Advanced English Material for the Gifted School year: 2019 - 2020

COUNTDOWN2020
VOCAB BOOSTER (VER 1.0)
A. MULTIPLE CHOICE
Choose the word (A, B, C or D) which best completes each sentence below.

I. WORD CHOICE
1. Always energetic when he speaks about his work, in this moment he sounds positively _______.
A. exuberant B. chivalrous C. overcast D. ingenious
2. He _______ the illusion that he will live to be a hundred.
A. grows B. relishes C. develops D. cherishes
3. State health officials say these guidelines are in place to protect citizens from a highly _______ virus.
A. contagious B. contiguous C. contingent D. congenial
4. Her condition seems to be _______. We’ll have to take her to intensive care.
A. ameliorating B. deteriorating C. amputating D. imitating
5. To succeed in this job, you have to be already _______.
A. hot-blooded B. single-minded C. kind-hearted D. near-sighted
6. The Prime Minister will decide whether to release the prisoner or not; that’s his _______.
A. derogatory B. abdication C. prerogative D. humanity
7. He praised his wife for her dignity under the _______ of the tabloid press.
A. onslaught B. assault C. onset D. offensive
8. Buying a car was an important _______ for them.
A. transformation B. translation C. transaction D. transportation
9. Many people don’t use their computers to their full _______.
A. future B. expectation C. potential D. hope
10. There was an intimate vibe to the event, with many musicians and singers dressed in T-
shirts, minimal makeup and in front of simple backdrops.
A. formal B. unusual C. mutual D. cozy
11. Teams are working with college athletic training staffs to procure detailed medical information.
A. obscure B. conceal C. consume D. obtain
12. These days the castle is swamped with _______ of tourists.
A. mobs B. throngs C. shoals D. cliques
13. He left the meeting early on the unlikely _______ that he had a sick friend to visit.
A. excuse B. pretext C. motive D. claim
14. He had a momentary _______ of concentration and before he knew it the car had spun out of control.

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 Advanced English Material for the Gifted School year: 2019 - 2020

A. lapse B. loss C. slip D. mistake

15. In the hands of careless drivers, a car becomes a _______ weapon.
A. fatal B. mortal C. lethal D. venal
16. What she told me was a _______ of lies.
A. pack B. load C. herd D. flock
17. Breaking his leg _______ a blow to his chances of becoming a professional footballer.
A. brought B. caused C. dealt D. struck
18. I gave them _______ time to make decision.
A. spacious B. lavish C. extensive D. ample
II. PHRASAL VERBS AND PREPOSTION
19. Marrying into such a rich family has always been _______ her wildest dream.
A. under B. above C. over D. beyond
20. I am not _______ liberty to tell you anything about his private life.
A. with B. up C. off D. over
18. If you pay the restaurant bill with your credit card, it will _______ with you later.
A. settle down B. settle up C. pay back D. pay off
21. The party was _______ full swing when I arrived. Everyone was singing and dancing.
A. in B. on C. about D. with
22. Luckily, the rain _______ so we were able to play the match.
A. gave out B. got away C. went away D. held off
23. She _______ with work at the moment.
A. snowed under B. piled up C. messed up D. knocked off
24. I see a lot of people with this new hairstyle. It seems to be _______.
A. piling up B. bringing off C. coming off D. catching on
25. The noise from the unruly fans celebrating their team’s victory didn’t _______ until early in the morning.
A. shut off B. give away C. let up D. fall over
26. The dentist told me that when the effect of the medicine _______, I feel a little pain. But it was more
than a little.
A. dropped off B. went out C. wore off D. turned out
27. The government decided to _______ down on income tax evasion.
A. press B. crack C. push D. snap
28. She’s decided to _______ her Germany by attending an evening course.
A. brush up B. patch up C. polish off D. dust off
29. The police _______ a good deal of criticism, over the handling of the demonstration.

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 Advanced English Material for the Gifted School year: 2019 - 2020

A. came in for B. brought about C. went down with D. opened up

30. She managed to put _______ her viewpoint very successfully in meeting.
A. up B. over C. on D. across
31. If no one will _______ misbehaving, all pupils will be kept in after school.
A. admit off B. admit in C. own up in D. own up to
32. It was too late to _______ of the contract.
A. back away B. back down C. back out D. back up
33. Unanswered, the demands for nuclear deterrents have _______ fears of civil wars.
A. flashed up B. prognosticated C. sidetracked D. stocked up
III. IDIOMS
34. In his _______ day, he was quite dandy.
A. salad B. green C. fruit D. vegetable
35. I knew my mother would _______ a face when she saw my new haircut.
A. bear B. suffer C. pull D. raise
36. She sets her _______ on becoming a ballet-dancer.
A. feet B. brain C. heart D. head
37. His French is roughly _______ with my Japanese, so communication was rather difficult.
A. in harmony B. on a par C. on equal term D. on good terms
38. The fighting has stopped, so to _______, the war is over.
A. all pins and needles B. all chop and change
C. all prim and proper D. all intents and purposes
39. I grew up in this house, so I know every _______ of it.
A. hook and sinker B. lock, stock and barrel
C. step and stop D. nook and cranny
40. They have serious problems. That’s why their relationship is on the _______.
A. cliffs B. rocks C. stones D. grass
41. Jane will see you if you use computer without permission. She has eyes like a _______.
A. bird B. goose C. hawk D. fox
42. His flat looks so _______ that it is difficult to believe that just had a party last night.
A. spick and span B. by and large C. safe and sound D. sick and tired
43. Fresh evidence has recently _______ which suggest that he didn’t in fact commit the murder.
A. come a long way B. come under fire C. come into bloom D. come to light
44. We’d been working hard for a month and so decided to go out and _______.
A. paint the town red B. steal the show C. read between the lines D. face the music

