VOCABULARY 1: LEARNING AND DOING

VOCABULARY 1: LEARNING AND DOING
I.
TOPIC VOCABULARY
achieve(v)
guess (v, n)
report (n)
brain (n)
hesitate (v)
revise (v)
clever (adj)
instruction (n)
search (v, n)
concentrate (v)
make progress (v phr)
skill (n)
consider (v)
make sure (v phr)
smart (adj)
course (n)
mark (v, n)
subject (n)
degree (n)
mental (adj)
take an exam (v phr)
experience (n, v)
pass (v)
talented (adj)
expert (n, adj)
qualification (n)
term (n)
fail (v)

remind
wonder (v)
II.
PHRASAL VERBS
1. cross out
draw a line through sth written
2. look up
try to find information in a book, etc
3. point out
tell sb important information
4. read out
say sth out loud which you are reading
5. rip up
tear sth pieces
6. rub out
remove with a rubber
7. turn over
turn sth so the other side is towards you
8. write down
write information on a piece of paper
III.
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
by heart
for instance
in conclusion
in fact
in favor of
in general
IV.
WORD FORMATION

begin
Began, begun, beginner, beginning
instruct
instruction, instructor
brave
Bravery
memory
memorize, memorial
correct
Correction, incorrect
refer
reference
divide
Division
silent
silence, silently
educate
education
simple
simplify, simplicity
V.
WORD PATTERNS
capable of
help sb with
adjective
talented at
know about
cheat at/in
learn about
confuse sth with

succeed in
verbs
continue with
an opinion about/of
nouns
cope with
a question about
EXERCISES
Exercise 1. Complete using the correct form of the words and phrases in the boxes.
achieve
fail
pass
1. We had our English exam this morning. I hope I’ve passed.
2. Pete couldn’t answer any questions, so he thinks he has failed.
3. Our teacher said that we’ve all achieved a lot this year.
degree
experience
instruction
1. I’ve left you a list of instructions on the kitchen table. Make sure you follow them!
2. Meeting Brad Pitt was an amazing experience!
3. My sister left Warwick University after she got her degree.
course
qualification
skill
1. Being able to use a computer is a very useful skill.
2. I’m thinking of going on a computer course.
3. You can only apply for this job if you’ve got a qualification in website design.
make progress
make sure
take an exam

1. You’ve all made a lot of progress this year. Well done!
2. I always get nervous before take an exam.
3. I made sure that I’d answered all the questions and then I handed in my test paper.
Exercise 2. Circle the correct word.
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1. I search/wonder how difficult the maths test tomorrow will be.
2. It’s nearly the end of term/mark, so it will be the holidays soon!
3. Could you revise/remind me to take this book back to the library?
4. Carl is a computer brain/expert. Why don’t you ask him to fix your computer.
5. Rosalind is a really smart/talented musician, but she doesn’t practice enough.
6. Rebecca is really clever/mental. She always knows the answer!
7. I wasn’t sure of the answer so I guessed/hesitated and I was right!
8. Have you ever concentrated/considered becoming a professional singer?
9. After every experiment in chemistry, we have to write a subject/report on what happened.
Exercise 3. Write one word in each gap.
24th June
We had our English exam today. It was a disaster! We all sat there nervously, waiting for Mrs
Jennings to say we could start. Finally, she told us to turn our exam papers (1.) over. Then she read (2.) out
the instructions to make sure we all understood. We had to write three essays in two hours! We weren’t
allowed to look (3.) up any words in the dictionary, and we had to write in pen. That meant we couldn’t rub
anything (4.) out if we made a mistake. We had to cross (5.) out neatly or just rip (6.) up the whole piece of
paper and start again. So, I read through the three questions very carefully and thought about what I was
going to write. I’d just written my name (7.) down at the top of the first piece of paper, and was about to
start writing the first essay, when Mrs Jennings pointed (8.) out that there were only five minutes left. Oh
dear!
Exercise 4. Each of the words in bold is in the wrong sentence. Write the correct word.

1. We learnt that poem by conclusion but I’ve forgotten it now. → heart
1.
Are you in general of teenagers leaving school at the age of sixteen? →favor
2.
I thought the exam would be difficult but, in instance, it was really easy. →fact
3.
4.
5.

