А) Сокращения, часто встречающиеся в текстах любой тематики (в порядке алфавита) 6 страница

10) Great oaks J) without fire.

11) Don’t kill the goose K) for no man.

12) You cannot make an omelet L) that ends well.

Exercise 22

Complete the following proverbs with one word in each sentence.

1) You scratch my _____ and I’ll scratch yours.

2) The girls who can’t dance says the ______ can’t play.

3) We’ll cross that ______ when we come to it.

4) There’s no such thing as a free _____ .

5) Take care of the pence and the _______ will take care of themselves.

6) When the ______ ‘s away, the mice will play.

7) All that glitters is not ______ .

8) Don’t look a gift ______ in the mouth.

9) Better ______ than sorry.

10) Don’t bite off more than you can ______ .

11) Don’t count your _____ before they are hatched.

12) There’s no accounting for _____ .

13) The proof of the ______ is in the eating.

14) You have to take the rough with the _____ .

15) Too many ______ spoil the broth.

Exercise 23

Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Only one answer is correct.

1) A football team _____ eleven players.

A) comprises B) composes C) constitutes D) combines

2) My brother has something to ask you in _____ with your sister.

A) connection B) reference C) relation D) relevance

3) He got killed in a plane-crash in the _____ of his life.

A) height B) prime C) bloom D) zenith

4) This is the third time you’ve asked me for her phone-number. Aren’t you being a bit _____ ?

A) ambitious B) conceited C) bold D) dashy

5) He is such a sympathetic young man. He is so _____ .

A) attractive B) friendly C) understanding D) helpful

6) In the morning we found a whole ______ of puppies in the box.

A) pack B) bunch C) gang D) litter

7) I’ve never met such a _____ person. You don’t give a damn about the elderly and the needy.

A) senseless B) callous C) bashful D) righteous

8) The hair-dryer can be _____ to any voltage.

A) adapted B) adjusted C) altered D) applied

9) I thought I’d ______ into you in this pub one day.

A) slam B) dash C) bump D) knock

10) She wanted to make an impression with her son’s singing, but he _____ her up. He wouldn’t open his mouth.

A) showed B) put C) turned D) left

11) Soon after the engagement I started to have second _______ .

A) ideas B) chances C) hints D) thoughts

12) Try to put yourself in my ______ and imagine what it feels like to be left alone with the kids.

A) boots B) way C) place D) shoes

Exercise 24

Form the opposite of the following words using the prefixes ‘it-‘, ‘im’, ‘in-‘, or ‘ir-‘.

1) possible 2) mature 3) experienced 4) complete

5) correct 6) practical 7) direct 8) relevant

9) capable 10) sincere 11) accurate 12) sensitive

13) legitimate 14) visible 15) legal 16) convenient

17) logical

Exercise 25

Choose the word or expression that best completes the sentence.

1) I’ll hit _____ if you don’t bring the car back on time.

A) my head B) the roof C) the ground D) the floor

2) You can’t believe a word he says. Almost everything he utters is _______ .

A) tongue in cheek B) sheepish C) water off a duck’s back D) a dog’s life

3) The horses were ____ until the finishing line.

A) cheek to cheek B) face to face C) neck and neck D) eye to eye

4) The footprints left behind gave a _____ as to the burglar’s identity.

A) hint B) tip C) trace D) clue

5) Although the Bakers started their business over a year ago, there is still little ____ of money coming in.

A) clue B) figure C) sign D) note

6) I think you should be a bit more careful with money, _____ the fact that you don’t’ earn any.

A) granted B) supposing C) given D) known

7) Nonsense! He couldn’t have meant that. It must have been a ______ of the tongue.

A) slip B) twist C) flick D) flip

8) When the sky is clear, you can see the comet with the ______ eye.

A) sheer B) plain C) naked D) bare

9) It was hard to keep a _______ face when Mrs Briggs walked in wearing a pink mini-skirt. She weighs a ton!

A) blank B) straight C) strict D) still

10) I was taken _______ by the boy’s rudeness.

A) aback B) over C) in D) through

11) Luckily, nobody was injured when our neighbours house was _____ on fire.

A) set B) put C) lit D) laid

12) I just can’t remember the name of the place, although, it is on the _______ of my tongue.

A) edge B) tip C) peak D) cap

Exercise 26

The word in capitals at the end of each of the following sentences can be used to form a word that fits suitably in the blank space. Supply the correct form of the word.

