2013

1. She was determined not to ……………… her feelings.

A. boast B. disclose C. surface D. engage
2. Peter makes allowances for his daughter’s youthful ……………… .
A. seriousness B. frivolity C. diligence D. senility
3. He ……………… up the steep hill to get a better view.
A. clambered B. skipped C. hopped D. galloped
4. She asked me to ……………… her sincere thanks to you for what you have done.
A. report B. extend C. transfer D. confide
5. During the business ……………… of the eighties, many new houses were built in Docklands.
A. rise B. surge C. boom D. bonanza
6. The BBC has ……………… a young composer to write a piece of music for the Corporation’s centenary.
A. ordered B. consulted C. commissioned D. decided
7. If the door is jammed, there’s no point in trying to force it open. You’ll probably ……………… the handle off!
A. gouge B. wrench C. pluck D. drag
8. The restaurant is popular with films stars and ……………… .
A. like B. same C. similar D. such
9. He got a two year ……………… to pursue his studies.
A. deferential B. deferment C. deference D. detrimental
10. The council decided to demolish the ……………… house because it was an eyesore.
A. ramshackle B. awe-inspiring C. stately D. destitute
11. MR. Rankine is just the ……………… head of the company.
A. topical B. actual C. eventual D. nominal
12. His English was roughly ……………… with my Greek, so communication was rather difficult!
A. level B. on a par C. equal D. in tune
13. The lawyer ……………… his belief in his client’s innocence.
A. deluded B. aspired C. alleged D. asserted

14. A good teacher should ……………… the weaknesses of his students and deal with them.
A. pinpoint B. advocate C. confine D. dissolve
15. The house was reduced to ……………… after being demolished.
A. rabble B. rubble C. pebble D. raffle
16. We managed to ……………… the last economic depression by cutting down our workforce.
A. weather B. surmount C. override D. float
17. It is essential to be on the ……………… for any signs of movement in the undergrowth since there are
poisonous snakes in the area.
A. guard B. care C. alarm D. alert

18. In order to explore the city ………………, I left my luggage at the station.
A. unladen B. unencumbered C. undeterred D. unrestrained
19. He left the meeting early on the unlikely ……………… that he had a sick friend to visit.
A. claim B. excuse C. pretext D. motive
20. Paul gulped down his drink so fast that he began to ……………… on it.
A. choke B. swallow C. gurgle D. sip
21. It is not easy to make friends with him, he keeps a ……………… between himself and other people.
A. barrier B. barricade C. border D. boundary

22. ‘What’s that awful noise?’ ‘It’s only the dog ……………… on a bone.’
A. nibbling B. teething C. gulping D. gnawing
23. I had a good chance of getting the job but I’m afraid I ……………… the interview by saying all the wrong things.
A. fumbled B. gambled C. bungled D. stumbled
24. I’m hopeless at making decisions. I even ……………… for ages over which toothpaste to buy.
A. totter B. dodder C. dither D. falter
25. The inspector reported that office staff were rather ……………… to their attention in security.
A. lenient B. lax C. loose D. limp

