Pham Thu – Bien Hoa Gifted High School

PRACTICE TEST 15 – GRADE 9

Part 1: Choose the best answer A, B, C or D to complete each of the following sentences.
1. I’m not a serious investor, but I like to _______ in the stock market.
A. splash B. splatter C. paddle D. dabble
2. In all _______ there will never be a Third World War.
A. odds B. probability C. certainty D. possibilities
3. He had to retire from the match, suffering from a _______ ligament.
A. torn B. broken C. slipped D. sprained
4. You have to be rich to send a child to a private school because the fees are _______.
A. astrological B. aeronautical C. astronomical D. atmospherical
5. Archaeology is one of the most interesting scientific _______.
A. divisions B. disciplines C. matters D. compartments
6. It is doubtful whether the momentum of the peace movement can be _______.
A. sustained B. supplied C. supported D. subverted
7. Conversations you strike up with travelling acquaintances usually tend to be _______.
A. trivial B. perverse C. insufficient D. imperative
8. Charles Babbage’s difference engine was widely regarded as the _______ of the computer.
A. ancestor B. precursor C. antecedent D. premonition
9. He was in his late fifties, with staring eyes and a _____ hairline.
A. straggling B. receding C. bushy D. curly
10. After several hours on the road, they became ____ to the fact that they would never reach the hotel by
nightfall.
A. dejected B. resigned C. depressed D. disillusioned
11. The professor’s _______ theory is that singing preceded speech.
A. preferable B. pet C. fond D. fancied
12. A local charity benefited from the _______ of the annual summer fate.
A. earnings B. income C. pay D. proceeds
13. Two months is _______ time to allow for the job to be completed.
A. profuse B. protracted C. ample D. extensive
14. After her eye operation she had to wear an eye _______ for protection.
A. patch B. veil C. glass D. screen
15. The noise of the machinery _______ the words of the factory manager.
A. covered B. suppressed C. drowned D. deadened
16. All that was left for breakfast was some _____ bread and tea.
A. stale B. rotten C. sour D. rancid
17. Emma fell down and _____ her knee.
A. skimmed B. grazed C. rubbed D. scrubbed
18. The Press thought the football manager would be depressed by his dismissal but he just _____.
A. ran it down B. called it off C. turned it down D. laughed it off
19. Lindsay’s excuses for being late are beginning to _____ rather thin.
A. get B. turn C. wear D. go
20.The train service has been a _____ since they introduced the new schedules.
A. shambles B. rumpus C. chaos D. fracas

Part 2: Underline and correct the ten mistakes in the following passage.
‘Oh, you’re so lucky live in Bath, it’s such a wonderful, lovely, historic place,’ people say enthusiastically, and all
you can think about is the awful parking, the crowd of tourists, the expensive shops, the narrow-minded council,
and the terrible traffic.
Luckily, I don’t live in Bath but nearly ten miles away in a village called Limpley Stoke in the Avon Valley. It seems
to be normal in the countryside those days for professional people who work in the town to prefer to live in the
villages; this makes the housing so expensive that the villagers and agricultural workers have to live in a cheaper
accommodation in town, as the result that the farmers commute out to the farm and everyone else commutes in.
Certainly, there’s nobody in the village who could be called an old-style villager. The people nearest to me involve

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a pilot, an accountant, a British Rail manager, a retired teacher … nor a farm worker amongst them. But I don’t
think there is anything wrong with that – it’s just that the nature of villages are changing and there is still quite a
strong sense of community here.
Your answers:
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

Part 3: Fill in the blank with a suitable preposition or adverb particle.

1. I got the job _______ the strength of your recommendation.
2. You must be weak _______ the head if you believe that.
3. The shock put years _______ him.
4. Prospects of success in the talks were put _______ zero.
5. She was weighed _______ _______ parcels.
6. His appearance was the subject _______ some critical comment.
7. She went _______ the roof when I told her I’d crashed her car.
8. If you do that again I’ll have the law _______ you.
9. The government’s decision is a real kick _______ the teeth for the unions.
10. She resembles her brother _______ looks.

