9 UNIT 9 TEST | Higher B2

Listening Grammar
1 UT Track 9  Listen to a radio interview 3 Complete the sentences with the passive
about interactive storytelling. Decide if the form of the verbs in brackets.
statements are false (F) or not stated (NS). 1 You must be more careful when you’re crossing
Correct the false information. the road. You could             
1 According to Mirna, there is only one form of (injure) really badly just then.
interactive story. F / NS        2 This year, it              (estimate)
2 Mirna uses the term ‘viewer’ more frequently that more than fifty thousand people will take
than ‘reader’ when writing about interactive part in the parade.
stories. F / NS        3 I hate              (tell) how to do
3 Most interactive stories require the user to type the washing up. I’ve got my own way of doing it!
in instructions. F / NS        4 It was a five-hour flight but we
4 Books tend to place the reader at the centre of              (give) any food.
the story. F / NS        I was starving when we landed.
5 Mirna thinks that because of virtual 5 Over the next few months, members of the
reality, interactive stories will be wiped out. public              (contact) to find
F / NS        out their opinions.

2 UT Track 9  Listen again and decide if 4 Complete the text with one word in each
each statement is true (T), false (F) or not gap.
stated (NS). You would think it’s relatively simple to work out
1 The purpose of interactive books is to make you which novel has been read (1)        the
view things from a new perspective.         most people. You just need to work out how many
copies the book has sold. However, one problem
2 Mystery stories are unsuitable for interactive
is that some copies may (2)        been
storytelling.        
given away by the publisher while many books
3 Modern interactive stories are often the same as (3)        read by more than one person.
the ones told by ancient storytellers.         Not only that, but publishers don’t always have
4 Readers of traditional books do not have an accurate records of the numbers of books sold.
active part to play in the story.         For that reason, it’s far from clear which is the
5 Mirna thinks computer graphics are most-read novel of all time. Nevertheless,
one of the biggest problems with interactive (4)        is often argued that Don Quixote
stories.         by the sixteenth century Spanish writer, Miguel
de Cervantes, is a likely candidate. A list of the
world’s most-read novels, which is currently
(5)        put together by some academics,
suggests that Don Quixote has sold more than
500 million copies.

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 9 UNIT 9 TEST | Higher B2

5 Complete the dialogues with the causative form of the verb in brackets. Include object pronouns
where necessary.
1 A: That’s a lovely necklace you’re wearing.
B: T
 hanks. My mum              (make) for my last birthday.
2 A: Is the TV still not working?
B: I ’m afraid not. I’ll              (fix) as soon as I can.
3 A: My tooth is really aching. It hurts when I eat.
B: Y
 ou really should              (see) by the dentist.
4 A: I’m surprised Natasha’s book hasn’t been published yet.
B: M
 e too but it’s difficult              (publish) unless you’re well known.
5 A: Has your auntie bought a new house yet?
B: A
 pparently, she’s              (build) especially by a top architect and it should be finished in
the spring.

6 Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the first. Do not change the word
given. Use two to five words, including the word given.
1 The organisers are providing us with tents for the camping trip so we don’t need to take any.
PROVIDED
Tents                  us by the organisers so we don’t need to take any.
2 I don’t think Kevin should cut your hair. I think a professional should do it.
DONE
I don’t think Kevin should cut your hair. I’d rather                  by a professional.
3 Pam’s sent her story to a radio station. A presenter plans to read it out this morning.
HAVE
Pam’s sent her story to a radio station. She’s                  out this morning.
4 They didn’t give us instructions before the activity so we didn’t know what to do.
GIVEN
We didn’t                  us before the activity so we didn’t know what to do.
5 They have painted Sheena’s bedroom. They used bright purple paint.
HER
Sheena has                  bright purple paint.

