LEXICO – GRAMMAR ( 21/5/2021)
Choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following questions and write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. We had to _______ in the back of the car for an hour to find the missing keys. A. bed out B. ransack C. root around D. turn upside down
2. If the basket is removed with more citric acid added, it may be used to manufacture or _______ alcohol. A. amend B. patch up C. rectify D. remedy
3. They spend so much time arguing that, when it comes to the _______, decisions are often deferred. A. crunch B. outcry C. panic stations D. uproar
4. We were bitterly disappointed when our team were _______ to the second division from the first. A. allocated B. designated C. relegated D. stipulated
5. Working night shifts at the weekend is _______ of any job in hospitality. A. cut and thrust B. ebb and flow C. nuts and bolts D. part and parcel
6. The altitude _______ his breathing, making him a bit spaced out and disorientated. A. played downed B. played havoc with C. played himself in D. played up to
7. Materialism traps us _______ in a world of possessions hag-ridden by irrational fears of likely loss and lurking dangers. A. impromptu B. off the cuff C. on a whim D. unawares
8. Although she had been told quite _______ to pull herself together, she simply couldn’t stop crying. A. rigidly B. sternly C. unrelentingly D. unsympathetically
9. These men share a tendency toward balladeering that _______ me the wrong way. A. bothers B. provokes C. riles D. rubs
10. He was highly knowledgeable on the areas. Many would say he was something of a _______. A. novice B. probationer C. tenderfoot D. veteran
11. Most frequently, the earthquake lasts 30 to 60 seconds, so usually there is no time to avert the mortal
________ once the shaking starts. A. upkeep B. upturn C. upshot D. upswing
12. They live under a constant pressure of being ________ and subsequently replaced by someone who is
younger, faster and more accomplished. A. outcast B. outshone C. outstayed D. outgrown
13. There was a lot of ________ as throngs of people tried to see the famous actor walking through the mall. A. stamina B. discipline C. counsel D. commotion
14. Luckily my wallet was handed in to the police with all its contents ______________. A. preserved B. unscathed C. contained D. intact
15. Serena is still _____________ ignorant of the fact that she is about to be made redundant.
A. blissfully B. decorously C. jubilantly D. ecstatically
16. No decision has been taken about the building of the new airport. The authorities are still ______________. A. beating about the bush
B. comparing apples and oranges C. sitting on the fence D. holding all the aces
17. Oil spills will _______________ even the healthiest of marine ecosystem. A. play havoc on B. break ground with C. pay the consequences for D. take their toll on
18. Don’t look so worried! You should take the boss’s remarks with a ____________of salt. A. teaspoon B. pinch C. grain D. dose
19. Rachel has an amazing _______________ of jokes that she uses to good effect at parties. A. body B. repertoire C. variation D. store
20. The question of peace settlement is likely to figure ________________ in the talks. A. prominently B. prolifically C. proportionately D. properly
21. Egypt is a fantastic country for tourists. It’s absolutely ______ in history. A. soaked B. drenched C. steeped D. saturated
22. I wanted to talk, but she was determined to sweep the matter under the ______. A. cupboard B. table C. carpet D. bed
23. The newspaper story was based on an interview which had been done off the ______. A. script B. record C. key D. tape
24. Before you make a decision you should ______ all the issues involved. A. weigh through B. weigh out C. weigh up D. weigh down
25. I’m afraid that cycling is off the ______ until the weather improves. A. record B. card C. track D. menu
26. I read some pretty ______ news about the economy today. A. challenging B. jumpy C. disconcerting D. cutting
27. He spent too much on his credit card, and now he can’t ______ the minimum payments. A. keep on B. keep in C. keep to D. keep up
28. Her condition is improving, but she's not out of the ______. A. dark B. cupboard C. woods D. fire
29. Some electric cars have a ______ of 150 kilometres. A. run B. distance C. range D. scope
30. ______, I’d like to say how much I’ve enjoyed our meeting. A. Finally B. At last C. Eventually D. After all
31. I’d give up my job ______ if only I could find a better one. A. at one swoop B. at the drop of a hat C. on the dot D. on the spur of the moment
