PRACTICE TEST 6

A. LISTENING
PART 2 Questions 11 – 20

Questions 11 – 14

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

LOCAL COUNCIL REPORT ON TRAFFIC AND HIGHWAYS

11. A survey found people’s main concern about traffic in the area was

A. cuts to public transport.

B. poor maintenance of roads.

C. changes in the type of traffic.

12. Which change will shortly be made to the cycle path next to the river?

A. It will be widened.

B. It will be extended.

C. It will be resurfaced.

13. Plans for a pedestrian crossing have been postponed because

A. the Post Office has moved.

B. the proposed location is unsafe.

C. funding is not available at present.

14. On Station Road, notices have been erected

A. telling cyclists not to leave their bikes outside the station ticket office.

B. asking motorists to switch off engines when waiting at the level crossing.

C. warning pedestrians to leave enough time when crossing the railway line.
Questions 15 – 20

Label the map below.

Write the correct letter, A – I, next to Questions 15 – 20

15. New car park ___________

16. New cricket pitch ___________

17. Children’s playground ___________

18. Skateboard ramp ___________

19. Pavilion ___________

20. Notice board ___________

PART 3 Questions 21 – 30
Questions 21 – 22
Choose TWO letters, A – E
Which TWO benefits of city bike – sharing schemes do the students agree are the most important?
A. reducing noise pollution
B. reducing traffic congestion
C. improving air quality
D. encouraging health and fitness
E. making cycling affordable

Questions 23 – 24
Choose TWO letters, A-E
Which TWO things do the students think are necessary for successful bike-sharing schemes?
A. Bikes should have a GPS system.
B. The app should be easy to use.
C. Public awareness should be raised.
D. Only one scheme should be available.
E. There should be a large network of cycle lanes.

Questions 25 – 30
What is the speakers’ opinion of the bike – sharing schemes in each of the following cities?
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to Questions 25 – 30

Opinion of bike – sharing scheme

A. They agree it has been disappointing.
B. They think it should be cheaper.
C. They are surprised it has been so successful.
D. They agree that more investment is required.
E. They think the system has been well designed.
F. They disagree about the reason for its success.
G. They think it has expanded too quickly.

Cities
25. Amsterdam ___________
26. Dublin ___________
27. London ___________
28. Buenos Aires ___________
29. New York ___________
30. Sydney ___________
PHONETICS and VOCABULARY
PHONENICS:
Exercise 1: Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others.
1. A. island B. aisle C. conserve D. debris
2. A. chorus B. cherish C. chaos D. character
3. A. comb B. debt C. doubt D. absorb
4. A. finale B. plagiarize C. simultaneously D. invasion
5. A. supposedly B. allegedly C. confusedly D. wickedly
II. Choose the word that is stressed differently from the others in the list.
1. A. counterculture B. countersubject C. countertenor D. countermeasure
2. A. fulltime B. farmhand C. fertile D. tradesman
3. A. paralysis B. monetary C. analogous D. protagonist
4. A. lunatic B. allergic C. arithmetic D. magnetic
5. A. engineer B. refugee C. referee D. employee
Choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D) to complete each of the following sentences. (20 points)
1. After a great deal of hard work, he finally _________ his ambitions.
a) got b) realised c) possessed d) deserved
2. The review committee _________ three practising lawyers and a retired businessman.
a) consists b) comprises c) makes up d) encloses
3. Don't worry: this is nothing that _________ you.
a) matters b) entails c) concerns d) complicates
4. As always, I am _________ with everything you say.
a) agree b) agreeing c) agreeable d) in agreement
5. I _________ doubt whether he will actually carry out his threats.
a) highly b) deeply c) absolutely d) seriousl
6. Her description closely _________ that of a known criminal.
a) assembles b) resembles c) dissembles d) reassembles
7. I _________ hope there won't be a repetition of these unfortunate events.
a) deeply b) strongly c) sincerely d) thoroughly
8. That voice sounds _________ I'm sure I know her.
a) known b) usual c) familiar d) remembered
9. He finally got the reward he so richly _________.
a) owes b) earns c) deserves d) justifies
10. I strongly _________ that her current enthusiasm is not going to last.
 a) think b) conclude c) speculate d) suspect

