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CLASS PRACTICE – No. 6

Exercise 1. Choose one word from the box to complete each sentence.

A. complementary C. drenched E. evasive G. innocuous I. intriguing

B. outlandish D. solid F. stilted H. vested K. vulnerable
1. All of us who earn a living working for this magazine naturally have a/an vested interest in its success.
2. Barry tends to be rather evasive bout his private life, rarely giving a straight answer to personal questions.
3. The book was well translated, except for the dialogue, which was rather stilted and unnatural.
4. It was a perfectly innoucuos remark so I don’t know why he’s taken offence.
5. The fashion pages in this magazine show such outlandish (strange/unusual) clothes that I can’t imagine
anyone wanting to wear them.
6. Without a car alarm or special security lock, cars parked in the city centre are particularly vunerable to
theft.
7. That’s a(n) intriguing idea- I’d like to hear more about it.
8. George came home drenched after riding through the storm on his motorbike.
9. Petrol stations these days don’t only sell petrol; they offer a lot of complementary services, such as selling
food, drinks and toiletries for your journey.
10. It’s an interesting article but there’s rather too much speculation and a lack of solid facts.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences by putting ONE word in each space.

1. Very dense fog around the south part of the island caused the ship to run aground.
2. This meeting is dragging on; I hope it will end soon.
3. Due to recent snowstorms, lots of villages have been snowed in.
4. He does nothing but watch TV. He’s a couch potato.
5. All passengers are asked to proceed to the upper deck.
6. I would rather travel first class whenever I can afford I t- it’s so much more comfortable.
7. The steward woke me up and told me to fasten my seatbelt as we were about to land.
8. She flew off the handle when they told her that her luggage had been misplaced.
9. The guide will meet us at eth hotel to give us a tour of the city.
10. He lost control of the car and crashed into a tree.

Exercise 3. Complete the passage by choosing ONE suitable word for each gap.
How was my trip to England? Well, fine, actually, though nothing (1.)______ of the ordinary. As you know,
the week before I left I still hadn’t (2.) ______round to booking a flight, and quite honestly I didn’t think I’d
find one at such (3.) ______notice. I wasn’t worried though, as I always have my grandmother’s place in the
village to fall (4.) ______on for the holidays if I have nothing else arrange. And (5.) ______some respects
it’s just as nice there; I remember last Easter when my plans to go to France (6.) ______through at the last
minute, I went to stay with granny and had a great time- it’s so quiet and peaceful. But anyway this time my
travel agent was really helpful- she went to great (7.) ______to find me a flight on the dates I wanted; she
range round all the airlines and (8.) ______the end, apparently (9.) ______sheer coincidence, I ended up
travelling on the same flight as Sarah, which was nice- oh, and Jack- you know that awful boy from school –
we could have done (10.) ______him, he’s so boring.
1. A. out B. through C. except
2. A. got B. looked C. done
3. A. short B. little C. small
4. A. back B. off C. behind
5. A. on B. at C. in
6. A. drove B. fell C. did
7. A. extent B. lengths C. places
8. A. on B. in C. at
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9. A. from B. by C. sheer
10. A. without B. up C. out
Exercise 4. Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bold. Use between 3 and 8 words. Do
not change the meaning of the original sentence.
1. Her inefficiency made me lose my temper. (flew)
è So inefficient was she that I flew off the handle.
2. This month the regular crossword page will appear for the last time. (done)
èThe regular crossword page is going to be done away with as of next month.
3. I offered to help because she was behind in her work. (fallen)
èOnly because she had fallen behind with her work did I offer to help.
4. During the investigation, somebody stole Fred’s papers. (while)
èFred had his paper stolen while the investigation was in progress.
5. There were rumors that the tour operators had agreed with the price cut. (been)
èThe tour operators were rumored to have been in agreement with the price cut.

Exercise 5. Think of one word which can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
1. * We are pleased to announce that due to popular demand our travel pages will be continuing.
 The visitors are not due to arrive for another two hours yet.
 A decision will be made after due consideration of the fact.

2. – I listened to a(n) running commentary of the match on the radio.

 I think I left the tap running. I’d better go back and check.
 The flight to Edinburgh has been cancelled three days running.

3. – What I like most about my house in the mountain is the breathtaking view.
 In my view, everyone should be encouraged to travel abroad.
 As we rounded the bend, the lake came into view.

4. – The postcard showed a long stretch of beach lined with palm trees.
 These jeans are comfortable because the fabric has a bit of stretch in it.
 A lion can stay without moving for hours at a(n) stretch.

