LRN PRACTICE TESTS B2 Student’s Book

The book is aimed at candidates preparing for the LRN examination

(CEFR level B2).

The Student’s Book contains:

• a detailed description of the examination

Jenny Dooley
• preparation tasks for each part of the examination
• five complete practice tests
• sample answer sheet.

The Teacher’s Book is overprinted and contains all the material

in the Student’s Book as well as answers to all exercises, model
answers for the Writing and Speaking sections and audioscripts.

The Class CDs contain all listening material in full examination

format.

ISBN 978-1-4715-8264-6

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 CONTENTS
Introduction ............................................................................................................. p. 4

Preparation tasks .................................................................................................... p. 6

Test 1 .................................................................................................................. p. 29

Test 2 .................................................................................................................. p. 43

Test 3 .................................................................................................................. p. 57

Test 4 .................................................................................................................. p. 71

Test 5 .................................................................................................................. p. 85

Answer Sheet .......................................................................................................... p. 99

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 PREPARATION TASKS

Going to school
LISTENING SECTION 1
1 Jason would prefer to
In Section 1 of the Listening exam, candidates must A wake up later.
listen to 9 short conversations twice and answer 1 B go to school on foot.
multiple choice question with 3 options for each C catch the bus to school.
conversation. Questions focus on specific information A very good book
and true/false statements. Total Marks: 9 2 Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A Mark has been reading for a long time.
Preparing for the task: listening for specific
B The book is the author’s first novel.
information.
C Amy doesn’t want to read the book.
STUDY SKILLS In the kitchen
You have 2 minutes to read through the titles and 3 Ben and Lisa decide to
questions to prepare for what you will be listening for. It is A go to the bakery to buy bread.
important to take this time to identify what each question B cook pasta with a tomato sauce.
is asking for and underline the keywords. Some questions C have cheese and tomato sandwiches.
will ask you to listen for specific information. Remember,
A present for Dad
you may hear information which hints at each of the
4 The woman will probably
options. The information may also be paraphrased, so it’s
A go to a different shop to buy a gift.
important to listen carefully for the meaning of what the
B choose a tool to give her dad.
speaker is saying and not just the words.
C give her dad a gift voucher.

Healthy food
1 a) Read the title, the question stem and the
answer options. Underline the keywords. 5 From what you hear, you understand that
A The woman used to eat fast food.
A new mobile B The salads from the café aren’t tasty.
Mark bought a mobile because C The woman will start buying salads for lunch.
A he did not have one before.
B he needed to use it to go online. A new phone
C he wanted one that looked modern. 6 Jeremy and Ann are talking about
A where to buy a new phone.
B what kind of phone to buy.
b) Read the conversation below, paying attention
C whether or not to buy a phone.
to the underlined sections. Which option in the
question in Ex. 1a is correct? Why are the other Driving slowly
options incorrect? 7 Tina suggests that Ben should
A drive at the speed limit.
F: Mark, is that a new mobile phone?
B overtake the other driver.
M: Yes, now I can finally access emails and social
C pull over to the side of the road.
media on my phone. My old one was great; I think
it looked a lot more modern than this one, but Practising the piano
there must have been something wrong with it, 8 George practises the piano a lot because
because it would never connect to the Internet. A he has a rehearsal soon.
B he has nothing to do and is bored.
C it makes him feel relaxed.

Birthday decisions
EXAM TASK
9 What is FALSE according to what you hear?
A The woman is fond of pizza from Michael’s Pizzeria.
Listen to 9 short conversations. For questions 1-9, choose
B Tom hasn’t decided what they will do at the party.
the best answer (A, B or C). You will hear each conversation
C The woman thinks Tom shouldn’t serve pizza at
TWICE. You now have 2 minutes to read the questions.
the party.
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 PREPARATION TASKS

LISTENING SECTION 2
In Section 2 of the Listening exam, candidates must The train journey wasn’t exactly quick, in fact it took
listen to 3 longer conversations twice and answer 2 more than 30 hours, but it was worth it. The route
multiple choice questions with 3 options for each followed the coast where there were only a few towns
conversation. The questions focus on specific and country roads. The seats were uncomfortable
information, true/false statements and statements however and the food was quite expensive, so when I
which are not mentioned. Total marks: 6 arrived, I was sore, sleepy and hungry, but still
delighted with the experience.
Preparing for the task: determining true/false
statements and statements that are not mentioned
c) Read the extract from Ex. 2b again. Which
sentence (1B, 2B or 3B) from Ex. 2a is NOT
STUDY SKILLS
mentioned in the extract?
Sometimes you will be asked to determine whether
options are true, false or not mentioned. EXAM TASK
When you are asked to choose an option that is not
mentioned, one of the three options will either be Listen to 3 longer conversations. For questions 1-6,
omitted entirely or the words might be present but refer choose the best answer (A, B or C). You will hear each
to an unrelated idea. The other two options will be conversation TWICE. You now have 1 minute to read
mentioned. the questions.
In questions that ask which option is true or false, each
Transport problem
of the options will be mentioned but only one is the
1 What is TRUE according to what you hear?
correct answer. Before you listen, underline the
A John is late because he missed the bus.
keywords in the options. While you listen, pay attention
B Maggie travelled to the centre on the metro.
to options that contain words such as some, all, mainly,
C John doesn’t want to take a taxi.
often, best, few, etc. as these words change the
meaning of what is said in the recording so the statement 2 Maggie has been waiting for
may not be true. Remember the correct answer may be A half an hour. B 20 minutes.
paraphrased and said by either speaker. C 15 minutes.

Studying for exams

2 a) Look at the following statements and decide if
statement B means the same as statement A.
3 Beth’s first exam is
A Maths. B English.
1 A The train journey took a while. C History.
B It was not a short journey. 4 What is FALSE according to what you hear?
2 A The train only travelled through areas without A Beth is afraid she will fail the History exam.
roads. B Beth is confident about her English exam.
B No roads were visible from the train. C Beth has already studied for the Maths exam.
3 A Meals cost a lot of money.
An invitation to a party
B The quality of the food was not worth the price.
5 What is NOT mentioned in the conversation?
A why Jill isn’t answering her phone
b) Read the question below and the extract from B what time Jill will be home
a dialogue and underline the keywords. Which C where Jill is now
sentence (1A, 2A or 3A) from Ex. 2a answers the
6 Why are they having a party?
question?
A to celebrate Rosie’s birthday
What is FALSE about the train journey? B to celebrate when the term is over
C to have fun before their exams start

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 LISTENING SECTION 3

PREPARATION TASKS

c) Read the question and the options, then read

LISTENING SECTION 3
the extract from an audioscript. Underline the
In Section 3 of the Listening exam, candidates must places where the options A-C are mentioned.
listen twice to a monologue in the form of a message Which options are distractors? Which is the
and answer 5 multiple choice questions with 3 options. correct answer?
The questions in this part focus on specific
What is FALSE according to what you hear?
information and true/false statements. Total Marks: 5
A The sale is happening on two days.
Preparing for the task: identifying distractors B The sale goes on for two hours.
C Volunteers will work for three hours.
STUDY SKILLS The bake sale is going to take place in the school
Before you listen, use the time allowed to read the questions auditorium on Thursday and Friday evening. On both
and the possible answers and underline the keywords. days it will start at half past two and finish at half past
While you listen, be aware that the speakers will mention four, although if you are volunteering you should
each of the options (or paraphrases of the options) in order expect to stay another half hour to help clean up after
to distract you. For example, in the question: the sale.
Who will act in the play next weekend?
A teachers B students C the public EXAM TASK
You might hear the following: ‘Students will perform in
a play for the public.’ and later hear ‘Teachers helped Listen to Jennifer’s message to her friend Monica. For
them practise for months.’ questions 1-5, choose the best answer (A, B or C). You
You must, therefore, listen carefully as only one of the will hear the message TWICE. You now have 1 minute
options that you will hear is the correct answer. to look at the questions.

