II.

LEXICO AND GRAMMAR (40 POINTS)

Part 1. Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) that best completes each sentence.
(30 points)
1. Her __________ remarks about the seriousness of the situation offended those who
were genuinely concerned.
A. flippant B. scrawny C. arrogant D. assertive
2. The journalist managed to __________ out the information by going through all the old
files.
A. beetle B. cow C. ferret D. badger
3. Joanna has a real __________ for interior design - her home stunning!
A. likeness B. flair C. prospect D. popularity
4. If the warning light should come on, turn the red __________ to off.
A. button B. dial C. knob D. lever
5. He has a morbid fear of going outside his home, known to doctors as __________.
A. agoraphobia B. arachnophobia C. claustrophobia D. xenophobia
6. The peach pie was so delicious that we __________ the whole thing.
A. coughed up B. polished off C. wound up D. sponged off
7. She could talk the hind legs off a __________ with her endless anecdotes and stories.
A. dog B. donkey C. cow D. snake
8. It was a __________ moment when I realized that there were other people who watched the
show.
A. lowly B. scholastic C. righteous D. revelatory
9. A(n) __________ shift in the global oil market is under way.
A. epochal B. transient C. fleeting D. mundane
10. The singer wished it to be known that he had left the band out of his
own __________.
A. accord B. eagerness C. volition D. willingness
11. Since the coup, the country has sunk deeper into a(n) __________
of violence and lawlessness.
A. resolution B. extrication C. quagmire D. fluidity
12. Deadlines are getting closer and everyone is rushed off their __________ at the
moment!
A. feet B. eyes C. hands D. knees
13. It was such a(n) __________ novel that I couldn't put it down.
A. fictitious B. riveting C. zealous D. endowed
14. The rain __________ down slowly under his coat collar, making him feel thoroughly
damp and miserable.
 A. crept B. waded C. trickled D. teemed
15. A price war looks likely now that a leading supermarket has __________ to its
competitors.
A. thrown down the gauntlet B. turned a blind eye
C. taken with a grain of salt D. been a wolf in sheep's clothing
16. I don't really believe all that - I was just __________ devil's advocate.
A. getting B. doing C. playing D. turning
17. You can tell her to clean her room until you are __________ in the face, but she won’t do
it.
A. red B. orange C. blue D. green
18. I hate the way Tony __________ around looking so self- important.
A. struts B. scampers C. slithers D. slinks
19. Environmentalists have no political axe to __________ - they just want to save the
planet.
A. cut B. sharpen C. grind D. trim
20. I always clean the flat before my mum comes round, but she always finds at least one
__________ of dust and says it's filthy!
A. scrap B. gust C. speck D. blade
21. Almost __________ person I've asked says they're going on the anti-war
demonstration next Saturday.
A. every B. each C. all the D. the entire
22. __________ hundreds of people dead during the evacuation from the war-torn area in
the Middle East.
A. It is estimated to be B. There is estimated to be
C. There are estimated to be D. It is estimated that
23. She had spent hours browsing through various stores, trying on countless outfits;
__________, she left the mall empty-handed, undecided about her purchase.
A. moreover B. nonetheless C. consequently D. whereas
24. Formerly close friends, they had been estranged __________ each other for many
years.
A. from B. with C. over D. in
25. We heard of a __________ country that was the first to discover this.
A. certain Middle Eastern small B. small Middle Eastern certain
C. Middle Eastern certain small D. certain small Middle Eastern
26. This delicious __________ is high in protein and suitable for any vegetarian diet.
