Practice Test 15: Similar meanings (Nouns)

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Practice Test 15: Similar meanings (Nouns)

Exercise 1:Look at sentences 1 – 20. These can either be completed with a word from box A or a word with a similar meaning from box B. Identify both the words that could be used. In some cases, you will need to add an -s to one or both of the words when you put them into the sentence

A B
acclaim    accommodations    agenda     appeal    appointment     assistance     benefit     discipline     discount     drop     fallacy    fault     means    opposition     poll     proof     proximity    requirement     victory       work  advantage      closeness        decline           defect employment     evidence     help     housing meeting     method     misconception      order       petition     praise     prerequisite     resistance reduction     schedule     survey     triumph

1. We have a very busy ___________ / ___________ today, so I suggest we start as soon as possible.
2. The college provides cheap ___________ / ___________ for its staff and students.
3. With regard to attendance and punctuality, we need to maintain ___________ / ___________ at all times.
4. Thank you for your kind ___________ / ___________: I couldn’t have done it without you.
5. There has been a sharp ___________ / ___________ in the number of people attending afternoon classes.
6. The early computer program had several ___________ / ___________ which need to be sorted out before it could be used.
7. There has been a lot of ___________ / ___________ to the new schedule: nobody likes the earlier starts and later finishes to the day.
8. There is no ___________ / ___________ to show that standards of living have improved.
9. Students holding a valid student card are eligible for a 10% ___________ / ___________ on book prices.
10. The bar is popular with our students because of its ___________ / ___________ to the college.
11. I can’t see you this afternoon because I have a / an ___________ / ___________ with my tutor.
12. The Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk received international ___________ / ___________ for his novel “Snow”.
13. At the height of its success, the studio provided ___________ / ___________ for over 3,000 people.
14. There are several ___________ / ___________ to working from home: you save on travel costs, for one thing.
15. If you want to do a Degree in Middle East Studies, a basic knowledge of Arabic is one of the main ___________ / ___________
16. The cheapest ___________ / ___________ of traveling around the U.S.A. is by Greyhound bus.
17. The ___________ / ___________ taken before the election did not reflect the final result.
18. His ruling in the case was a ___________ / ___________ for common sense and freedom of speech.
19. Many people believe that exercising makes you more hungry: this is in fact a ___________ / ___________.
20. The ___________ / ___________ was rejected by the arbitrating committee, despite the fact it had been signed by over 5,000 people.
Exercise 2: Instructions as above.

A B
admission        alteration      characteristic     choice code      component       cooperation        discussion liability         magnitude          overview       priority problem       protest        question       result         strategy      valid        winner        zenith access change collaboration     complication consequence     deliberation     demonstration (short) description     element     feature good     importance     option     peak     plan precedence     query     responsibility rule     victor

1. The ___________ / ___________ against the war spread to most parts of the city by midnight, with at least 50 arrests taking place.
2. The college ___________ / ___________ state(s) that students must attend at least 80% of their classes.
3. The college accepts no ___________ / ___________ for any damage to vehicles in the car park.
4. There are two ___________ / ___________ available to you: work hard on improving your mid-term grades, or consider changing your course.
5. Our latest prospectus provides a / an ___________ / ___________ of our courses and a brief history of the university.
6. Nobody understood the ___________ / ___________ of the results: it was assumed that everything would stay the same, whereas there were in fact profound changes
7. Thanks to their ___________ / ___________ with several affiliated companies, they managed to create a virtual monopoly for their product.
8. I hope you have a ___________ / ___________ reason for missing so many of your classes.
9. The empire reached its ___________ / ___________ at the end of the nineteenth century.
10. If you have any ___________ / ___________ please ask a member of staff.
11. A purple rash and a persistent cough is one of the ___________ / ___________ of this disease.
12. We had hoped that everything would run smoothly, but unfortunately there have been several ___________ / ___________.
13. Before you start studying for the TOEFL, you should come up with a ___________ / ___________ that will help you to make the most of your study time.
14. Safety in the workplace is very important, and should take ___________ / ___________ over everything else.
15. Is it necessary to make any ___________ / ___________ to the plan, or should we keep it as it is?
16. In the battle of the sexes there can never be a true ___________ / ___________.
17. Fieldwork is a key ___________ / ___________ of this course.
18. After much ___________ / ___________, we decided to reject her offer.
19. Climate change could have disastrous ___________ / ___________ for farmers.
20. ___________ / ___________ to the building after 6 p.m. is limited to staff and full-time students only.
Exercise 3: Instructions as above

