LEXICO AND GRAMMAR

Part 1: Choose the word/ phrase that best completes each of the following sentences. Write
your answer in the corresponding numbered boxes.
1. Discussions on the issue of expansion of the company have been in _______ since the outbreak
of the disease in the area.

A. hitch B. limbo C. feud D. core

(in limbo: trong tình trạng lấp lửng, ko biết làm j tiếp theo)

2. Viewers were _______ at the incredible sight of the lunar landscape, unable to take their eyes off
the screen until the very end of the broadcast.

A. switched B. devised C. transfixed D. stifled

(transfixed: nhìn chằm chằm, sững sờ, ko thể rời bước (vì thích thú, ngạc nhiên or sợ hãi)

3. Having lost her mother at an early age, Mary felt she had become a mere _______, having to do
absolutely everything for her five brothers and sisters.

A. taskmaster B. workmate C. slavedriver D. workhorse

(Workhorse: ng làm rất nhiều việc (việc bắt buộc nhưng họ ko thích vs điều đó))

4. Keith’s _______ income looks impressive, but once tax and social security contributions are
deducted, it’s not so much.

A. full B. grand C. net D. gross

(gross income: thu nhập trc thuế)

5. We have developed rapid order processing to _______ deliveries to customers.

A. expedite B. fasten C. heighten D. quicken

(expedite delivery/order: đẩy nhanh tiến độ giao hàng/đặt hàng)

6. The operation was a success, but the patient died of _______.

A. complications: biến chứng B. symptoms C. after-effects D. ramifications

7. Increasing terrorism in the region puts a new _______ on the situation.

A. complexion B. disposition C. outlet D. tantrum

(put a new/different complexion on sth: làm thay đổi tình hình)

8. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to call me. I can be there _______.

A. in a fix B. in a flash: ngay lập tức C. in a daze D. in the bag

9. He felt his heart _______ as his bride-to-be began her walk down the aisle.

A. fasten B. quicken C. expedite D. heighten

(heart quicken: tim đập nhanh)

10. My car broke down and I had to _______ a huge sum of money to have it towed and serviced.

A. splash out B. fork out: miễn cưỡng chi tiền C. put aside D. pay off

11. The candidate’s optimism gave _______ to doubt as the result of exit polls became known.

A. place B. lie C. vent D. voice

(give place to: chuyển sang (cảm xúc))

12. After the hurricane, all that was left of our house was a (pile of _rubble_.đống đổ nát)

A. rabble B. rubble C. ramble D. rumble

13. To say it is the best novel written in the last twenty years is going far _______.

A. a long way B. over the top C. through a bad patch D. to great lengths

(go over the top: nói quá)

14. This week’s programme is given _______ a profile of an eminent scientist.

A. credit for B. in to C. over to D. up on

(be given over to: đc dành cho)

15. Inspector Morts was determined to get to the _______ of the mystery.

A. ground B. end C. bottom D. point

( get to the bottom of sth: tìm ra vấn đề thật sự)

16. Getting away from the stresses of work would do you a _______ of good.

A. sense B. taste C. virtue D. power

(do sb a power of good: có lợi cho ai đó)

17. If you make it to the final, you will be _______ some of the best sprinters in the world.

A. in for B. up to C. up against: đối đầu D. up with

18. He gave speeches all over the world to _______ support for his “Help the Homeless”
Campaign.

A. trot out B. turn to C. weigh up D. whip up: kêu gọi sự ủng hộ

19. Somehow I managed to _______ my physics exam. The pass mark was 55 and I got 56.
A. scrape through: đậu sít sao B. shake off C. sit through D. slip off

20. The new professor is way ahead of the _______with his research into genetics.

A. twist B. circle C. spin D. curve

(ahead of the curve: dẫn đầu)

21. Don’t _______ him on to join a gang: nothing could be worse for him!

A. egg B. toast C. butter D. knife

22. Many companies seem to reach the _______ of disaster before anybody has tried to get
something done.

A. side B. precipice C. edge D. brink

23. I am not surprised that your brother is angry; you spent half an hour _______ him up about an
issue he cares about deeply.

