“Maybe it was someone’s pet.”
The six-month-old female lion was **plang** by traffic reporters working for a Mexico City radio station in the asphalt jungle of Doctores, one of the capital’s most crime-ridden areas, early Tuesday morning.
“I hope it eats some of the criminals,” ** olh ** a caller to the radio station Radio Red, when the escape was reported.
“This rescue was very unusual,” Mendoza added. “We usually only get calls for escaped birds.”
Plang is __________
Olh is __________
Blin is __________
Exercise 30
Some words have been left out of the following text. Choose the missing word from the four choices given at the end.
Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of 1 _______ as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to 2 ________ down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too 3 _________ to see anything; then she looked at the 4 _______ of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the 5 _________ as she passed; it was labeled ‘ORANGE MARMALADE’, but to her great disappointment it was 6 ________: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.
‘Well!’ thought Alice to herself, ‘after such a 7 ________ as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How 8 _______ they’ll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn’t say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house!’ (Which was very likely true.”
Down, down, down. Would the fall NEVER come to an end! ‘I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?’ she said aloud. ‘I must be getting somewhere near the 9 ______ of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think –‘ (for, you see, Alice had 10_________ several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a VERY 11 _________ opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over)’ – yes, that’s about the right 12 ________ - but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I’ve got to?” (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but 13 _______ they were nice grand words to say.)
Presently she 14 _________ again. ‘I wonder if I shall fall right THROUGH the earth! How funny it’ll seem to come out among the people that 15 _______ with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think – ‘ (she was rather glad there WAS no one 16 ________, this time, as it didn’t sound at all the right 17 _______)’ – but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?’ (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke – fancy CURTSEYING as you’re falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) ‘And what an ignorant little girl she’ll think me for 18 _________! No, it’ll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.’
(from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)
1) A) books B) time C) problems D) water
2) A) fall B) fly C) come D) look
3) A) dark B) night C) light D) calm
4) A) mirrors B) pens C) books D) sides
5) A) books B) shelves C) pens D) tables
6) A) empty B) full C) open D) dark
7) A) flight B) break C) trip D) fall
8) A) brave B) clever C) silly D) old
9) A) end B) side C) top D) centre
10) A) written B) learnt C) finished D) forgotten
11) A) precise B) happy C) good D) bad
12) A) distance B) book C) thing D) trip
13) A) said B) wrote C) forgot D) thought
14) A) began B) heard C) believed D) stood
15) A) read B) sleep C) walk D) talk
16) A) talking B) writing C) sitting D) listening
17) A) word B) book C) sentence D) earth
18) A) saying B) sleeping C) thinking D) asking
Exercise 31
The sentence of the following article have been mixed up. Put them in the correct order.
Princes seeking solitude in B.C.
A) British tabloids such as The Sun are sending their royal reporters and brigades of photographers, the people who run after the Royal Family with those fabulously long and intruding lenses.
B) Whether solitude on the slopes is possible for the Princes, even in a country where the media have yet to reach the excesses of British tabloid journalism, is still in question.
C) Prince Charles and his two young sons arrive in British Columbia Monday for what they hope will be a quiet, reporter-free ski vacation, their first trip to Canada after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
D) There will also be a gaggle of U.S. reporters, journalists from across Canada and the local media contingent, all scrabbling for their own exclusive moments with the Princes as they ski the mountains surrounding the resort of Whistler for most of this week.
E) This six-day vacation of Prince Charles and his sons, William and Harry – already dubbed the Three Princes by one local tabloid – is already generating the same style of scrutiny that dogs them in Britain.
Exercise 32
Put the sentences of the following story in the correct order.
1) ‘I want you to paint a picture of me. How much will it cost?’
2) ‘But I’ll have to keep my socks on, because my feet get cold, and I’ll have to wear something to put my brushes in.’
3) Then she thought that, as she had a very beautiful body, the artist might be happy to paint her picture more cheaply if she wore no clothes while he was painting it.
4) ‘Five hundred pounds,’ said the artist.
5) ‘Oh?’ said the lady.
6) The artist thought for a moment.
7) ‘And how much will it cost if you paint me without any clothes on?’
8) ‘That is a lot of money.’
9) One day a beautiful young lady went to a famous artist and said,
10) So she said,
11) ‘One thousand pounds,’ he then said.
Exercise 33
Complete the following story with the conjunctions “and”, “but” and “so” in the correct places.
