Seminar on techniques to deal with closetopposite meaning of wordsphrases exer

It is undeniable that English has become an integral part not only in workplace but also in daily life. Realizing its significant role, English has been considered as one of the mandatory subjects in every school as well as one compulsory subject which students need to overcome its challenges in the General Certificate of Secondary Education Exam (GCSE). Every year, there are nearly a million Vietnamese 12 graders taking the compulsory English test with the view to receiving a general certificate of secondary school education. Since 2015, the English test has been used for students to achieve two major goals: (1) to receive a general certificate of secondary school education and (2) to gain entrance to Vietnamese universities and colleges. As important it is, English seems to be ignored or paid much less attention in the last few years. Lack of attention combines with lack of skills in doing exercises makes students have many difficulties in learning English in class as well as taking the test. Recently, an English format test of GCSE has included 50 challenging questions ranging from simple to complicated form to check students’ ability in four levels: recognition; understanding, low application and high application. There are merely four questions in totally 50 questions relating to closetopposite meaning of wordsphrases in the format test of GCSE. However, as can be seen, in reading comprehensive exercises, there are also have questions relating to this type. If students are equipped with techniques on how to deal with this type of exercise, they can have a better result in their tests, especially the next GCSE. Thus, in this minor study, I would like to focus mainly on how to use various effective techniques to help students deal with closetopposite meaning of wordsphrases to my students at Tam Duong high school with the purposes of preparing them for the National School Education Examination. This minor research will be applied in teaching for students in 10 weeks with the knowledge ranging from basic (new words in the textbook) to complicated (expanding the topicteaching and learning the wordsidiomsphrasal verbs related to the topic: life storiesurbanization etc.).

A INTRODUCTION

I RATIONALE

It is undeniable that English has become an integral part not only in workplace but also in daily life.Realizing its significant role, English has been considered as one of the mandatory subjects in every school

as well as one compulsory subject which students need to overcome its challenges in the General Certificate

of Secondary Education Exam (GCSE) Every year, there are nearly a million Vietnamese 12 graders takingthe compulsory English test with the view to receiving a general certificate of secondary school education

Thus, in this minor study, I would like to focus mainly on how to use various effective techniques tohelp students deal with closet/opposite meaning of words/phrases to my students at Tam Duong high schoolwith the purposes of preparing them for the National School Education Examination This minor researchwill be applied in teaching for students in 10 weeks with the knowledge ranging from basic (new words inthe textbook) to complicated (expanding the topic-teaching and learning the words/idioms/phrasal verbsrelated to the topic: life stories/urbanization etc.)

II ANALYSIS OF THE GCSE MATRIX

I would like to give some analytical data about the matrix of the previous English test in the twolatest general certificate of secondary exams

MATRIX OF CODE 421 IN GCSE IN 2018

the sentences n anding Application Application

1 PHONETI

CS

Pronunciation (Sound)

“s” or “i:”

sound

Stress (2 syllables)

Closet meaning in reading

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions

1 Judy has just won a full scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, she must be

on cloud nine now

C obviously delighted D incredibly optimistic

2 People nationwide have acted without hesitation to provide aids for the victims in the disaster-stricken

1 The football final has been postponed until next Sunday due to the heavy snowstorm

2 The chairman’s thought-provoking question ignited a lively debate among the participants in the

two feet apart only if they are having a confidential conversation or if there is intimacy between them

1 The word “intimacy” in paragraph 2 is closet in meaning to .

closeness

Gestures are often used to communicate We point a finger, raise an eyebrow, wave an arm – or move any other part of the body – to show what we want to say However, this does not mean that people all over the world use the same gestures can communicate different meanings, depending on the country An example of

a gesture that could be misinterpreted is sticking out the tongue

2 The word “misinterpreted” in paragraph 3 is closet in meaning to .

misbehaved

Reading 2

Another solution is to reduce the amount of energy required in a building It is possible to cut electricity use noticeably by improving natural lighting and installing low-energy light-bulbs To reduce the amount of fuel

needed for heating or cooling, builders also add insulation to the walls so that the building stays warmer in

winter and cooler in summer

1 The word “insulation” in paragraph 2 refers to _.

A devices that monitor changes in temperature

B materials that prevent heat loss and absorption

C systems that protect buildings from sun’s rays

D panels that convert solar energy into electricity

A large project is under way in China The first phase of this project will include houses for 400 families

built with solar power, non-polluting bricks, and recycled wall insulation

2 The phrase “under way” in paragraph 6 mostly mean _.

A being inspected B being certified C being notified D being launched

MATRIX OF CODE 401 IN GCSE IN 2019

Number of the sentences

Recognit ion

Understand ing

Low Application

High Application

S

Pronunciation (Sound)

