Society Vocabulary

Gap-fill exercises

Read the instructions and complete the following exercises. Then press "Check" to check your answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter if an answer is giving you trouble. Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints!
Write one of the following synonyms for the words in bold next to the sentences:
destitute - humbling - prevalent - selfless - traumatic

1. Many social problems become far more widespread as unemployment rises.
2. The earthquake and subsequent aftershocks left thousands impoverished.
3. Watching their home burn to the ground was harrowing for the family.
4. It's chastening to see poor people sharing what little they have with others.
5. Volunteering her time, weekend after weekend, is an entirely altruistic act.
Choose the most suitable word for each sentence, then write sentences with the ones you did not use:
1. My conscious/conscience would really bother me if I ignored a fellow human being in trouble.
2. When people revolted against the dictator, the army was ordered to oppress/suppress the uprising.
3. It is shameful that minorities are being persecuted/prosecuted and driven from their homes.
4. I wonder; when people become affluent/effluent, do they stop caring about the less fortunate?
5. The police used water cannons to disburse/disperse the protesters who had gathered before parliament.
6. To escape conflict, refugees have been emigrating/immigrating to the west by the millions.
7. Participants will sleep rough for a week to give them a sense of empathy/sympathy for the homeless.
8. The human rights group condemned/condoned the barbarous acts in the strongest terms.
Rewrite the underlined parts of the sentence using the noun form of the verb. Do not use more than five words.
1. She advocates for improved conditions in detention.
2. Blatantly disregarding the law will get you into serious trouble.
3. The gang violence in the area alarmed the residents greatly .
4. Surely censoring the news assaults democracy .
5. The activists are endeavouring to promote awareness of the problem.
6. Fortunately, none of the animals in the field were abused .
7. The anti-smoking lobby is trying to get smoking banned .
8. Our current prime minister favours cutting the welfare budget.
Write the following adjectives next to their meanings. Then write P next to the adjectives that are positive and N next to those that are negative:
apathetic - callous - just - tolerant - benevolent - corrupt - merciful - brutal - humane - prejudiced

1. Showing compassion and kindness to people and animals: -
2. Having an unreasonable hatred of a particular group of people: -
3. Willing to be kind to and forgive people in your power: -
4. Dishonestly using your position to get money or some advantage: -
5. Willing to accept beliefs that are different from your own: -
6. Cruel, violent and completely without feeling: -
7. Willing to help and be generous towards others: -
8. Not interested in anything; not willing to try to change a thing: -
9. Fair, morally correct, supported by a good reason: -
10. Unkind, cruel and without sympathy or feeling for other people: -
Complete the sentences with the adjectives from the previous exercise:
apathetic - callous - just - tolerant - benevolent - corrupt - merciful - brutal - humane - prejudiced

1. The city official was caught red-handed with a suitcase full of money given to him by the businessman.
2. If we are not of other cultures and faiths, we will not be able to live together in harmony.
3. You should definitely involve yourself in your community and its issues instead of being .
4. He stole the bread because he was homeless and hungry; a punishment would be a simple warning.
5. The club was accused of being against poor families, as it would not allow them to become members.
6. A society that treats animals in a way is far more civilised than one which does not.
Choose the correct words:
1. I can't stand the kind of people who climb/jump on the bandwagon when a cause becomes trendy.
2. When unpleasant realities need to be dealt wih, you can't bury/keep your head in the sand and ignore them.
3. The leader's commitment to the cause sought/brought out the best in the volunteers, who worked tirelessly.
4. Although the aid organisation had tried to speak with the minister, its request fell/landed on deaf ears.
5. Following the catastrophic earthquake, NGOs arrived/came to the rescue with food and medical aid.
6. Once a few high-profile celebrities got/went behind the cause, the donations came flooding in.
7. Despite the effects of the financial crisis, the country spared/saved no effort in helping the incoming refugees.
8. Celia has adopted a stray dog because she felt she couldn't point/turn her back on the starving animal.
Write the negative form of the words using the following prefixes:
dis- / in- / un- / under-
biased:
equal:
equality:
fed:
justice:
merciful: 		obedience:
order:
paid:
possessed:
privileged:
tolerance:
Read the text and fill in the gaps with words derived from the following:
active - equal - lawful - justice - just - obey - demonstrate - justify

The right to fight
Where would we be without (1) ? These are people who bring about change and make our world a better place. Whether they belong to a movement that is fighting (2) or are anonymous whistle-blowers revealing the (3) activities of corporations or governments, they are the people who are taking action. There are many famous examples in the fight against (4) . Martin Luther King, the leader of the civil rights movement in the US, wanted equal rights for African-Americans. He encouraged people to disobey the (5) laws that kept blacks and whites apart.
This form of civil (6) was also successful when India sought independence from Great Britain. And then there's Loukanikos, the stray dog that became a celebrity when he joined the (7) in Athen's central square. In 2011, he was (8) named by Time magazine, along with other protesters, as a 'Person of the Year'.