Connections and New Adventures Placement Test

by Lynda Edwards

1
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp
Components of the test
Part One – 30 minutes
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford.
It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, • 50 multiple choice questions which assess students’
and education by publishing worldwide in knowledge of key grammar and vocabulary from beginner to pre-
Oxford New York intermediate levels
Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi • A reading comprehension with 10 graded questions
Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi
New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto Part Two – 10 minutes
With offices in
• A listening comprehension with 10 graded questions
Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece
Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore Part Three – 20 minutes
South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam
• An optional writing task that assesses students’ ability to
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© Oxford University Press 2009
The moral rights of the author have been asserted Interpreting scores
Database right Oxford University Press (maker)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
These tables act as a guideline for teachers when choosing
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, which level of Connections or New Adventures is suitable for
without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press (with their students. Parts two and three are included separately so
the sole exception of photocopying carried out under the conditions stated that teachers who choose not to include these tasks in the test
in the paragraph headed ‘Photocopying’), or as expressly permitted by law, or can still make an accurate assessment of their students’ abilities.
under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization.
Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should Where there is a discrepancy in the level attained in the different
be sent to the ELT Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the parts of the test, a student’s score for grammar and vocabulary
address above should take precedence. Alternatively, a teacher may wish to
You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover conduct an additional oral interview to confirm the result.
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer
Students whose scores fall on the borderlines should be placed
Photocopying in the lower level and monitored closely at the start of the course.
The Publisher grants permission for the photocopying of those pages marked It is always preferable to move students up a level than to move
‘photocopiable’ according to the following conditions. Individual purchasers them down one.
may make copies for their own use or for use by classes that they teach. School
purchasers may make copies for use by staff and students, but this permission
does not extend to additional schools or branches Students using New Adventures
Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale
Pre-
Any websites referred to in this publication are in the public domain and their
Total Starter Elementary
Intermediate
addresses are provided by Oxford University Press for information only. Oxford
University Press disclaims any responsibility for the content Part One:
Grammar and
60 0–20 21–35 36+
vocabulary
Reading
Part Two:
10 0–3 4–6 7+
Listening
Part Three:
10 0–3 4–6 7+
Writing

Students using Connections

Pre-
Introduction Total Starter Elementary
Intermediate
The placement test is intended to help teachers decide which Part One:
level of Connections or New Adventures, Starter, Elementary or Grammar and
Pre-Intermediate, is the most suitable for their students. It should 60 0–20 21–40 41+
vocabulary
be given at the beginning of the school year. Reading
The placement test has been developed after consultation with Part Two:
Polish teachers and is designed to assess students’ knowledge of 10 0–4 5–7 8+
Listening
the key language as well as their receptive and productive skills.
Part Three:
This will enable teachers to have a greater understanding of what 10 0–4 5–7 8+
Writing
level their students are at.

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 Answer key
Part One Part Three
Grammar and vocabulary Writing
1 C 26 B Content
2 B 27 A • 4 points for including information about all points
3 B 28 B • ½ point if a point is included but not developed
4 C 29 D • 0 points for points not included
5 B 30 B
Form
6 A 31 A
• 2 points for correct email format
7 D 32 C
• 1 point if only part of format is used
8 C 33 C
• 0 point if format is not used at all
9 A 34 B
10 D 35 A Range
11 C 36 A • 2 points for using a good range of structures and vocabulary
12 B 37 D • 1 point for using a reasonable range of structures and
13 C 38 C vocabulary
14 D 39 A • 0 points for using a poor range of structures and vocabulary
15 D 40 D Accuracy
16 A 41 A • 2 points for accuracy over 80%
17 D 42 C • 1 point for accuracy between 70 and 80%
18 A 43 D
(10 points)
19 B 44 C
20 B 45 B
21 C 46 D
Audio script
22 B 47 B Presenter The Peters family have just returned from a holiday
23 B 48 D in Scotland and they’re going to tell us about it.
First Mike – you’re the dad. What was Scotland like
24 C 49 C
for you?
25 B 50 A
(50 points) Mike Well, I loved it! I particularly liked the scenery. We
drove through beautiful mountains and saw some
very pretty lakes and rivers. Sometimes we didn’t
Reading see a house for hours!

