Practice Test For English (v2)
Practice Test For English (v2)
Practice Test For English (v2)
6
Part 1. (20pts)
Question 1-10. Complete the note below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each
answer.
Marine renewable energy (ocean energy)
Introduction
More energy required because of growth in population and (1) industry
What’s needed:
renewable energy sources
methods that won’t create pollution
Wave energy
Advantage: waves provide a (2) constant source of renewable energy
Electricity can be generated using offshore or onshore systems
Onshore systems may use a reservoir
Problems:
waves can move in any (3) direction
movement of sand, etc. on the (4) floor of the ocean may be affected
Tidal energy
Tides are more (5) predictable than waves
Planned tidal lagoon in Wales:
will be created in a (6) bay at Swansea
breakwater (dam) containing 16 turbines
rising tide forces water through turbines, generating electricity
stored water is released through (7) gates driving the turbines in the reverse direction
Advantages:
not dependent on weather
no (8) fuel is required to make it work
likely to create a number of (9) jobs
Problem:
may harm fish and birds, e.g, by affecting (10) migration are building up silt
Ocean thermal energy conversion
Uses a difference in temperature between the surface and lower levels
Water brought to the surface in a pipe
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 2. You will hear part of a talk about best-selling books Use NO MORE THAN FIVE
WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. (10 pts)
1. According to the research, what do most successful autobiographies write about?
2. What do cookery books have that is attractive to readers?
3. What feature do all sports best- sellers share?
4. What do history books contain that make them interesting?
5. Before advising on career promotion, what did self-help books deal with?
Your answers:
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1. 2. 3.
4. 5.
Part 3. You will hear a conversation between Carla and Rob on cities built by the sea. Listen
carefully and decide the following statements are TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN according
to what you hear. (10pts)
1. Carla and Rob were surprised to learn that coastal cities conclude most of the world’s largest
cities. T
2. According to Rob, building coastal cities near to rivers may not bring pollution to the cities may
reduce the land available for agriculture. F ( no “not” )
3. When building water drainage channels in Miami in the 1950s, they used unsuitable materials. F
(did not allow for the effects of climate change)
4. Rob and Carla think the authorities in Miami should pay for a new flood prevention system
immediately. T
5. Greater coordination of activities should be the priority for international actions. T
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 4. You will hear part of an interview with the astronaut Charles Duke, who is talking
about his trip to the moon. Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) that fits best according to what
you hear. (10 pts)
1. How did Charles feel about space travel as a boy?
A. He thought it was unlikely to happen. B. He regarded it as more than science fiction
C. He was fascinated by the idea of it. D. He showed no particular interest in it.
2. What did Charles consider to be the hardest part of the training?
A. feeling trapped in the heavy spacesuit.
B. endlessly practicing the lunar surface landing
C. constantly being afraid of making a mistake
D. being unable to move his arms and hands
3. What was Charles’s reaction when he first found out he was going to the moon?
A. He realized he had to be cautious. B. He felt proud to be given the opportunity.
C. He tried to control his excitement. D. He reflected on his chances of survival.
4. How did the crew feel when they had landed on the moon?
A. They felt as if they were coming home.
B. The realized they had achieved something special.
C. They were afraid of what they might find on the surface.
D. They were worried about how they would take off again.
5. What feature of the moon made the greatest impact on Charles?
A. the brightness of the sun B. the vastness of the sky
C. the loneliness of place D. the absence of any stars
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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B. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 points)
Part 1. Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C or D) which best completes each sentence. (15 pts)
1. It was a hot summer day and ice cream salesmen were doing a ________trade.
A. busy B. lucrative C. bustling D. roaring
2. My mother had to take private pupils in order to ___________ her salary as a teacher.
A. augment B. expand C. complete D. inflate
3. I found the last scene extremely ……… and particularly well-directed.
A. pathetic B. sympathetic C. pitiful D. moving
4. Lauren is often labelled easy-going as she tends to appear mild and relaxed rather than tense and
___________
A. sullen B. likeable C. humorous D. excitable
5. The two boys really …………… it off from the moment they met.
A. hit B. struck C. made D. put
6. I picked up these ___________from the travel agents today. They have a great offer on cruises to
Turkey for the end of April!
