Practice English Vocabulary C1 Exercises – Relationships and people

A. Complete using the correct form of the words in the box.

1   It’s not easy to ……………………. between Nick and Rick because they’re identical twins.

2   Why do you always ……………………. me and say that what I’m saying isn’t true?

3   I love mountaineering, and I suppose I would ……………………. it to the excitement of winning the lottery.

4   One of the reasons we grow to love characters in films is that we ……………………. with them.

5   You need to ……………………. the handle to the drawer using these screws.

6   I wouldn’t ……………………. the possibility that you could be completely wrong on this.

7   Your answer to the maths problem should be the same as mine, but they don’t ……………………. .

8   I’m going to ……………………. Roy about his behaviour because I think it’s unacceptable.

9   Don’t you think that people who come to live in this country should ……………………. into our culture?

10   In some countries, children under 16 ……………………. the majority of the population.

11   They say the price for the house is two hundred thousand, but I’m sure they’ll ……………………. .

12   I’m not ……………………. the facts – I just don’t agree with your interpretation of them.

13   Our office is going to ……………………. with the one in the next town so some people will lose their jobs.

14   Having a successful marriage ……………………. learning how to keep quiet at the right time.

B. Choose the correct answer.

1   I couldn’t believe it when Marcy accused me of ……………… in her relationship with Joe.

        A intervening

        B interacting

        C interfering

        D intercepting

2   Do you think there might be a ……………… between Angie’s behaviour and the accident she had?

        A link            B tie

        C bond         D junction

3   Suddenly, I overheard Melissa and Alex talking about me in the ……………… room.

        A attached B beside

        C near           D adjacent

4   It’s difficult to translate because there’s no ……………… for that word in English.

        A twin          B clone

        C copy          D equivalent

5   Andrea and Theresa are so different! You couldn’t have two more ……………… sisters.

        A dislike

        B contrasting

        C conflicting

        D distinguished

6   Keeping a relationship going is hard enough, without any ……………… pressure from parents.

        A external   B incoming

        C outward   D outdoor

7   Having your heart broken is an ……………… part of growing up.

        A inward      B inset

        C integral     D internal

8   Getting divorced was a ……………… decision, so I don’t blame my ex-wife.

        A relative

        B related

        C cooperative

        D joint

9   But what you’re saying now isn’t ……………… with what you said last week.

        A coherent

        B consistent

        C confirmed

        D continuous

10   You have to go through a number of ……………… stages before you become an expert.

        A medium

        B average

        C moderate

        D intermediate

11   There’s no ……………… between Gary and Mark, even though they are brothers.

        A resemblance

        B appearance

        C correspondence

        D reflection

12   There’s no reason why people of different races can’t ……………… quite peacefully together.

        A endure     B be

        C inhabit      D coexist

C. Complete using the correct form of the words in the box.

Relate

When people are in (1) ……………………, it can often help to talk to someone outside the relationship. When the (2) …………………… that holds people together weakens and arguments break out, the (3) …………………… calm of a counsellor’s office can make a big difference. Relate is a registered charity in the UK that exists to give advice to couples. It started life as the Marriage Guidance Council in 1943 and was founded by Dr Herbert Gray, who was concerned at the increase in (4) …………………… . They have dealt with a (5) …………………… range of problems over the years, from couples who feel that their personalities aren’t (6) …………………… to couples who have problems being (7) …………………… with each other. Getting people to (8) …………………… with each other on rebuilding the relationship and encouraging (9) …………………… respect often helps. Often, people need to learn that they can’t have exactly what they want and that (10) …………………… is necessary.

D. Complete using the words in the box.

1   I don’t know Tony that well. We see each other on the way to work, and we always say hello. I wouldn’t call him a friend, more of a/an ………………….., really.

2   I don’t get on that well with my ………………….. . Since my parents got divorced and Dad married her, things haven’t exactly been peaceful in our house.

3   Everyone who wants to go on the school trip needs to bring their form into class tomorrow. And remember that you have to get your legal ………………….. to sign it, giving you permission to go.

4   I suppose I’m something of a/an ………………….. . I wouldn’t exactly describe myself as sociable. I’m quite shy, really, and don’t like meeting new people.

5   You need to write your full name at the top of the form. If you’re married, write the name of your ………………….. in the space provided.

6   As I waited at the airport, I saw a rather strange-looking woman who didn’t seem to have any luggage. Then I noticed her travelling ………………….., a small woman of a similar age with four suitcases.

7   Guy’s a real ………………….. . He’ll chat to anybody. He always seems to get into conversation wherever we go and everyone seems to find him charming.

8   When my grandfather arrived in the States, he wanted to become an American ………………….. as soon as he could. It was very important to him to feel that he belonged here.

E. Circle the correct word.

1   I do empathise / sympathise with Kim, but I can’t say I really understand what she’s going through.

2   I understand you’re trying to be kind, but I don’t think you can really empathise / sympathise with me when you haven’t experienced anything similar.

3   My parents often adopted / fostered children for a few months when I was young and they must have looked after about 50 youngsters altogether.

