PRACTICE TEST 5

SECTION A: LISTENING
Part 1: You will hear an interview with physics teacher Kieran Shaw, who has taken his students to
a Science Fair. Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
1. What does Kieran criticise about the previous Science Fair?
A. the number of prizes
tB. the standard of judging
C. the quality of the projects
D. the number of projects
2. Which does Kieran believe is a problem among his students?
tA. parents giving students too much help
B. more boys than girls involved in projects
C. rich students having more resources for projects
D. too much emphasis on competition rather than cooperation
3. Kieran says the most important factor in choosing a topic is whether it is likely to
A. need expensive equipment in order to do experiments.
tB. keep the students interested throughout the project.
C. be sufficiently simple for students of that age group.
D. differ significantly from the topics chosen by others.
4. According to Kieran, what mistake do some students make during their presentation?
A. They don’t go into enough detail about their project.
B. They can’t remember the speech they memorised.
C. They tend to speak too slowly to the judges.
tD. They use words they don’t fully understand.
5. Kieran predicts that this year’s winner will be the project about
A. the variation in people’s eyesight during the day.
tB. the relative cleanliness of different objects.
C. the coolest clothes to wear in summer.
D. the best place to store fruit.
Part 2: You will hear part of a lecture on the lost city of Machu Picchu. Answer the following
questions with NO MORE THAN FIVE WORDS.
1. According to Professor Harrington, what can the name Machu Picchu be translated as?
Old Peak
2. What did the Inca construct to cover the mountain’s slopes?
Complex series of agricultural terraces
3. By which were the compounds of different shapes and sizes linked?
109 Stairways
4. What was the Intihuatana used for?
Astronomical observation
5. What characteristics of the Incas does Machu Picchu bear testimony to?
Engineering skills and aesthetic sensitivity

SECTION B: GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

I. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence.
1. I’m sorry to say that it seems you’ve been ……… your responsibilities.
A. shouldering B. dispelling C. experiencing D. shirking
2. Plans to build a new airport suffered a major ……... when the government refused to fund the project.
A. challenge B. withdrawal C. setback D. deflation
3. Her incredible energy and determination simply …….. aside any problems placed in her path.

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 A. pulled B. cleaned C. moved D. swept
4. The problem of finding transport to the outback was ………. by the recent torrential rains.
A. exacerbated B. deepened C. sharpened D. fulfilled
5. Because I was there, I feel responsible, which by the same ………. means you should, too.
A. matters B. case C. token D. instance
6. I can’t go out wearing something like that. I’d be the ………. of the neighbourhood.
A. make-me-laugh B. laughing stock C. laughter maker D. laughing gas
7. These two are obviously brothers. The likeness is ………. .
A. unmistakable B. infallible C. faultless D. doubtless
8. When several companies showed interest in buying the film rights to his novel, he knew he had ………...
A. caught the fat one B. scooped the pool C. upped the ante D. hit the jackpot
9. Don’t …….. me, but her work is a load of rubbish.
A. paraphrase B. quote C. report D. attribute
10. They won the election by the narrowest of ……… .
A.extents B. votes C. margins D. degrees

II. Complete the following sentences with the correct prepositions or particles.
1. I was always being ticked ……off……. for messy work.
2. They’re tearing ……down……. these old houses to build a new office block.
3. The novelist draws heavily ……on……. her personal experiences.
4. The hotel's restaurant facilities are second ……to……. none.
5. He manipulates people and tries to bend them ……to……. his will.
6. Late night comedy shows often poke fun ……of……. politicians.
7. He tried to push ……aside……. the feelings of fear.
8. When he came back, half the candle had burnt ………out…..
9. We eventually wound ……up……. staying in a little hotel a few miles from town.
10. If anybody says bad things about me, I hope you speak ……up……. for me

III. Supply the correct form of the words in brackets.

1. I know it’s a bit annoying but there’s no need to ………overreact………….. to such an extent. (ACT)
2. We stood there watching the ………unfolding………….. drama with shock on our faces. (FOLD)
3. Do you really think your plans are going to come to ……fruition……………..? (FRUIT)
4. I used to think I could change the world, but then ………disillusionment………….. set in when I reached my
early thirties. (ILLUSION)
5. As I told Rose how I felt, she was completely ………irresponsive………….., so I had no idea at all what she was
thinking. (RESPOND)
6. How dare they ............apportion.............(PORTION) blame without knowing all the facts first?
7. Liskeard and Callington are basically ..........equidistant................(DISTANT) from here, so it’ll take about the
same time to get to either of them.
8. Please keep e-mails short. ...............Briefness............. (BRIEF) makes everyone’s lives easier.
9. James got into trouble for ............impersonating.............. a police officer. (PERSON)
10. What I like about Stravinsky’s music is the ……………rhythmic…………. (RHYTHM) complexity, which has a
powerful effect on the listener.

