1. It’s difficult to ignore your mother when she tells you to wrap up warm or dry your hair or you’ll get a cold – but colds are not caused by the cold: they are caused by viruses! Walking around with wet hair or a T-shirt in winter may look silly, and will make you feel cold, but you will only get a cold if you come into contact with a(n) 1. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: infected

We need an adjective to describe the noun person. The past participle infected acts as an adjective meaning having a disease or illness caused by bacteria or viruses.

(INFECT) person. The best way to avoid viruses like these is to wash your hands regularly when there’s a bug going around.

2. Despite the huge medical advances that have been made over the last century, the common cold is still 2. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: incurable

We need an adjective to describe the common cold after the verb is. The prefix in- gives a negative meaning, and the suffix -able means capable of. Incurable means unable to be cured.

(CURE) and medicine does little for the symptoms either. Antibiotics won’t help as your cold is caused by one of over 200 viruses. The only time you may need them is if you develop a throat or ear 3. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: infection

A noun is required after the nouns throat or ear to form a compound noun phrase. An infection is a disease in a part of your body that is caused by bacteria or a virus.

(INFECT). Otherwise, go to bed and drink lots of fluids and wait till you get better.

3. Acne is a condition that causes the skin to produce too much oil. However, research has failed to find any 4. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: connection

We need a noun following the determiner any. Connection refers to a relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else.

(CONNECT) between eating fatty foods and acne – although too much fat in your diet might be bad in other ways. Incidentally, washing too much can make the condition worse. It’s best just to wash 5. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: gently

An adverb is needed to modify the verb wash. We change the adjective gentle to the adverb gently, which means in a mild and careful way.

(GENTLE) twice a day and don’t rub the skin too hard.

4. Arthritis affects all kinds of people, including young children who have never started cracking their fingers. Suffering from a 6. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: viral

An adjective is needed to modify the noun infection. Viral means relating to or caused by a virus.

(VIRUS) infection may lead to developing the condition, as might jobs which involve a(n) 7. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: overuse

We need a noun following the article an. The context implies using joints too much, so the prefix over- is added to use to form overuse, meaning excessive use.

(USE) of your joints, but doctors are still not sure of the real cause.

5. You can buy foods that are advertised as being low in cholesterol or able to reduce how much you have, so you might think cholesterol is an entirely bad thing. You’d be wrong. Cholesterol is essential for life and is produced 8. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: naturally

We need an adverb to describe how cholesterol is produced. The suffixes -al and -ly are added to nature to form the averbnaturally, meaning in a normal or natural manner.

(NATURE) by the body. The body also adjusts how much it produces based on what you eat. If you eat food containing a lot of cholesterol, your body 9. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: simply

An adverb is required to modify the verb produces. Simply means absolutely or just, emphasizing the straightforward action of the body.

(SIMPLE) produces less in order to balance its two sources. This means it’s difficult to reduce cholesterol in the body through diet. Some doctors have even questioned if there is any link between cholesterol levels and heart disease. They point to factors such as lack of exercise, smoking, stress and high blood pressure that are far more likely to lead to heart attacks.

6. Don’t worry. Stories that chewing gum will stay in your stomach forever or block your insides have no basis in fact. However, it has no 10. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: nutritional

An adjective is needed to describe the noun value. Nutritional means relating to the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth.

(NUTRIENT) value which means you won’t get any benefits from eating it.

7. The caffeine in coffee is a 11. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: stimulant

A noun is required following the article a. A stimulant is a substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body.

(STIMULATE) that makes your body speed up: your heart rate increases and it wakes you up. You may see these things as benefits, but caffeine also has a number of negative side effects. It’s 12. ?

Explanation

Correct Answer: addictive

An adjective is needed after the verb is to describe caffeine. Addictive describes a substance that causes someone to become dependent on it.

(ADDICT). People who suddenly stop drinking coffee may suffer from headaches or be irritable and restless. Caffeine has also been linked to other problems, but, like most things, coffee is fine if you don’t drink too much.

Remember this is for information only. If you have any worries about your health, you should always consult your doctor.