Connect each of the phrasal verbs below with the correct definition.

1) add up to a) to rescue financially, pay somebody else’s debts

2) account for b) to inherit or gain unexpected wealth or money

3) bail out c) to rise

4) buy out d) to total

5) come into e) to purchase another business

6) come/go down f) to cease to operate as a business because of too many debts

7) cut back/down (on) g) to give a satisfactory explanation (using records)

8) go up h) to return money that is owed

9) go under i) to decrease in value

10) knock off j) to earn a considerable profit

11) pay back k) to use all of something, to deplete a (financial) resource

12) rake in l) to cost

13) run out (of) m) to reduce as a discount from the original price

14) run up n) to keep a quantity of money in order to accumulate a bigger amount

15) save up o) to spend a lot of money on something

16) set one back p) to reduce, to make a reduction in spending

17) splash out (on) q) to arrange with a company or bank

18) take out r) to incur, to assume a debt or something unpleasant

iSLCollective.com
 Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the sentences below.
You will need to conjugate them appropriately.

add up to account for bail out buy out come into come/go down cut back/down(on) go up go under
knock off pay back rake in run out (of) run up save up set one back splash out (on) take out

1) House prices have ________ _____ in the city centre since it was designated a national heritage site.

2) The EU has offered to ________ the country ______ with a significant loan if it cannot meet its debts.

3) My wife has ________ _____ a lot of money after being left a small fortune in a last will and
testament.

4) The government has decided to ________ _____ on military spending for the next two years.

5) The marketing department in this company has done an excellent job. Since releasing the new line of
products on the market, we have been _________ it ______.

6) The company got into debt during the financial crisis and several bigger companies offered to _______
it _______ but in the end it survived and it is now turning a profit once more.

7) That house will _______ you ______ at least half a million euros.

8) House prices have ________ _____ quite a lot since the financial crisis.

9) The laptop, printer and mouse all ________ _____ _____ 800 euros.

10) I have decided to spoil my family and ________ _____ on an expensive holiday somewhere nice.

11) They _________ 5% _______ the price of the house when we told them we could not afford to buy
it. So, we are going to buy it after all.

12) My daughter is working hard and ________ _____ money to buy a new motorbike.

13) He could not ________ _____ the sudden appearance of nearly ten million euros in his bank
account, so the police have placed him under arrest.

14) She borrowed a large amount from her parents to start her business but has nearly _________ it all
_______ and is enjoying reasonable profits.

15) He was playing cards with his friends but stopped after he ________ _____ of money. He did not
want to get into debt.

16) He was playing cards for money and ________ _____ some serious debts.

17) They ________ _____ a loan with the bank and bought their first house together.

18) He did not listen to his accountant or his business advisor, so very soon his company got into trouble
and eventually it ________ _____.

iSLCollective.com
 Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.
You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

add up to account for bail out buy out come into come/go down cut back/down(on) go up go under
knock off pay back rake in run out (of) run up save up set one back splash out (on) take out

