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ANATOLIA COLLEGE

Language & Testing Office

______________________________________________________________________________

EXAMINATION
FOR
THE MICHIGAN CERTIFICATE
OF
PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH

ECPE
Practice Preliminary Tests
(with KEY)

Volume 7
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 familiarize themselves with the format
of the preliminary test.
In the test there are 35 problems: 10 grammar problems, 10 multiple choice cloze 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.
1. 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 (11) 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 _(11)_ is often called
a superhighway.

VOCABULARY: Choose the word that most appropriately completes the sentence.
21. 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.

31. The person telling the story is.


a. a married lady
b. an unmarried lady
* c. a married man
d. an unmarried man
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COLLEGE
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Practice Test 1

GRAMMAR

1. Greg asked me if I knew _____ 6. Barbs left the oven on again!


Isnt that typical _____ her!
a. where was the bus station. a. with
b. where the bus station it was. b. for
c. where the bus station was. c. of
d. where it was the bus station. d. to

2. _____, the customer wouldnt have 7. _____ he earns a fortune, he is very thrifty.
complained.
a. If the waiter were to apologize a. Although
b. Had the waiter apologized b. Despite
c. Were the waiter to apologize c. Whereas
d. If the waiter apologizes d. However

3. When he was in high school, Jeff _____ every 8. Scientists are examining an enormous _____
morning. that has appeared overnight in a cornfield.
a. had swum 3 kilometers a. depressant
b. had been swimming b. depression
c. swam 3 kilometers c. depressing
d. was swimming 3 kilometers d. depressed

4. Would you _____ a cup of coffee? 9. They replaced the cushions, _____ were
Id love one. Thank you. tattered.
a. care about a. most of which
b. care b. which most of them
c. care to c. the most of which
d. care for d. which the most

5. Susan _____ what you said! 10. _____ into the shallows, the child found a
No. But she didnt say a word! beautiful seashell.
a. cant be liking a. Waded
b. cant have liked b. He had waded
c. cant have been liking c. He was wading
d. cant like d. Wading
CLOZE

Humans have become so noisy that some (11) a. divulged c. disproved


b. displayed d. discovered
animals are changing their behavior just to be
heard above the din. British biologist Andrew (12) a. obviously c. furtively
b. suspiciously d. significantly
Foote at the University of Durham recently
(13) a. chain c. fleet
__(11)__ that the calls of killer whales off the b. squadron d. navy
West Coast of the United States have
(14) a. whistles c. sounds
lengthened __(12)__ in recent years, b. calls d. sighs
apparently to counter engine noise from the (15) a. visible c. audible
growing __(13)__ of whale-watching boats. b. feasible d. plausible

Meanwhile, behavior biologist Henrik (16) a. at c. over


b. on d. from
Brumm of the University of St. Andrews
found that male nightingales have cranked up (17) a. that c. he
b. who d. whose
their mating __(14)__ as much as 14 decibels
to remain __(15)__ over urban sounds. (18) a. to find c. found
b. finding d. founding
Researchers believed that territorial birds
(19) a. easiest c. easier
always sing __(16)__ the top of their lungs, b. easy d. easily
says Brumm, __(17)__ did his research in
(20) a. some c. its
Germany. So I was surprised __(18)__ that b. their d. those
nightingales do adjust their song intensity.
The payoff for belting: The most voluble
nightingales probably have an __(19)__ time
finding a mate and passing on __(20)__
genes, he says.

From: Discover, Vol. 25, No 9


VOCABULARY

21. Supporters of euthanasia maintain that it is 26. The speakers _____ greatly impressed the
a(n) _____ act. audience.
a. tranquil a. eloquence
b. memorable b. fulfillment
c. humane c. notoriety
d. hostile d. obstinacy

22. The younger generation tend to _____ liberal 27. The teenagers parents were afraid that she
ideals. was _____ something drastic.
a. embrace a. cherishing
b. avert b. designating
c. gesture c. contemplating
d. invade d. gratifying

23. The board members _____ for four hours 28. Harry hasnt done anything to _____
before arriving at a decision. promotion within the department.
a. impacted a. moderate
b. deliberated b. initial
c. conformed c. merit
d. recoiled d. resolve