1 Jennifer’s school has had a recycling programme

3 a) Read the question stem and the options (A-C)

and underline the keywords.
A for a few months.
B for about a year.
C for several years.
Michael’s mum has offered to
A make them packed lunches.
2 Which of the following statements is TRUE?
B drive them to the train station.
A Jennifer is not involved with the recycling programme.
C accompany them on the school trip.
B Jennifer believes it is difficult to help the environment.
C Jennifer thinks the recycling programme is a
b) Read the extract from an audioscript and
positive thing.
match the sections in bold (1-3) to the options in
Ex. 3a. Which is the correct answer? Why are the
3 Students have a special celebration
others wrong?
A if their class recycles the most.
Hi, Josh, this is Michael. I’m ringing you back about B at the end of every month.
the school trip on Friday. Good news – Mum has C when they fill all the recycling bins.
decided I can go! I told her that 1) several parents
and our teacher were all going with us, so she 4 What is FALSE according to what you hear?
decided there would be enough adults around. How A The recycling club is not just for students.
are you getting to the train station where we are all B The club teaches people about recycling.
meeting? Mum has 2) offered to take us there in the C The club meets once a week.
car, if you want. It’ll be too cold to walk so early in the
morning! Oh, one more thing. They are providing 5 Who puts food waste into the compost bins?
lunch, right? Or should I 3) ask Mum for a packed A club members
lunch to bring with me? Let me know! B all students
C cafeteria staff

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 PREPARATION TASKS

Write your email. You can use the notes you have taken.
WRITING
You may add any relevant information you wish. Write your
The Writing Section of the exam includes 2 tasks. email in 100-120 words.
Task 1 is an informal email based on Section 3 of the
Write an email to a friend of yours telling him/her
Listening exam. You should write 100-120 words. For
about what activities students at your school do as
Task 2, you must choose ONE of the 3 tasks which are
part of the school recycling programme.
given: an informal letter, a story, or an essay (for and
against, discussion, reasons or opinion essay). You 1 Who are you writing to?
should write 120-170 words. 2 Why are you writing the letter?
3 What points should you include?

STUDY SKILLS

Always read the rubric and bullet points carefully and SECTION 2 TASK 2
underline the keywords/phrases. This will help you to
decide what type of writing you are going to do, who it
is for and what exactly you will write about. After you Task 2
have read the rubric take a few minutes to plan your Write a letter to a friend of yours inviting him/her on
text before you start writing. an excursion at the weekend.

In your letter, you must mention

• when and where you want to go
1 Read the tasks below and underline the keywords.
Then, answer the questions (1-3) that follow them.
• how you will get there
• what you can do or see
• what the weather will be like
• what kind of clothes your friend should wear
• something your friend should bring along
SECTION 1 TASK 1 1 Who are you writing to?
2 Why are you writing the letter?
Listen to Jennifer’s message to her friend Monica
3 What points should you include?
again. USE the space provided to take notes. You can
use the information from the recording and the notes
you have taken to write an email to a friend of yours
telling him/her about what activities students at your
school do as part of the school recycling programme. SECTION 2 TASK 3
Your notes will not be marked.
...................................................... Task 3
Write a story that begins:
Take notes for the following information or for anything ‘While I was walking home from school, I saw a
else you wish. large box sitting on the pavement.’
• what can be recycled in the bins Continue the story.
• where the recycling bins are
1 How will you begin your story?
• what kind of contest there is
2 Who are you writing about?
• what the recycling club does
3 What item must you include in your story?
• when the recycling club meets
• what they do with uneaten food
• what they want to do in the future

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 WRITING SECTION 1

PREPARATION TASKS

SECTION 2 TASK 4 (A) SECTION 2 TASK 4 (C)

Task 4 Task 4
Write an essay about the advantages and Write an essay about why it is important for young
disadvantages of going to the cinema to watch a people not to eat a lot of fast food.
film. In your essay you should talk about
In your essay, you should talk about
• poor nutrition
Advantages of going to the cinema • weight gain
• see the film on a huge screen • fewer family meals
• see the newest films
• a more special and fun experience 1 What kind of essay is it?
2 What points should you cover?
Disadvantages of going to the cinema
3 How many paragraphs will you write?
• more expensive
• can be crowded and noisy
• starts at specific time, can’t pause the film

1 What kind of essay is it? SECTION 2 TASK 4 (D)

2 What points should you cover?
3 How many paragraphs will you write? Task 4
Some people believe that students should wear
uniforms to school. Do you agree or disagree with
this idea?
SECTION 2 TASK 4 (B)
Write an essay to support your views.
Task 4 Agree
Write an essay about what makes studying abroad • less expensive
popular with students and how being a host to a • no peer pressure
foreign student can benefit a family. • focus on studying
In your essay you should talk about
Disagree
what makes studying abroad popular with • students cannot express themselves
students • students do not learn to make their own decisions
• a chance to practise a foreign language • students often dislike them
• experience another culture
• become more self-confident
1 What kind of essay is it?
how being a host to a foreign student can benefit 2 What points should you cover?
a family 3 How many paragraphs will you write?
• see your city/hometown through new eyes
• make a friend for life
• learn about another culture

1 What kind of essay is it?

2 What points should you cover?
3 How many paragraphs will you write?

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 PREPARATION TASKS

b) Read the message in Ex. 2a again and write

WRITING SECTION 1 notes for the bullet points below.

TASK 1 • why he likes his teacher

• what is difficult
Informal emails/letters
• when Adam could visit
In Section 1 of the Writing Exam, candidates must write
• what they could do
an informal email (100-120 words) based on the notes
they have taken from Section 3 of the Listening Exam, Preparing for the task: using your notes to get
which is on a similar topic. Total marks: 10 ideas

Preparing for the task: taking notes STUDY SKILLS

You can use the exact information in your notes to write

STUDY SKILLS
your letter, or you can use your notes as an example
Before you listen, read the bullet points in the prompt and and come up with another similar idea of your own.
think about what you will be listening for. While you listen,
you should concentrate on specific information and take
notes of the key points. Do not try to write full sentences. 3 Look at the task below. Then read the model
email and underline the places that answer the 7
bullet points from Exs 2a & b. Were all the points
2 a) Read the bullet points, and Michael’s message
to his friend. Underline where the points appear in
used? Which use exact information from the
notes? Which use new ideas?
the message. Then look at the notes below (A-C)
and then match them to the bullet points. Write an email to a friend of yours telling him/her about
your new school.
• how he is doing 1
• what facilities the school has 2
• why he likes them 3
Hi Mary,
You wanted to know how I’m doing at my new school,
Hi Adam, This is Michael. I’m calling to let you know so I thought I’d write to tell you my news.
how I’m doing at my new school. I’m doing very well here. This school has excellent
I’m doing very well here. There are lots of things I like facilities, like a big indoor gym with basketball courts,
about this school. First of all, the facilities are and a swimming pool. It’s great because we can
excellent. For example we have a whole computer exercise even when the weather is bad.
lab, with more than 30 computers! It’s so convenient I also like my teacher, Ms Green. She’s kind and patient,
because we can use them any time. and explains things really well.
Also, I really like my teacher. His name is Mr Jones, Of course, some things are difficult too. I miss my
and he’s funny and makes us laugh. I don’t think his friends back at my old school. The kids here are
classes will ever be boring. friendly, but I guess making new friends takes time.
On the other hand, some things are a bit difficult. I’m so glad to hear you are coming to visit! Why don’t
I miss my old friends. The kids here are nice, so I’m you visit on Friday? There is a basketball game in the
sure I’ll make new friends, but it will take some time. afternoon. You can come with me to watch it.
After all, I’ve known you guys almost my whole life! See you soon,
Why don’t you come and visit? It would be great! Sara
Friday afternoon would be a good time. That’s when
the Film Club meets and you could come too! Hope
to see you soon!

