METU/SFL Fall 2023

DBE
INTERMEDIATE GROUP
(Student’s Copy)
VOCABULARY REVISION SETS

Read the statements below, and fill in each gap with a suitable item from the box. You can use each
item only ONCE. There are more items than you need.
SET 1
subtle replace susceptible attached solutions requires
valid exploits protection diagnosed achieve occasions

• What does Google want in the candidates that it hires? The company looks for employees who can
think outside the box and create innovative 1)____________________ to problems. Candidates who
have a clear track record of taking on difficult challenges and mobilizing the efforts of others to
2)____________________ goals will have the greatest appeal.

• Pica is an eating disorder that involves consuming things that are not considered food. Individuals
with pica crave non-food substances, such as ice, dirt, soil, chalk, soap, paper, hair, cloth, wool,
laundry detergent, or cornstarch. Most frequently, children, pregnant women, and individuals with
mental disabilities are 3)____________________ to this illness; that is, they are the ones more likely
to suffer from it. In order for pica to be 4)____________________ as a medical problem, the eating
of non-food substances must not be a normal part of someone's culture or religion.

• The teacher told the students that some of them made no 5)____________________ points in their
essays because their arguments were illogical and based on unproven information.

• The challenge for those who want to improve education is to create an educational system that
6)____________________ the natural curiosity of children so that they maintain their motivation for
learning even after they graduate from high education institutions. This 7) ____________________
authorities and officials to work together to make systematic and drastic changes to the education
system.

• Each year across the UK, hundreds of children are removed from harmful situations and placed under
police 8) ____________________. The decision to take a child away from a parent or care-giver
should be made by a court, and this practice should only be used in emergency situations and where
it is necessary to ensure the immediate safety of the child.

SET 2

devoted estimating attempt effect

lack adopting surface consumed

• The moon is hiding water just under its 1) ____________________. We have known this for a decade
now, but we haven’t been able to figure out much about it.
• Is it strange that many of us these days feel hyperconnected and yet disconnected? This is what Mark
Sisson explores in his new book, The Primal Connection: Follow Your Genetic Blueprint to Health and
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 Happiness. It’s a fascinating look at what we do not have as humans, i.e., what we
2)____________________ in this age of distractions and speed.
• It’s widely known that optimists live longer. 3) ____________________ a positive approach to life
has a beneficial impact on health. It reduces the risk of depression and minimizes the stress that
comes from having a lot of responsibilities.
• Obtaining protein from vegetables may be advantageous because they offer good sources of fiber,
contain healthy poly- and mono-unsaturated fats and lower blood cholesterol when they are
4)____________________ regularly.
• Research has shown that being physically active even at age three has a positive
5)__________________ on children’s blood vessels and cardiovascular fitness, both of which are key
factors in preventing adult heart disease. While the arteries of the heart stiffen over time, this
process is slower in people who exercised a lot in their childhood.
SET 3
occasions improvements achieve requires avoid
separated enables variation adopted

• Christmas can be a worrisome time for those on a tight budget, but these kinds of special 1)_________
___________ do not have to be about stretching your wallet to the maximum. There are ways to have
enjoyable and memorable celebrations without overspending.
• In June 2019, the US Federal Communications Commission announced new rules for the amount of
educational and informational programming aimed at children. Currently, the government
2)____________________ television stations to broadcast an average of three hours of such
programming every week on every channel. If the new rules are 3) ____________________, it will
ease some restrictions and perhaps eliminate the three-hour mandate.
• Reading books 4)____________________ children to discover new worlds, meet new people, and
learn about the past. Books also have the power to transform lives. By sparking growing imaginations,
stimulating critical thinking and helping develop empathy, reading gives children the very skills they
need in order to 5)____________________ success at school, at work, and in life.

• Working towards a zero-waste lifestyle can help you stay within your budget. One way of doing this is
to 6)____________________ shopping malls altogether and buy from local shops instead. This practice
reduces consumption, which in turn will lower your costs.

