For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

 

  0    A inviting B attracting    C involving   D appealing

 

New words for a dictionary

 

The editors of a new online dictionary are (0) …inviting… the public to submit words that they would like to see in the dictionary. People are already sending in words, some of which they have (1) ………… themselves – these will almost certainly not (2) ………… in the dictionary!

 

When a new word is submitted, editors check newspapers, radio, television and social networks to see how (3) …………the word is used. They also (4) ………… whether the word is likely to remain in use for more than one or two years. The evidence they collect will help them decide whether or not to put in the dictionary.

 

Editors will (5) ………… feedback on any words submitted by the public. Even words not accepted will (6) ………… to be monitored over the following year. Editors need to be (7) ………… of new words which emerge from areas such as popular culture and technology, so that their dictionary is a genuine (8) ………… of the current language.

 

For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

 

  0   A have     B  do    C get   D take

 

Why we need to play

 

Human beings are not the only creatures that like to (0) …have… fun. Many animals play, as do some birds. However, no other creatures spend so much time enjoying themselves as human beings do. Indeed, we (1)…………….. onto our sense of fun right into adulthood.

 

So why do human beings spend so much time playing? One reason is that we have time for leisure; animals have very little time to play as most of their life is spent in sleeping and (2)…………….. food.

So, is play just an opportunity for us to (3)…………….. in enjoyable activities or does it have a more important (4)……………..? According to scientists, (5)…………….. from being fun, play has several very real (6)…………….. for us – it helps our physical, intellectual and social development. It also helps to (7)…………….. us for what we have not yet experienced. With very (8)…………….. risk, we can act out what we would do in unexpected, or even dangerous, situations.

For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

 

 0 A predictable B steady    C respectable   D main

 

Home and abroad

 

After a short time living in a foreign country, I noticed conversations with locals assumed a (0) …predictable… pattern. There were standard answers to the usual questions. Most questions caused little (1)…………….. – it was rather like dancing, where both partners know how to avoid (2)……………..on each other’s toes.

 

But, ‘When are you going home?’ was a question I (3)……………..to answer, whenever I (4)…………….. my life and the direction it seemed to be (5)……………… . In the last ten years, I had lived in a dozen countries. And I had travelled through dozens more; usually in (6)…………….. of a purpose or a person; occasionally to see the attractions.

 

This kind of travel is not (7)…………….. wandering, but is the extensive exploration of a wide (8)…………….. of cultures. However, it doesn’t allow you to put down roots. At the back of your mind, though, is the idea of home, the place you came from.

For questions 1 – 12, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
There is an example at the beginning (0).

Holidays at home

Official figures show that the number of people (0) ..TAKING….. international flights is decreasing, and that this is (1) ……. in significant changes to holidaying habits. 

As the cost of air tickets increases, it appears that more and more familias are choosing to (2) ….. their summer holidays at home. People are also becoming more (3) ……. of the harm that flying does to the environment, and see it as a way of helping to (4) ……. the planet, too.

For many parents a summer with no airport queues or overcrowded resorts may seem attractive, but the idea might well be less (5) ……. with their teenage children, who are probably (6) ……. to flying off to the Mediterranean or Miami as soon as school breaks up. So, the question is, how can young people (7) ……. lots of fun when so much will be closed far the holidays, and so many of their friends are (8) ……. to be away?

The answer may lie at the local sports centre. Nowadays, many centres organise summer activities aimed at young people (9) ……. either on indoor or outdoor sports. These might range, far instance, from playing table tennis to (10) ……. mountain-biking. As well as being healthy and enjoyable, taking part in activities like these is also an excellent way to (11) …… new friends. Far the most popular activities, though, it is advisable to (12) ……. early far a place – perhaps two or three months in advance.

For questions 1 – 12, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
There is an example at the beginning (0).

Fingernails growing faster

People’s fingernails and toenails, (0) …according… to a recent study, are nowadays growing more quickly. Research (1) ….. out at the University of North Carolina indicates that the speed at which human nails are growing has increased by (2) ….. to 25 per cent over the last 70 years.

The results of the study show that the (3) ….. human fingernail now grows about 3.5 mm a month, (4) ….. with just 3 mm seven decades ago. Toenail growth, (5) ….. only about 2 mm per month, was also up on the figure (6) ….. in a similar survey done 70 years ago.

Researchers (7) ….. the rapid increase down to changes in lifestyle, particularly the greater (8)……. of the importance of regular exercise and a healthy diet. This, they point out, is in (9) ….. with similar trends in the height and weight of present-day adults.

nterestingly, it appears that nails (10) ….. to grow fastest in warmer conditions, with the quickest growth (11) ….. among young people, and men. The fastest-growing nail is on the middle finger, while that on the little finger is (12) ….. far the slowest, at only a fraction o ver 3 mm each month.