A computer lab
B can use computers any time
C very well
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 PREPARATION TASKS

Preparing for the task: planning an informal letter

WRITING SECTION 2
In Section 2 of the Writing Exam, candidates must STUDY SKILLS
choose one task from a choice of three: an informal
Read the task and underline the keywords/phrases.
email/letter to a friend with prompts, a story with an
This will help you decide who you are writing to, what
introductory sentence, or an essay with prompts. For
you are writing about and how you will start and end the
this task, candidates should write 120-170 words.
letter. Make notes for each prompt to help you structure
Total marks: 10
your writing. You will have 4-6 prompts.

TASK 2 4 a) Read the task below and answer the questions.

Informal emails/letters Write a letter to a friend suggesting a new television

In Task 2, candidates are asked to write to a friend or programme you have seen recently.
relative and are given 4-6 prompts that must be included
In your letter, you must mention
in their informal email/letter. Reasons for writing
• the name of the programme
include: giving news, giving/responding to invitations,
• what kind of programme it is
asking for advice, making a suggestion, etc.
• when it is on
• why you enjoyed watching it
• why you recommend it
Outline - Letters/Emails 1 Who are you writing to?
Greeting 2 What are you writing about?
Para 1 - opening remarks, reason(s) for writing 3 How will you start/end your letter?
Paras 2, 3 - giving information/advice/news/etc.
Para 4 - closing remarks b) Read the sample letter and underline
Sign off examples of informal style. Have all the bullet
points in Ex. 4a been answered?

Dear James,
Style – Informal Letters/Emails How are things? Hope you’re well. Remember how you
said in your last letter that you didn’t like watching TV?
• Greetings (Dear/Hi Susie/Mum/Uncle Adrian, etc.)
Well, I’d like to tell you about a programme that I like.
• Friendly, personal style (How are you?/How’s things?)
You should check it out. I think you’d like it.
• Use of colloquial expressions, idioms, phrasal verbs,
The programme’s called Wide Wide World and it’s a
short verb forms (I’m having the time of my life.)
travel programme. It’s on every Tuesday evening from
• Pronouns are often omitted (Hope you’re well.)
eight o’clock until nine. It’s well worth seeing.
• Chatty language (Great to hear from you.)
Wide Wide World is really interesting because it gives a
• Simple linking words (and, but, or, so)
lot of information about the history and culture of the
• Sign off (Best wishes,/Write soon,/Take care, etc.)
places it visits. I especially like it because it doesn’t visit
(your first name)
well-known tourist destinations or focus on the usual
tourist attractions. Instead, it shows us unexplored
corners of the world.
I really recommend that you watch this programme,
since I know how much you love to travel. I’m sure
you’d enjoy it as much as I do.
Write soon,
Allison

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 PREPARATION TASKS

TASK 3 b) Complete the table with adjectives and

adverbs from the list with the same meaning.
Stories
marvellous, awful, thunderous, terrifying, massive,
In Task 3, candidates will be given the first sentence of
slight, absolutely, dreadful, incredibly, superb, tiny,
a story. The sentence will provide a location (i.e. in
vast, spooky, deafening, extremely
your room, on your way to school, in the park, etc.)
and an event (i.e. I heard a strange sound, I saw a little GOOD
puppy, etc.) The candidate must imagine what BAD
happens next and complete the story.
SCARY
LOUD
Outline - Stories
BIG
Para 1 - set the scene SMALL
Paras 2, 3 - present events leading to the climax event
VERY
& the climax event
Para 4 - end the story & express feelings
c) Look at the story below. Replace the
underlined words with synonyms from Ex. 6b.
Useful Language
Feelings
The Strange Noise
angry, worried, shocked, petrified, tense, relieved,
delighted, glad, thrilled, satisfied Late one night I 1) was studying/studied in my room.
Adjectives I was alone at home, because my parents and my
peculiar, tremendous, adventurous, pale, stormy, brother had gone to the cinema.
breathtaking, unfamiliar, vivid, fierce, distant, unaware I felt very tired but I had to finish reading through my
Adverbs notes. Suddenly, I 2) had heard/heard a loud noise. It
patiently, eagerly, carelessly, casually, brightly, truly, sounded scary. I thought that someone must 3) have
adequately, undoubtedly, naturally, happily tried/be trying to break in. I looked out the window
Sequence words and saw a pair of big yellow eyes. It was very scary.
when, then, soon, after, later, during, suddenly, as soon as, I had no idea what 4) I was doing/to do at first, but
(at) the/that moment, while, all of a sudden, little by little soon I had a good idea. There was a small closet in the
hallway. I could hide in there and nothing could find
Preparing for the task: using appropriate language me. I squeezed into the closet and then, as I 5) closed/
and tenses in stories was closing the door, a very bad thing 6) had
happened/happened. I heard the door click locked.
STUDY SKILLS I was stuck! I began to panic! Then, I felt my nose hit
my Maths book.
To write your story you should use appropriate tenses
I 7) fell/had fallen asleep! It 8) had all been/will all
(past simple, past continuous, past perfect), sequence
have been a dream. I felt silly, but at least I would
words to show the order of events and descriptive
have a good story to tell my family when they came
adjectives/adverbs. Make sure that you don’t repeat the
home!
same basic adjectives (nice, good, bad).

d) What other adjectives from Ex. 6b could you

5 a) Are the following adjectives positive or
negative? Think of two more adjectives in each
use to make the story more interesting? What
sequence words are used?
category.

delighted, naughty, sympathetic, unbearable, bored, e) Now read the story again and for items 1-8,
nasty, valuable, thrilling, bossy, impatient, peaceful, choose the correct tense.
inspiring

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 PREPARATION TASKS

TASK 4 Style - Formal Essays

• Use of formal expressions, advanced vocabulary
Essays and longer sentences (e.g. Cycling is one of the
Task 4 of Writing Section 2 might be any one of a most beneficial means of transport when
variety of essay types, including for and against considering the environmental impact.)
essays, discussion essays, reasons essays and • No short forms (e.g. it is, cannot, they would NOT
opinion essays. It is important to understand what the it’s, can’t, they’d)
rubric is asking you to do. The bullet points provided • Use impersonal tone (e.g. use the passive and
will guide you how to structure your essay and what to avoid personal expressions of feelings: Concerns
include. have been raised about increasing levels of
homelessness. NOT I am concerned about
increasing levels of homelessness.)
TASK 4 (A)
• Formal linking words/phrases (e.g. however,
For and Against Essays nevertheless, in addition, consequently etc.)