SET 4
observations terrified surrounded decreased opportunities
surviving abandoned accomplished extinct exploring
• Despite a steady decline in the average number of hours worked per person per week, the share of
the population that reads a daily newspaper has 1)____________________ greatly in the past 20
years. In contrast, the percentage of the population that watches television daily has risen
dramatically over the same period.
• For thousands of years, humanity had limited options for 2)____________________ the ocean. In the
distant past, young men dove as deep as they could without breathing devices to reach depths where
they could discover what the waters held.
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• Villa Fontane is ideally situated in the countryside, a haven of peace just a few kilometers from the
excitement of Saint-Tropez, on the French Riviera. The wooded grounds are
3)____________________ by majestic hills, and you can relax in them before and after your
excursions.
• Countless species here on Earth are the foundation of a healthy planet. Today, many of them are
going 4) _______________ at an alarming rate. Half-Earth offers a solution to this crisis that will allow
species and people to live healthily together into the future. At this point, you can help, too. You can
identify endangered species and find ways of protecting them. Take a walk, make
5) _________________ and share your knowledge with Half-Earth.
• A typical job interview question is as follows: What is your biggest achievement at work? When you
are answering this, pick something you 6)____________________ that helped the company you
worked for, and even added value to it.

SET 5

subjects development threatened previous suffered

look up to innate make use of communities remain

• The difference between just wishing for something and reaching a goal is the action you take to get it.
However, you may have taken steps and still not gotten to your destination. So, how can you achieve
your target when your 1)____________________ attempts have failed? Here is what you can do:
Give yourself a hard deadline, and, if possible, pay in advance. Sign up for a class, or join the gym; for
example, and do it right now while you’re feeling motivated. Lock yourself in financially while you’re
inspired. If you pay money, you are more likely to keep going and 2)____________________ what you
have bought. Paying for something in advance is one of the best motivators in the long run.

• Te Tara Matawaka is a New Zealand organization whose purpose is to ensure that the ethnic
3)____________________ in the country, such as the Maori and Pakeha, are included in society and
that the benefits of ethnic diversity are realized by all citizens.

• Laguna Province, an agricultural area in the Philippines with an array of natural resources and
valuable manpower, is being 4)____________________ with destruction because of a growing
population and climate change.

• Certain situations such as job interviews, public speaking, and family emergencies can be more
stressful for their lack of familiarity. Learning how to 5)____________________ calm at such times
will not only have immediate soothing effects; it can also, over time, help you lead a healthier,
happier life.

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SET 6
accompanied labor attached obsolete
inventions intentions efficient impact

• Almost all swimming pools have certain rules to ensure the safety of the swimmers. One of these
rules is that all children under 12 years of age must be 1)____________________ by an adult in the
water.
• Are you suffering from sleep difficulties? From having a bubble bath to reading in bed, there are a
number of things you can do to get a better night's sleep. Even your diet can have a/n
2)____________________ on how well you sleep. Sleep specialist Dr. Michael Breus has listed which
foods and drinks can help promote better sleep.
• From the proto-machine gun to the first robot, many of Leonardo da Vinci’s
3)____________________ changed the course of mankind’s development.
• The advantage of doing a job that includes manual 4)____________________ is that you burn a high
number of calories every day compared to your office counterparts. Such work means being
physically active every day without the need to go to the gym to stay fit.
• In the modern world, digitization is an important means to ensure that manufacturing operations
are more 5)____________________ and reliable. Mathematical models that analyze enormous
amounts of data in a short time have made manufacturing into a modern and data-driven
enterprise.

• With technological changes, many traditional skills have become 6)____________________, and
that’s why many people get laid off by the employers.

SET 7
simultaneous eliminate resemble estimate memorize
compromise determined equipped demonstrated innate

• As a country sitting on some of the earth’s most seismically active faults, Myanmar has had to boost
its ability to predict earthquakes. New digital seismographs have been set up in five cities across the
country. These cities are now better 1)____________________ to foresee these disastrous
occurrences.
• Getting an accurate 2)____________________ of the start-up costs is a key skill
for prospective business owners who are looking to get financing. The amount of money that they
will have to borrow can be 3)____________________ in this way, too.

• Humans are adept at processing auditory signals. At about one month of age, an infant is capable of
distinguishing between certain speech sounds, such as “p” in the word “pin” and “b” in the word
“bin.” This suggests that our auditory perception is genetically pre-programmed and indicates a/an
4)____________________ preparedness to learn languages.