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 9 UNIT 9 TEST | Higher B2

Reading

The beauty of books

You might have heard people saying that young people don’t read any more. They say we don’t appreciate good
literature and that we’re losing our language skills. Fortunately, research has shown that the younger generation
still enjoys reading. Nevertheless, we might not appreciate just how important it can be. So, in case you’re not sure
why it’s worth doing, I’m going to spell it out for you.
For me, the main reason is that books help you relax. Anyone who’s read a novel for pleasure must have had that
feeling of being in a different world. From the moment you turn the page, you switch off from the world around you
and your troubles melt away. In fact, recent research, where scientists studied the effects of reading on the body,
has shown that it really does have a relaxing effect. It was found that when people start reading, there is a drop in
the heart rate and the muscles start to relax. Not only that, but the research also showed that it can reduce stress
more quickly than walking or listening to music.
Interestingly, although we’re helping our bodies relax, reading is also a great way of providing stimulation for our
brains. This is important because our brains need to get exercise just like the rest of our bodies. Scientists have
used special machines called MRI scanners to analyse what’s going on inside your head and it seems that reading
exercises different parts of your brain at the same time. They have also discovered that the more difficult the read,
the more stimulation your brain gets. What’s more, this effect is said to last long after you’ve put the book down.
Another reason for getting into a good book is that it’s good for your emotional intelligence, which means you have
a better understanding of your own and other people’s feelings. This is because when you’re reading a novel, you’re
seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. In fact, psychologists think that you experience what’s happening in
the story as if you were experiencing it yourself. This helps us develop greater social awareness which we can use
in our day-to-day lives. A word of caution though; this only seems to work if you read novels rather than non-fiction
books.
My final reason might be of special interest to people studying a foreign language because reading is proven to be
a fantastic way of improving your language skills, no matter whether you’re studying Mandarin, Russian or Irish.
It’s not only a good way to learn new vocabulary but it also helps you see how grammatical structures are used
in different ways. We also know that you’re more likely to understand and remember new language if has some
personal meaning for you. This means that reading a book by your favourite author might make more sense than
working through a grammar text book.
I could go on telling you why you should read more but it’s quite clear that reading is an extremely worthwhile
activity. And the best thing is, you get all of these benefits but it will hardly cost you a penny.

7 Read the article then read the extracts from the article below. For each one, decide what
is suggested.
1 ‘I’m going to spell it out for you.’
I’m going to explain it / write it down / say it aloud for you.
2 ‘From the moment you turn the page …’
From the moment you read the description of / start reading / close a book.
3 ‘… to analyse what’s going on inside your head …’
To try to understand what is moving around in / happening in / leaving your brain.
4 ‘… you’re seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.’
You’re seeing the world less objectively / the way someone else would / for the first time.
5 ‘… you get all of these benefits but it will hardly cost you a penny.’
You can have all of these benefits but they’re not cheap / expensive / valuable.

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 9 UNIT 9 TEST | Higher B2

8 For questions 1–5, choose the answer (A, B, Vocabulary

C or D) which you think fits best according
to the text. 9 Complete the sentences with one word in
each space. The first letter is there to help
1 What does the writer suggest about young people
today?
you.
1 Gone With the Wind is my favourite
A I t’s possible that some of them don’t know the
r       n      . It’s a love story set
value of reading.
in the United States in the nineteenth century.
BT
 hey find it difficult to use language accurately.
2 The BFG is a f       film about a dream-
CT
 hey are no longer able to communicate catching giant, based on the children’s story by
effectively. Roald Dahl.
D I t’s likely that none of them appreciate the 3 Tolstoy is one of the most famous n      
best literature. of all time. His exceptional story-writing talent
2 According to the writer, what effect does reading is recognised by critics all over the world. His
have on the body? books are hundreds of pages long.
A I t increases your body temperature. 4 I’m not a big fan of s       f      
B I t stops your body relaxing completely. novels. I don’t like to think too much about the
future.
C I t causes your heart to beat more slowly.
5 Although Shakespeare wrote comedies, he also
D I t increases the risk of a heart attack.
wrote many t      . The most famous is
3 What does the writer mean by ‘providing probably Romeo and Juliet.
stimulation’ in paragraph 3?
Am
 aking something more interesting
Bh
 elping something develop
C increasing intelligence 10 Complete the sentences with a particle in
each gap.
D improving reading skills
1 I don’t understand how to log on to this website.
4 What does the writer suggest about emotional
Could you talk me        it please?
intelligence?
2 I like Mrs Henderson’s lessons because
AY
 ou can only develop emotional intelligence if
she’s really good at getting the main
you read regularly.
points       .
BL
 ots of good books about emotional
3 I wish you wouldn’t keep bringing       
intelligence have been written.
the fact that I was late for our meeting.
CP
 sychologists are undecided about the
4 I know this is difficult to understand so let me
importance of emotional intelligence.
spell it        for you.
DN
 on-fiction books have no obvious effect on
5 If you’ve got any suggestions, we’d be grateful if
emotional intelligence.
you’d put them       .
5 How does the writer feel in general about
reading?

AH
 e’s probably said too much on the subject
already.
BT
 he majority of people don’t spend enough
time doing it.
CT
 here are a number of good reasons why you
should read.
D I t’s a shame that readers no longer appreciate
good books.

