TEST 1

SECTION I. GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY

Part 1. Choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following questions and write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. With over 30 years’ experience, John is the channel’s _______ reporter.
A. antique B. primitive C. veteran D. antiquary
2. Investigators have not yet_______ the possibility that he was being blackmailed.
A. dug around B. ruled out C. boiled down to D. thrived on
3. Grace couldn’t help feeling _______about missing the championships because of her injury.
A. despondent B. dehydrated C. devoted D. disobedient
4. It was hard to tell what the speaker was saying as she was ________.
A. nagging B. umbling C. shrinking D. drafting
5. The poet said that her __________ came from nature
A. aspiration B. infrastructure C. threshold D. inspiration
6. The final bill for the building work was _______ , so we refused to pay.
A. prosperous B. hard up C. bankrupt D. exorbitant
7. While not a vegetarian, Kelly does have a strong ______to some kinds of meat.
A. dread B.aversion C. protest D. demand
8. Limited as their financial _______ is, they are content with their lifestyle and never complain.
A. assets B. wherewithal C. resources D. means
9. The local authority expressed regret as US drone strike has _______ killed innocent hostages.
A. incongruously B. vehemently C. inadvertently D. graciously
10. His French is roughly ______ with my Jananese, so communication was rather difficult.
A. in harmon B. on a par C. on equal term D. on good terms
11. I read some pretty ______ news about the economy today.
A. challenging B. jumpy C. disconcerting D. cutting
12. He spent too much on his credit card, and now he can’t ______ the minimum payments.
A. keep on B. keep in C. keep to D. keep up
13. Her condition is improving, but she's not out of the ______.
A. dark B. cupboard C. woods D. fire
14. Some electric cars have a ______ of 150 kilometres.
A. run B. distance C. range D. scope
15. ______, I’d like to say how much I’ve enjoyed our meeting.
A. Ultimately B. At last C. Eventually D. A &C are correct
16. I’d give up my job ______ if only I could find a better one.
A. at one swoop B. at the drop of a hat
C. on the dot D. on the spur of the moment
17. The hotel, though obviously grand in its day, appeared rather neglected and ______
when we checked in.
A. tumble-down B. downcast C. down-and-out D. run-down
18. If you’d like to take a seat in the waiting room till the doctor can see you, you’ll find
plenty of magazines to ______.
A. refer to B. browse through C. look over D. stare at
19. I’d say let’s meet on Saturday, but I’m none ______ sure what’s happening at the
weekend.
A. so B. very C. that D. too
20. Since we had only one day left, we decided to make an ______ effort to finish the run in
record time.
A. all-in B. all-out C. overall D. all-round
Read the passage below and fill each of the following numbered spaces with ONE suitable
word. Write your answers in the corresponding boxes provided.
(0) has been done as an example.
ON THE OTHER HAND?
We left-handed people lack collective pride. We just try to get by, in our clumsy way. We
make (1) _no_____ demands and we avoid a fuss. I used to say whenever someone watched
me sign my name and remarked that he or she was also left-handed: "You and me and
Leonardo da Vinci!" That was a weak joke, but it contained my often unconscious desire to
(2) ______ to Left Pride, a social movement that doesn't (3) ______ exist but I hope may
one day come. There are many false stories about the left-handed in circulation: for
example, a few decades ago someone wrote that Picasso was left-handed, and others kept
(4) __on____ it, but the proof is all to the contrary.
The great genius Einstein is often still claimed as one of (5) _lefthanders_____, also
without proof. And sadly, there is also no truth in the myth that the left-handed (6)
_proved_____ to be smarter and more creative. Despite the amount of research that has
been carried out, researchers in the field are still in two (7) _minds_____ about what we
mean by left-handed. Apparently a third of those who write with their left hand throw a ball
with their right. However, those using their right hand for (8) _writing_____ rarely throw
with their left. A difficult skill that becomes crucial at a (9) ______ impressionable age,
writing defines what you will call yourself. I have never used scissors, baseball bat, hockey
stick or computer mouse with anything but my right; even so, I think I'm left-handed as (10)
______ everyone else.
Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10p.)
