5-8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Higher
Listening
1 PT Track 2  Listen to Martin giving a talk
about waterfalls. Decide if the following
sentences are true (T), false (F) or not
given (NG).
1 Niagara Falls is really three waterfalls.
T / F / NG
2 Martin is more worried about volcanoes than
global warming. T / F / NG
3 Martin likes cascade waterfalls because they are
powerful. T / F / NG
4 Martin enjoys the adventure of finding a
waterfall. T / F / NG
Optimise B1+ Optimise B1+ Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.
This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
B1+
2 PT Track 2  Listen again and complete the
sentences with a word or short phrase.
Martin’s interest in waterfalls was a result of
(1)      he made when on holiday in America.
Martin was surprised because Niagara Falls was
very (2)      but not so high.
To create a waterfall, you need two pieces of
land, each at a different (3)      .
Waterfalls can appear in (4)      parts of the
world where there are glaciers.
A horseshoe waterfall is wider at (5)     
than at the top.
The Angel Falls are difficult to reach because of
their location in the (6)      .
A plunge pool is created by the (7)     
and      which fall with the water from the
top of the waterfall.
When Martin is studying, the sound of water
makes it easier for him to (8)      .
1 of 6
 5-8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Higher B1+

Reading

Honey
The next time you are looking at a jar of honey in the supermarket think
about this – it is possible that thousands of bees were needed to make
that single jar! And the bees will have flown over 80,000 kilometres!
Honey is made when honey bees collect nectar from flowers. They take
the nectar back to their hive where other bees, called worker bees,
add natural chemicals called enzymes which help it resist bacteria and
last a long time. Before they re-enter their hive, they do a little dance at
the entrance, called the ‘waggle dance’. The dance is a combination of
wiggling their bodies fast and making a buzzing sound with their wings. In fact, a bee has two dances, one shows
the direction the other bees need to travel to find food and the other dance tells the bees how close the nectar is.
The more the bee wiggles, the more nectar is to be found! The nectar is then taken to a special room where it is
turned into honey.
It is difficult to say when honey originated, but fossils of honey bees have been found that are about 150 million
years old. In Spain, there are some cave paintings from 7000 BC which show humans keeping bees. And
archaeologists have discovered pots of honey thousands of years’ old but perfectly preserved inside a pyramid! So
we can say with confidence that not only has honey been eaten for a long time, it has also existed for a long time.
Honey is mostly used to make food sweeter, but it is also used for health purposes. You probably know it best
when you have a cold and a sore throat. It is often used with lemon and boiling water in a hot drink and it can
make your throat feel better. It is also a natural antibiotic and can be used as a dressing for wounds and a first aid
treatment for cuts and burns.
Honey is popular with athletes because the natural fruit sugars in honey – fructose and glucose – are digested
quickly by the body. For athletes and other sportspeople, honey gives them a natural energy boost. If you go
running you can add honey to water and it will give you energy before, during and after your run. Honey is
completely natural and nothing is added to it or removed from it, which is another reason why it is so healthy
compared with other foods.
If honey is so good, why do bees let us take it from them? Bees produce honey so they can store it away in their
hives during the winter when there aren’t many flowers about. But bees produce two to three times more honey
than they need, which means that the extra honey can be taken by beekeepers. Lucky for all of us who love honey!

3 Read the article about honey. What do the 3 dressing (n)

following words mean? Choose definition a) a mixture of liquids such as oil and vinegar
(a), (b) or (c). Read the text to see the that you put on a salad
words in context. b) clothes that Egyptians wear
1 fossils (n) c) a piece of material used for covering and
a) family members or relatives who are very old protecting a skin injury
b) rocks that contain an animal that lived many 4 beekeepers (n)
thousands of years ago a) people who write blogs about bees
c) old photos b) people who raise bees and collect their honey
2 boiling (adj) c) people who collect interesting species of bees
a) when a liquid is so hot that it becomes a gas
b) very clean, without anything in it that might
reduce its quality
c) a strong yellow colour

Optimise B1+ Optimise B1+ Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.
This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
2 of 6
 5-8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Higher B1+

