BAHÇEŞEHİR CYPRUS UNIVERSITY

English Preparatory School

2019-2020 Academic Year
Fall Semester

PLACEMENT EXAM
Question Paper

Duration: 150 Minutes

Name Surname:

Personal ID Number:

Department:

Date:

This test consists of (16) pages please ensure that you have a complete
paper.

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 EXAMINATION RULES

 Students are required to be at the exam venue on time with photo identification with them.
 Students have to comply with the rules expressed by examiners during the examination. Those
who fail to do so or argue with the examiners are asked to leave the exam hall and they fail the
exam.
 Students arriving late for examinations are admitted to the examination venue without questions
during the first 30 minutes of the examination period but without any additional time to
complete the examination.
 Students are not allowed to leave the exam venue during the first 30 minutes after the exam
starts, and during the last 10 minutes before the exam finishes. Students will not leave their
seats until all exam papers have been collected and the announcement is made students may
leave the room.
 Students are not allowed to leave the examination hall except for emergencies.
 Students are required to bring all the stationaries (pen, eraser, etc.) with them. Students are not
allowed to borrow pens/pencils, erasers etc. from each other.
 Students are not permitted to use dictionaries during the exam.
 Electronic devices, including mobile phones, smartwatches and other electronic devices must be
turned off and put away during the examination.
 Smoking and eating are not allowed in the examination venue.
 The students who are caught cheating are immediately asked to leave the examination hall and
discipline investigation will be started.
 If a student cheats from another student, each of the students will be responsible. The
confidentiality of each student's responses to exam papers is his/her sole responsibility.

  

SECTION 1: LISTENING (20 points)

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Part 1
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer (10 p).

Things to do before we go
Example:
 Collect the currency.
 Cancel appointment with the 1. _____________(Monday).
 Begin taking the 2. __________ (Tuesday).
 Buy
3. __________
A small bag,
A spare 4. ___________
An electrical 5. ___________
 Book a 6. ____________
Instructions for Laura’s mum
 Feed the cat
Vet’s details:
Name: Colin 7. ___________
Tel: 8. ____________
Address: Fore Street (opposite the 9. _____________ )
 Water the plants
 Meet the heating engineer on 10. ____________

Part 2
Questions 11-16
Choose the correct answer, A, B or C (10 p).

Adbourne Film Festival

11. Why was the film Festival started?
A. To encourage local people to make films.
B. To bring more tourists to the town.
C. To use money released from another project.

12. What is the price range for tickets?

A. £1.00-£2.50
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B. 50p-£2.00
C. £1.50-£2.50

13. As well as online, tickets for the films can be obtained

A. from the local library
B. from several different shops
C. from the two festival cinemas

14. Last year’s winning film was about

A. farms of the future
B. schools and the environment
C. green transport options

15. This year the competition prize is

A. a stay in a hotel
C. film-making equipment
D. a sum of money

16. The deadline for entering a film in the competition is the end of
A. May
B. June
C. July

17. Choose TWO letters, A-E

What TWO main criteria are used to judge the film competition?
A. Ability to persuade
B. Quality of the story
C. Memorable characters
D. Quality of photography
E. Originality

18. Choose TWO letters, A-E

What TWO changes will be made to the competition next year?

A. A new way of judging

B. A different length of film.
C. An additional age category.
D. Different performance times
E. New locations for performances.

SECTION 2 – READING (20 Points)

TEXT 1
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Read the text and choose the best options for the questions 19-28 (1 point each)

(1) We often worry about lying awake in the middle of the night, but it could actually be good for you. A
considerable amount of evidence from both science and history suggests that the eight-hour sleep cycle
may be unnatural. In the early 1990s, psychiatrist Thomas Wehr conducted an experiment. In his
experiment, a group of people stayed in a dark room for 14 hours every day for a month. It took some time
for them to regulate their sleep, but by the fourth week, the subjects had settled into a very distinct sleeping
pattern. They slept first for four hours, and then woke up and stayed awake for one or two hours before
falling into a second four-hour sleep. Though sleep scientists were impressed by the study, the general
public believes that we must sleep for eight hours without interruption.