5. Don’t miss next week’s special feature on the history and social role of coffee.
 One interesting feature of life in the tropics is that plants grow very rapidly.
 The News will be followed by tonight’s feature film at 10 p.m.

Exercise 6. Use the word in brackets to form a word that fits into the space.
A SUCCESSFUL NEWSPAPER
The Barnstaple Herald is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. This small local newspaper has managed to
(1.live) outlive all of its rivals, none of which survived the last recession, and whose owners obviously (2.
estimate) underestimated our dedication and determination to succeed. Over the years our (3. read)
readership has steadily increased, and many Barnstaple residents now take out annual (4. subscribe)
subscriptions. Our paper boasts a wide (5. cover) coverage of local and national events, written by
experienced and qualified (6. column) columnist, and we pride ourselves on our (7. depend) independence
from governmental or political party control. Any (8. censor) censorship that takes place is on purely ethical
grounds and we have not allowed ourselves to be intimidated by (9. extreme) extremist pressure groups.
And while there has been some (10. critic) criticism of the brevity of our reporting of international sports
news, we feel that as a local paper, our duty is first and foremost to supply the public with local news.

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Exercise 7. You will read an extract from a novel by Emma Tenant entitled The Queen of Stones.
Read and answer the questions that follow.

1. What do we learn about the fog in the first paragraph?

A. It was coming in from the sea. B. It had unnerved the twins
C. It had obscured historical landmarks. D. It was behind the group of children.

2. It was natural for the pilot to misinterpret the situation because _____________.
A. he was disappointed by his earlier failure B. he was distracted by the beauty of one of the girls
C. the picture of the land from the air was confusing D. visibility from the air was not very good

3. Why did the pilot initially decide to fly lower?

A. To see one of the girls better B. To find out where the girls were heading
C. To admire the changing colors of the trees D. To rescue the girls from their predicament

4. After the event, the pilot _____________.

A. had a very clear recollection of all of the girls
B. felt particularly concerned about the smallest children
C. remembered one girl more clearly than the others
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D. was unable to provide all the details of what he had seen

5. How did the pilot explain why he momentarily changed course?

A. One girl seemed competent to take care of the situation.
B. He was affected by the girls’ conflicting reactions.
C. One of the girls was obviously in charge.
D. He could not give any explanation at all.

6. The pilot was surprised at _____________.

A. how fast the fog obliterated everything B. how high the fog had moved
C. how far he could see from the helicopter D. how far off-course he had strayed

7. When the pilot returned, _____________.

A. he realized the girls had turned off the lane
B. he assumed the girls would find their way
C. he thought the girls must have seen the tree
D. he had a feeling the girls must be in trouble

Exercise 8. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence.
1. They were __________ from their apartment because they hadn’t paid the rent.
A. evicted B. deposed C. expelled D. discarded
2. I bought them a gift as a __________of thanks for all the help they had given me.
A. hint B. gesture C. signal D. symbol
3. A lot of photos came out __________because I wasn’t sure how to use the camera properly.
A. blurred B. distorted C. warped D. smudged
4. I didn’t know the words to the song, so I could only __________the tune while the others sang.
A. whine B. hiss C. mutter D. hum
5. It was three days before the storm__________ and life began to return to normal.
A. abated B. dwindled C. slackened D. alleviated
6. It’s quite out of __________for Paul to behave so terribly.
A. temperament B. personality C. nature D. character
7. To forget her problems, she __________herself with her work.
A. devoted B. occupied C. immersed D. dedicated
8. It was obvious that his __________intention was to cause an argument.
A. pure B. sheer C. sole D. mere
9. I took __________with him on a number of his comments, which I thought unfair.
A. challenge B. offence C. exception D. issue
10. Despite all the evidence, he wouldn’t admit that he was in the __________.
A. fault B. error C. wrong D. slip
11. If you pay for both of us now, I’ll settle __________when we get home.
A. for B. on C. up D. in
12. The hotel didn’t __________the description given in the brochure.
A. fit B. conform C. tally D. correspond
13. Jane didn’t take __________to your suggestion that she was mean with her money.
A. pleasantly B. kindly C. cheerfully D. agreeably
14. I’m expecting to contact them by phone but __________that, I’ll write to them.
A. leaving B. excluding C. omitting D. failing
15. He__________ this city down so much that I don’t know why he doesn’t leave.
A. holds B. pulls C. talks D. runs

