PRACTICE TEST 13

USE OF ENGLISH
I. Choose the best answer.
1. A person who sits in front of the TV all day is sometimes called a ______ potato.
A. hot B. couch C. sweet D. jacket
2. At the end of the letter she put a ______.
A. post-mortem B. post box C. postmark D. postscript
3. Can you help me think of a good title for my essay? Two ______ are better than one!
A. minds B. ideas C. heads D. opinions
4. Helen ______ at Frances angrily when she heard her speaking badly about Simon.
A. glimpsed B. glared C. glanced D. gazed
5. Both parties must agree to abide by the ______ of the agreement.
A. rules B. regulations C. terms D. qualifications
6. You've got your sweater on ______.
A. upside down B. back to back C. back to front D. the wrong way up
7. The parcel containing glassware was marked ______.
A. 'frail' B. 'delicate' C. 'fragile' D. 'febrile'
8. I need to call a technician; I can't ______ to the Internet.
A. connect B. Join C. link D. attach
9. All ______ for this position will be interviewed by the manager.
A. representatives B. entrants C. contestants D. candidates
10. The museum is free of ______ on Sundays.
A. cost B. entrance C. expense D. charge
11. That new TV series had viewers ______ to their screens.
A. screwed B. fixed C. riveted D. nailed
12. Anna was so embarrassed about her mistake that she couldn't make eye ______ with her boss.
A. contact B. communication C. connection D. association
13. Jason has incredible energy - he is always ______.
A. on the mend B. on the go C. on the tiles D. on the make
14. Citizens over 65 are ______ to a half price bus pass.
A. obliged B. licensed C. permitted D. entitled
15. Earthquake-proof buildings are meant to ______ all but the strongest quakes.
A. avoid. B. withstand C. oppose D. support
16. The actor insisted that the reporter keep his remarks ______.
A. off the cuff B. off the deep end C. off the record D. off the beaten track
17. Newton's theory on gravity came to him ______ when an apple fell on his head.
A. out of the blue B. on the off-chance C. by the way D. in the near future
18. Sarah fell over so many times while skiing that she was ______ by the end of the holiday.
A. black and blue B. head over heels C. in bits and pieces D. burnt out
19. Reg finally ______ his redundancy and stopped feeling so depressed about it.
A. made the best of B. gave up on C. came to terms with D. got the hang of
20. The student grant was not enough to ______.
A. make ends meet B. make or break C. meet his match D. hang by a thread

II. Fill in each gap with one suitable preposition.

1. It upsets me when people are cruel __________ their pets.
2. She applied __________ the manager for the post of editor of the magazine.
3. I didn't realise there would be a charge __________ using this telephone.
4. Nobody seems to care __________ what is happening in the world today.
5. There has been some confusion __________ the results of the election.
6. The Police Inspector wasn’t able to comment __________ the case as they had no new evidence.
7. Michael's been asked to contribute __________ this new science fiction magazine.
8. Scientists are still trying to find a cure __________ AIDS.
9. I’m going to complain __________ the manager __________ this meal. It was terrible.
10. The manager of the bank had to account __________ all the money that was missing.

III. Complete each sentence with one suitable phrase from the box.

her heart isn’t in it right under our noses a fish out of water
let the cat out of the bag pay through the nose through word of mouth
sick and tired of by and large spic and span by rule of thumb

1. I wouldn’t book a holiday with that company - they’ll make you _________________________.
2. I felt like _________________________ in my new job for the first few weeks.
3. The deal was supposed to be secret. Who _________________________?
4. Mary has agreed to help us raise the money but _________________________.
5. My grandmother never looks at a recipe. She prefers to cook _________________________.
6. The employee was stealing company property _________________________.
7. Larry never had to advertise his business as people heard about him _________________________.
8. The new house has its problems, but _________________________ it’s an improvement on the old one.
9. I’m _________________________ listening to his excuses.
10. Even with five children and two dogs to take care of, Margaret ’s house is always __________________.

IV. Read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some
have a word which should not be there. If a line is correct, put a tick (✓) by the number. If a
line has a word which should not be there, write the word on the left.
THE SURPRISE PARTY
Last Friday was my dad's birthday, and we organised a surprise 0. __________
party for him. It was great! We decorated up the living room with 00. _________
balloons and Mum was baked a big cake. There were forty 1. __________
candles on the cake because of my dad was forty years old. 2. __________
We invited all the family and lots of his friends, and waited in the 3. __________
living room for him to come home from the work. It was very 4. __________
funny! We had turned out all the lights, and there were hiding 5. __________
behind the chairs, the sofa and the curtains. As the usual, he 6. __________
came into the house and shouted ‘Hi, everyone! I’m home!’ We 7. __________
didn’t make out a sound. ‘Where is everyone?’ he said, and 8. __________
came into the room. He turned on the lights and we all did 9. __________
shouted ‘Surprise!’. He was so shocked! Dad blew out of all the 10. _________
candles on the cake and we sang ‘Happy Birthday’. I gave to him 11. _________
a tie and my brother got him a CD. Mum bought him a bottle of 12. _________
his favourite wine. We have had a great party, and Dad said it 13. _________
was the best birthday he had ever had. He also said that for 14. _________
being forty wasn’t as too bad as he had thought it would be. 15. _________

IV. Supply the correct form of the word given.

PENGUINS IN PERIL
Penguins, whose torpedo-shaped bodies and self-important waddles we adore, are 0. GROW
the latest on a (0) ____________ list of species threatened by changing 1. CLIMATE
(1) ____________ conditions. This (2) ____________ in climate is being brought 2. DISRUPT
about by heatwaves and floods in places as far (3) ____________ as Texas and 3. FIELD
India.

