9CH24.

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PART ONE: LISTENING (2 points)
SECTION A: You will hear people talking in five different situations. For questions 1 – 5,
circle the best answer (A, B or C). You will listen to the recording twice.
1. You hear a man and woman talking. How does the man sound?
A. stubborn B. modest C. envious
2. You hear a woman talking. What does she want to be?
A. a reporter B. a columnist C. a publisher
3. You hear a man and woman talking. What is the man worried about?
A. famine B. drought C. pollution
4. You hear a woman talking. What is she not going to do?
A. exercise B. take medicine C. go on a diet
5. You hear a man talking. How does he feel about his work as a volunteer?
A. satisfied B. depressed C. anxious
SECTION B: You will hear a man called Mark King talking about his work as a personal
chef for celebrities. For questions 6-13, listen and complete the sentences with a word or
short phrase. You will listen to the recording twice.
• Mark originally worked as a(n) (6) ___________________ before becoming a chef.
• It was Mark’s (7) ___________________ that first got him into cooking.
• Mark mentions that he’s not allowed to tell us his clients’ (8)
___________________
• Mark describes working for a pop star as tough.
• Mark says that he had difficulty finding (9) ___________________ for a tea party
he was asked to organize.
• What Mark enjoys most about being a personal chef is the flexibility.
• Mark was (10) ___________________ when he was personally selected to cook for
the royal family.
• Mark uses the word (11) ___________________ to describe the most important
characteristic of a personal chef.
• Mark talks about another personal chef who was (12) ___________________ after
doing an interview with a magazine.
• Mark is considering writing (13)___________________ to further his future career.
SECTION C: You will hear a radio discussion about the media. For questions 14-20,
listen and choose the best answer (A, B, C). You will listen to the recording twice
14. What has Jenny not done since the programme ended?
A. presented a TV programme
B. talked on radio and TV
C. been recognised in the street
15. What prompted Jenny to appear on the TV programme?
A. She had heard about the financial benefits for contestants.
B. She felt she represented young British people.
C. She thought she would learn more about herself.
16. What worries Tony about the reality TV?
A. People develop very strong relationships on these programmes.
B. The programmes should be more educational.
C. People have to behave in ways that he disapproves of.
17. What does Jenny say about nominating the other housemates?
A. It was difficult because it took place at the end of the day.
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 B. The relationships they had developed made it difficult.
C. It made it difficult for people at home to take it seriously.
18. How does Tony react to the suggestion that everyone knows the show is a game?
A. He gives an example of negative behaviour in children.
B. He questions whether all adults realise this.
C. He doubts that children take the game seriously.
19. How does Jenny think that young children benefit from the programme?
A. They develop useful social skills.
B. They understand that they shouldn’t talk to strangers.
C. They learn how to defend themselves.
20. What does Airwave want?
A. a complete ban on this kind of programme
B. a ban on these programmes in the early evening
C. a ban on programmes involving young children
Write your answers here
14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
PART TWO: USE OF LANGUAGE (3 points)
SECTION A
For questions 1-2, choose the word with a different pronunciation of the underlined part.
1. A. boat B. broad C. coast D. alone
2. A. scholar B. choir C. cherish D. chorus
For questions 3-4, choose a word which has a different position of stress from the rest.
3. A. fantasise B. desperate C. improvise D. perspective
4. A. solitary B. prioritise C. tutorial D. curriculum
For questions 5-20, choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence.
5. Of course I ________ you! We went to school together, didn’t we?
A. hold B. consider C. see D. recognise
6. I think the ________ thing to do is phone before you go and ask for directions.
A. sensitive B. sensible C. selfish D. sympathetic
7. The government _______ major changes to the education system today.
A. informed B. declared C. announced D. expressed
8. You have to find a good _________ for being late, otherwise you’ll get into trouble.
A. purpose B. excuse C. cause D. objective
9. Kick-off is in twenty minutes, so in the __________, do your warm-up exercises.
A. while B. time C. moment D. meantime
10. Even though I don’t agree with you overall argument, I do agree with you in some
_______.
A. sides B. respects C. basis D. grounds
11. The place was full of hotels and shops selling souvenirs, and was much too _______
for us.
A. touristy B. beaten C. modest D. exclusive
