FCE

INDEPENDENT USER

Total: 100 marks

Name: ________________________________________

FIRST TEST

2020
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  Listening
You will hear a radio programme where Dr. Richard B.
Joeslon will be talking about saying “I’m sorry”. Listen to the
radio programme presenter, Mona Wright, interviewing Dr.
Joeslon and complete the gaps with one or a few words.
There is an example (0).

(0) The TV presenter, Mona, thinks people say “sorry” a lot in _______________.
Britain

(1) Richard's research is on people that find it _______________ to say "I'm sorry"
even when they know they're guilty.

(2) Some people consider offering an apology to another person is a sign of

_______________.

(3) Some other people are not _______________ or rude because they do not
apologise. They just do not think it’s necessary to do so.

(4) Richard has helped _______________ in psychotherapy to develop their

apologising skills.

(5) He has realized that when partners genuinely apologise, resentment _______________.

(6) There are other uses of these words like "I'm sorry but I need to _______________.”

(7) Richard has seen cases of people who say "Sorry" _______________, which
shows some unsolved conflict.

(8) Richard's patient had the feeling that she had been a burden to _______________.

(9) To make an effective apology it's important to firstly accept _______________

for the wrong action.

(10) The last step is to let the other person know the offensive action will not
__________________.
20 marks

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 Reading
Part 1
You are going to read an article published in a popular website about teenagers
and parents. For questions 1-5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you
think fits best according to what the writer states in the text.
There is an example (0).

‘Tidy your room!' A teenagers' guide to arguing with your parents

As a teen, you can feel like everything your parents say and do is meant to ruin your
fun. So, you’re a teenager, or soon will be. You probably have lots on your mind, and
are feeling pretty stressed thanks to all the expectations and demands you have to
deal with. Then, there are the drastic and chaotic changes occurring in your body and
brain.

But at least you can rely on your parents, your grandparents or whichever adult you
live with to see things your way, to support your decisions, no matter what. You share
the same lives, the same homes, often the same DNA – you might think your parents
should agree with you on practically everything. So why is it so difficult? Much of it is,
of course, down to biology, specifically the differences between your developing brain
and your parents’ more rigid ones. But it’s not hopeless: there are things you can do
to get along better. Here are a few of the arguments you might typically have with
your parents – and how best to deal with them.

Finding it a struggle to get out of bed in the morning? Do you also stay up late at
night? Most teens do – but parents rarely approve of this, accusing you of laziness.
The good news is that you’re not lazy. Far from it, those biological changes you’re
undergoing can be terrible for typical sleeping patterns, and while adults usually start
feeling sleepy at around 10pm, studies suggest that for teens it’s more like 1am. So,
for you, trying to go to bed at 9pm is like your parents going to bed at 6pm. Kind of
crazy, isn’t it?

Also, you need more sleep because your brain is developing more and working
harder. While eight hours’ sleep may be enough for adults, you might need nine, or
more – so as well as getting to bed later, you need to sleep in later the next morning.
It’s biology. Criticising a teen for sleeping too much is like having a go at someone
running a marathon for breathing too hard.

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 Sadly, school and work start when they start, so opportunities for sleeping in are
restricted. But try explaining some of these biological facts to your parents, and
emphasising that insufficient sleep can affect your school work by obstructing
learning and memory, for instance. They may be more willing to let you have those
weekend lie-ins. Also, regular exercise makes it easier to get to sleep.

Has there ever been something you think is vitally important, like being at a certain
party, or owning a specific item of clothing, but when you explain this to your parents
they just look confused? Or even laugh?
Maybe they’ve said you’re being too dramatic. This can be frustrating, but it’s not that
your mum and dad are choosing not to feel the same as you. It’s because they can’t.
Their brains aren’t wired that way.

Your teenage brain is constantly maturing, but not every part matures at the same
rate. Those that produce emotional responses mature quickly, so they are operating
at peak performance for much of your teens. But what about the more logical parts
of your brain that keep your emotions under control? They aren’t fully ready until your
mid-twenties.

The result is that teens have far more powerful emotional reactions and they require
extra effort to keep them under control.

Text adapted from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/10/tidy-your-room-teenagers-guide-arguing-

with-parents

0) The writer of the article states that …

A- there are huge changes happening on a teenager's mind.

B- teens rarely have too many things on their mind.

C- some teenagers feel they can't trust their parents.

D- parents usually ruin teenagers' fun.

