1. The trades unions called for a 5% pay increase for all public workers.

A. section B. area C. zone D. sector

2. Everyone agrees that with ______they shouldn’t have chosen pink.
A. retrospect B. fairness C. practice D.
hindsight
3. It is an interesting idea and, ______at least, has a lot going for it.
A. in theory B. in fairness C. in conclusion D. in reality
4. At 45, the ex-heavy weight champion is a(n) ______of his former itself.
A. reflection B. image C. shadow D. miniature
5. The current crisis should ______as a warning not to be overconfident in the markets.
A. link B. serve C. strike D. intend
6. References can have a considerable ______on employment prospects.
A. cause B. decision C. weight D. bearing
7. She didn’t ______doing the ironing, as she hadn’t wanted to go out anyway.
A. object B. matter C. care for D. mind
8. The safe ______of nuclear waste is a major international problem.
A. disposal B. abandon C. display D. sale
9. My watch seems to be______several minutes a day.
A. forwarding B. gaining C. progressing D. moving on
10. Italy were knocked ______the World Cup.
A. into B. away from C. out of D. forward to
11. I was completely ______over by their warm reception.
A. pushed B. run C. bowled D. thrown
12. She has a talent ______ all the things I’m hopeless.
A. for B. on C. of D. at
13. The bottom end of our garden is a real______
A. sunshade B. sun-trap C. sunseeker D. sunshine
14. There would be a ______of protest if they showed the victims on TV.
A. sea B. stream C. storm D. tsunami
15. A rise in interest rates at the time would have thrown our plans out
of______
A. place B. half C. gear D. room
16. In the event, we found your advice absolutely ______
A. unworthy B. valuable C. invaluable D. impecunious
17. I personally don’t believe you can ______of his support.
A. count B. depend C. rely D. be sure
18. What were some of the things that brought ______the French Revolution?
A. up B. about C. around D. on
19. Absolutely anyone is welcome here, ______of their age, sex or creed.
A. mindful B. considering C. regardless D. devoid
20. It was a long dispute with neither side giving ______easily.
A. clearance B. ground C. inch D. hand
21. I feel a(n) ______better after a night’s sleep.
A. shade B. degree C. idea D. note
22. I wasn’t there myself but______they had the most almighty row.
A. broadly B. apparently C. conversely D. primarily
23. She gave a ______performance of the concerto that had the audience on its feet.
A. matchless B. suitable C. listless D. competent
24. As computer games go, this one’s not particularly out of ______
A. normal B. usual C. average D. ordinary
25. The cost of ______has risen dramatically.
A. life B. lives C. alive D. living
26. The wrecked liner is still ly on the sea______
A. floor B. bed C. ground D. bottom
27. The high______of cancer was attributed to the proximity of a nuclear power
station.
A. amount B. dosage C. extent D. incidence
28. The President denied they were ______nuclear weapons.
A. hoarding B. stockpiling C. collecting D. reversing
29. Lawyers claim that there isn’t a______of evidence that would stand up to
examination.
A. touch B. tuft C. shred D. segment
30. She gave her young son a real______
A. telling-off B. shoot-out C. offspring D. telling-out
31. This neighborhood looks a little ______and tatty these days.
A. well-heeled B. well-off C. run down D. down and out
32. There is no point burying our heads in the ______, is there?
A. sand B. ground C. snow D. earth
33. The secretary was______to tears by the manager’s behavior.
A. brought down B. diminished C. reduced D. benefited
34. Your results are at______with the official figures.
A. difference B .disagreement C. variance D. non-alignment
35. I think he really ______to go to the races last weekend.
A. enjoyed B. wanted C. appreciated D. adore
36. The government was forced to introduce ______on the sale of such controversial
videos.
A. preventions B. provisions C. safeguards D. curbs
37. How could any company use someone whose English and French are so______?
A. tarnished B. stained C. rusty D. faded
38. It occurs to me that we need to make sure there are ______against potential abuse of
the system.
