The Listening Section of the University of Caucas English Proficiency Test PSI measures your ability to

understand short and longer conversations and short speeches in English. This section has 30 questions
divided into three parts, with instructions for each one.
Directions for Part One

In part one of the listening section, you will hear ten (10) short conversations between two speakers.
Each conversation is followed by one question about it. Each question is multiple choice. You have
to choose the best answer to each question on the basis of what is stated or implied by the speakers.
Listen carefully to the instructions to answer each of the questions so you wont have any problems
answering any of the listening sections.
Firstly, you will hear a conversation and a question.
Secondly, you will read the question and answer choices and decide which one is the most
appropriate.
Thirdly, you will mark your choice on the answer sheet.

Now get ready to listen to Part One

1. According to the conversation, Julias

2. The woman doesnt want to go to the

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

father is:

Colombian
Australian
American
Peruvian

concert because:

she is busy on Friday

she doesnt like Jazz
she has other plans
she doesnt like the man

3. The MAN suggests the woman buy:

4. According to the conversation, they are

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

the red one

the new model
the white one
the old model

going to:

go to a bar
eat at home
eat out
order food

5. The WOMAN thinks the price is:

6. According to the conversation, last

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

not too bad

not good
really bad
high

weekend the woman:

did something special
did nothing special
had a nice time
went to the beach

7. What are they talking about?

8. According to the conversation, the MAN

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

living in other country

going on vacation
visiting their parents
getting a job

has:

an earache
a backache
a stomachache
a toothache

9. The WOMAN does not buy the sofa

10. What does the womans father think

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

because:

she doesnt have money

the sofa is expensive
her living room is too small
she doesnt like the color

about his job?

its stressful
he loves it
its boring
he hates it

Directions for Part Two

In part two of the listening section, you will hear seven (7) longer conversations between two
speakers.
Each conversation is followed by two questions. Each question is multiple choice. You have to
choose the best answer to each question on the basis of what is stated or implied by the speakers.
Listen carefully to the process you have to follow to answer each of the questions so you wont have
any problems in answering any part of the listening section.
Firstly, you will hear a longer conversation.
Secondly, you will hear the first question related to the conversation.
Thirdly, you will read the question and answer choices and decide which one is the most
appropriate choice.
Fourthly, you will mark your choice on the answer sheet.
Finally, you have to follow the same steps for the second question of the conversation.

Now get ready to listen to Part Two

11. According to the conversation, their

parents anniversary is on September:

a.
b.
c.
d.

first
twenty-third
tenth
sixth

13. What is true about the MAN?

a.
b.
c.
d.

he doesnt like Mexico

he visited some friends
he likes Mexico
he went to his parents house

15. The WOMAN thinks that the coffee is:

a.
b.
c.
d.

terrific
OK
good
bad

17. According to the conversation, the MAN:

a.
b.
c.
d.

is an only child
has two brothers
has two sisters
has two siblings

19. What is TRUE about the WOMAN?

a.
b.
c.
d.

she practices many sports

she is good at playing basketball
she plays tennis in the summer
she does not practice any sport

21. Whats TRUE about ANA GARCIA?

a.
b.
c.
d.

she is at the Hilton Hotel

her room is 306
she is at the Royal Hotel
her room is 204

12. The present that the man gave her was:

a.
b.
c.
d.

A necklace
flowers
nothing
money

14. Something that the MAN doesnt like

from Mexico is:

a.
b.
c.
d.

people
food
weather
music

16.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Whats TRUE about the MAN?

he has never tried coffee

he drank a lot of coffee before
he didnt like coffee
he thinks coffee is dangerous

18. According to the conversation, Ana:

a.
b.
c.
d.

is a designer
is a student
is an artist
is a painter

20. According to the conversation, the MAN:

a.
b.
c.
d.

plays every weekend

plays once a month
plays once a week
plays everyday

22. According to the conversation, the MAN

is going to meet her at:

a.
b.
c.
d.

