Professional Documents
Culture Documents
YADYO
SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
2014 - 2015
ACADEMIC YEAR
(SAMPLE)
PROFICIENCY TEST
BOOKLET
Class
Write your name and mark your answers on the optic form.
This booklet includes three sections and 57 questions in total. Each section has its own instruction.
For each question be sure to pick the best one of the possible answers listed. When you have decided which
one of the choices given is the best answer to a question, blacken the space on your optic form which has the
same number and letter as your choice.
Remember, there is only one best answer for each question. If you are not sure of the answer, make the best
guess you can. If you want to change your answer, erase your first mark completely.
Answer as many questions as possible. Do not spend too much time on any one question. Work fast but
accurately.
Total time allocated for this test except the listening section is 80 minutes.
Good luck.
VOCABULARY SECTION
Read the following sentences and on your optic form, mark the alternative (A, B, C or D) that best completes the
sentences. (20x0.5=10 points)
1. For our holiday we will ______ a yacht and sail to the Caribbean islands.
11. The film festival was not as successful as the organisers ______ because the number of people participated was
quite low.
A) with B) by C) at D) on
13. We were ______ to find out if John had won the election.
18. The judge gave him a 4-year prison ______ for his crime.
20. The mayor has indicated his ______ of plans to build a new hotel in the old town as it will result in increased traffic.
A) disapprove B) approval C) approve D) disapproval
Read the text and, on your optic form, mark the alternative (A, B, C or D) for each gap to complete the text.
(5x1=5 points)
JERSEY
Over recent years, Jersey, an island in the English Channel, has become a very popular holiday attraction for
British tourists. They are fascinated by its 21) ______ climate and magnificent scenery. Jersey was popularized as a
resort by an English television series 22) ______ ‘Bergerac’, which follows a police detective on his adventures around
the island. Scenes were shot in all the most beautiful parts of the island so, although ‘Bergerac’ was not aimed to boost
the island’s tourist industry, the number of visitors to the island 23) ______ increased as the series became more
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popular. Most of the tourists who come to Jersey are English. Jersey appeals 24) ______ them because the ferry
crossing or plane journey gives the sense of travelling abroad, yet the island has all the conveniences of home. And as
the island is so close to France, it is easy to sense a French influence in the food, the architecture and the way of life. It
is this added cultural element that makes Jersey a popular holiday 25) ______.
READING SECTION
27. Although computers are taking over some of the tasks done by our brains, they __________.
A) can solve very complicated problems
B) have also been used in medicine
C) are even used at school by students
D) haven’t been able to replace man
29. __________; probably the best one is that it can give an idea about a different culture and a way of life.
3 Sample Proficiency Test / 2015
A) Even though many countries use English as a first language
B) If you don’t speak a foreign language, it’s a disadvantage while travelling abroad
C) There are many reasons for learning a foreign language
D) It is believed that travel broadens the mind
31. _______. Today more and more people have the chance to get medical services from doctors and nurses
in hospitals and clinics. As a result, fewer people get serious and dangerous diseases such as cholera and
typhoid. This, as a result, leads to longer lives.
A) There has been an increase in medical services in the world.
B) Older people should enjoy better health services.
C) Medical care is getting increasingly expensive.
D) There are more serious illnesses today than in the past.
32. Fairtrade is an international movement which aims to help farmers and workers in developing countries.
It does this by making sure that companies pay a fair price for the goods that the farmers produce in
those countries. The farmers who join the Fairtrade movement also receive some extra money to use in
their community. _______.
A) They include clothing such as T-shirts and other items like footballs.
B) These are some examples of the most common environmental movements.
C) Many of them use this money to pay for school books or healthcare of the families.
D) Employers treat workers and their families well in developed countries.
33. Soon, people who go to the cinema will not just watch and listen to the film. _______. A company that
distributes films is going to show the world’s first smelling films. A new computerized system, smell-o-
vision, will produce the smells during The New World, a historical drama about the USA in the 17th
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century. If people enjoy this film, cinemas everywhere may start to use the system.
A) There was something similar in the USA in the 1970s.
B) It is very popular with audiences.
C) Smell-o-vision is not just for the cinema.
D) They will be able to smell the film, too.
34. Arranged marriages are still the custom in India. Parents still help their sons and daughters find the
right husband or wife. _______. In the past, parents decided who their children would marry and the
young couples didn’t have much choice. These days, young men and women work together with their
parents to find a partner. This is now called an ‘assisted marriage’ rather than an ‘arranged marriage’.
A) But the system is changing, especially in the bigger cities.
B) Arranged marriages are usually happy marriages.
C) Young people don’t want help from their parents any more.
D) Parents usually look after their grandchildren.
35. In London, since most people are against graffiti, authorities have reached a decision; they will have it
removed. The problem is that removing graffiti is harder than people might think. It costs a great deal of
money. For example, the London underground spends 5 million a year on cleaning its stations. Despite
this, the stations don’t remain clean for long. _______. This paint is so powerful that it will be impossible
for any other paint to dry on it.
