Choose from the words below to complete each pair of sentences. Use the same word in (a) and (b). Decide if the word should be countable or uncountable. If the word is countable, add a/an at an appropriate point in the sentence or make it plural. (D & E)
damage      education      traffic      paper      resistance speech
1 a I had to go through L very strict and traditional .^«M3«k...
b ...............has been hit once again in the government's spending cuts.
2 a ...............was building up on the motorway as the fog got thicker.
b Since the war, illegal...............in weapons has grown.
3 a Outnumbered by at least three to one, he knew that...............was useless.
b After a while we seemed to build up...............to mosquitoes.
4 a The judge awarded Mr Sinclair...............of nearly £50,000.
b The accident caused some...............to my car but it wasn't worth getting it repaired.
5 a Muriel gave...............at the conference on the psychological effects of divorce.
b The use of recycled...............is saving thousands of trees from being cut down each year.
6 a It is said to be...............that distinguishes us from the other animals.
b We had to listen to some long and boring...............after the meal.
f 52.1 "\ Complete the sentences with either is/are or has/have. If both singular and plural forms are ^—possible, write them both. (A)
1 A number of shoppers...............complained about the price increases.
2 I can assure you that everything...............perfectly safe.
3 Either of the dentists...............available. Which one do you want to see?
4 The majority of primary school teachers...............women.
5 Each of Susan's colleagues...............sent her a personal letter of support.
6 Although some people find cricket boring, each match...............different.
7 We've got two cars, but neither of them...............particularly new.
8 All the office staff...............agreed to work late tonight to get the job finished.
9 A lot of the pollution...............caused by the paper factory on the edge of town.
10 None of the TV programmes...............worth watching tonight.
11 Researchers have reported that neither of the so-called 'environmentally friendly' fuels ...............less damaging than petrol or diesel.
12 I hope everyone...............a good holiday. See you next term.
13 The number of pupils in school with reading difficulties...............fallen this year.
14 Some people...............the strangest hobbies. My brother collects bottles!
15 None of the information...............particularly useful to me.
51.3 j Correct any mistakes in these sentences or put a S if they are already correct. (A & D)
1 The island's politics is complex, with over twelve parties competing for power.
2 Gymnasts from over 40 countries are competing in Madrid this weekend.
3 Economics has become an increasingly popular course at university.
4 The latest news of the earthquake survivors are very disturbing.
5 Jim's politics has changed considerably since he was in his twenties.
6 Diabetes are an illness caused by too much sugar in the blood.
7 Recent government statistics show a sharp decline in crime.
8 Women's gymnastics are no longer dominated by eastern Europeans.
9 Statistics are now compulsory for all students taking a course in engineering.
10 Most years, over three hundred athletes competes in the games.
11 The economics of the plan is worrying investors.
12 Measles is still a fairly serious childhood disease in some countries.