12. The priceless jewelry _______ from the exhibition by people who worked in the
building.
A. might have took C. might have been taken
B. might have be taken D. might be taken
13. If only my mother _______ me stay in that night; I probably wouldn’t be in trouble
now.
A. has made B. was made C. is made D. had made
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 14. ‘That was the _______ meal I have ever eaten in the school canteen.’
‘Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad.’
A. more tasty B. tastier C. less tasty D. least tasty
15. We were pleased to hear that the plane __________ safely.
A. had landed B. was landed C. has landed D. was landing
16. Being fit and healthy does not mean _________ 20 km a day.
A. running B. to run C. that run D. being run
17. The moon is not a planet ________ the planets in many ways.
A. resembling C. but resemblance to
B. which resembles D. although it resembles
18. Near the White House is another famous landmark ________ the Washington
Monument.
A. is which B. which call C. called D. it is called
19. Public transport in most of the nation is expanding. _______, the use of subways and
buses is declining in some metropolitan areas.
A. Nevertheless B. Consequently C. Despite the fact D. Although
20. ___________ but it also filters our harmful sun rays.
A. The atmosphere gives us air to breathe
B. Not only the atmosphere gives us air to breathe
C. The atmosphere which gives us air to breathe
D. Not only does the atmosphere give us air to breathe
Write your answers here:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
SECTION B: For questions 21-25, complete the sentences with the correct particles
Examples: 0. You should read the introduction ___ at ____ the beginning of the book.
00. I need really to___ go ____ on a diet before holiday.
21. Simon is too young to take _________ such a big responsibility.
22. After the match the players were completely worn __________.
23. It is not easy to get __________ these days unless you have a secure job.
24. Jane’s bad behavior left everyone at a __________ for words.
25. I find it very difficult to agree with you _______ times. Your views can sometimes be
extreme.
SECTION C: For questions 26-30, complete the sentences with the correct form the
words in brackets. There is an example at the beginning (0).
0. The government should preserve _____historic____ buildings in the city.
(history)
26. Children ________________ their clothes quickly. (grow)
27. Being a cook, she gets a lot of ________________ out of creating amazing dishes.
(please)
28. Travelling ________________ our minds. (broad)
29. We should take ________________ measures to stop car accidents. (prevent)
30. In spite of her parents’ advice, she keeps spending her money ________________
(thought)
PART THREE: READING (3 points)
SECTION A: For questions 1-6. Read the text below and choose the correct word for
each space. Write your answers in the numbered boxes.
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Pushing and shoving. Stress and anxiety. For many people, that’s what city living is. There
are crowds everywhere and there’s very little (1) _______ space. Cities like Shanghai,
Cairo and Mexico City have a high (2) ________ density, that is, the number of people per
square kilometer, so they are always crowded. In order to provide accommodation for
millions of city dwellers, apartment buildings have sprung up everywhere and some cities
have become concrete jungles. Cities are also incredibly noisy due to the constant traffic
and such (3) _______ pollution often leads to stress for the inhabitants. They’re always
rushing here and there, (4)______ their busy lives. Surely they want some peace and quiet,
away to escape the (5) _______ race. Interestingly, however, there are people who thrive
in such environments. New Yorkers, for example, enjoy living life in the fast lane and
taking advantage of everything the city has to offer. Where else, they ask, would they
come across the people from all (6) ________ of life? And where else could they make
their dreams come true?
1. A. private B. personal C. only D. individual
2. A. number B. people C. population D. expansion
3. A. sound B. human C. hearing D. noise
4. A. dealing B. walking C. leading D. watching
5. A. rat B. cat C. horse D. dog
6. A. walks B. works C. departments D. stages
Write your answers here:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
SECTION B: For questions 7-14. You are going to read an extract from a novel. Choose
the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. Write your
answers in the numbered boxes.
Every winter, districts in Kabul held a kite-flying tournament. And if you were a
boy living in Kabul, the day of the tournament was the highlight of the cold season. I
never slept the night before the tournament. I’d roll from side to side, make shadow
animals on the wall, even sit on the balcony in the dark, a blanket wrapped around me. I
felt like a soldier trying to sleep in the trenches the night before a major battle. And that
