Date: the 11th of November, 2020

Student’s name: __________________________________

CAE TEST 1

Use of English: …………..

Reading: ………………….

Listening:…………………

Writing: …………………..

Speaking: …………………

Vocabulary: ………………

Grammar: …………………

Final points: ………….

CAE scale: ……………

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Part 1 Multiple choice

For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits the gap. There is an
example at the beginning (0).

Twitter in the city

While cities and urban areas are attractive, food-rich environments for birds, there is a (0)……….. to be
paid. And the (1) ……………….of living in a noisy environment can be significant for birds that use
acoustic signals to attract mates, defend territories, (2) ………… of dangers and deter competitors. Many
human beings find urban noise uncomfortable, but for birds, having vital communications drowned or
muffled (3)…………. their breeding and survival.

Research indicates that birds are (4) …………to the challenge by adapting their acoustic signals so they can
be heard above the urban din. Their songs are becoming shorter, louder and with longer pauses. They are
also increasingly singing at night, when noise (5) ………... are lower. And there’s (6) …………of an ability
to adjust songs by leaving out lower pitch notes which would be drowned by traffic noise.

Some researchers believe that these changes will (7) ………….to urban and rural birds of the same species
becoming reproductively isolated. It’s also been suggested that birds and species which (8) …………to
adapt will abandon city life, reducing urban biodiversity.

0 A charge B price C value D fee

1 A downturn B downfall C downside D downgrade

2 A warn B notice C announce D declare

3 A risks B suffers C intimidates D threatens

4 A lifting B emerging C elevating D rising

5 A levels B heights C amounts D degrees

6 A basis B support C evidence D mark

7 A result B lead C bring D end

8 A omit B decline C wait D fail

Part 2 Open cloze

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits the gap. Use only one word in
each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

Example: 0 THE

The Turbaned Tornado

For the world's oldest marathon man, (0) _________ final finishing line is approaching.

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Two months short (1) _________ his 102nd birthday, Fauja Singh has decided to call
(2) _________ a day. He will hang up his racing shoes after completing the 10km race to be held in
conjunction with the annual Hong Kong Marathon.

The great-great grandfather, who comes from the Indian state of Punjab, but lives in Ilford, first took up
competitive running at the age of 89. Recently (3) _________ , he has admitted that age (4) _________ well
be catching up with him.

He said that racing is getting very tough for him and he feels he must retire on
(5) _________ high. However, he also expressed fears that when he stops running, people will (6)
_________ longer love him. He believes that old age makes you become
(7) _________ a child and you want attention. Singh might be worried, but attention has certainly never
been something he has lacked. Indeed, the turbaned Sikh has been used in high-profile advertising
campaigns.

Singh intends to keep running for at (8) _________ four hours a day. He still wants to inspire the masses and
maintain his personal health.

Part 3 Word formation

For questions 1–8, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form
a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

Example: 0 DETECTION

Echolocation

A (0) _________ technique normally used by dolphins to locate objects DETECT

is being adopted by blind people. Through uttering high-pitch clicks

they are able to locate obstacles with remarkable (1) _________ . ACCURATE

The system is based on animal sonar techniques and helps humans

form mental maps of their (2) _________ . When the sound waves hit SURROUND

an object, energy is reflected back to the ear to enable a blind person

to decode its size, (3) _________ of structure and distance. The image DEEP

obtained basically combines these (4) _________ . CHARACTER

Scientific (5) _________ has shown that the process is similar to what EVIDENT

happens with vision in normal- (6) _________ people, who rely on SIGHT

patterns of returning light in order to actually see. In fact, neural

(7) _________ believe that the same parts of the brain used in visual SCIENCE

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processing are also being deployed by blind people using this technique.

The World Access for the Blind organization is trying to spread the

technique to help blind people navigate their environment with

increased (8) _________ . EFFICIENT

Part 4 Key word transformation

For questions 1–6, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using
the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and six words, including the
word given. Here is an example (0).
0 Staying up studying until 3am was a mistake, because I was too tired to do the exam well.
HADN’T
I __________________________ until 3am, because I was too tired to do the exam well.

