PRACTICE TEST No.

8
I. PHONETICS
A. Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the rest
in each question.
1. A. conservation B. desertion C. consider D. consort
2. A. office B. ancient C. commercial D. social
3. A. devised B. naked C. crooked D. rugged
4. A. poster B. society C. pierrot D. folks
5. A. decency B. equal C. precede D. marvelous
B. Choose the word whose stress is different from that of the rest in each question.
6. A. rehearse B. resign C. respite D. research
7. A. expectancy B. immigration C. continuous D. maturity
8. A. aristocrat B. architecture C. artificial D. argument
9. A. supervisor B. investigate C. convenient D. contaminate
10. A. centenarian B. domesticity C. inaccessible D. centennial
II. VOCABULARY&GRAMMAR
A. Supply the correct tense or form of the verb in brackets.
a. It's bound (11) (rain) to rain tomorrow.
b. Hi, Paul! What a nice surprise! I (12) (not think) don’t think I (13) (run) would run into
you today.
c. I (14) (need, cook) needn’t have cooked dinner. Just as it was ready, Chris and Jane
phoned to say that they couldn't come to eat.
d. "We need better traffic rules".
"Yes, then there (15) (not, be) isn’t so many accidents".
e. There was a cold wind (16) (blow) blowing in our faces when we were in the field.
f. They don't allow (17) (smoke) to smoke in the petrol station.
g. He (18) (hope) hoped that he (19) (graduate) would graduate this semester but he
couldn't finish this thesis in time.
h. I don't understand how you got the wrong results. When I looked over your notes, your
chemistry experiment seemed (20) (perform) to have performed correctly. But something is
wrong now.
B. Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences.
21. They have arranged special insurance to cover medical .................... in the event of an
accident.
A. prices B. expenses C. money D. amounts
22. She didn't .................... staying at home as she had some sewing she wanted to do.
A. mind B. care C. object D. matter
23. In some countries the cinema industry receives a .................... from the State.
A. mortgage B. donation C. credict D. subsidy
24. When I applied for my passport, I had to send my birth .................... with the application.
A. proof B. certificate C. paper D. document
25. I have put the papers in your file, .................... is on your desk.
A. that B. 0 C. whose D. which
26. I suppose Helen must be in her .................... teens.
1
 A. earlier B. central D. later
C. late
27. Remember to let us know as soon as possible so that we start .................... arrangements.
A. doing B. having C. making D. fixing
28. It's a great .................... the exhibition was cancelled at the last minute after all your work.
A. pity B. sorrow C. complaint D. sadness
29. The old man wishes he .................... time when he was young.
A. wouldn't waste B. didn't waste C. hasn't waste D. hadn't wasted
30. Why .................... come in and take a seat?
A. you not B. don't you C. haven't you D. aren't you
C. Use the correct form of the word given in capital to fill in each blank
JOB INTERVIEWS
Interviews are an (31) imperfect (PERFECT) method of choosing the best people for
jobs, yet human (32) being (BE) like to examine each other in this way. One of the many
problems of (33) selection (SELECT) as it is commonly practised is that the forms filled in by (34)
applicants (APPLY) often fail to show people as they really are. This means that you can follow
all the best advice when completing your form and still find that you are (35) unsuccessful
(SUCCESS) at the next stage - the interview. (36) Similarly(SIMILAR), in the rare cases where
interviews are automatic, a candidate with an (37) inadequate (ADEQUATE) form may do
surprisingly well.
Of course, your form needs to show that you have (38) confidence (CONFIDENT) in your
(39) ability (ABLE) to do the job, but don't try to turn yourself into someone else - a person you
have to pretend to be at the interview. Realism and (40) honesty (HONEST) are definitely the best
approach.
D. Some of the lines in the following text are correct, and some have a word that has to be
removed. Put a tick at the end of the correct lines and write the unnecessary word at the end of
the line where the word appears
There are two examples at the beginning (0) and (00)
The plane was late and so detectives were waiting at 0. so
the airport all morning. They were expecting a 00. v
valuable parcel of diamonds from the South Africa. 41. v
A few hours earlier ago someone had told the police 42. ago
the thieves would try to steal the diamonds. When the 43. v
plane arrived, some of the detectives were waiting 44. v
inside the main building while others detectives were 45. v
waiting on the airfield. Two of men took the parcel off 46. of
the plane and carried it into the Customs House. While 47. v
two detectives were being keeping guard, two others 48. being
opened the parcel. To their surprise, the precious 49. v
parcel was full of stones and of sand. 50. of
III. READING
A. Read the following passage and choose the best answer A, B, C or D for each of the
questions

