LEXICO PRACTICE FOR NEC

PRACTICE TEST 1

PART 1
1. It is not definite that the company will accept our offer, but there's a _______ chance so there is no
reason not to try.
A. sporting B. bragging C. pumping D. bubbling
2. She was _______ with excitement, imagining how fun her first vacation abroad would be after years
working without resting.
A. bubbling over B. bristling at C. plodding along D. fawning over
3. I had to give up on having a pet dog because whenever it got sick, a trip to the vet would
___________.
A. clear me out B. clean me out C. wipe me out D. dry me out
4. Annie and John hid their relationship so well that it took Mary quite a time to _______ to the fact that
they were dating.
A. come down B. glom onto C. dawn on D. cotton on
5. By successfully _______ two seconds off his last best time, our son has not only won the first prize
but also set the world record.
A. cutting B. clipping C. sizing D. gashing
6. Parkour, an activity which used not to be heard of by many people in India, is now _______ in this
country.
A. big B. faddy C. rife D. conventional
7. I like both teaching and researching so the position of a professor in college is a kind of halfway
_______ between the two for me.
A. house B. line C. road D. hunch
8. Living in the commuter _______ is fine, but I’m planning to move into the city centre.
A. belt B. pane C. line D. skirt
9. Be careful before you sign the contract, remember to read every details including the _______ print.
A. bold B. hidden C. fine D. clean
10. The food tour was great, except for the insects, they looked and tasted so horrible that I _______
with disgust.
A. gloated B. grimaced C. grinned D. chuckled
11. _______ your heart and mind of sinful thoughts before you enter the pagoda.
A. Clean B. Purify C. Liberate D. Cleanse
12. Unfortunately, the victim didn’t make it to the hospital, he was pronounced ___________.
A. dead from the neck up B. dead on sight
C. dead in the water D. dead on arrival
13. Despite the harsh flow of the stream, she _______ her way through the water.
A. powered B. struck C. directed D. led
14. A career in marketing has always been what she desires, so she just _______ herself in her work.
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 LEXICO PRACTICE FOR NEC
A. immersed B. submerged C. engulfed D. dipped
15. The polls are too close to call, and it looks like this election is going to be a real _______.
A. brain-teaser B. enigma C. cliffhanger D. buoyancy
Part 2
16. She is very active and sociable, so it is surprising that she dates such a quiet andunassuming
_______ man like
Khoi. (ASSUME)
17. I knew it! Jean was not at all a faithful husband. Now stop saying my suspicion was _______ (FOUND)!
unfounded
18. After just 3 days, Donald has been able to dive head-down
_______ into the pool. (HEAD)
19. Most homeless people in the US are ___________,
freegans they are all around cafes and restaurants ready to
pick up wasted food or leftovers. (FREE) freelivers
20. Sam was _______ by Linda at first sight, no wonder she is considered a campus fairy. (TWITTER)
twitterpated

PRACTICE TEST 2

1. These days, schools no longer _______ girls away from STEM subjects thanks to the propagation of
gender equality.
A. direct B. drive C. steer D. guide
2. I cannot understand what does Jenny _______ against Tom that makes her treat such a nice guy so
badly.
A. hold B. have C. keep D. make
3. It turned out I was wrong to think that I could reach the finish line as I started to _______ in the heat
just thirty minutes after the race started. become smaller/weaker become more tied
A. shrivel B. weed C. wither D. wilt
4. After Janice had to wait two hours to see her doctor, she became _______ with the office staff.
agressive attitude
A. distressed anxious B. averse C. vexatious (formal) D. belligerent
5. Is it ironic when people _______ glasses of wine and drink to each other's health?
A. splat B. clunk C. clank D. clink
6. Don’t think that being children of celebrities is great because you would not only have fame but also
expectations _______ you since birth.
A. thrust upon B. pasted to C. forced on D. rammed on
7. _______! You have been in the bathroom for an hour and the concert starts at nine.
A. Tut tut B. Aye aye C. Chop chop D. Up up
8. As an introvert, I really admire anyone who is a __________ with great confidence and
communication skills.
A. quick wire B. cup of beer C. good mixer D. hot dish.
9. I know you are _______ to French fries, but you had better cut down on it.
A. smitten B. hooked C. partial D. tied
10. There is a very strong movement in my country now against _______ sports like hunting or shooting
even though they are parts of national traditions.

