Question

[Nguyễn Ngọc Bảo Trâm]

B. VOCABULARY
I. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE word in each
space.

HOLIDAYS WITH FRIENDS

I always (28) ................................... to go to Porchester (29) ................................... my summer
holidays. It is a quiet little town, full of old and interesting buildings. Very (30) ................................... visitors
ever go there, so there are no crowds. I enjoyed its sleepy atmosphere. I work in a big city, so a holiday in
Porchester was a complete change (31) ................................... my usual life. Besides, I found (32)
................................... about the history of the place. I wanted to learn how life used to be in Porchester -
the stories of (33) ................................... people and buildings.
I made notes on (34) ................................... these things (35) ................................... my holidays
and I soon knew (36) ................................... about the history of Porchester than most of the people (37)
................................... lived there.
I am not a rich man and I cannot afford to stay in hotels. (38) ................................... Jack Thompson
heard that I wanted to spend my holidays in Porchester again all these years later, he invited me to stay with
(39) .................................... . Jack and I were in the Army (40) ................................... during the war
and we were good friends.

II. Complete the sentences below, using the most appropriate one in each case.

out of hand	out of work	out of the way	out of action
out of the question	out of date	out of practice	out of order

41. I haven’t played for a long time so I’m ..........................................
42. I’m afraid the lift is .......................................... We’ll have to walk up.
43. By the time they received the news a month later, it was ..........................................
44. I cannot possibly do as you ask. It’s quite ..........................................
45. He’s been ................................. for several months and he wonders if he’ll ever be employed again.
46. The car was coming straight towards me but luckily I got .......................................... just in time.
47. They did nothing to stop the demonstrators and, by the time the police arrived, the situation had got
..........................................
48. The goalkeeper’s injury will put him .......................................... for several weeks.

III. Complete these sentences with the correct word “for”, “during”, “while” or “meanwhile”.
49. He’s been on holiday ............................ three weeks.
50. ............................ that time, he’s visited his relatives in Australia.
51. ............................, I’ve been doing his work.
52. ............................ he has been on holiday, I’ve been doing his work.
53. I’ve been doing his work ............................ the time he has been away.
54. The crisis arose ......................... the Managing Director was on holiday and lasted .........................
the duration of his absence.
55. The crisis arose ......................... the Managing Director’s absence on holiday. He went to sea
............................ a few days in his yacht; ............................, his colleagues were attempting to
resolve the problems without him because they were unwilling to disturb him ............................ he
was away.
56. When he returned, he was very angry. ‘Good heavens,’ he said. ‘I’ve only been away
............................ a fortnight but ............................ my absence, everything seems to have gone to
pieces. There I was, sailing peacefully around the Mediterranean, and ............................,
............................ the time I was away, you were trying to solve these problems without telling me.’