PRACTICE TEST 1

SECTION A: LISTENING
I. You will hear a radio interview about fox hunting. For questions 1-5, choose the answer
(A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
1. What surprises the interviewer about the hunt?
A. The dogs are no longer allowed to run free.
B. Nothing seems to have changed after the new law on hunting.
C. The hunters seem to have adopted a strange system of hunting.
D. The dogs seemed to be losing their ability to find a fox.
2. According to Brian Hook, ______.
A. he enjoys the thrill of the hunt as much as ever
B. the hunters try to deceive the public
C. it’s difficult to keep up with a hunt to see what is really happening
D. it is impossible for them to monitor all the hunts
3. The new law ______.
A. forbids dogs to chase foxes
B. allows dogs to kill a fox as long as the kill is monitored
C. has proved to be difficult to enforce
D. forbids foxes to be shot
4. What was done wrong in the case of Richard Black?
A. He should not have used dogs to flush the fox out of the hole.
B. He was slow to intervene when the fox was caught.
C. He realised too late that his dogs had caught a fox.
D. He shot the fox and then gave it to the dogs.
5. Hook believes that ______.
A. the law was intended to make the killing of foxes less cruel
B. the countryside will be overrun with foxes
C. the fox could become an endangered species
D. traditional hunting methods are the only way to control the fox population

II. You will hear the historian, George Davies, talking about society and the theatre in
England in the time of William Shakespeare. Decide whether the following statements are
true (T) or false (F).
1. According to Professor Davies, the level of literacy in sixteenth-century England matched his
expectations.
2. In Professor Davies' opinion, the advantage of the usual method of communication in the
sixteenth century was that people absorbed more of what they heard.
3. Professor Davies believes that Shakespeare's company developed their basic acting skills by
attending special voice classes.
4. In Professor Davies' view, the advantage of sixteenth-century theatres was that the
performances were complemented by everyday life.
5. Professor Davies thinks that sixteenth-century plays were expected to deal with personal
confessions.

SECTION B: GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

I. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence.
1. His happy-go-lucky attitude means that on the field he exhibits a ………. disregard for the
rules.
A. required B. glaring C. permissible D. flagrant

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2. “What I’ve got to say to you now is strictly ……….. and most certainly not for publication,”
said the government official to the reporter.
A. beside the point B. for the time being
C. by the way D. off the record
3. It was a daring robbery, which took place in ……….. daylight.
A. broad B. total C. wide D. absolute
4. What a mad thing to do! You could all have been killed! It was ……. folly.
A. merely B. only C. sheer D. wild
5. In the course of the conversation,he let ……… that he was going to be promoted.
A. loose B. float C. drift D. slip
6. I kept trying to suggest to her it was time to go but she refused to ……… a hint.
A. drop B. take C. give D. accept
7. After a good night’s sleep, she woke up feeling as fresh as a ………. .
A. rose B. lotus C. daisy D. sunflower
8. The manager ……… any suggestion that his team was facing bankruptcy.
A. renounced B. reminisced C. responded D. repudiated
9. There were one or two dissenting ………, although the majority were in favour of the
proposal.
A. concepts B. thoughts C. voices D. notions
10. I’m in a bit of a ……… as to what to wear to the wedding.
A. loss B. quandary C. problem D. bewilderment
11. I’m afraid we haven’t got a spare bed. Can you …….. with a mattress on the floor?
A. make do B. make by C. make over D. make up
12. What ……… the smoke and the noise, the party made me feel quite ill.
A. if B. with C. through D. of
13. Tax ……… deprives the state of several million pounds a year.
A. retention B. desertion C. escapism D. evasion
14. A few political extremists ……… the crowd to attack the police.
A. animated B. agitated C. incited D. aroused
15. The weather is usually mild, although we sometimes get a cold ……... at the beginning of
the year.
A. spell B. term C. interval D. wave

II. Fill in each blank with the appropriate form of one of the phrasal verbs from the box.

put forth take off get on for back down do away with
1. Johnny was right, so Paul had to back down .
2. Dog licenses have been done away with .