A B
advent achievement amenity     argument backing     category     charisma     disparity display     ending     implication     invention notion     number     part     proceeds     reflection review     specialist     ultimatum accomplishment      (personal) appeal         appearance     classification      component    concentration      difference       dispute       exhibit expert    facility     final    demand    earnings      idea  innovation     sign    suggestion     support        termination write-u

1. The book received a lot of good ___________ / ___________ in the press, and went on to become one of the year’s bestsellers.
2. Before the ___________ / ___________ of the home PC in the mid-80s, not many people knew how to type.
3. Unlike his much-loved father, the young leader lacked ___________ / ___________ and failed to become popular with his people.
4. The best English dictionaries are those for English-language learners: dictionaries in this ___________ / ___________ tend to give very clear definitions with good examples.
5. The board ordered the ___________ / ___________ of all research, with the result that it was another five years before a cure for the illness was found.
6. Technological ___________ / ___________ have changed the world in the last 20 years.
7. Large ___________ / ___________ of unskilled, unemployed people in certain parts of the country have resulted in a rise in crime and street violence.
8. I’m not an economics ___________ / ___________, but even I know that a drop in unemployment often leads to a rise in inflation.
9. With ___________ / ___________ from her teachers, she was able to start an international languages club at the school.
10. Our new Economics tutor has a strange ___________ / ___________ that all students are lazy and irresponsible.
11. You will find the problem easier to solve if you try breaking it down into its separate ___________ / ___________.
12. His promotion to director was a remarkable ___________ / ___________ for someone so young.
13. Our head of department gave us a / an ___________ / ___________ get down to some serious work or get out.
14. Despite several changes to the pay structure, there is still a ___________ / ___________ in pay between graduate trainees and non-graduates.
15. All ___________ / ___________ from the sale of part of the grounds will be re-invested in the college.
16. His irrational behavior eventually led to a serious ___________ / ___________ with his sponsors.
17. College ___________ / ___________ include a gym, a swimming pool, a canteen, and a garden where students can relax.
18. The museum’s ___________ / ___________ of prehistoric tools and artifacts is surprisingly popular with children.
19. I’m not happy with your ___________ / ___________ that my work is below standard.
20. A person’s choice of clothes is a / an ___________ / ___________ of his or her personality.

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Vocabulary Practice 14: Pronouns and determiners

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Vocabulary Practice 14: Pronouns and determiners

Exercise 1: Complete these sentences with an appropriate pronoun or determiner (e.g., his, which, there, itself, etc.). You will need to use some pronouns / determiners more than once.

1. The team arrived in Cairo, and from ________________ set out across the desert in a southwesterly direction.
2. Students are allowed to hand in ________________ assignments a few days late if they ask for permission at least a week in advance.
3. The new laws made ________________ easier to get a passport and travel abroad.
4. Someone called for you, but you weren’t here, so I told ________________ you would call when you got back.
5. Many playwrights like to act in the plays they have written. Shakespeare ________________ appeared in productions of his own works.
6. Most students spend more time on their assignments than ________________ should.
7. Why did you say that I’ve missed lots of lessons this semester? Where did you get ________________ idea? I haven’t missed a single one.
8. Greek and Latin are languages from ________________ many English words have been taken or adapted.
9. Someone broke the printer, but ________________ looks like nobody is prepared to accept responsibility.
10. The company carried out research into chemical fertilizers and ________________ effect on the environment.
11. The drug works in small quantities, but ________________ efficacy is reduced if used too much and too often.
12. ________________ comes a time in everyone’s life when a big decision has to be taken.
13. Nuclear energy is far less damaging to the environment than ________________ produced from fossil fuels, but requires far higher standards of safety to be applied.
14. The authors admitted using material from other books, but we had to give ________________ credit for their ability to make an otherwise boring subject lively and interesting.
15. A skilled workforce is essential, ________________ is why regular training programs are so important.
16. The young chick relies on the adult bird for food, and it will be several weeks before it can feed ________________.
17. The vehicle employs a small solar panel, from which ________________ can get enough power to move without the need for turning the engine on.
18. We should give everyone a chance to say what ________________ think.
19. Research in the 1960’s often took a lot of time and patience, as there was no Internet in ____________ days.
20. The house stood by ____________ on a small island, cut off from the outside world by a treacherous reef.

