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
verbs

confuse sth with
succeed in
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
.
2. Pete couldn’t answer any questions, so he thinks he has
.
3. Our teacher said that we’ve all
a lot this year.
degree
experience
instruction
1. I’ve left you a list of
on the kitchen table. Make sure you follow them!
2. Meeting Brad Pitt was an amazing
!
3. My sister left Warwick University after she got her
.
course
qualification
skill

1. Being able to use a computer is a very useful
.
2. I’m thinking of going on a computer
.
3. You can only apply for this job if you’ve got a
in website design.
make progress
make sure
take an exam
1. You’ve all
a lot of
this year. Well done!
2. I always get nervous before
.
3. I
that I’d answered all the questions and then I handed in my test paper.
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Exercise 2. Circle the correct word.
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.)
Then she read (2.)
the instructions to make sure we all understood. We had to write three essays in two hours!
We weren’t allowed to look (3.)
any words in the dictionary, and we had to write in pen. That
meant we couldn’t rub anything (4.)
if we made a mistake. We had to cross (5.)
neatly or
just rip (6.)
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.)
at the top
of the first piece of paper, and was about to start writing the first essay, when Mrs Jennings pointed (8.)
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.
2.
Are you in general of teenagers leaving school at the age of sixteen?
3.
I thought the exam would be difficult but, in instance, it was really easy.
4.
Many people, for heart my brother, prefer to do something active rather than do homework.
5.
In fact, the teachers at this school are really nice, but some are nicer than others!
6.

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

astrology – they’re not the same!
5. I hope Mr Aziz doesn’t ask me a question
the book because I haven’t read it!
6. I can’t cope
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
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
the lesson.
3. I’ve got no experience at designing clothes. (know)
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→I
designing clothes at all!
4. Dan couldn’t do his homework on his own so I’ve been helping him. (helping)
→I’ve been
his homework because she couldn’t do it on his own.
5. No one can learn all that in one day! (capable)
→No one
all that in one day!
6. I really hope you find a solution to the problem. (succeed)
→I really hope you
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
this term!
2. What time are you taking the French
tomorrow?
3. I’m not in
of giving students lots of homework each night.
4. Being able to drive a car is a very useful
.
5. Have we got to learn all these irregular verbs by
?
6. Some languages like Russian for
, don’t have words for ‘an”, “a” and “the”.
7. I got a very good
in my geography test.
8. Many people hate learning phrasal verbs, but in
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 r
the wrong answer and wrote the right one. (removed with a rubber)
2. Why did you r

that piece of paper? (tear into pieces)
3. If you make a mistake, just c
it
. (draw a line through)
4. You should l
words you don’t know in a dictionary. (find information about)
5. Carol, will you r
your poem to the class, please? (say out loud)
6. Our teacher p
that we only had five minutes left. (said)
7. Have you all w
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
? (instruct)
2. Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are examples of
books. (refer)
3. I’ve only been learning Arabic for a few months, so I’m still a
. (begin)
4. In maths, you have to learn to do addition, subtraction, multiplication and
. (divide)
5. Three of your answers were
, so you got 17 out of 20.(correct)
6. Are you really going to take part in the singing competition? I admire your
. (brave)
7. I think every child should get a good
. (educate)
8. There’s a
to Albert Einstein in the town square. (memory)
9. I want complete

, so no talking at all! (silent)
10. This maths problem is too difficult for you, so I’ll
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.)
the test. There’s a question (2.)
the First World War, which you’ve been learning (3.)
recently. You know a lot (4.)
it, but your friend isn’t really capable (5.)
answering the question properly. Your friend whispers “Help me!” to you. What should you do?
Should you help your friend (6.)
the question, or just continue (7.)
your own test?
Every student has to cope (8.)
this difficult situation at some point. What’s your opinion (9.)
cheating? Should you help your friend cheat (10.)
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.

2. The study of the world’s physical features, climate, populations etc.
3. The study of the past.
4. The study of painting and drawing.
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5. How to use computers.
6. The study of heat, sound, electricity, etc.
7. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, etc.
8. The study of elements and how they combine and react.
9. The study of financial systems.
10. Playing instruments and singing.
Exercise 13. Complete the dialogue with the correct form of these verbs.
re-sit
pass
fail
revise
A: Hi Tara, I’m so happy. I (1.)____________all my exams. I even got a grade A in English!
B: I didn’t do too badly, but I (2.) ____________biology. That means I’ll have to (3.) ____________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.) ____________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.)_____________school. When I was
five, I started at the local (2. ____________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.)
____________school. My favorite subjects were maths and English. After five years at secondary school, I
decided to go to sixth form (4.) ____________.
In my last year in the sixth form I (5.) ____________exams in four subjects – maths, physics,
chemistry and geography. I (6.) ____________them all and (7.) ____________A grades in maths and
physics.
I (8.) ____________for a place at (9.) ____________to study astronomy. It was a three-year (10.)
____________course. I (11.) ____________with first class honours. I thought about (12.) ____________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
2. the teacher’s room
3. where students go during breaks
4. a quiet place to read or look things up
5. where you have most of your lessons
6. a special room where you can do experiments
7. a big room where the whole school can meet for assembly
8. where you do PE
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.) ____________. There
were lots of (2.) ____________and the teachers were very (3.) ____________. We had to stand up whenever
a teacher came into the room. Once a week we had a (4.) ____________and anybody who got a (5.)
____________D or E had to do extra work during the lunch (6.) ____________. My favorite subject was art,
but we only had that for one (7.) ____________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.) ____________.
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
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c. get into trouble a lot
d. play around in class

g. skip lessons

1. If you are good at school, you:
2. If you aren’t a good student, you:
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Exercise 18. Match the following school staff with their job descriptions:
1. head teacher
3. PE teacher
5. caretaker
7. deputy head
2. head of department
4. learning support assistant 6. librarian
8. lab technician
1. I teach football and hockey and other sports.

