NEC lexico-grammar practice test 1

I. Multiple choice

1. He is much too _________ in his writings: he writes a page when a sentence should suffice.

A. devious B. lucid C. verbose D. efficient

2. The strike will not end because both the management and the workers are __________.

A. insipid B. intricate C. intransigent D. saddened

3. George Bernard Shaw said that the contemporary social values could be flippant and ________ at
some times.

A. profound B. inane C. riveting D. absurd

4. The Senate warned the Prime Minister that if he did not accept their advice, the differences between
the Legislative and the Executive arms of the Govern-ment would be _________.

A. eroded B. exacerbated C. exemplified D. exasperated

5. I went into the meeting ________, determined not to let him win.

A. with guns blazing B. with a bang C. will bells on D. with my own fair hands

6. Varun was accused of murdering his wife, and though he was never _________, he never recovered
from the shame and the scandal.

A. applauded B. booked C. indicted D. acquitted

7. . The ________ transformation of the former Soviet Union or Russia as it was popularly known,
remains one of the biggest stories of the decade.

A. traumatic B. singular C. tumultuous D. prophetic

8. New York’s climate is not very _______; its winters give you colds, and its summers can cause
heat prostration.

A. sanitary B. volatile C. salubrious D. pathogenic

9. Gregory’s face was _________ when he reported the loss of his ship.

A. antiquated B somber C animated D pusillanimous

10. The sheik’s wealth was a matter of __________; nobody had the least idea of how much he
possessed.

A. conjecture B conjunction C divinity D. obloquy

11. Dean offered his thanks but was waved away as the threesome continued to ________ the book,
reminiscing over days long past and names forgotten.

A. hanker after B. stream into C. riddled with D. pore over

12. He needed to make sure that the staffs each knew to _______ service level agreement's between
both organizations.

A. adhere to B. pertain to C. pander to D. resort to

13. He wasn’t in a particularly good mood but then he is always a bit ________ in the morning.

A. irate B. crotchy C. indignant D. infuriated

14. When I was offered a placement working at the South Pole, I ______ at the chance.

A. gazed B. grab C. jumped D. seized

15. Harry is always _______ his anger; he really needs to calm down.

A. venting B. abashing C. aborting D. befuddling

II. Word form

1. That would give him a ____________ on how much credibility we put on the so-called psychic
tipster. (HEAD)

2. He thanked his employees for the ____________ they had shown during the company's difficult
times. (BEAR)

3. Have someone else _______ the document before sending it. (READ

4. One of her best qualities is that she is a _______________- once she has set her mind on something
she will go all-out for it. (HOG)

5. Improved safety measures in cars can be _______________ as they encourage people to drive
faster. (PRODUCE)