Reading and Use of English - Part 1

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 4

Reading and Use of English - Part 1

I can complete a text using given words. I know the meaning of these words and how they are used.

What to expect

• You get a text with several gaps
• For each gap you are given 4 options to choose from
• You have to identify the correct word

Passengers forced to jump into River Thames

Investigations are underway after (1) ……… in London had to be rescued from a (2) ……… on an amphibious “duck” tour boat on the River Thames, in the third such emergency incident this year. 

The fire, which (3) ……… near the Houses of Parliament just before midday, resulted in 15 people reportedly jumping (4) ……… from the London Duck Tours boat into the Thames, to escape the (5) ……… smoke and flames.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and passengers were (6) ……… to safety from the vessel by crews on passing tour barges. A woman and child were taken to hospital after it was suspected they (7) ……… smoke, as well as a man who suffered a minor head (8) ………. Children as young as six had to be (9) ……… from the water. The majority of those on board were tourists, and were warmed up after the incident with cups of tea at the riverside this afternoon.

The (10) ……… tour vessel has since been pulled away and fire officials are investigating into how the fire, which (11) ……… 33 per cent of the boat, started. The Port of London Authority is also expected to investigate the fire. According to the company, each boat seats 30 passengers, has a public address system and is modified to meet “stringent” safety regulations set by road and river authorities.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said all passengers and crew had been (12) ……… for.

Super annoying!

• On Advanced and Proficiency level, the given words are often very similar in context

For example:

• A) voyeurs B) sightseers C) spectators D) observers
• voyeur = a person who watches other people's private lives (often for sexual pleasure)
• sighseer = a person who is visiting intersting places, especially on holiday
• spectator = a person who watches an activity (especially sports) without taking part
• observer = a person who watches what happens, but has no active part in it.
  
  
• It all depends on the context.
  
• Some of these are very different, but as you can see spectator and observer are quite similar.
• Minor context detail: sports

So...

• It also depends on your vocabulary
• The more words you know, the better!
  
  
• That's why studying your vocabulary regularly and reading much is so important!

What would be the first
thing to do with this type of
assignment?

Tips:

• Read the paragraph first
  Try to understand the paragraph, without looking at the given words.
  
  
• Read each sentence
  Try to understand each sentence. Be reminded that the meaning of a sentence can be changed depending on the sentences before and after it.
  
  
• Identify the missing word’s part of speech.
  Is it a (phrasal) verb, adjective, noun, etc?
  
  
• Try to guess the word
  Without looking at the word, try to guess what you could fill in.
  

Tips:

• The words can share a similar meaning
  The differences between the words might be minimal. Collocations, idioms, fixed expressions and phrasal verbs often play a big role in this part. Study these.
  
  
• Does it sound logical?
  Read the sentence with your chosen answer and decide if it fits (grammatically).
  
  
• Never leave an answer open
  It’s multiple choice. If you have absolutely no idea, GUESS!

Practice

Go to this website and do the assigment.

You are allowed to use a dictionary
this time.

Answer 1

1. voyeurs
2. sightseers
3. spectators
4. observers

Answer 2

1. flame
2. spark
3. blaze
4. combustion

Definitions

flame = a stream of hot, burning gas from something on fire

spark = a very small piece of fire that flies out from something that is burning, or one that is made by rubbing two hard things together, or a flash of light made by electricity

blaze = a large, strong fire

combustion = the chemical process in which substances mix with oxygen in the air to produce heat and light

Answer 3

1. broke in
2. broke out
3. broke away
4. broke up

Definitions

broke in = if you break someone in, you train them to do a new job or activity

break out = if something dangerous or unpleasant suddenly starts

break away = leave or escape from someone who is holding you

break up = to divide into many pieces / to end a relationship

Answer 4

1. overboard
2. outside
3. abroad
4. remote

Definitions

overboard = over the side of a boat or ship and into the water

outside = not inside a building

abroad = in or to a foreign country or countries

remote = far away in distance

Answer 5

1. billowing
2. surging
3. expanding
4. swelling

Definitions

billowing = a large, moving mass of something, such as smoke or cloud, that spreads over a large area:

surging = to move quickly and powerfully / to develop strongly and quickly

expanding = to increase in size, number, or importance, or to make something increase in this way

swelling = a part of your body that has become bigger because of illness or injury

Normally only one answer is correct :) This is a mistake in the exercise.

Answer 6

1. rescued
2. thrown
3. loaded
4. hauled

Definitions

rescued = to help someone or something out of a dangerous, harmful, or unpleasant situation

thrown = to send something through the air with force, especially by a sudden movement of the arm

loaded = to put a lot of things into a vehicle or machine

hauled = to pull something heavy slowly and with difficulty

Answer 7

1. took
2. inhaled
3. swallowed
4. drank

Definitions

take = to remove something, especially without permission / to move something or someone from one place to another / to accept or have

inhale = to breathe air, smoke, or gas into your lungs

swallow = to cause food, drink, pills, etc. to move from your mouth into your stomach by using the muscles of your throat

drink = (an amount of) liquid that is taken into the body through the mouth

Answer 8

1. damage
2. break
3. harm
4. injury

Definitions

damage = harm or injury

break = a place where something has broken

harm = physical or other injury or damage

injury = physical harm or damage to someone's body caused by an accident or an attack

Answer 9

1. scraped
2. scratched
3. scooped
4. sliced

Definitions

scrape = to remove an unwanted covering or a top layer from something, especially using a sharp edge or something rough

scratch = to cut or damage a surface or your skin slightly with or on something sharp or rough

scoop = to move something with a scoop or with something used as a scoop

slice = to cut something into thin, flat pieces

Answer 10

1. damaged
2. injured
3. hurt
4. wounded

Definitions

damaged = harmed or spoiled

injured = hurt or physically harmed

hurt = to feel pain in a part of your body

wounded =injured, especially with a cut or hole in the skin

Answer 11

1. overflowed
2. dominated
3. immersed
4. engulfed

Definitions

overflowed = When a liquid overflows, it flows over the edges of a container, etc. because there is too much of it

dominated = to have control over a place or person

immersed = to put something or someone completely under the surface of a liquid

engulfed = to surround and cover something or someone completely

Answer 12

1. checked
2. accounted
3. reported
4. totalled

Definitions

checked = to make certain that something or someone is correct, safe, or suitable by examining it, him, or her quickly > however, checked for = incorrect English

accounted =  ​to know where somebody/something is or what has happened to them

reported = to give a description of something or information about it to someone

totalled = to have as a complete amount, or to calculate this

Practice

Go to It's Learning and practice with the

extra materials.