wasn’t so far off. In Kabul, fighting kites was a little like going to war.
As with any war, you had to ready yourself for battle. For a while Hassan and I used
to build our own kites. We saved our weekly allowances in the fall and dropped the money
in a little porcelain horse Baba had given me. When the winds of winter began to blow and
snow fell in chunks, we went to the bazaar and bought bamboo, glue, string and paper. We
spent hours every day shaving bamboo for the center and cross pieces, cutting the thin
tissue paper which made for easy dipping and recovery. And then, of course, we had to
make our own string, or tar. If the kite was the gun, then tar, the glass-coated cutting line,
was the bullet in the chamber. We’d go out in the yard and feed up to five hundred feet of
string through a mixture of ground glass and glue. We’d then hang the line between the
trees, leave it to dry. The next day, we’d wind the line around a wooden spool. By the time
the snow melted and the rains of spring swept in, every boy in Kabul had numerous cuts
on his fingers from the whole winter of fighting kites. I remember how my classmates and
I used to huddle, compare our battle scars on the first day of school.
The kite-fighting tournament was an old winter tradition in Afghanistan. It started
early in the morning on the day of the contest and didn’t end until only the winning kite
flew in the sky. I remember one year the tournament outlasted daylight. People gathered
on sidewalks and roofs to cheer for their kids. The streets filled with kite fighters, jerking
and tugging on their lines, squinting up to the sky, trying to gain position to cut the
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opponent’s line. Every kite fighter had an assistant – in my case, Hassan – who held the
spool and fed the line. The rules were simple: No rules. Fly your kite. Cut the opponents.
Good luck.
Except that wasn’t all. The real fun began when a kite was cut. That was where the
kite runners came in, those kids who chased the windblown kite drifting through the
neighborhoods until it came spiraling down in a field, dropping in someone’s yard, on a
tree, or a rooftop. The chase got pretty fierce; hordes of kite runners swarmed the streets,
shoved past each other like those people from Spain I’d read about once, the ones who ran
from the bulls. And when a kite runner had his hands on a kite, no one could take it from
him. That wasn’t a rule. That was custom.
For kite runners, the most coveted prize was the last fallen kite of a
winter tournament. It was a trophy of honor, something to be displayed on a mantle for
guests to admire. When the sky cleared of kites and only the final two remained, every kite
runner readied himself for the chance to land this prize. He positioned himself at a spot
that he thought would give him a head start. Tense muscles readied themselves to uncoil.
Necks craned. Eyes crinkled. Fights broke out. And when the last kite was cut, all hell
broke loose.
7. How did the narrator feel before the kite-flying tournament?
A. relaxed B. excited C. aggressive D. uncomfortable
8. How did they get the materials to make their kites with?
A. They found them. C. They gambled for them.
B. They were given them. D. They used their pocket money to buy them.
9. The cuts on their hands were caused by _____.
A. ground glass B. string C. knives D. wood
10. The tournament would usually take _____.
A. a morning C. most of the day
B. all day and all night D. part of the day and part of the night
11. The word “shoved” (paragraph 4) describes a way of _____.
A. standing B. talking C. pushing D. running
12. The kite runners ____.
A. started running before the kite had been cut C. fought for the fallen kites when they
found them
B. kept away from others as they ran D. would follow a fallen kite anywhere
13. The kite runners wanted the last fallen kite in order to _____.
A. show off to other people C. proved their speed
B. fly it themselves D. get a prize
14. The writer uses the phrase “all hell broke loose” (the last paragraph) to emphasize
_____.
A. how much he feared this moment C. how hot it was
B. how much noise and activity there suddenly was D. how terrible the fighting was
Write your answers here:
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
SECTION C: For questions 15-20. Six sentences have been removed from the article.
Choose from the sentences (A)-(F) the one which fits each gap (15-20). Write your
answers in the numbered spaces.
A Some of them could see Tim out of the window.
B Papers were blowing around everywhere and it was impossible to hear air-traffic
control.
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C Fortunately, his body had just shut down and he’d been in a coma throughout the
ordeal.
D All I could think was, ‘It’s a bomb.’
E I left him hanging on and staggered back into the main cabin.
F This meant that the plane was now hurtling down, at nearly 650 kmph, through
some of the most congested skies in the world.

