ANATOLIA COLLEGE

Language & Testing Office

_______________________________________________________________________________

EXAMINATION
FOR
THE MICHIGAN CERTIFICATE
OF
PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH

Practice Preliminary Tests

(with KEY)

Volume 4

Prepared by
Rodney A Coules
 PRELIMINARY TEST FOR THE ECPE
INSTRUCTIONS AND EXAMPLES

This set of five practice tests has been produced to help candidates to familiarize themselves with the
format of the preliminary test which was introduced for the first time on 30 November, 1996.
In the test there are 35 problems: 10 multiple choice cloze problems, 10 grammar problems, 10
vocabulary problems, and 5 questions about a reading passage. Candidates will have 30 minutes to answer
all 35 problems.
Below are examples of each of the different types of problems with the correct answer indicated with an
asterisk (*).

GRAMMAR: Choose the word or phrase which best completes the conversation.

What is that thing?

That ____ a spider.
a. to call
b. for calling
c. be called
*d. is called

CLOZE: Read the passage, then select the word that best fills the blank in both grammar and
meaning.

Long ago roads were only trails for people a. way c. travel
and animals to walk on, but today roads *b. road d. superhighway
must be made for cars, trucks, and buses.
The most modern ____ is often called a
superhighway.

VOCABULARY: Choose the word that most appropriately completes the sentence.

The first things we study in school are very _____.

a. sturdy
b. shifty
c. trusty
*d. elementary

READING : Read the passage, then answer the questions following it according to the information
given in the passage.

While I was getting ready to go to town one morning last week, my wife handed me a
little piece of red cloth and asked me if I would have time during the day to buy her
two yards of cloth like that.

The person telling the story is.

a. a married lady
b. an unmarried lady
*c. a married man
d. an unmarried man
ANATOLIA COLLEGE
LANGUAGE & TESTING OFFICE
P. O. BOX 21021, PYLEA
555 10 THESSALONIKI
Email: alto@ac.anatolia.edu.gr

2
 Practice Test 1

GRAMMAR

1. We have _____ time to get ready, so wed 6. We _____ our week in London and saw just
better hurry. about everything there was to see.
a. a little a. made no bones about
b. little b. made fun of
c. some c. made light of
d. few d. made the most of

2. Is this dress O.K. for Lauras party? 7. Had you thought more carefully, you _____
Id rather you_____ something less that unfortunate decision.
colorful.
a. wearing a. wouldnt make
b. wore b. hadnt made
c. to wear c. didnt make
d. have worn d. wouldnt have made

3. Can I have the car keys, Dad? 8. The new table cloth _____ on it and needs
I dont remember _____ you may have the washing.
car.
a. to say a. has had coffee spilled
b. saying b. has spilled coffee
c. to saying c. having spilled coffee
d. I saying d. has coffee spilling

4. _____ did she see him than she got up and 9. _____ his impressive qualifications, hes
left the room. finding it difficult to get a job.
a. As soon a. However
b. Sooner b. Despite
c. No sooner c. Although
d. The soonest d. But for

5. Ive had a pain in my chest for two days. 10. _____ teenagers prefer to select their own
I suggest _____ a doctor immediately! clothes.
a. you see a. The most
b. you seeing b. Most of
c. you to see c. Most
d. you to seeing d. The most of

3
 CLOZE

A new, $25-million facility in Dallas (11) a. gates c. floors

opened its (11) in September as the (12) b. doors d. entrance
comprehensive history museum dedicated to
American women. The Womens Museum: An (12) a. initial c. prime
Institute for the Future, in association (13) the b. primary d. first
Smithsonian Institution, aims to chronicle the
lives of 3,000 American women and explore (13) a. together c. with
(14) contributions to history. It is a history b. after d. to
museum, (15) also a facility designed to inspire
young people, especially young women, says (14) a. own c. their
executive director Candace OKeefe. In (16), b. these d. those
we are honoring the past, but shaping the
future. (15) a. but c. so
A 35-(17)-high statue of a Venus-like b. however d. although
figure, called the Spirit of the Centennial,
greets (18) to the museum, (19) contains 70,000 (16) a. order c. conclusion
square feet of exhibit space inside a 91-year-old b. short d. respect
art deco building. The Smithsonian loaned (20)
half of the artifacts on display, including Amelia (17) a. feet c. footed
Earharts flight suit, Althea Gibsons b. footing d. foot
Wimbledon trophy and Babe Didrikson's golf
clubs. (18) a. guests c. onlookers
b. viewers d. visitors

(19) a. which c. where

b. that d. wherein

(20) a. readily c. roughly

b. justly d. decidedly

4
 VOCABULARY

21. After a(n) ____ search of the records, we 26. The worker claims he was _____
finally found what we were looking for. dismissed by his employer.
a. exposed a. inevitably
b. asserted b. adversely
c. exhaustive c. adeptly
d. uniform d. arbitrarily

