors to correct the _______ errors found in the author's most recent manuscript.
A. minor B. infinite C. innumerable D. measurable
17. Many images on social media these days represent _______ beauty, not real.
A. bona fide B. strained C. staged D. contrived
18. There’s always a huge _______ of orders to process when employees return from their summer breaks.
A. backlog B. stockpile C. hoard D. cache
19. It’s good for people to _______ ideas before making final decisions.
A. brush off B. blow over C. cast aside D. chew over
20. The broker wasn’t sure, but she had _______ that the stock would go up in value.
A. a sign B. an omen B. a hint D. a hunch

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V. Supply the correct form of each bracketed word in each sentence.
TEST 1
1. Greenpeace applied for a(n) ________ review to challenge the court's decision. JUDGE
2. The President authorizes the ________ use of military force to protect our citizens. JUDGE
3. The people of the district rose up in arms and reinstated the abbot, but their triumph
was ________. LIVE
4. The process of the ________ root formation in grape cuttings can be divided into six ADVENT
periods.
5. The art of cinema was placed under ________ even before it could reach maturity. GUARD
TEST 2
1. The solutions below are descriptions of how these issues have been ________ solved
and may serve as a pattern to help you on your next project. RECUR
2. We and those of our class act 'rationally' in our fertility regulating behavior, they act
irrationally, irresponsibly, without ________ or knowledge. THOUGHT
3. She had had the ________ to prepare herself financially in case of an accident. SIGHT
4. Rock was a roly-poly detective who looked like a no-hoper but who always ________ WIT
the opposition with sly brilliance.
5. The very fact that the question is being asked like this, and at this stage, reveals the SUPPOSE
ambiguities of any ________.
TEST 3
1. Plastic surgery may be needed to correct the ________ caused by sores on the face. FIGURE
2. These simulators not only reduce costs but also give students a ________ way to learn FIRE
from their mistakes, even critical ones.
3. Hospitals are on ________ ready to deal with casualties being flown in from the crash STAND
site.
4. The opposing counsel then has a last opportunity to ________ the witness to address EXAMINE
facts brought out in redirect examination.
5. The investigator said the killings were the result of poor procedure by trigger-happy MEDITATE
police rather than ________ murder.
TEST 4
1. An entire society was ________ and destroyed, vanishing into the high mountains ROOT
never to return.
2. Women are caught in a double bind, ________ in the community if they are not wives MARGIN
and mothers, under excessive pressure to be perfect if they are.
3. Racial hatred has been a powerful ________ in the country's history. CURRENT
4. Swearing is crude behavior, ________ of any human being. BECOME
5. The economies and societies of the world are becoming increasingly ________ TWINE
through processes of globalization.

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 ANSWER KEY
I. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.
1. go steady: have a regular romantic or sexual relationship with a particular person
2. give somebody a fright: to cause someone an extreme and sudden sensation of fear.
3. get one’s goat: annoy someone
4. horse around: fool around
5. lone wolf: an animal or person that acts independently or generally lives or spends time alone instead of with
a group
6. If you say you have (got) to hand it to someone, you mean that they have been very successful or skillful
7. stumble on: find, discover, or happen upon something casually or by chance
8. pace oneself: to do something at a speed that is steady and that allows one to continue without becoming too
tired
9. radiate: to show an emotion or quality
10. emergent : starting to exist or to become known
11. pool: to collect something such as money in order for it to be used by several different people or groups
12. laid-back (adj): relaxed in manner and character; not usually worried about other people's behavior or things
that need to be done
13. bold as brass: without showing any respect, shame or fear
14. displace:
15. dictate: to control or influence how something happens
16. disband: to stop somebody/something from operating as a group; to separate or no longer operate as a group
17. remorse (n): deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed
18. pertinent (adj): appropriate to a particular situation
19. locum: a person who stands in temporarily for someone else of the same profession, especially a cleric or
doctor.
20. feel one’s way: to proceed cautiously

II. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.

1. outpouring: an outburst of strong emotion
2. exuberant: full of energy, excitement and happiness
3. mesmerise: to have such a strong effect on you that you cannot give your attention to anything else
4. the corridors of power: the higher levels of government where the most important decisions are made
5. self-government: government under the control and direction of the inhabitants of a political unit rather than
by an outside authority broadly
6. carte blanche: a French phrase, meaning 'unlimited discretionary power to act; unrestricted authority'
7. political autonomy: the situation in which a group of persons or a territory are self-governing, thus not under
the control of a higher level of government.
8. plainly: clearly
9. make moves: to take a decisive action intended to achieve one's goal or start the process of achieving it
10. recoil: to move back because of fear or disgust
11. picture: a mental image or memory of something
12. spending power: the ability to spend money after paying taxe
13. a vicious circle: a situation where one problem has caused other problems which, in turn, have made the
original problem even worse
14. purely informational
15. for want of: because of a lack of
16. a riot of colour: extremely colorful and bright
17. gather: to understand or believe something as a result of something that has been said or done
18. sizes

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19. frantically: in a nervously hurried, desperate, or panic-stricken way
20. profess: to claim or state something, sometimes falsely

III. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.

