FULL BLAST LEVEL B2 - MIDTERM TEST – MODULES 1-6

VOCABULARY
A. Read the text below and decide which answer a, b, c or d best fits each blank.

A Fork in the Road

Martha White had been working as an accountant for 15 years when she decided
to change her career (1) and become a fashion designer. It had been
a dream of hers since she was a young girl to work in a (2) and artistic
environment, in which she could freely use her (3) to make clothes.

Designing clothes is a completely different job from working as an accountant

and it requires different (4) and knowledge. Martha decided to enrol in
evening classes at a local fashion design school while she was still working as
an accountant. She (5) began to learn important aspects of the job and
acquired (6) experience in designing clothes. She was soon designing
and making her own.

At first, she sold the clothes she created to friends, and at bazaars and markets
during the weekend. It was at one of these bazaars that a shop owner noticed her
clothes and (7) buying a few garments for his shop. Soon, so many shop owners were interested in her
clothes that she had to quit her job to keep up with the demand. Her clothes (8) in a short period of time,
which led her to (9) her own clothing line. Today, her clothing line is available nationwide and is targeted
towards businesswomen who want to look professional and sophisticated, in a fashionable and stylish way.
She states, ‘I hated the strict dress code most offices have for their employees. My clothing line (10) to
businesswomen because it provides them with chic and affordable outfits, and allows them to avoid the boring
business attire that usually comes with a nine-to-five job.’

1. a. ladder b. pace c. position d. path

2. a. credible b. creative c. fortunate d. commercial
3. a. imagination b. interpretation c. intermission d. identity
4. a. salaries b. functions c. skills d. purposes
5. a. blatantly b. gradually c. occasionally d. naturally
6. a. first-night b. first-hand c. first-born d. first-aid
7. a. supposed b. exposed c. enclosed d. proposed
8. a. carried off b. called off c. caught on d. covered up
9. a. apply b. establish c. inquire d. ensure
10. a. defines b. affects c. appeals d. confides

score 10

Copyright © MM Publications 1
FULL BLAST LEVEL B2 - MIDTERM TEST – MODULES 1-6

B. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in bold.

1. I couldn’t finish that book; it was dull and . IMAGINE

2. You are under no to sign this contract. OBLIGE

3. His behaviour led me to the that he was lying. CONCLUDE

4. The film I saw yesterday had a lot of and suspense. ACT

5. Sally is such a relaxed and person; she never worries. CARE

6. Tom is and always works hard to pursue his goals. AMBITION

7. Are you coming to my ceremony? GRADUATE

8. Why did Anna do such a stupid thing? She’s usually so . SENSE

9. I look forward to a(n) reply from you. FAVOUR

score 9

C. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in the box.

settle in put off break into track down get away with
stand out set up see somebody off end up

1. My mother came to the door with me to .

2. You won’t it if you cheat; the teacher will know.
3. Some burglars my house yesterday and stole my laptop and TV.
4. After driving for three hours, we in the wrong place.
5. You’ve got to see a dentist soon; you can’t it
any longer.
6. I’m not used to my new job yet; I’m still .
7. I called the programmer to help me my new website.
8. She wore a bright yellow hat, which made her in the crowd.
9. The police are trying to the two suspects.

score 9

Copyright © MM Publications 2
FULL BLAST LEVEL B2 - MIDTERM TEST – MODULES 1-6

GRAMMAR
D. Choose the word or phrase that produces a grammatically correct sentence.
1. While I was cooking dinner, the phone . 7. If I were rich, I on holiday in the Caribbean.
a. was ringing b. rang a. will go b. may go
c. had rung d. has rung c. would go d. can go
2. I went to an interesting exhibition at 8. When I was a child, I to the park every
Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. weekend.
a. - b. a a. was going b. had been going
c. the d. an c. used to go d. had gone
3. I as a teacher for about five years now. 9. Ben at the grocer’s when I called him.
a. have been working b. was working a. shopped b. had shopped
c. work d. has worked c. shopping d. was shopping
4. We for over 2 hours when we realised 10. Why are you late? I for you for 20
that we had taken the wrong road. minutes.
a. had been driving b. drove a. was waiting b. waited
c. have been driving d. have driven c. would wait d. have been waiting
5. By this time next year, I university. 11. I visit my friend, but I had to work late.
a. will have finished b. am finishing a. went to b. would
c. will finish d. am going to finish c. was going to d. used to
6. Mark the one who is getting a promotion 12. There is food left in the fridge. We should
- he is so lazy! go to the grocer’s.
a. must be b. can’t be a. hardly any b. plenty
c. will be d. might be c. a few d. a little
score 12

E. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five
words, including the word given.
1. Years ago, people heated their houses with open fires. USED
Years ago, people with open fires.
2. We don’t know Tom’s number so we can’t call him. COULD
If we call him.
3. Originally, my plan was to study art at university, but I changed my mind. GOING
Originally, art at university, but I changed my mind.
4. I waited two hours before I saw the doctor. WAITING
By the time I saw the doctor, two hours.

score 8

Copyright © MM Publications 3
FULL BLAST LEVEL B2 - MIDTERM TEST – MODULES 1-6

F. Read the text and circle the correct answer.

The lonely piper boy

‘It’s breathtaking! Come up and see!’ Iris was (1) enchanted / enchanting by the view.
It was the (2) most high / highest hill for miles around. She (3) has turned / turned
around but she couldn’t see Stuart.

