PRACTICE TEST 1

LISTENING

Task 1

You will hear a radio programme about the life of the singer, Lena Horne. For questions 1-8,
complete the sentences.

The 'talented tenth' was a label given to those African Americans who had good social

positions and were .

She left school and began her singing career at the well-known .

Her mother was keen that Lena's singing career would bring about the collapse of
.

Lena refused to sing for audiences of servicemen and prisoners which were .

When Lena entered Hollywood, black actors were generally only hired to act in the roles

of .

While she was working for Hollywood, Lena found that, during the , much of her
spoken work was removed from the film.

Lena spent a lot of the 1950s working in due to her being considered a
Communist.

Most people will remember Lena for her .

Task 2

You will hear a radio interview with the comedian Brain Conley, who does a considerable
amount of work in panto, a type of family-friendly show which is popular at Christmas. For
questions 1-6, choose the answer which fits best according to what you hear.

Brian likes Birmingham because:

It has provided him with a steady income

It is where he grew up

It was where he first became famous

When they discuss children’s participation in panto, Brian says that

he prefers children not to come up on stage

it’s important to get the parents’ permission if a child wants to participate

he thinks that children’s participation adds a certain quality to the show

3

According to Brian, the advantage of panto is that

All the actors can change their lines to reflect current events.

The qualities required in panto match his talents.

It gives him the chance to play a comedy character.

Brian became involved in comedy because

He had wanted to do it since he was a child.

His friends at school encouraged him to do it.

He found he could earn more by doing comedy.

What does Brian say about providing comedy for corporate events?

It is easy because the audience has had a lot to drink.

He has learnt how to respond to comments from the audience.

It’s the only way for many comedians to find work.

What does Brian feel with regards to nerves?

He agrees with a comment someone made early in his career

He no longer feels nervous because he is more experienced

The extent of his nerves has changed over the years

Task 3

You'll hear a commentator talking about the importance of organic food. Complete the notes,
using one word or a short phrase.

We support naturally grown produce partly because it . Naturally grown produce

is healthier than food. Whether farm animals have an illness or not, they are

given growth promoting drugs, and anti-parasite drugs on a daily basis.

Consumers dislike the idea of animals raised in . The use of pesticides is

monitored every year, for which more than £ of public money is spent. Billions of

pounds are spent on cleaning up the mess made by . are the ones
who benefit from GM products. Organic food becomes less expensive as

consumers . It's also important to reduce in farm workers.

However, shopping is difficult, since there are competing interests.

Task 4

Listen to part of a conversation with a woman who started her own business in the town of
Westleigh.
1

Why did Madeleine decide to open the store?

Because she wanted to help rejuvenate the town.

Because she wanted to encourage people to be more creative

Because she lost her job as a journalist.

Madeleine copied the hardware store by…

stocking everything that a customer could possibly need.

only stocking top quality goods.

only selling things that big retailers don’t stock.

Madeleine attracts people into the store by…

building a relationship with another establishment.

offering discounts to students and teachers.

inviting art students to sell work in her store.

Which of the following does Madeleine provide?

A place where people can socialise and have a drink.

A venue where clubs can meet free of charge

A craft group for mothers with small children.

Why does Madeleine think other shops have closed down in the area?

The stores were not very well stocked.

The owners were not passionate about their goods.

Nobody wanted to buy what was on offer.

In Madeleine’s opinion, what quality does she have which makes her a good businesswoman?

She is creative and resourceful

She enjoys working with numbers

She feels at ease with customers

LEXICO-GRAMMAR
READING

Task 1

Music magazine has eye on China

US publication Rolling Stone magazine is to launch in China. The magazine,

should hit shelves early next year, will focus on China's emerging youth culture as well as

foreign arts and entertainment. Rolling Stone first published in San Francisco in
1967 to chronicle cultural changes in the US. "We feel Chinese music and arts are maturing

rapidly and that a Chinese edition be viable," said Jimmy Jung, of One World

Publishing. Rolling Stone licensed Hong Kong-based One World to publish the
Chinese-language edition. Mr Jung said the magazine, to be printed in simplified Chinese

characters, will contain a mix of local content primarily by Beijing-based staff and
translations of articles from the US edition. "We want to make that we're faithful
to the spirit of the brand," said Jung. He added that while Hong Kong and Taiwan had more
developed pop cultures, mainland China was more important. "We feel China offers greater

potential and we want to be there from the ," said Jung, whose company

also Chinese editions of British car magazine, Top Gear and gadget magazine T3.

