Cambridge Practice Test for IELTS 1, Pracice Test 2, Test 2, Reading 2

1
govern (something) to legally control a country or its people and be responsible
for introducing new laws, organizing public services, etc.
The country is governed by elected representatives of the people.
He accused the opposition party of being unfit to govern.
policing the activity of controlling an industry, an activity, etc. to make sure that
people obey the rules
the policing of legislation
dissemination [uncountable] (formal) the act of spreading information or
knowledge so that it reaches many people
the Internet's role in the dissemination of knowledge
severely adv very badly or seriously
severely disabled
areas severely affected by unemployment
impede something [often passive] (formal) to delay or stop the progress of
something
SYNONYM HINDER, HAMPER
Work on the building was impeded by severe weather.
A number of practical difficulties impeded the process.
halt [intransitive, transitive] to stop; to make somebody/something stop
She walked towards him and then halted.
halt somebody/something The police were halting traffic on the parade
route.
altogether adv (used to emphasize something) completely; in every way
The train went slower and slower until it stopped altogether.
I don't altogether agree with you.
apply [intransitive, transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) to concern or
relate to somebody/something
Special conditions apply if you are under 18.
apply to somebody/something What I am saying applies only to some of
you.
apply something to somebody/something The word ‘unexciting’ could
never be applied to her novels.
in principle in general but not in detail
They have agreed to the proposal in principle but we still have to negotiate
the terms.
meet vi to meet especially by chance
dialect U C the form of a language that is spoken in one area with grammar,
words and pronunciation that may be different from other forms of the same
language
the Yorkshire dialect dialect words/expressions
metaphorical adj connected with or containing metaphors
 metaphorical language
metaphor U C a word or phrase used to describe somebody/something else, in a
way that is different from its normal use, in order to show that the two things have
the same qualities and to make the description more powerful, for example She has
a heart of stone; the use of such words and phrases / phép ẩn dụ
a game of football used as a metaphor for the competitive struggle of life
the writer’s striking use of metaphor
alongside prep together with or at the same time as something/somebody
Traditional beliefs still flourish alongside a modern urban lifestyle.
literal adj [usually before noun] being the most basic meaning of a word or phrase,
rather than an extended or poetic meaning
I am not referring to ‘small’ people in the literal sense of the word.
The literal meaning of ‘petrify’ is ‘turn to stone’.
2
be common/public knowledge to be something that everyone knows, especially in
a particular community or group
Their relationship is common knowledge.
publicity U the attention that is given to somebody/something by newspapers,
television, etc.
good/bad/adverse publicity
There has been a great deal of publicity surrounding his disappearance.
fatal adj causing or ending in death
a fatal accident/blow/illness
a potentially fatal form of cancer
at times sometimes
He can be really bad-tempered at times.
The rain will become heavy at times in the afternoon.
remedy a treatment or medicine to cure a disease or reduce pain that is not very
serious
a herbal remedy
remedy for something an excellent home remedy for sore throats
presumably adv used to say that you think that something is probably true
Presumably this is where the accident happened.
You'll be taking the car, presumably?
journal a newspaper or magazine that deals with a particular subject or profession
a scientific/trade journal
the British Medical Journal
other than (usually used in negative sentences) except
I don't know any French people other than you.
We're going away in June but other than that I'll be here all summer.
3
comparable (to/with somebody/something) similar to somebody/something else
and able to be compared
A comparable house in the south of the city would cost twice as much.
 The situation in the US is not directly comparable to that in the UK.
single adj single; happening once
The police said the attack was an isolated incident.
communicative adj connected with the ability to communicate in a language,
especially a foreign language
communicative skills
consult something to look in or at something to get information
SYNONYM REFER TO
He consulted the manual.
agency a business or an organization that provides a particular service especially on
behalf of other businesses or organizations
an advertising/employment agency
You can book at your local travel agency.
field [countable] a particular subject or activity that somebody works in or is
interested in
SYNONYM AREA
famous in the field of music
I enjoy meeting people in other fields of business.
periodical a magazine that is published every week, month, etc., especially one that
is concerned with an academic subject
The university library stocks some 5 000 current periodicals.
cite something (as something) to mention something as a reason or an example, or
in order to support what you are saying
He cited his heavy workload as the reason for his breakdown.
publication [uncountable, countable] the act of printing a book, a magazine, etc.
and making it available to the public; a book, a magazine, etc. that has been
published
the publication date the publication of his first novel
specialist publications
4
present (of an opportunity, a solution, etc.) to suddenly happen or become available
SYNONYM ARISE
present itself One major problem did present itself, though.
present itself to somebody Thankfully, a solution presented itself to him
surprisingly soon.
stark adj very different to something in a way that is easy to see
SYNONYM CLEAR stark differences
Social divisions in the city are stark.
