Skills test 2B

READING have been subjected to temperatures as low as absolute zero

(-273°C). (5) ___ This deliberate dehydration stops the water
The world’s most extreme animals bear from being torn apart by the freezing ice.’
There are some animals that can survive almost anything –
they can be frozen solid or boiled alive and yet still do not die! 1 Read a magazine article about extreme animals.
We asked some scientists to talk about their favourites.
Match the animals 1–5 with the descriptions a–g.
The Himalayan jumping spider There are two descriptions you do not need to use.
‘This small spider is able to live at amazingly high altitudes (up 1 spider c___
to 6,700 metres); it can survive on the highest slopes of Mount 2 caterpillar c___
Everest, one of the most hostile environments to life. (1) ___ It 3 ant c___
feeds on insects, such as the springtail, which live lower down
and get blown up the mountainside. It has eight eyes, including 4 worm c___
an incredibly powerful central pair, in order to spot prey from far 5 water bear c___
away. Its legs are also extremely powerful, enabling the spider
to jump big distances.’
a is mostly inactive
The Arctic woolly bear caterpillar
b has a special insulating layer of fat
‘Some animals can survive being frozen solid, including several c can navigate using the sun as its guide
types of frog and many insects. One of the most amazing
examples is this little creature – which can be found within the d might be the toughest creature in existence
Arctic Circle, Greenland, and Canada. The Arctic woolly bear e has been fascinating scientists for decades
caterpillar spends 5% of its time eating (during June only) and
f lives in a protective covering
5% in a cocoon. The cocoon protects the caterpillar from being
eaten by predators, and also conserves energy which will be g eats prey carried on the wind
needed later on to synthesize essential compounds to combat
the extreme cold. (2) ___ It hibernates in temperatures as low as
2 points for each correct answer 10
-70°C, and even allows its blood to freeze.’
The Sahara desert ant
2 Read the article again. Five sentences have been
‘This ant comes out from its underground burrow at the hottest removed from the article. Choose from the sentences
point in the day, when temperatures are around 60°C. It is able A–F the ones which fit each gap (1–5). There is one
to figure out where it is in relation to the sun, and can thus find sentence you do not need to use.
its way back to its burrow again. This is very important because
it’s only possible to survive out in the blisteringly hot sun for a A This unusual creature spends the remaining 90% of its
few minutes at a time. Its main prey are dead insects which life frozen.
have died of the heat. Its long legs enable it to scuttle quickly B This amazing animal was discovered off the coast of
across the sand, hardly touching it at all – and this protects its the Galapagos Islands around 30 years ago.
body from the extreme heat. (3) ___ ’
C It is possibly the highest-dwelling creature on Earth.
The Pompeii worm D The change in their body composition was observed
‘(4) ___ It has also been found more recently, in the Pacific and recorded as changing from 85% water to only 3%.
Ocean, near Costa Rica. It lives in hard tubes near E Scientists aren’t completely sure how they reproduce.
hydrothermal vents on the seabed. It sticks its head out of the
tube into cooler water to eat and breathe, but its tail rests in F It will also climb up plants in order to cool off,
water reaching temperatures of 80°C. We don’t really know whenever it gets the opportunity.
how its tail survives this, but we are doing research into the furry
bacterial coating on the worm’s back, which may act as 2 points for each correct answer 10
insulation.’
The water bear
‘Whilst these tiny water-dwelling creatures might look rather
humble, they are actually a super-species when it comes to
extreme living. They have been found in hot springs, in the
mountains of the Himalayas, and under thick sheets of ice.
Scientists have even sent them into outer space! They can
survive extremes of radiation, pressure, heat, and cold.
They can live without food or water for very long periods of time
(up to ten years, in fact). In the lab, these fascinating critters

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Unit test 2B Continued

3 Match the underlined words in the text with the

definitions. The definitions are in the dictionary form LISTENING
of the verb and nouns are in the singular.
1 Listen to a radio interview with Mark talking about
1 live somewhere c______
his job. Tick () five points that he mentions.
2 a thin layer of a substance covering a surface c______
1 His friends weren’t like him. 
3 run with short quick steps c______
2 He was unemployed for years. 
4 unimportant, modest c______
3 Prison wasn’t something unusual. 
5 to make a hole or a tunnel in the ground by digging c
4 He was convicted of a serious offence. 
______
5 He got some good advice. 
1 point for each correct answer 5 6 Going to prison was useful to him. 
7 He works for himself now. 
Reading total 25 8 Equine means ‘horse training’. 

1 point for each correct answer 5

WRITING 2 Listen again. Are the following statements true (T),

1 Write a description of an interesting or unusual place
in your town or city. Include some of these details:
• where it is located
• why you think it’s special
• some examples or an anecdote to support your opinion
• any history you know about the place
• the type of people you might meet there
• the atmosphere (e.g. peaceful)
Write your description in 100–150 words.
Shorter writing task
2 Write an article about an actor or singer that you
like or admire. Use the paragraph plan to help you.
Paragraph 1
• who he/she is
• how old he/she is
• any relevant and/or important facts about his/her early life
• how long you have known about him/her
• what he/she is famous for
• how famous he/she is in your country or internationally
Paragraph 2
• the best thing he/she has done
• what he/she has been doing recently
Paragraph 3
• what you particularly like or admire about this person
Write your article in 150–220 words.
false (F), or not stated (NS)?
1 He went to prison twice for short periods of time. ___
2 He knew people who were involved in serious crime.
___
3 He went to prison for eight years the third time. ___
4 The prison adviser wasn’t a positive influence on
Mark. ___
5 He left school with hardly any qualifications. ___
6 He hadn’t heard of Equine Management before
prison. ___
10 7 Equine Management wasn’t a particularly popular
course. ___
8 He wasn’t much good at the other courses he tried. ___
9 At level 4, Mark specialized in taking care of the
horses. ___
10 He set up his own business a year after doing his
work placement. ___
2 points for each correct answer 20
Listening total 25

Longer writing task 15

Writing total 25

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Unit test 2B Continued

SPEAKING 3 Discuss the statements. Do you agree or disagree?

1 Ask and answer the questions with a partner. 1 ‘Big business doesn’t care about the consumer, only
profit.’
1 Do you think talent shows make good or bad TV
viewing? Give reasons to support your answer. 2 ‘Advertising agencies play on stereotypes.’
2 When was the last time you felt either really excited max. 5 points for each topic 10
or really upset about an event, for example a meeting,
party, or trip? Describe it.
3 What’s your opinion of advertising on the Internet? Speaking total 25
Describe whether you think it can be useful or whether
it’s just annoying and a waste of time and money.
Skills test 2A total 100
4 If you were going to start up a new business, what
would it be? How would you raise money and market it?
5 What do you think you’ll be doing in ten years’ time?
Give reasons for your answer.

max. 1 point for each topic 5

2 Look at the photos. Compare the

different types of product and decide how you
would advertise them. Describe the difference
between ‘soft sell’ and ‘hard sell’ campaigns. In your
opinion, which technique is more effective for which
products and why?

max. 10 points 10

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