Part 4: Use the correct form of the word in brackets to complete the passage.
In the deserts, as (1. where), rocks at the earth’s surface are changed by (2. weather), which may be defined as
the (3. integrate) of rocks where they lie. Weathering processes are either chemical when (4. alter) of some of the
(5. constitute) particles is involved; or (6. mechanize), when there is merely the physical breaking apart and (7.
fragment) of rocks. Which process will dominate depends (8. primary) on the (9. mineral) and (10. text) of the rock
and the local climate, but several individual processes usually work together to the common end of rock
breakdown.
Your answers:
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

Prt 5: Read the passage below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Write your answer in
the numbered boxes.
HOW TO COMPLAIN IN SHOPS
People love to complain. Moaning to friends can be a source of relief from the stresses and strains of work, study
or relationships. But when it comes to protesting to a retailer about (1) ____ goods and services, many of us find
we don't have the nerve and chose to suffer in silence.
By the time we do (2) _____summon up the courage to make our point, we have generally already allowed the
problem to get to us, and we are angry. In this state, we can all too (3) ____ become aggressive, gearing up for
battle and turning what should be a rational discussion into a conflict.
To complain effectively, you need to be specific about your problem and communicate it clearly using words
which are objective and fair. (4) ____ over the top with emotional language and unreasonable claims will get you
nowhere. Good negotiators tend to be calm and logical. They start by explaining the situation and stating their
requirements clearly, without threat. Most complaints prompt a defensive (5) ____ from the other person, but by
being reasonable yourself, you (6) ____ more chance of achieving the positive (7) ____ you want.

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If you feel angry or upset about what has happened, by all means tell the company, but do so calmly, (8) ____that
you understand the situation from all points of (9) ____, but explaining what you will do if your complaint is ignored.
Be sure to remember, however, that is unwise to (10) ____ threats unless you are in a position to carry them out.
1. A. faulty B. inexpert C. improper D. scruffy
2. A. essentially B. especially C. exceptionally D. eventually
3. A. easily B. happily C. simply D. casually
4. A. Being B. Going C. Getting D. Feeling
5. A. response B. respect C. revenge D. regard
6. A. spend B. attract C. stand D. establish
7. A. fallout B. outcome C. turnout D. output
8. A. revealing B. exhibiting C. displaying D. demonstrating
9. A. mind B. opinion C. view D. reason
10. A. make B. bear C. do D. carry

Part 6: Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE word in each space.
Mammals have brains. So, they can feel pain, experience fear and react in disgust. If a wildebeest did not
feel pain, it would carry on grazing as lions chewed it hind leg first. If an antelope did not sense fear, it would not
(1) __________ into a sprint at the first hint of cheetah. If a canine were not disgusted, it would not vomit; it would
not be, as the (2) __________ goes, sick as a dog.
Pain, fear and disgust are (3) __________ of the mammalian survival machinery provided by tens of millions
of years of (4) __________. Homo sapiens have, however, only been around for about 200,000 years. So all three
emotional states (5) __________ something to mammal origins. If football hooligans can feel those emotions, then
(6) __________ do deer, foxes and dogs. The argument is about how "aware" or "conscious" non-human mammals
might be during these emotional events. When an animal knows it is being chased and starts to run, is it obeying
some instinct (7) __________ from ancestors that knew when to flee a danger zone or does it actually "know" to
be afraid?
That might be the wrong question. A human startled by a strange shape in a darkened corridor experiences
a pounding heart, and lungs (8) __________ for air, and a body in recoil. This is the well-known flight or fight
reaction. A human appreciated the full force of fear and has already started to counter the danger a fraction of a
second before the brain has time to absorb and order the information contained in menacing shape. This is because
mental calculations are too slow to cope with surprise attack. Pain (9) __________ logic. Touch something hot and
you withdraw your hand even before you have time to think about doing so. Once again, the wisdom is (10)
__________ the event.

Part 7: The reading passage below has eight paragraphs, A-H. Reading the passage and do the tasks below.
A. The history of human civilization is entwined with the history of the ways we have learned to manipulate
water resources. As towns gradually expanded, water was brought from increasingly remote sources,
leading to sophisticated engineering efforts such as dams and aqueducts. At the height of the Roman
Empire, nine major systems, with an innovative layout of pipes and well-built sewers, supplied the
occupants of Rome with as much water per person as is provided in many parts or the industrial world
today.

B. During the industrial revolution and population explosion of the 19th and 20th centuries, the demand for
water rose dramatically. Unprecedented construction of tens of thousands of monumental engineering
projects designed to control floods, protect clean water supplies, and provide water for irrigation and
hydropower brought great benefits to hundreds of millions of people. Food production has kept pace with
soaring populations mainly because of the expansion of artificial irrigation systems that make possible the
growth of 40% the world’s food. Nearly one fifth of all the electricity generated worldwide is produced by
turbines spun by the power of falling water.

C. Yet there is a dark side to this picture: despite our progress, half of the world’s population still suffers, with
water services inferior to those available to the ancient Greeks and Romans. As the United Nations report
on access to water reiterated in November 2001, more than one billion people lack access to clean drinking
water; some two and a half billion do not have adequate sanitation services. Preventable water - related
diseases kill an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children every day, and the latest evidence suggests that we
are falling behind in efforts to solve these problems.