(2) In 2001, historian Roger Ekirch of Virginia Tech published a paper, drawn from 16 years of research.
The paper revealed a lot of historical evidence that humans used to sleep in two different blocks or chunks.
Much like the experience of Wehr's subjects, Ekirch’s findings described a first sleep which began about
two hours after sunset, followed by a waking period of one or two hours and then a second sleep. When
they were awake, between two periods of sleep, people often got up, played cards or smoked and some
even visited neighbours. Most people did not stay in bed; instead they read, wrote and often prayed.

(3) Ekirch found out that sleeping in two different blocks started to disappear during the late 17 th century.
This started among the urban upper classes in northern Europe and spread to the rest of Western society
over the course of the next 200 years. By the 1920s, the idea of a first and second sleep had disappeared
entirely from our social consciousness. That is due to the improvements in street lighting, domestic lighting
and an increase in the number of coffee houses which were sometimes open all night. As the night became
a place for social activity and as that activity increased, the length of time people could dedicate to rest and
relaxation dwindled. In his new book, Evening's Empire, historian Craig Koslofsky explained how this
happened. "People’s opinions about night and darkness before the 17th century were not good," he says.
“The night was a place populated by people of disrepute - criminals and drunks. Even the wealthy, who
could afford candlelight, had better things to spend their money on. There was no prestige or social value
associated with staying up all night."

(4) This changed after the Reformation*. Protestants and Catholics started to hold secret meetings at night.
This trend became popular in social sphere too, but only for the wealthy. With the advent of street lighting,
however, socialising at night started to be seen in lower classes as well. In 1667, Paris became the first city
in the world to light its streets, using wax candles in glass lamps. Before long, another European city,
Cordoba in Spain, started using street lamps. It was followed by Lille in France, in the same year, and
Amsterdam two years later, where a much more efficient oil-powered lamp was developed. London did not
join them until 1684, but by the end of the century, more than 50 of Europe's major towns and cities were

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lit at night. Night became fashionable and spending hours lying in bed was considered a waste of time.

(5) Today, most people seem to have adapted quite well to the eight-hour sleep, but Ekirch believes many
sleeping problems may have roots in the human body's natural preference for a two-part sleep cycle as well
as the invention of artificial light. “This could be the root of a condition called “sleep maintenance
insomnia”, where people wake during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep”, he suggests.
Throughout history, we slept a certain way," says sleep psychologist Gregg Jacobs. "Waking up during the
night is part of normal human physiology. The idea that we must sleep in one single block could be
damaging because it makes people who wake up at night anxious, and this anxiety can itself prohibit sleep
and is likely to affect people when they are awake too”.

(6) Gregg Jacobs says "Over 30% of medical problems are caused directly or indirectly by sleep. But sleep
has been ignored in medical training and there are very few centres where sleep is studied." He suggests
that the waking period between sleeps, when people were able to rest and relax, must have played an
important part in the human capacity to regulate stress naturally. In many historic documents, Jacobs found
that people used the waking period to meditate."Today, we spend less time doing those things," says
Jacobs. "It is not a coincidence that, in modern life, the number of people who report anxiety, stress,
depression, alcoholism and drug abuse has gone up." So, the next time you wake up in the middle of the
night, think of your pre-industrial ancestors and relax. Lying awake could be good for you.

* Reformation: the period between 1517 and 1648

19. In paragraph 1, the author points out that ____.

a) Thomas Wehr’s experiment changed people’s sleeping habits
b) people sleep best in absolute darkness
c) the value of sleeping for 8 uninterrupted hours a day can be questioned
d) the benefits of the eight-hour sleep have strong historical evidence

20. According to paragraph 2, ____.

a) during the waking period, people were not passive
b) Ekirch’s and Wehr’s studies produced contrasting results
c) going to sleep right after sunset proved to be relaxing
d) people who couldn’t sleep generally visited their neighbours

21. Which of the following is FALSE according to paragraph 3?

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 a) Until the 17th century, night time was associated with negative things.
b) The idea of the first and second sleep totally disappeared in early 1900s.
c) The increase in the number of coffee houses led to a rise in crime rates.
d) The habit of the first and second sleep vanished first in the upper classes.

