PRACTICE TEST (A - 2015) - 8

PART ONE. LEXICO - GRAMMAR

I. Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C, or D) that best completes the sentence.
1. He's not very sensible as far as money _______ are concerned.
A. matters B. objects C. things D. aspects
2. Would all passengers please _______ from using any electronic equipment until the plane is
airborne?
A. refrain B. exclude C. resist D. restrain
3. People living overseas are not _______ to enter for this competition.
A. right B. permissible C. capable D. eligible
4. He still suffers from a rare tropical disease which he _______ while in Africa.
A. infected B. complained C. gained D. contracted
5. The home team _______ two goals to the visitors in the first 10 minutes of the games.
A. conceded B. defeated C. won D. introduced
6. We found a buyer for our house, but then the sale _______.
A. put up with B. fell through C. broke in D. came back
7. He did all the things _______ his own initiative.
A. with B. from C. on D. in
8. It‟s so bad to have a boss who _______ all the time.
A. breathes down your neck B. follows your nose
C. keeps your temper D. draws your eyes
9. _ A: “Those young boy and girl are getting married to each other.” _ B: “_______”
A. Well, they marry money. B. When did that happen?
C. Marry in haste, repent at leisure. D. I'd like to congratulate you on that!
10. The authorities have _____ their original decision to allow development of this rural area.
A dispensed B detached C refrained D revoked
11. The integrity of a marine ecosystem could be _____ due to the impact of coastal reclamation.
A compromised B conceded C conciliated D confronted
12. One of the organisation’s aims is to ___ information about the disease so that more people know
of is symptoms.
A disentangle B deride C dwindle D disseminate
13. This room has been _____ as a no-smoking area.
A designed B designated C described D destined
14. She _____ control of the family investments to her son.
A renounced B disowned C disclaimed D relinquished
15. Dealing with _____ refusal from an employee is easier than dealing with false compliance.
A an offset B a remedial C an agile D an outright
16. Unemployment threat has been _____ for a while now.
A intimidating on the air B daunting on the lookout
C looming on the horizon D overwhelming on the wing
17. After _____ in obscurity for many years, her early novels have recently been rediscovered.
A abolishing B flourishing C languishing D shattering
18. The best thing about living in the countryside is the _____ greenery.
A myriad B innumerable C untold D abundant
19. There is large effort _____ to rebuild arts education in the New York City public schools.
A under way B in the way C out of way D over the way
20. After living together for six years, Janet and Matt have finally decided to _____.
A feel the pinch B pull a few strings C tie the knot D be up and about
21. The party was already _____ by the time we arrived. Everyone was singing and dancing.
A in full swing B up in the air C over the moon D under a cloud
22. The company was rife _____ rumours concerning possible redundancies.
A for B on C about D with
23. The launching of the Soviet Sputnik in 1957 _____ a subsequent space race with the US.
A blew up B finished off C touched off D wrapped up

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24. _____ the future, I think we’ll just have to wait and see.
A Without regard to B As regards C Having regard to D Regardless of
25. Labour unions and the company _____ in a confrontation over plans to curb benefits.
A caught up B faced off C carried away D showed up
26. Large audiences make me nervous and I tend to _____ over my words.
A stagger B shuffle C fumble D stumble
27. He had his money _____ in a secure bank account.
A hammered away at B jabbered about C slaved away D squirreled away
28. The elections had clearly been fixed since the number of votes did not _____ with that of voters.
A tie B equal C tally D total
29. He hit the other boy reluctantly as his friends _____ him on.
A happened B egged C ground D played
30. It’s never a good idea to _____ your hopes on winning the lottery.
A pin B raise C dash D abandon
II. Use the correct form of the word given to fill in each blank.
1. A major _____________________ in peace negotiations has been achieved. (break)
2. It is not harmful to take that drug because it is _____________________. (addict)
3. Girls tend to do better academically in single-sex schools than in _____________________ ones.
(educate)
4. Having made that morally terrible mistake, they are now _____________________. (conscience)
5. _____________________ is the study of crime and criminals. (crime)
6. He is a little _____________________. He should have less fat intake. (weigh)
7. The number of _____________________ from junior high school is increasing in a worrying way.
(drop)
8. He is said to be a _____________________ person who never stops work until very late. (work)
9. She was very sad because she was _____________________ of talking him into accepting the
offer. (capability)
10. You can wear this watch when you swim; it is _____________________. (resist)
11. If this theory is correct, then it is ________________________ that we will be able to cure all
diseases in the foreseeable future. (VISION)
12. They were divorced because there was nothing she could do to make her husband change. He
was such a(n) __________ flirt. (RIGHT)
13. It is concluded from the tale The Magic Cross-bow: The Story of My Chau and Trong Thuy that
the rights of individuals should be __________ to those of society as a whole. (SERVE)
14. According to the government figures, the __________ of jobs in the next century will be in
service-related fields, such as health and business. (PONDER)
15. The decision to close the local hospital caused such a public __________ that the authorities
decided to reexamine their options and keep it open. (CRY)

