These exercises will help you practise the academic vocabulary introduced in the course, focusing on precise, formal, and neutral language that elevates your written English to C1 level.
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Exercice 1 — Academic Vocabulary in Context
Choose the most appropriate academic word or phrase to complete each sentence.
- The research paper ___ that current climate models may underestimate the rate of glacial retreat.
- The committee's decision was ___ by a lack of empirical evidence supporting the proposed policy.
- Scholars have long ___ whether economic growth and environmental sustainability can coexist.
- The findings ___ a significant correlation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement.
Correction
- B) posits — The research paper posits that current climate models may underestimate the rate of glacial retreat.
- C) undermined — The committee's decision was undermined by a lack of empirical evidence supporting the proposed policy.
- B) debated — Scholars have long debated whether economic growth and environmental sustainability can coexist.
- C) demonstrate — The findings demonstrate a significant correlation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement.
Exercice 2 — Formal vs. Informal: Match the Equivalents
Match each informal or everyday expression on the left with its formal academic equivalent on the right by identifying the correct pair.
- Match the informal expression 'to look into something' with its academic equivalent from the following: (A) to scrutinise, (B) to investigate, (C) to glance at, (D) to skim through.
- Match the informal expression 'to go against' with its academic equivalent from the following: (A) to challenge, (B) to fight, (C) to ignore, (D) to dismiss.
- Match the informal expression 'to back up an idea' with its academic equivalent from the following: (A) to repeat, (B) to copy, (C) to substantiate, (D) to mention.
- Match the informal expression 'to bring about a change' with its academic equivalent from the following: (A) to cause, (B) to engender, (C) to start, (D) to push.
Correction
- The correct match is (B): 'to look into something' corresponds to 'to investigate', as in 'The study seeks to investigate the underlying causes of the phenomenon.'
- The correct match is (A): 'to go against' corresponds to 'to challenge', as in 'These results challenge the assumptions of the prevailing theoretical framework.'
- The correct match is (C): 'to back up an idea' corresponds to 'to substantiate', as in 'The author attempts to substantiate the central argument with quantitative data.'
- The correct match is (B): 'to bring about a change' corresponds to 'to engender', as in 'Rapid urbanisation has been shown to engender significant shifts in cultural identity.'
Exercice 3 — Complete the Academic Sentences
Fill in each blank with the most appropriate academic word or phrase to produce formal, precise, and neutral prose.
- The author ___ that previous interpretations of the data have overlooked a critical variable.
- A growing body of literature ___ the need for more rigorous methodological standards in social science research.
- The concept of cultural capital, as ___ by Bourdieu, refers to the non-financial social assets that promote social mobility.
- It is ___ to acknowledge the limitations of the present study before drawing any broad conclusions.
Correction
- The author contends that previous interpretations of the data have overlooked a critical variable.
- A growing body of literature underscores the need for more rigorous methodological standards in social science research.
- The concept of cultural capital, as theorised by Bourdieu, refers to the non-financial social assets that promote social mobility.
- It is imperative to acknowledge the limitations of the present study before drawing any broad conclusions.
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