1 1 True 2 1B Presenter And what about you Sue?

2 False 2B Sue For me the best days were in the country hotel. We
3 False 3C just relaxed. It was quiet and peaceful and Mike
4 False 4C and Sam did some fishing. The restaurant and the
meals were excellent – especially the fresh fish and
5 True 5C wonderful vegetables!
(10 points)
Presenter And you Sam, did you have a good time?
Sam Yeah – it was OK. It was a bit quiet for me though.
Part Two And we didn’t meet many new people. Also –
there wasn’t a lot to do in the evenings. But we spent
Listening two nights in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and
Jenna and I went to a night club. That was good.
1 1 False 2 1A
2 False 2B Presenter Do you think the same as Sam, Jenna?
3 True 3A Jenna Well, yeah. I preferred the time in Edinburgh. There
4 False 4A were some good shops and we went to a theatre
5 True 5B one night too. The Scottish people were really
friendly and I’d like to go back again.
(10 points)
Presenter And lastly, Jake. You’re the youngest. Did you like
Scotland?
Jake Oh yeah. I liked the animals. When we went for
walks we saw a lot of animals. But we didn’t see a
monster in Loch Ness! I liked the music. At the hotel
they played this funny instrument – and some
people did a Scottish dance! It was fun! I tried it too,
but I wasn’t very good!

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 Placement test Name:

Part One 20 What music are you listening ____?

A at B to C for D on
Grammar and Vocabulary
21 Jim’s Dad is ____ to buy a new computer soon.
1 Hello. My name ____ Jack.
A go B will go C going D went
A be B am C is D are
22 I ____ drink tea. I don’t like it.
2 That’s Maria. ____ is my sister.
A always B never C often D sometimes
A I B She C It D Her
23 We ____ a good film last week.
3 ____ morning!
A seed B saw C did see D have see
A Hello B Good C Happy D Fine
24 Do you often look ____ your baby brother in the evenings?
4 ____ car is red.
A at B for C after D up
A Davids B David is C David’s D David has
25 My dad ____ the cleaning when mum’s at work.
5 ____ is that boy?
A makes B does C takes D puts
A When B Who C Why D What
26 I ____ TV when Paul arrived.
6 I’d ____ a coffee please.
A watched C did watch
A like B want C have D buy
B was watching D am watching
7 How ____ are you?
27 There’s ____ milk in the fridge.
A age B many C years D old
A some B a C the D any
8 The sky is very ____ today.
28 I think this is the ____ day of the year.
A red B green C blue D yellow
A most cold B coldest C more cold D colderest
9 My bag is ____ the table.
29 How ____ did your laptop cost?
A on B in C at D from
A many B more C expensive D much
10 I ____ football.
30 Helen ____ work so hard. She looks very tired.
A likes B am like C liking D like
A must B shouldn’t C can’t D has to
11 My dad’s a(n) ____. He works in the hospital.
31 I know Ben will get the job because he’s very ____.
A police officer B builder C doctor D actor
A confident B angry C bored D shy
12 The teacher ____ in the classroom.
32 If you ____ home before 7.30, phone me.
A hasn’t B isn’t C doesn’t D not be
A will get B are getting C get D got
13 ____ you got a blue pen?
33 I like the Batman films ____ they’re exciting.
A Has B Are C Have D Do
A and B but C because D so
14 Would you like a chicken ____?
34 My mum ____ to France.
A cake B drink C biscuit D sandwich
A never was C never went
15 I usually have ____ at 7.30 a.m. B has never been D is never
A dinner B tea C lunch D breakfast
35 ____ do any homework last night?
16 Where ____ they going? A Did you have to C Were you
A are B do C like D have B Must you D Would you

17 This question is ____ than the last one. 36 I ____ Gary for ten years. He’s a good friend.
A easyer B more easy C easy D easier A have known B am knowing C knew D know

18 What ____ at the moment? 37 You write ____ than I do!

A are you reading C read you A carefully C more careful
B do you read D you are reading B carefuller D more carefully