III. Identify ten errors in the passage and correct them.

THOUGHTS OF A BORED HOUSEWIFE
1 I know the house is filthy but I really can’t be bothered to do any cleaning today – I’ll put it
2 off until tomorrow. My husband keeps nagging me to keep the place spotless but he’ll have
3 to catch up with the dirt. I don’t find being a housewife awarding. I’m not cut out for it in the
4 least bit. In fact, if it were to consider to be a real job, I’d give in my notice; thinking about
5 it, I would have been sacked ages ago. When it comes down to it, I’m bored. It is unheard of
6 my husband to help me in the house. He just takes me for granted. When we got married, I
7 thought he was going to be a modern, liberal-thought man, but he has turned out to be the
8 same as all the others. He thinks it is my duty to bring up the kids and doesn’t see why he
9 should bring himself out to take them to school and help them with their homework. For
10 him, life is very straight. He works, comes home, has his dinner and goes to bed. There’s no
11 doubt in putting up a fight. He’d only frown and say: “Am I such a bad husband?”
12 In fact he isn’t. I love him dearly and would never think of breaking up with him. Also, I
13 wouldn’t want to take my daughters off marriage, but I’d certainly tell them not to let
14 themselves be taken advantage of.

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1. _____________________ 6. _____________________
2. _____________________ 7. _____________________
3. _____________________ 8. _____________________
4. _____________________ 9. _____________________
5. _____________________ 10. ____________________

IV. Read the passage and choose the best option (A, B, C or D) for each blank space.
According to research (1)_______ by the US scientists, global warming could (2)_______ the
growth of toxic algae and bacteria in the world‟s seas and lakes, with a(n) (3)_______ that may be
felt in ten years‟ time. Studies have shown that shifts (4)_______ by climate change make ocean and
freshwater environments more (5)_______ to toxic algae blooms and allow harmful microbes and
bacteria to (6)_______. In one study, scientists modeled future ocean and weather (7)_______ to
predict the effects on blooms of Alexandrium catenella, or the toxic „red tide‟, which can
(8)_______ in shellfish and cause severe symptoms, (9)_______ paralysis, in humans who eat the
contaminated seafood. In another study, scientists found that desert dust, which contains iron,
(10)_______ into the ocean from the atmosphere could (11)_______ to increases of harmful bacteria
in the seawater. Also, adding desert dust to seawater significantly (12)_______ the growth of
Vibrios, a group of ocean bacteria that can cause gastroenteritis and (13)_______ diseases in human
beings. Global warming has also been (14)_______ for rising ocean temperatures, and a warming
ocean, which we know is happening, increases the (15)_______ of disease that affects both wildlife
and humans.
1. A. made B. launched C. conducted D. released
2. A. indulge B. spur C. nurture D. deaden
3. A. impact B. improvement C. target D. affection
4. A. broken down B. come round C. given in D. brought about
5. A. weakened B. susceptible C. influential D. incessant
6. A. reduce B. build C. prosper D. proliferate
7. A. plans B. frames C. patterns D. forecasts
8. A. accumulate B. shatter C. decline D. hold
9. A. consisting B. comprising C. composing D. including
10. A. blown B. deposited C. carried D. fallen
11. A. bring B. cause C. lead D. get
12. A. motivated B. advocated C. stimulated D. aroused
13. A. genetic B. curable C. innate D. infectious
14. A. blamed B. enforced C. mistaken D. faulted
15. A. opportunity B. likelihood C. feasibility D. commonness
V. Fill in each of the blanks in the following passage with ONE suitable word.
The status of women in colonial North America has been well studied and described and can be
(1)______________________ summarized. Throughout the colonial period there was a marked
shortage of women, (2) ______________________varied with the regions and was always greatest
in the frontier areas. This favorable ratio enhanced women‟s status and position and allowed
(3)______________________ to pursue different careers. The Puritans, the religious sect that
dominated the early British colonies in North America, regarded idleness (4)
______________________ a sin, and believed that life in an undeveloped country (5)
______________________ it absolutely necessary that each member of the community (6)
______________________an economic function. Thus work for women, (7)
______________________ or single, was not only approved, it was considered a (8)
______________________ duty. Puritan town councils expected widows and unattached women to
be self-supporting and for a long time (9) ______________________ needy spinster with parcels of
land. There was no social sanction against married women working; on the (10)
______________________, wives were expected to help their husbands in their trade and won social
approval for doing extra work (11) ______________________ or out of the home. Needy children,
girls as well as boys, were indentured or apprenticed and were expected to work for their keep.
The vast (12) ______________________ of women worked within their homes, where their labor
produced most articles needed for the family. The entire colonial production of cloth and clothing