Many people, for heart my brother, prefer to do something active rather than do homework. →example/instance

In fact, the teachers at this school are really nice, but some are nicer than others! →general
It’s a good idea to start the final paragraph of your composition with the phrase “In favor” →conclusion

Exercise 5. Complete by changing the form of the word in brackets.
1. Do you think you get a good (educate) education at your school!
2. I’m not an expert. I’m only a (begin) beginner.
3. The police are going to give Tracy an award for (brave) bravery.
4. I’m writing in (refer) reference to your advertisement for a guitar teacher.
5. I want (silent) silenceat all times during the exam.
6. Rupert is an (instruct) instructor at a local extreme sports centre.
7. I’m afraid that answer is (correct) incorrect so you haven’t won today’s top prize.
8. You don’t understand (divide) division ? Look! Twelve divided by four is three. It’s easy!
9. This is really difficult to understand. Why don’t we (simple) simplify it a little?
10. Actors have to (memory) memorize a lot of words when they are in a play.
Exercise 6. Write one word in each gap.
1. You didn’t cheat in the exam, did you?
2. We’re learning about dinosaurs at the moment at school.
3. What’s your opinion about/ of children going to school at a very young age?
4. I think you’ve confused astronomy with astrology – they’re not the same!

5. I hope Mr Aziz doesn’t ask me a question about the book because I haven’t read it!
6. I can’t cope with all this homework I’ve go to do!
Exercise 7. Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence. Write between two and five words.
1. Sasha is a really good tango dancer. (talented)
→Sasha is really talented at tango dancing.
2. Our teacher wasn’t feeling well but she didn’t stop the lesson. (continued)
→Our teacher wasn’t feeling well but she continued with the lesson.
3. I’ve got no experience at designing clothes. (know)
→I know nothing about/ don’t know anything about designing clothes at all!
4. Dan couldn’t do his homework on his own so I’ve been helping him. (helping)
→I’ve been helping Dan with his homework because she couldn’t do it on his own.
5. No one can learn all that in one day! (capable)
→No one is capable of learning all that in one day!
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6. I really hope you find a solution to the problem. (succeed)
→I really hope you succeed in finding a solution to the problem.
Exercise 8. Compete using the words in the box.
exam
fact
favor
heart
instance
mark
progress
skill

1. My German teachers says I’ve made a lot of progress this term!
2. What time are you taking the French exam tomorrow?
3. I’m not in favor of giving students lots of homework each night.
4. Being able to drive a car is a very useful skill.
5. Have we got to learn all these irregular verbs by heart?
6. Some languages like Russian for instance, don’t have words for ‘an”, “a” and “the”.
7. I got a very good mark in my geography test.
8. Many people hate learning phrasal verbs, but in fact they’re not that difficult.
Exercise 9. Write a phrasal verb in the correct form to replace the words in bold. The first letter of the
first word is given to help you.
1. Simon rubbed out the wrong answer and wrote the right one. (removed with a rubber)
2. Why did you rip up that piece of paper? (tear into pieces)
3. If you make a mistake, just cross it out. (draw a line through)
4. You should look up words you don’t know in a dictionary. (find information about)
5. Carol, will you read out your poem to the class, please? (say out loud)
6. Our teacher pointed out that we only had five minutes left. (said)
7. Have you all written down what the homework is? (made a note of)
Exercise 10. Complete by changing the form of the word in capitals.
1. What’s the name of Dave’s driving instructor? (instruct)
2. Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are examples of reference books. (refer)
3. I’ve only been learning Arabic for a few months, so I’m still a beginner. (begin)
4. In maths, you have to learn to do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. (divide)
5. Three of your answers were incorrect, so you got 17 out of 20.(correct)
6. Are you really going to take part in the singing competition? I admire your bravery. (brave)
7. I think every child should get a good education. (educate)
8. There’s a memorial to Albert Einstein in the town square. (memory)
9. I want complete silence, so no talking at all! (silent)
10. This maths problem is too difficult for you, so I’ll simplify it a little. (simple)
Exercise 11. Write one word in each gap.
CHEATING

