Check Your English Vocabulary sampler

Check Your English Vocabulary

For IELTS, TOEIC and TOEFL

by Rawdon Wyatt

These new, fully revised workbooks are a resource for students studying for Englishlanguage exams, requirements for entry for nonnative speakers of English at thousands of international universities.

They include fun activities to help students build and improve their English vocabulary.

Praise for the Check Your Vocabulary series: ‘Ideal self-study aids for anyone preparing for these exams’ - The Bookseller

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR

I E L T S by Rawdon Wyatt

1 Put the following words and phrases into their correct place in the table depending on their function.

along with also and as well as besides correspondingly equally furthermore in addition in brief in conclusion in the same way likewise moreover similarly thus therefore to conclude to summarise to sum up briefly too we can conclude that what’s more Addition and

Equation equally

general vocabulary

Addition, equation & conclusion

Conclusion in conclusion

2 Complete these sentences with one of the words or phrases from above. In most cases, more than one answer is possible.

1. Tourism brings much-needed money to developing countries. .................................................... , it provides employment for the local population.

2. .................................................... bringing much-needed money to developing countries, tourism provides employment for the local population.

3. Tourists should respect the local environment. .................................................... they should respect the local customs.

4. .................................................... industrial waste, pollution from car fumes is poisoning the environment.

5. In order to travel, you need a passport. .................................................... , you might need a visa, immunisation jabs and written permission to visit certain areas.

6. Drugs are banned in Britain - .................................................... weapons such as guns and knives.

7. All power corrupts. .................................................... , absolute power corrupts absolutely.

8. You shouldn’t smoke, drink, take drugs or eat unhealthy food. .................................................... , you should live a more healthy lifestyle.

9. The ozone layer is becoming depleted, the air in the cities is becoming too dirty to breathe and our seas and rivers are no longer safe to swim in. .................................................... pollution is slowly destroying the planet.

10. Your grades have been very poor for the past two years. .................................................... you need to work really hard if you want to pass your exams next month.

1

general vocabulary

Around the world 1 Choose the correct word or phrase in bold to complete these sentences.

1. Japan, Korea and Taiwan are all in the Near East / the Middle East / the Far East.

2. The South Pole is situated in the Arctic / Antarctic / Antarctica.

3. New Zealand is part of Austria / Australia / Australasia.

4. Bangladesh is part of the Indian subcontinent / India / Indiana.

5. Guatemala is a country in North America / South America / Central America.

6. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Panama and Honduras all form part of what is often referred to as Latin America / South America / Spanish America.

7. Botswana is in South Africa / southern Africa / Central Africa.

8. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are known collectively as Britain / Great Britain / the United Kingdom.

9. The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are part of Continental Europe / Mainland Europe / Europe.

10. Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates form part of what are known as the West Indies / the Gulf States / the European Union.

11. Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are known collectively as the Baltic Republics / the Caribbean / Scandinavia.

12. Bangkok, Lima and Tunis are examples of capital / capitol / capitalism cities.

2 What are the nationalities of the people who come from these countries?

Afghan 1. Afghanistan................................

2. Argentina ........................

3. Australia.....................................

4. Bangladesh.................................

5. Belgium.............................

6. Brazil...........................................

7. Canada........................................

8. Denmark...........................

9. Egypt...........................................

10. England.....................................

11. Finland............................

12. Greece.......................................

13. India..........................................

14. Iran..................................

15. Iraq............................................

16. Ireland.......................................

17. Israel................................

18. Japan........................................

19. Kuwait.......................................

20. Lebanon..........................

21. Malaysia....................................

22. Mexico.......................................

23. Morocco..........................

24. the Netherlands.......................

25. Norway......................................

26. Pakistan..........................

27. Peru...........................................

28. the Philippines..........................

29. Poland.............................

30. Portugal....................................

31. Russia........................................

32. Saudi Arabia...................

33. Scotland....................................

34. Spain.........................................

35. Sweden...........................

36. Switzerland..............................

37. Thailand....................................

38. Turkey.............................

39. Wales .......................................

40. Yemen.......................................

Is your country on this list? If not, how do you say your nationality in English? …………..

2

1 Look at the graph, and complete the sentences with the correct form of the words and phrases in the box. In most cases, more than one option is possible.

decline decrease drop fall fluctuate go down go up increase peak at reach a peak of remain constant remain steady rise

Student numbers

English school student numbers: May – August.

Briarwood School of English

Speakeasy School of Languages

Windsor Language Centre

Harefield College

general vocabulary

Changes 1

150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 May

June

July

August

Between May and August…

1. …student numbers at the Briarwood School of English increased / …………… / …………… .

2. …student numbers at the Windsor Language Centre …………… / …………… / …………… /

…………… / …………… .

3. …student numbers at the Speakeasy School of Languages …………… / …………… .

4. …student numbers at Harefield College …………… . They …………… / …………… 120 in June.

2 Look at this table, and complete the sentences on the next page with words and phrases from the box. In some cases, more than one answer is possible. There is one word or phrase that you do not need.

