As Student Numbers Fall, Some Colleges Make Admissions More Welcoming

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

C2. 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 undertaking as used in the article?

   1. A demanding task or project requiring sustained effort and responsibility
   2. A brief ceremonial promise made before an audience
   3. A financial contribution made to support an institution
   4. A routine activity performed without significant preparation
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A demanding task or project requiring sustained effort and responsibility

   Here, undertaking denotes a sustained, demanding task requiring considerable effort.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches prospective as used in the article?

   1. Already enrolled and seeking advanced academic privileges
   2. Considered as a possible future participant, customer, or member
   3. Required to submit documents before visiting an institution
   4. Selected after completing a competitive admissions procedure
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Considered as a possible future participant, customer, or member

   Prospective students are possible future members of the college community.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches waiving as used in the article?

   1. Increasing a charge to reflect administrative costs
   2. Deliberately foregoing or cancelling a requirement, fee, or right
   3. Postponing a payment until an applicant is admitted
   4. Transferring a fee from applicants to their parents
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Deliberately foregoing or cancelling a requirement, fee, or right

   Waiving fees means deliberately cancelling the requirement to pay them.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches standardized as used in the article?

   1. Made consistent according to an established set of rules or measurements
   2. Adapted privately for each applicant’s educational background
   3. Evaluated informally by faculty without shared criteria
   4. Distributed exclusively to students applying internationally
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Made consistent according to an established set of rules or measurements

   The Common App follows consistent rules and procedures across institutions.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches selective as used in the article?

   1. Choosing carefully and accepting relatively few of those considered
   2. Offering identical opportunities to every applicant
   3. Prioritizing applicants who visit before applying
   4. Allowing admission without reviewing academic records
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Choosing carefully and accepting relatively few of those considered

   Selective institutions accept relatively few applicants from those considered.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches recruitment as used in the article?

   1. The process of attracting and persuading people to join an organization or institution
   2. The formal evaluation of students after they have enrolled
   3. The distribution of financial aid among competing institutions
   4. The removal of applicants from an admissions database
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The process of attracting and persuading people to join an organization or institution

   Faculty recruitment involves attracting and persuading students to join a college.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches concrete as used in the article?

   1. Specific, tangible, and readily understood rather than abstract or merely promotional
   2. Highly theoretical and detached from ordinary experience
   3. Officially guaranteed through a written admissions contract
   4. Limited to buildings constructed from durable materials
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Specific, tangible, and readily understood rather than abstract or merely promotional

   Concrete experiences give applicants specific, tangible impressions of academic life.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches intimidating as used in the article?

   1. Causing apprehension or loss of confidence because of apparent difficulty or power
   2. Providing unusually detailed instructions for completing forms
   3. Generating enthusiasm through frequent personal invitations
   4. Requiring applicants to compare several financial offers
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Causing apprehension or loss of confidence because of apparent difficulty or power

   Less intimidating admissions processes cause less apprehension and loss of confidence.

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.