24. Youll probably find him in the Red Lion; its 29. The teacher explained that there was a(n)
his favorite _____. _____ difference between the two words.
a. ally a. idle
b. haunt b. subtle
c. motive c. candid
d. leash d. conspicuous

25. Typewriters have become _____ since 30. First-time juvenile offenders are often treated
computers were introduced. _____ by the court.
a. controversial a. modestly
b. eventual b. principally
c. absurd c. audibly
d. obsolete d. leniently
READING COMPREHENSION

Fighting leukemia may soon become 31. We learn from the text that tests of the
as easy as getting a shot. Cancer new vaccine have to date
researchers at the University of Texas a. shown few positive results.
are testing a vaccine that can put one b. resulted in a few side effects.
form of the disease into remission. c. disappointed researchers.
d. kept researchers hopes alive.
The vaccine fights myelogenous
leukemia, which strikes 16,000 people 32. According to the text, the incidence of
a year, many of them senior citizens. myelogenous leukemia is high among
So far tests have been promising. The a. people in senior positions at
vaccine slowed the cancer to a crawl in work.
b. the elderly.
20 of 33 cases - with few side effects. c. people with a short life
"We treated people who wouldn't be expectancy.
expected to live three months," says d. patients who were treated at the
Jeffrey Molldrem, an immunologist Anderson Cancer Center.
with the university's M. D. Anderson
33. Which of the following results from
Cancer Center in Houston. "So the fact testing the vaccine have been most
that some lived four years is quite encouraging to researchers?
surprising. That some actually went a. Some patients conditions went
into remission is equally astounding." into remission.
In both acute and chronic b. Some cancers slowed to a crawl
myelogenous leukemia, immature c. There were people who lived
white blood cells in the bone marrow longer than expected.
multiply out of control. They fail to d. There were few side effects.
fight off infections as they are meant to 34. What are we told about the white
and collect dangerously in organs, blood cells of people suffering from
blocking their functions. The vaccine acute and chronic myelogenous
sets off an immune response using a leukemia?
piece of a protein, called PR1 peptide, a. Their numbers are slow to
found on the surface of leukemia cells. increase.
The body recognizes the peptides as b. They are not fully developed.
c. They perform their usual
foreign invaders and, as a result,
function.
attacks the leukemia cells. Other d. They assist the other organs in
cancer vaccines have been created, their functions.
Molldrem says, but this is the first one
for leukemia that seems to work. 35. The text tells us that the vaccine
a. makes use of a part of the
The drug must now go through
leukemia cell so as to function.
another round of clinical trials. If they b. works entirely on its own.
are all successful, it would be three to c. recognizes peptides as foreign
four years before the vaccine is invaders.
available. d. attacks the leukemia cells

From: Discover, Vol. 26, No. 3


Practice Test 2

GRAMMAR

1. The exam supervisor will demand that each 6. Sheila finally decided to buy _____ evening
candidate_____ acceptable identification. dress.
a. shows a. a silk green beautiful Thai
b. showed b. a beautiful silk green Thai
c. showing c. a beautiful green Thai silk
d. show d. a green beautiful Thai silk

2. Julies sister reminds me _____ my Chemistry 7. Samantha is_____ of the twins, but Tania is
teacher at high school. more athletic.
a. of a. the cleverest
b. for b. more clever
c. about c. the cleverer
d. from d. cleverer

3. When Carls microware was giving trouble, he 8. Dimitri hadnt done any work; _____, he failed
_____ at it. the exam.
a. had an electrician to look a. so
b. had an electrician look b. consequently
c. got an electrician looking c. but
d. got an electrician look d. however

4. An annex _____ to provide additional 9. Ive had a headache all morning.


classrooms. Try _____ a short nap.
a. is being building a. taking
b. is being built b. to take
c. has built c. if you can take
d. is building d. the taking of

5. No sooner _____ than the telephone rang. 10. _____ her supervisors approval, she shouldnt
begin the project.
a. had Jake entered his office a. Unless Susan doesnt get
b. Jake had entered his office b. If Susan will not get
c. Jakes entering his office c. Were Susan to get
d. was Jake entering his office d. Unless Susan gets
CLOZE