Examples:

He took out his key, ______ the door and went inside. LOCK

Answer: LOCKED

Why don’t you go in for that ________? You might win it. COMPETE

Answer: COMPETITION

1) What’s her name? I can’t read her ______. SIGN

2) She could cook very well, but was absolutely ______ at dressmaking. HOPE

3) He is an excellent artist, and draws everything, especially flowers and plants, with extreme ________. ACCURATE

4) Everything has to be clean and tidy, because the boss is making a tour of _____ this morning. INSPECT

5) The teacup _____ because I wasn’t watching what I was doing. FLOW

6) They don’t have a ________ newspaper: they get all their news from the radio and television. DAY

7) You are playing a very _____ game. DANGER

8) There was a terrific ______, then the whole building collapsed like a pack of cards. EXPLODE

9) The young lady is very ______ in her work, but not so careful about keeping her office tidy. CONSCIENCE

10) _______ plants are very difficult to grow in the UK, unless of course you have a hothouse. TROPICS

Exercise 27

Choose the answer that best fits the sentence.

1) We couldn’t _____ on the name of the baby.

A) resolve B) conclude C) settle D) determine

2) In his absence I’d like to thank you all for your help on my father’s ______.

A) part B) behalf C) place D) side

3) “Do you sell light bulbs here?” “Yes, we do, but I’m afraid we haven’t got any in ______.”

A) supply B) stall C) store D) stock

4) Don’t worry, I have everything ______ control.

A) in B) by C) under D) over

5) I was in hospital for three weeks, so I fell ______ my work.

A) behind with B) down with C) off in D) back in

6) As a social worker, you meet people from all ______ of life.

A) spheres B) corners C) walks D) fields

7) In the background we could hear the neighing of a ______ .

A) baby B) violin C) lawn mower D) horse

8) Just give me some cheese on toast, that will keep me ______ until lunch.

A) straight B) fed C) going D) on

9) There is no exception, the same rules _____ for everyone.

A) apply B) hold C) stand D) keep

10) Granddad kept all his D-I-Y equipment in a ______ in the backyard.

A) shed B) shack C) hut D) barn

11) I’m ever so thirsty, I could _______ with a drink.

A) get on B) do C) put up D) make

12) He hasn’t spoken to his best mate since they ______ out.

A) blew B) broke C) fell D) picked

Exercise 28

Choose the answer that best fits the sentence.

1) Drink all the milk; it will ______ off by tomorrow.

A) sour B) go C) turn D) rot

2) You’ve done very well so far! Try to _____ the good work!

A) take on B) keep with C) hold on D) keep up

3) I know about his latest adventure, you can ____ me the details.

A) save B) spare C) cut D) drop

4) After nearby an hour we managed to _______ our orders with the waiter.

A) make B) fix C) set D) place

5) He was _____ by her provocative behaviour.

A) misguided B) mistaken C) misled D) misinterpreted

6) I went down a _______ of stairs.

A) flight B) tract C) grade D) stretch

7) He could provide no evidence to _______ up his allegation.

A) hold B) set C) make D) back

8) That cupboard will ______ nicely for the kitchen.

A) fit B) do C) match D) suit

9) Stuck in the middle of the jungle with his plane smashed to pieces he though he was _______ for.

A) sent B) gone C) done D) left

10) I wish my mum would stop getting ______ me. What have I done wrong?

A) down to B) at C) on D) put with

11) Although Beethoven was ______ by deafness, he was able to write nine symphonies.

A) afflicted B) crippled C) impaired D) struck

12) He came back from Greece nicely ______ by the Mediterranean sun.

A) burnt B) browned C) scorched D) tanned

Exercise 29

Choose the word or expression that best completes each sentence.

1) A month after the car accident Auntie Lizzy was ______ again!

A) round and round B) on and off C) up and about D) in and out

2) I acted _______ when I punched the bouncer in the face.

A) in force B) at stake C) by reason D) on

3) Guerillas were reported to have taken ______ the military headquarters.

A) up B) down C) in D) over

4) I am prepared to go to any ______ to prove my innocence.

A) measures B) length C) steps D) depth

5) Are you really ______ to give a lecture on the social behaviour of bees?

A) appropriate B) sufficient C) competent D) relevant

6) His jealously eventually got the _____ of him and so he started to tap his wife’s phone calls.

A) better B) worst C) most D) lowest

7) Their constant bickering was a ______ joke among the neighbours.

A) solid B) standing C) fixed D) regular

8) We’d better ______ without their continual attempts to invite us out.

