PRACTICE TEST

I. Hand
Match each sentence (a-j) with one of the explanatory examples (1-10).

a. She did it single-handedly

b. You have to hand it to her
c. She can turn her hand to just about anything
d. Her behaviour was rather high-handed
e. She played right into their hands
f. She's an old hand at this kind of thing
g. At the end they gave her a big hand
h. I think her behaviour is getting out of hand
i. She has managed to keep her hand in
j. She was given a free hand

1. She unsuspectingly gave them an advantage.

2. She took advantage of her position to use her power wrongly.
3. She was allowed to do whatever she wanted.
4. She is becoming uncontrollable.
5. She was applauded loudly.
6. She has practised so as not to lose her skill.
7. She did it on her own.
8. She can learn any skill very easily.
9. She has to be congratulated.
10.She has a lot of past experience.
II.Common phrases
Match each sentence (a-j) with a continuation sentence by the same speaker, (1-10).
a. Gosh, it's incredibly hot today
b. I'm really terribly sorry about damaging your car.
c. I feel that proof of Smith's guilt has now been established
d. Well, that's the last item we had to discuss
e. Why didn't you phone me at all?
f. It's a good plan, I suppose
g. You may be the office manager
h. The search has gone on now for three days
i. Don't worry about the missing money.
j. Haven't you heard about Gordon and Eileen then?

1. But that doesn't give you the right to speak to me like that.
2. Chances are it's just an administrative error.
3. Beyond a shadow of doubt, in my opinion.
4. For all you know, I might be dead!
5. I thought it was common knowledge.
6. I could really do with a cold drink.
7. As far as it goes, that is.
8. So I think that covers everything.
9. And hope appears to be fading, I'm afraid.
10. All I can say is that it certainly won't happen again.

SECTION B – VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR

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Part 1: Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences. Write A, B, C or D in the
corresponding numbered boxes.
1. He is doing very badly but he tries to ____________appearances.
A. hold on B. stick to C. keep up D. make out
2. Our country has large areas of _______beauty.
A. unharmed B. undamaged C. unspoilt D. uninjured
3. In fact the criminals _______into because the front door was wide open and so they just walked in.
A. needn't have broken B. didn't need break
C. didn't need to break D. needn't to have broken
4. Tomorrow we will go fishing, weather ____
A. agreeing B. allowing C. permitting D. giving
5. In the past, people thought that French was ___English.
A. as much superior as B. more superior than C. superior than D. superior to
6. The bank is reported in the local newspaper ____ in broad daylight.
A. having been robbed B. to be robbed C. robbed D. to have been robbed
7. Don't take it as ____that you'll be promoted in your job, other colleagues stand a good chance too.
A. fixed B. standard C. read D. word
8..................to interfere in your affairs but I would like to give you just one piece of advice
A. It is far from clear B. Far from it for me
C.Far and wide for me D. Far be it from me
9. I have given up trying to make my sister see the sense, and now I am_________ to the fact
that she is going to marry Jason
A. adapted B. resigned C. adjusted D. accepted
10.I'm not surprised people are arguing - they are at the ___________ of their tether.
A. termination B. limit C. finish D. end
11. The effects of the anaesthetic used for the operation take quite a time to ___________ off.
A. wear B. turn C. give D. move
12. It’s really depressing. ___________ without a terrorist attack somewhere in the world.
A. A day goes by hardly B. Hardly a day goes by
C. A day goes hardly by D. Hardly goes a day by
13.___________ that she burst into tears.
A. Such was angry girl B. So angry she was
C. She was angry so D. Her anger was such
14.To the best of my ____________ that dentist’s name was Thomas Gareth.
A. thinking B. recollection C. mind D. remembrance
15.____________ winter I spent in ____________USA was one of ____________ best in my life.
A. A/ a/ the B. The/ the/ a C. The/ - / the D. The/ the/ the

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the
underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
1. Tourists to this site, although inadvertently, have destroyed some of the invaluable cave carvings.
A. deliberately B . unintentionally C. unconsciously D.adversely
2. Don’t put words into your mouth! I never said I hate roses.
A. Mention wrongly B. quote exactly C. interrupt rudely D. ask politely
3: The little daughter would spend an inordinate amount of time in the shop, deciding which goods she was going
to buy.
A. excessive B. limited C. required D. abundant

