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PLACEMENT TEST
I. LISTENING (20 minutes)
PART 1
Questions 1 – 10 Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Children’s Engineering Workshops
Tiny Engineers (ages 4-5)
Activities
● Create a cover for an 1 ……………………………… so they can drop it from a height without breaking it.
● Take part in a competition to build the tallest 2 ……………………………… .
● Make a 3 ……………………………… powered by a balloon.
Junior Engineers (ages 6-8)
Activities:
● Build model cars, trucks and 4 ……………………………… and learn how to program them so they can move.
● Take part in a competition to build the longest 5 ……………………………… using card and wood.
● Create a short 6 ……………………………… with special software.
● Build, 7 ……………………………… and program a humanoid robot.
Cost for a five-week block: £50
Held on 8 ……………………………… from 10 am to 11 am
Location
Building 10A, 9 ……………………………… Industrial Estate, Grasford
Plenty of 10 ……………………………… is available.
PART 2
Questions 11 – 14 Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
11 Stevenson’s was founded in
A 1923.
B 1924.
C 1926.
12 Originally, Stevenson’s manufactured goods for
A the healthcare industry.
B the automotive industry.
C the machine tools industry.
13 What does the speaker say about the company premises?
A The company has recently moved.
B The company has no plans to move.
C The company is going to move shortly.
14 The programme for the work experience group includes
A time to do research.
B meetings with a teacher.
C talks by staff.
Questions 15-20 Label the map below. Write the correct letter, A-J, next to Questions 15-20.
Plan of Stevenson’s site
15 coffee room …………….
16 warehouse …………….
17 staff canteen …………….
18 meeting room …………….
19 human resources …………….
20 boardroom …………….
II. READING (30 minutes)
Why we need to protect polar bears
Polar bears are being increasingly threatened by the effects of climate change, but their disappearance could have far-
reaching consequences. They are uniquely adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic Circle, where temperatures can
reach -40°C. One reason for this is that they have up to 11 centimetres of fat underneath their skin. Humans with
comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would be likely to suffer from diabetes and heart
disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences.
A 2014 study by Shi Ping Liu and colleagues sheds light on this mystery. They compared the genetic structure of polar
bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears. This allowed them to determine the
genes that have allowed polar bears to survive in one of the toughest environments on Earth. Liu and his colleagues found
the polar bears had a gene known as APoB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) – a form of ‘bad’
cholesterol. In humans, mutations of this gene are associated with increased risk of heart disease. Polar bears may
therefore be an important study model to understand heart disease in humans.
The genome of the polar bear may also provide the solution for another condition, one that particularly affects our older
generation: osteoporosis. This is a disease where bones show reduced density, usually caused by insufficient exercise,
reduced calcium intake or food starvation. Bone tissue is constantly being remodelled, meaning that bone is added or
removed, depending on nutrient availability and the stress that the bone is under. Female polar bears, however, undergo
extreme conditions during every pregnancy. Once autumn comes around, these females will dig maternity dens in the
snow and will remain there throughout the winter, both before and after the birth of their cubs. This process results in
about six months of fasting, where the female bears have to keep themselves and their cubs alive, depleting their own
calcium and calorie reserves. Despite this, their bones remain strong and dense.
Physiologists Alanda Lennox and Allen Goodship found an explanation for this paradox in 2008. They discovered that
pregnant bears were able to increase the density of their bones before they started to build their dens. In addition, six
months later, when they finally emerged from the den with their cubs, there was no evidence of significant loss of bone
density. Hibernating brown bears do not have this capacity and must therefore resort to major bone reformation in the
following spring. If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and
even astronauts, could potentially benefit.
The medical benefits of the polar bear for humanity certainly have their importance in our conservation efforts, but these
should not be the only factors taken into consideration. We tend to want to protect animals we think are intelligent and
possess emotions, such as elephants and primates. Bears, on the other hand, seem to be perceived as stupid and in many
cases violent. And yet anecdotal evidence from the field challenges those assumptions, suggesting for example that polar
bears have good problem-solving abilities. A male bear called GoGo in Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, has even been observed making
use of a tool to manipulate his environment. The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of
meat hung out of his reach. Problem-solving ability has also been witnessed in wild polar bears, although not as obviously
as with GoGo. A calculated move by a male bear involved running and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get to a
photographer standing on a platform four metres high.