Currency, securities certificates, passports, (11) a. thanking c. thankful


b. thanks d. thanked
checks, and other important documents may
soon be broadcasting their authenticity, (12) a. contains c. constructs
b. consists d. concludes
__(11)__ to smart paper, developed by Oji
(13) a. save c. deposit
Paper of Japan in collaboration with two b. store d. stock
Japanese high-tech companies. Each sheet
(14) a. defused c. released
__(12)__ a flat, dust-speck-size radio b. activated d. emitted
frequency identification chip a micro radio
(15) a. from c. over
transmitter and receiver imprinted with an b. to d. about
unalterable serial number. The chip can also (16) a. Despite c. Unlike
__(13)__ the name of a gift-certificate b. Akin d. Whereas

recipient or the payee of a check. When (17) a. than c. like


b. as d. just
__(14)__ by a radio signal, the chip sends
back data __(15)__ its identity. (18) a. species c. version
b. example d. sample
__(16)__ other smart papers, which can be
(19) a. fed c. slotted
as thick and stiff __(17)__ a credit card, the b. rolled d. copied
Oji __(18)__ is just a bit stronger than
(20) a. cracking c. crushing
ordinary paper. Chips are embedded within b. spluttering d. crumpling
fibers rather than between plastic sheets. The
special paper can be __(19)__ through regular
copiers and fax machines and can withstand
__(20)__ and other normal wear. It is initially
being tested in Malaysia on its road-tax
certificates, which are used for vehicle
registration.

From: Discover, Vol. 26, No. 3


VOCABULARY

21. The governors decision to _____ the bill 26. The new strategy was adopted in the hope that
surprised everyone. it would _____ better results.
a. designate a. recommend
b. interpret b. penetrate
c. distract c. yield
d. veto d. adhere

22. Through _____ investments, George soon 27. The company is hoping to _____ its overseas
amassed a small fortune. market.
a. prudent a. pursue
b. notable b. expand
c. momentary c. maneuver
d. elective d. gauge

23. Unless lecture notes are written _____, they 28. A skin _____ can usually be covered up with
arent of much use. makeup.
a. grammatically a. anguish
b. masterly b. crisis
c. credibly c. blemish
d. legibly d. obstacle

24. The judge read several _____ on the recent 29. Her grandfather becomes _____ when he
spate of racist attacks. doesnt get his way.
a. dialogues a. wretched
b. journals b. irritable
c. forums c. vague
d. editorials d. timid

25. Harry complained about the _____ noise his 30. Trying hard to impress everyone, Ben ended
neighbors were making. up becoming a figure of _____ .
a. rival a. ridicule
b. intolerable b. hysteria
c. maternal c. turmoil
d. hardy d. hesitation
READING COMPREHENSION

The relatively small fossil site in Niger, no 31. We learn in the first paragraph that Paul
bigger than a football field, was in operation Sereno
for only two months. But University of a. has never led many successful
Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno is ecstatic expeditions.
b. is cautiously considering the value of
about what he is finding as he sifts through
the fossil site in Niger
the 20 tons of fossils recovered there. "This c. is disappointed that the fossil site is no
was probably the most successful expedition I bigger than a football field.
will ever lead," Sereno says, "and I've led a d. bases his judgement on the fossil site in
lot of expeditions." Niger on his wide experience.
Among the fossils excavated by Sereno
32. Which of the following statements does not
and his team was the skull of an unknown 95- appear to describe Rugops primus?
million-year-old carnivore from the a. It lived on a diet of plants and thorny
abelisaurid ("wrinkle faced") family, which he vegetation.
named Rugops primus. This 30-foot animal b. It had sharp teeth.
may have scavenged carcasses; markings on c. The surface of its face was uneven.
the bone imply its head was covered with d. It was flesh-eating.
keratin, the material in our fingernails, which 33. What is most remarkable about Serenos
might have protected its face while it tore into discovery of Rugops primus in Niger is that
its food. The most intriguing aspect of it may
Rugops primus, however, is where it lived. a. prove land bridges never connected
Until now, the fossil record implied that Gondwanaland and Africa.
abelisaurids lived only on what remained of b. prove that Gondwanaland extended as
Gondwanaland, the early landmass that far as Africa
included modern India and South America. c. throw new light on what abelisaurids
Africa supposedly separated from this ate.
massive continent 120 million years ago, long d. throw new light on where abelisaurids
before the rise of the wrinkle-faced dinos. ranged.
Finding Rugops primus in Africa therefore
34. The evidence that Paul Sereno refers to
came as a shock. Sereno regards the will most certainly consist of
discovery as evidence that land bridges a. fossils that paleontologists before him
connected Africa to Gondwanaland much had kept hidden.
later than previously believed. b. a more complete fossil record.
Further study of the Niger fossils may c. samples of earth and rocks from the
expose additional unexpected family former land bridges.
connections. Sereno believes he has found d. eye-witness accounts of dinosaurs that
the bones of a variety of other dinosaurs and lived.
other animals never before found in Africa. 35. The passage implies that Serenos findings
"There is a coming together of evidence that in Niger may
is hard to deny," he says. "We have unearthed a. attract lots of new paleontologists to the
a new chapter with lots of new players." area.
b. prove that our knowledge of pre-historic
land bridges is incomplete.
c. indicate that many African dinosaurs
From: Discover, Vol. 25, No. 9
migrated to Gondwanaland.
d. prove that abelisaurids were originally
to be found in Africa.
Practice Test 3

