Reading Vocabulary

Respuesta correcta: A) Worn out, no longer able to support growth

• A) Worn out, no longer able to support growthThe soil has lost its nutrients, which is exactly what 'exhausted' means for land.
• B) Very tired after physical workThat sense applies to people and animals, not to soil, which is what the sentence describes.
• C) Full of water and ready for plantingThat is the opposite of the situation the sentence reports.
• D) Covered with small stones'Stony' would describe that condition, and nothing in the sentence suggests stones.

Respuesta correcta: B) To fall in amount

• A) To refuse politely'Refuse' is the word for turning down an offer, not for a fall in numbers.
• B) To fall in amount'Decline' describes a downward movement in quantity, which is what sales did.
• C) To remain at the same levelRemaining constant is described as 'stay level', the opposite of a decline.
• D) To increase sharplyThat is a 'rise' or a 'surge', the opposite of a decline.

Respuesta correcta: C) In spite of that

• A) Because of that'Because' would show a cause, which reverses the relation the word marks.
• B) At the same time as that'Meanwhile' would introduce a parallel event, not a contrast.
• C) In spite of that'Nevertheless' contrasts with the difficulty, meaning 'in spite of that'.
• D) For that reason'For that reason' connects a result to a cause, the opposite of the contrast here.

Respuesta correcta: D) Unwilling and hesitant to do something

• A) Very eager to do somethingEagerness is the opposite of reluctance and does not match the context.
• B) Able to do something easilyThat is 'able' or 'capable', which says nothing about willingness.
• C) Certain that something will happenThat is 'confident' about an outcome, a different idea altogether.
• D) Unwilling and hesitant to do something'Reluctant' expresses hesitation or unwillingness to act, which fits the sentence.

Respuesta correcta: D) Available in small quantities

• A) Of very high qualityThat is the sense of 'superior' or 'excellent', the opposite of a shortage.
• B) Very expensive to buyA price is a separate matter; 'scarce' speaks about how much exists.
• C) Contaminated and unfit for useThat describes polluted water, which the sentence does not say.
• D) Available in small quantities'Scarce' means there is not much of something, which is what happened to the water.

Respuesta correcta: C) Protection from the weather

• A) Food and drink for the travellersThat would be 'supplies' or 'provisions', not shelter.
• B) A place to buy foodThat is a shop or a market, which offers goods rather than protection.
• C) Protection from the weather'Shelter' is a place that protects people from rain, wind or heat.
• D) A path used for travellingA route for travellers is a 'track' or a 'trail', unrelated to protection.

Respuesta correcta: B) The final result of a process

• A) The reason a process was startedA reason would be a 'cause' or a 'purpose', the opposite end of the story.
• B) The final result of a process'Outcome' names the result reached at the end, which is what surprised the team.
• C) The first stage of a processA beginning is the 'start' or the 'first step', not the outcome.
• D) The cost of running a process'Cost' measures the money involved, which is a different aspect entirely.

Respuesta correcta: A) Able to continue over time without exhausting resources

• A) Able to continue over time without exhausting resourcesSustainability means keeping the system running in the long term, which is what is meant.
• B) Producing a very large amount each yearA high output is not what makes a practice sustainable; it is its durability.
• C) Available at a low priceCheapness and sustainability are different qualities, and the sentence is about the latter.
• D) Producing exactly the same results each yearUniformity is not the meaning of 'sustainable'.

Respuesta correcta: B) Unwilling to accept something

• A) Unable to understand something'Unable' describes a lack of capacity, not a lack of willingness.
• B) Unwilling to accept somethingHesitation and unwillingness are precisely what 'reluctant' expresses here.
• C) Happy to accept a changeBeing glad to accept is the opposite of being reluctant.
• D) Slow in counting numbersThat sense belongs to 'poor at arithmetic' and has nothing to do with willingness.

Respuesta correcta: D) compelling

• A) confusing'Confusing' describes something hard to understand, which is the opposite of the effect described.
• B) ordinary'Ordinary' suggests nothing remarkable, which could not change anybody's mind.
• C) doubtful'Doubtful' describes the evidence itself as uncertain, which is the opposite of the intended meaning.
• D) compelling'Compelling' describes evidence so convincing that people accept it despite their doubts.

