Meaning: 'Alleviate' means to reduce or lessen something, particularly pain or problems.

Wrong options:

• while away: While 'while away' is a phrase meaning to spend time in a relaxed way, it does not fit the context of addressing problems caused by stress.
• working through: 'Working through' implies dealing with or resolving issues, but it does not convey the sense of reducing severity as 'alleviate' does.
• afford: 'Afford' means to have enough resources to do something, which does not relate to reducing problems caused by stress.
• refused: 'Refused' is the past tense of 'refuse,' meaning to decline something, which is irrelevant in this context.
• choked: 'Choked' is an adjective describing something blocked or congested, which does not fit the action of reducing problems.

Correct answer: choked

Explanation: The word 'choked' describes a city center that is congested with traffic, fitting the context of the sentence. It is an adjective that correctly modifies 'city centre,' indicating a state of being overcrowded.

Meaning: 'Choked' refers to being blocked or filled to excess, particularly in relation to traffic or congestion.

Wrong options:

• while away: 'While away' does not fit as it refers to spending time leisurely and does not describe a state of the city center.
• working through: 'Working through' is a phrase that implies resolving issues, which does not describe the condition of the city center.
• alleviate: 'Alleviate' is a verb that does not function as an adjective to describe the city center's condition.
• afford: 'Afford' is a verb that does not relate to the description of the city center and is irrelevant here.
• refused: 'Refused' is a verb that does not describe the state of the city center and is not applicable in this context.
• winding: 'Winding' describes a path or route, not the condition of the city center.

Correct answer: winding

Explanation: The adjective 'winding' describes paths that twist and turn, which fits the context of the sentence about paths through woodland. It is grammatically correct as it modifies 'paths' appropriately.

Meaning: 'Winding' refers to something that curves or twists, particularly in relation to paths or roads.

Wrong options:

• while away: 'While away' does not fit as it is a phrase about spending time and does not describe paths.
• working through: 'Working through' is a phrase that implies resolving issues, which does not describe the nature of the paths.
• alleviate: 'Alleviate' is a verb that does not function as an adjective to describe the paths.
• afford: 'Afford' is a verb that does not relate to the description of paths and is irrelevant here.
• refused: 'Refused' is a verb that does not describe the paths and is not applicable in this context.
• choked: 'Choked' describes congestion, which does not apply to the nature of the paths.

Correct answer: while away

Explanation: The phrase 'while away' means to spend time in a leisurely manner, which fits the context of families enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon. It is grammatically correct as it conveys the intended meaning of relaxation.

Meaning: 'While away' means to spend time in a relaxed or leisurely way.

Wrong options:

• winding: 'Winding' describes paths and does not fit the context of spending time leisurely.
• working through: 'Working through' implies dealing with issues, which does not relate to the leisurely activity of families.
• alleviate: 'Alleviate' is a verb that does not convey the meaning of spending time and is irrelevant here.
• afford: 'Afford' means to have the means to do something, which does not relate to the context of spending time.
• refused: 'Refused' is a verb that does not fit the context of leisurely activities.

Correct answer: drop by

Explanation: The phrase 'drop by' means to visit someone informally and briefly, which fits the context of people visiting the Fitness Advice Centre for a consultation. It is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning of a casual visit.

Meaning: 'Drop by' means to make a short, informal visit to someone or somewhere.

Wrong options:

• while away: 'While away' refers to spending time leisurely and does not fit the context of visiting a center.
• working through: 'Working through' implies resolving issues, which does not relate to the act of visiting the center.
• alleviate: 'Alleviate' is a verb that does not convey the meaning of visiting and is irrelevant here.
• afford: 'Afford' means to have the means to do something, which does not relate to the context of visiting.
• refused: 'Refused' is a verb that does not fit the context of visiting the center.