Science & Technology

Complete the sentences with the following adjectives:
durable - firm - generic - hefty - iconic - minimalist - radical - underwhelming
1. The logos for brands such as Apple and Ferrari have become and are instantly recognisable.
2. I have to say, 2Gb of RAM is when you can easily find an affordable computer with 4 or 8Gb.
3. Jules is a believer that advanced technology will be the answer to all humanity's problems.
4. The new computer lab is open-plan and furnished in a style with basic pieces in white.
5. To tackle pollution, factories will be required by law to install high-tech furnaces or face a fine.
6. Titanium has many applications, particularly in aviation, where it is used in jet engines because it is light but .
7. It is now obvious that building more roads isn't the answer; the city needs a more approach to transport policy.
8. The architecture is predictable and lacking in originality; it is just another office building.

Choose the correct option, then write sentences with the words you did not choose:
1. Finding fossils of sea creatures here, we can (deduce/deduct) that the area was once covered in water.
2. The highlight of the physics seminar was a lecture given by an (eminent/imminent) scientist.
3. The light (omitted/emitted) by screens inhibits the production of melatonin, which makes it harder to fall asleep.
4. Causality is the most basic of all the (principals/principles) of physics; it simply means 'every effect has a cause'.
5. The security system uses infrared (censors/sensors) that activate a light when they detect movement.
6. According to the World Health Organization, we are very close to (eroding/eradicating) polio.
7. The process of nuclear (fission/fusion) entails splitting uranium atoms.
8. In the third century BC, Archimedes of Syracuse invented an (ingenuous/ingenious) method to raise water to higher levels.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the following verbs:
analyse - infer - interpret - calculate - compute - estimate - decompose - disintegrate - dissolve
1. When sugar is added to hot water, the sugar far more quickly than it does in cold water.
2. The meteorite hurtled through the atmosphere and on impact with the Earth's surface.
3. On the forest floor, dead leaves had been completely by the micro-organisms in the soil.
4. Uncertain as to how to the unusual results of the experiment, the biochemist sought the opinion of a colleague.
5. Scientists rock samples taken from the area and were concerned to find high levels of radioactivity.
6. Astronomers measured the rate of expansion of the universe and from this that it is 13 billion years old.
7. A new navigation system enables cars to the shortest, easiest route to a destination.
8. The Greek astronomer and mathematician Eratosthenes was the first person to the circumference of the Earth.
9. At current production rates, it has been roughly that there is just enough oil to last the world about 50 years.

Match the following words to form compound nouns and then complete the sentences:
active - artificial - computer - digital - information - operating - search - security - breach - engine - intelligence - literacy - native - system - technology - users
1. Jack, who is 19, has grown up using technology such as the Internet and mobile phones; he's a real .
2. I loved the old of my computer, Windows XP, because it made all of the programmes work well.
3. Millions of people have Instagram accounts, but I wonder how many are who log on regularly.
4. By the time the company realised there was a , it was too late, as confidential data had already been stolen.
5. The job calls for ; for example, you need to know how to read spreadsheets and scan for viruses.
6. Films are one thing, but do you think will ever be able to perfectly mimic the human brain?
7. My of choice is Google, because I like the way the results are clearly displayed on the screen.
8. Helen, who is studying at university, has decided to specialise in cloud computing and programming.

Choose the option which best completes each sentence:
1. When you're surfing the web, you have the whole world (at/on) your fingertips.
2. Luckily, we managed to fix the broken generator, so it's (off/up) and running now.
3. If your company doesn't have an online presence, it's definitely (behind/past) the times.
4. (By/On) all accounts, the latest operating system hasn't won many fans.
5. I'm afraid you can't enter the laboratory; it's (off/out) limits to visitors.
6. If high consumption continues, we will soon be (in/on) the brink of an energy crisis.
7. Conventional means won't solve this problem; we need to think (beyond/outside) the box.
8. Artificial intelligence is still (in/at) its infancy, but one day computers will think just like we do.
9. He downed the foul-looking liquid and (across/before) my eyes his skin turned a ghastly shade of green!
10. As an undergraduate, Max was (out of/under) his depth in the discussion of quantum theory with his professors.
11. Innovation is absolutely vital for any tech company hoping to stay (above/ahead) of the curve.
12. With the advent of more advanced technology, faster download speeds are (on/within) reach.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the following words:
conclude - negligence - interpret - long - cure - precedent - persevere - emit
1. Since the results of the experiment were , we had to repeat it.
2. The doctor was found to have acted and was suspended.
3. We must take great care not to the data we collect.
4. Recent studies of centenarians have linked the Mediterranean diet to .
5. Unfortunately, despite continued research, some diseases remain .
6. Climate scientists are concerned about the weather we have been experiencing.
7. Cancer research is a field which requires patience, dedication and .
8. Carbon dioxide accounts for the majority of gas from human activities.

Complete the text with the most suitable option:
1. look - glimpse - sight - glance
2. sprang - proceeded - descended - originated
3. vital - key - prime - crucial
4. shed - aim - hurl - pitch
5. played - enforced - served - favoured
6. very - barely - rarely - hardly
7. or - and - nor - but
8. sift - seek - scan - sweep
Genes Are Us
A human and a grain of rice not, at first (1) , look like cousins. And yet we share a quarter of our genes with the fine plant. All animals, plants and fungi share an ancestor that lived about 1.6 billion years ago. Everything that (2) from that progenitor retains part of its original genome, embodying one of the evolution's (3) principles: if it's not broken, don't fix it. Since evolution has conserved so many genes, exploring the genomes of other species can (4) light on genes involved in human biology and disease.
Genes can disappear and new ones can arise from mutations in DNA that previously (5) some other function or no function at all. It's (6) surprising that we share more genes with chimpanzees than with rice because, by (7) large, we've shared most of our evolutionary journey with those apes. And as we (8) through the small portion of our genes with no counterpart in chimpanzees, we may be able to find additional clues as to what makes us uniquely human.

Complete the sentences with the following expressions:
back and forth - back to front - little by little - more or less - safe and sound - time after time - touch and go - wear and tear
1. Automotive technology has progressed to the point where soon, the driver will just sit in the car while it drives itself.
2. We want global agreement on climate change, but , talks between world leaders fail and we are nowhere near a solution.
3. When you drive in urban environment, the constant stopping and starting leads to on the brakes.
4. Due to a last-minute hitch, it was whether the space shuttle would actually launch.
5. It wasnt obvious at first, but the factory waste released into the river killed off all the fish.
6. Text messages flew between Martin and George as they tried to find each other at the crowded football stadium.
7. An accident at the plant triggered an explosion; fortunately, all the workers were found .
8. Dressing quickly because he was late for a lecture, Nathan accidentally put on his jumper .

Science & Technology

Gap-fill exercises