Word Pairs

HOW TO PLAY:

  • Type the correct word in the boxes from the pairs of words [in brackets].
  • Click the button at the bottom to check your answers.
  • Press the "refresh" button on your browser to play again.

Words
Most of us have the [compression / impression] that rocket scientists and brain surgeons are super-brainy. Scientists have [contracted / conducted] research that suggests members of the [general / generally] public are actually just as smart as [them / those] high-flyers. Researchers from University College London asked 329 aerospace engineers and 72 neurosurgeons to [complete / compete] tests designed to assess six different areas of [cognitive / cognition] . The researchers compared their data [of / with] those from 18,257 respondents who [has / had] previously taken the tests. The researchers said: "Only two differences were [significance / significant] : the neurosurgeons' problem-solving speed was quicker and their memory recall speed [is / was] slower."

The research questions the [validity / valid] of using English phrases such as "this isn't rocket science" [nor / or] "that isn't brain surgery". We use these expressions [to / for] suggest something is actually quite [easily / easy] to understand. Are aeronautics and neuroscience [so / real] mindboggling? The researchers shed some light on this. They said: "[In / On] situations that do not require rapid problem solving, it might be more correct [for / to] use 'It's not brain surgery', but in situations where rapid information recall is needed this phrase should [be / have] avoided." This gives hope to all of us that we can embark [on / to] careers we once disregarded because of "genius-level" requirements. However, this could lead to a glut [on / of] brain surgeons and rocket designers.

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