Proficiency test: Semantic precision

21-01-2013

Semantic precision: words with similar meaning: read the following text and decide which answer (A,B,C,D) best fits each gap.

Phone home

It was 7 a.m. and Amber Scott was driving to college. She had stopped at a level crossing when a track ploughed into (to crash violently into something) the back of her car and (7) ____________   her into the middle of the train. The front of her car wedged under (empotrado, sin poder moverse) one of the carriages and she was dragged along (to pull it along the ground) for more than three miles, sparks (8) _________.

At this point Amber dug out her mobile phone and phoned home. I knew I couldn’t just sit there and be scared, so I called my mom.  Her mother, more accustomed to calls about the humdrum (tedious) events of the (9)                   grind (rutina diaria), was confused. For one thing, the phone’s battery was on the blink. She could hear the noise of the train but she couldn’t  (10) __________out what it as-- all she heard was “Mon, mom! I’ve been hit! And then the line went (11) _______________.

Finally, after seven minutes, Amber was knocked clear of the train, nursing cuts and bruises but (12) _______________unharmed.

7  A shunted      B crashed     C pulled          D slipped

8  A  shooting    B flying        C blazing         D jumping

9  A daily          B regular      C ordinary       D common

10 A find          B make       C work            D get

11 A cold          B blank        C quiet            D dead

12 A otherwise  B elsewhere  C nevertheless  D conversely

You can see the answers below, by clicking “comentarios”.

Source: GOLD PROFICIENCY coursebook PAGE 16