2. I run the English department.
3. I provide extra help in the classroom.
4. I make sure the doors are locked at night.
5. I’m the boss!
6. I’m in charge of the library.
7. I’m number 2.
8. I help the science teachers prepare their experiments.
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.) ______________school to get jobs, but most (2.)
______________I wanted to (3.) ______________sociology, but it wasn’t possible at my school, so I (4.)
______________to the local technical college. There were over fifty applicants for only twenty places, so I
was really pleased when I (5.) ______________I really enjoyed the course.
results

degree
college
prospectus entry
diploma
course
high
I had wanted to be a doctor but the (1.) ______________requirements to study medicine at university
are very (2.) ______________and my exam (3.) ______________weren’t very good enough, so I got the (4.)
______________from my local (5.) ______________to see what alternatives there were. In the end, I got
onto a (6.) ______________in business administration. I got a (7.) ______________, but I still sometimes
wish I’d been able to go to university and get a (8.) ______________.

(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.)__________. Then there are all the
books you need. Then, if you live away from home, you have to pay for your (2.) __________. The
university halls of residence are not cheap. Then you have all your other living (3.) __________. A few
students get a (4.) __________, but most have to take out a student (5.) __________from the bank, which
can take years to pay off! Most students have to do a (6.) __________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 ______________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 ______________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
______________in an insurance company for the last four months.
4. The more ______________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 ______________like
nursing or hotel management.
6. Next year I have to decide which area of medicine I want to ______________in.
7. Dr Hurst seems very remote in her lectures but when you have a ______________with her, she’s
really friendly and helpful.
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8. Mandy doesn’t seem very happy at the moment. Is she finding the course difficult? – Yes, I think
she’s going to ______________and get a job.
9. What will this course ______________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 _________________at university, isn’t it? – Yes, I’ve already done my oral, so now
I’ve got to submit four pieces of _________________. The _________________is next Friday. Then
I’ve got to do a 10.000 word _________________and hand it in by the end of May. Then I can relax.
2. Hi Susie, I haven’t seen you around much recently. – No, I’ve been at home _________________
most nights. I’ve got my _________________next month. I can’t wait till it’s all over. Can you
believe it, we don’t get our _________________until the end of July?

3. Overall, the exams weren’t too bad but the American history _________________was really
difficult.
4. It’s my _________________ceremony next week. I think my parents are looking forward to it more
than I am. I don’t think they realize being a _________________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
_________________ but for almost everyone, English is spoken as a _________________.
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 _________________.
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 _________________.
4. I find it very difficult to understand Maggie when she speaks quickly. – Well, she comes from
Liverpool and she’s got quite a _________________. 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 _________________”coche” in English?
2. What does “rush” _________________?
3. What’s the _________________between “for” and “since”?
4. How do you _________________this word?
5. How do you _________________”headache”
6. What’s the _________________of “calf”?
Now match the questions to the answers below:
a. It’s h-e-a-d-a-c-h-e.
b. “For” answers the question “how long” and since answers the questions “when?”.
c. It means “go very quickly”.
d. Calves.
e. Car.
f. You pronounce it/bau/ like “now”.
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.) _________________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.) _________________progress. During the course we learned lots of vocabulary and (3.)
_________________grammar rules. The thing I enjoyed most was being able to (4.)
_________________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.)
_________________a three-week course at a very good school and I stayed with a local family. It was a
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fantastic experience and I (6.) _________________a lot of new language from speaking with my host family
and with other students from all over the world. I really (7.) _________________my pronunciation as well.
When I got back to Spain, I was so much more confident. I could actually (8.) _________________a
conversation with my teacher in English.
Now complete these whole expressions from the text.
1. I could hardly ______________________________.
2. I made ________________________________.
3. We studied _____________________________.
4. I enjoyed being able to __________________________speaking with other students.
5. I did __________________________at a language school.
6. I picked up __________________________.
7. I really improved my __________________________.
8. I could actually hold __________________________.
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 __________________________.
2. Ok, everybody, __________________________after me. “I think I’ll call back later.”
3. Remember to __________________________some of what you’ve learned today outside the
classroom.
4. I want you to __________________________on page 78 for homework and don’t forget you need to
__________________________your essays on Friday.
5. I’m not going to __________________________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, __________________________in your dictionary.
2. Whenever you hear a new word that you think is important, __________________________ in your
notebook.
3. Don’t worry about __________________________. The important thing is to try to communicate.
4. Write the answers in pencil. Then if you get one wrong, you can __________________________and
do it again.
5. Remember there’s test tomorrow. So, spend a bit of time ________________________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 ____________________this morning, and then I need to go to the library to do some
background ____________________before tomorrow.
2. On Wednesday I’ve got to give a short _________________at my English ____________________.
3. I can’t go to my history lecture on Thursday morning. I’ll ask Jeff to pick up an extra copy of the
____________________and I can borrow his lecture ____________________.
4. Professor Barnes is the only lecturer who gives handouts and his reading ____________________
really save me a lot of time.

5. Later in the week, I’ve got to see my ____________________to decide what __________________
I’m going to do next ____________________.
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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