ADVANCED VOCABULARY

Part 1: Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of
the following questions.
1. We are not known _______ at all; and as we grow, we feel a progress lack of individual personality.
A. gruelingly B. severally C. expensively D. brusquely
2. The blue sundress set _______ her long blonde hair.
A. up B. off C. forth D. in
3. His poor handling of the business _______ on negligence.
A. neared B. edged C. approached D. bordered
4. Brain cancer requires _______ treatment such as surgery.
A. aggressive B. confrontation C. malignant D. rigorous
5. If we _______ over the details, we’ll never finish filming this episode by today.
A. niggle B. discuss C. huddle D. mob
6. Last weekend, _______ nothing to watch on television, we sang karaoke together.
A. there being B. there having C. having had D. being
7. 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
8. The upper branches of the tallest trees produce more leaves _______ other branches.
A. than do B. than have C. than they do D. than it does
9. Given 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
10. 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
11. _______ 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
12. 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
13. I knew my mother would _______ a face the minute she saw my new haircut.
A. drag B. lift C. pull D. raise
14. ‘Do you think Dennis took the money?’ – ‘I wouldn’t _______ him.’
A. put it past B. think it through C. pass it over D. rub it up
15. Rather than take his time to think about the questions, the interviewee _______ out the first answer
that came into his head.
A. blundered B. blurted C. bungled D. botched
16. The luxurious office accentuated the manager’s position _______. It enhanced his power and his sense
of his own worth. And it made other people feel small.
A. on the pecking pole B. in the nibbling line
C. at the ripping post D. in the pecking order
17. I realized _______ that he was a thief.
A. sooner or later B. all a long C. at the beginning D. eventually
18. 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
19. He will not _________ his allegiance to his family
A. aberration B. abogate C. abject D. abjure
20. He intended to ___________ the decree issued by his predecessor.

