FAA Plans to Phase Out Floppy Disks in Air Traffic Control

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.

   What does “transition” mean in the article?

   1. a change from one state or system to another
   2. a device used to store digital information
   3. the ability of programs to work together
   4. the continued use of an unchanged system
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   a change from one state or system to another

   A transition is a change from one state or system to another.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “magnetic” mean in the context of disk material?

   1. relating to or produced by magnetism
   2. able to transmit sound through the air
   3. made from a rigid plastic casing
   4. capable of storing information temporarily in light
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   relating to or produced by magnetism

   The adjective relates to magnetism.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “removable” mean here?

   1. able to be taken away or detached
   2. designed to remain fixed permanently
   3. likely to give a mistaken impression
   4. able to connect two devices wirelessly
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   able to be taken away or detached

   The disks can be taken out and carried elsewhere.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “misleading” mean in the sentence about the disks’ name?

   1. likely to give someone a mistaken impression
   2. easy to recognize from a distance
   3. important because it is widely known
   4. able to work with several programs
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   likely to give someone a mistaken impression

   The name can cause an inaccurate impression.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “considerably” convey about the changes in information storage?

   1. by a large amount or to a great degree
   2. in a gradual but barely noticeable way
   3. for a reason that remains uncertain
   4. in a manner that can be easily reversed
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   by a large amount or to a great degree

   It signals a substantial degree of change.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “compatibility” mean in the discussion of devices and programs?

   1. the ability of devices or programs to work together
   2. the process of moving information between locations
   3. the state of being well known or easily noticed
   4. the method used to record data on magnetic material
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   the ability of devices or programs to work together

   The article defines it through systems working together.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “prominence” mean in the final sentence?

   1. the state of being important, well known, or easily noticed
   2. the ability to be removed from a computer
   3. the condition of different programs working together
   4. the gradual process of ending a technology’s use
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   the state of being important, well known, or easily noticed

   It describes how important or noticeable the technology once was.

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.