Module 1 - Vocabulary Skills Workshop

1. Read the text. Try to figure out the words that are missing without using the
dictionary. Then, continue doing the exercises.
and whose spouses pass away without making a are set to receive a
1 bigger payout from next month. If a person dies without making a , the amount left
automatically to his or her spouse or civil partner is changing from £125,000 to £250,000 where
there are children.
Experts have welcomed the change, which on February 1, but that it is
still important to make a , particularly if you are unmarried or separated but not divorced.
2 However, people should not into thinking that these changes mean that they do not need to
make a . It still the case that unmarried couples are not _ to receive anything on the
death of their other _ if he or she has not made a .
Modern family life is more complicated, with second marriages and children
from more than one relationship. A is the only way _ that those you love or are
3 obliged to care for are adequately provided for. After the spouse has received his or her
, the rest of the is shared by children or grandchildren. If there are none, surviving
parents will get a share. If there are none of these, any brothers and sisters who shared the same two
parents as the will receive a share.
If your circumstances have changed, it is important that you make or _a to
4 ensure that your money and possessions are distributed according to your wishes. For example, you
may be separated and your now lives with someone else. If you are married or enter into a
registered civil partnership, this will invalidate any previous will you have made.

2. Read the text again. Underline words that you do not understand.
Widows and widowers whose spouses pass away without making a will are set to receive a
1 bigger inheritance payout from next month. If a person dies without making a will, the amount left
automatically to his or her spouse or civil partner is changing from £125,000 to £250,000 where
there are children.
Experts have welcomed the change, which takes effect on February 1, but emphasize that it is
still important to make a will, particularly if you are unmarried or separated but not divorced.
2 However, people should not be misled into thinking that these changes mean that they do not need
to make a will. It still remains the case that unmarried couples are not entitled to receive anything on
the death of their other half if he or she has not made a will.
3 Modern family life is becoming ever more complicated, with second marriages and children from
more than one relationship. A will is the only way to ensure that those you love or are obliged to care
for are adequately provided for. After the spouse has received his or her legal share, the rest of the
estate is shared by children or grandchildren. If there are none, surviving parents will get a share.
If there are none of these, any brothers and sisters who shared the same two parents as the deceased
will receive a share.

Facultad de Ciencias Sociales | Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación

1 Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
 4 If your circumstances have changed, it is important that you make or update a will to ensure
that your money and possessions are distributed according to your wishes. For example, you may be
separated and your ex-partner now lives with someone else. If you are married or enter into a
registered civil partnership, this will invalidate any previous will you have made.

3. Try to find the meaning of the words you underlined in the previous
exercise using the strategies. Follow the model. (P=paragraph)
P WORD STRATEGY (POSSIBLE) MEANING
Widow Cognate ----------- Marital status of a person
Widower Part of noun after the husband or wife has
speech died.
Word Widow—er
formation
Context Spouses pass away
Clues A person dies
spouses Cognate “Esposos” Husband or wife
1 Part of Noun
speech
Word Spouse—s
formation
Context A person
Clues Civil partner

Facultad de Ciencias Sociales | Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación

2 Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
 4. Match the words and phrases on the left with the definitions on the right.
1. Widow A. A husband or wife, considered in relation to their
partner(formal)
2. Widower B. A former member of an established couple
3. Spouse C. To have stopped living together as a couple
4. Will D. Somebody’s wife, husband or partner
5. Inheritance E. A person who has recently died
6. Ex-partner F. A woman whose husband has died and who has not
married again
7. (be) separated G. Money or property which you receive from somebody who
has died
8. (be) divorced H. A man whose wife has died and who has not married
again
9. Other half I. A document in which a person declares what should be
done with their money and property after they die
10. Estate J. To be legally separated from a husband or wife because
the marriage has ended
11. Deceased (n.) K. To prove that an argument, conclusion, or result is wrong
or cause it to be wrong
12. Invalidate l. All the money and property somebody leaves behind them
when they die
5. Read the sentences below and CIRCLE the part of speech you think is
missing.
a. Noun/adjective Humans in Europe in times created works of art.
b. Noun/verb It has been easy for scientists to the art accurately.
c. Noun/adjective There are examples of abstract art and animals in the cave .
d. Adjective/verb It is to find pictures of humans in this ancient art.

