Advanced Plus Mid-course test
Listening
1 Recording 9 Listen and match speakers 1–6
with their views on an invention or discovery
a)–g). There is one extra answer you do not
need.
1 Peter    c   c) beginning to address issues regarding success.
2 Chloe           
3 Dave           
4 Anja           
5 Andy           
6 Melanie           
Which speaker …
a) admires the way some game-changing technology
occurred through a moment of inspiration?
b) acknowledges the personal benefit an invention
has brought?
c) is interested in the disparity between the planned
invention and what was made?
d) enjoys the fact that a negative situation had a
positive outcome?
e) lacks certainty about the circumstances of the
invention?
f) has an interest in the discovery due to their
personal vocation?
g) doubts that there is any practical benefit to the
invention?
5 c) both a and b.
2 Recording 9 Listen again and write true (T) or
false (F).
1 Peter thinks that the toy he describes has had
an enduring appeal.
2 Chloe feels that the majority of people have a
limited understanding of the incredible process
undertaken with the discovery she describes.
3 Dave says that the person who created the
invention was inspired in a moment of anger.  
4 Anja chose her invention as she feels it
represents the cutting edge in the field in
which it is currently used.  
5 Andy explains that while the discovery he
describes occurred in error initially, a
painstaking process followed to understand it
clearly.  
6 Melanie doesn’t believe that the best
inventions are merely a product of chance
encounters.  
5 6
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3 Recording 10 Listen to a young teacher
discussing learning and inspiration. Underline
the correct answer, a), b) or c).
1 Amy works in a school which is c
a) continuing to have problems with attainment.
b) failing to meet student needs.
2 The staff began to address the school’s issue ___
a) in isolation.
b) by cooperating with other agencies.
c) due to comments made by the authorities.
3 Amy highlights that, initially, many of the changes
___
a) were simple to put in place.
b) proved challenging to put in place.
c) were initially resisted by pupils.
4 Amy suggests that success depends upon ___
a) increased funding being offered.
b) staff and pupils exchanging ideas.
c) a clear philosophy being maintained.
5 Amy mentions the importance of role model
education as a way of ___
a) prioritising learning.
b) inspiring students to work harder.
c) stimulating reflection.
6 Amy explains that successful role models were
___
a) drawn from the local area.
b) drawn from the school environment.
5
Grammar
4 Complete the text with the different verb tenses
F  in the box. There are two options you do not
need.
had been had it been have been
    
having been having to have had
was having had been having
   
1
Having been brought up in a small coastal village
    affected by plastic waste brought ashore by
incoming tides, I 2           following the progress of
Boyan Slat’s ocean clean-up project with some
interest. 3           the drive to do something positive
    about what is a seemingly impossible task is an
admirable quality indeed. I 4           hoping that I
would be able to attend one of the talks that Boyan
    gave while in London, but unfortunately I 5           an
important family reunion at that time. I would love
           the opportunity to share some of my own
ideas about approaches to removing waste from the
oceans. 7           possible, I would have shown him
my designs.
 Advanced Plus Mid-course test
5 Complete the second sentence with no more
than five words so that it means the same as the
first. Use the word in CAPITALS.
1 Everyone likes ice-cream, don’t they.
ANYONE
Is there anyone who doesn’t like ice-cream?
2 The road will probably flood because of the rain.
LIABLE
The road _____________________ in this rain.
3 I really enjoy a morning run, it’s good for you.
SAID
There’s _____________________ for running in
the morning.
4 It would have been much better if you’d told me.
OUGHT
I think _____________________ me what
happened.
5 Did someone finally fix your bike?
HAD
Have you _____________________ ?
6 I think that there has been some kind of mistake.
SEEMS
It _____________________ there’s been some
kind of mistake.
7 I don’t care about their opinion one bit.
WHAT
_____________________ is irrelevant to me.
8 Joe’s worked at the head office since 2015.
BEEN
Joe ____________________ us for several years.
7 preposition. Two words are not needed.
6 Underline the correct alternative.
1 Creating/Created by the team which brought you
Snow White, this latest production is a truly
mesmerising ballet.
2 Not to have been/be asked hurt a great deal. I’d
expected to be treated a good deal better than that.
3 You wouldn’t believe the amount of pressure
we’re under. We are expected/expect to do three
to four hours of self-study per day.
4 When questioned by the police he admitted
having/to have stolen the wallet at the station.
5 Listen, I’m not really that bothered if the napkins
are red or blue. I’ll be happy whatever/whichever
you choose.
6 I remember to open/remember opening the door,
but after that everything is blank.
7 The charity has made/has been making big steps
towards being more sustainable this year.
8 Unless/Without knowing what the problem is,
there’s little way that I can help you.
7 cover-up on behalf of the company, or at best they
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Vocabulary
7 Complete the sentences with one word.
1 I think that we should be careful not to put
celebrities on a pedestal  – they are as fallible as
anyone else.
2 To ensure that the system worked, the team
conducted p         __  studies over a six month
period.
3 After losing his job through long-term illness he
found himself living on w         __  .
4 Sometimes you have to just do something out of
impulse – rely on i         __  rather than thinking
things through.
5 The government has committed to e         __ 
regulations on gender equality in the workplace.
6 She was doing very well in the opinion polls, but
managed to lose her lead after making some
c         __  comments about immigration.
7 I’m always pleasantly surprised when pupils take
the i         __  and lead the discussion on their
own.
8 I’m not sure of the exact translation, but I think I
can make an e         __  guess at it.
9 The sharing economy is an example of an
u         __  term which conceals a multitude of
different business models.
8
8 Complete the sentences using the correct form
of a verb from the box and a suitable
carry engage filter gloss learn set
state strive sway
1 Their algorithm has been particularly successful in
filtering  out  comments left by trolls.
2 Further research established that there was an
undiscovered particle involved in the process,
motion a new wave of experiments.
3 Our school has particularly strong ethos and an
ongoing mission in learning. We’re continually
success.
4 It’s not that I have anything particularly against
him, but I refuse to                       public opinion. I
need some evidence of his integrity.
5 While there are benefits to being able to remember
facts and figures,                       rote is too
mechanical a process.
6 Students who had displayed short attention spans
when undertaking more conventional activities
seemed to be much more                       the
practical work.
7 There was some speculation that there had been a
were responsible for                       the truth.
 Advanced Plus Mid-course test