22. Experts claim that the Amazon region 27. The driver received $500,000 _____ for
hides a(n) _____ of mineral resources. the injuries he sustained in the accident.
a. density a. compensation
b. succession b. progression
c. saturation c. surplus
d. abundance d. consumption

23. Her _____ charm endeared her to 28. Speaking in a _____ voice, the manager
everyone she met. announced his plan to lay off 50
employees.
a. inimitable a. subsidized
b. lofty b. subscribed
c. tranquil c. submerged
d. appreciable d. subdued

24. The hikers _____ shelter in a cave for 29. There was a _____ for trash placed
the duration of the storm. outside every classroom.
a. adopted a. recipient
b. sought b. receptacle
c. devised c. receptor
d. enlisted d. receiver

25. Military service is still _____ in most 30. What the witness said is _____ with the
European countries. police report.
a. martial a. premature
b. mandatory b. pious
c. magnanimous c. consistent
d. miscellaneous d. diverse

5
 READING
One summer morning in that magical year 2004, a strange vessel should be seen picking its
way past the freighters anchored outside Piraeus harbor. Riding low in the water with a tapering,
barbed prow jutting skywards, it will be the first craft of its kind to have visited Athens in more
than 3,000 years.
Earlier this year, a team of naval historians and shipbuilding experts joined forces with the
Nautical Museum of Chania in Crete to launch an ambitious project to reconstruct a Minoan
galley of around 1500 BC and bring it under sail and oar to Athens just ahead of the 2004
Olympics.
If the plan had been for a Hellenistic or Roman ship, wrecks of which are a dime a dozen
throughout the Mediterranean, the enterprise would have been relatively simple. But experts regard
a Minoan wreck as the Holy Grail of underwater archaeology; not a single example has yet been
found. So considerable ingenuity will be required.
As there is nothing to copy, we will have to work very carefully on data from various
sources, such as ancient writings and original representations of ships, in combination with our own
scientific methodology, says project leader Apostolos Kourtis, an expert on ancient shipbuilding
who teaches naval history to Greek Navy cadets. This will be a full reconstruction of a Minoan
ship that is documented and faithful to what we know of the type.
In the first half of the second millennium BC 1,000 years before Homers epics
were written the Minoans established themselves as a leading maritime power in the eastern
Mediterranean, enjoying close relations with Egypt and the Near East. They are believed to have
reached as far west as Sicily, where legend has it that King Minos met an unpleasant death in a
bathtub.

31. Why is the project to reconstruct a Minoan galley described as an ambitious one?
a. The voyage from Chania to Athens has never been undertaken.
b. There is very little time in which to complete the project.
c. Propelling a vessel by sail and oar has never been attempted before.
d. There are no wrecks of similar vessels to be used as a model.
32. What do we learn about wrecks belonging to the Hellenistic and Roman periods?
a. The plans for building them were simple.
b. They are fairly easy to locate throughout the Mediterranean.
c. They were used in the search for the Holy Grail.
d. Considerable ingenuity was used in their construction.
33. Which of the following will not be used in the reconstruction of the Minoan galley?
a. Writings from ancient times
b. Original depictions of ships
c. Parts of wrecks that have been found
d. The ingenuity of those involved in the construction
34. Which of the following expressions best describes what the project leader and his team will
have to do?
a. to go on what little they have
b. to strike while the iron is hot
c. to pick up steam
d. to pick up the pieces
35. Being a maritime power, the Minoans were known for their
a. agricultural advances.
b. military conquests.
c. architectural expertise.
d. naval accomplishments.

6
 Practice Test 2

GRAMMAR

1. Jane said she had _____ things to do on her 6. What did you tell your partner?
way to the airport. We cant work together if we dont
trust_____.
a. few a. one another
b. little b. one the other
c. a few c. each and the other
d. much d. the other too

2. By the end of August, we _____ work on the 7. I expected much more from James; his
garage that we are building. performance was really _____.
a. will finish a. disappointed
b. will have finished b. disappointment
c. will be finished c. disappointing
d. will have finishing d. disappointingly

3. Can I borrow your hairbrush? 8. How can I get to the airport from here?
I wish _____ one of your own! By bus, train, or taxi . But _____, leave
early.
a. you would get a. whenever you go
b. you to get b. however way you go
c. your getting c. whichever way you go
d. you have to get d. whatever way you go

4. Susan, looking beautiful as usual, arrived at 9. She refused to tell me _____ with the money
the party wearing _____. I had given her.
a. a blue stunning silk dress a. what had she done
b. a stunning blue silk dress b. what did she do
c. a silk stunning blue dress c. what was she going to do
d. a blue silk stunning dress d. what she had done