2
 Solutions to spam
Although it seems like the proliferation of spam-junk E-mails sent unsolicited to
millions of people each - is a recent problem, spam has been around as long as the Internet
has. In fact, the first documented case of spam occurred in 1978, when a computer company
sent out 400 E-mails via the Arpanet, the precursor to the modern Internet, and for some
unlucky users, spam makes up 80 percent of the messagers they receive. And despite
technological innovations such as spam filters and even new legislation designed to combat
spam, the problem will not go away easily.
The reason spammers (the people who and businesses that spread spam) are difficult to
stop is that spam is so cost effective. It costs a spammer roughly one-hundredth of a cent to
send spam, which means that a spammer can still make a profit even with an abysmally low
response rate, as low as one sale per 100,000 E-mails sent. This low rate gives spammers a
tremendous incentive to continue sending out millions and millions of E-mails, even if the
average person never purchases anything from them. With so much at stake, spammers have
gone to great lengths to avoid or defeat spam blockers and filters.
Most spam filters rely on a fairly primitive "fingerprinting" system. In this system, a
program analyzes several typical spam messages and identifies commmon features in them. Any
arriving E-mails that match these features are deleted. But the fingerprinting defense proves quite
easy for spammers to defeat. To confuse the program, a spammer simply has to include a series
of random characters or numbers. These additions to the spam message change its "fingerprint"
and thus allow the spam to escape detection. And when programmers modify the fingerprint
software to look for random strings of letters, which again defeats the system.
A second possible solution takes advantage of a computer's limited learning abilities.
So-called "smart filters" use complex algorithms, which allow them to recognize new
versions of spam messages. These filters may be initially fooled by random characters or
bogus content, but they soon learn to identify these features. Unfortynately, spammers have
learned how to avoid these smart filters as well. The smart filter functions by looking for
words and phrases that are normally used in a spam message, but spammers have learned to
hide words and phrases by using numbers or other characters to stand in for letters. For
example, the word "money" might appear with a zero replacing the letter "o". Alternatively,
spammers send their messages in the form of a picture or graphic, which cannot be scanned in
the same way a message can.
Another spam stopper uses a proof system. With this system, a user must first verify
that he or she is a person before the E-mail is sent by solving a simple puzzle or answering a
question. This system prevents automated spam systems from sending out mass E-mails
since computers are often unable to pass the verification tests. With a proof system in place,
spam no longer becomes cost effective because each E-mail would have to be individually
verified by a person before it could be sent. So far, spammers have been unable to defeat
proof systems, but most E-mail users are reluctant to adopt these systems because they make
sending E-mails inconvenient. A similar problem prevents another effective spam blocker
from widespread use. This system involves charging a minimal fee for each E-mail sent. The
fee, set at one penny, would appear as an electronic check included with the E-mail. Users
can choose to waive the fee if the E-mail is from a legitimate source; however, users can