In a for and against essay you should discuss the

advantages and disadvantages of an issue. You will be
Preparing for the task: using formal style
given a topic and a list of advantages and disadvantages
STUDY SKILLS
in the form of bullet points to help you. The essay should
be written in formal style and you must not include your Remember to use formal style when writing essays.
own opinion until the final paragraph. After you have written your essay, proofread it specifically
for appropriate style. Read through your writing checking
for inappropriate short forms and personal expressions
Outline – For and Against Essay and looking for places where you can add formal
expressions, linking words and advanced vocabulary.
Para 1 - introduce the topic
Para 2 - present arguments for with explanations/
examples
Para 3 - present arguments against with explanations/
6 a) Which of the sentences are written in the
appropriate style for a formal essay? Underline the
examples words/phrases that helped you decide.
Para 4 - summarise and give personal opinion
a Using social media all the time isn’t good for me.
b It has been suggested that frequent social media
use may have a negative effect on teens.
Useful Language
Introducing an argument
b) Read the paragraph and underline words/
• On the one hand, Clearly
phrases that are not in formal style. Correct them.
• On the other hand, However, Nevertheless
Add formal linking words where necessary.
Listing points
• In the first place, Firstly, To begin with There are also lots of disadvantages. High levels of
• Secondly, Furthermore, In addition, What is more tourism can mess up the natural environment. Also,
• Finally, Lastly I am afraid that it could threaten traditional ways of
Concluding life. This is because it’s difficult for a community to
• All in all, To sum up, In conclusion maintain a cultural identity when tons of tourists
Expressing opinion suddenly start to arrive.
• I believe, In my opinion, As far as I am concerned,
It seems to me that

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 PREPARATION TASKS

Preparing for the task: presenting the information sentences (A-D) in the correct gap in the essay.
in a logical order in paragraphs
A On the one hand, there are good things about
computer games.
STUDY SKILLS B I believe that they should be played in moderation.
Remember that in an essay it is essential to arrange the C The truth is, computer games have both
information in a logical order in paragraphs. Each main advantages and disadvantages.
body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence to D However, there are also drawbacks.
tell the reader what the paragraph is about. In a for and
against essay, the prompts will be grouped into These days, computer games are an extremely
advantages and disadvantages in order to help you popular pastime. Parents are sometimes concerned
organise your essay. It is important to expand the points about this, but should they be? 1)
by giving examples, details or explanations. You can 2) First of all, they are a popular kind of entertainment,
add your own ideas too, as long as they are relevant to and it is important to have fun sometimes. What is
the topic. Try to stay within the word limit as much as more, these games can help young people improve
possible. their visual skills, reaction times and coordination.
New friends can even be made online, thanks to multi-
player games.
7 a) Read the incomplete task and underline the
keywords, then answer the questions (1 & 2).
3) When young people spend hours in front of the
computer, they become inactive which can cause
weight gain and other problems. It can be bad for their
Write an essay about the advantages and eyesight, too. In addition, young people can lose
disadvantages of computer games. friends if they choose to stay at home alone and play
In your essay, you should talk about computer games. Finally, it is thought that violent
The advantages of computer games computer games can be a bad influence on the young.
• All in all, although computer games are clearly not all
• bad, they have some serious disadvantages. 4)
•
The disadvantages of computer games
•
•
•
8 a) Read the essay again. Are all the points from
the prompt included? What extra point is added
1 What type of essay should you write? that is not in the prompt? Is it relevant?
2 Should you use short sentences, colloquial
expressions and idioms? If not, why?
b) Match the paragraphs with the information
that each contains: arguments against, summary
b) Read the list of points (1-6) below. Which are and opinion, presentation of topic, arguments for.
advantages and which are disadvantages? Write
the items in the correct categories as they would Paragraph 1
appear in the task in Ex. 7a above. Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
1 make young people exercise less Paragraph 4
2 some are very violent
3 can improve certain skills c) Replace the linking words in bold with
4 fun and entertaining alternatives from the Useful Language box.
5 make young people less sociable
6 lead to online friendships
c) Read the model essay below and put the

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 PREPARATION TASKS

TASK 4 (B) A It is not unusual for young people to idolise a singer

or sports star. I believe there are many reasons why
Discussion Essays celebrities become extremely popular with teens.

In a discussion essay you must develop two similar B It seems that celebrities are everywhere these days.
ideas about a topic. You will be asked about the two But what causes them to becoming so popular with
ideas in the prompt and you will be provided with bullet young people and what effect does this have on the
points supporting each one to help you. It should be celebrity?
written in formal style.
C Lots of people dream of becoming famous, but
should they? Celebrities benefit from being very
Outline - Discussion Essay popular with young people, but on the other hand,
this is not always good for the celebrity.
Para 1 - introduce the topic
Para 2 - discussion of first idea
b) What types of essays are the other two
Para 3 - discussion of second idea
introductions appropriate for? What words helped
Para 4 - summarise and give opinion
you decide?

Preparing for the task: understanding the task

Preparing for the task: paraphrasing
STUDY SKILLS

Remember that in Task 4 you may be asked to write one STUDY SKILLS
of a variety of different essays. The bullet points will When using bullet points to write an essay, you must not
guide you regarding how to structure your essay, but only expand them, but also paraphrase them. When
you must be careful to show that you understand the paraphrasing, you can exchange words for synonyms
task when writing your introduction and conclusion. If and also change the structure of the language (for
you are asked to discuss two ideas in the prompt, the example by changing the grammatical form of a word).
introduction should mention both ideas without saying Be careful not to change the meaning, however.
that one is good and the other is bad.

10 a)(A orRead the task below. Which of the sentences

B) best paraphrases and expands the bullet
9 a) Read the task below. Which introduction
(A, B or C) would be most appropriate for the points under the heading how being famous affects
essay? a celebrity? Why didn’t you choose the others?

1 A They want to have a lot of money.

Write an essay about what makes some celebrities
B Their wealth opens a lot of doors.
so popular with young people and how being
famous affects a celebrity. 2 A Not being able to have private lives can be difficult
In your essay you should talk about for celebrities.
B Sometimes they feel like they don’t have privacy.
what makes some celebrities so popular with
young people 3 A They feel stress and so they disappoint their fans.
• special skills B It can be stressful for them to live up to people’s
• unusual appearance expectations.
• media attention
b) Write sentences expanding and paraphrasing
how being famous affects a celebrity
the bullet points under the heading what makes
• have a lot of money
celebrities so popular with young people.
• not have privacy
• pressure not to let fans down

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TASK 4 (C) Also, the media causes young people anxiety about
their appearance. This is because it always shows
Reasons Essays beautiful, trendy people having fun. In this way, it
creates unrealistic expectations about beauty.
In a reasons essay you will be asked to develop an
What is more, young people pay attention to their
essay about the reasons why something is true. You will
appearance because it is a way they can express
be given 3 or 4 reasons in the form of bullet points. You
themselves. Some ways they do this is by choosing
should include all the bullet points in your essay. It
unusual hair styles, or wearing clothes that make
should be written in formal style.
them look and feel unique.
Finally, young people want to fit in and they use
Outline – Reasons Essay their appearance to help them do this. For example,
fans of certain kinds of music often adopt the
Para 1 - introduce the topic same style.
Para 2 - 1st reason with examples/explanations
Para 3 - 2nd reason with examples/explanations B Peer pressure definitely makes young people
Para 4 - 3rd reason with examples/explanations concerned about their appearance because they
Para 5 - summarise and give personal opinion want to be accepted by their friends. What is more,
the media creates unrealistic expectations about
beauty because it always shows rich, beautiful
Preparing for the task: developing bullet points people wearing expensive clothes.
into paragraphs A second reason young people worry about their
appearance is fitting in. They want their friends to
STUDY SKILLS like them, so they want to look cool. They also want
to have the same kind of nice things that their friends
Sometimes you might be given more than three bullet
have. This is very difficult for children if their parents
points to use in your essay. It is acceptable to make a
will not buy them designer trainers or expensive
new paragraph for each bullet point and the explanations/
jeans. They feel bad about themselves as a result.
examples that develop it. However, if you are given
bullet points that are similar, you can combine them in C The first reason young people worry about their
the same paragraph of your essay. This can help you appearance is that they want to feel like part of a
keep your word count within the limits. group. If they look different from their friends, then
their friends might tease them which creates a lot of
peer pressure. Another example is someone who
11 a)paragraphs
Read the task and then look at the main body
for three essays (A-C). Underline the likes a particular kind of music. He or she might
places where the bullet points are mentioned. want to dress like the band members, in order to fit
in to that group of people who all like that music.
Write an essay about why so many young people Another reason young people are so concerned
are worried about their appearance. about their appearance is the media. There are
In your essay you should talk about adverts everywhere showing beautiful models.
This can create an unrealistic idea about beauty
• peer pressure
that can make them feel insecure.
• media
Finally, young people often use their appearance as a
• self-expression
form of self-expression. It is a way they can be creative
• fitting in
and figure out who they are and what they like.

