FCE

TEST 1
Vocabulary
Flexible (adj) — easily changed or adjusted for current needs. Flexible timetable is what every
school should consider.
Itinerary (n) — route of your journey or travel.I want to include some additional places to our
planned itinerary.
Get on (phr. v) — if you get on with someone, you get along well, you are friendly to each other.
I’m sorry that you didn’t get on with Susan.
Go with the flow (phr) — to do something others do; to let situation guide you, to improvise. At
first I had a carefully planned itinerary for our trip, but then I decided not to use it and just go
with the flow.
Fortnightly (adv) — every two weeks. A fortnight is a period of two weeks. While you’re away,
please send me letters fortnightly.
Remote (adj) — situated far away from everything, distant. He has always wanted to live a quiet
life in a remote part of the world
Substitute (n) — replacement or alternative. There is no substitute for sports – it is important to
exercise if you want to live a healthy, fulfilling life.
Get to grips with (phr) — to try and deal with a difficult situation. Once you get to grips with
mathematics, programming becomes much easier.
Liberating (adj) — making you feel free, unrestricting.Moving out of your parents house can feel
extremely liberating.
Miserable (adj) — unhappy or causing unhappiness. Walking in the rain when it’s cold can be
really miserable.
Enhance (v) — improve the quality or strength of something. To greatly enhance your quality of
life, I suggest giving up smoking.
EXPLANATION
43 С.… meal times are something I’ve never really got to grips with in all the years I’ve
travelled alone.
44 A.You can take the Oz Experience bus down the west coast, jumping off whenever you want,
then catching the next bus when you’re ready to move on again.
45 B.The advantages of a pre-planned tour are that you can get an agency to take care of all the
arrangements, which can be time-consuming to do yourself
46 D.But I learnt to accept that some people have different attitudes to mine
47 A.To cheer myself up, I’d sit down and write a fortnightly email home about everything I’d
been up to.
48 A.I remember sitting in the plane thinking to myself: ‘What have I let myself in for?’
49 C.There’s also the wonderful freedom to do what you like, when you like, without having to
convince anybody that it’s a good idea.
50 B. …if someone’s chosen to do the same type of trip as you, you’ve probably got lots of ideas
in common.
TEST 2
Vocabulary
Light-hearted (adj) — careless, happy and not serious. Nancy’s light-hearted attitude made her
very popular at school.
Reassure (v) — to make someone less worried by telling them something comforting. There was
nobody around to reassure Stacy when the crisis struck.
Jokey (adj) — not serious, funny. Bill is a jokey fellow, and he likes to be known for that.
Circuit (n) — a closed road that is used for racing. Suzuka is the most famous racing circuit in
Japan.
Role model (n) — a person you respect, admire and want to be similar too. Fathers often become
role models for their sons.
Impart (v) — to share information with someone, to communicate a message. The words of
wisdom that he would sometimes impart were going to affect my whole life.
Unwavering(n) — never stopping or becoming weaker. An unwavering desire to make money is
something every businessperson could benefit from.
Unruly (adj) — hard to control, independent, not obeying the rules. Joshua is an unruly employee
who never follows company dress code.
Catchphrase (n) — something that is used often by a person and a company and becomes
associated with them. ‘Don’t give up, no matter what’ came to be my footbal coach catchphrase.
Stick at smth — continue doing something hard or difficult. If you won’t stick at it, you will
never become a good actor.
EXPLANATION
B. I think his greatest gift has been his general unwavering belief in
me.
D. He made me realise that if you just stick at something, no matter how hard things get, then
your time will come.
A. ‘Drive it like you stole it and keep it on the black stuff!’ … those were my dad’s jokey words
of wisdom.
D. He used his catchphrase and explained that if you don’t put sufficient effort in, you’ll never
get anything out of whatever it is you’re doing.
C. He tried to teach me a lot of things – how much I’ve taken on board is another matter.
A. … he never said it was my fault.
B. … but my brother and I have done other things, and we’re back with Dad again because we
want to be. He left the decision to us.
A. I used to drive a Porsche 924 and pretty much every single race something would break, but
Dad would just say: ‘Don’t worry about the car, we can always fix it.’
C. Dad also taught me valuable skills like how to change the oil in my car, how to play tennis
and ski…
B. Since I was about fourteen, he’s given me the opportunity to input ideas and have my say
about the bands we work with or the equipment we use, which is amazing.
TEST 3
Vocabulary
Frustrating (adj) — annoying or irritating because you can do nothing about it. It is frustrating
how young people nowadays are not grateful for what they have.
Victim (n) — a person who is hurt, killed or has otherwise suffered from actions or other people,
illness or an accident. She has been robbery victim twice in her life.
Flashy (adj) — bright, attracting attention, often in a vulgar way. She wore a yellow cocktail
dress which I thought to be too flashy for that kind of party.
Turn up (phr v) — show up, come or appear. Only a handful of people turned up for the opening
ceremony.
Sore (adj) — feeling pain; hurt. My throat is sore, I think I’m going to get ill again!
Snarled up — stuck, not able to make any progress. I hate it when my studying gets snarled up
by telephone calls.
Fluorescent (adj) — if something is fluorescent, it reflects light that is directed at it, as if it
shines. Her place is pretty cool with lots of fluorescent paint on the walls that makes everything
look surreal.
Overdressed (adj) — wearing clothes that are too formal or expensive for the occasion. I came to
the party wearing a tuxedo, and I was clearly overdressed as everybody else was wearing just
jeans and t-shirts.
EXPLANATION
43. C. I’ve got two helmets, a summer and a winter version but I still get too hot on really sunny
days. Still, you can’t really do without one, can you?
44. A. I’d say to anyone thinking of getting a bike, make sure the saddle’s right before you part
with your money. If you’re going to use it a lot, you don’t want to get sore.
45. D. He reckoned it had once belonged to a professional cycling champion, but I think he was
making it up.
46. C. It’s a red and black cruiser with a burger-shaped bell — some of my friends think that’s a
bit uncool, but I don’t really go along with that idea.
47. B. I use it every day and tend to wear everyday clothes and try and dodge the showers.
48. B. I cycle all over the city because it’s much quicker than walking and you don’t get snarled
up in the traffic, which can be a pain in a motor vehicle.
49. C. I cycle down to college in no time at all, but the uphill trek home takes me around thirty-
five minutes.
50. A. I’ve always thought that the bike was a good reflection of the real me actually…
51. D. It did get stolen on one occasion, but then later that week I saw someone riding it up my
street. I grabbed him and gave him his taxi fare home so that I could take it back.
52. B. I worked briefly as a cycle courier — delivering letters and stuff. It was fun, but I
wouldn’t recommend making a career out of it!
TEST 4
Vocabulary
Overcome (v) — deal with a problem. At first it can be hard to overcome your fear of heights,
but the more you try, the easier it gets.
Confront (v) — face or meet your enemy, fear, problem. You won’t defeat your fear until you
make an effort to confront it.
Tolerant (adj) — accepting and understanding different viewpoints and opinions. I was surprised
to learn that my father is a tolerant, broad-minded person.
Trek (v) — to walk over long distances through terrain such as forests, hills or mountains. You
could join us – we plan to trek for the rest of the week, but make sure are able to keep up!
Charity (n) — act of raising money for a good cause such as helping the homeless or orphanages.
Rich people often take part in charity events to improve their public image.
Out of one’s depth— be in a situation that is too difficult for them to deal with. As soon as I had
started running my own business I realised I was out of my depth – it takes too much energy,
effort and mental strength.
Exhausted (adj) — with no physical or mental force left, extremely tired. We had spent the
whole day cycling in the mountains and by evening I was exhausted.
By merit of — thanks to, owing to. Jonathan was promoted to senior manager by merit of his
strong work ethic.
Dyslexic (adj) — a dyslexic person finds it difficult to read or write properly. The kids were
laughing at Johnny because he was dyslexic and couldn’t spell or read as well as them.
Beneath (prep) — below or under. Beneath the frozen surface of the lake we could see
something black.
Nauseous (adj) — feeling unwell, sick, about to throw up. I don’t think I should have eaten that
taco – I feel nauseous now.
Exposure (n) — being affected by something. Exposure to foreign speech can help you learn the
language.
Lead (n) — heavy metal that is often used to make protection against radiation. A lead pipe was
lying in the corner.
Exhilarating (n) — exciting or happy. This is exhilarating news – we can finally have some rest
after working for ten hours.
EXPLANATION
C. To get the computer I had to attend regular meetings with an advisor, which I hated at first,
but eventually I learned to recognise my strengths and be realistic about my weaknesses;
B. I always considered myself fit; I mean, I go to the gym two or three times a week. But as soon
as we set out I realised I was quite out of my depth;
A. I’m sure if I had to I would just deal with it, although it would be a challenge. But I’ve never
had to live alone.
B. The most challenging thing I’ve ever done, by far, was trekking in the Himalayas. It was
something I’d always dreamed of doing and I was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to
join a trek for charity. – Taking part in a charity is the ‘helping others’ parts.
A. Luckily my husband has no problem with spiders, and is tolerant of my phobia!
C. I was just so terrified that I would fail.
D. It was all very fast; there was no time to think. The feeling was exhilarating, to be honest.
D. I had read that it was possible to get over phobias by exposure, so I put myself into difficult
situations on purpose.
C. To get the computer I had to attend regular meetings with an advisor…
D. I was going to try bungee jumping. I got a trusted friend to go with me; to make sure I didn’t
change my mind.
TEST 5
Vocabulary