3:40 PM at the hotel

3:30 AM at the room
3:40 PM at the mall
3:30 PM at the hotel

23. According to the conversation, the

24. What does the MAN want to drink?

CUSTOMER:
a.
b.
c.
d.

orders carrots
orders beef
orders onion soup
orders tomatoes

a.
b.
c.
d.

water
wine
iced tea
juice

Directions for Part three

In part three of the listening section, you will hear three (3) short speeches on social, cultural, or
academic issues. Each speech is followed by two questions about it. Each question in this part
has four answer choices. You have to choose the best answer to each question on the basis of
what is stated or implied in the speeches.
Listen carefully to the process you have to follow to answer each of the questions so you wont
have any problems to answer part three of the listening section.
Firstly, you will hear a short speech.
Secondly, you will hear the first question related to the speech.
Thirdly, you will read the question and answer choices and decide which one is the most
appropriate choice.
Fourthly, you will mark your choice on the answer sheet.
Finally, you have to follow the same steps for the other questions related to the speech.
Now get ready to listen to Part Three.

25. According to the speech:

a.
b.
c.
d.

26. A consequence of the one-child policy is:

parents dont have enough money

families will be large
traditional families were large
China is not overpopulated

a.
b.
c.
d.

27. What is TRUE about the Statue of Liberty?

a.
b.
c.
d.

28. Why did the people of France give the

Statue of Liberty to the USA?

it is located in Washington
it was completed in 1786
it is located in New York
it was a gift from England

a.
b.
c.
d.

29. According to the speech, with phone calls

spend less money
can talk in noisy places
can answer anywhere
spend more money

to commemorate Independence day

to celebrate The American Revolution
in recognition of friendship
to honour Auguste Bartholdi

30. What is FALSE about sending a

you:

a.
b.
c.
d.

there wont be aunts and uncles

there wont be parents
there wont be children
there wont be enough money

message?

a.
b.
c.
d.

its more direct

its not discrete
its discrete
its not formal

The Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Section of the University of Caucas English Language
Proficiency Test PSI measures your ability to read and understand short passages about different
social, cultural, or academic issues. You will read three (3) passages and eight (8) or 9 (nine) questions
about each passage. You have to choose the best answer to each question, based on what is stated or
implied in the passage. Then, on your answer sheet, you have to find the number of the question and fill
in the oval that corresponds to the letter of the answer you chose.

Now begin to work on the Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary questions.

Passage 1

There are many occasions for giving gifts in modern societies: birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, New
Year. It is common to give gifts on many of these celebrations in different cultures. In addition, special
events, such as ones first day of school or graduation from university, often require gift giving.
Gifts fortify personal relationships and provide a means of communication between loved ones. People
say that a gift lets those who receive them know we are thinking of them, that we want to make the
person feel special. We want people to feel wanted, to feel part of our social or family group. We give
presents to say Im sorry.
Sometimes we try hard to find a present that someone will like. Sometimes we give things that we like or
would feel comfortable with. In all these cases, the gifts are sending out messages.
The gifts remain and keep the memory of the relationships alive. People hope that the ones who receive
gifts would look at their gifts in years to come and remember them.
Emotions like these reveal that a positive spirit still lies behind gift giving. They prove that the
anthropologist Claude Lvi- Strauss was wrong to say that modern gift giving is highly inefficient. Studies
in Canada and elsewhere have also shown that this is not the case. The emotional benefit for the
participants in the gift exchange is reason alone for the tradition to continue.

1. What is the passage primarily about?

2. According to the passage, anthropologist

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

modern traditions
Claude Lvi-Strauss
gift giving
relationships

Claude Strauss:

revealed a positive spirit

said gift giving is not useful
liked to give gifts
followed traditions

3.