1) It is often hard for teenagers and their parents to agree mostly due to…

A- character and personality.

B- biological reasons.

C- the different arguments they've had in the past.

D- the fact that parents don't approve of their teens' decisions.

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 2) According to the writer, finding it hard to get up in the morning is a sign of…

A- teenagers' different sleep patterns.

A- disrespect to household rules.

B- mild sickness.

C- laziness.

3) The writer compares a teenager to a marathon runner to show that...

A- both breathe harder than adults.

B- it is expected for teenagers to behave that way.

C- adults need more sleep than teenagers.

D- athletes have a lot of similarities with teenagers.

4) Teenagers' learning and memory can be affected by…

A- their lack of regular exercise.

B- biological characteristics present from birth.

C- weekend lie-ins.

D- lack of sleep.

5) The writer of the text states that…

A- parents can feel frustrated when their children consider trivial things vitally important.

B- just a few teenagers can keep their emotions under control.

C- different parts of a teenager's brain mature at different times.

D- people become more dramatic in their mid-twenties.

10 marks


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 Part 2
You are going to read a newspaper article about dressing for success in the 21 st
Century. Seven sentences have been removed from the text. Choose from the
sentences A-I below the one which best fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra
sentence which you do not need to use and an example (0).

Dressing For Success in the 21st Century

Does the saying, “Dress for Success” still ring
true? Today, more women are in the workforce
than ever before and in positions of power such as
CEOs, CFO, Directors and more. (0) A
Along with these changes in the corporate
atmosphere there's change in corporate attire.

As recent as the 1990’s, many businesses still required women to wear dresses, skirt
suits or skirts and blazers, along with heels. (1) In some industries, they went
as far as prescribing that women wore the same “uniform” or colour pattern (black or
navy suits with white shirts) as the men, and they had to wear stockings even in the heat
of the summer. (2)

In the 21st century, professional dress codes have been changing. Attire that was never
accepted has now become the new norm. Many firms, especially younger startups run
by those in the millennial generation, have become more flexible with regard to dress
codes. (3) Even companies that require specific uniforms, such as the airlines,
have relaxed their uniform designs. However, many companies, while they might have
a more lax code than in previous years, still adhere to business casual style.

(4) For men it is khakis or Dockers trousers with a polo or button down shirt. For
women, it is slacks or skirts, with sweaters or blouses, and more comfortable
shoes. Since women no longer have to wear stockings, they can now wear sandals or
open-toe shoes. The companies that have these requirements might have a more
liberal policy for “Dress Down Friday”. (5)

There are still companies that require a more professional appearance depending upon
your position, title, or where you will be on a certain day. (6)

While being dressed in a suit and heels all day may be less comfortable, some feel they
are more productive in that attire. Others will challenge that and say they are more
productive in relaxed attire. (7) Dressing for the position or job title you aspire
to attain, will probably enable you to move up the company ladder faster. A positive
attitude and the proper attire combined can surely be a win-win.

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 Text adapted from: http://www.powerwoe.com/dressing-success-21st-century/

A- We are also seeing a shift in corporate America from a traditional to a

more relaxed environment.

B- A spokesperson for the company said that she had signed their

appearance guidelines.

C- Actually, your mindset is really what is going to make you more productive and
create your success.

D- Women were not allowed to wear pants, trainers or flats to the office.

E- What constitutes business casual?

F- If you are in court or visiting clients, in most cases, the traditional suit will still

apply.

G- This was especially true in the financial and legal fields.

H- In fact, in many companies, the flexibility runs so far as cargo shorts and

Birkenstocks sandals!

I- This means that on this day, employees can dress more casually, in jeans and
trainers, while the rest of the week they are more formally dressed.

14 marks

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 Part 3

(A) For questions 1-7 below read the text and write the correct form of the words
at the end of the line. There is an example (0).

When you hear the final whistle

One of the hardest things for any sportsperson
RETIREMENT
to do is to think about (0) ________________. RETIRE
Do you retire when you are at your physical
"peak" or do you wait until your body (or your coach) tells you that it's time to
go? But even harder is finding the answer to the question "What am I going
to do with the rest of my life?"