A One reason young people worry about their b) Which two cover all the bullet points and satisfy
appearance is peer pressure. For example, if the task? Which one does not? Why? Which one
someone is wearing old clothes, others might make successfully combines bullet points in one
fun of them. As a result, they would want to wear paragraph? Which points are combined? Why?
the same clothes as their peers.

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 PREPARATION TASKS

TASK 4 (D)
12 a)(1-3).Read the task and then read the examples
Do the examples agree or disagree with the
Opinion Essays topic? Which bullet point does each one develop?
In an opinion essay you must choose what you think
about an issue. You will be asked clearly what your Some people believe that taking public transport is
opinion is, or if you agree or disagree. You will be given a much better idea than going somewhere in a car.
two points of view, with bullet points to help you, but in Do you agree or disagree with this idea?
this kind of essay you must only choose one to write Write an esssay to support your views.
about. It should be written in formal style.
Agree
• can use time to do other things
• avoid traffic jams
Outline - Opinion Essay • good for the environment
Para 1 - introduce the topic and give opinion Disagree
Para 2 - 1st supporting argument with justification • can be uncomfortable
Para 3 - 2nd supporting argument with justification • can be unpredictable
Para 4 - 3rd supporting argument with justification • doesn’t go everywhere
Para 5 - summarise and restate opinion
1 For example, there are some neighbourhoods that
Useful Language are far from the underground and have infrequent
bus services.
Examples
2 One example of this is when you wait for a bus for
• For example, For instance, One way
a quarter of an hour then suddenly three come at
• Another example is, Another way
once.
Reasons
3 For instance, it can be noisy, crowded and there
• This is because, because of, since, owing to,
might not be seats.
on account of, out of, due to (the fact that),
Results
b) Which of the sentences below (a-c) are
• This means that, In this way, Therefore, As a result,
reasons and which are results? Match them to the
Consequently, This can/might cause/create
examples (1-3) from Ex. 11a.

a This means that it can be quite challenging to be

on time.
Preparing for the task: expanding bullet points b Consequently people might arrive at their
with examples/explanations destination tired and in a bad mood.
c Owing to the costs, it is impossible to have better
STUDY SKILLS public transport in these places.
Sometimes you will be given only three bullet points
which might not seem like enough material to write an c) Write your own examples and reasons/results
essay. In this case, it is especially important to expand for the remaining three bullet points.
and explain the points by thinking of examples, reasons
and results that support them. You can get ideas by
asking yourself why something happens and what
effects it might have.

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 PREPARATION TASKS

c) Read the extract from a text and choose the

READING & USE SECTION 1
best answer (A, B or C). Justify your answers with
In Section 1 of the Reading and Use part of the exam, material from the text. Why were the other options
candidates read a text and answer 8 multiple choice wrong?
questions with three answer options. Questions may For one thing, playing a musical instrument is like a
focus on specific information, synonyms, true/false gym session for the brain. Those who play frequently
statements, reference words in the text and gap fill benefit from improved memory and concentration.
items. They have quicker reaction times because musicians
Preparing for the task: reading for specific can process information they receive from different
information senses, for example sight, sound and touch, more
quickly than those who do not play an instrument. And
STUDY SKILLS a few minutes of playing music actually increases
blood flow to the brain. This can provide a burst of
Read the text quickly and then read the questions, energy that is similar to the effect of a caffeinated
underlining the keywords. Read the text again carefully drink.
and underline the part which answers the question. These mental changes lead to benefits in daily life, for
Now read the three options and choose the one that people of all ages. Babies who are exposed to
best matches the underlined information from the text. interactive music communicate earlier. Children who
Remember the correct answer will be phrased differently are learning an instrument tend to score higher in both
than in the text. Maths and reading exams. Older musicians’ brains
change less as they age.

1 Why can musicians react more quickly than

1 a) Read the question stem and underline the
keywords. Then read the paragraph and underline others?
the part that best answers the question. A They have better memories.
B They deal with sights and sounds faster.
Farmers in Europe finally accepted the potato because C They have a more sensitive sense of touch.
The potato was first introduced into Europe by the 2 How does playing music give people more
Spanish in the second half of the 16th century. Farmers energy?
were slow to adopt the potato, but it eventually A It improves the supply of blood.
became an important crop, because it was easy to B It burns energy in just a few minutes.
grow, even in poor soil where other crops failed. Soon C It increases their use of caffeinated drinks.
many people relied on it as a staple food. However,
because only a few types of potato existed in Europe, 3 Students who play music benefit because
the crop was at risk from disease. Indeed, a disease A they have better life skills.
called late blight was responsible for causing the B they do well in certain subjects.
Great Irish Famine in 1845. C their brains change more quickly.

b) Read the three options and underline the

keywords. Which is the correct answer to the
question in Ex. 1a?

A there was nothing else to eat.

B it was stronger than other plants.
C there were many types to choose from.

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 PREPARATION TASKS

Preparing for the task: finding synonyms Preparing for the task: gap fill

STUDY SKILLS STUDY SKILLS

For questions asking for synonyms for a word/phrase in Questions may have gap fill items. Read the whole
the text, read the sentence with the original word and paragraph first before attempting to complete the gap.
try to understand its meaning from the context. Try Pay particular attention to what is directly before and
replacing the original word with each answer option to after the gap, but remember that there might also be
see which has the closest meaning to it. Try also to essential information in a different sentence. The missing
decide if the word in the text has a positive or a negative word/words are usually linkers. Be sure to check the
meaning. If, for example, it is negative, you can then punctuation and how it can change the meaning. Finally,
eliminate any words from the three options that have read through the whole paragraph again to check that it
positive meanings. makes sense.

2 a) Read the sentence below. Is the item in bold a

positive or a negative word?
4 a) Read the sentences below. Choose the correct
option. Why is the other option wrong?

Jason is eager to help others with Maths because he 1 It’s not a good idea to eat crisps and sweets.
himself found it difficult at first. What’s more/Instead, choose fresh fruit for a
snack.
2 There was a fire five years ago. Since then/
b) Look at options A-C. Which is a positive/
Although, most of the trees have grown back.
negative word? Which is the correct synonym for
3 School trips can motivate students to learn. In
‘eager’ in Ex. 2a?
addition/As a result, they provide a change in
A impatient B desperate C keen routine.
4 They have been without electricity since/out of
3 Read the items taken from the text on the next
page about the history of computers. Choose the 5
the snowstorm on Thursday.
Those living in the city were told to stay indoors on
correct option. account/In contrast of the extremely poor air
quality.
1 What does the word ‘originally’ in the
2nd paragraph mean?
A usually B frequently C at first b) Fill in: despite, owing to, apart from, at first.