EXPLANATION
A. Perhaps the answer is to make the best of the present and stop hankering after the past.
E. I would never have ended the relationship with the love of my life.
A. I’d persuade my dad to stop smoking, so that he wouldn’t die so young.
D. If you want to travel somewhere that is still unique today, without the time machine, see Asia
but steer clear of package tours. And hurry; do it now before it all becomes McDonaldised.
A. On the other hand, in the present, I have two wonderful grown-up children and two precious
grandchildren.
B. I have studied a lot of history and whilst I would be interested in certain eras there would be
difficulties.
B. … exciting, but too many petticoats to wear, never mind about corsets.
D. Imagine coming home after a long voyage, and telling the people in the pub all about your
travels!
E. I’d register 250 of the best internet domains possible, so by now I’d be a billionaire without
having done a thing.
C. And if you went back in time with all that futuristic equipment on and, for example, the alarm
clock on your watch went off, you would be denounced as a devil; tortured, quartered and drawn,
and then burnt at the stake!
TEST 6
Vocabulary

EXPLANATION
A. Throughout the paragraph the author mentions occasions of meeting and interacting various
sea animals.
A. One can infer from context that the author is swimming either by means of a boat, a board, or
without any equipment.
D. I liked New York even more than I expected…
C. The author mentions hearing the ‘bark-like’ call of hippos at night. In the next sentence it is
mentioned that hippos can be very dangerous, if provoked. Paragraph A shouldn’t be used for
answer as no animals listed in it are described as dangerous.
B. I revisited them again and again, sleepless, in my memories and notes and photographs, once
home.
D. … this seems like a better way to get to know a city: less being sociable, more walking and
visiting different places.
B. Long hot days in the silence, 5,000 temples on every side…
B. Almost every day of the three-week trip was so vivid that, upon returning, I gave a friend a
nine-hour account of every moment.
D. Last two sentences of the paragraph make comparisons, including Oxford Street in London
and Promenade Plantee in Paris.
C. Our guides warned us that although hippos may seem harmless, if threatened, they could
easily kill a man
TEST 7
Vocabulary

EXPLANATION
D. ‘… it is well worth the small amount it costs for access’
D. ‘It’s easy to see why commercials have been made there.’
A. ‘ At first sight it almost seems tropical, until dipping your toe in the water encourages you to
spend a lazy day on the beach rather than dive in for a swim.’
C. ‘he air temperature hardly varies around the year, and neither does that of the ocean – which is
only waist-high even hundreds of metres from the shore.’
D. ‘… don’t forget to get some shots of your own…’
B. ‘The sand, in contrast, always remains cool as it is of a type that reflects the sunlight, so you
won’t need sandals.’
A. ‘… the scent of pine from the nearby woods…’
D. ‘The best spots – those with both sunshine and shade – quickly get taken, so make sure you
arrive well before the sun starts to beat down and the sand heats up.’
A. ‘… with public access limited to the summer months…’
C. ‘There isn’t, however, much shade, so it is advisable to use plenty of sun cream…
TEST 8
Vocabulary

EXPLANATION
D. ‘… I must confess that back then she was the last person I would have imagined becoming an
economist because she was pretty hopeless at maths.’
C. ‘… in fact as soon as we saw each other on the screen we started chatting again as if that ten-
year gap had never existed.’
D. ‘… in fact she might be having an influence on me.’
B. ‘… she remains as sociable as she ever was and I suppose we’re quite alike in that respect.’
E. ‘Somehow I’d always known that one way or another we were bound to run into each other at
some point…’
A. ‘… I know I should have made more of an effort to stay in touch with Amina because we
always got on well together…’
C. ‘The other mistake I made was being rather cautious about responding when she first got in
touch with me…’
E.‘I expressed my sympathy…’
B. ‘The first thing that struck me was that Natalia still looked much the same as she had ten years
earlier…’
C. ‘… she was never keen on studying so I sort of took it for granted that she would end up
doing a job that didn’t require qualifications. Now it turns out she went on to do really well
academically and for two years was a Philosophy lecturer at a top university.’
TEST 9
Vocabulary

EXPLANATION
C. The author mentions missing the football pitch (football field). ‘It’s a pity’ he says.
E. Unemployment would’ve been higher if it wasn’t for the tourism and the jobs it creates.
D. First two sentences talk about ‘really ugly houses’ that should not have been built and how the
local residents should have protested.
C. Fishing used to be the main source of income and a strong industry, now replaced by
luxurious yachts of the rich.
A. The effect on the environment is mentioned, how there used to be vast areas of woods, now
turned into concrete – roads and pavements.
B. Last sentence talks about how it can be beneficial to learn from other cultures, using food and
ways of living as the examples.
C. Last sentence of C mentions tourists doing things they would never have thought about doing
in their hometowns and how law enforcement has to get involved.
A. First sentence talks about the money attracted by the tourist industry and the improvement of
the local infrastructure it brought about.
E. The profits go to the companies that are based in other countries – the tour operators and the
big hotel chains.
D. According to the author, the measures taken to make the tourism more eco-friendly are not
enough and only make people feel better about themselves
TEST 10
Vocabulary

