the good exercise for reading

A number of directives have been passed recently with the aim of ............. work practices across different countries. (LARGE) 4. The girl’s parents suspected she was taking drugs because her eye pupils were so ........ (HISTORY) 5. A number of world-renowned ........ addressed the conference. (NORMAL) 6. The results of the medical tests showed that the patient had several ...... of the brain that required urgent treatment. (ARM) 7. I was so embarrassed when I dropped the ....... of boxes I’d been carrying right in the middle of the road. (MAINTAIN) 8. The computer system requires several ....... checks a month. (BITTER) 1. The old man felt ....... by the dreadful living conditions he had experienced when he was growing up. (MUSCLE) 2. Many young people train in gyms in order to achieve a toned ......... physique. (TROUBLE) 3. Jackie’s daughter is a rather ........ child - she’s full of mischief and badly-behaved (INVITE) 4. The living room look cold and ....... when the fire wasn’t lit. (DREAM) 5. The romantic novel started with a young woman staring ....... into the fire. What a cliché! (CONTENT) 6. John muttered ........ under his breath about the volume of work he’d been given but he didn’t dare complain to the boss. (COMFORT) 7. As I climbed aboard the plane I was ....... reminded of the previous time when my plane almost crashed. (SHAME) 8. The newspaper reported that an old woman had been ........ treated while she was in hospital. AUTHOR) 1. After many years as a solo researcher, Marion decided to ....... her next article with a colleague in the same field (CURRICULUM) 2. The school that Peter goes to has a number of ....... actvities that take place at the end of the school day. (PREPARE) 3. Unless you do a lot of revision before your exams you’re bound to feel ...... (WIT) 4 Many children’s tales rely on a dominant character being .... by an apparently weaker one. (STANDARD) 5 The service in the restaurant was so ........ that I refused to pay for my meal. (PRIVILEGE) 6 Many charities are working to support the needs of ........ children in poorer countries. (THINK) 7. Our marketing strategy seems to be failing - this demands a ........ at our next board meeting. (KILL) 8 The security checks at the airport were so stringent that staff were accused of ........ RANGE) 1. The changes to the government will have ......... implications for ordinary people. (POWER) 2. My friend has a job in the city selling stocks and shares but I don’t envy his fast car or his ........ lifestyle. (SEE) 3. I’m sorry to have to tell you this but your blouse is completely ........ when you stand next to the window! (CAST) 4. When I was a student I didn’t have much money to spend on clothes but I didn’t mind wearing other people’s ......... (GET) 5. My friends are organising a ........ next week to celebrate my birthday so I hope you’ll be able to come to it. (FLASH) 6. The soldiers still suffered from a number of traumatic ........ even though the war had ended many years ago. (BREAK) 7 Some of the party members left to form a ........ political group with their own policies and leader. (WASH) 8 The cricket match was a complete ........ because of the unexpected rain and it has now been postponed until another day. 1. on over up
many No ......................................... Mick gives you for being late, don't believe any of them. Example: MATTER HOW MANY EXCUSES
1. The mistake in the accounts was not noticed until the figures were re-checked. light The mistake in the accounts only ........................................ the figures were re-checked.
2. I had no problems at all during my trip to France. plan Everything ........................................ during my trip to France.
3. The heavy downpour brought their picnic to an abrupt end. cut They had to ........................................ because of the heavy downpour.
4. The reforms will not succeed unless they are carefully planned. crucial Careful ........................................ of the reforms.
5. They think that Helen's brother stole the money. suspected Helen's brother ....................................... the money.
6. I feel completely exhausted when I've listened to Marion for half-an-hour. leaves Half-an-hour ........................................ completely exhausted.
7. Karen's schoolwork definitely seems to be improving this term.. signs Karen's schoolwork ........................................ this term.
8. The old railway station is now a museum. turned The old railway station ........................................ a museum.