GRAMMAR

1. Does anyone know _____ with those old movie 6. _____ his toy truck, the little boy walked into the
magazines I had? garden.
a. what has Mom done a. Picking up
b. what did Mom do b. He picked up
c. what Mom has done c. When picking up
d. what did Mom d. Picked up

2. Sue has become ____ with the idea that everyone 7. The directors recommendation was that the
envies her. secretary _____ a crash course in accounting.
a. obsessive a. begin
b. obsessing b. has begun
c. obsessed c. begins
d. obsession d. will begin

3. The children simply adore the new maid, _____ 8. ____ all of last year, he wouldnt have the
says a lot for her ability. problems he has today.
a. who a. If John worked
b. which b. If John was working
c. that c. Were John working
d. whose d. Had John been working

4. The ministers limousine ____ by a brick thrown 9. Why isnt Joe here yet?
by a demonstrator. He _____ our appointment.
a. its windshield was shattered a. might forget
b. had its windshield shattered b. might be forgetting
c. whose windshield was shattered c. might have forgotten
d. had shattered its windshield d. might forgotten

5. _____, I will let you know. 10. Reports coming in confirm that thousands of
Id appreciate that. homes _____ by the fire.
a. When a decision will have reached a. to be threatened
b. As soon as a decision is going to reach b. are being threatened
c. Once a decision will be reached c. have being threatened
d. When a decision has been reached d. are threatening
CLOZE

Until recently, studying newborn galaxies (11) a. gaping c. peeping


b. peering d. glaring
meant __(11)__ far into the distance and deep
into the past, to the __(12)__ of the known (12) a. brink c. edge
b. verge d. core
universe. But with the 2003 __(13)__ of
(13) a. sighting c. launch
NASA's orbiting ultraviolet telescope, Galaxy b. return d. jettison
Evolution Explorer, or Galex, __(14)__ have
(14) a. all c. they
changed. Now astronomers can see objects b. things d. we
that were previously invisible, especially new (15) a. value c. worth
galaxies that blaze in the ultraviolet part of b. cost d. price

the spectrum. (16) a. plantation c. cache


Galex has quickly proved its __(15)__. b. nursery d. hoard

Astronomers recently found a __(16)__ full of (17) a. close c. near


b. closely d. nearly
infant galaxies, but more important, all 36 are
nearby. "It gives astronomers the chance to (18) a. as c. with
b. the d. like
study the process of galaxy birth up
(19) a. they are c. to being
__(17)__, says Tim Heckman of Johns b. being d. to be
Hopkins University.
(20) a. away c. by
The Milky Way, __(18)__ most of the b. over d. back
starry pinwheels in our neighborhood, is
around 10 billion years old. But the new
galaxies were all born only 100 million to a
billion years ago. "These appear __(19)__ the
newborn version of typical 'adult' galaxies
like our Milky Way," Heckman says. "It's
almost like looking out a window and seeing
a dinosaur walking __(20)__."