Petrol prices January

£1.10 / litre

June

£1.55 / litre

February

£1.12 / litre

July

£1.52 / litre

March

£1.15 / litre

August

£1.53 / litre

April

£1.18 / litre

September

£1.58 / litre

May

£1.16 / litre

October

£1.60 / litre

downward trend dramatically gradually sharply slightly steadily upward trend

3

Changes 1 Exercise 1 Complete the second sentence in each sentence pair below with a word or phrase from the box so that its meaning is similar to the first sentence. There are some words / phrases in the box that do not fit in any of the sentences. Note that you do not need to change any word forms. build up constant rise cuts dramatic increase expansion general improvement phased in phased out sharp decline / fall steady decrease strengthening tightening up weakening widening

1.

Last year, 33% of the population worked in secondary industries and 48% worked in the tertiary sector. This year, the figures are 27% and 53% respectively.

There has been a .................................................... of the gap between those working in different sectors of the economy.

2.

Last year, the overseas market accounted for 60% of our sales. This year, it only accounts for about 15%.

There has been a .................................................... in overseas sales figures in the last year.

3.

People can afford to buy more and live more comfortably than they could twenty years ago.

There has been a .................................................... in the standard of living.

4.

Because our company is bigger now than it was two years ago, we need to recruit more employees.

Because of company .................................................... over the last two years, we need more workers.

5.

American travelers abroad have discovered that they can buy more foreign currency with their dollar.

There has been a .................................................... of the dollar.

6.

It is now much harder to import goods into the country than it was a few years ago.

There has been a .................................................... of border controls for imports.

7.

In 2008 inflation was running at about 4%, in 2009 it was 4.5%, in 2010 it was 5% and in 2011 it was 5.5%.

Between 2008 and 2011, there was a .................................................... in the rate of inflation.

8.

Last year, the company employed 200 people. This year it now has over 1,000 employees.

There has been a .................................................... in the number of employees working for the company.

9.

Unemployment figures have dropped by about 2% every year for the last four years.

There has been a .................................................... in unemployment figures over the last four years.

10.

Over the next few years, some management positions in the company will be gradually removed.

Some management positions will be .................................................... over the next few years.

11.

Because of forecasts for high demand in the future, we need to increase our stocks.

We need to .................................................... our stocks to cope with future demand.

12.

The government will spend less on the welfare system next year.

There are going to be .................................................... in welfare spending next year.

1

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR

TOEIC

®

by Rawdon Wyatt

Exercise 2 Now do the same with these. amended broaden considerable growth deterioration downsizing downward trend fluctuated marked progress reduce restructure slipped streamline upgrade upward trend

1.

Public services are less reliable now than they were five years ago.

There has been a .................................................... in public services reliability over the last five years.

2.

Nowadays, more and more people are traveling abroad for business and pleasure.

There has been .................................................... in the overseas travel market.

3.

Compared with five years ago, more people are shopping in out-of-town malls than in local stores.

There has been an .................................................... in the number of people shopping in out-oftown malls.

4.

Unless your work visibly improves, we will have to recommend a transfer to another department.

We need to see some .................................................... in your work, or we will recommend a departmental transfer.

5.

Young Americans want to travel, meet new people and see more of the world than their parents and grandparents did.

Young Americans want to .................................................... their horizons.

6.

Over the next two months, we plan to make our office computers faster and more efficient.

Over the next two months, we plan to .................................................... our office computers.

7.

We are trying to make the accounting system simpler and more efficient.

We are trying to .................................................... the accounting system.

8.

Making the company smaller by making a lot of staff members redundant has made it much more profitable than it was before. .................................................... the company has made it much more profitable than it was before.

9.

Standards of service have gone down recently, and as a result we have lost a lot of customers.

Standards of service have .................................................... recently, and as a result we have lost a lot of customers.

10.

This year, property prices have gone up, then gone down, then risen again, and then fallen a second time.

Property prices have .................................................... this year.

11.

We have made small changes to the rules for applying for instant credit.

We have .................................................... the rules for applying for instant credit.

12.

The company is planning to change its marketing division to make it more effective.

The company is planning to .................................................... its marketing division.

Also see Changes 2 on page 3.

2

Changes 2 The box below contains 28 words used to describe change in different situations. These are all verbs, and they can be found by reading from left to right and from right to left, starting in the top-left corner and following the direction of the arrows. Separate these words, then use some of them to complete sentences 1 – 12 below. In some cases you will need to change the form of the verb (for example, by putting it into its past simple or past participle form).  a

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1.

The company cannot refund customers’ money, and goods can only be .................................................... on production of a receipt or other proof of purchase.

2.

We have made radical changes to workplace regulations, and employees are expected to .................................................... to these over the next few weeks.

3.

Our customer call center used to be in Wichita, but last year we .................................................... it to India, where costs are much lower.

4.

The new director has completely .................................................... the company, from a small local enterprise to a major international concern.

5.

The hotel is currently being ...................................................., but will remain open while building work is carried out.

6.

Production has been .................................................... from our Boston site to a new industrial center outside of Portland.

7.

