GENERAL ENGLISH 2 PRACTICE _K9 (9/2021)

I. GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentences.

1. When he …….. me home that night, all the stars were shinning bright.
A. held B. danced C. walked D. asked
2. What are you doing ……….. the weekend.
A. in B. by C. during D. at
3. The other day, I realized that people were looking at me very ……………..
A. luckily B. immediately C. strangely D. suddenly
4. Walking around the shopping centre was quite ……….. I need a rest.
A. excited B. bored C. tiring D. tired
5. My boyfriend’s really ……….. He always gives me presents.
A. mean B. lazy C. generous D. friendly
6. “I love you”. She said she ……… me
A. love B. loved C. loves D. is loving
7. I asked her if ………. to dance
A. he wanted B. she wants C. she wanted D. she wants
8. She asked the boy what ………..
A. was his name B. is his name C. his name was D. his name is
9. She …………….. her husband that she was leaving him.
A. said B. told C. asked D. notified
10. He’s divorced now, but he ………….. for 20 years.
A. has been married B. was married C. is married D. married

11. A: I didn’t go to university

B: …………………
A. Neither I do B. Neither did I C. Neither I did D. Neither do I
12. We didn’t go ……….. on Sunday
A. anywhere B. nowhere C. wherever D. everywhere
13. I stayed ………… really late last night and now I’m tired
A. at B. on C. up D. in
14. Ben doesn’t ……. on well with his brother. They argue all the time.
A. go B. come C. get D. put
15. I’m going to look for some …….. on the Internet
A. new B. data C. information D. bites
16. That skirt looks nice. Would you like to …………. It on?
A. take B. wear C. try D. put
17. My brother’s birthday is ………. 14h February
A. on B. in C. at D. x
18. Can you turn on the ……..? I want to watch the film.
A. radio B. speaker C.TV D. computer
19. We were too late. When we arrived the match ………..
A. had finished B. has finished C. finished D. has finished
20. They couldn’t open the door because they ……….. the key
A. didn’t brought B. hadn’t brought C. haven’t brought D. brought
 21. I’m terrified of ………… I hate all their long, hairy legs.
A. dogs B. spiders C. cats D. bulls
22. I haven’t been in a swimming pool for years. I’m ………………….. of water
A. fed up B. bored C. frightened D. fond
23. I never go ……. lifts. I hate heights.
A. by B. in C. on D. under
24. I’ve got the same dress …………. Lisa
A. like B. both C. as D. to
25. You don’t drink ....................
A. water enough B. enough water C. a few water D. a little water
26. Here are your shoes. Put ……..
A. on them B. them on C. it on D. on it
27. A: My father loves jazz.
B: ………………
A. So do I B. So am I C. So I do D. So I am
28. She spoke to ………. In the office
A. somebody B. nobody C. body D. anybody
29. He eats …….. crisps and chips
A. too much B. too many C. so much D. many
30. The two girls are …………… good at French
A. similar B. both C. neither D. same

II. READING 1

Read the text below and choose the correct word for each space.

A. For each question, circle the correct letter A, B, C or D.

LITTLE CAT, LITTLE CAT, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

When Bo the cat (0) decided to explore a furniture van, she had a bigger adventure than she expected. She
was discovered (1) __________ the driver, after he had completed a (2) __________ of over 500
kilometers. It was (3) __________ end of a long day. The driver and the cat were both hungry! He gave
some milk and started making enquiries. He telephoned his last (4) __________ they had not lost a cat. It
was getting late, so he took Bo home for the night and (5) __________ morning delivered her to animal
hospital.

The cat’s owner (6) __________ done some detective some work too. After (7) __________ everywhere for
the cat, he suddenly remembered the furniture van (8) __________ had made a delivery to a neighbor.
Fortunately, he (9) __________ the name of the company. He called their office and in a short time Bo was
(10) __________ safely.

0. A. decided B. suggested C. insisted D. persuaded

1. A. of B. from C. at D. by
2. A. trip B. visit C. tour D. travel
3. A. an B. some C. the D. any
4. A. shoppers B. buyers C. callers D. customers
5. A. next B. following C. tomorrow D. other
 6. A. has B. is C. had D. was
7. A. seeing B. searching C. watching D. spying
8. A. what B. this C. it D. which
9. A. called B. remembered C. saw D. reminded
10. A. given B. brought C. returned D. taken

B. For each question, circle the correct letter A, B, C or D.

GRASS

Grass is probably the (0) most successful living plant in the world. There are over 9,000 different types of
grasses and they are (1) _________ in every region on the earth. They are the (2) _________ flowering
plants that can exit in the freezing (3) _________ of the Arctartic.
Grasslands support a wide range of animal life, from tiny insects and birds to huge animals like cows and
lions. All of them (4) _________ on the grass in one way or another.
Grass (5) _________ very quicky after it is cut or (6) _________ . Unlike other plants, the new leaves grow
from (7) _________ the soil, not from the top of the plant. That is (8) _________ large families of aimals
are able to live together in one area. As (9) _________ as they have eaten all the grass there, a fresh meal is
always (10) _________ because the plants start to grow again.
0. A. most B. more C. very D. too
1. A. noticed B. realized C. caught D. found
2. A. single B. one C. only D. special
3. A. environment B. scene C. situation D. background
4. A. depend B. build C. turn D. hang
5. A. repeats B. recovers C. reduces D. remain
6. A. hurt B. broken C. injured D. damaged
7. A. beside B. behind C. below D. beyond
8. A. why B. where C. what D. when
9. A. fast B. soon C. quickly D. often
10. A. available B. present C. free D. complete