The Second World War had begun, ________ John wanted to join the army, ______ he was only 16 years old, ________ boys were allowed to join only if they were over 18. _______ when the army doctor examined him, he said that he was 18.
_______ John’s brother had joined the army a few days before, _______ the same doctor had examined him too. This doctor remembered the older boy’s family name, ________ when he saw John’s papers, he was surprised.
‘How old are you?’ he said.
‘Eighteen, sir,’ said John.
‘_______ your brother was eighteen, too,’ said the doctor. ‘Are you twins?’
‘Oh, no, sir,’ said John, _______ his face went red. ‘My brother is five months older than I am.’
Exercise 34
In the article below, three words have been removed. Find what words were in place of ‘AAA’, ‘BBB’ and ‘CCC’.
Girl, 8, is expelled for ‘crime’ of father
A girl aged eight has been expelled from a private AAA in Merseyside because of a drugs addiction against her father.
Olivia Avis, who attended the McKee AAA in Allerton, Liverpool, CCC put in a taxi and sent BBB unaccompanied into the care of her sick 13-year-old sister.
She knew nothing of her father’s alleged crime because he mother, who is separated from him, had been waiting to break the news to her.
Olivia’s place at the AAA came into question as news spread among parents of the appearance before magistrates in Manchester of Edward Avis, who CCC accused of conspiring to import a controlled drug. Pamela McKee, the head teacher, said she expelled the girl because she CCC under pressure from other parents who were threatening to withdraw their children. She admitted she CCC wrong to send her BBB unaccompanied.
Olivia’s mother, Elizabeth Avis, 36, from Childwall, said she CCC appalled by the AAA’s behavior and considered it outrageous her daughter could be punished for something her father CCC alleged to have done.
She said: “Olivia CCC terrified and crying her eyes out when she CCC put in the taxi. They put my daughter under serious risk by sending her BBB alone.”
Exercise 35
Ten words have been removed from the text below; they are given at the end. Put them in the right places.
Workers want more time with family
One in five people in work would be prepared to take a cut in pay to spend more time with their families, according to an opinion poll 1) _______ yesterday.
Half of those interviewed by Mori worried about 2) _________ too little time with their families and one in four said it was 3) _______ to have a good family life and get ahead in the career stakes. The poll was carried out for the management consultancy WFD, which advises 4) _______ such as IBM and American Express on how to help their staff achieve what it calls the “work/life balance”.
It found that the 16-35 age group was most preoccupied with trying to 5) _______this balance. Ninety-two per cent said it was at least fairly 6) __________, with the belief spread equally over men and women. WFD said this meant the “demise of the yuppie”, as it proved that “fast cars and flashy penthouses are no longer enough for the 7) _______ and upwardly mobile”.
The issue was of most importance in the professions, where 98 per cent said it was a major concern. High earners were more likely to worry about having too little time to themselves than lower earners. Fifty per cent of those earning more than 17,500 pounds were worried, compared to 36 per cent of those earning under 9,500 pounds.
Single people were as 9) _______ as married people to be concerned by the lack of balance. Self-employed workers, however, were much less worried than others about balancing work and outside life. Liz Bargh, chief 10) ________ of WPD UK, said the poll was “powerful evidence” that the balance between work and life was one that more companies had to address.
Words to be used:
Important – spending – executive – achieve – published – likely – companies – impossible – young – employees
Exercise 36
In the following article two words have been replaced – ‘AAA’ and ‘BBB’. Find what the original words were.
Vandalism by children as young as six was the main reason for a rise BBB almost 80 per cent in the number BBB AAA accidents last year, the Health and Safety Executive reported yesterday.
Although the number BBB incidents involving fatalities remained low, the executive warned that the rapid increase in objects being placed on the line, the stoning BBB drivers’ windows and arson attacks threatened the possibility BBB a major tragedy “with very many deaths”.
In 1996 – 97, the total number BBB accidents, including derailments, collisions and fires, rose to 1,753, compared with 989 in the previous 12 months. More than half were caused by vandalism.
Instances BBB AAAs running into objects placed on the track increased by 53 per cent, from 488 to 741. Cases BBB arson rose from 256 to 302. Incidents BBB damage to drivers’ cab windows, a category not separately reported before, numbered 468, BBB which 87 per cent were caused maliciously.
Stan Robertson, the HSE’s chief inspector BBB railways, said he was particularly concerned by the “massive and very disturbing” increase in the deliberate planting BBB obstructions such as masonry, stolen cars, disused washing machines, supermarket trolleys and bicycles.