The good weather was in stark contrast to the storms of previous weeks.
firm a business or company
an engineering firm a firm of accountants
market something (to somebody) (as something) to advertise and offer a product
for sale; to present something in a particular way and make people want to buy it
SYNONYM PROMOTE
 It is marketed as a low-alcohol wine.
School meals need to be marketed to children in the same way as other
food.
in particular especially or particularly
He loves science fiction in particular.
insularity [uncountable] (disapproving) the fact that somebody is only interested in
their own country, ideas, etc. and not those from outside / tính hẹp hòi thiển cận
the insularity of village life cultural insularity
assumption [countable] a belief or feeling that something is true or that something
will happen, although there is no proof
an underlying/implicit assumption
We need to challenge some of the basic assumptions of Western philosophy.
We are working on the assumption that everyone invited will turn up.
It was impossible to make assumptions about people's reactions.
firm a business or company
an engineering firm a firm of accountants
deal with sb/sth to do business with a person, a company or an organization
outgoing adj [only before noun] going away from a particular place rather than
arriving in it
This telephone should be used for outgoing calls.
outgoing flights/passengers
correspondence (with somebody) U the letters a person sends and receives
personal/private correspondence
The editor welcomes correspondence from readers on any subject.
notably adv used for giving a good or the most important example of something
SYNONYM ESPECIALLY
The house had many drawbacks, most notably its price.
This argument has been put forward by many politicians, most notably by
the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary.
by no means, not by any (manner of) means not at all
She is by no means an inexperienced teacher.
We haven't won yet, not by any means.
exempt (from something) [not before noun] if somebody/something
is exempt from something, they are not affected by it, do not have to do it, pay it,
etc.
The interest on the money is exempt from tax.
Some students are exempt from certain exams.
widespread adj existing or happening over a large area or among many people
widespread damage
The plan received widespread support throughout the country.
alternative adj [only before noun] (also alternate especially in North American
English) that can be used instead of something else
an alternative method of doing something
Do you have an alternative solution?
 open to something (of a person) willing to listen to and think about new ideas
I'm open to suggestions for what you would like to do in our classes.
insularity [uncountable] (disapproving) the fact that somebody is only interested in
their own country, ideas, etc. and not those from outside / tính hẹp hòi thiển cận
the insularity of village life cultural insularity
5
publicity U the attention that is given to somebody/something by newspapers,
television, etc.
good/bad/adverse publicity
There has been a great deal of publicity surrounding his disappearance.
greatly adv (formal) (usually before a verb or participle) very much
People's reaction to the film has varied greatly.
a greatly increased risk
scheme (British English) a plan or system for doing or organizing something
a training scheme
scheme (for doing something) a local scheme for recycling newspapers
scheme (to do something) to introduce/operate a scheme to improve links
between schools and industry
promote something to help something to happen or develop
SYNONYM ENCOURAGE
policies to promote economic growth
a campaign to promote awareness of environmental issues
Xhosa The Bantu language of the Xhosa, related to Zulu and spoken by over 7
million people. It is one of the official languages of South Africa.
‘young people recited verses in Xhosa’
firm a business or company
an engineering firm a firm of accountants
involved adj [not usually before noun] having a close personal relationship with
somebody
They're not romantically involved.
involved with somebody/something You're too emotionally involved with
the situation.
Opposite uninvolved
glossary a list of technical or special words, especially those in a particular text,
explaining their meanings
a glossary of financial terms
She has compiled a glossary of horse-riding terms.
consistency [uncountable] (approving) the quality of always behaving in the same
way or of having the same opinions, standard, etc.; the quality of being consistent
She has played with great consistency all season.
