Speakout Advanced p 85. Making Use of Human Ability. Extra Cloze

One day it will seem strange ________________(1) retrospect, that we spent much more thought and effort on developing human ability _____________(2) on making good use of it, once we had it. There are innumerable examples. We hear them in casual conversation and occasionally they _____________________(3) a journalist's attention. Doctors provide a good _________________(4) of complaints: they have to _________________(5) a particularly protracted and detailed training and - at the end of it - many of them ______________(6) a substantial part of their working day in relatively routine or clerical operations. Has anyone ever ______________(7) how much money could be saved by splitting _____________(8) these two ______________(9) of a GP's job? Nurses ______________(10) recently reiterated their age - old complaint that their scarce and skilled womanpower is frittered _______________(11) in quite unskilled work. The educational world is ______________________(12) of examples of highly paid specialists  ________________(13) their own letters with two fingers. We promote top research academics ______________(14) headships of departments and give them inadequate support services. Even in business, the provision of secretarial help tends to go by seniority and not by the ______________(15) of routine work that has to be done.


KEY
1. in
in retrospect thinking about a past event or situation, often with a different opinion of it from the one you had at the time. With/ in hindsight /ˈhaɪndsaɪt/. E.g.  In retrospect, I think that I was wrong.The decision seems extremely odd, in retrospect.


2. than



3. catch



4. source/ example



5. undergo

undergo something to experience something, especially a change or something unpleasant. E.g. to undergo tests/ trials/ repairs. My mother underwent major surgery last year. Some children undergo a complete transformation when they become teenagers.

protracted:  /prəˈtræktɪd/ lasting longer than expected or longer than usual. Prolonged. E.g. protracted delays/ disputes/ negotiations. A protracted visit/ war/ divorce.


6. spend
clerical: connected with office work. E.g. clerical workers/ staff/ assistants. A clerical error (= one made in copying or calculating something).  Routine clerical work.


7. considered/ calculated/ estimated/ wondered/ thought



8. up
split something up to divide something into smaller parts. E.g. The day was split up into 6 one-hour sessions.


9. aspects/ parts/ sides



10. have
reiterate:  /riˈɪtəreɪt/ to repeat something that you have already said, especially to emphasize it. E.g.
reiterate something to reiterate an argument/ a demand/ an offer.

age-old having existed for a very long time. E.g. an age-old custom/ problem.

scarce /skeəs/ if something is scarce, there is not enough of it and it is only available in small quantities. E.g. scarce resources. Details of the accident are scarce. Food was becoming scarce.

Womanpower: power in terms of the women available to a particular group or required for a particular task. The women who make up a potential or actual labour force. E.g. Highly skilled womanpower is here.

fritter something away (on something) /ˈfrɪtə(r)/ to waste time or money on things that are not important. Squander. E.g. He frittered away the millions his father had left him. Over the next year he frittered away all his winnings. If I've got money in my pocket, I tend to fritter it away. She fritters so much money away on expensive make-up.


11. away

unskilled: not having or needing special skills or training. E.g. unskilled manual workers. Unskilled work.


12. full



13. typing



14. to
headship (of something) the position of being in charge of an organization. E.g. the headship of the department. Dozens of well-qualified teachers applied for the headship.

provision: /prəˈvɪʒn/ the act of supplying somebody with something that they need or want; something that is supplied. E.g. The government is responsible for the provision of health care.

secretarial /ˌsekrəˈteəriəl/ involving or connected with the work of a secretary. E.g. secretarial work



15. amount