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16. He is held in high __________by everyone who works with him.
A. reputation B. respect C. regard D. renown
17. __________he caught his plane; he hasn’t phoned to say anything went wrong.
A. Presumably B. Supposedly C. Assuming D. Granted
18. I thought I had made it __________that I didn’t wish to discuss this matter.
A. distinct B. plain C. frank D. straight
19. It never __________my mind that such a terrible thing would happen.
A. struck B. dawned C. occurred D. entered
20. It was a bad mistake but it had no __________on the outcome of the match.
A. bearing B. relevance C. significance D. repercussion
21. From now on, staff meetings will be held on a __________basis once a month.
A. persistent B. commonplace C. standard D. regular
22. We took such a great __________to the place that we decided to go and live there.
A. affection B. fondness C. liking D. attraction
23. In the __________of demand for tickets, it has been decided that an extra performance will be staged.
A. view B. light C. consideration D. grounds
24. She works very hard and finds it difficult to __________when she gets home.
A. give in B. switch off C. let out D. wind up
25. I was worried but their reassurances put my mind at __________.
A. rest B. comfort C. calm D. relief

Exercise 9. For questions 1-11, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some
of the lines to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning
(0). Write your answers in brackets on the separate answer sheet.

Look out, the (1. transform) transformers are coming! Kids just love those (2. flex) flexible fiends that are
alternately monster and vehicle, but now it seems that they have (3. leap) leapt out from the screen to
become reality. Dr Mark Yim of Xerox's Palo Alto Research Centre (PARC for short) has developed the
Polybot, designed for use in search and rescue operations, deep-sea mining and space (4. explore)
exploration. Built of about a dozen identical modules, the Polybot changes shape while in motion, re-
building itself from these modules. Three different (5. configure) configurations are possible, depending on
the terrain. On a level surface, it is a (6. loop) looped tractor tread. Travelling downstairs or clambering over
obstacles, it morphs into a caterpillar, and on rough ground it becomes a four-legged "spider". How does it
do it? By having the modules talk to each other using infrared transceivers. They locate each other and
achieve (7. align) alignment with the aid of small on-board motors. The segments can both lock and (8.
connect) disconnect from each other at will, each being controlled by its own processor, with a (9.
rudiment) rudimentary. brain located in one of the modules. Cheap, durable and versatile once put into
mass (10. produce) production, the Polybot will eventually be able to regulate its own (11. behave )
behaviour, just like on TV. Now the kids will really love that!

Exercise 10. You are going to read an extract from a novel. Seven paragraphs have been removed
from the extract. Choose from paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra
paragraph which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.
REACHING ROCK BOTTOM
I lived in the Cog D'Or quarter for about a year and a half. One day, in summer, I found that I had just four
hundred and fifty francs left, and beyond this nothing but thirty-six francs a week, which I earned by giving
English lessons. Hitherto I had not thought about the future, but I now realized that I must do something at
once. I decided to start looking for a job and took the precaution of paying two hundred francs for a month's
rent in advance. With the other two hundred and fifty francs, besides the English lessons, I could live a

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month, and in a month I should probably find work. I aimed at becoming a guide to one of the tourist
companies, or perhaps an interpreter. However, a piece of bad luck prevented this.
1. C
This put an end to my plans of looking for work. I had now got to live at the rate of about six francs a day,
·and from the start it was too difficult to leave much thought for anything else. It was now that my
experiences of poverty began - for six francs a day, if not actual poverty, is on the fringe of it. Six francs is a
shilling, and you can live on a shilling a day in Paris if you know how. But it is a complicated business.
2. E
You come to realise, for instance, the secrecy attaching to poverty. At a sudden stroke you have been
reduced to an income of six francs a day. But of course you dare not admit it -you have got to pretend that
you are living quite as usual. From the start it tangles you in a net of lies, and even with the lies you can
hardly manage it. You stop sending clothes to the laundry, and the laundress catches you in the street and
asks you why; you mumble something, and she, thinking you are sending the clothes elsewhere, is your
enemy for life. There are letters you want to answer, and cannot, because stamps are too expensive.
3. D
You discover the extreme precariousness of your six francs a day. Mean disasters happen and rob you of
food. You have spent your last eighty centimes on half a litre of milk, and are boiling it over the spirit lamp.
While it boils a bug runs down your forearm; you give the bug a flick with your nail, and it falls, plop!
straight into the milk. There is nothing for it but to throw the milk away and go foodless.
4. H
Then you go to the greengrocer's to spend a franc on a kilogram of potatoes. But one of the pieces that make
up the ; franc is a Belgian piece, and the shopman refuses it. You slink out of the shop, and can never go
there again.
5. G
You discover what it is like to be hungry. With bread and margarine in your belly, you go out and look into
the shop windows. Everywhere there is food insulting you in huge, wasteful piles; baskets of hot loaves,
great yellow blocks of l butter, mountains of potatoes, vast Gruyere cheeses like grindstones. A snivelling
self-pity comes over you at the sight of so much food.
6. A
These three weeks were squalid and uncomfortable, and evidently there was worse coming, for my rent
would be due before long. Nevertheless, things were not a quarter as bad as I had expected. For, when you
are approaching poverty, you make one discovery which outweighs some of the others. You discover
boredom and mean complications and the beginnings of hunger, but you also discover the great redeeming
feature of poverty: the fact that it annihilates the future.
7. B
And there is another feeling that is a great consolation in poverty. I believe everyone who has been hard up
has experienced it. It is a feeling of relief, almost of pleasure, at knowing yourself at last genuinely down
and out. You have talked so often of going to the dogs - and well, here are the dogs, and you have reached
them, and you can stand it. It takes off a lot of anxiety.

