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Joy English · Level C2 · The sea and seafaringjoy-english.com

Test 5: The sea and the weather

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A proficiency-level mixed test about seafaring, storms and coastlines: close collocation, conditionals, comparatives and word formation.

Part 1: Multiple-choice gaps

Choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence.

  1. The islanders ___ out a modest living from fishing and a little farming.
    • a) eked
    • b) edged
    • c) stretched
    • d) pulled
  2. A thick fog ___ in from the sea, and within minutes the harbour had vanished.
    • a) rode
    • b) rolled
    • c) rang
    • d) rowed
  3. Had the crew heeded the warning, the ship ___ safely into harbour.
    • a) would sail
    • b) had sailed
    • c) would have sailed
    • d) sailed
  4. The forecast was so ___ that nobody could decide whether to sail.
    • a) equivocal
    • b) equitable
    • c) equable
    • d) equivalent
  5. Sailors are famously ___ about omens and luck.
    • a) suspicious
    • b) supercilious
    • c) superficial
    • d) superstitious
  6. The ship ran ___ on a sandbank and had to wait for the tide.
    • a) afloat
    • b) aground
    • c) abeam
    • d) adrift
  7. The more the wind rose, ___ the sea became.
    • a) the rougher
    • b) rougher
    • c) the roughest
    • d) as rough
  8. Whatever the season, the coast road is liable ___ flooding at high tide.
    • a) for
    • b) of
    • c) to
    • d) with

Part 2: Open gaps

Type the missing word or words in each gap. Write one word unless the item clearly needs a short phrase.

  1. Scarcely had the boat left the harbour ___ the wind began to rise.
  2. The crossing, ___ in good weather takes an hour, took nearly four.
  3. Had the crew not been experienced, they ___ never have reached the shore.
  4. The tide is due to turn at noon, ___ which point the channel will be impassable.
  5. The island is cut off from the mainland ___ high tide.
  6. Rough ___ the weather was, the ferry kept to its timetable.
  7. She had no ___ but to turn back when the wind veered.
  8. It was not ___ the fog lifted that they saw how close they had come to the rocks.

Part 3: Word formation

Use the word in CAPITALS at the end of each sentence to form a word that fits the gap. Type one word.

  1. The ___ of the coastline makes navigation difficult without local knowledge. (REGULAR)
  2. The captain’s ___ saved the ship when the engine failed. (COMPOSE)
  3. Fishermen are often remarkably ___ about the weather. (KNOW)
  4. The storm struck with ___ force, tearing the sails to ribbons. (PRECEDENT)
  5. The sea can look ___ calm and still be dangerous below the surface. (DECEIVE)
  6. The ___ of the water near the rocks made landing impossible. (TURBULENT)
  7. Her ___ was beyond question, even in the worst gale. (SEAMAN)
  8. The sea is notoriously ___ in autumn. (PREDICT)

Answer key

Part 1: Multiple-choice gaps

  1. a) ekedTo eke out a living means to survive with difficulty. It is a fixed phrasal verb.
  2. b) rolledFog rolls in is the standard collocation. The other verbs do not collocate with fog.
  3. c) would have sailedThis is a third conditional: had + past participle in the if-clause, would have + past participle in the result.
  4. a) equivocalEquivocal means open to more than one interpretation. Equable describes a steady temperament or climate.
  5. d) superstitiousSuperstitious means believing in omens and luck. The others have different meanings.
  6. b) agroundRun aground means to be stuck on the bottom in shallow water. Afloat would be the opposite.
  7. a) the rougherThe more ... the + comparative is the correlative structure.
  8. c) toLiable to means likely to suffer something. Liable for would mean legally responsible.

Part 2: Open gaps

  1. when / beforeScarcely ... when/before is the usual pair, with inversion after Scarcely.
  2. whichA non-defining relative clause needs which, not that.
  3. would / could / mightThis is an inverted third conditional, so the result clause uses a modal + have + past participle.
  4. at / by / after / fromAt which point, by which point, after which point and from which point all work in this non-defining relative clause.
  5. at / duringAt high tide and during high tide are both natural.
  6. as / thoughRough as/though the weather was means although the weather was rough.
  7. choice / option / alternativeNo choice, no option or no alternative but to is a fixed pattern.
  8. until / tillIt was not until/till ... that is the cleft structure for time.

Part 3: Word formation

  1. irregularityThe noun is the negative irregularity.
  2. composureComposure is the noun for calmness under pressure.
  3. knowledgeableThe adjective is knowledgeable.
  4. unprecedentedUnprecedented means never having happened before.
  5. deceptivelyAn adverb is needed before calm: deceptively.
  6. turbulenceThe noun is turbulence.
  7. seamanshipSeamanship is skill in handling a ship.
  8. unpredictableThe negative adjective is unpredictable.

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