Example: 0 WISH I HADN’T STAYED UP

Write only the missing words IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

1 I learnt a lot about time management from my ex-boss.
FOR
Had __________________________ my ex-boss, I wouldn’t know so much about time
management.

2 It was impossible not to laugh when the lecturer started talking about the wrong slide.
HELP
I __________________________ when the lecturer started talking about the wrong slide.

3 After all the work I’ve put in, it’s hard not to feel annoyed about Anna getting the
promotion.
GRUDGE
Considering all the work I’ve put in, it’s hard __________________________ for getting the promotion.

4 I can’t believe how quickly you have reached the top position in the company.
RANKS
It’s incredible how fast you __________________________ of the company.

5 John never hesitates when it comes to helping less experienced members of staff.
WILLINGNESS
John always __________________________ less experienced members of staff.

6 I didn’t have enough time, so I made a lot of mistakes in the report.

PRESSED
I wouldn’t have made so many mistakes in the report if I ______________________ time.

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Part 7 Gapped text
You are going to read an extract from a newspaper article about a different choice of lifestyle. Six
paragraphs have been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A–G the one which fits each
gap (1–6). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

My (very) early retirement at 33

Cast your eyes over your workplace. You life would have to be forgotten. We found a
might see 100 or so people. Statistically, five cosy farm house near Toulouse and travelled
of your busying or bone-idle brethren will down in our beaten-up VW camper. Stress
have departed this world before they reach has been reduced to a minimum. Last winter
retirement age. Could be you. Could be me, I was spent indulging in the local produce,
thought. So at the age of 33, I decided to walking and reading books by the wood
retire. Last August, I gave up my job as a burner. Now the summer promises the
journalist, rented out my London flat and chance to perfect my game of bowls with the
moved to the south-west of France with my locals in the village square, to lounge by the
girlfriend. Hectic city life and economic pool and take leisurely suppers on sun-baked
blues were swapped for country walks and terraces.
fireside chats.
Certainly those who have also opted out
Even the Office for National Statistics backs share that view. Yvonne and Iain Morton live
up this notion. The healthy life-expectancy of in the next village and gave up their jobs as
the average UK male is 74. This is very close IT consultants in the City for the French life.
to the recently-hiked state pensionable age. They began an ambitious building project in
Besides, in these times of austerity who 2003, converting disused tractor sheds into a
knows how long we may be forced to work. home. In 2009, when Yvonne, 43, took
The solution seemed obvious, if a little risky: redundancy, they moved here full-time. Iain
retire now and work later. Youth is wasted on stopped work 18 months ago when he was
the young, they say … but surely retirement 43.
is wasted on the old.
‘It’s relatively cheap to live here. We have an
These are not work-shy layabouts or income from rental flats in London so we
trustafarians, either. They are ambitious don’t need to work. Iain takes on contract
professionals in the prime of their life. As for work now and then to keep his hand in or if
me, I have worked hard. I started as a it’s an opportunity to work with people he
journalist at 17 and had not stopped since. really likes. And I know I can always do the
Early shifts, night shifts, weekends, Bank same.’ I am not as fortunate. For us there are
Holidays and Christmases: check. still risks. Work is certainly not guaranteed if
I decide to return to London
Any doubts, fortunately, were allayed when
it transpired that with careful budgeting and Still, for the moment it is surely worth it for
income from my flat, a simple, stress-free life the sweltering Monday afternoons when I
in France was a realistic possibility. Simple can sit by the pool with a glass of chilled
being the operative word. With a tight sparkling water in hand, listening to the
budget, the customary trappings of London rustle of hazy vineyards. Normally at that
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time I would be slumped at a desk, listening
to the hack and whirl of the coffee machine.
Now honestly, which would you prefer?

