PRACTICE EXAMINATION NO 4

PART II. LEXICO – GRAMMAR (50 points)

Section 1. (20 points)
Choose the best answer.
1. His English was roughly ______ with my Greek, so communication was rather difficult!
A. levelled B. on a par C. equal D. in tune
2. Well, I’m sorry, that’s all I can offer you. ______ .
A. Take it or forget it B. Get it or forget it
C. Take it or leave it D. Leave it or take it
3. He promised me an Oxford dictionary and to my great joy, he ______ his word.
A. stood by B. stuck at C. went back on D. held onto
4. The police are ______ certain who the culprit is.
A. in some ways B. more or less
C. here and there D. by and by

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5. Employees who have a ______ are encouraged to discuss it with the management.

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A. hindrance B. grievance C. disadvantage D. disturbance

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6. Although the patient received intensive treatment, there was no ______ improvement in her condition.
A. decipherable B. legiblers e C. discernible D. intelligible
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7. The prospect of picking up any survivors are now______
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A. thin B. narrow C. slim D. restricted

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8. His happy–go–lucky attitude means that on the field he exhibits a ______ disregard for the rules.
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A. required B. glaring C. permissible D. flagrant

9. He was selected to play despite a string of ______ performances.
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A. satisfactory B. reasonable C. outstanding D. mediocre

10. Even the best medicines are not ______ .
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A. infallible B. unfailing C. fail-proof D. falsified

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11. I’m in a bit of a ______ as to what to wear to the party.

A. loss B. quandary C. problem D. trouble
12. His new play is not only interesting but also unique. It is really off the beaten ______ .
A. track B. road C. path D. route
13. Without written evidence, we don’t have a ______ on.
A. leg to stand B. foot to stand C. leg to lean D. foot to lean
14. Now’s a ______ time to tell me you’re going out this evening - I’ve spent the whole day preparing supper for you.
A. suitable B. reasonable C. right D. fine
15.https://www.coursehero.com/file/65951675/s4pdf/
She hasn’t had an accident yet but she’s had a number of ______ shaves.
 A. narrow B. near C. close D. tiny
16. As you are the strongest in the group, you can take the ______ .
A. lead B. head C. part D. way
17. Although she had never used a word-proceesor before, she soon got the ______ of it.
A. feel B. touch C. move D. hang
18. I overslept this morning and caught the last bus to school by the skin of my ______ .
A. mouth B. leg C. neck D. teeth
19. The sky got very dark and soon it began to ______ down.
A. roar B. bath C. bucket D. soar
20. If you want a flat in the center of the city, you have to pay through the ______ for it.
A. teeth B. back of your head C. nose D. arm

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Section 2: (10 points)

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There are 10 errors in the following passage. Find and correct them.

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1 A great majority of adults in the industrial world – in fact, about 90 per cent – will be married
some time in their lives. Of those who do not, some may choose to remain single, but others
will have no choice. An alarming number who marry will divorce, but this is because marriage
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itself has lost its attraction – instead people give up particular relationships and try back. For
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example, of four out of ten American marriages that possibly end up divorce, 80 per cent are
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5 preludes to further unions. Every society has its own definition of what a perfect marriage it
should be. In the Western world, it seems that a husband and wife have a perfect marriage if
they love each other, have no other sex partner, display trust, loyalty and intimacy, confide in
each other, show mutual respect, are willing to listen to their partner’s concern and agree on
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their children’s up- bringing. However, from time to time the balance of social expectations
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shifts. For example, a study carried out in 1986 showed that 74 per cent of American couples
10 rating ‘equality in the relationship’ an important component of marriage. We can be fair sure
that their great-grandparents (and particularly their great-grandfathers) did not place the same
value in this.
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Section 3Write the correct FORM of each bracketed word in the numbered spaces provided. (10pts).
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What kind of (0) ……educational…. Experience and background should we be giving our EDUCATION
children? In a (1) ……………………..western economy, they need to be well-informed COMPETE
and (2)……………… In a complex ever-changing modern world, it is (3) …………….that
KNOW
the task of preparing the next generation cannot be carried out within the (4)
ARGUE
……………….classroom framework, because acquiring a proper education in this way is
TRADITION
simply (5) …………….. This is where computer-aided learning steps in, providing
children with the skills that they will need in tomorrow’s world, in a one-to-one learner- POSSIBLE
centered environment. There are those who claim, however, that (6) ……………exposure EXCEED
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computers may prove to be harmful rather than (7) ………………..to children and that it BENEFIT
is more (8) ……………..for education to take place in the classroom. They say that, PRODUCE
although computers seem to hold a(n) (9) ……………….. appeal for some people, RESIST
particularly young children, it is (10) …………….for children to have a person, rather than
PREFER
a machine, for a teacher.