Exercise 2: Instructions as above.

1. Her latest book is one ________________ every teenager will enjoy.
2. Help was offered in the first instance to families ________________ homes had been destroyed in the tsunami.
3. The company was forced to cut prices and lay off staff, but the problems didn’t end ________________.
4. As it became obvious an economic crisis was looming, the Republicans were divided among ________________ as to the best course of action to take.
5. Bogart’s most famous movie was probably Casablanca, ________________ was made in 1942.
6. Prices in New York are roughly 30% cheaper than ________________ in London.
7. People who adopt children tend to be people who have no children of ________________ own but who desperately want some.
8. The voice at the end of the phone was ________________ of a young man.
9. We have tea or coffee: ________________ would you prefer?
10. Most people passed the exam, and ________________ that failed were allowed to retake it a month later.
11. Immigrants often come to the country on their own, and then ask their families to join ________________ at a later date.
12. Those who want to see Las Vegas and sample all of ________________ attractions are going to need a lot of money.
13. AZB Ltd claimed that the invention was legally ________________, and sued their competitor for breaching their design copyright.
14. The Republican Party have come under a lot of pressure, but ________________ refuse to bow down to popular pressure.
15. The winner was a Chinese composer, ________________ composition “Blue String” combined elements of classical Chinese and Western music.
16. We’ve been thinking about the offer ________________ you made last week.
17. We need to prepare ________________ for the struggle that we are about to face.
18. The software has a few glitches, but the real problem lies in the computer, and not in the software ________________.
19. Fees must be paid in full before the course begins. Alternatively, you can pay ________________ in 6 monthly installments through the first semester.
20. As part of the survey, we asked members of the public questions about ________________ their work, their hobbies, how they spent their vacation, and so on.

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Vocabulary Practice 12: Phrasal Verbs 2

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Vocabulary Practice 12: Phrasal Verbs 2

Exercise 1:Each of these sentences can be completed with come, get, give, go, or look to make a phrasal verb in bold. In some cases, more than one answer is possible. Make sure you use the correct form of the verb in each one. The phrasal verb is explained in brackets at the end of each sentence.

1. In rural districts, it can be difficult to _________ by without a car. (to work and operate efficiently)
2. I’d like you to _________ over these figures and tell me if you think the project is possible. (to check something carefully)
3. Large industries can no longer _________ away with dumping industrial waste in rivers. (to avoid being punished for doing something wrong or illegal)
4. Developed countries are usually able to _________ through a period of recession by drawing on financial reserves. (to manage to deal with a difficult situation until it is over)
5. People who have to _________ after elderly relatives or other dependents should receive financial support. (to take care of someone or something and make certain they have everything they need)
6. We decided to _________ through with our plans as soon as we had sufficient capital. (to do something you have planned or agreed to do, especially after not being sure you wanted to do it)
7. It can be very difficult to _________ down to studying for exams when the weather is nice. (to start doing something seriously or with a lot of effort)
8. Lights _________ out across the country as power workers went on strike. (to stop burning or shining)
9. The committee were asked to _________ into the latest crime statistics and try to establish a pattern. (to try to discover the facts about something such as a problem or crime)
10. After years of decline, government investment is revitalizing the area, and things are beginning to _________ up. (to get better, or appear to get better)
11. Scientists _________ across the cure by accident, while studying the health benefits of a rare species of plant. (to find something by chance)
12. Very few students _________ forward to their end-of-semester exams. (to feel happy and excited about something that is going to happen)
13. Generally, people are reluctant to break unpopular rules, but will try to _________ around them somehow. (to find a way of dealing with a problem or avoiding it)
14. The first step to a healthier lifestyle is to _________ up smoking. (to stop doing something you do regularly)
15. The governor _________ up against a lot of opposition from locals when she proposed building a jail near the city limits. (to have to deal with something difficult or unpleasant)
16. Even if you fail the first time, you should _________ on trying. (to continue doing something)
17. The anti-smoking message is finally _________ through to people. (to make someone understand what you are trying to say)
18. As ticket prices _________ up, fewer people go to the theater and prefer to stay at home with a video. (to increase in price)