We need to ensure the consistency of service to our customers.
readily adv in a way that shows you do not object to something
SYNONYM WILLINGLY
Most people readily accept the need for laws.
 readily adv quickly and without difficulty
SYNONYM FREELY
All ingredients are readily available from your local store.
appreciate [transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) to understand that
something is true
SYNONYM REALIZE
appreciate something What I failed to appreciate was the distance between
the two cities.
appreciate how, what, etc… I don't think you appreciate how expensive it
will be.
appreciate that… We didn't fully appreciate that he was seriously ill.
disrupt something to make it difficult for something to continue in the normal way
Demonstrators succeeded in disrupting the meeting.
Bus services will be disrupted tomorrow because of the bridge closure.
take account of something, take something into account to consider particular
facts, circumstances, etc. when making a decision about something
The company takes account of environmental issues wherever possible.
Coursework is taken into account as well as exam results.
6
marked adj easy to see
SYNONYM NOTICEABLE, DISTINCT
a marked difference/improvement
a marked increase in profits
She is quiet and studious, in marked contrast to her sister.
dawn to become known or obvious
Gradually the truth about him dawned.
[ + that ] It eventually dawned that he wouldn't be coming back.
realization [uncountable, singular] the process of becoming aware of something
SYNONYM AWARENESS
realization (of something) the sudden realization of what she had done
realization (that…) There is a growing realization that changes must be
made.
by no means, not by any (manner of) means not at all
She is by no means an inexperienced teacher.
We haven't won yet, not by any means.
administration (informal admin) [uncountable] the activities that are done in order
to plan, organize and run a business, school or other institution
Administration costs are passed on to the customer.
the day-to-day administration of a company
variation (on something) a thing that is different from other things in the same
general group
This soup is a spicy variation on a traditional favourite.
permeate [transitive, intransitive] (of an idea, an influence, a feeling, etc.) to affect
every part of something
 permeate something a belief that permeates all levels of society
+ adv./prep. Dissatisfaction among the managers soon permeated down to
members of the workforce.
secure to obtain or achieve something, especially when this means using a lot of
effort
secure something to secure a contract/deal
The team managed to secure a place in the finals.She secured 2 000 votes.
secure something for somebody/something/yourself He secured a place
for himself at law school.
secure somebody/something/yourself something He secured himself a
place at law school.
Questions 14-17
Answers
14 major consequences
fatal adj causing or ending in death
a fatal accident/blow/illness
a potentially fatal form of cancer
15 surveys
gain something to gradually get more of something
to gain confidence/strength/experience
I've gained weight recently.
16 sales literature
insularity [uncountable] (disapproving) the fact that somebody is only interested in
their own country, ideas, etc. and not those from outside / tính hẹp hòi thiển cận
the insularity of village life cultural insularity
17 Eastern Europe // Far East // Russia // Arab world // Latin America // French-
speaking Africa
Questions 18-20
Answers
18 C
metaphor U C a word or phrase used to describe somebody/something else, in a
way that is different from its normal use, in order to show that the two things have
the same qualities and to make the description more powerful, for example She has
a heart of stone; the use of such words and phrases / phép ẩn dụ
a game of football used as a metaphor for the competitive struggle of life
the writer’s striking use of metaphor
dialect U C the form of a language that is spoken in one area with grammar,
words and pronunciation that may be different from other forms of the same
language
the Yorkshire dialect dialect words/expressions
19 B 20 C
insularity [uncountable] (disapproving) the fact that somebody is only interested in
their own country, ideas, etc. and not those from outside / tính hẹp hòi thiển cận
the insularity of village life cultural insularity
Questions 21-24
Answers (in any order)
21 (industrial) training (schemes)
scheme (British English) a plan or system for doing or organizing something
a training scheme
scheme (for doing something) a local scheme for recycling newspapers
scheme (to do something) to introduce/operate a scheme to improve links
between schools and industry
22 translation services 3 (part-time) language courses
24 (technical) glossaries
glossary a list of technical or special words, especially those in a particular text,
explaining their meanings
a glossary of financial terms
She has compiled a glossary of horse-riding terms.
Questions 25 and 26
Answers
25 D
desire [countable, uncountable] a strong wish to have or do something
enough money to satisfy all your desires
desire for something a strong desire for power
desire to do something She felt an overwhelming desire to return home.
(formal) I have no desire (= I do not want) to discuss the matter further.
(formal) He has expressed a desire to see you.
26 A