6. Read the text, and write ONE WORD from the text in each gap to complete
the sentences.
There are more than 300 caves in Spain and France containing art which was produced in prehistoric
times. It is difficult to date these cave paintings accurately, but many of them are more than 10,000 years
old and scientists believe the oldest to have been produced around 32,000 years ago. While some of the
paintings consist of abstract shapes, others are of clearly identifiable wild animals. Although paintings of
full human beings on the cave walls are extremely rare, there are pictures of human hands.
a. Humans in Europe in times created works of art.
b. It has been easy for scientists to the art accurately.
c. There are examples of abstract art and animals in the cave .
d. It is to find pictures of humans in this ancient art.

Facultad de Ciencias Sociales | Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación

3 Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
 7. Write one word which can be formed from these words, which appear in
the text previous exercise. Write also which part of the speech they are.
YOUR WORD PART OF THE SPEECH
a. Containing (verb) _container (noun)
b. Produced (verb)
c. Difficult (adjective)
d. Paintings (noun)
e. accurately (adverb)
f. scientists (noun)
g. abstract (adjective)
h. Clearly (adverb)
i. identifiable (adjective)

8. Work out the meaning of the words in italics (1-3) by studying their
context in the passage below.
1. Choked
Many parents would not know what to do if their a. To hit with a lot of force
child fell and banged their head, (1) choked on a b. To be unable to breath because
small toy or scalded themselves on a hot iron, something is blocking the air passage
research shows. The British Red Cross organisation, to your lungs
which (2) commissioned the survey, is so alarmed by c. To have health problems
the findings that it has created a cheap and easy 2. Commissioned
computer-based training programme for parents a. To order or authorize the production
called ‘learn first aid fast’. The charity’s first aid of something
specialist said that learning basic rescue and recovery b. To like something
techniques could be the most important thing any c. To make a decision based on facts
parent did. About one million children under fifteen 3. Units
are admitted to accident and emergency (3) units a. A department
every year after accidents in the home. b. A large number of something
c. A medical test
9. For each of the words in italics (1-4) in the passage below, find a synonym
or antonym in the same sentence.
Accidents are the main reasons for deaths in children aged more than twelve months, accounting for
nearly 400 (1) fatalities a year. Falls are the most common accident, accounting for forty-three per cent of
accidental injury to children at home. Burns are common, too, with ten children under five getting burnt
or (2) scalded every day. ‘Some people appear to be reassured by owning a first aid (3) kit, but if they are
going to help someone then they must have first aid knowledge and skills as well as equipment,’ a first aid
specialist said. The results of the Red Cross survey revealed alarming levels of (4) ignorance, with many
parents relying more on stories than on knowledge or common sense when faced with an emergency.

WORD SYNONYM/ANTONYM WORD SYNONYM/ANTONYM

1. Fatalities 3. Kit
2. Scalded 4. Ignorance

Facultad de Ciencias Sociales | Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación

4 Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
MANN, MALCOLM and Steve Taylore-Knowles. IELTS for Academic Purposes: A Short Intensive Course. New York,
N.Y. : McGraw-Hill Education, 2009.
VAN GEYTE, Els. Reading for IELTS. London : HarperCollins, 2011.

Facultad de Ciencias Sociales | Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación

5 Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
 Module 1 - Vocabulary Skills Workshop
(answers)
4. Match the words and phrases on the left with the definitions on the
right.
1. Widow _3 A. A husband or wife, considered in relation to their partner
(formal)
2. Widower _6 B. A former member of an established couple
3. Spouse _7 C. To have stopped living together as a couple
4. Will _9 D. Somebody’s wife, husband or partner
5. Inheritance _11_ E. A person who has recently died
6. Ex-partner _1 F. A woman whose husband has died and who has not
married again
7. (be) separated _5 G. Money or property which you receive from somebody
who has died
8. (be) divorced _2 H. A man whose wife has died and who has not married
again
9. Other half 4_ I. A document in which a person declares what should be
done with their money and property after they die
10. Estate _8 J. To be legally separated from a husband or wife because
the marriage has ended
11. Deceased (n.) _12_ K. To prove that an argument, conclusion, or result is wrong
or cause it to be wrong
12. Invalidate _10 l. All the money and property somebody leaves behind
them when they die

5. Read the sentences below and CIRCLE the part of speech you think is
missing.
a. Noun/adjective Humans in Europe in times created works of art.
b. Noun/verb It has been easy for scientists to the art accurately.
c. Noun/adjective There are examples of abstract art and animals in the cave .
d. Adjective/verb It is to find pictures of humans in this ancient art.