4 Read the article again and choose the best Use of English
answer (A, B, C or D).
5 Write one word in each gap.
1 The main purpose of this article is
Learning to Cook
A to explain where bees live.
I love food and I’d prefer to eat out in a nice
B to explain the history of beekeeping. restaurant rather than cook at home.
C to explain why honey has always been (1)        , the last time I went out to a
popular. restaurant, I paid a fortune even (2)       
D to help runners improve their health. I only ordered a burger, a soft drink and chips.
So, I decided that I needed to learn how to cook. I
2 Enzymes are added to nectar
found a cookery class in my area and went for a
A to make honey taste sweeter. lesson. The teacher, (3)        name is
B to keep it in good condition for a long time. Nick, explained some basic cooking tips before
C to add bactera. telling us he specialised (4)        Italian
food, which isn’t my favourite. There were six of
D to make the honey yellow.
us in the class and we (5)        given
3 The bees do a dance clear instructions on what to do. After just 30
A when they see a flower which has nectar. minutes I (6)        finished cooking my
B which involves movement and sound. first dish. I think it was the best pasta I have ever
tasted! Next week, we’re going to learn how to
C to tell other bees where the hive is.
make Italian ice cream, I can’t wait!
D because they are happy when they make
honey.

4 The Egyptians
A would place jars of honey in pyramids. 6 Write a form of the word in capitals in each
B used honey to make what they ate sweeter. gap to complete the text.
C lived longer because of eating honey. The Perfect Photo
D put honey on people when they died. Perfect blue skies, crystal clear
5 If you cut yourself, water and the walls of ancient,
13th century ruins, make Tulum
A you could put some honey on the wound.
the perfect setting to take a truly
B you should drink a honey and lemon drink. (1)        photo. REMARK
C you must eat a lot of honey. The (2)        location of EXTRA
D you should buy a first aid kit. Tulum on the east coast of Mexico
6 Runners like honey because was originally (3)        by CHOOSE
the Mayans so it could be used as
A it adds calories for energy.
a port. Its position was not only
B it helps them run much faster than before. (4)        for trade but also VALUE
C its natural ingredients enter the body faster. for protecting the city from attack.
D it helps them digest other food more easily. Today, the Tulum ruins are the
third most-visited archaeological
site in Mexico. If you visit Tulum, it
is
(5)        to arrive in the PREFER
morning before the other tourists,
and it is best to leave before
(6)       , when it gets too DAY
hot. You will be able to take some
wonderful photos as the ruins are
(7)        well preserved. SURPRISE
However, if you want the perfect
photo you should travel up the
coast slightly so you get the beach,
turquoise sea, blue sky and ancient
ruins all in the same photograph.

Optimise B1+ Optimise B1+ Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.
This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
3 of 6
 5-8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Higher B1+

7 Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the first. Do not change the word
given. Use two to five words, including the word given.
1 The moment Jenny arrives, everybody hide!
As              Jenny arrives, everybody hide! SOON
2 My best friend will use my room to record a video.
My room              my best friend to record a video. BE
3 We need to tidy up. What about throwing away these old books?
We need to tidy up.              rid of these old books?
SHALL
4 We might need to call for help, so I’m taking my mobile.
I’m taking my mobile              to call for help. CASE
5 Even though it was getting dark, we kept on climbing.
We kept on climbing              that it was getting dark. SPITE
6 If you don’t take a sweater, you might get cold.
You might get cold              a sweater. UNLESS
7 This mountain is more difficult to climb than the one we climbed last week.
This mountain              to climb as the one we climbed last week. EASY

Optimise B1+ Optimise B1+ Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.
This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
4 of 6
 5-8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Higher B1+

Writing
8 Write the answer to one of the following questions. Write your answer in 140–190 words in an
appropriate style.
1 You see this notice in an international English-language magazine aimed at teenagers.

Articles wanted
We are looking for articles about your favourite food.
What two foods do you absolutely love? Tell us about them. Choose one main dish and one dessert. Explain
why you like them, where you eat them and if you think they are good or bad for you.
The best articles will be published in our next issue.

Write your article.

2 You have seen this announcement on an English-language website aimed at young people.

Stories Wanted

Write a story for our website. Your story must begin with this sentence:
Jenny and Tom had almost reached the top of the mountain when Tom fell over.

Your story must include:

• a part of the body
• a decision.

Write your story.

Optimise B1+ Optimise B1+ Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.
This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
5 of 6
 5-8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Higher B1+

Speaking
9 In pairs, compare the photos.
Student A: Compare the photos and say how the people might be feeling. (1 minute)

Student B: What activity would you prefer to do? Why? (30 seconds)

Student B: Compare the photos and say what the people are enjoying about these activities. (1 minute)

Student A: Do you like shopping? Why (not)? (30 seconds)

Total score

Optimise B1+ Optimise B1+ Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.
This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
6 of 6