5. If Pete were to try harder, he _____ one of 10. She walked carefully along the frozen
the best students in his class. sidewalk as she was afraid _____.
a. would have been a. to fall
b. would be b. in falling
c. will be c. to falling
d. could to be d. of falling

7
 CLOZE

Its nearly impossible to predict the exact

(11) a. results c. delivers
arrival of El Nio, the warming of surface
b. brings d. wreaks
waters off South America that (11) havoc on
weather patterns worldwide. Scientists have (12)
(12) a. taken c. relied
on a network of buoys, computer models, and
b. worked d. placed
satellite observations but these do more to
mark El Nios arrival (13) to anticipate it.
(13) a. more c. but
Now, however, new research has uncovered a
b. than d. and
signal that predates the warming Pacific (14) a
full two months, (15) governments around the
(14) a. over c. by
world time to prepare for the chaos (16) come.
b. before d. from
Researchers at the University of
Maryland, Baltimore County, and NASAs
(15) a. giving c. fixing
Goddard Space Flight Center (17) through 21
b. setting d. determining
years of global weather records to find the (18).
Their findings show that (19) the two strongest
(16) a. to c. may
El Nios, the 1982-1983 and 1997-1998 events,
b. might d. will
(20) was a sudden drop in rainfall near
Indonesia. The researchers caution that the
(17) a. swept c. uncovered
droughts only come before the most powerful El
b. combed d. researched
Nios.
(18) a. truth c. cause
b. reason d. signal

(19) a. before c. after

b. prior d. with

(20) a. it c. there
b. just d. suddenly

8
 VOCABULARY

21. Finding himself in such a _____ 26. My cousin was diagnosed as suffering
position, he decided to proceed with from a(n) _____ disease.
extreme caution.
a. precarious a. reputable
b. prevalent b. ominous
c. perplexed c. cordial
d. prestigious d. contagious

22. A very strong _____ developed between 27. The secretary was commended for
the two friends. dealing _____with every task she was
assigned.
a. stance a. reluctantly
b. plea b. sluggishly
c. bond c. punctually
d. breed d. subsequently

23. Plans to _____ the administration 28. Humanitarian groups are campaigning
building met with opposition from the against plans to _____ the death
school board. penalty.
a. renovate a. reinstate
b. review b. recruit
c. revive c. replenish
d. resolve d. reverse

24. The _____ student violence of the last 29. The lack of understanding between the
few days has shocked the authorities. old and the young is known as the
_____ gap.
a. undiluted a. generation
b. dehydrated b. skepticism
c. outstretched c. connotation
d. unprecedented d. dimension

25. My friend refused to allow me to pay for 30. My grandparents were very _____ and
the meal, saying he wanted it to be his never refused a single request of mine.
_____.
a. treatment a. indignant
b. treat b. indulgent
c. treating c. indifferent
d. treated d. inhibited

9
 READING
Alzheimers patients face a grim future: increasingly clouded judgment, declining attention
span, and memory loss. Several drugs temporarily improve brain function, but none has been able to
slow the diseases progress. But two recent studies suggest new ways to attack this devastating
disease.
Scientists at Irvine, California-based Neo Therapeutics have produced a drug that stimulates
premature cells in the brain to multiply and mature into the cells responsible for memory. In animal
studies, one dose boosted brain cell numbers by 32 percent. In small-scale human studies,
researchers found that memory, attention span, and judgment improved significantly. The drug will
begin final human testing later this year, and results are expected by 2003.
In another study, researchers at Harvard Medical School cleared mice bred to develop
Alzheimers of the characteristic plaques that form in the brain by injecting proteins designed to
attack the plaques. Because the technique required drilling holes into the skull, it is unlikely to lead
directly to treatment. However, the experiment is the first to show that plaque formation can be
reversed.

31. Which of the following is not given as a symptom of Alzheimers?

a. reduced ability to pay attention
b. an inability to remember
c. an inability to judge clearly
d. a grim future

32. With the use of various drugs, experts have managed

a. to achieve short-term improvement in the way the patients brains work.
b. to devastate Alzheimers disease.
c. to accelerate the progress of the disease.
d. to protect the brain from other attacks.

33. The drug produced by scientists at Neo Therapeutics

a. has so far shown satisfactory results when tested on animals and human beings.
b. can only be used on animals.
c. has never been used on human beings.
d. has proved to be only 32 percent successful.

34. The mice used in the study by researchers at Harvard Medical School
a. developed Alzheimers naturally.
b. developed the plaques after being injected with proteins.
c. responded favorably to the therapy they were subjected to.
d. began attacking the plaques after they were injected.