Nixon’s IT Studio, West Walton’s first IT shop, has finally closed its doors after more
than 35 years of trading. Many in the town are sad that this family run business has _______
______ after failing to stay solvent in the current economic climate. It had ________ _____
debts of over one hundred thousand pounds and could no longer _________ them _______
to the bank and its other creditors. Last minute offers were made to ________ _____ the
shop from a large IT store chain but the family decided to reject the offers that had been
made and close the business completely.
Nixon’s IT opened its doors in January 1984 and the founder, Jacob Nixon, ________
_____ a loan with the bank to set the business up. He bought a lot of stock, PCs, printers,
monitors as well as the necessary accessories and offered packages for people. A PC,
monitor, keyboard, mouse and printer, back in those days, would _______ you _______ as
much as one thousand pounds. Not surprisingly, business was slow at first. But after
_______ 10% _______ his first-time PC buyer packages, the shop started to turn a profit.
And being the only real IT shop in North Norfolk and North East Cambridgeshire, Nixon’s
sales continued to ________ _____ and profits started to grow.
It wasn’t until the advent and popularity of games consoles and PC games at the end
of the 80s that Nixon’s really started to ________ _____ the money. Adults as well as
youngsters would flock to the shop in order to ________ _____ on the latest games or
equipment. Those from poorer households would ________ _____ what little money they
had for weeks just to have enough to buy their favourite games and consoles. In fact, so
fervent was the demand for games consoles that the shop would often ________ _____ of
stock and have to place emergency orders for more for the next day.
Unfortunately, the good times were not to last forever. 1992 saw a serious economic
crisis known as Black Wednesday, and many businesses started to suffer. When the
exchange rate for the pound ________ _____, prices for imported electronics rose and the
shop started to lose customers. The government at the time had to introduce austerity
measures and ________ _____ on public spending which in turn saw a downturn in
consumer spending and investment that badly affected the retail sector. Nixon’s was not
immune to this the monthly turnover did not ________ _____ _____very much, barely
leaving enough to pay the bills let alone the salaries of the employees.
But help was soon on the way. Jacob Nixon’s wife, Florence, was able to _______ the
business _______ when it started operating at a loss and was on the point of closing. A very
rich relative of hers had died and she ________ _____ a considerably large sum of money
which she used to save the family business. This also accounts for how the company was
able to expand at a time of economic crisis to the giant superstore that it has become.
However, that is now all in the past and the company has finally closed its doors for
the last time. There are rumours that another rich relative has volunteered to rescue the
company and take control but at the moment that is all they are, rumours.

iSLCollective.com
 Read the memo below and then read your personality card. After that, attend the meeting
and debate what the board should do next regarding the issue at hand. Each person should
spend at least 1 minute stating their opinion and a further 5 minutes debating what should
be done once everybody has had their say. A vote must be taken at the end of the meeting.

account for buying out cut back on going under set one back

Replace the words in the sentences below with their synonyms from the box above.

Nixon Trust
To: All concerned parties

From: Sir Richard Nixon

Date: 04/01/20

Re: IT superstore buyout

Dear Sirs/Madams,

As you all may well know, a distant relation of the family has just closed his family business after
more than 35 years of trading after becoming bankrupt/______________. Some of you have expressed
an interest in absorbing/______________ this business and making it part of our retail empire while
retaining our distant relation and members of his close family in a consultancy role. Others among you
have pointed out that our acquisitions department is reducing/______________ the outlay for this kind
of purchase for the time being and that we should respect that policy.

As such, we need everybody to reach a common consensus before we can make a decision on
this. Those of you that are of a strong view on this matter, from whichever side, should bring the
appropriate materials, graphs, statistics etc. with you to help justify/___________ your opinions. After
all, if the decision to take control of Nixon’s IT Studio receives the green light, it will cost/_________ this
company _______ a considerable amount of money.

The meeting will take place next week on Monday morning in my office.

Warmest regards

Sir Richard Nixon

Chairman of the board

iSLCollective.com
add up to account for bail out buy out come into come/go down cut back/down(on) go up go under
knock off pay back rake in run out (of) run up save up set one back splash out (on) take out

Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.
You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