A. spinning B. turning C. winding D. twirling

24. Although Gail thought she should have won first place, she _______ her pride and
congratulated her rival.

A. exerted B. swallowed C. bore D. aroused

25. I had spent two months worrying about it and I was glad to get it off my _______.

A. shoulders B. head C. chest D. mouth

26. That he was using unscrupulous research methods only came out because his assistant _______
on him to the press.

A. ratted B. hounded C. fished D. bugged

( rat sb on: tố cáo sb)

27. The phrase ‘money doesn't buy happiness’ is a cautionary cliché that keeps us from blindly
lining your pockets with _______ in the hope that we’ll feel happier.

A. stash B. hoard C. stock D. dosh

(line one’s pockets with dosh: liếm tiền bằng mọi thủ đoạn)

28. If there happened to be both rich and poor people, as there happen to be both black and white
ones, then the advantages of the _______ might well spread in time to the hard-up.

A. well-heeled : ng giàu có B. big-hearted C. open-handed D. tight-fisted

29. The government has agreed to _______ an additional £5 million to schools in underprivileged
regions.

A. dole out: phân phát B. tip off C. crack down D. toss off
30. As much as the candidate tried to convince people of his honesty, he could not shake off his
_______ past.

A. serene B. tranquil C. shady: mờ ám D. frigid

31. The greedy man wouldn’t hesitate to _______ away his valued assets if he thought it would
bring him more money.

A. wager B. bet C. gamble D. stake

32. His talent meant he could create wondrous things, but his _______ meant he hardly ever felt
like working.

A. adversity B. lethargy C. ineptitude D. tactlessness

33. The founder of the company decided to take a back _______ and let the board members run the
business.

A. stage B. seat C. row D. door

34. The tendency is to respond to anger with anger, but in these situations, it pays to keep a cool
_______.

A. brain B. mind C. head D. top

35. Most people are _______ to believe that girls and boys like certain toys when they are young.

A. hardened B. acclimated C. conditioned D. accustomed

36. The local authorities annually ______ between £50 million and £100 million on art projects.

A. disperse B. disband C. disburse D. dispose

37. Let me know of any pertinent developments, keep me in the ______.

A. sphere B. ring C. circle D. loop

38. The employees are ______ a rally in the city centre to demand higher wages.

A. making B. performing C. staging D. presenting

39. Having lost her home, Lucy got ______ a gang of people who hang around causing trouble.

A. in with B. up to C. on with D. by on

40. Although usually quite compassionate, the receptionist made a ______ remark that took her
colleagues by surprise.

A. crooked B. cautious C. corrupt D. callous

41. After the disastrous televised interview, the topic was ______ on social media.

A. raging B. moving C. trending D. buzzing

42. Julie felt unfairly ______ when she spoke out against a company proposal and the entire staff
team turned against her.

A prosecuted: bị truy tố B. persecuted: bị hành hạ

C. oppressed: bị áp bức D. suppressed:bị đàn áp

43. Once a major politician endorsed the young man’s candidacy, everyone ______ on the
bandwagon and started supporting him, too.

A. walked B. stepped C. jumped D. climbed

44. Malaysians should embrace their natural generosity and not let hard times ______ their spirit to
help others in need.

A. dampen: làm nản lòng B. moisten: trở nên ẩm ướt

C. drench: ướt đẫm D. deluge: trận lụt lớn

45. Everyone was living off tens of thousands of years of accumulated groundwater, like a ______
heir squandering his wealth.

A. stingy: keo kiệt B. miserly: ng keo kiệt

C. spendthrift: hoang phí D. penny- pincher: ng keo kiệt

46. Saving up for a nest ______ is an important part of life and should not be ignored, no matter
how young or how well-off you are.

A. egg B. stone D. seed D. pit

( nest egg: a sum of money that you save to use in the future)

47. My first impression of Vanessa was that she was very charming and ______; she seemed totally
at ease with people.

A. exuberant: hồ hởi, vui nhộn B. urbane: lịch sự (hơi kiểu cách)

C. aloof: hờ hững D. compassionate: giàu lòng trắc ẩn

48. Charlotte ______ the new girl immediately, within hours of meeting each other they were best
of friends.

A. took issue with: tranh cãi vs sb B. took heart from: feel encouraged

C. took a shine to: thích sb ngay lập tức D. took his hat off to: ngưỡng mộ sb

49. This sound system is so well-designed and technologically advanced that it is hard to ______.

A. overtake: bắt kịp, vượt B. transcend C. dominate D. rival

50. Parents often have to ______ large amounts of money so their children can take part in
extracurricular sports activities.
A. mark down B. rung up C. shell out D. stock up