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D. The consequences of our water policies extend beyond jeopardizing human health. Tens of millions of
people have been forced to more from their homes - often with little warning or compensation - to make
way for the reservoirs behind dams. More than 20% of all freshwater fish species are now threatened or
endangered because dams and water withdrawals have destroyed the free-flowing river ecosystems where
they thrive. Certain irrigation practices degrade soil quality and reduce agricultural productivity.
Groundwater aquifers are being pumped down faster than they are naturally replenished in parts of India,
China, the USA and elsewhere. And disputes over shared water resources have led to violence and continue
to raise local, national and even international tensions.

E. At the outset of the new millennium, however, the way resource planners think about water is beginning
to change. The focus is slowly shifting back to the provision of basic human and environmental needs as
top priority - ensuring ‘some for all,’ instead of ‘more for some’. Some water experts are now demanding
that existing infrastructure be used in smarter ways rather than building new facilities, which is increasingly
considered the option of last, not first resort. This shift in philosophy has not been universally accepted,
and it comes with strong opposition from some established water organizations. Nevertheless, it may be
the only way to address successfully the pressing problems of providing everyone with clean water to drink,
adequate water to grow food and a life free from preventable water-related illness.

F. Fortunately - and unexpectedly - the demand for water is not rising as rapidly as some predicted. As a
result, the pressure to build new water infrastructures has diminished over the past two decades. Although
population, industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soon in developed nations, the
rate at which people withdraw water from aquifers, rivers and lakes has slowed. And in a few parts of the
world, demand has actually fallen.

G. What explains this remarkable turn of events? Two factors: People have figured out how to use water more
efficiently, and communities are rethinking their priorities for water use. Throughout the first three-
quarters of the 20th century, the quantity of freshwater consumed pen person doubled on average; in the
USA, water withdrawals increased tenfold while the population quadrupled. But since 1980, the amount
of water consumed per person has actually decreased, thanks to a range of new technologies that help to
conserve water in homes and industry. In 1965, for instance, Japan used approximately 13 million gallons
of water to produce $1 million of commercial output; by 1989 this had dropped to 3.5 million gallons (even
accounting for inflation) - almost a quadrupling of water productivity. In the USA water withdrawals have
fallen by more than 20% from their peak in 1980.

H. On the other hand, dams, aqueducts and other kinds of infrastructure will still have to be built, particularly
in developing countries where they have not been met. But such projects must be built to higher
specifications and with more accountability to local people and their environment than in the past. And
even in regions where projects seem warranted, we must find ways to meet demands with fewer
resources, respecting ecological criteria and to a smaller budget.

* For questions 1-7, choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-H from the list of headings below Write the
correct number, i-ix.

List of headings
i. Scientists’ call for a revision of policy Example: Paragraph A: xi
ii. An explanation for reduced water use 1. Paragraph B …….
iii. How a global challenge was met 2. Paragraph C …….
iv. Irrigation systems fall into disuse
3. Paragraph D …….
v. Environmental effects
vi. The financial cost of recent technological improvements 4. Paragraph E ….…
vii. The relevance to health 5. Paragraph F …….
viii. Addressing the concern over increasing populations
6. Paragraph G …….
ix. A surprising downward trend in demand for water
x. The need to raise standards 7. Paragraph H …….
xi. A description of ancient water supplies

