TEST 2

TASK 1: LISTENING
You are going to listen to five texts. For each of them answer the questions given. Mark the correct
answer: A, B or C.
Text 1
1. Agatha Christie …
A. was not intelligent
B. was homeschooled
C. was educated at school
2. In her first detective novel she introduced…
A. Hercule Poirot
B. Italian detective
C. Miss Marple
Text 2
3. How did the journalist pass the time while he was waiting?
A. he phoned his office.
B. he talked to another journalist.
C. he talked to a man at the next table.
4. We can find out from the text…
A. how Jack Parrish runs his business.
B. how to get a job in Jack Parrish`s company.
C. What Jack Parrish will do with his money.
Text 3
5. Most scientists believe that nanotechnology…
A. won’t affect our lives.
B. will develop further.
C. is easy to implement.
6. some scientists…
A. are worried that the world could destroy nanobots very quickly.
B. seem rather pessimistic about the future of the world.
C. are destroying the world with the help of nanobots.
Text 4
7. The castle we can see today at Balmoral…
A. is the original castle.
B. is based on the castle, built in 1856.
C. is the original castle, but with a new tower.
8. Today, Balmoral Castle is…
A. a tourist attraction and the Queen’s home in Scotland.
B. just a tourist attraction.
C. a private home for the Queen and her family.
Text 5
9. The construction of the Palace of Culture and Science took…
A. over 50 years.
B. 231 days.
C. over two years.
10. The Statue of Liberty is now…
A. one of the famous attractions of the city.
B. the tallest structure in New York.
C. a tourist sight because of the parades.
TASK 2: Listen to the text and for each question (1-8) mark the correct answer A, B or C.
You now have 30 seconds to look through the task. You will then hear the recording twice.

1. We can come to a conclusion that the teller helped the vet…

A. as a part of daily routine.
B. on his own initiative.
C. or fun.
2. Minnie’s masters wanted to…
A. get rid of her.
B. have her treated.
C. go to sleep.
3. The dog seemed to have…
A. a nice tail.
B. nice hair.
C. nice character.
4. The vet made all the necessary…
A. reflections.
B. injections.
C. attractions.
5. The teller used the media to address…
A. the dog’s masters.
B. the public.
C. the vet.
6. The man who called needed the dog…
A. to hunt somebody.
B. to please somebody.
C. to find somebody.
7. The dog seemed to get a good … before leaving.
A. caring
B. beating
C. piercing
8. In the car, Minnie’s tail showed her…
A. readiness to fly.
B. wish to escape.
C. emotional state.

TASK 3: READING
Read the questions (1-8) and try to find the answers to them in the text. Indicate the paragraph (A-F),
in which you found the information, next to the question. Some paragraphs correspond to more than
one statement.

Which paragraph…

1. Tells us what happens if a person doesn’t feel well?

2. Indicates that smart houses protect us from theives?
3. Tells us what type of houses the companies are designing for the future?
4. Could have the title “How am I going to feed myself?”
5. Shows how a person will organise himself?
6. Talks about the effect a smart house can have on the environment?
7. Could have the title “What am I going to put on?”
8. Gives information about how a person will be able to relax?
A._ Many large companies are thinking about the future. In particular they're thinking about how you
are going to live. They are designing a home for the future that is both simple and convenient.
This home is called the "smart' house as it responds to your individual needs. Any questions? Let's
see if the smart house has got the answers.
B._ You will have an automated wardrobe, just key in the weather and the type of clothes you want
to wear to the built-in computer, and it will suggest an outfit for you. It will even clean your clothes
with a steam cleaner.
C._ You will have an automated kitchen. All your appliances will be intelligent. A camera in the
fridge will send a list of ingredients to the cooker's computer, which will suggest a recipe for you to
cook. The smart fridge will even write a shopping list and order your food for you. Your work surface
will connect with your appliances so they won't need cords to work. And you won't be able to burn
yourself on the cooker as it will only heat up the area which is covered with pans.
D._ The lounge will be the centre of the smart home, as it is today, but it will also be automated. It
will have a big glass table in the middle. The table is in fact an e-table, a powerful central computer
programmed for each family member's tastes and moods. It will know what music you like, what TV
programmes you watch and even what pictures you want to see on the walls.
E._ The house will have a robot that knows each family member individually. It will greet you at the
door and will know if there are intruders in the house. It will help you to plan your schedule or
communicate with other members of the family, and it will also find and print out information for
you.
F._ The bathroom mirror will monitor your health and skin condition, telling the taps to dispense the
right kind of water for your skin. Your toilet will analyse your urine and email your doctor if the
results are worrying, and the air conditioner will kill the flu bug and other viruses.
The building's computer will monitor the house's solar batteries and tell you how much power you
are consuming. The air conditioning system will recycle waste energy to cool or warm the air, and
water will be supplied from recycled rain water.

TASK 4: READING
Read the text and the questions below. For each question mark the correct answer: A, B or C.