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26. You’ve done more of the work than I have recently so I’ll give up my day off in order to
……………… the balance.
A. redress B. compensate C. offset D. repair
27. The introduction of diesel engines sadly made the old steam trains ……………… .
A. archaic B. extinct C. derelict D. obsolete
28. My decision to leave university after a year is one I now ……………… regret.
A. painfully B. bitterly C. harshly D. keenly
29. The fire quickly ……………… the dry wooden buildings.
A. squashed B. consumed C. extinguished D. dissolve
30. She was leading a ……………… existence in the village.
A. drab B. dizzy C. droopy D. distorted
31. Once the air warms up, the snow should start to ……………… .
A. dissolve B. defrost C. liquefy D. thaw
32. The government has introduced ……………… new currency controls which will make it difficult to holiday
abroad.
A. striking B. extreme C. strong D. stringent
33. Let’s hope that the New Year will ……………… in a period of prosperity for everyone.
A. admit B. usher C. show D. introduce
34. I think I’ll ……………… out my father and see if he would lend me his car for a few days.
A. chance B. probe C. check D. sound
35. That successful company has used its huge economic ……………… to exert control over prices.
A. downturn B. clout C. slump D. turmoil
36. The news of the wedding was ……………… all over the papers.
A. pondered B. pitted C. pestered D. plastered
37. The flag ……………… in the light breeze.
A. fluttered B. spluttered C. stuttered D. clattered
38. Being ……………… means you are clever and amusing with words.
A. witty B. hilarious C. funny D. ironic
39. There have been a few complaints, but ……………… the restaurant has been a success.
A. far and wide B. now and again C. out and about D. by and large
40. Amy doesn’t trust lawyers. In fact, she’s ……………… of them all.
A. conceivable B. contemptuous C. comprehensible D. contemporary
41. From the way she’s ……………… at that sandwich, I’d say Kate doesn’t like it.

A. nibbling B. consuming C. chewing D. devouring

42. Any ……………… anger that he felt towards her disappeared when she apologised.
A. lingering B. abiding C. adhering D. loitering
43. The gambler is aware of a(n) ……………… of adrenalin just as the bet is placed.
A. acme B. zenith C. summit D. peak
44. Being involved in an accident is just one of the mishaps that can ……………… an individual.
A. happen B. befall C. hurt D. upset
45. The lawyer insisted that his clients receive some compensation before blame was ……………… .
A. determined B. decided C. placed D. apportioned
46. An obstacle had been placed in the middle of the road and the ……………… accident was blamed on it.
A. occurring B. ensuing C. following D. resulting
47. All applicants will be thoroughly ……………… for security risks.
A. examined B. vetted C. tested D. searched
48. Parents often want to ……………… their children from the reality of how animals are raised for the table.
A. ward B. hide C. conceal D. screen
49. ……………… efforts are being made to save the animals belonging to the bankrupt zoo from being put down.
A. Stringent B. Strict C. Powerful D. Strenuous
50. This report on the beef industry is not free from political ……………… .
A. slant B. bias C. policy D. angle

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51. He made money not as a(n) ……………… in itself but in order to carry out his
philanthropic schemes.
A. purpose B. end C. result D. ambition
52. The performance of Beethoven’s fifth symphony was ……………… by a weak violin section.
A. marred B. harmed C. reduced D. lessened
53. The hunter’s arrow hit the buffalo and blood ……………… from the wound.
A. spurted B. dropped C. drained D. hurled
54. The ambusher’s victim walked ……………… into the trap.
A. blindly B. shortsightedly C. ignorantly D. subconsciously
55. If the boat is unevenly loaded, there is a danger it will ……………… .
A. invert B. resume C. reverse D. capsize
56. The market is dominated by two large corporations but there are some small but very aggressive companies
……………… at the edges.
A. biting B. snapping C. nibbling D. scratching
57. The chairman tried to ……………… criticism by freely admitting that the company had not performed well in
recent years.
A. anticipate B. forestall C. forewarn D. dodge
58. The scientist’s claim to have visited other planets was greeted with ……………… laughter.
A. appalling B. derisive C. amusing D. ludicrous
59. Elaborate ministerial answers just tend to ……………… the basic facts of the case.
A. darken B. obscure C. cloud D. cover
60. Simon never has any ……………… about pursuing his own interests at the expense of other people.
A. fears B. doubts C. qualms D. pretensions
61. Purists will always ……………… when they encounter grammatical uses they consider inexact.
A. shudder B. shake C. tremble D. quake
62. Mary is taciturn whereas her sister is a ……………… talker.
A. stammering B. meticulous C. voluble D. bulky
63. The ……………… reason given for the war was that Germany wanted to expand its borders.
A. supercilious B. superfluous C. ostensible D. ostentatious
64. They put us up in a ……………… hotel room.
A. disheveled B. distraught C. dinghy D. dingy
65. He ……………… over his misfortunes for a long time.
A. bounced B. floundered C. pampered D. pondered
66. She gave a(n) ……………… reply to my question.
A. intent B. inert C. terse D. thrifty
67. I was ……………… by its high price.
A. put off B. put over C. put up D. put down
68. They took no ……………… of my warning.
A. hide B. seek C. heed D. prick
69. ……………… is part of a monk’s life.
A. Fasting B. Feasting C. Carousing D. Debauchery