A. abrogate B. adamant C. abject D. annex

21.Many people are feeling the _______ now that there is an economic recession.
A. strain B. prod C. pinch D. pain
22. The fact that his alibi didn’t check out was _______ evidence.
A. discriminating B. incriminating C. invigorating D. undulating
23. Although the company seems very successful and popular, it has ______ actual money. Everything is
built off loans and debts.
A. less or no B. little or no C. many or not D. not any or little
24. The man accused of robbery asked that he _______ on bail until the court hearing.
A. will be released B. is to released C. be released D. was releasing himself
25. The government’s environmental policy has ________ criticism.
A. led up to B. come in for C. clung on to D. gone on for
26. The city of Shanghai is a _______ of modern-day ChinA.
A. microclimate B. microcopy C. microcosm D. microscope
27. “Did you attend the economic planning lecture?”
“Yes, and unfortunately it wasn’t ________ I’d expected”
A. as nearly boring as B. nearly as boring as C. nearly boring as D. so boring as
28. It was _______ that Henry would fail his final exams because he hadn’t even opened up his books all
semester.
A. indelible B. inevitable C. inconceivable D. incomprehensible
29. Sandra must be very _______ to be able to ignore all of her colleagues’s rude remarks.
A. single-minded B. two-faced C. short-sighted D. thick-skinned
30. We've made some great improvements over the past three months, but we're still not out of the _______
A. jungle B. bush C. dark D. woods
31. Many homeless people have been ______ for years with little prospect of finding proper housing.
A. down the drain B. down and dirty C. down and out D. down in the dumps
32. The accountant ______ the company out of millions of dollars before he was caught.
A. swindled B. spun C. dwindled D. saddled
33. The political candidate always tries to ______ any difficult questions when talking to the press.
A. butter up B. fend off C. fawn over D. drive back
34. Money was short and people survived by ______and saving.
A. scrimping B. scavenging C. scouring D. scrounging
35. Jane was terribly nervous before the interview but she managed to pull herself ______ and act
confidently.
A. through B. over C. together D. off
36. Round and round ___________.
A. went the wheels of the engine B. the wheels of the engine went
C. did the wheels of the engine go D. going the wheels of the engine
37. The delight in treasure finding doesn’t always ________acquiring tremendous amounts of valuables.
A. dwell on B. poke around C. lay about D. hinge upon
38. The luxurious office accentuated the manager's position ________. It enhanced his power and his
sense of his own worth. And it made other people feel small.
A. on the pecking pole B. in the nibbling line
C. at the nipping post D. in the pecking order
39. _________ chair the meeting.
A. John was decided to B. There was decided that John should
C. It was decided that John D. John had been decided to
40. The pollution problems in the town have been ______ by mass tourism in the summer months.
A. exacerbated B. developed C. augmented D. contributed
41. Remember not to sneeze or cough at the wedding. ______, excuse yourself.
A. For necessary B. In due course C. If need be D. In retrospect
42. He has done things he ought not to have done and ______ undone things he ought to have done
A. leaving B. will leave C. left D. leave
43. In your place, I _______ to others for help. There’s no way of finishing the project yourself.
A. would have turned B. must have turned C. will turn D. would turn
44. ______ circling the globe faster than Jules Verne’s fictional Phileas Fogg.
A. Also known as a pioneer journalist, the exploits of Nellie Bly included
B. The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist, included
C. A pioneer journalist, Nellie Bly’s exploits also included
D. Included in Nellie Bly’s exploits, who was a pioneer journalist,
45. Jimmy doesn’t like my cooking, but it doesn’t bother me. _____, I’d say.
A. Everyone to his own B. Each to his own C. Each one his own D. Everyone’s his own
46. My sister _____ and then finally admitted she'd worn my shoes.
A. waxed and waned B. ranted and raved C. hemmed and hawed D. racked and ruined
47. The two groups were ______ into signing the agreement, despite their objections.
A. shanghaied B. beijinged C. wuhaned D. hongkonged
48. Congressman Saunders fired the opening ______ during a heated debate on capital punishment.
A. cannonade B. barrage C. salvo D. burst
49. Drug abuse _______ a major threat to the _______ of our society.
A. poses/fabric B. strikes/fabric C. hits/cotton D. strikes/thread
50. Large quantities of condensed milk, put up in _____ sealed tins, are sold for use in mining camps.
A. hermetically B. eccentrically C. enigmatically D. esoterically
51. Under the administration of the crooked sheriff, corruption was _______ on the police force.
A. profuse B. steadfast C. staunch D. rampant
52. He started a small delicatessen, and within weeks he was making money ________.
A. hand over fist B. hand over mouth C. neck over shoulder D. arm over leg
53. They were really excited to the project, but now they seem to have gone off the ________.
A. mill B. rails C. steam D. boil
54. She gave him a long, ________ kiss before saying goodbye.
A. transient B. persistent C. lingering D. protracted
55. The train service has been a _____ since they introduced the new schedules.
A. shambles B. rumpus C. chaos D. fracas
56. The designer refuses to gild the _____, preferring simple lines of his creations.
A. lily B. rose C. daisy D. daffodil
57. The organization had to _____ its emergency fund in response to the unexpected catastrophe.
A. set aside B. fall upon C. dip into D. take up
58. Before a judge takes a decision, he has to take all the evidence into ______.
A. consideration B. speculation C. deliberation D. exemplification
59. The country is an economic ______ with chronic unemployment and pervasive crime.
A. lost cause B. basket case C. false dawn D. dark horse
60. The job creation scheme is still in its ______.