2 Which of the following can replace the word 1 ............................. the hard work involved, I highly
‘alternative’ in the 2nd paragraph? recommend the class.
A different B accurate C correct 2 ............................. she was nervous but she soon
got used to singing on stage.
3 What does the word ‘complex’ in the 3rd paragraph
3 ............................. the ending, he couldn’t
mean?
remember anything about the film.
A messy B detailed C confusing
4 ............................. the popularity of the brand,
4 What does the word ‘efficient’ in the 4th paragraph sales increased.
mean?
A disappointing
B capable
C hurried

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 PREPARATION TASKS

EXAM TASK

Read the text below about computers and then answer the questions that follow. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer
(A, B or C).

History of the computer

People have been using devices to help them make calculations for a very long time. The first devices of this kind
were simply sticks or clay objects that represented a certain quantity of things. The well-known counting device called
an abacus is another example. A more modern mechanical computing device is the slide rule which was invented
around 1620 and continued to be used to make mathematical calculations until the 1970s.
If these things do not fit your definition of computer, it is worth asking what exactly a computer is. The word ‘computer’
was originally used for a person – someone who did calculations. The word had this meaning until the middle of the 20th
century, although from the end of the 19th century it began to have the alternative meaning of a machine that makes
calculations. The modern definition of computer, a programmable, digital, electronic computer, did not appear until 1945.
In the early 19th century, an English engineer, Charles Babbage, attempted to make the first programmable
computer. He used punch card technology that was already being used for looms designed to weave beautiful cloth
with complex designs. But Babbage’s computer required thousands of parts that had to be made by hand and he
wasn’t able to finish it before his money ran out. People kept trying throughout the 19th century and eventually several
different mechanical computers, that could carry out different tasks, were successfully built.
Soon, advances were made. Computers became digital, and electronic rather than mechanical. Some were used to
break codes during WW2 such as the German Colossus and the American ENIAC. These computers were huge,
weighing as much as 30 tons. Then Alan Turing came up with something he called the ‘Universal Computing machine’
which made use of programs stored in memory. This was significant _____ it allowed computers to do more than one
thing without being completely rebuilt. In the 1950s and 1960s improvements to the hardware allowed computers to
become smaller and more efficient.
In the 1980s, everything changed. This is when the personal computer, or PC, was born. These machines could be
used by one person, in their homes, rather than being shared by many users and maintained by special staff at
universities and government institutions. Computers began to be mass produced and prices dropped. In less than 40
years they have affected every aspect of our lives, from the way we work to the way we spend our free time. And today,
with the rise of mobile technology, everything is changing once again.

1 What does the word ‘quantity’ in the1st paragraph mean? 5 The word ‘it’ in the 3rd paragraph refers to
A amount B mass C variety A a loom
B money
2 What is true about the slide rule according to the 1st
C the computer
paragraph?
A It was the earliest computer. 6 Which of the following can best fill the blank in the
B It was used for a long time. 4th paragraph?
C It is better than a computer. A because B as a result C but

3 According to the 2nd paragraph, the word computer 7 Why was Turing’s machine unique?
A is not used correctly. A It could easily be rebuilt.
B was not used in the past. B It was smaller and easier to use.
C has had different meanings. C It could perform several different tasks.

4 Before the start of the 19th century 8 What does the word ‘aspect’ in the 5th paragraph
A computers could not be programmed. mean?
B punch card technology had not been invented. A view B part C moment
C there were several programmable computers.
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 PREPARATION TASKS

READING & USE SECTION 2 6 a) Fill in the gaps with always, never, only or not so
that the second sentence means the same as the
In Section 2 of the Reading and Use part of the exam, first.
candidates read two shorter texts on a similar topic and
answer 6 multiple choice questions with three answer 1 A 
Noone can make the decision except for the
options. As in Section 1, questions may focus on specific president.
information, synonyms, true/false statements, and B ..................... the president can make the decision.
reference words in the text. Total Marks: 3.5 2 A The delay was very serious.
B It was ..................... a minor delay.
Preparing for the task: determining true/false
statements 3 A This mobile phone tends to sell out immediately.
B The mobile phone .................... sits on the shelves.
STUDY SKILLS
4 A Alex is rarely without his tablet.
For questions testing true or false statements, check that
B Alex ..................... has his tablet with him.
all the information in the statement matches the information
in the text before you decide whether the statement is true
or false. Some information in the statement will differ from Preparing for the task: determining reference
the information in the text if the statement is false. Options words in a text
will also be paraphrased so be careful to read the entire
option carefully. Pay attention to statements that contain STUDY SKILLS
words such as always, only, never, not, etc. as these
Questions may test reference words: what a pronoun or
words can change the meaning of what is actually said in
other word in the text is referring to. For such questions,
the text.
read the sentence the pronoun is in as well as the
sentence before and after to see how the pronoun is
5 a) Read the sentence from a text and then the
statements (A & B). Pay attention to the underlined
used in context. The pronoun may refer to a noun that
appears before or after it.
words/phrases. Which statement is true and which
is false according to the sentence? Why?

Despite having a relatively new tablet, Nina is already

7 a) Read the extract below, paying attention to the
pronoun in bold. Find and underline all of the nouns.
looking for the latest model to replace it.
A Nina’s tablet is quite old. Mr Brown was my brother’s teacher. He used to teach
B Nina would like a newer tablet. Chemistry to first year students.

b) Read the sentences (1 and 2) and underline the b) Which of the underlined nouns does the pronoun
keywords. Then for each sentence decide which refer to? Why?
statement (A or B) is true and which is false.

1 Training for a marathon can be challenging even for 8 Look at the sentence below and underline the
nouns. Then answer the question.
people who already love to run; for someone who has
just taken up running, it could seem virtually impossible. Whether or not you are afraid of them, you cannot
A Training for a marathon is not easy for anyone. deny that spiders are beneficial because they catch
B Inexperienced runners never train for marathons. insects such as flies.
2 City residents benefit from urban parks even if they What does the word ‘them’ refer to?
don’t use them because just looking at trees and plants A spiders
can be relaxing. B insects
A Parks can only improve the lives of people who C flies
walk in them regularly.
B A neighbourhood park can make residents feel calmer.

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 PREPARATION TASKS

EXAM TASK

Read the following two passages about insects. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer (A, B or C).

Beneficial Insects Insect pests

Recently, populations of insects have been Some people find insects annoying or even
decreasing in many parts of the world. _____ some terrifying, and while this may seem like an overreaction,
people might cheer, it is not good news, because we the truth is they are far from harmless. Insects cause
depend on a number of insects. In fact, insects are a great deal of damage and many deaths every year.
essential for the environment and also for the economy. Insects are undeniably destructive. They feed on
Insects produce products that people buy, sell wood, natural fibers like wool, stored foods, and
and use. Bees make honey, which everyone is familiar crops. It has been estimated that insects destroy
with, and also wax that is an ingredient in many 10 percent of the things that are produced in
cosmetics and candles. Other insects produce natural developed countries and 25 percent in developing
red dyes, and silk worms even produce silk! countries. It is not surprising, then, that in the past
Insects, especially bees, also pollinate flowers so insects could cause whole communities to go hungry
that plants can make seeds. As a result, bees are by destroying food crops. Humans have created
necessary for a large number of the foods farmers chemical sprays to kill insect pests, but these
grow. Without them, there would be far fewer fruits, chemicals themselves are harmful. Perhaps the worst
nuts and vegetables available for us to eat, and thing is that the sprays do not discriminate, killing
reduced profits for farmers. Of course, insects are also beneficial insects like bees as well as insect pests.
necessary for many wild plants to make seeds, too. Insects also spread disease. The most widespread
Finally, insects keep the environment in balance. and serious is malaria, which is carried by mosquitos,
They form the bottom of the food chain. This means and which alone kills around 600,000 people a year.
that they are food for many other animals, which would But it is only one of many diseases that are spread by
also disappear if insects disappeared. Other insects many kinds of insects. One thing that all these
also help to turn dead leaves back into soil. Without diseases have in common is that they are increasing
them, the world would be a very different place. due to climate change and changing land use.