51. We weren’t close friends but she ________ me well when I left college.
A. hoped B. boded C. wished D. bade
52. I don’t want to be too ________ on Alice, but I think I should tell her that her work isn’t good
enough.
A. stringent B. stern C. strict D. hard
(be hard on sb: khắc nghiệt vs ai)
53. The management are making ________ to increase the company’s efficiency.
A. measures B. steps C. moves D. deeds
54. I was told yesterday that the car had been fixed but it’s broken down ________ again!
A. up B. still C. yet D. on
55. The anthology contains________ the work of modern poets, but it includes a few significant
older works as well.
A. mostly B. most C. at most D. uppermost
56. Son: “This herb smells horrible!”
Mom: “Be that as it may, it will do you a ________ of good” .
A. power B. wealth C. strike D. visit
57. As a matter of ________, we have six security guards on the premises at all times.
A. wisdom B. prudence C. foresight D. acumen
58. It was such a sad movie that we were all reduced ________ tears.
A. for B. with C. into D. to
59. She marched into the shops, as bold as ________, and demanded for her money back.
A. bass B. grass C.brass D. glass
60. Jane is out in the garden mulling________ a problem to do ________work.
A. over/ with B. away/ without C. in/to D. Into/for
61. He was absolutely _______ with anger when he found that I had scratched his car.
A. burned B. carmine C. fickle D. livid
62. I don’t think Paul will ever get married — he’s the stereotypical _______ bachelor.
A. settled B. confirmed C. fixed D. determined
63. I cannot think who had_______ the gaff, but it seems everyone knows that Nicole and I are
planning to get married.
A. burst B. blown C. split D. banged
64. As we were in an urgent need of syringes and other medical equipment, the aid organization
promised to deliver them _______ the double.
A. at B. in C. with D. round
65. She was so ill that it was ________ whether she would live or not.
A. win or lose B. come and go C. touch and go D. on and off
66. “Have you got a copy of Gone with the Wind?”
“You’re ________ luck. We’ve just one copy left”
A. by B. with C. in D. on
67. When I got stuck in the elevator, I was scared out of my ________.
A. brains B. head C. wits D. nerves
68. All traffic is being _________ because of the military parades.
A. diverted B. converted C. changed D. altered
69. As he was running for a charity which was _____ to his heart, he felt even more determined to
complete the race.
A. warm B. near C. next D. close
70. On completing her fifth Atlantic race, she decided to _____ herself a new challenge.
A. set B. make C. fix D. accept

Part 2: Write the correct form of each bracketed word.

Slave Narratives
In the wake of the bloody Nat Turner (1. rebel) rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, in
1831, an increasingly fervent (2. Slave) slavery movement in the United States sponsored (3.
hand) firsthand autobiographical accounts of slavery by fugitives from the South in order to make
(4. abolish) abolitionists of a largely (5. difference) indifferent white Northern readership. From
1830 to the end of the slavery era, the fugitive slave narrative dominated the (6. literature) literary
landscape of antebellum black America. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an
American Slave, Written by Himself (1845) gained the most attention, (7. establishment)
establishing Frederick Douglass as the leading African American man of letters of his time. By
predicating his struggle for freedom on his (8. sole) solitary pursuit of literacy, education, and (9.
depend) independence, Douglass portrayed himself as a (10. make) self-made man, which
appealed strongly to middle-class white Americans.

Part 3: Fill in the gaps of the following sentences with suitable particles or prepositions. Write
the answers in the correspondent numbered boxes.
There is an example at the beginning (0).
Example: 0. up with
0. He finds it hard to put _________ the noise of the nearby factory.
1. The station is within walking distance of the hotel.
2. I’m so tired after work that I often drop off in front of the TV.
3. The decision was deferred to a later meeting.
4. That awful new office block is a real blot on the landscape.
5. I don’t know how Nicole survives, living all away in the sticks.
6. Carl and I just spent the whole day lazing around listening to music.
7. Unfortunately, most of the photos Terry took were out of focus.
8. Why don’t we meet up here again on the 12th, when I get back from Germany?
9. The prime minister has come under fire during this election campaign for being slow to respond
to events.
10. Keep plodding away and you’ll finish your novel eventually.