PRACTICE TEST 6

PART A: LISTENING. You are going to listen to this telephone conversation between JON and
JANICE and answer the questions. You should write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A
NUMBER for each answer. You will hear the recording TWICE.

Areas dealt with: (1) _____________ , North suburbs

-Rent: from (2) £ _______ to £ 500 a month
-Depends on: the area availability (3) _________ . garage
Properties available : West Park Road
-rent (4) £ ___________ a month including (5) _________ bill
-Tithe Road rent £ 380 a month including (6) _________ rental
Viewing arrangements: meet at office on (7) __________ afternoon at 5.00 pm
-Need: letter from bank reference from your (8) ___________.
-Must: give (9) ___________ notice of moving in give deposit of (10) ___________ pay for contract

PART B: PHONETICS.
Identify the word whose main stress is different from that of the others in each group.
1. A. interest B. important C. decision D. relation
2. A. damage B. arrange C. pocket D. nature
3. A. eternal B. essential C. immoral D. practical
4. A. begin B. polite C. attend D. keenness
5. A. popularity B. investigate C. university D. similarity
PART C: VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR
I. Choose the right word or phrase to complete the sentences.
1. Julie has ______ out of playing with dolls.
A. developed B. moved C. removed D. grown
2. Mike ______ in for sailing after he made friends with Harry.
A. got B. went C. put D. came
3. The other runners were too far ahead for us to _____ up with.
A. catch B. go C. get D. turn
4. This is ______ road I’ve ever driven along.
A. the bumpy B. the bumpiest C. the bumpier D. bumpier
5. Jack ______ better if he had had more time.
A. could have done B. could do C. couldn’t do D. did
6. Keith is ______ taller than her brother.
A. lightly B. delicately C. sparely D. slightly
7. I must go to the dentist and ______ .
A. get my teeth to take care of B. take care of my teeth
C. my teeth be taken care of D. get my teeth taken care of
8. The last time I went to the supermarket I ended __ buying all the things I didn’t really need at all.
A. in B. to C. by D. up
9. ______ 20,000 people are thought to have attended the concert.
A. As much as B. More C. As many as D. Less than
10. ______ I cross the Channel by boat, I feel seasick.
A. Though B. As soon as C. So that D. Whenever
II. Choose a word or phrase in each of the following sentences that needs correcting.
1. Families (A) who are (B) enough fortunate to own a historic home (C) may be able (D) to get
restoration funds from the government.
2. The (A) first things a new (B) international student must do include renting an apartment,
registering (C) for classes, and (D) to get to know the city.
3. When parents allow (A) his children to spend (B) many hours watching television, the children
are not (C) likely to be (D) physically fit.
4. Jessica (A) is only (B) an amateur, but she sings (C) sweeter (D) than most professionals.
5. Mrs. Adams was (A) surprising that (B) her son and his friend (C) had gone to the mountains
(D) to ski.
III. Give the correct form of the word in blanket.
MOVING HOUSE
Moving house is said to be the third most stressful experience you can have (coming after the (1.
DIE) ______ of a close relative, or a divorce). The reason for this is partly the (2- ORGANISE)
______ involved, but also the feeling of (3. SECURITY) ______ caused by completely changing
your environment. Of course, a (4. SYSTEM) ______ approach can help ease the difficulties,
especially on the day of (5. REMOVE) ______. Plan your packing carefully or, better, employ a (6.
RELY) ______ company to pack and move your things. This will (7. CERTAIN) ______ lessen the
amount of damage to your (8. POSSESS) ______. It’s also a good idea to take out (9. INSURE)
______. Some worry is, of course, (10. AVOID) ______ but try to keep calm and look forward to
life in your new home.
PART D: READING
I.Read the passage and fill each gap with ONE suitable word.
They call New York “the Big Apple”. Maybe it’s not (1) ______ like an apple, but it’s certainly very
big. There are too many people, that’s the (2) ______. The street are always full of cars and trucks,
and you can never find a (3) ______ to park. If you have enough money, you can take a taxi. New
York cabs are yellow. They look all the same. But the drivers are very (4) ______. Some were born
and (5) ______ up in New York, but many are (6) ______ to the United States. A few drive slowly,
but most go very, very fast. Cab (7) ______ is a difficult job. It can be dangerous, too. Thieves often
try to steal the drivers’ money. Drivers sometimes get hurt. If you don’t want to take a taxi, you can
go by bus or you can take a subway. The (8) ______ is quick, and it’s cheap, but parts of it are old
(9)______ dirty. Lights don’t always work and there are often fires on the track. On some subway
lines, there are new, clean, silver trains. But you can’t see the color of the old trains easily. There is
too much dirt and too much graffiti, inside and (10) ______.
II.Choose the best answer from the four options marked A, B, C or D to complete each numbered
gap in the passage below.
School exams are, generally speaking, the first kind of tests we take. They find out how much
knowledge we have gained. But do they really show how intelligent we are? After all, isn’t it a
(1)______ that some people who are very academically successful don’t have any common sense?