Which of the following is TRUE?

a.
b.
c.
d.

people dont like to give gifts

gift giving is unimportant
choosing a gift is not easy
gift giving is obligatory

4. According to the passage, people give

gifts because they:

a.
b.
c.
d.

want others to remember them

have a second intention
like to buy a lot
have many friends

5. Some special occasions are mentioned in

6. The word THEM in paragraph 4 refers

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

the passage to:

understand why people are special

remind relationships
emphasize an economic aspect
exemplify when people give gifts

to:

gifts
people
years
relationships

7. The word PROVIDE in paragraph 2 is

8. Which of the following is FALSE?

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

closest in meaning to:

offer
get
show
try

gifts reinforce personal relationships

people feel special when receiving gifts
gift giving doesnt send messages
gift exchange is still a tradition

Passage 2

My name is Peter Johnson and my father is a great cook. He has his own recipes from when he
used to cook in a bar he managed with my mother. He just throws ingredients together, sees
how it turns out, and its usually delicious. We often cook together and he is very encouraging. I
tend to make things up too, but I use recipe books for dishes I have not tried before.
I love the process of cooking. It is great fun and helps you to relax. And I like the sociable aspect
of cooking for other people. Last year my cooking improved enormously because I lived in an
apartment with six other students. I cooked every day- lunch and dinner and everyone else
ate it. Our favorite meal was fresh tuna, with chilli and coconut sauce. We had that a lot.
I plan to become a chef and then open my own place. I would like to open a caf like one I used
to visit in Switzerland, the country where I came from. Next year, I am getting an apartment
with a friend who likes cooking too, so we will have to choose our kitchen carefully.

9. What is the passage mostly about?

10. The word WE in paragraph 2 refers to:

a.
b.
c.
d.

a.
b.
c.
d.

looking for an apartment

a new caf in Switzerland
recipes around the world
a persons cooking experience

Peter and his mother

Peter and his friends
Peter and his father
Peter and his family

11. According to the passage, the man:

12. The word GREAT in paragraph 1 is

opposite in meaning to:

a.

Plans to have an apartment

a.

terrible

b.
c.

lives with his family

lives in Switzerland

b.
c.

excellent
huge

d.

is a chef

d.

big

13. What is TRUE about the reading?

14. According to the passage, Peters father:

a.
b.

Peters father didnt like him to cook

Peter doesnt enjoy cooking

a.
b.

needed to look for recipes in a book

stopped cooking

c.

Peters family has a caf

c.

was a bad cook

d.

Peter loves cooking a lot

d.

created his own recipes

15. The word OUR in paragraph 3 refers to:

16. The word CHOOSE in paragraph 3 is

closest in meaning to:

a.
b.

Peter and his parents

Peter and his mother

a.
b.

list
tried

c.

Peter and his friend

c.

select

d.

Peter and his father

d.

attempt

Passage 3

Most people who have come close to death say they remember nothing. However, a third or
more may later report that something happened that something maybe a near-death
experience. The near-death experience is among the most extraordinary experiences that a
person can have. It may permanently change a persons perceptions of what is real and
important.
One peculiar aspect of near-death experiences is that no matters the persons culture, religion,
race, the experience is the same. The way people describe the near-death experience, however,
varies according to the background and vocabulary.
There is no evidence that the type of experience is related to whether the person is religious or
not, or has lived a good or bad life according to his or her societies standards. However, a
near-death experience often strongly affects how people continue to live their lives.
17. What is the main topic of the reading?

18. According to the passage, a near- death

experience is:

a.

dead relatives

a.

a dangerous experience

b.

near-death experiences

b.

an uncommon experience

c.

cultural experiences

c.

a product of imagination

d.

good and bad experiences

d.

a consequence of society

19. What is FALSE about near-death

experiences?

20. The near-death experiences are

DESCRIBED differently according to:

a.

they are experienced by everybody

a.

Peoples similar interests

b.

some people experience them

b.

Peoples race

c.

they are independent of peoples religions

c.

Peoples bahavior

d.

they affect peoples lives

d.

Peoples previous knowledge

21. According to the passage, there is not

proof for a relation between:

22. The word PERCEPTIONS in paragraph 1 is

closest in meaning to:

a.

society and culture

a.

experiences

b.

near death experience and society

b.

participations

c.

near- death experience and religion.

c.

opinions

d.

religion and culture

d.

desires

23. The word THEIR in paragraph 3 refers to:

24. The perception of what is real and

important changes because of:

a.

societies

a.

peoples perspectives

b.

lives

b.

near-death experiences

c.

people

c.

contact with different cultures

d.

standards

d.

peoples background

25. The verb AFFECTS in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:

a.

develops

b.

damages

c.

destroys

d.

influences