IV. Write one word in each gap.

CRYING
A boyfriend or girlfriend we love dumps us. How do we react? Most of us go through a period of crying our
eyes (1)………out……. . But have you ever wondered why humans cry? Most (2)……animals……… produce tears
to clean and lubricate the eyes but humans are unique- perhaps with the (3)……exception………of gorillas and
elephants- in producing tears in (4)……response……… to emotional stimuli. We might feel like crying when we
hear sad news, or even cry with happiness. Scientists are unsure what, (5)……if………any, benefits there are
from crying as it seems to have little or no immediate effect on the situation that has produced the tears.
However, many people do say that they feel the benefits of a good cry (6)……in……… that after it they are
emotionally stronger, so it’s possible that crying does in some way help us to get over difficult emotional
situations.

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 Some societies (7)……look…… down on adults crying. This attitude is sometimes seen in the society’s
language. Expressions such as “there’s no point crying over spilt milk” and “(8)……grin……… and bear it” in
English reflect a culture that- at least historically- does not value adult crying.
Crying can also be used as a (9)……way……… of deception. If you cry “crocodile tears”, you are (10)……
putting………on an act- pretending to be upset when in fact you are not.

V. Think of one word only which can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
1. I’m still very …bitter…… about John. I don’t understand why he treated me so badly.
This coffee tastes terribly …bitter…… Is it a new brand?
You’d better take a warm coat if you’re going out. There’s a …bitter…… wind.
2. Just because Francine doesn’t say much, it doesn’t necessarily……follow…… that she’s not interested.
Most people in South America …follow…… the Catholic faith.
If you …follow…… the route shown on the map, you should reach the town by nightfall.
3. I thought my account was still in …credit……, but it turned out I actually owed the bank some money.
The voters are in fact more intelligent than some politicians give them …credit…… for.
Mr. Carson tried to take the …credit…… for his daughter’s success, even though he hadn’t seen her since
she was very young.
4. Many newspapers were extremely ……critical…… of the way the Government handled the crisis.
The ……critical…… moment in the match came when the visiting team were awarded a penalty.
Robson’s second novel did not achieve the …critical…… acclaim of his first, but it too is a fine piece of
writing.
5. We will be writing to you in due …course…… regarding the matter.
My doctor has put me on a ……course……… of tablets to help with the pain in my knees.
Over the ……course………. of the next few years, the steel industry will be reorganized.

SECTION C: READING COMPREHENSION

I. Read the article and do the tasks that follow.
SPANNER IN THE ROBOT'S WORKS
The contemporary industrial robot, in the eyes of politicians and others, may wear the halo of high
technology, but it came into being to meet a rather mundane need. In the booming labour market of the early
1960s it became increasingly difficult to find people willing to do boring, repetitive and unpleasant jobs. What
was needed was not a machine which could master elaborate human skills, but one which could provide the
mindless manpower demanded by mass production.
What had to be learnt, and proved well within the robot's capacity,were sequences of precise movement
of the arm and hand. Such sequences were relatively easily programmed into a computer memory, especially
after the advent of the microprocessor freed robots from their dependence on the giant main frame computers
of the 1960s. But however impressive, even uncanny, a robot may appear to the layman as it repeats a series of
movements with flawless precision, itis in fact operating blindly and by rote.
Repetitive manipulation is, of course, a skill common to manymachines: what differentiates the robot is
that it makes use of an articulated arm analogous to the human limb and that it can be reprogrammed to
performa whole variety of tasks without the need to redesign or adjust its mechanicalcomponents. There are,
however, a limited range of applications in which amanipulator arm, operating blindly and without intelligence, is
useful.
Whatever its task, a robot is dependent for its effectiveness upon awhole supporting cast of automated
machines. Everything must be presentedto it in consistent positions and orientations; it can only operate in a
world ofguaranteed predictability. The need to provide an automated environment hasso far restricted robot use
to large scale industry; businesses such as specialistmachine shops, producing small batches of many different
items, have littleincentive to set up the paraphernalia of conveyors, jigs and electroniccommunication which a
robot requires.
Those who leap to the conclusion that the provision of more andmore robots is a guaranteed elixir of
industrial health should also be awarethat there is a substantialbody of opinion which argues that, rather
thanbeing the universal worker of the future, the robot is no more than a stop-gap expedient forced upon us by
the limitations of insufficient and inadequate automation. Automation, the argument goes, achieves its really
spectacularsuccesses when it abandons the attempt to do things in ways based on humanskills and finds
solutions that are quite novel and intrinsically mechanical.Replacing wire circuits, which are fiddly for human
beings and virtuallyimpossible for machines to assemble, with printed circuits which machinescan manufacture
with ease is an obvious example. The need for robotsarises, it is suggested, only because imperfect automation