Task 2

The Sahara Film Festival

After a bumpy 225km drive from a meagre airstrip in Tindouf, south western Algeria, a
sprawling single-story town begins to emerge from the desert’s dust. As the sun climbs in the
cloudless sky, visitors are rewarded with their first glimpse of Dakhla refugee camp. It isn’t
the most obvious setting for a film festival, but for seven years, just before the glitz and
glamour of Cannes, the Sahrawi people of Dakhla have hosted actors and film-makers from
around the world for this six-day event. This year, for the first time, direct flights were laid on
from London, giving the opportunity for overseas visitors to play a part in this extraordinary
occasion. But despite the energy and excitement, the background to the film festival is a
serious one, as the Sahrawi people have been living for thirty years in this isolated desert
outpost, having been forced to flee their native Western Sahara.

Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony, was taken over by Morocco when the Spanish withdrew
in 1976, despite a ruling from the International Court of Justice. This was followed by a brutal
16-year war, during which time tens of thousands of Sahrawis fled across the Algerian border
to refugee camps. In 1991, a ceasefire agreement was drawn up, in which a referendum on
self-determination was promised to decide the fate of the country and its people. However,
almost twenty years later, the gears of diplomacy have turned slowly and nothing has
happened. Meanwhile the refugees have been left stranded in five refugee camps dotted
around the vast, inhospitable desert.

Dakhla, home to nearly 30,000 of these refugees, is the most remote of these camps, being
located 175 km from the nearest city. Unlike its namesake, the beautiful coastal city in
Western Sahara, this Dakhla has no paved roads and is entirely dependent on outside supplies
for food and water. Temperatures regularly top 120 degrees, there is minimal vegetation and
there are frequent sandstorms. Locally it is known as the Devil’s Garden. Despite these
obvious setbacks, the town is clean and well organised, with wide sandy streets. Houses and
tents are grouped in neat family compounds. There are hospitals, funded by aid agencies, and
a good standard of education. For the duration of the festival, an articulated lorry is parked in
the central compound, and a multiplex-sized screen is mounted on its side. Around it are
stalls and tents housing workshops and exhibitions.

The aim of the festival is to raise international awareness on the plight of the refugees.
However, it also offers a rare chance for the refugees to go to the movies and experience some
educational opportunities. It is hoped that it might foster a new generation of Sahrawi film-
makers, especially as this year, the festival also celebrated the opening of a permanent film,
radio and television school in a neighbouring camp.

The program of films for this year included over forty films from around the world. Films range
from international blockbusters to various works on and by the Sahrawi people. The themes
mostly centre on experiences of struggle and hope, but there were lighter moments, such as
an animated film for the children and a flash of Rachel Weisz’s naked bottom during the ancient
Egyptian epic Agora which proved to be a highlight for many older boys. However, the runaway
favourite was ‘a Victime’, a documentary about Ibrahim Leibeit, a 19-year-old Sahrawi who lost
his leg to a land mine last year.

Films are screened at night, so the daytime is taken up with exhibitions, camel races and
football matches. One afternoon the London-based charity ‘Sandblast’ put on a joint workshop
with a film-maker, giving refugees the opportunity to learn about filmmaking and create their
own video messages. These were put online so that their extended families in Western
Sahara, from whom they have been separated for more than 33 years, could watch them. Helen
Whitehead, a film-maker from London said, ‘Working together really broke down language and
cultural barriers. It was very rewarding, and we came across some real talent.’