A. childhood B. babyhood C. initiation D. infancy
61. Stephen really lost his ________ when his dental disappointment was cancelled yet again.
A. head B. voice C. calm D. rag
62. It only took me a few minutes to get the printer up and ________ after taking it out of
the box.
A. walking B. proceeding C. running D. going
63. It was a hot summer day and ice cream salesmen were doing a ________ trade.
A. busy B. lucrative C. bustling D. roaring
64. Bob is so short-tempered; he should try to ________ his anger.
A. curb B. control C. temper D. stunt
65. If you ________ your demands, they may be accepted bu others.
A. control B. temper C. stunt D. curb
66. As far as I can ________, she wasn't there on that occasion.
A. memorise B. reminisce C. recollect D. remind
67. I'm sure it won't rain, but I'll take an umbrella (just) to be on the ________ side.
A. sunny B. straight C. safe D. secure
68. I was in ________ at that comedy show. I could barely breathe it was so funny.
A. stitches B. pleats C. shreds D. tears
69. She tried to ________ Tom’s importance to the company in order to gain a promotion for herself.
A. diminish B. swindle C. reduce D. shrink
70. I hate the way Tony ________ around looking so self – important.
A. struts B. scampers C. slithers D. slinks
71. Most frequently, the earthquake lasts 30 to 60 seconds, so usually there is no time to avert the mortal
________ once the shaking starts.
A. upkeep B. upturn C. upshot D. upswing
72. They live under a constant pressure of being ________ and subsequently replaced by someone who
is younger, faster and more accomplished.
A. outcast B. outshone C. outstayed D. outgrown
73. My brother loves watching horror movies but I find them too ________ myself.
A. gruesome B. untimely C.ghostly D. sterile
74. There was a lot of _______ as throngs of people tried to see the famous actor walking through the
mall
A. stamina B. discipline C. counsel D. commotion
75. Luckily my wallet was handed in to the police with all its contents _______.
A. preserved B. unscathed C. contained D. intact
76. Serena is still _______ ignorant of the fact that she is about to be made redundant.
A. blissfully B. decorously C. jubilantly D. ecstatically
77. No decision has been taken about the building of the new airport. The authorities are still _______.
A. beating about the bush B. comparing apples and oranges
C. sitting on the fence D. holding all the aces
78. Oil spills will _______ even the healthiest of marine ecosystem.
A. play havoc on B. break ground with
C. pay the consequences for D. take their toll on
79. Don’t look so worried! You should take the boss’s remarks with a ________of salt.
A. teaspoon B. pinch C. grain D. dose
80. Rachel has an amazing ________ of jokes that she uses to good effect at parties.
A. body B. repertoire C. variation D. store
81. Beneath the streets of a modem city_______ of walls, columns, cables, pipes,and tunnels required to
satisfy the needs of its inhabitants.
A. where exists B. the existing network
C. the network’s existence D. exists the network
82. Everything looks very positive for the company, _______ the current investors do not default on their
agreements.
A. assuming that B. whether C. whereas D. as if
83. Probably no man had more effect on the daily lives of most people in the United States_______
A. as Henry Ford, a pioneer in automobile production.
B. rather than Henry Ford, a pioneer in automobile production.
C. than did Henry Ford, a pioneer in automobile production.
D. more than Henry Ford, a pioneer in automobile production.
84. I would rather _______ my holiday in Egypt than in Turkey. I really couldn’t stand the food.
A. take B had taken C. to have taken D. have taken
85. According to a recent report, the disease is rare, affecting _______ ten thousand adults.
A. out of every one B. the only one of
C. every one from D. only one out of every
86. I feel a bit wary that people seem so eager to make a _______ of faith about driverless cars being free
to drive in our street.
A. hop B. jerk C. leap D. twitch
87. He has secured a loan for a new building by ______ upon the resources of two existing tenants.
A. dwelling B. training C. playing D. drawing
88. They worked _______ all weekend, trying to get it finished on time.
A. ferociously B. furiously C. indignantly D. outrageously
89. Individuals are being arrested and detained for lengthy periods, often without trial, for disseminating
information judged to be ______ via the Internet.
A. frolicsome B. unpropitious C. pedestrian D. Seditious
90. The sun ______ down with merciless intensity on the six men adrift in the life boat.
A. shone B. scared C. glared D. flared
91. He was found to have provided the court with ______ evidence.
A. doctored B. tampered C. feigned D. shammed
92. The story _____ well, indicating that sports obsession is a universal quality.
A. travels B. carries C. sails D. crosses
93. Her legs were starting to grow tired and sore, and a _____ of pain was ______ in her side.
A. stitch / erupting B. crick / arousing C. prick / bursting D. throb / surging
94. Some find it hard to _____ themselves to the new working condition.
A. apply B. accommodate C. habituate D. conduct
95. She deliberately _____ the waters by constantly referring to other irrelevant cases.
A. sullied B. muddied C. blemished D. shrouded
96. The president claims the new media is _____ hostile to his initiatives.
A. impalpably B. implacably C. impeccably D. implausibly
97. Talking about the quality of your work behind your back was a _____ tactic on her part!
A. know-how B. look-out C. low-down D. show-down
98. Research in this field is of relatively recent _____; that’s why I’m not conversant with it.
A. progress B. caliber C. vantage D. vintage
99. He said my novel showed promise. He liked the style and the story-line, and he was ____ just to be
kind.
A. getting his bearings B. flexing his muscles C. pulling his punchesD. spreading his wings
100. How am I expected to _____ a meal for six of his friends with almost nothing in the fridge?
A. conjure up B. eke out C. hack down D. roll in