35. Why do the researchers at Harvard Medical School have reason to be happy with their findings?
a. They have found an acceptable way to drill holes in the skull.
b. Their findings will probably lead directly to a treatment for Alzheimers.
c. They have shown that the formation of plaques in the brain need not be something
permanent.
d. They have developed a technique for preventing the development of Alzheimers in
people.

10
 Practice Test 3

GRAMMAR
1. Jack came into a _____ sum of money when 6. _____ he was expected to win the election,
his grandfather died. he lost by a big margin.
a. considerable a. Despite
b. considerably b. However
c. considerate c. Even
d. consideration d. Although

2. Your car is looking rather shabby. 7. What do you think of the new secretary?
Youre right. I think its time _____ a new I consider ____ one of the best weve ever
one. had.
a. I got a. her as
b. I am getting b. her to be
c. for my getting c. her as being
d. I will get d. her being

3. Im a little worried about tomorrows 8. The national team, _____ next week, is
exam. expected to include several new players.
_____ regularly, theres no need to worry.
a. Unless you have studied a. is announcing
b. If youve been studying b. announced
c. If you studied c. will be announced
d. Had you studied d. to be announced

4. The Eiffel Tower, _____ in Paris, is one of 9. The new zoo has proved to be a huge
Frances biggest tourist attractions. success,_____ over 2 million visitors in its
first year.
a. which is a. to attract
b. that it is b. attracts
c. which it is c. attracting
d. that is d. attracted

5. Ive told her _____ not to be so lenient with 10. Im bringing a couple of friends to your
her children. party.
Great! _____.
a. the many times a. All the best
b. many of the times b. The more the merrier
c. many a time c. The sooner the better
d. that many a time d. Better late than never

11
 CLOZE

The average traffic light is obsolete. Set to (11) a. which c. but

a fixed timing pattern, (11) cannot respond to b. that d. it
actual traffic conditions. Soon that (12) change.
Computer-coordinated signals, developed by PB (12) a. have c. will
Farradyne, a Rockville, Maryland, engineering b. pattern d. make
firm, (13) recently tested in a 12-block area just
northwest of the Chicago Loop. Using video (13) a. was c. have
cameras mounted on streetlights, the signals b. they d. were
monitored traffic passing (14) the intersections.
As approaching vehicles were detected, digital (14) a. through c. around
data were transmitted to computers in each b. by d. away
traffic signal. (15) the volume of cars increased
in a particular direction, the signals allowed (15) a. When c. Just
more green time. The information from each b. So d. Before
computer in the grid was also sent to a central
computing network, (16) coordinated and (16) a. where c. that
controlled signal changes for the (17) area. b. which d. whose
That way, you dont find yourself getting a
green light at one intersection (18) to be stopped (17) a. utter c. entire
by a red light at the next one, says Farhad b. absolute d. total
Pooran, a PB Farradyne engineer directing the
project. The companys analysis predicts delays (18) a. and c. not
could be (19) by 6 to 8 percent. In a near- b. but d. only
capacity situation, that can (20) the difference
between gridlock and free-flowing traffic, says (19) a. severed c. gouged
Pooran. b. trimmed d. plucked

(20) a. cause c. mean

b. result d. avoid

12
 VOCABULARY

21. The employee was _____ after the court 26. The detective made sure that his
ruled that shed been wrongfully behavior did not _____ suspicion.
dismissed.
a. thawed a. raise
b. differentiated b. arouse
c. collaborated c. rise
d. reinstated d. arise

22. The _____ freedom fighters drove out 27. She offered me a ride to the airport
the enemy troops and liberated their saying that it was no _____.
country.
a. fertile a. temptation
b. gullible b. vengeance
c. bold c. manifestation
d. raucous d. imposition

23. In delivering organs for use in 28. The suspect was _____ as he left home
transplants, speed is of the _____ on his way to the airport.
importance.
a. widespread a. apprehended
b. prominent b. banished
c. utmost c. enforced
d. formative d. provoked

24. The patient was found to be suffering 29. The accused was considered to have a
from a vitamin _____. ____ mind, which was capable of
anything.
a. delusion a. deficient
b. deficiency b. devious
c. distraction c. discernible
d. deluge d. discreet

25. The members of the jury _____ agreed 30. _____ from the ceiling, the decorations
that the accused was not guilty. created a wonderful party atmosphere.
a. unanimously a. Succumbed
b. uniformly b. Adhered
c. voraciously c. Suspended
d. spontaneously d. Upgraded

