Exercise 1: Choose the best answer to complete the following sentences

1. Discussions on the issue of expansion of the company have been in _______ since the outbreak of the
disease in the area.
A. hitch B. limbo C. feud D. core
2. Viewers were _______ at the incredible sight of the lunar landscape, unable to take their eyes off the
screen until the very end of the broadcast.
A. switched B. devised C. transfixed D. stifled
3. Having lost her mother at an early age, Mary felt she had become a mere _______, having to do
absolutely everything for her five brothers and sisters.
A. taskmaster B. workmate C. slavedriver D. workhorse
4. Keith’s _______ income looks impressive, but once tax and social security contributions are deducted, it’s
not so much.
A. full B. grand C. net D. gross
5. We have developed rapid order processing to _______ deliveries to customers.
A. expedite B. fasten C. heighten D. quicken
6. The operation was a success, but the patient died of _______.
A. complications B. symptoms C. after-effects D. ramifications
7. Increasing terrorism in the region puts a new _______ on the situation.
A. complexion B. disposition C. outlet D. tantrum
8. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to call me. I can be there _______.
A. in a fix B. in a flash C. in a daze D. in the bag
9. He felt his heart _______ as his bride-to-be began her walk down the aisle.
A. fasten B. quicken C. expedite D. heighten
10. My car broke down and I had to _______ a huge sum of money to have it towed and serviced.
A. splash out B. fork out C. put aside D. pay off
11. The candidate’s optimism gave _______ to doubt as the result of exit polls became known.
A. place B. lie C. vent D. voice
12. After the hurricane, all that was left of our house was a pile of _______.
A. rabble B. rubble C. ramble D. rumble
13. To say it is the best novel written in the last twenty years is going far _______.
A. a long way B. over the topC. through a bad patch D. to great lengths
14. This week’s programme is given _______ a profile of an eminent scientist.
A. credit for B. in to C. over to D. up on
15. Inspector Morts was determined to get to the _______ of the mystery.
A. ground B. end C. bottom D. point
16. Getting away from the stresses of work would do you a _______ of good.
A. sense B. taste C. virtue D. power
17. If you make it to the final, you will be _______ some of the best sprinters in the world.
A. in for B. up to C. up against D. up with
18. He gave speeches all over the world to _______ support for his “Help the Homeless” Campaign.
A. trot out B. turn to C. weigh up D. whip up
19. Somehow I managed to _______ my physics exam. The pass mark was 55 and I got 56.
A. scrape through B. shake off C. sit through D. slip off
20. The new professor is way ahead of the _______with his research into genetics.
A. twist B. circle C. spin D. curve
21. Don’t _______ him on to join a gang: nothing could be worse for him!
A. egg B. toast C. butter D. knife
22. Many companies seem to reach the _______ of disaster before anybody has tried to get something done.
A. side B. precipice C. edge D. brink
23. I am not surprised that your brother is angry; you spent half an hour _______ him up about an issue he
cares about deeply.
A. spinning B. turning C. winding D. twirling
24. Although Gail thought she should have won first place, she _______ her pride and congratulated her
rival.
A. exerted B. swallowed C. bore D. aroused
25. I had spent two months worrying about it and I was glad to get it off my _______.
A. shoulders B. head C. chest D. mouth
26. That he was using unscrupulous research methods only came out because his assistant ____ on him to
the press.
A. ratted B. hounded C. fished D. bugged
27. The phrase ‘money doesn't buy happiness’ is a cautionary cliché that keeps us from blindly lining your
pockets with _______ in the hope that we’ll feel happier.
A. stash B. hoard C. stock D. dosh
28. If there happened to be both rich and poor people, as there happen to be both black and white ones, then
the advantages of the _______ might well spread in time to the hard-up.
A. well-heeled B. big-hearted C. open-handed D. tight-fisted
29. The government has agreed to _______ an additional £5 million to schools in underprivileged regions.
A. dole out B. tip off C. crack down D. toss off
30. As much as the candidate tried to convince people of his honesty, he could not shake off his _____ past.
A. serene B. tranquil C. shady D. frigid
31. The greedy man wouldn’t hesitate to _______ away his valued assets if he thought it would bring him
more money.