 

Exercise 2: Instructions as above.
1. Doctors realized there was going to be a problem when several people in the same village ___________ down with suspected food poisoning. (to become ill with a particular disease)
2. People often ___________ up the idea of starting their own company when they realize the risks that are involved. (to no longer want to do something)
3. Before entering an agreement, it is essential to ___________ over the details very carefully. (to check something carefully)
4. People who live in close proximity to one another must learn to ___________ along with their neighbors. (to try to like someone and be friendly to them)
5. It was only after he ___________ into his inheritance after his father died that he was able to expand the company. (to receive money or property when someone dies)
6. After the revolution, it took almost five years for the country to ___________ around to opening its borders. (to do something after you have intended to do it for some time)
7. New legislation lays down strict penalties for vehicles which ___________ off excess exhaust. (to produce a gas or smell)
8. People who want to know how to ___________ about starting their own company should talk to a trained adviser. (to start dealing with a situation, problem, job, etc., in a particular way)
9. When supply of a particular good exceeds demand, it is common for the price to ___________ down. (to become cheaper)
10. Nothing ___________ of the company’s plans to develop solar-powered vehicles. (to be the result of something)
11. The final bill for the project will ___________ to almost $10 million. (to reach a particular total when everything is added together)
12. For most poor people, ___________ out of the cycle of poverty can be next to impossible. (to avoid or escape from an unpleasant situation)
13. In any dispute with an insurance company, it is usually the consumer who ___________ off the worst. (to achieve a particular result in an activity, especially a competition, fight, or argument)
14. It took a long time for the country to ___________ over the effects of the civil war. (to recover from something)
15. The threat of severe reprisals meant that many refused to ___________ themselves up to the police. (to surrender to someone in a position of authority, especially to the police)
16. Some people tend to ___________ down on others who are less fortunate purely because of their financial situation. (to think that you are better or more important than someone else)
17. The government had decided to stand firm on their decision, but under pressure from protesters, they decided to ___________ in and reduce tax on gasoline. (to stop competing or arguing and accept that you cannot win)
18. By the time the message ___________ through it was too late to evacuate the residents. (to be connected to someone by telephone, email, text message, etc.)
Don’t forget that many phrasal verbs can have more than one meaning. Try to develop your own written “bank” of the phrasal verbs you learn. This should show as many different meanings as possible for each phrasal verb. You should then try to remember these so that they become a part of your “productive” vocabulary.

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Vocabulary Practice 11: Phrasal Verb 1

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Vocabulary Practice 11: Phrasal Verb 1

Phrasal verbs are very common in English, and should be learnt like any other item of English vocabulary. In the TOEFL, they are tested in the Listening Comprehension section, and appear frequently in other parts of the test.
Exercise 1:In the following sentences, choose the correct verb in bold to complete the phrasal verb in italics. The meaning of each phrasal verb is given in brackets at the end of each sentence.

