WEEKEND CHALLENGE 09

WEEKEND CHALLENGE 09
Part 1: For questions 1 – 15, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each of the following
questions. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. Sandra has been running the company for thirty years and has had a good run for her _______, but
now it is time for her to step down.
A. life B. mill C. money D. own
2. A number of scientific experts were _______ out to support the government’s assurances about the
safety of nuclear power.
A. wheeled B. rolled C. circled D. rounded
3. The strike has left thousands of holidaymakers _______, without any means of getting home to their
jobs or families.
A. cut and dried B. down and out C. high and dry D. wear and tear
4. The police have not had time to complete their investigations, but they have concluded _______ that
explosion was caused by a bomb.
A. temporally B. tenuously C. tentatively D. terminally
5. This is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. Its only _______ feature is that it’s quite short.
A. regaining B. reclaiming C. restoring D. redeeming
6. Soccer Maestro is undoubtedly the last _______ in online football simulation games at the moment.
A. edge B. line C. straw D. word
7. We’re planning to organize a lot of social meetings to help our representatives to rub _______ with
each other.
A. arms B. elbows C. hands D. fingers
8. We were all bitterly disappointed when our favourite soccer team were _______ to the second division.
A. demoted B. allocated C. relegated D. consigned
9. Over the last 20 years civil aviation has had a very ________ career in that it has experienced both ups
and downs.
A. chequered B. erratic C. bumpy D. lagged
10. A lot of scorn has been _______ on the Canadian seal hunters for their merciless practices.
A. levelled B. released C. pressed D. heaped
11. Those who engage in _______ crawling must realise that they are endangering the women they pick
up and that their money simply lines the pockets of pimps involved in a seedy network of people
trafficking.
A. brothel B. cathouse C. joint D. kerb
12. If you _______ the rule about staying out after 11:00 p.m., you will be grounded.
A. intersperse B. transgress C. transcend D. extrapolate
13. In _______ to nature lovers, the town refused to grant a permit to builders who would have filled a
swamp used by many birds.
A. deference B. homage C. respect D. consideration
14. Our survey found that most people do not know how to manage their money, and just _______
through.
A. sift B. muddle C. scrape D. glide
15. The housing market is starting to _______, and prices have been rising steadily.
A. set off B. perk up C. spark off D. loom ahead

Your answers:
1. C 2. A 3. C 4. C 5. D 6. D 7. B 8. C
9. A 10. D 11. D 12. B 13. A 14. B 15. B

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 WEEKEND CHALLENGE 09

Part 2: For questions 16 – 20, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered
space provided in the column on the right. 0 has been done as an example.
Your answers
Preceding the use of astronomy and of mathematics for navigation and calendar
reckoning there must have been centuries during which men, filled with (0) _______ 0. instinctive
(INSTINCT) wonder and an awe of nature, with (16) _______ (REPRESS) 16. irrepressible
philosophical drives, patiently observed the movement of the sun, moon and stars.
These seers, obsessed by the mystery of nature, overcame the handicaps of lack of
instruments and (17) _______ (WOE) inadequate mathematics to distil from their 17. woefully
observations the patterns which are described by the heavenly bodies.

The heavens decided the time of events. But such (18) _______ (EMPIRE) masters 18. imperious
would tolerate no delay in compliance with their orders. The farmer in many hotter
countries, who made his living by tilling the soil which the river covered with rich silt
during its annual (19) _______ (FLOW) of the fields, had to be well prepared for the 19. overflow
floods. His home, equipment, and cattle had to be temporarily removed from the
area, and arrangements made for sowing immediately afterwards. Hence the coming
of the flood had to be predicted. Not only in hotter countries, but in all lands, it was
necessary to know (20) _______ (HAND) time for planting and the coming of 20. beforehand
holidays and days of sacrifice.

Part 3: For questions 21 – 30, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

In the north-east of England, many men over fifty have already adjusted to a life in which paid work plays
no part, and where women have (21) _______ into the breach as breadwinners. Hundreds of men have
been made redundant in the region over the past 10 years and, unable to find suitable employment, have
given up the (22) _______. Instead they top up the income brought in by their wives with state-funded
incapacity (23) _______. Since many of these men had (24) _______ worked on building sites, or in
shipyards and coal mines, they didn't have to (25) ______ the truth too much to get a doctor to sign a
certificate saying they are too unwell to work. (26) _______ the dearth of jobs available in the region, mild
deception of this sort is forgivable.

Although many men like these would prefer to find employment, they are (27) _______ to reinvent
themselves for working life in the twenty-first century. Having been accustomed to a large, unionised
workplace, where you had a decent (28) _______ of pay and some money to spend, they feel
disconcerted by an environment in which you have to be prepared to work unsocial hours for low pay and
with little job security, and (29) _______ young people who can talk on three mobile phones at once are
ready to stab you in the (30) _______.

Your answers:
21. stepped 22. search 23. benefit 24.formerly/previously 25. stretch
26. Given 27. unable 28. rate 29. where 30. back

Part 4: For questions 31 – 40, complete each of the following sentences with a suitable
preposition or particle. Write your answer in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
31. The home team have to bear _______ again and get serious if they want to win the game.
32. Helena held her hand in front of her eyes to blot _______ the morning sun.
33. We employ lots of people at junior management level, and then cream _______ the best for top
management levels.
34. Even the most scholarly historians find it difficult to divest themselves _______ prejudice.
35. The education reforms were grounded _______ a concern with the quality of teaching.
36. Ever since he started his new company, he’s been raking it _______.
37. I can’t work properly with you looking _______ my shoulder all the time.
38. His new car has set him _______ almost $25,000.

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 WEEKEND CHALLENGE 09

39. We need enough agendas for everyone coming to the conference. If I run _______ 150 copies, that
should be enough.
40. The problem is not susceptible ________ a simple solution.

