PRACTICE TEST FOR GIFTED STUDENTS N0 12

Date: 27/1/2022
Full name: ………………………………….

SECTION 1: LISTENING (3.0 pts)

Part 1: For each question, choose the correct answer. Write A, B, or C in the numbered
boxes. (1.5 pts)
1. You will hear two friends talking about doing exercise.
Why is the man finding it difficult to do exercise?
A. He can't afford to go to the gym.
B. He doesn't have a lot of free time.
C. There aren't any sports facilities nearby.
2. You will hear two people talking in a restaurant.
They agree that _________
A. the soup was very spicy.
B. the fish dishes were very tasty.
C. one of the desserts was very small.
3. You will hear a woman telling her friend about her neighbours.
What problem does she have with her neighbours?
A. They are noisy.
B. They are unfriendly.
C. They are untidy.
4. You will hear two friends talking about a new museum.
What does the woman say about it?
A. She was surprised by some things on display.
B. The opening hours suit her.
C. She hopes to have another chance to visit.
5. You will hear a man talking to a colleague about a hotel he stayed in.
He complains that _________
A. the room was too small for him.
B. the location wasn't what he expected.
C. he was disturbed by the traffic.
6. You will hear two passengers talking on an aeroplane.
How does the woman feel about flying?
A. She thinks it's very convenient.
B. She finds it a relaxing way to travel.
C. She prefers travelling by train to flying.
Part 2: You will hear a teacher talking about an English language course. For each
question, fill in the missing information in the number space. Write your answers in the
numbered boxes. (1.5 pts)
SUMMER HOLIDAY ENGLISH COURSE
First day of course: (1) _________
Teacher: Martin Parker, author of English for (2) _________
Classes: Mornings – (3) _________
Afternoons – using (4) _________ to improve speaking and listening
Aim of course: To make students more (5) _________
Website to register: (6) _________

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SECTION 2: LEXICO AND GRAMMAR (6.0 pts)
Part 1: Choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence. Write A, B, C, or D
in the numbered boxes. (2.0 pts)
1. I am fed _______ hanging out here with nothing to do.
A. up on B. out of C. up with D. by
2. Are all the students used _______ their summer vacation in the countryside?
A. to spend B. spend C. to spending D. spending
3. Either John or his brothers _______ the keys to the car.
A. has taken B. have taken C. has been taken D. have been taken
4. Don’t be late for the interview, _______ people will think you are a disorganized person.
A. otherwise B. unless C. if not D. or so
5. There were two small rooms in the beach house, _______ served as a kitchen.
A. smallest of that B. the smallest of which
C. the smaller of them D. the smaller of which
6. Nobody wants to be the first to make a sacrifice, _______?
A. does she or he B. does anybody C. do we D. do they
7. This is _______ the most difficult job I have ever tackled.
A. by far B. by the way C. by all means D. by rights
8. Not until the beginning of the twentieth century _______ all over the world.
A. the first bicycles used B. were the first bicycles used
C. the first using bicycles D. the first bicycles were used
9. _______ hard it is, we’ll finish solving it before you come back.
A. No matter how B. How far C. No matter what D. whichever
10. “_______ the villagers, I’d like to thank you for your generous donation.” Mr. Lam said.
A. According to B. On behalf of C. In addition to D. Thanks to
Part 2: Use the word given in capitals in brackets to form a word that fits each gap. Write
your answers in the numbered boxes. (2.0 pts)