“ed” or “aʊ”

sound

Stress (2-3 syllables)

Comprehensive reading

(closet meaning: 3)

transformation Sentence Combination

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions

1 Children brought up in a caring environment tend to grow more sympathetic towards others

2 It’s quite disappointing that some people still turn a blind eye to acts of injustice that witness in the street.

A take no notice of B have no feeling for

C show respect to D pay attention to

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSET in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions

1 These photos brought back many sweet memories of our trip to Hanoi last year

2 At first, John said he hadn’t broken the vase, but later he accepted it

Reading 1:

Not everyone is convinced that tribal tourism is a good thing and opinions are divided

1 The word “divided” in paragraph 3 is closet in meaning to

Reading 2:

Computers and other electronic equipment become obsolete in just a few years, leaving customers with little

choice but to buy newer ones to keep up

1 The word “obsolete” in paragraph 1 is closet in meaning to

incomplete

To address the problem of the international trade in e-waste, 170 nations signed the 1989 Basel Convention,

an agreement requiring that developed nations notify developing nations of hazardous waste shipments

coming into their countries

2 The word “notify” in paragraph 3 is closet in meaning to

A assure B notice C excuse D inform

As can be seen from the English test matrix’s analysis, there are 7 and 8 questions/statements related

to closet/opposite meaning including reading comprehension exercise, accounts for 14% to 16% of the test’sresult It is not a large percentage but students cannot get the high score without this type of exercise

III OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study is designed to obtain the following objectives:

 Study and find out various effective techniques to do closet/opposite meaning of words/phrasesexercises in classes

 Apply these techniques in teaching and learning English for the upcoming General Certificate ofSecondary Exam

IV METHOD OF THE STUDY

Integrated methods used in this study such as:

 Making reference to linguistic books and articles on how to cope with closet/ opposite meaning ofwords/phrases exercises

 Putting the techniques into practice of teaching and learning English in classes

 Considering the effectiveness of applying these techniques and creating any necessary modification

V SCOPE OF THE STUDY

 This seminar is applied to teach Grade 12 students at Tam Duong high school and help them how tocope with synonym or antonym exercises

 This seminar is planned to teach within 10 weeks

 This seminar tends to deal with the knowledge ranging from basic (new words in the textbook) tocomplicated (expanding the topic-teaching and learning the words/idioms/phrasal verbs related to thetopic: life stories/urbanization etc.)

B DEVELOPMENT

I TECHINIQUES TO TEACH AND LEARN ENGLISH SYNONYM/ANTONYM:

1 Teaching and Learning Synonym/Antonym in Context

At first, students can be shocked or confused when reading synonym or antonym exercises because

the given underlined words may be unfamiliar words/idioms or phrasal verbs However, how normal it is

when you do not know these words Therefore, in this situation, students need to calm them down and do theexercise in a logical and analytical way Guessing the contextual meanings of words plays an important role

in language learning It is common that ESL students do not pay much attention to the various meanings ofnew words in different contexts Basing on the context of the words in the sentence combines with themeaning of the familiar words, students can get the meaning of the given words It is more effective forstudents to learn language in meaningful contexts than learn isolated words through memorization anddrilling Teachers should introduce the new words by making examples and asking students to guess theirmeanings in these contexts

Example 1: It is quite common for students to gather at the canteen and shoot the breeze during the break

C gossip about unimportant things D fight with each other

T: What purpose do students gather at the canteen during the break time? Can you guess?

Ss: May be they gather here to eat and chat while they are eating, so I think the answer is C

Example 2: I shouldn’t go outside without a raincoat because it’s raining cats and dogs

A it’s just started to rain B it’s raining very heavily

C it’s going to rain D it’s raining a little

=> in this sentence “it’s raining cats and dogs” means “it’s raining heavily” based on the given words: not

go outside and without raincoat

This technique is not only effective with closet/opposite meaning, but also really efficient withreading comprehensive exercise in finding the meaning of the bold words in the paragraph You can see thefollowing example for this conclusion:

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions

Theresa May, the second female Britain's prime minister following Margaret Thatcher, revealed in 2013 thatshe had been given a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, a condition that requires daily insulin injections Asked

later how she felt about the diagnosis, she said her approach to it was the same as toward everything in her

life: “Just get on and deal with it.” That kind of steeliness brought her to center stage in the aftermath ofBritain's vote to leave the European Union and the feuding that erupted in the Conservative Party over whowould succeed David Cameron

Example 1: The word approach in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .

A.

=> Based on the familiar words’ meaning for example “just get on and deal with it” students can give their

understanding about the word “approach” means a way to solve a problem – diabetes so the closet meaning

word here is A

Example 2: The increase in urbanization causes different problems Air and water pollution are amongst the major issue we have to tackle

The word tackle in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .

down

=> In this sentence “tackle” means “deal with” based on the words “cause different problems” and “among the major issue”

2 Teaching and Learning Synonym/Antonym with Personal Experience:

It is dependable on the given context of the sentence; students can put themselves in the writer’sshoes to giving the solution Using the knowledge, they have combines with their own experiences to choosethe best answer for the sentence

Make the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is OPPOSITE

in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.

Example 1: After knowing that he was the winner of Viet Lott lottery, he was walking on air

C feeling broken-hearted D feeling elated

=> Based their own experiences or their knowledge, students may feel “what” when they won “special prize” got a lot of money from Viet Lott such as 98 billion Vietnam Dong=> students surely answer that

they feel so happy or excited => the opposite meaning of happy is sad/broken-hearted so the answer here is C

3 Teaching and Learning Words with Their Synonym/Antonym:

When T introduces new words in each lesson/unit, T should give their students some popularsynonyms or antonyms so that students can expand their vocabulary not only with the purposing to dealingwith closet/opposite meaning exercise, but also with the aim to improve their vocabulary for writing skills

Unit 1: Life stories in Grade 12

+ anonymous = unnamed = unidentified >< known=named=identified

+ amputate = cut off >< join/mend

+ overcome = get over >< fail

+ generosity = goodness/kindness/unselfishness >< selfishness/meanness/unkindness

+ prosperous = rich/wealthy/thriving >< poor/needy/humble

Make the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is CLOSET in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.

Example 1: The wound had become so infected that the doctors had no choice but amputate the soldier's

arm

Make the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.

Example 2: They are going to have to amputate his left leg which was badly injured in the accident

4 Teaching and Learning Words with Positive or Negative Meaning of the Given Words:

Teacher can guide students to pay attention to some prefixes which has negative meaning when they areadded to the beginning of a word Teachers asks student to remember them for identification in the exams.When doing this type of exercise, using prefixes to guess the meaning of the word: is it positive or negative?Based on the prefixes, student can guess the meaning of the words: positive or negative and then give theiranswers

contra-,

contro-against, opposite controversy

Example 1: Mutualism is a type of symbiosis that occurs when two unlike organisms live together in a state

that is mutually beneficial

When looking at the given words, students can realize that “un” has opposite meaning and it means “not”

=> the opposite meaning of “unlike” is “similar”

Example 2: My little daughter would spend an inordinate amount of time in the shop, deciding which goods

she was going to buy

When looking at the given words, students can realize that “in” has opposite meaning and it means “lack”

=> the opposite meaning of “inordinate” is “far more than usual=excessive”

II- Practice

WEEK 1+2: TOPIC (LIFE STORIES)

Vocabulary to focus on

+ anonymous = unnamed = unidentified >< known=named=identified (a)

+ amputate = cut off >< join/mend (v)

+ overcome = get over >< fail (v)

+ generosity = goodness/kindness/unselfishness >< selfishness/meanness/unkindness (a)

+ prosperous = rich/wealthy/thriving >< poor/needy/humble (a)

+ adopt >< abandon (v)

+ adoptive = foster (a)

+ waver = hesitate (v)

+ influential = inspirational (a)

+ devoted = dedicated (a)

Exercise Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s)

in each of the following questions (from 1 to 10: understanding; from 11 to 21: low application)

1 The speaker paused He hesitated to answer the direct question raised by the audience.

Correct answer is D: Hesitate = waver: do dự, lưỡng lự

2 Her courage not only inspired her followers but moved her rivals as well.

Correct answer is B: Inspire = motivate: truyền cảm hứng, làm động lực

3 The government's plans to cut taxes really stimulated the economy.

Correct answer is D: In this sentence, “stimulate” has closet meaning with “improve”