You’re doing a history test. Your friend, who’s sitting next to you, really wants to succeed (1.) in the
test. There’s a question (2.)about the First World War, which you’ve been learning (3.)about recently. You
know a lot (4.) about it, but your friend isn’t really capable (5.) of answering the question properly. Your
friend whispers “Help me!” to you. What should you do? Should you help your friend (6.) with the question,
or just continue (7.)with your own test?
Every student has to cope (8.)with this difficult situation at some point. What’s your opinion (9.)about/of
cheating? Should you help your friend cheat (10.)in the test or not?
Exercise 12. Match the following subjects with their definitions.
history
maths
physics
biology
geography
music
economics
chemistry
IT(information technology)
art
1. The study of plants, animal and human life. - biology
2. The study of the world’s physical features, climate, populations etc. - geography
3. The study of the past. - history
4. The study of painting and drawing. - art
5. How to use computers. - IT
6. The study of heat, sound, electricity, etc. - physics
7. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, etc. - maths
8. The study of elements and how they combine and react. - chemistry
9. The study of financial systems. - economics
10. Playing instruments and singing. – music
Exercise 13. Complete the dialogue with the correct form of these verbs.
re-sit

pass
fail
revise
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A: Hi Tara, I’m so happy. I (1.) passed all my exams. I even got a grade A in English!
B: I didn’t do too badly, but I (2.) failed biology. That means I’ll have to (3.) resit it next term.
A: Oh no, I’m so sorry. You spent ages on biology, didn’t you? What happened?
B: Well, I guess I just didn’t (4.) revise hard enough. Perhaps I’ll get it next time.
Exercise 14. Use these words to complete the passage.
passed
sat
doing
graduated
got
applied
primary
secondary
university
nursery
college
Degree
When I was very young I went to a playgroup and then a (1.) nursery school. When I was five, I
started at the local (2. primary school. School is compulsory in Britain for everybody between five and
sixteen years old, but in lots of other countries children don’t start until they are seven.
My primary school was mixed, but when I was eleven, I went to an all-boys (3.) secondary school.
My favorite subjects were maths and English. After five years at secondary school, I decided to go to sixth

form (4.) college.
In my last year in the sixth form I (5.) sat exams in four subjects – maths, physics, chemistry and
geography. I (6.) passed them all and (7.) got A grades in maths and physics.
I (8.) applied for a place at (9.) university to study astronomy. It was a three-year (10.) degree
course. I (11.) graduated with first class honours. I thought about (12.) doing a postgraduate degree, but
decided it was time to get a job and earn some money.
(Most people go to state schools but some parents pay to send their children to private schools. In
England the best known private schools are called public schools. Sometimes students live for the whole
terms at their boarding school. The most traditional are still single-sex schools but most are now coeducational (co-ed).
Americans go to high school and then college.
Pupils is used until children leave primary school: after that we usually call them students. )
Exercise 15. Match the different places with their definitions.
1. classroom
3. playground
5. playing fields
7. chemistry/physics lab
2. hall
4. gym
6. staff room
8. library
1. where you play football and other sports – playing fields
2. the teacher’s room – staff room
3. where students go during breaks - playground
4. a quiet place to read or look things up - library
5. where you have most of your lessons - classroom
6. a special room where you can do experiments – physics lab
7. a big room where the whole school can meet for assembly - hall
8. where you do PE - gym
Exercise 16. Complete the text below with these words.
grade

strict
hour
period
rules
discipline
uniform
test
School was very different when I was young. We all had to wear a school (1.)uniform There were
lots of (2.) rules and the teachers were very (3.) strict. We had to stand up whenever a teacher came into the
room. Once a week we had a (4.) test and anybody who got a (5.) grade D or E had to do extra work during
the lunch (6.) hour. My favorite subject was art, but we only had that for one (7.) period a week. Schools
are more relaxed nowadays, but when you look at the problem in society, I think perhaps we should bring
back some of the (8.) discipline.
Exercise 17. Put the phrases below into the correct list:
a. work hard
e. pay attention all the time
b. always do your homework
f. pick things up really quickly
c. get into trouble a lot
g. skip lessons
d. play around in class
1. If you are good at school, you:
2. If you aren’t a good student, you:
______________________a_____
_____________c______________
______________________b_____
______________d_____________
______________________e_____
_______________g____________
_______________________f____