4   I was adopted / fostered by Frank and Mavis when I was just six weeks old, so they’re the only parents I’ve ever known.

5   To some people, it’s very important not to be different from their partners / peers and to fit in with the group.

6   I thought it strange that the invitation didn’t say that partners / peers were invited.

7   It was a real blow when Jim lost his job because he’s got a large number of dependants / siblings, including three children and a mother-in-law.

8   I never really got on with any of my dependants / siblings as I was growing up.

9   My ancestor/ predecessor in the job left things in a real mess.

10   The family home was built by a/an ancestor / predecessor of mine and six generations of Barretts have lived in it since then.

11   I have decided to leave the company, but I’m sure my descendant / successor will carry on the good work.

12   You won’t believe me, but I’m a descendant / successor of Isaac Newton, although I don’t share the same name.

F. Write one word in each gap.

1   I haven’t seen much of Cameron since he and Nicola broke ………………… .

2   She really loves him and is determined not to let anything come ………………… them.

3   Why don’t we meet ………………… here again on the 12th, when I get back from Germany?

4   I didn’t take ………………… my stepbrother at first, but after a while we grew closer.

5   We should bring everyone ………………… and discuss what we’re going to do for Grandpa’s 80th birthday.

6   Being given some responsibility really brought ………………… a side of Lindsay’s character I hadn’t seen before.

7   I’d like to ask Melanie ………………… on a date, but I’m afraid of being rejected.

8   I had a row with Elizabeth and it just cancelled ………………… all the effort I’d put into getting her to like me.

G. Complete using a phrasal verb with a word from box A in the right form and a word from box B.

1   Guess who I ………………….. in town. Our old physics teacher, Mr Watson.

2   After I got to know Ben a bit better, he started to ………………….. about his feelings.

3   The jeans and the top are both fine on their own, but they don’t really ………………….. .

4   Don’t ………………….. the other children in your class just because you’re bigger than them.

5   I wish you would just do as you’re told and not ………………….. every time I ask you to do something.

6   You should ………………….. your parents ………………….. and see what they think of your plan.

7   When the woman fainted in the street, everyone ………………….. her but no one seemed to know what to do.

8   Michael really ………………….. his grandfather, doesn’t he? They’ve both got the same red hair.

H. Some phrasal verbs with back, such as answer back, have meanings connected to ‘responding to other people’. Complete the sentences using the words in the box in the correct form.

1   I’m not aggressive, but if someone attacks me, then I’ll ………………….. back.

2   The Prime Minister ………………….. back at his critics and accused them of being biased.

3   Don’t be surprised if you get into trouble for ………………….. back to the teacher.

4   The robber shot at the police, who ………………….. back.

5   Nigel rang and he wants you to ………………….. back as soon as you can.

6   Read the e-mail from Carter Brothers and ………………….. back to them, explaining where their order is.

7   Lend me enough money for dinner and I’ll ………………….. you back next week.

8   I’ve got a good plan to ………………….. back at Charlotte for all the trouble she’s caused me.

I. One word in each sentence is incorrect. Underline the incorrect word and write the correct word on the line.

1   We didn’t share the same father tongue, but we managed to communicate in English. ………………….

2   When my brother got married, my sister-in-law very quickly became one from the family. ………………….

3   I sometimes find that born speakers of English speak a bit too fast for me. ………………….

4   We need to get something for Mum and Dad’s marriage anniversary next week. ………………….

5   Since tomorrow’s a country holiday, I thought we might drive up into the mountains. ………………….

6   I got an e-mail yesterday from a far relative who’s researching our family tree. ………………….

7   This maths problem should be kid’s play to someone with as much talent as you. ………………….

8   She’s not my biological aunt, but she’s my aunt with marriage. ………………….

9   Following the train crash, people concerned about their liked ones were given a special number to call. ………………….

10   The problem of child misuse is much bigger than you might think. ………………….

11   It took me a long time to do friends with Justine, but it was worth it in the end. ………………….

12   It’s only mankind nature to want to settle down, get married and start a family. ………………….

J. Write one word in each gap.

Arranged marriages

The usual western idea of marriage is that you meet someone, (1) ……………….. in love, and then decide to marry each other. For those born (2) ……………….. some cultures, however, marriage may have quite a different meaning. In an arranged marriage, it is the parents who choose the partner and it’s possible (3) ……………….. the young person getting married not to meet their future bride or groom (4) ……………….. person until the day of the wedding. Indeed, a young person might be promised to another (5) ……………….. a child, many years before the wedding day.

Amongst communities that practise arranged marriage, it’s not unusual for a generation (6) ……………….. to open up between parents and children, with many young people refusing to accept an arranged marriage. However, if the partners treat each other (7) ……………….. respect and recognise that they are both (8) ……………….. equal value, there doesn’t seem to be any real barrier to having a happy married life.

K. For each question, write one word which can be used in all three sentences.

1   Oh, tell Carrie that I send my ……………………. when you see her.

      When my mum and dad met, my mum says it was ……………………. at first sight.

      My ……………………. for travelling comes from the fact that we moved around a lot when I was young.