22. Paragraph 4 is mainly about ____.

a) how rich people made use of street lighting
b) different types of street lighting in various European cities
c) why Protestants and Catholics held secret meetings at night
d) the spread of street lighting throughout Europe

23. We can infer from paragraph 5 that ____.

a) waking up during the night is considered unnatural by experts
b) our sleeping pattern has changed in time
c) sleeping in an uninterrupted block is best for modern people
d) sleep maintenance insomnia cannot be treated

24. In paragraph 6, Gregg Jacobs emphasizes the ____.

a) negative effects of stress
b) the importance of waking period between sleeps
c) consequences of lack of sleep
d) various ways of coping with sleeping problems

25. Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
a) Modern Life and Sleep Disorders
b) Stages of Sleep Deprivation
c) The Myth of the Eight-hour Sleep
d) How to Overcome Sleeping Problems

26. The word “It” in paragraph 4 refers to ____.

a) Lille b) Cordoba c) Amsterdam d) Paris

27. The word “dwindled” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ____.

a) decreased b) triggered c) coincided d) acquired

28. The word “advent” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ____.

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a) study b) request c) schedule d) introduction

TEXT 2
Read the text and choose the best options for the questions 29-33 (1 point each).

Virtually all children express aggressive behaviour in infancy and early childhood, so the real issue is not
"how do children become aggressive?" but rather "why do some children continue to be aggressive and
become violent teenagers?" Research reveals that patterns of aggression start to become stable and
foreseen by the time a child is eight years old and unless we do something to intervene, children identified
as aggressive at this age will tend to be aggressive 30 years later. There are two principal processes that
control aggression in childhood: the ideas a child learns about aggression and the experiences a child has
in situations where aggressive behaviour is modelled and reinforced. Some children receive consistent
messages that reduce the legitimacy of aggression ("don't hit"), while others receive messages that legalize
it ("fight back when attacked"). Similarly, some children observe parents, siblings and peers resolving
conflict non-aggressively while others observe abuse and fighting. We must always remember that almost
everyone who commits an act of violence believes it is justified—at least at the time of committing the
act. All this helps to explain why boys have traditionally engaged in more physical aggression than girls.
Girls have been taught "girls don't hit" and were generally excluded from situations where they could
practice being physically aggressive. In contrast, boys were taught "boys do hit—it's just a matter of
learning who, when and where to hit" and were welcomed into situations where physical aggression is
normal. The kids most at risk from bringing a pattern of serious childhood aggression into adolescence are
those who have developed a chronic pattern of bad behaviour and violating the rights of others.

29. We can understand from the text that _____.

a) infancy is the only period where aggression is not observed
b) it is more difficult to identify aggressive behaviour in early childhood
c) it takes 30 years for aggressive behavior to become permanent
d) patterns of aggression are formed before the age of 8

30. Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED as a factor that may turn children into aggressive
teenagers?
a) exposure to different opinions regarding aggressive behavior
b) disobedience to rules and laws set by the authority
c) observing whether aggressive behaviour is acceptable or not
d) examining how conflicts are brought to an end in the family
31. According to the text, _____.
a) the way girls and boys are brought up affects how they approach violence
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 b) it is the girls who are most at risk of becoming violent teenagers
c) rationalizing a violent act is not easy for the person who commits it
d) girls should be more involved in situations of physical aggression

32. The word “those” refers to _____.

a) situations b) kids c) siblings d) patterns

33. The word “foreseen” in the text is closest in meaning to ____.

a) predictable b) legal c) mysterious d) responsive

TEXT 3
Read the text and choose the best options for the questions 34-38 (1 point each).

It can be hard to admit to feelings of loneliness, but one in ten British people is lonely. It’s not just an issue
for the elderly – loneliness is rising among the young and recent research indicates that this may be the
next biggest public health issue along with obesity and drug use. For those that experience loneliness for a
long time, research has shown that this affects their health in a greater way than smoking 15 cigarettes a
day or being obese. Loneliness has also been linked to poor mental health. A survey by Mental Health
Foundation found that in the UK one in ten of us feels lonely often and 48 percent of people think British
people are becoming lonelier in general. Britain has even been voted the “loneliness capital” of Europe. So
why are we getting lonelier? Changes in modern society are considered to be the cause. We live in nuclear
family units, often living far away from our extended family and friends. Thus, our growing reliance on
social technology to supplant face to face interaction is thought to be making us feel more isolated. It
means we feel less connected to others and our relationships are becoming more trivial and less rewarding.
What can we do to reduce loneliness? The answers to this question may vary between the younger and
older generations. In a recent study, loneliness was reduced in older people in residential care when they
were given training in social media use so they could remain in contact with family and loved ones.
Researchers found that strategies that target negative thought processes were also successful. So it seems
that for some lonely people, reducing social isolation and helping them link up with others could be
helpful.