iSLCollective.com
 Bailout Debate – Personality Cards
You are a board member for both Nixon’s
Retail and the Nixon Trust and have been so
for many years. Many years ago you visited
Nixon’s IT Studio as a financial consultant
and offered a free consultation which was
accepted. After delivering your deliberations
about the company to Jacob Nixon in
person, you were told to go away and were
rudely escorted from the shop by security
staff. You don’t think they deserve any help.
You are a board member for both Nixon’s
Retail and the Nixon Trust and have been so
for many years. You once worked for Jacob
Nixon at Nixon’s IT Studio and found him to be
a horrible employer. He was always
underpaying you and other members of staff.
You left the company and started working in
the family business, The Nixon Trust. You think
that the company should buy out the IT
business but that Jacob Nixon should not be
kept as a consultant.
You are a board member for both Nixon’s
Retail and the Nixon Trust and have been so
for many years. Jacob Nixon is your cousin
and you have known him all your life. You
think he is a self-opinionated bully. He never
listens to people and always thinks he knows
best. You think it is a shame the business is
closing and you have no objection to buying
the business out but not if Jacob Nixon is kept
on as a consultant. You think Nixon’s would be
better off without Jacob in a consulting role.
You are a board member for both Nixon’s
Retail and the Nixon Trust and have been
so for many years. Your father used to
work closely with Jacob Nixon and lost a
lot of money. As a result, you had a very
bad time as a child as your family were
very poor. You do not trust Jacob Nixon
and have never forgiven him for the
poverty your family suffered. You think his
business should be allowed to go under.
You are a board member for both Nixon’s
Retail and the Nixon Trust and have been so
for many years. You worked with Nixon’s IT
Studio many years ago and got some very
useful advice from the founder, Jacob. His
advice has helped you in developing
financial models for some of the shops that
you have helped to set up or run. You think
the company should buy out the IT Studio
and retain Jacob Nixon as a consultant.
You are a board member for both Nixon’s
Retail and the Nixon Trust and have been so
for many years. You are also Jacob Nixon’s
second cousin and grew up with him. You
were also at school together and see each
other at the school reunion from time to
time. You think he is a brilliant businessman
who has suffered some bad luck. You
believe the Nixon Trust should buy out IT
Studio and keep Jacob Nixon as a consultant.
You are a board member for both Nixon’s
Retail and the Nixon Trust and have been
so for many years. You are not related to
Jacob Nixon but have met him several
times and found him to be a very likable
person. You once went to the same resort
on holiday as Jacob and his family and
often go back with both your families. You
would be happy to buy out his company
and keep him in a consulting role.
You are a board member for both Nixon’s
Retail and the Nixon Trust and have been so
for many years. When you were a child,
Jacob Nixon would visit your family home as
he was very close to your father. When your
family had financial troubles it was Jacob
who was the first to help. You have never
forgotten this. You believe that the trust
should buy the company out and keep Jacob
as a consultant.
iSLCollective.com
 Cut out and place the definition slips in a cup or envelope. Cut out the bingo cards and give to the students. Take a definition
slip from the cup one at a time and read the definition. Students tick off the corresponding phrasal verbs. Once a student has
crossed out 5 words on a card they shout “bingo” and the round starts again with fresh cards. Repeat the process 3 times.

add up to = account for = bail out = buy out = come into =

to total to give a satisfactory to rescue financially, pay to purchase to inherit or gain
explanation using somebody else’s debts another business unexpected wealth or
records money
come/go down = cut back/down = go up = go under = knock off =
to decrease in value to reduce, to make a to rise to cease to operate to reduce as a
reduction in as a business discount from the
spending because of too original price
many debts
pay back = rake in = run out (of) = run up = save up =
to return money that is to earn a to use all of something, to to incur, to assume to keep a quantity of
owed considerable profit deplete a (financial) a debt or money in order to
resource something accumulate a bigger
unpleasant amount
set one back = splash out (on) = take out =
to cost to spend a lot of to arrange with a company
money on or bank
something

save up rake in
add up to bail out
run up
buy out
cut back/down knock off
run up go up

cut back/down save up

account for come into
bail out
go up
buy out come/go down
save up come/go down

pay back run out

go under run out
set one back
save up
come into set one back run up go under

run up go up
cut back/down take out
come/go down
knock off
bail out go under
set one back make off with
come into run out
run up pay back
go up
take out
add up to knock off
come/go down bail out
save up account for
account for save up
add up to
knock off
set one back take out
splash out pay back
go under cut back/down
knock off run up
account for
splash out
rake in run out
come into take out

rake in knock off

bail out account for
pay back
go up buy out run out
save up knock off

iSLCollective.com
 Connect each of the phrasal verbs below with the correct definition.