I think the captain’s dead

Nigel Ogden had been an air steward for twelve years when the unthinkable happened.
Here, he describes how he saved his pilot’s life.
I think about what happened every day. It was a beautiful morning and I was up
early because I was working on the British Airways 7.30 a.m. flight from Birmingham to
Malaga. I was thirty-six, had been an air steward for twelve years and loved my job with a
passion. I expected that day to be especially enjoyable. It was a holiday flight, so the
eighty-one passengers would be relaxed, and the crew had worked together for years.
It was thirteen minutes after take-off. We had just reached 5,200 metres and
everything had been going well. I went through to the cockpit and asked the pilots if
they’d like tea. I was just stepping out, with my hand on the door handle, when there was
an enormous explosion and the door was blown out of my hands. 15. ____ The whole
cabin was filled with mist for a second - then the plane started to plummet.
I whipped round, peering through the mist. I saw that the front windscreen had
disappeared and Tim, the captain, was going out through it. I grabbed him round the waist
to stop him being sucked out completely. At the same time, somehow, the autopilot had
become disconnected and the flight door had landed on the controls. 16. ___
Everything was being sucked out of the aircraft. I was holding on like grim death
but I could feel myself being pulled out, too. John - one of the other stewards - rushed in
and grabbed my trouser belt to stop me slipping further.
The aircraft was losing height so quickly, however, that the pressure soon equalised
and the wind started rushing in at 620 kmph and -17°C. 17. ___ Simon, another steward,
came rushing through and, with John, managed to free the controls so that Alistair, the co-
pilot, could get the autopilot back on.
I was still holding onto Tim, but the pressure made him weigh the equivalent of 225
kilograms. My arms were getting colder and colder and I could feel them being pulled out
of their sockets. I felt my arms weaken and Tim slipping. I thought I was going to lose
him, but he ended up bent in a u-shape around the windows, his face banging against the
window with blood coming out of his nose and the side of his head. His arms were flailing
around and they seemed about two metres long. I couldn’t hold on anymore, so Simon
strapped himself into the third pilot’s seat and took a hold of Tim’s ankles. 18. ___
By now, Alistair was in communication with air-traffic control, who were talking
him through the landing. He asked for a runway of 2,500 metres because he was worried
that the plane was so heavy with fuel, a tyre would burst or it would go off the runway, but
all they could give us was 1,800 metres.
Over the intercom, Alistair told the passengers we’d lost the windscreen. 19. ___
The cabin was silent as the grave as we walked up and down, preparing everyone for an
emergency landing. I remember one man at the very back, with a little baby on his knee,
saying to me: ‘We’re going to die,’ and I said: ‘No, we’re not,’ lying through my teeth.
It seemed impossible, but Alistair did the most amazing landing - completely
smooth and stopping the aircraft only three-quarters of the way down the runway. The
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entire episode from the explosion to the landing had lasted just eighteen minutes, but it
seemed like hours.
The paramedics came on board and put Tim on a stretcher. He was lying there,
covered in blood, but to my amazement I heard him say: ‘I want to eat.’ I just exclaimed:
‘Typical pilot!’ 20.___ I went out onto the front steps, and shouted to the others, ‘He’s
alive!’ and then I cried my eyes out.
Write your answers here:
15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
SECTION D: You are going to read an article about four different food traditions. For
questions 21-30, choose from the paragraphs (A-D). The paragraphs may be chosen more
than once.

Which tradition(s) Write your answers here:

takes place in the summer? 21.
do not have a religious foundation? 22. 23.
solved a problem? 24.
include food that represent
25. 26.
something?
is the newest? 27.
was originally connected to the
28.
seasons?
are said to bring year-long good
29. 30.
fortune?