A. goats cheese B. goats' cheese C. cheese of goat D. goat's
cheese
27. It isn't a big difference, but it is a difference __________.
A. for example B. in addition C. above all D. all the same
28. __________ train.
A. There goes the B. Goes there the C. There goes D. There go the
29. __________ at the University of London, she has written several books on the history
of graphic design.
A. If a professor B. Now is a professor
C. Now a professor D. Whether a professor
30. I'm __________ my brother is.
A. nowhere like so ambitious B. nothing near as ambitious as
C. nothing as ambitious than D. nowhere near as ambitious as
1. Sales began the year at 30,000 units in January and increased slightly __ 2,000 units in
February.
A. by B. to C. in D. at
2. _____ Mississippi River flows into _____ Gulf of Mexico in _______ state of
Louisiana.
A. - / the / the B. The / the / the C. The / - / - D. - / - / -
3. The brother and sister were ________ over who would get to inherit the beach house.
A. at large B. at odds C. at a standstill D. at a loose end
4. You _______ then; otherwise, the policeman wouldn’t have stopped you.
A. could have been speeding B. must have been speeding
C. might have been speeding D. ought to have been speeding
[Link] mind went ____ when the official asked me my phone number- I couldn’t
remember it at all.
A. empty B. clear C. blank D. vacant
6. ________ that Helen was getting married, we were sorry she’d be leaving home.
A. Delighted though we were B. As we were delighted
C. However delighted were we D. As we were so delighted
7. Many local authorities realize there is a need to make _______ for disabled people in
their housing programmes.
A. assistance B. conditions C. admittance D. provision
8. It's a shame they didn't pick you up, but it doesn't _______ out the possibility that you
might get a job in a different department.
A. strike B. cancel C. draw D. rule
9. Earthquake can damage a tree ______violently, and it can take several years for the
tree to heal.
A. to cause to shake it B. when shaking it causes
C. to cause shaking it D. by causing it to shake
10. Ninety________ the maximum length of time allowed for entrance exams to this
school.
A. minute is B. minutes are C. minute are D. minutes is
11. I saw the men, the women, and the cattle ________ went to the field.
A. which B. who C. that D. what
12. He believes that all children are born with equal intelligence, ______?
A. doesn’t he B. does he C. are they D. aren’t the
13. Susan: “I love your gardens. The plants are well taken care of!”
Jack: “Thanks. Yes, I suppose I’ve always __________.”
A. had green fingers B. let nature take its course
C. made it down on my luck D. drawn the short straw
14. Since I came in half an hour late this morning, I have to stay until 5:30 to _______ for
it.
A. save up B. make up C. keep up D. hold up
15. Tom: “I thought your performance last Sunday was wonderful.” Laura: “-
____________”
A. Don’t tell a lie. I thought it was terrible.
B. You must be kidding. It was not as good as I had expected.
C. I completely agree with you. It was terrific.
D. No doubt!
16. I don’t think you have been watering the plants near the gate. The soil is _________.
A. as dry as rice B. as dry as a tile C. as dry as a bone D. as dry as wood
17. Having been served dinner, __________.
A. the problem was discussed by the members of the committee.
B. the committee members discussed the problem.
C. it was discussed by the committee members the problem.
D. a discussion of the problem was made by the members of the committee.
18. There are fast-growing __________ of fir tree here in this park.
A. variations B. variances C. variants D. varieties
19. Whether the sports club survives is a matter of complete _____ to me.
A. indifference B. disinterest C. importance D. interest
20. Only in the Civil war _____killed or wounded