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 Advanced Plus Mid-course test

9 Complete the sentences. Use the correct form 11 Complete the text with the words in the box.
of the word in brackets. There are three words you do not need.
1 He lacks many of the qualifications required for account agreed correct elaborate run
the role, but he’s incredibly enthusiastic. positive speculate take tended
(enthuse)
2 During his time in office his brash attitude and Now, 1correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m seeing some
uncaring approach to the team has only                 confusion on your behalf. So, I’m going to 2          
(force) my rather poor view of him. the situation past you again. Right, well, while
3 Several of the team felt that Julia’s idea had a lot teaching staff have 3           to be supportive of the
of potential, but when it came to the projected curriculum changes, we’ve found that there’s a
benefits, I found her arguments fairly                 reluctance to engage when it comes to those in
(persuade). middle management. Now one might 4           that
4 Sarah would have happily submitted the initial this lack of engagement is related to the associated
draft of the article, but Hannah’s such a                 increase in administration that the change has
(perfect), several rewrites were required. entailed, but at the moment we’re dealing with raw
5 Questions have been asked about the ethical data, and don’t have any conclusive answers. What I
responsibilities of companies operating within the would say is there is definitely an increase in
less regulated areas of collaborative                 interaction between the authority and those staff
(consume) models. members who have reservations, so we’re seeing
6 We hadn’t expected to raise such a large sum in that as a 5           . However, we have had to take
our first weeks of the campaign, but donors were into 6           a small percentage of more vocal
(stint) in their generosity. schools who have enlisted the pupil–parent body in
7 Although there are some reservations regarding seeking further clarification regarding funding and
the cost entailed in research, Kline’s latest outcomes.
innovation could be                (transform) for the
industry at large. 5

6
12 Complete the sentences with one word.
1 Well, that is a relevant point that you’ve made. It’s
Function certainly worth considering how the proposals are
10 Choose the correct answer to complete the going to impact on learning.
sentences, a), b) or c). 2 So come on, try driving the new Lexus Cobra
today. What have you been            for?
1 OK, Steve could you      c     off the discussion this 3 Although it’s understandable that there are
morning, please? concerns about increasing overall crime rates,
a) get b) knock c) kick what we have to            into account is that the
rates of violent crime are actually in decline.
2 At            time in your life have you ever had it so
4 There’s a definite trend emerging in the way
good.
people have started to use the technology. One
a) one b) no c) this
example is the way film is being streamed on
3 That’s a good point. Could you            on that? handheld devices, another            of this is the
a) look b) elaborate c) explore dominance of streaming in the music industry.
5 I’m interested in what you have to say about the
4 My overall            is that fewer people are
way that honesty is a fluid concept for many
streaming content than predicted.
people. It’s a fascinating            that I’d like to
a) illustration b) interest c) impression
explore in more detail.
5 While I appreciate your concern, I think that 6 Before we move on I think that there’s another
figure has been taken out of            . key point that needs            – what is happening
a) content b) context c) control with regards to the environmental impact of the
project?
6 If I could just            one example from the survey
…
5
a) cite b) speculate c) reflect