3. That old man is getting on for seventy, maybe.

4. Sales have really taken off now. We should make a good profit this year.
5. Arguments were put forth for changing some of the rules of the game.
III. In most lines of the following text, there is one unnecessary word. It is either
grammatically incorrect or does not fit in with the sense of the text. For each numbered
line 1-16, write the unnecessary word in the spaces. Some lines are correct. Indicate
these lines with a tick (). The exercise begins with two examples.
There is a very outspoken group of people who want to ban …√….
hunting wild animals. Their argument is such that killing animals .such..
1. is cruel and unnecessary, while especially in those cases where while
2. animals are hunted more for sport than for eating or for purposes …√….
3. of such conservation. While there are others who find this total such
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4. opposition an example of blind prejudice, the majority of people …√….
5. view the debate with somewhat mixed feelings such as the issue can such
6. quickly become a moral minefield. Is hunting animals because of of
7. they are pests, like foxes, less acceptable than killing them …√….
8. for food? And where does fishing fit into the discussions? Not so that that
9. much as those people who catch a few fish to eat or sell, but rather …√….
10. those people who spend hour after hour immediately sitting on the immediately
11. river bank with no intention of the killing or eating their catch. the
12. On to a fish being caught, the ‘sportsman’ weighs it, photographs it to
13. if it is large enough and worth boasting about, and then returns it to …√….
14. the water, often with so a nasty wound in its mouth from the so
15. hook, in order that to be caught again another day. Should this pastime that
16. of millions of people, bizarre even though it may be, also be banned? even

IV. Think of ONE word that can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
1. John has just taken up the position of Marketing Manager at a local college.
He put me in a really difficult position asking for money when he knows I'm not very well off.
The yoga teacher told everyone to remain in a standing position for 30 seconds.
2. Audiences prefer to see films shot in exotic locations.
Their new single shot to the top of the charts.
A spasm of pain shot down his arm.
3. My view is that the plan will never work, but I could be wrong.
She waited until the whole of the castle was in view and then took a photograph.
The pictures are currently on view in the local art gallery.
4. The film company supplied an information pack for the sponsors.
She didn't trust him when she discovered he had told her a pack of lies.
The dealer shuffled the pack and dealt the cards.
5. Although it's not very high, it's a fair wage for the job.
A fair number of people came along to the meeting.
I think it's only fair to say that she didn't know all the facts.

V. Use the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space. Write your
answers in the space provided.
When (1-MUSE) musing on cities over time and in our time, from the first (whenever it
was) to today, we must always remember that cities are (2-FACT) artefacts. Forests, jungles,
deserts, plains, oceans – the organic environment is born and dies and is (3-BEAR) reborn
endlessly, beautifully, and completely without moral constraint or (4-ETHIC) ethical control. But
cities, despite the metaphors that we apply to them from biology or nature (“The city dies when
industry flees”; “The neighborhoods are the vital cells of the urban (5-ORGANIC)”) orgranisms,
despite the the anthropomorphic or (6- SENTIMENT) sentimental devices we use to describe
cities – are artificial. Nature has never made a city, and what nature makes that may seem like
a city – an anthill, for instance – only seems like one. It is not a city.
Human (7-BE) beings made and make cities, and it is they, only, that kill cities or let
them die. And they do both – make cities and (8-MAKE) unmake cities, by the same means: by
(9-ACT) acts of choice. We enjoy deluding ourselves in this as in other things. We enjoy
believing that there are forces out there completely (10-DISPOSE) predispose our fate, natural
forces, or forces so strong and overwhelming that send cities through organic and biological
phases of birth, growth, and decay.
SECTION C: READING COMPREHENSION
I. Choose the word that best fills each numbered gap.
Oxford is a city with such a mind-blowing reputation that many who come here find themselves
intimidated by the place and can’t wait to leave, while others, taking to it like a ……… (1) to

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water, find themselves returning again and again. The college lawns provide a gorgeous ………
(2) to serious study, and in the right light, on a suna ny winter’s morning day, one feels as if one
is ……… (3) on air, such is the sense of unreality. Oxford may like to ……… (4) that it is at the
intellectual ……… (5) of things, but in many ways it is no more than a sleepy ……… (6) where,
to mix metaphors, transitory students, the ……… (7) of their generation, wait in the ……… (8),
allowing their talents to ……… (9) before moving off into the industrial or political ……… (10).
Much of this is a myth, of course. Hardship and hard work are very much part and ……… (11)
of student life. The ……… (12) get through the three years’ hard ……… (13) simply by putting
their shoulders to the ……… (14) before going on to fairly average jobs. Only for the tiny
minority is Oxford the first ……… (15) on the ladder to fame and fortune.
1. A. fish B. duck C. boat D. swimmer
2. A. backdrop B. curtain C. scene D. screen
3. A. flying B. gliding C. floating D. swimming
4. A. pretend B. act C. dissemble D. produce
5. A. wheel B. engine C. spoke D. hub
6. A. backwater B. stream C. tributary D. watershed
7. A. froth B. cream C. fat D. caviar
8. A. pavilion B. dressing-room C. wings D. foyer
9. A. flourish B. open C. spread D. float
10. A. peak B. abattoir C. dead end D. fast lane
11. A. package B. section C. province D. parcel
12. A. level-headed B. hot-headed C. hot-blooded D. kind-hearted
13. A. a push B. pull C. grind D. roughage
14. A. cart B. wheel C. engine D. boat
15. A. step B. position C. elevation D. ascent