The USA by bus

Travelling by coast-to-coast bus is possibly the most interesting way to see the USA. It is also
a (1. COMPARE) _________ cheap form of transport, and in most cases no (2. RESERVE)
_________ are necessary. You just turn up at the bus station an hour before (3. DEPART)
_________, buy your ticket, and half an hour or so later you get on board. Then you are off.
Depending on the (4. LONG) _________ of your journey, you may want to take with you
such things as snacks, a blanket, and a good book to read. Also think about what you will
wear. Tight clothes can become (5. COMFORT) _________ when you’ve been sitting for
many hours, so perhaps put on something a little looser for travelling in. Your journey may
take you through a (6. VARIOUS) _________ of types of countryside, from vast farmlands
and amazing desert scenery to (7. IMPRESS) _________ mountain ranges covered in snow.
Don’t forget to take your camera!
On most routes, the bus will stop at various points to pick up (8. ADDITION) _________
passengers. It may also make rest stops every few hours, (9. SPECIAL) _________ at normal
meal times, although express services are sometimes available. Passengers with
(10. ABILITY) _________ who require travel assistance should contact the bus company at
least 24 hours before their journey begins.

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Part 3: Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one
word in each gap. Write your answers in the numbered boxes. (2.0 pts)
The common cold
It is likely that everybody in the world has at some time suffered from the common cold. We
are all, unfortunately, familiar (1) _____ the coughing, sneezing, headache, sore throat and
runny nose that tell us we have once again (2) _____ down with one of the most common of
human diseases.
(3) _____ average, adults have a cold two to four times a year, while over the same period
children catch between three and eight colds. In this country alone, almost a million people
have a cold on any one day. (4) _____, with about 30% of the population in employment,
nearly 300,000 of them are off work with colds every day.
With (5) _____ a huge number of working hours lost to the economy every day, quite apart
from the human suffering that colds cause, it is perhaps surprising that the medical science of
the 21st century is still incapable (6) _____ finding a cure. The wide range of medicines used
to treat the common cold only manage to make us feel less awful, (7) _____ to reduce the
length of the illness. One possible explanation for this is that colds eventually cure
themselves; (8) _____ is to say, the body’s natural defences can deal with the disease.
(9) _____ reason is the fact that they can be caused by any one of 200 types of virus, the tiny
living things responsible for infectious diseases. This makes it as difficult to cure the common
cold (10) _____ it would be to discover a single cure for hundreds of other diseases.

SECTION 3: READING (6.0 pts)

Part 1: Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each gap. Write
your answers in the numbered boxes. (2.4 pts)

Planning a day out for your class

Researching your destination properly will make all aspects of your class trip easier, as well
as helping you to (1) _______ the most out of the experience. You'll be in a better position to
pick the best places to go and you'll also learn what you need to take with you, as well as any
potential difficulties you should be (2) _______ of, for example there may be steep hills to
climb and everybody will need comfortable shoes. The season and ticket prices are important
(3) _______ in your decision about when to go. If you're going to be outdoors, bad weather
or weather you're not (4) _______ for can ruin the trip. While you can't predict what the
(5) _______ weather will be, make sure you always check the forecast in advance. While
some research is absolutely (6) _______, don't plan every moment of your day in advance.
Over-planning tends to make people less (7) _______ to take part in the surprising and
spontaneous (8) _______ that are potentially part of any sort of trip. Above all, the aim of the
day is for everyone to enjoy themselves as much as possible.

1. A. take B. get C. find D. set

2. A. aware B. familiar C. informed D. knowledgeable
3. A. points B. reasons C. factors D. details
4. A. anticipated B. prepared C. expected D. planned
5. A. accurate B. correct C. true D. exact
6. A. needed B. essential C. ideal D. useful
7. A. curious B. interested C. attracted D. willing
8. A. circumstances B. performances C. events D. chances