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word CLOSEST in meaning to the
underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
4. You will need a sound understanding of basic teaching skills if you want to enter the classroom with great
confidence.
A. sufficient B. defective C. inadequate D. thorough.
5: This computer is $5000. Doesn’t sound right. I think they’re trying to rip people off.
A. to try to tear up people’s wallet B. to think someone is a fool
C. to sell something by illegal price fixing D. to try to sell something at too high price
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Question 6: It would unfair to judge Jacob on such a brief acquaintanceship with him.
A. pleasant conversation B. slight friendship C. quick companionship D. mild similarity

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to complete the
following exchange.
7. - “It’s true that she’s going to leave the company.” - “_____”
A. Not to my knowledge B. Not to my mind
C. I not think so D. Not by my knowledge
8: -Peter: “Could I have a morning paper tomorrow?” - Maria: “___________”
A. I am not sure if I can be here tomorrow. B. Yes, please
C. I like reading newspapers in the morning too D. Certainly, it will be delivered directly to your room.
9: Jack and Joe are discussing how to make salad for dinner.
Jack: “____________”
Joe: How about putting some grapes in it, instead?
A. We could fry some onions with it too. B. I’d rather just have some bread, thanks
C. Let’s put some pieces of apple in the salad D. Good idea! I’ll go and make one

PART II: Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the space in the same line.
The Word 'Bogus' Your answers
For years 'bogus' was a word the British read in newspaper (0) _______ 0.HEADLINES
(LINE) but tended not to say. Its popularity among the teenagers of America
changed that, although they didn't use it with its original meaning. It came from
the Wild West. Its first appearance in print, in 1827, was in the Telegraph of
Painesville, Ohio, where it meant a machine for making (11) ____ (FORGE) of 11. _______________
coins.
Soon, those 'boguses' were turning out 'bogus money' and the word had
(12) ________ (GO) a change from noun to adjective. By the end of the 19 th 12. _______________
century, it was well-established in Britain, applied to anything false, spurious or
intentionally (13) ________ (LEAD). But the computer scientists of 1960s 13. _______________
America, to whom we owe so much (14) ________ (LANGUAGE) innovation, 14.________________
redefined it to mean 'non-functional', 'useless', or 'unbelievable', especially in
relation to calculations and engineering ideas. This was followed by its (15)
________ (EMERGE) among Princeton and Yale graduates in the East Coast 15. _______________
computer community. But it was the (16) ________ (ADOPT) of the word by 16._______________
American teenagers generally, who used it to mean simply 'bad', that led to it
being widely used by their counterparts in Britain.
(17) ________(INTEREST), 'bogus' is one of only about 1,300 English 17._______________
words for which no sensible origin has emerged. The 1827 'bogus' machine
seems to have been named by an (18) ________ (LOOK) present at the time of 18. ______________
its capture by police. But why that word? The Oxford English Dictionary
suggests a connection with a New England word, 'tantrobogus', meaning the
devil. A rival US account sees it as a (19) ________ (CORRUPT) of the name 19. _______________
of a forger, called Borghese or Borges. (20) ________ (ELSE), it has been 20. _______________
connected with the French word 'bagasse', meaning the refuse from sugar-cane
production.

PART III: The passage below contains 10 mistakes. Identify and correct the mistakes.
MUSIC
Nobody knows for certainty what the origin of music was. Music is certainly older than poetry and painting
but although early man had no way of recording it, we can only guess what it sounded like. Watch a child
banging on drum with his hands or a piece of wood, it is easy to see that this is the simplest of instruments. It
does not take much effort to produce a rhythm on them.
Wall paintings show how some of the first instrument looked like. Early civilizations had already invented
the three basic ways producing music: blowing into a tube, striking an object, or scraping a string. We know
that Western music comes from the ancient Greeks. The musical scales we use now are based on certain
consequences of notes which the Greeks used to create a particular mood.
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Until the sixteenth century, almost players of instruments were performers, but as music became more
widespread, orchestras and musical groups began to appear. This brings up the writing of music to play by
several musicians at one time. This can certainly be called the birth of modern music.