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* Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage. For question 8-10 write down
YES If the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO If the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN If it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
8. Feeding increasing populations is possible due primarily to improved irrigation systems. ______
9. Modern water systems imitate those of the ancient Greeks and Romans. ______
10. Industrial growth is increasing the overall demand for water. ______
Part 8: Read the passage and choose the best answer A, B, C or D.
The returning boomerang is constructed in such a way that it sails on a circular trajectory and returns to the
thrower. A trained hunter can throw a boomerang so that it will sweep up to a height of 50 feet, complete a circle
50 feet in diameter, and then spin along several smaller, iterative circles before it lands near the thrower. Experts
can make boomerang ricochet off the ground, circle and come back. Hunters use them to drive birds into nets by
making the boomerang spin above the flock sufficiently high to fool the birds into reacting to it as if it were a
predator. Ordinarily, a returning boomerang is 12 to 30 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide, and less than half an inch
thick. Its notorious pointed ends are not honed enough to allow the boomerang to serve as a weapon or to be even
remotely threatening.
By contrast, the non-returning boomerang is substantially heavier and can be used as a weapon. This type of
boomerang is made to be 3 to 5 inches in diameter and 2 to 3 feet long, and may weigh up to 2 pounds. The power
with which the boomerang hits its target is sufficient to kill or maim either an animal or a foe. All boomerangs are
hurled in the same manner. The thrower grasps one end, pointing both ends outward. Having positioned the
boomerang above and behind the shoulder, the thrower propels it forward with a snapping wrist motion to give it
a twirl. The quality of the initial twirl conveys the propulsion to the weapon and provides its distinctive momentum.
1. The word “sails” is closest in meaning to ____.
A. flies B. falls C. surges D. shirks
2. The author of the passage implies that throwing boomerangs ____.
A. creates a circular air channel near the ground
B. can be useful in devising sailing trajectories
C. entails skill and requires practised co-ordination
D. makes them pause in midair before they rise to a certain height
3. The word “iterative” is closest in meaning to ____.
A. robust B. repeated C. restrained D. resolute
4. According to the passage, the boomerang can be used to ____.
A. train birds B. position a flock C. flank birds D. stupefy a flock
5. The word “honed” is closest in meaning to ____.
A. heated B. hooked C. sharpened D. shaded
6. The word “remotely” is closest in meaning to ____.
A. reluctantly B. reportedly C. vacantly D. vaguely
7. It can be inferred from the passage that whether or not a boomerang can serve as a weapon depends primarily
on ____.
A. its perimeter B. its weight
C. the propulsion of its ends D. the power of the thrower
8. The author of the passage implies that boomerangs ____.
A. can disarm an enemy B. can locate a target
C. are alike in shape D. are monumental in flight
9. The word “hurled” is closest in meaning to ____.
A. threaded B. thrown C. thrashed D. thrust
10. The word “twirl” is closest in meaning to ____.
A. reaction B. reflection C. rotation D. repulsion
Part 9: Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the rest.
1. A. death B. health C. disease D. spread
2. A. surprised B. sacred C. closed D. supposed
3. A. abroad B. coat C. float D. road
4. A. accompany B. occur C. accident D. occasional
5. A. chemistry B. mechanic C. character D. parachute

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Choose the word whose main stress is placed differently from that of the rest.
1. A. sentence B. suggest C. species D. system
2. A. attack B. defeat C. believe D. happy
3. A. animal B. exhausted C. natural D. plentiful
4. A. industrial B. destruction C. extremely D. energy
5. A. develop B. description C. contribute D. festival
Part 10: Choose the correct word or phrase to fill in each sentence.
1. The practice of taking drugs to enhance athletic performance is _____ agreed to have begun in ancient Greece.
A. largely B. allegedly C. chiefly D. mainly
2. You needn’t _____ so much food. There was so plenty of food left over from yesterday.
A. cook B. to cook C. have cooked D. to have cooked
3. It ____ be Annie who is crossing the street; Annie’s taller.
A. mustn’t B. can’t C. wouldn’t D. shouldn’t
4. It was difficult to ____ the extent of the damage at first sight.
A. predict B. suppose C. assume D. estimate
5. We only had a few days _____, so we decided to go somewhere close.
A. available B. spare C. ready D. handy
6. The student denied cheating on the test although the teacher caught her _____.
A. in the act B. in progress C. in action D. in preparation
7. The third contestant managed to win _____ of the difficult questions.
A. except B. on behalf C. regardless D. thanks
8. We complained to the restaurant manager about the _____ service.
A. scarce B. insufficient C. short D. inadequate
9. ____ the children had grown up and were independent, she had a lot of free time.
A. Although B. Before C. Now that D. Lest
10. I want to ____ that I turned off all the lights in the house, so I’ll go back and check.
A. insure B. reassure C. make sure D. inquire
11. Julie lost her _____ and started screaming at her colleagues.
A. contact B. temper C. chance D. control
12. The in-depth news bulletins are aimed _____ a middle-aged, professional audience.
A. for B. to C. in D. at
13. I have no idea whether the restaurant will be open – we’ll just have to take pot _____.
A. choice B. chance C. luck D. fortune
14. Some intriguing new facts _____ to light during the course of the investigation.
A. came B. brought C. turned D. made
15. The evidence that carbon dioxide levels are rising is _____.
A. inevitable B. unavoidable C. indelible D. undeniable
Part 11: Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence
printed.
1. We didn’t see a soul all day. → Not ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Gerry has applied for the job of financial director. → Gerry has put ……………………………………………………………….
3. Our teacher used Sophia as an example of a good student.
→ Our teacher held ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. I’m not much interested in sports. → I don’t really go ……………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Terry was rude but Anne got her revenge on him. → Anne paid …………………………………………………………………..
Part 12. Write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence, using the words given
in capital letters. These words must not be altered in any way.
1. The houses that were very close to the blast were badly damaged. (immediate)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. They were married last year. (man) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. He admits he’s not one of the important members of the organization. (cog)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. You’ve been deceived by them. (ride) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. It didn’t take us long to finish doing the accounts. (short) ………………………………………………………………………………….

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 Pham Thu – Bien Hoa Gifted High School