A. I continued in this style for about three weeks. The forty-seven francs were soon gone, and I had to
do what I could on thirty-six francs a week from the English lessons. Being inexperienced, I handled
the money badly, and sometimes I was a day without food. When this happened I used to sell a few
of my clothes, smuggling them out of the hotel in small packets and taking them to a second-hand
shop in the rue de la Montagne St Genevieve.
B. Withing certain limits, it is actually true that the less money you have, the less you worry. When you
have a hundred francs in the world you are liable to the most craven panics. When you have only
three francs you are quite indifferent; for three francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot
think further than that. You are bored, but you are not afraid. You think vaguely, 'I shall be starving

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in a day or two - shocking, isn't it?' And then the mind wanders to other topics. A bread and
margarine diet does, to some extent, provide its own anodyne.
C. One day there turned up at the hotel a young Italian who called himself a compositor. Madame F. did
not like the look of him, and made him pay a week's rent in advance. The Italian paid the rent and
stayed six nights at the hotel. During this time he managed to prepare some duplicate keys, and on
the last night he robbed a dozen rooms, including mine. Luckily, he did not find the money that was
in my pockets, so I was not left penniless. I was left with just forty-seven francs - that is, seven and
tenpence.
D. And then there are your meals - meals are the worst difficulty of all. Every day at meal-times you go
out, ostensibly to a restaurant, and loaf an hour in the Luxembourg Gardens, watching the pigeons.
Afterwards you smuggle your food home in your pockets. Your food is bread and margarine, and
even the nature of the food is governed by lies. You have to buy rye bread instead of household
bread, because the rye loaves, though dearer, are round and can be smuggled in your pockets. This
wastes you a franc a day. Sometimes, to keep up appearances, you have to spend sixty centimes on a
drink, and go correspondingly short of food. Your linen gets filthy, and you run out of soap and
razor-blades. Your hair wants cutting, and you try to cut it yourself, with such fearful results that you
have to go to the barber after all, and spend the equivalent of a day's food. All day you are telling
lies, and expensive lies.
E. It is altogether curious, your first contact with poverty. You have thought so much about poverty it is
the thing you have feared ail your life, the thing you knew would happen to you sooner or later; and
it is all so utterly and prosaically different. You thought it would be quite simple; it is extraordinarily
complicated. You thought it would be terrible; it is merely squalid and boring. It is the peculiar
lowness of poverty that you discover first; the shifts that it puts you to, the complicated meanness,
the crustwiping.
F. I spent a day wandering about our quarter, saying good-bye to everyone. It was on this day that
Charlie told me about the death of old Roucolle the miser, who had once lived in the quarter. Very
likely Charlie was lying as usual, but it was a good story.
G. You have strayed into a respectable quarter, and you see a prosperous friend coming. To avoid him
you dodge into the nearest cafe. Once in the cafe you must buy something, so you spend your last
fifty centimes on a glass of black coffee with a dead fly in it. One could multiply these disasters by
the hundred. They are part of the process of being hard up.
H. You go to the baker's to buy a pound of bread, and you wait while the girl cuts a pound for another
customer. She is clumsy, and cuts more than a pound. 'Pardon, monsieur,' she says, 'I suppose you
don't mind paying two sous extra?' Bread is a franc a pound, and you have exactly a franc. When you
think that you too might be asked to pay two sous extra, and would have to confess that you could
not, you bolt in panic. It is hours before you dare venture into a baker's shop again.

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