Jerome Flynn - Actor Turned Singer After a variety of jobs, Jerome Flynn became (1) ........ successful with fellow Robson Green in the TV series Soldier, Soldier, and then when they (2) ........ up as singers in 1995, they had three number one hits. 'It was a whirlwind, fantasy time,' says Jerome. 'We made the records because we quite (3) ........ the money, and it paid off. It was a lot of fun, but you can become (4) ........ in the pop world. It's addictive, and once you're a pop star, people tend to (5) ........ you on a pedestal. It was so mad we had to get out while the going was good. Now money doesn't seem so much, although it (6) ........ me to leave my career behind for a while. But Robson wanted to go back to acting and has made quite a success of it. I'd like to work with him again one day.' 1 A greatly B largely C hugely D grossly 2 A joined B teamed C fixed D grouped 3 A craved B longed C yearned D fancied 4 A laid up B seized up C taken up D caught up 5 A lift B have C put D hold 6 A enabled B empowered C entitled D effected The Sailing Trip A few days ago, I was (7) ........ my new sailing gear ready for my first long trip, around the coast of Britain on the sailing ship Hirta. I watched a TV report of some fellow yachtsmen crossing the finishing ( ........ off a place called Ushant to complete a record round-the-world voyage. The sea was rough, the wind looked fierce and, although they were putting a brave (9) ........ on it, the winning yachtsmen looked exhausted. What I was seeing on the television screen was not my (10) ........ of yachting. I felt smug knowing I had this marvellous opportunity to drift gently round Britain learning to sail, and that I would be steering (11) ........ of the horrors of ocean sailing. Casually I looked up Ushant on the map. I went quite cold: Ushant was (12) ........ 32 kilometres further south than the starting point for my great journey on the Hirta. 1 A going through B settled down C checking up D passing over 2 A mark B strip C line D sign 3 A face B eye C appearance D view 4 A thought B idea C notion D sense 5 A clean B straight C short D clear 6 A virtually B practically C simply D barely Mrs Murgatroyd 'And there's another thing,' said Mrs Murgatroyd. Beside her in the taxi her husband concealed a small sigh. With Mrs Murgatroyd there was always another thing. No matter how well things were (13) ........, Edna Murgatroyd went through life to the accompaniment of a running commentary of complaints, an endless litany of dissatisfaction. In short, she (14) ........ without ease. In the seat beside the driver, Higgins, the young executive from head office, who had been selected for the week's vacation at the (15) ........ of the bank on the grounds of being 'most (16) ........ newcomer' of the year, sat silent. He was in foreign exchange, an eager young man whom they had only met in London airport twelve hours earlier and whose natural enthusiasm had gradually (17) ........ away before the onslaught of Mrs Murgatroyd. The driver, full of smiles when they selected his taxi for the run to the hotel a few minutes earlier, had also caught the mood, and he too had (18) ........ into silence. 1 A doing B getting C going D being 2 A nagged B gossiped C uttered D voiced 3 A liability B expense C debit D deficit 4 A promising B emerging C favourable D auspicious 5 A washed B ebbed C dripped D rinsed 6 A paused B reposed C lapsed D desisted A Musical Genius
For many people Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is the most (0) influencial figure in the history of western classical INFLUENCE music. His (1) ..... talent was already clearly evident as a ORDINARY young man, (2) ..... surviving a somewhat unconventional MERCY (3) ..... during which his eccentric father would often force BRING him to take music lessons in the middel of the night.
The young Beethoven's ability won him the admiration of the leading contemporary musical figures. Throughout the 1790s he worked hard to secure the interest of wealthy patrons. Such patronage (4) ..... him to concentrate on becoming a ABLE successful composer.
Whatever his awe-inspiring musical (5) ....., however, his ACHIEVE personal life was something of a disaster. His day-to-day (6) ..... with people invariably turned out to be rather RELATE turbulent. Although he apparently fell in love with a number of society women, the identity of the girl who lay closest to his heart remains (7) ..... to this day. ELUDE
However, just at the point when Beethoven was beginning to reap the rewards of his early endeavours, he had to come to terms with the crushing ( ..... that his increasing REALISE deafness was (9) ..... . From that point on, his music CURE displayed a (10) ..... change in style, becoming both heavier STRIKE in tone and larger in scale. There's no point in trying to wade across the river, the current is far too ........ . If you're asking me which of the candidates should get the job, I'm afraid i don't have any ........ views either way. Example: STRONG
Q1 It is very difficult to fully ........ certain pieces of jazz music until you've heard them a good few times. Although I'm always ready to lend a hand, Marta never really seems to ........ the things I do for her. Given the market for decorative antiques, I'd say that the value of the beautiful vase is set to ........ considerably in the next few years. ________________________________________ Q2 James is able to ........ an enormous amount of factual information in his head. Although the old house has been completely renovated, care has been taken to ........ as many of the original features as possible. When you're buying outdoor adventure clothing, the thing to look for is material that does not ........ alot of moisture. ________________________________________ Q3 With less than a minute of the football match to go, Phil managed to ........ the ball into the back of the net.. I think the best course of action would be to jump into the car and ........ for Bristol as soon as possible. Louise has been asked to ........ an investigation into what went wrong on the night of the accident. ________________________________________ Q4 Initially, few companies saw any potential in computers designed for the ........ rather than the office environment. Although extremely independent, and well able to look after themselves, cats are generally classified as ........ animals. Over the years the proportion of foreign stories in this newspaper has declined as people have become more engrossed in ........ issues. ________________________________________ Q5 The chess champion held off a serious ........ from his younger opponent in the last match of the tournament. The chairman of the meeting seemed to regard questions from the audience as some kind of ........ to his authority. You'll find some aspects of the job a real ........, but we're confident that you can cope. ________________________________________ Q6 Melanie practised her lines each day after school, getting increasingly nervous as the date of her audition ........ even closer. Although Tim had been in the lead for most of the race, as they reached the final bend, Graham ........ level and threatened to overtake him. On an impulse, Laurie ........ all the money out of his bank account and went to London, intending to spend every last penny of it.