A. preventions B. provisions C. safeguards D. curbs
39. The manager ______any suggestions that his team was facing bankruptcy.
A. renounced B. reminisced C. responded D. repudiated
40. Under pressure from his peers, Big billy______
A. denied B. admitted C. confessed D. withstood
41. There you are: the ______person I was looking for.
A. utter B. correct C. ever D. very
42. Sooner or later you’ll have to ______your problems head on.
A. tackle B. overcome C. clear D. settle
43. Be ______as it may, I am afraid any kind of financial compensation is out of the
question.
A. it B. that C. this D. which
44. Money appears temporarily to be in plentiful______
A. supply B. excess C. quantity D. amount
45. The sudden ______in viewing figures encouraged more advertisers to turn to
television.
A .upshot B. upturn C. upkeep D. uptake
46. I don’t mind wearing my big brother’s______
A. pick-me-ups B. turn-ups C. hand-me-down
D.keep-face-widths
47. The full______of the damage done by the storm only became clear at day
break.
 A. degree B. amount C. summary D. extent
48. You need to mix equal ______of oil and lemon juice.
A. segments B. portions C. piles D. pools
49. The stadium was filled to______for the final match.
A. volume B. entirety C. capacity D. magnitude
50. If you don’t get your full______of sleep, your work will begin to suffer.
A. extent B. quota C. degree D. ratio
51. State enterprises face fierce competition from the private ______
A. sector B. province C. department D. zone
52. There is s strong movement supporting the abolition of the death______
A. penalty B. punishment C. discipline D. condemnation
53. They still haven’t made a decision ______to the new color scheme.
A. on reflection B. with regard C. in view D. by contrast
54. The decision was a bad one and I think that, ______we all recognize that.
A. in contrast B. in particular C. in retrospect D. in consequence
55. Don’t you think she bears an______resemblance to his first wife?
A. identical B. uneasy C. uncanny D. indifferent
56. Van Gogh suffered from depression ______by overwork and ill-health .
A. brought on B. coming about C. taken up D. put
through
57. Can you shed any light on the reason ______his appalling behavior?
A. why B. for C. of D. about
58. He has been ______for gross misconduct.
A. impressed B. impounded C. impeached D. impelled
59. If you set your sights, you may fall flat on your______
A. back B. nose C. face D. mouth
60. The boy in the flat above ours is becoming a real______for his parents.
A. backache B. toothache C. headache D. fever
61. Having to rewrite a report that you thought was pretty good can be
rather______
A. back-breaking B. soul-destroying C. mind-blowing D.
teeth-decaying
62. We decided to spend the summer with our______, who live in the countryside.
A. neighbors B. relatives C. familiars D.
companies
63. Don’t you think you need to ______before the recording.
A. make up B. paint up C. do up D. cover up
64. We would very much ______a reply by the end of the week.
A. expect B. require C. value D. appreciate
65. Will you ______me how to use this camera?
A. give B. learn C. show D. point out
66. The opposite of “amateur” in “he’s an amateur guitarist” is ______
A. permanent B. professional C. immediate D. famous
67. As always, I am ______with everything you say.
A. agree B. agreeing C. agreeable D. in agreement
68. Paul is a real introvert in contrast ______his brother Andrew.
A. with B. by C. to D. against
69. I’m afraid I’m really ______for time at the moment.
A. hurried B. short C. pulled D. pressed
70. The arguments is centered ______whether or not to lower the age limit.
A. on B. towards C. of D.
about
71. I think the implications have been rather quickly ______over.
A. painted B. removed C. sprayed D. glossed
72. His parents like to think their eight –year-old is a ______concert pianist.
A. would-be B. succeeding C. budding D.
blossoming
73. There was a(n) ______moment when the lorry suddenly veered towards us.
A. ear-splitting B. earth-shattering C. heart-stopping D.
mouth-shouting
74. There’s been a ______public sympathy since her death.
A. wave B. sea C. river D. hole
75. With all these scandals, she’s never off the______
A. front pages B. headlines C. tabloids D. pages
76. Parked in a restricted area and the police ______my car.
A. imprisoned B. impounded C. impaled D. interned
77. He opened the account with a(n) ______ to running up a healthy overdraft.
A. aim B. view C. purpose D. plan
78. The whole problem had its ______in the late 1980s.
A. stem B. roots C. cause D. spring
79. The university might accept you, ______of your disappointing exam results.
A. irrespective B. pending C. expectant D. dependent
80. The ______of the trouble was the decision to allow non-members into the
club.
