C2 Vocabulary and Lexical Knowledge Flashcards

Choose the word that best completes the collocation: 'The report drew _____ attention to the discrepancies.'

Answer: broad

'Draw broad attention' is the correct collocation; 'broad' collocates with 'attention' in formal contexts.

Which word is the correct formal equivalent of 'use up'?

Answer: deplete

'Deplete' precisely means to reduce or use up a resource, making it the most formal and precise equivalent.

Choose the correct word to complete: 'The scientist made a _____ discovery that overturned decades of accepted theory.'

Answer: ground-breaking

'Ground-breaking' specifically collocates with 'discovery' to mean something revolutionary and unprecedented.

Which word has a connotation of gradual, undesirable change?

Answer: erosion

'Erosion' implies a slow, negative wearing away, often used metaphorically for rights, values, or standards.

Which pair of words are FALSE friends (similar in form but different in meaning)?

Answer: All of the above

All three pairs are classic false friends at C2 level: sensible (reasonable) vs. sensitive (easily affected), historical (relating to history) vs. historic (significant), economic (relating to economics) vs. economical (thrifty).

Choose the word that means 'to make something less severe or intense':

Answer: Both B and C

Both 'alleviate' and 'mitigate' mean to lessen or reduce something negative, making both B and C correct.