Days of Patience in the Rescue of an Orphaned Walrus in Alaska

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.

   In the article, “demanding” most nearly means:

   1. requiring considerable effort, skill, or attention
   2. requiring little time or concentration
   3. having no clearly defined purpose
   4. likely to produce an immediate result
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   requiring considerable effort, skill, or attention

   The sentence connects the task with effort and patience.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the article, “isolation” most nearly means:

   1. a state of physical weakness
   2. the state of being separated from others or from usual contact
   3. a sudden change in physical condition
   4. a careful form of medical treatment
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   the state of being separated from others or from usual contact

   The word describes the animal’s separation from others or contact.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the article, “persist” most nearly means:

   1. to withdraw when progress slows
   2. to make a task happen instantly
   3. to continue firmly despite difficulty or delay
   4. to assess a problem without acting
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   to continue firmly despite difficulty or delay

   The rescuers continued their efforts over several days.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In “The circumstances of the discovery were stark,” “stark” means:

   1. difficult to distinguish from ordinary events
   2. intentionally concealed from the reader
   3. comforting because they offer reassurance
   4. severe, striking, or plainly evident, often in an unsettling way
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   severe, striking, or plainly evident, often in an unsettling way

   The discovery circumstances are presented as striking and severe.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the article, “sustained attention” refers to attention that is:

   1. continuing over an extended period without interruption or weakening
   2. briefly applied at an unexpected moment
   3. directed exclusively toward past events
   4. shared equally among unrelated concerns
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   continuing over an extended period without interruption or weakening

   The rescue required attention that continued over time.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the article, “vulnerable” most nearly means:

   1. protected from further harm
   2. exposed to possible harm because of weakness or limited protection
   3. capable of living independently
   4. separated from its usual habitat temporarily
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   exposed to possible harm because of weakness or limited protection

   The sentence associates vulnerability with injury and exposure to harm.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the article, “prolonged” most nearly means:

   1. completed sooner than expected
   2. repeated at regular intervals
   3. lasting longer than usual or expected
   4. carried out in a distant location
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   lasting longer than usual or expected

   The rescue is described as lasting beyond a brief effort.

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.