III. READING 2
A. Read the text and decide whether the statements are TRUE, FALSE or DOESN’T SAY.
Is technology bad for our brains?
by James Sanders

Nowadays, many useful gadgets (small machines) are advertised as ‘smart’. This ‘smartness’ generally
means that the machine can change how it works to suit the user’s needs, learn our preferences, and make
intelligent choices for us. Smartphones can now take photos, play songs, send emails, and do a thousand
other useful things, such as shopping online or assisting us with our homework. We used to need lots of
machines to help us to do these things, but not anymore. They fit in our pockets, but contain more data than
we could ever possibly need, or remember.

If you asked most people, they would say that smart machines have improved life. Not everyone agrees,
however. A few scientists are worried about the effect of using machines to do things that we used to do for
ourselves. For example, we don’t have to remember people’s contact details any more, as our phones store
this information. We can also find information instantly, via internet search engines like Google. A few
studies have shown, surprisingly, that people in their 50s and 60s are better than teenagers at studying and
memorizing information, because they’ve always worked this way.

Technology has changed our expectations and made us very impatient. Now we want our news in tiny
soundbites, and get bored if we actually have to read or listen for more than a minute or two. Scientists
reported recently that the internet was changing how we think and learn. One author even said that Google
was making us stupid! It’s certainly true that we often do two or three things simultaneously when we are
online, and it’s harder and harder to focus on one thing. Maybe technology is bad for our brains, and our
memories, and we should stop depending on it all the time.

But if you tell me to give up my smartphone, sorry, I won’t!

Statements True / False /

Doesn’t say

1. ‘Smart’ gadgets work differently for different users. ………………

2. Gadgets can do more things now than in the past. ………………
3. Most people don’t have many machines any more. ………………
4. Most people think that ‘smart’ technology is bad for us. ………………
5. Younger people depend too much on “smart”. ………………
6. Teenagers are always better than older people at remembering information. ………………
7. We are less happy to wait for things than we used to be. ………………
8. Using the internet changes young people’s brains more than older people’s. ………………
9. We find it more difficult to concentrate on one thing than we used to. ………………
10. James Sanders wants to stop using modern gadgets. ………………

B. Read the text and decide whether the statements are TRUE, FALSE or DOESN’T SAY.
The woman who can remember every day of her life
As part of our series on extraordinary people, this week we find out about Rita Howard, a woman with a
very unusual talent.

What was the weather like yesterday? What were you thinking about when you woke up this morning? If
someone asked you these questions, you probably wouldn’t find it too hard to answer. But how about
remembering the same information for this date last year, or even ten years ago? Most of us find it easy to
remember what happened on the most important days of our lives, but soon forget the little details of the
other days, weeks, months and years. We often imagine that, without this regular ‘forgetting’, our brains
would be too crowded with memories and thoughts. For Rita Howard, however, it’s as easy to remember a
day thirty years ago as it is to tell us about yesterday.

Rita can choose any date from her 68 years and say where she was, what she was doing, and what day of the
week it was. For years, she had no idea that this amazing memory was anything special. She was a hard-
working student who always did well at school. Then later she became a
historian, a job where she had many opportunities to use her ability to memorize all the facts she’d ever
learned. Even so, it was only six years ago, when she was in a research project, that scientists actually told
Rita she had hyperthymesia – an unusually good memory of her own experiences. Only around 20 people
worldwide have the condition.
‘People began to imagine that I knew everything,’ says Rita. ‘Whereas, of course, I only know everything
about my own life!’ Another common idea is that Rita has far more memories than everyone else. ‘In fact,
we all have a similar number,’ she comments. ‘I’m just far better at finding and using mine than other
people.’
As Rita reached retirement age, she wondered if her memory would get worse. Three years later, however,
it’s just as good as ever. ‘Will that always be the case?’ she asks. ‘Who knows? I know all about the past, not
the future!’

Statements True / False /

Doesn’t say
1. Most people don’t find it difficult to remember recent events. ………………
2. People find it easier to remember their own lives than world events. ………………
3. We generally think that it’s useful to forget small things. ………………
4. Rita Howard is best at remembering things which happened a long time ago. ………………
5. When she was young, Rita thought everyone had an excellent memory. ………………
6. People noticed her ability to memorize information when she was at school. ………………
7. People expect Rita to know about things that she hasn’t experienced. ………………
8. Everyone’s brain has as many memories as Rita’s. ………………
9. Rita is working as a historian. ………………
10. Age hasn’t changed Rita’s abilities. ………………

READING 3

A. Look at the text in each question. What does it say? Mark the correct letter A, B or C on your
answer sheet
B. Look at the text in each question. What does it say? Mark the correct letter A, B or C on your
answer sheet