11. The Premiership clubs have never disguised their antipathy _______ those who oppose their
principles.
A. over B. with C. up D. to
12. Could you possibly ________ in for me at the next committee meeting? I’ll be busy then.
A. be B. go C. put D. sit
13. We are fighting to make peace in the Vietnam Waters, but negotiations are ________ with difficulties.
A. bedeviled B. beleaguered C. beset D. besieged
14. Serious things have happened and it’s no good people letting ______that they didn’t
A. down B. in for C. in on D. on
15. Mauritus was a British colony for almost 20 years, _________ the domains of administration and
teaching, the English language was never really spoken on the island.
A. barring B. besides
C. but saving for D. with the exception of
16. The pilot wasn’t letting them get on if a passenger was late, but had _______ pressure from others.
A. forked out for B. caved in to
C. branched out into D. ploughed back into
17. Parents’ failings – out must be confronted in their private space _______ the children.
A. detrimental much to whom without B. much as the detriment to
C. much to the detriment of D. without much detriment to
18. Teachers could get a feel of polytechnic education and the kind of training _______ the students.
A. indicted of B. conferred with C. imparted to D. bestowed upon
19. Some self -help books can enable you to draw a line _____ the pass and concentrate on the future.
A. at B. between C. in D. under
20. In friendship we _____ the embarrassment of  a dissident disclosure.
A. are at pains to avoid B. are on pain of avoidance
C. are under pain of avoidance D. avoid for one another’s pains.

Exercise 2. Question 46-55. The passage below contains 10 mistakes. Underline the mistakes and
correct them
Line
1 It is very difficult to succeed in the music business; nine out of ten bands that release a first record
2 fail to produce the second. Surviving in the music industry requires luck and patience, but most
 3 of all it requires and intricate knowledge of how a record company is functioned. The process
4 begins when a representer of a company's Artists and Repertoire (A & R) department visits
5 bars and night clubs, scouting for young, talented bands. After having identified a promised band,
6 he or she will work to negotiate a contract with that band. The signature of this recording contract
7 is a slow process. A company will spend a long time to investigate the band itself as well as
8 current trends for popular music. During this period, it is important that a band reciprocates with
9 an investigation of its own, learning as much as possible about the record company and making
10 personnel connections within the different departments that will handle their recordings.