EXPLANATION
A. Last sentence mentions how the author struggles to believe the difficulties that Duncan had at
the very beginning of his sports career.
D. ‘An old head on young shoulders’ is an expression that the author uses to talk about Duncan.
It means that he seems to be quite wise and reasonable, especially for his age.
B. Duncan’s father was very upset at the fact that no teams wanted to take his son.
D. Last sentence says that the day he will be playing for a national team is not that far away.
B. Last summer the boy shot up in height as well as gained more strength, closing the gap
between himself and his peers.
A. The author mentions football, rugby and cricket in order to show how Duncan was good at all
of the sports.
C. Gavin pointed out how being small can teach you better control of the ball and how you have
to work with what you have.
B. His current club told him that Duncan is not a part of their plans and how he has to work
really hard.
C. Despite losing 3-1, Duncan performed well which won him a place in the first team.
D. ‘Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps’.
CAE
TEST 1
Vocabulary
Deaf (adj) — unable to hear.
Acquire (v) — to get or grain something, usually permanently.
Ad hoc (adj, Latin) — made for a particular purpose. We are going to have an ad hoc meeting
about company’s new policy in five minutes.
Insight (n) — ability to see and understand something clearly and quickly. Her political insight is
was helped her to climb the career ladder so swiftly.
From scratch (phr v) — from the ground up, from nothing.
Gesture (n) — a hand motion indicating something. The meaning of that gesture is ‘victory’.
Cognitive (adj) — relating to mind and thinking.
Decompose (v) — to break down into smaller parts.
Map onto (phr v) — to fit to or correspond with.
Derivefrom (v) — take from source or origin. These examples are derived from Shakespeare’s
Othello.
Rudimentary (adj) — basic or fundamental.
Utterance (n) — a statement.
Raw (adj) — unfinished. (Relating to food) not cooked. Raw meat is the main source of nutrients
for most big carnivores.
Innate (adj) — existing in person from birth. His innate talents are praised by all of his teachers.
Uphold (v) — to defend or maintain.
Primed (adj) — prepared for.
Impose (v) to force something. They imposed big fines upon major companies.
Cumbersome (adj) — heavy and big in size, awkward.
EXPLANATION
47 E. Sign representing “20” has become simpler, formerly needing two hands to show and later
only one hand.
48 В. Middle of the paragraph compares how hearing and deaf individuals mime a story about a
cat walking down the street.
49 В. Below the middle of the paragraph. Similar signs in combinations can have different
meanings.
50 С. The process of language evolution with pidgin language taken as an example
51 D.First sentence of the paragraph talks about the specialised part of human brain.
52 D. Last sentence of the same paragraph. Children’s minds are “primed” to learn the rules of
grammar — meaning that it is much easier to learn them when young.
53 E. First sentence — the visits have been taking place every year since 1990.
54 A. The second part of the paragraph mentions how older generations of children passed on
their knowledge to the younger ones.
55 E. The last sentence of the paragraph states that the children want a sign for a particular
reason, in this case — one that can be shown quickly.
56 D. The first sentence of the paragraph has two opposing ideas on the language origin.
TEST 2
Vocabulary
Plummet (v) — to go down rapidly. The oil prices plummeted in 2014.
Pattern (n) — a certain style or design. The flowers on the wall all followed an intricate pattern.
Handful (adj) — small number or amount. Only a handful of people came to see the show.
Subsequent (adj) — taking place after something. The subsequent shows were much more
popular.
Confine to(v) —to limit or restrict.
Sedentary (adj) — characterised by sitting. Sedentary lifestyle is very harmful for one’s health.
Susceptible (adj) — vulnerable to, easily affected by. She is susceptible to alcohol.
Calamitous (adj) — disastrous, with serious consequences.
Overarching (adj) — all-encompassing, overall.
Mild (adj) — soft, moderate, not strong. European countries mostly have rather mild climates.
Donate (v) — give something free of charge.
Incremental (adj) — increasing gradually.
Perch (n) — pole or any other resting place for a birds.
EXPLANATION
47 A. First sentence talks about ‘recent rise’ from few to many specimen and then in the middle
of the paragraph they talk of a ‘reintroduction scheme’ inspired by this success.
48 B. Last sentence talks of a ‘resilience of a small bird’. Resilience here means ‘being able to
recover quickly and overcome hardships easily’.
49 A. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds poll suggests that it is one of the most popular
bird among with two other specimen mentioned in sentence two of Paragraph A.
50 B. Two winters in 1961 and 1962 drastically reduced population of this bird according to the
middle of Paragraph B.
51 D. First sentence of the paragraph states that even the most convinced admirers of this bird
confess that it looks rather ‘drab’ — or dull, shabby and not arousing any interest.
52 B. Second part of Paragraph B talks about ‘protective instincts’ for this defenceless birds, yet
strangely it manages to restore its population.
53 C. The middle of third paragraph goes: ‘… the pace of increase agonizingly slow’, implying
that faster pace of reintroduction would have been more than welcome.
54 C. Last sentence of Paragraph C states that there is reason to believe the rate of breeding is
going to continue its increase.
55 B. The second part of Paragraph B talks about ‘intensive management and protection of
England’s lowland heath’ that ensured increased breeding rate of the rare bird.
56 D. The last sentence of fourth paragraph states that these birds ‘are often birds of large
gardens’ and other buildings, meaning that they can still be seen around frequently.
TEST 3
Vocabulary
Exist (v) — to be , to be real, to be alive. There exist many theories about where humanity comes
from.
Depict (v) — to show in a drawing, sculpture etc. In this picture the artist depicted everyday life
of a simple family from that time.
Alter (v) — to change, to make different.
Exploit (v) — to take advantage of something or someone. People in positions of power are
usually tempted to exploit it.
Keen (adj) — eager, enthusiastic; intense or strong. I’m rather keen on collecting stamps.
Explore (v) — examine, investigate; travel to an unfamiliar region to discover something.
Noteworthy (adj) — notable.
Sheer (adj) — complete, absolute. The sheer brilliancy of Dali’s work will never cease to amaze
me.
Quay (n) — pier or dock parallel to the shoreline.
Abandon (v) — to leave behind, to forsake. The long-abandoned house looked grim and grey.
Immerse (v) — to deeply involve. I immersed myself in the book.
Unsightly (adj) — not presentable, not pretty.
Decay (n) — decline in health, condition, or spirit. Our society is going through a stage of moral
decay.
Ivy (n) — climbing or trailing wine, often used as a decorative element.
Coal (n) — black or brown carbon rock, usually used as fuel. Coal power plants are seriously
harming the environment.
Peculiar (adj) — unusual, odd; distinct. There is something peculiar about Kandinsky’s picture.
Therein (adv) — (formal) in that place. Go to the local pub, you will find them therein.
Overlook (v) — not to notice or take into account. I have no idea how did I overlook that
obvious inaccuracy in my calculations.
Artificial (adj) — not natural, man-made.
EXPLANATION
47 C. Last sentence of the text. The tower had been closed and demolished (destroyed)
48 A. Second sentence of paragraph two says that the artist ‘does not seek to confirm how the
world looks’. This means that the works are fairly abstract rather than objective in their nature.
49 C. First sentence of the paragraph mentions that most find the industrial sites ‘unsightly’ —
not very pretty or outright ugly.
50 B. In the middle of second paragraph the author describes his own interpretation of his
picture, which is rather different from other people’s.
51 B. Second paragraph, second half of it tells of how the artist had to put the painting in bathtub
to achieve certain colour or artistic effect.Next sentence says that it can be dangerous because the
results can’t be controlled.
52 D. In the lower part of second paragraph the artist mentions how he comes to the same cafe
twice to make sure that no minor details are missing from his painting.
53 B. The last sentence of second paragraph mentions how the artist reworked everything to
‘establish links throughout the composition’.
54 B. The very first sentence says that he uses both studio and open-air locations for painting.
We can’t use Paragraph A for answer even though the artist mentions exploring the coastline.
This is because the question is asked in Present Simple, meaning that the artist does that on a
regular basis. Paragraph A talks of an experience that is in the past.
55 A. The artist states that the painting is ‘the largest I’ve ever attempted’. It is the size of the
painting that makes it different from other works of the same author.
56 D. The author looks for ‘bespoke interiors’ and individuals that attend those pubs.
TEST 4
Vocabulary
Commuter (n) — a person that commutes — travels the same distance everyday from home to
work and back. Commuters in most cities make up to 85% of all traffic.
Irascible (adj) — easily angered, irritable. My boss really has short fuse — he is extremely
irascible.
Tenacity (n) — quality of being stubborn or persistent. Lidia’s tenacity helped her a great lot
during her career of a sales manager.
Vested (adj) — rightfully belonging by law.
Fit out — supply with necessary equipment. Our new office was fitted out with state-of-the-art
equipment.
Dismiss (v) — to reject or turn down something. No matter how good my ideas seemed he
forcefully dismissed all of them.
Centrepiece (n) — (figurative) the most important part of something.
Liken (v) — to see or present as similar, to compare.
Envisage (v) — to form a mental image of something. The future of today is very far from the
concept our ancestors envisaged it.
Robust (adj) — vigorous, healthy, having strong constitution.
Swagger (n) — arrogant way of behaviour, walk, manner.
Acclaimed (adj) — publicly acknowledged as something good, praiseworthy. A number of
acclaimed scientists from the field visited this year’s convention.
Seamless (adj) — having visible seams or transition. The whole transfer business went smoothly
and seamlessly.
Daily grind — everyday hardships and difficulties.
Uplifting (adj) — inspiring, raising moral or spirits.
Reckon (v) — to consider, regard, have an opinion. I reckon you are going to need this computer
during your trip.
Symbiosis (n) — state of mutually beneficial association.
Evident (adj) — clearly visible, explicit.
Redolent (adj) — having a strong and pleasant fragrance. I bought her a bunch of redolent
flowers to mark the occasion.
Uniformity (n) — state of conforming between the elements. There has to be uniformity of
opinions if we want to achieve something.
Bleakness (n) — state of being bleak — desolate, lifeless and lacking colour.
EXPLANATION
47 C. ‘what had been a largely desolate stretch’ — desolate here means ‘gloomy, depressing’.
Past Perfect tense implies that it is no longer so, the design has changed for the better.
48 B. Middle of the paragraph starts with ‘Explaining his approach to designing …’, Paoletti
compares his style to one of ‘free-form jazz’.
49 E. Second sentence of that paragraph how the design has radically transformed the
appearance of the station.
50 B. Paoletti complains how the station he designed is compared to a cathedral, and he jokingly
complains that it isa cathedral, not something that looks like one.
51 E. Last sentence of this paragraph contains Paoletti’s thoughts on the function of the
underground stations.
52 E. Middle of the same paragraph gives Paoletti’s comments on the criticism and how he
managed to ‘save millions in tunnelling costs’.
53 D. Very beginning of the paragraph: ‘seamless marriage of architecture and engineering’—
two different elements that Paoletti attempts to unite seamlessly(without any visible transition
between one and the other).
54 A. Second sentence claims that Paoletti ‘possessed the persuasiveness and tenacity’ to
accomplish this project. ‘Tenacity’ means persistence and willpower.
55 D. Third sentence mentions: ‘design stopped at the top of the escalators leading down to the
platforms…’. This was as far as architects were allowed to go with their ideas.
56 A. Last but one sentence contains the architect’s opinion on his predecessors:‘whom Paoletti
dismissed as visionless ‘trench-diggers’’
TEST 5
Vocabulary
Stag (n) — a male deer.
Antlers (n) — Horns of a deer.
Bangle (n) — a bracelet worn around one’s arm or ankle. There were some rings and a bangle in
her cabinet.
Pin (n) — a thin piece of metal with one end pointy and the other having a flattened end or a ball.
Bespoke (adj) — made to customer’s specification. Bespoke clothing is expensive but you
should get it provided you can afford spending that much money.
Font, typeface (n) — a set of type of one size and style. Times New Roman is the default font for
Windows applications.
Coincide (v) — take place at the same time.
Detract (v) — to take away a part from the whole. To diminish.
Peripatetic (adj) — wandering, travelling. A peripatetic life is not an easy or predictable one.
Stint (n) — a fixed amount of work one has to do.
EXPLANATION
47. C HRJ is the first company to use the type of material branded’ecological’ (Middle of the
paragraph).
48. B Last sentence about husband calling her a shopper (or the one who buys) rather than a
seller.
49. A Middle of the paragraph: “All her pieces are made …”
50. B The O symbol is the main idea of the collection.
51. D Last sentence, about the jewellery pieces being a classic “in their own right”.
52. C Beginning of the paragraph: “The ethos behind Geo …”.
53. D Middle of the paragraph: “Keivom draws her influences from a peripatetic childhood …”.
54. A Third sentence: “Everyone has a relationship with an animal in my collection.”
55. B She designed a font for the Alphabet project. (Middle of the paragraph)
56. A Beginning of the text “My friend’s grandmother had an amazing stag brooch …”. This
impression moved her to start her own collection.
TEST 6
Vocabulary
Merit (n) — one’s worth; state of deserving something. People in our company aren’t judged by
their professional merit but rather their ability to communicate with their superiors.
Escapism (n) — practice of escaping from the harsh reality of life by books, movies or
substances.
Winsome (adj) — charming, winning, pleasant. A winsome young man rushed to us from across
the hall, took our bags and asked for our names.
Yarn (n) — (here) a long and detailed story, usually a made-up one.
Distinguish (v) — to make or recognise differences between two objects or people. I am not sure
how mothers manage to distinguish twins.
Crank up (phr v) — to increase; to set in motion.
Novelty (n) — something new such as an experience, event or thing. This young teacher that
came to our town is a real novelty!
Flock (v) — (here)come together, gather. The children flocked around me for another story of
my adventures in Africa.
Sneer at (v) — to express scorn or contempt for someone. One of the students sneered at me for
not getting the question correctly.
Auteur (n) — film director.
Innermost (adj) — most intimate, private or hidden. My innermost desire was to find my craft
and live on a remote island away from people and their passions.
Glib (adj) — fluent and east, often insincere. The glib salesman cajoled us into buying this
outrageously expensive washing machine, the devil!
Yearn (v) — want something very much, badly. I yearn for a mug of good beer right now.
Hobo (n) — a homeless person, a tramp. Hobos gathered around the fire to discuss the events of
the day.
Drudgery (n) — hard and monotonous work. Caught in the office drudgery, Gerald kept losing
hope to find a work he’d love doing.
Con (n) — short for convict, a criminal that lives inside prison.
CGI (abbr) — Computer-Generated Imagery, special effects, characters or even whole movies or
cartoons made with the help of computer graphics.
Lithely (adv) — in a lithe manner — flexibly, subtly.
Aftermath (n) — result or consequence of something. The aftermath of the recent earth quake
was disastrous — the town’s infrastructure was in ruins.
Invigorating (v) — giving strength, fresh power. A gulp of water can be really invigorating after
a night-long dancing session in the club.
Austerity (n) — state of being austere — strict, stern or severe.
Reckless (n) — without concern for safety or reason. Reckless driving should be severely
punished.
EXPLANATION
47 C. Middle of the paragraph: “… you’ll welcome movies that pay attention to characterisation
and dialogue…“.
48 D. Second sentence of Paragraph D goes on about the importance of a feel-good movie during
a less fortunate period of human history.
49 B. The movie’s character “revises his own priorities” after going through a difficult period of
their life.
50 В. Last sentence of the paragraph explains what made author make the movie and what
message he decided to carry across — “leave preaching to the preachers”.
51 A. It is stated in the middle of the paragraph how cinema becomes a recognised form of art,
just like music, theatre, painting and the rest.
52 B. Escapism is desire to escape from harsh reality. Second part of the sentence mentions the
importance of it in the example with cartoons.
53 A. The technique of cross-cutting was used that made the narrative more dramatic and the
culmination — more satisfying.
54 C. Second part of the paragraph states that a feel-good movie doesn’t have to ‘be dumb’.
55 B. This is a tricky one — it is about the example with Battleship Potemkin. The author hints
at the idea, without saying it outright — when you are in a tough situation, you start worrying
about the basics and not something exquisite.
56 D. Middle of the paragraph mentions how a group of characters manages to win the struggle
with ‘big, bad, interfering bureaucrats‘.
TEST 7
Vocabulary
Predict (v) — to know that something would happen beforehand; to foretell, foresee.
Meteorologists attempt to predict natural disasters to lower the negative impact they entail.
Solely (adv) — only, alone. The microwave should be used solely by the employees and nobody
else.
Commonplace (adj) — dull, obvious; trite; usual. These cars are commonplace in my town. They
are probably ubiquitous all over the world.
Eerie (adj) — mysteriously scary, weird. The family across the road has an eerie atmosphere
surrounding them.
Rebellion (n) — organised resistance; uprising. Peasant rebellions were commonplace during the
Middle Ages.
Aficionado (n) — ardent, passionate supporter of something.
Precursor (n) — something or someone who precedes. It’s hard to believe that huge, brick-like
mobile phones of the nineties were precursors of the modern slim smartphones.
Prophetic (adj) — containing a prophecy, predictive.
Avid (adj) — keen or enthusiastic. Many UK citizens are avid supporters of their home football
teams.
EXPLANATION
47 В. The author believed that his stories should be an inspiration for future people of science so
he included many ideas in his writing. (Sentence in the middle starting with ‘Gernsback was …’)
48 A. The ‘different process’ mentioned is how the clones are made — from various parts rather
than grown.
49 C. Mark Twain is largely known for his non-science fiction books such as Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn.
50 A. The robots are those that threaten to make humanity extinct.
51 D. One but last sentence of Paragraph D explicitly states that the importance of such device
would have been enormous.
52 B. The paragraph states that the author’s name ‘has been immortalised in the annual science
fiction awards’.
53 B. ‘The mystifying title is itself a prediction of language used in text talk today’ suggests that
author’s contemporaries had trouble understanding the title of the book.
54 C. The character uses the sci-fi analogue of the modern Internet to communicate with other
people, unconfined by his prison cell.
55 D. ‘The long-running series’ is the only part that suggest it ran for a prolonged period of time
to much joy of the viewers.
56 A. The controversy is concern of many people how machines can become independent and
cause potential problems.
TEST 8
Vocabulary
External (adj) — located on the outside. You should use an external microphone for you videos
to improve the quality of sound.
Uniform (adj) — not changing in form, quality, number etc.
Susceptible to (adj) — easily affected by. If you are taking certain medicine then you are more
susceptible to the intoxicating effects of alcohol.
Collaboration (n) — joint work such as a project that is done by two or more people, companies
etc.
Impaired (adj) — with reduced strength, weakened. When you are drunk your judgement is
severely impaired.
Disgust (v) — feeling of aversion, strong dislike to something. People with poor understanding
of political system disgust me.
Subtle (adj) — not immediately visible, slight. The subtle details of the show is what makes it so
enjoyable.
Reluctant (adj) — unwilling. It is natural to feel reluctant to work or study, but it has to be done
nonetheless.
Taste bud (n) — the part of your tongue that is responsible for “feeling” the taste of food you eat.
Insatiable (adj) — unable to be satiated — give enough food or whatever the person is desiring.
The insatiable hunger for reading.
Masquerade as (v) — to pretend to be something else. Burglars masquerading as policemen got
into their house.
Adage (n) — a proverb. As a famous adage goes, ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’.
Signature dish (n) — a dish the cook or the restaurant is most famous for.
Inherent, innate (adj) — given or existing from birth.
Aversion (n) — similar to disgust.
Shortcut (n) — a shorter route; a way to achieve something quicker that usual. We took a
shortcut through the woods but got lost.
Wolf down (v) — to eat something quickly and carelessly. I was too hungry to mind my manners
so I simply wolfed down the food without help of a fork.
Sighted (adj) — able to see. Sighted people will never understand the complexities of being
blind.
Cue (n) — a hint. I don’t need any cues to pass the exam.
Diminished (adj) — reduced, lowered.
Capacity (n) — ability to contain. Any battery’s capacity diminishes with time
EXPLANATION
47 C. The ‘other’ factor here is label. The example illustrates how people can be mislead by a
changed label on potato crisps.
48 В. Reaction to green can be both positive and negative — a ripe cucumber or an unripe fruit.
49 D. The example in the middle of Paragraph D talks about people with poor colour perception
and how it affects their appetite.
50 A. The paragraph mentions two people who worked together to conduct an experiment in
taste preference.
51 D. The bottom half of the paragraph talks about a man who sustained an injury that impaired
his colour vision and it affected his food preferences dramatically.
52 A. ‘Food pictures masquerading as cookbooks’ is what the author meant here. This suggests
that the original idea of cookbooks (to help cooking by giving recipes) is overlooked in favour of
just gazing at highly-appetising pictures.
53 B. The blue and green meat examples are meant. Disgust = get sick.
54 D. The example with blind people shows how they are more capable of telling the slight
differences in taste, compared to people with sight.
55 C. Examples with Skittles and M&Ms — they colour each candy differently to subtly make
us want to eat more of them.
56 В. Example with green-dyed meat suggests that some would be unwilling to taste it: ‘your
stomach probably turns.’

