TEST YOUR PREPOSITIONS A) leave out B) switch on C) make up

1- Espionage is the secret gathering of information ....... a rival, but D) turn off E) look down
very often the spying is done ........ friendly or neutral countries as
well. 16- Though some people laugh ....... them, I always feel sorry .......
A) for/towards B) against/out C) with/up figure skaters when they fall down.
D) down/with E) about/on A) to/with B) for/at C) about/to
D) with/about E) at/for
2- It seems that there will always be an element....... doubt....... the
outcome of a football match, no matter how one-sided it might 17- ........ today's standards, the late medieval cities were neither
look. clean nor particularly attractive, ........ streets little more than
A) for/with B) to/from C) of/about footpaths.
D) in/to E) with/since A) On/for B) Out of/on C) With/along
D) By/with E) In/through
3- Are you sure this rule is applicable ......... me as I am not an
American citizen ......... birth? 18- Most cities had monumental structures and beautiful art works,
A) for/at B) from/to C) about/at but, ........ the rulers and wealthy merchants, most of the
D) by/from E) to/by population lived in poverty.
A) rather than B) apart from C) for instance
4- While the Americans concentrated on building rockets, the British D) by far E) at once
and the French ....... the supersonic airliner called Concorde.
A) came up with B) went in for C) made up of 19- Searching ....... an explanation to the mysteries of the universe,
D) ran out of E) looked down on the Greek mathematician Pythagorus discovered a significant
relationship ....... mathematics and musical pitch.
5- We can't do any work until the computer engineer ....... the A) to/among B) with/into C) for/between
problems we have been having. D) with/about E) out/through
A) takes over B) gets up C) sets off
D) sorts out E) looks up 20- After a wild youth, when he finally married and .......... he
became a model husband and father.
6- Some career women today care so much ....... their jobs that they A) brought up B) went off C) looked after
do not look ....... their children properly. D) settled down E) got on with
A) with/to B) about/after C) for/up
D) to/for E) over/around 21- It is said that there is more silver and gold lying undiscovered
....... the sea than there is ....... circulation.
7- The artist Gauguin was ....... his thirties when he took an A) under/in B) through/on C) at/during
interest .......... painting. D) with/for E) into/over
A) until/for B) since/at C) in/in
D) over/with E) at/to 22- A lot of people left ....... the performance because the singers did
not seem to be able to sing ....... tune.
8- He became more absorbed ........ his painting after his "Landscape A) during/in B) for/by C) at/from
at Viroflay" was accepted ........ an exposition in 1876. D) while/with E) from/to
A) in/for B) of/with C) at/by
D) on/as E) about/in 23- When playing, children concentrate so much ........ what they are
doing that they become indifferent .......... almost everything
9- He is extremely good .......... grammar, but his speech is deficient else.
......... fluency. A) from/as B) on/to C) to/for
A) for/with B) with/from C) in/to D) with/about E) in/on
D) at/in E) about/for