More than 500 visitors flew into Tindouf on charter planes and braved the rough drive to the
settlement. All the visitors to the festival stay with Sahrawi families, sharing their homes and
partaking of their food. Living with these displaced people gives overseas participants an
invaluable insight into the conditions in which the refugees live. Alongside the film buffs there
are real celebrities such as actors Victoria Demayo and Helena Olano. They are mostly B and
C listers from the Spanish film industry, although the real stars do take an interest. Director
Javier Cardozo was a visitor last year, and Penelope Cruz is a long-term supporter, but pulled
out of attending the festival this year at the last minute. Will the celebrity backing make a
difference to the plight of the refugees? Possibly. Cardozo’s suggestion that the Spanish, as
the ex-colonial masters of Western Sahara, were responsible for the situation received
significant coverage in the Spanish Media and put some pressure on the government to take
some action. However, although the campaign in Spain is growing steadily, the focus of
attention cannot only be on the Spanish government.

On the final day of the gathering, there is a dusty red-carpet ceremony in which the White
Camel award for best picture is presented to Jordi Ferrer and Paul Vidal for ‘El Problema’, their
2009 film about Western Sahara. Actors, activists and festival organisers gather on stage in
high spirits to show their solidarity with the refugees. But as the stalls are dismantled and the
trucks are driven away, the thoughts of the visitors turn to the people they are leaving behind.
They may never get the chance to see the world or fulfil their dreams of becoming actors or
film-makers. For them, there is nowhere to go. Dakhla is essentially a desert prison.

1 In the first paragraph, the writer emphasises:

the enthusiasm that the festival instils

the sensational nature of the festival

the festival’s increasing media attention

the festival’s unlikely location

2 According to the writer, the refugees have been in the desert for so long because:

International agencies do not know they are there

the Moroccan government disagree with the UN

a proposed vote is yet to take place

there is a war in their home country

3 What does the writer say about the original city of Dakhla?

It is by the sea.

It has good health and educational facilities.

It does not have proper roads

 It gets food and water from aid agencies.

4 What is said about the films shown at the festival?

They mostly show the personal experiences of the Sahwari people.

All of the films are serious in content.

The variety of films suited a wide range of tastes

The international films were more popular than the local films

5 What was the British visitors’ response to the workshops?

They were surprised by the refugee’s film knowledge

The workshops enabled them to communicate with local people.

the workshops taught the visitors a lot about local culture.

They showed the local films to their families via the internet.

6 What point does the writer highlight in the final paragraph?

There is a contrast between the visitors’ freedom and the refugees’ confinement

The film festival only gives the refugees unattainable dreams

The visitors only care about the refugees for the duration of the festival

The festival is a poor copy of the more famous film festivals.

Task 1
https://www.examenglish.com/CAE/cae_listening2.htm
1. educated
2. Cotton Club
3. racial barriers
4. segregated
5. maids and butlers
6. editing process
7. nightclubs
8. resonant voice

Radio Announcer: Last month, the renowned and much-lover singer Lena Horne died in New
York, aged 92. This Afro-American singer and civil activist worked in America in the Golden
era of stage and screen, meeting such great names as Billie Holliday and Duke Ellington. We
have with us here in the studio Joel Lightwater to tell us more about Lena Horne’s remarkable
life.

Joel Lightwater: Thank you John.

Lena Horne was born in 1917 to a Brooklyn family, described by a prominent writer as the
‘Talented Tenth’ – a name which was given to those members of the African American
community who were educated and socially prominent. Her family were activists in African-
American rights – her grandmother, Cora Calhoun, was in fact the founding member of the
N.A.A.C.P. , that is, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. Indeed,
at the age of two, Lena was photographed parading in a protest.

Her childhood was split between her grandparents’ town house in Brooklyn, and her mother’s
lodgings in Harlem, her father having left the family when Lena was only three years old. She
went to school at Brooklyn Girls High, but when she started singing at the famous Cotton Club
at the age of 16, she dropped out without a diploma.

All her life, Lena’s mother Edna had hoped that Lena could use her performances to break down
race barriers. This was not an easy thing to do in the race-conscious culture of the time. At one
point Lena was advised to advertise her creamy complexion as Latin, something she refused to
do; while later in her career, studio executives in Hollywood suggested that she darken her skin
colour with make-up.

