PRACTICE TEST 9-GRADE 11

SECTION II: LEXICO-GRAMMAR (40 points)

PART 1. Choose the most suitable word or phrase (A, B, C, or D) to fill in each blank (20 pts)
1. She _________ agreed to go with him to the football match although she had no interest in the game at
all.
A. apologetically B. grudgingly C. shamefacedly D. discreetly
2. On the way to Cambridge yesterday, the road was blocked by a fallen tree, so we had to make
a_________.
A. deviation B. digression C. detour D. departure
3. Tom’s normally very efficient but he’s been making a lot of mistakes_________.
A. of late B. for now C. in a while D. shortly
4. I know it’s difficult but you’ll just have to_________and bear it.
A. laugh B. smile C. grin D. chuckle
5. I didn’t want to make a decision _________, so I said I’d like to think about it.
A. in one go B. there and then C. at a stroke D. on and off
6. We are not in a _________hurry so let’s have another coffee.
A. dashing B. racing C. rushing D. tearing
7. She’s a bit down in the_________at the moment – her husband has just lost his job.
A. world B. dumps C. heart D. bottom
8. “How did you know that he was lying?” – “It was just a_________feeling.”
A.faint B. gut C. slight D. vain
9.The new company had been_________with one problem after another and looked as if it were about to
go under.
A. glorified B. tainted C. fraught D. bewildered
10. Mike decided that election to the local council would provide a_________to a career in national
politics.
A. milestone B. springboard C. highway D. turning point
11. As a poet, I think she_________comparison with the greatest this century.
A. stands B. makes C. leads D. matches
12. We all have to follow the rules, and none of us is_________the law.
A. beyond B. over C. above D. onto
13. When disaster_________, organisations such as Oxfam quickly provide help.
A.comes B. approaches C. arrives D. strikes
14. The number of people traveling by air has been growing_________.
A.by leaps and bounds B. from time to time
C. slow but sure D. by hook and crook
15. Drug-taking is a crime which society simply cannot _________.
A. approve B. acknowledge C. consent D. condone
16. I was scared _________when I looked down from the top of the cliff.
A. tight B. stiff C. hard D. solid
17. The whereabouts of the exiled president remains a_________ guarded secret.
A. highly B. closely C. deeply D. entirely
18. We should all _________when advertisers attempt to use unfair practices.
A. make a stand B. make a comeback
C. make amends D. make a deal
19. The company cannot accept _________ for injuries resulting from improper use of rental equipment
A. validity B. liability C. compensation D. privilege

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20. Jack never cheats or tricks anybody when he plays. He always goes by the _________.
A. book B. instructions C. principles D. method

PART 2. Give the correct form of the words in brackets. (10 pts)
1. This place is an ___exclusion__________ zone, which is restricted to people who work in the
Parliamentary House only. (EXCLUDE)
2. He was _____________by the darkness and got lost in the forest. (NIGHT)
3. He was _____________with intelligence but he tried hard to make up for it. (ENDOW)
4. Any _____________gimmicks are forbidden in this competition. (MALICE)
5. Surely all women must have_____________ instinct or the human race would die out. (MOTHER)
6. Putting up with noise coming from the neighbor is probably the most _____________ thing. (TO)
7. The leader was taken into custody, which brought an end to the _____________. (SURGE)
8. The spectacular view of Sa Pa has _____________many visitors. (RAPTURE)
9. Andy has received such_____________ fame after he tried himself in the school’s play. (WONT)
10. The aridity in that area _____________a poor crop. (TOKEN)

PART 3. The passage below contains 10 errors. IDENTIFY and CORRECT them. Write your
answers in the space provided . (0) has been done as an example. (10 pts)

1 When constructing eco-friendly homes, builders allocate specific types of energy-

2 efficient resources for specific areas of the home. For instance, it is common to affix
3 single or double panels on the tops of hot water heaters to absorb solar energy and
4 provide a costly-effective, continual, renewable power source. These types of hot water
5 heaters are inexpensive to install and unobtrusive to the eye. In case of wind power, it is
6 neither attractive nor particularly efficient to erect a towering turbine next to a single
7 home; rather,(more exactly) it is built in an area where it can power several homes at
8 last at once. Furthermore, what how homebuilders position their homes influences
9 their energy efficiency. A home with south-facing windows will absorb the natural
10 radiation from the sun, thus heat heating the home without using any energy-producing
11 device. And builders line homes with the best forms of insulation so so that any energy
12 is used used to heat a home, whether it be natural or from electricity transmitted
13 through the grid, will not easily escape from it.
14 In the case of : regarding to, in regard to, in relation to, in the matter of

Your answers: on to ( affix sth to sth)

Lines Mistakes Corrections
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

SECTION III. READING (50 points)