A. stem B. mold C. root D. trigger
81. My shirt was covered in oil but ______I had a spare one.
A. hopefully B. clearly C. however D. luckily
82. Saying you enjoy rock music is ______to admitting you are completely
cloth-eared.
A. bound B. tantamount C. liable D. virtually
83. I found his remarks offensive in the ______
A. intense B. most C. extreme D. whole
84. I slept badly last night and am feeling particularly ______this morning.
A. slow-witted B. far-reaching C. off-hand D.
top-heavy
85. I have often helped my wife with the cleaning, though ______not for some time.
A. in contrast B. especially C. alternatively D. admittedly
86. The sprinter paid the price of her misuse of drugs and died of heart ______at the age
of 38.
A. attack B. failure C. stoppage D. pressure
87. What was the sum ______of our takings for the week?
A. amount B. final C. total D. quota
88. By being rude to his superiors he is considered to have ______the mark.
A. transcended B. outrun C. surpassed D. overstepped
89. This particular species had ______of hair behind the ears.
A. tufts B. groups C. morsels D. pieces
90. The ______of people who attended the public meeting was surprisingly large.
A. figure B. number C. amount D. sum
91. There has been a welcome ______of peace in Europe.
A. outbreak B. outcry C. breakout D. offbreak
92. He took______golf when he retired from work.
A. up B. over C. on D. after
93. Her announcement was designed to______rumors of her imminent retirement.
A. peter out B. dispel C. dispense D. annihilate
94. I feel I really must take______with your assertion that I am overpaid.
A. dispute B. differ C. issue D. discussion
95. The current team is of a remarkably high ______, despite injury problems.
A. chapel B. standard C. spirit D. term
96. We’re still trying to get the ______of these new computer systems.
A. hook B. leaf C. hang D. view
97. I’ve never had much of a(n) ______for languages, unfortunately.
A. capability B. tendency C. ability D. aptitude
98. Reading between the lines of your letter, I______you are unhappy with your standard
of service.
A. imply B. gather C. interpret D. maintain
99. They say that under pressure from the authorities, Galileo______
A. repudiated B. rebutted C. recanted D. renounced
100. I thought the bill for just two people was simpy______
A. exhaustive B. exorbitant C. execrable D. exalted
101. It's been over two years ______we visited him.
A. when B. past C. yet D. since
102. I know for ______that he was in a scene yesterday.
A. exact B. certain C. true D. correct
103. This area is absolutely ______for more investment.
A. crying out B. breaking down C. better off D. cutting back
104. Some might say the telegraph was, indirectly, the original______to the Internet and
beyond.
A. breakout B. breakdown C. breakthrough D. breakoff
105. ______can make a mistake, no one is perfect.
 A. Nobody B. Someone C. Anyone D. Each
106. I am afraid I’ve completely lost the ______of the argument.
A. stream B. trace C. thread D. idea
107. We took the children on a trip to the local natural ______museum.
A. geography B. history C. zoology D. phenomena
108. As a poet, I think she ______comparison with the greatest this century.
A. makes B. stands C. leads D. matches
109. She invited me to a party and ______I said “yes”.
A. naturally B. lastly C. overall D. hopefully
110. There is unfortunately a ______between the petty cash slips and the actual money in
the tin.
A. difference B. variance C. discrepancy D. differentiation
111. It seems to me that such radical proposals should be______out from the
beginning.
