Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis

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

B2. 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.

   Which meaning best matches “chronic” in the article?

   1. Sudden and temporary
   2. Continuing for a long time or returning repeatedly
   3. Caused by an injury
   4. Easy to diagnose
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Continuing for a long time or returning repeatedly

   Chronic describes a condition that continues over a long period.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “protective” in the article?

   1. Able to produce energy
   2. Designed to keep someone or something safe from harm
   3. Difficult to observe
   4. Likely to become infected
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Designed to keep someone or something safe from harm

   Protective describes something that keeps another thing safe from harm.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “diagnosis” in the article?

   1. A medical conclusion about the nature of an illness
   2. A treatment used after surgery
   3. A patient’s personal medical history
   4. A specialist’s professional title
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A medical conclusion about the nature of an illness

   A diagnosis is a medical conclusion about an illness.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “abnormalities” in the article?

   1. Standard medical procedures
   2. Features or results that are unusual or outside the normal range
   3. Symptoms that always disappear
   4. Records of previous diagnoses
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Features or results that are unusual or outside the normal range

   Abnormalities are unusual features or results outside the normal range.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “specialist” in the article?

   1. A professional with advanced knowledge of a particular subject
   2. A person receiving emergency care
   3. A machine used for scanning
   4. A doctor working without medical records
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A professional with advanced knowledge of a particular subject

   A specialist has advanced knowledge of a particular subject.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “uncertainty” in the article?

   1. A confirmed medical result
   2. A lack of complete confidence or definite knowledge
   3. A method for preventing disease
   4. A rapid improvement in symptoms
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A lack of complete confidence or definite knowledge

   Uncertainty means lacking complete confidence or definite knowledge.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “definitive” in the article?

   1. Providing a final and reliable answer or decision
   2. Based only on personal opinion
   3. Likely to produce several symptoms
   4. Related to a temporary condition
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Providing a final and reliable answer or decision

   Definitive describes evidence that provides a final and reliable answer.

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.