Progress test 4A (Unit 4)

Grammar and vocabulary

1 Complete the sentences with the correct
form of the verb in brackets (past simple
or past continuous).
1 What ___________________________ (do)
at eight o’clock last night?
2 I stopped reading and then ______________
(go) to have a shower.
3 ______________________________ (you /
hear) someone shouting a while ago?
4 It wasn’t raining so I ___________________
(not / take) an umbrella.
5 When I was little, my Grandma
________________________________ (tell)
me stories from her childhood.
6 When I walked in, Clara ________________
(talk) to someone on the phone.
7 You __________________________ (listen)
to the news, weren’t you?
8 While Tom ____________________ (try on)
the shoes, someone stole his bag.
9 Mina ______________________ (not /
know) Keiran was doing a sailing course.
10 When she was young, she
________________________ (cannot /
travel) all over the world.
8 John never visited / had never visited Egypt
before his last holiday.
9 You look so bored, what had you expected /
did you expect to see and do here?
10 I was studying / studied for the test all
afternoon. I hope I pass!
Mark: ___ / 10
3 Complete the text with the correct words
A–C.
I 1___ a Spanish language course last year.
There were only a few students in my group, so
the teacher 2___ to concentrate on each student
individually. Of course, we had to do some
exercises, but we 3___ a lot and we used
Spanish 4___ time. Learning grammar is usually
boring, but the way we 5___ it was actually fun!
The teacher gave us a text and we had to find
examples of the new language and then, we
tried 6___ the rule. 7___ problems is a good
method in language learning. It is quite
challenging and based 8___ students’ work, and
by doing things you will remember better. So, on
this course, we got better at Spanish, and we
were given useful 9___ on how to learn a foreign
language more effectively. And I am already
looking 10___ another Spanish course next
summer!

Mark: ___ / 10 1 A did B made C got

2 A could B can C was able
2 Circle the correct verb form in each
sentence. 3 A spoke B have spoken C had spoken
1 My sister was wearing / used to wear 4 A whole B a whole C all the
glasses, but now she wears contact lenses.
5 A were doing B used to doing C had done
2 I was living / had lived in the centre for three
6 A work out B to work out C worked out
years before we moved out to the country.
7 A Solve B To solve C Solving
3 I was talking / had talked on the phone, and
didn’t hear Dad coming. 8 A in B on C at
4 When Jim finally got to the station, the train 9 A benefit B advice C experience
already left / had already left.
10 A forward B for C out
5 I forgot / had forgotten to return the book to
the library last week. Mark: ___ / 10

6 When Sarah was in Paris, she met / used to

meet a lot of interesting people.
7 Did you use to wear / Had you worn skirts
and dresses when you were little?

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4A (Unit 4)
1
Listening
4 [09] Listen to an interview and for 5 [10] Listen to a man and decide if the
questions 1–3 circle the correct answer statements 1–4 are true (T) or false (F).
A–C. 1 The wife found out they’d won. ___
1 Who is the man talking to?
2 The couple won fourteen million. ___
A a lecturer
3 They bought a lottery ticket every week.
B an employer ___
C a police officer 4 The man didn’t feel very happy at first. ___
2 Which is NOT true about the man? 5 The couple lived a happy life. ___
A He spoke the truth. 6 They planned to move house. ___
B He has finished university. 7 The couple got on well with their neighbours.
___
C He will send the results in the summer.
8 In the end, the man was optimistic. ___
3 The man has got qualifications in …
A law. Mark: ___ / 8

B acting.
C engineering.

Mark: ___ / 3

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4A (Unit 4)
2
Reading
6 Read the three texts about school uniforms, and for each text 1–3 write the best heading A–
E. There are two extra headings.
A All the same D Nobody judges you
B Looking attractive E Being an individual
C Things don’t change

1 ___
Did you wear a uniform when you were at school? I did, and I hated it. I was interested in fashion and
music, and I wanted to look like my favourite pop star. I didn’t want to look like everybody else in my class.
My favourite clothes were flared jeans and short skirts, bright shirts and big boots. Now I’m a teacher. I
look at the teenagers in my school and they are no different. They say they don’t like their school uniforms,
they read music magazines, and they spend their money on slim trousers, tiny, tight-fitting T-shirts and
expensive trainers.
2 ___
In terms of style, school uniforms are not very flattering: they are plain and the colours are dull. In our
school the uniform is a grey skirt or trousers, a white blouse or shirt, and a black jumper. Girls are not
allowed to wear jewellery. Boys wear ties. Everybody wears smart black or brown shoes. You won’t see
any trainers here.
3 ___
Despite the rules about uniform, teachers have to talk to some pupils about their clothes every day: one
girl comes in a short skirt, another with a big, bright necklace. Last week a boy had to go home because
he was wearing an earring. Why do pupils do this when they know they will have problems? The answer is
that they want to feel different; they don’t want to be the same as everybody else.