Matters relating to racial equality were always high up on Lena’s priorities. During World War
II, when she was entertaining soldiers and prisoners of war, she noticed that she was always
being asked to perform for groups which segregated in terms of colour. In the rare instances
where she sang for mixed groups, white German prisoners of war were seated in front of the
African American servicemen. She soon refused to perform for such occasions, and, cine the
US Army refused to allow integrated audiences, she put on her own show for a mixed-colour
audience.
After the war years, Lena had the opportunity to move into the glamorous world of Hollywood,
and she was the first African American to be signed on a long-term studio contract. However,
this was an age when the colour barrier was still strong. Black actors rarely had the chance to
play anything more than maids and butlers. Although Lena was beginning to achieve a high
level of notoriety, she found that she rarely had the chance to act, and many of her lines were cut
during the editing process. Only in two incidences did she play a character that was central to
the plot.

But Lena’s elegance and powerful voice were unlike anything that had come before, and both
the public and the executives in the entertainment industry began to take note. By the mid-’40s,
Horne was the highest paid black actor in the country, and her songs were instant classics.

However Horne’s great fame could not prevent the wheels of the anti-Communist machine from
bearing down on her. During the 1950s, she was marked as a Communist sympathiser as a result
of her civil rights activism. She soon found herself blacklisted and unable to work on television
or in the movies. At this time, however, she continued to sing in nightclubs, and made some of
her best recordings. In the 60s, she was once again back in the public eye.

Since the 16-year old danced her first steps on the stage of the Cotton Club, much has changed.
Thanks to her continued musical, theatrical and political efforts, she paved the way for many
other non-whites in the entertainment industry. But what she will be remembered for most of all
must be her ability to move generations of audiences with her shimmering resonant voice,
singing the classic greats, like “Black Coffee” and the unforgettable “Stormy Weather.”

Task 2
https://www.examenglish.com/CAE/cae_listening3.htm
1A 2C 3B 4C 5B 6A

Radio interviewer: I’m backstage at the Birmingham Hippodrome with the comedian Brian
Conley. Hello Brian. Nice to see you again.

Brian: Nice to see you too.

Radio interviewer: Birmingham’s done well for you over the years, hasn’t it?
Brain: It certainly has. It’s paid my mortgage, definitely. I mean, it’s not far from where I
live, it’s just up the motorway, and I love this theatre. I’ve got some great memories of here.
Back in the 90s, especially, when I was doing panto with Britt Eckland, that was a really good
time.

Radio interviewer: You mention panto, which has, of course an element of audience
participation and rowdiness. How do you cope with that? Is it something that’s difficult for
you?

Brian: It is difficult, especially with the kids, you never know what they’re going to come
up with. But I’m up for that. Some theatres don’t like the kids to come up on stage any more,
they just finish with a musical number and that’s it, but I think that’s a shame, especially now
I’ve got kids of my own. What a lot of theatres do now is get the parents to come down and
stand in the aisles, and if there’s a rowdy kid, we bring the parent up, and that puts the onus on
the parent to keep the kid in check. But I like all that participation. It’s what gives it energy and
makes it live.

Radio interviewer: You do a range of different shows though, don’t you?

Brian: Yes, I do musical theatre and corporate work as well as panto, but panto’s the best.
It plays to my strengths, you know. I like the fact that it’s got everything, singing, dancing,
comedy, and if there’s something in the papers that day, I can pick up on it and put it in the
show. And that’s something that only I can do, as the comedy character. The other characters
in the show can’t diverge from the script so much. But I can ad lib. It’s great. When I work in
musical theatre, i can’t do that. I have to stick to the script.

Radio Interviewer: So where did it all begin, this comedy career? When was your first time
on stage?

Brian: The first time I was on stage was when I was two. I was at this holiday camp and
my mum and dad lost me in the dance hall. Then they heard loads of people laughing and they
saw me up on stage making a fool of myself. That was it after that. I was hooked. But what
has also driven me is the fact that I was dyslexic. I found it difficult to keep up at school,
because my writing was bad, so I naturally became the class clown, the school joker. But I was
always a good singer, and singing was always my first love. Comedy came later. When I
started doing clubs when I was 17, I found that you get paid more for doing comedy than you do
for singing.

Radio Interviewer: And you still do comedy now.