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 LEXICO PRACTICE FOR NEC

A. lethal B. death C. blood D. red

11. The _______ of central control has stifled local initiative.
A. dead hand B. smirky fingers C. eagle eyes D. tight grip
12. After a sleepless night, tiredness gradually _______ him while he was driving.
A. lurk up on B. crept up on C. cinched on D. edged on
13. Alexa has got her boyfriend ___________, he will do everything she says.
A. eating out of her hand B. following her through the garden
C. to wash her clothes D. to sell her his heart
14. A large proportion of the households in this area is _______ to the internet thanks to a generous
foreign donor.
A. linked up B. hooked up C. wired up D. crossed up
15. It came as a shock to Dan to find out that the police officer killed in the _______ of duty yesterday
was his dad.
A. hours B. line C. call D. strike
PART 2
16. Depending on a person’s cultural background, he or she might _______ hunting as an act of violence
or not. (CONCEPT) conceptualize: to form an idea/ theory of st in your mind
17. Instead, throughout his term as minister, he rode in the vehicle used by his predecessor and
continued to live in a(n) _______ house. (PRETEND) unpretentious: simple/plain
18. Given the sensitivity of the matter, her frankness during the meeting was absolutely _______
(JUDGE) injudicious:not sensible/unwise
19. Action movies with fighting scenes have become so popular that people are increasingly
___________to violence on TV. (SENSE) desensitized: make sb less aware of st
20. The _______ of the book generally describes the author’s academic career and her gratitude for her
mother. (WORD) foreword

PRACTICE TEST 3
PART 1
1. The spokesperson said the information campaign was a _______ to hide the most regressive tax in
history.
A. red curtain B. witch cloak C. book cover D. fig leaf
2. Depression was once thought to be a _______ of an individual's imagination but research has shown
that SAD is a real disorder.
A. figment B. figure C. byproduct D. docket
3. Dennis is very _______ about things; he never lets anything stress him out.
A. tolerant B. impetuous C. warm-hearted D. laid-back
4. Were I to have the courage of my ___________, I would tell the boss how domineering he was.
A. convictions B. points C. slant D. stance

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 LEXICO PRACTICE FOR NEC
5. Joe thinks he can win the fight with that muscular man, he is really a _______ short of load.
A. stone B. log C. brick D. hog
6. It has taken them all this time to _______ on a name for their baby.
A. decide B. conclude C. assent D. consent
7. After winning the lottery, the man squandered his money on gambling and was soon on _______
after a year.
A. Queer street B. Baker street C. Pauper street D. Tramp street
8. Facebook's shares are _______ after the company launched a new Instagram feature that will
compete with TikTok in the US.
A. holding her thumb B. on high skies
C. coming up roses D. on a tear
9. The two generals, although _______ cooperating to attack the enemy, actually detest each other.
A. showily B. ostensibly C. audaciously D. benignly
10. The company is _______ to see if this plan provokes any interest in the young customer group.
A. flying a kite B. dropping the ball
C. shooting the messenger D. dropping the penny
11. They offered to buy her a BMW but she's holding _______ a Porsche.
A. out for B. out on C. back with D. up with
12. Although I am not a _______ person, I sometimes do find some sex scenes on TV a bit excessive and
unacceptable.
A. prudish B. sanctimonious C. raffish D. dyspeptic
13. I never cease to admire the _______ endurance of my grandfather when captured by the Nazi during
World War Two.
A. placid B. stoical C. obstinate D. immutable
14. Different from a misanthrope who has a hatred of people in general, Joey is more of a _______ being
distrustful of human goodness and sincerity.
A. pessimist B. tyrant C. cynic D. misogynist
15. When will you realise that it was your self-righteous and _______ attitude that prevented you from
learning better ideas from other people?
A. fallow B. ghoulish C. bigoted D. conniving
Part 2
16. I find it impossible to guide such a wild and _______ person like her. (STRONG)
17. He threatened to _______ his eldest son if he chooses to give up the family business. (HEIR)
18. Because we had to arrive on time, our ship had no choice but to _______ the congested area.
(NAVIGATE)
19. The differences were _______ to all but the most trained eye. (PERCEIVE)
20. Mary has just given birth yesterday so she is currently on _______ leave. (MOTHER)

