LEXICO GRAMMAR 4 (2024)

1. As well as being a good cook, my grandmother was ________ with a fine voice.
A. competent B. capable C. gifted D. talented
2. The reason for the sitter's smile in the Mona Lisa is still something of _______.
A. a paradox B. an enigma C. a deception D. an illusion
3. She has lived a full and interesting life and is currently writing her _______.
A. retention B. souvenirs C. memoirs D. memorial
4. When addressing his constituents, the Member of Parliament pointed out a few _____________ truths, which he
knew would cause resentment.
A. ivory B. home C. raw D. second
5. The trouble with armchair _____________ is that they very rarely have any creative ideas themselves.
A. parkers B. blankets C. potatoes D. critics
6. The newspaper is well known for being _____________ against trades unions.
A. biased B. skewed C. twisted D. distorted
7. When asked if she had ever been in trouble with the police before, she replied in the _____________.
A. aggressive B. assertive C. affirmative D. abrasive
8. New items are _____________ to a stringent process of selection.
A. determined B. subject C. reliant D. dependent
9. From a distance the jacket looks new but a closer inspection revealed that it was _____________ at the edges.
A. fraught B. frustrated C. frayed D. fringed
10. The company finds itself in considerable financial difficulties and the shareholders have been considering various
means of keeping it _____________.
A. abreast B. aloft C. afloat D. abroad
11. The titanic form of the monument seems to _____________ any other in the vicinity.
A. belittle B. dwarf C. diminish D. shrink
12. The show has only recently _____________ from the Warehouse Theatre to the Playhouse.
A. transmitted B. transposed C. transferred D. transpired
13. This painting has been in the family for over a(n) _____________.
A. generation B. epoch C. era D. age
13. I _______________ you’d like another cat, would you?
A. reckon B. suspect C. don’t know D. don’t suppose
14. The manager _______________ that all the customers should be searched.
A. predicted B. insisted C. obliged D. told
15. _______________ you should do now is take a long holiday.
A. that B. how C. what D. as
16. I would never have _______________ Jim of being the culprit.
A. accused B. convicted C. suspected D. reminded
17. Someone has been _______________ with the lock of the cash box.
A. cluttering B. dealing C. tampering D. matching
18. More than two hundred police officers are _______________ in the investigation.
A. absorbed B. engrossed C. specialized D. involved
19. Our thoughts _______________ on our four missing colleagues.
A. based B. centred C. imposed D. depended
20. There are roadworks at Junction 63 and long _______________ are expected.
A. delays B. halts C. intervals D. pauses
21. We believe that these animals could be saved if our plans were _______________.
A. adopted B. taken up C. practised D. exploited
22. Local people are concerned about pollution from _______________ oil wells.
A. maritime B. sea-going C. off-shore D. coastline
23. When his accomplices failed to turn up at the meeting point, it _______________ on him that he had been tricked.
A. broke B. became clear C. awoke D. dawned
24. There wasn’t a _______________ of dust anywhere in the hotel.
A. fleck B. speck C. drop D. pinch
25. The sponsor noticed that the student’s essay _______________ a strong resemblance to an article he had seen
published in a journal.
A. held B. carried C. bore D. contained
26. The similarities between all three crimes were such that they could not be _______________ down to chance.
A. put B. laid C. set D. taken
27. Since he _______________ acupressure, he has noticed a tremendous improvement in his condition.
A. brought in B. tried out C. took up D. put on
28. No _______________ he is angry with you; after all, you did take his car without even asking him.
A. question B. surprise C. way D. wonder
29. He is _______________ the most successful pop singer of his generation.
A. far and away B. by far C. so far D. far from
30. Please don’t _______________ it amiss if I make a few suggestions for improvement.
A. think B. take C. judge D. assume
31. I’d cooperate with the police if I were you, because if you don’t they’ll throw the book _______________ you.
A. on B. to C. out of D. at
32. Many species of wild life are _______________ of extinction.
A. at risk B. on the verge C. on the side D. in dangers
33. My cousin obviously didn’t _____________ much of an impression on you if you can’t remember meeting her.
A. create B. do C. make D. build
34. Next month TV and cinema star Paul Keane will be _____________ as Aladdin at the Rex.
A. casting B. acting C. appearing D. playing
35. Now’s a _____________ time to tell me you’re going out this evening - I’ve spent the whole day preparing supper
for you.