___________________________
Exercise 18. Match the following school staff with their job descriptions:
1. head teacher
3. PE teacher
5. caretaker
7. deputy head
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2. head of department
4. learning support assistant 6. librarian
8. lab technician
1. I teach football and hockey and other sports. – PE teacher
2. I run the English department. – head of department
3. I provide extra help in the classroom. – learning support assistant
4. I make sure the doors are locked at night. - caretaker
5. I’m the boss! – head teacher
6. I’m in charge of the library. - librarian
7. I’m number 2. – deputy head
8. I help the science teachers prepare their experiments. – lab technician
Exercise 19. Use these verbs to complete the text below:
stayed on
applied
got in
do
left
When I got to 16, some of my friends (1.) left school to get jobs, but most (2.) stayed on I wanted to
(3.) do sociology, but it wasn’t possible at my school, so I (4.) applied to the local technical college. There

were over fifty applicants for only twenty places, so I was really pleased when I (5.) got in I really enjoyed
the course.
results

degree
college
prospectus entry
diploma
course
high
I had wanted to be a doctor but the (1.) entry requirements to study medicine at university are very
(2.) high and my exam (3.) results weren’t very good enough, so I got the (4.) prospectus from my local
(5.) college to see what alternatives there were. In the end, I got onto a (6.) course in business
administration. I got a (7.) diploma, but I still sometimes wish I’d been able to go to university and get a (8.)
degree..
(Further education (FE) usually means going to a college to do a vocational course or degree.
Higher education (HE) usually means doing a degree at a university)
Exercise 20. Complete this text about paying for higher education with these words.
part-time
expenses
fees
grant
loan
accommodation
Going to university is expensive. First, there’s the tuition (1.)fees. Then there are all the books you
need. Then, if you live away from home, you have to pay for your (2.) accommodation. The university halls
of residence are not cheap. Then you have all your other living (3.) expenses. A few students get a (4.)
grant, but most have to take out a student (5.) loan from the bank, which can take years to pay off! Most
students have to do a (6.) part-time job in order to survive.
Exercise 21. Use these words to complete the sentences.

placement
qualifications
specialize
academic
assignment
vocational
drop out
tutorial
quality
1. The academic year begins in September and runs to the end of June.
2. SO, what are you doing this weekend? – I’ll probably be at home finishing the assignment I have to
hand in on Monday.
3. Hi Mark, where have you been? I haven’t seen you for ages. – No, I’ve been away doing a work
placement in an insurance company for the last four months.
4. The more qualifications you have, the more chance you have of finding a better job.
5. I wish I had done something more useful than philosophy – something more vocational like nursing
or hotel management.
6. Next year I have to decide which area of medicine I want to specialize in.
7. Dr Hurst seems very remote in her lectures but when you have a tutorial with her, she’s really
friendly and helpful.
8. Mandy doesn’t seem very happy at the moment. Is she finding the course difficult? – Yes, I think
she’s going to drop out and get a job.
9. What will this course qualify you to do?
Exercise 22. Use these words in the situations below.
finals
paper
deadline
dissertation
results
revising

graduation
graduate
coursework
term
1. It’s your last term at university, isn’t it? – Yes, I’ve already done my oral, so now I’ve got to submit
four pieces of coursework. The deadline is next Friday. Then I’ve got to do a 10.000 word
dissertation and hand it in by the end of May. Then I can relax.

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2. Hi Susie, I haven’t seen you around much recently. – No, I’ve been at home revising most nights.
I’ve got my finals next month. I can’t wait till it’s all over. Can you believe it, we don’t get our
results until the end of July?
3. Overall, the exams weren’t too bad but the American history paper was really difficult.
4. It’s my graduation ceremony next week. I think my parents are looking forward to it more than I
am. I don’t think they realize being a graduate doesn’t guarantee you a job like it used to.
- In American English, semester is used instead of term.
- In Britain you first (undergraduate) degree is a BA (art or humanities) or a BSc (science). If you do
post-graduate study, you may get an MA or an MSc. After several years’ original research and
publishing a thesis, you can get a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy). Undergraduates usually write essays:
a long essay is called a dissertation. A thesis is longer still and contains original research.
Exercise 23. Complete the dialogues with these words and expressions:
second language
bilingual
strong accent
mother-tongue
native speaker

