PRACTICE TEST 11

A/ PHONOLOGY:
I/ Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently
from the rest:
1. A. closed

B. modernised

C. abased

D. caroused

2. A. ballet

B. outlet

C. wallet

D. bracelet

3. A. vocalise

B. expertise

C. fossilise

D. sterilise

4. A. tomb

B. comb

C. dome

D. home

5. A. theory

B. thenceforth

C. thesis

D. therapy

Your answers:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

II/ Choose the word whose stress pattern is different from the rest:
6. A. millimeter

B. pedometer

C. thermometer

D. speedometer

7. A. important

B. impotent

C. impatient

D. impartial

8. A. disguise

B. display

C. discourse

D. disband

9. A. rebel

B. rebound

C. react

D. recall

10. A. arithmetic

B. geometric

C. thermostatic

D. geographic

Your answers:
6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

B/ LEXICAL AND GRAMMAR:

I/ Choose the best answers to complete each sentence. (30 points):
11. The jihadi raised a loud __________ of "Allahu Akbar" and then detonated the
bombs surrounding his body.
A. far cry

B. outcry

C. war cry

D. mimicry

12. Half the people in the office has ______________ a strange illness
A.
with

gone

away B.

gone

with

down C. gone in for

D.

gone

along

with

13. Total weight of the ants in the world is much greater than _____________
A. that of human beings

B. all human beings

C. all human beings is that

D. is of all human beings

PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

14. Edward Snowden, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee, was
_______________ as a traitor and expelled from the USA after his leaking a
good deal of crypto-information with regard to US intelligence on other
countries.
A. announced

B. denounced

C. pronounced

D. renounced

15. Some kinds of bean require _____________ before you can use for cooking
A. soak

B. to soak

C. soaking

D. to soaking

16. You need a passport to cross the ____________ between the USA and Mexico
A. rim

B. edge

C. border

D. line

17. Actually, I _________________ a cup of tea first thing every morning but then
I switch to coffee
A. do drink

B. am drinking

C. have drunk

D.

have

been

drinking
18. I wanted to say goodbye to Jenny, but she _____________________
A. was already left

B. already left

C. had already been leaving

D. had already left

19. I caught __________ of Jim and waved at him, but he deliberately ignored me.
A. vision

B. sight

C. look

D. glance

20. ____________ the barrier at the side of the road, the car would have crashed
into the valley below.
A. But for

B. Apart from

C. Except for

D. Unless

21. - Today is my birthday!

- ___________________________!
A. I am sorry to hear that

B. Many happy returns

C. Congratulations

D. Good luck

22. Although considered a rank _______________ at first, Greece surprised

everyone when they sequentially defeated other famous teams and won the
EURO 2004 persuasively
A. outsider

B. intruder

C. newcomer

D. stranger

23. These old pictures on the wall remind me ______ a pre-1975 prosperous
Saigon.
A. about

B. of

C. to

D. on

24. ___________ the increasing depletion of the earths resources, it is vital to

recycle on a greater scale than we do at present.
PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

A. Given

B. In spite of

C. Irrespective of

D. Regardless of

25. Midway in the weekly meeting, The headmaster warned his students ______
using mobile phones.
A. off

B. on

C. to

D. in

26. It came as a shock to Jamie to receive a letter like that out of the ___________
A. green

B. blue

C. red

D. pink

27. Judy is _________ smarter than the others in her class that she ought to be in
a grade at school.
A. much

B. so much

C. too much

D. such a

28. Both parent were out of a job and the family, as a result, has a ____________
lifestyle.
A. cautious

B. tight

C. frugal

D. careful

29. _____________ the increasingly great demand for tickets, the organizers
hesitated to sell more.
A. Owing to

B. Since

C. In the light of

D. Despite

30. On the island ________________ the only representative of the Indians

handicraft.
A. does it remain

B. did it remain

C. remains it

D. remains

31. The report makes the recommendation that no more prison ______________
A. must be built

B. be built

C. had to be built

D.

should

be

building
32. Russia has long been notorious for the ____________ of the LGBT community,
and as a matter of fact, there are reportedly more and more homosexuals
beaten or even killed all over the country.
A. aversion

B. abhorrence

C. antipathy

D. disfavour

33. There is an exception ________ the general rule.

A. with

B. to

C. on

D. over

34. I cant see any ________ in arriving early at the cinema.

A. cause

B. point

C. reason

D. aim

35. Despite the fact that the forward was clearly_______________, his goal is still
allowed.
A. offside

B. backside

C. nearside

D. upside

PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

Your answers:
11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

II/ Supply the correct form of the word in brackets:

36. Staring at the Sun for so long creates a round glaring (IMAGE)
__________________ lingering on his retinas.
37. Robbers broke into the art gallery and took away many (VALUE)
__________________ paintings.
38. George and I have been friends since (CHILD)__________________. He used
to live next door.
39. John lost his job because he often behaved (POLITE) __________________
towards his customers.
40. Peter fell off the ladder, but his __________________ (INJURE) were not very
serious.
41. A few joke can (LIVE)___________up a lecture.
42. The

city

was

put

in

strict

quarantine

after

the

sudden

(BREAK)______________ of a strange illness.