Intelligence is the speed (2)______ which we can understand and react to new situation and it is
usually tested by logic puzzles. Although scientists are now preparing (3) ______ computer
technology that will be able to ‘read’ our brains, (4) ______ tests are still the most popular ways of
measuring intelligence. A person’s IQ is their intelligence (5) ______ it is measured by a special
test. The most common IQ tests are (6) ______ by Mensa, an organization that was founded in
England in 1946. By 1976, it (7) ______ 1,300 members in Britain. Today there are 44,000 in
Britain and 100,000 worldwide, largely in the US. People taking the tests are judged in (8) ______ to
an average score of 100, and those who score over 148 are entitled to join Mensa. This works out at
percent of the population. Anyone from the age of six can take the tests. All the questions are
straightforward and most people can answer them if (9) ______ enough time. But that’s the problem,
the whole (10) ______ of the tests is that they’re against the clock.
1. A. case B. fact C. circumstance D. truth
2. A. on B. to C. in D. at
3. A. advanced B. forward C. ahead D. upper
4. A. at this age B. for the present C. at the time D. now and then
5. A. how B. that C. as D. so
6. A. appointed B. commanded C. run D. steered
7. A. held B. had C. kept D. belonged
8. A. concerned B. relation C. regard D. association
9. A. allowed B. spared C. let D. provided
10. A. reason B. point C. matter D. question
III. Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow by choosing A, B, C or
D.
Cholera, a highly infectious disease, has resulted in millions of deaths time after time over
centuries. It is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, first isolated by Robert Koch in 1883.
The organism enters the body through the digestive tract when contaminated food or water is
ingested. The bacteria multiply in the digestive tract and establish infection. As they die, they release
a potent toxin that leads to severe diarrhea and vomiting. This results in extreme dehydration,
muscle cramps, kidney failure, collapse and sometimes death. If the disease is treated promptly,
death is less likely.
In many countries, a common source of the organism is raw or poorly cooked seafood, taken
from the contaminated waters. The disease is especially prevalent after a natural disaster or other
destruction that results in a lack of fresh water. Sewer systems fail and waste travels into rivers or
streams; piped water is not available so people must take their drinking and cooking water from
rivers or streams. Because people frequently develop communities along waterways, the disease can
be spread easily from one community to the next community down streams, resulting in serious
epidemics.
1. The word infectious in the first sentence is closest in meaning to ______.
A. communicable B. severe C. isolated D. common
2. According to the passage, cholera is caused by ______.
A. a virus B. a bacterium C. kidney failure D. dehydration
3. All of the following are probable causes of infection EXCEPT ______.
A. eating food cooked with contaminated water
B. eating undercooked seafood
 C. eating overcooked pork
D. eating raw oysters
4. According to the passage, what is a symptom of the infection?
A. Release of a toxin by the bacteria B. Regurgitation
C. Overeating D. Epidemics
5. Which of the following would be an appropriate title for this passage?
A. Dysentery and its effects
B. Water Purification Systems and Their Importance
C. Results of Wars and Natural Disasters
D. The Causes and Effects of Cholera
6. The word prevalent in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. dangerous B. commonplace C. unusual D. organized
7. The word lack in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. contamination B. multitude C. shortage D. well
8. According to the passage, cholera ______.
A. is easily passed from one person to another
B. is not a real threat
C. is no more dangerous than the common cold
D. cannot be passed from one to another by casual contact
9. What can you infer from the passage?
A. Careful cooking and hygiene practices can reduce the chance of getting the disease
B. Water mixed with other substances will not pass the disease
C. The respiratory system is the most common area of entrance
D. Kidney disease is the most common cause of the disease
10. The word epidemics at the end of the passage is closest in meaning to ______.
A. studies B. illness C. bacteria D. plagues
IV. Read the passage about Nutmeg - a valuable spice and answer the questions from 1 to 13.
Nutmeg - a valuable spice
The nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, is a large evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. Until the late
18th century, it only grew in one place in the world: a small group of islands in the Banda Sea, part
of the Moluccas – or Spice Islands – in northeastern Indonesia. The tree is thickly branched with
dense foliage of tough, dark green oval leaves, and produces small, yellow, bell-shaped flowers and
pale yellow pear-shaped fruits. The fruit is encased in a flesh husk. When the fruit is ripe, this husk
splits into two halves along a ridge running the length of the fruit. Inside is a purple-brown shiny
seed, 2-3 cm long by about 2 cm across, surrounded by a lacy red or crimson covering called an
‘aril’. These are the sources of the two spices nutmeg and mace, the former being produced from the
dried seed and the latter from the aril.

