PRACTICE TEST 15-10

A.LISTENING
Task 1:
SECTION B: PHONETICS
I.Choose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the rest.
1. a. naked b. looked c. booked d. hooked
2. a. concerned b. raised c. developed d. maintained
3. a. appeared b. agreed c. coughed d. loved
4. a. sacrificed b. trusted c. recorded d. acted
5. a. laughed b. weighed c. helped d. missed

II. Mark the letter A, B, C or D indicate the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main
stress
1. A. discriminate B. accurate C. transparent D. behavior
2. A. relevant B. redundant C. descendant D. consultant
3. A. cigarette B. introduce C. understand D. personnel
4. A. decimal B. emperor C. memorial D. vehicle
5. A. ancestor B. momentum C. malaria D. material

SECTION C. VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR

I. Choose the correct answer from A, B, C or D to complete each of the following sentences.
1. Janet hasn’t been working; she isn’t going to ______ her final examinations.
A. get off B. get through C. keep up D. go off
2. Tim: Which would you ______ have, the black or the blue one? ~ Nora: I’m not sure.
A. better B. rather C. like D. prefer
3. In the ______ of proof, the police could not take action against the man.
A. absence B. lack C. shortage D. want
4. When I first started to work with him, I found his advice ______.
A. priceless B. invaluable C. worthy D. irreplaceable
5. Secondary schools offer a wide ______ of subjects.
A. field B. scope C. list D. range
6. ______ aren’t effective anymore because insects have become resistant to them.
A. Fertilizers B. Herbicides C. Pesticides D. Composts
7. It's unlikely he will ever find out how to operate the conveyor belt, but let him at least have ______.
A. a move B. a go C. a trial D. an effort
8. It is the best ______that are offered at our shop.
A. discounts  B. price C. cost D. money
9. Theatrical ______and artificial blood had been used to make the injuries look realistic.
A. get-together B. make-up C. look-out D. go-between
10. The journalist informed ______while carrying out his instructions.
A. his arrest to the editor B. the editor his arrest
C. the editor that his arrest had been D. the editor of his arrest
11.How did they manage to keep me completely .....................about this for so long?
A. in the dark B. under the shadow C. in the shade D. out of shape
12.You’ve got to..............to succeed in advertising.
A. go to your head B. haye your wits about you
G. have your head in the clouds D.gather your wits
13.It took Dane a long time to understand what was going on. He’s usually..............than that, isn’t it?
A. round the bend B. harder and faster C. easier on the ear D. quicker on the uptake
14.Stop wasting time splitting ..............and look at the big picture.
A. hairs B. ears C. eyes D. noses
15.The country is an economic.....................with chronic unemployment and rampant crime.
A. lost cause B. basket case C. false dawn D. dark horse
16.My mother nearly..............when I said I was going to buy a motorbike.
A. let the cat out of the bag B. put the cat among the pigeons
C. had kittens D. got-out of the rat race
17.Fresh evidence has recently ____ which suggests that he didn’t in fact commit the murder.
A. come a long way B. come under fire C. come into bloom D.come to light
18.We’d been working hard for a month and so.decided to go out and..................
A. paint the town red B. face the music C. read between the lines D. steal the show
19.The boss was................with- the new employee over his qualifications and ability to perform his job well.
A. at a loose end . B. at a loss C.at a standstill D.at odds
20.I’m so ' under with work at the moment“ it’s awful! .
A. iced B. rained C. fogged D. snowed
II. There are ten mistakes in the following passage. Find and correct them.
Man has always depended on plants of food and many other useful products. For this reason, farming is that
of the world’s most important industries. At first, early man did not know how to plant seeds and raise crops.
He gathered wild fruits and vegetables where he found it. Then man discovered how to grow his own food. He
planted seeds and waited for the crop to grow. For the first time., he could be reasonable sure of his food,
supply. He could settle down and build shelters in the places which he grew food. Population began to
increase; the demand for food became greater. Old-fashion tools and farming methods were inefficient in
meeting the demand. So man cultivated more still more land and invented more complicated machines to
make his work easier. Tractors replaced horses and other farm animals. Scientists studied and experimented
with plants. They told farmers how to control plant diseases, and how to grow bigger and better crops. Now
another man, with the knowledge of plants and the help of machines, can cultivate hundred of acres. He can
raise plants which do not originally grow, in the soil or climate of his community.
SECTION D. READING COMPREHENSION