A. wiped B. ruled C. removed D. underlined
112. The group’s had five consecutive No. 1 hits, as a(n) ______of which they’re
extremely rich.
A. cause B. reason C. effect D. result
113. Your query unfortunately does not ______ into this category.
A. fall B. take C. set D. work
114. Aim for the ______and you are bound to be a success.
A. planets B. moon C. stars D. sky
115. My brother has been a ______ of strength through all the problems I’ve had.
A. tower B. heap C.mountain D. hill
116. The crowds ______the streets trying to catch sight of their hero.
 A. flocked B. thronged C. overpopulated D.
huddled
117. To succeed in this job you have to be utterly______
A. hot-blooded B. single-minded C. kind-hearted
118. I think that Tolstoy should be ______reading for anyone interested in literature.
A. necessary B. compelled C. required D. legal
119. He ______twice as much as he did last year for the same job.
A. makes B. earns C. scored D. found
120. You need to______this form before joining the club.
A. fill B. fill in C. finish D. write
121. I think her performance was______affected by the behavior of the crowd.
A. adversely B. wrongly C. failure D. fall
122. There should be an international law against ______
A. afforestation B. deforestation C. forestry D. reforestation
123. He is a very ______person because he can make other workers follow his advice.
A. creative B. influential C. deciding D. effective
124. The team practiced hard so that it could ______the trophy.
A. regain B. return C. restore D. replace
125. I ______doubt whether he will actually carry out his threats.
A. highly B. deeply C. absolutely D. seriously
126. Wine growers in Bordeaux recorded a ______harvest this year.
A. bumper B. boom C. huge D. large
127. This iniquitous system of taxation is unlikely to change in the ______future.
A. far B. close C. predictable D. foreseeable
128. You’ll be pleased to know that turnover is showing a ______improvement.
A. medium B. mediocre C. minimal D. marked
129. The poor boy was absolutely ______when she left.
 A. level-headed B. short-sighted C. broken-hearted
130. Mum’s so good to us, she is an absolute______
A. fairy B. angel C. nurse D. mother
131. Why do you always walk at a ______pace?
A. snails B. tortoise’s C. snakes
132. The ______feeling at the meeting was that we should go ahead.
A. predicted B. pre-eminent C. predominant D. prefabricated
133. He was reluctant to meet her parents after all this time for______of saying
something stupid.
A. fear B. chance C. feeling D. risk
134. Many would argue that modern pop compares______with that of ten years ago.
A. closely B. nearly C. unfavorably D. accurately
135. I think you’ll find that the Americans are______ahead of us when it comes to
space research.
A. kilometers B. streets C. ages D. inches
136. Many parents always had a happy ______attitudes to my staying out late in the
evening.
A. cold-blooded B. long-suffering C. easy-going D. thick-skinned
137. Its success seems to work in ______proportion to the number of people involved.
A. inverse B. opposite C. contrary D. retrograde
138. The journalists approached her with a ______of insistent questions about the new
policy.
A. jet B. dribble C. gush D. stream
139. The film ends with the sheriff lying in a ______of blood.
A. bath B. puddle C. jet D. pool
140. The President’s ultimate ______was due to his excessive arrogance.
A. turnout B. downfall C. output
141. The discovery of oil brought ______wealth to the country.
A. untold B. unsaid C. uncalculated D. unannounced
142. The company’s ______has exceeded $1,000,000 for the first time.
A. output B. outgoing C. input D.
turnover
143. The wound will______in a week or two.
A. heal B. cure C. remedy D. cover
144. The judge found himself in a ______when he realized he was related to the
accused.
A. dilemma B. puzzle C. loss D. problem
145. Any involvement in the accident was ______denied by all the children.
A. seriously B. blatantly C. conspicuously D.
strenuously
146. Coming from him that is______indeed.
A. praise B. congratulations C. comment D. compliment
147. If I were you, I’d ______everything he says with a pinch of salt.
A. make B. admit C. take D. accept
148. The crowds all______towards the stadium as the time for kick off drew closer.
A. gravitated B. entered C. embarked D. aspired
149. It’s a(n) ______secret that the two of them spent time together on the Caribbean
tour.