A) away B) done C) left D) off

9) Sorry about the disastrous supper. _______ my lack of culinary expertise.

A) Take it in for B) Put it down to C) Make it up for D) Get it over with

10) “They’ve arrived!” “_______”

A) And none too soon! B) Hey presto! C) Touch and go! D) Sooner the better

11) It was quite a scandal when Edward VIII _______ for the love of a divorced woman in 1936.

A) abdicated B) abducted C) abolished D) objected

12) Our land-lady knows everything about our marital problems. I’m sure she is _____ behind the door every time we have a row.

A) spying B) eavesdropping C) detecting D) overhearing

Exercise 30

Choose the word or expression that best completes each sentence.

1) The business venture was not entirely successful, but they still managed to _____.

A) go bust B) be in the red C) break even D) be in arrears

2) He ran out of money so he had to _____ back on his life-savings.

A) fall B) set C) reach D) lie

3) “How far is it to Nottingham?” “About five miles as the _______ flies”.

A) bird B) crow C) eagle D) wit

4) A lady on the bus pointed our that I had put my jumper on _______.

A) upside down B) back to front C) in and out D) round about

5) What a stag night it was! However, the groom had a terrible _______the next morning.

A) shame B) worry C) guilt D) hangover

6) After his world championship bout Tyson had to ________a drug test.

A) undergo B) submit C) fulfil D) place

7) The police had to ______ the news of the fatal accident to the boy’s parents.

A) reveal B) announce C) break D) put forward

8) Everyone agreed that the new supermarket offered outstanding _______ for money.

A) bargain B) discount C) value D) goods

9) We couldn’t remove the graffiti as it had been done in _______ ink.

A) indelible B) enduring C) lasting D) colour-fast

10) After spending all summer on the beach Jane was as brown as _______.

A) badge B) a bear C) a berry D) chocolate

11) During the shooting of the stunt scene an ambulance was standing _____ in case of an accident.

A) ready B) near C) by D) –

12) He works as a salesman, though he is an electrician _______.

A) as a job B) as original C) first hand D) by trade

Exercise 31

Choose the word or expression that best completes the sentences below.

1) Her pension was so small that he old lady had to ______ on just 10 pounds per week.

A) get through B) get by

C) make it D) make up

2) Ann is so ______, she believes every word that she’s told.

A) simplistic B) plausible

C) gullible D) credulous

3) We begged the traffic warden to ______ but she fined us anyway.

A) let us off B) put us off

C) excuse us D) give us up

4) The CIA tried to _______ the secret arms deal, but it still became headline news.

A) brush off B) talk down

C) cover up D) play up

5) His first name is Richard but everyone calls him Dick _______.

A) shortly B) for short

C) in brief D) by heart

6) The bill was 17 pounds but the guests _______ to twenty.

A) tipped it B) added it up

C) paid it D) rounded it up

7) They lived in a rather _____ flat but they were happy.

A) fell down B) ruined out

C) run down D) slum

8) The referee had no choice but to _____ the player after such a dangerous tackle.

A) send off B) send out

C) book off D) kick off

9) I was advised to buy a thousand pounds _______ of shares.

A) worthy B) worth

C) value D) price

10) Desmond _____ with David in driving the car on the long journey.

A) swopped B) substituted

C) rotated D) alternated

11) Let’s hurry. That guy is already on our _______.

A) heels B) neck

C) feet D) back

12) I was so thirsty, I drank a glass of water ______.

A) in a mouthful B) at one go

C) in one gulp D) in one sip

Exercise 32

Choose the word or expression that best completes the sentences below.

!) It took her more than 3 years to _____ the loss of her husband.

A) overcome B) recover

C) surpass D) prevail

2) “I can’t handle these kids.” “Take them to Granny’s she’ll ________ them out.”

A) straight B) sort

C) clear D) fit

3) They say blood is ______ than water.

A) stronger B) quicker

C) heavier D) thicker

4) She ______ good-bye to her son as the train left the station.

A) bid B) sent

C) waved D) told

5) Before you sign the contract, read the ______ print.

A) small B) blue

C) colour D) bold

6) After the accident he was most ______.

A) regretting B) pleading

C) sorrowful D) apologetic

7) Sue didn’t go to school as she was a bit off _____.

A) form B) colour

C) and on D) balance

8) There was a national ______ of emotion when the heroes returned.

A) outburst B) outcome

C) outcry D) outrage

9) “Have you been drinking?” “No. I’m as sober as _____.

A) a driver B) a sergeant

C) a judge D) a cook

10) The shepherd drove his _____ of sheep up to better pastures.