I. (7 points). You are going to read a magazine article about the energy sources. Seven sentences have
been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which best fits each gap (1-7).
There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
GREEN PLANET
How the world is thinking about more environmentally-friendly energy sources.
With more emphasis on being 'green' these days, it's not surprising that environmentalists are trying to tackle
issues related to energy production. For centuries people have been using non-renewable fossil fuels like coal
and oil to create energy. While they have undoubtedly proved effective in supplying energy to millions, fossil
fuels are increasingly seen as the means by which we are destroying our atmosphere and, indeed, our
environment. First and foremost, the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil releases carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere and this is a main factor contributing to the problem of global warming. Secondly, these fuels are
quite simply .running out. (1)_____. So where does that leave us?
In simple terms, we need to stop using non-renewable fuels and focus on other forms of energy production
instead. (2)_____. We are now well on the way to having viable and cost-effective ways of generating energy
without depleting the planet's natural fuel sources.
Alternative energy is the term applied to energy sources that don't use fossil fuels. (3)_____. Instead, it
harnesses renewable resources like the sun, wind and geothermal heat in order to produce electricity.
Solar power is gaining in popularity all over the world as a cost-effective way of producing energy, whether
for heating water or for producing electricity. For countries with hot climates (especially those close to the
equator), solar energy is probably the best alternative energy option, due to the large amount of sunlight they
receive. (4)_____. Some governments are now offering low-interest loans to help deal with this issue.
Wind power has been a controversial topic in recent years due to the unsightly appearance of towering wind
turbines. (5) _____. This is particularly true for areas of natural beauty, such as mountains and coasts, as they
are often better sites for the turbines. These locations are home to people who make their living through
farming, fishing or tourism and they see the turbines as a high-tech threat to their livelihoods. (6)_____.
However, some people argue that the appearance of - and noise from - the turbines is a price worth paying for
clean energy.
Another alternative energy source which is being used increasingly is geothermal energy, which involves
harnessing the energy produced deep inside the Earth. Red-hot magma at the Earth's core transfers huge
amounts of heat to the surrounding rocks; this layer is drilled down to and the heat is used as a source of
energy. (7) _____. Though relatively costly, this alternative form of energy would not only meet the demand
for energy, but would also be a real alternative in countries with little solar or wind energy potential. Energy
production is changing, and alternative methods of generating power are becoming more popular throughout
the world. With the use of solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal power stations replacing the burning of
fossil fuels, one hopes the world is set to be a greener place.

A. Some people feel that the placement of these unattractive pieces of equipment totally ruins the appearance
of an area.
B While many people have heard of alternative energy, most don't understand how it can directly affect them.
C. Non-renewable fuels are limited, so the more we use now, the less we have for the future, and it is only a
matter of time before none of these resources remain.
D. The main advantage, then, is the fact that this form of energy doesn't produce harmful gases or use up
natural resources.
E Water pumped down to this depth comes back up as steam, which drives the turbines to produce electricity.
F. However, the solar panels and cells required to convert this into energy are relatively expensive to buy and
install, meaning many people are unable to afford the initial costs.
G. Governments are pumping resources into the research and production of alternative
energy technologies and have made significant progress in recent years.
H. After all, nobody wants their peace and quiet interrupted by the sound of the gigantic blades turning.