PART III: READING (60pts)

Section 4. Choose the word that best fits each of the blanks in the following passage. Write your answers in the numbered
box. (15pts)

Saving Latin
Try telling the Reverend Reginald Foster that Lantin is a dead language. The response will be an 1. ________
rant from a teacher who has dedicated a large 2.______of his life to keeping the forerunner of the English and
Romance languages alive. A man on a mission, he speaks only in Latin to his students, 3.________the language to
life with his dramatic recitations.

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But Reverend Foster is not alone. Latin plays a special part in Italian cultural heritage, and politicians and
academics have 4. ________concerns that enthusiasm for Latin in schools appears to be on the 5.________because of

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the popularity of English. Some purists even feel this is 6.______their national 7. ______. They have a point; in my
experience Italians seem obsessed with using English words, and will 8._________an English word into a sentence

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even when a perfectly good native word will 9.__________.
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But need we really fear for Latin just yet? Maybe not. Even if it is on its last 10._______, it has survived for
over 2,000 years.
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1. A. impassioned B. impassive C. unenthusiastic D. apathetic

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2. A. volume B. chapter C. act D. scene

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3. A. getting B. putting C. bringing D. setting

4. A. conveyed B. voiced C. uttered D. sounded
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5. A. wane B. fall C. ebb D. drop

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6. A. deteriorating B. eroding C. disintegrating D. eating

7. A. advancement B. ontogenesis C. retrogression D. identity
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8. A. slip B. push C. cast D. post

9. A. answer B. satisfy C. suffice D. content
10. A. laughs B. leases C. lengths D. legs

Section 5Fill each blank with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in the numbered blanks provided below the passage.

The early years of MTV

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 The popular TV music channel MTV was launched in 1981 in the US 0. __with__ the intention of playing 1.______ but
music videos. It was a brilliant marketing concept, as it came at little cost while 2.____extremely attractive to record companies
and advertisers.

The videos were guided by an air-host 3. _______ as a VJ-the term is a conflation of ‘video’ and ‘disc jockey’. The VJs
are now a 4.________of the past, but 5._________their heyday, they were MTV, attaining cult status. It was
6._________presenters on the station that Russell Brand and Alex Zane got their career breaks.

MTV changed the way we experience music: we 7._______ records instead of just listening to them. Record companies
were quick to appreciate this, and acts such as Madona and Boy George, 8._________appeal was as much about their good looks
9._______their music, went global. Such 10._________the music video’s impact that film directors at the height of their careers
were attracted to the medium.

Section 6 In this part of the test, you are going to read a short text, then answer the questions following each text by
choosing the best answer to each question A,B,C or D. (15pts.)

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Continents and ocean basins represent the largest identifiable bodies on Earth. On the solid portions of the planet, the second

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most prominent features are flat plains, elevated plateaus, and large mountain ranges. In geography, the term "continent" refers

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to the surface of continuous landmasses that together comprise about 29.2% of the planet's surface. On the other hand, another
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definition is prevalent in the general use of the term that deals with extensive mainlands, such as Europe or Asia that actually
represent one very large landmass. Although all continents are bounded by water bodies or high mountain ranges, isolated
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mainlands, such as Greenland and India-Pakistan areas are called subcontinents. In some circles, the distinction between
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continents and large islands lies almost exclusively in the size of a particular landmass.
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The analysis of compression and tension in the earth's crust has determined that continental structures are composed of
layers that underlie continental shelves. A great deal of disagreement among geologists surrounds the issue of exactly how many
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layers underlie each landmass because of their distinctive mineral and chemical composition. It is also quite possible that the
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ocean floor rests on the top of unknown continents that have not yet been explored. The continental crust is believed to have
been formed by means of a chemical reaction when, lighter materials separated from heavier ones, thus settling at various levels
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within the crust. Assisted by the measurements of the specifics within crust formations by means of monitoring earthquakes,
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geologists can speculate that a chemical split occurred to form the atmosphere, sea water, and the crust before it solidified many
centuries ago.