19 I ____ Katie yesterday. 38 Which car would you buy if you ____ a lot of money?
A not see B didn’t see C am not see D wasn’t see A would have B have C had D were having

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39 We had a big test ____ Thursday. 2 The house on the island
A on B in C at D by A is near the beach.
B doesn’t cost any money.
40 I haven’t got ____ sugar to make a cake. Can you go to
C is quite small.
the shops and get some?
A too much B lots of C quite D enough 3 Who lives on the island?
A only the caretaker
41 I wish I ____ a brother or a sister.
B lots of tourists
A had B have C would have D am having
C the caretaker and some people who live there too
42 We ____ for two hours now! Can we stop for a break? 4 Part of the job is
A are working C have been working
A to explore different parts of the island.
B work D have working
B to talk to the tourists.
43 Paper and plastics ____ at the factory. C to write information for tourists.
A recycle C be recycled 5 Where do you think this text is from?
B are recycling D are recycled A a job advertisement
44 I don’t like ____ weather because you can’t see anything. B a book
A cloudy B rainy C foggy D icy C a magazine
TOTAL: ___/10
45 The teacher told us ____ quietly.
A sit B to sit C we sit D sitting

46 We ____ in the city centre but now we live in the

The Perfect Job?
countryside. Many students have dreams about what job they would like to
A have lived C used to living do in the future. How about you? Would you like to be a doctor
or a lawyer? Maybe an actor or a writer? Well, there is a job in
B usually live D used to live
Australia at the moment that people are calling ‘the perfect
job!’ It’s on a tropical island with clear blue skies and golden
47 ‘I ____ you later!’ ‘Bye!’
beaches and for twelve hours work a month, for half a year, you
A will be see C am going to see can earn £70,000!
B will see D am seeing
In Australia, they are looking for someone to stay on Hamilton
Island. This is a tropical island in the Great Barrier Reef. The
48 The questions were ____ difficult that I couldn’t answer
person will live in a beautiful three bedroom villa with a
any of them.
swimming pool and the house is free! The job isn’t very
A such B very C completely D so difficult. It’s ‘caretaker’ of the island. Usually a caretaker looks
after buildings for the people who live there, but this caretaker
49 I’m ____ I can’t come to your party on Saturday. will look after the island. There isn’t a lot to do. He or she has to
A regret B sad C afraid D apologise feed some fish and collect the letters from the people on the
island – a bit like a postman!
50 The man asked me if I ____ his dog.
There is another part of the job too. The ‘caretaker’ has to visit
A had seen B saw C was seeing D have seen lots of little islands in the area and learn all about them. Then
he has to write about them on a blog and make videos. The
TOTAL: ___/50 Australians want more tourists to visit the area. That is the
really important part of the job.
Reading So, what are the qualifications for this wonderful job? Well, they
want someone who likes living in warm temperatures. This
1 Read the text. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
person must sail, swim and like taking photographs! And he
1 The job is in a hot place. must like animals and exploring new places. It sounds perfect
to me!
2 The working hours are very long.
3 The job is to look after a building.
4 You must study hard for this job.
5 It’s a good job for people who like sports.

2 Choose the correct answer.

1 The job is
A for twelve weeks.
B for six months.
C for a year.

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Part Two Part Three
Listening Writing
1 Listen to some people talking about a holiday. Write an email to a new pen friend of about 50–100
Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)? words. Tell him/her about:
• Your family
1 The family are on holiday now.
• Your school
2 They went to Ireland.
• Your friends
3 They stayed in a hotel.
• Your interests
4 They didn’t go to any towns.
5 Jenna is older than Jake.

2 Choose the correct answer.

1 What did Mike like?
A the countryside
B the city
C fishing

2 Who thought the food was good?

A Mike
B Sue
C Jenna

3 Sam likes
A places with a lot of people.
B shopping.
C quiet places.

4 Jenna thinks
A she will return.
B the countryside was best.
C her friends would like Scotland.

5 While they were on holiday Jake

A learned to play an instrument.
B went for walks.
C went to a night club.
TOTAL: ___/10

TOTAL: ___/10

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