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PART 1. Choose the best word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the
following passage. (10 points)
Today the police are able to make use of all kinds of scientific and technological aids in their (1)________
against crime. However, this was not always the (2)______.
In the early days of the British police force, during the nineteenth century, the police officer’s whistle was
his (3)________ way of calling for help if he got into (4)_________. Gradually, in the twentieth century,
things (5)_________ to improve. Those police officers lucky enough to be (6)_______ a patrol car rather
than a bicycle could also take (7) ________ of radio communications.
In 1903, a new system for identifying people by their fingerprints was discovered. (8) _________ it soon
proved to be one of the most significant developments in crime investigation, a (9) _________ of the
national fingerprint collection could (10)_______ days, if not weeks, until computers were introduced in
the 1970s.
1. A. charge B. duty C. fight D. match
2. A. instance B. case C. event D. condition
3. A. mere B. whole C. pure D. main
4. A. difficulty B. anxiety C. concern D. complaint
5. A. believed B. belonged C. became D. began
6. A. given B. thought C. throuwn D. caught
7. A. profit B. advantage C. benefit D. service
8. A. Moreover B. Whether C. Despite D. Although
9. A. hunt B. look C. search D. seek
10. A. pass B. stand C. spend D. take

PART 2. Fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and write your
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 points)

All tournament chess games are olayed with a chess clock- that is, two clocks joined together.
When one player makes his move, his presses a button which stops hic block and starts his opponent’s
clock. (1)_______ fails to keep to the time limit, no (2)_______ what the position on the board, loses the
game.
Weekend tournaments with a fast time limit and long sessions of play of (3)________ to twelve
hours a day are very strenuous and (4)__________ in fatigue and time troubles. The play is quite sharp.
Active, attracking chess is the order of the day and it is difficult to maintain (5)_________ sustained,
precise defence against such play. A score sheet, which has to be handed to the tournament officials at the
end of each round. A score of the game must be (6)_________ as play goes on.The only thought in
everybody’d head is to win. Talent and youth – that’s (7)_______is needed for success at chess,
(8)__________ the emphasis on youth. Some approach the board with a slow, purposeful manner
(9)________ giving you a second glance – you simply don’t count. They seem to imply that the outcome
is a foregone conclusion for them; you only need to accept it with good (10)________.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to
indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 1 to 5. (10 points)
Although noise, commonly defined as unwanted sound, is a widely recognized form of pollution,
it is very difficult to measure because the discomfort experienced by different individuals is highly

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exposed to higher levels may actually cause hearing loss. Particularly in congested urban areas, the noise
produced as a byproduct of our advancing technology causes physical and psychological harm but it also
detracts from the quality of life for those exposed to it. Unlike the eyes, which can be covered by the
eyelids against strong light, the car has no lid, and is, therefore, always open and vulnerable, noise
penetrates without protection. Noise causes effects that the hearer cannot control and to which the body
never becomes accustomed to. Loud noises instinctively signal danger to any organism with a hearing
mechanism, including human beings. In reponse, heartbeat and respiration accelerate, blood vessels
constrict, the skin pales, and muscles tense. In fact, there is a general increase in functioning brought
about by the flow of adrenaline released in response to fear, and some of these responses persist even
longer than the noise, occasionally as long as thirty minutes after the sound has ceased.
Because noise is unavoidable in a complex, industrial society, we are constantly responding in the
same ways that we would respond to danger. Recently, researchers have concluded that noise and our
response may be much more than an annoyance. It may be a serious threat to physical and psychological
health and well-being, causing damage not only to the ear and brain but also to the heart and stomach. We
have long known that hearing loss is America’s number one nonfatal health problem, but now we are
learning that some of us with heart disease and ulcers may be victims of noise. Investigations on human
subjects have demonstrated that babies are affected by noise even before they are born. Fetuses exposed to
noise tend to be overactive, they cry easily, and they are more sensitive to gastrointestinal problems after
birth. In addition, the psychological effect of noise is very important. Nervousness, irritability, tension,
and anxiety increase, affecting the quality of rest during sleep, and the efficiency of activities during
walking hours, as well as the way that we interact with one another.
1. Which of the following is the author’s main point?
A. Hearing loss is America’s number one nonfatal health problem.
B. Loud noise signal danger.
C. Noise may pose a serioud threat to our physical and psychological health.
D. The car is not like the eye.
2. Why is noise difficult to measure?
A. All people do not respond to it in the same way.
B. It causes hearing loss
C. It is unwanted
D. People become accustomed to it
3. The word it in paragraph 1 refres to _______.
A. the quality of life B. our advancing technology
C. the noise D. physical and psychological harm
4. Look at the verb accelerate in paragraph 3. Which of the folowing is the closest in meaning to it?
A. cease B. rise C. swell D. increase
5. According to the passsage, people respond to loud noises in the same way that they respond to _____.
A. annoyance B. danger C. damage D. disease

PART 4. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. (20 points)

Investigating Children’s Language

A. For over 200 years, there has been an interest in the way children learn to speak and understand their
first language. Scholars carried out several small-scale studies, especially towards the end of the 19th
century, using data they recorded in parental diaries. But detailed, systematic investigation did not begin
until the middle decades of the 20th century, when the tape recorder came into routine use. This made it
possible to keep a permanent record of samples of child speech, so that analysts could listen repeatedly to
obscure extracts, and thus produce a detailed and accurate description. Since then, the subject has attracted

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enormous multi-disciplinary interest, notably from linguists and psychologists, who have used a variety of
observational and experimental techniques to study the process of language acquisition in depth.