Although each continent has its special features, all consist of various combinations of components that include shields,
mountain belts, intracratonic basins, margins, volcanic plateaus, and block vaulted belts. The basic differences among continents
lie in the proportion and the composition of these features relative to the continent size. Climatic zones have a crucial effect on
the weathering and formation of the surface features, soil erosion, soil deposition, land formation, vegetation, and human
activities.

Mountain belts are elongated narrow zones that have a characteristic folded sedimentary organization of layers. They are
typically produced during substantial crustal movements, which generate faulting and mountain building. When continental
margins collide, the rise of a marginal
https://www.coursehero.com/file/65951675/s4pdf/ edge leads to the formation of large mountain ranges, as explained by the plate
 tectonic theory. This process also accounts for the occurrence of mountain belts in ocean basins and produces evidence for
the ongoing continental plate evolution.

1. What does this passage mainly discuss?

A. Continental drift and division B. Various' definitions of the term "continent"

C. Continental structure and crust D. Scientific analyses of continental crusts

2. According to the passage, how do scientists define continents?

A. As masses of land without divisions B. As extensive bodies of land

C. As the largest identifiable features D. As surficial compositions and ranges

3. In the passage, the word "bounded" is closest in meaning to

A. covered B. convened C. delimited D. dominated

4. The author of the passage implies that the disagreement among scientists is based on the fact that

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A. each continent has several planes and shelves B. continents have various underlying layers of crust

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C. continents undergo compression and experience tension

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D. continents have different chemical makeup
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5. The word "specifics" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. specialties B. speculations C. exact details D. precise movements

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6. The word "it" in the passage refers to

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A. a chemical split B. the crust C. the atmosphere D. sea water

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7. The author of the passage implies that

A. it is not known exactly how the continental crust was formed

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B. geologists have neglected the exploration of the ocean floor

C. scientists have concentrated on monitoring earthquakes ,

D. the earth's atmosphere split into water and solids

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8. According to the passage, what are the differences in the structure of continents?
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A. The proportional size of continents to one another

B. Ratios of major components and their comparative size

C. The distinctive features of their elements

D. Climatic zones and their effect' on the surface features

9. In the passage, the phrase "This process" refers to

A. continental collision B. mountain ranges C. the rise of margins D. plate tectonic theory

10. The author of the passage implies that

A. the process of mountain formation has not been accounted for

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B. mountain ranges on the ocean floor lead to surface mountain building.

C. faulting and continental margins are parts of plate edges

D. the process of continent formation has not been completed

Section 7. Read the text and do the following tasks. (15 points)

For questions 1-6, choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list of headings below.

I. Differences between languages highlight their impressiveness

II. The way in which a few sounds are organised to convey a huge range of meaning

III. Why the sounds used in different languages are not identical

IV. Apparently incompatible characteristics of language

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V. Even silence can be meaningful

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VI. Why language is the most important invention of all

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VII. The universal ability to use language
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1. Paragraph A ____________2. Paragraph B ____________3. Paragraph C ____________
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4. Paragraph D ____________5. Paragraph E ____________6. Paragraph F ____________

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THIS MARVELOUS INVENTION

A. Of all mankind’s manifold creations, language must take pride of place. Other inventions-the wheel, agriculture,
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sliced bread-may have transformed our material existence, but the advent of language is what made us human. Compared to
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language, all other inventions pale in significance, since everything we have ever achieved depends on language and originates
from it. Without language, we could never have embarked on our ascent to unparalleled power over all other animals, and even
over nature itself.
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B. But language is foremost not just because it came first. In its own right it is a tool of extraordinary sophistication, yet
based on an idea of ingenious simplicity: ‘this marvelous invention of composing out of twenty-five or thirty sounds that infinite
variety of expressions which, whilst having in themselves no likeness to what is in our mind, allow us to disclose to others its
whole secret, and to make known to those who cannot penetrate it all that we imagine, and all the various stirrings of our soul’.
This was how, in 1660, the renowned French grammarians of the Port-Royal abbey near Versailles distilled the essence of
language, and no one since has celebrated more eloquently the magnitude of its achievement. Even so, there is just one flaw in
all these hymns of praise, for the homage to language’s unique accomplishment conceals a simple yet critical incongruity.
Language is mankind’s greatest invention-except, of course, that it was never invented. This apparent paradox is at the core of
our fascination with language, and it holds many of its secrets.

