A 3,156-Pound Pumpkin Sets a New Benchmark in Rhode Island

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

C1. 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 option best defines “benchmark” as used in the article?

   1. A standard used for comparison or assessment
   2. A temporary obstacle during cultivation
   3. A public celebration of seasonal produce
   4. A method for protecting fruit from weather
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A standard used for comparison or assessment

   A benchmark is a standard used for comparison or assessment.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “extraordinary” as used in the article?

   1. Carefully protected from physical damage
   2. Far beyond what is usual, expected, or ordinary.
   3. Connected with traditional seasonal customs
   4. Measured according to a recognized standard
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Far beyond what is usual, expected, or ordinary.

   Extraordinary describes something far beyond ordinary expectations.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “comparable” as used in the article?

   1. Similar enough to another thing to permit meaningful comparison.
   2. Too fragile to be transported safely
   3. Produced without deliberate human intervention
   4. Difficult to distinguish from ordinary vegetables
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Similar enough to another thing to permit meaningful comparison.

   Comparable things are sufficiently similar for meaningful comparison.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “cultivated” as used in the article?

   1. Naturally occurring without human influence
   2. Grown or developed deliberately through human care
   3. Displayed temporarily at a public festival
   4. Measured against an established agricultural record
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Grown or developed deliberately through human care

   Cultivated means deliberately grown or developed through human care.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “sustained” as used in the article?

   1. Maintained continuously or over an extended period
   2. Completed suddenly under favorable conditions
   3. Reduced gradually by environmental pressure
   4. Compared briefly with a familiar object
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Maintained continuously or over an extended period

   Sustained describes something maintained continuously over time.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “specimens” as used in the article?

   1. Individual examples representing a particular type or category.
   2. Agricultural tools used to support plant growth
   3. Measurements recorded during a harvest festival
   4. Methods for preserving vegetables after collection
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Individual examples representing a particular type or category.

   Specimens are individual examples representing a particular category.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “surpass” as used in the article?

   1. To preserve an achievement for public display
   2. To exceed a previous level, standard, or achievement
   3. To explain an achievement through specialized terminology
   4. To compare two achievements without ranking them
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To exceed a previous level, standard, or achievement

   To surpass something is to exceed its level or achievement.

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.