70. Germ warfare has always been regarded with ……………… .

A. restriction B. expectancy C. reverse D. revulsion
71. A great deal of misunderstanding about student politics ……………… at present.
A. pervades B. precedes C. pertains D. prevails
72. The boys are always apt to ……………… mischief when we have guests in the house.
A. get off with B. get into C. get up to D. get on with
73. “How are you feeling today, Pam?” “……………… better, Doctor.”
A. Somehow B. Somewhat C. Sometime D. Something
74. The poor man stood ……………… at the display of such wealth.
A. fatigued B. dumbstruck C. extorted D. drowsy
75. It was a remote, arid and ……………… village.
A. prowling B. scattering C. straggling D. struggling

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76. A(n) ……………… government was formed to conduct the election.

A. caretaker B. undertaker C. provincial D. go-between

77. Throughout my life I had to ……………… with problems.
A. contend B. content C. tackle D. face
78. We are ……………… by the idea of travelling abroad.

A. enhanced B. subdued C. enchanted D. abstained

79. The Incas used to ……………… gold for tawdry jewels.
A. barter B. banish C. fabricate D. bargain
80. Strong ……………… of wind blew the litter along the pavement.
A. hurricanes B. gales C. gusts D. storms
81. Rachel won’t touch her food unless she’s ……………… into it.
A. spurned B. coaxed C. warned D. cuddled
82. He found it hard to live on his ……………… earnings.
A. puny B. grubby C. sparse D. meagre
83. His mother ……………… him for being rude to people.
A. scolded B. warned C. remonstrated D. harangued
84. The new housing scheme will provide habitation for all ……………… .
A. highs and lows B. ups and downs C. to and fros D. down and outs
85. At first everybody liked the new game for its novelty. Soon, however, interest in it ……………… .
A. wore off B. wore down C. wore on D. wore out
86. He ……………… the hope of becoming a famous writer.
A. lives B. cherishes C. rejoices D. envisages
87. There will be a ……………… inquiry into the recent embezzlement case.
A. full-length B. full-size C. full-time D. full-scale
88. “Do I have to attend the meeting?” “You don’t have to if you don’t ……………… .”
A. feel so B. want C. want to D. feel like
89. A woman who can’t conceive a child is ……………… .
A. bare B. arid C. barren D. parched
90. The ……………… of commercial whaling sparked a public outcry.
A. resumption B. replacement C. retail D. retaliation
91. The sergeant ……………… his soldiers with courage.
A. imbued B. imparted C. impaired D. incensed
92. The government should endeavour to ……………… distress among the needy.
A. enhance B. mitigate C. hamper D. detract
93. It’s not easy to ……………… your anger when being insulted.
A. incite B. curl C. curfew D. curb
94. I had to go back to ……………… the briefcase I had left in the hotel lounge.
A. reprove B. retrieve C. retreat D. retain
95. Humility is one of his ……………… traits.
A. salient B. valiant C. ardent D. strenuous
96. He is a good company when he is in a cheerful ……………… of mind.
A. frame B. mood C. predisposition D. portrait
97. It is regrettable that educational standards have ……………… recently.

A. plundered B. plummeted C. decimated D. dispersed

98. He has the authority to ……………… their decision.
A. override B. overrate C. overload D. overrun
99. The demagogue spoke words which ……………… the mob’s fury.
A. arose B. raised C. roused D. resurrected
100. It’s of ……………… importance that the instructions are carried out properly.
A. rudimentary B. elementary C. fundamental D. mandatory

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CPE