Test 1

Date back (phr) — to exist at some time in the past. Russians’ love for potatoes
dates back to Peter the Great’s reign.
Inaccessible (adj) — impossible to reach or get to. I’m afraid the destination
you’re interested in is inaccessible – no trains or cars go there this time of the year.
Insignificant (adj) — not large or important enough to be noticeable. Do not worry
about insignificant details, concentrate on the main picture.
Humankind (n) – all humans as a group. Space exploration is thought to be one of
humankind’s greatest achievements.
Part 2
Wetsuit (n) — a suit made of rubber, that is used for diving or surfing. Its main
purpose is to keep you warm. Buying a good wetsuit is important if you’re serious
about surfing.
Snorkel (n) — A mask with a breathing tube used for swimming with your face
underwater.
Inquisitive (adj) — Curious, asking many questions, willing to learn more. Maria
is a young, inquisitive student who is always eager to learn more about the subject.
Pup (n) — a baby of an animal. We went to the Zoo yesterday and saw some cute
seal pups there!
Part 3
Workout (n) — a set of physical exercises. My daily workout consists of 20 pull-
ups.
Handheld (adj) — One that can be carried around or easily used with one or two
hands. Nintendo 3DS is the most popular handheld gaming console.
Boost (v) — to improve, to make higher or better. A good way to boost company
income is to attract new clients.
Part 5
Venture (n) — an activity that is not guaranteed to be successful; a risky
attempt. I’m now looking for investors to support my new business venture.
Flowerbed (n) — a small area on the ground that is used to grow flowers
Quirky (adj) — strange, attractive and interesting. This new car has a really
quirky design.
Den (n) — a place where wild animals make their home. After looking for two
hours straight, we finally found the wolf den.
Homesick (adj) — feeling sad or lonely because you are away from home. If you
ever feel homesick, just look at your friends’ pictures, it ought to cheer you up.
Bargain (v) — if you bargain for something, you ask for it, you expect it, or you
are prepared for it. Spending two years in a foreign country wasn’t what I really
bargained for.
Rib (n) — Ribs are bones in your chest that protect your lungs. Mike fell from a
ladder yesterday and broke two ribs.
One-off (n) — if something is a one-off, only one of this exists. This BMW
supercar is a one-off model – they won’t be making another one.
Part 6
Take up (phr v) — if you take up something, you start doing it regularly. I hadn’t
taken up jogging until I turned 33 years old.
Conditioning (n) — process of improving a personal physical condition. In the
army, young people have to go through difficult conditioning exercising.
Shed (n) — a small building used as a storage space that is usually made of
wood. My grandfather used to keep his motorcycle in the shed.
Whilst (conj) — during the time, at the same time. Similar to ‘while’, but old-
fashioned. Whilst you were sleeping, I ordered some pizza.
Gumshield (n) — A piece of plastic shaped after your gums that is used in fighting
to protect your teeth. Tyson hit the opponent so hard that the gumshield flew out of
his mouth.
Stringent (adj) — very severe and limiting. Financial regulations in this country
are quite stringent.
Stamina (n) — physical and mental strength that allows you to do something for a
long time. If you want to test your stamina, come trekking with us next Saturday!
Part 7
Flexible (adj) — easily changed or adjusted for current needs. Introducing a
flexible timetable is what every school should consider.
Itinerary (n) — route of your journey or travel. I want to include some additional
places to our planned itinerary.
Get on (phr. v) — if you get on with someone, you get along well, you are friendly
to each other. I’m sorry that you didn’t get on with Susan.
Go with the flow (phr) — to do something others do; to let a situation guide you,
to improvise. At first I had a carefully planned itinerary for our trip, but then I
decided not to use it and just go with the flow.
Fortnightly (adv) — every two weeks. A fortnight is a period of two weeks. While
you’re away, please send me letters fortnightly.
Remote (adj) — situated far away from everything, distant. He has always wanted
to live a quiet life in a remote part of the world.
Substitute (n) — replacement or alternative. There is no substitute for sports – it is
important to exercise if you want to live a healthy, fulfilling life.
Get to grips with (phr) — to try and deal with a difficult situation. Once you get to
grips with mathematics, programming becomes much easier.
Liberating (adj) — making you feel free, unrestricting. Moving out of your
parents house can feel extremely liberating.
Miserable (adj) — unhappy or causing unhappiness. Walking in the rain when it’s
cold can be really miserable.
Enhance (v) — to improve the quality or strength of something. To greatly
enhance your quality of life, I suggest giving up smoking.
Test 2

