Collocations

Question 1

Cats similar (3) … the ones kept as pets today started showing up in artwork thousands of years ago.

Answer 1

SIMILAR TO -> almost the same
Cats similar to the ones kept as pets today …
SIMILAR + TO => ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION

Question 2

They believed that Bast often appeared as a cat, so many ancient Egyptians respected and honoured cats and kittens. (4) …, other cultures feared cats or thought that they brought illnesses and bad luck. Today, with millions kept as pets in homes around the world, cats have become important members of many families

Answer 2

honoured cats and kittens. HOWEVER, other cultures feared cats or thought …
HOWEVER => ADVERB
HOWEVER | NEVERTHELESS => used when you are adding a fact or piece of information that seems surprising, or seems very different from what you have just said. (Similar to DESPITE)
Is always followed by a comma
COMMA must be used after HOWEVER!

Question 3

No one knows for sure when or … cats became very popular household pets. It’s possible that people noticed how cats hunted mice and rats.

Answer 3

Knows for sure when or how/where cats became very popular.

HOW => in what way or manner
WHERE => at, in, or to what place

HOW => ADVERB

HOW => used to ask or talk about the way in which something happens or is done.

Question 4

It’s possible that people noticed how cats hunted mice and rats, (6) … they set food and milk out to keep the cats near their homes.

Answer 4

SO => used to say that someone does something because of the reason just stated.

SO => CONJUNCTION
FANBOYS (FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET, SO)

Question 5

This helped to prevent____ many of these rodents from coming into homes and

Answer 5

This helped to prevent too many of these rodents from coming into homes and …

TOO + MANY => ADVERB + DETERMINER
TOO => more than is required, desirable or suitable.

Question 6

When you finally do it, it will be a ________ of great satisfaction for you.

Answer 6

-> When you finally do it, it will be a source of great satisfaction for you.
-> People with disabilities are a very great source of inspiration for us.
-> This would be a great source of revenue, but online piracy is a major road block that can halve that revenue.

Question 7

Reactions___this experience

Answer 7

-> Reactions to this experience

Question 8

That new car of yours isn’t at all similar
______ the one you had last year. Why did you buy such a different one?

Answer 8

“Similar to” is the standard expression used to compare two things and indicate that they have a resemblance or likeness. For example: “Her dress is similar to mine.”

Question 11

Sure! Here’s a flashcard with an exercise for variation:

Front:
✨ operate on (collocation) — Exercise

Fill in the blank:

1. The doctor will __________ the patient tomorrow.
2. The surgeon is __________ the athlete’s knee right now.

Answer 11

Back:
Answers:
1. operate on
2. operating on

This way, you can practice using the correct preposition in different contexts. Let me know if you’d like more examples!