1. Some parents are criticized for the way they bring / make / throw up their children. (to raise children)
2. They refused to move / face / come up to their responsibilities, with disastrous consequences. (to accept an unpleasant state of affairs, and try to deal with it)
3. The President decided to shout / cry / call off his visit to Europe. (to not to go ahead with a plan)
4. It is only at election time that senators add / count / read on support from their constituents. (to rely / depend on other people)
5. Many developing countries are failing to run / chase / catch up with their more developed neighbors. (to get to the same level)
6. It can take months or even years for political scandals to die / cut / fall down. (to become less strong)
7. An alarming number of students jump / drop / fall out of school early every year. (to leave a race, a competition, a course of study, etc., early or before you have finished)
8. Major international companies can’t carry / cut / figure out the popularity of the anti-capitalist movement. (informal: to find it hard to understand)
9. The committee members dropped / made / fell out over plans for the new health center. (to argue)
10. If they examined the issues more closely, they would search / look / find out the reasons. (to discover)
11. As we grow / stand / look up our priorities change. (to change from being children to being adults)
12. Salaries very rarely catch / keep / work up with the cost of living. (to rise at the same speed as something else)
13. The latest government report leaves / keeps / throws out the real reasons for current demographic shifts. (to not include)
14. The journalist showed / pointed / spoke out the mistakes made by the agency over the last few years. (to show)
15. Before you write your essay, you should search / hunt / look into the Party’s history. (to research)
16. Nobody at the meeting carried / brought / moved up the subject of paid leave. (to start discussing a subject)
17. Once people lose / jump / fall behind with their mortgage payments, they come under extreme financial pressure from their bank. (to fail to do something or pay something at the time that you should)
18. The first step to a healthier lifestyle is to cut / slice / chop down on the amount of saturated fats you eat. (to start doing less of something, usually because it is bad for you)

Exercise 2: Instructions as above. In one of the sentences, all of the verbs are possible.

1. During the early 2000’s, a lot of state-run schools were controlled / taken / acquired over by private companies. (to start to do something in place of someone else)
2. In my last essay, I tried to argue / place / put forward the arguments in favor of global capitalism. (to suggest or state the case for something)
3. Despite the seriousness of the illness, he managed to carry / pull / take through. (to recover from a serious illness or accident)
4. A lot of restrictions on imports have been done / gone / put away with. (to get rid of something)
5. If you have a complaint, put it in writing and ask the company to investigate / look / see into it for you. (to try to discover the facts about something such as a problem)
6. It is very important to carry / work / do out my instructions carefully. (to do something that you have been told to do, often in a particular way)
7. Many employees went / kept / carried on working despite pressure from the unions. (to continue)
8. The drug’s effects are very powerful, but they begin to wear / come / fall off after a few hours. (to gradually disappear or become less intense)
9. The meeting will be canceled if not enough people arrive / move / turn up. (to come somewhere, often unexpectedly)
10. At first, sales of the product were slow, but they kicked / hit / picked up when people realized how useful it was. (to slowly improve)
11. I have given / put / moved across several suggestions, but so far they have all been ignored. (to explain an idea, often in a way that is easy for people to understand)
12. I came / ran / moved into Laura outside the theater last week. (to meet someone by chance)
13. This course has set / moved / put me back by about $2000. (informal: to cost someone a particular amount of money, especially a large amount)
14. When I look / consider / move back on my childhood, I remember the many sacrifices my parents made for me. (to think about something that happened in the past)
15. We were all disappointed with the way things turned / came / changed out. (to develop in a particular way or have a particular result)
16. The exhibition was so popular that a lot of visitors had to be pushed / turned / thrown away. (to be not allowed to enter a building)
17. The total cost of the project makes / moves / works out to about $250,000. (to add up to a particular amount)
18. The telephone service is rather unreliable, and it’s quite common to be cut / shut / run off in the middle of a conversation. (to be disconnected while talking on the telephone)

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VOCABULARY PRACITSE 8: Opinion, attitude, and belief and opposite of verbs

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                                VOCABULARY PRACITSE 6: Opinion, attitude, and belief
1. As far as I am enodccenr, happiness is more important than money.
2. In my nponioi, technology is moving too quickly.
3. She aitainsmn that most young people would rather work than go to school.
4. We strongly pesctus that the proposal to develop the computer facilities will not go ahead.
5. I take strong etonepixc to people coming late or cancelling appointments at short notice.
6. The government are ingerdgar the debt that is owed by developing nations as a major barrier to global economic progress.
7. Scientists are cdnoevcin that human degradation of the environment is causing thousands of species to become extinct.
8. A lot of people are atifalnac about sport in general and football in particular.
9. I butdo that the new government will keep all its promises.
10. They come from a strongly taitoanrdil family who still believe in arranged marriages.
11. Do you popvisread of smoking?
12. The government are micedtomt to the struggle to end institutional racism in the police force.