Recent incidents involved:
- Children aged six, seven and eight who placed a pile BBB wood and stones on a stretch BBB the East Coast main line in south Yorkshire that is used by AAAs traveling at 125 mph;
- A group who wrapped a tennis-court net around a signal gantry and used it to drop rocks on passenger AAAs passing beneath;
- A AAA derailment in Hertfordshire that caused a carriage to turn on to its side after vandals placed concrete on the track.
The British Transport Police said: “These kinds BBB obstruction are now a daily occurrence. It’s often children or young teenagers who don’t realize the dangers BBB what they are doing, A AAA running at 125 mph normally takes a mile and a quarter to stop. If it has a lump BBB concrete, it could easily be derailed, resulting in multiple fatalities. This is an issue BBB extreme seriousness.”
The police want to see Railtrack and AAA operators making trespass more difficult by improvements to fencing, lighting and station design and by removing potential lineside hiding places. The safety executive has set up a working group to produce new proposals for combating vandalism, which is due to report by the end BBB the year.
Exercise 37
The sentences of the following article have been mixed up. Put them in the correct order.
A) But her younger brother Iskander, 10, also did so well in his maths and further maths A-level papers that he is keen to join her at university this September.
B) Sufiah, one of five brothers and sisters gifted in mathematics and tennis, will be matching the feat achieved by Ruth Lawrence 13 years ago when she begins her degree course this autumn at the university’s last all-female college, St Hilda’s.
C) The children’s father, a freelance researchers, said yesterday that his son was intellectually and emotionally ready for university, and he would be approaching colleges, including St Hugh’s, to see if anything could be arranged.
D) As predicted, she easily overcame the final obstacle, an A-grade in further maths, last week.
E) Sufiah Yusof, the 12-year-old maths prodigy had a place at Oxford University confirmed yesterday – where she could be joined by her younger brother.
F) If successful, he will be just 11 when he goes up to the university, making him one of its youngest entrants since the Middle Ages.
Exercise 38
Eight sentences have been left out of the following article. Read the text and put the sentences at the end into the right places – but be careful, one of the given sentences is not needed. The first one has been done to help you.
Why do we need two ears?
1) E
Even if you only had one ear that worked properly, you would still hear sounds and understand them. Having two ears helps us find out more about what is going on around us.
2) ________
Ears act as direction finders because sounds arrives at one ear before it reaches the other ear. Your brain measures the difference and automatically works out the direction of the sound.
3) ___________
As we grow up, we get better at working out where a noise is coming from and how far away the thng making the noise is.
4) ___________
They had to be able to track animals to hunt food. They also had to know which way to turn when large animals were tracking them.
5) ___________
Bats, for instance, use echolocation to find their way in the dark. But directional hearing is still a very useful skill for us too. If you heard someone shouting for help, you would know which way to run to get to them. Our ears work best at listening to sounds like music or people talking, but animals have ears suited to different needs.
6) _____________
Others have ears that work best for listening to very deep notes. Some animals can hear faint noises, while others are completely deaf. Snakes do not have ears at all and people used to think they were deaf.
7) ______________
The bone vibrates when the air or the ground vibrates. Most insects are deaf but grasshoppers can hear through their legs. They call to one another by making chirping sounds with their legs. Dogs have superior hearing to us; they can hear notes that are higher then those we hear. If you blow a special dog whistle that makes a very high note, you will not be able to hear it, but any dogs nearby will hear the note and might come running.
8) ___________
The missing sentences:
A) But we now know that they can hear sounds through a bone that lies under the skin of the face.
B) This skill si called directional hearing and it was very important to our ancestors in the past.
C) With two ears we can tell which direction a sound is coming from.
D) As we get near old age, we are often unable to hear well.
E) Both our ears work in the same way.
F) You may have noticed the way they twitch their ears to and fro: they do this to find out where a sound is coming from.
G) Wild animals still need this skill today, and many of them have better directional haring than people.
H) Even very young babies turn to look in the direction a noise is coming from.
I) Some animals can hear notes much higher than any sound your ears can hear.
Exercise 39
Read the text below and do the exercise that follows.
The train had stopped before a red signal which blocked the way. The engineer and conductor were talking excitedly with the signal man, whom the station master at Medicine Bow, the next stop, had sent on to meet the train. The passengers gathered around and took part in the discussion.
Passepartout, joining the group, heard the signal man say, “No! You can’t pass! The bridge at Medicine Bow is shaky, and would not bear the weight of the train.”