4 Chauvet Jeans was a well-known nineteen century painter whose paintings are extraordinarily

sophisticated

Correct answer is D: Sophisticated=complex: phức tạp

5 Some rock stars started off as rebels with strong and broad principles

Correct answer is A: Principle: a moral rule or a strong belief that influences your actions = belief

6 I used to idolize David Beckham because of his dedication and talent

Correct answer is D: Idolize: to admire or love somebody very much = worship: thần tượng hóa, tôn sùng

7 Linda is very outgoing, however, her brother is quite reserved

Correct answer is D: Reserved: (of a person or their character) slow or unwilling to show feelings or express opinions = shy

8 Ideally, I'd like to work at home but there is no way my boss agrees with that.

Correct answer is C: Ideally: perfectly; in the most suitable way = preferably

9 Morgan Freeman began to land big roles and won critical and popular acclaim after years of small parts

and limited success

Correct answer is B: Land: to succeed in getting a job, etc., especially one that a lot of other people want = gain

10 Recognizable smaller than most of the kids in his age group, Lionel Messi was diagnosed by doctors as

suffering from a hormone deficiency that restricted his growth.

Correct answer is A: Deficiency: the state of not having, or not having enough of, something that is essential = inadequacy

11 The film was so successful that the main actor became a household name afterwards

Correct answer is A: - a household name = a well-known person: một người nổi tiếng

12 Despite all the obstacles, Mariah's determination to become a famous singer never waivers

A becomes stronger B gets better C becomes weaker D get destroyed

Correct answer is C: waivers = becomes weaker: trở nên yếu đi

13 From humble beginnings, sales have rocketed and are set for further high growth in the next three years

Correct answer is B: humble = poor: (khởi đầu) kém, không suôn sẻ

14 His early death only cemented his legendary status, and Elvis Presley has become deeply ingrained in

popular culture

Correct answer C: ingrained (in somebody/something) (of a habit, an attitude, etc.) that has existed for a long time and is therefore difficult to change = deep-rooted: ăn sâu, khắc sâu

A – engross (+ in/with) so interested or involved in something that you give it all your attention

B- indulge (+ in) to allow yourself to have or do something that you like, especially something that is considered bad for you

D- very great or the greatest in degree

15 A distinctive feature of Trump's business and real estate ventures has been the prominent use of his own

name

Correct answer is A: distinctive : having a quality or characteristic that makes something different and easily noticed = characteristic: đặc biệt để phân biệt

16 Marilyn Monroe has become an iconic representative of fame and female beauty

Correct answer is A: Representative: a person who has been chosen to speak or vote for somebody else or

on behalf of a group = delegate: đại diện, tiêu biểu,

17 Despite the media often being dismissive of Monroe's potential, her efforts to improve acting paid off

Correct answer is D: Pay off: to be successful and bring good

18 Margaret Thatcher was known for her tough uncompromising conservative political views, and became

dubbed as ‘The Iron Lady’

A reserved B inflexible C narrow-minded D compatible

Correct answer is B: uncompromising : unwilling to change your opinions or behaviour = rigid =

inflexible

19 He is commonly referred to as the "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" and epitomizes the post-war pop

generation

A be representative of B leads C elaborates D expands on

Correct answer is A: epitomize something - to be a perfect example of something => A has closet

meaning with given words

20 Leonardo da Vinci created rare masterpieces of art such as The Mona Lisa' and ‘The Last Supper’.

A worthless works of art B invaluable property

C excellent qualifications D excellent works of art

Correct answer is D: Masterpiece: a work of art such as a painting, film/movie, book, etc that is an excellent, or the best, example of the artist’s work => correct answer is D

21 Da Vinci studied all aspects of life and his far-reaching investigations and discoveries sought to show an

underlying unity of the universe

Correct answer is C: Far-reaching: likely to have a lot of influence or many effects => correct answer is C

Exercise 2 Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the

underlined word(s) in each of the following questions (from 1 to 10: understanding; from 11 to 18: low application)

1 During the Great Depression, many people suddenly found themselves jobless after a night.

supplementary

Correct answer is D: Jobless = unemployed = unoccupied = redundant >< supplementary= addition

2 I was relieved by the news that they had gone home safe and sound

lightened

Correct answer is B: Relieve: remove or reduce an unpleasant feeling or pain >< concerned

3 She comes from an admirable and respectable family.

Correct answer is C: Respectable: considered by society to be acceptable, good or correct >< unworthy D: calm and serious and deserving respect