From: Discover, Vol. 26, No. 3


VOCABULARY

21. The lofty forest _____ is home to thousands of 26. The government will_____ farmers for the
animals. loss of their fields.
a. fortress a. compensate
b. bush b. recognize
c. canopy c. finance
d. vegetation d. economize

22. The farm workers _____ for hours in the hot 27. The tourists made a(n) _____ attempt to
sun. communicate with the villagers.
a. lured a. diverse
b. banished b. edible
c. toiled c. optical
d. exceeded d. futile

23. Owls and other _____ animals hunt under the 28. The actress said she had signed a contract but
cover of darkness. refused to _____ further.
a. perilous a. approximate
b. fugitive b. coincide
c. nocturnal c. elaborate
d. elusive d. exceed

24. The troops fought _____ to defend their 29. Many creatures use _____ to avoid detection.
position.
a. absolutely a. undergrowth
b. valiantly b. camouflage
c. immaturely c. habitat
d. literally d. plumage

25. Marathon runners have remarkable powers of 30. She is one of the most _____ secretaries I
_____. have ever met.
a. immunity a. competent
b. nutrition b. substantial
c. organism c. manual
d. endurance d. random
READING COMPREHENSION

Medieval monks may have been more 31. The opening paragraph asks the reader to
gluttonous than godly. Most of the paintings consider whether medieval monks
and literature of the time portray them as fat, a. tended to eat more than was good for
almost obese. But was that really the case? them.
University College London archaeologist e. were favorably portrayed in the paintings
Philippa Patrick decided to find out. and literature of the time.
f. were less godly than monks of other
She examined 100 skeletons from the 11th
centuries.
to the 16th centuries from three abbeys in the d. did not take their religion seriously.
vicinity of London. She then compared the
monks' remains with those of 200 secular 32. Patricks initial investigation involved a
Londoners of similar ages. Not only did the comparison between
a. the remains of monks from three abbeys
monks have higher rates of thickened bones
in the area around London.
and certain patterns of ossification that are b. remains of monks from different
hallmarks of the severely obese, but they also centuries.
showed higher rates of arthritis and other c. remains of two different groups of
weight-related joint problems. All in all, people.
Patrick estimates, the monks were more than d. the bodies of monks and secular
five times as likely to be overweight as Londoners.
contemporary merchants and courtiers. 33. Which of the following was not revealed by
Patrick then enlisted the help of a Patricks examination of the skeletons from
historian, who used written records of menus the three abbeys?
and food shopping lists to calculate the a. A high incidence of arthritis
average monk's diet - a staggering 6,000 b. Problems that affected the knees, ankles
calories a day. Even during fasting periods, a and hips
monk's daily intake topped 4,000 calories. c. Absence of signs of obesity
The monks' abundant eating often outraged d. The frequent occurrence of bones of
those on the outside, but inside the abbey it unusual thickness
probably helped keep the peace, Patrick 34. It is implied that during fasting periods,
suggests. "Abbeys were highly political medieval monks
places; there are numerous records of head a. ate much less.
abbots being overthrown for all sorts of b. finished their meals in less time.
reasons," she says. "I suspect that food was c. kept a written record of what they ate.
one of the few pleasures allowed in the d. did not significantly reduce their food
intake.
monasteries, so if it wasn't good and plentiful,
there could be a lot of unrest in the ranks." 35. The passage suggests that medieval monks
were given good food in large quantities
a. in order to prevent them from becoming
From: Discover, Vol. 25, No. 11 rebellious.
b. to show them how pleasurable it was to
be in a monastery.
c. to show them how benevolent the head
abbot was.
d. to outrage those living outside the
monastery.
Practice Test 4

GRAMMAR

1. Everyone _____ present at the meeting voted 6. The old lady is on _____ for her heart
against the proposal. condition.
a. which was a. medicine
b. that were b. medical
c. who was c. medicinal
d. who they were d. medication

2. Not until we use up the current stock _____ a 7. Investigators asked the witness what time
new order. _____.
a. will we place a. had the explosion taken place.
b. we are going to place b. the explosion had taken place.
c. will there place c. did the explosion take place.
d. we will place d. had taken place the explosion.

3. The boss congratulated Dora _____ her 8. It is preferable that vegetables _____.
excellent sales plan.
a. for a. to not be overcooked.
b. about b. not be overcooked.
c. with c. be not overcooked.
d. on d. not to be overcooked.

