CAE Reading and Use of English Practice Test 3 Printable

Vocabulary

The vocabulary below is meant to help you with the more difficult words. If the word isn’t on the list then you are either supposed to know it or it is too specific to be worth learning and you don’t have to know it to answer the question. Symbols in brackets mean part of speech(see bottom of the list). Sentences in italics give examples of usage for some more complex words and phrases.

And remember — you are not given a vocabulary list (or a dictionary) at your real exam.

Part 1

Remarkable (adj) — unusual, striking or extraordinary, worthy of attention. Lenin’s remarkable intelligence was indisputable.
Expertise (n) — good knowledge, skill or experience in certain area.
Journey (n) — a trip or a travel from one place to another.
Vanish (v) — disappear, usually suddenly and mysteriously. I looked away and a few seconds later he vanished into the darkness.
Propose (v) — to suggest something, to put something forward for consideration.
Breakthrough (n) — considerable progress. Recent breakthroughs in IT industry made powerful cellphones more affordable.
Headway (n) — progress, rate of progress.

Part 2

Enterprise (n) — a project that requires boldness, bravery; a business body such as a company or a firm. His risky enterprise eventually made him rich and famous.
Prospective (adj) — likely, anticipated. Company’s new prospective owners are well-known in the business world.
Predict (v) — to know or guess something that will happen in the future, to foresee. She predicted this financial crisis two years before it happened.
Typescript (n) — any piece of text that is made using a typing machine.
Proposal (n) — see Part 1, propose (v).
Artefact (n) — anything man-made.

Part 3

Dull (adj) — boring and unremarkable. I had to sit there for an hour and listen to that dull lecture on ancient philosophy.
Timid (adj) — shy; scared easily. He was a 12-year-old timid boy, too scared to approach a girl.
Spurn (v) — to reject something with disgust or contempt. This aspiring young author had his earlier works spurned by many publishers.
Despite (prep) — in spite of. Despite his bad luck he graduated from the university at top of his class.
Immense (adj) — vast or huge, immeasurable. Trump’s immense influence among the business establishment helped him in his presidential campaign.
Lack (v) — to be short of something, not to have enough of something. We lack money for this particular accommodation — let’s find another one!
Drive (n) — (here) energy, ambition, willingness to do something. His business drive made him a very prosperous man.
Reject (v) — to refuse, to turn down. My job application got rejected because I don’t have enough experience in the industry.
Subsequent (adj) —happening after. My first job wasn’t very well paid. All subsequent occupations had much better salary.
Hound (v) — to pursue someone, (here) to annoy or pester someone. That boy just wouldn’t stop hounding me!
Decade (n) — a period of ten years.
Seldom (adj) — rarely, not often. It is seldom that you see such an old man jogging early in the morning.
Suit (v) — to be fit or appropriate. The position of senior manager really suits her, don’t you think?
Contemporary (adj) — related to the same time period, living in the same age.

Part 4

Bound to (v) — must, should, have to. He is bound to get a good mark for his final exam — he spent his whole weekend studying up for it.
Pottery (n) — dishes, cups, pots etc. made of clay or the art of making them.
Prevent (v) — to stop something from happening. Unfortunately, the weathermen couldn’t predict the approaching typhoon.

Part 5

Sights (n) — places worth visiting (as a tourist). To see the sights means to go look at the popular and well-known places of the town/city.
Disposable (adj) — something that is used once and then thrown away (e.g. a napkin, a diaper).
Calf (n) — thick part on the back of your leg between your foot and your knee.
Waist (n) — the most narrow part of your torso.
Ankle (n) — the part of leg right above the foot. I hurt my ankle last week — I’m going to miss tomorrow’s gym class.
Devise (v) — to work something out, to come up with something. He had devised a plan to rob the local bank.
Significance (n) — importance of something.
Forewarn (v) — to warn beforehand, in advance.
Fruition (n) — realisation or fulfilment of something that is desired. My plans of becoming a government official have finally come to fruition.
Grimy (adj) — dirty and unappealing. The car’s grimy windows made me depressed.
Struggle (v) — to fight; to find something difficult to deal with. I usually struggle with even the most basic maths.
Aisle (n) — space between rows of seats in a bus, theatre.
Squint (v) — to narrow your eyes when you can’t see something. I tried to squint but it didn’t help — the text was just too far away to make out.
Shuffle (v) — (about feet in the text) — to drag your feet on the floor noisily.
Hum (v) — to make a vibrating sound with your throat without opening your mouth. I was humming some strange tune to myself on my way to school.
Wobble (v) — to rock or sway from one side to another. The lamp-post wobbled under strong wind.
Thigh (n) — part of the leg between knee and hip. I have a big bruise on my left thigh.
Meld (v) —to blend or to combine. The picture melded with the wall and therefore wasn’t easy to notice.
Disappoint (v) — not meet someone’s expectations, to upset someone. I didn’t want to disappoint my teacher, so I studied hard for my graduation exams.
Slack-jawed (adj) — with an open mouth.
Stoop (v) — to bend body forward and down. He stooped to pick up a coin lying on the pavement.
Eject (v) — to force out, to throw out. The doorman ejected us from the bar because we had no money to pay for the drinks.
Sway (v) — to lean to one side.