4 They are going to have to amputate his left leg which was badly injured in the accident

Correct answer is D: Amputate=remove=separate= cut off >< mend

5 Her identity will never be revealed in order to protect her children from being judged

Correct answer is D: Reveal: to make something known to somebody=uncovered=proclaim=leak=disclose

>< hide

6 There are several interesting things emerging from the report

Correct answer is A: Emerge: to start to exist; to appear or become known = appear >< fade: to disappear gradually

7 This boy is poorly-educated and doesn't know how to behave properly

Correct answer is B: Poorly-educated: knowing very little >< Knowledgeable: knowing a lot

8 I prefer reading fictional stories to hearing about real events

Correct answer is C: Fictional: not real or true; existing only in stories; connected with fiction =

unreal=imaginary >< existent: existing; real

(Legendary: mentioned in stories from ancient times)

9 It is not fair to give such a challenging task to an inexperienced staff like her

Correct answer is A: challenging >< comprehensible: that can be understood by somebody

C: intended to make people angry or upset; intended to make people argue about something

D: very interesting because of being unusual or not having an obvious answer

10 White blood cells help defend the body against infection

Correct answer is D: Defend: to protect somebody/something from attack >< abandone

11 Da Vinci from an early age began to display his remarkable academic and artistic talents

A out of the ordinary B abnormal C usual D odd

Correct answer is C: Exceptional >< usual

13 Van Gogh became one of the most celebrated artists of the twentieth century

Correct answer is D: Celebrated: famous for having good qualities >< obscure: not well known =

unknown

14 Michael stood out for his exceptional enthusiasm and soft, infectious musical voice

Correct answer is B: Stand out: to be noticeable = be conspicuous >< be inconspicuous

15 In recent years, Madonna has continued to tour, release albums and engage in humanitarian work

A throw oneself into B become uninvolved in

Correct answer is B

(A: means to begin to do something with energy and enthusiasm)

(C means If you have a hand in something such as an event or activity, you are involved in it)

16 Henry VIII was equally notorious for his six marriages and several scandalous love affairs

Correct answer is A: Notorious: well known for being bad >< anonymous

17 The works Da Vinci did finish were often spectacular masterpieces, such as his paintings The Last

Supper and The Mona Lisa

remarkable

Correct answer is C: Spectacular: very impressive >< unimpressive

18 The death of Diana princess had a profound impact on the British public and those in other countries

Correct answer is B: Profound: very great; felt or experienced very strongly >< superficial

WEEK 3+4: TOPIC (URBANIZATION)

Vocabulary to focus on

+ down-to-earth = practical (a)

+ crucial = important = vital >< unimportant (a)

+ prosperous = affluent = wealthy >< poor=unprosperous (a)

+ thought-provoking = inspirational=absorbing >< unstimulating (a)

+ stable = steady >< temporary (a)

+ accelerate >< accelerate (v)

+ result in (v) = bring about = cause = lead to >< result from

+ migrate = emigrate (v)

EXERCISE Exercise 1: Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the

underlined word(s) in each of the following questions

1 She's a down-to-earth woman with no pretensions

Correct answer is D: Down-to-earth: sensible and practical, in a way that is helpful and friendly =

practical

2 It is crucial that urban people not look down on rural areas

Correct answer is D: Crucial = vital

3 Polish artist Pawel Kuzinsky creates satirical paintings filled with thought-provoking messages about the

world

Correct answer is A: Thought-provoking: making people think seriously about a particular subject or issue = inspirational

4 She was brought up in the slums of Leeds

A downtown area B industrial area C poor area D rural area

Correct answer is C: Slum = poor area

5 The Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline is a national service for women

experiencing domestic violence, their family, friends, colleagues and others calling on their behalf

A in the same country B in the same family

Correct answer is B: Domestic: used in the home; connected with the home or family = B

6 The promise of jobs and prosperity pulls people to cities.

Correct answer is D: Prosperity: the state of being successful, especially in making money = wealth

7 With so many daily design resources, how do you stay up-to-date with technology without spending too

much time on it?

