Lesson 8: SPEC / SPIC

Practice 1: Multiple Choice

Choose the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The stadium was packed with thousands of __________ cheering for their team.

a) suspects
b) spectacles
c) specimens
d) spectators

2. The fireworks display was truly __________, lighting up the whole sky.

a) conspicuous
b) spectacular
c) suspect
d) introspective

3. Police __________ that the thief entered through the window.

a) prospect
b) suspect
c) respect
d) inspect

4. Before buying the house, you should __________ the roof for leaks.

a) speculate
b) prospect
c) respect
d) inspect

5. The bright red hat made him extremely __________ in the crowd.

a) suspicious
b) invisible
c) conspicuous
d) spectacular

6. She has a positive __________ on life, always looking for the good in people.

a) perspective
b) spectrum
c) specimen
d) spectacle

7. The scientist examined the rare butterfly __________ under the microscope.

a) specimen
b) spectator
c) respect
d) prospect

8. Without facts, we can only __________ about what happened to the ship.

a) speculate
b) inspect
c) suspect
d) respect

9. Usually, you should treat your elders with __________.

a) suspicion
b) spectacle
c) respect
d) inspection

10. The prism split the light into a full __________ of colors.

a) spectacle
b) specimen
c) prospect
d) spectrum

11. The job offers excellent __________ for promotion in the future.

a) spectacles
b) respects
c) suspects
d) prospects

12. The circus was a grand __________ of acrobats and animals.

a) perspective
b) specimen
c) spectator
d) spectacle

Practice 2: Fill in the Blank

Use each word from the word bank exactly once.

Word Bank: inspect, respect, suspect, prospect, spectator, spectacle, spectacular, specimen, conspicuous, speculate, spectrum, perspective

1. I didn't want to be __________, so I wore plain clothes to blend in.

2. The view from the mountaintop was absolutely __________.

3. The detective began to __________ the butler after finding the missing key in his pocket.

4. Understanding history gives us a better __________ on current events.

5. The mechanic needed to __________ the engine to find the rattle.

6. A true __________ implies a wide range of opinions, from one extreme to the other.

7. The geologist collected a rock __________ to test in the lab.

8. It is fun to __________ about what life will be like in the year 3000.

9. The embarrassing argument caused quite a __________ in the restaurant.

10. Every __________ in the stands held their breath as the ball flew toward the goal.

11. The __________ of moving to a new city was both exciting and scary.

12. You must earn the __________ of your teammates by working hard.

Practice 3: Reading Passage

The Detective

Detective Miller arrived to inspect the scene. Nothing seemed conspicuous at first; the room looked tidy. However, from his perspective, even small details mattered. He noticed a single muddy footprint near the curtains.

He began to suspect that the intruder had hidden there. He didn't want to speculate without proof, so he called for the lab team to collect a specimen of the dried mud. If his hunch was right, the evidence would lead him straight to the thief.

Reading PassageQuestions

1. When Detective Miller "inspected" the scene, he:

a) Ignored it
b) Looked at it closely
c) Cleaned it
d) Took a picture

2. The room wasn't "conspicuous" at first. This means:

a) It was messy
b) Nothing stood out or looked unusual
c) It was empty
d) It was spectacular

3. From his "perspective" means:

a) From his point of view
b) From his car
c) From his boss
d) From his spectrum

4. To "suspect" something means:

a) To know for sure
b) To have an idea without full proof
c) To respect it
d) To speculates (similar, but suspect implies distrust here)

5. Why did he collect a "specimen" of mud?

a) To clean the rug
b) To keep as a souvenir
c) To use as a sample for testing
d) To make a spectacle