Verbal skills

Choose the word closest in meaning to PRUDENT.

• 1 Famous
• 2 Careless
• 3 Careful
• 4 Rich

Choose the word opposite in meaning to SCARCE.

• 1 Plentiful
• 2 Rare
• 3 Weak
• 4 Costly

Choose the word closest in meaning to MITIGATE.

• 1 Ignore
• 2 Measure
• 3 Increase
• 4 Reduce

Choose the word opposite in meaning to ARTIFICIAL.

• 1 Cheap
• 2 Modern
• 3 Natural
• 4 False

Choose the best word. The company will ___ a new product next month.

• 1 launder
• 2 lurch
• 3 launch
• 4 lunch

The committee ___ its decision yesterday.

• 1 announced
• 2 announcing
• 3 announce
• 4 has announce

Each of the managers ___ a separate office.

• 1 have
• 2 were
• 3 has
• 4 are having

She is interested ___ learning new skills.

• 1 for
• 2 on
• 3 at
• 4 in

If the market ___ better, the prices would rise.

• 1 is being
• 2 will be
• 3 was being
• 4 were

Which sentence is correct?

• 1 The number of applicants have increased.
• 2 The number of applicants has increased.
• 3 The number of applicants were increasing now.
• 4 The number of applicants are increased.

Doctor is to patient as teacher is to:

• 1 Lesson
• 2 School
• 3 Book
• 4 Student

Hot is to cold as expand is to:

• 1 Contract
• 2 Grow
• 3 Heat
• 4 Cool

Read the passage. Online shopping has grown quickly because it saves time and often offers lower prices. However, buyers cannot touch the goods before they pay. What is the main drawback of online shopping according to the passage?

• 1 It costs more time
• 2 It is slow to grow
• 3 Buyers cannot touch the goods before paying
• 4 The prices are higher

Read the passage. A budget is a plan for the use of money. A family that writes down its income and expenses can see where its money goes and can save more. According to the passage, what is one benefit of a budget?

• 1 It shows where the money goes
• 2 It removes all expenses
• 3 It stops saving
• 4 It increases the income

Which of these is the best word for the blank? The new policy was ___ by most employees because it gave them more freedom.

• 1 dreaded
• 2 opposed
• 3 ignored
• 4 welcomed

Choose the correctly spelled word.

• 1 Enviroment
• 2 Environmant
• 3 Environment
• 4 Envirnoment

Choose the sentence with the correct punctuation.

• 1 The manager, who was late apologised, to the team.
• 2 The manager, who was late, apologised to the team.
• 3 The manager who was late, apologised to the team.
• 4 The manager who, was late apologised to the team.

The idiom TO MAKE ENDS MEET means:

• 1 To finish a project early
• 2 To earn just enough to pay for needs
• 3 To end a meeting
• 4 To join two pieces

Choose the best word. The report was ___ and left out several important facts.

• 1 incomplete
• 2 complete
• 3 colourful
• 4 lengthy

Choose the word closest in meaning to ENHANCE.

• 1 Improve
• 2 Measure
• 3 Reduce
• 4 Delay

Choose the word closest in meaning to PRAGMATIC.

• 1 Angry
• 2 Dreamy
• 3 Practical
• 4 Shy

Choose the word closest in meaning to OBSCURE.

• 1 Unclear
• 2 Simple
• 3 Famous
• 4 Bright

Choose the word opposite in meaning to BENEVOLENT.

• 1 Cruel
• 2 Kind
• 3 Generous
• 4 Wise

Choose the word opposite in meaning to VERBOSE.

• 1 Loud
• 2 Wordy
• 3 Careful
• 4 Concise

To CORROBORATE a statement is to:

• 1 Confirm it
• 2 Repeat it
• 3 Deny it
• 4 Forget it

Choose the word closest in meaning to IMPARTIAL.

• 1 Unbiased
• 2 Silent
• 3 Careless
• 4 Strict

Choose the word closest in meaning to INEVITABLE.

• 1 Sudden
• 2 Welcome
• 3 Unlikely
• 4 Unavoidable

Choose the word opposite in meaning to FRUGAL.

• 1 Careful
• 2 Poor
• 3 Wasteful
• 4 Honest

Hardly had he arrived ___ the meeting started.

• 1 until
• 2 than
• 3 while
• 4 when

I wish I ___ more time to prepare.

• 1 would have
• 2 have
• 3 had
• 4 will have

Either of the two plans ___ acceptable.

• 1 were
• 2 are
• 3 have been
• 4 is

The more you practise, ___ you become.

• 1 more better
• 2 the better
• 3 the best
• 4 better

He asked me where ___.

• 1 do I live
• 2 I do live
• 3 I lived
• 4 did I live

She has been teaching here ___ ten years.

• 1 since
• 2 at
• 3 from
• 4 for

The manager, together with his assistants, ___ attending the conference.

• 1 is
• 2 were
• 3 have been
• 4 are

Not only the students but also the teacher ___ late.

• 1 have been
• 2 was
• 3 were
• 4 are

Which sentence uses the pronoun correctly?

• 1 Between you and I, the plan is risky.
• 2 Between I and you, the plan is risky.
• 3 Between you and me, the plan is risky.
• 4 Between you and myself, the plan is risky.

Library is to books as museum is to:

• 1 Visitors
• 2 Walls
• 3 Artifacts
• 4 Tickets

Thermometer is to temperature as scale is to:

• 1 Height
• 2 Speed
• 3 Length
• 4 Weight

Read the passage. Remote work saves commuting time, and many employees say that they get more done at home. Some employees, however, report feeling isolated from their colleagues. Which choice best states the main idea?

• 1 Employees dislike working at home.
• 2 Remote work has benefits and drawbacks.
• 3 Remote work is always better.
• 4 Commuting is enjoyable.

Read the passage. When the prices of goods rise over time, each unit of money buys less than before. This is called inflation. According to the passage, inflation is:

• 1 A fall in prices over time
• 2 A rise in prices that lowers what money can buy
• 3 A rise in wages
• 4 An increase in the supply of goods

Read the passage. When a product is scarce and many people want it, its price tends to rise. What can be inferred from the passage?

• 1 Scarce goods are always cheap.
• 2 Few people want scarce goods.
• 3 High demand and low supply tend to raise prices.
• 4 Prices never change.

Read the passage. The author lists the costs of the new project but concludes that its long term gains justify them. Which choice best describes the author's attitude?

• 1 Uninterested
• 2 Confused
• 3 Strongly against the project
• 4 Supportive, while aware of the costs

Read the sentence. Although the new phone has a better camera, its battery lasts a shorter time than the old model. The word although signals:

• 1 A time
• 2 A cause
• 3 A contrast
• 4 An example

Choose the word closest in meaning to AMBIGUOUS.

• 1 Certain
• 2 Useful
• 3 Unclear
• 4 Careful