Vocabulary
The vocabulary below is meant to help you with the more difficult words. If the
word isn’t on the list then you are either supposed to know it or it is too specific to
be worth learning and you don’t have to know it to answer the question. Symbols
in brackets mean part of speech(see bottom of the list). Sentences in italics give
examples of usage for some more complex words and phrases.

And remember — you are not given a vocabulary list (or a dictionary) at your
real exam.

Part 1
Natural habitat — the area and conditions where an animal usually lives. This
TV-show gives us a chance to see bears in their natural habitat.
Inlet (n) — a narrow strip of water that goes into the land, for example between
islands.
Shoal (n) — a group of fish swimming together. The water was crystal clear and
we could see shoals of fish at the sea bottom.
Herring (n) – silver-coloured fish, usually found in large groups. This island is
most famous for its herring fishing.

Part 2
Landscape (n) — large area of land and the way it looks. Icelandic countries are
known for their rocky landscapes and cliffs.
Depict (v) — to show or present in a form of a picture or a story. In this book the
author depicts the hard life of harbour workers.
Sketchpad (n) — sheets of paper joined together used for drawing. Sketchpad is
an affordable gift for a kid who is into drawing.

Part 3
Pass down (phr) — to give something to someone who is younger or not as
important as you. This knowledge is passed down from one generation to another.
Convince (v) — to make someone change their mind, to persuade someone. Try to
convince your boss to give you a raise – you’ve been working for the company for
two years now.
Blood vessel (v) — the tubes that carry blood in your body. If a blood vessel comes
open, you better use a bandage to avoid intense bleeding.

Part 5
Lad (n) — a boy, a guy or a young man. Those lads look like trouble; don’t spend
too much time around them.
Dart (v) — move somewhere quickly and suddenly. I could hear a crash, and a
small boy darting out of the room right after.
Peek out (phr v) — to look out of something in a secret way in order not to be
seen. I was too scared to peek out and see if they were still there.
Cropped (adj) — cut to be made shorter. His cropped hair didn’t look that good –
I liked him better the old way.
Dismay (n) — feeling lost and disappointed. To my dismay, nobody turned up for
my birthday party.
Gig (n) — a music concert, especially pop or rock. We didn’t have anything
planned, so we went to a rock gig with a couple of her friends.
Fancy (v) — (v) if you fancy something, you’d like or want to have it. I didn’t
fancy going to the movies that night, so instead we went to a pub.
Hoot (v) — (here) to use a car’s horn signal. There was a huge traffic jam
downtown, drivers hooting impatiently at each other.
Part 6
Cite (v) — quote, bring up as an example. You could cite some well-known
scientists to make your argument sound more convincing.
Seasoned (adj) — experienced and knowledgeable. A seasoned adventurer like
you shouldn’t be afraid of spending a night in the woods.
Burn out (phr) — if you burn out, you stop liking something because you’ve had
too much of it. I’m afraid to burn out on my favourite TV-series so I only watch
one episode a week.
Appraisal (n) — examination of something to judge how good or bad it is. They
are going to appraise your professional performance tomorrow.
Fondly (adv) — in a way that you like or enjoy. I remember the moments from my
childhood fondly.
Prospects (n) — how likely something good is to happen in the future. This
company’s financial prospects are pretty good – it will probably triple the money it
has by the end of next year.
Outlook (n) — the likely situation in the future. The outlook for the university is
not so great, especially after the recent scandal!