3
collect the fee from a spammer. A fee system would most likely eliminate a great deal of
spam, but unfortunately many users find such a system too intrusive and inconvenient.
In some ways, the battles being fought over intrusive E-mails are very much an arms
race. Computer engineers will continue to devise new and more sophisticated ways of
blocking spam, while spammers respond with innovations of their own. It is unfortunate that
the casualties in this technological war will be average E-mail users.
51. The word "proliferation" most nearly means ....................
A. growth B. spread C. advancement D. enlargement
52. In the first paragraph, the author describes spam as ....................
A. a recent problem that affects million of users.
B. totalling more than 80 percent of E-mails sent via the Internet
C. a technological innovation
D. unwanted messages sent to a mass audience
53. In the passage, the word "abysmally" is closest in meaning to ....................
A. unknowingly B. disastrously C. disappointingly D. extremely
54. The phrase "the program" refers to ....................
A. spam messages C. a type of spam filter
B. random characters and numbers D. common features
55. According to paragraph 4, smart filters are superior to fingerprinting systems because smart
filters ....................
A. are eventually able to recognize new versions of spam messages
B. are able to learn from their mistakes
C. do not need to find common features to detect spam
D. are not fooled by random characters or content
56. Which of the choices below best expresses the meaning of the highlighted sentence in the
passage? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential
information
A. Once spammers figured out how smart filters functioned, they were able to defeat them
by changing words in the message.
B. Spammers can avoid smart filters by replacing certain letters in words or phrases with other
characters.
C. Smart filters function by looking for words that have certain letters replaced by numbers.
D. A smart filter is easily defeated by spammers who are able to disguise words and phrases with
numbers and characters.
57. The word automated as used in the passage most nearly means ....................
A. computerized B. automatic C. costly D. illegal
58. The passage mentions all of the following as hindrances to adopting verification systems
EXCEPT ....................
A. user reluctance B. inconvenience C. ineffectiveness D. violation of privacy
59. The author describes the fight over spam as an arms race because ....................
A. computer engineers and spammers are constantly reacting to each other's strategies
B. some of the techniques used by spammers may cause harm to E-mail users
C. there is no peaceful solution to the problem of spam
D. computer engineers will never be able to completely protect against spam E-mails
4
60. In the final paragraph, the author implies that ....................
A. most spam E-mails will eventually be blocked
B. E-mail users suffer the greatest costs from the fight over spam
C. there is no way to stop new and more sophisticated spam E-mails
D. the battle over spam E-mails will never end
B. Choose the word thay best fits each blank in the following passage by circling A, B, C or D
Why did you decide to read this and will you keep reading to the end? Do you expect to
understand every single part of it and will you remember anything about it in a fortnight's time?
Common sense (61) .................... that the answers to these questions depend on "readability"
whether the (62) .................... matter is interesting, the argument clear and the layout attractive. But
psychologists are discovering that to (63) .................... why people read - and often don't read -
technical information, they have to examine so much the writing as the reader.
Evem the most technically confident people often (64) .................... instructions for the
video on home computer in favour of hands-on experience. And people frequently
(65) .................... little consumer information, whether on nutritional labels or in the small print of
contracts a Psychologists researching reading (66) .................... to assume that both beginners and
competent readers read everything put in front of them from start to finish. There are arguments
among them about the (67) .................... of eyes, memory and brain during the process. Some
believe that fluent readers take (68) .................... every letter or word they see: other
(69) .................... that readers rely on memory or context to carry them from one phrase to another.
But they have always assumed that the reading process is the same: reading starts, comprehension
(70) .................... then reading stops.
61. A. suggests B. transmits C. advise D. informs
62. A. subject B. topic C. content D. text
63. A. ensure B. determine C. value D. rate
64. A. miss B. omit C. pass D. ignore
65. A. get B. pay C. take D. make
66. A. tend B. undertake C. lead D. consent
67. A. role B. concern C. share D. relation
68. A. up B. over C. out D. in
69. A. insist B. direct C. urge D. press
70. A. sets B. occurs C. issues D. establishes
C. Fill each blank in the passage with ONE word
Over the past one and a half centuries, photography has been used to (71) reflect all
aspects of human life and activity. (72) During this relatively short history, the medium has
expanded its (73) ability in the recording of time and (74) place, thus allowing human vision to be
able to view the fleeting moment or to visualize (75) about the vast and the minuscule. It has
brought us images (76) from remote areas of the world, distant parts of the solar sustem, as well
as the social complexities and crises of modern (77) world. Indeed, the photographic medium has
provided one of the (78) most important and influential means of expressing the human condition.
Ever since its (79) invention in 1839, the technology of photography and the attitudes (80)
of the medium by its practitioners have changed radically.
IV. WRITING

5
A. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Use the
word given and no more than four other words to complete each sentence. Do not change the
word given

81. I'd rather not spend another day at the beach. feel
=> I don’t feel like spending another day at the beach.
82. I've never seen a match as good as this before. match
=> This is the goldest match that I have ever seen.
83. The staff in that office all have great respect for their boss. look
=> The staff in that office all look up to their boss.
84. "Is there anything you want from the shops?" Alison asked her mother. there
=> Alison asked her mother if there was something she wanted from
from the shops.
85. Sally might not bring her camera to the party, so I'll take mine. in
=> I'll take my camera to the party in case Sally doesn’t bring hers.
86. We missed the turning because we forgot to take a map with us. remembered
=> If we had remembered to bring a map with us, we wouldn't have
missed the turning.
87. June was sure there were no mistakes in her homework. nothing
=> June was sure there were nothing wrong with her homework.
88. Although the weather changed, the picnic went ahead as planned. spite
=> The picnic went ahead as planned in spite of the change in the weather.
89. I advise you to think carefully before accepting William's offer. better
=> You had better think carefully before accepting William's offer.
90. Jackie hasn't been swimming for five years. swimming
=> The last time Jackie went swimming was five years ago.
B. Write a paragraph of around 150 words about the benefits of group work