5–8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Standard B2

Listening
1 PT Track 2  You will hear five short extracts
in which different people are talking
about their careers. Decide if the following
sentences are true (T) or false (F).
1 Speaker 1 says why he chose his job.
T/F
2 Speaker 2 works with farm animals.
T/F
3 Speaker 3 used to work very hard.
T/F
4 Speaker 4 changed jobs.
T/F
5 Speaker 5 never wanted to follow this career.
T/F
2 PT Track 2  You will hear five short extracts
in which people are talking about their
careers. For questions 1–5, choose from the
list (A–H) what each speaker says about
their career. Use the letters only once.
There are three extra letters which you do
not need to use.
1 Speaker 1     
2 Speaker 2     
3 Speaker 3     
4 Speaker 4     
5 Speaker 5     
A I got real work experience at an early age.
B I wish I had chosen a different career.
C My love of my job comes as a surprise to some
people.
D There are some parts of my job that I dislike.
E I tried out the job while I was studying.
F I don’t enjoy being the boss.
G I didn’t complete my studies.
H I went straight into my job after I left school.

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 5–8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Standard B2

Reading

The long, hard road to success

1 When we watch any prestigious sporting event, we see the exciting side of sport.     It is this vision of
athletes performing at the height of their powers which inspires and amazes us, making competitions such as the
Olympic Games so enjoyable to watch.
2 What we don’t see is how these champions were created. Most people have no idea of the commitment and
discipline that goes into preparing for a few brief moments of fame. Getting up at 5 am to train when you’d rather
have a couple more hours’ sleep, running wet from head to toe in the pouring rain, pushing yourself just that little
bit harder every day for months on end.     
3 What’s more, being at the peak of physical fitness doesn’t necessarily lead to success in the world of competitive
sport. You also have to have the tools to deal with the huge psychological pressure of competing against other
opponents, watched by thousands of people.     Many sporting superstars have failed to deliver when it really
mattered for this reason.
4 In today’s culture, very little attention is given to the struggle that is involved in getting to the top in any area, be it
sport, music or the arts. In a world where ‘stars’ are regularly discovered on TV talent shows, we are encouraged to
believe in the idea of instant success.     
5 According to Matthew Syed, a British former table tennis champion, nothing could be further from the truth. In
his book, Bounce: the Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice, he attempts to disprove the theory that being born
with talent is the key to excellence in any area.     He argues that the incredible number of hours he practised
was what really made him better than his peers and the main reason why he became the English number one
player.
6     In the first place, in order to get the most out of life, we have to be prepared to put in a lot of hard work.
We must also develop ways of dealing with life’s problems, so that we don’t give up when things go wrong. Unless
we can do this, he argues, we will never be able to reach our goals or full potential.

3 Read the article and match the summaries 4 Read the article again. Choose from the
(A–F) with paragraphs 1–6. The first two sentences (A–G) the one which fits the gap
have been done for you. in each paragraph (1–6). There is one extra
A Athletes have to be in the right mental state to sentence you do not need.
succeed.   3    A If we are blessed with genius, it seems, then all
B Hard work may be more important than talent in we have to do is wait for it to be discovered.
sport.   5    B This is the real story behind the so-called super-
C We should face life in the same way an athlete talented.
faces a competition.      C Even though we may not all aspire to be Olympic
D Top athletes are exciting to watch.      champions, Syed believes there are some lessons
we can all learn from them in the way we
E Athletes work hard and make sacrifices to
approach our lives.
become the best.     
D We watch in disbelief as tennis players deliver
F People nowadays think success comes
shots of unbelievable accuracy, gymnasts seem to
easily.     
fly through the air and runners push themselves
to the limit to reach incredible speeds.

E Chance, or luck, also plays a role in success to
some extent.
F In it, he describes how several factors combined
to make him one of the best table tennis players
of his generation and insists that natural ability
was only one of them.
G A failure to pay sufficient attention to mental
preparation will mean all the months of physical
preparation have been wiped out.