A. soldiers in America B. so many American soldiers were
C. many in America were D. were so many American soldiers
1. ______, playing music is an effective way for them to open their heart to the outside
world.
 A. Being visually impaired people B. Such were their visual
impairments
C. Having been visually impaired D. For those with visual
impairments
2. There are _______ words in English having more than one meaning. Pay close
attention to this fact.
A. a large many B. quite many C. a great many
D. quite a lot
3. Had Lam read unit 7 before his class, he ______ unruffled when being asked
questions by his English teacher now.
A. wouldn't feel B. wouldn't have felt C. would have felt D.
would feel
4. Not only Jane's friends but also her sister ______ in completely with her story of
having been robbed, and they all lent her some money when being asked for.
A. has been taken B. have been taken C. was taken D.
were taken
5. We took CDs with us to our gatherings. Actually, we _____ that, for there was no CD
player to play them on.
A. mustn't have done B. didn't have to do C. needn't have done D. couldn't
have done
6. VigilEASE, Inc. has made a profit of $1,000 million, ______ its branches to expand
across the continent.
A. allowing B. allows C. to allow D. is allowed
7. It is advisable that the injured boy _____ to hospital as soon as possible.
A. should take B. has been taken C. be taken
D. should have taken
8. Benzene, _____ by Faraday, became the starting point in the manufacture of many
dyes, perfumes and explosives.
A. discovered B. discovering C. was discovered
D. discover
9. Yesterday my mother bought______.
A. beautiful Italian some cotton hats B. Italian some beautiful cotton
hats
C. some beautiful Italian cotton hats D. some hats beautiful Italian
cotton
10. _______ be impolite to our parents.
 A. Not in any circumstances should we B. In any circumstances shouldn’t
we
C. In no circumstances should we D. No circumstances should we
not
11. The first round of interviews only really serves to ______ the very weakest of
applicants.
A. tide over B. beat about C. bark out
D. weed out
12. People, with a patriarchic ______, came up with their preference for a single male
child. The idea of a happy family became parents with a single male child.
A. onset B. mindset C. upset
D. sunset
13. He sent his children to the park so that he could have some ______.
A. fresh and quiet B. quiet and peace C. peace and quiet
D. quiet and fresh
14. The kids are getting in my ______ today, so I need you to watch them for a little bit.
A. hair B. nose C. mouth D. tongue
15. Recent altercation and family feud has negatively affected and _______ their marital
relationship.
A. crumbled B. bungled C. catapulted D. besmirched
16. I was ______ surprised by the excellent customer service. That company really cares
about its customers.
A. pleasantly B. totally C. sharply D. seriously
17. He _____ denied the accusations, saying they were totally false
A. excessively B. superficially C. strenuously D.
unstintingly
18. The runner was far ahead for most of the race, but at the end she won only _______.
A. larger than life B. on the dot C. by a whisker D. a notch
above
19. The CEO's ambitious expansion plans left many employees feeling like they were just
______ in a corporate game of chess.
A. flies on the wall B. pawns in the game C. chips on the table D.
cogs in the machine
20. The chef had to ______ several ingredients from the recipe because they were out of
stock.
A. parse out B. pare down C. perch on D. plunder through
21. Since beauty is our _______, it does not matter whether her appearance is good-
looking or not.
A. skin match B. skin graft C. skin diver D. skin deep
22. Even though she presented herself as a model citizen, it was later revealed that Tkach
had a ______ – a scandalous corruption charge.
A. wrench in the gears B. elephant in the room