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 Advanced English Material for the Gifted School year: 2019 - 2020

45. She is one of the most famous movie stars nowadays. She is _______ at present.
A. riding the crest of wave B. burning the midnight oil
C. letting off steam D. making a mountain out of a molehill
B. WRITTEN TEST
I. WORD FORMATION
Supply the correct forms of the words given.
46. For many people, social networking offers them a feeling of ________ (ESCAPE) from the real world
47. Parents have deep _______ (GIVE) about allowing business values to be used in schools.
48. New immigrants have been successfully _______ (SIMILAR) into the community.
49. She stood there completely _______ (EXPRESS) so I have no idea at all what she was thinking.
50. In Scotland, there is greater emphasis on _______ (VALUE) by individual schools.
51. We all take pride in our _______ (DESTROY) friendship.
52. The young girl is at a very _______ (IMPRESS) age so we must make sure she goes with the right
sorts of person.
53. Everyone marveled at his _______ (OBJECT) idea of organizing more field trips for students.
54. The new regulations will be _______ (BURDEN) for small businesses.
II. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
55. The whole affair has been a set of misfortunes from the beginning. (CHAPTER)
From start ________________________________________________________
56. Come what may, you should look on the bright side. (CHIN)
No matter ________________________________________________________
57. He tried hard but couldn’t compensate for what he had done. (AMENDS)
Try _____________________________________________________________
58. Why did you reveal my plan to Kathy? (BREATHED)
I’d rather _________________________________________________________
ANSWER KEY
I. WORD CHOICE
1. Always energetic when he speaks about his work, in this moment he sounds positively _______.
A. exuberant B. chivalrous C. overcast D. ingenious
2. He _______ the illusion that he will live to be a hundred.
A. grows B. relishes C. develops D. cherishes
3. State health officials say these guidelines are in place to protect citizens from a highly _______ virus.
A. contagious B. contiguous C. contingent D. congenial
4. Her condition seems to be _______. We’ll have to take her to intensive care.

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 Advanced English Material for the Gifted School year: 2019 - 2020

A. ameliorating B. deteriorating C. amputating D. imitating

5. To succeed in this job, you have to be already _______.
A. hot-blooded B. single-minded C. kind-hearted D. near-sighted
6. The Prime Minister will decide whether to release the prisoner or not; that’s his _______.
A. derogatory B. abdication C. prerogative D. humanity
7. He praised his wife for her dignity under the _______ of the tabloid press.
A. onslaught B. assault C. onset D. offensive
8. Buying a car was an important _______ for them.
A. transformation B. translation C. transaction D. transportation
9. Many people don’t use their computers to their full _______.
A. future B. expectation C. potential D. hope
10. There was an intimate vibe to the event, with many musicians and singers dressed in T-
shirts, minimal makeup and in front of simple backdrops.
A. formal B. unusual C. mutual D. cozy
11. Teams are working with college athletic training staffs to procure detailed medical information.
A. obscure B. conceal C. consume D. obtain
12. These days the castle is swamped with _______ of tourists.
A. mobs B. throngs C. shoals D. cliques
13. He left the meeting early on the unlikely _______ that he had a sick friend to visit.
A. excuse B. pretext C. motive D. claim
14. He had a momentary _______ of concentration and before he knew it the car had spun out of control.
A. lapse B. loss C. slip D. mistake
15. In the hands of careless drivers, a car becomes a _______ weapon.
A. fatal B. mortal C. lethal D. venal
16. What she told me was a _______ of lies.
A. pack B. load C. herd D. flock
17. Breaking his leg _______ a blow to his chances of becoming a professional footballer.
A. brought B. caused C. dealt D. struck
18. I gave them _______ time to make decision.
A. spacious B. lavish C. extensive D. ample
II. PHRASAL VERBS AND PREPOSTION
19. Marrying into such a rich family has always been _______ her wildest dream.
A. under B. above C. over D. beyond
20. I am not _______ liberty to tell you anything about his private life.