A. suitable B. right C. fine D. precise
36. The _____________ promoting SEA Games must have cost thousands of dollars.
A. movement B. advertisement C. campaign D. slogans
37. As the evening wore _____________, everyone at the party became more relaxed.
A. on B. away C. along D. down
38. Why don’t we go to the canteen and discuss what is worrying you _____________ a cup of coffee.
A. on B. over C. above D. onto
39. I wish we’d never bought him a TV – all he ever does is sit _____________ to the box!
A. fixed B. stuck C. glued D. sealed
40. When he suddenly _____________ up the subject of genetic engineering, there was an embarrassed silence.
A. took B. brought C. showed D. came
41. In southern Spain, you can play tennis or basketball on beautiful _____________ overlooking the sea.
A. fields B. pitches C. courses D. courts
42. I won’t _____________ those children making a noise in my house!
A. allow B. let C. have D. permit
43. When facing problems, it is important to keep a sense of _____________.
A. proportion B. introspection C. relativity D. comparison
44. The witness’s account was not _____________ with the facts.
A. matched B. reliable C. consistent D. confirmed
45. Hourly new bulletins keep the public _____________ of current affairs.
A. afloat B. abreast C. afresh D. afield
46. The pollution problems in the town have been _____________ by mass tourism in the summer months.
A. exacerbated B. developed C. augmented D. contributed
47. The quality papers are a different _____________ of fish from the gutter press.
A. pan B. basket C. box D. kettle
48. Their flat is _____________ of a place I used to live in.
A. mindful B. reminiscent C. memorable D. retrospective
49. A new computer has been produced, which will _____________ all previous models.
A. excel B. overdo C. overwhelm D. supersede
50. Despite being a very good student, she didn’t fulfill her _____________ later in life.
A. aptitude B. capacity C. potential D. makings
51. In any transport system, the safety of passengers should be _____________.
A. paramount B. eminent C. chief D. prime
52. All candidates will be treated equally, _____________ of their age or background.
A. notwithstanding B. discounting C. irrelevant D. irrespective

53.Of all the paintings in the gallery, it was this one that really ____________ my eye.
A. grasped B. snatched C. caught D. seized
54.I was reluctant to ____________ the subject because I thought he wouldn’t want to discuss it.
A. raise B. originate C. advance D. provoke
55.I was really looking forward to going to the game and I could hardly wait until the ______________ day came.
A. grand B. big C. major D. huge
56.This disagreement is likely to _____________ relations between the two countries.
A. disaffect B. alienate C. sour D. estrange
57.As the evening ______________ on, I became more and more bored.
A. passed B. drew C. stuck D. wore
58.If you want to be a rock star, talent helps, but what it really _________ down to is luck.
A. boils B. revolves C. centres D. refines
59.Eventually, a passer by took __________ on him and asked him what the problem was.
A. sympathy B. compassion C. mercy D. pity
60.I couldn’t stop to chat with her because I was really _______________ for time.
A. pushed B. rushed C. restricted D. strained
61.When we arrived in Paris it was __________ with rain.
A. running B. dropping C. pouring D. falling
62.The name of the book was on the ______ of my tongue, but I just could not think of it.
A. end B. tip C. top D. point
63.He promised to mend the broken wheel next day without__________.
A. failure B. default C. trouble D. fail
64.I should be very ____________ if you would accept the invitation to the party.
A. thinking B. honourable C. pleased D. pleasing
65.If you drive from the airport, go on the motorway and follow the _________ to the city.
A. points B. signs C. plans D. ways
66.I have always __________ that my university was the best in the country.