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Part 2: Read the text and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following
questions. Write your answers in the numbered boxes. (1.5 pts)
Book clubs – from strength to strength
The proliferation of book clubs, some 50,000 in the UK alone and who knows how many
more worldwide, is quite a remarkable literary phenomenon. Participants of different ages
and backgrounds gather on a weekly or monthly basis ostensibly to discuss books chosen by
the members, but the primary attraction for most people, and the factor behind the explosion
in the number of groups, is not literary, but social. Human interaction with some added mental
stimulation in a relaxed environment is integral to their success.
The social aspect apart, the spread of book clubs can also be attribute to the low cost and the
availability of books, and the fact that compared to, say, the cinema or theatre, the clubs
provide cheap entertainment. The Internet has played its part as well. Once seen as
foreshadowing the end of reading, not only does the Internet allow people even cheaper access
to books, but it also acts as a conduit for reader hungry to join a particular reading club. A
further draw is the number of people who read for pleasure. With reading being listed as the
most popular major leisure activity, according to a survey carried out over a four-week period
in 2002 in the UK (65% constant since 1996), there is no shortage of willing participants.
The clubs vary, ranging from cosy get-together in friends’ houses, with or without set rules
and with or without food and drink, to more formal, official set-ups in educational-cum-
literary establishments like libraries, sometimes with literary functions with guest speakers.
The overwhelming majority are of a more unthreatening easy-going nature. People come and
go, but the cohesion of the groups seems to live on with new ones spring up to replace those
which have faded away.
From the literary point of view, the focus of each group is different as it depends solely on
the make-up of the members and their predilections. There are reading clubs which specialize
in football, romance, horror, science fiction and so on. Groups can focus on one type or they
can be eclectic, combining different types of fiction like romance with, for example, cricket.
Some may even dress up in the style of the characters or the time that a story took place to
bring a mystery or an old classic to life. With such a variety of choice, book clubs are sure to
survive and expand.

1. The increase in book clubs has occurred mainly because they _______
A. perform a social function.
B. fulfil an intellectual need.
C. cater for people from a variety of backgrounds.
D. solve the social problems of the participants.
2. The number of people who read for pleasure in the UK _______
A. shows that the internet has some benefits.
B. means that the cost of books will be kept down.
C. ensures there will always be a pool of readers to supply book clubs.
D. means that cinemas and theatres are losing money.
3. Which of the following best describes most book groups mentioned by the writer?
A. restrictive B. formal C. small D. informal
4. Books for discussion in groups are _______
A. restricted to one type.
B. dependent on member preference.
C. limited to several different authors.

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 D. dependent on the chairperson’s reading list.
5. The writer of the article thinks that _______
A. book clubs have a certain future.
B. book clubs will expand slowly but surely.
C. book clubs may not survive.
D. the variety of book clubs will increase.

Part 3: You are going to read an article about using energy from the sun. Seven
sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A–H the one
which fits each gap 1–7. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. Write
your answers in the numbered boxes. (2.1 pts)

Solar energy – the sun’s gift to humanity

by Andy Groves

Scientists tell us that our sun is dying. It will, in time, run out of fuel, cool down and expand
into a red giant. But as that is going to take approximately five billion years, we have plenty
of time to take advantage of the solar energy which it currently provides. The sun is a huge
ball of atomic activity, which emits solar energy in the form of light and heat. This energy
travels through space to the planets providing us with daylight and warmth. It is an incredible
free gift.
(1) _____ Early civilisations learned, for instance, how to use the sun’s heat for drying meat,
fruit or fish to keep them for later eating; the sun baked clay into bricks for building; animal
skins were dried for clothing. Later, when people started living in purpose-built houses, the
value of solar energy for heat was understood and eventually became incorporated into the
design. In many medieval castles there was at least one room called the ‘solar’ which faced
south and had as big a window as could practically be made in those days. (2) _____
In more recent times, the term ‘solar energy’ has taken on a somewhat different significance.
Modern man uses energy in many forms and ever increasing quantities. Generally, this energy
has been obtained from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil or gas, extracted from under the ground
or beneath the sea. (3) _____ Burning them is also having a terrible effect on the environment
of our planet.
Because we in industrialised societies have become used to such a high level of energy usage
in our everyday lives, the thought of doing without is no longer considered a realistic option.
(4) _____ Fortunately, the good old sun can provide one, and solar energy is becoming crucial
to our future requirements.
Solar energy is renewable, non-polluting, available everywhere, is not (yet) owned by anyone
or any country and is free. It can be used directly to heat air and so provide heat for buildings
in a way that is similar to how greenhouses work. Alternatively, the heat can be collected by
solar panels and passed on to heat water for washing or central heating. Light sensitive devices
can convert the light from the sun into electricity. (5) _____ Initially, it was mainly used for
pocket calculators, but now it powers radios, pumps, lights, and even cars.
Electricity generated from solar energy can bring power to remote areas and, together with
some form of storage, such as a battery, can provide lighting for individual houses or run
machinery on farms. (6) _____ To cover more extensive areas, some companies and local
authorities are now using large numbers of cells to collect and convert solar energy. Some
installations are large enough to provide power for a whole town.