• Healthy eating habits can help people 5)____________________ the risk of developing heart disease
or diabetes at later ages.
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SET 8
funding entrepreneur dramatically unique
depends on manners priority contribution
destructive virtually makes up conveying

 Those who want to start their business and become a/an 1)____________________ must be
passionate, responsible, and eager to take risks in order to succeed in their new business.
 Most start-ups need financing at some point as they have to deal with starting costs. Although
bank loans seem to be the most likely option for 2)____________________ a new business,
banks usually don’t invest in new businesses due to the potential risks involved.
 The President of the European Union Commission said that the European Union had taken
responsibility in helping the developing world fight COVID 19, and that this had been a/an
3)_______________ for the EU as they are aware of the importance of their situation.
 Consumers have more choices than ever before. If companies want customers to choose them
over others, they must provide a/an 4)____________________ experience for them by
personalizing the products and making them more meaningful for the public.
 A person who makes an improvement on an idea that did not work previously may be
considered an inventor. The inventors are those who make a/an 5)____________________ to
the final form of the invention.
 In deserts, temperatures are rising faster than the global average. This warming affects deserts
6)____________________, beyond simply making them hotter. Increasing temperatures lead to
the loss of nitrogen, which is an important nutrient from the soil in these areas.
 Cell phone etiquette largely 7)____________________ the cultural context and what is accepted
as socially acceptable. For instance, in certain cultures, using your cell phone while
communicating face to face with others in a group environment is considered bad
8)____________________, whereas in other cultures it may be seen as normal.

SET 9

widely lead to deliberately distract casual

bonds essential avoids allows pattern
repressive secretly summit pressure acquire

 Today’s nuclear weapons are more powerful even than those that were dropped on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. Therefore, a nuclear war involving only a few nuclear weapons could
1)____________________ the end of life on the planet.
 The Internet is a great tool to use if you have an online business. A website for your business is
quite efficient because it 2)____________________ you to advertise, market, and promote your
business at little or no cost.
 People who live in English-speaking countries are not learning other languages these days
because so many people speak English across the world. Therefore, native English speakers just
don’t feel the 3) ____________________ to learn other languages.

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  Babies need a safe and healthy environment where they can develop strong
4)____________________ with people who care for them so that they can build a sense of
security and positive self-confidence.
 A new survey shows that most American teenagers are constantly using social media. More
teens now say they prefer texting to talking to other people in person, and they admit that
smartphone apps 5) ____________________ them from homework and even wake up them up
at night when they beep.
 Forests cover about 30% of the planet, and the ecosystems they create play a/an
6)____________________ role in supporting life on Earth. However, deforestation is clearing the
Earth's forests quickly. Unfortunately, the world's rainforests can completely disappear within
100 years.
 It has been suggested that when you're wearing formal clothing, you feel more confident and
more authoritative. On the other hand, when you're wearing 7)____________________
clothing, you feel friendlier and more creative, but you may feel less productive.
 Gangkhar Puensum is an impressive peak on the border of Tibet and Bhutan. It is the 40 th highest
mountain in the world, but so far, no human has managed to reach the
8)____________________. In 1986, a team from Britain attempted the climb but was forced to
turn back.
 American sportswear designer Nike has one of the most 9)____________________ recognized
brand logos in the world. The logo was introduced in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design
student, and it is called “Swoosh”.

WORD FORMATION EXERCISE

Read the statements below, and write the suitable form of the words given in brackets to fill in the
blanks. Add prefixes or suffixes. Be careful about spelling.
1. Sometimes your monitor USB cable may be loose or damaged, and that will affect the signal and make
your monitor blurry. Be sure to check it to see that it is working 1)____________________. (proper)

2.You can find a ____________________ of literary genres, such as poetry, romance novels, crime
fiction, and the like, on the Gutenberg Project, a website that offers a great number of e-books in
several languages. (various)

3. Many of the world’s cities are ____________________ and already stretched to the maximum. They
face enormous challenges as they don’t have enough land, water, clean air, energy, or places to put
waste. (crowd)

4. The ____________________ of Queen Elizabeth I gave her the reputation of being the greatest
monarch in British history. (accomplish)

