UNIT 6: Skills Test A
Dictation
You are going to listen to a recording about
pollution. Listen to the whole recording once. Then
you will hear the recording again with pauses for
you to write down what you hear. Make sure you
spell the words correctly.
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Listening
Task 1
You are going to listen to an interview with Travis
White, a teenager who has created an app to help
reduce rubbish on the street. For questions 1–6,
choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best
according to what you hear.
1 How did Travis become able to create apps?
A He attended classes.
B He checked in several books.
C He watched short films on websites.
2 Who helped Travis get the idea for his app?
A his parents
B the teachers at his school
C people in cities who drop rubbish
3 According to Travis, why do people leave rubbish in
the street?
A They don’t really notice it.
B They don’t think it’s their problem.
C They don’t want cleaners to lose their jobs.
4 Travis says his app is well-liked because
A both younger and older people find it interesting.
B people in any city can use it.
C it’s both enjoyable and benefits the environment.
5 Travis’s next app will help people to waste less
A electricity.
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 B water.

C money on shopping.

6 What does Travis recommend doing to help people

create good apps?

A watch the news

B travel to different parts of the world

C talking other people

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Task 2

Explain in your own words why some people find

Travis White’s app enjoyable to use.

                                        

                                        

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Reading
Task 1

Read the article. Choose from the sentences (A–H) the one which fi ts each gap (7–11). There are three extra
sentence which you do not need to use.

A But the birds didn’t always reappear where the scientists who were studying them expected!

B Fortunately, they are no longer a species which is in danger.

C It also keeps their eggs safe from other animals that might eat them.

D However, there are also reasons to be hopeful for the future of our planet.

E More peregrines actually made their homes there than in their old nesting sites.

F This meant that peregrines also swallowed this dangerous chemical.

G This shows that their amazing speed isn’t always an advantage!

H An adult bird can reach speeds of over 320 kph whilst doing this.

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Task 2

Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?

12 Peregrines live only in the USA.      

13 Peregrines are faster than all other birds.      

14 Farmers discovered the problems caused by DDT.      

15 Peregrines ate DDT when they caught insects for food.      

16 Peregrines live in cities and in the countryside these days.      

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Total: ___/50

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Saving peregrine falcons: a success story

Stories about the environment are rarely good news
these days: climate change, species in danger, and so
on. (7)            One of these is the return of the
peregrine falcon, a bird that almost died out
completely.
DDT was banned soon after this problem was
discovered and slowly the numbers of peregrines
started to grow. (10)           

Peregrines usually build their homes (or nests) on high

The peregrine falcon is the fastest-moving animal on
the planet. To catch another animal, a peregrine climbs
high into the sky and dives down on the unfortunate
animal it want to eat. (8)           
cliffs. The birds that peregrines eat fly much lower
down, so a nest that’s high up allows peregrines to see
their prey from above. (11)           

Some peregrines discovered that high-rise buildings in

Numbers of peregrines fell greatly during the second
half of the 20th century, so by the 1970s in the USA for
example, only around ten percent remained. They
were in real danger of disappearing completely and no
one could work out why.
cities also gave them these benefits, so they made
their homes there. There are now healthy populations
of peregrines in cities such as New York, Paris and
London as well as in their traditional homes in the
countryside.

Then scientists discovered that a product called DDT,

which was used by farmers to kill insects, was
responsible. Small birds ate insects which were
covered in DDT. Peregrines then caught and ate these
smaller birds. (9)            The DDT caused the
peregrines’ eggs to have very thin, weak shells so
most of the eggs broke, killing the baby peregrine
inside.

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