Racton Monument: Britain’s Roofless Folly with a Chilling Reputation

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 “remnant” as used in the article?

   1. A surviving trace or fragment of something that once existed more fully.
   2. A decorative structure designed without practical utility
   3. A decisive explanation supported by complete evidence
   4. A dark outline visible against a contrasting background
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A surviving trace or fragment of something that once existed more fully.

   A remnant is a surviving trace of something that once existed more fully.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “embellishment” as used in the article?

   1. A structural weakness caused by prolonged exposure
   2. An added detail that makes something more elaborate, vivid, or impressive, sometimes without adding factual substance.
   3. A report describing an unexplained occurrence
   4. A boundary separating private and public property
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   An added detail that makes something more elaborate, vivid, or impressive, sometimes without adding factual substance.

   Embellishment refers to an added detail that heightens effect or elaboration.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “folly” as used in the article?

   1. A decorative building constructed primarily for visual effect rather than practical use.
   2. A ruin whose original materials have been completely removed
   3. A historical account that definitively settles a dispute
   4. A supernatural event witnessed by multiple investigators
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A decorative building constructed primarily for visual effect rather than practical use.

   Here, folly denotes a decorative building intended primarily for visual effect.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “conclusive” as used in the article?

   1. Suggestive but ultimately ambiguous
   2. Providing decisive evidence that settles an issue beyond reasonable doubt.
   3. Designed mainly to entertain visitors
   4. Associated with a threatening atmosphere
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Providing decisive evidence that settles an issue beyond reasonable doubt.

   Conclusive evidence decisively settles an issue beyond reasonable doubt.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “sinister” as used in the article?

   1. Historically precise and fully documented
   2. Pleasantly picturesque and inviting
   3. Suggesting danger, malevolence, or something troublingly unnatural.
   4. Open to the public from several directions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Suggesting danger, malevolence, or something troublingly unnatural.

   Sinister suggests danger, malevolence, or something disturbingly unnatural.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “incidents” as used in the article?

   1. Distinct events or occurrences, especially ones that are noteworthy or troubling.
   2. Architectural outlines seen at dusk
   3. Decorative structures lacking practical functions
   4. Explanations based on incomplete archival records
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Distinct events or occurrences, especially ones that are noteworthy or troubling.

   Incidents are distinct events, particularly noteworthy or unsettling ones.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “gutted” as used in the article?

   1. Reinforced against structural instability
   2. Stripped of its internal contents, fixtures, or structure.
   3. Surrounded by dense vegetation
   4. Viewed from a distant public footpath
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Stripped of its internal contents, fixtures, or structure.

   Gutted means stripped of its internal contents or structural fittings.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which meaning best matches “silhouette” as used in the article?

   1. A building’s documented historical purpose
   2. The dark outline of an object seen against a lighter background.
   3. A sudden sound resembling uncontrolled laughter
   4. A legal restriction on entering private land
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The dark outline of an object seen against a lighter background.

   A silhouette is an object’s dark outline against a lighter background.

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.