TEST 9
Vocabulary
Venue (n) — a place organised for a particular show or event. We had trouble finding the
appropriate venue for “The Pride of Nation” premiere.
Imply (v) — suggest, hint at. She implied that she doesn’t mind going to my place after the
official part of the evening is over.
Gritty (adj) — hardy and courageous; tough. The gritty adventures of famous detective.
Superb (adj) — excellent, of top quality. The superb writing of Leo Tolstoy is hailed as the
greatest example of Russian fiction.
Convoluted (adj) — difficult to understand, complex. The convoluted narration is what makes
the book so hard to get into.
Subsequent (adv) — something that follows after the initial. The first and the subsequent visitors
were told to come tomorrow.
Indie (adj) — short for ‘independent’. Indie developers are not limited by orders of their
publishers.
Inspire (v) — to stimulate somebody spiritually to produce something (e.g. a work of art). My
wife inspired me during the long months of writing the book.
Gripping (adj) — exciting, extremely interesting. The gripping plot is what made the book win
the Pulitzer’s Prize this year.
Muted (adj) — toned down, bleak, not vivid.
Deliberate (adj) — made intentionally, on purpose. Nobody thought I would scratch my own car
deliberately to get the insurance company pay me some extra money.
Instalment (n) — a part of a multi-part movie or book. The next instalment of Harry Potter
adventures.
Seedy (adj) — shabby, not pretty.
Underbelly (n) — (here) the unpleasant part of society that is usually hidden. I remember
growing up in the underbelly part of town.
Self-serious (adj) — taking itself too seriously, used negatively.
EXPLANATION
47 B. The second part of the review states that “Red Riding: 1974 is the weakest of the three Red
Riding films …”. The first reviewer talks about their favourite movie, not their least favourite.
48 B. Third sentence of the review states that a short toilet break is likely to make you lose the
stream of narrative.
49 D. Second part of the paragraph, starting with “The film can be too self-serious…” and how
film’s “television roots show on a production level”. Reviewer C talks about production, but he
admires rather than criticises it.
50 A. The second part of the paragraph states that murders aren’t the key of the film, but rather
the reactions to them.
51 C. First sentence of the paragraph. Venue is a place where show such as movie is shown. In
this case, it’s the art’s centre that chose to broadcast the movies for three weeks.
52 D. Last part of the first sentence: “… these are not sunny days for the faint of heart.” meaning
that the softer viewers might find the content of the movie shocking or even revolting.
53 D. The last sentence mentions that the film, among other things, is “expertly performed” —
meaning that the actors did a good job.
54 C. Last sentence goes: “… it’s easy to forget it and its sister films were produced for British
television …”.
55 B. Third sentence talks about viewers from America who could be having difficulties making
out the peculiar accents.
56 A. The first sentence refers to reporter Dunford as having mix of feelings.
TEST 10
Vocabulary
Inquiry (n) — a formal request for information; a question. .
Dissemination (n) — distribution. Dissemination of this knowledge is important if we want to
reach our objectives.
Deem (v) — to believe or consider. The defendant’s arguments were deemed sufficient by the
judge.
Peer (v) — person of the same age group. Children at school often feel important to seek
approval of their peers.
Codify v) — to turn into a code or cypher.
Speculation (n) — a process of making assumptions not based on any confirmed facts or
information. There’s a lot of speculation on whether the criminal is in fact guilty.
Imperative (adj) — necessary or important. It is imperative that you go to him immediately.
Empowered (adj) — given ability or right. Women of today feel more empowered because of the
feminism trends.
Level (v) — make even or equal.
Gulf (n) — here: gap, empty space. The gulf between the rich and the poor is as wide as ever.
Tentative (adj) — experimental, careful. My tentative attempts at private teaching proved to be
very fruitful.
Compelling (adj) — arousing strong interest. The reasons to start your own business can be quite
compelling.
Controversy (n) — argument or debate, usually about something there is a strong disagreement
about.
Gloss smth. over (phr) — If you gloss something over, you try to make it look better than it
really is. The government is trying gloss over the current retirement fund shortage issues.
Bemoan (v) — to grieve over something, to mourn.
Disquieting (adj) — causing anxiety or uneasiness. Disquieting news of a war in the bordering
country.
Intimidated by (v) — discouraged or frightened by something. You shouldn’t feel intimidated by
the graduation exams.
EXPLANATION
47 В. The development in question is World Wide Web, which is stated in the last sentence of the
paragraph.
48 D. Science Policy Centre work, journals and discussion meetings are the ways that are meant to make
the public more informed on the matters of science.
49 C. An example of young mathematicians from India that had posted result of their research and the
rapid reaction to it are mentioned in the middle of this paragraph.
50 C. Sentence two of this paragraph: “The latter cries out for an informal system of quality control”.
This sentence refers to the urgent need to regulate blogosphere that can be a source of all kinds of
unconfirmed and even harmful data.
51 A. Last sentence of the paragraph mentions Trailblazing website which can be used to access data on
scientific discoveries of the past.
52 E. Middle of this paragraph: “Scientists often bemoan the public’s weak grasp of science”
53 A. Middle of the paragraph describes a “procedure whereby scientific ideas are subject to peer review”
that is still used.
54 E. First few sentences of this paragraph confirm that scientific knowledge and discoveries are not
always conclusive and there are certain controversies connected to them.
55 E. Second part of the paragraph talks about involvement of media, politicians and institutions in
certain scientific matters, so the issue is no longer purely scientific.
56 D. First part of the paragraph: “… the widening gulf between what science enables us to do and what
it’s prudent or ethical actually to do”.
TEST 11
Vocabulary
Imagery (n) — words, images and other devices to describe certain ideas. Imagery of wealth is often used
to encourage people to spend more money
Notion (n) — An idea or a belief. I think your notion of success is different from mine.
Uncharted (adj) — unknown, undiscovered. Nowadays there are hardly any uncharted territories.
Jeopardise (v) — to put something in danger, to expose to risk. Your disregard for safety rules jeopardises
the success of the operation.
Dire (adj) — serious, very bad; extreme. Even in these dire conditions we should remain human.
Exhilaration (n) — strong feeling of happiness or excitement. The president’s arrival to our little town
caused exhilaration among the populace.
EXPLANATION
47 C. Sentence three and four, beginning with ‘Think of dopamine like gasoline’.
48 D. In the bottom part of Paragraph D Paul Salopek is mentioned being intrigued in other people’s risk
taking in the human history, how it propelled men forward to seek and explore.
49 C. In the second part of Paragraph C, beginning with ‘It works like this’ we are given a detailed
example of the brain process in question.
50 B. Last but one sentence of Paragraph B goes ‘… we don’t all have the same amount of dopamine’,
which explain different attitude towards risk-taking.
51 D. The beginning of the paragraph uses the example of driving a car to illustrate risk-taking in
everyday setting and how we get used to such risk.
52 A. The second part of this paragraph gives examples of what a risk-taker could potentially lose, such
as life or reputation.
53 C. The example of ‘risk-takers’ and ‘thrill-seekers’ explains the common confusion connected with the
reason for various types of people to take risks.
54 D. The very last sentence of the paragraph has the answer. The author judges the idea to be noble, but
taking place for a different, dopamine-related reason.
55 C. Last sentence of the paragraph gives the examples how people seek more of the same sensation,
becoming addicted to the adrenaline-dopamine reaction.
56 C. In the middle, the chemical reaction associated with adrenaline injection is described.
TEST 12
Vocabulary
Mundane (adj) — usual, ordinary, dull and arousing no interest. I had to get back to my mundane task of
writing down telephone numbers from newspaper ads.
Erroneous (adj) — wrong, incorrect. Your initial guess turned out to be erroneous.
Indicative (adj) — a sign that something exists. Her car in the driveway is indicative of her being home.
Contemplation (n) — serious, prolonged thinking . I spend almost twenty minutes in silent contemplation
about recent events.
Stumble (on/upon) (v) — to find something or to literally trip on something. The room was too dark so I
stumbled on a chair and nearly fell.
Despairingly (adv) — hopelessly. I walked home despairingly, bearing the sad news of having to quit my
job.
Withdrawal (n) — if you withdraw from something, you stop taking it. Used mostly with harmful
substances such as drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. My first week of withdrawal was especially difficult to
go through – I couldn’t thinking about anything but smoking.
Bliss (n) — a state or a feeling of absolute happiness. It was a bliss – a warm, dry Sunday at the end of
November.
Allure (n) — attraction or appeal. The allure and the glamour of a movie star lifestyle.
Dull (adj) — unattractive and boring. They kept having those dull conversations about going to Turkey on
vacation.
Flair (n) — ability to do something well without much effort. He exhibited surprising flair in dealing with
unhappy customers.
Scurry (v) — to move quickly in a hasty, busy way, in short steps. She scurried around the office trying to
find the sticky note that apparently was very important.
Ponder (v) — to think slowly and carefully about something. I had to sit down and ponder what to do
with little money I had left.
Wallow (v) — to stay in the same situation without trying to change it. Instead of trying to go out, she
wallowed in her misery after her recent break up with the boyfriend.
Roam (v) — to move or travel around with no certain destination. It was a pleasant summer evening so I
chose to roam the city streets.
Whine (v) — to complain, to cry about something. Keep on whining, it is not going to change a thing.
EXPLANATION
47 C. Second sentence of this paragraph states: ‘… boredom has a definite evolutionary purpose.’. The
author then carries on the substantiate this claim by an example of what we’d be like if we didn’t allow
ourself to get bored occasionally.
48 D. The middle of the paragraph mentions the author turning off his phone on the weekends.
49 B. Second sentence of Paragraph B: ‘… It’s a beautiful theory and one that would definitely hold an
allure for many people.’
50 A. The middle of the paragraph mentions a thinker, who came to realise ‘several decades ago’ that
boredom can be beneficial to us.
51 D. Second sentence of this paragraph makes it clear that ‘pondering’ and purposefully avoiding any
activity are different things.
52 C. Last sentence of the paragraph gives an example of incorrect lessons that we give to our children,
how boredom is something bad, whereas as it turns out it can be quite useful.
53 A. The complicated phrasing of the question can be misleading. Simply put, we need to find a mention
of some activity that is common nowadays and takes place everywhere. What the author implies is the use
of various electronic devices such as mp3 players and smartphones. See sentence one of this paragraph.
54 D. In the second part of Paragraph D the author mentions turning off their mobile phone for the
weekend and how they find the effect profoundly beneficial. Their mind becomes ‘refreshed and
revitalized’.
55 B. ‘A modern research’ mentioned in third sentence of this paragraph is the ‘particular finding’ from
the task.
56 C. Second sentence of Paragraph C: ‘… boredom has a definite evolutionary purpose.’.