Mark: ___ / 3

7 Read the text and for questions 1–6 circle the correct answer A–C.
What do Cherie Blair, Anita Roddick, Baroness Warnock and Rosie Boycott have in common?
a) They are all leaders in their jobs.
b) They have all brought up children.
c) They were all educated at single-sex schools.
The answer is all three, but it is said that the last one is the key to their success as superwomen.
The theory introduced by Clarissa Farr, the head of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), is that girls are
much more likely to become leaders if they are pupils at single-sex schools rather than taught together
with boys. Farr believes that girls taught away from boys are more confident, assertive and are able to
present their own opinions.
‘Girls’ schools are known for getting excellent academic results,’ says Farr, head teacher of Queenswood
School in Hertfordshire, where fees are £20,000 a year.
The way girls are taught to become leaders has changed over the last few years. It’s no longer the man-
like style symbolised by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Instead, girls are inspired to believe that they can
become a leader and have children and a happy family life.
Teamwork, motivation and partnership are the key words – at home and at work. More and more schools
have heads like Farr, who has two small children and is an example to her pupils of how to lead an
organisation and have a family. ‘We now have a generation of women who expect to succeed in their
career and become leaders, as well as being mothers and wives’, she says.

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4A (Unit 4)
3
 1 Which is NOT true about the four women
4 At Ms Farr’s school, girls …
listed in the first paragraph?
A wish to be like Margaret Thatcher.
A They don’t have family.
B want to follow Margaret Thatcher’s style.
B They achieved a lot at work.
C want to have a family and a successful
C They attended schools for girls only.
career.
2 Clarissa Farr believes that …
5 At Queenswood School …
A academic results depend on fees.
A it is difficult to become a successful
B girls are more assertive than boys. woman.
C girls’ schools are good at producing B Ms Farr serves as a role model for her
leaders. pupils.
3 At single-sex schools, girls … C girls have been taught in a man-like style
since the 1980s.
A are taught to run a family.
6 The most appropriate headline for the article
B achieve very good academic results.
would be:
C are taught to concentrate on their careers.
A Modern schools educate leaders
B How to be a superwoman at work
C Why girls should be taught in single-sex
schools

Mark: ___ / 6

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4A (Unit 4)
4
Writing
8 Your friend has just passed his driving test and sent you the following invitation.

Hi, there!
Got it! I passed and will get my licence next week.
Let’s celebrate this Friday at 6 p.m. at Bingo Club.
Hope to see you 😊

Ben

To answer this invitation, write Ben an email (60–70 words) in which you …
 tell him how pleased you are
 apologise you cannot come
 say, why you cannot come
 wish Ben the best and say you look forward to a drive

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Mark: ___ / 10

TOTAL: ___ / 60

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4A (Unit 4)
5
Progress Test 4B (Unit 4)
Grammar and vocabulary
1 Complete the sentences with the correct
form of the verb in brackets (past simple
or past continuous).
1 At primary school I ____________________
(sing) in a choir. It was fun!
2 My friends asked me to go out with them, but
I _________________________ (cannot /
go) because we had a family dinner.
3 What ___________________________ (do)
on Sunday at 5 p.m.?
3 Complete the text with the correct words
4 ___________________________ (you / see)
a lady in red coat here a while ago?
5 I didn’t take a rain jacket because it
___________________________ (not / rain).
6 When Dad came home, we
________________________________ (sit)
at the dinner table.
7 _________________________ (you / try on)
the shoes before you bought them?
8 While I ________________________ (work)
in the garden, Mum was cooking lunch.
9 Tim came back yesterday. You
______________________ (not / know) that?
10 I _____________________________ (have)
a shower so I didn’t hear the phone, sorry.
Mark: ___ / 10
2 Circle the correct verb form in each
sentence.
1 What books did you use to read / were you
reading when you were little?
7 Who was living / had lived in the flat before
you bought it?
8 Jim had never tasted / was never tasting
paella before he went to live in Spain.
9 Mum didn’t use to travel / wasn’t travelling as
much as she does now.
10 You looked so deep in concentration. What
were you thinking / did you think about?
Mark: ___ / 10
A–C.
I 1___ a Spanish language course last year.
There were only a few students in my group, so
the teacher was able 2___ on each student
individually. Of course, we had to do some
exercises, but we spoke a lot and we 3___
Spanish all the time. 4___ grammar is usually
boring, but the way we 5___ it was actually fun!
The teacher gave us a text and we had to find
examples of the new language and then, we
6
___ to work out the rule. Problem 7___ is a
good method in language learning. It is quite
challenging and 8___ students’ work, and by
doing things you will remember better. So, on
this course, we got better at Spanish, and we
were given useful advice on how to learn a
foreign language more 9___. And I am already
looking forward 10___ another Spanish course
next summer!
1 A took B made C got
2 A concentrate B concentrating
C to concentrate

2 I had helped / was helping Granny all day on 3 A used B have used C had used
Saturday. 4 A Learn B To learn C Learning
3 When Jane did / had done the shopping, she 5 A had done B used to do C were doing
picked her children up from school.
6 A had tried B tried C used to try
4 Jim crashed into a car because he wasn’t
realising / hadn’t realised the light was red. 7 A solution B solve C solving