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The sun sends its solar energy to Earth at a huge rate, every day of the year. Much of this is
absorbed by our dense atmosphere, the oceans and the land, or reflected back into space by
the polar icecaps. (7) _____ So much, in fact, that it is estimated the sun provides as much
energy in one hour as the world’s population uses in a year. This is one great gift and we
should make sure we use it well.

A. It is very much cheaper to install than laying the miles of electric cables that would be
needed to ensure a mains supply.
B. Many thousands of years ago, humans were already using solar energy in a variety of
ways.
C. These natural resources, we now realise, are not going to last forever.
D. Lots of it, however, still gets through to us.
E. Clearly, alternative sources of energy are needed.
F. The water was then heated by solar power and used as a form of central heating.
G. It was one place where our ancestors could be warm, thanks to the sun.
H. This process enables solar power to drive an increasingly wide range of appliances.

SECTION 4: WRITING (5.0 pts)

Part 1: (1.5 pts)
Finish the sentence in such a way that it means the same as the original one.
1. I thought that learning to drive would be difficult, but it isn’t.
Learning to drive ..........................................................................................................
2. I finished my project for the next day despite not feeling well.
Even though ..................................................................................................................
3. Thick fog prevented the plane from landing.
The plane was unable ...................................................................................................
4. Both of us found the journey unenjoyable.
It was a journey that neither ......................................................................................... .
5. It’s pointless going on any further tonight.
There’s ..........................................................................................................................
Part 2: Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one, using the
word given. Do not change the word given. (1.5 pts)
1. Mr. Bateman was wrong to say that John had lost my keys.
should
Mr. Bateman ..................................................................... that John had lost my keys.
2. It will not be possible to buy tickets for the match until next Monday.
sale
Tickets for the match will ............................................................. until next Monday.
3. Tina was too frightened to stay in the house on her own.
been
Tina would have stayed in the house on her own .................................. so frightened.
4. The only vegetable that Helen dislikes is cabbage.

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 vegetables
Helen ..................................................................................................... from cabbage.
5. I suddenly thought of how I could persuade my mum to let me go on the trip.
up
I suddenly ................................. way of persuading my mum to let me go on the trip.

Part 3: Make all the changes and additions necessary to produce sentences which together
make a complete letter. (2.0 pts)
Dear Mrs. Grainger,
1. Thank / very much / saying / you will help us / our book and game sale.
.......................................................................................................................................
2. None / us / organize / a sale before / we need some help.
.......................................................................................................................................
3. I think / better / hold the sale / the garden / the weather / sunny.
.......................................................................................................................................
4. If / students / get the chance / hang around / chat outside / they / buy more books /
games.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
5. I think / we / offer everyone / some cold soft drinks / make more money that way.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
6. We / offer some cakes / biscuits, too.
.......................................................................................................................................
7. Perhaps some / students / do a catering course / make some / sell them / the drinks.
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
8. I am really sorry / I / not / able / stay very long / the sale.
.......................................................................................................................................
9. I / have / piano lesson / Friday / 4.15.
.......................................................................................................................................
10. I / help / everything else though. Hope / you / have / meaningful day.
.......................................................................................................................................
Best wishes.
John
THE END
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