Test your vocabulary

Word 1 of 10

Definition:

something that is ______secure is safe and is not going to change or be taken away from you. If you feel ______secure, you are not worried and do not think that anything bad is going to happen

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• a child should always feel safe and ______secure in the home
• her financial position was relatively ______secure
• the hotel offers ______secure parking (a car park that is protected from thieves)

Word 2 of 10

Definition:

if a place is ________run-down, it is in a bad condition because no one has been looking after it for a while

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• the city centre seems very ________run-down
• it’s a bit more ________run-down where I live, but at least it’s more lively
• a ________run-down restaurant near the station
• the house was very ________run-down when we bought it, but we’ve transformed it over the last two years

Word 3 of 10

Definition:

roads that are _________congested have a lot of traffic on them, so everybody moves very slowly

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• the M25 around Heathrow is always _________congested
• the _________congested streets of Bangkok
• Oxford’s roads are _________congested, polluted and dangerous
• plan your journey in advance to avoid _________congested areas

Word 4 of 10

Definition:

something that is ________spotless is very clean

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• the hotel room was absolutely ________spotless
• the streets are ________spotless, but it’s also very dull there
• he was wearing a ________spotless white suit

Word 5 of 10

Definition:

if someone is ________affluent, they have a lot of money and are able to live comfortably. If a district is ________affluent, it has expensive houses and shops that sell good quality items, and the people who live there are quite rich

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• an ________affluent district in the west of the city
• most towns have private schools for the children of ________affluent families
• Egremont developed as an ________affluent residential area in the early 19th century
• she had a well-paid job and enjoyed an ________affluent lifestyle

Collocates:

• an ________affluent suburb/neighbourhood/area
• an ________affluent lifestyle
• an ________affluent family

Word 6 of 10

Definition:

a _______chaotic situation is one in which lots of things are happening at the same time and in a very confused and disorganised way

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• the city is busy, _______chaotic, and noisy
• it gets very _______chaotic in the shop during the weeks before Christmas
• conditions at the airport were _______chaotic, with travellers sleeping on the floor for a second night
• it was difficult to stay calm in such a _______chaotic situation

Word 7 of 10

Definition:

something that is ________well-run is properly organised

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• we stayed in a very ________well-run hotel in the city centre
• a ________well-run factory that provides jobs for local people

Word 8 of 10

Definition:

a _________sprawling place or building spreads out over a large area in an untidy or uncontrolled way

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• the _________sprawling suburbs of the capital city
• the _________sprawling Cairo district of Nasr City
• Tokyo is exciting because it is a _________sprawling urban environment to explore
• it was a _________sprawling , four-storey hotel that could house 2,000 guests
• the college moved to a _________sprawling campus on the outskirts of Chennai

Word 9 of 10

Definition:

a _______vibrant place is one where lots of exciting and interesting things are always happening. People who are _______vibrant have a lot of energy and are always doing interesting things

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• a lively city with a _______vibrant nightlife
• Brazil’s most culturally _______vibrant city
• a young, _______vibrant and dynamic company
• we promote strong families and _______vibrant communities here
• the children ran around all afternoon, _______vibrant and full of life

Collocates:

• _______vibrant nightlife
• a _______vibrant city

Word 10 of 10

Definition:

if something is _______compact, it is small and does nottake up much space

Part of speech:

Adjective

Examples:

• the flat is nice and _______compact, so it’s easy to keep clean
• a _______compact car
• the college occupies a relatively _______compact campus
• PDF files are very _______compact, so they download quickly