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VOCABULARY PRACTICE No. 1

Exercise 1. Underline the word or phrase which best completes each of the sentences below.
1. The old man groped around/searched about the dimly-lit room for his slippers.
2. I wanted to get up and leave because the speech was so tedious/strenuous.
3. Good letter writing is fast becoming a rare thing/dying art.
4. The sailor was adrift at/out to sea for four days before he was rescued.
5. The sinking ship sent out a distress message/call.
6. The secretary busily pressed/pecked away at the key board of her word processor.
Exercise 2. Fill in: information, language, report, discussion, conversation, speech, words
1. dead, colloquial ___________ language _________
2. damaging, informative ___________ report _________
3. animated, heated _____ discussion _______________
4. kind, profound ____ conversation ________________
5. political, rousing speech
6. confidential, pertinent __________________ information __
7. informal, intellectual ____________ words ________
Exercise 3. Read the extracts and choose the most suitable word to fill in each gap.
Supraphonic CORDLESS PHONE
Please follow these instructions carefully
Installation
Locate the grey twin cable and (1) _____ it into your wall-mounted telephone (2) _____. Next, insert the
auto-rechargeable battery into the (3) _____ in the back of the telephone. Place the (4) _____ on the
telephone base and look at the electronic (5)_____ at the top right. It should read "Ready to connect."
(6)_____ “000” using the telephone (7)_____ After a few seconds, you should see the message "Ready" on
the telephone.
Operation
Your cordless phone is operated similarly to a(n) (8)_____ phone. You need to (9) _____ the aerial before
you use your phone. After use, the aerial (10)_____ automatically.
1. A. thrust B. plug C. check D. push
2. A. catch B. section C. nook D. jack
3. A. niche B. gap C. compartment D. void
4. A. receiver B. headset C. handle D. recipient
5. A. screen B. reel C. display D. picture
6. A. Phone B. Call C. Form D. Dial
7. A. controls B. keypad C. switchboard D. dialler
8. A. usual B. common C. conventional D. typical
9. A. draw B. extend C. lengthen D. prolong
10. A. recalls B. retreats C. retracts D. recoils
Exercise 4. Circle the two suitable words in bold which best complete each sentence correctly.
1. When she saw the spider, she let out a piercing scream / yelp / shout / shriek.
2. When reading, you have more time to appreciate the shadows / subtleties / nuances / tones
ofmeaning than when you're listening.
3. It is sometimes difficult to absorb / interest /capture / comprehend all the necessary information if
someone is talking too fast.
4. Some people like the straightforward / shortcut /modest / minimalist style of Internet
conversations.
5. I liked her novel, although her verbose / long-winded / elongated / stretched-out style bored me at
times.
6. She mumbled / muttered / stuttered / spluttered something under her breath about being boredand
walked out of the lecture hall.

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7. His tendency / pitch / expression / tone was sarcastic, he obviously thought very little of his
colleagues.
8. I have read through his work and I haven't found any clear / clean / hard / striking examples of a
text which is hard to understand.
Exercise 5. Match A to B to make idiomatic phrases. Then use the phrases to complete the sentences
that follow.
A B
mince my of mouth
a man of in on a secret
paint a words
by word small talk
speak your few words
let you of the town
making cheap
hold my pretty picture
the talk mind
talk is tongue
1. He tries to paint a pretty picture of being an actor, but he's been unemployed for six months.
2. If you can promise to be discreet, I'll___let you in on a secret_________________.
3. I'm not going to __mince my words__________________.
- I think your behaviour was absolutely disgraceful.
4. Let me show you how the fax machine works rather than talk about it. After all, ___talk is
cheap_________________.
5. I was very angry with him, but I decided to____hold my tongue_______________________ because
he's very old.
6. The local boy who won the national lottery is ___the talk of the town_________________.
7. On the rare occasions Arnold speaks, he never says much; he is_a man of few
words___________________.
8. We spent most of our date talking about the weather, and generally __making small
talk__________________.
9. Feel free to ___speak your mind_________________about the proposal; I value your opinion, even
if you disagree.
10. This restaurant doesn't advertise; its reputation has grown ____________________alone.
Exercise 6. Choose a word to complete the following sentences and explain the idiomatic phrases in
bold.
1. The letter doesn't mention Bob's name, but when you (look/read) between the lines you can tell it's
about him.