A few decades ago, entry to university meant studying a strictly academic subject -a science, or
perhaps literature, a foreign language or the classics. These days, (1) ________ education
establishments offer every conceivable subject from Chinese medicine to crime scene science. In
Britain, this trend coincided with a dramatic increase in the (2) ________ of universities and more
relaxed entry requirements, (3) ________ more students to experience tertiary education. Many
feared these measures would result in a (4) ________ down of degree-level courses and the press
seized every opportunity to ridicule such courses. The creation in 1999 of a bachelor’s degree in
surfing studies was taken as the ultimate proof that universities were prepared to give (5)_______
in anything in an attempt to attract young people, thereby (6)_______Britain’s academic
reputation. In reality, the course, run by Plymouth University in South-West England, is highly
scientific, and the curriculum is (7)_______ including oceanography, meteorology, materials
technology and business management. Students on this course and other seemingly more practical
courses have (8) ________ performed better in tests than those doing straight science degrees. Far
from having an adverse effect on higher education, these new disciplines (9)_______students and
aid learning by offering the opportunity to (10)_______theoretical knowledge directly. Many of
today’s graduates have a broad base of knowledge and are well placed to enter the job market.
1. A. higher B. primary C. special D. greater
2. A. amount B. number C. size D. quantity
3. A. enhancing B. benefiting C. ameliorating D. allowing
4. A. lowering B. dumbing C. detracting D. clamping
5. A. exams B. research C. degrees D. terms
6. A. messing around B. dragging on C. ruining D. cramming
7. A. forthcoming B. definite C. conducive D. demanding
8. A. virtually B. actually C. ideally D. merely
9. A. lighten B. motivate C. count towards D. grasp
10. A. apply B. wrestle C. consume D. indulge
Part 3: For questions 1-5, you are going to read an extract from an article. Five paragraphs have
been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-F the one which fits each gap (71-75).
There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
A REALISTIC VIEW
One of the most memorable scenes from Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now shows a beach landing by
US troops under heavy fire. As the camera pans around, we catch a glimpse of Coppola himself, directing
another film crew, shouting ‘Don’t look at the camera!’ as the actors stream past.
1
The image, and especially the moving image, has a power that text and spoken word has not; the power of
immediate impact. Whereas before Vietnam, casualties of war would be reported in dry figures, now the
viewer could see the corpses strewn on the battlefield. The images of the Vietnam War undoubtedly played
a part in creating the anti-war movement back in the States, and the eventual ceasefire.
2
And because the camera is ever-present, the other mass media, especially newspapers, are being forced to
take steps to compete. No longer is it enough to collect various stories and patch together an article; the
modern-day journalist is expected to provide an eyewitness account of the front lines of a battle, must live
among the combatants and duck under the live bullets and avoid the explosions along with them.
3
It has also led to an extremely alarming rise in the numbers of casualties, including fatalities, among
members of the press. This reached such a level during the Bosnian War that staff from different media
networks banded together, refusing to send more than one camera crew into the field at a time and pooling
all the footage obtained.
4
This means good pictures, certainly, and the gritty scenes that keep the viewer hooked. However, if every
news show has the same pictures, why should the viewers watch one show over another? What a news
show wants are the exclusive pictures; to be the only channel that shows this shot, that angle, these exciting
sequences.
5
Journalists are often deeply ambitious, driven people, insatiable in their chase for the big story that will
make their name, their career. They know very well that news does not get any bigger than war news, and
so when a conflict breaks out, they flock to the scene, itching to get into the heat of the action. So when the
US invaded Afghanistan, it was not just troops that went over the border. Journalists, cameramen,
photographers, all went along for the ride, penetrating areas of the country shunned even by the US
military, all in search of that elusive goal, the exclusive, whether in the form of an article, a photograph or a
video clip.

The missing paragraphs

A. It leads to rather incongruous scenes. Enemies exchanging gunfire along a city street, hugging the
walls of buildings. Behind them, similarly crouched, is a cameraman aiming lens instead of gun; a reporter
clutching a microphone in a white-knuckled fist is hiding behind him, babbling commentary to a live
audience.
