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Gold-Experience-C1-2nd-edition-End-of-Year-Test-Main-Test-
A
Lingue e culture europee euroamericane e orientali (Università degli Studi di Catania)

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End of Year Test A

Listening Task 2
You are going to listen to five people For questions 6–10, choose from the list
talking about a life skill that is important to (A–H) a challenge each speaker faced in
them and how they improved it. order to improve their skill.

Part 1 A dealing with a technical task

Task 1 B finding the best solution

For questions 1–5, choose from the list C overcoming a personal habit
(A–H) how each speaker improved the
D entertaining a big group of people
skill.
E juggling lots of different things

F staying on top of personal finances

A failing to secure ongoing support
G finding an investment opportunity
B being declined a financial product
H improving a skill without support
C damaging outcomes of personal actions

D financial losses over time

Speaker 1 6
E a feeling of shame

F constantly feeling indecisive Speaker 2 7

G exposure to new trends Speaker 3 8

H unsatisfactory personal progress Speaker 4 9

Speaker 5 10

Speaker 1 1 ___/10

Speaker 2 2

Speaker 3 3

Speaker 4 4

Speaker 5 5

___/10

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Part 2 15 According to him, despite the great results

the procedure achieved, it was not without
You are going to listen to a nutritionist
any .
talking to a group of students about a
recent study investigating the science of 16 Typical reactions to the procedure include
weight loss. For questions 11–20, sickness and vomiting, despite the study
complete the sentences with a word or reporting any unpleasant effects as
short phrase. .

17 He points out that over a period of eight to

twelve months the body learns to adjust to
11 When explaining why the technique is
.
unusual, he states that it is a method which
works . 18 The researchers believe that they can
the body so that it can
12 Scientists tricked the body by manipulating
cooperate instead of becoming defensive.
a nerve that takes a to the
brain. 19 He emphasises that the findings have to
be treated with caution as they are based
13 He explains that the procedure involved
on a study.
targeting an on a nerve using a
needle-like instrument. 20 He concludes that the method used in the
research makes fighting off hunger and our
14 They reported that within just ninety days,
redundant.
patients showed a 14 percent loss of their
___/10
body weight.

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Use of English
Task 1

Read the text and complete the gaps with one word only.

Work Space

For many big companies, increasing efficiency and productivity is a priority if they want their
business to thrive and grow. To achieve this many focus on improving collaboration and teamwork
(21) workshops and courses, or upgrading office systems. (22) , making
changes to the work environment might not be on the list of priorities for many companies. Smart
businesses that see the big picture (23) invest in innovative office designs such as
creating a dedicated space for employees to relax. (24) successful innovative office
designs have (25) common is promoting movement in the workplace. Not only (26)
this been reported to increase alertness, creativity and problem solving but it also
boosts the health and happiness of employees. (27) incorporating movement into (28)
culture, a company can create a better place for the employees and an advantage for
the organisation.

___/8

Task 2

Use the word given in capitals at the end of some lines to form a word that fits in the gap in
the same line.

C.V. Workshop

Are you one of those people who routinely struggle with creating a powerful C.V.?

Have you left yours (29) since you last attended an interview? Sign up CHECK

for our workshop to learn how to produce a (30) C.V. that will showcase PERSON

your expertise and (31) skills. After completing our workshop, you will be
ORGANISE

able to make the (32) most unrelated work experience appear more applicable
SEEM

to the position you're applying for. We will work with you on some important aspects such as

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the (33) and brevity of your C.V. You will learn to increase your (34)
READ, COMPETE

with a document that has been updated appropriately, (35) you from other DIFFER

candidates and telling your story in a compelling way.

___/7

Reading
Task 1

You are going to read an article in which four athletes discuss challenges they face in their
career as professional athletes. For questions 36–45, choose from the athletes A–D. The
athletes may be chosen more than once.

Which athlete(s):

36 says that the nature of professional sports has been exaggerated?

37 suggests creating a plan that goes beyond the athlete’s sport career will give them mental
strength?

38 finds one aspect of competing both inevitable and awkward?

39 looks forward to a major change in the way they work?

40 refers to one aspect of sport that is supported by empirical evidence?

41 struggles to strike a balance between their career and personal life?

42 points out a noticeable improvement in the way a specific group of athletes are viewed in the
society?

43 offers solutions to some of the problems that professional athletes may face?

44 attributes their success to something beyond their own personal skills?

45 describes some key aspects of training as a professional athlete?

