Skills Test Unit 7 Test A

Name: ___________________________________________

Everyday English
1 Circle the correct answer (a–c).
1 The best thing ________ it is that it keeps older people involved in society.
a for b about c of
2 If society didn’t ________ older people, there wouldn’t be so many in key positions.
a support b value c worry about
3 The most ________ reason for extending the retirement age is because the population is getting
older.
a vivid b clear c obvious
4 I can’t ________ support that point of view for a number of reasons.
a significantly b exclusively c entirely
5 That might result ________ fewer young people wanting to go to university.
a in b of c for

Mark: ___ / 5

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Listening
2  Listen to two classmates, Dave and Theresa, discussing a school project. Complete
sentence 1 with the correct word, and circle the correct answer to complete sentence 2.
1 The school project will have sections on sport, family, holidays, travel and __________ .
2 The project covers the financial savings / interests / mental health of retired people.

3  Listen again. Circle the correct answer (a–d).

1 Teresa questions Dave’s first suggestion because
a she wants a section on gardening.
b she thinks most old people aren’t healthy enough to be active.
c she doesn’t think retired people want to play much sport.
d there are other more interesting things to discuss.
2 Dave thinks many retired people
a are very active.
b are often ill.
c like swimming best.
d are too old for sport.
3 Grandparents often see their family because they
a tend to live near to each other.
b look after their grandchildren.
c are unable to cope on their own.
d like to have a routine each week.
4 These days, older people
a seem older than you think they are.
b rely on others more than before.
c don’t need help until they are in their eighties.
d are more independent than they used to be.
5 Dave’s grandparents
a would often look after him when he was younger.
b used to help his parents out whenever they could.
c were often abroad when his parents needed help.
d liked to give him lots of presents from their travels.
6 Dave’s mother
a finds her parents’ lifestyle very amusing.
b doesn’t like her parents to waste their money.
c tries to encourage her parents to do less travelling.

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 d is afraid they might get injured while they are away.
7 Dave thinks that most retired people
a prefer not to work at all.
b only like to do simple work.
c work as hard as they ever did.
d carry on working, but at a slower pace.
8 In her opinion, Teresa’s grandad
a isn’t typical of older people.
b needs the money he gets from working.
c doesn’t want to work.
d is trying to be more active.

Mark: ___ / 10

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Reading
How to stay young
The average ‘grown up’ has a very busy schedule. For some, it’s looking after the kids, and for
others, having a job. For a lot of us, it’s both, and then we have to fit in a social life, housework and
exercise, too. What the majority of us need is a new lease of life, but that’s unlikely to happen when
we feel rather long in the tooth at the end of a hectic week. They say youth is wasted on the young,
and let’s face it, children seem to have an endless source of energy. What if it wasn’t just a matter of
being young, but also of having the right lifestyle? Although children aren’t often described as wise,
we could learn a lot from examining their behaviour.
Parents often make sure children go to bed early so that they won’t suffer from tiredness at school the
next day. The main benefit of this, apart from feeling refreshed, is that they often wake up early
enough for school without the need for an alarm clock. Admittedly this isn’t necessarily the case for
adolescents, but it is certainly true of young children. If adults followed suit and went to bed earlier,
imagine how much more energy we’d have. The fact that we try to fend off tiredness is probably one
of our biggest mistakes.
Then there’s making time to eat. Children instinctively know when they are hungry and demand
food. We usually make them sit down at the table and eat it without rushing. Unfortunately, this is
where our frantic lifestyle gets in the way again. We tend to put off eating until there’s a more
convenient moment, or only allow ourselves five minutes to wolf something down. How many of our
friends and colleagues actually eat in front of their computer, or even while they’re walking along the
street, just to save a few vital seconds?
The next factor to bear in mind is that children are far more fun-seeking than adults. Young children
laugh as much as 300 times a day, while for adults, it’s only fifteen times. The whole purpose of a
toddler’s day is to find things that they enjoy doing. Once their interest in an activity wears off, they
quickly abandon it and look for something else. It would be impractical to suggest that adults do the
same, as they would be considered immature and foolish, but it does make you think. Most of the
time, we seem to be denying ourselves fun so that we can do more of the mundane stuff that keeps us
busy! Perhaps we’d be better off laughing things off a bit more, rather than getting stressed about
things that simply aren’t a matter of life and death.
Kids love nothing more than going to the park. This is where exercise comes in. More and more,
adults are joining gyms and then feeling guilty when they don’t go as often as they should. A
significant problem is that while the little ones play on the swings and slides, and run around having
fun, their parents are inactive, checking their phones to try and get things done or chatting to other
parents. In short, they aren’t doing any exercise. Unlike gyms, parks are free, so there is no monthly
subscription guilt, and they are also outside in the fresh air. It seems like an obvious chance to get a
bit of exercise ourselves, while at the same time spending some quality time playing with our
children.
Most of us have become too set in our ways to consider changing our routines, but if we took the
time to learn from the younger generation, we would probably feel the benefit of easing off a bit.

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4 Read the text. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1 The average adult has a very full weekly schedule. ___
2 Adults tend to feel most energetic on Friday evenings. ___
3 Children are able to wake up naturally because they have had enough sleep. ___
4 Once children reach their teens, their sleeping habits might change. ___
5 Adults make children hurry their meals when they’re short of time. ___
6 Meals at the office often have to fit around the demands of the working day. ___
7 By the time we become adults, we have lost our sense of fun. ___
8 Adults should try to imitate how a toddler behaves. ___
9 Parents don’t take advantage of playing in outdoor areas with their kids. ___
10 The writer suggests being active when our children are. ___

Mark: ___ / 10

Writing
5 Write an opinion essay on the topic below.
‘It’s better to be an old person rather than a young person in today’s society.’ Do you agree?

Follow the plan:

Paragraph 1: State the topic of the essay and give your point of view.

Paragraph 2: Introduce the first argument to support your opinion.

Paragraph 3: Introduce the second argument to support your opinion.

Paragraph 4: Sum up any arguments against your opinion.

Paragraph 5: Summarize and restate your opinion.

Mark: ___ / 15
TOTAL MARKS: ___ / 40

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Challenge!
6 Complete the text with the correct words (a–d).
Graduating from university … at ninety-seven!
The thought of going back to university as a mature student might put off most people. But
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________ pensioner Allan Steward, from Port Stephens in Australia, isn’t most people. In fact, he
tends to 2________ his achievements, simply putting it down to good genes. In 2006, after gaining a
law degree aged ninety-one, Guinness World Records awarded him a record for the oldest graduate,
giving him a new lease of life. At ninety-seven, he seems to be 3________ the prime of his life,
having just completed his fourth degree.
Allan is far from dependent on others or over the 4________ . He fishes, swims in the sea, grows his
own vegetables and is a carer for a friend. It’s as if he 5________ a man fifty years younger!
If he didn’t get bored easily, he might never 6________ back into education. ‘I have so much time on
my hands these days and I like to keep mentally active,’ he says. Allan plans to 7________ the studies
now – but he said that after his last degree! I guess it’s a question of how long he can fend off the
boredom this time.
Allan is living proof that you are never too long in the tooth for anything. Supposing you 8________
the chance to go back to school in your nineties, would you?
1 a juvenile b adolescent c dynamic d infantile
2 a shrug off b warn off c make off d wear off
3 a on b in c about d for
4 a mountain b wall c fields d hill
5 a has been b were c is being d had been
6 a had gone b have gone c went d go
7 a ease off b brush off c fight off d set off
8 a are having b would have c have d had