2. It's been such a long time since I saw Jo; I'm dying to (catch/reach) up with her news.
3. I've really enjoyed my visit. If you ever come to New York, (send/drop) me a line so I can return
the hospitality.
4. She had that man's name on the tip of her(mouth/tongue), but she couldn't remember it.
5. Everyone in the office knew about her illness, bad news (spreads/travels) fast.
Exercise 7. Fill in the gaps with an appropriate particle.
1. My computer has been acting__up______________ lately. It keeps crashing.
2. The signal started to break________________ and then the radio went dead.
3. Negotiations between the two organisations appear to have broken________________.
4. Communication often involves performance: that is, the acting________________ of the roles of
transmitter and receiver.
5. A computer at the main telephone exchange has broken________________, causing big problems.
6. The operator broke______in on__________ ________________ our conversation to tell me I had an
emergency call.
7. She broke______off__________ in mid-sentence when she heard someone enter the room.

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8. Several leading members broke________________ from the party and set up an independent
parliamentary bloc.
9. The flu epidemic which has broken________________ in Asia and Europe is caused by a new type
of virus.
Exercise 8. Rewrite the following sentences using a fixed phrase containing the verbs act or break. Use
the words in bracket.
1. Mary told her brother to stop behaving so childishly. (age)
 __Mary told her brother to act his
age_____________________________________________________.
2. Her sister took her aside to tell her what had happened.(news)
 _______________________________________________________.
3. If you want to convince them you really are a tough businessman, you’ll have to behave like one.
(part)
 _______________________________________________________.
4. Although it is not yet making a profit, the company does not owe any money. (even)
 _______________________________________________________.
5. We were told not to communicate by radio except in an emergency. (silence)
 _______________________________________________________.
Exercise 9. Fill in the gaps with words from the ones in capitals.
HOME PHONES STILL GOING STRONG
Both scientific and sociological research (1)_clearly______________ CLEAR
indicate that, although the Internet has (2)____reformed___________ the FORM
way people work, at a more personal level the more old-fashioned ways of
communication are not being (3)_______________ the new technologies. THREAT
(4) _______________ to statistics, a person who uses the Net at home to ACCORD
send and receive e-mails talks on the phone for 19 minutes on a Sunday - a
mere one and a half minutes less than someone who does not use the
Internet (5)_______________. DOMESTIC
Keele University's Psychology Professor Tim Baxter says it's all to do with
how (6) _______________ the Internet is, as opposed to the much greater PERSON
(7)_______________ human voice to convey a person's emotions. "Only ABLE
the greatest writers can actually put their feelings on paper”, he says, "and
when people talk to friends or (8)_______________ they want them to
know how they feel." RELATE
Things are very different at the workplace. It is estimated that corporate
telephone usage in the UK has fallen (9)_______________ (by more than
40%) since 1995, indicating that the Internet is seen as a more DRAMARELY
(10)_______________ way to communicate with colleagues.
Exercise 10. Fill in the gaps in the following passage. Use only one word in each gap.
How Mobile Phones Turn us into Fugitives
I remember it well. (0) There was a time in the past when I (1)______________ go to lunch without having
to answer calls (2)______________ my boss, my wife, my children and my bank manager. There (3)
______________to be a time when notions (4) ______________ as ‘peace’ and ‘privacy’ actually had a
literal meaning. And when there was someone that you didn't want to speak to never mind the reasons, you
had the freedom not to (5) ______________. Excuses were easy: I was out, I was sleeping the phone was off
the hook, and so on.
It's all changed now. (6)______________ of those old defences work. The callers simply come back at you
with something like "but didn't you see my unanswered call on your mobile?” (7)______________ about the
very phrase for a moment: to see one's unanswered call. No running (8) ______________ from it, folks;
you'd have to be deaf and blind to be able to sit on that old park bench. And even then, if you've got one of
those mobile phones (9)______________ have vibration alert, you could still be in for some trouble.
I'm not a technophobe, I'm really not. It's just that I've (10)______________ shown to be tragically wrong
about this one. I once (11)______________ “It's just a fad - it'll go away.” That was eight years (12)
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______________, and the people that walked around the streets talking away on those clumsy-looking
devices were few and far (13)______________ and they looked ridiculous to everyone else. Now it's the
other way around. (14) ______________ you don't have a mobile phone, you're the (15) ______________
one out, and others look at you as though you're walking around without any trousers.
Exercise 11. a) Select the best answer - A, B, C or D- which is appropriate for all three gaps in each of
the following sets of sentences.
