GCSE PRACTICE TEST

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other
three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
Question 1: A. mature B. segment C. labour D. tackle
Question 2: A. creature B. dominate C. calculate D. interfere
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part
differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
Question 3: A. caused B. opened C. saved D. naked
Question 4: A. financial B. branch C. national D. shadow
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the
following questions.
Question 5: Lots of people are interested _______ money.
A. of making B. in making C. to make D. for making
Question 6: She _______ in this house for more than 30 years. Naturally, she doesn’t want to live it.
A. was living B. lived C. has been living D. had been living
Question 7: _______ left the station, when there was a deafening explosion.
A. Hardly had the train B. Hardly the train had
C. The train barely had D. Scarcely the train had
Question 8: He played _______ Wimbledon for the first time last year and reached the semi-finals.
A. in B. on C. to D. at
Question 9: I really don’t know _______ of the two brothers is smarter. They’re both brilliant.
A. what one B. whom C. which D. the which
Question 10: No one saw him enter the building, _______?
A. did one B. didn’t they C. did they D. did he or she
Question 11: The school authorities _______ the child’s behaviour on a total lack of discipline.
A. blame B. attribute C. accuse D. ascribe
Question 12: _______ I came over the accident, I couldn’t remember a single thing that had
happened.
A. When B. While D. By the time D. Before
Question 13: She knew exactly what she didn’t want and _______. They didn’t want Harry’s mother
to move permanently into their tiny flat with them.
A. neither did Harry B. nor did Harry
C. so did Harry D. Harry did
Question 14: _______ Alan for hours but he just doesn’t answer his mobile. I hope nothing’s wrong.
A. I call B. I’ve called C. I’m calling D. I’ve been calling
Question 15: I spoke to Victor last night and he says he _______ while he was on holday.
A. had stolen his phone B. got stolen his phone
C. was got his phone stolen D. had his phone stolen
Question 16: There are words and phrases that even native speakers use in conversation without
much thought which can lead to _______ when you ask a native speaker to define them.
A. confuse B. confusion D. confused D. confusing
Question 17: Just imagine, if I won the lottery… Now that would be something to _______ about.
A. keep track B. sign cheques D. dig deep D. write home
Question 18: I’ve had my car examined several times, but so far no mechanic has been able to
_______ the problem.
A. focus B. pinpoint c. specify D. highlight

1
Question 19: A good friend is someone who will _______ when you’re in trouble. You know what
they say: a friend in need is a friend indeed
A. stand up to B. stand over C. stand by D. back up
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning
to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 20: Laws on military service since 1960 still hold good.
A. remain for good B. remain in effect
C. stand in life D. are in good condition
Question 21: Father has lost his job, so we’ll have to tighten our belt to avoid getting into debt.
A. earn money B. save money C. sit still D. economize
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning
to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 22: New electronic devices have been developed to cater to users’ ever-changing need.
A. changeable B. unable C. constant D. predictable
Question 23: Teenagers can become addicted to social networking if they can’t control how much
time they spend online.
A. dependent on B. hooked on C. indifferent to D. economize
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best completes each
of the following exchanges.
Question 24: Nam is talking to Tuan over the phone.
- Nam: “Thank you for giving me the concert’s ticket.”
- Tuan: “_______”
A. Of course not B. You’re welcome
B. Never mention me D. It’s not the case
Question 25: Tom is in Ho Chi Minh City and asks a passer-by the way to the railway station.
- Tom: “Can you show me the way to the railway station, please?”
- Passer-by: “_______”
A. No way B. Look it up in the dictionary
C. There’s no bus stop near hear D. Just round the corner over there
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the
correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 26 to 30.
Wikipedia
The online encyclopaedia Wikipedia challenges our preconceptions about factual information.
Before Wikipedia, it was taken as read that encyclopaedias were written by paid experts. In other
word, before Wikipedia, the “reader” of an encyclopaedia had no control (26)._______ the content.
Wikipedia has changed all that, as anyone (27)._______ to edit and add content. The idea has
certainly caught on and, for millions of people, Wikipedia answers a vital need.