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and partially (13) ______________________ of shoes was in the hands of women. In addition to
these occupations, women were found in many different kinds of (14) ______________________.
They were butchers, silversmiths, gunsmiths, and upholsters. They (15) ______________________
mills, plantations, shipyards, and every kind of shop, tavern, and boarding house. They were
gatekeepers, jail; keepers, sextons, journalists, printers, apothecaries, nurses, and teachers.

PART TWO. READING COMPREHENSION

I. Read the passage and do the tasks that follow
Role Set
Any individual in any situation occupies a role in relation to other people. The particular individual
with whom one is concerned in the analysis of any situation is usually given the name of focal
person. He has the focal role and can be regarded as sitting in the middle of a group of people, with
whom he interacts in some way in that situation. This group of people is called his role set. For
instance, in the family situation, an individual’s role set might be shown as in Figure 6.

The role set should include all those with whom the individual has more than trivial interactions.

Role Definition
The definition of any individual’s role in any situation will be a combination of the role
expectations that the members of the role set have of the focal role. These expectations are often
occupationally denned, sometimes even legally so. The role definitions of lawyers and doctors are
fairly clearly defined both in legal and in cultural terms. The role definitions of, say, a film star or
bank manager, are also fairly clearly defined in cultural terms, too clearly perhaps.
Individuals often find it hard to escape from the role that cultural traditions have defined for them.
Not only with doctors or lawyers is the required role behaviour so constrained that if you are in that
role for long it eventually becomes part of you, part of your personality. Hence, there is some
likelihood that all accountants will be alike or that all blondes are similar - they are forced that way
by the expectations of their role.
It is often important that you make it clear what your particular role is at a given time. The means
ofdoing this are called, rather obviously, role signs. The simplest of role signs is a uniform. The
number of stripes on your arm or pips on your shoulder is a very precise role definition which allows
you to do certain very prescribed things in certain situations. Imagine yourself questioning a stranger
on a dark street at midnight without wearing the role signs of a policeman!
In social circumstances, dress has often been used as a role sign to indicate the nature and degree
of formality of any gathering and occasionally the social status of people present. The current trend
towards blurring these role signs in dress is probably democratic, but it also makes some people very
insecure. Without role signs, who is to know who has what role?
Place is another role sign. Managers often behave very differently outside the office and in it,
even to the same person. They use a change of location to indicate a change in role from, say, boss to
friend. Indeed, if you wish to change your roles you must find some outward sign that you are doing
so or you won’t be permitted to change - the subordinate will continue to hear you as his boss no
matter how hard you try to be his friend. In very significant cases of role change, e.g. from a soldier
in the ranks to officer, from bachelor to married man, the change of role has to have a very obvious
sign, hence rituals. It is interesting to observe, for instance, some decline in the emphasis given to

