Academic Vocabulary Test 1:

How Well Do You Know the 1st Half of the AWL?

Take this academic vocabulary test to see how well you have learned the vocabulary from the Academic
Word List that has been practiced the most in English Detective. This test will check your ability to use
over 1/3 of the Academic Word List (AWL.)

Most of the vocabulary in the AWL will appear on this (or a subsequent) test, but questions and blanks
will only test words that have appeared in English Detective readings or practice at least four times
(usually 5 or more.) (The test will also omit a few of the most common AWL words of all, words like
‘adult’ and ‘percent.’) Please note that the quotes and “research” reported below are not real, but are
invented for this test, for the purpose of demonstrating the use of these words.

This test has two sections: 18 multiple-choice questions and a 20-blank gap-fill exercise

Section 1: Multiple Choice

1.Which of these words means ‘enough’?

A. adequate
B. insufficient
C. potential
D. significant

2.Which of these words does NOT mean a ‘change’?

A. amendment
B. evolution
C. shift
D. stability
E. transition
3. If someone offers to ‘compensate you for your labor,’ they mean they will

A. reward you for praising them

B. grade your work
C. pay you for your work
D. make you happy that you studied hard

4. which of these words means ‘to get larger’?

A. maximum
B. expand
C. decline
D. dimension
E. volume

5. “After consulting the judge about the legal meaning of several terms, the jury returned a verdict of
‘not guilty’ despite physical evidence that the defendant had been at the victim’s home at the time the
murder occurred.” Which of the following is most likely based on that quotation?

A. The jury did not believe the defendant was at the location of the crime.
B. The jury did not believe the defendant met the legal definition of guilt.
C. The defendant had committed murder.
D. The defendant had not committed murder.

Use the information in the following paragraph to answer questions 6-8.

“The university administration’s commitment to pursue a major construction policy despite the
unfavorable economy will affect its ability to meet its other objectives. One consequence is that financial
aid will be reduced. Class sizes will also be impacted. This decision demonstrates the importance of
considering all the potential implications before implementing a new policy.”

6. Which policy did the university choose to emphasize?

A. financial aid
B. class size reduction
C. consideration of an economics major
D. construction of new buildings

7. Which of these pairs are synonyms (words with very similar meanings)?

A. affect & impact

B. reduction & increases
C. potential & policy
D. objectives & implications
8. Here are other possible synonyms of the words in the paragraph. Which pair are NOT synonyms?

A. objectives & goals

B. affect & effective
C. potential & possible
D. pursue & follow

9. Space scientists are developing a formula for another chemical compound that will withstand the
stresses of extreme heat, cold, and exposure to the elements. To test their new product, they will assess
its performance under extreme conditions: very high pressures, high and low temperatures, and high
humidity.

A synonym for assess is

A. categorize
B. deduce
C. evaluate
D. estimate

10. The criteria for success of the scientists in question 9 is that the compound

A. will endure environmental stresses

B. is easy to assess
C. is high in humidity
D. is an element

11. At a scientific conference, several researchers presented updates on the status of their projects. One
group of scientists exhibited a model of the interactions between various gas molecules at different
temperatures. They explained the logic behind their revised concept of temperature effects on molecule
movement, and how they had had to alter their assumptions as they collected more data using
extremely precise new technical procedures.

Choose the answer best supported by the paragraph above.

New data caused the scientists to:

A. change their understanding of how temperature affects molecules.

B. decide they needed more accurate measurements.
C. design new experiments using gas molecules.
D. update their status report more frequently.

12. Several other researchers interpreted their results using a complex equation that showed the
differences in the output as they substituted one variable for another. They demonstrated a way to
confirm the validity of their data and its accuracy to 99.98%.

The equation showed changes in output as researchers changed the variables used.

A. True
B. False
13. Another group at the conference summarized their experience in submitting a grant proposal to a
major foundation. They explained why the foundation had rejected their proposal the first time and
accepted a revised version. They contrasted the details that differed in each version. The conclusions
that emerged from their presentation, and the distinctions between the two apparently similar
proposals, will be valuable to other scientists seeking to obtain funding from similar institutions.