For questions 1 – 8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
There is an example at the beginning (0).

Coming second: pleasure or pain?

Every ambitious athlete hopes to (0) …fulfil… their dream of winning a gold medal at the Olympics.

However, not everyone can win, and often talented athletes must accept  second place. A team of psychologists recently (1)………. some research on the emotional responses of those finishing second. For certain individuals, a silver medal may (2) ………….. their expectations and so naturally they will be delighted. They may also enjoy surprising experts and journalists who believed they had absolutely no (3) of achieving anything.

In (4)…………..  , the athlete who everyone assumed would win with ease, but then suffers a (5) ………….. defeat, may not celebrate their silver medal. This reaction differs sharply from the athlete who comes second but finished a long way behind the winner. There is a (6)…………….. in the research that shows such a person will feel significantly happier.

To a certain (7)………….. , these findings are not surprising. Silver medallists who were close to victory will almost certainly (8) ……………..on what might have happened if they had trained harder, or done things differently.

For questions 1 – 8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
There is an example at the beginning (0).

Off the beaten track

The expression ‘getting off the beaten track’ is used to (0) ….refer……… to the experience of avoiding famous tourist attractions and choosing instead to explore less well-known places when travelling.

For many people the whole (1) …………. of travel is to visit cities such as Paris or Venice that have a great (2) …………….. as places of beauty and historic importance. Furthermore, they are not particularly (3)………… by the crowds that are usually found in such locations. But for others who have more of a (4) ………. of adventure, a good holiday must (5) ……….. unfamiliar experiences, even taking some risks.

Travelling off the beaten track may be done by some students who don’t (6)……… to a rigid plan, but make decisions about what to do depending on how they feel. Other travellers prefer to spend money on guided tours to unusual locations. Such tours are designed to (7)…………… their particular needs, and all the arrangements are made for them. However people choose to get off the beaten track, the hope is always the same: to have a special, often unique (8) …………… of a different culture.

For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

The joy of photography

Photography is a hobby with wide (0)….appeal…….. . And I don’t mean taking photos on your mobile phone, though it cannot be (1)…………… that such pictures can be surprisingly good these days. Serious photography means taking the (2)…………… to do some research, exploring the technical (3)……………. of the subject and investing in what might be quite expensive equipment.

So why take up photography? Firstly, it allows you to (4)……………… special moments that you want to remember forever. In addition, it (5)…………..  your imagination because you are always in search of ideas for original and out of the ordinary photos.

However, a lot of practice is required before you (6)…………….. to take really good pictures on a regular basis. When you finally do it, it will be a (7) ………… of great satisfaction for you. Photography can also transform the way you look at the world. You start to see details that in the past you used to miss (8)…………….. . All in all, it’s a highly absorbing hobby.

For questions 1 – 8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
There is an example at the beginning (0).

The oldest leather shoe in the world

Archaeologists (0) …report….. that a perfectly preserved 5,500-year-old shoe has been discovered in a cave in Armenia in south-west Asia. It is (1) …….. to be the oldest leather shoe ever found.

The shoe was made of a single piece of leather, stitched at the front and back, and was shaped to fit the wearer’s foot. It had been (2) …….. with grasses, either for warmth or to make sure it kept its shape. ‘The shoe is relatively small but we can’t say for (3) …….. whether it was worn by a man or a woman,’ says Dr Ron Pinhasi, an archaeologist on the research (4) ……… ‘We thought at first that it was about 600-700 years old because it was in such good shape.’

Shoes of this type from later periods have turned (5) …….. in archaeological excavations in various places in Europe, and shoes of a very similar design were still being used on the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland as (6) …….. as the 1950s. It’s (7) …….. a style which (8) …….. popular for thousands of years.

 

Read the text below and choose the correct word for each space. For each question, choose the correct letter A, B, C or D. 

 

Travelling in the Glasgow area

The city of Glasgow has a modern underground rail network and (1) ………………. of buses and trains. It also has a (2) ………………. other forms of transport. The ferry across the river Clyde between Yoker (3) ………………. Renfrew is popular with tourists. There has been a ferry in service here (4) ………………. around 500 years. The (5) ………………. takes about half an hour, and it’s an interesting way to see this part of the city. For a (6) ………………. boat ride, you could try one of the cruises on the Clyde. The cruises (7) ………………. at the Riverside Museum and sail down the river past some interesting historical parts of the city. If you (8) ………………. trying something more adventurous, you could travel from Glasgow to the island of Mull on a seaplane. The (9) ………………. are quite expensive, but it’s an experience you won’t forget. Also in the air, why not try a helicopter flight? It’s not cheap, but you get an amazing (10) ………………. of the city.