Ever Wonder How the Fed’s Interest Rate Actually Works? Here Are the Questions at Stake

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the complete sentence and notice the subject, verb form, time reference and word order before answering.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which revision best preserves the article’s meaning using inversion?

   1. Nowhere does the article identify particular affected sectors.
   2. Nowhere the article identifies particular affected sectors.
   3. Nowhere did the article identifies particular affected sectors.
   4. Nowhere the article did identify particular affected sectors.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Nowhere does the article identify particular affected sectors.

   Negative-fronted inversion correctly emphasizes the absence of confirmed consequences.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the most idiomatic concessive construction.

   1. However technical the discussion may be, public relevance remains.
   2. However the discussion technical may be, public relevance remains.
   3. Although technical however the discussion is, relevance remains.
   4. Despite the discussion may be technical, relevance remains.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   However technical the discussion may be, public relevance remains.

   “However technical” correctly licenses an adjective followed by a clause.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the correct reduced relative clause.

   1. effects may reaching the wider public
   2. effects reaching the wider public
   3. effects reached the wider public
   4. effects to reaching the wider public
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   effects reaching the wider public

   “Effects reaching” appropriately reduces “effects that may reach.”

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the formally appropriate mandative subjunctive form.

   1. NPR recommended that readers considers the mechanism.
   2. NPR recommended that readers considered the mechanism.
   3. NPR recommended that readers consider the mechanism.
   4. NPR recommended that readers will consider the mechanism.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   NPR recommended that readers consider the mechanism.

   The mandative subjunctive uses the base verb after “recommended that.”

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the best cleft sentence for emphasis on the confirmed fact.

   1. What the package confirms is that rates rose this week.
   2. What confirms the package is rates rose this week.
   3. That the package confirms is rates rose this week.
   4. It confirms what is rates rose this week.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   What the package confirms is that rates rose this week.

   The cleft correctly foregrounds what the package establishes.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the most precise hedged statement.

   1. The increase must have been intended to affect households.
   2. The increase may have been intended to affect households.
   3. The increase ought affect households.
   4. The increase would affect households definitely.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The increase may have been intended to affect households.

   “May have been intended” appropriately marks an inference as uncertain.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the grammatically correct nominalization.

   1. The absently detailed announcement complicates interpretation.
   2. The absence of detail complicates interpretation.
   3. The absencing of detail complicates interpretive.
   4. The announcement absent detail complicates interpretationing.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The absence of detail complicates interpretation.

   “The absence of detail” provides a precise formal noun phrase.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the correct mixed conditional.

   1. If the source had supplied reasons, readers understand the decision better.
   2. If the source supplied reasons, readers would understood the decision better.
   3. If the source had supplied reasons, readers would understand the decision better.
   4. If the source would supply reasons, readers understood the decision better.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   If the source had supplied reasons, readers would understand the decision better.

   A present consequence is linked to a hypothetical earlier disclosure.

What to review next

After checking an answer, explain the rule in your own words and write a new sentence using the same pattern. Revisit any rules you could not explain.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.