Practice English Vocabulary B2 Exercises – Vocabulary Test 2

A. Choose the correct answer.

Criticism

It can (1) ……… a long time to become successful in your chose field, however (2) ……… you are. One thing you have to be (3) ……… of is that you will face criticism along the way. The world is (4) ……… of people who would rather say something negative than positive. If you’ve made up your (5) ……… to achieve a certain goal, such as writing a novel, don’t let the negative criticism of others (6) ……… you from reaching your target, and let constructive criticism have a positive (7) ……… on your work. If someone says you’re totally (8) ……… in talent, ignore them. That’s negative criticism. If, however, someone (9) ……… you to revise your work and gives you good reasons for doing so, you should (10) ……… their suggestions carefully. There are many film stars who were once out of (11) ……… . There are many famous novelists who made a complete (12) ……… of their first novel – or who didn’t, but had to (13) ……… approaching hundreds of publishers before they could get it published. Being successful does (14) ……… on luck, to a certain extent. But things are more likely to (15) ……… well if you persevere and stay positive.

1    A be                    B have              C take                 D do

2    A talented         B invested        C mixed              D workable

3    A alert                B clever            C intelligent       D aware

4    A overflowing   B full                 C filled                D packed

5    A mind               B brain              C thought          D idea

6    A cease              B remove         C avoid               D prevent

7    A outcome        B result             C effect              D consequence

8    A lacking            B short             C missing           D absent

9    A suggests        B advises          C proposes        D explains

10 A think               B consider        C look round     D take

11 A career             B business       C job                   D work

12 A mess               B rubbish         C trash               D garbage

13 A put off            B bank on        C keep on          D drop in on

14 A require           B need             C depend           D trust

15 A turn out         B come into    C deal with         D sail through

B. Choose the correct answer.

16   Ed ……… at the clock and realised he was late for the meeting.

        A glimpsed   B observed

        C glanced     D watched

17   What’s the entrance ……… for the outdoor music festival?

        A ticket         B fare

        C price          D fee

18   Don’t ……… the potatoes in oil; that’s so unhealthy!

        A fry              B boil

        C bake          D grill

19   I want to take these jeans back because they’re too small but I can’t find the ……… anywhere.

        A recipe        B receipt

        C receiver    D reception

20   I’ll pick up a ……… on the way home and then we won’t have to cook.

        A takeaway

        B fast food

        C delivery

        D microwave

21   Certificates provide proof of your ……… .

        A qualities

        B diplomas

        C qualifications

        D ambitions

22   Living on a farm in the middle of nowhere, ours is about the most ……… lifestyle you can have!

        A urban        B suburban

        C rural           D municipal

23   Will was made ……… three months ago and is still looking for a job.

        A sacked      B fired

        C retired       D redundant

24   The audience showed their ……… by giving the orchestra a standing ovation.

        A entertainment

        B review

        C appreciation

        D audition

25   I’d like to speak to the person in ………, please.

        A charge      B responsibility

        C duty           D obligation

C. Write one word in each gap.

Lack of faith in politicians

A recent survey has shown an increase (26) ……………… distrust for politicians. They’ve always been regarded (27) ……………… untrustworthy, but now politicians are below estate agents and even lawyers in the public’s estimations. A majority of the people who (28) ……………… questioned associate politicians (29) ……………… an inability to tell (30) ……………… truth. They believe they’re responsible (31) ……………… most of the country’s problems, have had a negative effect (32) ……………… the country’s image abroad, refuse to face (33) ……………… to the fact that they cause more problems than they solve and never apologise for (34) ……………… made mistakes. The survey (35) ……………… was carried out over a period of three months, also shows that politicians often give the impression (36) ……………… being arrogant and only (37) ……………… note of what the electorate believe at election time. In (38) ……………… of these disturbing findings, people do not believe that (39) ……………… is no point in voting at elections. (40) ……………… least politicians can take some comfort in that!

D. Choose the correct answer.

41   All the flowers for the wedding ……… tomorrow.

        A will be delivering

        B will have delivered by

        C are going to deliver

        D are going to be delivered

42   ‘Have we still got lots of time?’

        ‘No, ……… get a move on. We’re going to be late.’

        A you’d rather

        B you’d better

        C you’d prefer to

        D you’d be better off

43   Let’s order a pizza, ……… we?

        A should       B will

        C shall           D could

44   I wonder ……… mind watching this bag for me for a moment.

        A would you

        B you would

        C if would you

        D whether you would

45   The prime minister denied ……… anything wrong.

        A to do

        B having done

        C to have done

        D to be doing

46   The woman ……… purse I found has offered to give me a reward.

        A whose       B who

        C who’s        D to whom

47   It’s high time they ……… .

        A are leaving

        B were leaving

        C have to leave

        D had been leaving

48   I wish you ……… so rude to Rosalind last night.

        A weren’t

        B wouldn’t be

        C hadn’t been

        D haven’t been

49   Despite ……… president, she felt totally powerless.

        A being

        B she was

        C of having been

        D to be

50   We ……… today and I got into trouble because I hadn’t done it.

        A had checked our homework

        B had our homework checked

        C were checked our homework

        D have checking our homework

E. Match to make sentences. There is one extra letter you will not use.

51   When we can afford it, we’re going to do

52   Jason’s thinking of dropping

53   When the factory closed

54   They should do away

55   Let me take you out to dinner to make

56   I never wanted a mortgage but I’m coming

57   Cynthia’s decided to set

A   round to the idea now.

B   up for forgetting your birthday.

C   with cheque books now that everyone has a credit card.

D   up the attic and turn it into a spare bedroom.

E   out of college and getting a job.

F   out a number of different products in the next few months.

G   up a small business producing temporary tattoos.

H   down, hundreds of workers lost their jobs.

F. Complete the second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Write between two and five words in each gap.

58   I don’t think George has the ability to climb right to the top of that mountain!   capable

        I don’t think George ………………………………………… right to the top of that mountain!

59   Joanne, do you know anything about Chaos Theory?   familiar

        Joanne, ………………………………………… Chaos Theory?

60   You shouldn’t have bought presents for all of us.   expense

        You shouldn’t have ………………………………………… buying presents for all of us.

61   Charles often phones up TV stations to complain about programmes.   tendency

        Charles ………………………………………… up TV stations to complain about programmes.

62   Alice seemed tired to me.   impression

        Alice ………………………………………… she was tired.

63   Taking out a private pension scheme will benefit you.   interest

        It is ………………………………………… out a private pension scheme.

64   I understand what Gary was saying but I don’t agree with him.   point

        I can ………………………………………… but I don’t agree with him

65   They won’t allow passengers to get off the train at the next station.   prevent

        They’re going ………………………………………… off the train at the next station.

66   I want you to try really hard to pass this exam!   effort

        I want you to ………………………………………… to pass this exam!

G. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the gap.

Memories and reality

There is a well-known (67) ……………………, ‘School days are the best days of your life.’ No (68) …………………… at school ever believes it though, and by the time you realise it’s true, it’s too late! It’s when you’re worried about your (69) …………………… situation and are beginning to hate the (70) …………………… of working in an office or factory every day that you look back fondly on the (71) …………………… times you had at school. When you’re still at school you often focus on the negatives, like having to pay (72) …………………… during a tedious chemistry lesson, being punished for bad (73) …………………… (when you didn’t do anything wrong anyway) or feeling (74) …………………… in an exam because you don’t know any of the answers (and, in fact, had completely (75) …………………… the questions too!). But it’s quite (76) …………………… to complain about things and then have great memories afterwards. Just have a good time at the times as well!