Wikipedia’s founders insist that, on the whole, the information on the site is no less accurate
than more traditional encyclopaedias. (28)._______ this, critics have denounced the site for its
inaccuracies. Articles on the site have certainly asserted things which are not in fact true. However,
although these have received wide media coverage, they essentially (29)._______ the problem. Most
people have little inkling (30)._______ many accuracies there are in traditional printed
encyclopaedias too.
Question 26: A. of B. over C. in D. for
Question 27: A. allows B. being allowed C. is allowed B. allow
Question 28: A. In spite B. Because C. On account of D. Despite
Question 29: A. boast B. flatter C. exaggerate D. extend
Question 30: A. how B. which C. when D. what
2
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the
correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 35.
A soap opera is a television or radio programme about the ordinary lives of imaginary people.
Some people spend a lot of time not only watching ‘soaps’ but also talking about them to just anyone.
People who cannot control the time they watch and talk about soap operas are called ‘soap addicts’.
TV soap opera is meant to be addictive–all soaps try to get the viewer to watch again and again. They
do this in two ways: by making the viewer identify with the characters and by making each episode
end on a ‘cliffhanger’: an exciting end to part of a story that makes you want to watch next time.
Anybody can become addicted to soaps, but particularly unemployed people and housewives
because they spend more time at home. Some schoolchildren also become ‘hooked’ on TV soaps if
their parents let them watch too much TV. The symptoms of soap addiction are not difficult to spot.
Addicts often record the programmes and spend their weekend watching ‘marathons’ of a whole
week’s episodes. They talk to anyone about the episodes: parents, friends, colleagues, people on the
street or in the elevator – anybody. They find excuses to skip work so they can stay home to watch
their favorite soap. They cry when their favorite character ‘dies’. And finally, they prefer staying at
home to watch TV to going out with friends, saying they are tired or are not feeling well. Soap addicts
can end up as sad people.
Soap addiction, like all kinds of addiction, can have a bad effect on people’s lives. What is the
solution? It has been suggested that the government advise viewers to limit their viewing to 3 hours
a week. Others argue that TV soaps should carry health warnings, like cigarettes.
Question 31: What is the passage mainly about?
A. Soap opera addiction
B. How to identify soap opera addicts
C. How a soap opera hooks viewers
D. Definition and popularity of soap operas
Question 32: In paragraph 1, who or what does the word “They” refer to?
A. People B. Soaps C. Characters D. Viewers
Question 33: What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about soap opera addicts?
A. They only watch these programmes during the day.
B. They hook most schoolchildren addicted to games
C. Thé are typically not busy working people.
D. They exclude schoolschildren and employed people.
Question 34: In paragraph 2, what is the word “skip” closest in meaning to?
A. refuse B. finish C. avoid D. accept
Question 35: According to paragraph 3, what is one solution to soap opera addiction ?
A. Soap opera producers issue alerts.
B. Viewing is limited to three times a week.
C. Governments ban long viewing.
D. Viewers buy health insurance.
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the
correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
However much we may abhor it, deception comes naturally to all living things. Birds do it by
feigning injury to lead hungry predators away from nesting young. Spider crabs do it by disguise:
adorning themselves with strips of kelp and other debris, they pretend to be something they are not –
and so escape their enemies. Nature amply rewards successful deceivers by allowing them to survive
long enough to mate and reproduce. So it may come as no surprise to learn that human beings - who,
according to psychologist Gerald Johnson of the University of South California, or lied to about 200
times a day, roughly one untruth every 5 minutes - often deceive for exactly the same reasons: to save
their own skins or to get something they can’t get by other means.
3
 But knowing how to catch deceit can be just as important a survival skill as knowing how to
tell a lie and get away with it. A person able to spot falsehood quickly is unlikely to be swindled by
an unscrupulous business associate or hoodwinked by a devious spouse. Luckily, nature provides
more than enough clues to trap dissemblers in their own tangled webs - if you know where to look.
By closely observing facial expressions, body language and tone of voice, practically anyone can
recognise the tell-tale signs of lying. Researchers are even programming computers – like those used
on Lie Detector -to get at the truth by analysing the same physical cues available to the naked eye and
ear. “With the proper training, many people can learn to reliably detect lies,” says Paul Ekman,
professor of psychology at the University of California, San Francisco, who has spent the past 15
years studying the secret art of deception.
