Intermediate Achievement test 1 (Units 1–2)
Listening
1 Recording 1 Listen to a woman telling a story
and underline the correct answer, a), b) or c).
1 The woman
a) has never been embarrassed.
b) likes talking about herself.
c) prefers other people’s stories.
2 Her brother
a) tells funny stories.
b) doesn’t like talking about himself.
c) hates people laughing at him.
3 Her brother told her a story about
a) his holiday in Spain.
b) his ex-wife.
c) an embarrassing experience.
4 In the story, Bob
a) talks to a man who is lying on the beach.
b) saves a man who can’t swim.
c) helps a man get his boat onto the beach.
5 Bob communicated with the man
a) using only sign language.
b) with gestures and incorrect English.
c) using incorrect Turkish.
6 Bob was embarrassed because
a) the man laughed at him and then said he wasn’t
strong enough to help.
b) the man didn’t speak English but thought Bob
could understand Turkish.
c) he had behaved foolishly because he thought
the man didn’t speak English.
5 3 What time do you see/are you seeing Julie
2 Recording 1 Listen again and write true (T) or
false (F).
1 The woman doesn’t enjoy telling others
about situations she found embarrassing.
2 Her brother Bob enjoys telling stories
about things that have happened to
people he knows.  
3 Bob likes making people laugh but doesn’t
enjoy it when they laugh at him.  
4 The story that she remembers took place
before her brother and his wife separated.  
5 In the story, Bob was asked for help by
someone on the beach.  
6 Bob thought the man was a local so he
used basic English and hand movements
to communicate with him.  
5 11 When Sara checked her phone, she realised/had
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3 Recording 2 Listen and answer the questions
below.
1 According to June, what activity did people used
to be embarrassed or ashamed of doing?
      Writing with their left
hand.                                                         
2 How old was June when her parents realised
she was left-handed?
                                                              
              
3 How was she stopped from using her left hand
to write with before she started school?
              
4 What two reasons does June give for people not
being allowed to be left-handed in the past?
                                                              
5 Which hand does June use to write with now?
                                                              
              
6 What percentage of people in the world is
left-handed?
                                                              
              
5
Grammar
4 Underline the correct alternative.
1 Please don’t tell Sam about my new job. I haven’t
had chance to tell him the news already/yet.
2 Does this bag belong/Is this bag belonging to
anybody in the class?
tonight?
4 Are you sure they visited us in 2014? I thought
they’d already/already had moved to America by
then.
5 I have to check these biscuits aren’t
T  containing/don’t contain nuts because I’m allergic
to them.
6 Who does eat/eats dinner before 10p.m.? In Spain,
    we never do!
7 My brother’s yet/just learnt to ski but before that
    he learnt to skateboard.
8 I met/’ve met Susie in the shopping mall when I
    was doing some shopping.
9 While/Before I was enjoying a coffee in the town’s
    main square, I read the main items of news in the
local paper.
10 They’ve/’d worked on cruise ships for years
    before they decided to start their own
entertainment company.
realised she had missed three calls from her boss.
 Intermediate Achievement test 1 (Units 1–2)

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 Intermediate Achievement test 1 (Units 1–2)