TEST 13
Vocabulary
Convincing (adj) — persuading, reasonable and easy to believe in. A convincing argument.
Prompt (v) — to make or encourage something to happen, to incite. Vast amount of money invested in
agriculture prompted fast development of the industry.
Peppered with — to be covered or hit by something, as if by pepper. Here: full of. The magazine was
peppered with useful information on self-defence.
Insight (n) — an idea, a piece of mind that is related to deep understanding of something. In this book the
author shares his insights into chemistry.
Get go grips with —to understand something well enough to deal with it efficiently. I think I finally got to
grips with this school’s math course.
Withdrawal (n) — if you withdraw from something, you stop taking it. Used mostly with harmful
substances such as drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. My first week of withdrawal was especially difficult to
go through – I couldn’t thinking about anything but smoking.
Messy (adj) — untidy and unpleasant. Her hair was messy and her dress creased, but I liked her anyway.
Atomised (adj) — separated from others, with no connection to the rest. Our society is becoming
increasignly atomised.
Assertiveness (n) — confidence and courage to speak one’s mind. A leader with no assertiveness will
never command any respect.
Glut (n) — an amount of something that is higher than can be used or sold. After Christmas was over the
shops had a glut of cakes at discounted prices.
Persist (v) — to keep doing or trying to do something despite anything, often unreasonably. Jack persisted
to try to win the girl over.
Woe (n) — a serious problem or sadness. In the past, her life was full of woes and misery.
Prolific (adj) — able to produce a lot of work. A prolific writer is not necessarily a good or a bad one,
they just write a lot of books.
Strive (for) (v) — to try to achieve something ,especially for a long period of time and despite any
difficulties. For many years they strived to make the model successful on the market.
Swelling (adj) — here: increasing, growing. The market for mid-size crossovers in the US keeps on
swelling.
Facile (adj) — simple and not thought-through. I think that your business model if facile and is sure to
fail.
EXPLANATION
47 C. Last but one sentence: ‘… there will be readers who fail to make it past the first couple of chapters.’
48 D. In sentence six of this paragraph, the book is called to be of ‘antiself-help self-help’ genre. This
genre is mentioned to be ‘swelling’, or increasing.
49 B. Last sentence of Paragraph B poses a question of usefulness of the information in the book
50 A. At the beginning of the paragraph the ‘insights that may never have been expressed quite like this
before’ are mentioned, that seem to be quite useful.
51 D. Sentences four and five on the classical self-help book approach: ‘Many self-help books these days
would shout ‘Yes!’ Oliver Burkeman isn’t so sure.’
52 C. Second sentence of this paragraph says that if the book turns out to be successful, then we are going
to be in a ‘glut of writing’ of similar books. A glut is an excessive amount of something, much more than
is actually required.
53 D. At the end of the paragraph the previous book by the same author is said to be separated into short
parts, whereas his more recent one is much more detailed.
54 B. The middle of the paragraph complains how the argument in the book ‘seems to bounce from place
to place’. It is also mentioned, that the contents of the book are ‘atomised’, or haven’t got any connection
between its elements.
55 D. The middle of the paragraph focuses on how this book takes a different approach, without
promising us to live a trouble-free, happy lives, but instead to change our perception of things.
56 A. Last but one sentence complains about the book being at times a bit frustrating to read because of
its content’s complexity.
TEST 14
Vocabulary
Rehearsed (adj) — (about a speech) practised in advance. My rehearsed dialogue with her didn’t work
because her very first response was something I didn’t plan for.
Prospective (adj) — relating to the future, due to happen in the future. The company you’re having your
internship period with is likely to be your prospective employment place.
Reveal (v) — to make known or visible. It was only after 25 years that the government revealed the facts
about the corrupt politician.
Babble (v) — to speak incoherently, to repeat the same thing over and over again without necessity. I
approached the girl to ask her out but instead I just babbled nonsense.
Go off on a tangent — to change topic suddenly, abruptly and with no reason. She finds it very difficult to
concentrate and always goes off on a tangent.
Evasive (adj) — if someone or something is evasive, it avoids (or attempts to avoid) something and is
hard to get or catch. George has been very evasive lately, we’ve been trying hard to talk to him but alas.
Cope with (v) — deal with something, usually undesirable or unpleasant. He is coping with his disease
just fine, in fact doctors believe he is on his way to full recovery.
Complacent (adj) — if a person is complacent, they are satisfied and proud of what they are or what they
have, while also unaware of their own shortcomings. After winning a regional math competition Matthew
has grown complacent.
EXPLANATION
47 D. The first sentence of this paragraph encourages the reader to prepare for the interview, namely find
out how it is going to be conducted.
48 A. The middle of the paragraph mentions the author talking about their hobbies and then getting
‘carried away’. That’s how they learned to keep to the point the hard way.
49 C. This one of the easier questions. The first half of the paragraph tells the story of an informal setting
at a workplace and the author of the paragraph showing up for the interview in a suit.
50 C. The middle of this paragraph mentions the author responding with ‘No, thanks!’ to whether he had
any questions, which briefly ended the interview for them.
51 D. Bottom half of the paragraph mentions the employers being interested in a candidate that is able
and willing to take responsibility for their own shortcomings.
52 B. Second sentence suggests not to learn your responses as not to appear insincere.
53 C. Bottom half of this paragraph advises to have about ten questions ready for when the interview is
over to ask your future employer.
54 D. Second part of the paragraph mentions the importance of candidate’s posture, position of hands,
maintaining eye contact and so forth.
55 B. Last sentence of the paragraph gives an example of an inquiry about prospective promotion as good
practice. The author encourages you not to hide your plans and intentions.
56 A. Last two sentences mention that you should not be shy about your shortcomings and weaknesses
and let your prospective employer know about them. However, it is also advisable to mention how you
tend to cope with them.
TEST 15
Vocabulary
Trashy (adj) — having low quality or value. Trashy Bollywood movies.
Masterpiece (n) — a work of art such a painting, a movie or a piece of music made with great skill and
talent. Apocalypse Now is one of many Coppola’s masterpieces.
Pin down (phr v) — here: to find the source of reason of something. It is difficult to pin down the exact
reason for your academic failures.
Appeal (n) — quality that makes something or someone interesting and attractive. I could never
understand Dubai as a holiday destination – the climate just isn’t right for me.
Indefinable (adj) — impossible to explain or define. None of my friends like that girl but she just had
some indefinable attraction I just couldn’t explain.
Seduce (v) — to make someone feel attracted to you in a sexual way. The teacher was sentenced to two
years probation for seducing one of her younger students.
Patchy (adj) — here: not thorough or complete. George’s knowledge of world history is somewhat
patchy.
Evaluate (v) — to determine the quality or price of something. This car model is very rare and it is going
to be difficult to evaluate its price accurately.
Retain (v) — to hold intact, to secure, to keep. A company will have a hard time retaining its reputation in
view of recent scandals.
Fine-tune (v) — to adjust carefully and precisely. Jessica had to fine-tune her guitar right before the
performance.
Anew (adv) — once again, often in a different way. Even though her business model collapsed she
mustered up courage to start anew.
Outlook (n) — here: a person’s view on things. Peter’s outlook on life is rather grim – he always sees the
negative side of things.
EXPLANATION
47 C. In the second sentence a comparison between book and films or movies is made, with the former
giving a certain degree of control of how we see things presented to us.
48 B. Giving examples of Tolstoy, Proust and Hardy, the author admits to having incomplete knowledge
of the matter.
49 D. Middle of the paragraph quotes a well-known writer, who warns people against not reading as it
leads to poor imagination and narrower outlook on life.
50 C. The author uses the word ‘assessors’, or those who evaluate the quality of (in this case) works of
literature. Their perception of quality changes with the time period they come from.
51 A. The word ‘escapism’ is used to justify picking a generic novel over an acclaimed masterpiece at the
beginning of this paragraph.
52 B. Second half of Paragraph B goes: ‘A work of fiction can always be fine-tuned …’.
53 D. First two sentences of Paragraph D bring claim there is nothing bad about preferring a certain genre
or author at any given period of a person’s life.
54 B. Second sentence dismisses the notion of you having to put yourself under pressure to finish ‘a
classic’.
55 C. The author of this paragraph shares Albert Camus’ opinion on why literature and reading are so
appealing.
56 B. Last sentence of the paragraph claims ‘trashy romances’ to be of less value that one work of
classics, defending their opinion by ‘I’m going to go ahead and say it’s so anyway’.

