MASTERING ENGLISH

LESSONS 1 – 4

Student’s Name: ________________________________________________________________________

l. VOCABULARY
A. Mark the options with the word or pair of words that best completes each of the following sentences logically.
1. Many of us have __________________ memories of our childhoods.
a) quaint c) fond
b) aspect d) thrill
2. He made a big ____________________ because I was five minutes late.
a) maneuver c) slingshot
b) slope d) fuss
3. Her __________________ is "Work hard, play hard".
a) gut c) gill
b) motto d) fear
4. He is _________________ surgery for a heart problem.
a) undergoing c) conquering
b) chasing d) making
5. Farmers are _______________________ by the government’s refusal to help.
a) creepy c) dolled-up
b) enraged d) disheveled
6. I'm too ______________________________ to go out this evening.
a) knackered c) whipped
b) somber-looking d) excited
7. The latest 500 cc road bike easily ______________________ all the competition.
a) outclasses c) hits it off
b) dubs d) varies
8. I hardly watch any television, ______________________news and current affairs.
a) at first c) mostly
b) aside from d) indeed
9. Being recognized in the street is __________________of being a celebrity.
a) part and parcel c) populist
b) geek d) gift
10. This stuffed animal is cheap _________________! It costs a _________________ten dollars.
a) addicted - significantly c) quite - overly
b) indeed - mere d) straight - considerably
B. Mark the option that best answers each of the following questions.
1. Which of the following options is a group of buildings that includes a large Christian church, where religious men or
women once lived?
a) choirs c) abbey
b) bays d) vines
2. Which of the following options contains an adjective that has a positive meaning?
a) shaggy c) monumental
b) spoiled brat d) ignorant
3. Which of the following contains an adjective that means nervous or uncomfortable because you know what people
think about you or your actions:
a) suspected c) self-conscious
b) moviegoer d) wacky
4. Which adjective would NOT be used to describe a person?
a) furry c) vaulvet
b) unwelcome d) sarcastic
5. Which of the following options is used to say that a feeling or quality is very strong?
a) sheer c) amusing
b) joint d) laden
6. Which of the following options is used for something that is famous for being bad?
a) complicated c) ostentatious
b) infamous d) creepy
7. Which of the following options is synonym for rich?
a) wealthy c) outgoing
b) narrow-minded d) bold
8. Which of the following would probably be part of a busking performance?
a) maneuvers c) geek
b) slapstick d) gypsy
9. Which of the following means “to walk around somewhere slowly as if hunting”?
a) to prowl c) to wow
b) to round up d) to juggle
10. Which of the following is a slang for a person’s part of body?
a) poke c) busker
b) booty d) gut

C. Mark the option that best answers each of the following definitions.
1. When you ________________________ something such as baggage cart, you push it.
a) choirs
b) bays
2. __________________________ is an interjection used to show that you’re surprised, relieved, tired, hot or
disgusted.
a) Wooh
b) Phew
3. An informal expression used to describe being in a dangerous situation or position is_________________________.
a) out on a limb
b) over the top
4. The quality of not being friendly or willing to take part in things is _________________________.
a) addicted
b) allofness
5. The state of perfect happiness and Peace in Buddhism is ____________________________.
a) nirvana
b) Evesong
6. If you _________________________ something or someone, you use it to provide the money or food that you
need to live:
a) live off
b) delight
7. To represent or be an example of a particular idea, quality or principle is _______________________.
a) to embody
b) to cross over
8. If something is _________________, it is unable to be understood.
a) unintelligible
b) squeaky
9. It is the parts in a car or bicycle that control how fast the wheels turn.
a) gear
b) paddle
10. To (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down, or into
something, is ____________________.
a) to plunge
b) to pop

lI. GRAMMAR
Write (C) if the sentence is correct or (I) if the sentence is incorrect. Identify the error in each incorrect sentence,
and rewrite the sentences correctly.
1. The less you worry about the others, the less they will bother you. ( )

2. A fatal accident was happened on the motorway between Paris and Lyons ( )
3. What time was your plane arrived yesterday? ( )