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 9 UNIT 9 TEST | Higher B2

11 Complete the sentences with the correct Speaking

form of say, speak or tell and the words and
phrases in the box.
13 Complete the sentences with one word
from the box in each space.
against | a secret | goodnight
back | believe | couldn’t | happened
the time | your mind
looking | not | sadly | unfortunately
1 I’m glad somebody was brave enough
Rose: Have you ever read a book in a foreign
to              the government’s
language?
plans to cut education spending in last night’s
discussion. Lara: (1)              . However,
I’ve seen a film in French.
2 I prefer to use a digital watch to
            . It’s more accurate Rose: What film was it?
than one with hands. Lara: It was called Amelie.
3 While she was on the school trip, Becky would Rose: Did you enjoy it?
phone us every day              Lara: Yes. I (2)               what a
before she went to bed. great film it was.
4 I would avoid               Rose: Where were you when you saw it?
Chris             . Everyone will
Lara: Well, it (3)        when I was on
know about it in no time.
holiday in France with my family. It was
5 If you didn’t agree with them, you should raining and we didn’t know what else to do.
             during the meeting.
Rose: Could you understand it all?
Lara: (4)        , I couldn’t understand

very much of it but I enjoyed what I saw!
12 Choose the correct answer (a, b or c) to Rose: Was it a positive experience?
complete the text. Lara: (5)               now, I think it
We’re doing a project about world literature at was. It made me interested in French and
school so I’ve been reading (1)        it made me want to keep studying it.
about an African writer called Chinua Achebe.
He was born in Nigeria in the 1930s and died in
the United Stated in 2013. He wrote a number of
books but his most famous was Things Fall Apart,
a (2)        novel set in Nigeria in the 19th
century. It (3)        the story of a famous
West African wrestler whose life falls apart. The
story investigates African culture and the way in
which western culture has affected it. Although
the book received a lot of praise, some critics
spoke (4)        him due to the fact it was
written in English. They believed it should have
been written in the Igbo language. However,
Achebe said he chose English because he could
get the ideas (5)        more easily. Things
Fall Apart has sold more than eight million
copies and is said to be the most-read African
novel.
1 a) down b) across c) up
2 a) historical b) fantasy c) science fiction
3 a) says b) tells c) speaks
4 a) of b) for c) against
5 a) across b) through c) under

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 9 UNIT 9 TEST | Higher B2

14 Answer the questions below. Write at least two sentences for each answer.
1 Tell us about a good book you’ve read recently.
                                                     
                                                     
2 Have you ever read a good book in a foreign language?
                                                     
                                                     
3 Have you ever written a short story or a poem?
                                                     
                                                     
4 Have you ever seen a film that was based on a book you had read?
                                                     
                                                     
5 Have you ever given someone a book as a present?
                                                     
                                                     

Use of English
15 Write a form of the word in capitals in each gap to complete the text.
Braille
Braille is a system of raised characters on firm card which are read by touch. The
characters are like the six spots on the face of a dice, with different combinations of spots
representing different letters of the alphabet. It has been used to help people who are
(1)        to read and write due to blindness or other poor vision. Since its ABLE
(2)        in the 1820s, it has given thousands of blind people the chance to APPEAR
appreciate written texts and become more (3)        about literature. It was KNOW
invented by a blind Frenchman called Louis Braille who was familiar with a similar form
of writing called Night Writing. His (4)        was that Night Writing could be THINK
improved and he came up with his form of Braille. Since then, (5)        Braille VARY
systems have been developed and all the letters of the alphabet as well as numbers
are represented.

16 Choose the correct word (a, b, c or d) to fill each gap.

If you’re looking for something new to read and you want an escape from the typical novel, (1)     novels
are something worth investigating. Although it’s been said (2)     they’re just comics for adults, there’s a
lot more to them than cartoon-style pictures. If you flick (3)     the latest offerings, you’ll find some
extremely imaginative stories as well as some wonderful illustrations. For example, if you’re a fan of horror,
one such novel worth investigating is Through the Woods, which has received excellent reviews from book
(4)    . Its dark atmosphere and haunting images will remind you of the fairy tales from your childhood.
Another recommended read is Little Fish by Ramsey Beyer, which tells the story of a teenage girl leaving
home to go to university. This autobiography is illustrated (5)     drawings, lists and collages which
document Ramsey’s own journey through young adulthood.
1 a) historical b) romantic c) crime d) graphic
2 a) by b) for c) that d) than
3 a) out b) through c) away d) at
4 a) critics b) editors c) novelists d) playwrights
5 a) at b) why c) with d) to

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 9 UNIT 9 TEST | Higher B2

Writing
17 Look at the writing task and the first paragraph of a student’s answer. Complete the text with the
correct past form of the verbs in the box.
You have seen this announcement on an English-speaking website.

Stories wanted!
We’re looking for stories for our new creative writing website. Your story must begin with this sentence:
June turned around and walked back down the stairs.
Your story must include:
• something frightening
• an old man

be | cross | get | sit | switch off

The man in the cellar

June turned around and walked back down the stairs. She’d been just about to leave when she remembered
that she (1)              the lights. When she (2)              to the bottom of the
stairs, she (3)              the cellar to the light switch. That (4)              when
she noticed what looked like an old man. He (5)              there in a dark and dusty corner of
the room staring at her.

18 Now complete the story in two paragraphs.

Remember to include:
• something frightening
• some descriptive language
• narrative tenses
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     

Total score

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