A. Austin Ice Cream Festival, USA

In boiling hot Austin, Texas, ice cream is more than a treat, it is a necessity. Austinites
take their ice cream so seriously that they established the Austin Ice Cream Festival, where
contestants compete to make the best homemade ice cream the old-fashioned way. The
festival began in 2007 and since then, hundreds of hopefuls have taken part. Contestants
must use their own recipes and bring their own ingredients, ice-cream makers and utensils.
The festival organisers bring the ice. Once everyone has made their ice cream, the judges
conduct a taste test and the winner is awarded The Spoon. Over the years, some
astonishing ingredients have been used, but perhaps none stranger than 2009’s winning
entry, Bacon Maple Crunch. Americans say everything tastes better with bacon and it
seems that includes ice cream too!
B. Maslenitsa, Russia
Maslenitsa week, also known as Pancake week, began as a pagan ritual and was later
adopted by the Eastern Orthodox religion in Russia. Originally, Maslenitsa celebrated the
end of winter and the coming of spring. Once Russia became an Orthodox country,
Maslenitsa was absorbed into the celebrations that took place before the start of the 40-day
Easter fast, known as Lent. Meat is forbidden in the week before the start of Lent, but
eggs, butter, milk and other dairy products are permitted. The pancakes called blini are
made from flour, milk and eggs and the name for the festival comes from the Russian
word for butter, maslo. The pancakes are an integral part of the celebration of Maslenitsa.
In pagan times, they symbolised the sun because they were warm, round, and golden.
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Today, blini are offered to friends and family throughout the week and are eaten with jam,
sour cream, caviar, mushrooms, and of course, lots of butter!
C. Nochevieja, Spain
New Year’s Eve in Spain is called Nochevieja, which means The Old Night. Before
midnight on New Year's Eve, thousands of people gather in Madrid’s central square,
Puerta del Sol, to wait for the chimes of the clock on the tower that dominates the square.
There is a sense of excitement and anticipation as midnight approaches. Finally, at the
stroke of midnight and the dawn of the new year, everyone eats twelve grapes, one for
each chime of the clock. The Spanish believe that eating all 12 grapes brings good luck for
the coming year. Though you might think the 12 ‘lucky grapes’ are a religious tradition,
they do, in fact, have a commercial basis. The story goes that in 1909 the grape growers in
the province of Alicante had a huge grape harvest on their hands and had to come up with
a solution ... and thus the tradition was born.
D. The Thirteen Desserts, France
At Christmas in Provence, in the south of France, there is a tradition of a Christmas Eve
meal containing no meat followed by 13 desserts. To have good luck for the whole year,
diners must taste each dessert. The desserts can vary depending on region and family
tradition. Generally though, they are black nougat (symbolising evil) and white nougat
(symbolising good); dried figs, raisons, dates; almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts; fruit such as
oranges, apples, tangerines, pears, grapes and melons; quince paste; a cake made with
orange flower water and olive oil; and marzipan, an almond-paste pastry, which is the
most popular of the desserts. Marzipan was created in the 15th century, initially without
almonds. Once almonds were brought to Provence in the 16th century, ground almond was
included in the recipe and it became world famous.

PART FOUR: WRITING (2 points)

SECTION A: Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Write between two to five words.
1. She looks more relaxed than she did before the exam. (so)
She doesn’t look _____________________________________ she did before the
exam.
2. Kevin started playing golf when he was twelve. (took)
Kevin ______________________________________________ the age of twelve.
3. “What’s the height of the building?” Linda asked me. (high)
Linda asked me _________________________________________________ was.
4. I am a policeman today because my father encouraged me to become one. (would)
If my father hadn’t encouraged me to become a policeman
___________________________today.
5. They will deliver the fertilizer to Farmer Jones tomorrow. (have)
Farmer Jones _________________________________________________ tomorrow.
SECTION B
Should parents check their children’s cell phones and computers?
Write a well-organized paragraph about 120 – 150 words to answer the question. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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