2   One of the reasons why Damian and I get on so well is that we have a lot in ……………………. .

      The architect told us that it was ……………………. practice to start building before getting all the permits.

      There are some words which are ……………………. to a number of the languages spoken in the area.

3   I don’t really see myself settling down any time in the ……………………. future.

      People came from ……………………. and far to attend the celebrity wedding of the year.

      We just about managed to get to the airport on time, but it was a ……………………. thing.

4   The two countries are similar with ……………………. to the divorce rates.

      Of course we argue, but I don’t think we’re any different from other couples in that ……………………. .

      Todd lost a lot of people’s ……………………. when they saw how he treats his wife.

5   One of the important ……………………. of the law is that it recognises the rights of unmarried partners.

      In order to find the woman’s missing husband, the police asked if he had any distinguishing ……………………. .

      I was quite impressed by the safety ……………………. on Bill’s new car.

6   We ……………………. our son while he was at university so he didn’t have to work while he was studying.

      My father ……………………. Chelsea, and so did his father before him, so it was only natural that I would too.

      When I saw the results of the survey, I was quite surprised by the number of people who ……………………. the death penalty.

L. Write one word in each gap.

1   Vivian and I usually agree, but we’re not always on the ………………… wavelength.

2   I don’t know Pauline that well, but I’m on good ………………… with her sister.

3   I know I made a mistake, but I’m only …………………, after all.

4   My brother and Jack got on like a ………………… on fire when they first met.

5   It’s a shame to fall out so badly with your own ………………… and blood.

6   Life’s very easy for you. You were born with a ………………… spoon in your mouth.

7   Jill and Emily are so alike. They’re like two ………………… in a pod.

8   I don’t think we’re ever going to ………………… eye to eye on this issue.

9   When something like that happens, it certainly ………………… your own problems in perspective.

10   I’m avoiding Mr Hunter because I think I’m in his bad ………………… .

M. Complete the sentences by changing the form of the word in capitals.

1   Theo and his brother are always together. They’re completely ……………………. . SEPARATE

2   It’s very ……………………. of you to notice that Sean’s not his usual self. PERCEIVE

3   There was a long legal battle over the ……………………., but in the end I did get quite a bit of money. INHERIT

4   I think saying that all black people are lazy is a very ……………………. remark, to be honest. RACE

5   Despite his ……………………. lack of concern, I think Gabriel really does care what other people think of him. APPEAR

6   Don’t feel that you’re being ……………………. to Sharon if you tell me what’s bothering you about her. LOYAL

7   James got into trouble for ……………………. a police officer. PERSON

8   If you have any complaints about a neighbour, take them to your residents’ ……………………., where they should be able to advise you further. ASSOCIATE

9   Marvin used to be quite wild, but he’s ……………………. calm these days. RELATE

10   According to Lionel, losing his job and then getting divorced were ……………………., but I think there’s probably a link. CONNECT

11   Young animals very quickly form a strong ……………………. to their mothers. ATTACH

12   What I don’t like about school uniform is that it completely destroys all ……………………. . INDIVIDUAL

N. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the space.

Becoming a parent

Very little in our lives prepares us for (1) ………………… (PARENT). Suddenly, your life is turned upside down and all sorts of (2) ………………… (FAMILIAR) demands are placed on you. How we ourselves were treated by our parents in our (3) ………………… (YOUNG) can have an (4) ………………… (APPRECIATE) effect on who we become as parents. Our own (5) ………………… (OBSERVE) of how our parents responded to us creates a model of parenting that is (6) ………………… (INTIMATE) connected to the kind of parents we become. It’s not uncommon for people to show the same child-rearing (7) ………………… (CHARACTER) as their own parents. If your father was an (8) ………………… (SYMPATHY) figure who always seemed too busy to care about how you felt, then there’s a chance you will repeat the same behaviour. If your mother was utterly (9) ………………… (SELF) in her devotion to her children, there’s a chance that you too will be equally giving and do all that is (10) ………………… (HUMAN) possible for your offspring.

O. The prefix re-, as in reappear, can go before verbs, nouns and adjectives to mean ‘again’. Tick the words below which can form words using re-.

19   think

20   train

21   trial

22   use

23   worry

24   write

P. Complete the sentences using words formed in exercise O in the correct form.

1   I’m beginning to ………………….. my plans for the future.

2   Why don’t you ………………….. the soup in the microwave?

3   Don’t forget to ………………….. your passport, or you won’t be able to come on holiday!

4   You’ve spilt coffee on my notebook! Now I’m going to have to ………………….. my whole essay!

5   When my mum lost her job, she decided to ………………….. as an engineer.

6   Empty that bit of Coke down the sink and then you can ………………….. the bottle with water.

7   The election result was so close that they’ve decided to ………………….. the votes.

8   I left my friends in Paris while I explored the area and then I ………………….. them a few days later.

9   Scientists are hoping to ………………….. the conditions that existed on Earth millions of years ago.

10   You’ll easily pass the exam if you can ………………….. the very good performance you put in during the mock exams.