Upper Level Vocabulary Test 4
Question 1
He grew very angry when he realized how he had been _____ out of his money.
The pattern is trick someone out of something, meaning to get something from someone by dishonest means: He was tricked out of his savings. Not robbed, because rob takes of: robbed of his money, never robbed out of.
Question 2
The cow had lost its own calf, but the farmer persuaded it to _____ one whose mother had died.
To adopt means to take another's young as your own and look after it. The farmer got the cow to care for a calf that was not its own.
Question 3
When my aunt lost her cat last summer, it turned _____ a week later at a house in the next village.
Turn up means to appear or be found, often unexpectedly: My lost keys turned up in my coat. Not turn out, which means 'happen in a particular way' or 'prove to be'.
Question 4
The funeral will be _____, and only members of the dead man’s family will attend.
A private event is only for invited people, not the public. The clue is only members of the family will attend. Not personal, which means belonging to one particular person.
Question 5
They were making enough noise at the party to wake the _____.
Loud enough to wake the dead is a fixed expression meaning extremely loud.
Question 6
I can’t advise you what to do. You must use your own _____.
Use your own judgment means decide for yourself, using your ability to make good decisions. Not opinion: we give or have an opinion, but we don't use one in this sense.
Question 7
It isn’t quite _____ that he will be present at the meeting.
After impersonal it, we say It is certain that…. Not sure, because sure normally needs a person as the subject: I'm sure that he'll come, not It is sure that….
Question 8
The _____ from the forest fire could be seen ten miles away.
A fire produces smoke, the grey or black cloud that can be seen from far away. Steam comes from hot water, and mist is natural cloud near the ground.
Question 9
The house was so damp that it was _____ to live in.
Unhealthy can describe places or conditions that are bad for your health: an unhealthy house. Not unwell or sickly, which describe people, not places.
Question 10
There are usually at least two _____ of looking at every question.
The usual phrase is a way of doing something: two ways of looking at a question. Views and opinions are not followed by of + -ing in this sense.
Question 11
He spoke so quickly that I didn’t _____ what he said.
Catch can mean to hear or understand something said: Sorry, I didn't catch your name. Not listen, which needs to: listen to what he said.
Question 12
I have such a bad cold that I have lost all _____ of smell.
Smell is one of the five senses, so we say the sense of smell. Not scent, which is a pleasant smell itself, not the ability to smell.
Question 13
Peter begged his neighbour to _____ him five pounds until the weekend.
You lend something to someone (lend him five pounds). You borrow something from someone. The neighbour gives the money, so the verb is lend. Not borrow, which is the opposite direction.
Question 14
The lorry driver was badly _____ when his lorry crashed into a wall.
People are hurt (injured) in accidents: badly hurt in a crash. Not damaged, which is used for things, like the lorry or the wall, not people.
Question 15
Although John was the eldest in the family, he always let his sister _____ charge of the house.
Take charge of means to become responsible for something: She took charge of the house. Not be, because that needs in: be in charge of.
Question 16
The policeman _____ everything he had noticed to the inspector.
The pattern is report something to someone. Not informed, which takes the person as its object (informed the inspector of everything), and not said, which sounds unnatural with everything he had noticed.
Question 17
These trees cannot be grown in such a cold _____ as ours.
Climate is the usual weather of a place over a long time, which affects which trees can grow there. Not weather, which describes conditions on a particular day.
Question 18
The audience waited until the curtain had risen and then _____ into applause.
Burst into means to suddenly start doing something: burst into applause / tears / laughter. It is a fixed collocation.
Question 19
_____ up children properly is mainly their parents’ duty.
Bring up children means to care for and educate them until they are adults. Not raising or rearing, because they are not used with up: we say raising children, not raising up children.
Question 20
When he makes a _____ by car, he takes his family with him.
Make a journey means to travel from one place to another, especially by land. Not travel, which is not used as a countable noun with a, and not voyage, which is a long trip by sea or in space.
Question 21
Science has made great _____ during the past 30 years.
Make advances means to make progress or develop: Medicine has made great advances. Not advantages, which are benefits, not progress.
Question 22
People who live in a small village are bound to see a good _____ of each other.
A good deal of means a lot of. See a good deal of someone means to meet them often.
Question 23
As soon as the children were _____, their mother got them out of bed and into the bathroom.
After be we need an adjective, and awake (not sleeping) is an adjective: The children were awake. Not woke or awoke, which are past forms of verbs and can't follow were.
Question 24
This blue door was _____ painted green.
Originally means at first, before a change: the door was green at first and is blue now. Not before, which doesn't fit naturally in this position.
Question 25
Her shoes _____ her gloves; they look very well together.
Things that match have the same colour or style, so they look good together. Not suit, which is usually about whether something looks good on a person: That dress suits you.
Question 26
If you have a _____ to make about the food, I am willing to listen.
Make a complaint means to say formally that you are not happy with something. It is a fixed collocation.
Question 27
His father had _____ him how to make model airplanes.
The pattern is teach someone how to do something. The father gave the knowledge, so the verb is taught. Not learnt, because the learner does the learning, and we can't say learnt him.
Question 28
The old man got into the _____ of storing money under the bed.
Get into the habit of doing something means to start doing it regularly. Not tradition, which is a custom shared by a group over a long time.
Question 29
Violent programs on television may have a bad _____ on children.
Have an influence on means to affect how someone thinks or behaves. Not affection, which means love or fondness.
Question 30
The shoes fitted her _____.
Fit perfectly means to be exactly the right size. The other adverbs don't collocate with fit in this meaning.
Question 31
Could you please _____ an appointment for me to see Mr. Smith?
Arrange an appointment means to organise a meeting at a fixed time. We can also say make an appointment, but make is not an option.
Question 32
Tell your brother to come _____ because it’s going to rain in a minute or two.
Come indoors means to come inside a building. The clue is the rain. Not outdoors, which is the opposite.
Question 33
As he was ill, he had to _____ the party.
Miss means to not go to an event that you wanted to attend: I missed the party because I was ill. Not avoid, which means to stay away from it on purpose.
Question 34
When he was at school, he won the first _____ for good behavior.
You win first prize in a competition or at school. Not price, which is how much something costs, and not reward, which is given for a service, not 'first'.
Question 35
Can’t you _____ your chief to let you have a holiday?
The pattern is persuade someone to do something, meaning to make them agree by giving reasons. Not make, because make someone do has no to.
Question 36
The girl’s father _____ to buy her a car if she passed her examination.
The pattern is agree to do something, meaning to say you will do it. Not accepted, which can't be followed by to + verb, and not approved, which needs of.
Question 37
The carriage was _____ by four horses.
Drawn (from draw) means pulled: a carriage drawn by horses. Not driven, because a person (the driver) drives a carriage, not the horses.
Question 38
He ate what he could, and gave the _____ of the food to the birds.
The rest of means the part that is left. Not remain, which is a verb; the noun is the remains.
Question 39
They decided to leave the waiter a big _____ because the food and service had been excellent.
A tip is extra money you give to a waiter or driver for good service: leave a tip. Not reward, which is money for help such as finding something lost.
Question 40
As it had not rained for several months, there was a _____ of water.
A shortage is a situation where there is not enough of something. The clue is had not rained for several months. Not loss, which means losing something you had.
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