1. intensely
2. jolly: happy and cheerful
3. inconspicuous: not attracting attention; not easy to notice
4. indisposed: slightly unwell.
5. a hive of activity: somewhere where there are lots of activities taking place at the same time
6. bolt down: to eat something quickly
7. stark: unpleasant
8. pure speculation: the act of forming opinions about what has happened or what might happen without
knowing all the facts
9. despondent (adj): unhappy and discouraged
10. perspire: to give out sweat
11. assert oneself: to insist on one's rights, or on being recognized
12. floodlight: a large powerful lamp, used for lighting sports grounds, theatre stages and the outside of
buildings
13. push someone to the limit: make someone work as hard as they can
14. have one’s nose in a book:
15. clash with: happen at the same time in a way that is not convenient
16. put the past behind someone: to forget about what has happened in past
17. decide on: to choose something from a number of possibilities
18. make it plain: to clearly show
19. turn out: to produce something
20. seal off: to prevent people from entering an area or building

IV. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.

1. throw in the sponge definition: to admit defeat, give up
2. have fond memories (of an event): to remember (an event) with pleasure or happiness
3. cut someone dead: to pretend not to see or recognize someone you know
4. cut corners: to do something in a way that saves time, effort, or money, but that also results in it not being
done properly
5. If someone makes your heart flutter, you find that person very physically attractive and you feel excited
when you see or talk to them.
6. grudgingly reluctantly or unwillingly
7. turbulent (adj): full of confusion
8. forge: to make an illegal copy of something in order to deceive
9. down and out:
10. renounce: to give up (a claim, right, belief, etc.), usually by a formal public statement ·
11. rigorous (adj): strict, detailed and careful
12. liquidate (v): to cause a business to close, so that its assets can be sold to pay its debts
13: exonerate (v): to show or state that someone or something is not guilty of something
14. contingent: a group of people representing an organization or country, or a part of a military force
15. hit the bull’s-eye: to be exactly correct
16. infinite (adj): endless
17. contrived (adj): artificial and difficult to believe
18. backlog: a large number of things waiting to be done
19. chew over: to think about or discuss something carefully for a long time
20. have a hunch: to have an idea about what did, will, or should happen

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V. Supply the correct form of each bracketed word in each sentence.
TEST 1
1. Greenpeace applied for a(n) judicial review to challenge the court's decision. JUDGE
2. The President authorizes the judicious use of military force to protect our citizens. JUDGE
3. The people of the district rose up in arms and reinstated the abbot, but their triumph LIVE
was short-lived.
4. The process of the adventitious root formation in grape cuttings can be divided into ADVENT
six periods.
5. The art of cinema was placed under guardianship even before it could reach maturity. GUARD
TEST 2
1. The solutions below are descriptions of how these issues have been recurrently RECUR
solved and may serve as a pattern to help you on your next project.
2. We and those of our class act 'rationally' in our fertility regulating behavior, they act THOUGHT
irrationally, irresponsibly, without forethought or knowledge.
3. She had had the foresight to prepare herself financially in case of an accident. SIGHT
4. Rock was a roly-poly detective who looked like a no-hoper but who always outwitted WIT
the opposition with sly brilliance.
5. The very fact that the question is being asked like this, and at this stage, reveals the SUPPOSE
ambiguities of any presupposition.
TEST 3
1. Plastic surgery may be needed to correct the disfigurement caused by sores on the FIGURE
face.
2. These simulators not only reduce costs but also give students a sure-fire way to learn FIRE
from their mistakes, even critical ones.
3. Hospitals are on standby ready to deal with casualties being flown in from the crash STAND
site.
4. The opposing counsel then has a last opportunity to cross-examine the witness to EXAMINE
address facts brought out in redirect examination.
5. The investigator said the killings were the result of poor procedure by trigger-happy MEDITATE
police rather than premeditated murder.
TEST 4
1. An entire society was uprooted and destroyed, vanishing into the high mountains ROOT
never to return.
2. Women are caught in a double bind, marginalised in the community if they are not MARGIN
wives and mothers, under excessive pressure to be perfect if they are.
3. Racial hatred has been a powerful undercurrent in the country's history. CURRENT
4. Swearing is crude behavior, unbecoming of any human being. BECOME
5. The economies and societies of the world are becoming increasingly intertwined TWINE
through processes of globalization.