general vocabulary

Shape & features

1 (Shape) Match the words in the box with the shapes. Write the word next to each shape.

a crescent   a circle   a cone   a cube   a cylinder   an oval   a pyramid   

a rectangle   a sphere   a spiral   a square   a triangle

1. ................... 2. ................... 3. ................... 4. ................... 5. ................... 6. ...................

7. ................... 8. ................... 9. ................... 10. ................... 11. ................... 12. ...................

2 (Shape) Complete the crossword with the adjective form of these shapes.

1. a circle 1 2 3 4

2. a rectangle
3. an oval 5
6
4. a spiral
5. a sphere
7
6. a triangle
7. a cone
8. a cylinder 8
9. a square
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3 (Features) Match the descriptions 1 – 10 on the left with the objects, geographical features, etc
(a) – (j) on the right. Use your dictionary to check the meanings of the words in bold.

1. Sharp, with jagged teeth (a) A country road in very poor condition.
2. Steep, with a pointed peak. (b) Somebody’s hair.
3. Rolling, with undulating wheat fields. (c) A very old tree.
4. Curved, with a smooth surface. (d) A knife.
5. Thin and flat, with words and dotted lines. (e) A slow-moving river.
6. Wavy, with a few spiky bits sticking up. (f) A brick.
7. Meandering, with a calm surface. (g) A mountain.
8. Winding and bumpy, with deep potholes. (h) A banana.
9. Hollow, with a rough surface. (i) Agricultural countryside.
10. Thick, solid and heavy, with straight edges. (j) An application form.
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 general vocabulary
Size, quantity & dimension
1 Look at the following list and decide whether we are talking about something big (in terms of size,
quantity or dimension) or something small. Underline your answers

1. a minute amount of dust Big / Small 14. a giant building Big / Small

2. a minuscule piece of cloth Big / Small 15. a gargantuan meal Big / Small

3. an enormous book Big / Small 16. a wide avenue Big / Small

4. a mammoth job Big / Small 17. a broad river Big / Small

5. a huge waste of time Big / Small 18. a tall man Big / Small

6. a vast room Big / Small 19. a high mountain Big / Small

7. a gigantic wave Big / Small 20. a deep lake Big / Small

8. a tiny car Big / Small 21. a shallow pool Big / Small

9. a monumental error Big / Small 22. a long-distance journey Big / Small

10. a colossal statue Big / Small 23. a vast crowd of supporters Big / Small

11. plenty of food Big / Small 24. tons of work Big / Small

12. loads of times Big / Small 25. a great deal of time Big / Small

13. a narrow alleyway Big / Small

2 Now complete these sentences using one of the expressions above. In some cases, more than one
answer is possible.

1. Before you embark on .................................................... , it is essential that you are well prepared.

2. We spent ............................................................ working on the plans for the new library.

3. I love the Museum of Modern Art, and have been there ............................................................ .

4. There’s a small grey spot in the corner of all my photographs, so I guess

............................................................ must have got into the camera and ended up on the sensor.

5. Villages along the coast were destroyed when .................................................. caused by the
earthquake swept houses into the sea.

6. In my opinion, playing computer games for hours on end is .................................................. .

7. .................................................. of the Greek god Poseidon stood by the entrance to the harbour.

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general vocabulary
Size, quantity & dimension
8. Despite the poor harvest, there was .................................................. for the whole population.

9. .................................................. called the Thames separates the city of London from the suburbs
to the south.

10. .................................................. gathered to see their favourite football team.

11. We ate .................................................. and then lay down to rest.

12. The most impressive place in the building is .................................................. called the Great Hall,
which can hold over 3,000 people.

13. We have .................................................. to do in the next few days, so I suggest we start as soon
as possible.

14. Loch Ness is .................................................. in the Highlands of Scotland.

15. The only evidence of the crime was .................................................. which was stuck on a branch of
one of the trees in the garden.

16. ‘Sumo’ is .................................................. containing almost 1,000 pictures by the controversial

photographer Helmut Newton.

17. I had .................................................. to do, so took the phone off the hook, made myself some
coffee and sat down at my desk.

18. The Matterhorn, .................................................. in Switzerland, has claimed the lives of many who
have tried to climb it.

19. He made .................................................. in his calculations and had to start all over again.

20. The manufacturers have built .................................................. which is ideal for getting around
the city.

21. The NEC in Birmingham is .................................................. which is used for concerts and exhibitions.

22. The main feature of the town is .................................................. lined with shops and cafés.

23. I could see the key glittering at the bottom of .................................................. .

24. Early European settlers in Central and South America heard legends of
.................................................. called El Dorado who covered himself in gold dust.

25. .................................................. ran along the side of the house to a garden at the rear.

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