A Such plans aren’t something older generations understand, though. When I told my
dad, I think he just couldn’t understand why I wanted to do it at this time of my life. He’s
worked in the same office for his entire career and couldn’t understand the concept of this
break.

B Working in the City had been full-on, constantly being on call and seeing more of
Heathrow than home. The time had come to jack it all in. Now life for them consists of
growing vegetables, skiing in winter or swimming every day in the summer.

C There is also a question mark about successful repatriation. If a post is found, how to
overcome the daily grind of self-doubt, to tolerate the early mornings and put up with the old
drudgery once more?

D Fear – and yes, OK, a tinge of weariness – was the catalyst. I worried that I was wasting
the best years of my life blinking at a computer screen. And that when eventually I did pack up
work, I would have hours to kill but only aching, weary joints to strike a feeble blow.

E And what was it all for? I got halfway up the ladder and realized I’m afraid of heights
– or to be precise, professional responsibility and the attendant drudgery. At this point I went
through a good few sleepless nights considering a lifestyle change. However, I was
determined to relish temporary freedom.

F Not everyone goes along with this and many will think us foolhardy, as did some of
our friends and family, not to mention bosses. But I’ve discovered we’re not the only ones
who’ve chosen to live like pensioners, decades before our time. Having been in France for six
months, we’ve met others like ourselves and received news of friends back home who’ve
likewise ditched high-powered positions.

G Our friends joke about this saying we are a ‘bit young to be living like pensioners’,
but we counter that by telling them the daily grind seems a generation away.

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Part 8 Multiple matching
You are going to read a newspaper article about going on a training camp. For questions 1–10, choose
from the sections (A–D). The sections may be chosen more than once.
In which section are the following mentioned?

consuming more than usual without feeling guilty

an additional perk of the training experience

an initial stimulus at the beginning of the training season

the lie of the land helping someone move rapidly with little physical effort
the flexible nature of the triathlon

the pleasure of being allowed to snooze a little longer than expected

an intention to improve on a past achievement

a change in terminology relating to some sports equipment

rushing in order to be ready on time

a feeling of self-satisfaction which was short lived

Tri, tri and tri again: get race-fit in the sun

How does a self-confessed rookie get ready for the London Triathlon? Sign up for a training camp in
Greece, says Edmund Vallance
A ‘Good for you’, said a close friend, sinking his gnashers into a juicy burger, when I told him I was going
to Greece to train for a triathlon. I wasn’t feeling hugely confident about my own fitness. I enjoyed
swimming, but tended to avoid running whenever possible. And I hadn’t owned a bike since the eighties
when they were called ‘racers’ rather than road bikes.
So why sign up to train under the searing Mediterranean sun? Firstly, the race I would be taking part in – a
sprint triathlon – was one of the shortest: a 750 metre swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run. And as a complete
rookie, the prospect of some professional guidance courtesy of Neilson’s triathlon training camps offered
reassurance and comfort, with the bonus of some balmy Grecian weather. Guests receive professional one-
on-one coaching in swimming, running and cycling at Neilson’s Retreat Beach Club in Sivota, and finish the
week with a bona fide race: The Sivota International Sprint Triathlon.

B Open to all abilities, the retreats can serve as a complete introduction to triathlon fitness, or get you race-
fit for your next ironman. The camp caters for small groups of adults. Classes take place outside – in the
pool, by the beach, or on the coastal roads surrounding the hotel. Sivota is the official training camp of the
London and Blenheim triathlons – I’d signed up for the former and was treating the week as a dry run for the
London race. The deal was done; I was ready to face the challenges of the week ahead.
Day one started promisingly, with a 9am lie-in. However, it wasn’t long before I was wondering what I’d
signed up for. I hadn’t competed in a sport for 20 years – what had I been thinking? Still, at breakfast, I
could at least feel justified in loading up on carbs.