Exercise 3. Think of one word only which can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
1. I don't think anyone else is in the _ ______.
How was I to _______ you wanted it?
I used to _______ that poem by heart.
2. I expect we could _______ this photo up a bit.
If we're not careful, this whole thing could _______ up in our faces.
It wasn't so much a surprise; it was an absolute body _______.
3. The judge took a previous _______ of his into account.
He spoke with confidence and _______.
Their noisy protest carried little _______ and few were impressed.
4. There was intense _competition______ for places.
There was a phone-in _______ for which the first prize was a seat at the final.
This government's policy is to encourage _______ between businesses.
5. Do you really think that's ___ ____ centre?
Ghosts traditionally appear at _______ of night.
I have the feeling this issue is not yet _______ and buried.
6. I think I know the __ _____ man.
It's good to own your _______ own flat for the first time.
Just at that moment I had the _______ same idea.
7. The result of the match was in _ ______ until late into the fifth set.
I _______ if I'll ever come back here.
His guilt was established beyond any reasonable _______.
8. The odds are _______ him winning more than the odd point.
Personally I'm _______ fox-hunting and other such blood-sports.
We've come up _______ yet another serious problem.
9. He survived eighteen years in prison _ ______ to die of a heart attack the day after he was released.
If we had _______ planned more carefully, we wouldn't be in this mess.
Please welcome the one and _______ George B. Rafter!
10. It looks as if our rivals have __ _____ us to it.
They were soundly _______ in the second leg.
When you've _______ the eggs, add salt.
Exercise 4. Give the correct forms of the words in bracket
Childhood self – esteem can overwhelm academic disadvantage or social deprivation in determining future
earnings power, according to major new research.
There is no clear evidence that the earnings of people who had higher self esteem at age ten ( 1. STRIP)
___________
those of their peers whose academic performance was better at the same age. Bright children often have
higher self – esteem, as do some from more affluent (2_GROUND) ___________. But the study compared
children from similar families and still found that those who were psychologically well – balanced at ten
were now (3_PERFORM) ___________ their peers.
The research also found, surprisingly, that it is not unusual for children to have high academic
(4_ACHIEVE) ___________ and low self-esteem, leading to significant later (5_PERFORM) ___________
in the jobs market. A spokesman for the British Association for Counselling said: “ (6_COURAGE)
___________ for children doesn’t come only from crude parental hostility at home; it can just be
(7_RESENT) ___________ or the constant feeling that they’re making you tired. Children pick that up. Nor
is it only (8_PRIVILEGE) ___________ children who suffer. All too often you can ask affluent parents who
the important people in their child’s life are – teachers, friends and so on – and they haven’t a clue.
Bearing ou the findings of this research, many (9_STAND) ___________ successful entrepreneurs , such as
Richard Branson, were (10_SHINE) ___________ academically when they were at school but had the
advantage of supportive families.
PART C. READING (60 points)
Exercise 1. Choose the option A, B, C, or D that best fits each blank in the following passage.
BOOKS BEFORE SCHOOL?
Many parents believe that they should begin to teach their children to read when they are (1)
_______ more than toddlers. This is fine if the child shows a real interest but forcing a child could be
counter - productive if he (she) isn't ready. Wise parents will have a (2) _______ attitude and take the lead
from their child. What they should provide is a selection of (3) _______ and other activities. Nowadays there
is plenty of good (4) _______ for young children, and of course, seeing plenty of books in use about the
house will also encourage them to read.
Of course, books are no longer the only source of stories and information. There is also a huge range
of videos, which can (5) _______ and extend the pleasure a child finds in a book and are (6) _______
valuable in helping to increase vocabulary and concentration. Television gets a bad press as far as children
are concerned, mainly because too many spend too much time watching programmes not intended for their
age group. Too many television programmes (7) _______ an incurious, uncritical attitude that is going to
make learning much more difficult. However, (8) _______ viewing of programmes designed for young
children can be useful. Just as adults enjoy reading a book after seeing it (9) ______ on television, so
children will pounce on books which extend their favourite television characters, and videos can add a new
(10) _______ to a story known from a book.
1. A. scarcely B. rarely C. slightly D. really
2. A. cheerful B. contented C. relaxed D. hopeful
3. A. stimulating B. provoking C. triggering D. leading
4. A. sense B. material C. attraction D. amusement
5. A. uphold B. found C. reinforce D. assist
6. A. properly B. worthily C. perfectly D. equally
7. A. induce B. imply C. suggest D. impel
8. A. cautious B. selecting C. approved D. discriminating
9. A. transferred B. revised C. serialized D. visualized
10. A. revival B. dimension C. option D. existence
Exercise 2. Read the text below and think of the word that best fits each space. Use only one word in
each space. (15 points)
Causes of conflict between adolescents and their parents
Some interesting discoveries have been made by psychologists studying conflicts between adolescents and
their parents. One notable feature is that they seldom argue about such major topics (1)________sex, drugs,
or politics. This is surprising, given that great differences often exist between the attitudes of parents and
adolescents on such issues. Researchers suggest the explanation may be that such topics (2)___________not
usually relate to day-to-day family interaction and are (3)_______discussed as they are not directly relevant
(4)_________family life. Instead, parents and children tend to (5)___________out over everyday family
matters such as housework.
Despite the changed that have (6)________place over the past fifty years, adolescents appear to have the
same kinds of arguments with their parents as their parents had (7)__________they themselves were young.
It seems to come down to the conflict between the adolescent’s ________ for independence (8)________the
parents’ authority. Teenagers spoke (9)__________ their right to be free of restrictions, while parents were
equally sure of their right to exert control, backing this up referring to the needs of the family as a
__________ . Interestingly, both groups could see the other’s point of view even though they disagreed with
it.
Exercise 3. Read the text and answer the following questions.
ROBOTS
Since the dawn of human ingenuity, people have devised ever more cunning tools to cope with work that
is dangerous, boring, onerous, or just  plain nasty. That compulsion has culminated in robotics - the science
of conferring various human capabilities on machines
A. The modern world is increasingly populated by quasi-intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice
but whose creeping ubiquity has removed much human drudgery. Our factories hum to the rhythm of robot
assembly arms. Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with rote politeness for the
transaction. Our subway trains are controlled by tireless robo- drivers. Our mine shafts are dug by automated
moles, and our nuclear accidents - such as those at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl - are cleaned up by
robotic muckers fit to withstand radiation.
Such is the scope of uses envisioned by Karel Capek, the Czech playwright who coined the term ‘robot’ in
1920 (the word ‘robota’ means ‘forced labor’ in Czech). As progress accelerates, the experimental becomes
the exploitable at record pace.
B. Other innovations promise to extend the abilities of human operators. Thanks to the incessant
miniaturisation of electronics and micromechanics, there are already robot systems that can perform some
kinds of brain and bone surgery with submillimeter accuracy - far greater precision than highly skilled
physicians can achieve with their hands alone. At the same time, techniques of long-distance control will
keep people even farther from hazard. In 1994 a ten- foot-tall NASA robotic explorer called Dante, with
video-camera eyes and with spiderlike legs, scrambled over the menacing rim of an Alaskan volcano while
technicians 2,000 miles away in California watched the scene by satellite and controlled Dante’s descent.

C. But if robots are to reach the next stage of labour-saving utility, they will have to operate with less human
supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves - goals that pose a formidable
challenge. ‘While we know how to tell a robot to handle a specific error,’ says one expert, ‘we can’t yet give
a robot enough common sense to reliably interact with a dynamic world.’ Indeed the quest for true artificial
intelligence (Al) has produced very mixed results. Despite a spasm of initial optimism in the 1960s and
1970s, when it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to perform in the same
way as the human brain by the 21st century, researchers lately have extended their forecasts by decades if
not centuries.

