Answers and explanations
- To. To get used to something means to adapt to some change in your life. Note that if the phrase is followed by a noun, we use the gerund form: ‘It took me two months to get used to waking up early’.
- Below/Under. We clearly need the opposite of ‘above’ here, which in this context means somebody who lives in a flat one or more floors higher than you. Both options are okay, although ‘below’ is a better pair for ‘above’.
- Much. A comparative structure ‘as… as…’ with an uncountable noun ‘noise’. Because of the latter, answering ‘many’ is incorrect, but it would be if we had the plural ‘noises’.
- Ourselves. A common mistake is to try and use the word ‘ourself’, which technically shouldn’t even exist, as ‘our’ implies many people, so ‘self’ should be in its plural form.
- Both. The adverb ‘both’ here is used to refer to two things at once: noise and pollution levels.
- However. We put an introductory word in the middle of the sentence here to introduce some contrast. We mainly focused on the positives in the previous paragraph, whereas the context of this one touches upon the negative aspects of living outside of the city.
- After. ‘To look after something’ means to take good care of it, to make sure that it is in good order. The only way to understand what kind of word we need here is through context.
- Pay. A set expression ‘a small price to pay’ here is used to show that the negatives are not nearly as bad compared to all the advantages of living in the countryside.
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