Bob Woodward Criticizes Jeff Bezos in New Memoir

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

B1. 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

Use the surrounding sentence to identify the meaning and word form needed. Check which words naturally go together.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “memoir” mean?

   1. A book about a person’s own experiences and views
   2. A list of business rules
   3. A newspaper advertisement
   4. A report about future events
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A book about a person’s own experiences and views

   A memoir presents a person’s own experiences and views.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “disappointment” mean?

   1. A feeling of sadness because something was not as good as expected
   2. A strong wish to win a competition
   3. A plan for improving a company
   4. A feeling of surprise about good news
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A feeling of sadness because something was not as good as expected

   Disappointment is sadness caused by an unsatisfactory result.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is a “journalist”?

   1. A person who reports and writes news
   2. A person who owns every newspaper
   3. A person who sells office furniture
   4. A person who teaches music
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A person who reports and writes news

   A journalist reports and writes about news.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “independently” mean here?

   1. Without being controlled or influenced by others
   2. With help from several business owners
   3. Only during the evening
   4. In a way that avoids accurate information
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Without being controlled or influenced by others

   Here, it means working without control or influence from others.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “tension” mean?

   1. A feeling of disagreement or difficulty between people or groups
   2. A celebration after a successful event
   3. A method for checking spelling
   4. A clear agreement between two friends
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A feeling of disagreement or difficulty between people or groups

   Tension describes disagreement or difficulty between people or groups.

What to review next

Keep a short list of unfamiliar words with their meanings and example sentences. Practise recalling them later, then use them in a sentence of your own.

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.

Before you practise: a worked example

Read the whole sentence before choosing a word. Check both its meaning and the words it naturally combines with.

Please make an appointment before visiting the clinic.

Make an appointment is a natural word combination. Knowing a dictionary meaning alone may not tell you which verb fits.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.