GRAMMAR AND VOCALBULARY 1

Choose the best answer to complete the lesson.

1. 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
2. His new play is not only interesting but also unique. It is really off the beaten ______.
A. road B. path C. route D. track
3. That Peter was born and brought up in a rich family is as clear as the ______.
A. nose on his face B. tip on his tongue C. back of his hand D. hair on his head
4. I will try to finish the job to the best of my ______.
A. knowledge B. ability C. means D. command
5. Tim said the meal was ______, so we didn’t have to worry about the price.
A. on the house B. on his expense C. for him D. for his money
6. Let Hercule himself do what he may, for a cat will mew and a dog will have his ______.
A. day B. time C. month D. year
7. Breaking his leg______ blow to his chances of becoming a professional footballer.
A. brought B. caused C. dealt D. struck
8. 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
9. Max had been ______ my ears al night about his new job.
A. bending B. deafening C. rolling D. biting
10. 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
11. We would sooner Mr. Tram ______ us the urgent information the other night.
A. would have sent B. had sent C. sent D. had been sent
12. Would you be ______ my letter while I am away?
A. too good as to forward B. so good as to forward
C. as good as to forward D. so good as forwarding
13. He ______ us on the last day of the congress, so his presence at the opening ceremony was something
of a surprise.
A. could have joined B. had to join C. was about to join D. was to join
14. You could have done ______ inviting Sam to the party.
A. better or worse than B. a lot worse than
C. much better as D. nothing as worse as
15. He works until nine o’clock every evening, and that’s quite ______the work he does over the
weekend.
A. except for B. apart from C. without D. but for
16. I would rather go skiing ______ picnicking this weekend.
A. than going B. than to going C. than to go D. than go
17. It is mandatory that smoking in public______.
A. is prohibited B. must be prohibited C. prohibiting D. be prohibited
18. In geometry, an ellipse may be defined as the locus of all points______ distances from two fixed
points is constant.
A. the sum of whose B. of which the sum C. whose sum of D. which the sum of
19. Let’s find a place where we can ______ the storm.
A. wait out B. wear off C. wind down D. shrug off
20. I am not ______ liberty to tell you anything about his private life.
A. in B. at C. like D. with
21. Their performances are really ______ compare. How amazing!
A. out of B. over C. within D. beyond
22. The party was ______ full swing when I arrived. Everyone was singing and dancing.
A. in B. on C. about D. with
23. The camel has adapted to survive in an ______ environment like the desert for many days without
water.
A. acidic B. alkaline C. arid D. avid
24. A special of the room is the huge picture window which ______ a splendid view of the Quantock
hills.
A. allows B. affords C. enables D. presents
25. He still suffers from a rare tropical disease which he ______ while in Africa.
A. infected B. complained C. gained D. contracted
26. Some people prefer to watch a film first, and then read the ______ in the paper.
A. critic B. revue C. review D. criticism
27. We want everyone to begin the test ______.
A. simultaneously B. unexpectedly C. indefinitely D. continuously
28. You are bound to find information on the stock market crash of 1987 in the newspaper ______.
A. files B. archives C. records D. collections
29. What stands out from the Voice Kids is that many young children are ______ with natural talent for
music.
A. bestowed B. conferred C. endowed D. vouchsafed
30. Most critics praise that actor’s work but I think he’s rather ______.
A. over-played B. over-rated C. over-blown D. over-priced
31. Marlene is quite ______- I don’t know she manages to fit everything in.
A. inexhaustible B. tiresome C. inexorable D. indefatigable
32. Sheila will inherit everything ______ her uncle’s death.
A. on account of B. in spite of C. in the event of D. in place of
33. The newspaper report contained ______ important information.
A. many B. another C. an D. a lot of
34. ______ comes a time when you have to make a decision and stick to it.
A. It B. Here C. There D. That
35. There is no point in phoning him. He’s certain ______ by now.
A. to leave B. to have left C. left D. having left
36. In such a plight ______ that we had no choice but to radio for help.
A. we found ourselves B. we ourselves found
C. did we find ourselves D. did we ourselves find
37. Mrs. Lan went to ______ school to meet her son’s teacher.
A. X B. the C. a D. an
38. You may borrow as many books as you like, provided you show them to ______ is at the desk.
A. whoever B. who C. whom D. which
39. Why are you so mad? You ______ me you weren’t coming to dinner. I waited for you for two hours.
A. should tell B. should have told C. ought to tell D. should be told
40. His poor handling of the business ______ on negligence.
A. neared B. edged C. approached D. bordered
41. After its engine failed, the small boat ______ with the currents.
A. waved B. tossed C. hastened D. drifted
42. There is a rumour that the National Bank is going to ______ the company I work for.
A. take on B. overtake C. take over D. take off
43. Why don’t you have a night out? It would take your ______ off your work.
A. thoughts B. heart C. mind D. head
44. he government decided to ______ down of income tax evasion.
A. press B. crack C. push D. snap
45. If we ______ over the details, we’ll never finish filming this episode by today.
A. niggle B. discuss C. huddle D. mob
46. The Corporation is laying ______ a lot of money on building a new creation center.
A. down B. off C. into D. out
47. She has decided to ______ her German by attending an evening course.
A. brush up B. patch up C. polish off D. dust off
48. I didn’t really want to go to the party but I thought I’d better put______ an appearance.
A. away B. in C. off D. on
49. That Mary is an ______ liar; you must take what she says with a small grain of salt.
A. incorrigible B. incurable C. irredeemable D. irremediable
50. I know my mother would ______ a face the minute she saw my new haircut.
A. drag B. lift C. pull D. raise
51. If you don’t stop smoking, you ______ the risk of developing chronic bronchitis.
A. bear B. suffer C. make D. run
52. He was a pickpocket and had to spend many years behind ______.
A. windows B. prisons C. cells D. bars
53. If you say you’d like ______ of cream on you strawberries then you don’t want to see very much
cream.