B. However, sensible measures such as these are not good enough for the networks. The images thus
obtained may be real, may show the situation as it is happening on the ground, but what a news show wants
above all else is not the truth, especially. It wants good TV.
C. They come with their notebooks open and pens poised, their cameras loaded, ready to snap or roll.
They are the war correspondents, veterans of Bosnia, Somalia and Kosovo, battle-scarred and hardened,
more ready for combat than most of the soldiers they stop to interview.
D. Why was the mistake not taken out of the final cut? Because it fitted perfectly. The Vietnam War
was the first war to be properly televised, and scenes from it were part and parcel of the average
American’s experience of the war. So the scene in the film looks authentic precisely because it has a film
crew on the sidelines, shooting the soldiers going into action.
E. At every opportunity, the networks will be putting pressure on their staff to capture the fresh, the
new, to venture deeper and deeper into the battlefield in search of that award-winning scoop. And, if the
truth be known, they rarely find themselves running particularly short of volunteers.
F. So it has become expected that every war be accompanied by a visual commentary, and this has
necessitated the sending of camera crews into war zones to capture the moments on celluloid (or now,
video). A war is no longer a real war unless it is televised.
Read an extract from an article on language and choose the answer A, B, C or D which you think fits
best according to the text. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
AN UNLIKELY MUSE
A new wave of music and arts projects has emerged, focusing on someone who may seem for some a
dubious source of inspiration. Imelda Marcos, former first lady of the Philippines, is currently becoming
the subject of musicals, song cycles and shows on a worldwide arena.
When the Marcos regime collapsed in 1986, and Imelda and her husband Ferdinand were exiled in Hawaii,
they carried with them allegations of embezzlement, corruption and human rights abuses. Imelda had spent
the last twenty years living off a seemingly endless supply of funds, living an exotic and glamorous
lifestyle and rubbing shoulders with powerful figures worldwide. In 1972, when the superstar couple’s
popularity was fading and they were at risk of losing their power, Ferdinand Marcos instated martial,
leading to an era of chaos and plunder, and what is described by some as the second most corrupt regime of
the twentieth century. Ferdinand and Imelda fled in 1986 to escape the People’s Power Revolution, Imelda
leaving behind some 2000 pairs of shoes.
After her husband died in Hawaii due to ill health, Imelda stood trial in the United States on behalf of her
husband. Following that, she returned to the Philippines to face seventy more counts of corruption and tax
evasion. She has now returned to congress in the Philippines, her make-up and gowns as flawless as ever.
So what makes Imelda Marcos such an appealing muse? Undoubtedly, Imelda Marcos’s resolute character
which has withstood exile, legal battles and the wrath of her enemies makes her an appealing heroine, but
film-maker Fenton Bailey attributes her iconicity to her sense of glamour and style, and her role as a
cultural trend-setter. And like so many women who let nothing come between them and their goals, she has
gained a certain iconic status, particularly among homosexuals, not unlike that of Judy Garland and Lady
Gaga.
And now the story of Imelda Marcos can be seen in the format of a musical, an artistic genre which is quite
befitting for this flamboyant, entertaining figure of beauty and glamour. ‘Imelda – A new musical’ has
played in Los Angeles and New York. The artistic director of the musical, Tim Dang, realises that the
musical glosses over the darker aspects of the Marcos regime, but wanted to portray Imelda as a person
with all her faults on display, leaving the audience to come to a verdict. However, despite the glitz of the
show, reviews were mixed, stating the ‘the serio-comic spoof... had a vacuum at its centre’.
The story of Imelda Marcos has also been immortalised as a song cycle, ‘Here Lies Love’ written by David
Byrne and Norman Cook, in which Imelda comes across as both a hero and villain. Their reasoning was to
try to understand the story of how people can attain positions of such power and greed. They were also
inspired by Imelda’s love of dancing and clubbing, and how her own style of music could be incorporated
into their own. Byrne adds that their story is not black and white – the couple were very popular at first,
and Imelda headed a lot of public works in the Philippines and added much to the nation’s sense of culture
and identity.