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has left a numberof gaps in the industrial scheme of things which require the particular skillsof the human or
robot- hand. But this is a temporary state of affairs whichwill be remedied when a new generation of automated
equipment dispensestotally with anthropomorphic methods.
Against this view are those who argue that the robot has the potentialto climb the ladder of skills and
intelligence so rapidly that it will outpaceany conceivable advances in automation. Moreover, it is claimed,
thearguments in favour of 'hard' automation ignore economic realities. Industrywill not be able to afford the kind
of investment that is required to installcomplex, special-purpose machines, with all the attendant risks of
prematureobsolescence if products or methods suddenly change.
The robot offers a sensible half-way house; it provides an economic(and relatively reliable) substitute for
human labour while also having adegree of flexibility that is attractive. What has yet to be established is
thatrobots have it in them to advance from the status of blind, preprogrammedserfs to that of a skilled and
adaptive labour force, capable of learning newtricks and acting on their own initiative without the need for
human tutelageat every stage.

Look at paragraphs 1-4 and find words or phrases which mean the same as:
a. was designed (1)
b. ordinary (1)
c. flourishing (1)
d. arrival/appearance (2)
e. mysterious (2)
f. non-expert (noun) (2)
g. faultless (2)
h. from memory (2)
i. connected by joints (3)
j. similar (3)
k.parts (3)
l. quantities (4)
m. encouragement (4)
n. complicated arrangement (4)
...............came into being..............................................
..........................mundane...................................
..........................booming...................................
...........................advent..................................
................................uncanny.............................
................................layman.......................
...............................flawless..............................
.................................by rote...........................
.......................articulated......................................
.....................................analogous........................
................................components.............................
..............................batches...............................
................................incentive.............................
.................consistent positions and orientation................................

Now complete these statements by choosing the answer which you think fits best.
1. This article makes it clear that, contrary to popular opinion, robots
A. were designed to replace human labour.
B. have been in use for many years.
C. have fairly limited skills.
D. cannot be classed as high technology.
2. After the 1960s, robots became more
A. convenient to use.
B. accurate in operation.
C. widely used.
D. consistently reliable.
3. Robots differ from other machines in that
A. they react like human beings.
B. they need little maintenance.
C. they have a limited number of applications.
D. they are easy to switch from task to task.
4. Robots are not suitable for use in specialist machine shops because they
A. involve a substantial investment in equipment.
B. are not designed to produce small items.
C. take up too much floor space.
D. take too long to install.
5. Those who doubt the robot's future see it as merely
A. a money-saving measure.
B. a short-term necessity.
C. an amusing curiosity.
D. a passing fashion.
6. Printed circuits are an example of a development which

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 A. will soon be replaced by more advanced processes.
B. is especially suited to robot production.
C. does not follow traditional production methods.
D. still has several areas for improvement.

7. Those who defend robots argue that

A. they will develop at the same rate as automation.
B. they will reduce the level of unemployment.
C. they are a more practical solution than automation.
D. they have more intelligence than we realise.

II. Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

THE BIG SLEEP
The nature of sleep and the role it plays in our lives has long fascinated science and been the focus of
many studies and a great deal of research.
A. The benefit of receiving enough sleep is essential to our inner well-being. Not enough sleep, however,
means that we lack the opportunity to restore ourselves physiologically, emotionally and cognitively. It affects
our mood and can result in behaviour and performance problems. When we sleep, our bodies rest but our brains
are active. Sleep lays the groundwork for a productive day ahead. Although most people benefit the most from
eight hours of sleep each night, this is not always what they manage to achieve. Men get slightly less sleep than
women during the week (6.7 hours/night vs. 7.0 hours /night), but have fewer sleep problems, according to
recent Sleep in America polls conducted annually by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
B. According to current scientific thought, the human body is pre-programmed for sleep. At nightfall, cells in
the retina (a light sensitive membrane connected to the eye by the optic nerve) send a sleep signal to a cluster
of nerve cells in the brain. These nerve cells are concentrated together in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
and are located in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus which helps regulate body temperature. The SCN
is also known as the circadian clock. This biological "clock" relays the message to other parts of the brain which
then signals the body that it is time to sleep. For instance, the pineal gland, also located in the hypothalamus,
produces a substance called melatonin, which lowers body temperature, and causes drowsiness.
C. A great deal of the information we now know about sleep and the physiological changes it causes in the
brain can be traced back to the invention of the electroencephalogram in the 1950s. This machine allowed
scientists to record the feeble electric currents generated on the brain without opening the skull and to depict
them graphically onto a strip of paper. Brain-wave function could be examined and scientists could thereby
observe sleep from moment to moment. In the 1970s it became possible for scientists to make assumptions
about the role that correct breathing plays during sleep with the development of the technology to measure
respiration. It was here that science really began to understand the nature of sleep and the role it plays in
people's lives.
D. As well as uncovering the physiological changes occurring during sleep, The New England Journal of
Medicine reported that sleep concerns were a public health threat as serious as smoking and in the years since,
medical researchers have linked sleep disorders with many life-threatening diseases. Even though more than 70
million Americans have a sleeping problem, most cases go undiagnosed and untreated, so the true economic
and sociological damage caused by these disorders is unknown although, the economic cost is conservatively
estimated to be billions of dollars a year in healthcare costs and lost productivity. Breathing problems during
sleep represent by far the greatest proportion of sleep disorders and cause the most concern, with studies
showing that between 50% and 80% of stroke and heart failure patients have breathing problems during sleep.
E. Scientific studies have found that children who are identified as snorers or those who have poor sleeping
patterns at around the age of four or five, scored lower than average in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests, not
only during the sleep deprivation period but subsequent to that. There are also suggestions that ongoing sleep
deprivation in adults can cause permanent damage.
F. Teenagers can have peculiar sleep requirements. It has always been known that adolescents spend more
time sleeping than adults, but science has only recently isolated the reasons for this. Research now shows that
growth hormones are secreted during slow-wave sleep and teenagers do indeed, need more of this kind of sleep
than at any other stage in their lives. Chronic lack of sleep among teenagers means that as a group they are
more likely to use stimulants and experience negative mood swings. Statistics also indicate that young drivers
are responsible for more than one-half of fall- asleep crashes.

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 G. However, it is not just young people who pay the price for lack of proper sleep. Workers are robbing
themselves of sleep in order to increase productivity in both their social and working lives. In recent years,
however, the identification of driver fatigue as the possible cause of 1/3 of all accidents provides some indication
of the price we are paying for such a trade-off. Extensive scientific research indicates that chronic tiredness has
been the cause of environmental disasters, nuclear mishaps and several well-documented near misses in the air.
Scientists are beginning to argue that the lengthening of the working day is harming workers, their families and
society. In the long run, productivity will suffer.
H. As a reaction against this disturbing trend, there has been increased support for regulation of the
number of hours worked by employees in demanding jobs, such as doctors, nurses, pilots, bus drivers and truck
drivers. Legislation is being drafted to limit work hours, thus forcing companies to become instrumental in
changing work cultures to ensure employees are getting enough rest and leisure time in order to avoid chronic
tiredness and its devastating consequences.

Choose the best answer for each gap.

1. The SCN ………….
A. is regulated by the hypothalamus.
B. is affected by fading light.
C. is located in the brain.
D. tells the body it is time for sleep.
2. Scientists' involvement with sleep research ………….
A. is driven by the potential of monetary gains to be made.
B. is a recent trend.
C. has been advanced with technological developments.
D. has relied on observations and assumptions about sleep being made.
3. Sleeping disorders are ………….
A. linked to fatal diseases and conditions.
B. one of the main causes of strokes and heart failure.
C. common in babies.
D. unusual but can be life-threatening.

