Fill in the Blanks with Shortcut tricks Set 02

Answer: (a) when

Explanation:
1. 'When' correctly introduces a short action that interrupts a longer one: she was walking when she tripped.
2. 'As' and 'while' suggest two actions happening at the same time, and 'then' and 'however' cannot join the clauses.
3. The past continuous (was walking) is interrupted by the simple past (tripped).

Teacher's Note:
1. Past continuous + when + simple past shows an interruption.
2. While joins two continuing actions.

Answer: (d) inanimate - fewer

Explanation:
1. Venting anger on an 'inanimate' (lifeless) object is foolish, but it has the small advantage that you make 'fewer' enemies.
2. 'Immobile - bitter', 'interesting - curious' and 'humane - more' do not link the two sentences logically.
3. 'Still' signals a concession, and 'fewer enemies' provides it.

Teacher's Note:
1. Still = even so, signalling a contrast.
2. Fewer is used with countable plurals such as enemies.

Answer: (b) odious - confusion

Explanation:
1. Passionate people dislike compromise because it looks like giving in, so the first blank needs a negative word: 'odious' (hateful).
2. Intellectual people dislike it as a muddling of clear thinking, so 'confusion' fits.
3. 'Intimidations' is a noun and cannot follow 'is', 'inherent' is positive and 'unsuited ... submission' repeats the idea of surrender.

Teacher's Note:
1. The first blank must be an adjective with a negative sense.
2. Check that the second noun adds a new idea.

Answer: (d) sophistry - turned

Explanation:
1. One 'sees through' clever but false reasoning, called 'sophistry'.
2. A proposal is 'turned down', never 'forced down'.
3. 'Naivete' (innocence) is not something one sees through, so (b) is wrong.

Teacher's Note:
1. Turn down = reject.
2. See through = detect the falseness of.

Answer: (c) caters - eclectic

Explanation:
1. 'Caters to the tastes' is the correct collocation, and an 'eclectic' group is a mixed group drawn from many sources.
2. 'Panders' means satisfying low tastes, and 'inhibits' means restrains, so neither fits.
3. 'Archetypal' (typical) and 'connoisseur' (a noun) do not fit the second blank.

Teacher's Note:
1. Cater to the needs/tastes of.
2. Eclectic = drawn from various sources.

Answer: (b) aberration - undergone

Explanation:
1. A 'momentary aberration' is a brief departure from normal behaviour, which we must understand because he has 'undergone' more strain.
2. 'Forgotten', 'described' and 'understood' do not collocate with 'strain and anxiety'.
3. 'Senility' is not momentary.

Teacher's Note:
1. Undergo strain/anxiety.
2. Aberration = a temporary deviation.

Answer: (b) fun - drudgery

Explanation:
1. The two blanks must be opposites; 'fun' makes learning efficient and 'drudgery' (dull, hard work) makes it less so.
2. Options (a) and (c) pair speed words, which do not say anything about efficiency, and (d) reverses the logic.
3. So (b) fits both blanks.

Teacher's Note:
1. The blanks form a contrast pair.
2. Check which condition really improves efficiency.

Answer: (b) ways - damaged

Explanation:
1. 'Have ways to help' is a correct phrase, and the nerves that need to be bypassed are 'damaged'.
2. 'Detrimental' (harmful) does not describe nerves, and 'involuntary' contradicts 'controlled their muscles'.
3. 'Impediments to help' makes no sense.

Teacher's Note:
1. Choose words that agree with the medical context.
2. Bypass damaged parts.

Answer: (c) unlimited - minimal

Explanation:
1. 'Nearly unlimited choices' and 'minimal constraints' fit together: many choices and few limits.
2. 'Nearly nonexistent' or 'nearly no' would repeat 'nearly', and 'choking' and 'shocking' do not suit the sense.
3. So (c) is the best fit.

Teacher's Note:
1. Nearly + adjective of degree: nearly unlimited.
2. Choices and constraints are opposites.

Answer: (b) break

Explanation:
1. 'Break' is a transitive verb that can take the object 'barriers'.
2. 'Crumble' is intransitive and cannot take an object, 'break out' means to begin suddenly, and 'dismantling' is the wrong verb form after 'to'.
3. So 'break' is the correct choice.

Teacher's Note:
1. After 'to' use the base form of the verb.
2. Transitive verbs need an object, intransitive verbs do not.

Answer: (d) many more

Explanation:
1. 'Amendments' is countable, so 'many more' is correct; 'much' is used with uncountable nouns.
2. 'Too many more' is illogical, and 'quite few more' is not an idiom.
3. So (d) is right.