A. leaflets B. manifestoes C. brochures D. programmes
7. I had a strong ___________ that a disaster would occur, and it did.
A. premonition B. prediction C. forethought D. anticipation
8. Employees of the company are forbidden to _____________ information about the secret
formula.
A. betray B. divulge C. portray D. unveil
9. Jack _______and can usually let us know what the boss’s mood is.
A. turns a blind eye B. plays it by ear
C. keeps his ear to the ground D. is all ears
10. “Why was Jane upset?” – “The minute she ________into the party, she saw someone wearing
the same dress.”
A. had walked B. was walking C. walking D. walked
11. I thought she was being serious, but she was only having me ________ .
A. up B. on C. over D. round
12. Carbon dioxide may be absorbed by trees or water bodies, or it may stay in the atmosphere
when ________, while it is only in the atmosphere that clorofluorocarbons find the home.
A. cars that release emissions B. released from car emissions
C. by releasing emissions from cars D. emissions are released by cars
13. This area is absolutely ________ for more investment.
A. crying out B. breaking down C. better off D. cutting back
14. He is a clever mimic who can take ________ most of the lecturers in his college.
A. off B. down C. over D. up
15. It sounds like you let people take advantage of you ________, you need to learn to be more
assertive.
A. Otherwise B. If only C. What if D. If so
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
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Part 2. Complete the following text with the correct forms of the words given in the brackets.
(10 pts)
REWARDING CHILDREN
Cash rewards are a common form of (0) motivation used by parents MOTIVATE
with high (1) expectations to encourage their children to work hard at EXPECT
exam time. Some youngsters receive (2) payments of as much as $100 PAY
for each A grade they obtain at GCSE. But should such ‘brides’ be
based on exam (3) performances or should they, as many parents and PERFORM
teachers feel, be offered in (4) recognition of a child’s effort, regardless RECOGNIZE
of results? The latter approach would solve the problem of how parents
reward children with different levels of (5) ability imagine, for ABLE
example, a family with one child who is (6) academically gifted and ACADEMIC
another who has learning (7) difficulties The dangers of result-related DIFFICULT
incentive for the second child are clear; with little hope of obtaining the
higher grades, the withholding of promised (8) financial rewards would FINANCE
only compound the child’s feeling of (9) failure. However, some leading FAIL
educational psychologists believe that parents should rely on their own
(10) judgement in such matters. They maintain that if parents know that JUDGE
money will motivate their child, then they should not be condemned for
operating a system of cash payouts.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 3. Identify 05 errors in the following passage by underlining them and correct them in
the space provided in the second column. (05 pts)
Your answer
Water scarcity is fast becoming one of the major limiting factors in world ______________
crop production. In many areas, poor agricultural practices have led to ______________
increasing desertification and the losing (loss) of formerly arable lands. ______________
Consequently, those plants species that are well adapted with (to) survival in ______________
dry climates are being looked at for an answer in development more efficient ______________
crops to grow on marginally arable lands. ______________
Plants use several mechanisms to ensure their survival in desert ______________
environments. Some involve purely mechanical and physical adaptations, such ______________
as the shape of the plant’s surface, smaller leaf size, and extensive root systems. ______________
Some of the adaptations are related to chemistry (chemical) mechanisms. Many ______________
plants, such as cacti, have internal gums and mucilage (mucilages) which give ______________
them water-retaining properties. Other (Another) chemical mechanism is that of ______________
the epicuticular wax layer. This wax layer acts like an impervious cover to ______________
protect the plant. It prevents excessive loss of internal moist. It also protects the ______________
plant from external aggression, which can come from inorganic agents such as ______________
gases, or organic agents which include bacteria and plant pets. ______________
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C. READING (60 points)
Part 1. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap.
(10 pts)
DIAGNOSING DYSLEXIA
Approximately five per cent of the population (0) __ suffer__ from dyslexia. The cause of
the disorder is unknown and it is (1) ________ found in people of otherwise normal intectual
ability. The condition is (2) ________ by severe reading difficulties, with dyslexics frequently
confusing letters or words. They may, for example, read or write letters, words or sentences in the
wrong (3) ________. Although the problem can be overcome with intensive instruction, sufferers
usually continue to read and write poorly throughout their lives.
