Read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best completes each
collocation or fixed phase.
A report on the notorious Fiveways School, visited recently by government
(1) ..B , was published yesterday. The report (2) inadequate strategic
planning, poor (3) of teaching, and semi-derelict building conditions as
being largely to blame for the problems at Fiveways, the school branded 'the
worst in Europe'. Our reporters entered the school by (4) arrangement,
and witnessed at (5) hand the chaos that has heaped infamy on the
school. On the day of their visit, our reporters learned that one disruptive pupil
had been given a 3-week (6) for punching a teacher in the face. Our
reporters saw pupils virtually (7) riot, throwing stones at passers-by and
verbally (8) a teacher.
1) A authorities B inspectors C controllers D examiners
2) A highlights B illuminates C features D activates
3) A measures B patterns C standards D specifications
4) A former B earlier C preceding D prior
5) A original B first C immediate D direct
6) A expulsion B caution C suspension Dban
7) A running B going C making D taking
8) A harming B abusing C damaging D oppressing
2 Complete the extracts from two school reports. Use the words from the box.
miu^H
half-hearted respect mature distracted insolent
participated contributes applies concentrate effort
Report 1
Tracey has made a big (1) ..effort. this term, showing herself to be very
(2) for her age. She (3) herself well and
(4) fully to class discussions. She shows a lot of (5)
towards her teachers.
Report 2
On one occasion Derek was sent home for being (1) to a teacher.
In terms of effort, his work can sometimes be rather (2) He is
easily (3) and finds it hard to (4) in class. Also he
has not (5) in group work as well as he should.
254
V O C A B U L A R Y 18 EDUCATION
3 Both options make sense. Underline the one which forms a common collocation.
a) In my country we have to do nine basic/core subjects and then we can choose
several others.
b) At this school we put a strong emphasis on academic/scholarly achievement.
c) In my country bodily/corporal punishment was abolished 40 years ago.
d) In my class we had a helper/support teacher who assisted pupils with learning
difficulties.
e) On Friday afternoons we had lessons with the trainee/apprentice teacher.
f) In my country we have some end of year tests but most of our marks come
from progressive/continuous assessment.
g) At 16 we have the choice of doing more vocation/employment oriented
courses, such as business studies and accounting.
h) When I was 15, I had a 2-week work position/placement with a local factory.
i) There were a number of teenage/child mothers in my class.
j) I was expelled from school for playing/going truant too many times.
4 Complete each space in the text with a word formed from the word in capitals.
Last year I resigned my post as a Head of Department at a large
comprehensive school. After 23 years of teaching, I had simply
had enough of a job which is becoming increasingly
(1) ..problematic. . As a Departmental Head, I saw at close PROBLEM
hand the effect of the government's increased
(2) in educational matters; the job is now INVOLVE
ten times more (3) than it was when I BUREAU
started out. Not content with loading teachers down with
paperwork, the government has also imposed standard national
tests on pupils as young as six, a fact which has left many teachers
(4) with their profession. But that side of ENCHANT
things is by no means all. There is also the growing
(5) of the pupils, including the girls. AGGRESSIVE
There are the frequent little acts of (6) RUDE
which teachers have become almost (7) to stop, POWER
now that the right to discipline pupils has been all but taken
from them. There is the restlessness and sheer (8) BORING
of children brought up on a diet of computer games and violent
videos. Some people dismiss any link between computer games
and a (9) in attention span, but few of them are REDUCE
teachers. When I started out, I used to enjoy teaching history,
my chosen discipline, to (10) pupils; now I do so RESPECT
every Tuesday evening, teaching local history to pensioners.
255
ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE
Five people are speaking about their learning experiences. Complete each space
with a suitable word. The first letter of each space is given.
a) I've just finished university, although I'll have to go back for my
g.raduation ceremony in October. So now I'm the proud possessor
of a d in Modern Languages. At last I can get down to
earning some money and paying back my 1 from the
government. My friend is luckier than me in this respect - she's off to the
States. She has a s to study at Yale University.
b) I was known as a rather naughty, mischievous pupil, and I often used to get
s out of the lesson or put in d after
school. Little did the school know, however, that Dad was actually paying
me to have extra Maths lessons at home with a private t
And it paid off, for in my Maths exam, I surprised everyone by getting the
top m in the class.
c) I left school without any q , and with no real job
p But then I started doing e classes at
the local f education college. And now I'm a mechanic,
and delighted with my job!
d) My problem was exams. I was never any good at them. Classwork fine,
exams no go. For my A levels I r solidly for three months,
but despite all this preparation, I got disappointing g :D
for Physics, E for Chemistry, and E for Biology. The school suggested that I
r the exams, but to be honest, I didn't fancy all that
studying all over again. But I did win a p at Sports Day,
for the Senior Boys Long Jump.
e) When I was 28, I decided I wanted to go back into education, as I was
getting more and more interested in English literature. One option was to
become a m student at a university, but I couldn't afford
this full-time commitment. So in the end I signed up for a
c course, or 'distance learning', as it's called. I sent my
essays and a to a tutor by post and also communicated
with her by e-mail. I had to study English literature from 1300 to the present
day, but I chose to s in the twentieth-century novel.
256
V O C A B U L A R Y 18 EDUCATION
Complete the spaces by finding one word which fits in all three sentences.
a) When we had finished acting, the teacher gave us all a ..mark out
of ten.
Elka has only been in the office for three months, but already she has really
made her ..mark.
The teacher told Jeremy off for making a ..mark on Emma's
notebook.
b) We are very pleased with Susan's effort - she herself very well
to the task in hand.
Incidentally, the comment I have just made to Smith equally
to everybody in this room.
I really hope my sister for that new job; she'd be so good at it.
c) I've virtually any ambition I ever had of becoming a teacher.
I out of college after one term and went travelling around the
world instead.
On police advice, Mr Bortello has the charges he brought
against his neighbours.
d) Mr Ross, our old history teacher his classes with a rod of iron!
The judge that Newton had acted in self-defence, and
instructed the jury to find him 'not guilty'.
Police have not out the possibility of murder in this case.
e) The entire workforce at Holman Avionics downed tools today, in
of two sacked colleagues.
I'll come along to your speech, if you like, and give you some moral
If you need help, put your hand up and I or Mrs Kent, the
teacher will come to you.
257