CPE
TEST 1
44D
There are other questions that arise concerning the role of photography in society that have
aimed to determine whether the camera operates as a mute, passive recorder of what is
happening or whether it possesses the voice and power to instigate social change.
45E
It has even been suggested that we now inhabit the ‘post-photographic era’ – where
technological and cultural change have devalued photography to such an extent that events have
taken us beyond the photograph’s use and value as a medium of communication
46C
Because of the camera’s perceived realism in its ability to replicate visual perception, it was
assumed that all peoples would ‘naturally’ be able to understand photographs. This gave rise to
the question of whether photography constituted a ‘universal language’.
47B
The popular notion that ‘seeing is believing’ had always afforded special status to the visual
image.
48A
During this relatively short history, the medium has expanded its capabilities in the recording of
time and space, thus allowing human vision to be able to view the fleeting moment or to
visualise both the vast and the minuscule.
49E
Furthermore, perhaps we should be asking if the advent of digital imagery means that
photography, initially born from painting, has turned full circle and has now returned to
emulating painting – its progenitor.
50B
Not only did it hold out the promise of providing a record of vision, but it had the capacity to
make such representation enduring.
51D
We may further speculate whether the camera provides images that have a truly educational
function or if it operates primarily as a source of amusement.
52A
Over the past one and a half centuries, photography has been used to record all aspects of human
life and activity.
53C
In the mid-nineteenth century, the invention of photography appeared to offer the promise of
‘automatically’ providing an accurate visual record. It was seen not only as the culmination of
visual representation but, quite simply, the camera was regarded as a machine that could provide
a fixed image.
TEST 2
86E
Men and women make their own history, but they do not make it freely, in the sense that the
scope and results of their actions are strictly limited by the given socio-economic context that is
prepared independently of their will.
87C
It is said that Napoleon displayed outstanding leadership qualities while still at school. But this is
undoubtedly the product of the school of Napoleonic mythology that was systematically
promoted for political reasons in 19th century France, since it hardly squares with the general
picture of the taciturn child with an inferiority complex that has come down to us.
88D
No man previously ever concentrated authority to such a point, nor showed mental abilities at all
comparable to Napoleon’s: an extraordinary power of work; prodigious memory for detail and
fine judgment in their selection; a luminous decision-making capacity and a simple and rapid
conception - all placed at the disposal of a sovereign will.
89B
One of the most important factors of Napoleon's personality and its effect on his abilities as a
military commander was his genius to inspire others. He believed in the maxim that ‘spirit and
drive is to the physical as three is to one’. It was through his system of awards (an appealing to
soldiers’ ‘soul in order to electrify the man’) that Napoleon was so successful in obtaining
unquestionable obedience, loyalty and devotion from his rank and file.
90A
Napoleon Bonaparte stirs the emotions. Some find him heroic and regard his opponents as
reactionary and unimaginative. Others think him mad with ambition and responsible for many of
the sins of his era. Between these extremes there are those who find some aspects of the man
admirable and others regrettable.
91A
Should he be assailed for sins that were so sadly common? What is it about Napoleon Bonaparte
that makes him the object of such unique criticism?
92B
Napoleon was a military genius in the strategic and tactical handling of armies and although he
provided no large scale reforms of armies (or, indeed, their equipment and techniques), he
excelled at the refinement of an art that already existed.
93E
Men and women make their own history, but they do not make it freely, in the sense that the
scope and results of their actions are strictly limited by the given socio-economic context that is
prepared independently of their will.
94D
And no head of state gave expression more imperiously than this Corsican to the popular
passions of the French of that day: abhorrence for the emigrant nobility, fear of the ancient
régime, dislike of foreigners, hatred of England, an appetite for conquest evoked by
revolutionary propaganda, and the love of glory.
95C
But the biggest stroke of fortune Napoleon had was to be born when he was – in the age of the
French Revolution. The Revolution turned the whole world upside down and presented an
ambitious young man (Napoleon was always ambitious – a consequence of his resentment at his
inferior status) with new and vast opportunities
TEST 3
1. D
"It's a practice seen by many of my contemporaries as morally questionable