SECTION C – READING
Part 1: Read the passage and choose the best answer. Write your answers A, B, C or D in the
corresponding numbered boxes.
It is now extremely popular to take a gap year between school and university or university and work
and to spend it travelling. There are plenty of reasons to recommend it – travel (1)____ the mind, you are
(1)____ only young once, life is not a rehearsal and so on. And if you do not do it, you may always regret
that you did not take the (3)____ .In the end, there is only one response: well, why not?
The idea may have its (4)____ in the 18th – century Grand Tour once (5)____by young, rich and
noble, but it is the middle classes who have turned it (6)____ something that 200.000 British youngsters do
every year. (7)____ has never been so easy and cheap, with more places open (8)____tourists than ever. Also,
the gap years is now (9)____ by many employers and universities. The State, the Far East and Australia were
among the original (10)____ and although these remain in the (11)____five, young explorers are now going
(12)____further. The most far – flung corners of the world are (13)____ in popularity year by year. About
700 will buy student ticket (14)____ for six months that will take you from London to Calcutta, Singapore,
Bangkok, Perth, Sydney, Auckland, Fiji, Tahiti, Los Angeles and (15)____ again.

1. A. thickens B. widens C. broadens D. stiffens

2. A. merely B. only C. slightly D. simply
3. A. chance B. occasion C. moment D. luck
4. A. branches B. roots C. trunk D. stem
5. A. given B. undertaken C. travelled D. gone
6. A. out B. up C. over D. into
7. A. Excursion B. Tour C. Travel D. Voyage
8. A. to B. with C. by D. at
9. A. admitted B. accepted C. received D. stood
10. A. destinations B. endings C. landings D. terminals
11. A. high B. over C. above D. top
12. A. even B. more C. extra D. again
13. A. expanding B. spreading C. growing D. enlarging
14. A. legal B. valid C. genuine D. effective
15. A. return B. here C. back D. arrive

Part 2: Fill in the gap with ONE suitable word. Write the answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes.
IT MUST BE LOVE
The final years of secondary school are generally (16)_____ as a fairly stressful period for students. There are
exams to get (17) _____for, decisions about the future to be (18) _____and many other aspects of growing up
to come to (19)__with. It may be surprising, (20)___, that students of this (21) _____ have enough time and
energy left for shaping relationships. For many, (22) _____, such relationships play an important part of (23)
_____their social life and their personal development. But (24) _____are most teenagers looking for in a high
school romance?
For some, it’s the chance to share this wonderful period of discovery and adventure with somebody else.
They (25) _____having a loyal friend who will be there to stand by you in (26)_____of need or difficulty. It's
also someone they can (27)_____their trust in, someone to whom their deepest secrets can be told.
For others, it's an opportunity to experiment (28) _____emotions and ideas. As a result of being in a
relationship, they learn what it is (29) _____to feel committed to one other person. As well of feeling of
security, such relationships can also give a (30)___of what marriage must be like.

Part 3: Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each of the questions. Write your
answers A, B, C or D in the corresponding numbered boxes.
Biological diversity has become widely recognized as a critical conservation issue only in the past
two decades. The rapid destruction of the tropical rain forests, which are the ecosystems with the highest
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known species diversity on Earth, has awakened people to the importance and fragility of biological
diversity. The high rate of species extinctions in these environments is jolting, but it is important to recognize
the significance of biological diversity in all ecosystems. As the human population continues to expand, it
will negatively affect one after another of Earth’s ecosystems. In terrestrial ecosystems and in fringe marine
ecosystems (such as wetlands), the most common problem is habitat destruction. In most situations, the result
is irreversible. Now humans are beginning to destroy marine ecosystems through other types of activities,
such as disposal and runoff of poisonous waste; in less than two centuries, by significantly reducing the
variety of species on Earth, they have irrevocably redirected the course of evolution.
Certainly, there have been periods in Earth’s history when mass extinctions have occurred. The
extinction of the dinosaurs was caused by some physical event, either climatic or cosmic. There have also
been less dramatic extinctions, as when natural competition between species reached an extreme conclusion.
Only 0.01 percent of the species that have lived on Earth have survived to the present, and it was largely
chance that determined which species survived and which died out.
However, nothing has ever equaled the magnitude and speed with which the human species is
altering the physical and chemical world and demolishing the environment. In fact, there is wide agreement
that it is the rate of change humans are inflicting, even more than the changes themselves, that will lead to
biological devastation. Life on Earth has continually been in flux as slow physical and chemical changes
have occurred on Earth, but life needs time to adapt-time for migration and genetic adaptation within existing
species and time for the proliferation of new genetic material and new species that may be able to survive in
new environments.

31. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. The cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs
B. The variety of species found in tropical rain forests
C. The impact of human activities on Earth’s ecosystems
D. The time required for species to adapt to new environments
32. The word “they” in paragraph 1 refers to __________.
A. ecosystems B. humans C. activities D. centuries
33. The word “jolting” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. predicted B. shocking C. unknown D. complicated
34. The author mentions the reduction of the variety of species on Earth in in paragraph 1 to suggest that
A. new habitats can be created for species
B. humans are often made ill by polluted water
C. some species have been made extinct by human activity
D. understanding evolution can prevent certain species from disappearing
35. The author mentions all of the following as examples of the effect of humans on the world’s ecosystems
EXCEPT______
A. destruction of the tropical rain forests
B. habitat destruction in wetlands
C. damage to marine ecosystems
D. the introduction of new varieties of plant species
36. The author mentions the extinction of the dinosaurs in the 2nd paragraph to emphasize that ____.
A. the cause of the dinosaurs’ extinction is unknown.
B. Earth’s climate has changed significantly since the dinosaurs’ extinction.
C. not all mass extinctions have been caused by human activity.
D. actions by humans could not stop the irreversible process of a species’ extinction.
37. The word “magnitude” is closest in meaning to ___
A. concern B. determination C. carelessness D. extent
38. According to the passage, natural evolutionary change is different from changes caused by humans in that
changes caused by humans____
A. are occurring at a much faster rate B. are less devastating to most species
C. affect fewer ecosystems D. are reversible
39. Which of the following can best replace “in flux” in paragraph 3?
A. increasing B. Breaking C. producing D. changing
40. With which of the following statements would the author be most likely to agree?

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A. Human influence on ecosystems should not be a factor in determining public policy.
B. The extinction of a few species is an acceptable consequence of human progress.
C. Technology will provide solutions to problems caused by the destruction of ecosystems.
D. Humans should be more conscious of the influence they have on ecosystems.