Vincent van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853. His father was a Protestant pastor. His boyhood
was happy although he was a moody and solitary child. When he was sixteen, he joined the art
dealing firm, Goupil, where his uncle was a partner. Four years later he went to London where he had
an unhappy love affair and lost his job. Vincent remained single.
This time, working as a teacher, he became a missionary among poor coal miners. He gave away
everything he owned and was dismissed for taking Christ’s teaching too literally. He lost his faith but
in 1880 found his vocation as an artist. He worked for four busy years producing sketches and dark
watercolours of peasant life, which capture the lined and weathered faces of his subjects. By now,
he had been self taught, so he went to work with the landscape artist Anton Mauve. After a row he
returned to his family. During his stay with them he produced his best early work:” The Potato
Eaters”.
Vincent went to Paris where his brother, Theo, was working for Goupil’s. There he was deeply
influenced by the Impressionists and the simple but striking design of Japanese prints. This was the
turning point of his career. As he progressed, he developed his own style and used brighter colours to
express his feelings.
In February 1888 he went to Arles in the south of France, searching for a brighter, “Japanese” light.
He rented a house which he painted yellow, and produced some cheerful pictures. He invited Gaugin
to join him and after a long delay, he came. Vincent had been looking forward to the visit and had
even decorated Gaugin’s room with paintings of sunflowers. However, they got on badly and had
arguments about art. After just one month, Vincent threatened to kill his guest with a razor. Gaugin
left the same night. As a mark of despair Vincent cut off part of his ear.
After this, terrified of madness, he entered the asylum of Saint-Remy de Provence. Despite periods
of mental illness, he painted two hundred pictures, including much of his famous work including
“The Starry Night”. The self portrait with its swirling violet background helps us to understand the
torment of his soul and inner turbulence. He felt he had to leave the clinic and travelled to Auvers-
sur-Oise near Paris where Dr Gachet, a friend of the impressionists Pissarro and Cezanne, kept an eye
on him. However, his mental condition worsened and he killed himself with a gun aged just 37.
Today, his paintings sell for millions, during his life he sold just one.

1. What do we know about Vincent’s childhood?

A. There was a lot of unhappiness.
B. He spent a lot of time on his own.
C. He had a stable personality.
2. Why did Vincent lose his job as a missionary?
A. He was too extreme in what he did.
B. He had lost his faith.
C. He was unpopular among the coal miners.
3. Where did he produce the best of his early work?
A. When he was staying with his family.
B. In the four years after being a missionary.
C. At Mauve’s studio.
4. What did Vincent do in Paris?
A. He worked for Goupil’s again.
B. He established his own identity as a painter.
C. He decided to imitate the Impressionists.
5. Why did Vincent go to Arles?
A. To meet his friend Gauguin.
B. To find peace of mind.
C. For better painting conditions.
6. What happened in Arles?
A. Vincent attacked Gaugin.
B. He produced some happy work.
C. Gaugin forgave Vincent for their quarrel.
7. Why did Vincent enter the asylum?
A. His family had sent him there.
B. He knew he would be able to paint.
C. He feared for his sanity.
8. Vincent died...
A. at the asylum.
B. because he took his own life.
C. from a heart attack.

TASK 5: VOCABULARY
Read the text and fill the gaps with the words given below. Use each word only once. Two words are
extra.

(A) cenrtury (F) dreamed (K) parents

(B) house (G) passed (L) drunk
(C) silk (H) ancient (M) seldom
(D) brick (I) nation (N) high
(E) crying (J) beg
On a cold autumn day in the second quarter of the 16th [1] __________a boy was born to a rich family
of the name of Tudor. He was wanted very much by the family and the whole [2] __________. People
were walking along the streets talking only about the new baby, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, who
was lying in [3] __________and didn’t know that all England had [4] __________of his birth so
much. On the same day another English child was born to a poor family of the name of Canty. He
was given the name of Tom. Tom Canty’s [5] __________had never wanted him. And now he was
lying in his dirty rags [6] __________softly.
A few years [7] __________. Tom and his family still lived not far from London Bridge in the house
built in the previous century. Tom’s father often got [8] __________, fought with his neighbours and
beat his children. “We have lived in this [9] __________since Tom’s Granny came to London. The
house is getting old. In fact, it already has become [10] __________. It is impossible to live here
anymore. But we will move only if we have a lot of money. I should make Tom [11] __________.
He has never begged before, I know. It’s [12] __________time for him to begin,” Tom’s father often
thought.

TASK 6: GRAMMAR
Read the text and fill the gaps with one of the following: an article, a preposition, a conjunction or a
relative pronoun. Note that in each space you should insert only ONE word.
Do not copy the words from the text on the answer sheet.

In any battle the ability to distinguish your friends [1] __________ your enemy can mean the
difference between life and death.
On the honzon, a fearsome sight appears: on top of a ship flies a black flag decorated [2] __________
a white skull and, beneath that, two crossed bones. This is [3] __________ famous Jolly Roger, the
pirate flag known around the world, despite being used only [4] __________ European and American
pirates. It was not the only pirate flag, though.
In fact, virtually every pirate captain had his [5] __________ her own version of the pirate flag, [6]
__________ black was not the only colour used [7] __________ the background. Far more fearsome
was the flag with a red background, flown only [8] __________ "special occasions". Here's how it
worked. A pirate ship would approach [9] __________ victim flying its black flag to frighten [10]
__________ victim into surrendering.
But if the victim resisted, then the red flag used to be raised to signal [11] __________ the pirates
would give the victims no mercy. This was [12] __________ early kind of psychological warfare.

TASK 7: WRITING
The advertisement given below is taken from an online newspaper.
Read the advertisement and write an email to ask for more information about the details which are
indicated.

A comprehensive guide for those going to Great Britain to work or study. Chapters
describe working conditions, how to get a permit, contacts and useful information on
education facilities, finance and insurance, good but cheap accommodation, plus how
to find a good job and much more.

IF YOU WANT TO SPEND MORE THAN JUST

SUMMER IN BRITAIN, THIS IS THE RIGHT BOOK
FOR YOU.

E-book available? Demo version available? How much

Dear Sir/Madam,
I read your advertisement in the online newspaper.

TASK 8: WRITING
Read the essay task and write between 120-150 words.
“Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you.”

Do you agree or disagree with this opinion? State your opinion and support it with reasons and
examples.