Cumulative Vocabulary and Grammar Test

Units 1–5 Test B

Vocabulary
1 Complete the idioms with the correct form of the words in brackets and a part of the body
from the list below.
bones skin skin brains hand eye
1 When the earthquake struck, the staff in the hotel were more interested in
______________________________ (save) than in trying to help guests leave the building.
2 Since you’re an expert on French history, would you mind if I _________________________
(pick) about something? I need some guidance with my essay on the Napoleonic Wars.
3 ______________________________ (make) about it, this school provides one of the broadest
and most in-depth curriculums in the entire country.
4 During the football season, the club management _____________________________ (turn) to
the player’s poor standards of behaviour because he was scoring so many goals.
5 Our cat went missing for a month, and when it came back it _____________________________
(be) and bones. We had to put it on a special diet to help it put on some weight.
6 We live just round the corner from my elderly grandmother, and it’s good to know we
____________________________ (be) in case there’s an emergency.

Mark: ___ / 6

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2 Complete the text. Use nouns and adjectives formed from the verbs below. There are two
verbs that you do not need.
attach note marginalize prosecute reject vary defend associate

Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst was a 1_________________ historical figure, a British political activist whose
views were at 2_________________ with those of the established male political elite in her lifetime.
She strongly believed that the refusal of the state to allow women to vote had led to their
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_________________. Pankhurst’s 4_________________ of the view that women should not concern
themselves with politics, as well as her 5_________________ with radical protest groups, resulted in
her arrest in 1913. At her trial, the 6_________________ accused her of damaging property and
inciting others to bomb the Prime Minister’s country home, and she was sentenced to three years in
prison.
During the First World War, women across the country began working in factories and hospitals, and
when the war ended in 1918, the government could no longer resist demands to grant women the
vote. Pankhurst was no longer seen as a dangerous militant but as a heroine who had fought for her
beliefs and won.

Mark: ___ / 6

3 Rewrite the underlined part of each sentence using the word in bold to make an expression
or a phrasal verb.
1 Most market sectors are down, but the thriving tourist sector has behaved differently.
buck
____________________________________________________________________________
2 Josie wanted to sail round the world, but knew it was just a wish that was impossible to achieve.
pipe
____________________________________________________________________________
3 Polly spent all her money on unnecessary things.
fritter
___________________________________________________________________________
4 Jim tried to conquer his fear of heights by undergoing a course of hypnotherapy.
get
___________________________________________________________________________
5 Let’s get started, otherwise we won’t reach the campsite before dark.
hit
___________________________________________________________________________
6 The numbers of people moving into the area will result in higher house prices.
lead
___________________________________________________________________________

Mark: ___ / 6

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4 Complete the phrasal verbs and nouns with the correct particle.
1 You should stand up for yourself when you believe you are being treated unfairly: don’t just bow
______ to authority.
2 Both Harris and Walker come across as arrogant ______starts, who, despite being new in the
company, think they know better than everybody else how it should be run.
3 It is challenging to set ______ a new company during an economic crisis as serious as the one
we are currently experiencing.
4 The report is detailed, but it fails to account ______ factors such as human error that may
explain why the machinery failed in the first place.
5 The train pulled ______ in front of the old station. It was at the end of the line.
6 In the afternoon, a heavy ______pour caused us to abandon the outdoor barbecue and retreat to
the kitchen.
7 If we team ______ with other groups in our class, we will have a better chance of winning the
design competition.
8 Our team’s failure to reach the second round of the competition was a big let-______, especially
after we had travelled across Europe to watch them play.

Mark: ___ / 8

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5 Choose the correct answers.
1 The addition of potted plants and pictures has ________________ the appearance of the lobby
at the front of the building.
a progressed b enhanced c reformed d reverted
2 ________________ the concert will finish in time for us to catch the last train home, otherwise
we will have to find a hotel to stay in overnight.
a Suddenly b Nearby c Hopefully d Hastily
3 We would like to express our condolences to everybody ___________________, and promise to
do all in our power to investigate the reasons for this accident.
a concerned b distressing c remarkable d special
4 Stock market prices have ________________ to an all-time high in recent weeks.
a fluctuated b plummeted c soared d slumped
5 The ________________ reader should be able to notice that the protagonist in the novel is
merely articulating the views of the author.
a agile b dexterous c articulate d discerning
6 I spent so long at the music festival that I ________________ track of time and missed the
coach back to London.
a missed b lost c thrown d moved
7 A term that appears to contradict itself, such as the phrase ‘an open secret’, is generally referred
to as _______________.
a an oxymoron b imagery c personification d a rhetorical question
8 When the fire broke out, the audience in the cinema ran for the exits in ________________
panic.
a sole b foremost c sheer d major

Mark: ___ / 8

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Grammar
6 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in brackets.
1 The government expects _______________________________ (start / negotiate) with the
rebels by the end of the week.
2 It was difficult for Sorya _______________________________ (get / live) in a new country after
arriving as a refugee from a war zone.
3 The kitchen is a mess because I _______________________________ (make) cupcakes with
the children all morning.
4 I don’t think you _______________________________ (have / your passport / check) when
you get on the train, but take it just in case.
5 Don’t forget ________________________________ (tell) Paula about the garden party next
weekend.
6 _______________________________ (not see) the TV coverage of the demonstration, I am
unable to express an opinion on how the protestors were behaving.
7 Mike knew that by the end of the weekend his writing project
_______________________________ (would / complete) and he could leave for Cuba.
8 Sally couldn’t find their tickets. She wondered whether they ____________________________
(be / leave) on the train.

Mark: ___ / 8

7 Complete each gap with the correct form of the verb be.
Should we explore space?
During the Cold War era of the sixties and seventies, the Americans and Soviets were in competition
to develop the most advanced military technologies possible. If they 1_________________ engaged
in a titanic struggle to win the conflict of ideas, they certainly 2_________________ so keen to invest
huge amounts in the space race. Since that time, it 3_________________ considered too costly to
send people to the far reaches of space. Trying 4_________________ the first nation to put a man on
Mars, for example, has had little appeal during a period when problems back on earth have drawn our
attention. There remain, however, some good arguments for space exploration, including the
potential for developing communication technology, discovering new mineral deposits, and finding
out more about how our solar system functions. New technologies are also making space travel
cheaper and more feasible, and NASA has been arguing for increased investment ever since Neil
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon on 20 July 1969. 5_________________ captivated
by the idea of space travel for over half a century, it seems only a matter of time before humans head
off to distant planets once more. We are on the verge of a new age of space exploration, and the
future 6_________________ very exciting.

Mark: ___ / 6

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8 Rewrite the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Use the
word provided.
1 The company announced that their new product would be launched in June. (were)
The company announced that they ________________________________________________.
2 The electrician will sort out your lighting as soon as you have paid his fee. (get)
The electrician will ____________________________________________________________.
3 When we arrived, a group of vandals were already looting the shops damaged in the explosion.
(by)
When we arrived, the shops ____________________________________________________.
4 Markets expect share prices to fall in the next few days. (expect)
It _________________________________________________________________________.
5 Harry was so disappointed that he refused to leave his room for two days. (his)
Such ______________________________________________________________________.
6 Patrick only required a battery and a few pieces of wire to make a fully-functioning radio. (was)
All ________________________________________________________________________.
Mark: ___ / 12

TOTAL MARKS: ___ / 60