Part 6

Assess (v) — to give an estimated value of something or someone. The teacher assessed the student’s academic performance and came to the conclusion that he isn’t trying hard enough.
Overall (adj) — including everything; general. The show’s overall impression was rather good.
CV (n) — short for curriculum vitae (Latin) — description of life. It is a more detailed resume that usually includes both academic information about the job seeker, his experience and a short biography. I’m just starting my career so my CV isn’t that impressive.
Shrewd (adj) — able to give good judgement, usually in business matters. He is a talented entrepreneur and a shrewd salesman.
Legacy (n) — handed down or received from your ancestors.
Tremendous (adj) — huge or vast. Your contribution to the project is tremendous.
Narrow (v) — to limit or restrict. We had to narrow down the number of candidates to three people.
Gap (n) — (here) difference or disparity. The wage gap between men and women.
Champion (v) — to support or defend something, to fight for something. UN General Secretary championed the ideas of human rights.
Repercussion (n) — result or consequence of something, usually happening after some time of the initial event.
Timing (n) — process of regulating action to happen in a certain succession or at one time. The timing was perfect — as soon as the teacher asked me to come to the board the class, came to an end.
Conspire (v) — to plot, to secretly plan to act against someone.
Gullible (adj) — easy to fool or trick. Young people are usually gullible and inexperienced, and therefore they tend to believe anything you tell them.
Questionable (adj) — open to dispute. Your opinion on this matter is questionable.
Feat (n) — an achievement. Beating a more experienced opponent is a great feat.
Testimony (n) — declaration of fact or truth.
Implement (v) — to put into action. We managed to implement a new strategy into our business model.
Advocate (v) — to defend something or someone. Throughout his life he was advocating the ideas of gender equality.
Commitment (n) — act of committing (promising to do something, becoming obliged to do something, e.g. serving in the army or marrying someone is a commitment).
Genuine (adj) — real, not fake. If this Rolex watch is genuine, then it must cost a fortune!
Inflexible (adj) — fix or without variation; (here) unable or unwilling to change even when the situation requires it.
Manifestly (adv) — visibly, clearly, obviously, explicitly.
Forensic (adj) — relating to the court of law.
Achievement (n) — see Part 6, feat (n).

Part 7

Choir (n) — organised group of singers, can be professional or amateur. Check pronunciation. Singing in choir is a surprisingly refreshing experience.
Prolong (v) — to lengthen, to extend in duration, or to postpone.
Refuge (n) — a shelter that protects one from danger, weather. Can be used both figuratively and literally. He provided a refuge for many people during wartime.
Centenary (n) —Marking 100th anniversary. This year is going to be the town’s centenary.
Responsive (adj) — reacting to things quickly and favourably. Miranda is a very responsive when it comes to teacher-student interaction.
Cardiovascular (adj) — relating to blood vessels and heart.
Transcendent (adj) — (here) not existing in physical realm. The trip to Mayan ruins was something transcendent — it was nothing like I ever experienced before.
Horde (n) — a huge crowd, a mob. As soon as the shopping centre opened its door, the mad horde of buyers rushed in.
Pile (v) — to collect, to amass, to hoard.
Likewise (adv) — in similar manner, similarly.
Sustained (adj) — enduring, continuous (as opposed to brief). Sustained exercising is the key to getting fit.
Privileged (adj) — enjoying certain benefits or immunities.The privileged children of well-off families.
Endorsement (n) — approval or support. You require endorsement from the head of office for your next promotion.
Revelation (n) — disclosing something previously kept in secret. Both figurative and literal uses are acceptable. The news of her infidelity came as a revelation to all of us.

Part 8

Exist (v) — to be , to be real, to be alive. There exist many theories about where humanity comes from.
Depict (v) — to show in a drawing, sculpture etc. In this picture, the artist depicts the everyday life of a simple family from that time.
Alter (v) — to change, to make different.
Exploit (v) — to take advantage of something or someone. People in positions of power are usually tempted to exploit it.
Keen (adj) — eager, enthusiastic; intense or strong. I’m rather keen on collecting stamps.
Explore (v) — examine, investigate; travel to an unfamiliar region to discover something.
Noteworthy (adj) — notable.
Sheer (adj) — complete, absolute. The sheer brilliancy of Dali’s work will never cease to amaze me.
Quay (n) — pier or dock parallel to the shoreline.
Abandon (v) — to leave behind, to forsake. The long-abandoned house looked grim and grey.
Immerse (v) — to deeply involve. I immersed myself in the book.
Unsightly (adj) — not presentable, not pretty.
Decay (n) — decline in health, condition, or spirit. Our society is going through a stage of moral decay.
Ivy (n) — climbing or trailing wine, often used as a decorative element.
Coal (n) — black or brown carbon rock, usually used as fuel. Coal power plants are seriously harming the environment.
Peculiar (adj) — unusual, odd; distinct. There is something peculiar about Kandinsky’s picture.
Therein (adv) — (formal) in that place. Go to the local pub, you will find them therein.
Overlook (v) — not to notice or take into account. I have no idea how I overlooked an obvious inaccuracy in my calculations.
Artificial (adj) — not natural, man-made.

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