5 Yesterday, in the first lesson, the teacher 8 A carried on B put on C based on

used to test / was testing our spelling. 9 A effectively B sensibly C interestingly
6 When Jenny was at university, she met / 10 A for B to C at
used to meet her future husband.
Mark: ___ / 10

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4B (Unit 4)
6
Listening
4 [09] Listen to an interview and for
5 [10] Listen to a man and decide if the
questions 1–3 circle the correct answer
statements 1–4 are true (T) or false (F).
A–C.
1 The wife was joking about the lottery win.
1 The man is …
___
A at a police station.
2 The husband once won fourteen million.
B applying for a job. ___
C talking to a lecturer. 3 Every week, the couple bought a lottery
ticket. ___
2 Which is true about the man?
4 The wife wasn’t sure about the numbers.
A He spoke the truth.
___
B He hasn’t finished university.
5 First, the husband didn’t feel very happy.
C He will send the results in the summer. ___
3 The man is qualified to work as … 6 The couple were happy with their life. ___
A an actor. 7 The couple got on well with their neighbours.
___
B a lawyer.
8 The man was worried about their future.
C an engineer.
___
Mark: ___ / 3
Mark: ___ / 8

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4B (Unit 4)
7
Reading
6 Read the three texts about school uniforms, and for each text 1–3 write the best heading A–
E. There are two extra headings.
A Looking attractive D Being an individual
B Nobody judges you E All the same
C Things don’t change

1 ___
Did you wear a uniform when you were at school? I did, and I hated it. I was interested in fashion and
music, and I wanted to look like my favourite pop star. I didn’t want to look like everybody else in my class.
My favourite clothes were flared jeans and short skirts, bright shirts and big boots. Now I’m a teacher. I
look at the teenagers in my school and they are no different. They say they don’t like their school uniforms,
they read music magazines, and they spend their money on slim trousers, tiny, tight-fitting T-shirts and
expensive trainers.
2 ___
In terms of style, school uniforms are not very flattering: they are plain and the colours are dull. In our
school the uniform is a grey skirt or trousers, a white blouse or shirt, and a black jumper. Girls are not
allowed to wear jewellery. Boys wear ties. Everybody wears smart black or brown shoes. You won’t see
any trainers here.
3 ___
Despite the rules about uniform, teachers have to talk to some pupils about their clothes every day: one
girl comes in a short skirt, another with a big, bright necklace. Last week a boy had to go home because
he was wearing an earring. Why do pupils do this when they know they will have problems? The answer is
that they want to feel different; they don’t want to be the same as everybody else.

Mark: ___ / 3

7 Read the text and for questions 1–7 circle the correct answer A–C.
What do Cherie Blair, Anita Roddick, Baroness Warnock and Rosie Boycott have in common?
a) They are all leaders in their jobs.
b) They have all brought up children.
c) They were all educated at single-sex schools.
The answer is all three, but it is said that the last one is the key to their success as superwomen.
The theory introduced by Clarissa Farr, the head of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), is that girls are
much more likely to become leaders if they are pupils at single-sex schools rather than taught together
with boys. Farr believes that girls taught away from boys are more confident, assertive and are able to
present their own opinions.
‘Girls’ schools are known for getting excellent academic results,’ says Farr, head teacher of Queenswood
School in Hertfordshire, where fees are £20,000 a year.
The way girls are taught to become leaders has changed over the last few years. It’s no longer the man-
like style symbolised by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Instead, girls are inspired to believe that they can
become a leader and have children and a happy family life.
Teamwork, motivation and partnership are the key words – at home and at work. More and more schools
have heads like Farr, who has two small children and is an example to her pupils of how to lead an
organisation and have a family. ‘We now have a generation of women who expect to succeed in their
career and become leaders, as well as being mothers and wives’, she says.

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4B (Unit 4)
8
 1 Which is true about the four women listed in
the first paragraph?
A They don’t have family.
B They achieved little at work.
C They attended schools for girls only.
2 Clarissa Farr believes that …
A academic results depend on fees.
B girls are more confident than boys.
C girls’ schools prepare girls to be leaders.
3 At single-sex schools, girls …
A are taught to look after a family.
B concentrate on their future careers.
C achieve very good academic results.
Photocopiable © Oxford University Press
9
4 At Ms Farr’s school, girls …
A want to follow Margaret Thatcher’s style.
B want to have a family and a successful
career.
C pay £20,000 and are taught better than
boys.
5 At Queenswood School,
A girls see Ms Farr as a role model.
B Ms Farr plans to have a family and lead
the school.
C girls have been taught in a man-like style
since the 1980s.
6 The most appropriate headline for the article
would be:
A How to be a superwoman
B Modern schools educate leaders
C Why to choose a single-sex school
Mark ___ / 6
Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4B (Unit 4)
Writing
8 You have just been accepted to university and want to celebrate with your friends. Write an
email invitation (60–70 words) in which you …
 tell everyone the news
 invite them to a celebration
 say where and when it takes place, and how to get there
 say what they should bring

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Mark: ___ / 10

TOTAL: ___ / 60

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press Oxford Exam Trainer B1 tests / Progress test 4B (Unit 4)
10