Hopes & Dreams Vocabulary

For each sentence, choose one of the 3 words given, then complete the sentences with one of the following words:
adversity - aspiration - determination - fulfilment - inspiration - perseverance - prevalence - setback
1. Marty is a director who grew up on the mean/nasty/rude streets of New York City, and he draws from that environment for his films.
2. Ryan always believed that his dodged to succeed was due to the fact that he came from a broken/closed/single home.
3. Ruby's dream was to be a singer, but this was because she was looking for a fast/quick/speedy track to celebrity, fame and fortune.
4. Dean had warm/high/rosy hopes for the future, despite considerable difficulties. He never gave up and, in the end, his paid off.
5. This is a crude/raw/rough inner-city neighbourhood with high unemployment and the of gangs.
6. Her future looked gritty/bleak/harsh, but she overcame to become a successful entrepreneur.
7. It was tough to accept that his hopes were bashed/dashed/smashed, and that he would never witness the of his dreams.
8. Although they suffered an initial in their fundraising attempt, it wasn't enough to blunt/dampen/lessen their spirits.

Complete the sentences with some of the words from this exercise:
1. The young assistant took the of scheduling a meeting with the manager for her own six-month review.
2. His in managing the finances of the family business led to its inevitable collapse.
3. The caste system of social stratification in India bars the lowest classes from the of position of power.
4. With the phenomenal success of her fifth book, Veronica finally recieved the she so richly deserved.
5. The athlete's joy on finishing the race first, turned to when he was disqualified over an irregularity.
6. Brody's got no . He needs to toughen up if he wants to succeed in the cut-throat world of politics.
7. Though Jules himself had little for sport, he was able to recognise raw talents in others and became a successful sports agent.
8. Amelia couldn't summon the energy or the interest to leave the house. There was a definite air of about her.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the phrasal verbs from this exercise:
1. Troy a bad crowd from the neighbourhood, got involved in criminal activities and ended up in prison.
2. While investigating a story, the young journalist something very dangerous.
3. Don't just yet. Their first album wasn't a hit, but I have a feeling they're going to be huge.
4. The intern was let go because he and sent the confidential documents to a rival company.
5. He had hopes and dreams, but remaining in the small country town of his birth .
6. Forward planning is the key to success, so let's to the new year and make some decisions.
7. Chris with the aim of becoming the youngest ever person to win an Olympic gold medal.
8. Offered a place on the Amazon expedition, the young adventurer the chance to see the rainforest.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the following verbs:
blow - fall - get - go - hold - make - pluck - pick - stand - throw
1. The business failed, and all their time, effort and money down the drain.
2. Shayna finally up the courage to quit her job and travel the world.
3. 'Keep going! Don't in the towel!' shouted the coach to his players.
4. Lana is a real go of it in London. She's found a great job and a flat.
5. If you're not committed to your craft, you no chance of succeeding in film-making.
6. It's time you your act together and stopped sitting around doing nothing.
7. The tennis player's performance in the final well short of everyone's expectations.
8. Grant his chances of getting into university by partying instead of studying.
9. Rescue crews don't out much hope of finding the missing climbers.
10. After suffering a major setback, it's often difficult to up the pieces.

Compete the sentences with the following expressions:
put yourself down - be sucked in by - sort your life out - turn over a new leaf - big yourself up - a leopard doesn't change its spots
1. Apparently her brother has left the gang and is now a model citizen. He's .
2. My poor old nan a scam - she was told she'd won £8,000, but had to pay £1,000 to get access to the money, and of course the £8,000 never materialised!
3. It's no surprise he was promoted. He's always and our boss believes it!
4. You haven't got a job, you're living with your parents, you don't have a boyfriend, and you've got loads of debts. You really need to .
5. Did you hear that Tracy's in prison again? I think she tried to change, but I guess .
6. Don't be depressed - you've done really well this year at school, so stop .

Write the correct option:
1. If you'd taken my advice them, in/on all likelihood you wouldn't be in trouble now.
2. By/In retrospect, it would have been better had we never started our own business.
3. He's made mistakes, but to/with his credit, he acknowledges they were his fault.
4. James is for/in awe of self-made millionaires and wants to emulate them.
5. She bought a lottery ticket at/on impulse and was astounded when she won!
6. Don't worry. I'm sure good times are just around/past the corner for you.
7. The chef knew his reputation was for/at stake when he opened his second restaurant.

For items 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer best fits each gap.
1. absolute / highest / ultimate / utmost
2. apply / resign / resort / aspire
3. level / even / straight / uniform
4. shaping / bending / pulling / twisting
5. balance / edge / line / limit
6. lengths / means / methods / pains
7. expanding / extending / elevating / escalating
8. removed / stripped / erased / separated
Cheating in sport
For athletes, the desire to win is of the (1) importance. Sportsmen and women compete for the glory associated with being number one. But why some athletes (2) to cheating?
There are a variety of reaons. Some have a fear of failure. Others want a(n) (3) playing field because they are convinced everyone else is cheating. In such cases, they feel they are merely (4) the rules, not breaking them.
Then there's the financial motive when large sums of money and high-profile reputations are on the (5) . Lucrative sponsorship deals are offered to winners, not losers. Such deals are worth millions and athletes will go to great (6) to secure them.
To prevent the problem from (7) , anti-doping agencies are carrying out more tests. The result is that a number of champion athletes have been exposed as drug cheats and (8) of their titles. It remains to be seen if this will be enough of a deterrent.

Complete the text with the following words:
adjust - altitudes - base - blizzard - ceremony - disorientation - monitor - summit - supply - ultimate
Towering on everyting else on Earth at more than 29,000 feet, Mount Everest is the (1) challenge for mountain climbers. Such an extreme challenge brings extreme risk, and, for climbers, safety is paramount. In May 1996, a(n) (2) trapped and killed 8 climbers in a single day. Adventure Consultants had a team on the summit, half of whom perished. In spite of this, the company continues to operate, having learnt that safety must come first. 'Team Canada' is a group led by experienced clilmbers and a dozen Sherpas. Most of the team's gear travels ahead with the Sherpas, as the team sets out on foot to allow their bodies to (3) to the altitude. After a week, they reach (4) camp where they spend a month and a half. Satellite phones and computers allow guides to (5) weather conditions, helping to prevent the kind of disaster that happened in 1996. After a(n) (6) asking the gods for permission to climb the mountain, the team travels back and forth between camps at various (7) to prepare themselves for the final push to the summit. The oxygen (8) is carefully prepared, as it is an important safety tool. With only a third of the oxygen at sea level, climbers at the summit can be starved of oxygen, causing sickness, (9) , or even death. After two months' work, the climbers finally reach the (10) , and the reward is worth the risk.

Hopes & Dreams Vocabulary

Gap-fill exercise