PRACTICE

LISTENING
I. You will hear a woman called Jane Dyson talking about silk and the silk Road. Complete the
sentences with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
In the past, in some places, silk could be used in the place of 1. cash.
Silkworm caterpillars are given 2. leaves from a particular type of tree to eat.
People who campaign for 3. animal-rights are strongly opposed to certain aspects of silk-making.
The same basic 4. process has been used to make silk for thousands of years.
At one time, relatives of the 5. Chinese emperor were the only people who were legally entitled to wear silk
clothing.
Attempting to take silkworms out of China could result in someone being given the 6. death penalty
According to one story, members of a religious group hid silkworm eggs in their 7. walking sticks in order to
take them out of the country.
Kublai Kahn demanded less 8. tax burdens from people who bought and sold goods. The speaker
compares the ‘Golden Tablet to a 9. passport for important people.

II. You will hear part of a radio programme about education in which two experts, Fred Murray
and Mary Wilson, discuss literacy levels.
Choose the answer (A, B, c or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
1. Mary says that under the previous government
A. official policies weren’t being implemented.
B. overall, teachers were very demoralised.
C. literacy levels were the lowest they had ever been.
D. teachers were making a lot of unfair complaints.
2. Fred seems to believe that
A. Mary isn’t presenting an accurate picture of the situation in primary schools.
B. the government’s policy will lead to lower adult literacy rates in the future.
C. government spending in schools is wasteful.
D. not enough emphasis is being put on adult literacy.
3. Why does Fred mention the country’s gross domestic product (GDP)?
A. He believes that raising adult literacy levels will make the country more prosperous.
B. Asa result of increasing GDP, adults with literacy problems will be able to find better jobs.
C. He wants to prove that the country can afford to spend more on fighting illiteracy.
D. He thinks the government is overlooking some important research.
4. What do Mary and Fred agree about?
A. It is surprising how many people are taking part in the government’s basic literacy programme.
B. The government hasn’t' really started to deal with the problem of illiteracy yet.
C. Mary’s department is likely to make significant progress in the near future.
D. The situation is better now than it was under the last government.
5. Overall, what does Fred’s attitude seem to be?
A. angry that previous successes aren’t being repeated
B. understanding of how difficult it is to make progress in this area
C. disappointed that the government isn’t doing more
D. confused about why Mary doesn’t see things the way he does
MULTIPLE CHOICE
GUIDED CLOZE
Starfish
There exists a sea creature whose simple yet beautiful (0) ___ appearance is a cause of delight - the starfish.
Their name (1) ___, starfish are not fish; they are a type of marine invertebrate, found in both shallow and
deep waters. Starfish come in all shapes, sizes and colours as there are over 1800 species of them.
For protection, starfish have (2) ___ skin and sometimes long sharp spines. They also have radial symmetry,
meaning (3) ___ arrangement of body parts around a central axis. Although, most commonly, starfish have
five arms, there are species with up to forty, and each arm has at its (4) ___ an eye spot which can detect
light and dark. The starfish also has the ability to (5) ___ lost arms, though the process takes approximately a
year. Another interesting, if somewhat (6) ___ , fact about the starfish is its method of feeding. It takes (7)
___ of its prey (often clams, mussels or small fish), slides its stomach out of its mouth, (8) ___ its prey outside
the body, then slides its stomach back in.
0. A. outward B. outside C. outlying D. outermost
1. A. opposing B. in contrast C. notwithstanding D. nevertheless
2. A. soft B. leathery C. dense D. sturdy
3. A. a constant B. a regular C. a habitual D. an alternating
4. A. tip B. edge C. peak D. summit
5. A. renovate B. refresh C. revive D. regenerate
6. A. off-putting B. impolite C. daunting D. adverse
7. A. hold B. clasp C. grip D. catch
8. A. diminishes B. compresses C. contracts D. digests
OPEN CLOZE
(1) ____________ being informed that the peasants had no bread to eat, Marie Antoinette, the French queen,
purportedly responded, ‘Then let them eat cake? The story (2) ___________ be considered apocryphal at
best. Indeed, (3) ___________ exists convincing evidence that the exact same quote had been (4)
___________ to several other French princesses long before Marie Antoinette’s time. Nevertheless, the version
of the story featuring Marie Antoinette, and thus highlighting her supposed (5) ___________ sympathy for
her subjects’ plight, clearly (6) ___________ a chord in the common imagination and continues to stain the
young queen’s reputation to (7) ___________ day.
Marie Antoinette was certainly a lavish spender who was fatally - some might say criminally - ignorant of the
realities of her subjects' lives. However, it’s difficult not to feel at least a (8) ___________ sympathy for the
young woman who was delivered to a foreign husband at the age of fifteen, lost her son when he was just
seven and had to flee her home on three separate occasions, a murderous mob literally (9) ___________ her
heels, beforeshe was (10) ______________ sent to the guillotine to be executed in public.