II. Read the passage and answer the questions.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting worse. They have developed
a hit-list of our main fears: that natural resources are running out; that the population is ever
growing, leaving less and less to eat; that species are becoming extinct in vast numbers, and
that the planet's air and water are becoming ever more polluted.
But a quick look at the facts shows a different picture. First, energy and other natural
resources have become more abundant, not less so, since the book 'The Limits to Growth' was
published in 1972 by a group of scientists. Second, more food is now produced per head of the
world's population than at any time in history. Fewer people are starving. Third, although
species are indeed becoming extinct, only about 0.7% of them are expected to disappear in the
next 5O years, not 25-50%, as has so often been predicted. And finally, most forms of
environmental pollution either appear to have been exaggerated, or are transient - associated
with the early phases of industrialisation and therefore best cured not by restricting economic
growth, but by accelerating it. One form of pollution - the release of greenhouse gases that
causes global warming - does appear to be a phenomenon that is going to extend well into our
future, but its total impact is unlikely to pose a devastating problem. A bigger problem may well
turn out to be an inappropriate response to it.
Yet opinion polls suggest that many people nurture the belief that environmental
standards are declining and four factors seem to cause this disjunction between perception and
reality.
One is the lopsidedness built into scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to
areas with many problems. That may be wise policy but it will also create an impression that
many more potential problems exist than is the case.
Secondly, environmental groups need to be noticed by the mass media. They also need
to keep the money rolling in. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes overstate their

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arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a press release
entitled: 'Two thirds of the world's forests lost forever'. The truth turns out to be nearer 20%.
Though these groups are run overwhelmingly by selfless folk, they nevertheless share
many of the characteristics of other lobby groups. That would matter less if people applied the
same degree of scepticism to environmental lobbying as they do to lobby groups in other fields.
A trade organisation arguing for, say, weaker pollution control is instantly seen as self-
interested. Yet a green organisation opposing such a weakening is seen as altruistic, even if an
impartial view of the controls in question might suggest they are doing more harm than good.
A third source of confusion is the attitude of the media. People are clearly more curious
about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public
wants.That, however, can lead to significant distortions of perception. An example was
America's encounter with EI Nino in 1997 and 1998. This climatic phenomenon was accused of
wrecking tourism, causing allergies, melting the ski-slopes, and causing 22 deaths. However,
according to an article in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, the damage it did
was estimated at US $4 billion but the benefits amounted to some US $19 billion. These came
from higher winter temperatures (which saved an estimated 850 lives, reduced heating costs
and diminished spring floods caused by meltwaters).
The fourth factor is poor individual perception. People worry that the endless rise in the
amount of stuff everyone throws away will cause the world to run out of places to dispose of
waste. Yet, even if America's trash output continues to rise as it has done in the past, and even
if the American population doubles by 2100, all the rubbish America produces through the
entire 21st century will still take up only one-12,000th of the area of the entire United States.
So what of global warming? As we know, carbon dioxide emissions are causing the
planet to warm. The best estimates are that the temperatures will rise by 2-3°C in this century,
causing considerable problems, at a total cost of US $5,000 billion.
Despite the intuition that something drastic needs to be done about such a costly
problem, economic analyses clearly show it will be far more expensive to cut carbon dioxide
emissions radically than to pay the costs of adaptation to the increased temperatures. A model
by one of the main authors of the United Nations Climate Change Panel shows how an
expected temperature increase of 2.1 degrees in 2100 would only be diminished to an increase
of 1.9 degrees. Or to put it another way, the temperature increase that the planet would have
experienced in 2094 would be postponed to 2100.
So this does not prevent global warming, but merely buys the world six years. Yet the
cost of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, for the United States alone, will be higher than the
cost of solving the world's single, most pressing health problem: providing universal access to
clean drinking water and sanitation. Such measures would avoid 2 million deaths every year,
and prevent half a billion people from becoming seriously ill.
It is crucial that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for
the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic - but more costly still to be too pessimistic.