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 C. Language often seems so skillfully drafted that one can hardly imagine it as anything other than the perfect
handiwork of a master craftsman. How else could this instrument make so much out of barely three dozen measly morsels of
sound? In themseves, these configurations of mouth-p,f,b,v,t,d,k,g,h,sh,a,e and so on-amount to nothing more thana few
haphazard spits and splutters, random noises with no meaning, no ability to express, no power to explain. But run them through
the cogs and wheels of the language machine let it arrange them in some very special orders, and there is nothing that these
meaningless streams of air cannot do: from sighing the interminable boredom of existence to unravelling the fundamental order
of the universe.

D. The most extraordinary thing about language, however, is that one doesn’t have to be a genius to set its wheels in
motion. The language machine allows just about everybody-from pre-modern foragers in the subtropical savannah, to post-
modern philosophers in the suburban sprawl- to tie these meaningless sounds together into an infinite variety of subtle sense, and
all apparently without the slightest exertion. Yet it is precisely this deceptive ease which makes language a victim of its own
success, since in everyday life its triumphs are usually taken for granted. The wheels of language run so smoothly that one rarely
bothers to stop and think about all the resourcefulness and expertise that must have gone into making it tick. Language conceals

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art.

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E. Often, it is only the estrangement of foreign tongues, with their many exotic and outlandish features, that brings home

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the wonder of language’s design. One of the showiest stunts that some languages can pull off is an ability to build up words of
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breath-taking length, and thus express in one word what English takes a whole sentence to say. The Turkish word
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sehirlilistiremediklerimizdensiniz, to take one example, means nothing less than ‘you are one of those whom we can’t turn into a
town-dweller’. (In case you were wondering, this monstrosity really is one word, not merely many different words squashed
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together-most of its components cannot even stand up on their own.)

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F. And if that sounds like some one-off freak, then consider Sumerian, the language spoken on the banks of the
Euphrates some 5,000 years ago by the people who invented writing and thus enabled the documentation of history. A Sumerian
word like munintuma’a (‘when he had made it suitable for her’) might seem rather trim compared to the Turkish colossus above.
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What is so impressive about it, however, is not its lengthiness but rather the reverse-the thrifty compactness of its construction.
The word is made up of different slots, each corresponding to a particular portion of meaning. This sleek design allows single
sounds to convey useful information, and in fact even the absence of a sound has been enlisted to express something specific. If
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you were to ask which bit in the Sumerian word corresponds to the pronoun ‘it’ in the English translation ‘when he had made it
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suitable for her’, then the answer would have to be nothing. Mind you, a very particular kind of nothing: the nothing that stands
in the empty slot in the middle. The technology is so fine-tuned then that even a non-sound, when carefully placed in a particular
position, has been invested with a specific function. Who could possibly have come up with such a nifty contraption?

Questions 7-10: Complete the summary using the list of words, A-G, below.

A. difficult B. complex C. original D. admired

E. material F. easy G. fundamental

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 The wheel is one invention that has had impact on 7.___________aspects of life, but no impact has been as 8.__________as that
of language. Language is very 9.___________, yet composed of just a small number of sounds. Language appears to be
10._______to use. However, its sophistication is often overlooked.

PART IV. WRITING (40 points)

Section 8 (20 points):
A. Rewrite the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence.
Do Not change the form of the given word.

1.The minister seems to be excellent at yielding awkward questions (FLAIR)

……………………………………………………………………………………………
2. There will be no progress until we have fully understood the problem. (FULL)

 Not until there is ………………...........................……………………be any progress.

3. We were elated by the birth of our first grandchild (MOON)
……………………………………………………………………………………………

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4. This house is very different from the little flat we used to live in (CRY)

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……………………………………………………………………………………………
5. That wasn’t what I meant at all. You’ve completely misunderstood me as usual (STICK)

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 That wasn’t what I meant at all. You’ve………………………………………………
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B. For each of the sentences below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the original one, using
the word given.
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1. Going to and fro with al the cases is what I can’t stand about holidays
 It’s all……………………………………………………………………………..…..
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2. The village shop is now being managed by a national supermarket chain.

 A national supermarket chain has taken..........................................................................

3. This door is an emergency exit and must never be locked for any reason.
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→ On ............................................................... be locked because it is an emergency exit.

4. Yolanda’s family persuaded her to enter the competition.
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→ Yolanda was talked......................................................... the competition by her family.

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5. Just thinking about entering the university makes him so happy.

→ The very………………………………………………………….makes him so happy.

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