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marriage rituals. This could be taken as an indication that there is no longer such a big change in role
from single to married person, and therefore no need for a public change in sign.
In organisations, office signs and furniture are often used as role signs. These and other
perquisites of status are often frowned upon, but they may serve a purpose as a kind of uniform in a
democratic society; roles without signs often lead to confused or differing expectations of the role of
the focal person.
Role Ambiguity
Role ambiguity results when there is some uncertainty in the minds, either of the focal person or
of the members of his role set, as to precisely what his role is at any given time. One of the crucial
expectations that shape the role definition is that of the individual, the focal person himself. If his
occupation of the role is unclear, or if it differs from that of the others in the role set, there will be a
degree of role ambiguity. Is this bad? Not necessarily, for the ability to shape one’s own role is one
of the freedoms that many people desire, but the ambiguity may lead to role stress which will be
discussed later on. The virtue of job descriptions is that they lessen this role ambiguity.
Unfortunately, job descriptions are seldom complete role definitions, except at the lower end of
the scale. At middle and higher management levels, they are often a list of formal jobs and duties that
say little about the more subtle and informal expectations of the role. The result is therefore to give
the individual an uncomfortable feeling that there are things left unsaid, i.e. to heighten the sense of
role ambiguity.
Looking at role ambiguity from the other side, from the point of view of the members of the role
set, lack of clarity in the role of the focal person can cause insecurity, lack of confidence, irritation
and even anger among members of his role set. One list of the roles of a manager identified the
following: executive, planner, policy maker, expert, controller of rewards and punishments,
counsellor, friend, teacher. If it is not clear, through role signs of one sort or another, which role is
currently the operational one, the other party may not react in the appropriate way — we may, in
fact, hear quite another message if the focal person speaks to us, for example, as a teacher and we
hear her as an executive.

Questions 1-7
Do the following statements reflect the views of the writer in Reading Passage
YES if the statement reflects the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to know what the writer thinks about this

1. It would be a good idea to specify the role definitions of soldiers more clearly.
2. Accountants may be similar to one another because they have the same type of job.
3. It is probably a good idea to keep dress as a role sign even nowadays.
4. The decline in emphasis on marriage rituals should be reversed.
5. Today furniture operates as a role sign in the same way as dress has always done.
6. It is a good idea to remove role ambiguity.
7. Job descriptions eliminate role ambiguity for managers.

Questions 8 - 11 Choose ONE OR TWO WORDS from Reading Passage for each answer.
8. A new headmaster of a school who enlarges his office and puts in expensive carpeting is using the
office as a _______________________
9. The graduation ceremony in many universities is an important_______________________
10. The wig which judges wear in UK courts is a_______________________
11. The parents of students in a school are part of the headmaster’s_______________________

Question 12 Choose the appropriate letter A-D

This text is taken from
A a guide for new managers in a company.
B a textbook analysis of behaviour in organisations.
C a critical study of the importance of role signs in modern society.
D a newspaper article about role changes.

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II. Read the passage and do the following tasks
Questions 1-5. Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph
1. Paragraph A………
2. Paragraph B………
3. Paragraph C………
4. Paragraph D………
5. Paragraph E………
List of headings
I. Glacial continents V. Glaciers through the years
II. Formation and growth of Glaciers VI. Types of Glaciers
III. Glacial Movement VII. Glacial Effects on Landscape
IV. Glaciers in the last Ice Age VIII. Glaciers in National Parks

Glaciers
A. Besides the earth’s oceans, glacier ice is the largest source of water on earth. A glacier is a
massive stream or sheet of ice that moves underneath itself under the influence of gravity. Some
glaciers travel down mountains or valleys, while others spread across a large expanse of land.
Heavily glaciated regions such as Greenland and Antarctica are called continental glaciers. These
two ice sheets encompass more than 955 of the earth’s glacial ice. The Greenland ice sheet is
almost 10,000 feet thick in some areas, and the weight of this glacier is so heavy that much of the
region has been depressed below sea level. Smaller glaciers that occur at higher elevations are
called alpine or valley glaciers. Another way of classifying glaciers is in terms of their internal
temperature. In temperate glaciers, the ice within the glacier is near its melting point. Polar
glaciers, in contrast, always maintain temperatures far below melting.

B. The majority of the earth’s glaciers are located near the poles, though glaciers exist on all
continents, including Africa and Oceania. The reason glaciers are generally formed in high alpine
regions is that they require cold temperature throughout the year, in these areas where there is little
opportunity for summer ablation (loss of mass), snow changes to compacted firn and then
crystallized ice. During periods in which melting and evaporation exceed the amount of snowfall,
glaciers will retreat rather than progress. While glaciers rely heavily on snowfall, other climatic
conditions including freezing rain, avalanches, and wind, contribute to their growth. One year of
below average precipitation can stunt the growth of a glacier tremendously. With the rare exception
of surging glaciers, a common glacier flows about 10 inches per day in the summer and 5 inches
per day in the winter. The fastest glacial surge on record occurred in 1953, when the Kutiah Glacier
in Pakistan grew more than 12 kilometers in three months.