II. (16 points). You are going to read an article about soap operas. For the questions which follow,
choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D). Write your answer in “Your answers” below.
SOAP OPERAS
In the 1930s, when radio was still in its infancy, broadcasting stations in the USA wondered what type
of programmes they should put on during the daytime. They came up with the idea of producing serials that
would be on the radio every afternoon telling a continuous story. To keep the listeners' interest, there would
be far more crises occurring than in real life. Knowing that the majority of the audience would be women, the
broadcasters decided that the women in the serials would be strong characters and the men weak. The serials
were an instant success with listeners. As the radio stations were paid for by advertising, these programmes
always carried advertisements and, since one of the most frequently advertised products was soap, the
programmes became known as Soaps or Soap Operas.
It was really by chance that the soap opera appeared in Britain. The BBC (British Broadcasting
Corporation) had no interest in producing this type of programme but during the Second World War it was
thought that the Americans should be shown how well the British people were standing up to the war. For this
reason, a soap opera was written for the North American service of the BBC; it was called Front Line Family
and showed how a typical English family, the Robinsons, was living during the war. Some people in Britain
managed to hear the programme and asked for it to be broadcast for the British audience. The BBC were
unwilling to do this but finally agreed and broadcast the programnne in Britain, but changed the name to The
Robinsons. The programme ran for six years.
Other soaps were introduced later, one telling the life of a doctor's family and another, The Archers,
about life in a country village. The original aim of The Archers was to inform farmers of new developments in
agriculture. The serial began in 1951 and is still to be heard on five evenings every week.
Some attempts at soap opera began to appear on television in Britain in the mid-1950s but it was not
until 1961 that the first real soap opera appeared. This was shown, not by the BBC, but by commercial
television. The serial, called Coronation Street, was about the lives of people living in a working-class street
near Manchester. Although the serial was planned to run for only thirteen weeks, it is still to be seen several
nights every week and almost every week has more viewers than any other programme on British television.
 The BBC never managed to produce a really successful soap opera until 1984, when it introduced
Easterners. This programme is about life in an area of the east end of London. For a time it had more viewers
than Coronation Street and still rivals it as the most popular programme on British television. There is a major
difference between the two programmes in that Easterners concentrates on often rather depressing realism
whilst Coronation Street, although having serious storylines, always contains a strong element of comedy.
1. What problem did broadcasting stations in America have in the early days of radio?
A. How to reflect real life. B. What to broadcast during the day.
C. What type of serial to produce. D. How to entertain women.
2. Why did the radio stations make women have the strongest characters in soap operas?
A. Because men usually have weak characters. B. Because no men would be listening.
C. Because women deal better with crises. D. Because the audience would be mainly female
3. Why was the name soap or soap opera given to these programmes?
A. Soap was often advertised during the programmes. B. Soap companies advertised the programmes.
C. Soap companies owned several radio stations.D. Soap was the only product advertised during the
programmes.
4. Why was the programme Front Line Family made?
A. To tell the Americans why the British were at war.
B. To tell the Americans how the British were living during the war.
C. To tell the Americans how the British were winning the war.
D. To tell the Americans why the British stood to win the war.
5. Why did the BBC begin to broadcast Front Line Family in Britain?
A. Because people in America liked it. B. Because the BBC thought it would run for six years.
C. Because people asked to hear it. D. Because the BBC changed its name.
6. What do we learn about The Archers in this passage?
A. The programme was about a country doctor. B. It could be heard every evening of the week.
C. It was first broadcast before 1951. D. The aim of the programme was to educate farmers.
7. What do we learn about Coronation Street?
A. It has always been the most popular programme on television.
B. It has lasted longer than expected.
C. It was the first real soap on to be shown on BBC television.
D. It takes place in central Manchester.
8. How is Coronation Street different from Easterners?
A. It is funnier. B. It has a stronger storyline. C. It is more serious. D. It is more like real
life.
III. Fill ONE suitable word into each numbered blank. Write it in ‘Your answers’ part.
FREE-FALL RACING
Since the rise of the current health (0)___and___ safety culture, most people in the UK have begun to
lead lives with absolutely no element (1)______ danger at all. And after realising that their lives are nowhere
(2)______ as dangerous as they once were, it didn't take long before a group of young entrepreneurs came up
with a new sport that really let them push (3)______ to the limit in terms of risk and excitement.
Every weekend, at an airfield (4)______ the North Devon coast, a group of otherwise risk-averse
individuals meet and attempt to (5)______ a new record for how fast they can fall a distance of two kilometres
from a small airplane. These are people who rarely ever break the speed (6)_____. But as free-fall racers, they
compete to pick (7)______ as much speed as they can before finally opening their parachutes at the last
minute.
Each race is over and finished in a (8)_____ of seconds but during those vital few seconds, the racers
say they are totally absorbed in trying to make their bodies fall that little bit faster and trying to judge the
perfect moment to pull the parachute cord. Many of them say that they hold their breath for the whole
duration of the fall, only breathing (9)______ again when they touch the ground. Bill Morris, one free-fall
racer says that he has tried every extreme sport but that all of the others are simply (10)_____ in comparison.
SECTION E. WRITING
I. Using the word in capital letters, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the
first one. Do not change the word given.
1. Electricity is getting very expensive these days. COST
→ The ________________________________________________________________.
2. Give me a call only if you have to buy gas for the car. RUN
→ Unless _____________________________________________________________me.
3. Danny found it difficult to control his bicycle on the steep slope. UNDER
→ Danny found it difficult to ________________________________________________on the steep slope.
4. They intend to abolish that rule. DO
→ They are _________________________________________________________that rule.
5. People who haven’t seen his performances are in no position to be critical. PERFORM
→ Nobody is_________________________________________________________.