WORD FORMATION
REALISE COLLECT AVOID REPEAT FRANTIC GROUND FRUIT SUMMARY

Since exams are part and parcel of life at secondary school, doing revision is one of those (1.) ___________
that we all have to put up with.
In my first two years at high school, revision meant (2.) ___________ trying to cram enough relevant
information into my head on the night before an exam. I soon came to the (3.) ___________, however, that
there is an easier, more (4.) ___________ approach.
My secret is (5.) ___________ . Whenever we cover important new material in class, I (6.) ___________ it in
some brief notes that night.
I then go over those notes the following day and again at the weekend. Finally, I test myself on the material a
few weeks later. I’m often pleasantly surprised by how much I can (7.) ___________ and laying the (8.)
___________ in this way means that I’m much more relaxed and better prepared when exam season comes
around.
READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE
1:
1B
1B 2A 3D 4D 5C 6C 7C

PASSAGE 2:
Read this article about house-hunting
 1A
2B

3D 4 5A
PASSAGE 3:
LOOKING BACK
I stirred the browning pieces of chicken and then sat down at the large wooden table while taking in the
sturdy maple cupboards and the old worn armchair tucked away in the comer. Above my head hung rows and
rows of cooking utensils, and brightly polished pots and pans were carefully stacked on every worktop. As
always, everything had been cleaned meticulously and put back in its designated place after use. Looking
back, I remembered that Mum had designed the room herself. Everything was exactly as she thought it should
be and it resembled something from an English country house, not unlike the one she had worked in as a
young woman. Until fairly recently, it had been a cosy room the family would burst into, clambering over each
other to be first to reach the stove and lift the lid off the steaming pot.

Mum had been famous for her cooking skills and for the mountains of food she fed to her relatives and friends.
In all honesty, she really had no need to cook such huge amounts day in, day out, but she insisted everything
tasted better when eaten with the family and would sit patiently waiting for them to arrive. So, we would visit
regularly and gather around this table to be fed, creating a tradition that the old woman greatly appreciated.
She had always been generous, wanting everyone to enjoy a hearty meal, but at times, I saw in this tradition
a hint of selfishness. We did after all, have our own families and day-to-day lives to attend to, and yet we had
to drop everything and come running when she had a big family meal planned.

Lost in thought, I glanced over at the comfortable armchair; her favorite place for a nap. I pictured my own
daughter, Steffi, when she was young, standing on a three-legged stool watching her grandmother intently as
she made extra-thick bread pudding with apples. Then, as the years went by, Steffi developed an even deeper
interest in learning her grandmother’s traditional recipes, writing them down in her best handwriting. I smiled
as I recalled them both busy in their old-fashioned aprons and covered in flour, separated by more than fifty
years in age, but united in their infectious laughter.