1. So, Sandy, what language do you speak in Hong Kong? – Well, of course, Chinese is my mothertongue but for almost everyone, English is spoken as a second language.
2. So, Sven, you’ve been learning English for ten years. That’s a long time. – I suppose it is, but I want
to keep learning until I can hold a conversation like a native speaker.
3. Where did you learn to speak such good Spanish, Mary? – Well my dad’s Spanish and I went to
school in Madrid until I was nine so I’m basically bilingual.
4. I find it very difficult to understand Maggie when she speaks quickly. – Well, she comes from
Liverpool and she’s got quite a strong accent. I’m sure you’ll get used to it.
Exercise 24. Use these words to complete the questions below.
pronounce
mean
say
spell
difference
plural
1. How do you say ”coche” in English?
2. What does “rush” mean?
3. What’s the difference between “for” and “since”?
4. How do you pronounce this word?
5. How do you spell ”headache”
6. What’s the plural of “calf”?
Now match the questions to the answers below:
a. It’s h-e-a-d-a-c-h-e. -5
b. “For” answers the question “how long” and since answers the questions “when?”. - 3
c. It means “go very quickly”. - 2
d. Calves. - 6
e. Car. - 1
f. You pronounce it/bau/ like “now”. - 4
Exercise 25. Use the correct form of these verbs to complete the text below.
practice
say

pick up
hold
study
improve
make
do
When I first started learning English ten years ago, I could hardly (1.) say a word- “hello”,
“goodbye”, “thank you” was just about it! I went to classes two evenings a week and I was surprised at how
quickly I (2.) made progress. During the course we learned lots of vocabulary and (3.) studied grammar
rules. The thing I enjoyed most was being able to (4.) practice speaking with the other students in my class.
After two years I went to England to a language school. It was in Cambridge. I (5.) did a three-week
course at a very good school and I stayed with a local family. It was a fantastic experience and I (6.) picked
up a lot of new language from speaking with my host family and with other students from all over the world.
I really (7.) improved my pronunciation as well. When I got back to Spain, I was so much more confident. I
could actually (8.) hold a conversation with my teacher in English.
Now complete these whole expressions from the text.
1. I could hardly say a word.
2. I made progress.
3. We studied grammar rules.
4. I enjoyed being able to practice speaking with other students.
5. I did a course at a language school.
6. I picked up a lot of new language.
7. I really improved my pronunciation.
8. I could actually hold a conversation.
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Exercise 26. Use the correct form of these expressions to complete the sentences:

do the exercises listen carefully correct
repeat
practice
hand in
1. I’ m only going to play the tape once so listen carefully.
2. Ok, everybody, repeat after me. “I think I’ll call back later.”
3. Remember to practice some of what you’ve learned today outside the classroom.
4. I want you to do the exercises on page 78 for homework and don’t forget you need to hand in your
essays on Friday.
5. I’m not going to correct every mistake you make. That would not be helpful.
Now use the correct form of these expressions.
make mistakes
rub it out
write it down
look it up
revise
1. If you’re not sure what something means, look it up in your dictionary.
2. Whenever you hear a new word that you think is important, writ it down in your notebook.
3. Don’t worry about making mistakes. The important thing is to try to communicate.
4. Write the answers in pencil. Then if you get one wrong, you can rub it out and do it again.
5. Remember there’s test tomorrow. So, spend a bit of time revising this evening.
Exercise 27. Use these words to complete the text:
reading
presentation
seminar
tutor
lists
lectures
term
notes

handout
options
1. I’ve got two lectures this morning, and then I need to go to the library to do some background
reading before tomorrow.
2. On Wednesday I’ve got to give a short presentation at my English seminar.
3. I can’t go to my history lecture on Thursday morning. I’ll ask Jeff to pick up an extra copy of the
handout and I can borrow his lecture notes_.
4. Professor Barnes is the only lecturer who gives handouts and his reading lists really save me a lot of
time.
5. Later in the week, I’ve got to see my tutor to decide what options I’m going to do next term.
University teachers are called lecturers. In the UK the heads of university departments and some very
important academics are Professors. Professor is not used for any other kind of teacher. In America
professor is much more widely used term.

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