B. Central to the success of this rapidly emerging field lies the ability of researchers to devise satisfactory
methods for eliciting linguistic data from children. The problems that have to be faced are quite different
from those encountered when working with adults. Many of the linguist’s routine techniques of enquiry
cannot be used with children. It is not possible to carry out certain kinds of experiments, because aspects
of children’s cognitive development – such as their ability to pay attention, or to remember instructions –
may not be sufficiently advanced. Nor is it easy to get children to make systematic judgments about
language, a task that is virtually impossible below the age of three. And anyone who has tried to obtain
even the most basic kind of data – a tape recording of a representative sample of a child’s speech – knows
how frustrating this can be. Some children, it seems, are innately programmed to switch off as soon as
they notice a tape recorder being switched on.

C. Since the 1960s, however, several sophisticated recording techniques and experimental designs have
been devised. Children can be observed and recorded through one-way-vision windows or using radio
microphones, so that the effects of having an investigator in the same room as the child can be eliminated.
Large-scale sampling programmes have been carried out, with children sometimes being recorded for
several years. Particular attention has been paid to devising experimental techniques that fall well within a
child’s intellectual level and social experience. Even pre-linguistic infants have been brought into the
research: acoustic techniques are used to analyse their vocalisations, and their ability to perceive the world
around them is monitored using special recording equipment. The result has been a growing body of
reliable data on the stages of language acquisition from birth until puberty. There is no single way of
studying children’s language. Linguistics and psychology have each brought their own approach to the
subject, and many variations have been introduced to cope with the variety of activities in which children
engage, and the great age range that they present. Two main research paradigms are found.

D. One of these is known as ‘naturalistic sampling’. A sample of a child’s spontaneous use of language is
recorded in familiar and comfortable surroundings. One of the best places to make the recording is in the
child’s own home, but it is not always easy to maintain good acoustic quality, and the presence of the
researcher or the recording equipment can be a distraction (especially if the proceedings are being filmed).
Alternatively, the recording can be made in a research centre, where the child is allowed to play freely
with toys while talking to parents or other children, and the observers and their equipment are unobtrusive.

E. A good quality, representative, naturalistic sample is generally considered an ideal datum for child
language study. However, the method has several limitations. These samples are informative about speech
production, but they give little guidance about children’s comprehension of what they hear around them.
Moreover, samples cannot contain everything, and they can easily miss some important features of a
child’s linguistic ability. They may also not provide enough instances of a developing feature to enable the
analyst to make a decision about the way the child is learning. For such reasons, the description of
samples of child speech has to be supplemented by other methods.

F. The other main approach is through experimentation, and the methods of experimental psychology have
been widely applied to child language research. The investigator formulates a specific hypothesis about
children’s ability to use or understand an aspect of language, and devises a relevant task for a group of
subjects to undertake. A statistical analysis is made of the subjects’ behaviour, and the results provide
evidence that supports or falsifies the original hypothesis.

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G. Using this approach, as well as other methods of controlled observation, researchers have come up with
many detailed findings about the production and comprehension of groups of children. However, it is not
easy to generalise the findings of these studies. What may obtain in a carefully controlled setting may not
apply in the rush of daily interaction. Different kinds of subjects, experimental situations, and statistical
procedures may produce different results or interpretations. Experimental research is therefore a slow,
painstaking business; it may take years before researchers are convinced that all variables have been
considered and a finding is genuine.
Questions 1-5
The reading passage has seven paragraphs: A – G. Choose the most suitable paragraph headings B
– F from the list of headings on the right. NB There are more paragraph headings than paragraphs
so you will not use them all.
Question 1: Paragraph B: _______
Question 2: Paragraph C: _______
Question 3: Paragraph D: _______
Question 4: Paragraph E: _______
Question 5: Paragraph F: _______
i. Some limitations in the research method of child’s language
ii. The differences between analysing children’s and adults’ language 
iii. Experimental approach to investigate child’s language use
iv. The development of some new research methods
v. The beneficial effects of investigating children language
vi. The record of child’s use of language in familiar and comfortable surroundings

Questions 6-10
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
One method of carrying out research is to record children’s spontaneous language use. This can be
done in their homes, where, however, it may be difficult to ensure that the recording is of
acceptable (6)________________Another venue which is often used is a (7)________________ where
the researcher can avoid distracting the child. A drawback of this method is that it does not allow children
to demonstrate their comprehension. An alternative approach is to use methodology from the field of
(8)________________. In this case, a number of children are asked to carry out a (9)________________
and the results are subjected to a (10)________________.

Part 3: Write an essay of about 350 words to express your opinion on the following topic:
The social networks have a tremendous influence in shaping juveniles’ character.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? (30 points).

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___THE END___