5 Complete the text with the correct answer, a), 7 Complete the sentences with the correct form
b) or c). of the word in CAPITALS.
Last call! 1 The students loved learning slang and other
1
                you ever missed a plane? I nearly 2 informal     expressions in their English class.
last summer. I was flying from London to Sydney EXPRESS
and had to change planes in Los Angeles. The plane 2 Is fluency more important than                                        
3
                    there at 6.30 in the morning and my flight when you’re learning another language?
to Sydney was at 9.30. I walked around while I 4 ACCURATE
because I 5                     been to LA airport before. Then 3 When you apply for a job, don’t forget to send
I with your CV.
6
                    some breakfast in a coffee shop, read my REFER
book and checked emails on my phone. 4 Adam has a successful business with more than
By 8.15, I was feeling rather bored so I 7                     thirty                                         .
decided to find out which gate my Sydney flight EMPLOY
8
                    from. I saw an information screen on the 5 I have a lot more                                         in my new job
wall and 9                     to look at it. I found my flight on as area manager.
the screen – and saw ‘Last call’ written there. I RESPONSIBLE
couldn’t believe it! I then looked at my watch and 6 Did you find all the                                         you needed
realised I 10                     the time on my watch back by at the library?
eight hours instead of seven! I ran to the gate and INFORM
11
                    the time I got there, I was the last person 7 I love                                         comedies. They always
to get on the plane. How embarrassing! make me feel good.
ROMANCE
1 a) Did b) Was c) Have 8 The film The Sixth Sense, with Bruce Willis, is an
2 a) did b) had c) was excellent                                         thriller.
3 a) landed b) has landed c) is landing PSYCHOLOGY
4 a) ’ve waited b) ’d waited c) was waiting
5 a) ’d never b) ’ve ever c) was never 7
6 a) had b) was eating c) ’d had
7 a) ’d b) was c) -
8 Complete the sentences with the words in the
8 a) had left b) will leave c) was leaving
box. There are two extra words.
9 a) was going b) has gone c) went
10 a) ’ve changed b) ’d changed c) was changing chance classmates degree foreign hand
11 a) on b) from c) by lunchtime purpose say tell weekend

10
1 At the end of the school year, I helped my
classmates organise a big party.
Vocabulary 2 Everyone at our school had to study a
language. I chose Spanish.
6 Match 1–7 with a)–g).
3 After Charlotte got a                               in English
1 If you make friends with native     b    literature she trained to become a teacher.
2 Last year our swimming team took       4 I’m sorry. I didn’t drop your laptop on
3 It’s a good idea to show       . It was an accident.
4 I’m sorry. We’re in a bit of       5 Wendy has started her own jewellery business and
5 Luckily, all the passengers survived       makes everything herself by                               .
6 The demonstration turned violent       6 Let’s meet at                               to discuss plans for
7 Uncle Alex told us a really       next week.
7 Why don’t you just                               what you mean?
a) a hurry and can’t stop now. It would make life a lot easier if you did.
b) speakers, your English will improve a lot faster. 8 Do you think it’s better to                               a white lie
c) funny story the other day. sometimes than to hurt someone’s feelings by
d) part in a national competition. telling the truth?
e) enthusiasm when you answer questions in an
interview. 7
f) after the police arrived.
g) the crash and no one was seriously hurt.

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 Intermediate Achievement test 1 (Units 1–2)

Function f) Divided and reunited

9 Cross out the response that is not possible.
1 So then I fell off my bike!
a) Oh no! b) That’s right. c) Oh dear!
2 Thanks for helping me out yesterday.
a) No problem. b) You’re welcome. c) I see.
3 The concert starts at 7.30 on Saturday, right?
a) That’s right. b) No problem. c) Yes.
4 Could I ask you something?
a) Go ahead. b) Of course. c) I see.
5 Can I use your phone, please?
a) Of course. b) Yes, I know. c) Go ahead.
6 And you’ll get a weekend off once a month.
a) Go ahead. b) I understand. c) I see.

10 Complete the conversation with words and

phrases a)–f).
A: Did I tell you what 1         i        to me when I was
working in the bank last October?
B: No, you didn’t.
A: Well, I’d just finished serving a customer and
was putting things away. And the 2                    
knew, there were two people standing in front of
my desk – wearing masks!
B: 3                     ? I 4                     it! What 5                     ?
A: Nothing! I thought they were robbing the bank!
B: Oh 6                     ! How 7                     ! So, what
happened
8
           ?
A: Well, I just looked at them. I was waiting for
them to say ‘Hands up!’ or something. Then
9
                    sudden, I remembered it was
Hallowe’en. That’s why they were wearing
masks. They were going to a party!
B: Oh, no. That’s 10                     !
A: Yes. 11                     end, we all laughed about it.

a) frightening g) no
b) next h) next thing I
c) In the i) happened
d) all of a j) don’t believe
e) really funny k) Really
f) did you do