A connect to Internet all day B update new status

C get latest information D use social network daily

Correct answer is C: Stay up-to-date: having or including the most recent information = get latest

information

8 Online Business School also offers interest free student loans to UK students

A no extra fee B no limited time C no repayment D no interest payments

Correct answer is D: interest free = no interest payments

9 Many illnesses in refugee camps are the result of inadequate sanitation.

A cleanliness B dirtiness C pollution D uncleanliness

Correct answer is A: Sanitation: the equipment and systems that keep places clean, especially by removing human waste = cleanliness

10 There has been a hot debate among the scientists relating to the pros and cons of using robotic probes to

study distant objects in space

A problems and solutions B advantages and disadvantages

C solutions and limitations D causes and effects

Correct answer is B: pros and cons means advantages and disadvantages

11 Her style of dress was conservative She never wears items that are too tight, short or low-cut

Correct answer is B: conservative means traditional in this sentence

12 Many of the immigrants have intermarried with the island's original inhabitants

Correct answer is D: inhabitant = dweller

13 A city that grows too quickly can also experience an array of environmental issues.

Correct answer is A: Array means a group or collection of things or people, often one that is large or impressive = variety

14 Low-income dwellers are generally living in older areas of modern cities, which are well known for poor

sanitation, lack of health facilities and basic amenities.

Correct answer is B: Amenity: a feature that makes a place pleasant, comfortable or easy to live in = facility

15 India is facing a house shortage in urban areas at the moment and more housing would be required in

order to meet future demand.

Correct answer is C: meet (demand) = fulfill: to do or have what is required or necessary

16 A smart sustainable city will meet the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic,

social and environmental aspects

A in addition to B according to C with regard to D with a view to

Correct answer is C: With respect to: concerning = in/with regard to somebody/something

17 As cities grew more crowded, and often more impoverished and costly, more and more people began to

migrate back out of them

Correct answer is C: Impoverished: very poor; without money = penniless

18 Urbanization spurs a unique set of issues to both humans and animals

Correct answer is A: Spur: to encourage somebody to do something or to encourage them to try harder to achieve something = stimulate

19 Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air

Correct answer is D: elevate: to lift something up or put something in a higher position = uplift: to lift upwards

20 Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding

Correct answer is C: magnify: to make something bigger, louder or stronger = exaggerate: to make

something seem larger, better, worse or more important than it really is

21 Urbanization brings with it several consequences - both adverse and beneficial.

A negative B favorable C advantageous D preferential

Correct answer is A: adverse means negative

22 The quality of urban water bodies is increasingly exacerbated by a huge volume of untreated industrial

and domestic wastewater

Correct answer is D: exacerbate: to make something worse, especially a disease or problem = eggravate

Exercise 2 Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the

underlined word(s) in each of the following questions

1 This restaurant was highly recommended for good service, delicious food and kind-hearted boss

A ambitious and greedy B attentive and helpful

C generous and gracious D polite and friendly

Correct answer is A: kind-hearted: kind and generous >< ambitious and greedy

2 Since 1979, ULI has honored outstanding development projects in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors with the ULI Global Awards for Excellence program, which today is widely recognized as the

development community's most prestigious awards program

Correct answer is C: Prestigious: respected and admired as very important or of very high quality >< ordinary

3 Many people move to urban areas seeking for job opportunity as well as stable employment

Correct answer is D: stable=steady ~long-lasting >< temporary

4 In cities, two of the most pressing problems facing the world today also come together: poverty and

environmental degradation.

A destruction B poisoning C pollution D progression

Correct answer is D: degradation: the process of something being damaged or made worse >< progression

5 Unemployment is a massive problem for the government at the moment

Correct answer is C: massive: extremely large or serious >< minor

6 A cost - effective way to fight crime is that instead of making punishments more severe, the authorities

should increase the odds that lawbreakers will be apprehended and punished quickly

Correct answer is D: cost-effective >< worthless

7 I propose that we wait until the budget has been announced before committing ourselves to any

expenditure

Correct answer is C: propose to suggest a plan, an idea, etc for people to think about and decide on = recommend = approve = suggest >< reject

8 Until 1986 most companies would not even allow women to take the exams, but such gender

discrimination is now disappearing.

Correct answer is D: discrimination: the practice of treating somebody or a particular group in society less fairly than others >< equality

9 The best hope of' avoiding downmarket tabloid TV future lies in the pressure currently being put on the

networks to clean up their act

Correct answer is A: downmarket = cheap >< expensive

10 Without economie security and amid poor living conditions, crime is inevitable.

preventable

Correct answer is D: inevitable: that you cannot avoid or prevent >< preventable

11 Increases in motor vehicle usage have resulted in congestion on the roads