A) People were painting on walls thousands of years ago.
B) But researchers have developed a solution – a new type of paint.
C) Some Londoners find these pictures very ugly and offensive.
D) For this reason, graffers often work at night.
When they are introduced to others, many people know that they are going to forget their names anyway. For that
reason, they go through a whole series of introductions without really looking at the faces of those they are being
introduced to. Their fear of failure actually guarantees that they won’t succeed. Even those who look at new faces will
often tend to see them as a general picture, and do not really look at specific characteristics. However, when you see a
new face, it is essential that you look at it properly so that you can remember any unusual features because your
memory works by making connections between ideas, and also by noticing anything outstanding. This doesn’t mean
looking rudely at the person’s face, but simply taking an active and intelligent interest.
You can practice this by looking at people in public places and focusing on different parts of the face to look at.
One day, you may concentrate on noses, another day on eyebrows, another day on ears or general head shapes, etc.
You will be surprised to find that each part of each face differs enormously from person to person and that your
increasing ability to notice differences will help to remind you of the new people you meet.
To help you even further, you can use this way of remembering names when you are being introduced. If it is
appropriate, ask for the name to be repeated, and then use it politely in the conversation you have. It is far more polite
Susan prefers to focus on detailed studies of individual plants rather than on the garden as a whole, though she will
occasionally paint a group of plants where they are. More usually, she picks them and then takes them up to her studio.
‘I don’t set the whole thing up at once,’ she says. ‘I take one flower out and paint it, which might take a few days, and
then I bring in another one and build up the painting that way. Sometimes it takes a couple of years to finish it.’
Her busiest time of year is spring and early summer, when tulips are out, followed by poppies. ‘They all come out
together, and you are so busy,’ she says. But the gradual process which the tulips go through is also part of her
fascination for them. She says, ‘You bring them in and put them in water, then leave them for perhaps a day and they
each form themselves into different shapes. They open out and are fantastic. When you first put them in a vase, you
think they are boring, but they change all the time with twists and turns.’
LISTENING SECTION
Part A – Monologue
Questions 46-49
You will hear the director of a language school talking to some students who have just arrived at the school
TWICE. Listen and on your optic form, mark the alternative A, B or C that best completes the statements.
(4x1.5=6 points)
46. The students are going to stay with the families for ____________________.
A) a year
B) a week
C) a month
47. If your surname begins with the letter ‘T’, your family will be ____________________.
A) in the dining room
B) in the car park
C) by the office
PART B – Dialogue
Questions 50-53
You will hear an interview with a careers officer TWICE. Listen and on your optic form, mark the alternative
(A, B or C) that best completes the statements or answers the question. (4x1.5=6 points)
50. What does Susan say about the work of a careers officer?
A) It has changed completely over the years.
B) It is similar to what it used to be.
C) It is better than the other jobs she has done.
51. Susan ___________________.
A) is fond of her job
B) would like to do another job
C) hates her job
52. Susan suggested the air force to the young man because she ___________________.
A) was sure that astronauts started in the air force first
B) wanted him to change his mind about being an astronaut
C) thought it was probably the best way to achieve his aim
53. Susan’s advice is that you should ___________________.
A) be ready to choose a completely different career
B) talk about your ambition only if you really want it
C) become a doctor if you can’t become an architect
54. You hear a woman talking. When she was younger, how did she react to people who used gestures?
A) She assumed they were foreigners.
B) She thought they were strange.
C) She accepted them with their unusual actions.
55. You hear someone talking on the phone. Why will she NOT go to the party?
A) She has to do something else.
B) She feels ill.
C) She doesn’t want to go.
56. You hear someone talking about football referees. What is the speaker’s attitude towards referees?
A) They make too many mistakes.
B) They deserve sympathy.
C) Some are better than others.
57. You hear part of a radio play. Where is the scene taking place?
A) in a restaurant
B) in a house
Part A – Monologue
Questions 48-50
You will hear the director of a language school talking to some students who have just arrived at the school
TWICE. Listen and mark the alternative A, B or C that best completes the statements. (4x1.5=6 points)
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Rose Parry and I’m the school director. I do hope you all had a good journey.
No doubt you are looking forward to meeting the families you are going to be staying with during the next month. Now
please listen carefully to the following arrangements as the various families are waiting in groups to meet you.
If your surname begins with the letter A to K, your host families will be waiting for you in this hall. At the end of the
meeting, you should wait behind in here. Now, for those of you whose name begins with L to R, you should go
downstairs, not upstairs, but downstairs to the dining room. Those of you with names from S to Z must go out of this
hall, past the post office and to the car park where the coach stopped you when you arrived, all right? Out to where the
cars are parked by the main gate and your families will be waiting for you there.
Just a few more things before you go, please. Tomorrow night, there will be an introductory party with your teachers.
We hope you will all come. There will be food and drink, games and music, and if you play a musical instrument, let us
know as we need more musicians!
During the day, your families will show you around the town. They will also tell you which bus to catch so that you
can get to school easily each day and they will answer questions about where things are, like banks, the shops, the post
office and so on. My office staff are always willing to help you, but with possible difficulties such as travel or visas.
