Use of English: Grammar
1 Complete the sentences with the correct verb in either the present or past participle form.
buy cycle finish not study want 1 ______________ the exam, we celebrated by having dinner in a nearby restaurant.
2 ______________ through town, my bike got a puncture.
3 ______________ to buy a present for my friend, I went to the shops.
4 ______________ by ten people, the designer made a healthy profit on the dress.
5 ______________ for the exam meant that she failed and had to take it again.
/5
2 Choose the correct alternative.
1 Eating at a fast food restaurant isn’t as/than expensive as eating at a normal restaurant.
2 She believes eating a balanced diet is far more/by far healthy than just exercising more. 3 Now it’s winter, there are
fewer/less hours of sunlight per
day.
4 Catching the bus is as/so
expensive as getting a plane to take us to France.
5 The less water I drink during the day, the more thirsty/thirstier I get.
/5
3 For questions 1-5, read the text and write
one word which best fits each space.
I’ve lived in two Spanish cities: Madrid and Barcelona, and although everyone usually prefers Barcelona, I think Madrid is by (1)_____ the best place to live. It is true that there are fewer tourist attractions in Madrid (2)_____ in Barcelona but Madrid has an indescribably happy feel to it. When I first arrived in Madrid, it resembled more a large town than a major city. That said, that was a few years ago and since then, the
government has expanded it and it’s getting more and (3)_____ like a major city. When comparing Madrid to Barcelona, I feel that Barcelona doesn’t offer the same sense of community (4)_____ Madrid. The people tend to be friendlier in Madrid and perhaps more
hospitable. Generally speaking, I feel the more time you spend in Madrid, (5)_____ more you fall in love with it.
Use of English: Vocabulary
4 Find compound adjectives in the paragraph that mean:
1 Unusual and makes you notice it 2 Extremely exciting because you
are unaware of what is going to happen
3 Very fast and often dangerous 4 Makes you feel happy because
you see other people being happy
5 Very loud
Last month I went with a friend to a theme park and there were two attractions that we particularly enjoyed. The first was a haunted house which as you entered, played ear-splitting theatrical music aimed at setting the tone for the ride. As my friend and I walked around, actors approached us in various gory costumes. At one point, my friend and I were waiting in front of a closed door when suddenly
someone touched us on the back. A nail-biting experience!
The second ride was called the ‘Chocolate Factory’. We didn’t exactly go along at breakneck
speed; it was far more subdued than that. On the ride, we entered a room where numerous eye-catching
pictures on the wall. They magically turned into TV screens and emitted a film about the history of chocolate. The images of families all over the world eating chocolate together were heart-warming.
/5
5 Think of one word only which can be used appropriately in each pair of sentences.
1
The golf _____________ next to the river is being closed down next month.
The talk on global warming has run its _____________ and starting from next week the director will speak about recycling.
2
Our teacher used to _____________ the pronunciation of all of the new words he found in our French book. He picked up the _____________ and continued to make holes in the wall. 3
It wasn’t until she saw her hair in the mirror that she realised how _____________ she had dyed it. Do you think the judge gave the accused a _____________
punishment? 4
By the time James left the company, he had made his _____________ and had earned everyone’s respect. Tim was pleased with the
_____________ he had received for this assignment.
5
Their headquarters is in
_____________ London so it is easily accessible.
What he told the jury was of _____________ importance to their
/5
6 Choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D.1 Alex __________________.
Everything was going well for him at home and at work.
A looked bleak
B felt on top of the world C was in low spirits
D felt down in the dumps
2 After months of hard work, she was finally able to see
__________________. A seventh heaven B cloud nine
C the dumps
D the light at the end of the tunnel 3 When they were together it was
clear that Tom had a positive influence on her. He was able to __________________.
A lift her spirits B brighten up C be on cloud nine D feel blue
4 I __________________. I think it has something to do with the awful weather we’re having. Snow always depresses me.
A feel on top of the world
B see light at the end of the tunnel C am in seventh heaven
D feel blue
5 Her mum told her
__________________ and move onto brighter things. We can’t change the past but we can affect the future.
A to be over the moon B to look gloomy
C to cast a shadow over the past D to be on cloud nine
Reading
7 Read the following article on how to get the most out of life. For questions 1-5, choose the best answer according to the text.
Every day people find themselves incessantly rushing from one place to another or hurrying one thing to get to the next. There’s the need to make that 07:32 train or the
pressure of a work deadline.
Nevertheless, it is well known that rushing causes varying levels of stress. Why then, when we only get one chance to live our lives, do we insist on living this way?
