Language Practice 2

1.Read the text and decide which option (A, B, C or D) best completes each collocation or fixed phrase.

Most big cities were built long before the heyday of the private car. As a result they rarely have enough
space for moving traffic or parked vehicles, and long queues of (1) vehicles are a common sight. Indeed
some cities end up being almost permanently (2 )......... during the day. Those that have a relatively free (3
)........... of traffic at non-peak periods of the day do not escape either. The (4 )......... hour of early morning
or early evening can easily see traffic brought to a (5 ) ............ The effects of exhaust ( 6 )......... on air
pollution in cities has been well documented. Buses might be seen as the solution, but they move slowly
because of the sheer ( 7 )......... of other traffic, thus encouraging more commuters to abandon
( 8 ) ..........transport.

1 A standing B settled C stationary D static

2 A stuffed B saturated C crammed D congested

3 A flow B current C tide D flood

4 A push B rush C hasty D hurry

5 A standstill B hold-up C jam D freeze

6 A smells B odours C fumes D stinks

7 A size B volume C breadth D depth

8 A civic B mass C public D popular

2 Match each person from the box with one of the sentences.

Commuter/ driver/ passenger/pedestrian /steward/ cyclist /hitchhiker

1 I love wandering through the countryside along deserted footpaths.

2 I’ll bring you your drink in just a minute, madam.......................

3 I’ve been waiting all morning at this roundabout for someone to stop................

4 I was just walking down the street opposite the bank when I saw it happen.

5 I’ve spent the last half an hour looking for a spot. It’s hopeless..............

6 I rang my bell and braked, but one of the pedals hit a post and I fell off.

7 The sign clearly says two hours only and you’ve been here all day.......

8 It’s impossible getting across the road here. We need an underpass......

9 Do you think you could go a little more slowly? I’m a bit nervous........

10 This train is late every morning. It has been for years.......................

The Manager

Transworld Air

Portugal Street London

Dear Sir or Madam,

I travelled last week on a Transworld Airbus from London Gatwick to Copenhagen. This was the (1)
(OUT).......... journey of a holiday in Denmark, a ( 2 ) (PACK)............................ tour arranged through a
company called ‘Sunset’. My ( 3 )(FLY) ......................... was due to leave at 8 .2 0 on Tuesday 25th
November, but did not in fact leave until 20.30, a delay of more than twelve hours. The reason given was
that vital ( 4 ) (MAINTAIN)......................... work had to be carried out. Although all passengers were given
a free meal, no other offer of ( 5 )(ASSIST) ......................... was given. Such a long delay is totally ( 6 )
(ACCEPT)............................ and I feel justified in the circumstances in requesting some form of financial ( 7
) (COMPENSATE).............................. I have written to the tour ( 8 ) (OPERATE).............................who
denied responsibility and advised me to write to you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Charles Rogers

4 Both options make sense. Underline the one which forms a common collocation.

1 We managed to complete our journey ahead of/ in front of schedule.

2 On our way to York, we divided / broke our journey in Peterborough.

3 As I wasn’t coming back by train, I asked for a single / simple ticket.

4 The two coaches collided / bumped, but luckily no one was injured / wounded.

5 There has been widespread public enmity / opposition to the plan for a new road.

6 My car skidded / slipped off the road and hit a tree.

7 The train was packed, and there was standing place / room only.

8 Look at that enormous goods / industrial train - it must have 20 or 30 wagons!

9 The police accused Donald of breaking the speed limit / restriction.

10 The chairman made a brisk /flying visit to the company’s new office in Brussels.

5 Read the text and decide which option (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Anyone who has gone on a skiing holiday at a ski (1) ........ of any size will be familiar with the age-old
problem - the eternal wait for ski lifts and cable cars. Well, there is an alternative. If you feel like
something just a little different why not try heli-skiing in Canada? Somewhere in the snowy wastes of the
Rocky Mountains the helicopter will deposit you and your group onto a slope of virgin snow that you have
 all to yourselves. It is all a (2 )..........cry from the busiest slopes of, say, Switzerland, France and Italy. You
are fifty miles from the nearest town and there is nothing remotely (3 )..........a ski lift, so you have to
(4 )............on legs, skis and the chopper. You might see the (5 )..........mountain goat or grizzly bear, but
there won’t be (6 )............of other skiers. There are one or two disadvantages. Your friendly helicopter
pilot might just put you down in a five-metre snow (7 )............ And freezing weather might ground your
helicopter and leave you (8 )..........in the wilderness.

1 A spot B haunt C refuge D resort

2 A different B strange C far D long

3 A resembling B appearing C seeming D looking

4 A count B trust Crely D reckon

5 A occasional B sometime C incidental D irregular

6 A bunches B hordes C throngs D swarms

7 A dune B pile C mound D drift

8 A deserted B stranded C wrecked D aground

6 Replace the words underlined in each sentence with a form of one of the verbs from the box.

ac
Accelerate/ascend/collide/dismount/fasten/alight/board/disembark/endanger/
1 Ann reverse
got off her
horse and picked up her riding hat.

2 As the plane went faster down the runway, David began to sweat nervously.

3 Without realizing it, Jim drove backwards into a lamp post..........................

4 All the visitors to the ship must get off immediately as we are about to sail.

5 Passengers who wish to get off at Hove should travel in the front coach

6 Please do up your safety belt before we begin the journey.......................

7 The captain refused to put at risk the safety of the crew.........................

8 The balloon rose up gracefully into the summer sky.........................

9 In thick fog, the two ships ran into each other outside the harbour.......

10 The sooner the passengers get on the aircraft, the sooner it can take off...