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C A 1.5km morning swim in the emerald sea put me in better spirits. Our camp was small, which meant that
everyone received plenty of attention from the expert coaches. We were scheduled for a three-hour bike ride
to a mountaintop village, so I gulped down some lunch and prepared myself. Freewheeling down a winding
coastal road, I really started to enjoy myself. Our coach demonstrated how properly to negotiate a turn. By
jutting out my knee and swapping my weight from one leg to the other, I found I could manoeuvre around
the bends without wobbling.
That evening, I caught up with some fellow tri-campers over some food. Fifty-two-year-old Michael told me
he raced about once a month over the summer, and had signed up for the camp to kick-start his training. ‘As
long as you can swim a few lengths, ride a bike without stabilizers, and jog without falling over, you can do
a triathlon.’

D Day two started with a 2.4km swim. We set off with the training director and camp founder, a nine-times
UK champion, so when he suggested ways of improving my technique, I listened carefully. By following his
instructions, I found that I moved more quickly through the water.
I was almost smug, until Rich cruised past me like a turbo-charged dolphin.
After the swim, he explained the benefits of triathlon and the background of the camp. ‘You don’t need to
do heaps of training in any one discipline; you can switch around. So you’re much less likely to get injured.
We’re open to every level: beginners, veterans – we get the full spectrum.’
Eventually, when it was all over I felt fantastic. I won't tell you my race time. Let’s just say that it wasn’t
particularly noteworthy. In any case, I’ll be attempting to beat it at the London Triathlon in July. And who
knows, maybe in a year or two, I’ll be up for the challenge of the ironman.

Listening
Part 1 Multiple choice
You will hear three different extracts. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best
according to what you hear. There are two questions for each extract.

Extract One
You hear part of a radio discussion in which two young people discuss their experience of learning a
minority language.
1 The girl says that not knowing Spanish
A made her feel envious of her parents.
B helped her to pick up Catalan more quickly.
C made it hard for her to communicate with the locals.
2 The boy says that he
A regrets not studying another language.
B was too shy to learn the local language.
C should have devoted more time to learning Catalan grammar.

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Extract Two
You overhear two employees discussing a method used to reduce stress in their company.
3 The woman says the meditation room
A has led to fewer employees taking sick leave.
B did not cost anything to install.
C has improved the atmosphere at work.
4 How does the man feel about the meditation room?
A unsure about its effectiveness
B open to the idea of trying it out himself
C concerned about the amount of time employees spend there

Extract Three
You hear two university professors talking about students using modern technology to cheat.
5 According to the woman, the students
A were surprised when they saw their exam results.
B copied each other while they were in the laboratory.
C realized the teacher had changed all the experiments.
6 Both speakers agree that
A the university needs to implement tougher punishments for students caught cheating.
B individual teachers need to keep up to date with methods which can be used to cheat.
C there needs to be more discussion on the issue of cheating in university exams.

Part 2 Sentence completion

You will hear Anna Smith, the director of a community centre, talking to some volunteers. For questions 1–
8, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
The Sky’s the Limit
The organization does not receive any financial help from (1) _________ .

Steven was seriously injured in a (2) _________ .

Initially Steven appeared to have lost his (3) _________ to live.

What most impressed Douglas was the (4) _________ which Steven was shown.

The community centre used to be a (5) _________ .

Steven helped make a list of (6) _________ for the centre.

The centre organized a sponsored trip to a (7) _________ .

Seeing the children’s (8) _________ on the TV was an uplifting experience for Anna.

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Writing

Part 2 Formal letter

You see the following notice on your college noticeboard.

Are you ready to rise to the challenge?

We are looking for five people to join our sponsored climbing expedition
to the peak of Mont Blanc.

Applicants must

• have previous climbing experience.

• be willing to work as part of a team.

• be able to show a dedication to charity fundraising.

For further details, please write a letter explaining why you feel you would
be a suitable expedition member.

Write to: Isabel Lovell, 56 Church Road, Blakeley, Kent.

Write your letter in 220–260 words.

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