Part 7
Light-hearted (adj) — careless, happy and not serious. Nancy’s light-hearted
attitude made her very popular at school.
Reassure (v) — to make someone less worried by telling them something
comforting. There was nobody around to reassure Stacy when the crisis struck.
Jokey (adj) — not serious, funny. Bill is a jokey fellow, and he likes to be known
for that.
Circuit (n) — a closed road that is used for racing. Suzuka is the most famous
racing circuit in Japan.
Role model (n) — a person you respect, admire and want to be similar to. Fathers
often become role models for their sons.
Impart (v) — to share information with someone, to communicate a message. The
words of wisdom that he would sometimes impart were going to affect my whole
life.
Unwavering(n) — never stopping or becoming weaker. An unwavering desire to
make money is something every businessperson could benefit from.
Unruly (adj) — hard to control, independent, not obeying the rules. Joshua is an
unruly employee who never follows company dress code.
Catchphrase (n) — something that is used often by a person and a company and
becomes associated with them. ‘Don’t give up, no matter what’ came to be my
football coach catchphrase.
Stick at smth — continue doing something hard or difficult. If you won’t stick at
it, you will never become a good actor.

Test 3:
Part 1
Gesture (n) — a movement that you make with your hands or head to express
some idea or information. He likes using gestures a lot, although I don’t
understand what he really means by them.
Hardware (n) — (here) any piece of (electronic) equipment, a gadget. His
computer is loaded with the latest, most expensive hardware.
Interpret (v) — to explain or to give your own understanding of something. His
gestures can be hard to interpret sometimes.

Part 2
Ensure (v) —to make sure or certain. Before you leave, please ensure that all the
doors are locked.
Enhance (v) — Improve, make larger in size or quantity. To enhance your
experience of the tour, the company provides your with a free booklet.
Crucial (adj) — very important or necessary. Lectures are a crucial part of
studying at university and missing them is frowned upon.

Part 3
Thunder (v) — to make a very loud noise as the one made by the skies when
there’s a storm. A yellow racecar thundered past us, smelling of petrol.
Rapids (n) — a fast-flowing part of the river, sometimes narrow. Kate is really
into dangerous stuff – taking a boat down rapids is something she does on a
regular basis.
Relative (adj) — measured when compared to something else. So many things in
the world are relative – you are not very rich by this country’s standards, but you
would be considered a wealthy man somewhere in Africa.
Stray (v) — lose one’s way or move away from the original route. If it is your first
time in the woods, it is better to stick to the path and not stray from it.

Part 5
Assorted (adj) — mixed, different. The bowl was filled with assorted sweets – big
and small and of all colours.
Match (v) — to have the same style, shape or colour. Fashion enthusiasts believe
that your sunglasses should match your shoes in colour.
Harassed (adj) — tired or annoyed because you have a lot to do. With three more
subjects to revise for the exam, he already had harassed expression on his face.
Wrap up — to fully cover with a protective wrap so it doesn’t get
damaged. Before moving into a new flat, it is a good idea to wrap up your furniture
to prevent scratches.
Atomised (adj) — turned into atoms (the smallest possible parts in the universe),
destroyed.
Object (v) — to be openly against something. I didn’t object to your idea of
moving abroad.

Part 6
Commission (v) — to pay someone to do some work. The difference from ‘hire’ is
that commissioning is a one-time arrangement. I commissioned an illustrator to
make some pictures for my book.
Established (adj) — approved, successful and respected, existing for a long
time. It took Salvador Dali a while to become an established artist.
Take to (phr) — start doing or get used to something. He didn’t take to smoking
until he turned 16.
Whilst (conj) — similar to ‘while’, but more formal and old-fashioned. Whilst you
were away, we have done all the work.
Pillar (n) — a column that is used to support the structure of a building. The
architecture of Ancient Greece is famous for its extensive use of pillars.
Sophisticated (adj) — (about equipment) technologically developed, complex. I
have to use a number of sophisticated gadgets to achieve good results.
Label (v) — put a sticky piece of paper on something with a description of what it
is or who it belongs to. Please label those boxes so that we would know what is
inside them.