For most people this is (1) ________________ traumatic. "There's a high risk GENERAL

of depression and people often find (2) ________________ in adjusting to a DIFFICULT

new way of life", says Ian Cockerill, a sports (3) ________________. For PSYCHOLOGY
sportspeople there's an extra trauma — the loss of status, the loss of
(4) ________________, and the loss of the glamour. RECOGNIZE

Some sportspeople go on playing too long perhaps. They just can't stand life
without the "high" of playing sport (5) ________________. Michael Jordan, PROFESSION

the greatest basketball player of all time, retired three times. He retired once
from the Chicago Bulls, made a (6) ________________ comeback with the SUCCEED
Bulls, then retired again.

For some people the pain of saying goodbye never leaves them. But for the
lucky few, retirement can mean a (7) ________________ new career. Franz WONDER
Beckenbauer is a classic example of a footballer who won everything with
his club, Bayern Munich. After retiring he became a coach with Bayern and
finally president of the club. John McEnroe, the infamous "bad boy" of tennis
is now a highly respected and highly paid TV commentator.
Text adapted from: http://reachyourgoaaaal.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-you-hear-final-whistle.html

7 marks

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 (B) Read the article below and for questions 1-7 complete the gaps with the best
word. There’s an example (0).

Grand Canyon National Park

and
Unique combinations of geologic colour (0) _________ erosional forms decorate a
canyon that is 446 river kilometres long, up to 29 km wide, and 1.6 km deep. Grand
Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size.

On February 26, 1919, Grand Canyon became a National Park. In 2019 it celebrated
its centennial year! It has 1) _________ a national and international tourist attraction
since it was opened a hundred years ago.

The South Rim is open all year through, 2) ________ the North Rim is open only for
the season. That’s why the number of visitors to the South part is much bigger
3) __________ the number of those who decided to come to see the North part of
the park. The North Rim is open from May 15th 4) _________ October 15th every
year. Lodging and food services are provided during that period.

Because of its wide variety 5) __________ ecosystems, Grand Canyon National Park
is home to an incredible diversity of animals such as birds, mammals, reptiles,
amphibians, insects, spiders and others. Regarding birds, the park has over 450
species of birds, so, 6) ____________ 2014, the Grand Canyon was designated as
a Globally Important Bird Area to recognize the important role the park plays in
protecting hundreds of bird species.

If you, your family or friends like adventure and being in contact with nature, Grand
Canyon is a place you cannot miss. Whether you're planning a single visit or coming
back multiple times a year, enjoy the convenience of buying a Grand Canyon National
Park digital pass online at Recreation.gov before you arrive. You have immediate
access to your digital pass and can easily download 7) __________ on your phone
or tablet. Your pass will also be emailed as a PDF and can be printed out for display
when you arrive.

Text adapted from: https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm and https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/nature/birds.htm

7 marks

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 Part 4

For questions 1 to 4, rewrite the second sentence so that it has a similar

meaning to the first sentence using the word given. Do not change the word
given. You must use between two and five words including the word given.
There is an example (0).

(0) Her brother sings better than she does.

AS
She doesn't ________________________________
SING AS WELL AS her brother.

(1) Marcus started learning French two years ago.

FOR
Marcus has ________________________________ two years.

(2) No dinner for me, thanks. I ate half an hour ago.

ALREADY
Thanks but ________________________________ dinner.

(3) I walked quietly because I didn't want to wake the baby.

SO
I walked quietly ________________________________ wake the baby.

(4) My sister never asks when she borrows my toys.

ALWAYS
My sister is ________________________________ asking.

(5) Some older people are finding it hard to adapt to smart phones.
USED
Some older people can't ________________________________ smart phones.

(6) Students must cook their own meals in the kitchen.

RESPONSIBLE

Students ________________________________ their own meals in the kitchen.

12 marks

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  Writing
Write an answer to one of the following questions in an appropriate style.

(A) In your English class you have been talking about teenagers’ time online. Now
your English teacher has asked you to write an essay using all the notes and giving
reasons for your point of view.

Essay question:

It is a good idea for parents to encourage their children to spend less time
online. Do you agree?

Notes:
Write about:
1- entertainment
2- doing sport and exercise
3-………………(your own idea)

Write your essay in 140 - 190 words using all your notes and give reasons for your
point of view.

(B) You have received this email from your Australian friend called Simon.

Hello!
I'd like you to tell me everything about the surprise birthday party you organized for
your sister. What about the place, music and food? Who did you invite? How did she
react? Was it an enjoyable party? Please write back and tell me everything about it!

Best wishes,

Simon

Write your email in 140-190 words.

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 30 marks

GOOD LUCK!

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