32. The hotel, though obviously grand in its day, appeared rather neglected and ______ when we checked in.
A. tumble-down(dang o trong dieu kien toi tan)
B. downcast(cui xuong, that vong)
C. down-and-out(khong duoc cham soc chu dao, chin chu) D. run-down
33. If you’d like to take a seat in the waiting room till the doctor can see you, you’ll find plenty of magazines to ______. A. refer to B. browse through C. look over D. stare at
34. I’d say let’s meet on Saturday, but I’m none ______ sure what’s happening at the weekend. A. so B. very C. that D. too
35. Since we had only one day left, we decided to make an ______ effort to finish the run in record time. A. all-in B. all-out C. overall D. all-round
36. As he was caught ______ an offensive weapon, he was immediately a suspect. A. in possession of B. on ownership of
C. with handling with D. out of control with
37. We might just as well have stayed at home ______ the enjoyment we had. A. on account of B. as far as C. for all D. concerning
38. You should only make serious accusations like that if they have a sound ______ in fact. A. basis B. foothold C. framework D. principle
39. He hadn’t prepared a speech; he just made a few remarks ______. A. off the cuff B. at first sight C. up his sleeve
D. out of the back of his neck
40. Martin needs to get a ______ on his finances if he’s not to face serious difficulties with the bank. A. grasp B. clutch C. grip D. clasp
41. Demand for the product is expected to peak five years from now and then to ____.
A. taper off(giam tu tu) B. fall down C. set back D. drift away(mat lien lac)
42. Alan's photo was slightly too large for the frame so he decided to ____ it. A. hack B. chop C. slice D. trim
43. Although the patient received intensive treatment, there was no ____ improvement in her condition. A. decipherable(co the doc ra) B. legible(de doc)
C. discernible(co the nhan thay ro) D. intelligible
44. Lack of sleep over the last few months is finally ____ Jane. A. coming over B. getting on with C. putting on D. catching up with
45. During the evening football match the stadium was illuminated by ____. A. spotlights B. flashlights C. highlights D. floodlights
46. Members of the aristocracy don’t ____ a great deal of power nowadays. A. practice B. wield C. sway D. manage
47. I heard ____ that Jack has been dropped from the basketball team. A. in the woods B. on the grapevine C. under your feet D. on the olive branch
48. The weekend is over, so tomorrow morning, it’s back to the ____. A. grind B. labor C. drudgery D. toil
49. Unsalted butter is best for this recipe, but ____, margarine will do. A. except that B. for all of which C. failing that D. given that
50. Those men were appointed by the directors and are ____ only to them. A. dependable B. privileged C. controlled D. accountable
Write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space below. PART 1
The (1. come) ____of (2. deceive) ____and the proof of (3. gullible) ____, fakes are among the least loved and
most elusive products of the market in relics of the past. Makers and buyers are generally united in a (4. conspire)
____ of silence, the one to escape the penalties of wrong doing, the other to preserve his own reputation, and that
of the market as a whole. Occasionally fakes are caught in a brief blaze of (5. famous) __fame__, but even then
they generally disappear, hastily disposed of by the collector, dealer or curator caught in possession. For this
reason it tends to be the museums and galleries that do not practise disposal which have the best collections of fakes.
The general (6. visible) __vision__of fakes is regrettable, for, if (7. moral) __immoral__ and embarrassing,
fakes are also entertaining and (8. inform) __informative__. As the products of endlessly varied (9.genuine)
____, they reach the heights of imagination and technical (10. virtuoso) _virtuosity___. PART 2 Dickens and his world
It was with the circulation of Pickwich Papers in 1836 that young Dickens began to enjoy a truly (1.
PRECENDENT) ____unprecedented_____ ascent into the favour of the Birtish reading public. He magnificently
(2. PROVE) ____improve_____ a theory that his fame would disapear just as quickly as it had come. He
ramained until his death 34 years later (3. DENY) _____undeniably____ the most popular noverist the English- speaking world had ever known.
The public displayed a/an (4. SATIATE) ____insatiable_____ appetite for his works, and there was also
a great diffusion of them through (5. NUMBER) ____numerous_____ dramatic adaptaions (nearly all completely
(6. AUTHORITY) _____unauthorized____ the copyright laws being much weaker in those days).