A. a dash B. oodles C. lashings D. a dollop
54. In her speech the Prime minister ______ tribute to the valuable contributions to society made by
voluntary organization.
A. paid B. sent C. brought D. gave
55. Tamara has set her ______ on becoming a ballet-dancer.
A. feet B. brain C. heart D. head
56. In his ______ days, he was quite dandy.
A. green B. salad C. fruit D. vegetable
57. The figure is more ______ 200, I think.
A. of B. at C. like D. with
58. When it is very hot, you may ______ the top button of your shirt.
A. undress B. unwrap C. untie D. undo
59. She clearly joined the firm with a (n) ______ to improving herself.
A. view B. aim C. plan D. ambition
60. I shouldn’t go outside without a raincoat because it’s raining cats and dogs.
A. It’s just started to rain B. it’s raining very heavily
C. it’s going to rain D. it’s raining a little
61. On second thoughts , I believe I will go with you to the theater.
A. Upon reflection B. After discussing with my wife
C. For this time only D. For the second time
62. I realized ______ that he was a thief.
A. sooner or later B. all a long C. at the beginning D. eventually
63. Mr. Dawson was given the award in ______ of his services to the hospital.
A. spite B. charge C. recognition D. sight
64. The sixth time he called me at night was the ______.
A. lost cause B. last straw C. touch and go D. hot air
65. His flat looks so ______ that it is difficult to believe he just had a party last night
A. spick and span B. by and large C. safe and sound D. sick and tired
66. The weather seems to be ______ up after the heavy rains.
A. tuning B. improving C. picking D. bringing
67. Because of the controversy, he packs ______ his job.
A. out B. in C. over D. up
68. Issac wishes that he could ______ what he had said to Christina because he really upset her.
A. talk out B. take back C. throw up D. tell off
69. For a whole month, Muslims ______ eating and drinking during the daylight hours.
A. abstain from B. keep from C. stay from D. stand from
70. Brain cancer requires ______ treatment such as surgery.
A. aggressive B. confrontational C. malignant D. rigorous
71. He praised his wife for her dignity under the ______ of the tabloid press.
A. onslaught B. assault C. onset D. offensive
72. Buying a car was an important ______ for them.
A. transformation B. translation C. transaction D. transportation
73. She’s ______. She tend to think a lot and not to say a lot.
A. an introvert B. inverted C. an extroverted D. subdued
74. It’s ______ that he never mentioned our argument; I wonder why he didn’t.
A. special B. rare C. curious D. eccentric
75. In all ______, he’s already left.
A. odds B. probability C. certainty D. possibilities
76. Many people don’t use their computers to their full ______.
A. future B. potential C. expectation D. hope
77. When our friends have bad fortune, we try to show ______
A. love B. sympathy C. affection D. pity
78. Are you having a ______ exam before you sit the actual Exam in June?
A. fake B. mock C. false D. dress
79. The job you’ve been offered is a(n) ______ opportunity to travel and meet people.
A. sole B. only C. unique D. single
80. The report makes the recommendation that no more prisons ______.
A. must be built B. be built C. had to be built D. should be building
81. I ______ a lot as an accountant but the work was just too boring.
A. was supposed to be earned B. ought to be earning
C. could have been earning D. should have earned
82. ______, I’d like to talk about myself as the happiest person in the world.
A. Be that it may B. Strange as it might sound
C. How much strange it may be D. Strange though might it sound
83. ______ her job, her sons and the housework, she doesn’t have a minute for herself.
A. What with B. If it weren’t for C. Barring D. Given
84. We have ______ what action to take.
A. yet decided B. not yet decide C. not yet to decide D. yet to decide
85. So incredible ______ of the Yellowstone area that people didn’t believe in its existence.
A. explorer John Colter’s descriptions were B. was explorer John Colter’s descriptions
C. explorer John Colter’s descriptions D. were explorer John Colter’s descriptions
86. On the island ______ the only representation of the island’s handicraft.
A. remains B. does it remain C. did it remain D. remain it
87. If you pay the restaurant bill with your credit card, I will ______ with you later.
A. settle down B. settle up C. pay back D. pay up
88. Rebecca ______ on our conversation to tell us that James had just been rushed to hospital.
A. cut in B. faced up C. got ahead D. broke up
89. I am not able to go anywhere this weekend because I am up to my ______ in work.
A. neck B. nose C. waist D. ankle
90. Luckily, the rain ______ so we were able to play the match.
A. gave out B. got away C. went away D. held off
91. I don’t like the way that jack is always trying to ______ trouble between us.
A. dish out B. rub up C. stir up D. spark out
92. I am ______ with work at the moment.
A. snowed under B. piled up C. messed up D. knocked off
93. This scandal has ______ criticism raining down on Mr. Deby from all sides.
A. taken B. got C. brought D. made
94. I see a lot of people with this new hairstyle. It seems to be ______ catching on.
A. piling up B. bringing out C. coming off D. catching on
95. The blue sundress set ______ her long blonde hair.
A. up B. off C. forth D. on
96. The party was already ______ by the time we arrived. Everyone was singing and dancing.
A. in full swing B. up in the air C. over the moon D. under the cloud
97. They have serious problems. That’s why their relationship is on the ______.
A. cliffs B. rocks C. stones D. grass
98. What she told me was a ______lies.
A. pack B. load C. herd D. flock
99. Janet will see you if you use the computer without permission. She has eyes like a ______.
A. bird B. goose C. hawk D. fox
100. Last weekend, ______ nothing to watch on television, we sang karaoke together.
A. there being B. there having C. having had D. being