Nutmeg was a highly prized and costly ingredient in European cuisine in the Middle Ages, and was
used as a flavouring, medicinal, and preservative agent. Throughout this period, the Arabs were the
exclusive importers of the spice to Europe. They sold nutmeg for high prices to merchants based in
Venice, but they never revealed the exact location of the source of this extremely valuable
commodity. The Arab-Venetian dominance of the trade finally ended in 1512, when the Portuguese
reached the Banda Islands and began exploiting its precious resources.

Always in danger of competition from neighbouring Spain, the Portuguese began subcontracting
their spice distribution to Dutch traders. Profits began to flow into the Netherlands, and the Dutch
commercial fleet swiftly grew into one of the largest in the world. The Dutch quietly gained control
of most of the shipping and trading of spices in Northern Europe. Then, in 1580, Portugal fell under
Spanish rule, and by the end of the 16th century the Dutch found themselves locked out of the
market. As prices for pepper, nutmeg, and other spices soared across Europe, they decided to fight
back.

In 1602, Dutch merchants founded the VOC, a trading corporation better known as the Dutch East
India Company. By 1617, the VOC was the richest commercial operation in the world. The company
had 50,000 employees worldwide, with a private army of 30,000 men and a fleet of 200 ships. At the
same time, thousands of people across Europe were dying of the plague, a highly contagious and
deadly disease. Doctors were desperate for a way to stop the spread of this disease, and they decided
nutmeg held the cure. Everybody wanted nutmeg, and many were willing to spare no expense to
have it. Nutmeg bought for a few pennies in Indonesia could be sold for 68,000 times its original
cost on the streets of London. The only problem was the short supply. And that’s where the Dutch
found their opportunity.
The Banda Islands were ruled by local sultans who insisted on maintaining a neutral trading policy
towards foreign powers. This allowed them to avoid the presence of Portuguese or Spanish troops on
their soil, but it also left them unprotected from other invaders. In 1621, the Dutch arrived and took
over. Once securely in control of the Bandas, the Dutch went to work protecting their new
investment. They concentrated all nutmeg production into a few easily guarded areas, uprooting and
 destroying any trees outside the plantation zones. Anyone caught growing a nutmeg seedling or
carrying seeds without the proper authority was severely punished. In addition, all exported nutmeg
was covered with lime to make sure there was no chance a fertile seed which could be grown
elsewhere would leave the islands. There was only one obstacle to Dutch domination. One of the
Banda Islands, a sliver of land called Run, only 3 km long by less than 1 km wide, was under the
control of the British. After decades of fighting for control of this tiny island, the Dutch and British
arrived at a compromise settlement, the Treaty of Breda, in 1667. Intent on securing their hold over
every nutmeg-producing island, the Dutch offered a trade: if the British would give them the island
of Run, they would in turn give Britain a distant and much less valuable island in North America.
The British agreed. That other island was Manhattan, which is how New Amsterdam became New
York. The Dutch now had a monopoly over the nutmeg trade which would last for another century.
Then, in 1770, a Frenchman named Pierre Poivre successfully smuggled nutmeg plants to safety in
