Q.1
Which of these is the strongest, most striking way of completing the sentence? 'The designs for the new Community Centre have been hailed as ... '
  • ... novel.
  • ... innovative.
  • ... revolutionary.
  • ... imaginative.
Q.2
Which phrase completes this sentence most strongly and suitably? 'The council's committee rejected the planning proposals since they felt the buildings would have been .... ... out-of-scale with their surroundings.'
  • ... risibly ...
  • ... monstruously ...
  • ... quite ...
  • ... utterly ...
Q.3
Which is the most cogent and forceful adverb to improve this sentence? 'The villagers found the proposals ... ... disturbing.'
  • ... somewhat ...
  • ... rather ...
  • ... distinctly ...
  • ... slightly ...
Q.4
Which of these adjectives provides the strongest conclusion to this sentence? 'The news of this discovery was ... '
  • ... startling.
  • ... surprising.
  • ... remarkable.
  • ... astounding.
Q.5
Which of these provides the most powerful ending to the sentence? 'If you really put your foot down in this car, the engine will ... '
  • ... snarl.
  • ... growl.
  • ... purr.
  • ... roar.
Q.6
A friend of yours has recently lent you a DVD, which you are now about to return with thanks. As it happens, you did not find it very interesting. Which of these is the WEAKEST way you could recommend it ~ i.e. you don't want to sound negative, but you can't honestly say anything very positive? 'Thank you for lending me this DVD; it was ...
  • ... really gripping.'
  • ... quite interesting.'
  • ... fairly exciting.'
  • ... absolutely marvellous.'
Q.7
Your friend (from question 6, above ~ if they still are your friend, after your 'coolness' about a DVD that they'd personally recommended!), is hoping for a more specific and positive reaction from you : 'What did you make of the acting?' they ask. This time you try to say something as positive, specific and effective as you can (even if you don't actually believe it!): 'I thought the leading couple were ... '
  • ... pretty lifelike.'
  • ... very vivid.'
  • ... deeply convincing.'
  • ... quite realistic.'
Q.8
Here's another example where a British speaker would be likely to understate how strongly s/he felt, in order to avoid offending anyone. You happen to have struck up a relationship with a third person ~ about whom the person you are speaking to right now has doubts, on the basis of previous experience. You want an honest opinion, but Person 2 is trying to warn you off Person 3 without being rude. Person 2 offers the softest possible of these 4 comments (and therefore, probably, the least helpful to you!); which one? 'I wouldn't recommend you to spend too much time with him. From what I gather, people find him ...
  • ... a little strange.'
  • ... rather peculiar.'
  • ... noticeably weird.'
  • ... dreadfully odd.'
Q.9
Which is the strongest conclusion to this sentence? 'She would have hesitated to say so in the company of her new friends, but privately and unmistakeably she had found the taste and smell of the unfamiliar food they had offered her ...
  • ... disgusting.'
  • ... repugnant.'
  • ... nauseating.'
  • ... revolting.'
Q.10
Which is the least awkward, and therefore most convincing, conclusion to this sentence? 'In the early days of the Channel Tunnel proposals, many politicians and members of the public were ...
  • ... deeply doubtful.'
  • ... wholly unconvinced.'
  • ... thoroughly bored.'
  • ... indifferent or ambivalent.'
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