13
 READING
Maypoles, onionskins, cats eyes did you know they are different varieties of glass
marbles? Maypoles have white threads or colored swirls on or just beneath the marbles surface;
onionskins are solidly colored (most often white or yellow) with colored swirls or dots; and cats
eyes are clear glass with a colored swirl inside.
Marbles have been used as game pieces since the time of ancient Rome. Through the
centuries, theyve been made from stone, flint, baked clay, and sometimes real marble. Handmade
glass marbles were made in Italy during the Renaissance; they became popular in Europe and
America in the mid-1800s, after the invention of a tool called marble scissors helped produce them
faster. The first machines for the manufacture of glass marbles were introduced in Germany and the
U.S. in 1890.
During the manufacturing process, glass is melted in a furnace and then poured downward
in channels, forming the base color of the marble. Additional colors of glass are added to the first
stream if inserts are desired, as in a cats eye. As the glass descends and begins to solidify, it is cut
into small cubes. The cubes are dropped through a funnel onto moving rollers that cool and round
off the glass pieces into finished marbles.
Making glass marbles by hand is a more creative and complex process. Heated glass rods
are pulled to collect a ball-shaped gather at the end. Different colors of molten glass are smoothed
in. Shaping rods called punties are attached to each side of the gather so it can be manipulated over
a flame to create swirls and designs. The gather is placed into a mold (usually made of graphite) to
perfect the shape and cool into the finished marble.
31. Which of the following marbles would appear to incorporate the least color?
a. white onionskins
b. yellow onionskins
c. cats eyes
d. maypoles
32. Marbles owe their increased popularity in Europe and the U.S. around the mid-19th century to
a. the availability of better equipment for use in their manufacture.
b. the quality of the handmade glass marbles of the Renaissance.
c. the introduction of the first machines for the manufacture of glass marbles.
d. improvements in the materials used in their manufacture.
33. Which of the following correctly identifies some of the steps followed in the manufacture of
glass marbles?
a. cutting glass into cubes melting glass adding melted glass of other colors
b. melting glass adding melted glass of other colors cutting the semi-solid glass into
cubes
c. cutting glass into cubes passing cubes over rollers heating cubes and rounding off
d. mixing colored glass cubes melting glass cubes rolling cubes into marbles
34. What is the purpose of the punties or shaping rods used in the manufacture of handmade
marbles?
a. to pull the glass rods into the gather
b. to smooth in the colored molten glass
c. to place the gather into a mold
d. to facilitate the handling of the gather
35. What role does the graphite mold play in the manufacture of handmade marbles?
a. It gives the marble its final shape and allows it to cool.
b. It fixes the design of the marble.
c. It prevents the marble from damage.
d. It is the final ingredient of the marble.

14
 Practice Test 4

GRAMMAR

1. Elizabeth was suspended from school for 6. We had received _____ about the sales
two days, _____ shocked her parents. assistant that we decided to dismiss her.
a. that a. such many complaints
b. which it b. so many complaints
c. what c. the many complaints
d. which d. such many complaints

2. The police _____ a description of the 7. You havent seen my glasses

mugger who attacked and robbed an old lady anywhere,_____?
in the mall. I think theyre on the kitchen table.
a. has issued a. did you
b. have been issued b. have you
c. is issuing c. had you
d. have issued d. havent you

3. Where are Bill and Meg going on 8. A _____ painting has been stolen from the
honeymoon? National Museum.
Their best man insists ____ to the
Bahamas.
a. that they go a. priceless
b. them to go b. pricey
c. that they went c. priced
d. their going d. pricing

4. Was that your son I saw at Fridays 9. I wonder _____ that really nice pair of shoes
concert? from.
It _____; hes in Denmark at the moment.
a. couldnt be a. where did Sue get
b. shouldnt be b. where Sue got
c. couldnt have been c. where had Sue got
d. mustnt be d. where has Sue got

5. My younger sister _____ my things! 10. Why are you looking so miserable?
Mine is no better! I wish ______ so rudely to my best friend.
a. always borrows a. I didnt speak
b. is always borrowing b. not to have spoken
c. always is borrowing c. I hadnt spoken
d. always has borrowed d. my not speaking

15
 CLOZE

tzi the 5,300-year-old ice man (11)

(11) a. dredged c. extricated
from an Alpine glacier in 1991 is finally
b. excavated d. ejected
spilling his guts. A recent analysis of his
intestinal contents raises questions about the
(12) a. immediate c. swift
assumption that he froze to death after getting
b. sudden d. brief
caught in a(n) (12) autumn snowstorm. Klaus
Oeggl, a paleoethnobotanist at Austrias
(13) a. included c. involved
University of Innsbruck, discovered that food
b. intermingled d. surrounded
extracted from tzis colon (13) intact pollen
grains from the hop hornbeam tree, (14) flowers
(14) a. that c. which
in the spring and lives only at (15) altitudes.
b. with d. but
(16) pollen degrades quickly in air, tzi must
have died in the spring or (17) summer. In
(15) a. little c. low
addition, analysis of his skin indicates that the
b. level d. small
ice mans body (18) in a pool of water for
several weeks before it was frozen.
(16) a. When c. While
The new evidence is forcing researchers
b. Despite d. Since
to reopen the case of how tzis corpse (19) up
in the mountains. Some have even speculated
(17) a. late c. early
that he was dragged up for some sort of
b. during d. even
Neolithic sacrificial ritual, but Oeggl wont go
that (20). All we can tell is that 12 hours before
(18) a. laid c. lied
he died he was in the valley bottom where hop
b. lay d. lain
hornbeam grows. He came up to the place of his
death within one day.
(19) a. drew c. ended
b. found d. concluded