2. B
As Helen Davis, an adolescent psychologist explains, "This type of advertising works subtly to
instil insecurity about your appearance, whether it's body shape, skin condition or weight. You
are then told a certain product can go a long way towards correcting the problem. Teens are
subjected to a constant barrage of messages suggesting which products will enhance their
appearance and help them look cool or feel confident, thereby guaranteeing their popularity.
3. E
Many parents and educators feel that teens should become more savvy regarding advertising.
"Young people have to be made aware of how their preferences are being manipulated,"
4. C
Emphasizing brand names is another technique directed at young people, who are attracted to
the prestige that brands confer. According to school counsellor Andrea Haines, "As the
average teenager engages in the difficult task of carving out their identity, the issue of
fitting into a peer group becomes paramount. Brands have become badges of membership in a
social group."
5. A
And although advertising has been around for many years in one form or another, in recent
years, we have seen a worrying trend in the aggressive targeting of younger consumers, who
tend to lack media awareness. In fact, advertisers spend more than $12 billion per year just to
reach the youth market alone. Ads aimed at teens are incredibly sophisticated.
6. E
"They could be encouraged to spot product placement, for example, the Benetton shirt on the
hero in their favourite TV series or the Nike shoes in an action film, both of which register with
them almost without their realizing. "
7. B
Celebrity endorsement of some of these products by stunning young teen icons or social
influencers on the Internet strengthens the message still further. Such ads shamelessly play on
adolescent anxieties, with the overall message being that you become the person you want to be
by making the right purchase.
8. D
According to Helen Davis, psychologists specializing in teenage behaviour are often
consulted by advertising agencies targeting young people. "These experts share their
knowledge of teenage anxieties, fantasies and emotional and social needs with the
advertising industry," she explains. "It's a practice seen by many of my contemporaries as
morally questionable." With the help of these insights into the teenage psyche, manufacturers are
developing ever more sophisticated marketing strategies to reach young people.
9. A
Ads aimed at teens are incredibly sophisticated. Clever slogans coupled with striking images
are part and parcel of many ads. Many ads also have catchy, upbeat music or memorable
jingles. The constant repetition of such ads means that when shopping, teens are drawn to that
specific soft drink, hamburger or sports shoe
10. C
"Teens don't grasp that sharing a video or meme of a brand they have 'liked' provides free
advertising for the manufacturer."

TEST 4
44 E
It may seem paradoxical, but Pollan uncovers evidence that people who cook are thinner
than those who rely on convenience foods for sustenance.
45 B
and readers of The Omnivore's Dilemma will recall the arduousness, the anxiety and the
trepidation with which he approached the preparation of his 'perfect meal' in the final chapter.
46 C

Cooked, perhaps his most personal and engaging book, reaffirms why Pollan is such a
phenomenal success at selling his message, much of which involves explaining subject matter
that might otherwise be stultifying and pressing points that, in lesser hands, would sound
unbearably strident.
47 D
That he's thoroughly versed in the most recent evidence from evolutionary science makes it
pretty difficult to refute his claims
48 E
In a scene that approaches slapstick, the author describes an evening meal that he, his wife and
their teenage son 'prepared' from an assortment of frozen dinners, an experiment designed to test
the advantages of yielding the job of cooking to the corporation, as so many harried consumers
are wont to do. Juggling the various times required and the stubborn limitation of being able to
prepare only one microwave entree at a time, Pollan and his family found not only that
'convenience' prohibited sitting down together for a meal, but also that it was far more costly -
both in time and expense - than throwing together a simple repast out of real food
49 A
In the half dozen years since The Omnivore's Dilemma became the benchmark argument
for knowing where the stuff you eat comes from, Michael Pollan has ascended to the top of
the locavore food chain. He's now arguably the most respected, and certainly one of the most
visible, proponents of locally grown and sourced food.
50 C
 He is a breathtakingly fine writer and a mesmerising storyteller. Even when he draws material
from other sources - works of science, history and anthropology, all generously cited - his
skill at weaving those separate strands into a forceful narrative is singular and has rarely been
equalled by any of the multitude of food critics, celebrity chefs, and nutrition-obsessed crusaders.
51 B
Pollan has always been quick to point out that he is, in fact, a science journalist whenever an
interviewer pegs him as a food writer
52 A

Alice Waters may have been doing it longer and Eric Schlosser louder, but Pollan's influence on
how we eat and what we think about it has been widespread and profound enough to reach
the ear of our current commander in chief and to spark a spate of serious activism around
farm legislation. Waters coined a verb – ‘Pollanise’ – for what happens to your relationship with
food after reading his work, and the result has meant many people changing the way they eat,
or at least trying to.
53 D

In each chapter, Pollan takes the reader on a dizzying tour of the very particular science
behind cooking: what happens, for instance, to an onion when you chop it up - the inherent
sweetness of its liquid defensively exploding into a volatile compound of sulphurous acids on
penetration - as well as the magical permutations of taste that evolve from the slow excretion of
flavours as you sweat the humble vegetable into a sauce.
TEST 5
1.B
The first step in fighting envy is acknowledging that we are experiencing it. Admitting this
can be very threatening, because it means acknowledging our own weaknesses and insecurity.
2.A
Life is full of reminders of what we lack, and they usually come in the form of other people.
There is always someone more successful, more talented, more attractive, or more advanced in
meeting important 'milestones' than we are. We encounter these people every day - in fact, they
are often our friends, family members and colleagues. Sometimes these encounters can leave us
with a bitter taste in our mouths, or a green glow in our eyes - that familiar sting of envy.
3.C
Appreciating a person in their fullness can also help us feel genuinely happy for their successes,
a form of positive support called capitalisation that has been shown to promote relationship well-
being.
4.B
This might console you in the moment, but sooner or later someone is going to come along who
has a nicer car than you and is better looking. In other words, reassuring ourselves about our own
enviable traits is unlikely to work as a long-term solution, and it maintains the same insecure
process.
5.D
Counting our blessings is about refocusing on what is really important in life and on the
sometimes intangible and invisible things we do possess that are less dependent on social
comparisons
6.A
The first clue that envy is lurking may be irrational feelings of hostility towards the object of our
envy.
7.D
Sometimes envy alerts us to things that we want in life that are potentially attainable if we're
willing to make certain changes.
8.A
If we don't unravel this form of vague resentment and identify its green-coloured root, it can
often get the better of us, seriously damaging our relationships.
9.C
It masks the full picture of who that person is and what their life is like, and reduces them to
something very narrow. Have you ever envied someone who seemed to have the perfect life,
only to find out later that they were in fact suffering in a very major way? We just don't have the
opportunity to learn about someone's difficulties when we're overwhelmed by our envy of their
seemingly charmed life.
10.B
Instead, acknowledge that it is hard to see someone do well when you're struggling, and remind
yourself that you are very much not alone in your feelings of inadequacy. Being imperfect is
synonymous with being human.
TEST 6
F
Children at the school can be too shy to read to adults so they read to Muskoka. ‘Their anxiety
about mispronouncing something or getting the words in the wrong order is reduced when they
read to him,’ says Johnston.
2.D