34. According to the text, _____.

a) obesity and drug abuse will be the biggest global threats in the future
b) the number of older people suffering from loneliness is growing
c) loneliness could be as harmful to physical health as smoking
d) young people are better at admitting to feeling lonely
35. Which of the following statements CANNOT be inferred from the text?
a) Loneliness could result from lifestyles people are leading.
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 b) Loneliness has become a major public health issue in the UK.
c) It is difficult to overcome feelings of loneliness despite forming closer relationships.
d) Living away from extended family could be a factor leading to isolation.

36. The text comments on different aspects of loneliness EXCEPT its _____.
a) possible causes
b) effects on health
c) potential solutions
d) influence on job performance

37. The word “supplant” in the text is closest in meaning to _____.

a) last b) deduce c) replace d) trigger

38. The word “trivial” in the text is closest in meaning to ____.

a) optional b) apparent c) productive d) unimportant
 

SECTION 3: VOCABULARY AND USAGE (20 points)

PART 1

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 Choose the best answers to make meaningful sentences for the questions 39-48 (0.5 point each).
39. A ____ lawyer can develop strategies to handle a complicated case and obtain a successful
outcome for his client.
a) reserved b) competent c) stable d) subtle

40. President Obama ____ the Olympic team for winning 46 gold medals and for the individual
achievement athletes made.
a) assumed b) assured c) confirmed d) praised

41. Being a teacher is a fulfilling and ____ career. There is nothing more wonderful than seeing
children make progress.
a) rewarding  b) compatible c) tedious d) repetitive

42. Despite the potential environmental risks associated with the new nuclear power plant project, the
Prime Minister seems determined to ____ with the plan.
a) accelerate b) convince c) proceed d) adapt

43. Stunning scenery and an abundance of wildlife make this town an ideal place to escape the fast
____ of modern life.
a) regulation b) dimension c) pace d) layer

44. Irish writer Cecelia Ahern's first novel PS I Love You received great ____ and commercial success
despite mixed reviews.
a) publicity  b) network c) supervision d) expert

45. Physical abuse can be defined as any action that ____ harms or injures another person.
a) sensibly b) intentionally  c) precisely d) cautiously

46. Apple has a ____ for being highly innovative and is able to charge higher prices for its products as
compared to its PC-based rivals.
a) horizon b) reputation c) qualification d) proportion

47. A surprising detail that ____ from Professor Long’s study was that Jupiter's upper atmosphere
includes a layer of ice crystals.
a) emerged b) estimated c) exploited d) engaged

48. Tomorrow, starting at 6:00 pm, our website will be offline ____ as we upgrade our software to a
new platform.

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 a) coherently b) vitally c) intensely d) temporarily 

PART 2

Complete the text below with appropriate options a, b, c, or d (49-53). Put a cross on the correct
option for each space (1 point each)

Although entrepreneurship rates vary from country to country, everywhere in the world there
are more male than female entrepreneurs. If you look at someone’s overall chance of ___(49)___ a
company, you will find that gender is a really strong predictor of ___(50)___ or not they will become an
entrepreneur. Women are less likely to be entrepreneurs than men, and this has been a big puzzle because
women are as innovative as men and companies ___(51)___ by women are as successful. So why aren’t
women launching companies at the same rate? First, women are uncomfortable with taking financial risks.
Second, women are typically more patient than men. As a consequence, they tend ___(52)___ unqualified
and abusive bosses for a longer time instead of quitting their jobs to launch a business. Third, there is yet to
be a market that is as friendly to female as male entrepreneurs. As a result, our definition of
entrepreneurship is male-normative, and women’s potential for entrepreneurship ___(53)___ in terms of
their resemblance to male entrepreneurs.