PART B – Dialogue
Questions 51-53
You will hear an interview with a careers officer TWICE. Listen and on your optic form, mark the alternative
(A, B or C) that best completes the statements or answers the question. (4x1.5=6 points)
Interviewer Today on ‘World of Work’, I’m joined by careers officer Susan Walker. Susan, welcome to the
show.
Susan Thank you.
Interviewer Could I start by asking what a careers officer exactly do, Susan?
Susan A number of different things. My main role is still to go into schools and speak to teenagers to find out
what kind of work they are thinking of doing and then I give them whatever advice I can. Over the last
17 years I have been doing this job, it hasn’t changed much. My area includes around 5.000 students
aged between 17 and 18. That’s a lot of interviews and a lot of advice to give out. Unfortunately, we can
only speak to each person for about 10 minutes, but I know that most of them find even such a short time
quite useful. I am very happy to be doing such a job than any other job.
Interviewer I suppose that lots of youngsters are coming to you with the same ambition.
Susan Well, we do get a lot of people who want to follow a career as a doctor or a lawyer. Unfortunately, only
about 10% of them will actually make it. I remember one young man who said to me that he wanted to
be an astronaut. I really wasn’t certain what advice would be best for him, but in the end, among the
possibilities at the time, I suggested he should join the air force and then look for what opportunities he
might face. I didn’t think about it for years after that and then one day, I saw a photo of him in a
newspaper. He had become part of the European space program. You never know!
Interviewer What advice would you give to other young people following the show?
Susan First of all, my favourite piece of advice is: you can change your mind. Don’t feel that saying ‘I want to
54. You hear a woman talking. When she was younger, how did she react to people who used gestures?
I think the British use more gestures than they used to. It may be partly because we come into contact with other
nationalities more often than we used to – you know, on foreign holidays, or when we see foreigners on television. I
think we have got used to seeing people gesturing, and we have started doing it ourselves. I remember when I was a
child, I thought anyone who moved their hands and arms around when they were talking was very strange. Nowadays,
such kinds of gestures are much more generally accepted.
55. You hear someone talking on the phone. Why will she NOT go to the party?
Hello, Alan, it’s Suzie. Look, I feel awful about this, but I can’t come to your party tonight. Something has come up
… no, I can’t get out of it now. It’s a problem I have to solve straight away. I won’t go into it now. Yes, I know I did this
the last time you invited me, but please d not take it personally … no, that’s not true, I like your friends. Honestly,
there’s nothing I can do about it for now.
56. You hear someone talking about football referees. What is the speaker’s attitude towards referees?
You have to feel sorry for referees. I mean they are under terrible pressure throughout the game, with players
shouting at them, and cheating and all that. And of course, the fans of both sides give them a hard time – they just can’t
win. Sure, they make mistakes, plenty of them, but they are only human. They don’t go out there thinking, ‘I’m going to
do really badly today’, they are doing their best. Some people think that there are referees who just want to draw
attention to themselves, who think that they are as important as the players, but that’s not my view. I mean, who would
want their job with all the criticism all the time?
57. You hear part of a radio play. Where is the scene taking place?
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Man Look, I know you are upset, but let’s not spoil the whole evening because of this.
Woman That’s easy for you to say. You are not the one who has been treated rudely.
Man I know, but just try to forget it and try to enjoy yourself. I have booked a table after all.
Woman No, I just can’t face it. Turn around and take me back. I am really not in the mood.
Man Well, I’m hungry.
Woman Go on your own, then. But stop and drop me off first. I just want to be on my own.
Choose one of the following topics below and write a paragraph in 180-200 words. Give reasons and examples to
support your ideas.
1. Technology will take the role of human power in the future. What do you think?
2. Think about a special item that you own. Write a descriptive paragraph about it and why it has a special meaning
for you.
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of going on holiday with a group of friends?
VOCABULARY SECTION
(15 pts.)
PART A (20x0.5=10 pts.) PART B (5x1=5 pts.)
1. B 11. B 21. C
2. D 12. D 22. D
3. A 13. C 23. B
4. C 14. A 24. A
5. C 15. A 25. C
6. B 16. D
7. D 17. B
8. A 18. A
9. B 19. A
10. C 20. D
READING SECTION
(25 pts.)
PART A (5x1=5 pts.) PART B (5x1=5 pts.) PART C (15 pts.)
TEXT I (5x1.5=7.5 pts.) TEXT II (5x1.5=7.5 pts.)
26. B 31. A 36. B 41. D
27. D 32. C 37. C 42. C
28. B 33. D 38. D 43. C
29. C 34. A 39. A 44. A
30. A 35. B 40. A 45. B
LISTENING SECTION
(20 pts.)
PART A (4x1.5=6 pts.) PART B (4x1.5=6 pts.) PART C (4x2=8 pts.)
46. C 50. B 54. B
47. B 51. A 55. A
48. A 52. C 56. B
49. C 53. A 57. C