Questions 1-6: Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims
NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims
NOT GIVEN if there is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. Environmentalists take a pessimistic view of the world for a number of reasons.  Yes

2. Data on the Earth's natural resources has only been collected since 1972.  NG
3. The number of starving people in the world has increased in recent years. No  
4. Extinct species are being replaced by new species.  NG
5. Some pollution problems have been correctly linked to industrialisation.  No
6. It would be best to attempt to slow down economic growth.  No

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Questions 7-11: Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
7. What aspect of scientific research does the writer express concern about in paragraph 4?
A. the need to produce results B. the lack of financial support
C. the selection of areas to research D. the desire to solve every research problem
8. The writer quotes from the Worldwide Fund for Nature to illustrate how
A. influential the mass media can be.
B. effective environmental groups can be.
C. the mass media can help groups raise funds.
D. environmental groups can exaggerate their claims.
9. What is the writer's main point about lobby groups in paragraph 6?
A. Some are more active than others.
B. Some are better organised than others.
C. Some receive more criticism than others.
D. Some support more important issues than others.
10. The writer suggests that newspapers print items that are intended to
A. educate readers. B. meet their readers' expectations.
C. encourage feedback from readers. D. mislead readers.
11. What does the writer say about America's waste problem?
A. It will increase in line with population growth.
B. It is not as important as we have been led to believe.
C. It has been reduced through public awareness of the issues.
D. It is only significant in certain areas of the country.

Questions 12-14: Complete the summary with the list of words A-I below.

A. unrealistic B. agreed C. expensive D. right

E. long-term F. usual G. surprising H. personal I. urgent
GLOBAL WARMING

The writer admits that global warming is a (12) E challenge, but says that it will
not have a catastrophic impact on our future, if we deal with it in the (13) D way.
If we try to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases, he believes that it would only have a
minimal impact on rising temperatures. He feels it would be better to spend money on the
more (14) I health problem of providing the world's population with clean drinking water.

III. Fill in each of the following blanks with ONE suitable word.
WORLD BOOK DAY
This year’s World Book Day (WBD), which is taking place on March 2, hopes to
encourage everyone, and especially children, to discover the joy of reading.
Schools and libraries are getting involved, with a packed schedule of events designed to
bring books to life. (1) There will be writers popping (2) into schools to read from their books
and answer questions, and story- telling events. Children will also be able to take part in
readings so that they really have a chance to (3) engage with the books.
(4) As a further incentive to pick up a book, WBD has joined forces with National Book
Tokens to offer schoolchildren a free $1 book token. The token can be put (5) towards the cost
of any book or audio book of their (6) choice or used to buy one of the six WBD $1 books.
These books have been specially chosen because of their appeal to different (7) age groups.
As well as hoping to encourage children to catch the reading bug, WBD also hopes to
get reluctant adults hooked (8) on books. So, for the first time, WBD will also (9) have an adult
focus, with the launch of Quick Reads, a selection of short, fast- spaced stories by well- known

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authors. The first set of Quick Reads will be published on WBD, (10) with a further collection of
books being released later in the summer.

SECTION D: WRITING
Write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence, using
the word given. This word must not be altered in any way.
1. I don’t think the police are going to drop your case so quickly. (HOOK)
I don’t think the police are going to let you off the hook so quickly.
2. What exactly am I supposed to have done wrong? ( STAND)
What exactly do I stand accused of?
3. The head teacher is well known for his reliability and dedication. (REPUTED)
The head teacher is reputed to be a reliable and dedicated person.
4. If that’s the way it has to be, then we have to accept it. (SO)
If that’s the way it has to be, then so be it.
5. We are currently spending far more than we earn. (OUTGOINGS)
Our outgoings currently exceed our income.
6. He was finally able to adjust himself to the new working condition. (SWING)
He was finally able to get into the swing of the new working condition.
7. After the game, the children headed straight toward John, who was serving cold drinks.
(BEELINE)
After the game, the children made a beeline for John, who was serving cold drinks.
8. The first part of his plan was to ingratiate himself with the members of the committee.
(FAVOUR)
The first part of his plan was to curry favour with the members of the committee.
9. I made an embarrassing mistake by asking John how his dog was when it’s been dead for
three months. (CLANGER)
I dropped a clanger by asking John John how his dog was when it’s been dead for three
months.
10. How do our sales compare with those of other firms? (RELATION)
How do/are our sales stand in relation to those of other firms?

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