1 Which of the following phrases can best fill the blank 5 What is TRUE according to the 1st paragraph?
in the 1st paragraph? A People overreact to insects.
A Despite B Although C However B Insects are not as scary as they seem.
C There are reasons not to like insects.
2 What is TRUE about bees according to
the 2nd paragraph? 6 From what you read in the 2nd paragraph, you
A The make a well-known product. understand that
B They produce a kind of cosmetic. A Chemical sprays have not solved the problem.
C They help us create colourful cloth. B It is unusual for insects to destroy food crops.
C Insects are equally destructive all over the world.
3 What does the word ‘them’ in the 3rd paragraph refer
to? 7 According to the last paragraph, what is FALSE
A bees B farmers C foods about diseases spread by insects?
A They are spread only by mosquitos.
4 If insects disappeared, some animals would B They each kill more than 600,000 people a year.
A change their position on the food chain. C They are more common than they used to be.
B have nothing to eat.
C lose their balance.
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 PREPARATION TASKS

READING & USE SECTION 3 EXAM TASK

In Section 3 of the Reading and Use part of the exam, For questions 1-15, choose the best answer (A, B, or C).
candidates must complete 15 sentences by choosing
1 I would like ……. information about the course before
from 3 multiple choice answer options. The questions
I sign up.
test a variety of grammar structures at this level. Total
A an B few C some
Marks: 7.5
2 While he ……. for his Maths exam, he fell asleep.
Preparing for the task: understanding the A studied
grammar structure being tested B had studied
C was studying
STUDY SKILLS
3 The chair was ……. for such a small child.
Read the sentence without looking at the answer A so high B too high C high enough
options and try to guess the kind of grammar structure 4 You haven’t returned your library books yet, ……. ?
being tested. Pay attention to keywords in the sentence A have you B did you C haven’t you
such as subjects, verbs and time words that indicate
5 Joanne used to have her nails ……. in that shop on
the correct answer.
the corner.
A done B be done C being done
9 a) Read sentences 1-5. Pay attention to the
underlined words. What grammar structure is being
6 My brother, ……. is a chef, has been hired by a hotel.
A who B which C whom
tested: relative pronoun, verb in simple past,
superlative form, prepositional phrase, conjunction? 7 While he was at summer camp, Ben tried a new ……. .
A active B actively C activity
1 Dad .................. washing the dishes and then sat
8 The meeting starts at two; make sure you are ……. time.
down on the sofa.
A at B in C on
2 This advertisement must be aimed ..................
teenagers. 9 They told us that lunch was provided so we …….
3 She didn’t understand the value of money bring anything.
.................. she got a job. A couldn’t B needn’t C mustn’t
4 That was the ............... peculiar film I have ever seen! 10 It has been several years since we last ……. Anna.
5 That man, ............... son is in my class, is a dentist. A saw B had seen C have seen
11 Before he moved to the city, Michael ……. own a car.
b) Read the answer options A-C for sentences 1-5 A would B used to C was used to
in Ex. 8a. Which are the correct answers? Why? 12 ……. leaving early, they were late on account of the
1 A finish B finished C has finished heavy traffic.
2 A at B for C to A Despite B In spite C Although
3 A since B until C which 13 Anna is looking forward ……. in the student
4 A most B more C very exchange programme.
5 A his B which C whose A participate C to participating
B participating
14 Jason ……. his English homework and after that he
watched a film.
A did B had done C was doing
15 ……. no point regretting something that you could
not do anything about.
A This is B There is C It is

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 PREPARATION TASKS

READING & USE SECTION 4 EXAM TASK

In Section 4 of the Reading and Use part of the exam, For questions 1-10, choose the best answer (A, B or C)
candidates must read a text with 10 gaps and choose to fill in the gaps.
the correct word from three different options.
Total Marks: 5
Holidays at Home?
Preparing for the task: determining the missing Feeling down because you can’t afford a holiday in
word in a text the sun? In these times of economic difficulties, there
are lots of reasons why 1) ...... at home is a popular
STUDY SKILLS
option. There is even a name for it; it is called a
This task mostly tests grammar but occasionally also tests ‘staycation’. The 2) ...... obvious benefit of a staycation
vocabulary. First read the title and the text quickly to get is that it saves money. There are no travel expenses
an idea of what the text is about. Pay attention to the 3) ...... no costs for accommodation. Instead,
words before and after the gaps to determine what kind of holidaymakers can spend their money 4) ...... eating
word is missing and then look at the answer choices to out, going out, or trying new activities. Some people
determine whether the question is testing grammar or take 5) ...... to do things they would not normally have
vocabulary. Finally, choose the word that best fits the gap. time for, like cleaning out closets or repairing their
When you have finished, read the completed text again home, 6) ...... can feel very satisfying. A staycation is
and check that your answers make sense. also the perfect excuse for people to explore parts of
7) ...... hometown or city that they do not know. In this
9 a) Read the sentence. What part of speech is the
missing word: a noun? an adverb? a verb?
way they get to see it through the eyes of a tourist and
as a 8) ...... they see it differently after that. Finally,
staycations can be great for the health, 9) ...... it is
The cyclist ................... all of his competitors by the
easier to really relax without the hassle of travelling
end of the race.
which can be tiring and stressful. So, if plane tickets
b) Look at the options. What is being tested, seem too expensive, why not spend your holiday at
grammar or vocabulary? Which is the correct home? You 10) ...... be very glad you did.
answer? What words helped you decide?

A passes B was passing C had passed 1 A stay B to stay C staying

2 A most B more C many
c) Look at the items below. Do they test grammar 3 A and B both C because
or vocabulary? Choose the correct answer. 4 A at B for C on
1 We are going to see an exhibit that most people 5 A opportunity B opportunities C the opportunity
……. impressed by. 6 A what B which C where
A be B are C being 7 A them B their C theirs
2 His doctor ……. that he consume less sugar in 8 A cause B effect C result
order to lose weight. 9 A as B if C so
A recognised 10 A must B should C might
B regarded
C recommended
3 Long flights are generally ……. costly than shorter
ones.
A more B much C most

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 PREPARATION TASKS

SPEAKING SECTION 1 future plans What do you think you will be doing in
five years’ time?
In Section 1 of the Speaking Exam, candidates are (To expand, think about: Do you want to
asked some personal questions on topics such as attend college/university? What’s your ideal
hobbies, free time activities, school, hometown or job? Why? What skills do you need to do
future plans. They must communicate personal this job? What do you consider to be most
information about themselves, including details and important when choosing a job?)
explanations. Section 1 lasts 2-3 minutes.