D. What they found, in attempting to model thought, is that the human brain’s roughly one hundred billion
neurons are much more talented - and human perception far more complicated - than previously imagined.
They have built robots that can recognise the misalignment of a machine panel by a fraction of a millimeter
in a controlled factory environment. But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and
immediately disregard the 98 per cent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the woodchuck at the
side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a tumultuous crowd. The most advanced
computer systems on Earth can’t approach that kind of ability, and neuroscientists still don’t know quite how
we do it.

E. Nonetheless, as information theorists, neuroscientists, and computer experts pool their talents, they are
finding ways to get some lifelike intelligence from robots. One method renounces the linear, logical structure
of conventional electronic circuits in favour of the messy, ad hoc arrangement of a real brain’s neurons.
These ‘neural networks’ do not have to be programmed. They can ‘teach’ themselves by a system of
feedback signals that reinforce electrical pathways that produced correct responses and, conversely, wipe out
connections that produced errors. Eventually the net wires itself into a system that can pronounce certain
words or distinguish certain shapes.

F. In other areas researchers are struggling to fashion a more natural relationship between people and robots
in the expectation that someday machines will take on some tasks now done by humans in, say, nursing
homes. This is particularly important in Japan, where the percentage of elderly citizens is rapidly increasing.
So experiments at the Science University of Tokyo have created a ‘face robot’ - a life-size, soft plastic model
of a female head with a video camera imbedded in the left eye - as a prototype. The researchers’ goal is to
create robots that people feel comfortable around. They are concentrating on the face because they believe
facial expressions are the most important way to transfer emotional messages. We read those messages by
interpreting expressions to decide whether a person is happy, frightened, angry, or nervous. Thus the
Japanese robot is designed to detect emotions in the person it is ‘looking at’ by sensing changes in the spatial
arrangement of the person’s eyes, nose, eyebrows, and mouth. It compares those configurations with a
database of standard facial expressions and guesses the emotion. The robot then uses an ensemble of tiny
pressure pads to adjust its plastic face into an appropriate emotional response.

G. Other labs are taking a different approach, one that doesn’t try to mimic human intelligence or emotions.
Just as computer design has moved away from one central mainframe in favour of myriad individual
workstations - and single processors have been replaced by arrays of smaller units that break a big problem
into parts that are solved simultaneously - many experts are now investigating whether swarms of semi-
smart robots can generate a collective intelligence that is greater than the sum of its parts. That’s what
beehives and ant colonies do, and several teams are betting that legions of mini-critters working together like
an ant colony could be sent to explore the climate of planets or to inspect pipes in dangerous industrial
situations.

Questions 106-112. The Reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-G. From the list of headings below
choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph.
List of headings
i             Some success has resulted from observing how the brain functions.
ii            Are we expecting too much from one robot?
iii           Scientists are examining the humanistic possibilities.
iv           There are judgements that robots cannot make.
v            Has the power of robots become too great?
vi           Human skills have been heightened with the help of robotics.
vii          There are some things we prefer the brain to control.
viii         Robots have quietly infiltrated our lives.
ix          Original predictions have been revised.
x           Another approach meets the same result.

106. Paragraph A:_____ ____

107: Paragraph B:____ _____
108. Paragraph C:___ ______
109. Paragraph D:___ _____
110. Paragraph E:___ ______
111. Paragraph F:____ _____
112. Paragraph G:____ _____
Questions 113-115. Complete the summary below with words taken from paragraph F. Use NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

The prototype of the Japanese ‘face robot’ observes humans through a 113. ____ which is planted in its
head. It then refers to a 114.____ _________of typical ‘looks’ that the human face can have, to decide what
emotion the person is feeling. To respond to this expression, the robot alters its own expression using a
number of 115.__________
PART D. WRITING (40 points)
1. Robert really enjoys making fun of his friends. (pleasure)

Robert ________________________________________________________________________________.

2. I’m afraid I can’t change the regulations, sir. (power)

I’m sorry but ________________________________ change the regulations, sir.

3. There was so much misleading information in the novel, I didn’t guess who the murderer was. (red)

There ______________________________ in the novel, I didn’t guess who the murderer was.

4. Don’t argue with him; he’s as stubborn as a mule. (worth)

It’s ________________________________ ; he’s as stubborn as a mule.

5. He often seems rude, but he is really a very kind person. (gold)

______________________________________, although he may often seem rude.

6. I don’t see why you want to invite them if you can’t stand their company. (point)

There ________________________________ if you can’t stand their company.

7. From Hubert’s letter, he seems as if he is in perfect health. (pink)

Hubert ____________________________________ from what he said in his letter.

8. Our agreement was that you would notify us of any additional cost. (were)

We agreed ______________________________________ of any additional cost.

9. It wasn’t my attention to be in the red for so long. (mean)

I ___________________________ in the red for so long.

10. I’m sure that car salesman cheated me. (ride)

I’m sure ______________________________________ by that car salesman.

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