Part 7
Frustrating (adj) — annoying or irritating because you can do nothing about it. It
is frustrating how young people nowadays are not grateful for what they have.
Victim (n) — a person who is hurt, killed or has otherwise suffered from actions or
other people, illness or an accident. She has been robbery victim twice in her life.
Flashy (adj) — bright, attracting attention, often in a vulgar way. She wore a
yellow cocktail dress, which I thought to be too flashy for that kind of party.
Turn up (phr v) — show up, come or appear. Only a handful of people turned up
for the opening ceremony.
Sore (adj) — feeling pain; hurt. My throat is sore, I think I’m going to get ill
again!
Snarled up — stuck, not able to make any progress. I hate it when my studying
gets snarled up by telephone calls.
Fluorescent (adj) — if something is fluorescent, it reflects light that is directed at
it, as if it shines. Her place is pretty cool, with lots of fluorescent paint on the walls
that makes everything look surreal.
Overdressed (adj) — wearing clothes that are too formal or expensive for the
occasion. I came to the party wearing a tuxedo, and I was clearly overdressed as
everybody else was wearing just jeans and t-shirts.

Extensively (adv) — covering a large area. The school premises are extensively used for all kinds
of events held by its students.
Commitment (n) — a promise or arrangement. As a teacher, you should make a commitment to
stay with the school for the rest of the academic year.
Successive (adj) — happening one after another. The team has an amazing record of twelve
successive wins.
Sovereign (n) – a king or queen. As the sovereign of the state, you have the ultimate power.
Inevitably (adv) – happening no matter one, unavoidably. He didn’t revise the paper for the
exam, and as a result, he inevitably failed.
Admission fee (n) – a payment that is made in order to be allowed inside (a museum, an
exhibition, a bar and so on). Before entering, you are expected to pay an admission fee of $10
per head.

Part 3

Cope with (v) — to deal with a difficult situation successfully. We finally managed to cope with
our financial problems

Part 5

Limp (v) — walk slowly and with difficulty because of a hurt or damaged leg. I got injured
playing football and had to limp away from the field.
Shift (for) (v) — to earn money, cook food, pay bills yourself. Lucy had to shift for herself since
she was 18.
Disconsolately (adv) — in a depressed, very sad way. Having failed his exams, he walked around
campus disconsolately.
Bully (v) — to harass, hurt or frighten someone. If you are bullied at school, it might be a good
idea to approach your headmaster with this issue.
Glare (v) — look at someone angrily or unfriendly. I asked about her age and got nothing but a
sudden glare.
Guffaw (n) — a loud laughter, caused by somebody’s mistake or silly phrase. I asked about our
school’s uniform and only got a guffaw out of them. As it turned out, I was the only one wearing
it.
Facetiousness (n) — act of joking at an inappropriate moment. His facetiousness is almost
cynical – last time he decided to tell a horrible joke in the middle of a funeral!
Indignant (adj) — angry at something because it is wrong, unfair or unjust. I grew indignant
looking at senior students picking on a freshman.
Crow (v) — make happy sounds. The children crowed at the playground.
Club foot (n) — a foot that is badly twisted from birth. He’s always been into football but never
played it because of his club foot.
Shin (n) — front part of leg between knee and ankle. Make sure to wear leg protection to avoid
injuring your shins.
Gasp (v) — take a short quick breat of air through your mouth, especially when you are
shocked, frightened or hurt. He let out a short gasp after getting punched in the stomach.
Black eye (n) — a bruise under and around your eye, usually got as a result of a punch. Just give
him a black eye, nothing more, don’t hurt him too much.
Willingly (adv) — if you do something willingly, you do it because you want it, not because
you’re asked or told to do it. I can’t imagine a person who would willingly join their team.
Unseemly (adv) — socially impolite or unacceptable. Your unseemly behaviour attracted a lot of
bad attention.