Note 1 a) Read the following responses. Which topic

from the table do they refer to?
No questions about the candidates’ families are allowed.
1 I live in London, in the UK, and I love it because
Preparing for the task: giving personal information there is so much to do.
2 Hopefully I will be at university, studying to become
STUDY SKILLS a lawyer.
3 I really enjoy going to the cinema.
When answering questions about yourself, remember
4 I like History because I think it’s interesting to
to give detailed information in your answers. Practise
learn about the past.
answering common questions about yourself and
5 I have recently started playing the guitar.
expanding your answers as much as possible, but do
not memorise answers as it will sound unnatural.
b) How could you expand each of the sentences
Possible topic questions: in Ex. 1a? You can use the questions from the
hobbies Do you take part in any hobbies? table to help you.
(To expand, think about: What does this
hobby involve? How/why did you get c) Read the question below and the two
involved in your hobby? Why does it responses (A & B). Which response gives detailed
appeal to you? Is there another hobby explanations for the answer? Underline them.
you would like to try?) Do you take part in any hobbies?
free-time What do you like doing in your free time?
A ‘I paint and draw. I also like to play volleyball.
activities (To expand, think about: Who do you
I would love to learn a musical instrument one
spend your free time with? Where do
day.’
you go? How do you benefit from this?
B ‘I paint with watercolours and draw. I especially
Do you think having free time is
like to paint and draw landscapes. I’ve been
important? Why?)
drawing for as long as I can remember and I don’t
school What is your favourite subject, and why?
think I’ll ever stop because it makes me happy.
(To expand, think about: What subjects
I would love to learn to play the guitar, too, but it
are most important to study? Do you get
can be an expensive hobby. I’ve asked my parents
on with your teachers? Does your school
for a guitar for my birthday, so maybe I’ll start
have good facilities for students? What
soon.’
do you like/dislike about school? How
could your school be improved?)
hometown or Where do you live and what do you d) Which questions from the table does the
neighbourhood like/dislike about it? detailed response from Ex. 1c answer? What
(To expand, think about: How would other information does the response include?
you describe your hometown or
neighbourhood? What would you
recommend visitors do or see in your
hometown? Are there things for young
people to do in your neighbourhood?)
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 PREPARATION TASKS

SPEAKING SECTION 2 2 a) Read the topic and ideas (A-F) below. Which
ideas can be used to complete the mind map?
In Section 2 of the Speaking Exam, candidates are Why didn’t you choose the other ideas?
given a list of topics 5 days before the exam. They 1 2
must choose one of the 5 topics from the list and
prepare a 1-minute talk on it. After the talk, the
candidate’s partner is asked a question about the talk Should students be
and the two candidates engage in a conversation on allowed to use their
the topic. Section 2 lasts 6-7 minutes. mobile phones at
school? Why?/Why not?
Preparing for the task: planning a talk
3 4
STUDY SKILLS
A calls/texts interrupt class
Choose the topic that interests you most. Brainstorm B find information online for classwork
some ideas related to the topic and prepare to present C mobile phones expensive
these ideas in a logical sequence. Include facts and D play games/not pay attention
explanations where appropriate, but make sure you stay E using social media risky
relevant to the topic. It is a good idea to write your talk F parents reach them in emergency
and rehearse it. You can practise in front of the mirror and
record yourself in order to check your delivery. Make sure
to speak clearly and use the correct intonation. b) Expand the ideas from the mind map into
complete sentences. Use the Useful Language box.

Useful Language
Giving opinions Note
• As I see it,... • In my opinion,... • I think/believe ...
The interlocutor will ask you to comment on your partner’s
• As far as I’m concerned,… • To my mind,…
talk so you must pay attention to the points they make
Stating preferences and the reasons behind them. Think about whether or not
• I would(n’t) like (to) … • I (would) prefer … you agree with what they are saying and why.
• I look forward to … • I hope to …
• I’d rather (not) … c) Read the talk based on the question in Ex. 2a.
Do you agree or disagree with the talk? Why?
Advantages What points would you add or change?
• One positive of … is … • A benefit of … is …
• An argument in favour of … is … To my mind, there are some very good reasons for
allowing students to have their mobile phones in class.
Disadvantages First, students can use their phones to access the
• A drawback of … is … Internet which would allow them to find information and
• … has the negative effect of … do research for class projects. These days, finding
• An argument against … is … information online is an important life skill, after all.
Providing reasons Another advantage is that parents could reach their
• This is because … • This is due to the fact that … children if there was an emergency, so parents and
• As a result (of this),… children would feel more secure. On the other hand,
phones can be distracting. Students might play games
instead of paying attention and ringing phones could
interrupt class. Still, I think a good teacher can prevent
this from happening, so it is not a serious problem.

27

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 PREPARATION TASKS

SPEAKING SECTION 3 Note

The interlocutor will ask you to comment on what has

In Section 3 of the Speaking Exam, candidates must
been said and to express your own point of view as well.
respond to a question related to the topic of their talk
in Section 2. Candidates are given a set of prompts
which they may or may not use in addition to their own Useful Language
ideas to answer the question. The interlocutor also Agreeing
asks the other candidate to express their point of view. • I couldn’t agree with you more.
Section 3 lasts 6 minutes. • I feel the same way. • You’ve got a point (there).
• I’m of the same opinion.
Preparing for the task: expressing opinions
based on set questions Disagreeing
• I’m not sure I agree (with you on that).
STUDY SKILLS • I think you’re wrong (there). • That’s not right.

Offering an alternative opinion

Read the question and the prompts. They will give you • I see what you mean, but …
an idea about what aspects of the topic you could talk • I take your point, but … • You may be right, but …
about. You can discuss each point as well as add your
own, some of which may come from your talk in c) Read the reply to the opinions in Ex. 3a and
Section 2. Be sure to justify your responses by giving the justifications in Ex. 3b. Which of the opinions
reasons or examples to back up your opinions. does it disagree with? Which does it agree with?

I don’t entirely agree. For one thing, I think that checking

3 a) Read the question and prompts (A-C) below.
Match the sentences expressing opinions (1-3) to
for messages on your phone is a normal behaviour. It
doesn’t necessarily mean that you have an addiction.
the prompts. It’s quick and doesn’t distract you from what you’re
doing. What’s more, there is very little actual proof that
What are the dangers of using mobile phones too much?
mobile phones cause serious heath problems. And
A ignoring people around you while I do agree that it’s not nice when your friends are
B being distracted using their phones and ignoring you, I think at other
C health problems times our phones keep us from being lonely because
1 “It seems to me that some people get addicted to it’s so easy to communicate with others when we are
their phones and spend all their time checking alone, wherever we are. So, overall, I think the benefits
them.” outweigh the dangers.
2 “I think it’s possible that mobile phones’ signals
could be bad for our bodies.” d) What is your point of view on the three points
3 “I believe that it’s unpleasant to go to a café or in Ex. 3c? Do you agree or disagree with them?
restaurant with someone who keeps texting other Tell the class.
people.”

b) Read the justifications (a-c) and match them to

the sentences expressing opinions (1-3) in Ex. 3a.

a This is because it can make you feel lonely even

though you are with a friend.
b For example, they might be waiting for a message
or counting likes on their social media accounts.
c In particular, researchers are not sure whether they
cause cancer or not.

28

LRN_LEVEL 1 B2 Ss Preparing.indd 28 4/9/19 4:56 PM

 LRN PRACTICE TESTS B2 Student’s Book
The book is aimed at candidates preparing for the LRN examination
(CEFR level B2).

The Student’s Book contains:

• a detailed description of the examination

Jenny Dooley
• preparation tasks for each part of the examination
• five complete practice tests
• sample answer sheet.

The Teacher’s Book is overprinted and contains all the material

in the Student’s Book as well as answers to all exercises, model
answers for the Writing and Speaking sections and audioscripts.

The Class CDs contain all listening material in full examination

format.

ISBN 978-1-4715-8264-6

LRN_LEVEL 1 B2 Ss COVER.indd 1 4/9/19 5:01 PM