4. John doesnt remember _____ any calls 9. _____ , he had to be replaced in the second
yesterday morning. half.
a. receiving a. Despite his injury
b. to receive b. Because his injury
c. he received c. Although his injury
d. of receiving d. Because of his injury

5. Fortunately, the _____ child was not awakened 10. Fortunately, the driver _____ escape from the
by the noise. burning car.
a. asleep a. was able to
b. slept b. could
c. sleeping c. had to
d. being asleep d. managing to
CLOZE

Leonardo da Vinci was many things: a (11) a. discoverer c. precursor


b. innovator d. inventor
painter, an engineer, a creative thinker. He
was also the __(11)__ of the first man-made (12) a. flipping c. flicking
b. tossing d. coursing
plastic, says Alessandro Vezzosi, director of
(13) a. of c. for
Italy's Museo Ideale. Vezzosi was __(12)__ b. with d. and
through some of the Renaissance man's notes
(14) a. harder c. hard
when he came across recipes __(13)__ several b. harden d. hardly
mysterious mixtures. These mixtures would (15) a. knife c. knives
__(14)__ into a material that could be used to b. knifes d. knives

make nearly unbreakable __(15)__ handles, (16) a. on c. up


b. out d. off
chessboards, jewelry, or cups and vases,
Leonardo claimed. (17) a. broadly c. widely
b. sparsely d. ably
Intrigued, Vezzozi tried __(16)__ the
recipes and ended up with a compound (18) a. however c. nevertheless
b. despite d. whereas
resembling Bakelite, one of the first synthetic
(19) a. but c. than
polymers, which was __(17)__ used in the b. from d. rather
early 1900s. But __(18)__ the production of
(20) a. pertaining c. involving
Bakelite involves intricate molds and b. including d. comprising
chemical processing, making Leonardo's
natural plastic required nothing more
__(19)__ painting layers of pigmented animal
or vegetable glue onto various templates,
__(20)__ cabbage leaves, lettuce, and ox
tripe. "It is 'plastic material' in the classical
meaning of the word," Vezzosi says. "It is
extraordinary on an aesthetic, scientific, and
technological level - and this was over 500
years ago."

From: Discover, Vol. 25, No. 5


VOCABULARY

21. Employment opportunities are _____ better 26. Homeowners took the necessary _____ after
for people with experience. the storm warning was released.
a. abruptly a. cares
b. infinitely b. exigencies
c. frailly c. preliminaries
d. tranquilly d. precautions

22. Our new neighbors can be a bit too _____ at 27. Hand-made carpets with _____ designs were
times. on sale at the bazaar.
a. incredible a. prompt
b. insufficient b. stationary
c. inquisitive c. intricate
d. indispensable d. perpetual

23. Reports are coming in of an earthquake of 28. _____ from the devastating tsunami littered
unprecedented _____. the coast.
a. height a. Damages
b. volume b. Shrapnel
c. magnitude c. Debris
d. scope d. Rubble

24. The expedition does not expect to _____ 29. The actor was quick to _____ when he forgot
serious problems. his lines.
a. encounter a. improvise
b. propel b. annex
c. challenge c. shrink
d. commit d. reconcile

25. The employees were _____ for making false 30. My brother owns a(n) _____ bulldog called
declarations. Churchill.
a. resigned a. thoroughbred
b. retired b. pedigree
c. evicted c. vintage
d. terminated d. authentic
READING COMPREHENSION