A. public B. open C. blatant D. closed
150. I’m a ______supporter of proportional representation.
A. confirmed B. strict C. practicing D. staunch
151. The issue of European unity remains a bone of ______among many political
parties.
A. discussion B. controversy C. division D. contention
152. What the boy really ______was to go to the cinema with his father.
A. enjoyed B. wanted C. appreciated D.
adored
153. Increasing ______of fruit in the diet may help to reduce the risk of heart disease.
A. the amount B. an amount C. the number D. a number
154. If you are not Japanese, so what ______are you?
A. nationalized B. nation C. nationality D. national
155. Owen’s second goal was ______because he was off-side.
A. banned B. disqualified C. disallowed D. outlawed
156. Henry arrived ______station at 9.
A. at the B. to C. on the D. in the
157. The music increases in______towards the end of the movement.
A. tempo B. time C. rhythm D. beat
158. The younger sons consider themselves to have been robbed______their rightful
inheritance.
A. by B. with C. around D. of
159. The mayor expressed strong______as to the necessity for the new ring road.
A. scruples B. reservations C. hesitation D. proviso
160. They wanted to know if our kitchen ______the required standards of hygiene.
A. fulfilled B. met C. reached D. gained
161. If you want a half-way decent standard of living, there’s no escape from
the______
A. rat-race B. brat-pack C. jet-set
162. I wish you would be absolutely ______with me.
A. bent B. crooked C. straight
163. I wouldn’t marry him – not in a ______years!
A. hundred B. million C. billion
164. The estate agent assured us that we could ______the house at any time.
A. look over B. overlook C. oversee D. see through
165. I’m in a ______as to how to use this CD Room.
A. loss B. difficulty C. quandary D. mind-game
166. Adding salt at this stage is not going to make one ______of difference.
A. gram B. iota C. measurement D. shred
167. They won the election by the narrowest of______
A. extents B. margins C. votes D. degrees
168. News of the stock market crash caused a ______of panic among financial
traders in the city.
A. wave B. piece C. clump D. column
169. I gather there was ______doubt as to who should pay the bill.
A. any B. some C. the D. every
170. Born into a rich family, he has ______for nothing all his life.
A. needed B. required C. lacked D. wanted
171. Most of the candidates suffer from a(n) ______of experience.
A. shortage B. lack C. absence D. outgoing
172. It’ll be as good as ______before you know it.
A. rain B. new C. gold D. an ox
173. What did you infer ______what he said?
A. from B. up C. of D. out
174. I kept trying to suggest to her it was time to go but she refused to______a hint.
 A. drop B. give C. take D. accept
175. The whole situation has now deteriorated to the point where it is beyond a
______
A. control B. joke C. belief D. help
176. I have a ______accquaintance with the facts of the case.
A. shaking B. slight C. nodding D. tiny
177. I know Thessalonica like the back of my______
A. hand B. head C. book D. wardrobe
178. There are still a number of apparently ______differences between the two sides in
the dispute.
A. irreconcilable B. unappeasable C. wide D. narrow
179. How very young children acquire their linguistic skills never ______to
amaze me.
A. stops B. finishes C. ceases D. ends
180. The incoming administration ______to clean up corruption in the city.
A. pledged B. contemplated C. suggested D. resumed
181. Worried about the future of the family business, he ______for his sons to follow in
his footsteps.
A. desired B. yearned C. considered D. anticipated
182. He knew ______well what he was doing when he went there.
A. absolutely B. totally C. perfectly D. rather
183. The idea that she might win a medal is ______fantasy.
A. crass B. sheer C. eminent D. rank
184. After several disastrous matches, he was ______of the captaincy.
A. canceled B. removed C. relieved D.
reduced
185. His ideas on urban regeneration go______ to mainstream thought.
A. counter B. against C. opposite D. deviate