‘He must be waiting for the others at the bottom,’ she thought to herself. ‘This place is
even better (4) than / as I thought it would be.’ She had read (5) many / lots of stories
about the castle. One of them was about a piper boy, Walter, (6) which / who was out on
a field trip. He and his class (7) had stopped / were stopping halfway up the hill for a bite to eat. The piper
boy, Walter, (8) took / would take out his bagpipes to play a tune. There was no (9) like / better player in
the whole county, but the pipes were really loud. ‘Walter, you (10) will / must have to go further up the hill if
you want to play,’ his teacher told him. Walter listened to his teacher. He climbed up the hill, playing his
pipes. He kept going up and up, the sound of his pipes travelling down the hill. He was never seen again, but
some
people say they can still hear him playing on a summer’s night.

score 10

LISTEN
Look at questions 1-5. Then, listen to a reporter speaking about a mystery at sea.
Choose a, b, c or d.

1. When did the USS Cyclops disappear? 4. Where was the Sirago when it sent its first
a. 1954 message?
b. 1918 a. in the centre of the
c. 1980 Bermuda Triangle
d. 1945 b. outside the Bermuda
2. What is true, according to the speaker? Triangle
a. No one knows what happened to the Cyclops. c. in the Bahamas
b. The speaker set out to search for the Cyclops. d. in Bermuda
c. The Cyclops disappeared in a storm. 5. What difficulty did the
d. The mystery of the disappearance of the Sirago have?
Cyclops was solved many years later. a. It couldn’t turn west.
3. What was the Sirago’s destination? b. It couldn’t make contact with the coastguard.
a. Bermuda c. It was lost in a storm.
b. Virginia d. It didn’t know which way to go.
c. the Bermuda Triangle
d. the Bahamas score 10

Copyright © MM Publications 4
FULL BLAST LEVEL B2 - MIDTERM TEST – MODULES 1-6

READ
Read the text. Six sentences have been removed. Choose from sentences (A-G) the one
that fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Up, up and away!

Humans have a fascination with flying. There was Icarus, of Greek mythology,
flying with wings made from birds’ feathers. (1) More recently, Neil
Armstrong made history when he walked on the moon after a four-day flight in
space. For us more down-to-earth people, many of us have dreams that we are
flying.

One mode of flying that really captures people’s imagination is the hot air balloon. (2) Is it the bright
colours that they’ve all got? It’s certainly not for their speed, convenience, or accuracy of landing. Perhaps that
is the very reason why they have got such a romantic image, because in modern times you don’t fly in a hot air
balloon in order to get from A to B. You do it for the adventure, the scenery and, of course, that mysterious
desire we have to fly.

The hot air balloon is the oldest form of flying transport. In 1783 a Frenchman, Joseph Montgolfier, built a large
bag, filled it with hot air from a fire and sent several farm animals up in it. He then built a bigger bag.
(3) They travelled five miles, 3,000 feet up. Later that year the first hydrogen-filled balloon was flown 27
miles by Jacques Charles and Noel Roberts.

On July 1st 2002, Steve Fossett launched a balloon from Northam in Western Australia and successfully flew solo
around the world. His balloon, The Spirit of Freedom, used a combination of hot air and helium.

A. The traditional spherical hot air balloon, however, remains the most popular shape.
B. There are also many couples around the world who choose to go up in a hot air balloon as part of their
wedding experience.
C. But why do we love the idea of the hot air balloon so much?
D. This time the passengers were two Frenchmen who controlled the fire by adding straw to it.
E. That’s because passengers travel in a specially designed basket which also contains the bottles of gas.
F. Then came the Wright brothers, who invented the world’s first successful plane.
G. It was also the highest jump ever.

score 12

Copyright © MM Publications 5
FULL BLAST LEVEL B2 - MIDTERM TEST – MODULES 1-6

WRITE
In your English class, you have been talking about friends and friendship. Now your teacher has
asked you to write an essay. Write your essay using all the notes given and give reasons for your
point of view.
What is important when choosing a friend?
Write your essay (140-190 words)

personality
common interests
your own idea

score 20

Total score 100

Copyright © MM Publications 6