I absent-mindedly added water, salt and a cup full of rice to the pot. What a disappointment I must have
been: not particularly interested in cooking, and my lack of enthusiasm clearly comes across in the finished
product. No one even enjoys my efforts very much because preparing a meal seems like just another routine
chore to me. In recent weeks, when I saw that Mum was becoming frail, I made small contributions when
visiting. I bought the various groceries from the market and weighed ingredients while she moved less steadily
round the kitchen. Now that she’s gone, I can see clearly: kitchens tell stories of who we are and, sadly, I
won't be able to step into my mother's shoes. Family members will not come together to sample my cooking
or linger round the table, unable to tear themselves away.

I stirred the broth again, and took in the countless cookery books lined up on the shelves. The only one I own
is somewhere hidden away in the attic. A couple more unwanted gifts had gone out with the rubbish years
ago, another clear indication of the differences between us. Yes, she had tried to teach me about the joy of
experimenting with various ingredients, but understandably she soon lost patience in the face of my
indifference. No wonder she had been so pleased that Steffi felt so much more at home in the kitchen.

Nevertheless, I did gain things of great value in the hours I spent with everyone in Mum’s favourite room. First
of all, our gatherings round the table helped me to overcome my natural diffidence. I always felt comfortable
in their company and was able to be much more forthright about speaking my mind than I was elsewhere.
Also, I would listen to various issues being discussed, often impressed by how people with such different
personalities could come together to hammer out a solution to a problem facing the family. This wonderful
warm kitchen was where I started exploring the minds of others. I’m convinced that this is what led me to my
current work as an educational psychologist, helping young people who are experiencing problems in the
classroom. I may not be the world's best chef, but I can certainly cook up a great story to help youngsters
appreciate their surroundings and overcome what’s troubling them.

I turned off the soup knowing full well that it would likely be too salty or too oily, but I didn’t really care. My
husband was away on business and Steffi, long grown up, had moved to Canada. The only person who would
be dining tonight was me and, actually, my food tastes a lot better when there’s no one around to criticise it.

1. In the first paragraph, the writer suggests that the room she is in A.
is messy and crammed with outdated kitchen equipment.
B. was a source of pride for her mother.
C. had recently been redecorated.
D. is located inside a large house in the country.
2. What does the writer imply about her family’s get-togethers?
A. She thought it was inconsiderate that no one else ever offered to do the cooking.
B. They failed to make up for an underlying mean streak in her mother.
C. It was sometimes inconvenient to attend them.
D. They were something she avoided whenever possible.
3. The writer stresses that she
A. doesn’t find cooking to be an enjoyable pastime.
B. was surprised by her daughter’s attitude towards cooking.
C. has always been more self-sufficient than her mother.
D. worries about her ability to take care of her family.
4. Why didn’t the writer’s mother succeed in teaching her to cook? A.
Her mother was a very impatient teacher.
B. They didn’t have any good cookery books.
C. The writer had been too busy looking after her own daughter.
D. The writer wasn’t interested in learning.
5. By spending tune in her mother’s kitchen, the writer A.
learned to be more cautious about expressing her views.
B. had the opportunity to analyse people.
C. was persuaded to change her career.
D. realised her family members were more alike than she had thought.
6. Overall, the writer appears to
A. regret not being more like her mother.
B. resent what she considers to be her mother’s impatience.
C. have a lot of fond memories related to her mother’s kitchen.
D. be very jealous of her mother’s skills as a cook.

REWRITE:
1. When somebody accused Pauline of lying, she was offended. EXCEPTION => Pauline
___________________________________ lied.
2. Do you realise how annoying you’re being? IDEA
=> Have __________________________________________ everybody?
3. I thought the men might start fighting over the parking space. IMPRESSION
=> I got _____________________________________ blows over the parking space.
4. The boss is very likely to come to a decision until the last minute. PROBABILITY
=> In __________________________________________________ up until the last minute.
5. I didn’t consider asking Mark for help. OCCURRED
=> The thought ___________________________________ me.
6. He demanded the immediate return of his money. GIVEN
=> He insisted ___________________________________ away.