Nanotyrannus Skeleton “Jodi” Sells for $47.3 Million at Sotheby’s

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 “auctioned” in the article?

   1. sold to the person who offers the highest price in a public sale
   2. Examined privately by researchers
   3. Displayed permanently in a museum
   4. Transported between scientific laboratories
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   sold to the person who offers the highest price in a public sale

   The word describes a public sale won by the highest bidder.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “notable” in the article?

   1. Difficult to identify
   2. Worthy of attention because it is unusual or important
   3. Available only to professional buyers
   4. Connected exclusively with ancient history
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Worthy of attention because it is unusual or important

   It describes something deserving attention because of its importance.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “specialist” in the article?

   1. relating to a person with advanced knowledge of a particular subject
   2. Designed for ordinary household use
   3. Based on a short-term financial decision
   4. Describing a widely recognized public figure
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   relating to a person with advanced knowledge of a particular subject

   It refers to someone with advanced knowledge of one particular subject.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “distinction” in the article?

   1. A public disagreement between buyers
   2. A clear difference between two things
   3. A formal method of preserving fossils
   4. A record of an animal’s physical development
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A clear difference between two things

   The word identifies a clear difference between two ideas.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “specimen” in the article?

   1. a particular example of something, especially an object studied by scientists
   2. A financial agreement between auction houses
   3. A person who organizes public exhibitions
   4. A measurement of an auction’s total income
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   a particular example of something, especially an object studied by scientists

   A specimen is an individual example studied or displayed.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “transaction” in the article?

   1. a business exchange in which something is bought or sold
   2. A scientific theory about dinosaur ancestry
   3. A disagreement about museum ownership
   4. A process for identifying ancient bones
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   a business exchange in which something is bought or sold

   It describes a business exchange involving a purchase or sale.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “commercial” in the article?

   1. Connected with buying, selling, or making money
   2. Concerned only with biological classification
   3. Limited to objects found in museums
   4. Based on an animal’s physical remains
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Connected with buying, selling, or making money

   It relates to buying, selling, or making money.

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.