Language Lab, Science Faculty, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis

 

 

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This exercise tests your ability to use prepositions. The following paragraph describes a recent study that was awarded the Ig Nobel prize in Chemistry (like the real Nobel Prizes, the Ig Nobel prizes are awarded each year to recognize actual research; unlike the real prizes, though, the Ig Nobel prizes go to studies that stand out because they are bizarre, ridiculous, or extreme in some unexpected way). Fill in each of the blanks in the text with an appropriate preposition, selected from one of the prepositions shown below (note: each of the provided prepositions is used at least once, and some are used multiple times).

 

Before you get started, take this quick quiz to practice the vocabulary that you will encounter in the paragraph. When you are finished, you can see the complete text with all of the prepositions by clicking here.

 

   after      as      by      for      in      into      of     on      with  
Edward Cussler and Brian Gettelfinger made Ig Nobel history wearing swimming suits when they accepted the Chemistry prize. They had good reason, because their prize-winning study settled the longstanding scientific question: will humans swim faster or slower syrup? Just imagine. a beautiful day, two scientists pour 310 kg guar gum (a food thickener, known Europe E412) a 650 m3 swimming pool, stir well 36 hours, and then ask 10 swimmers to swim two lengths the syrup and ( a shower and three minutes rest) two lengths an adjacent pool filled water. They record each swimmer's lap time and number strokes, and publish their results the November 2004 issue the prestigious American Institute of Chemical Engineers Journal. Their findings? They discovered that there was no difference speed.