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 5–8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Standard B2

Use of English 6 Write a form of the word in capitals in each

5 Write one word in each gap. gap to complete the text.
Parkour
Green Adventures
The word ‘parkour’ comes from the
When Ben and Claire Marston realised that their French word ‘parcours’ which
teenage children were spending means ‘route’ or ‘course’, but it is
(1)        much time in front of TV, phone also referred to as ‘free running’.
and computer screens, they decided to do This is maybe a better
something about it. ‘We didn’t ban screen time (1)        of the sport, which DESCRIBE
completely, but realised that we involves moving
(2)        be spending far more time (2)        across an area, FREE
outside in the fresh air,’ says Claire. They decided using only the body’s natural
to change their lifestyle by giving (3)       . Parkour is in ABLE
(3)        a challenge – to try out one new many ways a unique sport. You can
outdoor activity a week for a whole year! do it almost anywhere and you
At first, the children weren’t keen on leaving need no special (4)       . EQUIP
their phones at home (4)        explore a The idea is that you start running
forest or go swimming in a lake. and then deal with any obstacles
‘(5)        was difficult to make them you come across by climbing up
switch off and go out of the house, especially if it them or jumping over them. The
was raining,’ Claire remembers. By the end of the sport attracts mainly young people
year, however, the whole family was fitter, who enjoy pushing themselves to
healthier and happier and they all felt they had their limits (5)        as they PHYSICAL
benefited (6)        the experience. try to find the most
(6)        way of getting SKILL
from one point to another. Many
people who practise parkour see it
as an art of personal self-
development and believe it
shouldn’t become a
(7)        sport, but as it COMPETE
becomes more popular, it seems
unlikely that this will continue to
be the case.

7 Complete the second sentence so that it 5 I don’t want anyone to know about the plan yet.
has a similar meaning to the first. Do not RATHER
change the word given. Use two to five I                  about the plan
words, including the word given. yet.
1 I don’t believe you’ve lost your keys again! 6 Vince isn’t sure he can come to the cinema.
CAN’T MIGHT
You                  your keys Vince                  come to
again! the cinema.
2 It was difficult for Oliver to find a job. 7 I’ll never forget the time we went to London.
IN GOING
Oliver had                  a job. I’ll always                  to
3 Eve is too inexperienced to be in the show. London.
NOT
Eve is                  to be in
the show.
4 It wasn’t a good idea to use your phone in the
bath.
SHOULDN’T
You                  your phone
in the bath.

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 5–8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Standard B2

Writing
8 Write an answer to one of the following questions 1–2 below. Write your answer in 140–190 words
in an appropriate style.
1 You see this notice in an English-language magazine for young people.

Articles Wanted!
Animals are often used for our entertainment on TV and in films as well as in circuses and zoos. Many
people think this is wrong. What do you think? Is it OK for animals to be used in this way or is it cruel
and unnecessary? Write an article about animals and entertainment giving your views. The best articles
will be published in next month’s magazine.

• Write a title for your article.

• Express your view about the topic, e.g. ‘It is wrong to …’
• Disagree with other people’s views, e.g. ‘That’s just not the case.’
• Try to persuade your readers your view is correct, e.g. ‘Ask yourself whether …’

Write your article.

                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     

2 You see this notice on your school noticeboard.

After being our football coach for five years, Mr Brown is retiring. We want to organise a party to say
goodbye to him and we need your help! If you have any suggestions about where to have the party or any
ideas about food or entertainment, I’d love to hear them. Please send me an email as soon as possible
giving reasons for your suggestions.
Mrs Johnson, Head of Sport

• use the right level of formality

• include all the information required to give a full answer
• connect your ideas with words like Firstly, Secondly, That brings me to my next point.
• write a conclusion: Please let me know if …
• check your grammar and spelling

Write your email.

                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     

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 5–8 PROGRESS TEST 2 | Standard B2

Speaking
9 In pairs, look at photos A and B.
Student A: Compare photos A and B and say why it’s important to help the community. (1 minute)

A B

Student B: Which volunteer activity would you prefer to do? Why? (30 seconds)

In pairs, look at photos C and D.

Student B: Compare photos C and D and say how important art classes are at school. (1 minute)

C D

Student A: Do you like drawing? Why (not)? (30 seconds)

Remember to:
• Say what is similar and different about the photos. e.g. I think it’s important to … I’d prefer to …
• Answer the question giving a reason and details. e.g. I think/don’t think … They seem to be …
Personally, I …

Total score

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