Early morning explosion at Mississippi chemical plant brings emergency response

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 “plume” in the article?

   1. a tall, spreading cloud of smoke, dust, or another substance
   2. A protective wall around an industrial site
   3. A sudden change in weather conditions
   4. A group of workers entering a facility
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   a tall, spreading cloud of smoke, dust, or another substance

   A plume is a tall, spreading cloud of smoke or another substance.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “facility” in the article?

   1. a building or place designed for a particular industrial or public purpose
   2. A cloud rising above a building
   3. A report written after an incident
   4. A person trained to investigate explosions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   a building or place designed for a particular industrial or public purpose

   A facility is a place designed for a particular industrial purpose.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “surrounding” in the article?

   1. Located around a particular place or area
   2. Created inside a chemical container
   3. Visible only during the early morning
   4. Connected to emergency equipment
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Located around a particular place or area

   Surrounding describes areas located around a particular place.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “developments” in the article?

   1. events or changes that happen as a situation progresses
   2. Buildings used to process substances
   3. Methods for reducing smoke pollution
   4. People responsible for plant operations
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   events or changes that happen as a situation progresses

   Developments are events or changes that occur as a situation progresses.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “assessing” in the article?

   1. carefully examining a situation to understand it or judge its condition
   2. Moving quickly away from a dangerous area
   3. Producing substances for other products
   4. Making an incident visible from far away
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   carefully examining a situation to understand it or judge its condition

   Assessing means carefully examining conditions or a situation.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “noticeable” in the article?

   1. Easy to see, recognize, or observe
   2. Difficult to explain accurately
   3. Safe for nearby communities
   4. Necessary for industrial production
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Easy to see, recognize, or observe

   Noticeable means easy to see, recognize, or observe.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “confirmed” in the article?

   1. shown to be true or certain by reliable information
   2. Expected to happen later
   3. Hidden from emergency workers
   4. Changed by surrounding conditions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   shown to be true or certain by reliable information

   Confirmed means shown to be true or certain by reliable information.

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.