Traditionally, diagnosis has been made by reading experts, which means that many (4)
________ are not formally (5) ________ until a child is around ten years of age. Now, however, a
group of psychologists in the United States believe that they have found a way of identifying in
their first days of life children who will develop dyslexia. This is exciting news as early
identification and (6) ________ make early instruction possible, perhaps avoiding later problems
altogether.
The research team has identified (7) ________ differences between the brain (8) ________
patterns of dyslexics and those of better readers. Attaching electrodes to the heads of babies just 36
hours old, they measured the size and speed of their brain responses to selected stimuli. The
children were (9) ________ and given IQ and comprehension tests every two years. At eight,
reading tests were administered to identify those who were dyslexic. More than 90 percent
diagnosed as dyslexic could have been singled out at birth.
This research is still in its (10) ________ but may result in a future in which dyslexia no
longer causes life long distress.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Part 2. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one
word in each space. (10pts)
Part 3. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. (10 pts)
A smart irrigation sensor that gives plants only as much to drink as they need can increase
tomato yields by more than 40 per cent. The sensor has been developed by Yehoshua Sharon and
Ben-Ami Bravdo at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's faculty of agriculture in Rehovot, Israel.
The researchers say that their system not only increases the yield of crops, but it also dramatically
reduces water usage - by up to 60 per cent for some crops.
At the heart of the system is an electronic sensor that dips onto a plant leaf and measures its
thickness to an accuracy of 1 micrometre. 'A leaf's thickness is dependent on the amount of water in
a plant/ says Sharon. 'A healthy leaf is 60 per cent water.' A thin leaf is a sure sign that the plant is
suffering stress because it is thirsty, and stress is bad for yields.
The sensor consists of two plates, one fixed and the other spring-loaded, which together grip
the leaf. The moving plate is connected to a small computer that regulates the voltage in an
electrical circuit. As the leaf's thickness changes, the plate moves, causing a change in the voltage.
This signal is fed to a processor that adjusts the plant's water supply.
Unlike conventional irrigation systems, which water crops periodically, the Israeli system
waters the plants continuously, but adjusts the flow to the plant's needs. 'The idea is to give the plant
the proper amount of water at the correct time, according to what the plant requires,' says Sharon.
Field studies show the system increases the yields of several crops while reducing
consumption of water. Yields of grapefruit increased by 15 per cent while needing 40 per cent less
water. For peppers, the yield rose by 5 per cent while water usage fell by 60 per cent. Tomato plants
yielded 40 per cent more fruit while consuming 35 per cent less water.
"It is an interesting idea", says John Sadler, a soil scientist at the US government's
Agricultural Research Service in Florence, South Carolina. 'Other researchers have measured stress
by measuring a plant's temperature or stem thickness. But I haven't heard of anyone doing irrigation
at such a refined level,' he says.
But Sadler is a little surprised by the figures for water savings. 'They would depend on the
technique you're comparing these results with,' he says. Sharon says the savings are based on
comparisons with the Israeli government's recommendations for irrigating crops.
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He admits that the system has to be very reliable if it is to be effective. "Because the plants
are watered continuously they are more susceptible to sudden changes in water supply", he says.
"This means our system has to operate very reliably".
The researchers have founded a company called Leafsen to sell the new irrigation system,
and they hope to start marketing it within the next few months.
