1. Match the sentences halves.
1) Nowadays there is a constant demand
2) Do you have any objections
3) Many people have a preference
4) It’s unlikely that the existence
5) It’s easy to develop an addiction
6) Does anyone think our dependence
7) The 1950s Space Age had a great effect
a to inviting Emma for dinner?
b on computers nowadays is dangerous?
c on people’s belief in aliens.
d for watching sci-fi rather than fantasy films.
e to video games if you play them too often.
f for better and faster technology.
g of life on other planets with ever be proved.
Show answers
1) f 2) a 3) d 4) g 5) e 6) b 7) c
2. Complete the text with the words below.
belief difference evidence increase interest need obsession reason
A few years ago, a National Geographic Society poll revealed that 36% of Americans (about 190 million people) believe in aliens, while only 17% do not, and the remaining 47% are undecided. The figures may be surprising, but people have had an 1) _______ in aliens since the late 1940s. A 2) _______ in flying saucers, backed up by apparent 3) _______ of these alien spaceships in the form of grainy black and white photos, soon turned into an 4) _______, with people claiming to have actually made contact with beings from outer space. More recently, there has been an 5) _______ in this fascination with extraterrestrial life forms, thanks to detailed video footage ‘proof’ (created with high-quality 3-D computer software). It’s hard to explain the 6) _______ for this continued fascination; to many people, there seems to be little 7) _______ between thinking UFOs exist and believing in magic. Perhaps it’s just that we have always had the 8) _______ for a little stery in our lives.
Show answers
1) interest 2) belief 3 evidence 4 obsession
5) increase 6) reason 7) difference 8) need
VOCAB BOOST!
Use mind maps to organise groups of words that are connected. For example, you can group nouns around their different prepositions and quickly see which share the same preposition.
3. Read the Vocab boost! box. Then complete the mind maps with the correct prepositions.
Show answers
1) in 2) for
4. Complete the sentences with the correct prepositions.
1) Is there really no possibility ______ you changing your mind?
2) This is probably a matter ______ the police.
3) There’s a big difference ______ price between taking the bus and getting a taxi.
4) Is your taste ______ clothes the same as your friends’?
5) There’s been a sharp rise ______ temperatures this month.
6) The police didn’t find any evidence ______ a break-in.
Show answers
1) of 2) for 3) in 4) in 5) in 6) of
5. Use a dictionary and correct the mistakes with prepositions in the sentences. Tick the two sentences that do not contain any mistakes.
1) No one expected the band to rise in fame so quickly. ________
2) cousin’s gap year gave her a real taste for travel. ________
3) Bill and his girlfriend have had a difference in opinion and aren’t speaking. ________
4) You look very pale – is something the matter of you? ________
5) Customers have recently been experiencing difficulty in using this website. ________
6) There’s no point of getting upset about it. ________
Show answers
1) No one expected the band to rise to fame so quickly.
2) ✓
3) Bill and his girlfriend have had a difference of opinion and aren’t speaking.
4) You look very pale – is something the matter with you?
5) ✓
6) There’s no point in getting upset about it.
6. Complete the sentences with the correct preposition and your own ideas.
1) I’ve never understood the point ________________
2) Where I live, there’s been a rise ________________
3) Most of friends have an interest ________________
4) I wish we could find a solution ________________
5) I hardly ever have trouble ________________
6) I’d love to prove the existence ________________
7) Nowadays, there’s very little demand ________________
Show answers
your own answers
Extra exercises
1. Choose the correct prepositions (a-c).
1) People are worried about the increase ______ knife crime.
a of b in c on
2) Sugary drinks can have a devastating effect ______ a person’s health.
a in b to c on
3) Most of the students expressed a preference ______ postponing the exam for a week.
a for b with c to
4) main objection ______ getting a part-time job is that I won’t have enough time to study.
a of b to c between
5) Rosie’s obsession ______ her favourite band takes her all over the country.
a for b in c with
6) Until now, nobody has been able to prove the existence ______ life on other planets.
a of b for c to
7) The difference ______ Asian and African elephants is that the former have smaller ears.
a in b with c between
8) There is an urgent need ______ effective measures to house the world’s refugees.
a for b with c in
Show answers
1) b 2) c 3) a 4) b 5) c 6 a 7) c 8) a
2. Complete the text with the phrasal verbs below.
find out let on make out play on taken in zoom in
Liars often try to 1) _______ our ignorance and they put on an act in order to be believed. The best way to 2) _______ if a person is lying is to 3) _______ on their body language. They tend to 4) _______ that they’re being sincere by looking very deeply into your eyes. Don’t be 5) _______ by this and listen carefully to what they’re saying. They won’t admit their guilt directly, but subconsciously they will often 6) _______ that they’re lying by using too many negatives: ‘I swear that I didn’t use your tablet. Never. Not once.’
Show answers
1) play on 2) find out 3) zoom in 4) make out
5) taken in 6) let on