Teacher's Note:
1. Many with countable nouns; much with uncountable nouns.
2. Quite a few (not quite few) means several.

Answer: (b) citizens - onslaught

Explanation:
1. Only an attack (onslaught) can be repelled, and the citizens of a city can repel an attack on it.
2. One cannot repel a comment or criticism in a literal sense, and 'robbery' cannot be repelled by thieves.
3. So 'citizens - onslaught' is the logical pair.

Teacher's Note:
1. Repel = drive back an attack.
2. Match the doer with the action.

Answer: (c) not - always

Explanation:
1. 'Not very clever, but he always performed excellently' sets up the contrast signalled by 'but'.
2. The other pairs make both parts positive or both negative, so the 'but' has no force.
3. So (c) fits.

Teacher's Note:
1. But signals a contrast.
2. Check that the two blanks create opposite ideas.

Answer: (c) careful - completely

Explanation:
1. An analysis must be 'careful' to show a real difference, and 'differ completely' states the finding.
2. A 'random' analysis proves nothing, and 'differ essential' uses an adjective instead of an adverb.
3. 'Final' does not describe an analysis.

Teacher's Note:
1. Differ takes an adverb (differ completely).
2. Analysis is described by words like careful or detailed.

Answer: (c) lapidary

Explanation:
1. A 'lapidary' is a person who cuts and polishes gemstones.
2. A graphologist studies handwriting, a cosmetologist works with cosmetics, and a beagle is a dog.
3. So only 'lapidary' fits.

Teacher's Note:
1. Lapidary = gem cutter and polisher.
2. Know the professions named by -ologist words.

Answer: (b) titular - voice

Explanation:
1. A 'titular' head holds the title but not the real power, so he had no 'voice' (say) in policy.
2. 'Hypothetical' means imagined, 'competition' and 'pride' do not fit 'in the formulation of policy', and 'former' conflicts with 'as head'.
3. So (b) fits.

Teacher's Note:
1. Titular = in title only.
2. Have a voice in = have a say in.

Answer: (b) rotation - intrinsic

Explanation:
1. The particles spin by nature, so 'rotation' is one of their 'intrinsic' (built-in) properties.
2. 'Radical' means extreme, 'intangible' means not touchable and 'hypothetical' means assumed, none of which fits a natural property.
3. So (b) is correct.

Teacher's Note:
1. Intrinsic = inherent, natural.
2. The second blank must describe a property that needs no winding.

Answer: (b) notorious - nabbed

Explanation:
1. 'Notorious' means famous for something bad, which suits a terrorist, and 'nabbed' means caught by the police.
2. 'Famous' and 'renowned' have a positive tone, and 'admonished' means scolded mildly, which does not describe an arrest.
3. So (b) is the best pair.

Teacher's Note:
1. Notorious = famous for bad things.
2. Admonish = scold; apprehend or nab = arrest.

Answer: (b) would

Explanation:
1. In a second conditional the main clause uses 'would' + base verb: 'If I were you, I would be careful'.
2. 'Will' and 'shall' are used for real future possibilities, and 'ought' needs 'to' before the verb.
3. So 'would' is correct.

Teacher's Note:
1. Second conditional: if + past (were), would + base verb.
2. Ought is followed by to.

Answer: (b) more

Explanation:
1. When two persons are compared, the comparative 'more' is used.
2. 'Most' and 'least' are superlatives for three or more, and 'only' has the wrong meaning.
3. So 'more hard working' is correct.

Teacher's Note:
1. Of the two + comparative.
2. Superlatives need three or more.

Answer: (c) none

Explanation:
1. 'None' is used for more than two, and 'of the three houses' needs a word for three or more, which also agrees with a negative meaning.
2. 'Neither' and 'either' are used for two, and 'no one' cannot be followed by 'of the three houses'.
3. So 'none' is correct.

Teacher's Note:
1. Neither/either for two; none for more than two.
2. No one is not followed by of + noun.

Answer: (b) For

Explanation:
1. 'For' is used with a period of time such as 'a very long time' with the present perfect.
2. 'Since' needs a point of time, and 'from' and 'till' do not suit the present perfect meaning here.
3. So 'For' is correct.

Teacher's Note:
1. For + period; since + point of time.
2. The present perfect pairs with both.

Answer: (b) with

Explanation:
1. The standard collocation is 'overwhelmed with grief' for a strong emotion.
2. 'On', 'from' and 'for' do not collocate with 'overwhelmed' in this sense.
3. So 'with' is correct.

Teacher's Note:
1. Overwhelmed with grief/joy.
2. Emotions are usually linked with 'with'.