Birds are under siege. A recent World 31.If Sekercioglous prediction were realized, the
Conservation Union report says 12 percent of percentage of all birds which would become
all birds on the planet are threatened with extinct or near to extinct would be in the region
extinction, and a team of Stanford University of
a. 12%
ecologists believes up to 14 percent
b. 14%
worldwide could be extinct within a century. c. 25%
By then a quarter of all birds may be as good d. 39%
as gone, says Stanford conservation ecologist
Cagan Sekercioglu. Their population could 32. Which of the following is not given as an
important function of birds?
become so small that their ecological
a. They keep pests to feed their young.
contribution would be virtually nil. b. Some eat the remains of dead animals.
The losses would be devastating. Many c. Many help the reproduction and spread of
birds are important pollinators and seed plants and trees.
dispersers; their absence would have wide d. Some form an important part of the food
ecological ramifications. Others eat insects or chain.
are important links in the food chain. Still 33. What is given as a consequence of the rapid
others are scavengers that clear away decline in vultures in India in the 1990s?
carcasses or keep pests in check. In India, for a. The increase in the number of feral dogs
example, a rapid decline of vultures in the posed a threat to human health.
1990s led to a rise in feral dogs and, as a b. Fewer domestic dogs were attached and
result, an increase in the number of rabies killed by them.
outbreaks. "There are consequences when c. Fewer carcasses remained to be cleared.
birds are not doing their ecological jobs," says d. Pests no longer needed to be kept in check.
Sekercioglu. 34. The unchecked activities mentioned in line
Researchers blame humans. The World 29 are activities that
Conservation Union rank the loss of native a. have never been investigated before.
habitat and the introduction of invasive b. are carried on by environmentally
species as the most crucial problems, but conscious parties.
unchecked activities like fishing, hunting, and c. have resulted in human-induced climatic
logging play a role - as does human-induced change.
climate change. Worst off are specialists- d. continue to be practiced by parties who
are indifferent to ecological concerns.
birds that eat only one type of food and live in
only one place. Because they are so 35. The birds referred to as specialists are
intertwined with their environments, they more threatened than other species because
can't adapt to changes. Marine birds are also a. they are marine species.
particularly at risk because they live long, b. their environments change them.
c. they cannot adapt to their natural
breed slowly, and are prone to accidental environments.
death by long-line fishing. d. their natural diet and habitat are restricted.

From: Discover, Vol. 26, No. 3


Practice Test 5

GRAMMAR
1. The world was shocked _____ the news of the 6. Never in her life _____ a bad word about
tsunami disaster. anybody.
a. for a. Pauline will say
b. with b. has Pauline said
c. at c. is Pauline saying
d. from d. Pauline has said

2. Several offshore islands _____ to the mainland 7. _____ and Ill tell you everything you want to
by a causeway. know.
a. will soon have linking a. If you sit down
b. will soon have linked b. As long as you sit down
c. will soon be linked c. Sit down
d. will soon be linking d. Provided you sit down

3. You _____ so many copies; two wouldve 8. The old man stayed home that morning as he
been sufficient. was afraid _____.
a. shouldnt make a. of falling on the icy roads.
b. neednt have made b. his falling on the icy roads.
c. mustnt make c. would fall on the icy roads.
d. neednt make d. to fall on the icy roads.

4. Tony has been riding _____ scooter for the last 9. Susan soon found gainful _____ after leaving
15 years. school.
a. an Italian old bright red a. employment
b. an old bright red Italian b. employer
c. an old red bright Italian c. employee
d. a bright old red Italian d. employing

5. The instructions require that every candidate 10. Young children _____ work full-time are
_____ an HB pencil. often neglected.
a. using a. those their parents
b. to use b. that their parents
c. uses c. whose parents
d. use d. which their parents
CLOZE

Every year the Lemelson-MIT Program, a (11) a. questions c. surveys


research organization within MITs School of b. debates d. interrogates

Engineering, __(11)__ Americans on issues (12) a. virtually c. randomly


related to technology. This year the program b. deliberately d. furtively

__(12)__ asked 1,023 adults across the country to (13) a. moved c. edged
identify the invention they consider most hated, b. toppled d. sided

yet one we cant live without. The results show (14) a. dud c. dual
that the intrusive, unreliable cell phone has b. dull d. dim

__(13)__ out old annoyances like the buzzing (15) a. with c. to


alarm clock or the __(14)__ razor. Merton b. in d. over

Flemings, the surveys director, believes that (16) a. took c. lapsed


people resent technologies they must adapt b. passed d. spent

__(15)__ quickly. If you look back at the (17) a. demand c. require


automobile or the TV, it __(16)__ decades before b. ask d. need

they reached 50 percent market saturation. You (18) a. fact c. place


only __(17)__ to walk down the street to see how b. truth d. general

fast the cell phone has taken over, he says. Yet (19) a. status c. expectancy
in a separate part of the survey, 95 percent of b. quality d. value

adults agreed that inventions in __(18)__ have (20) a. inevitably c. mortally


improved their __(19)__ of life regardless of the b. fatally d. intentionally

ringing that __(20)__ disrupts the most dramatic


moment at the movies.