___/10

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What are some of the challenges you face as a professional athlete?
We asked a group of athletes what professional training is like.
A recent games in China, everything has
As a professional athlete, I have been facing
a number of challenges. Some, of course, are
easier than others to deal with. One is having
an efficient training structure and maintaining
it throughout the year. I have been able to
precisely identify, with the help of my coach,
the intensity of my training and analyse my
performance to make adjustments and
improvements. I don’t have any problems
with keeping my level of motivation high
because I enjoy immensely what I do and get
a lot of support from my family and friends,
which, I think, gives me an edge when I
compete. However, having had little luck in
securing sponsorship means I have had to
work full-time and train part-time; something
that has put a huge strain on me mentally and
physically. Coping with that is not such an
easy task and something that I could do
without. For me, the most crucial thing is
securing sponsorship so I can go full-time.
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I have been competing for fifteen years, and
from my first disability competition to the most
changed, including the challenges I have
faced. Not only has the participation
increased, but also attitudes have been
transformed and along with that, people’s
perceptions of disability and disabled people.
This has made some aspects of the work
easier, but I still have to cope with all sorts.
For example, it’s not easy to put yourself out
there in the limelight. It feels as if you are in
an exhibition, but that is part and parcel of the
life of a professional athlete. Travelling and its
costs can create some hurdles, as do
sourcing and purchasing suitable equipment,
but these are the things I can deal with
reasonably well. What often worries me is
injury. Injuries incurred through training or
competitions, even minor ones, can have
major consequences on the career of an
athlete. How do I know that? Well, through
experience.
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Over the years I have developed specific
capabilities to handle most of the challenges
I face as a female professional athlete, but
unfortunately there are still certain aspects
that I find hard to cope with. The life of an
athlete may look dazzling from the outside,
but the reality is so far from that. I certainly
appreciate having the opportunity to do
something that I love as a job and on a daily
basis, but dealing with the pressure that it
puts on me mentally and physically and on
my family requires resilience, motivation,
discipline and a lot more. I am sometimes
torn between my responsibilities as a mother
and my training requirements. If adjustments
can be made to enable my family to
accompany me when I am going away for a
competition, we take advantage of that and
try to transform it into an adventure, however,
more often than not, this is a challenge and
not practical. I am grateful to have a very
supportive family. I wouldn’t have achieved
any of my accomplishments without them.
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D
Success came at a young age for me, as did
early retirement due to an injury. I think in our
struggle to succeed, we might overlook some
key factors that can protect us and our career
as athletes. I have made it my mission to
educate young people and parents about
that. Why? Because it is vital to prepare and
be prepared for all eventualities as early as
possible as we never know when a career-
ending injury is going to knock on our door.
Also, coping with the aftermath of an incident
is much more challenging physically and
emotionally when one is on a winning streak.
On the physical side, the importance of
playing several sports at a young age should
be more emphasised. Athletes are far less
likely to get injured in the years that follow
when they do so and this is supported by
research. Planning for retirement, in general,
could protect an athlete from spiralling into
depression when they retire.
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Task 2

You are going to read an article with reviews about a book. For questions 46–50, choose
from the reviewers A–D. The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

Which reviewer(s):

46 felt that the book delivered what it promised?

47 expresses a different view from the others about the usefulness of the writing advice in the
book?

48 shares Reviewer A’s views about the book serving its purpose?

49 has a different opinion to Reviewer B about the first part of the book?

50 shares Reviewer C’s views about the writer’s personal style of writing and his writing advice?

___/10

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Total: ___/50

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Life lessons in writing

Four reviewers comment on a book about writing.

I decided to read this book because it was

strongly hyped as a source of good advice on
how to write, which the writer has tried to do
through recounting some personal
experiences that he regards as influential on
his work. As a result, although it is quite
readable and contains good advice, it has
become more of an autobiography than a
‘how-to’ manual on writing. There are
definitely better places to look for manuals of
the craft. In terms of the advice he has
provided on writing and his work, he certainly
practices what he preaches. Overall, I would
recommend it more as a memoir rather than a
writing manual, as the advice is rather
ordinary.

I think it’s insightful and inspiring. It was the

first time I had read one of his books and I
was fascinated by the way he told the story of
his life. In his direct and lively style, he
explains how he became a writer, what
inspired him and what challenges he faced.
As a novice writer, I find the advice useful as
he talks about the nuts and bolts of writing
prose, something that I was looking for when I
purchased the book, however, I cannot
comment on suitability of the book for
experienced writers. The overall message is
certainly something that we have all heard
about before ‘practice, practice, practice’, or
in other words ‘read a lot and write a lot’.

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I have read many books from the writer, and
generally like his conversational and
humorous style of writing, but I felt that the
writer had gone a bit too far with that in this
book. The first section, in which he recounts
different events in his life, is entertaining but
could have done with a bit more serious
language. His attempt to make the stories
entertaining gives the reader the impression
that the writer is trying to hide behind humour
in order to avoid exposing himself
emotionally. Of course, the book is not all
about his life events and he delivers what he
promises; writing advice. In the second part,
he provides some rather basic writing rules,
to which he sticks pretty much throughout the
book. Although the title suggests that the
book is more of a writing guide, it is the short
biography of the writer that makes it readable.
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D
I think the title of this book is rather
misleading. If you have bought it as a guide
on writing, you have to patiently read through
the first part, which is a memoir, to get to the
second part as writing is by no means the
whole focus of the book. A large chunk of it is
about his life, failures, influences and some of
the important events in his life. I am a fan of
the writer and his style and overall found the
book enjoyable, but at the same time I feel
that it falls short of its objective as the writer
focuses mostly on what made him a great
writer. If you are a fan of the writer, or are
looking for standard writing advice this book
is for you, but not if you are after a step-by-
step how-to guide.
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