His immense popularity was based on the widespread perception of him as a great champion of the poor
and the (7. POSSESS) ____possession_____ against all forms of (8. JUST) ____injustice_____ and abuse of
power. In his personal life, however, he was (9. CAPACITY) _____incapable____ of achieving the level of
fulfiment he enjoyed with the public, and all his close emotional relationships with women (10. VARY)
_____invariably____ ended in failure. Yet, he created an extraordinary range and variety of female characters
who live on in our minds and culture unlike any others created by Victorian novelists. PART 3
Bristleworms - a hobbyist's guide
Historically, Bristleworms have had a bad reputation among 1. WATER_____saltwater____ aquarium
aficionados. These marine worms usually enter the hobbyist's aquarium by hitching a ride on a piece of coral.
Once 2. ESTABLISHMENT____established_____ , they become part of the tank's ecosystem. Bristleworms
range greatly in size. The smallest ones are about an inch long, and the large ones can grow to over 20 inches,
although, being 3. SEGMENTAL____segmented_____ , their bodies are often retracted and so not usually seen
at their greatest extent. Literature has frequently contented that bristleworms are harmful, 4.
ASSERTIVE____asserting_____ that they eat clams, anemones and even coral fish. However, most 5.
ENTHUSIASM____enthusiasts_____ now conclude that small bristleworms pose no threat, and are merely 6.
SCAVENGE____scavengers_____ , clearing the tank from detritus and carcasses of animals that are already
dead. However, larger worms, particularly those of the species known as fireworms, are
7.VORACITY_____voracious____ eaters and can do 8. REPAIR____unrepairable_____ damage. These
worms are better removed, although this is a challenge in itself, as the worms are 9.
NOCTURNE____nocturnal_____ , sensitive to light and will go into hiding at the slightest 10. DISTURB____disturbance_____ . PART 4
Over half a century ago, scientists found they could record the (1) ELECTRIC
___electronic_____ signals of the brain at work. What at first appeared a random
hotchpotch of activity became a pattern of elegent waves (2) RHYTHM
____rhythmically____determined. Ever since, scientists have wondered whether the PERCEIVE
secrets of our thoughts, (3) ____perception____and even consciousness itself might
be hidden in the patterns of our brain waves. ARGUE
The question of why we have brain waves is,(4) ___arguably_____, as hotly
debated today as it was when the patterns were discovered. But the meaning, and CONTROVERSY
even the existence, of fast rythyms in the alert brain is highly (5) ___controversial_____. SEARCH
What is problematic is that you can’t perceive these rhythms directly, they are so CONVINCE
well hidden in the noise created by other brain activity, but many (6) ESTIMATE
____researchers____ now hold the (7) ___conviction_____ that the significance of DECIDE
these brain waves should not be (8) ___underestimated_____.
The lastest suggestion is that the rhythms could be (9) ____decisive____ in
detecting processes going on in different regions of the brain. Some believe that COHERE
these rhythms might even interact, and in doing so help the brain to package
information into (10) _____coherent___ thoughts. How we bring together these
related signals in the brain is a puzzle as yet unsolved.
Write your answers in the space provided.
The world-famous credit card company Mastercard is removing its name from its company logo. It will
follow the likes of Apple and Nike to have a logo (1) ___that____ has a symbol only and no writing.
Mastercard had traditionally (2) ____used___ a logo that had overlapping yellow and red circles with the
word “Mastercard" written over the top. The company has decided to drop the word "Mastercard" (3)
___and___ use just the two intersecting circles as a wordless logo. The new logo will be used as the brand's
(4)___symbol___ on credit cards and in stores, as well as on advertising at sports and (5) ____other___ events.
The company's marketing officer said over 80 per cent of people spontaneously recognized the new symbol (6)
___without___ the word "Mastercard". Mastercard conducted extensive research for more than 20 months (7)
__on___ how recognizable the new logo would be without its name being on it. The new logo is part of a
wider strategy to transition from (8) ____being___ a credit card company to a digital payments and financial
services company. The world is now full of instantly recognizable logos that contain no words. Apple's bitten
apple logo and Nike's swoosh (9) ___are____ prime examples. Most of the logos of apps on people's
smartphones are just symbols. A design expert spoke about maximizing the effect of a small (10) ___logo____
on a phone or watch. He said: "You're trying to optimize for a very small piece of real estate on a very small
piece of glass. A 10-letter name is kind of a monster."