DIAGNOSTIC TEST | Answer key
Diagnostic Test
Listening
Exercise 1
1 Quite the opposite; N
2 Absolutely; P
3 To a certain extent; M
4 Definitely; P
Exercise 2
1C 2A 3B 4B 5C 6A 7B 8C
Reading
Exercise 3
1a 2a 3b 4b
Exercise 4
1C 2D 3F 4G 5A 6E
Use of English
Exercise 5
1D 2A 3B 4B 5A 6C 7D
Exercise 6
1 it 2 like 3 were 4 nothing
5 which 6 on 7 Although
Exercise 7
1 was such a popular
2 would not have seen
3 did our best we
4 to get rid of
5 is having our logo redesigned
6 be fed up of/with sharing
Writing
Exercise 8
Sample answers
1 Studying in another country can
be a wonderful opportunity, but it
can also be a challenge in some
ways. On the whole, I believe it may
suit some people more than others.
One disadvantage of studying
abroad is that some students might
miss their family and friends. Even
if you can contact them regularly
through a messaging app, it isn’t
the same as being in a room
together. A second disadvantage
might be that if you don’t speak
the language of the ‘new’ country
well, you might find it difficult
to understand your tutors. This
wouldn’t help your grades, and you
might lose confidence.
However, I believe that some
students can benefit from
studying in a foreign country.
By communicating with the
Optimise B2
other students in their first
language, they will learn to speak
that language properly. More
importantly, if they are open-
minded, they could learn about a
new culture and make new friends.
The experience might also help
them become more independent.
To conclude, I would say that if you
have the right personality, studying
abroad could be a great experience.
In other words, your eyes will be
opened.
2 A great place to eat!
A place where I love to eat is Café
Zygos. My friends and I go there
because the food is fantastic, but
also because it’s right by the sea.
You can easily walk there from the
town centre.
Like the ocean, the café is blue and
white, but there are also colourful
flowers growing everywhere. On a
sunny day, you can sit outside in a
comfortable chair and relax while
you watch the fishermen catch fish
from their boats. If it’s a cold day,
you can sit inside, listen to some
traditional music and use the free
wi-fi.
The owner always welcomes his
customers. It doesn’t matter if
you go there regularly or if you
are visiting for the first time. The
waiters are very busy but they are
very friendly too. It’s not surprising
that it’s a popular place.
If you want to eat healthy food,
I suggest you have a fish dish or
some of the delicious octopus. The
salads are tasty, too. My friends
and I love the souvlaki best – that’s
small pieces of lamb in pita bread.
You should definitely visit Café
Zygos if you like great food.
Speaking
Exercise 9
Sample answers
Examiner: Compare the photos,
and say what you think the people
might enjoy about the place where
they live.
Student A: OK, so in this photo
there’s a family – the parents and
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This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
B2
their four children. Behind them
you can see the family home.
It’s looks like a typical suburban
home in the USA. At least, that’s
what you see in the movies. It has
that white fence around it, and
a yard where the kids can play. I
think the parents like this place
because it is safe for children. In
the other picture, the house is quite
different. It looks like a block of
flats. Compared to the first house,
I imagine the rooms are smaller
and darker. But the people who
live here might enjoy going to art
galleries, and cafés and interesting
shops. Probably it’s easy for them
to see their friends because they
can walk or take a bus, but the
people in the first picture might
need to drive everywhere. Maybe
the children like going to the local
football field or meeting up with
friends after school in the mall.
Examiner: Which place would you
prefer to live in. Why?
Student B: Um, I’m not sure. I’ve
always lived in a city so it’s hard
to say. Probably I’d choose the
suburban house because you have
more freedom. You can use your
skateboard or your bike and go
where you want. It seems quiet, so
you could probably learn to drive
more easily. I want to learn to drive
in a few years, but there’s too much
traffic where I live.
Examiner: Compare the
photographs, and say how the
people taking part in these
activities might be feeling.
Student B: Well, here you can
see people who are very active.
Physically active. They’re playing
basketball, and I think other people
might be watching them. Probably
they’re supporting some of the
players – they want them to win.
The one who’s got the ball is really
concentrating. Maybe he’s feeling
confident, or nervous, I’m not sure.
Maybe he doesn’t want to let their
team down, so he could feel a bit
under pressure. The second picture
is very different from the first
picture. These kids are not really
moving at all. Well, their hands and
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 DIAGNOSTIC TEST | Answer key B2

their eyes are moving, but not their
legs. However, they really have to
concentrate on what they’re doing.
And sometimes when you play
these kind of games, video games,
you can feel very competitive. But
if you lose, you might feel quite
annoyed.
Examiner: Which of these
activities would you prefer to do?
Why?
Student A: Well, I’m not really
into basketball, but I play other
sports. I’m in a swimming club
and we have to practise a lot. I
don’t mind. You have to practise
a lot if you want to be good. But
basketball, well … I’m not very tall
and I can’t jump very high, so I
would probably prefer to play video
games. But it depends what the
game is. I prefer games with a story
and with puzzles.
Exercise 10
Example answer
Examiner: So, Anna, what kind
of people do teenagers look up to
nowadays?
Anna: That’s an interesting
question. I think it depends on the
individual teenager. Some of my
friends are really into football, so
they admire some famous players
– the ones that score the goals,
of course. And some of my other
friends are following gamers…
you know, the guys that play video
games for days and days.
Matías: Yeah, those guys earn a lot
of money like that.
Examiner: And Matías, how
important is it for young people to
help out in their community?
Matías: Their community? Oh,
OK. I’ve never really thought about
that. Um, I think that for people
my age, we haven’t got a lot of time.
We have to study so much! I mean,
it would be good to do more in the
community, but maybe you have to
be older.
Anna: That’s true up to a point.
But I think young people can do
things to help. For example, my
cousin goes and helps cook food for
people at the weekend.
Examiner: Alright, Anna, why
do you think some people
enjoy reading about heroes and
heroines?
Anna: I’m not sure. Maybe those
kinds of stories make you feel like
being a hero or a heroine yourself.
Matías: Sorry – I don’t entirely
agree with you, Anna. I think
people like those kinds of stories
because they make them feel
happy – but there’s no pressure to
be a hero yourself.
Anna: Well, no, in my opinion,
those kinds of stories do inspire
you. Maybe you’re not going
to go out the next day and do
something very heroic, but they
set an example for you. Maybe in
the future, you’ll copy that type of
behaviour because you know it’s
the right thing to do!
Examiner: Who do you know that
deserves an award, Matias? And
why do they deserve one?
Matias: My football coach, maybe.
Last year, we played badly. Really
badly. I mean, some of us. But he
trained us very well. He was very
patient. And now we’re winning!
Finally!
Examiner: Alright. And Anna,
do you think it’s a good idea for
schools to organise volunteering
activities for their students?
Anna: Yes, I think that’s a good
idea. It depends on what the
activity is. I wouldn’t mind helping
clean up the beach because
the rubbish is so bad for the
environment.
Examiner: Matias, do you think it’s
better to do charity work in your
own country or in another country?
Matias: It doesn’t matter, I think.
If you are helping someone, the
country isn’t important. But maybe
for people my age, it’s going to be
easier to do it in your own country.
Examiner: Thank you.

Optimise B2 Optimise B2 Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.

This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
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