Our new memory sticks .................................................... in price, from $8 for a 2Gb stick up to $22 for a 16Gb one.

8.

The Internet clothing company Pants-2-U.com has .................................................... its range to include jewelry and watches.

9.

The decision to .................................................... the company wasn’t an easy one to make, but everyone agreed that there was no other option but to cease trading.

10.

Air fares will be .................................................... on 21 July: domestic flights will go down by 10%, but international flights will go up by 22%.

11.

A college course can help you find work or get .................................................... .

12.

The guarantee is for 12 months from date of purchase, but for $50, customers can .................................................... it to 36 months.

Also see Changes 1 on pages 1 and 2.

3

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR

速

TOEFL

by Rawdon Wyatt

This exercise looks at some common 'American' words (words which are used in the United States and Canada). You might find it useful if you have been learning 'British' English (the English which is spoken in the United Kingdom and in other countries around the world). Generally, 'American' words are understood by 'British' English speakers (largely as a result of imported television programs and movies), but many North Americans are unfamiliar with some 'British' English words. As a result, it is important to use the 'American' words rather than the 'British' words in the TOEFLÂŽ.

Look at the sentences below, which all contain a 'British' English word in bold. Decide what word North Americans would normally use in the same context. In some cases, the word will remain the same, but there will be a difference in spelling. Write your answers in the crossword grid on page 7.

To help you, the word that you need has been put at the end of each sentence, with most of the letters removed, but with some of the letters included.

General Vocabulary

American English

Across (ďƒ°) 2.

The play is in two acts, with a short interval between the two.

I_T__M_____N

6.

If you make a mistake in your calculations, you'll need to do them again.

8.

The post normally arrives before lunchtime.

9.

The government refused to recognise the new republic.

11.

The theatre received an unexpected grant which helped to prevent it closing down.

13.

The road outside the school is very busy, so students are advised to use the subway to cross it. _N___P___

16.

The oil crisis resulted in a 28% rise in the cost of petrol.

18.

Take the lift to the top floor.

20.

Estate agents are some of the most unscrupulous people in the country.

24.

The M40 is closed, so you will need to take the A40, which is the main road connecting London with Oxford. H _ _ _ W _ _

26.

Their request for a $2 rise in the hourly rate was firmly rejected by the management.

27.

The workshop will last for six hours, with a break for lunch at midday.

29.

(Informal) I really like Mr Goldberg. He's a great bloke.

30.

(At a school, college or university) A staff meeting has been called for two o'clock.

32.

In my opinion, the best time of the year is autumn.

35.

The automobile company's first attempt to design a family saloon that ran on diesel was a resounding failure. __D_N

36.

The campus has a shop where students can buy stationery and essential items.

37.

Government spending on defence was reduced by 23%.

_V__

___L _E_______ _H_____

__S

___V__O_ R__L__R_

_A__E

_E__S_

_U_ __C___Y

__L_

__O__

___E___

5

General Vocabulary 6

38.

He gave me just enough money to buy a return bus ticket to Portland.

R___D-___P (two words, which are hyphenated. Do not leave a gap or use a hyphen in the crossword grid)

40.

He's a graduate of Berkeley College.

41.

These days it is not unusual to see children as young as five carrying a mobile phone to school.

C______N_

(an) _ _ _ M N _ _

Down (ďƒ˛) 1.

The postcode for the company is MA 04532. _I_ _O__ (two words: do not leave a gap between the words in the crossword grid)

3.

Classes start at nine o'clock every morning Monday to Friday.

4.

There are several museums and galleries in the city, but most students prefer to spend their evenings at the cinema. __V_E_

5.

Have you got any change for a $20 note?

7.

Strict labour laws have had an adverse effect on small businesses.

10.

I'm afraid we've got slightly behind schedule.

12.

Several flats were leased to private agencies, who in turn leased them to small companies. _P__T_____

14.

All travelers flying to the United States have to undergo strict security checks at the airport. __A______

15.

The Dean's office is on the ground floor.

17.

The first thing the council did was dig up the pavement outside the front door.

19.

My favorite film of all time has to be the classic 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot.

21.

The best way to get from one part of the city to another is to use the dual carriageway. __E_W__

22.

(On the telephone, when you are calling someone) Hello, is that Harrison Keane?

23.

In the event of a marital divorce or separation, there is a clear need for dialogue between the parents and their children. _ _ A _ _ _

25.

If you want to stop smoking, the best place to start is by going to your local chemist.

D__G_____

28.

Services on the underground start at five in the morning and finish at half past midnight. __B__Y

31.

Before buying a house, it is essential to employ the services of a good solicitor.

33.

You should use a pencil to do the test, and use a rubber to remove any mistakes.

34.

Most Americans tend to stay in the country for their holiday.

39.

You don't need to ask me for permission to use the toilet!

T_R____

B___ __B__

__TT__

_I___

__V__

___S

V___T___ B___R___

__D_W___

_TT_____ __A___

General Vocabulary

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7

Check Your English Vocabulary For IELTS, TOEIC and TOEFL

by Rawdon Wyatt

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