“I’ve never seen anything like this” — A U.S. doctor treats Ebola’s youngest victims

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 “incidental” as used in the article?

   1. central and decisive
   2. secondary or occurring by chance rather than being central
   3. medically dangerous
   4. carefully documented
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   secondary or occurring by chance rather than being central

   Here, “incidental” contrasts with children’s central role in the account.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “explicitly”?

   1. indirectly
   2. tentatively
   3. in a direct, clear, and unambiguous manner
   4. emotionally
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   in a direct, clear, and unambiguous manner

   The victims’ status is stated directly and without ambiguity.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “defining”?

   1. incidental
   2. characterizing something as its most distinctive or essential feature
   3. unverified
   4. chronological
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   characterizing something as its most distinctive or essential feature

   Their treatment is described as the coverage’s essential characteristic.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “perspective”?

   1. a particular way of viewing or interpreting a situation
   2. diagnosis
   3. procedure
   4. location
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   a particular way of viewing or interpreting a situation

   The word denotes the doctor’s particular viewpoint on the disease.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “unprecedented”?

   1. widely expected
   2. previously documented
   3. never having occurred or been experienced before
   4. clinically uncomplicated
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   never having occurred or been experienced before

   The term refers to something not previously experienced or encountered.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “consequently”?

   1. nevertheless
   2. as a result of something previously stated
   3. in contrast
   4. for example
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   as a result of something previously stated

   It signals a result: the takeaway is precise because information is limited.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which option best defines “epidemiological”?

   1. relating to the study of disease patterns, causes, and spread
   2. related to emotional response
   3. related to individual identity
   4. related to medical equipment
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   relating to the study of disease patterns, causes, and spread

   The adjective concerns disease patterns, causes, and population-level spread.

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.