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 LEXICO PRACTICE FOR NEC

PRACTICE TEST 4

4. He's been working with a ___________over the past few weeks to make up for wasted time.
A. drudgery B. servitude C. vengeance D. nudge
5. He felt his heart _______ as his bride-to-be began her walk down the aisle.
A. fasten B. quicken C. expedite D. heighten
6. Constance _______ a sigh of relief when she heard that her loan was approved.
A. gave B. uttered C. expressed D. breathed
7. The telephone lines were _______ with callers trying to get through to the electricity supplier.
A. jammed B. throttled C. congested D. glutted
8. If there happened to be both rich and poor people, as there happen to be both black and white ones,
then the advantages of the _______ might well spread in time to the hard-up.
A. well-heeled B. big-hearted C. open-handed D. tight-fisted
9. Most popular magazines have a(n) _______ page where letters about difficulties with relationships
are answered.
A. sharing B. personal C. advice D. problem
10. Two agents in our team were shot in _______ for the killing of a rival gang member.
A. return B. retaliation C. reprisal D. recrimination
11. His talent meant he could create wondrous things, but his _______ meant he hardly ever felt like
working.
A. adversity B. lethargy C. ineptitude D. tactlessness
12. I left in high _______ after waiting for them over an hour and not receiving any apologies.
A. rage B. taciturnity C. oscillation D. dudgeon
13. Everyone knows about his genius even though he never admits, good wine needs no ___________.
A. barter B. advertisement C. bush D. barrel
14. We don’t have enough __________ data to prove that the phenomenon is really affecting the
environment in a negative way.
A. empirical B. informed C. substantive D. static
15. She acts as if she really is the _______ of our team and everyone has to rely on her.
A. lone wolf B. white elephant C. big shark D. queen bee
16. The police have been _______ war on drug dealers in the city since January but their effort does not
seem to be very effective.
A. waging B. staging C. fighting D. raging
17. The foreigners were amazed at the _______ variety of goods in the huge department store.
A. beleaguered B. bewildering C. baffling D. bizonal

18. James kept trying to _______ his duties, but his manager told him if he didn’t start taking
responsibility for his work he would have to leave the company.

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 LEXICO PRACTICE FOR NEC
A. beaver away B. weasel out of C. chicken out of D. clam up
Part 2
19. The sandwich shop she's opening is a _______ alternative to the town's maledominated coffee shop
culture. (STAFF)
20. The army of this Asian country has a long history of guerrilla _______ (WAR)
21. Being a war _______ is a dangerous job because you will have to bring yourself to the most conflict-
ridden parts of the world. (RESPOND)
22. During the 20th century, industrialisation continued _______ with technology being upgraded
rapidly. (PACE)

PRACTICE TEST 5

Part 1.
1. From our tent, we could see the delightful _______ of lake Lukedeer.
A. scene B. prospect C. background D. layout
2. In Australia, the government controls the maintenance of war __________, post-war
commemorations and battle exploit memorials.
A. graves B. tombs C. grounds D. catacombs
3. Perhaps tomorrow’s event will mark the _______ of my life, I cannot wait any longer!
A. bright buff B. full spark C. high spot D. full bloom
4. An unusual noise from the back of the class during the exam __________ the teacher’s attention.
A. held B. sustained C. arrested D. upheld
5. The new employee failed to realize the importance of obedience in this company and refused to toe
the _______ line.
A. party B. camp C. function D. union
6. Bao is a _______ off the old block of his father while his sister is more like the mother.
A. tip B. chip C. piece D. copy
7. He regarded this second prize just as a _______ in order to prevent him from suing the judges for
corruption.
A. factoid B. sob C. whizz D. sop
8. Although his presidential campaign won _______ from several celebrities, it failed to compensate for
his incompetence in dealing with last year’s economic crisis.
A. involvement B. warrant C. endorsement D. patronage
9. Cinderella wore a beautiful dress to the party and was the _______ of the ball.
A. beauty B. belle C. center D. charmer

10. Much as I like Literature, I cannot stand my teacher’s voice-slow, emotionless and without
___________.

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 LEXICO PRACTICE FOR NEC
A. inflation B. reflection C. inflection D. infliction
11. I couldn’t come to your party as the date _______ with my holiday.
A. clashed B. struck C. opposed D. occurred
12. At the start of the course every student is assigned a(n) _______ of studies.
A. advisor B. consultant C. counsellor D. curator
13. You should prioritize the public interest over a group’s _______ interests.
A. personal B. sectional C. segregated D. exclusive
14. I hardly want to participate in extracurricular activities but this volunteer job is so interesting that I
accepted the offer with ___________.
A. solace B. consternation C. chastisement D. alacrity
15. The couple divorced after the husband was found _______ an affair with a neighbor.
A. making B. having C. performing D. doing
Part 2
16. The ___________ cannot really understand these medical documents. (PERSON)
17. I need to get away from the hectic city for a while so I am planning to travel _______ this weekend.
(COUNTRY)
18. I worked late last night because I was _______ with my project. (HAND)
19. Despite its historical inaccuracies, the film was one of the _______ films of the year, making the
second highest profits. (GROSS)
20. I did not lie to you, by _______ God I swear. (MIGHT)

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