Respuesta correcta: C) Existing in large quantity

• A) Existing in very small quantityA small amount would be described as 'scarce', the opposite sense.
• B) Falling steadily through the yearThat describes a decreasing amount rather than a plentiful one.
• C) Existing in large quantity'Abundant' describes a plentiful supply, which is what the rainfall is.
• D) Present only in the summer monthsThe sentence says the rain lasts all year, so 'only' would contradict it.

Respuesta correcta: A) Unwilling or hesitant to do something

• A) Unwilling or hesitant to do somethingHesitation and unwillingness are exactly what the adjective expresses.
• B) Extremely eager to start immediatelyEagerness is the opposite of reluctance and does not fit the advice given.
• C) Able to read at a very high speedReading speed is a separate quality from willingness to read.
• D) Unwilling to teach others to readThe sentence concerns readers themselves, not their willingness to teach.

Respuesta correcta: D) To make slower or more difficult

• A) To help along quicklyHelping is the opposite sense, and the mud clearly caused delay.
• B) To describe in detailDescribing is what the team did in its report, not what the mud did.
• C) To measure the distance coveredMeasurement is a separate activity and does not match the verb used.
• D) To make slower or more difficult'Hindered' describes an obstacle that held up the team's progress.

Respuesta correcta: B) Producing a strong and clear impression

• A) Dull and difficult to followThat is the opposite sense; a vivid account is striking and clear.
• B) Producing a strong and clear impression'Vivid' is used for descriptions that stay firmly in the memory.
• C) Written down in black and whiteThe sense concerns the quality of the impression, not the medium used.
• D) Short and without detailVivid accounts are usually rich in detail rather than brief.

Respuesta correcta: A) Possible to do or achieve

• A) Possible to do or achieve'Technically feasible' states that nothing prevents the project.
• B) Impossible under any circumstancesThat is the sense of 'infeasible', which the sentence contradicts.
• C) Very cheap to carry outThe sentence says the opposite, that it is very expensive.
• D) Already completed in the pastNothing in the sentence says the work has been done.

Respuesta correcta: C) Refused politely to do or say something

• A) Fell in amount or levelThat sense applies to figures, while the sentence is about refusing to speak.
• B) Became weaker graduallyThe sentence describes what the council did, not a process of weakening.
• C) Refused politely to do or say something'Declined to comment' is a polite refusal to give an answer.
• D) Agreed to the request after some discussionAgreeing is the opposite of what the verb describes here.

Respuesta correcta: B) A result that follows from an action or event

• A) A cause that leads to an eventA cause is what produced the drought, not what the fall is described as.
• B) A result that follows from an action or eventThe sentence presents the fall in the harvest as the result of the drought.
• C) An agreement reached by two sidesA negotiated agreement is a 'settlement' or an 'accord'.
• D) A serious crime against the lawThat is an 'offence' or a 'crime', unrelated to the sentence.

Respuesta correcta: A) Immediately noticeable or unusual

• A) Immediately noticeable or unusualA striking feature stands out, which is what the sentence reports.
• B) Hitting something with forceThat sense describes the verb 'strike' rather than this adjective.
• C) Very small in sizeSmallness would not draw attention in the way the sentence suggests.
• D) Painted with a striking colourColour is not mentioned in the sentence at all.

Respuesta correcta: C) To make less severe

• A) To make considerably worseThat is the sense of 'aggravate', the opposite of what the sentence states.
• B) To study carefully before decidingCareful study is what research does, not what mitigate means.
• C) To make less severe'Mitigate' is used for reducing the effect of a problem such as a flood.
• D) To avoid mentioning in any reportThe verb 'omit' or 'ignore' carries that sense, not 'mitigate'.

Respuesta correcta: D) There was a sharp rise in the number of applications this year.

• A) The knife on the table was very sharp indeed.Here the adjective describes the edge of a blade, not a change.
• B) She gave a sharp reply that ended the discussion.Here it describes the tone of the voice, not an increase.
• C) He turned at the sharp corner at the end of the street.Here the adjective describes a turn, not a change in numbers.
• D) There was a sharp rise in the number of applications this year.'A sharp rise' describes a sudden and steep increase.