There was a suspension bridge about a mile from the place where they now were. According to the signal man, it was in a ruinous condition, several of the iron wires being broken; and it was impossible to risk the passage. He did not in any way exaggerate the condition of the bridge.
Passepartout, not daring to inform his master of what he heard, listened with set teeth, still as a statue.
“Hum!” cried Colonel Proctor; “but we are not going to stay here, I imagine, and take root in the snow?”
“Colonel,” replied the conductor, “we have telegraphed Omaha for a train, but it is not likely that it will reach Medicine Bow in less than six hours.”
“Six hours!” cried Passepartout.
“Certainly,” returned the conductor. “Besides, it will take us as long as that to reach Medicine Bow on foot. “But it is only a mile from here,” said one of the passengers.
“Yes, but it’s on the other side of the river.”
“And can’t we cross that in a boat?” asked the Colonel.
“That’s impossible. The creek is swollen from the rains. It is a rapid, and we shall have to make a detour to the north to find a shallow part.”
Choose the correct answers:
1) The train got a red signal because
A) it reached a station.
B) there was something lying on the rails.
C) it was dangerous to go on.
2) Which sentence is true?
A) The station master ordered the signal man to explain the situation to the people on the train.
B) The conductor sent the signal man to the station master.
C) The passengers listened to the engineer and the signal man in silence.
3) They couldn’t go on because
A) the river washed away the iron wires.
B) the bridge was likely to collapse any time.
C) it was snowing heavily.
4) Passepartout
A) couldn’t wait to speak to his master about the situation.
B) stood motionless while listening to the conversation.
C) had tears in his eyes since he was so disappointed about the bad news.
5) Which sentence is true?
A) The passengers would like another train to take them to Medicine Bow.
B) It will take about six hours for the Omaha train to arrive in Medicine Bow.
C) The passengers will have to make a short cut in order to reach Medicine Bow.
6) How can the passengers reach the next stop?
A) By crossing the river on foot.
B) By walking one mile over the bridge.
C) By the next train.
Exercise 40
Read the following text and complete it with the words given below, but be careful, because you need to use only half of the words given. The first one has been done for you to help you.
Words to be used:
BETWEEN, WAS, BECAUSE, QUITE, SHARE, BEACH, CAR, QUIET, ALTHOUGHT, LONG, HOLIDAY, PLANE, SPENT, AMONG, LENGTH, DEATH, HOLIDAYS, MOST, DIED, COAST, VERY, DIVIDE
The Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight lies less than five kilometers off the south (0) coast of England. It is one of the country’s best-known islands but, in spite of the short distance (1) ______ the island and the rest of England, a bridge has never been built to link the two. In order to get there, you must take a boat, or a private (2) _______.
The island, which is about 37 kilometers in (3) ______ and 22 kilometers wide, has a population of 120,000 (4) _______ this rises in summer when tourists arrive in large numbers. People come here for the peace and (5) ________; it is an area of great natural beauty with delightful open countryside and long clean beaches.
It was in the nineteenth century that people began to take (6) _______ on the Isle of Wight. The (7) ________ famous visitor to the island at this time was, without doubt, Queen Victoria. The Royal Family bought Osborne House in 1845 and the Queen, who loved the house, (8) _______ much of her life here. After her (9) ________ in 1901, the new King, Edward VII, gave Osborne House to the nation as he did not (10) ________ his mother’s love of the house and had no wish to live in it.
Exercise 41
Read the text below and then use the words that follow to complete it. You must use each word once.
Don’t write me off, says Massey
Oxford United’s Stuart Massey, victim of one of the worst injuries in 1) ______, has vowed: “Don’t write me off just yet”.
An 2) ________ until he was signed up by his former 3) ________ Crystal Palace at the age of 27, Massey declared: “I came into the 4) ________ late and I get from playing just yet. “I haven’t been in the game long enough. There’s too much 6) _______ there for me to just say ‘that’s it’.”
The 33-year-old 7) _______ has undergone and exploratory operation on the right 8) _______ which was badly damaged by a tackle from Peter Beardsley in United’s 2-0 win at Manchester City on March 7.
He has been put in a full leg 9) ________for five weeks to let the medical collateral ligament settle down but will need a major 10) _______, probably in early May, to reconstruct the knee which requires anterior cruciate repair. Massey is then looking at nearly eight 11) ________ before he can play again, taking him to Christmas – ten months after he suffered the 12) _______ - by which time he will be 34.