C. The weight and pressure of ice accumulation causes glacier movement. Glaciers move out from
under themselves, via plastic deformation and basal slippage. First, the internal flow of ice crystals
begins to spread outward and downward fro the thickened snow pack also known as the zone of
accumulation. Next, the ice along the ground surface begins to slip in the same direction. Seasonal
thawing at the base of the glacier helps to facilitate this slippage. The middle of a glacier moves
faster than the sides and bottom because there is no rock to cause friction. The upper part of a
glacier rides on the ice below. As a glacier moves it carves out a U-shaped valley to a riverbed, but
with much steeper walls and flatter bottom.

D. Besides the extraordinary rivers of rice, glacial erosion creates other unique physical features in
the landscape such as horns, fjords, hanging valleys, and cirques. Most of these landforms don’t
become visible until after has receded. Many are created by moraines, which occur at the sides and
front of a glacier. Moraines are formed when material is picked up along the way and deposited in
a new location. When many alpine glaciers occur on the same mountain, these moraines can create
a horn. The matter horn, in the Swiss Alps is one of the most famous horns. Fjords, which are very
common in Norway, are coastal valleys that fill with ocean water during a glacial retreat. Hanging
valleys occur when two or more glacial valleys intersect at varying elevations. It is common for
waterfalls to connect the higher and lower hanging valleys, such as in Yosemite National Park. A

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 cirque is a large bowl-shaped valley that forms at the front of a glacier. Cirques often have a lip on
their down slope that is deep enough to hold small lakes when the ice melts away.

E. Glacier movement and shape shifting typically occur over hundreds of years. While presently
about 10% of the earth land is covered with glaciers, it is believed that during the last Ice age
glaciers covered approximately 32% of the earth’s surface. In the past century, most glaciers have
been retreating rather flowing forward. It is unknown whether this glacial activity is due to human
impact or natural causes, but by studying glacier movement, and comparing climate and
agricultural profiles over hundreds of years, glaciologists can begin to understand environmental
issues such as global warming.

Question 6-10. True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG)

6. ______Glaciers exist only near the north and south poles
7. ______Glaciers are formed by a combination of snow and other weather conditions
8. ______Glaciers normally move at a race of about 5 to 10 inches a day
9. ______All parts of the glacier move at the same speed
10. ______During the last ice age, average temperatures were much lower than they are now.

Question 10 to 15. Match each definition below with the term it defines
11. a glacier formed on a mountain ______
12. a glacier with temperatures well below freezing ______
13. a glacier that moves very quickly ______
14. a glacial valley formed near the ocean ______
15. a glacial valley that looks like a bowl. ______

Terms
a. fjord e. temperate glacier
b. alpine glacier f. hanging valley
c. horn g. cirque
d. polar glacier h. surging glacier

PART THREE: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION

Rewrite each sentence in such away that it means almost the same as the one printed before it.
Use the word in brackets.
1. It is not certain that Mary will participate in the contest. (speculation)
It is ______________________________________________
2. Henry worked too hard at the office, which led to his illness. (taking)
Henry‟s illness ______________________________________
3. Everyone started laughing the moment the announcement was made. (burst)
No sooner _________________________________________
4. In the next few years, we‟ll certainly hear a lot more about pollution. (deal)
In all _______________________________________________
5. He puts all his money in a safe so that nobody can ever steal it. (stolen)
For _________________________________________________
6. His last letter to me was written 3 months ago. (heard)
It has _______________________________________________
7. Be proud of what you have achieved so far. (achievements)
Pride ________________________________________________

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8. He never uses corporal punishment even though his son behaves badly. (resorts)
However ______________________________________________
9. Don‟t be taken in by his sugary words. (fall)
You __________________________________________________
10. Roger was defeated once again by Novak in the Dubai tournament. (more)
Roger lost ______________________________________________
11. We still had a slim chance of reaching the summit before midday, but then Jean hurt her ankle.
paid
Jean’s injured ankle ______________________________________________ remaining
hope we had of reaching the summit.
12. I made friends immediately with Nicola but I didn’t like her husband. take
Nicola and I hit ______________________________________________ to her husband
13. Twenty push-ups is my limit, then my arms give out. before
I can’t do ______________________________________________ my arms give out.
14. It never occurred to me that there’d be a cashpoint machine in the supermarket. crossed
It never ______________________________________________ have a cashpoint machine.
15. We had to go home early from our holiday because of a strike threat from airport workers. short
We had to ______________________________________________ threatening to strike.

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