In other studies, such as one by Alison Ames in 2008, polar bears showed deliberate and focused manipulation. For
example, Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game. The
study demonstrates that bears are capable of agile and thought-out behaviours. These examples suggest bears have
greater creativity and problem-solving abilities than previously thought.
As for emotions, while the evidence is once again anecdotal, many bears have been seen to hit out at ice and snow –
seemingly out of frustration – when they have just missed out on a kill. Moreover, polar bears can form unusual
relationships with other species, including playing with the dogs used to pull sleds in the Arctic. Remarkably, one hand-
raised polar bear called Agee has formed a close relationship with her owner Mark Dumas to the point where they even
swim together. This is even more astonishing since polar bears are known to actively hunt humans in the wild.
If climate change were to lead to their extinction, this would mean not only the loss of potential breakthroughs in human
medicine, but more importantly, the disappearance of an intelligent, majestic animal.
Questions 1-7 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1 Polar bears suffer from various health problems due to the build-up of fat under their skin.
2 The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared different groups of polar bears.
3 Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.
4 Polar bears are able to control their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic means.
5 Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.
6 It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of their dens in spring.
7 The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone density could also be used by people one day.
Questions 8-13 Complete the table below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Reasons why polar bears should be protected
People think of bears as unintelligent and 8 ………………. .
However, this may not be correct. For example:
● In Tennoji Zoo, a bear has been seen using a branch as a 9………………. . This allowed him to knock down
some 10 ………………. .
● A wild polar bear worked out a method of reaching a platform where a 11 ………………. was located.
● Polar bears have displayed behaviour such as conscious manipulation of objects and activity similar to a 12 ………………. .
Bears may also display emotions. For example:
● They may make movements suggesting 13 ………………. if disappointed when hunting.
● They may form relationships with other species.
III. WRITING (15 minutes)
Exercise 1. Transform these sentences using the words in bracket
1. Many young people are unemployed because they lack experience. (due to)
……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….
2. The government must take action to reduce pollution. (necessary)
……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….
3. Public transport is not reliable, so people use their cars. (because)
……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….
4. Technology has changed the way people communicate. (by)
……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….
5. Students must wear uniforms in many schools. (required)
……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….
6. Some people believe that advertising encourages people to buy unnecessary things. (believed)
……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….
7. People did not care about climate change until it became a global crisis. (not until)
……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….
8. People prefer using public transport to driving their own cars. (would rather)
……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….……………….
Exercise 2. Fill in the gap with suitable words below
balanced career discuss enjoy everyday good miss motivated
most options results skills talented variety ways
📝 Topic: Some people think students should study only the subjects they enjoy. Others believe they should study all
subjects. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
In today’s world, education is very important. Some people think students should only study the subjects they like, while
others think they should learn all subjects. This essay will (1)________________ both views and give my own opinion.
On the one hand, studying favourite subjects can make students more (2)__________. If they enjoy a subject, they are
more likely to work hard and get better (3) ________________. For example, a student who loves music will spend more
time practicing and become more (4) ________________. This can help them in the future when they choose
a (5)__________.
On the other hand, learning all subjects can help students have a more (6) ________________ education. Some subjects,
like math and science, are important for (7) ________________ life and future jobs. If students only study what they like,
they might (8) ________________ important (9) ________________. Also, sometimes students don’t like a subject at first,
but they may (10) ________________ it later if they understand it better.
In my opinion, students should learn all subjects in school. This helps them find out what they are (11)
________________ at and gives them more (12) ________________ in the future. Later, they can choose to focus on
what they enjoy the (13) ________________.
In conclusion, although studying favourite subjects is more fun, I believe learning a wide (14) ________________ of
subjects is better for students because it helps them grow in many different (15) ________________.