1) add up to a) to rescue financially, pay somebody else’s debts

2) account for b) to inherit or gain unexpected wealth or money

3) bail out c) to rise

4) buy out d) to total

5) come into e) to purchase another business

6) come/go down f) to cease to operate as a business because of too many debts

7) cut back/down g) to give a satisfactory explanation (using records)

8) go up h) to return money that is owed

9) go under i) to decrease in value

10) knock off j) to earn a considerable profit

11) pay back k) to use all of something, to deplete a (financial) resource

12) rake in l) to cost

13) run out (of) m) to reduce as a discount from the original price

14) run up n) to keep a quantity of money in order to accumulate a bigger amount

15) save up o) to spend a lot of money on something

16) set one back p) to reduce, to make a reduction in spending

17) splash out (on) q) to arrange with a company or bank

18) take out r) to incur, to assume a debt or something unpleasant

Answers
1) = d)
2) = g)
3) = a)
4) = e)
5) = b)
6) = i)
7) = p)
8) = c)
9) = f)
10) = m)
11) = h)
12) = j)
13) = k)
14) = r)
15 = n)
16) = l)
17) = o)
18) = q)

iSLCollective.com
1) House prices have gone up in the city centre since it was designated a national heritage site.

2) The EU has offered to bail the country out with a significant loan if it cannot meet its debts.

3) My wife has come into a lot of money after being left a small fortune in a last will and testament.

4) The government has decided to cut back on military spending for the next two years.

5) The marketing department in this company has done an excellent job. Since releasing the new line of
products on the market, we have been raking it in.

6) The company got into debt during the financial crisis and several bigger companies offered to buy it
out but in the end it survived and it is now turning a profit once more.

7) That house will set you back at least half a million euros.

8) House prices have come/gone down quite a lot since the financial crisis.

9) The laptop, printer and mouse all add up to 800 euros.

10) I have decided to spoil my family and splash out on an expensive holiday somewhere nice.

11) They knocked 5% off the price of the house when we told them we could not afford to buy it. So, we
are going to buy it after all.

12) My daughter is working hard and saving up money to buy a new motorbike.

13) He could not account for the sudden appearance of nearly ten million euros in his bank account, so
the police have placed him under arrest.

14) She borrowed a large amount from her parents to start her business but has nearly paid it all back
and is enjoying reasonable profits.

15) He was playing cards with his friends but stopped after he ran out of money. He did not want to get
into debt.

16) He was playing cards for money and ran up some serious debts.

17) They took out a loan with the bank and bought their first house together.

18) He did not listen to his accountant or his business advisor, so very soon his company got into trouble
and eventually it went under.

iSLCollective.com
 Nixon’s IT Studio, West Walton’s first IT shop, has finally closed its doors after more
than 35 years of trading. Many in the town are sad that this family run business has gone
under after failing to stay solvent in the current economic climate. It had run up debts of
over one hundred thousand pounds and could no longer pay them back to the bank and its
other creditors. Last minute offers were made to buy out the shop from a large IT store
chain but the family decided to reject the offers that had been made and close the business
completely.
Nixon’s IT opened its doors in January 1984 and the founder, Jacob Nixon, took out a
loan with the bank to set the business up. He bought a lot of stock, PCs, printers, monitors
as well as the necessary accessories and offered packages for people. A PC, monitor,
keyboard, mouse and printer, back in those days, would set you back as much as one
thousand pounds. Not surprisingly, business was slow at first. But after knocking 10% off
his first-time PC buyer packages, the shop started to turn a profit. And being the only real IT
shop in North Norfolk and North East Cambridgeshire, Nixon’s sales continued to go up and
profits started to grow.
It wasn’t until the advent and popularity of games consoles and PC games at the end
of the 80s that Nixon’s really started to rake in the money. Adults as well as youngsters
would flock to the shop in order to splash out on the latest games or equipment. Those
from poorer households would save up what little money they had for weeks just to have
enough to buy their favourite games and consoles. In fact, so fervent was the demand for
games consoles that the shop would often run out of stock and have to place emergency
orders for more for the next day.
Unfortunately, the good times were not to last forever. 1992 saw a serious economic
crisis known as Black Wednesday, and many businesses started to suffer. When the
exchange rate for the pound came/went down, prices for imported electronics rose and
the shop started to lose customers. The government at the time had to introduce austerity
measures and cut back on public spending which in turn saw a downturn in consumer
spending and investment that badly affected the retail sector. Nixon’s was not immune to
this the monthly turnover did not add up to very much, barely leaving enough to pay the
bills let alone the salaries of the employees.
But help was soon on the way. Jacob Nixon’s wife, Florence, was able to bail the
business out when it started operating at a loss and was on the point of closing. A very rich
relative of hers had died and she came into a considerably large sum of money which she
used to save the family business. This also accounts for how the company was able to
expand at a time of economic crisis to the giant superstore that it has become.
However, that is now all in the past and the company has finally closed its doors for
the last time. There are rumours that another rich relative has volunteered to rescue the
company and take control but at the moment that is all they are, rumours.