According to the scientists’ report at the conference, how did the foundation treat the two grant
proposals?

A. It agreed to fund the first but not the second.

B. It agreed to fund the second but not the first.
C. The foundation said it is interested in similar proposals.
D. The foundation had not yet considered either proposal.

14. Which of these statements gives the approximate sequence of events for these grant writers?

A. They wrote an initial grant proposal and submitted it to the foundation for review. Then they changed
several components in the grant proposal and submitted it again. The foundation rejected their
proposal. After the scientists presented their findings at the conference, the foundation reconsidered
and consented to fund their project.

B. They wrote an initial grant proposal and submitted it to the foundation for review. The foundation
accepted that proposal, but asked for a few changes. Then it consented to fund their project. The
scientists explained their grant experience to the conference.

C. They wrote an initial grant proposal and explained it to the conference. Then they submitted it to the
foundation for review. The foundation rejected that proposal but accepted a revised proposal.

D. They wrote an initial grant proposal and submitted it to the foundation for review. The foundation
rejected it. They changed several components in the grant proposal and submitted it again. The
foundation accepted that proposal and consented to fund their project. The scientists explained their
grant experience to the conference.

15. A large retail company’s annual corporate report discussed both exports and the domestic financial
cycle. It indicated that consumer attitudes toward credit have changed considerably in the previous two
three-month periods. An internal memo commented on several items the public report excluded. It
concluded that the biggest challenge facing their business was finding a better way to market benefits of
long-term service contracts.

The internal memo suggested that the best response to changes in consumer attitudes would be to

A. change the products they sell so consumers can afford them without using credit.
B. change their marketing approach to emphasize the value of service contracts.
C. get long-term contracts with export marketing firms.
D. find new ways to benefit from changes in consumer attitudes.
16. The company’s recent acquisition of a chain of discount clothing stores is another instance of
corporate expansion. To put this in context, the chain will nearly double the number of stores they own
in the Midwest.

Their overall approach to sales relies on buyer psychology. Their marketing research has shown that
buyers want more options for personalization. It shows, furthermore, that restricting access to products
may make them more desirable. (It makes buyers feel special to be part of an exclusive group that is not
open to everyone.)

Restricting access to products means that:

A. it is easy for buyers to access products

B. exclusive groups have unlimited access to products
C. there are limits to who can get some products
D. some buyers are restricted in the amount of money they can spend

17. In a parallel development, marketing researchers have been analyzing consumer perceptions toward
a range of new jewelry styles. They tested whether external factors like presentation and the number of
options affect buying choices more than the colors, materials, size, and proportions of the jewelry itself.

‘External factors’ above refer to:

A. the way the jewelry is presented rather than the nature of the jewelry
B. the size and proportions of the jewelry
C. options like the color and metal of which the jewelry is made
D. the outside surface of the jewelry: is it rough or shiny, bright or dull, etc.

18. “From a long-term, overall perspective, the (1)___________ aspects of childcare to emphasize for
new parents are love, discipline, and consistency. These (2)___________ may seem obvious, even old-
fashioned, but they are still as relevant and important as ever.”

The blanks in the sentences above can be filled by the words ‘principle(s)’ and/or ‘principal.’ Which of
these options uses both words correctly?

A. 1. principle; 2. principals
B. 1. principal; 2. principles
C. 1. principle; 2. principles
D. 1. principal; 2. principals
 Section 2: Gap-fill
This imaginary news article uses a large number of words from the AWL. Fill in the gaps (blanks) from
this list:

access, analyzed, appropriate, concentrated, conducted, constitution, features, foundation, imaginary,

journalists, maintenance, minority, monitor, philosophies, section, sectors, selected, summarized,
symbol, version

Students Organize a Hypothetical State

The students in Mr. Duncan’s Civics classes at Central State High School have organized a government
for the _________ new state of East California. Mr. Duncan began by giving his students an orientation
lecture on traditional __________ of authority and the practical outcomes of those theories.

The student participants _________ a survey of the potential citizens (other students at the school) to
learn the _________ they wanted most for their new state. They _________ the statistics they collected
and _________ them in their first report.