1 appreciate
2 retain 3 head 4 domestic 5 challenge 6 drew


1. My boss is biased ........ me, which explains why I’ll never get promoted if I stay with this company. 2. Marco had severe misgivings ........ taking the June exam as he felt he just wasn’t ready. 3. People who eat an unhealthy diet are susceptible ........ all kinds of illnesses and diseases. 4. My cousin talked ........ length about his recent holiday and bored everyone to death! 5. When Rose was unfaithful to Joshua she threw herself ........ his mercy and asked him to forgive her. 6. When I was younger I wanted to be an air pilot but I soon went ........ the idea when I realised I hated flying. 7. The government’s plans to reduce crime came ........ for a lot of criticism from freedom groups. 8. Anna: This problem’s driving me crazy! Joe: Well, have you tried standing ........ from the situation and evaluating it objectively? 1. Victoria has a working ........ of Chinese, which she needs for her job as an international corporate lawyer. 2. The defendant told the judge that she accepted full ........ for her actions and that she would plead guilty. 3. After William realised his mistake he was forced to ........ his pride and apologise. 4. I thought I ........ my position absolutely clear. Either he goes or I do! 5. Tanya came away from the interview with the overriding ........ that she wouldn’t get the job. 6. Although my mother’s in her seventies she is still very young at ........ 7. When the shop assistant refused the customer a refund, he was met with a torrent of ........ 8. The drowning boy was pulled out of the river and ........ the kiss of life by a medic. 1 Until she passes her medical exams, she is as qualified to be a doctor as I am. more Until she passes her medical exams, she ................ qualified to be doctor than I am.

2 The temperature today has warmed up considerably compared to yesterday. nearly The temperature today is ................ yesterday.
3 Mandy and her mother are as beautiful as each other. bit Mandy is ................ her mother.
4 I don’t like either candidate but Michael Jones is not quite as bad. lesser I don’t like either candidate but Michael Jones is the .................
5 Not as many people attend the gym now as when it first opened. lot There are a ................ the gym now as when it first opened.
6 Her son thinks he’s really clever but he isn’t. half Her son isn’t ................ he thinks he i 1 “Why don’t you listen when I talk to you?” said my wife. paying My wife accused me of ................ when she was talking.
2. Seeing as you broke the window you shouldn’t have said someone else was responsible. blame It was wrong of you to ................ someone else after you broke the window.
3. I used to try winning arguments against Jonathan but I eventually decided there was no point. conclusion I have ................ that it is pointless trying to win an argument against Jonathan.
4 Doctors believe that people who smoke regularly are more likely to die prematurely. link Doctors believe that a strong ................ smoking and premature death
5 When I forgot to do the washing up my mother became really angry with me. lost My mother ................ me because I forgot to do the washing up.
6 The conflict between the two political parties will carry on for a long time. means The conflict between the two political parties is ................ over.
7 I didn’t expect to enjoy the concert performance as much as I did. surpassed The concert performance .................
8 That the company is losing money is something that must be accepted. face The company must ................ it is losing money.
1 Diseases such as smallpox have still to be eradicated. stamped Diseases such as smallpox ................ yet.
2 John was nominated for the post of treasurer by two committee members. forward John has ................ the post of treasurer by two committee members.
3 If you receive any mail for me after I’ve gone would you be kind enough to forward it to me. send Please could you ................ that arrives for me after I’ve gone.
4 The colour of that dress showed off her complexion. enhanced Her complexion ................ the colour of that dress.
5 As part of his new year’s resolution he has renounced cigarettes and bad food. up He decided ................ cigarettes and bad food in the new year.
6 They are building a new car park next to the shopping centre. put A new car park ................ next to the shopping centre.
7 You should erase any mistakes on the exam script. out Any mistakes on the exam script may ................ a soft eraser.
8 The government suppressed all the details of the financial scandal. up Details of the financial scandal ................ the government. 1 It was really unexpected when my football team achieved the result it did. time At ................ my football team to do as well as it did.
2 If there is an accident phone the emergency services. of Phone the emergency services ................. an accident.
3 I couldn’t have bought that motorbike unless my mother had agreed to pay the monthly repayments. But ................ agreeing to pay the monthly repayments I could never have bought that motorbike.
4 I have a lot of respect for his writing style although I do not agree with the opinions he expresses. much ................ his writing style, I do not agree with his opinions.
5 We would have missed our connecting train if we had not caught the earlier plane. not Had ................ the earlier plane, we would have missed our connecting train.
6 Even though her C grade in the Proficiency wasn’t quite as high as she had expected, it was still a good result. if Her grade C in the Proficiency exam, ................, was still a good result.
7 Purchases may be refunded within seven days. mind Should ................ your purchase you have up to seven days to bring it back for a refund.
8 Providing that you make up the time later in the week you can take Monday off. condition You can have the day off on Monday ................ make up the time later in the week