Brian: Yeah, I do. Most of the comedy I do now is actually corporate work. You know,
these big work events, where there’s free food and drink. It’s very lucrative, but it’s a tough
crowd. They’ve got a load of free alcohol and they get boozed up. There’s a big demand for it
these days, but a lot of famous comedians can’t do it. I’ve learnt how to handle it over the years,
and I’ve got an answer for every situation now. I had to fall into it really, it pays the mortgage.

Radio Interviewer: And you still get nerves?

Brian: A guy once said to me that it doesn’t get any easier. I dismissed that. I used to
reckon that as I got older and more experienced I’d be more relaxed and I wouldn’t get so
nervous. But I realise that he was right. I want to do well, and that effects how you feel before
the performance.
Radio Interviewer: Brain Conley, thank you very much.

Task 3
https://www.examenglish.com/CAE/cae_listening5.htm
1. tastes so good
2. intensively produced
3. antibiotics
4. cramped conditions
5. 2.5 million
6. agro-chemicals
7. Wholesalers and retailers
8. buy more
9. health problems
10. organically
We are pleased to be able to recommend Anna Brown's "Go Organic", the essential book for all
concerned consumers.
"Go Organic" is a fresh, modern, and inspiring sourcebook which has started a revolution in
favour of organic living. It can help you make simple lifestyle changes that will have a big
impact on our planet.
Part of the reason for our support is that we think naturally grown produce, and pesticide and
chemical-free meat and poultry taste so good. It is honestly produced, marketed fresh, more
flavourful and better for our health than intensively produced food.
But our interest in the subject also reflects the anxieties so many of us feel about big
agribusiness meat and vegetables. We all want to know where our food has come from and what
has been put on it. Intensively-reared dairy cows and farm animals are fed a dangerous cocktail
of growth promoting drugs, antibiotics and anti-parasite drugs on a daily basis, whether they
have an illness or not. These drugs are passed directly onto the consumers of their dairy produce
or meat., which must be a contributing factor to meat-related diseases like coronaries and high
blood pressure.
None of us likes the idea of hormones and growth promoters, or pigs and chicken kept in
crowded , cramped conditions. We hate the idea of chickens having to be debeaked so they don't
peck each other, or pigs having their tails cropped.
We dislike feeding our children - and ourselves - on vegetables that have been pumped up with
chemical fertilizers, then sprayed with pesticide to keep the apples glossy and the pears
unblemished. Over £2.5 million of public money is spent every year just to monitor the use of
pesticides when a rational food and agriculture policy would find means of eliminating this
source of pollution from the food chain altogether - or, at least, of reducing it so the costs are
less ridiculous.
We spend billions of pounds every year cleaning up the mess that agro-chemicals make to our
natural water supply.
The average conventionally-grown apple has 20-30 artificial poisons on its skin, even after
rinsing.
Fresh organic produce contains on average 50% more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other
micro-nutrients than intensively farmed produce.
We don't want to buy tomatoes that have been genetically modified (that is, GM) with the DNA
of a fish just to expand their shelf life for the convenience of the wholesaler and retailer. And we
don't want to buy tomato paste made from GM tomatoes. At the very least, we want GM
products to be clearly labelled as such, so that we have the choice of buying non-GM
merchandise.
Organic foods cost more at the moment, but prices are coming down - the more we buy, the
cheaper it will get. This is one area where the consumer is sovereign -it is the consumers who
have made the organic food revolution.
Intensive farming can seriously damage farm workers' health. There are much higher instances
of cancer, respiratory problems and other major diseases in farm workers from non-organic
farms. This is particularly true in developing countries, and for agrochemical farms growing
cotton. So we need to go organic if we care about other people.
The trouble is, it can be difficult to shop organically –there are competing interests with
competing claims - and different labels.
If you want to safeguard you and your family's health, you should go organic. Going organic is
the only practical way to avoid eating genetically modified food. And if you want to go organic,
you cannot miss reading "Go Organic", the book for everyone who aspires to a better lifestyle
and a better world.
Task 4
https://www.examenglish.com/CAE/cae_listening2_3.htm
1A 2A 3A 4B 5C 6A
Man: So, Madeleine, you went from being a freelance journalist to running your own