With his 13) ________ at Oxford set to expire in June, inevitably there are 14) _______ over whether United will offer him a new deal.
Words to be used:
Same, midfielder, plaster, contract, electrician, months, hunger, club, injury, football, doubts, operation, knee, buzz
_______________________________________________________________
Advanced
Exercise 1
Put the words in brackets into the correct forms.
Struck-off nurse gets ok to work
A nurse (strike off) the professional register following a suicide in Bishop’s Stortford has been allowed back on it just days after the health authority admitted liability and provisionally agreed (pay out) a “substantial” sum to the dead woman’s family. Peter Hollerin, 33, was one of two male nurses (axe) from the nursing register in 1996 after (find) guilty of misconduct in (allow) a suicidal patient (walk) to her death. Tanya Kersey, a 37-year-old teacher who was a psychiatric patient at Harlow’s Princess Alexandra Hospital in 1992, died on a Bishop’s Stortford railway crossing in August of that year.
Yeasterday, Mrs. Kersey’s husband, Trevor, of Piggotts Way, Bishop’s Stortford, said he was surprised and disappointed at the committee’s decision. His solicitor Helena Myska, of Stanley Tee and Co, said she was also surprised, (add) that last week’s admission of negligence by North Essex Health Authority was the culmination of “a very long (draw out) process that didn’t help anybody”.
The decision (restore) Mr Hollerin to the register was made after a hearing at the Nurses’ Professional Conduct Committee on Friday. Chairwoman Dame Mary Uprichard stressed the decision did not negate or condone what had happened six years ago, nor did it undermine the committee’s original findings. “You should appreciate that this way a very serious matter, (find) guilty of professional misconduct,” she added. Mr Hollerin expressed deep regret on Friday and added that he recognized the mistakes he had made had been grave. Katrina Wingfield, of the UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, had previously told the committee that Mrs Kersey – (refer) to as Mrs A – was (check) every 15 minutes.
But Mr Hollerin failed (attempt) to carry out checks between 7.30 am and 8.40 pm and inaccurately completed an incident report. A spokeswoman for Essex and Herts Community Trust, would not say whether Mr Hollerin would be re-employed. (speak) generally, she said cases would be assessed, (bear) in mind registration signified the professional committee’s belief they were safe (practice). The trust would be sensitive to the local – whether it was in everyone’s interest a nurse should return to the same area, she added. NEHA refused (comment).
Exercise 2
Complete the following text with one word in each blank.
I was several years 1 ________ I’d seen Jackson, and when I came face to 2 _______ with him quite 3 _______ chance in Oxford Street one evening. I wasn’t too sure at first 4 ________ it was him or not. I smiled 5 _______ him as he was passing but in 6 ________ of the fact that our eyes 7 _______ he gave no sign that he knew me. It was Jackson, though, 8 _________ doubt, 9 __________ made me wonder 10 _________ he had so obviously cut me. I hesitated, and then turned and followed the 11 ________ he was going in. He walked so quickly that I knew he 12 _______ have guessed I was behind him. 13 ________ he didn’t turn round, I was convinced that he wanted to. He walked faster into and 14 _______ and I felt certain at one stage he 15 _________ break into a run. Now he was passing a tube station and had to make his 16 __________ through a crowd just pouring out of the entrance. He 17 ________ to be bumped into by two men, one of 18 _______ said something to him. The other one produced a small plastic card and Jackson’s face 19 _______ color. As the three men walked past me, Jackson gave a helpless shrug. It was obvious he was being run 20 ________.
Exercise 3
Complete the following sentences with the correct prepositions. Sometimes more than one answer is correct.
1) Luckily, there was not much damage done _______ the car.
2) I don’t think we’ll ever find the solution ________ this problem.
3) Lucy made out a cheque __________ $ 500.
4) There’s been an increase ________ the price of corn recently.
5) Her attitude _________ her parents is unbelievable.
6) We haven’t received an invitation ________ the party yet.
7) Jane always had a very good relationship _________ her parents.
8) Their reaction ________ the news was predictable.
9) The reason _________ the accident is not yet known.
10) There is a great demand ______ American cigarettes in some countries.
11) Everybody agreed that there was a need _______ change.
12) The advantage ______ buying big quantities is obvious.
13) The police saw no connection ______ the two crimes.
14) When Jane received a reply _______ her letter, she started crying.
15) The key _______ the survival of our company is to increase efficiency.
16) The fall ________ the sale of alcohol is a result of successful campaigning.