Part 6

Addictive (adj) — if something is addictive, you want to keep doing or taking it, often in
increased amounts. Smoking and drinking alcohol are extremely addictive.
Mandate (v) — allow, give official permission. As a representative of your class, you are
mandated to use the office as you want as long as it benefits the class and its students.
Recall (v) — bring back from memory, remember. I can’t recall meeting you before, do we know
each other?
Canopy (n) — (of a parachute) a circular piece of special cloth that is the main part of a
parachute . I had my canopy painted in bright colours so I could be easily seen from below.
Ceaselessly (adv) — endlessly, without stopping. After she found about her cat she cried
ceaselessly for almost an hour.
Subsequent (adj) — following something else. I spent the subsequent days studying for my
exams.
Recollection (n) — memory of something. He had no recollection of seeing me at the party last
night.
Accustomed (adj) — used to something, having a habit of doing something. As a person not
accustomed to cold climate, I found winters in Norway to be a bit rough.
Tumble (v) — fall quickly and uncontrollably. I slipped on one of the steps and tumbled down the
stairs.
Velocity (n) — speed at which something or someone is travelling. Bullets can travel at a
velocity of several hundred meters a second.
Disentangle (v) — to separate things or objects that became joined. I had to disentangle my
earpod wires.
Drink in (v) — to feel fully, to pay a lot of attention and to enjoy something. I was drinking in the
atmosphere of the nightclub when I saw Jane.
Utter (v) — to make a sound, to say or pronounce something. Judging by her lips, she uttered
something, but I couldn’t make it out because of the loud music.
Release pin (n) — a small, thin piece of metal one has to pull in order to release or activate
some mechanism. In order to deploy the canopy you have to pull the release pin.

Part 7

Overcome (v) — deal with a problem. At first it can be hard to overcome your fear of heights,
but the more you try, the easier it gets.
Confront (v) — face or meet your enemy, fear, problem. You won’t defeat your fear until you
make an effort to confront it.
Tolerant (adj) — accepting and understanding different viewpoints and opinions. I was surprised
to learn that my father is a tolerant, broad-minded person.
Trek (v) — to walk over long distances through terrain such as forests, hills or mountains. You
could join us – we plan to trek for the rest of the week, but make sure are able to keep up!
Charity (n) — act of raising money for a good cause, such as helping the homeless or
orphanages. Rich people often take part in charity events to improve their public image.
Out of one’s depth— be in a situation that is too difficult for them to deal with. As soon as I had
started running my own business I realised I was out of my depth – it takes too much energy,
effort and mental strength.
Exhausted (adj) — with no physical or mental force left, extremely tired. We had spent the
whole day cycling in the mountains and by evening I was exhausted.
By merit of — thanks to, owing to. Jonathan was promoted to senior manager by merit of his
strong work ethic.
Dyslexic (adj) — a dyslexic person finds it difficult to read or write properly. The kids were
laughing at Johnny because he was dyslexic and couldn’t spell or read as well as them.
Beneath (prep) — below or under. Beneath the frozen surface of the lake we could see
something black.
Nauseous (adj) — feeling unwell, sick, about to throw up. I don’t think I should have eaten that
taco – I feel nauseous now.
Exposure (n) — being affected by something. Exposure to foreign speech can help you learn the
language.
Lead (n) — heavy metal that is often used to provide protection against radiation. A lead pipe
was lying in the corner.
Exhilarating (n) — exciting or happy. This is exhilarating news – we can finally have some rest
after working for ten hours.