Such (4) ____________ in weather patterns has been increasing in 4. STABLE

(5) ____________, although the reasons for this are not yet fully understood. As a 5. FREQUENT
result, ocean currents that bring the (6) ____________ to feed plankton are being 6. NUTRITION
disrupted and because plankton feeds the krill which form the (7) ____________ of 7. BASE
the penguin's diet, the penguin is fast becoming a casualty. The (8) ____________ 8. DEAD
rate of penguin chicks is soaring and could ultimately prove (9) ____________ to 9. CATASTROPHE
the entire species. The one positive aspect of all this lies in its potential to force
people to examine the (10) ____________ threat posed to the fragile Antarctic 10. LOOM
ecosystem. The (11) ____________ that we could lose one of the most. 11. REALISE
(12) ____________ creatures on the planet should be awake-up call for all of us. 12. LOVE

WRITING
Complete each of the following sentences in such a way that it is closest in meaning to the one
printed before it. Use the word given. Do not later the word in any way.

1. He usually makes a lot of spelling mistakes in his essays. PRONE

He ________________________________________________ mistakes in his essays.
2. He didn't notice any money had been stolen until the end of the day. LIGHT
The theft of the money only _____________________________________________ the end of the day.
3. Walt has great difficulty in cooking for himself. CHALLENGE
Walt ________________________________________________ for himself.
4. Everyone blamed Danny for the accident. PUT
Everyone ________________________________________________ Danny for the accident.
5. How likely is it to rain today? CHANCES
What ________________________________________________ today?
6. It wasn't David's fault that the dinner was late. FOR
David ________________________________________________ the dinner being late.
7. Dad doesn't mind if I stay' out late as long as I phone. OBJECT
Dad doesn't ________________________________________________ out late as long as I phone
8. If you buy that car, you'll be wasting your money. WASTE
It would ________________________________________________ buy that car.
9. He took no notice of the 'No Entry' sign PAID
He ________________________________________________ the 'No Entry' sign.
10. The loss of his father has seriously affected him. EFFECT
The loss of his father has a ________________________________________________ him.

READING
I. Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap
POWER SPEAK
Picture the scene; you’re in a meeting and the marketing manager stands up and (0) ______ a speech. You
listen (1) ______, hanging onto her every word, but slowly your mind (2) ______ and you find yourself planning
the weekly shop. You don't mean to be impolite, but you're not quite up to the mark on the most recent power
speak. Her talk of "fishing where the fish swim" and “making significant inroads into e-tailing" leave you (3)
______ why you're the only person who hasn't got a(n) (4) ______ what's going on. Don't panic, you've just
been subjected to the latest barrage of business 'buzzwords'.

(5) ______ shows that up to 75% of office employees engage in the use-of such meeting room jargon to give
the (6) ______ that they have power. If you're not up-to-date you may find that you are no longer taken
seriously by your colleagues. Power speak is a game completely (7) ______ up with group identification and the
(8) ______ of outsiders who don't know the language. As (9) ______ as its usage may be, not everyone is
impressed by it. Many find it irritating and (10) ______ those who indulge in it as pretentious and somewhat
ridiculous.

Nonetheless, power speak is here to stay and the Internet has (11) ______ its part in providing a wealth of new
vocabulary. We can now 'download' (share ideas) with colleagues, make 'guesstimates' or if all else
(12) ______, experience a 'hard-drive crash' (nervous breakdown). Don't feel downhearted if most of this goes
over your head. It is estimated that 20% of people who use jargon don't know what it means either.

0. A. says B. does C. delivers D. announces

1. A. precisely B. attentively C. accurately D. conscientiously
2. A. walks B. strolls C. races D. wanders
3. A. wondering B. thinking C. imagining D. reflecting
4. A. clue B. hint C. idea D. indication
5. A. Inquiry B. Examination C. Study D. Research
6. A. feeling B. impression C. sense D. effect
7. A. mixed B. caught C. bound D. made
8. A. elimination B. prevention C. exclusion D. separation
9. A. sizeable B. elevated C. inflated D. extensive
10. A. regard B. mention C. note D. observe
11. A. taken B. run C. played D. done
12. A. falls B. fails C. breaks D. goes

