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Study A
Going through college
Sam and Ben are twin brothers. They have a very rich grandfather who offered to put them through1 university. Sam sailed through2 his exams at school and easily got into3 a good university. Ben wanted to go to the same university, but it was harder for him to get in. However, in his last few months at school, he managed to get through4 all the necessary exams. Both brothers wanted to major in5 law. Sam had worked in a law firm in several summer holidays and this experience was able to count towards6 his degree. Ben spent his holidays playing sport. Sam continued to study hard and soon left most of the other students in his group behind7. At the end of six months, the professor creamed off8 the best students and moved them up to the next class. Sam was in this group but Ben was not. The professor felt he was more interested in rugby than law and this counted against9 him. He was marked down10 for careless mistakes in a number of his essays and by the end of the year he had fallen behind11 the rest of his year. His tutor says he’ll be lucky if he even scrapes through12 his exams. His grandfather has arranged to come and visit him and Ben is feeling a little nervous. 1
7 pay for them to study at university made much faster progress than others 8 easily passed separated the cleverest or most skilful people 3 succeeded in getting a place (at a school, from a group and treated them differently 9 college or organisation) contributed to his bad marks 4 10 succeed (in an examination or competition) given a lower mark 5 11 (US, Aus) study something as their main failed to remain level with a group of subject at university people that was moving forwards 6 12 be part of what was needed in order to (informal) passes but only just complete something 2
B
In the library
Let me try to describe this scene in a university library. A girl with long hair is poring over1 a map. Next to her a boy is skimming through2 some books, looking for some information on wind energy for his thesis. At the same table is a girl with short hair, who has buried herself in3 a journal. Next to her a boy is ticking/checking off4 names on a list – he’s crossed off5 one of them. There is a busy and studious atmosphere in this library and I hope this has come across6 in my description. 1
5 studying carefully removed a word (e.g. name) from a list by reading quickly without studying the details drawing a line through it 3 6 given all her attention to been expressed clearly enough for the reader 4 writing something next to each item on a list to understand it in order to make sure that everything or everyone on it is correct, present, or has been dealt with 2
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English Phrasal Verbs in Use Advanced