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Reading
11 Read the article opposite and complete the
gaps with headings a)–f) below.
a) Communication differences
b) What’s in a name?
c) A strange similarity
d) Twins: A case of nature or nurture?
e) Fascinating results

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 Intermediate Achievement test 1 (Units 1–2)

1     d     
Many people are like their siblings in some ways,
but twins are often even more alike. If you are born
at the same time as another baby and grow up with
them, it is likely you will be similar to each other.
But what would happen if you didn’t know you had
a twin? How alike would you be?
2        
In the USA, a pair of identical twins was split up
when they were adopted as four-month-old babies.
Their new parents decided on their names and
without knowing it, both called their son ‘Jim’.
These two boys spent all of their childhood and
teenage years living separate lives in different
places. And it wasn’t until they were thirty-nine
years old that they got to meet each other for the
first time. They were quite surprised to find how
similar they were.
3        
Although they didn’t look exactly the same, they
were both six feet tall and weighed 180 pounds.
They discovered that during their childhood they
had both had a dog named ‘Toy’ and as adults they
had both married twice. Even more strangely, both
of their first wives were called ‘Linda’ and their
second wives were called ‘Betty’. The Jims had
each had a son. One of them had called theirs
‘James Allan’ while the other named theirs ‘James
Alan’.
4        
The similarities didn’t end there. They discovered
that they had both worked as sheriffs, owned the
same type of car, smoked the same cigarettes and
drank the same beer. They also suffered from the
same health problems, like severe headaches. In
later research on the pair, a psychologist* noticed
that they both bit their nails. This was rather unusual
behaviour among identical twins.
5        
However, while they were very similar, there were
also some clear differences. For example, one Jim
preferred to express himself through writing while
the other preferred speaking. They also had different
hairstyles and one Jim had married a third time
while the other hadn’t.
6        
Continued research on the Jim twins has proven to
be very interesting and along with other research
findings has led to the discovery that the personality
and identity of twins who have grown up apart is as
alike as those that haven’t.
* Psychologist – someone who studies the human
mind and human behaviour.

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 Intermediate Achievement test 1 (Units 1–2)

12 Read the article again. Decide if the 14 Write a short news report about one of the
statements are true (T) or false (F). headlines below. Use the prompts to help if
necessary. Write 100–150 words.
1 Research has shown that all twins are the
same as each other.     F   
1 120 people homeless after floods
2 The Jim twins were adopted at birth by
two sets of American couples.         
3 Neither set of parents knew what the 2 Airline employees strike demonstration
other twin had been called.         
4 The two Jims grew up in the same area 3 Film star shot outside London home
unaware of the other’s existence until
they were almost forty.          1 Introduction – what happened
5 They expected to have a lot in common                                                               
when they first met in their thirties.                                
6 The two Jims were as tall and as heavy                                                               
as each other.                                
7 They had both married a ‘Betty’ and                                                               
then a ‘Linda’.                                
8 Even though they both had similar habits                                                               
they’d never worked in the same job.                                
9 Psychologists thought it unusual that                                                               
both twins bit their fingernails.                                
10 One of the key differences between                                                               
the twins was how they enjoyed                       
communicating with others.                                                                        
11 Research shows that twins who live                       
apart as children behave very differently                                                               
from each other.                                

10 2 Background details
                                                              
                      
Writing                                                               
                      
13 Underline the correct alternative.
                                                              
1 They visited all their relatives during/while they                       
were in Malaysia.                                                               
2 Alicia called me as soon as/by the time she got                       
my message.                                                               
3 By the time/While the police arrived at the house,                       
the thieves had disappeared.                                                               
4 I would like to make/take this opportunity to                       
introduce myself.                                                               
5 He ended the email to his friend ‘Hope/I hoping to                       
hear from you soon’.
6 A typical way to end a letter of application is: ‘I 3 Quote(s) – people’s opinions
look forward to hear/hearing from you soon’.                                                               
                      
5                                                               
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      

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 Intermediate Achievement test 1 (Units 1–2)

                                                              
                      

4 Conclusion – the current situation

                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      
                                                              
                      

10

Total: 100

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