1.  This medication could affect your________, so you must only take it before you go to
bed.
 Success in motivating your staff requires striking a delicate ________ between
asserting your authority and giving praise.
 She could not explain the deficit in her bank ________.
A. decision B. balance C. statement D. ability
2.  Karen and Brad got married last week, in a ________ ceremony in London.
 She never really got along with her cousin, but they had always managed to be
________ toeach other.
 He objected to the company's no-smoking rule, claiming that it was an encroachment
on his ________ liberties.
A.personal B.dignified C.civil D.formal
3.  Developments took a new________ on Tuesday, with the stock market tumbling by
5.4%.
 Mark admitted that he had spoken out of ________.
 The ________ of the century found Europe in a state of turmoil.
A. place B. end C. shape D. turn
4.  There is a(n) ________ invitation for the trade unions to take part in the negotiations,
but they have chosen to ignore it.
 Most universities have ________ days in May, so that prospective students and their
families can visit and find out more about the institution.
 Never leave children under 14 alone in a room with a(n) ________ fire.
A. exposed B. extended C. common D. open
5.  Under pressure from the opposition, the government decided to call a ________
election.
 Not only will keeping fit help you control your weight, but it will also give you
a________ sense of well-being.
 Latest figures confirm a________ increase in unemployment despite recent
government measures.
A. general B. major C. round D. full

b) Select one word which is appropriate for all three gaps in each of the following sentences.
1.  Under normal ______________, your cellular phone will recharge in less than thirty
minutes.
 There were several ______________ in her father's will, one of which stated that she
would only get the money after she married.
 The school was an old, run-down building, where teachers and children had to work in
the most appalling ______________.
2.  The easiest way to get from Glasgow to Ayr is by train, but there's also a
bus______________.
 Most of his ______________ in the Ministry of Technology has been as an
administrative officer.
 Restaurant prices include VAT and ______________,but most people leave tips for
the waiters anyway.
3.  A serious injury during practice ______________ a severe blow to his chances of
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retaining the championship for the third year in succession.
 Rhonda often ______________ with Japanese businessmen when she worked for
Microsoft, so I think she would be useful in the meeting.
 Frank ______________ the cards, and another round began.
4.  The young mother ______________ the baby in her arms until he was fast asleep.
 A huge explosion ______________ Waverley station this morning, and several people
are reported to have been injured.
 The shocking revelations about the actress ______________ the British show business
world.
5.  Scientists from every ______________ of the world attended Dr McBean's seminar.
 The driver attempted to turn into Brick Lane, but he was going too fast to negotiate the
______________ safely and smashed into a lamp post.
 The young politician was inexperienced, but he had several senior party members in
his ______________.
Exercise 12. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow (1-7).
Dots and Dashes Are still Alive
In orbit high above Earth, a multi-billion-dollar formation of communications satellites stands ready to
instantly connect pilots. seamen and all kinds of navigators to every available aid when they find
themselves in an emergent)'. But what if the communication computers on board these ships and aircraft
starred acting up or even broke down? The world could go silent and leave travellers groping around for
directions. Not to worry. There is a backup plan, in part using technology that was invented in 1835, the
year Mark Twain was born. It's the Morse code, the language of dots and dashes that has survived the assault
of higher technology for a century and a half.
Named after its inventor, Samuel F B Morse, the code is a series of combinations of short and long tones
( dots and dashes) representing letters of the alphabet that can be transmitted manually by a key operator. A
telegrapher combines the dots and dashes to form letters and words. It is a seemingly tedious procedure, but
skilled operators can transmit and receive faster than most secretaries can type. The fastest Morse
transmission ever recorded is an amazing 84 words per minute, sent by an operator named TL McElroy in
1951.
Morse telegraphy may seem like a quaint anachronism, with its brass sounder and key operated by the
world's most basic tool, the human finger. However, it is sometimes vital to worldwide communications.
When the Mexico City earthquake occurred in 1985 and all the power went off, calls for help were
transmitted in Morse by an amateur radio operator. "We see the Morse code as a dying art, but we refuse to
let it die completely," says Major General Leo M Childs, the US Army's Chief Signal Officer. "Newer isn't
always better. Even though it is old and slow, Morse is still the most, reliable in difficult conditions."