Part 2: Supply the correct forms of the words given.

1. The project was subject to the usual ________ of exploratory research. (VICIOUS)
2. The cargo was ________ for safe and efficient shipping. (CONTENT)
3. She ________ questions about whether she plans to run, saying she’s focused on her voter registration
and campaign finance initiatives. (STEP)
4. ‘Villa’ was something of a ________ the place was no more than an old farmhouse. (NAME)
5. She stood there completely ________ so I had no idea at all what she was thinking. (EXPRESS)
6. Any actor who becomes known for one role is in danger of becoming ________. (TYPE)
7. This school was once ________ as a military hospital during the war. (REQUIRE)
8. The rocks appear to be stationary but in the high winds that whip across this desert landscape, they are
in reality moving ________.
9. The boats surrounded the whales, drove them into nets, where they became ________ and were
rendered helpless by harpoon thrusts. (MESH)
10. Perhaps ________, recent computer modeling studies predict fewer tropical cyclones if the ocean heats
up further as a result of global warming. (INTUITION)
11. A _______ celebrity featured in an advertising campaign can increase product sales. CHARISMA
12. The new computer lab is open-plan and furnished in a _______ style with basic pieces in white.
MINIMISE
13. The American landscape is being ________ by malls and fast-food restaurants. GENE
14. _______ tools, machines and even structures could redefine how humans live and work. MORPH
15. The complexity of the ecosystem will best be understood through a _______ approach. DISCIPLINE
16. The way that advertisers and the marketers play on people’s insecurities is thoroughly _______ .
MANIPULATE
17. A number of cosmetic manufacturers complained about the requirement for product comparison tests
to validate claims of ______. ALLERGY
18. The ensuring _______ caused the meeting to be rescheduled
DEMONISE
19. It is an ________ fact that vaccination is not the one-stop solution to the Covid-19 pandemic. AXIOM
20. Surely, it’s _______ for the company to claim its product has health benefits when it doesn’t FRAUD

Your answers
21. He represents not the continuing power of symbolic _____ but its recession
21. _____________
into the dead past. (INVEST)
22.The cost of living keeps rising, especially for _____ expenditure such as rent
22. _____________
and mortgage payments, healthcare and childcare. (DISCRETION)
23. Our expansion plans will have to be ______ in the current economic crisis.
23. _____________
(BURN)
24. The judge dismissed his DUI charge but convicted him for improper lane
24. _____________
changing and refusing the _____ test. (BREATHE)
25. ______ is the quickest method of removing potassium from the bloodstream.
25. _____________
(FILTER)
26. Within the system, he’s a pitiful nothing, unable to speak without a _____, an
26. _____________
affirmative-action phony doomed to inevitable defeat. (PROMPT)
27. Many voters feel that the governor has not acted in a(n) ______ manner for
27. _____________
someone who serves as the state's chief executive. (FIT)
28. Rob suspected this was perhaps the first real _____ he had had in his life,
28. _____________
something that probably his own father had never done. (DRESS)
29. It is the recognition of identity _____ that has allowed these women to
29. _____________
construct a new identity brick by brick. (CLOSE)
30. These recordings were often of very poor technical quality, many having been
30. _____________
made in _____ studios behind record shops. (MAKE)

31. A portion of the proceeds will be ________ for providing school fees for poor children for the coming
academic year. (mark)

32. The administration ropes in all educational institutions, government offices, public sector ________
and universities for the purpose of mobilising funds. (take)

33. Contraception is less ________ or affordable in South America. (cure)

34. While learning has changed for students in this new century, we are ________ by the boundless
opportunity presented in our lifetime. (bold)

35. It does not become an economic ________ but it does become a ‘newly industrialized country’, like
Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. (power)

36. We believe that the most effective enforcement tool is self-policing and ________ (strain).

37. It is possible to humanely raise and slaughter a variety of food animals, including ________ poultry
and beef cattle. (range)

38. Most of this feature includes behind-the-scenes video ________ of the crew working and goofing off.
(foot)

39. Together they forged a(n) ________ intellectual climate that has profoundly shaped my career.
(vigor)

40. We will investigate the tradeoffs among data ________, data hiding capacity, and probabilities of
extraction errors in different applications. (perceive)

41. Sometimes I'm really shocked by the (CONTEMP) behaviour of shop assistants.
42. The police (EXAMINE) the accusing man about how the accident had occurred.
43. The thing you have done makes a player in your team feel that he or she is being (LINE) . Give everyone
a chance to play.
44. The chairman of this company is merely a (HEAD), the Chief Executive is the one who is truly in control.
45. The total (TON) of the bombs flopped in the Vietnam War increases every year as more bombs are
unearthed.
46. He looked at the policeman with (DEFY), as if he were asking for a fight.
47. She received a (PLENTY) of presents on her birthday - it would surely take the whole day to open
them.
48. The sides are bluish green above, violet in the middle, red beneath, (VARIANT) with oval spots of
brilliant silver.
49. When going on business trip, Henry enjoys staying in luxurious hotels that offer (POINT) suites.
50. He was born into a (BLOOD) family; therefore, he had an opportunity to attend the most prestigious
private school in the country.