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 Advanced English Material for the Gifted School year: 2019 - 2020

A. with B. at C. off D. over

18. If you pay the restaurant bill with your credit card, it will _______ with you later.
A. settle down B. settle up C. pay back D. pay off
21. The party was _______ full swing when I arrived. Everyone was singing and dancing.
A. in B. on C. about D. with
22. Luckily, the rain _______ so we were able to play the match.
A. gave out B. got away C. went away D. held off
23. She is _______ with work at the moment.
A. snowed under B. piled up C. messed up D. knocked off
24. I see a lot of people with this new hairstyle. It seems to be _______.
A. piling up B. bringing off C. coming off D. catching on
25. The noise from the unruly fans celebrating their team’s victory didn’t _______ until early in the morning.
A. shut off B. give away C. let up D. fall over
26. The dentist told me that when the effect of the medicine _______, I feel a little pain. But it was more
than a little.
A. dropped off B. went out C. wore off D. turned out
27. The government decided to _______ down on income tax evasion.
A. press B. crack C. push D. snap
28. She’s decided to _______ her Germany by attending an evening course.
A. brush up B. patch up C. polish off D. dust off
29. The police _______ a good deal of criticism, over the handling of the demonstration.
A. came in for B. brought about C. went down with D. opened up
30. She managed to put _______ her viewpoint very successfully in meeting.
A. up B. over C. on D. across
31. If no one will _______ misbehaving, all pupils will be kept in after school.
A. admit off B. admit in C. own up in D. own up to
32. It was too late to _______ of the contract.
A. back away B. back down C. back out D. back up
33. Unanswered, the demands for nuclear deterrents have _______ fears of civil wars.
A. flashed up B. prognosticated C. sidetracked D. stocked up
III. IDIOMS
34. In his _______ day, he was quite dandy.
A. salad B. green C. fruit D. vegetable
35. I knew my mother would _______ a face when she saw my new haircut.

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 Advanced English Material for the Gifted School year: 2019 - 2020

A. bear B. suffer C. pull D. raise

36. She sets her _______ on becoming a ballet-dancer.
A. feet B. brain C. heart D. head
37. His French is roughly _______ with my Japanese, so communication was rather difficult.
A. in harmony B. on a par C. on equal term D. on good terms
38. The fighting has stopped, so to _______, the war is over.
A. all pins and needles B. all chop and change
C. all prim and proper D. all intents and purposes
39. I grew up in this house, so I know every _______ of it.
A. hook and sinker B. lock, stock and barrel
C. step and stop D. nook and cranny
40. They have serious problems. That’s why their relationship is on the _______.
A. cliffs B. rocks C. stones D. grass
41. Jane will see you if you use computer without permission. She has eyes like a _______.
A. bird B. goose C. hawk D. fox
42. His flat looks so _______ that it is difficult to believe that just had a party last night.
A. spick and span B. by and large C. safe and sound D. sick and tired
43. Fresh evidence has recently _______ which suggest that he didn’t in fact commit the murder.
A. come a long way B. come under fire C. come into bloom D. come to light
44. We’d been working hard for a month and so decided to go out and _______.
A. paint the town red B. steal the show
C. read between the lines D. face the music
45. She is one of the most famous movie stars in my country. She is _______ at present.
A. riding the crest of a wave B. burning the midnight oil
C. letting off steam D. making a mountain out of a molehill
B. WRITTEN TEST
I. WORD FORMATION
Supply the correct forms of the words given.
46. For many people, social networking offers them a feeling of ESCAPISM (ESCAPE) from the real world.
47. Parents have deep MISGIVINGS (GIVE) about allowing business values to be used in schools.
48. New immigrants have been successfully ASSIMILATED (SIMILAR) into the community.
49. She stood there completely EXPRESSIONLESS (EXPRESS) so I have no idea at all what she was
thinking.
50. In Scotland, there is greater emphasis on SELF-EVALUATION (VALUE) by individual schools.

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 Advanced English Material for the Gifted School year: 2019 - 2020

51. We all take pride in our INDESTRUCTIBLE (DESTROY) friendship.

52. The young girl is at a very IMPRESSIONABLE (IMPRESS) age so we must make sure she goes with
the right sorts of person.
53. Everyone marveled at his UNOBJECTIONABLE (OBJECT) idea of organizing more field trips for
students.
54. The new regulations will be BURDENSOME (BURDEN) for small businesses.
II. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
55. The whole affair has been a set of misfortunes from the beginning. (CHAPTER)
From start to finish, the whole affair is a chapter of accidents.
56. Come what may, you should look on the bright side. (CHIN)
No matter what happens, you should keep your chin up.
57. He tried hard but couldn’t compensate for what he had done. (AMENDS)
Try as he might, he couldn’t make amends for what he had done.
58. Why did you reveal my plan to Kathy? (BREATHED)
I’d rather you hadn’t breathed a word/had breathed no word to Kathy.

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