A) group B) flock

C) head D) herd

11) It never rains but it _______.

A) floods B) hails

C) falls D) pours

12) I ran out of money and had to _____ my savings.

A) draw on B) dig from

C) draw out D) extract

Exercise 33

Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.

1) If you want to help, then you could ______ these potatoes for me.

A) rub B) peel

C) clean D) skin

2) Look ______! There’s a car coming.

A) out B) over

C) why D) up

3) The burglar broke _______ the house during the night.

A) through B) into

C) up D) open

4) I think I may as well take _____ his offer.

A) up B) over

C) to D) –

5) The evidence was _____in the laboratory.

A) experienced B) sifted

C) experimented D) analyzed

6) The game was ______ until the following Friday.

A) cancelled B) abandoned

C) postponed D) delayed

7) Please ______ our warmest regards.

A) receive B) accept

C) give D) take

8) When he was promoted he received a ______ in salary.

A) boost B) raise

C) lift D) rise

9) You’ve got to _______ to Dave. He really did well in his exams.

A) hand it B) give it

C) pass it D) put it down

10) Frogs ______, while toads crawl.

A) walk B) bounce

C) hop D) slither

Exercise 34

Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.

1) I just can’t get ______ modern jazz, though my brother loves it.

A) on B) into

C) over D) up to

2) Don’t forget to ______ the clock back. British Summer Time ends tonight.

A) set B) turn

C) fix D) put

3) A friend in need is a friend _______.

A) indeed B) in trouble

C) to need D) forever

4) The canteen lady asked the kids if they wanted ______.

A) repeats B) portions

C) seconds D) helpings

5) I asked the hitch-hikers if they wanted a ______.

A) trip B) hitch

C) drive D) lift

6) Pass me that ______. I’m going to clear the lawn of leaves.

A) rake B) spade

C) hoe D) trowel

7) Look at the plumage of that ______!

A) squirrel B) bird

C) hedgehog D) snake

8) The prices in that shop are ridiculously high. It’s _____ robbery.

A) complete B) daylight

C) sheer D) armed

9) The terrorists ______ the bomb beneath a parked car.

A) planted B) ignited

C) installed D) laid

10) There is an increasing concern about vehicle _____.

A) omissions B) exhales

C) immersions D) emissions

Exercise 35

Three sentences have been left out of the following text. You can read four sentences at the end – of course, only three of them have to be used to complete the article.

The article where the sentences are taken from.

Maidenhead shoppers after the pick of the fruit and vegetable bargains are being urged to keep their eyes peeled for an unwanted pest.

1 ______

Not a native of Britain, the beetle’s overgrown shape comes from its ravenous appetite for fruit and vegetable crops – especially potatoes. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) sends out regular warnings to stores which sock fruit and vegetables from abroad and to importers to keep vigilant.

2 ________

Tim Dale, area environmental health manager for the Royal Borough, said: “I am not aware that any settlement of Colorado Beetle had occurred for some years.

“People need to be vigilant. There was a person who suspected that they had a Colorado Beetle, but I don’t think it turned out to be one.

“If people think they might have spotted it I think the best thing to do is contact MAFF or the local authority, and we could identify the insect. But it is the MAFF that would deal with it.”

3 __________

So far this year only three of the beetles have been spotted alive, a long way off last years 216.

Sentences to be used:

A) They are urging anyone who thinks they have seen one of the little gannets, of which 500 were once found in one consignment of imported lettuce, to contact them as soon as possible.

B) These beetles are not dangerous to humans at all, but even then, they are not especially welcome.

C) The illegal immigrant in question is about 10 mm long, sports alternate yellow and black stripes down its back, resembles an overgrown ladybird and goes by the name Colorado beetle.

D) He said he was not aware of any problem in the Maidenhead area and MAFF were simply keeping people aware of the insect.

Exercise 36

Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

Walt Disney

He was born Walter Elias Disney in Chicago on December 5, 1901, the fourth son of the five children of Elias and Flora Disney. He was five years old when the family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri, and nine years old when they moved to Kansas City. It was Marceline that he recreated when he built “Mainstreet, U.S.A.” in the amusement parks that bear his name.

By modern standards he was an abused child, the subject of harsh physical discipline at the hands of his father, a petty tyrant who treated him more like an indentured servant than a son. He went to work at the age of ten, delivering both the morning and evening editions of the local newspaper. For the rest of his life, one biographer wrote, “He had a recurring dream in which he suffered torment because he failed to deliver some newspapers along his route.”