Is it really because we have a list of things to do as long as our arm, as some say, or the burning desire to beat a work colleague to a
promotion that drives this crazy life style, or do we just accept that this is life?
Some people just believe that this is life and don’t give it a second
thought. But perhaps these people have lost sight of the real meaning of what it means to live. If we look at the letters that make up the word, we can take the word ‘life’ to be an acronym of a collection of very significant words. These words are: Love, Interests, Fun, and
Enthusiasm.
In life we need ‘love’ - the love of our friends and family. The feeling of love can be heart-warming and can aid motivation. ‘Interests’ are
needed so that we can put away and forget about that never ending ‘to do’ list. Interests are hobbies
see life as a process or as a cycle, and to some degree they’re right, but everyone gets stuck on the conveyor belt and at times, they need to step off and take a look at the bigger picture. That’s where ‘fun’ comes into it. Doing something fun enables people to relax and value life. Remember, ‘all work and no play’ can have a negative effect on us. Last but by no means least, we need ‘enthusiasm’. Enthusiasm for what we do and what we believe in.
For those wanting to make the most out of ‘life’, here are four quick and easy life-changing steps that you could be doing:
* Make contact in person if possible,
or if not via email, phone or text with at least one family member and friend each day. Those friends you keep saying you need to contact, contact! Love comes from
relationships that have been built, not from those that are hanging by a thread. Already, I can hear shrieks from people saying “I don’t have time for that”. Well, make time! * We all need hobbies that we do in our free time. I hear it again, “free time, we don’t have that, our lives are too busy”. If that is the case, you need to organise your time more efficiently. Try to carry out something that you enjoy doing at least once a week. Your interests may include: cycling, painting, photography...the list is endless. If you don’t like doing things alone, get a friend or family member to join you.
* Understandably, each person has
up with friends, dancing, going on holiday or dining out. We all need fun. Without it, life would be boring.
* Enthusiasm gives people energy.
You have to ask yourself, if you’re not enthusiastic about doing something, why are you doing it? Often people say “I can’t be bothered to...” or “I don’t see the point in doing...”. Why moan about something? My advice is either avoid doing the things you can’t be bothered to do or change your
mentality and be more enthusiastic. If you’ve read these very simple suggestions, then it’s not too late to do something to adjust things for the better. You only get one chance at life so don’t mess it up! Act
today, so you don’t regret tomorrow. 1 At the start of the article, what or who does the writer blame for all the stress people encounter? A Train timetables.
B Work deadlines.
C Promotional opportunities. D People’s perceptions.
2 What does the writer mean when she says people need to ‘take a look at the bigger picture’? A People need to get off the
conveyor belt and relax from time to time.
B People need to see that there are more important things in life than at first we can see.
C People must associate life with both fun and enjoyment.
D People should ensure they are at the correct step or phase of their life before they have fun.
3 In the first life-changing step, how is ‘love’ achieved?
A By maintaining contact with loved ones in one way or another. B By going to see family and
friends on a regular basis. C By making time for people at
work and at home.
D By taking up a hobby with a friend or family member.
4 What does the writer mean when she says ‘each person has their idea of what constitutes ‘fun’? A Everyone’s idea of fun is meeting
up with friends and going on holiday.
B Fun is closely linked to meeting up with friends or family
members.
C Everyone is different and
therefore will find fun in different ways.
D Fun is always directly linked to people’s hobbies.
5 The writer’s main purpose in the article is to
A explain why people are not getting the most out of life. B motivate people into changing
certain things to get the most out of life.
C tell people off about the way they live their lives.
D argue the case for being more enthusiastic about doing things.
/5
Listening
8 You are going to hear
an interview with a retired accountant. Complete 1-5 in the summary below. Use no more than three words for each gap.
David Francis is 61 years old. He is married and has three children. He used to be a chartered accountant and worked 60 hours per week. One Saturday night, he watched a film that changed his life. The film made him realise that he wasn’t (1)
______________ and that life isn’t always something you should take for granted as
(2) ______________ or pass away unexpectedly. After watching the film, he wrote his bucket list, which lists many things he wants to do before he kicks the bucket.
He immediately retired and went to South Africa where he saw
elephants, tigers and zebras. He learned how to fly a plane and also went travelling for three months to (3) ______________. He still has many other things that he wants to do, for example,
(4) ______________, snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, etc. He advises people not to take (5)
______________, write a bucket list and enjoy fulfilling each point.
Writing
9 ‘It is important to develop a
career before starting a family’. Do you agree with this
statement? Write an essay of 200-250 words. _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________