A. wager B. bet C. gamble D. stake
32. His talent meant he could create wondrous things, but his ______ meant he hardly ever felt like working.
A. adversity B. lethargy C. ineptitude D. tactlessness
33. The founder of the company decided to take a back ______ and let the board members run the business.
A. stage B. seat C. row D. door
34. The tendency is to respond to anger with anger, but in these situations, it pays to keep a cool _______.
A. brain B. mind C. head D. top
35. Most people are _______ to believe that girls and boys like certain toys when they are young.
A. hardened B. acclimated C. conditioned D. accustomed
36. The local authorities annually ______ between £50 million and £100 million on art projects.
A. disperse B. disband C. disburse D. dispose
37. Let me know of any pertinent developments, keep me in the ______.
A. sphere B. ring C. circle D. loop
38. The employees are ______ a rally in the city centre to demand higher wages.
A. making B. performing C. staging D. presenting
39. Having lost her home, Lucy got ______ a gang of people who hang around causing trouble.
A. in with B. up to C. on with D. by on
40. Although usually quite compassionate, the receptionist made a ______ remark that took her colleagues
by surprise.
A. crooked B. cautious C. corrupt D. callous
41. After the disastrous televised interview, the topic was ______ on social media.
A. raging B. moving C. trending D. buzzing
42. Julie felt unfairly ______ when she spoke out against a company proposal and the entire staff team
turned against her.
A prosecuted B. persecuted C. oppressed D. suppressed
43. Once a major politician endorsed the young man’s candidacy, everyone ______ on the bandwagon and
started supporting him, too.
A. walked B. stepped C. jumped D. climbed
44. Malaysians should embrace their natural generosity and not let hard times ______ their spirit to help
others in need.
A. dampen B. moisten C. drench D. deluge
45. Everyone was living off tens of thousands of years of accumulated groundwater, like a ______ heir
squandering his wealth.
A. stingy B. miserly C. spendthrift D. penny- pincher
46. Saving up for a nest ______ is an important part of life and should not be ignored, no matter how young
or how well-off you are.
A. egg B. stone C. seed D. pit
47. My first impression of Vanessa was that she was very charming and ______; she seemed totally at ease
with people.
A. exuberant B. urbane C. aloof D. compassionate
48. Charlotte ______ the new girl immediately, within hours of meeting each other they were best of friends.
A. took issue with B. took heart from C. took a shine to D. took his hat off to
49. This sound system is so well-designed and technologically advanced that it is hard to ______.
A. overtake B. transcend C. dominate D. rival
50. Parents often have to ______ large amounts of money so their children can take part in extracurricular
sports activities.
A. mark down B. rung up C. shell out D. stock up
Exercise 2: Give the correct form of words in capital
HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights, that set of privileges that we all possess by virtue of being born, is a far more recent term than
one might think. The idea of (1- ALIEN) __________ rights originated in (2- ANTIQUE) __________, but
it took the horrors of the Second World War to get the idea (3- SHRINE) __________ in an internationally-
accepted document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
The document itself is comprised of thirty articles that cover, amongst other things, the right to life, liberty
and security of person, the freedom of speech, and the freedom of slavery, arbitrary arrest, (4- DETAIN)
__________ of torture. To ensure its universality, one of the first principles of the declaration is that these
rights are (5- TERRITORY) __________, that is, they take (6- PRECEDE) __________ over the laws of
any individual country.
Founded in 1978, Human Rights Watch is an organisation dedicated to (7- LIGHT) __________ human
rights abuses. Originally called Helsinki Watch, it changed its name in 1988 to reflect its changing role on
the world stage. Using (8- INVESTIGATE) __________ teams that provide annual reports on individual
countries, Human Rights Watch uses its media profile to put countries that violate the declaration under the
harsh (9- LIGHT) __________ of global attention.
Human Rights Watch may be a thorn in the side of abusive nations around the world, but it has plenty of
(10- ROOT) __________ supports and even some (11- FLY) __________ devotees. George Soros, the
renowned investor and philanthropist, pledged $100 million to Human Rights Watch – its biggest ever
private contribution – declaring, “Human Rights Watch is one of the most effective organisations I support.
Human rights (12- PIN) __________ our greatest aspirations; they are at the heart of open societies.”