List of Headings
i. No give-aways for addictive products
ii. Sales of razor blades increase astronomically
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iii. Monopoly of consumables is vital for success
iv. Video gaming a risky business
v. A novel method of dual marketing ruled out
vi. Freebie marketing restricted to legal goods
vii. Buyer ingenuity may lead to bankruptcy
viii. A marketing innovation
ix. A product innovation
x. More money to be made from high quality products
1. Section A ix 4. Section D vii
2. Section B viii 5. Section E i
3. Section C iii 6. Section F v
‘FREEBIE’ MARKETING
A In the late 1890s, while travelling as an itinerant salesperson for the Crown, Cork and Seal
Company, King C. Gillette observed how his corked bottle caps were discarded immediately after
opening. Nevertheless, his company turned a healthy profit and there was immense business value,
Gillette soon came to realise. In a product that was used only a few times, Gillette had his own
personal breakthrough while struggling with a straight-bladed razor—a slow, fiddly and potentially
dangerous instrument that required sharpening on a regular basis. A simple, disposable blade that
could be thrown away when it dulled would meet a real need and generate strong profits, he
correctly reasoned. After founding the American Safety Razor Company in 1901, his sales leapt
from 168 blades in 1903 to 123,648 blades only a year later.
B What King C. Gillette pioneered is far more than a convenient and affordable way for men
to shave, however, it is the business practice now known as “freebie marketing” that has inspired
many more companies over the years. Gillette's approach was contrary to the received wisdom of
his era, which held that a single, durable, high-quality and relatively expensive consumer item with
a high profit margin was the best foundation for a business. Freebie marketing involves two sets of
items: a master product that is purchased once, and a consumable product that is frequently
disposed of and repurchased on an ongoing basis. In this instance, the master product is often sold
with little to no profit margin and is sometimes even dispensed at a loss. As the consumables are
purchased over months and years, however, this can yield a much greater overall profit.
C Freebie marketing only works if the producer of the master item is also able to maintain
control over the creation and distribution of the consumables. If this does not happen, then cheaper
versions of the consumable items may be produced, leaving the original company without a source
of profit. The video game company Atari, for example, initially sold its Atari 2600 consoles at cost
price while relying on game sales for profit. Several programmers left Atari, however, and began a
new company called Activision which produced cheaper games of a similar quality. Suddenly, Atari
was left with no way to make money. Lawsuits to block Activision failed, and Atari survived only
by adding licensing measures to its subsequent 5200 and 7800 consoles.
D In other instances, consumers sometimes find that uses for a master product circumvent the
need to purchase consumables. This phenomenon is well known to have afflicted the producers of
CueCat barcode readers. These were given away free through Wired magazine with the intention
that they would be used by customers to scan barcodes next to advertisements in the publication and
thus generate new revenue flows. Users discovered, however, that the machines could be easily
modified and used for other purposes, such as building a personal database of book and CD
collections. As no licensing agreement was ever reached between Wired and its magazine
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subscribers, CueCat were powerless to intervene, and after company liquidation the barcode readers
soon became available in quantities over 500,000 for as little as US$0.30 each.
E Not all forms of freebie marketing are legal. One notable example of this is the use of
freebie marketing to “push” habit-forming goods in areas where there is otherwise no market. For
illegal substances this is already restricted on the basis of the products illegality, but the use of
freebie marketing to promote legal goods such as tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals is also
outlawed because the short-term gain to a small number of commercial outlets is not deemed worth
the social cost of widespread substance abuse.
F Another practice that is prohibited under antitrust laws is a form of freebie marketing
known as “tying”. This is when a seller makes the sale of one good conditional on the acquisition of
a second good. In these instances the first good is typically important and highly desirable, while
the second is inferior and undesirable. A music distributor who has the rights to an album that is in
high demand, for example, might only allow stores to purchase copies of this album if they also buy
unpopular stock that does not sell very easily. Because this typically relies on the manipulation of a
natural monopoly on the part of the distributor, such practices are widely understood to constitute
anti-competitive behaviour.
Your answer
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10.
Part 5. For question 1-10, answer by choosing from the four naturalists (A-D). Some of the
choices may be required more than once. (10pts)
Which naturalist
says that the book contained a wider range of material than other books 1. D
he/she owned?
says that the human race is often blamed for its destructive relationship 2. C
with the wildlife?
says that the book can make the organization of a particular animal 3. B
group clear to an observer?
raises the author’s desire to make the work accessible to the non- 4. B
specialist?
explains what motivated him/her to start drawing? 5. D
describes experiencing a change of mood when reading the book? 6. C
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raises the book for both its use of language and depth of feeling? 7. A
describes the sensory experiences evoked by the book? 8. B
attributes the skill of the illustrator to extensive observation? 9. B
says that no other book has proved to be as good as the one nominated? 10. A
NATURAL BOOKS
We invited four leading naturalists to tell us about the wildlife classic that has influenced
them most.