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 5. British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who is the ____________________ of the World Wide
Web, is disappointed by what is happening to the Internet. It is going awry with fake news and is
burdened with problems of privacy, hate speech, and political polarization. (invent)

6. The basis of Montessori practice in the classroom is individual work as opposed to group lessons led
by an adult. The Montessori curriculum puts the ____________________ on the child’s individuality.
(emphasize)

7. The Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw is inviting 11 people from Israel, Germany,
Poland, and Ukraine who are interested in this subject matter to attend its summer school program.
Some of the ____________________ will be selected through an open-recruitment procedure, while
the remaining places will be made available to students of some universities. (participate)

8. ____________________ behavior is any action that is harmful or potentially harmful towards the
person who does it. (destroy)

9. Researchers at RMIT in Australia and the University of Toulouse in France have found that bees can
do basic arithmetic. The discovery that they have the ____________________ to add and subtract
shows that the busy little insects are capable of a sophisticated level of cognition. (able)

10. Psychologist Martin Seligman, who has done a lot of research on ____________________ (happy),
provides the acronym PERMA to summarize his findings: humans feel happy when they have Pleasure
(tasty foods, warm baths, etc.), Engagement (involvement in an enjoyed yet challenging activity),
Relationships (social ties), Meaning (a search for something valuable), and Accomplishments (having
realized goals).

11. There have been some studies that suggest that belonging to a community affects how happy
humans feel. Why this is the case remains unclear, but community ____________________ (member)
seems to give people a sense of security and make them feel stronger.

COLLOCATION EXERCISE
Read the statements below, and fill each gap with a collocating word, such as a preposition, particle
or a verb.
• The Jakarta Health Agency recommends using special masks in the city to be protected 1)___________
air pollution since this problem is getting worse in the city.

• The Recurrent Neural Network Structure consists 2)____________ four layers: input (with 12 neurons),
hidden (8 neurons), output (6 neurons) and context layer (6 neurons).

• In what ways has classical Greece had a profound influence 3)____________ the culture of the West?
Classical Greece is mainly recognized for its great contributions 4)______________ architecture and
sculpture. It is considered the base culture of Western civilization since it practically gave birth to
philosophy, democracy, science and math, and had a huge impact 5)______________ art.

• A teacher should have a very friendly attitude 6)_______________ his/her students so that they can
learn in a relaxed environment.
• Today, some people continue to devote a lot of time and money 7) _______ their appearance.
• Our mission is to raise awareness 8)___________ endangered species and their critical role in
maintaining the ecological balance of our planet. By educating people about these species, we aim to
promote conservation efforts.

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• Certain species of plants and animals have been known to have therapeutic advantages, including herbal
remedies. For instance, plants containing Aloe Vera have been found to have extremely useful healing
properties, so all the species containing Aloe Vera are now in high demand. Therefore, society may have
to 9)____________ an attempt to save these species if they become endangered.
• On the road of life, there are signs everywhere, but how well do we 10)_____________ attention to
them? Even if we notice them, how well do we follow their advice?
• Historically, people with mental illnesses were isolated 11)_______________ society. Although mental-
health care has moved from closed to more open forms of care, in many societies it is still provided in
locked wards.
• Most taxis in Phuket do not have meters to measure the distances, so passengers need to negotiate the
price with the driver in advance. Sometimes the taxi drivers take advantage 12)_______________
arriving passengers who don't know about the system or don't have any other transport options
available.
• Discrimination 13)___________ women starts at birth. Gender lines are drawn early, and exclusions for
females continue throughout adulthood. These constant messages may lead to the false belief that
women do not belong in the corporate world.
• Competitions represent a huge leap in the progress of each athlete. That is why participating
14)____________ competitions is a must for them.
• Contrary 15)_________ common belief, Instagram quotes are more than just good “filler content.” They
can be used to achieve specific marketing goals, such as driving sales and building brand resonance.
• Because bad habits provide some type of satisfaction in your life, it is very difficult to simply eliminate
them. (This is why simplistic advice like “Just stop doing it” rarely works.) Instead, you need to replace a
bad habit 16)___________ a new and harmless one that provides a similar pleasure.
• Our research findings are consistent 17)_______________ the existing body of scientific literature,
providing further support for the established theories in our field.