iSLCollective.com
Nixon Trust
To: All concerned parties

From: Sir Richard Nixon

Date: 14/11/19

Re: IT superstore buyout

Dear Sirs/Madams,

As you all may well know, a distant relation of the family has just closed his family business after
more than 35 years of trading after becoming bankrupt/going under. Some of you have expressed an
interest in absorbing/buying out this business and making it part of our retail empire while retaining our
distant relation and members of his close family in a consultancy role. Others among you have pointed
out that our acquisitions department is reducing/cutting back on the outlay for this kind of purchase for
the time being and that we should respect that policy.

As such, we need everybody to reach a common consensus before we can make a decision on
this. Those of you that are of a strong view on this matter, from whichever side, should bring the
appropriate materials, graphs, statistics etc. with you to help justify/account for your opinions. After all,
if the decision to take control of Nixon’s IT Studio receives the green light, it will cost/set this company
back a considerable amount of money.

The meeting will take place next week on Monday morning in my office.

Warmest regards

Sir Richard

Chairman of the board

iSLCollective.com
come/go down rake in
run up
go up knock off

cut back/down save up

run out
take out come/go down

pay back take out

set one back
run out go up

run out go up
Come into
bail out go under

cut back/down run up

go under
add up to knock off

rake in account for

add up to
knock off run out

go up cut back/down
add up to
rake in run out

rake in knock off

take out
buy out bail out

iSLCollective.com
Crime FCE Practice Reading and Use of English
Part 4
For these questions complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given.
Do not change the word given. You must use between TWO and FIVE words, INCLUDING the word given.
Here is an example (0).
Example:
0 His doctor advised him to stop smoking.
UP
His doctor told him ________________________________cigarettes.
The gap can be filled with the words “to give/pack up,” so you write:

Example: 0 TO GIVE/PACK UP

Write only the missing words IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

1 They asked everybody to give a satisfactory explanation of their expenses.

ACCOUNT
Everybody was asked __________________________________________ expenses.

2 Because of a series of debts, the Bank good no longer operate and was forced to close.
UNDER
The bank ______________________________ to a series of debts.

3 The department has decided to reduce travel expenses by holding more meetings online.
BACK
The department wants to hold more online meetings in an effort _________________________ travelling costs.

4 It cost me nine hundred euros to fly to Australia and back.

BACK
The return flight to Australia ___________________________________ nine hundred euros.

5 There has been a 10% increase in sales since the beginning of the year.
GONE
Sales _______________________________________ 10% since January.

6 That expensive holiday we spent so much money on was not very good.
SPLASHED
We ___________________________________ very disappointing and expensive holiday.

iSLCollective.com
 1 They asked everybody to give a satisfactory explanation of their expenses.
ACCOUNT
Everybody was asked TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR expenses.

2 Because of a series of unpaid debts, the Bank good no longer operate and was forced to close.
UNDER
The bank WENT UNDER DUE to a series of unpaid debts.

3 The department has decided to reduce travel expenses by holding more meetings online.
BACK
The department wants to hold more online meetings in an effort TO CUT BACK ON travelling costs.

4 It cost me nine hundred euros to fly to Australia and back.

BACK
The return flight to Australia SET ME BACK nine hundred euros.

5 There has been a 10% increase in sales since the beginning of the year.
GONE
Sales HAVE GONE UP (BY) 10% since January.

6 That expensive holiday we spent so much money on was not very good.
SPLASHED
We SPLASHED OUT ON A very disappointing and expensive holiday.

iSLCollective.com