A. Geoffrey Lean
At least it wasn’t hard to choose the author. As an environmental journalist, one advantage
of longevity is that I have had the chance to meet some of the giants who pioneered thinking in the
field. Of these, none stood, in deed, still stands, taller than a small, frail woman, Barbara Ward. I
can’t think of anyone else more at heart of environmental issues in post-war Europe. She has
synthesized her experience of various environmental movements into her own compelling
philosophy. Unwilling ‘volunteered’ to cover the field, I found, as a young journalist, that she, more
than anyone, made it all make sense.
Picking the book was much harder. It could have been Only One Earth or Progress for a
Small Planet. But despite its title (which sounded old-fashioned), even in 1976), The Home of Man
is, to me, Barbara’s most important book. Its focus is on the explosive growth of the world’s cities,
but its canvas is the great themes to which she devoted her life. It is as eloquent and as impassioned
a plea as exists for what we would now call ‘sustainable human development’. In the hundreds of
books I have read since, I have yet to meet its equal.
B. Linda Bennett
When I open the passages of Signals for Survival by Niko Timbergen, I can hear the long
calls for herring gulls, recall the smell of the guano in the hot sun and visualize the general
hullabaloo of the colony. This book explains superbly, through words and pictures, the fascinating
world of animal communication.
Read Signals for Survival and then watch any gull colony, and the frenzy of activity changes
from apparent chaos to a highly efficient social structure. You can see which birds are partners,
where the boundaries are and, later on in the season, whole families can be recognized.
A distinguished behaviourist, Niko Tinbergen came from that rare breed of academics who
wish to explain their findings to the layperson. His collaboration in this book with one of this
century’s most talented wildlife artists, Eric Ennion, was inspirational and has produced a book of
interest to anyone with a love of wildlife. His spontaneous style of painting came from years of
watching and understanding birds. With just a minimal amount of line and colour, he brings to life
how one gull is an aggressor, how another shows appeasement. This is the art of a true field
naturalist.
C. Lee Durrell
Most definitely, my Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell is the book that has had
the greatest influence on my life. Beyond the obvious reason that it ultimately led me to a wonderful
husband, and an exciting career in conversation, this extraordinary book once and for all defined my
devotion to the natural world.
I was doing research work into animal vocalizations in Madagascar when I first read the
book. I had been there two years and was discouraged by the number of setbacks I was
encountering but when, at the end of the day, I opened My Family and Other Animals to where I
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had left off the night before, the world became a brighter place. Animals, people, joy and beauty
inextricably woven together – a microcosm of a world worth saving.
Many people say that our species is the worst because of the terrible things we have done to
the others. But I like to think back to Gerald as a boy in My Family and Other Animals, looking at
the world’s inhabitants as a whole, a family whose members, be they good, bad or indifferent, are
nevertheless so intertwined as to be inseparable. And that is a concept we all need to grasp.
D. Bruce Pearson
A copy of The Shell Bird Book, by James Fisher, found its way into my school library
shortly after it was first published in 1966. I was drawn to it at once, especially to the 48 colour
plates of birds by Eric Ennion, pained, as the jacket puts it,… with particular skill and charm. It was
those Ennion images which captured my attention.
I already had copies of other bird books and had spent several holidays learning to identify
birds. They encouraged me to begin sketching what I saw as an aid to identification. But in The
Shell Bird Book there was so much more to feast on. As well as the glorious Ennion paintings, there
were chapters on migrants and migration, a review of the history of birds in Britain, and, best of all,
a chapter on birds in music, literature and art.
It was the broad span of ornithological information and the exciting images that steered me
towards being more of a generalist in my appreciation of birds and the natural world. The book
made it clear that my emotional and creative response to nature was as valid and as possible as a
rational and scientific one. And, as art was a stronger subject for me than maths or physics, I began
to see a door opening for me.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
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