(20) a. far c. belief

b. way d. speculation

16
 VOCABULARY

21. I have no _____ about reporting the 26. Without a special permit, you will be
secretarys behavior to the manager. denied _____ to the conference hall.
a. misgivings a. access
b. misfortunes b. sustenance
c. misdemeanors c. designation
d. misconceptions d. omission

22. By cutting costs, the company was able 27. While they waited for the storm to
to exploit the regions resources more _____, the hikers sheltered in a cave.
_____.
a. resolutely a. abort
b. lucratively b. abate
c. thoroughly c. aspire
d. exclusively d. abolish

23. Unlike her previous boss, her _____ boss 28. His father was _____ to one of the
is much more appreciative of her work. companys provincial branches.
a. unanimous a. negotiated
b. current b. diverted
c. tenuous c. transferred
d. odious d. relegated

24. The firm _____ to the old accounting 29. Rescue workers took turns keeping the
system when the new one proved to be beached whales skin _____.
less efficient.
a. resorted a. absorbent
b. revived b. vivid
c. revised c. lustrous
d. reverted d. moist

25. Feeling _____ after his long illness, he 30. Greek industrial workers met their
decided to take a year off work. _____ from several Balkan countries.
a. dispensed a. splinters
b. distilled b. counterparts
c. debilitated c. personnel
d. deviated d. constituents

17
 READING
Our species has been around for only 200,000 years or so. But where did modern humans
come from? Did Homo sapiens evolve a number of times in Africa, Europe, and Asia from earlier
humans such as Homo erectus, who first ventured out of Africa nearly 2 million years ago? Or did
our species arise only once, in Africa, and spread from there to become Earths dominant life form?
Evidence has been accumulating that the out of Africa hypothesis is correct. Now comes
the strongest blow yet against the multiregional theory: A computer analysis of DNA from dozens
of people around the world suggests that we all descended from a common ancestor who lived in
Africa between 40,000 and 80,000 years ago.
Researchers studied sequences of DNA from mitochondria, tiny energy-producing structures
in each cell. Mitochondrial DNA, abbreviated mtDNA, is separate from the DNA in the cell
nucleus, where most of our genes are situated. mtDNA is also inherited differently, passed to
children only from their mother. Studying mtDNA is therefore a unique way of tracking relatedness
through the maternal line. mtDNA can also be used as a kind of clock for estimating how long ago
lineages split from each other.
The new study, led by Ulf Gyllensten of the University of Uppsala in Sweden, has been
widely hailed because it is the largest to date, and because it looked at the complete mtDNA
sequence instead of partial sequences. It also fits with archaeological and paleontological evidence
showing that some modern humans first left Africa and settled in the Middle East around the same
time.

31. The multiregional theory supports the belief that

a. we all come from one species that originated in Africa.
b. several species of modern humans developed in different parts of the planet.
c. our species underwent several evolutions in various parts of the planet.
d. Homo sapiens developed into a number of different species.

32. Recent findings suggest that

a. the multiregional theory is based on stronger evidence.
b. supporters of the out of Africa hypothesis are justified in what they maintain.
c. more evidence needs to be accumulated.
d. computer analysis of DNA is only valid for the period of 40,000 to 80,000 years ago.

33. The computer analysis of DNA conducted by researchers points to the possibility that
a. we are descended from dozens of people around the world.
b. our species has not been on earth for 200,000 years or so as previously believed.
c. we have come down from a common ancestor.
d. we are not Earths dominant life form.

34. Which of the following statements about mtDNA does not agree with what is said in the text?
a. mtDNA uses up available body energy.
b. mtDNA cannot be inherited from the father.
c. mtDNA is to be found in each cell.
d. mtDNA is inherited by children from their mother.

35. Support for the findings of the study led by Ulf Gyllensten is based on all but one of the
following. Identify which one is not given as a reason.
a. A study of this scale has never before been conducted.
b. The study was thorough.
c. The study was conducted entirely among people living in Africa.
d. The conclusions it arrives at are supported by other scientific fields.