Look at the following statements. Indicate:

TRUE if the statement agrees with information in the passage
FALSE if the statement contradicts information in the passage
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
4. 80% of all stroke patients experience breathing problems in their sleep. ……F…….
5. Sleep deprivation can affect intellectual performance in adults. 　　　　 ……NG….
6. Longer working hours have resulted in productivity increases.　　　　　 ……NG….
7. Companies have to be more active in preventing accidents causedby human factors. ……T…….
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Choose the statement (I-X) below that best summarises each paragraph (A-H) in the reading
passage.There are more statements than paragraphs so you will not use them all.
8. Paragraph A: ……IX……….
9. Paragraph B: ………VIII…….
10. Paragraph C: ………IV…….
11. Paragraph D: ………VI…….
12. Paragraph E: ………III…….
13. Paragraph F: ………VII…….
14. Paragraph G: ……I……….
15. Paragraph H: ………V…….

LIST OF SUMMARY STATEMENTS

I. The negative effects of chronic sleep deprivation have tragic consequences.
II.There are many advantages to getting sufficient sleep.
III.Current medical research maintains that sleep is critical to early development.
IV. Technological advances contributed significantly to sleep research.
V. Efforts are being made to decrease the incidence of work-related accidents and
disasters.

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 VI.Sleep problems affect a significant percentage of the population and have far-
reachingconsequences.
VII.Lack of the right kind of sleep can affect behaviour.
VIII. Physiological changes occur to create sleep.
IX.Sleep has an important function in our daily lives.
X.The electroencephalogram revolutionised sleep research.

III. Read the text below and decide the answer which best fits each gap.
BRAIN GEL
A gel that helps brains recover from (1) …………… injuries has been developed by scientists at the
Clemson University in South Carolina. The gel, which is (2) …………… in liquid form at the site where the injury
was sustained, (3) …………… stem cell growth in the affected area. In terms of circumstances in which it might
be applied, the gel has the potential to treat a wide range of head injuries, including those arising from car
accidents, falls and gunshot wounds.
Serious brain injuries are (4) …………… difficult to recover from on account of the fact that the affected
tissue can swell up considerably, which causes additional (5) …………… damage to the surrounding cells. Existing
treatments do little more than attempt to limit secondary damage and are relatively (6) ……………, certainly
when it comes to repairing the damaged cells, so the discovery of a gel which stimulates cell repair is being (7)
…………… as revolutionary.
Despite the wave of excitement now running through medical circles, it is important to note that results
so far are based solely on observations of the effects of the gel on laboratory rats. The development of the
treatment is very much still in its (8) …………… stages and human testing is expected to be some three years or
more away yet.
1. A. traumatic B. enigmatic C. sporadic D. aquatic
2. A. implanted B. instilled C. injected D. imposed
3. A. motivates B. vitalises C. stimulates D. mobilises
4. A. notionally B. notoriously C. incidentally D. increasingly
5. A. corresponding B. dependent C. coincident D. collateral
6. A. integrated B. ineffective C. incompetent D. unproductive
7. A. heralded B. advertised C. promised D. ushered
8. A. penultimate B. fundamental C. concluding D. preliminary

SECTION D: WRITING
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the
word given.
1. This kitchen table is also the desk where I work. (DOUBLES)
→ This kitchen table doubles as the desk where I work.
2. His welfare reforms challenge conventional thinking. (FLY)
→ His welfare reforms fly in the face of conventional thinking.
3. If you don’t work harder, you’ll fail the exam. (SOCKS)
→You need to pull your socks up if you want to pass the exam.
4. Her father made it clear that he would not be discussing the matter any further. (OPEN)
 Her father made it clear that the matter was no longer open to any further discussion.
5. The crash victim was beyond help when emergency services reached her. (WHATSOEVER)
 There was nothing whatsoever that emergency services could do on reaching the crash victim.
6. Janet didn’t get the job because she wasn’t experienced enough. (DOWN)
 Janet’s failure to get the job was put down to her lack of experience.
7. Yoshi wanted to make sure that everything was as it should be on the big day. (LEAVE)
 Yoshi didn’t want to leave anything to chance on the big day.
8. Robert was offended when he was left out of the team. (EXCEPTION)
 Robert took exception to being left out of the team.
9. The intentions of the last government were far clearer than the present one’s. (LIKE)
 The present government’s intentions are nothing like as clear as the last one’s.
10. The new minister seems to be excellent at fielding awkward questions. (FLAIR)
 The new minister seems to have a flair for fielding awkward questions.

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