49. a) starting b) to start c) start d) to be started

50. a) neither b) either c) whether d) if

51. a) by running b) are run c) running d) run

52. a) tolerating b) tolerate c) to tolerating d) to tolerate

53. a) to judge b) is judged c) judging d) has judged

PART 3
Complete the text below with appropriate options a, b, c, or d (54-58). Put a cross on the correct
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option for each space (1 point each)
Lack of water creates a survival problem for all desert organisms, animals and plants alike. But animals
have an additional problem -- they are ___(54)___ sensitive to extremes of temperature than plants are.
Animals receive heat directly by radiation from the sun, and indirectly from the soil and air. The biological
processes of animal tissue can function only within a narrow temperature range. ___(55)___ this range is
exceeded, the animal dies. For four or five months of the year, the daily temperatures in the desert may
actually exceed this range. Combined ___(56)___ the shortage of life-sustaining water, survival for desert
animals can become extremely difficult. Fortunately, most desert animals have evolved both behavioural
and physiological mechanisms to solve the heat and water problems ___(57)___ the desert environment
creates. Among the thousands of desert animal species, there are many remarkable behavioural and
structural adaptations developed ___(58)___ excess heat.

54. a) how b) as c) much d) more

55. a) However b) Although c) When d) Since

56. a) over b) with c) into d) for

57. a) that b) what c) how d) when

58. a) avoid b) avoiding c) to avoid d) avoided

PART 4
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Choose the sentences with the same meaning. (59-63)

59. The average working week is still over 40 hours in most countries despite the improvements in

working conditions (1 point each).

a) Working conditions have shown signs of improvement in most countries, but on average people still
work over 40 hours in a week.
b) Once the working conditions improve, people will not be required to work more than 40 hours in a
week in many countries.
c) Whether an average working week should be over 40 hours is still a debatable issue in most
countries despite the advances in working conditions.
d) No matter how improved the working conditions are, a minimum of 40 hours working time is
needed in many countries.
60. As pollution control measures are expensive, many industries hesitate to adopt them.

a) Although measures for pollution control are high-priced, most industries are ready to accept them.
b) As pollution control measures are becoming more and more expensive, some industries have
decided not to adopt them.
c) Many industries are not sure about accepting pollution control measures since they are costly.
d) Many industries have agreed not to adopt pollution control measures but some are still hesitant
about it.

61. Once recognized, diabetes requires treatment to stabilize the blood sugar level and keep it within
strict limits.
a) Before treating diabetes, the blood sugar level needs to be stabilized and kept below certain limits.
b) If diabetes is spotted on time, it can easily be treated by balancing the blood sugar level and
maintaining it within tight limits.
c) After it is identified, it is important to treat diabetes in order to stabilize the blood sugar level and
keep it under tight control.
d) Although it can be recognized easily, treating diabetes is hard because it requires tight control over
the blood sugar level and its limits.

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62. It’s a fact of modern life that people are having fewer children than their parents and

grandparents did.

a) People are having smaller families than their parents and grandparents did as a reality of modern life.
b) Life today is very different from that of our parents and grandparents, so it is wiser not to have as
many children.
c) Many men and women are choosing to have small families because of the demands of modern life.
d) When compared to our parents’ and grandparents’ lives in the past, modern life today is harder for
families with little kids.

63. There are always going to be people who believe that, as a woman, you are not able to do certain

jobs.

a) People have always been unsure about the types of jobs that are appropriate for women.
b) There will always be people holding the idea that certain jobs are not suitable for women.
c) That women are not suitable for some jobs has frequently been a hot topic of discussion.
d) Women are well aware of the fact that certain jobs are not actually suitable for them.

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SECTION 4: WRITING (20 points)
Choose only one of the following topics and write an essay of 250 words. Please write your essay on
the blank paper attached to the answer sheet.

A: Women and men are commonly seen as having different strengths and weaknesses. Is it right to exclude
males or females from certain professions because of their gender.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and
experience.

B: Many people believe that formal pen and paper examinations are not the best method of assessing
educational achievement. What is your view of examinations?
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and
experience.

C: Learning to manage money is one of the key aspects of adult life. How in your view can individuals best
learn to manage their money?
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and
experience.

D: To some people studying the past has little value in the modern world. Why do you think it is important
to do so? What will be the effect if children are not taught history?
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and
experience.

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