He smoked three packs of Lucky Strikes a day for decades, and liked to unwind with a glass or two of Cutty Sark Scotch. In times of great stress, he washed his hands compulsively, as many as 30 times in an hour. He was obsessed with trains, and built his own private one-eighth scale train line on the grounds of his Holmby Hills, California, estate. He collected a large number of cuckoo clocks and was entranced by a mechanical bird he found in an antique shop.

His first animated-film studio went bankrupt; the second created a popular character called Oswald the Rabbit, the rights for which he lost in a contractual dispute that also cut off funding for new cartoons. To raise money he sold his car and completed Steamboat Willie, the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, which was also the first animated film with sound. When it premiered in New York on November 18, 1928, it was a huge hit. By 1931, the Mickey Mouse fan club had a million members.

He was slow to recognize the value of character licensing; at first he gave the rights away, reasoning they were good publicity for his cartoons. Within a few years, however, the royalty payments from the use of Mickey, Donald Duck, Pluto, et al. equaled or exceeded the net profits of the cartoons in which they were featured.

He had a strong puritanical streak and broke off his friendship with Spencer Tracy when the actor began an affair with Katharine Hepburn. When he discovered one of his unmarried associates was living with a woman, he forced him out of his job. A number of his employees thought him to be a difficult and demanding boss, and found his condescending and paternalistic style particularly demeaning. He enforced a strict dress code , required nearly everyone to punch a time clock, and would fire instantly anyone who used profanity in mixed company.

Deeply conservative politically, he was anything but in his approach to business, and several times staked the future of his studio on unlikely projects. His gamble on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, one of the first feature-length animated films, was known within the industry as “Disney’s Folly” – but was repaid with immense success: It made $5 million in its initial 1937 release and is considered a landmark in the history of film.

He was forced to borrow on his life insurance when his bankers initially declined to participate in the financing of the amusement park he first dubbed “Disneyland”. The July 17, 1955 opening was an unmitigated disaster, plagued by mechanical breakdowns, power failures, and gate crashers. “It was a madhouse,” one observer recalled. “People were counterfeiting [invitations]… We even found a guy who built a ladder over the fence… and was letting people in for five dollars a head.” Recovering quickly, Disneyland went on to become an enormous success and popular tourist destination.

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, and contrary to popular belief, he was not frozen at his death, but cremated (though he did discuss cryonics with several doctors). He had been awarded some 700 honorary degrees and awards, among them the French Legion of Honor, and his studio had received 28 Academy Awards. Mickey Mouse, for which he had supplied the original voice, had by then become perhaps the most recognizable and enduring character in the world.

Decide whether the following statements are true, false, or not found in the text.

1) Disney had a happy childhood.

2) His father died when he was still young.

3) When Disney was young, he made a paper round twice a day.

4) He liked collecting children’s toys.

5) He stopped smoking when he was older.

6) His first films were very successful.

7) He developed psychological problems when he was older.

8) Disney didn’t seem to have been a popular boss.

9) Spencer Tracy was Disney’s friend.

10) People in the film industry didn’t believe “Snow White” would be successful.

11) Disney himself played Mickey Mouse once.

12) Disney’s parents only had sons but no daughters.

13) He sold the rights for some of his characters in the beginning.

14) His bankers didn’t think Disneyland would be a good idea.

15) The biggest problem with the opening of Disneyland was that there were too many people who wanted to get in.

16) Disney got very angry when people used bad language in front of women.

Exercise 37

The last sentence of the following article has been removed, and the words have been inserted in the text in various places. Find the last sentence (the order of the words has not been changed and the first one has been marked).

Small Solace

There is no such thing “while” as a good terminal illness, but people who know Alzheimer’s disease consider it the one of the worst. Its FDA slow and agonizing course leads doesn’t inexorably from memory lapses to personality changes to utter loss of intellectual functions to certain death. The emotional toll have on the estimated 4 million Americans who suffer from the disease and on their families is to incalculable; the bills for nursing care are go enormous.

That along is why a decision by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration with advisory panel is being widely hailed. The committee urged such the FDA to approve a new drug, tacrine, as the first treatment for recommendations Alzheimer’s ever to go on the market. Tacrine it is no cure. It just slows the disease’s progress, and only for about 20% usually of sufferers. Considering the horrific nature of the illness, the panel does not felt that even a little relief is better than none.

Exercise 38

The sentences of two articles have been mixed up. Match them to the right title and put them in the correct order.