A. trusted B. respected C. considered D. regarded
67.Please don’t __________ to put stamps on the letters I gave you to post.
A. forget B. remind C. realise D. remember
68.Her mother asked her to ____________ the table for the evening meal.
A. place B. put out C. serve D. lay
69.His sister was full of ________ for the way in which he had so quickly learned to drive a car.
A. pride B. admiration C. surprise D. jealousy
70.“You will not find kangaroos anywhere else on __________”, said the Australian.
A. soil B. world C. earth D. ground
71.The bus only stops here to ________ passengers.
A. get off B. pick up C. alight D. get on
72. Will you ____________ me your pen for my examination this afternoon?
A. borrow B. lend C. allow D. permit
73. He has very good manners and is very ____________ when he speaks to people.
A. polite B. simple C. discourteous D. proud
74. The picture was sold for a great _______________ of money.
A. cost B. sum C. value D. price
75. No one was able to explain the ____________ of the old custom.
A. beginning B. origin C. starting point D. reason
76. It was difficult for him to buy good shoes because he had such a big _________ of feet.
A. couple B. size C. number D. pair
77.It is very difficult to ___________ a secret from my family.
A. keep B. learn C. take D. hear
78.She said that she could not ____________ a new dress on her small salary.
A. spend B. save C. afford D. spare
79. If you want a cheap air ticket you must _______________ well in advanced.
 A. book B. engage C. reserve D. buy
80.He tripped on the stairs and could not ______________ falling.
A. resist B. prevent C. stop D. avoid
81.I thought that your _______________ of that problem was excellent.
A. handling B. conduct C. running D. approach
82.This is the kind of crime that all decent people in society _______________.
A. appal B. frown C. deplore D. disallow
83.During the Ice Age, glaciers ____________ and treated several times over large areas of the earth.
A. had been advanced B. were advanced C. have advanced D. advanced
84.Around 1789, Antoine Lavoisier was the first person to demonstrate ____________ all kinds of burning involve the
addition of oxygen.
A. if B. what C. that D. so that
85.__________ in 1607, Jamestown in Virginia was the first settlement in the New World.
A. Founded B. It was founded C. Founding D. To be found
86.I hate driving, I’d much rather you ____________.
A. drive B. drove C. driving D. to drive
87.He suggested that the council teams _____________ to buy their houses.
A. should allow B. must be allowed C. should have been allowed D. should be allowed
88.Put the cork back ______________ somebody knocks the bottle over.
A. so that B. in case C. although D. if
89.He kept his marriage a secret for years, but eventually the truth ________________.
A. came through B. came out C. went out D. turned out
90.The dampness of the walls caused the paint to ________________ off.
A. crumble B. splinter C. flake D. scale
91.Price continued to rise while wages remained low ____________ the government became increasingly unpopular.
A. on condition that B. with the result that C. provided that D. in order that
92.The floor was so rotten that it almost ________________ under his weight.
A. gave way B. gave out C. gave back D. gave up
93.The size of the pop-star’s personal fortune was the subject of much ____________ in the press.
A. doubt B. guessing C. speculation D. wonderment
94.The manager of the shop was ____________ she would not give me a refund.
A. adamant B. dedicated C. abusive D. intent
95.Make sure you ____________ the cards before we start the next game.
A. turn B. mix C. alternate D. shuffle
96.Jeremy’s friends were fond of him ____________ because of his generosity.
A. at least B. still less C. even less D. not least
97.The thick fog ____________ out any possibility of our plane taking off before morning.
A. ruled B. struck C. stamped D. crossed
98.Lack of rain early in the season meant that the fields ____________ a poor crop.
A. yielded B. generated C. surrendered D. suffered
99.Looking down at the coral reef, we saw ____________ of tiny, multi - coloured fish.
A. swarms B. flocks C. teams D. shoals
100.The doctor was praised for her ____________ work with her patients.
A. groundless B. tireless C. bottomless D. restless

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