The two teachers could have plucked a dog from a rescue centre but felt that those dogs were
more likely to have difficulties. What they and what troubled children needed was a stable,
intelligent, people-loving animal.
3.A

They say the dog, who first arrived six months ago, is a super dog, who has improved pupil
behaviour and encouraged more students to turn up regularly for their lessons and focus on their
academic achievement.
4.B

‘So when I go to catch-up classes, Henry is always in the room where they’re held. He helps me
focus and get on with it.’
5.C

A number of studies have found that animals improve recovery after surgery or illness and have
a calming influence on people in lots of settings. Some of my kids can be a handful and some of
the children Julie counsels have terrible problems.’
6.E

‘Henry has been a massive success,’ insists Brown, explaining that even doubting staff have
finally been won round.
7.D

‘They seemed to think we locked him in a school cupboard overnight,’ says Brown. ‘Also, the
school budget was too tight to buy a dog and you can imagine that putting one before books

might have stirred some people a bit. We wanted the least controversy possible so we settled on
approaching local churches.
8.G

Dogs strike me as a bit of a publicity stunt. It’s the kind of sentimental story journalists love.’
But Henry remains as popular as ever.
9.E

Perhaps that is because Henry, who lies on the floor during staff meetings, has also had a
calming influence on teachers, ‘Not part of the plan,’ says Brown, ‘but a very welcome benefit.’
10.G

She believes the underlying key to the Henry’s effect is that dogs offer unconditional love and
that cheers up adults and children and helps with self-esteem.
TEST 7
44D

The Chinese thought the precious metal gold was the key, to be drunk down as dust in a liquid
suspension. The alchemists, ancestors of present-day chemists, felt that since they believed that
base metals such as lead could become gold, so gold could be refined into the most precious
material of all: the Philosopher's Stone, source of eternal youth.
45F

There is a warning, however, in every tale and myth of eternal life; that those who lose that fear
or knowledge of death cease to be fully human
46B

It was not until the twentieth century that the health care industry branched out into the
preservation of the body, producing the efficacious, and most profitable arm of medicine today.
47C

The other method is by way of people's minds; the immortality of fame.

48E

who are close to death even have the choice of cryonics; to have their bodies or just their heads
frozen solid, to be thawed out once science has solved the problems of disease and old age
49A

The dream of youth is as old as time, and people have gone to great lengths to preserve
themselves. It is said that Cleopatra bathed daily in milk to preserve the beauty two great
Romans fell in love with. Countess Erszebet Bathory of Hungary was said to have drunk the
blood of hundreds of young women in the mistaken belief that it would keep her like them; it is
from here, among other sources, that the legend of the vampire came from. Indeed, literature
abounds with such stories; The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is one — it recounts the
story of a beautiful young man who makes a deal so that his portrait grows old instead of him.
50F

Is it not this knowledge that fills us with the urge to create beyond ourselves, leave something
behind
51B

Your local chemist will also testify that anti-wrinkle creams sell well
52 D
But neither option is enough for some people. As Woody Allen said, 'I don't want to achieve
immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality by not dying.'
53 C

The first is religion and either everlasting life after death or reincarnation.
TEST 8
A

Added to that, the disagreeable reality that office work left behind has to be dealt with on my
return. No, when my holiday comes round, the prospect of an exotic destination holds zero
appeal.
2.A

There is nothing worse than spending countless nights in a string of faceless hotels, because no
matter what the standard is, they are still totally devoid of that essential element of homeliness
which is present in your own environment or even when being put up by friends.
3.A

There is no way round the fact that if on a weekly basis you change time zone four times, - and
we're not talking just a couple of hours' time difference - you are going to feel and see the side
effects. Bloating, bad skin, hormonal imbalances, not to mention fatigue.
4.C

I have friends who holiday independently with their offspring, only to come back and need a
week's recovery period. What's the point of that? Holidays are for unwinding.
5.B

I tend to find accommodation with local families; that way I get a better understanding of the real
people, their habits, customs and the accepted forms of behaviour for me and them. It also allows
exposure to language in a different way.
6.D

I realise that the memories are better than the actual reality. Travelling is tiresome. Flying is
exhausting. Constantly making whimsical decisions on what to visit, where to eat, how to choose
is irritating because you feel a constant pressure: Is this the right thing to do? Are we missing
something? Are we being swindled or taken for a ride?
7.D

Perhaps it's because we want to force ourselves to battle with new experiences and manage, or
maybe it simply serves as a point of reference from which we can safely conclude that home is
best and we are truly lucky.
8.C
My everyday life is a hellfire of fatigue and a relentless treadmill of activities. When I get my
time off, all I want to do is put my feet up and enjoy the cocktails, no visiting, cooking, cleaning,
worrying. The kids love the kids' clubs and I love the sun. When I come to the end of my
holidays, I feel rested and ready to go again.
9.B

I've worked with small indigenous communities on four continents and in ten different countries.
10.C

Do I sound ignorant, uncultured, chauvinistic even? Not at all ... Try out my tried-and-tested
formula before you criticise.
TEST 9
44D
Other candidates put forward for the post of most influential cause of human advancement
include our upright stature (allowing us to see further; but apes can also stand on two legs) and
our weakness (forcing us to find other means of defence; however, if you see chimpanzees
scaring away lions with sticks and stones, you can assume we were at least as resourceful). The
other candidate is language.
45A
After all, the first recognisably human foot trod the earth a mere 150,000 years ago; a long time
if you're waiting for your coffee to arrive, but not long enough in evolutionary terms for large
shifts in our physical stature.
46E
Sign language, however, was more successful. Apes could learn up to 200 signs, and one gorilla
in particular began to put signs into different orders to express different things; the beginnings of
a grammar.
47E
Attempts to teach them to speak ended in failure due to the fact that the ape's larynx is not well
enough developed to produce such complex sounds.
48C
Some apes, however, display primitive tool use (chimpanzees use blades of grass to 'fish' for
termites in mounds), so it seems that we have simply developed that which was already there.
49B
Apes live a day-to-day existence in small groups, without making shelter or clothing, subsisting
mostly on fruit and berries. This is how our predecessors lived, but now we live in our millions
in huge cities, cultivate our food and have done things as extreme as reaching the moon and
plumbing the mysteries of the oceans.
50D
Though apes can get a lot of information across in their way, there are obvious limitations, such
as the impossibility of conveying abstract ideas.
51F
It is perhaps the ultimate tool in the struggle for survival, and enabled us to spread to the four
corners of the world.
52A
In 1859, Charles Darwin published his classic study, The Origin of Species, in which he
presented his theory of evolution by natural selection. Though many people ridiculed the
connection he made between man and ape at the time (pictures of him in Punch caricatured him
as half-monkey), the idea has come to be accepted by nearly everyone.
53E
Apes could learn up to 200 signs, and one gorilla in particular began to put signs into different
orders to express different things; the beginnings of a grammar.
TEST 10
44B
Criminal law weighs very lightly in terms of volume when measured against non-criminal (that
is, civil) law. There are more rules of civil law than there are of criminal law; more court cases
involve breach of the civil law than that of the criminal law.
45A
In other cases privately-instituted adjudication bodies are established, a third party being
appointed to decide whether an agreement or rule has been broken or not.
46A
Every time a purchase is made, a contract is made. Both parties make promises about what they
will do; one to hand over the goods, one to pay the price.
47D
Such confirmation is important; without it we have little to establish the impact the law has,
being forced to rely on individual instances of its application and having to assume that these
have general truth. Empirical study of the operation of law may reveal areas of improvement. It
can also confirm that, measured by particular standards, the courts are working well.
48D
Changes in these from year to year may indicate some effects of changes in the law and practice.
Statistical tests can establish that there is a relationship, a correlation, between different things
49B
Newcomers to the study of law tend to assume that criminal law occupies the bulk of a lawyer's
caseload and of a law student's studies. This is an interesting by-product of the portrayal of the
legal system by the media.
50C
Disputes about the scope and interpretation of international law are rarely resolved by the use of
international courts or binding arbitration procedures of an international organisation. This is
because submission to an international court or similar process is entirely voluntary and

few states are likely to agree to this if there is a serious risk of losing their case or where
important political or national interests are at stake.
51C
The international legal order has no single governing body and operates by agreement between
states. This means that the creation, interpretation and enforcement of international law lie
primarily in the hands of states themselves. Its scope and effectiveness depend on the sense of
mutual benefit and obligation involved in adhering to the rules.
52A
Most laws are not about something spectacular but, rather, about the details of ordinary life.
53 C
There is no world government or legislature issuing and enforcing laws to which all nations are
subject. The international legal order has no single governing body and operates by agreement
between states.