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 Advanced Plus Mid-course test
Reading
13 Read the text and match paragraphs 1–6 with
headings a)–f) opposite.
Nobody’s perfect
1 The perils of perfectionism
It is one of those ubiquitous phrases that we have
probably all at one time uttered, ‘Actually, I’m a bit
of a perfectionist.’ A stock response to those
frustratingly loaded interview questions about your
perceived weaknesses, the phrase itself seems fairly
banal. Perfectionism, after all, doesn’t really sound
like an undesirable trait. But according to recent
research carried out by UK academics, there are
distinct drawbacks when that mind-set is given too
great a prominence. Perfectionism, it would seem,
can all too easily give rise to an intense sense of
pressure. And that pressure inevitably results in
detriment to long-term mental health. The research
is particularly pertinent when one considers that
millennials are deemed to be the most perfectionist
generation to date.
2 ________
The psychologists, who examined data collated from
more than 40,000 subjects across the UK and North
America, initially explained perfectionism as a
combination of excessively high personal standards
and overtly critical self-evaluations. To allow for
more detailed analysis, the notion of perfectionism
was divided into three distinct, yet related,
categories. Self-oriented perfectionism describes
when individuals attach irrational importance to
being perfect, and hold unrealistic expectations of
their ability to attain high standards. Socially
prescribed perfectionism conveys a belief that social
context is excessively demanding, and individuals
need to maintain the highest possible standards to
secure approval. The final category, other-oriented
perfectionism, explains the way that perfectionists
impose unrealistic standards on those around them.
3 ________
By cross-referencing the data sets with information
already gathered in the period from 1989 to 2016,
the researchers quickly established that
perfectionism is on the rise. Over the period in
question, self-oriented perfectionism increased by
10%, other-oriented perfectionism by 16% and
social-prescribed perfectionism by 32%.
Explanations for this notable shift are varied, but
there are a number of factors which certainly could
be at play.
4 ________
In many western cultures, competitiveness and
stronger individualism are actively encouraged.
When combined with increasingly anxious and
controlling parental practices, this can have a huge
impact on how success is viewed. If nobody wants
to fail, and mistakes are perceived as a form of
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weakness, then an unhealthy perfectionism will start
to manifest itself.
5 ________
In terms of externally-imposed views of perfection,
the usual suspects are lined up. Millennials tend to
engage with social media more than previous
generations, and there is the concomitant anxiety
regarding body image and social integration when
one looks at its influence on behaviours. However,
any opprobrium levelled at online culture should
perhaps be reined in. As a society at large we push
aspirational values – often young people turn to
social media to avoid these pressures, not to
perpetuate them.
6 ________
So, is there any way which this phenomenon can be
reversed, or are we doomed to becoming more self-
critical, and less in touch with what we can feasibly
achieve? An Australian study has perhaps offered
some glimmer of hope. While investigating the
connection between perfectionism and depression,
researchers found that self-compassion could be the
answer. Simple processes, such as acknowledging
one’s self-critical inner voice, and reframing its
observations in a more friendly manner could
noticeably reduce anxiety levels. According to their
findings, individuals who are self-compassionate
recognise that imperfections are universal and
therefore they are less likely to be judgmental. So,
perhaps we should demand less, and promote values
that are a little more nurturing.
a) The perils of perfectionism
b) What drives the quest to be perfect?
c) Self-forgiveness: one way to address the issue
d) Online influence and social demands
e) Defining the problem
f) A growing concern
5
 Advanced Plus Mid-course test

14 Read the article again. Underline true (T), or 16 A covering email: You read the following
false (F). advert online. Write a covering letter
applying for the post. Write 200–250 words.
1 The author believes that our understanding of
perfectionism is inaccurate or ill-founded. T/F Online campaigner for global environmental
2 Levels of perfectionism in society are charity
currently in decline. T/F €35,000–€40,000
3 The study which the author refers to explores This is a rare opportunity to take on an exciting role
the global reach of views on perfectionism T/F within our team. We’re seeking enthusiastic, self-
4 Researchers have failed to define the motivated individuals with a creative drive and
complexities of what comprises excellent communication skills. Work with us to
perfectionism. T/F extend our support network, and move our strategy
5 The study builds on published data to provide onto a range of digital platforms.
a historical overview of the issue. T/F You will need:
6 Individuals seem to be more susceptible to - excellent IT skills
the views of society than their own attitudes - creativity
to perfectionism. T/F - flexibility
7 The author feels that the way children are Send us your CV and a covering letter to …
brought up shapes their understanding of
achievement. T/F                                                                                      
8 The author states that culturally, individuals                                                                                      
are aware of the benefits of errors. T/F                                                                                      
9 The author feels that people are too quick to                                                                                      
criticise social media for society’s ills. T/F                                                                                      
10 The author believes that social media offers                                                                                      
sanctuary rather than sanction. T/F                                                                                      
11 According to the author, there is little                                                                                      
chance of reversing the trend towards self-                                                                                      
criticism. T/F                                                                                      
                                                                                     
10                                                                                      
Writing                                                                                      
                                                                                     
15 Underline the correct alternative.                                                                                      
                                                                                     
1 I am applying for the role as your company has an
                                                                                     
excellent reputation/is well thought of within the
                                                                                     
broader profession.
                                                                                     
2 As I have already completed several internships
                                                                                     
within the industry, I am customary/accustomed to
                                                                                     
working in a time-sensitive capacity.
                                                                                     
3 Please don’t hesitate to contact me at your
                                                                                     
consideration/convenience to discuss my
                                                             
application in more detail.
                                                                                     
4 As requested/required, please find my CV and
                                                                                     
references enclosed.
                                                                                     
5 I am confident in my ability to adapt/adopt to the
                                                                                     
demands of a dynamic and challenging work
                                                                                
environment.
6 While my current role focusses on a more creative
10
brief, I have extensive experience in/on leading
customer facing sales campaigns.
Total: 100

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