                                                              Opposites: Verbs

  • abolish
  • abandon
  • attack
  • conceal
  • decline
  • demolish
  • deny
  • deteriorate
  • exaggerate
  • extend
  • fall
  • forbid
  • gain
  • hire
  • lend
  • loosen
  • lower
  • postpone
  • refuse
  • reject
  • replenish
  • reward
  • set
  • simplify
  • succeed
  • withdraw

1. They accepted the offer of a ceasefire.

2. He admitted telling lies in his original statement.

3. They agreed to meet to discuss the future of the organization.

4. The senator defended his opponent’s policies in a televised speech.

5. The apartments blocks they built were the ugliest in the city.

6. He complicated matters by rewriting the original proposal.

7. They continued their plans to assassinate the king when he opened Parliament.

8. He deposited $10,000 – half his college fees for the forthcoming year.

9. Relations between the two countries have improved considerably in the last year.

10. He permitted us to present our petition directly to the President.

11. The members of the commune were punished for their part in the revolution.

12. He raised the overall standards of the company within two months of his appointment.

13. As soon as the sun rose, the demonstrators began to appear on the streets.

14. Prices rose sharply in the first three months of the financial year.

15. As soon as he had tightened the knots, he pushed the boat out.

16. To everyone’s surprise, she failed.

17. Tomorrow’s meeting has been brought forward.

18. The management said that they would be happy to borrow the money.

19. Several flaws in the design of the new model were revealed.

20. The course has been shortened to 12 weeks

21. I don’t want to underestimate his role in the club.

22. Attendance has increased since the new professor took over the course.

23. Fuel supplies have been exhausted.

24. Despite having a bigger and cheaper choice of healthy foods, many Americans have lost a lot of weight.

25. Following the revolution, the monarchy was restored.

26. The company started seeing some success once they dismissed several employees.

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Idioms and colloquialisms 2

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                                   Idioms and colloquialisms 2
Idioms and colloquialisms (spoken expressions) are a common feature of the TOEFL Listening Comprehension. There are a lot of them, and each one has to be learnt individually. Often, but not always, it is possible to identify the meaning of an idiom or a colloquialism from the context in which it is being used.
The idioms and colloquialisms exercises in this book focus on some of the most commonly-used expressions.

Exercise 3:Complete these dialogs with an appropriate expression from the box:

  • A little bird told me.
  • Be my guest. 
  • Fire away, I’m all ears.
  •  I’d be glad to
  • I’m having second thoughts. 
  • I’m keeping my fingers crossed. 
  • My lips are sealed.
  • Now you’re talking! 
  • Rather you than me.
  •  That’ll be the day! 
  • That’ll teach you!
  • Who let the cat out of the bag?

1.

A. Would you mind looking after my bag while I go to the rest room?

B. __________________________________________________
2.

A. Do you mind if I sit here?

B. __________________________________________________
3.

A. How do you know the test has been canceled?

B. __________________________________________________
4.

A. I’d be really grateful if you didn’t tell anyone about it.

B. __________________________________________________
5.

A. Do you think you’ll pass the exam?

B. __________________________________________________
6.

A. I’ve signed up for extra sociology classes with Professor Dullman.

B. __________________________________________________
7.

A. I’ve got some really interesting news.

B. __________________________________________________
8.

A. You don’t want to work tonight? OK, let’s go to the theater instead.

B. __________________________________________________
9.

A. I thought you were going to apply for a place on the Theory of Knowledge course.

B. __________________________________________________
10.

A. I promise to work harder from now on.

B. __________________________________________________
11.

A. I hear that you’re going to throw a surprise party for my birthday.

B. __________________________________________________
12.

A. I’ve just eaten six hot dogs, and now I’ve got a terrible stomach ache.

B. __________________________________________________

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