At the Cultural Centre of the Philippines, a tour named ‘La Vida Imelda’ led by Carlos Sedran describes
the life of Imelda Marcos, the cold war and martial law, while also portraying the glamour of the Imelda
lifestyle. He describes it as an eternal story, in which her extravagance can be seen as either distasteful or
in some ways estimable.
There is a danger that these new art forms airbrush out the atrocity which accompanied the ostentation and
glamour. It was a time when democracy was suppressed, political enemies disappeared, and billions of
dollars which could have helped the poverty-stricken country were spent on the Marcos’s extravagant
lifestyle. However, the artists involved are keen to make clear that the regime also resulted in great leaps
forward in the country’s culture, architecture and infrastructure. The Marcos legacy remains in the form of
hospitals, Heart and Lung Centres, Folk Art theatres and homes for children and the elderly,
notwithstanding that the Marcos couple set their war-ravaged, poverty-stricken land onto the world stage.
1. Why are Imelda’s shoes mentioned in the second paragraph?
A. To illustrate how little she cared for her personal possessions
B. To illustrate her love of fashion and beauty
C. To indicate how quickly she had to flee the country
D. To illustrate the extravagance of her lifestyle
2. What aspect of Imelda’s character is emphasised in paragraph 3?
A. her flamboyance B. her beauty C. her doggedness D. her forbearance
3. Why is Imelda compared with Judy Garland and Lady Gaga?
A. Due to her status as a gay icon B. Due to her ambition and drive
C. Because she has created new fashions D. Because she has triumphed over legal battles
4. The phrase “rubbing shoulders” in the second paragraph mostly means ______.
A. hobnobbing B. abetting C. fostering D. conferring
5. Why was the musical of Imelda’s life criticised?
A. Because it did not portray Imelda’s faults B. Because the show was too shallow
C. Because it was too glamorous and showy D. Because it was both serious and comedic
6. What was it about Imelda’s story that interested David Byrne and Norman Cooke?
A. The ongoing themes of power, greed and music
B. The fact that the story had both a clear hero and villain
C. The reasoning why people such as Imelda become who they are
D. The fact that her musical taste was similar to theirs
7. The word ‘incorporated in the sixth paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
A. inverted B. infused C. integrated D. interbred
8. According to Carlos Sedran, how do people respond to Imelda’s expensive lifestyle?
A. Most people are shocked by it. B. It evokes both positive and negative feelings.
C. People want to be like her. D. People realise why she did it.
9. The word ‘atrocity in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
A. complexity B. indignity C. mendacity D. barbarity
10. Which of the following is not mentioned in the text as something Imelda Marcos did for the
Philippines?
A. She made health services available to the people.
B. She gave the country a cultural identity.
C. She reduced the levels of poverty for Filipino people.
D. She drew the world’s attention to the country.
For questions 1-5, write the correct form of each bracketed word in the numbered space provided in
the column on the right.
Sultan Abdul Hamid II was the last of the great rulers of the Ottoman
house of Osman. As the immediate (1. SUCCEED) to two sultans 1. __________________
who had been deposed, he came to the throne a very nervous man. He
considered security at his palaces to be far too lax, and set about
building a new (2. PENETRATE) palace from scratch. To this end, 2. __________________
he secured the services of a dozen architects and (3. MISSION) each 3. __________________
to build just one twelfth of the palace, working in complete ignorance
of the progress of the other eleven. In effect, the Sultan built himself
the world's most elaborate and extensive prison. Every room was
connected to a secret underground passage and many of the rooms
were booby-trapped: at the flick of a switch, cupboards would fly
open and mechanically controlled revolvers would fire. The Sultan
employed thousands of spies and secret agents; the ones he
considered most trustworthy being the hundreds of caged parrots
which were hung on street corners and trained to squawk if they saw
a stranger. Another of his many (4. PECULIAR) was that he always 4. __________________
carried a pearl-handled revolver. No-one dared put their hands in
their pockets in his presence - to do so would have been an invitation
for him to take a pot shot. When one of his daughters once (5. PLAY) 5. __________________
gave him a shove from behind, he spun round and shot her before
realizing who it was.