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Directions (Q. 1-10) In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words are suggested. Select the one that fits the bank appropriately.
Do migrants, especially those from within the European Union, get a __(1)__ deal in Britain than they would elsewhere in the EU? And do they therefore __(2)__ a disproportionate burden on UK taxpayers? The answer to the first question is yes, at least compared with some countries, because of the __(3)__ of the UK benefit system. But despite this, the answer to the second is a __(4)__ no. When Ian Duncan Smith describes the inflow of EU nationals to claim benefits as a “crisis”, the only rational reaction is: “Crisis? What crisis?”
The UK benefit system is __(5)__ relatively friendly to migrants from within the EU. Migrants from outside generally have to pass a “no recourse to public funds” test, and of course __(6)__ migrants and foreign students are pretty unlikely to end up on benefits. But migrants from within the EU, once they are “habitually resident”, have to be __(7)__similarly to UK citizens. And given that our benefit system, for those of working age, is now mostly means-tested – that is, based on income and residence, not __(8)__ – that means EU citizens do better here than they would in some other countries, such as Germany, that have more contributory systems.
Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that. The UK has far from the most __(9)__ social security system in Europe, both in terms of benefit levels and overall spending. In France, for example, unemployment benefits are considerably higher for most people than they are in the UK, while contribution conditions are, if anything, somewhat weaker; a French teacher or banker losing their job in London might well be__(10)__ how little they would be entitled to here.
1.
(1) stagnant
(2) better
(3) amazing
(4) worst
(5) well
2.
(1) impose
(2) pose
(3) juxtapose
(4) exaggerate
(5) withdrawal
3.
(1) quantity
(2) probability
(3) culture
(4) nature
(5) stature
4.
(1) umpteen
(2) definitive
(3) vicinity
(4) priority
(5) regulative
5.
(1) impact
(2) impede
(3) indeed
(4) might
(5) whenever
6.
(1) skilled
(2) fail
(3) mighty
(4) pride
(5) deep
7.
(1) treat
(2) greet
(3) regulate
(4) hold
(5) treated
8.
(1) contributions
(2) prompted
(3) cultured
(4) obstinacy
(5) abstinence
9.
(1) help
(2) generous
(3) culture
(4) tall
(5) hold
10.
(1) stun
(2) shocked
(3) ridiculous
(4) show
(5) blunt
1. 2 ‘Deal’ cannot be ‘stagnant’, ‘or well’. ‘Amazing’ is incorrect because of the use of the preposition ‘a’ before the blank. ‘Worst’ is incorrect because it will not fit in the blank in this form. Had it been worse, it might have been correct.
2. 1 We are looking for a word to be used as a verb for the ‘disproportionate burden’. Hence, the best word which fits the blank is "impose".
3. 4 ‘Nature’ is the correct option. ‘Quantity’, ‘probability’, ‘culture’ and ‘stature’are inappropriate according to the idea the passage wants to convey.
4. 2 The only option that fits in the meaning of the word id ‘definitive’.
5. 3 ‘Indeed’ is the only correct option, as the rest of the options cannot complete the sentence appropriately.
6. 1 Going by the implication of the sentence, we are talking about the impact of migrants, and ‘skilled’ fits the blank perfectly.
7. 5 We are looking for a word in the simple past tense. Only "treated" is the correct word.
8. 1 "Contributions" is the only word which completes the sentence in a meaningful manner.
9. 2 The blank requires an adjective to describe UK’s social security system. "Generous" fits the context better than the rest of the words.
10. 2 The blank requires a word to describe the expression of the French. Going by the context of the passage, "shocked" is the best word, and is also in the right form.
