OOPT - Oxford Online Placement Vocabulary and Collocations Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In order to improve, you must learn from your experiences, especially when you ______ a mistake.
- do
- make (Correct answer)
- take
- have
Correct answer: make
The verb 'make' is the standard and correct collocation with 'a mistake'. We always say 'make a mistake' to mean committing an error.
Question 2: The city centre was incredibly crowded and lively during the festival. Which adjective best describes this atmosphere?
- tranquil
- remote
- bustling (Correct answer)
- deserted
Correct answer: bustling
'Bustling' means full of energetic and noisy activity, which perfectly describes a crowded and lively city centre. 'Tranquil' means calm, 'remote' means far away, and 'deserted' means empty.
Question 3: After the long flight and the delay at the airport, I was ______ exhausted and just wanted to go to bed.
- absolutely (Correct answer)
- very
- greatly
- fairly
Correct answer: absolutely
'Exhausted' is an ungradable (or extreme) adjective. We use adverbs like 'absolutely', 'utterly', or 'completely' to intensify them. 'Very' is used with gradable adjectives (e.g., 'very tired'), but not with 'exhausted'.
Question 4: Scenario: You are leading a team meeting. After some initial small talk, you want to begin the main discussion. Which phrase is the most appropriate way to start?
- "Let's call it a day."
- "Let's get down to business." (Correct answer)
- "Let's hit the road."
- "Let's go through the motions."
Correct answer: "Let's get down to business."
The idiom 'get down to business' means to start talking about the serious and important topics of a discussion. The other options are incorrect: 'call it a day' means to stop working, 'hit the road' means to leave, and 'go through the motions' means to do something without real effort.
Question 5: The scientist was asked to ______ a talk on her recent discoveries at the international conference.
- tell
- make
- do
- give (Correct answer)
Correct answer: give
The correct and most common collocation is 'to give a talk'. This is also used for 'give a speech' or 'give a presentation'.
Question 6: Despite the initial challenges, he was determined to ______ with his plan to start a new company.
- go against
- go through
- go ahead (Correct answer)
- go for
Correct answer: go ahead
The phrasal verb 'go ahead with' means to proceed with a plan or action, especially after getting permission or despite difficulties. 'Go through' means to experience, 'go against' means to oppose, and 'go for' means to choose.
In order to improve, you must learn from your experiences, especially when you ______ a mistake.