6. Read the text, and write ONE WORD from the text in each gap to complete
the sentences.

Facultad de Ciencias Sociales | Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación

6 Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
 There are more than 300 caves in Spain and France containing art which was produced in prehistoric
times. It is difficult to date these cave paintings accurately, but many of them are more than 10,000 years
old and scientists believe the oldest to have been produced around 32,000 years ago. While some of the
paintings consist of abstract shapes, others are of clearly identifiable wild animals. Although paintings of
full human beings on the cave walls are extremely rare, there are pictures of human hands.
a. Humans in Europe in prehistoric times created works of art.
b. It has been easy for scientists to identify the art accurately.
c. There are examples of abstract art and animals in the cave walls.
d. It is rare to find pictures of humans in this ancient art.

7. Write one word which can be formed from these words, which appear in
the text previous exercise. Write also which part of the speech they are.
YOUR WORD PART OF THE SPEECH
a. Containing (verb) _container (noun)
b. Produced (verb) product Noun
c. Difficult (adjective) difficulty Noun
d. Paintings (noun) To paint Verb
e. accurately (adverb) accuracy Noun
f. scientists (noun) Science Noun
scientific adjective
g. abstract (adjective) abstraction Noun
h. Clearly (adverb) Clearness Noun
clear adjective
i. identifiable (adjective) To identify verb
8. Work out the meaning of the words in italics (1-3) by studying their
context in the passage below.
1. Choked
Many parents would not know what to do if their a. To hit with a lot of force
child fell and banged their head, (1) choked on a b. To be unable to breath because
small toy or scalded themselves on a hot iron, something is blocking the air passage
research shows. The British Red Cross organisation, to your lungs
which (2) commissioned the survey, is so alarmed by c. To have health problems
the findings that it has created a cheap and easy 2. Commissioned
computer-based training programme for parents a. To order or authorize the production
called ‘learn first aid fast’. The charity’s first aid of something
specialist said that learning basic rescue and recovery b. To like something
techniques could be the most important thing any c. To make a decision based on facts
parent did. About one million children under fifteen 3. Units
are admitted to accident and emergency (3) units a. A department
every year after accidents in the home. b. A large number of something
c. A medical test

Facultad de Ciencias Sociales | Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación

7 Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
 9. For each of the words in italics (1-4) in the passage below, find a synonym
or antonym in the same sentence.
Accidents are the main reasons for deaths in children aged more than twelve months, accounting for
nearly 400 (1) fatalities a year. Falls are the most common accident, accounting for forty-three per cent of
accidental injury to children at home. Burns are common, too, with ten children under five getting burnt
or (2) scalded every day. ‘Some people appear to be reassured by owning a first aid (3) kit, but if they are
going to help someone then they must have first aid knowledge and skills as well as equipment,’ a first aid
specialist said. The results of the Red Cross survey revealed alarming levels of (4) ignorance, with many
parents relying more on stories than on knowledge or common sense when faced with an emergency.
WORD SYNONYM/ANTONYM WORD SYNONYM/ANTONYM
1. Fatalities Deaths 3. Kit Equipment
2. Scalded burnt 4. Ignorance No knowledge or common
sense

BIBLIOGRAPHY
MANN, MALCOLM and Steve Taylore-Knowles. IELTS for Academic Purposes: A Short Intensive Course. New York,
N.Y. : McGraw-Hill Education, 2009.
VAN GEYTE, Els. Reading for IELTS. London : HarperCollins, 2011.

Facultad de Ciencias Sociales | Departamento de Lenguas y Cultura

Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación

8 Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.