18
 Practice Test 5

GRAMMAR

1. Providing _____ by this Friday, you may 6. Laura prefers _____ to the cinema.
borrow my bike. So do I.
a. you return it a. watching T.V. to going
b. you returned it b. to watch T.V. than go
c. you have to return it c. watching T.V. to go
d. you returning it d. to watch T.V. rather than going

2. Do you know why she prevented me _____ 7. This is proving to be rather difficult!
to her sister? Should you need any help, _____.
a. to talk a. do you call me
b. from talking b. you are calling me
c. not to talk c. you should have called me
d. having talked d. give me a call

3. Because the mail arrived _____ yesterday, I 8. Theres no point _____ by car when public
did not get your invitation until I returned transport has become so cheap nowadays.
from work.
a. lately a. to travel
b. late b. you to travel
c. later c. for traveling
d. lateness d. in traveling

4. What do you want done with these files? 9. My sister has bought a yellow blouse and
Leave them there until I _____ what Im jacket _____ .
doing.
a. will finish a. matching
b. will have finished b. to match
c. have finished c. for matching
d. am going to finish d. that it matches

5. _____ is a nice long holiday. 10. What did you say?

I agree. I wish my neighbors _____ more
considerate.
a. What needs Jim a. to be
b. What Jim needs b. that they were
c. What does Jim need c. would be
d. What Jim is needing d. to have been

19
 CLOZE
The connection between Cretans and 1. a. together c. for
b. with d. against
the Maori of new Zealand stretches much
further back into history than the heroic 2. a. must c. should
b. can d. are
battles they fought ( 1 ) on Greek soil in
World War II. Indeed, in the kafeneios and 3. a. countries c. wars
b. persons d. peoples
sidestreets of Chania, grizzled war veterans
( 2 ) still be heard telling tales of the ancient 4. a. tells c. goes
b. relates d. recounts
links between the two ( 3 ). The most popular
story ( 4 ) something like this: Many Cretans 5. a. weird c. bizarre
b. uncanny d. eerie
joined the army of Alexander the Great and
marched with him to the East in the 4th 6. a. fair c. odd
b. wide d. even
century BC. On the evidence of woodcarving
techniques to be observed in certain 7. a. after c. since
b. before d. later
Himalayan valley communities (which bear
( 5 ) similarities to Cretan craftsmanship), it 8. a. where c. then
b. when d. after
appears that a ( 6 ) number of these Cretans
stayed behind after Alexander had left. 9. a. final c. eventual
b. due d. consequent
Several centuries ( 7 ) their
descendants, wearying of inland life, 10.a. ancestors c. successors
b. predecessors d. descendants
shouldered chisels and planes and trekked to
the south Indian coast, ( 8 ) they built canoes
and set out across the Pacific. In ( 9 ) course,
their odyssey brought them to the legendary
island of Hawaiki, the ancestral home of the
New Zealand Maori. There, flax-skirted
Polynesian Hinemoas fell in love with the
adventurers, and their ( 10 ) helped carve the
fleet of canoes the whaka which made the
great voyages from the 11th to 15th centuries,
reaching Aotearoa, land of the Long White
Cloud, the Maori name for New Zealand.

20
 VOCABULARY

21. A(n) _____ political situation has been 26. Our team has won nine _____ games
created by the Presidents decision to since the start of the season.
resign.
a. erroneous a. successive
b. durable b. progressive
c. random c. extensive
d. unstable d. conclusive

22. You cant fail to notice the paintings 27. The new sales tax was eventually_____
which are_____ displayed in the lobby after endless protests from businessmen.
of the theater.
a. competently a. repealed
b. gracefully b. installed
c. prominently c. shuffled
d. tremendously d. stacked

23. The school board met to decide on the 28. The rules state that articles_____ from
_____of funds to the various students are to be returned at the end of
departments. term.
a. segregation a. eliminated
b. detachment b. omitted
c. conversion c. confiscated
d. allocation d. undertaken

24. The deer the hunters were _____ was 29. The boss told the worker he was not
spooked by the sound of a twig prepared to listen to _____ gossip.
snapping.
a. bluffing a. ornamented
b. tapping b. vigorous
c. stalking c. malicious
d. triggering d. intriguing

25. Since he was promoted, there has been a 30. Finding himself in a hopeless position,
marked change in his _____. the chess player _____ victory to his
opponent.
a. elegance a. ditched
b. demeanor b. conceded
c. rapport c. dispelled
d. vestige d. coincided