In order to know what kind of Lies work best, successful liars need to accurately assess other
people’s emotional states. Ackman’s research shows that this same emotional intelligence is essential
for good lie detectors, too. The emotional state to watch out for is stress, the conflict most liars feel
between the truth and what they actually say and do.
Even high-tech lie detectors don’t detect lies as such; they merely detect the physical cues of
emotions, which may or may not correspond to what the person being tested is saying. Polygraphs,
for instance, measure respiration, heart rate and skin conductivity, which tend to increase when people
are nervous – as they usually are when lying. Nervous people typically perspire, and the salts
contained in perspiration conducts electricity. That’s why sudden leap in skin conductivity indicates
nervousness -about getting caught, perhaps - which makes, in turn, suggest that someone is being
economical with the truth. On the other hand, it might also mean that the lights in the television Studio
are too hot- which is one reason polygraph tests are inadmissible in court. “Good lie detectors don’t
rely on a single thing”, says Ekma, but interpret clusters of verbal and non-verbal clues that suggest
someone might be lying.”
Question 36: According to the passage, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT
A. All living animals can lie
B. Some people tell lies for self-preservation
C. Lying as a survival skill is more important than detecting a lie.
D. To be a good liar, one has to understand other people’s emotions.
Question 37: The word “they” in the first paragraph refers to
A. living things B. birds D. spider crabs D. strips
Question 38: The word “falsehood” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. deceit B. frankness C. misunderstanding D. misconception
Question 39: The word “proper” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. legitimate B. appropriate C. objectional D. decent
Question 40: According to the passage, how does the lie detector work?
A. It detects whether one’s emotional state is stable
B. It detects one’s brain activity level
C. It detects body behavior during one’s verbal response
D. It analyses one’s verbal response word by word
Question 41: Lie detectors can’t be used as evidence in a court of law because
A. Light often cause lie detectors to malfunction
B. they are based on too many verbal and non-verbal clues
C. polygraph tests are often inaccurate
D. there may be many causes of a certain body behavior
Question 42: Which of the following can be the best heading of the passage?
A. Liars in nature
B. How to spot a liar

4
 C. The principle of lie detectors
D. Catching deceit through emotions
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning
to each of the following questions.
Question 43: The only white flower can be easily sorted out from the yellow flowers.
A. From the yellow flowers, the only white flower can be easily seperated.
B. Unlike the yellow flowers, the only white flower is another sort.
C. The only white flower can be differed from most yellow flowers.
D. Of all the flowers, the only white flower cannot be recognized
Question 44: My plants may have died because I have been away too long.
A. As I have been away too long, my plants must have died by now.
B. It is certain that my plants have died by now since I have been away too long.
C. I have been away from my plants too long, so it is likely that they have died .
D. It seems that I have been away too long, so my plants may have died by now.
Question 45: I told Tom, “Think twice before you post a tweet”.
A. I warned Tom against thinking hard if he wanted to post a tweet.
B. I said Tom should think twice before he posts a tweet.
C. I advised Tom to think carefully before posting a tweet.
D. I told Tom to think twice before I posted a tweet
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs
correction in each of the following questions.
Question 46: My father seems not to like the new pictures the colors of whom are rather dark.
A B C D
Question 47: My little son is crazy about animated movies, so I have to stop her from watching them
A B C D
too often.
Question 48: The juice that you made from the oranges picked this morning have lessened my cold.
A B C D
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each
pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 49: I had a bad cold. I cannot hang around with my friends now.
A. Without a bad cold, I could hang around with my friends now.
B. If I had a bad cold, I could not hang around with my friends now.
C. If my bad cold had gone, I could have hung around with my friends now.
D. Unless I had a bad cold, I will hang around with my friends soon.
Question 50: I had known that my mother was sick as a result of a failing kidney. However, I had
not realized how much trouble my parents were having in dealing with that sickness.
A. Although I had known that my mother was suffering from a failing kidney, I had not realized
my parent’s problems caused by this illness.
B. I hadn’t realized the problems they had to deal with until my parents told me about my
mother’s illness.
C. I didn’t know my mother’s sickness, so I couldn’t realize how much trouble my parents had.
D. When I learned my mother’s sickness which was the result of a failing kidney, I realized the
pain my mother had.

---THE END---