Then they drafted a ___________ to provide a framework for future legislation. Each of Mr. Duncan’s
classes was responsible for a different _________. They _________ the students with the largest
vocabularies to write the preamble (introduction) for it. That may have been a mistake.

Their initial ________ began “Whereas the people of East California sought a revision in governance, this
document will establish parameters for a stable _________for the creation of a fundamentally more
beneficial state.” (After reading it, Mr. Duncan asked the school’s English teachers to help his students
find clearer, more ___________language for a 21st century constitution.)

Once the constitution was finished, one class coordinated economic planning. They __________ on
strategies to facilitate growth. Another factor they considered was the ___________ of balance
between the public and private _________, ensuring that the government would not dominate the
state’s economy.

Another class discussed mechanisms for public _________ to government officials. They generated ideas
for handling complaints and suggestions of ways to increase public welfare.

Two of his top students acted as investigative__________, raising questions to determine if the new
government would function as the students intended. They asked what regulations would protect
_________ rights. How would their new government handle conflict between ethnic groups or political
factions? How would they __________ security issues?

The best artist in Mr. Duncan’s classes contributed an illustration of a condor flying overhead as a
__________ of their new state.
 Answers
Section 1: Multiple Choice
1.Which of these words means ‘enough’?

A. adequate

2.Which of these words does NOT mean a ‘change’?

D. stability

3. If someone offers to ‘compensate you for your labor,’ they mean they will

C. pay you for your work

4. which of these words means ‘to get larger’?

B. expand

5. “After consulting the judge about the legal meaning of several terms, the jury returned a verdict of
‘not guilty’ despite physical evidence that the defendant had been at the victim’s home at the time the
murder occurred.” Which of the following is most likely based on that quotation?

B. The jury did not believe the defendant met the legal definition of guilt.

Use the information in the following paragraph to answer questions 6-8.

“The university administration’s commitment to pursue a major construction policy despite the
unfavorable economy will affect its ability to meet its other objectives. One consequence is that financial
aid will be reduced. Class sizes will also be impacted. This decision demonstrates the importance of
considering all the potential implications before implementing a new policy.”

6. Which policy did the university choose to emphasize?

D. construction of new buildings

7. Which of these pairs are synonyms (words with very similar meanings)?

A. affect & impact

8. Here are other possible synonyms of the words in the paragraph. Which pair are NOT synonyms?

B. affect & effective

9. Space scientists are developing a formula for another chemical compound that will withstand the
stresses of extreme heat, cold, and exposure to the elements. To test their new product, they will assess
its performance under extreme conditions: very high pressures, high and low temperatures, and high
humidity.

A synonym for assess is

C. evaluate

10. The criteria for success of the scientists in question 9 is that the compound

A. will endure environmental stresses

11. At a scientific conference, several researchers presented updates on the status of their projects. One
group of scientists exhibited a model of the interactions between various gas molecules at different
temperatures. They explained the logic behind their revised concept of temperature effects on molecule
movement, and how they had had to alter their assumptions as they collected more data using
extremely precise new technical procedures.

Choose the answer best supported by the paragraph above.

New data caused the scientists to:

A. change their understanding of how temperature affects molecules.

12. Several other researchers interpreted their results using a complex equation that showed the
differences in the output as they substituted one variable for another. They demonstrated a way to
confirm the validity of their data and its accuracy to 99.98%.

The equation showed changes in output as researchers changed the variables used.

A. True

13. Another group at the conference summarized their experience in submitting a grant proposal to a
major foundation. They explained why the foundation had rejected their proposal the first time and
accepted a revised version. They contrasted the details that differed in each version. The conclusions
that emerged from their presentation, and the distinctions between the two apparently similar
proposals, will be valuable to other scientists seeking to obtain funding from similar institutions.

According to the scientists’ report at the conference, how did the foundation treat the two grant
proposals?

B. It agreed to fund the second but not the first.

14. Which of these statements gives the approximate sequence of events for these grant writers?

D. They wrote an initial grant proposal and submitted it to the foundation for review. The foundation
rejected it. They changed several components in the grant proposal and submitted it again. The
foundation accepted that proposal and consented to fund their project. The scientists explained their
grant experience to the conference.