From: Discover, Vol. 25, No. 5


VOCABULARY

21. Deborah showed her _____ by sending her 26. The overdose which the addict took proved
boss an expensive bottle of wine. _____.
a. gratitude a. mortal
b. nuisance b. deadly
c. commotion c. lethal
d. dejection d. fatal

22. Julie gave us a _____ description of her trip to 27. The passengers had a _____ escape when their
the Amazon plane crashed on take-off.
a. viable a. safeguard
b. vivid b. generous
c. veritable c. miraculous
d. lifelike d. bountiful

23. The child _____ having trampled the seedlings 28. All animals arriving in the country are _____
in the flower bed. for a period of four months.
a. refused a. remanded
b. rejected b. quarantined
c. denied c. interned
d. refuted d. suspended

24. A cow from a neighboring farm _____ into 29. The security guard eyed me _____ as I got out
our back garden. of my car.
a. waded a. intentionally
b. strode b. suspiciously
c. skipped c. callously
d. strayed d. inadvertently

25. The kidnappers demanded a(n) _____ of $1 30. The captains quick thinking averted the
million. _____ .
a. ransom a. foundation
b. refund b. collapse
c. installment c. collision
d. pension d. incident
READING COMPREHENSION

How did Tyrannosaurus rex get so big? 31. Like tree rings, layers of bone provide
After four years zigzagging around the world information to paleontologists on
begging museums for samples of the a. how much meat the dinosaurs ate.
relatively rare tyrannosaur bones, b. how many specimens are needed for a
meaningful study.
paleontologist Greg Erickson of Florida State
c. the similarities between tree and dinosaur
University has found the answer. growth.
Layers of bone can be read like tree rings, d. the ageing process.
but until now, nobody had enough specimens
to study how giant meat-eating dinosaurs 32. Five years is believed by Erickson to represent
matured. T. rex, Erickson now finds, lived the time T..rex took
fast and died young "sort of the James Dean a. to grow continuously.
of dinosaurs." Unlike many modern reptiles, b. to begin to age.
it didn't grow continuously throughout its life. c. to gain almost three-quarters of its adult
Instead, the creature underwent an explosive weight.
teenage growth spurt, acquiring 70 percent of d. to maintain a stable body weight.
its adult body mass in five years. T. rex's
33. The word brutal is used to describe the
accelerated adolescence may have been competition for survival because
necessary, given the brutal competition for a. T. rex was threatened by every other brute
survival. "The oldest ones might have made it in its environment.
to 30, but even that would have been rare," b. brute force helped many to live to the age
Erickson says. "It was a tough life, and most of 30.
of them would have been killed before they c. many of T. rexs rivals were just as
reached their largest size." savage or even more savage than it was.
In order to fuel its rapid growth, T. rex d. the extent of the brutality that dinosaurs
must have been a ravenous eating machine. suffered at mans hands was enormous.
Building on work by Erickson, Emily
Rayfield of Cambridge has figured out the 34. Emily Rayfields research indicates that the
elastic tissue between plates of bone in
mechanics of T. rex's feeding strategy. She T. rexs skull
modeled bone stress and found that elastic a. allowed it to safely deliver a bite of
tissue between plates of bone in T. rex's four- enormous force.
and-a-half-foot-long skull acted as a shock b. guaranteed it would crack the skull of
absorber, allowing the creature to bite down most of its victims.
on prey with an intensity that would crack the c. made the puncture-pull method of eating
skull of most animals. "It ate using the unnecessary.
puncture-pull method. It would have bitten d. absorbed the shock created by its heavy
down with enough force to crush through steps.
bone and then pulled back, tearing off the
35. At the height of its growth, an adolescent
flesh," Rayfield says. It might not have been
T. rex is thought to have
pretty, but it was clearly effective: At its peak, a. survived on five pounds of flesh each day.
an adolescent T. rex probably packed on five b. gained five pounds in weight every day.
pounds a day - and that was on the Cretaceous c. increased its food intake by five pounds a
version of the Atkins diet. day.
d. suffered weight loss amounting to five
pounds a day.
From: Discover, Vol. 25, No. 11
ANSWER KEY

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

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Dr. Philip Holland, Chair, English Department, Anatolia College, for his valuable
suggestions and editorial assistance.

Rodney Coules
Director, Language & Testing Office
Anatolia College
Email: racoules@anatolia.edu.gr

August, 2005

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