1O- Zookeepers agree that bears are ......... the shrewdest and most
intelligent of animals kept......... zoos. 24- A basic rule of criminal law is that guilt must be established
A) with/for B) for/off C) in/from ........ a reasonable doubt. This is the basis of the often-heard "A
D) among/in E) out of/with person is innocent ........ proven guilty."
A) around/over B) through/while C) into/throughout
11- I've ......... this word in my dictionary three times, but I still can't D) beyond/until E) before/after
remember what it means.
A) made for B) turned on C) looked up 25- This ointment is meant to ........ mosquitoes, but I don't think it
D) sorted out E) glimpsed at works as I applied this over my exposed parts last night and still
got stung.
12- ........ the last decade of his life, the Russian artist Kandinsky A) make up B) do over C) wipe out
blended the free, intuitive image of his earlier years ........ the D) run into E) keep off
geometric forms of his Bauhaus period.
A) On/about B) During/with C) For/within 26- He spent all his money extravagantly when he earned lots of
D) With/on E) Since/in money, without ........ anything ....... for tough times, and now,
he is penniless and out of work.
13- I see that you are ........ the habit of eating too much meat, which is A) thinking/of B) letting/out C) laying/down
not good ........ you since you have already had a heart attack. D) setting/up E) putting/aside
A) in/for B) with/at C) for/with
D) on/to E) into/of 27- Women are more susceptible ......... migraines than men, and
sufferers often have a family history ........ migraines.
14- Concorde can fly ....... the Atlantic Ocean ....... only a few hours. A) with/for B) to/of C) of/about
A) along/at B) through/for C) across/in D) for/with E) from/over
D) past/from E) around/with
28- It is a surprising fact that most intruders go ....... houses ....... the
15- A novelist has to possess the ability to ....... stories that will interest doors, rather than the windows.
people. A) around/for B) about/from C) into/through
 D) along/at E) in/with A) for/by B) with/of C) to/for
D) from/to E) in/towards
29- It is supposed that early people got fire ........ from trees set ablaze
by lightning or from spouting volcanoes. 44- One of our neighbours set fire ....... his own house and tried to
A) by accident B) at random C) on account make it look as if it had happened ....... accident in order to get
D) for once E) out of reach his money from the insurance company.
A) to/by B) in/for C) with/as
3O- I don't say this is an easy task, but it is ......... impossible; you'll D) by/with E) for/on
definitely succeed if you work hard at it.
A) out of the question B) by any chance C) in the circumstances 45- Every day the young man waited ....... her house hoping to catch
D) at the most E) by no means sight....... the girl he loved.
A) outside/of B) around/with C) inside/for
31- Everyone says I....... my brother, but I honestly cannot see the D) behind/from E) beside/at
resemblance.
A) look forward B) go with C) wear out 46- He lost count ....... how many days he had waited just to have a
D) take after E) bring up look ....... her.
A) from/of B) for/for C) since/to
32- ....... the influence of Buddhism, the warlike nation of Tibet D) of/at E) with/on
transformed itself ....... a relatively peaceful theocracy.
A) From/for B) Under/into C) To/out of 47- He didn't know that she had moved ........ and ....... short, he
D) At/about E) Out of/over never saw her again.
A) off/for B) from/to C) away/in
33- Fortunately, the great majority of fires are discovered when they are D) about/from E) in/at
small and easily controlled or ........ 48- We set ....... in the morning, hoping to arrive ........ our destination
A) put out B) made with C) torn up before sunset.
D) cut down E) taken off A) off/to B) on/in C) out/at
D) with/on E) up/for
34- I suggest that we should ........ our tents first before it gets dark —
then we can light a fire and cook something to eat. 49- He advised his daughter to stay ....... from bad company because
A) put on B) set up C) call off he did not want her to get....... trouble.
D) break in E) check in A) outside/onto B) out/against C) above/around
D) against/upon E) away/into
35- Since I was ....... the impression that the workers were ....... strike
today, I was surprised to see them working. 50- This translation is so bad that I can't make any sense ....... these
A) over/to B) with/at C) by/under directions ....... how to use the new video recorder.
D) under/on E) from/with A) for/about B) of/on C) with/from
36- When I was a teenager, I didn't....... my father very well, but now D) from/with E) about/of
we like each other much more.
A) look down on B) come up against C) get on with 51- Although my teacher has no confidence ....... my abilities, I'm
D) grow out of E) keep up with sure I can pass his course ....... ease.
A) of/for B) In/with C) to/at
37- We called for an ambulance the moment Mum fainted, but D) with/from E) from/in
fortunately, she had ....... by the time it arrived.
A) come round B) passed away C) run out 52- The British Isles, which consist ........ two main islands — Great
D) cut across E) taken over Britain and Ireland, lie ........ the northwestern coast of
continental Europe.
38- My mother keeps herself busy ........ participating ....... volunteer A) with/on B) —/at C) from/by
activities in her free time. D) of/off E) for/ along
A) for/through B) by/in C) in/with
D) to/to E) from/at 53- She was feeling ill all day, so she went straight ....... home and
went....... bed.
39- I get paid ....... the first of every month, so ....... the end of the A) to/in B) for/on C)—/to
month, I hardly have any money. D) towards/— E) at/for
A) until/since B) on/towards C) at/by
D) in/until E) by/during 54- If you don't pay attention ....... the teacher, you might miss some
important points and fall........ in class.
40- Although I don't earn much in my new job, I'm trying to comfort A) about/off B) with/down C) from/out
myself saying that, .......... I am not unemployed! D) to/behind E) for/with
A) by far B) without fail C) at least
D) at once E) by heart 55- The star player ....... pneumonia just before the season started
and could not play for months.
41- I....... a good job last week because it was in a place where I don't A) came up with B) went down with C) put up with
want to live. D) went in for E) made up for
A) took off B) turned down C) made out of
D) went through E) cut across 56- Because this sentence is not relevant....... your topic, it should be
taken out ....... the paragraph.
42- Potential threats and hazards ........ human health have changed A) to/of B).for/from C) with/in
significantly ......... the past 100 years. D) of/for E) on/to
A) with/since B) for/until C) about/with
D) from/in E) to/over 57- There is so much evidence ....... him that it is ....... doubt that he
committed the murder.
43- Changes in the leading causes of death and disease show a shift....... A) to/beside B) of/without C) for/around
infectious diseases, such as pneumonia and tuberculosis, ........ D) upon/from E) against/beyond
chronic degenerative diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and
stroke.
58- ....... hearing of his mother's plans to remarry, he tried to talk her
....... it.
A) Since/into B) Towards/from C) Over/against
D) Beyond/up to E) Upon/out of

59- ....... the 1950s most British people finished school....... 14.
A) By/from B) Over/to C) Until/on
D) In/at E) During/in

6O- George lost the lottery ticket with the winning number, and I don't
think he will ever ....... the shock.
A) turn out B) get over C) go through
D) cut across E) break into

TEST YOUR PREPOSITIONS

1. E 2. C 3. E 4. A 5. D 6. B 7. C 8. A 9. D 10. D

11. C 12. B 13. A 14. C 15. C 16. E 17. D 18. B 19. C 20. D

21. A 22. A 23. B 24. .D 25. E 26. E 27. B 28. C 29. A 30. E

31. D 32. B 33. A 34. B 35. D 36. C 37. A 38. B 39. B 40. C

41. B 42. E 43. D 44. A 45. A 46. D 47. C 48. C 49. E 50. B

51. B 52. D 53. C 54. D 55. B 56. A 57. E 58. E 59. D 60. B