15. A large retail company’s annual corporate report discussed both exports and the domestic financial
cycle. It indicated that consumer attitudes toward credit have changed considerably in the previous two
three-month periods. An internal memo commented on several items the public report excluded. It
concluded that the biggest challenge facing their business was finding a better way to market benefits of
long-term service contracts.

The internal memo suggested that the best response to changes in consumer attitudes would be to

B. change their marketing approach to emphasize the value of service contracts.

16. The company’s recent acquisition of a chain of discount clothing stores is another instance of
corporate expansion. To put this in context, the chain will nearly double the number of stores they own
in the Midwest.

Their overall approach to sales relies on buyer psychology. Their marketing research has shown that
buyers want more options for personalization. It shows, furthermore, that restricting access to products
may make them more desirable. (It makes buyers feel special to be part of an exclusive group that is not
open to everyone.)

Restricting access to products means that:

C. there are limits to who can get some products

17. In a parallel development, marketing researchers have been analyzing consumer perceptions toward
a range of new jewelry styles. They tested whether external factors like presentation and the number of
options affect buying choices more than the colors, materials, size, and proportions of the jewelry itself.

‘External factors’ above refer to:

A. the way the jewelry is presented rather than the nature of the jewelry

18. “From a long-term, overall perspective, the (1)___________ aspects of childcare to emphasize for
new parents are love, discipline, and consistency. These (2)___________ may seem obvious, even old-
fashioned, but they are still as relevant and important as ever.”

The blanks in the sentences above can be filled by the words ‘principle(s)’ and/or ‘principal.’ Which of
these options uses both words correctly?

B. 1. principal; 2. principles
 Section 2: Gap-fill
This imaginary news article uses a large number of words from the AWL. Fill in the gaps (blanks) from
this list:

access, analyzed, appropriate, concentrated, conducted, constitution, features, foundation, imaginary,

journalists, maintenance, minority, monitor, philosophies, section, sectors, selected, summarized,
symbol, version

Students Organize a Hypothetical State

The students in Mr. Duncan’s Civics classes at Central State High School have organized a government
for the imaginary new state of East California. Mr. Duncan began by giving his students an orientation
lecture on traditional philosophies of authority and the practical outcomes of those theories.

The student participants conducted a survey of the potential citizens (other students at the school) to
learn the features they wanted most for their new state. They analyzed the statistics they collected and
summarized them in their first report.

Then they drafted a constitution to provide a framework for future legislation. Each of Mr. Duncan’s
classes was responsible for a different section. They selected the students with the largest vocabularies
to write the preamble (introduction) for it. That may have been a mistake.

Their initial version began “Whereas the people of East California sought a revision in governance, this
document will establish parameters for a stable foundation for the creation of a fundamentally more
beneficial state.” (After reading it, Mr. Duncan asked the school’s English teachers to help his students
find clearer, more appropriate language for a 21st century constitution.)

Once the constitution was finished, one class coordinated economic planning. They concentrated on
strategies to facilitate growth. Another factor they considered was the maintenance of balance between
the public and private sectors, ensuring that the government would not dominate the state’s economy.

Another class discussed mechanisms for public access to government officials. They generated ideas for
handling complaints and suggestions of ways to increase public welfare.

Two of his top students acted as investigative journalists, raising questions to determine if the new
government would function as the students intended. They asked what regulations would protect
minority rights. How would their new government handle conflict between ethnic groups or political
factions? How would they monitor security issues?

The best artist in Mr. Duncan’s classes contributed an illustration of a condor flying overhead as a
symbol of their new state.
How well did you do on the test? If you got 16 or more multiple choice questions right, and all but one
or two of the gap-fills, congratulations!

If you missed more than 6-9 on the whole test, or if you did not understand several of the questions, try
studying the words that confused you. If you need more than a simple definition, the Alphabetical
Academic Word List pages in EnglishHints can help. (The first page gives A-B; jump from the 2nd
paragraph to the bottom of that page for links to the rest of the alphabet.)

Each entry gives you the common forms for each word family, the newsletter that practiced each (with
reading material, vocabulary practices, and often a crossword), and any page(s) in EnglishHints that
target it.

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