6.3 Listening: Prepositions • verb patterns • collocations

Complete the extract from the dialogue about Banksy with about, for, on or through. Sometimes more than one option is possible.

Alice: What are you doing?
Robert: I'm trying to find some information on the Internet     my art project. I've got to do an essay       artists who raise ethical issues         their work.
Alice: Ooh, that sounds interesting. I did a similar module    my degree. You should write       street artists like Banksy who make statements       society         graffiti.
Robert: I don't know much       him. Do you?

Complete the next part of the extract by choosing the correct verb forms.
Alice: [...] He's been doing street art for 25 years, but I've no idea how old he was when he started. Actually it's amazing how he's managed         [to stay, staying] so enigmatic, but apparently his friends are really loyal and committed to helping him           [remaining, remain] anonymous. I don't know much about his background -
nobody does - but I can tell you about his murals and his painting techniques if you like.
Robert: Yes, that would be good.
Alice: OK, he started off with traditional painting onto walls and then later he started       [use, using] stencils and spray cans to speed up the painting process. When you want your identity           [remaining, to remain] a secret you don't want to hang around the streets too long doing something illegal! I mean, he is committing an offence.
Robert: [...] Right. Let me just finish         [writing, write] that down. OK, so what's he trying            [achieving, to achieve] with all this - what does he believe in?
Alice: Well, he's quite political - he calls himself an activist and he's against authority in general. He has strong beliefs about people and the way we live our lives. ...
Robert: So what other issues is he most interested in?
Alice: He's anti-war, so some of his murals aim          [to raise, raising] awareness of the stupidity of war. [...]

Complete the pairs of sentences with the correct forms of the words in capitals.
STUPID
I think it's stupid to fork out 50 euros extra for the same pair of shoes in a different colour.
In the end, his stupidity cost him a severe injury and a lengthy prison sentence.
1 FAIR
To ensure          , anyone found cheating during the exam will automatically be given a fail grade.
Do you really think it is      to steal someone's intellectual property?
2 EQUAL
The Earth belongs to everyone and all people on it should have       rights.
Denmark has an impressive record on gender          .
3 ANONYMOUS
This is an           vote so please do not write your name on the voting paper.
To ensure           the famous actor only walked through the city streets late at night.
4 LOYAL
One       friend is worth a thousand acquaintances.
The next song I'd like to sing is about the importance of friendship and         .
5 MYSTERY
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 will remain a         unless the wreckage is found.
The            disappearance of Lord Lucan, the aristocrat suspected of murder, has never been solved.