4. The tastier the food is, the more happier the customers get. ( )

5. New Zealand is a land where sheep outnumber humans by twenty to one. ( )

6. They began a campaign of unviolent resistance. I really don’t know if the Senator is going to aprove it. ( )

7. There ought be a ban on cigarette advertising. it’s attracting more and more smokers. ( )

8. I'd better not to waste any more of your time. ( )

9. Is stubbornness a born or learned behavior attribute? What are the best ways of deal with it? ( )

10. Can you measure the amount of happiness of a person? ( )

11. The number of inhabitants in Rezekne are noticeable. It’s the seventh largest city in Latvia. ( )

12. If these treatments do not work, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant or muscle relaxant. ( )

13. Candidates have been eliminated because of such carelessness. ( )

14. They would have remembered that their guests don't eat meat. They are all vegetarian. ( )
IIl. FURTHER USE OF ENGLISH
Read the sentences, and look at the four options that follow each sentence. Check the option that DOESN’T BELONG
with others.
1. The problem’s come to a head.
a) It’s gotten worse.
b) It is worse than it was before.
c) It wasn’t so bad before.
d) It isn’t bad anymore.
2. For many years, he made his living as a taxi driver.
a) He used to drive a taxi.
b) He worked as a taxi driver.
c) He makes money by driving people to where they want to go.
d) He isn’t a taxi driver anymore.
3. I told her straight out that I didn't love her anymore.
a) I was brave enough to say what I was feeling.
b) I needed some help to break up with her.
c) I used to love her.
d) I was not afraid of what would go on.
4. Our journey to the Yukon was a very rewarding experience.
a) We had great time there.
b) You should give it a try.
c) It gave us satisfaction.
d) We were familiar with this journey.
5. I don't see eye to eye with my father on many things.
a) I haven’t seen him personally for a long time.
b) I hardly agree with him.
c) We don’t like the same kind of music.
d) We don’t share many common interests.
6. To say that the situation in Zimbabwe is tragic, it is, unfortunately, an understatement.
a) Zimbabwe is worse than we can imagine.
b) The situation there isn’t so bad!
c) It has experienced a deteriorating economic and social environment since 2000.
d) It is time to Zimbabweans start debating issues instead of suffering in silence.

IV. READING COMPREHENSION

Read the passage, and then answer the question about it.

Children are generally believed to be happy, but like adults they experience sadness in many ways. They feel
unhappy when someone they love dies, when friends move away, parents divorce, older brothers and sisters go off to
college, when pets run away, and even when a favorite toy is lost. [ ]
A few years ago, the parents of an eight-year-old girl asked me to help them because their daughter had
suddenly become moody and unfriendly. During the first interview with the family, I discovered, somewhat by
accident, that the child’s best friend was moving out of town at the end of the school year, which was still three
months away. She was unhappy because she couldn’t accept the fact that her friend was leaving. All she needed was
someone to help her express and understand her feelings. [ ]
Teaching children to deal with their daily worries and frustrations helps prepare them to deal with the more
complex problems they will face as adults. [ ]

1. Look at the three squares [ ] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage. Where
does the sentence best fit?
“A child may even become depressed just by knowing that something sad is going to happen and begin to
suffer before the event actually takes place.”
a) First paragraph
b) Second paragraph
c) Third paragraph

2. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT included among the things that can make children suffer?
a) An old brother leaving home.
b) The disappearance of a toy.
c) The death of a person they like.
d) A trip taken without their parents.

3. According to the passage, a child ____________________.

a) can become depressed very easily.
b) does not realize what is happening around him or her.
c) becomes moody when he or she is interviewed.
d) may suffer just by knowing something bad might happen.

4. What was the problem of the eight-year-old girl?

a) Her best friend was moving away.
b) Her old sister was going off to college.
c) Her pet had run away.
d) Her parentes were going to get a divorce.

5. How can we help children deal with their problems?

a) By helping them understand their conflicts.
b) By putting them down because of their daily problems.
c) By telling them not to worry about their problems.
d) By suffering with them when they are frustrated.

6. According to the text, which of the following statements is true?

a) Children should avoid dealing with very complex problems.
b) Children as well as adults are affected by unpleasant events.
c) Adults should never interfere in their children’s lives.
d) Children always get depressed when they lose material things.
V. WRITING
Identify the topics expressed in general idea and write them in the appropriate box.
Then read the details and match them to the correct topic.

GENERAL IDEA
Going for a ride today? Don't forget your helmet!
Motorcycle helmets save lives and money!

TOPIC 1: TOPIC 2:

DETAIL TOPIC NO.

It is a proven fact that wearing motorcycle helmets protects the head enough to save lives.

DETAIL TOPIC NO.

If you get hurt and don't have any insurance, the government has to pay the cost.

DETAIL TOPIC NO.

The study found motorcycle helmets were effective at preventing fatalities 37% of the time as of 2002.

DETAIL TOPIC NO.

More fatalities could have been prevented through more widespread helmet use, as the number of riders wearing
helmets has declined from 71% to 58%.

DETAIL TOPIC NO.

In 2010, annual costs saved from helmet use, in terms of medical, productivity, and other costs, ranged from a high
of $394 million in California (which has a universal helmet law) to a low of $2.6 million in New Mexico (which has a
partial law).