What Travelers Need to Know as Hurricane Isaias Nears the Gulf Coast

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 “strengthened” mean in the article?

   1. became weaker
   2. became stronger
   3. changed direction
   4. moved inland
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   became stronger

   The word says that the hurricane became stronger.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “disruptions” mean in the article?

   1. problems that interrupt normal services or activities
   2. plans for future holidays
   3. safe places for residents
   4. official storm measurements
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   problems that interrupt normal services or activities

   The word describes interruptions to normal travel services.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “hubs” mean in the article?

   1. small local roads
   2. important central places where transportation connects
   3. weather warning messages
   4. areas far from the coast
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   important central places where transportation connects

   The word means important central places connecting transportation services.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “preparation” mean in the article?

   1. the act of getting ready for something
   2. the end of a storm
   3. a canceled train journey
   4. a report about airport prices
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   the act of getting ready for something

   The word means getting ready for something.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “approached” mean in the article?

   1. moved farther away
   2. moved nearer to something
   3. stopped completely
   4. became less dangerous
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   moved nearer to something

   The word means moved nearer to something.

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.