C. party pooper D. skeleton in the closet

23. If the client group undertakes ______ diligence, they may check references and visit
similar projects, including ones completed by your firm.
A. near B. due C. complete D. well-rounded
24. The cadence of drums built to a(n) ______ as the dragon dance reached its pinnacle
under showers of firecrackers.
A. overture B. diminuendo C. interlude D. crescendo

25. The majestic dragon swirling through the streets elicited cheers from the ______
crowds gathered to welcome prosperity
A. diffident B. morose C. nascent D. raucous
26. Many people no longer trust their own ______ memories and commit every detail of
their lives to some digital device or other and are completely lost without it.
A. fallible B. susceptible C. vulnerable D. controllable
27. I have great _______ for the young teachers who devote their life to teaching children
in remote and mountainous areas.
A. intention B. admiration C. sympathy D. consideration
28. I cannot open the envelope because it is _______
A. concealed B. locked C. sealed D. secured
29. Deciding what _______ to focus on in university can be a difficult decision.
A. freebie B. mentor C. perseverance D. discipline
30. I get ______ pains up my spine whenever I try to move.
A. splitting B. thumping C. shooting D. stinking
26. Don’t waste your time telling Jim a joke. He is totally ______ of a sense of humour.
A. deficient B. missing C. devoid D. lacking
27. The room was _____ decorated in gold and silver; it was quite simply over the top.
A. ostentatiously B. tantalizingly C. tactfully D. benevolently
28. The colours in some of the photos we took two years ago have begun to ________.
A. fail B. faint C. fade D. light
29. The film ________ several scenes that might upset young children.
A. admits B. involves C. contains D. displays
30. Having to rewrite a report that you thought was pretty good can be rather ______.
A. back-breaking B. soul-destroying C. mind-blowing D. slow-moving
31. Capital injections occur in case a company or an organization suffers financial
______.
[Link] [Link] C. dejection D. distress
32. By an unfortunate ___________, the bride’s sister was not invited to the wedding.
insult B. oversight C. neglect D. disregard
33. My brother’s been a_____of strength through all the problems I’ve haD.
A. tower B. heap C. mountain D. show
34. His friends failed to see why he should ride the high ________ just because he had
won an election.
A. hat B. horse C. shoes D. nose
35. If you are going to town, keep your eyes ________ for that book I was telling you
about.
A. peeled B. clean C. wide D. fresh
36. He was a tall, intimidating persson, with a firm tone of voice and a very short
______ .
A. temperament B. line C. patience D. fuse
37. She went under ________ as a waiter to write an article on tipping.
A. mask B. act C. cover D. pose
38. When she started borrowing my clothes without asking, I had to put my ______
down.
A. stamp B. show C. fish D. foot
39. At a dinner to mark his retirement, Neville was ______ with a silver clock.
A. provided B. given C. gifted D. presented
40. Failing to submit the proposal on time was______for Tom.
A. a real kick in the pants B. an open and shut case
C. a shot in the dark D. a nail in the coffin
41. Jungkook's extraordinary talent in singing and dancing has elevated him to a ______
position within the BTS group.
A. prominent B. prominence C. prominently D. improminent
42. My sister remained very calm. She _______ .
A. kept her temper B. kept her soul C. kept her head D. lost her head
43. Many species of fish have ________ ways of protecting their eggs from predators.
A. ingenious B. indicative C. inspiring D. ingenuous
44. I’m afraid that the facts don’t ______your theory.
A. pull off B. check out C. show off D. bear out
45. _______ over long distances is a fact.
A. That electricity can be transmitted B. That electricity transmitting
C. That electricity D. That can be transmitted
46. She can’t be interested in the lessons, ___________ that she always arrives late.
A. viewing B. seeing C. noting D. judging
47. At the South Pole _______, the coldest and most desolate region on Earth.
A. Antarctica lies where B. Antarctica lies and

C. where Antarctica lies D. lies Antarctica

48. __________ a fire, hotel guests are asked to remain calm.
As a result of B. In the event of C. By reason of D. In the time of
49. _______ in the diet is especially important for vegetarians.
A. Enough protein is obtained B. Obtaining enough protein
C. They obtain enough protein D. By obtaining enough protein
50. ________ to Jim myself, I can’t tell why he would do such terrible things.
A. Not to be speaking B. Not to have spoken
C. Because of not being spoken D. Not having spoken
51. Things would have been better ________ to my advice.
A. you not listened B. were you listened C. had you listened D. if you listened
52. At no time in history ________ such a diligent and brilliant fellow.
A. has Peter and his classmates ever met B. have Peter and his classmates met
C. Peter and his classmates ever met D. Peter and his classmates had ever met.
53. ______ at home requires only three types of chemicals, several pieces of simple
equipment, and running water.
A. For the development of film B. To develop film
C. When film is developed D. In developing film
54. ______ invisible to the unaided eye, ultraviolet light can be detected in a number of
ways.
A. Although is B. Despite C. Even though it D. Although
55. He harbors a deep resentment ___________ his parents for his miserable childhood.
A. on B. from C. for D. against