Every merchant vessel bearing the US flag must carry a radio officer who can both transmit and receive
Morse code. Under US law. the officer must spend eight hours every day at sea monitoring the radio for
Morse distress calls. Should you ever find yourself adrift at sea in a lifeboat launched from a sinking
passenger cruise ship, it will be equipped with a single communications device: a Morse transmitter that
automatically signals a distress call, but is also equipped with a keyboard in case you happen to know the
Morse code. Perhaps the bestknown bit of Morse code is the call for help - SOS. In the code, these letters
form a distinctive pattern ( dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot) easily recognised in an emergency.
The enduring use of Morse telegraphy is the legacy of a burst of industrialisation in 19th-Century America,
when railroads and telegraph developed side by side. Most of those railroad telegraph lines were used well
into the mid-20th century, well after radio, television and computers became commonplace. Until 1985, the
Milwaukee Road had a Morse telegraph line between Milwaukee and La Crosse that was used routinely to
relay orders to train crews. This Milwaukee Road operation was shut down quietly in the late Eighties. In
many other countries, however. railroad Morse is still used.
The military services continue to be the most serious users of Morse telegraphy. While billion-dollar
satellites and sophisticated ground networks are good in theory, such communication systems can break
down on the battlefield. As a matter of prudence, the Army keeps a functional Morse capability. Morse code
signals require much less broadcasting power to transmit than voice messages. In addition, even an unclear

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Morse signal can be interpreted, whereas a distorted voice transmission is virtuallv useless. The Army
annually trains about 2.800 men and women in Morse code for a variety of signal jobs in infantry. artillery.
intelligence and even Special Forces. A Morse transmission will get through when all else fails, and
especially in military conflicts, "he who communicates first, no matter how primitively, will come out on
top,'' says Major General Childs.
In that case, retired railroad telegraph operators will probably fake over the world. Each evening, the
amateur radio waves come alive with the Morse transmissions of the retired railroaders known among
themselves as “old heads'. "I get on the air and use the code every night to chat to old railroad men," says
Craig Becker the retired Milwaukee Road telegraph operator who received the railroad's final telegraph
message in 1985. "There are lot of telegraphers around. Every night you hear them pecking." Experienced
Morse operators say the code is not so much a clatter of sounds as a language because operators don't hear
dots and dashes. "You can sit back and hear a conversation,'' says Becker.
When Morse inaugurated the telegraph service in 1844, he wired from Baltinmore to Washington the now-
famed message "What hath God wrought!" Ever since, the death of Morse code has been predicted
regularly. However, although the 85 telegraph has receded from public view. experts say that they cannot
envision an end to its use any time soon. "I can carry a very small Morse key in my pocket and transmit
around the world," says Burke Stinson, a public relations man for American Telephone & Telegraph Co. "I
don't think you will ever see the Morse code die. It is going to be difficult to find another method that is as
flexible and reliable."
1. The reason the writer mentions the possibility of satellite-based communication systems failing
is to _______
A. underline the importance of a reliable alternative.
B. suggest that satellite communications are unreliable.
C. emphasise the drawbacks of satellite communications.
D. compare Morse to communication satellites.
2. The process of communicating using Morse code_______
A. involves more than transmitting tones.
B. is tedious even for experienced users.
C. is not as laborious as people think.
D. is simple enough for anyone who can type.
3. In the third paragraph, the writer implies that the use of Morse Code is _______
A. old-fashioned, but attracts many enthusiasts.
B. only useful to the armed forces and some hobbyists.
C. being revived by amateur radio operators.
D. often the only way to communicate during a crisis.
4. In the fifth paragraph, the writer___________
A. implies that Morse telegraphy developed faster than the railroad.
B. implies that Morse has survived for so long because of the railroad.
C. suggests that the railroad developed because of Morse telegraphy.
D. explains why Morse telegraphy eventually became redundant
5. The American military_________
A. needs simple communication methods.
B. has recently neglected its Morse capability.
C. allows its forces some Morse equipment.
D. offers training for recognising distorted Morse.
6. By saying that retired railroad telegraph operators will "take over the world". the writer
_________
A. completely changes the focus of his text.
B. is being sarcastic about Morse telegraphy hobbyists.
C. criticises the neglect of Morse telegraphy.
D. attempts to give his text a more light-hearted feel.
7. The first message to be transmitted in Morse Code__________
A. symbolised the code's flexibility.
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B. was used for commercial purposes.
C. took a long time to reach its destination.
D. was sent by Samuel Morse himself.

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