43. Are you kidding me? Its a (RIP)___________ to pay $10 for this shirt.
44. The notion of (DIFFER)_________________ in education varies from culture
to culture.
45. It is really a (FORTUNE)________________ that you missed the bus and had
to wait for another 30 minutes
Your answers:
36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.
PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

III/ Supply the correct verb form of the verbs in brackets:

46. I didnt do the test well this morning. I (revise) ____________________ my
lessons more carefully last night.
47. The teller (made)________ (lie)___________ down on the floor by the
robbers.
48. Jenny resented (make)_________________ (carry)__________ out all the
tedious paperwork in her office.
49. He suggested that a petition (sign)_______________ early.
50. The portrait (widely know)_____________ (paint)____________ by an Italian.
IV/ Fill in the blank with an appropriate preposition:
46. The couple broke __________ their engagement after they had a huge
argument.
47. My plans for starting a restaurant fell _____________.
48. Can you come ______ ______ a better solution to this solution?
49. Two scientists put ________the same hypothesis, independent _____ each
other.
50. She tried her best to make ________ ________ the damage she had done.
Your answers:
41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

C/ READING:
I/ Read the article about a restaurant critiC. Ten sentences have been
removed from the article. Choose from sentences A K the one which best
fits each gap (1-10)). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to
use.
THE MOST FAMOUS RESTAURANT CRITIC IN AMERICA
Apparently its never too soon to start being a restaurant food critic. Thats
why David Fishman, a New Yorker who had just turned 12, decided to take himself
out for dinner one night. His parents had called him at home to say they were
PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

running late, suggesting that he grab some hummus from his usual Greek takeout
restaurant. (56)_____. He had recently passed by the Salumeria Rosi, a newlyopened Italian restaurant a few blocks from his home, and had been fascinated by
the reflective black wall, the dried pork hanging from the ceiling, the little jars of
olives and artichokes on the walls. (57)_____
That night turned out to be one of the first that the restaurant was open to
the public. David requested a menu, which the waitress handed to him, and
decided that it was within his budget. (58)_____ A year before, he had been turned
away from a half-empty restaurant in Montauk and told that it did not serve children
unaccompanied by adults. Grown-up or not, tables were hard to come by that
evening every seat was reserved, mostly by friends of the Italian chef and owner,
Cesare Casella. (59)_____ But the waitress decided to squeeze in the Salumerias
first unaccompanied customer under 1.4 metres, as long as he promised to be out
by 8 p.m. It was a deal.
Nobody at the restaurant seemed terribly impressed by Tony Danza, but
David Fishman now that was something. (60)_____ Where were his parents?
Was he enjoying the food? Cash or credit? An Australian couple seated beside
him struck up a conversation and a young couple on the other side of his table
insisted on buying him a chocolate mousse. (61)_____
David had ordered a specialty of the restaurant, prosciutto, as well as salad
leaves with Parmesan cheese. Good variety, he wrote in the leather-bound
notebook he brought along, restaurant-critic-like. Softish jazz musiC. (62)_____
In other words, no sickly-sweet smiles or insulting offer of grilled cheese.
The kitchen workers were so fascinated by the young adventurous eater
that they sent out a bowl of complimentary tripe stew, which he enjoyed, although,
he admits, It wasnt my favorite. He was a little surprised to learn later that tripe
was prepared with intestines. (63)_____The intestines of what? he asked.
(Somehow, that seemed to matter.)
But the young foodie has got a new fan in Chef Casella, who came over to
extend a greeting. Though David was disappointed that the restaurant did not
serve Italian ice-cream, he got points with Mr. Casella for knowing a little
something about Italian cuisine. He reminded me of me, when I was younger, said
Mr. Casella, who used to drive all over Europe by himself to try the best
restaurants. He is so cool, though more confident than I am when I eat out by
PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

myself. (64)_____ It is like a brilliant violinist he does not get this talent by
learning.
An only child, David grew up in a family where eating well and imaginatively at
home was important. His mother encouraged him to make notes about what he
liked, and it developed from there. But little did he know how dramatically his life
would change after he wandered into The Salumeria Rosi. During dinner, while he
was chatting with customers and taking notes, he was noticed by a woman who
has a friend at the New York Times. (65)_____ Despite his tender years, he is now
reviewing more of the citys top restaurants, making television appearances, and
there is even a possible film under discussion.

A People tried not to stare, but

F Seem to enjoy kids but not

couldnt help themselves.

overly.

B His taste comes from inside

G If it was OK with his mom (and

him.

it turned out it was), he wanted to

C In turn, he recommended that

try that instead.

they try the arugula salad.

H He'd never done anything like

D The article she wrote about

this before.

him led to the kind of media

attention that contestants on Pop

turned up.