stationery store. Was that your intention, to get more people excited about writing and
creating?
Madeleine: Well, I suppose must have been, subconsciously, to a certain extent, but I never
really saw it that way originally. I mean, if I wanted to be encouraging others, there’s no
reason why I shouldn’t still be writing. The work hasn’t dried up. No, to tell the truth, I did it for
the sake of the town as much as for myself. On one occasion, back when I was writing, I had to
drive eight miles just to get some printer paper, and it was then that I realised this was
something that the town really lacked. The town’s in such a rut economically, but there’s no
reason it can’t thrive if the right businesses start up. I thought I could give it a go.
Man: But it’s still a difficult thing to do in today’s economic climate. The pattern in recent
years is for independent retail stores to be closing down, not opening. How could you ensure
that your store would be a success?
Madeleine: Well, I actually used another shop in the town as a kind of business model. It’s a
hardware store. It stocks everything, and both at the high and low end of the market, so if
you’re looking for some top quality goods and you’re prepared to pay extra, you’ll find them.
But they undercut the prices of the big retailers for other, common products too. It’s a large
store, and it’s packed tightly with goods so that basically, no matter how rare or unusual the
thing is that you want, you can always find it. And while the other shops in town are struggling
for custom, this one is always busy, so I decided to use the same basic technique.
Man: But even though you’re the only stationers in the town, you still have to compete, not
only with retailers in nearby towns, but also with internet suppliers.
Madeleine: That’s true, and it’s absolutely vital to address this issue. I’ve done quite a lot of
promotion in the town to ensure that people come here rather than elsewhere. For example,
I’ve offered a discount to students at the local secondary school, and because that school
specialises in art, I’ve liaised with the teachers to ensure I stock the supplies the pupils are
likely to need; not just the everyday things, but the more unusual stuff too. Once they’re in, I
can use the shop layout to promote items that they weren’t intending to buy, you know,
impulse buys.
Man: I understand you’re using the shop to create a community space as well?
Madeleine: Yes, I’ve noticed these days, that people just don’t go out and socialise in their
community as much they used to. People don’t even go out to the pub to meet people and have
a drink any more. They can do that at home over the internet. It’s a shame really. So I’ve got an
upstairs room, which I allow people to book out, to start clubs. Groups can use the room for
free, provided that they use something that I can stock in my shop. We’ve already got a book
club and a creative writing group, and I’d like to start up a mums-and-toddlers craft group, a
board game club, an art class and so on. It helps me because the group attracts custom for
me, but I hope people consider it a valuable community resource too.
Man: You’ve only been going a month so far. Why do you think your shop will be a
success, where other shop owners have failed?
Madeleine: Well, I think the problem with some of the other shops in the town has been that
people have opened the kind of shop which they would like to run. There was a woman with a
sewing shop, for example, and a nice book store and art café, and a delicatessen. All lovely
shops, well-stocked, reasonably priced, and I’m sure the owners were really passionate about
the things they were selling. But they failed to take into account that there isn’t really a
massive market for that sort of thing in this town. I came at it from the other way, and feel I’ve
found a niche and I’m filling it. I think that’s what will help the business take off.
Man: How are you handling the business side of things? I mean, running a shop is a far cry
from teaching and journalism. Surely, it requires a completely different set of skills?
Madeleine: It does, and I must say there are things that I do struggle with. Insurance,
regulations, accounts… I’m fairly decent at maths, but at the end of a hard day, it’s not really
how I want to spend my evening. But what I do have is the ability to come up with ideas.
Perhaps it’s because I was a journalist. I know how to use what I have to create something
effective. You might think that I’m good at dealing with people too, having been a journalist.
Being in a shop requires you to go up to a customer, get to know them, make them feel
welcome and find out what they need. I can’t say that comes naturally to me. I’m naturally
reserved, so I still find that a bit of a challenge.

Lexi

9D 10B 11D 12A 13B 14D 15A 16C 17A 18C 19B 9

Reading 1

1. which

2. was

3. will

4. has

5. written

6. sure

7. start

8. publishes

Reading 2
1D 2C 3A 4C 5B 6A