Part 4: Read the following article and answer the questions from 51 to 60.
Overcoming the language barrier
The discovery that language can be a barrier to communication is quickly made by all who travel,
study, govern or sell. Whether the activity is tourism, research, government, policing, business, or data
dissemination, the lack of a common language can severely impede progress or can halt it altogether.
'Common language' here usually means a foreign language, but the same point applies in principle to any
encounter with unfamiliar dialects or styles within a single language. 'They don't talk the same language' has
a major metaphorical meaning alongside its literal one.
Although communication problems of this kind must happen thousands of times each day, very few
become public knowledge. Publicity comes only when a failure to communicate has major consequences,
such as strikes, lost orders, legal problems, or fatal accidents - even, at times, war. One reported instance of
communication failure took place in 1970, when several Americans ate a species of poisonous mushroom. No
remedy was known, and two of the people died within days. A radio report of the case was heard by a
chemist who knew of a treatment that had been successfully used in 1959 and published in 1963. Why had
the American doctors not heard of it seven years later? Presumably because the report of the treatment had
been published only in journals written in European languages other than English.
Several comparable cases have been reported. But isolated examples do not give an impression of the
size of the problem — something that can come only from studies of the use or avoidance of foreign-
language materials and contacts in different communicative situations. In the English-speaking scientific
world, for example, surveys of books and documents consulted in libraries and other information agencies
have shown that very little foreign-language material is ever consulted. Library requests in the field of
science and technology showed that only 13 per cent were for foreign language periodicals. Studies of the
sources cited in publications lead to a similar conclusion: the use of foreign- language sources is often found
to be as low as 10 per cent.
The language barrier presents itself in stark form to firms who wish to market their products in other
countries. British industry, in particular, has in recent decades often been criticised for its linguistic insularity
— for its assumption that foreign buyers will be happy to communicate in English, and that awareness of
other languages is not therefore a priority. In the 1960s, over two-thirds of British firms dealing with non-
English-speaking customers were using English for outgoing correspondence; many had their sales
literature only in English; and as many as 40 per cent employed no-one able to communicate in the
customers' languages. A similar problem was identified in other English-speaking countries, notably the
USA, Australia and New Zealand. And non-English-speaking countries were by no means exempt - although
the widespread use of English as an alternative language made them less open to the charge of insularity.
The criticism and publicity given to this problem since the 1960s seems to have greatly improved the
situation, industrial training schemes have promoted an increase in linguistic and cultural awareness. Many
firms now have their own translation services; to take just one example in Britain, Rowntree Mackintosh now
publish their documents in six languages (English, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Xhosa). Some firms
run part-time language courses in the languages of the countries with which they are most involved; some
produce their own technical glossaries, to ensure consistency when material is being translated. It is now
much more readily appreciated that marketing efforts can be delayed, damaged, or disrupted by a failure to
take account of the linguistic needs of the customer.
The changes in awareness have been most marked in English-speaking countries, where the realisation
has gradually dawned that by no means everyone in the world knows English well enough to negotiate in it.
This is especially a problem when English is not an official language of public administration, as in most
parts of the Far East, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Arab world, Latin America and French- speaking Africa.
Even in cases where foreign customers can speak English quite well, it is often forgotten that they may not be
able to understand it to the required level - bearing in mind the regional and social variation which permeates
speech and which can cause major problems of listening comprehension. In securing understanding, how 'we'
speak to 'them' is just as important, it appears, as how 'they' speak to 'us'.

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Questions 1-4
Complete each of the following statements (Questions 1-4) with words taken from Reading Passage.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
1 Language problems may come to the attention of the public when they have......................., such as fatal
accidents or social problems.
2 Evidence of the extent of the language barrier has been gained from.................... of materials used by
scientists such as books and periodicals.
3 An example of British linguistic insularity is the use of English for materials such as......................
4 An example of a part of the world where people may have difficulty in negotiating English
is...........................

Questions 5-7. Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 5-7 on your answer sheet.
5 According to the passage, 'They don't talk the same language' (paragraph 1), can refer to problems in ...
A. understanding metaphor. B. learning foreign languages.
C. understanding dialect or style. D. dealing with technological change.
6 The case of the poisonous mushrooms (paragraph 2) suggests that American doctors .
A. should pay more attention to radio reports.
B. only read medical articles if they are in English.
C. are sometimes unwilling to try foreign treatments.
D. do not always communicate effectively with their patients.
7 According to the writer, the linguistic insularity of British businesses ...
A. later spread to other countries.
B. had a negative effect on their business.
C. is not as bad now as it used to be in the past.
D. made non-English-speaking companies turn to other markets.

Questions 8-11
LIST the four main ways in which British companies have tried to solve the problem of the language
barrier since the 1960s.
WRITE NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
8....................... 9........................ 10..............................
11.....................
Questions 12-13
Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 12 and 13 on your answer sheet.

12 According to the writer, English-speaking people need to be aware that...

A some foreigners have never met an English-speaking person.
B. many foreigners have no desire to learn English.
C foreign languages may pose a greater problem in the future.
D English-speaking foreigners may have difficulty understanding English.

13 A suitable title for this passage would be ...

A. Overcoming the language barrier
B. How to survive an English-speaking world
C. Global understanding - the key to personal progress
D. The need for a common language

SECTION D – WRITING

Part 1: Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first one. Use the word
given in capital letters and the word mustn’t be altered in any way.
1. In all probability, we will finish the project on Thursday. (CHANCES)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. The final version of the report was very different from the initial draft. (RESEMBLANCE)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. My brother doesn’t know whether he should move to live in the country. (MINDS)
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. I don’t feel like going to the party. (MOOD)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Ill health resulted in his ability to do the job. (COPE)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. The company’s profits appear to be improving significantly this year. EVIDENCE
The company’s...........................................this year.