Idol dream will be theirs.

J However, David thought he

E Then he asked for a table for

could do better than that.

one and waited to see what shed

K His eyes went wide.

Even TV actor Tony Danza

say.

Your answers:
51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57.

58.

59.

60.

II/ Guided cloze test:

The knowledge and eloquence that people gain through travelling is usually
perceived as the best (66)____________ in life. It is the inquisitive human nature
that impels people to seek (67)____________ experiences and to set out an
exploration trip. Those who travel frequently and to diverse places benefit from
PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

establishing new relationship and acquiring a better knowledge about other

cultures and lifestyles. However, there is a (68)____________ of truth in the
assumption that people are prone to (69)____________ clichs and unfounded
prejudices and about other nations and their characteristics. Sometimes, it is only
the first-hand encounter that help change the (70)____________ towards the socalled inferior communities. This direct contact with a different civilization enables
travellers

to

(71)____________

their

baseless

assumptions

and

get

(72)____________with the real concept of life in all four corners of the globe.
(73)____________questions, travelling (74)____________ friendships and makes
it easier for many individuals to acknowledge the true value of different traditions
and customs. Yet, it does not always means enjoyment. It may also involve coming
close to the atrocities of real existence as well as becoming aware of the challenge
and hardships that other people have to struggle with. Hence, a true voyage is the
one with a good deal of experience to (75)____________ about, very often
combined with exposure to abhorrent sights and incredible ordeals. The learning
to be complete, thus, requires am ability to observe and analyse the surroundings,
both their glamour and brutality.
66. A. completion

B. fulfilment

C. conclusion

D. resolution

67. A. thriving

B. throbbing

C. thwarting

D. thrilling

68. A. speck

B. grain

C. scrap

D. tip

69. A. persevering

B. cherishing

C. indulging

D. persisting

70. A. prejudice

B. manner

C. outlook

D. approach

71. A. drop

B. cease

C. fail

D. quit

72. A. informed

B. realized

C. acquainted

D. defined

73. A. Apart

B. Beyond

C. Unfailing

D. Beneath

74. A. facilitates

B. affords

C. elicits

D. incites

75. A. commemorate

B. reminisce

C. resemble

D. remind

64.

66.

Your answers:
61.

62.

63.

65.

67.

68.

69.

70.

III/ Open cloze test:

THE PLEASURE OF LEARNING TO PLAY A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
As an activity, learning to play an instrument is something that can give a
lot of pleasure. It's also an achievement and a skill (76)__________ stays with you
PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

for life. Music has a part to play in everyone's life, and has been described
(77)____________Learning to play an instrument isn't easy at the beginning
(78)____________ takes effort and determination. And while there's nothing
wrong

with

aiming

(79)____________the

top,

music

is

definitely

(80)____________ something to take up because you think you ought to do it.

A lot of adults regret not (81) ____________learnt to play an instrument when they
were younger. But it is never (82) ____________ late to learn! And the advantages
of learning an instrument are far greater than just the pleasure of producing a
marvelous sound. When you've progressed far (83) ____________, there are lots
of amateur groups which you can join (84) ____________you want to be part of a
larger group. Once you've reached a good enough standard to join a band or
orchestra, you add the team skills like those you get from playing sport. There's
also a great social side to playing with others, as (85) ____________ as the chance
to travel through touring.
Your answers:
71.

72.

73.

74.

75.

76.

77.

78.

79.

80.

D/ WRITING:
I/ Finish each second sentence so that it has similar meaning to the
first sentence, using the clues at the beginning of each sentence.
86. As soon as we had finished dinner, the thunderstorm broke.
Hardly ________________________________________________________
87. Its thought that he was staying in London at the time of the assault.
He is _________________________________________________________
88. President Obama was surprised when he saw the hospitability of Vietnam
government and people.
It came ________________________________________________________
89. He always has his nose in a book and never pays attention to what I say.
If he didn't ______________________________________________________

PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

90. Martin may not be very well but he still manages to enjoy life.
Martin's poverty _________________________________________________
II/ Use the given word to write a new sentence as similar as possible
in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT change the word given in
brackets in any way.
91. The last thing you should do is to call the police (CIRCUMSTANCES)
_____________________________________________________________
92. This mix-up is not my fault. (BLAME)
_____________________________________________________________
93. The two sisters did not intent to talk to each other anymore. (INTENTION)
_____________________________________________________________
94. My brother is not feeling terribly well these days. (WEATHER)
_____________________________________________________________
95. His smooth manner didnt deceive us. (TAKEN)
_____________________________________________________________
III/ Essay:
Nowadays, most students take extra classes. Do you think this is a
good idea? Or would is it be better for students to invest all that time in selfstudy?
Write an essay of about 250-300 words. Support your points with examples
and relevant evidence.
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PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

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----END OF TEST. BEST OF LUCK--

PRACTICE TEST FOR THE GIFTED

11