21
 READING
A solution to one of the most vexing problems for environmental scientists and engineers
the removal of toxic metals from soil may be in one of the simplest plants: a fern. Researchers
from the University of Florida in Gainesville have discovered an ordinary fern with an
extraordinary appetite for arsenic. The brake fern, Pteris vittata, not only tolerates the presence of
arsenic, it actually soaks up and accumulates the carcinogenic heavy metal. Evidence suggests that
the plant may even fare better in soils with arsenic. The University of Florida research team
measured arsenic in brake ferns at concentrations 200 times the levels of the contaminated soils in
which they were growing. In that example, the concentration of arsenic in the soil was 38.9 parts
per million (ppm), and the fern fronds had 7,526 ppm. In greenhouse tests, the concentrations of
arsenic in the fronds were as high as 22,630 ppm or 2.3 percent. Surprisingly, the researchers
discovered that the brake fern accumulates arsenic even when growing in soils with normal
background concentrations of arsenic less than 1 ppm. For example, a plant growing on the
University of Florida campus in soil with 0.47 ppm of arsenic contained 136 ppm of arsenic. This
concentration surpasses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys 5 ppm threshold for
classification as an industrial hazardous waste.
The brake ferns appetite for arsenic, remarkable in the light of the fact that arsenic is often
used as an herbicide, may prove to be useful in cleaning up arsenic-contaminated industrial, mining,
or agricultural sites. The strategy would be to grow the fern at a toxic site and harvest the fronds and
stems for transportation to an appropriate waste facility.
The brake fern is one among some 400 plants known to accumulate toxins. It has the
potential to be an important player in the growing phytoremediation industry, which uses plants
and trees to clean up toxic waste sites.
31. We learn from the text that the removal of toxic metals from the earth
a. has never concerned environmental scientists and engineers.
b. is not seen to present many difficulties.
c. has been a matter of concern to environmental scientists and engineers for some time.
d. is a matter which can easily be dealt with.
32. The brake fern may be the answer to the problem of removing toxic metals from the soil as it
a. breaks arsenic down into harmless substances.
b. is not resistant to the presence of arsenic.
c. absorbs and stores high levels of arsenic.
d. accumulates in areas where carcinogenic heavy metals are present in the soil.
33. The research done by the Univ. of Florida team showed that the brake ferns they examined
a. had accumulated 200 times the level of arsenic contained in the soil in which they were
growing.
b. had reduced the concentration of arsenic in the soil in which they were growing by 200
times.
c. showed positive results only after being examined 200 times.
d. were 200 times more successful in absorbing arsenic than ferns used in greenhouse tests.
34. The brake ferns appetite for arsenic is described as remarkable because
a. it is active in accumulating arsenic only when there is light present.
b. it never used to accumulate arsenic in the past.
c. it will be used to clear all current agricultural sites which are contaminated with arsenic.
d. arsenic is a regular constituent of preparations used in killing unwanted plants.
35. If the brake fern is eventually used in cleaning up arsenic-contaminated industrial, mining, or
agricultural sites,
a. parts of the plant will then be removed for destruction elsewhere.
b. the entire plant will be removed for destruction elsewhere.
c. the entire plant will be destroyed at the toxic site.
d. parts of the plant will be destroyed at the toxic site.

22
 ANSWER KEY

Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Practice test 3 Practice Test 4 Practice test 5
1. b 1. c 1. a 1. d 1. a
2. b 2. b 2. a 2. d 2. b
3. b 3. a 3. b 3. a 3. b
4. c 4. b 4. a 4. c 4. c
5. a 5. b 5. c 5. b 5. b
6. d 6. a 6. d 6. b 6. a
7. d 7. c 7. b 7. b 7. d
8. a 8. c 8. d 8. a 8. d
9. b 9. d 9. c 9. b 9. b
10.c 10.d 10.b 10.c 10.c
11.b 11.d 11.d 11.b 11.a
12.d 12.c 12.c 12.b 12.b
13.c 13.b 13.d 13.a 13.d
14.c 14.c 14.a 14.c 14.c
15.a 15.a 15.a 15.c 15.b
16.b 16.a 16.b 16.d 16.a
17.d 17.b 17.c 17.c 17.d
18.d 18.d 18.d 18.b 18.a
19.a 19.a 19.b 19.c 19.b
20.c 20.c 20.c 20.a 20.d
21.c 21.a 21.d 21.a 21.d
22.d 22.c 22.c 22.b 22.c
23.a 23.a 23.c 23.b 23.d
24.b 24.d 24.b 24.d 24.c
25.b 25.b 25.a 25.c 25.b
26.d 26.d 26.b 26.a 26.a
27.a 27.c 27.d 27.b 27.a
28.d 28.a 28.a 28.c 28.c
29.b 29.a 29.b 29.d 29.c
30.c 30.b 30.c 30.b 30.b
31.d 31.d 31.c 31.c 31.c
32.b 32.a 32.a 32.b 32.c
33.c 33.a 33.b 33.c 33.a
34.a 34.c 34.d 34.a 34.d
35.d 35.c 35.a 35.c 35.a

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my gratitude to Rena Pappas, who located all the texts used in the
preparation of these tests.
Rodney A Coules

23