Mauritius, an island off the coast of Africa. Some of these were later exported to the Caribbean
where they thrived, especially on the island of Grenada. Next, in 1778, a volcanic eruption in the
Banda region caused a tsunami that wiped out half the nutmeg groves. Finally, in 1809, the British
returned to Indonesia and seized the Banda Islands by force. They returned the islands to the Dutch
in 1817, but not before transplanting hundreds of nutmeg seedlings to plantations in several
locations across southern Asia. The Dutch nutmeg monopoly was over.
Today, nutmeg is grown in Indonesia, the Caribbean, India, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Sri
Lanka, and world nutmeg production is estimated to average between 10,000 and 12,000 tonnes per
year.
Questions 1-4
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
The nutmeg tree and fruit
 the leaves of the tree are 1 .................... in shape
 the 2 .................... surrounds the fruit and breaks open when the fruit is ripe
 the 3 .................... is used to produce the spice nutmeg
 the covering known as the aril is used to produce 4 ....................
 the tree has yellow flowers and fruit

Questions 5-7 –Decide if the statements are TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN
5. In the Middle Ages, most Europeans knew where nutmeg was grown.
6. The VOC was the world’s first major trading company.

7. Following the Treaty of Breda, the Dutch had control of all the islands where nutmeg grew.

Questions 8-13
Complete the table below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Middle Ages Nutmeg was brought to Europe by the (8)
…………….
16th century European nations took control of the nutmeg
trade.
17th century Demand for nutmeg grew, as it was believed to
be effective against the disease known as the (9)
…………..
The Dutch
-took control of the Banda Islands
-restricted nutmeg production to a few areas
- put (10) ………….. on nutmeg to avoid it being
cultivated outside the islands.
- finally obtained the island of (11) ……………..
from the British.
Late 18th century 1770- nutmeg plants were secretly taken to (12)
………….
1778- half of Banda islands’ nutmeg plantations
were destroyed by a (13) ………………….

PART E: WRITING
Complete the second sentence so that it has the similar meaning to the first sentence.
1.I don’t intend to apologize to either of them.
→ I have ………………................................………………………………………………….
2.She has never been to the ballet before.
→ It is the ……………………................................……………………………………………
3.The result of the match was never in doubt.
→ At no time ……………………...............................…………………………………………
4. Under no circumstances should you phone the police.
→ The last ………………………….....................……………………………………………..
5. “You broke my bicycle, Minh!” said Hoa.
→ Mary accused ……………………................................…………………………………….
6. I didn’t know you were coming, so I didn’t wait for you.
→ If………………………………………………................................……………………….
7. When I picked up my pen I found that the nib had broken
→ On…………………………………………………................................……………………
8. There is no danger that you will fall from the verandah
→ There is no danger of………………………..............................……………………………
9. The sea was so cold that we couldn’t swim in it
. → The sea was too ……………………………............................……………………………
10. He felt too ill to get up.
→ He did not……………………………………………................................…………………

THE END OF THE TEST