II. Fill in each gap with one suitable word.

CARAVANNING IN WALES
The sea cliffs and sandy beaches of Wales are hard (0). __________ beat. Add to (1) __________ wild,
romantic scenery, ancient castles, modern theme parks and cheap accommodation and you’ve got a great family
holiday. Of course (2) __________ makes Wales so green is the rain. Even in mid-summer, you (3) __________
expect a couple of wet and windy days. But don’ t let that put you off. There are (4) __________ of indoor
activities, so you can enjoy (5) __________ whatever the weather. For many people Wales is a caravan country.
If you haven’ t stayed in a caravan (6) __________ you were little, it’s time you tried it again. Standards of
comfort are much higher than a decade ago, with facilities such (7) __________ laundries and kids’ play areas.
A good example is the Fontygary Holiday Park. You can stay in a spacious caravan equipped (8) __________
TV, shower, separate bedrooms and fridge, (9) __________ works out to be less expensive when compared
(10) __________ a guesthouse or self-catering cottage. And you won’t even need to leave the site to
(11) __________ fun. The kids can swim in the 25-metre indoor pool, or join in the games organised by the
entertainment staff. Meanwhile you can take a sauna, go to the gym, (12) __________ your hair styled, or just
sit on the cliff top and enjoy the view.

III. You are going to read a magazine article about students who have travelled the world before
going to university. For questions 1-15, choose from the students (A- E).

Which student(s)
need not have worried about health problems? 1. ______
says he wanted to be more adventurous than his friends? 2. ______
had to delay the start of his trip? 3. ______
was concerned about an aspect of his preparations for the trip? 4. ______
gained unexpected benefits from a limited budget? 5. ______
changed his original plans in order to explore another place? 6. ______
found different ways of earning money while he was away from home? 7. ______
was unaccustomed to travelling alone? 8. ______
 wanted to avoid having a fixed programme? 9. ______
changed his study plans as a result of his experiences abroad? 10. _____
found accommodation through some colleagues? 11. _____
was forced to alter his route? 12. _____
were aware of personal security when travelling? 13. _____ 14. _____
disliked the restrictions of a limited budget? 15. _____

TAKING OFF
Five young people remember their ‘gap year’ experiences,
when they travelled the world between finishing school and going to university.

A. TOM BAKER
After my exams, I read through all the gap year literature, but I’d had enough of having to turn up to
lessons every day at school. So I flew to New Zealand, without any structured plans, just to see what
happened. I had to live very cheaply, so I didn’t use public transport, preferring to hitch hike the long
distances between the towns. I was amazed how generous people were. I was always being picked up by
strangers and invited into their homes after nothing more than a conversation at the roadside. My hosts
invited me to climb volcanoes, go trekking with them, even play a part in a short film. In a way, I learned
just as much about life as I did when I was at university back in the UK.

B. ROBIN TALBOT
It all began when I was on summer holiday staying at a friend’ s house in New York. By the autumn, I was
convinced I didn’t want to leave and I stayed there for a year. I worked three days a week in a bar and
two nights in a restaurant, which gave me plenty to live on. The Brazilian band that worked in the bar
offered me a room in their apartment, and we played salsa music and had barbecues all summer. I
realised eventually that I couldn’t be a waiter forever, so I came back to university.

C. MARK IRVIN
I couldn’t face another three years studying straight after school so, like many of my classmates, I decided
to do a round-the-world trip. I wanted to set off at the end of the summer, but it took six months of
working before I had enough money. I’ d planned my route so that I’d be travelling with friends for part of
the way and alone the rest of the time. In Japan I met some incredibly generous people who invited me
into their homes. I found their culture fascinating. But in Australia it was less interesting because it was
more difficult to meet the locals, as I could only afford to stay in hostels and these were full of British
travellers like me.

D. SIMON BARTON
Going to Latin America was quite a courageous decision for me, and the first time I had travelled without
a fixed route or any companions. I was worried that my last-minute Spanish course would not be enough.
I was originally planning to fly to Mexico, then go overland by bus to Belize, but a hurricane intervened
and it was too risky. So I went west by bus to Guatemala. The people were very friendly, but as I’m
blond-haired and blue-eyed they stared a bit, which didn’t bother me. I just smiled. I dutifully kept all my
important stuff on me, as suggested in the World Travellers' Guidebook, but I didn’t run into any trouble
at all. And despite what I thought might happen, I ate anything and everything and didn’t have any
problems. It was great! I’ m already saving for my next trip.

E. ANDREW WEST
Everyone I knew was going to Australia, but I wanted to go somewhere more exotic, less predictable. I
went with ‘Quest Overseas’, who arrange gap-year holidays. I started in Ecuador with a three-week
Spanish course, then went off trekking in the Andes, which was tough. It’s a good thing I had my first-aid
kit, I was covered in scratches! I had arranged my flight back, but I put it off to go touring in Mexico for
two weeks with some friends I’d made. My advice would be, plan ahead, but don’t worry if things change.
Keep your cash in various places in your clothing, and take advice about the places to avoid at night. I
never felt scared, I just enjoyed the adventure. And when I came back I decided to do a degree in South
American History, which I’d never have considered before. I thought living in a flat again would be dull,
but in fact I’d had enough of always being on the move.