Your answers:
31. down 32. out 33. off 34. of 35. in/on
36. in 37. over 38. back 39. off 40. of

Part 5: For questions 41 – 46, read the following passage. Six paragraphs have been removed
from the passage. Choose from the paragraphs A – F the one which fits each gap. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

Think about a remote control. Something so simple 43 A

in function is seemingly capable of invisible magic If it sounds as though we're never satisfied, we
to most of us. [Q50] Only those with an engineering aren't. Of course, our fussy complaints do actually
and electronics background probably have any real motivate engineers to continually refine their
idea of why a remote control works. The rest of us products. After all, at the root of our tool-making
just assume it should. And the longer a given instinct is the notion that "there must be a better
technology exists, the more we take it for granted. way." Thus, the shortcomings of any current
version of technology are pinned on the limitations
Consider for a moment a split screen showing of its designers, and [Q44] the expectation is that
modern remote control users versus the first someone, somewhere is working on how to make
remote control users: the original users would be the existing product even better.
cautiously aiming the remote directly at the
television, reading the names of the buttons to find 44 F
the right one, and deliberately pressing the button The solution? If you ask most people, you will hear
with a force that adds nothing to the effectiveness that the solution resides in creating more efficient
of the device. [Q41] The modern users would be versions of our current technologies and devising
reclined on a sofa, pointing the remote any which alternative forms of energy than those that burn
way, and instinctively feeling for the button they fossil fuels.
desired, intuiting its size, shape, and position on
the remote. 45 B
Unfortunately, having no real scientific perspective
41 D on the problems to be solved or the complexity of
Many of the landmark inventions of the twentieth global weather patterns, [Q45] most people are
century followed predictable trajectories: initial unduly optimistic about humanity's ability to think its
versions of each technology (television, video way out of this problem. In a culture completely
games, computers, portable phones, etc.) spoiled by the idea that technology can achieve
succeeded in wowing the general public. Then, whatever goal it is tasked to perform, [Q46] the
these wondrous novelties quickly became idea that a global climate crisis may be beyond the
commonplace. [Q42] Soon, the focus of consumer reach of a clever technological solution is
attitudes toward these inventions changed from unthinkable.
awed gratitude to discriminating preference.
46 E
42 C As a result, the human race will continue defiantly
For children of the last twenty years born into this with the status quo and, ultimately, blame
modern life, these technological marvels seem technology when problems arise. [Q50] At that
like elements of the periodic table: [Q48] a given point, we'll all be searching for the "rewind" button
ingredient that is simply part of the universe. on the remote control.
Younger generations don't even try to conceive of
life without modern conveniences. They do not
appreciate the unprecedented technology that is in
their possession; [Q43] rather, they complain about
the ways in which it fails to live up to ideal
expectations.

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 WEEKEND CHALLENGE 09

The missing paragraphs:

A. [Q43] "The videos that my phone can record are too pixelated." "My digital video recorder at home
doesn't allow me to program it from my computer at work." "It's taking too long for this interactive map to
display on my portable GPS.” “My robotic vacuum cleaner never manages to get the crumbs out of the
cracks between the tiles."
B. [Q45] Blindly confident that the creativity of human problem-solvers can wriggle us out of any dilemma,
most people feel guiltless in continuing to live their lives with the assumption that someone else is
working on these problems.
C. [Q42] Televisions needed to be bigger and have a higher resolution. Video games needed to be more
realistic. Computers needed to be more powerful yet smaller in size. Cellphones needed to be smaller yet
capable of performing other tasks such as taking pictures, accessing the Internet, and even playing
movies.
D. [Q41] Humans are known for being handy with tools, so it is no surprise that we get so comfortable
with our technology. However, as we become increasingly comfortable with how to use new technologies,
we become less aware of how they work. Most people who use modern technology know nothing of its
underlying science. They have spent neither mental nor financial resources on its development. And yet,
rather than be humbled by its ingenuity, we consumers often become unfairly demanding of what our
technology should do for us.
E. [Q46] [Q49] Hence, the idea that we, as a culture, may need to reexamine our lifestyles and consumer
habits is too alien to take seriously. In contemporary society, [Q46] [Q49] the leaders who are most able
to communicate the state of the world do not dare suggest to the public the unpopular ideas that "times
will be rough," "sacrifices must be made," or "we may have to take some steps backwards."
F. The most dangerous extension of [Q44] this mindset is its effect on our outlook on solving global
climate problems. The firmly substantiated problem of global warming threatens to quickly render the
planet Earth inhospitable to most humans.
Your answers:
41. D 42. C 43. A 44. F 45. B 46. E

For questions 47 – 50, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
47. The descriptions offered by the author in the second paragraph are used to illustrate the concept that:
A. consumer behavior toward new forms of technology changes over time.
B. modern humans do not pay enough attention to instructions.
C. the first consumers of new technology used new devices with ease and comfort.
D. remote controls have become far more effective over the years.
48. The author uses the statement "these technological marvels seem like elements of the periodic
table" most nearly to mean that:
A. children learn technology while they learn chemistry.
B. consumers regard many technological inventions as unremarkable.
C. space exploration gives us most of our technology.
D. consumers complain when modern conveniences break down.
49. The phrase the status quo most likely refers to:
A. reexamining the scope and complexity of technology.
B. making sacrifices to combat the global climate crisis.
C. blaming technology for the problems we encounter.
D. our current pattern of lifestyles and consumer habits.
50. The last paragraph differs from the first paragraph in that in the last paragraph the author:
A. makes a prediction rather than making an observation.
B. refutes a scientific theory.
C. quotes experts to support his opinions.
D. uses the word "we" instead of "I."
Your answers:
47. A 48. B 49. D 50. A

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