11 UNIT 11 TEST | Higher B2

Listening
1 UT Track 11  Listen to an interview
about a scientist working in Antarctica.
Decide whether each statement is T (true),
F (false) or NM (not mentioned).
1 George started writing his blog after he arrived
in Antarctica.
T / F / NM
2 Only minor injuries are treated at the British
Antarctic base.
T / F / NM
3 When he was diving, George spent longer under
the ice than other scientists on his team.
T / F / NM
4 During the winter, George prefers working in the
laboratory to going on field trips.
T / F / NM
5 George spends some of his free time attending
musical events.
T / F / NM
2 UT Track 11  Listen again. Match sentence
beginnings 1–5 with sentence endings
A–G. There are two extra sentence endings
which you do not need.
1 George Fisher has gone to Antarctica to      4 Read the first sentence and complete the
2 Before leaving for Antarctica, George had
to      the verb in brackets in the correct form.
3 In the national park, George had to      1 ‘Have you been to the new art exhibition?’ Jody
4 In one recent blog post from Antarctica, George
explained how to      Jody                  to the new
5 Russell explains that George is not able
to      2 ‘You should have a rest. You look tired.’ Tricia
A make holes in the ice and dive underwater.
B learn survival skills in case he was unable to
return to his base.
C find much time to relax because of his busy
schedule.
D set up a new building for observing wildlife.
E learn about Antarctic journeys and scientific
studies from the past.
F play a musical instrument because he hasn’t
got enough time.
G carry out scientific research into marine life.
Grammar
3 Complete the email with one word or a
contraction in each space.
Hi Marco,
How are you? You weren’t at school today so I
wanted to tell you about the meeting for the
school trip. Mr Jones was complaining that some
students still (1)        handed in their
forms by yesterday’s deadline. If you haven’t
done that, he says you’ve got until Monday
morning! He explained that he (2)       
be able to apply for the travel visas without them.
He also said we (3)        to get some
injections before we could travel. They protect us
from certain illnesses which are common in that
part of the world. I asked him where we
(4)        get them done and he said our
normal doctors (5)        be able to give
them to us. There were lots of questions about
the details of the trip but Mr Jones said he was
going to organise another meeting to discuss that
in a couple of weeks’ time. The form and the
injections are the most important thing for now,
so don’t forget!
See you on Monday,
Nadia
second sentence using reported speech and
said to me. (ask)
art exhibition.
said to Laura. (suggest)
Tricia                  because
she looked tired.
3 ‘Will you be travelling alone?’ asked the travel
agent.
 he travel agent                 
T
travelling alone. (enquire)
4 ‘I’m not going with my sister!’ said Franz.
(explain)
Franz                  sister.
5 ‘You’re always picking on me!’ Rebecca said to
me. (complain)
Rebecca                  

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 11 UNIT 11 TEST | Higher B2

5 Rewrite the direct questions as indirect questions.

1 What time does the concert start?
I was wondering                  .
2 Did my daughter pass all of her exams?
Could you tell                  all of her exams?
3 Have you ever travelled abroad before?
I’d be grateful if you could tell me                  abroad before.
4 How long did you spend on your project?
I’d like to know                  on your project.
5 Why didn’t you call me straightaway?
Could you tell me                  straightaway?

6 Complete the dialogue with one word in each space.

Travel agent: Can I help you?
Vanessa: I’ve got a return ticket to Rome but I was (1)        if I could change my flights.
Travel agent: Would you like to change the days?
Vanessa: Yes, I would. But do you (2)        I could change the destination as well?
Travel agent: Let me see. Have you got the tickets with you?
Vanessa: I’m afraid I haven’t.
Travel agent: OK. Could you tell me (3)        the booking reference is?
Vanessa: Yes, I’ve got it in an email. One second … It’s JDU45875.
Travel agent: Thank you. (4)        you tell me which airline you’re flying with?
Vanessa: It’s Juno Air.
Travel agent: Let me see … The computer says you can change it. Where do you want to go?
Vanessa: I’d like to go to Pisa instead.
Travel agent: OK. That should be possible. I’d be grateful (5)        you could fill in this form,
indicating the new destination and the new dates.
Vanessa: Of course …

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 11 UNIT 11 TEST | Higher B2

Reading

Voluntary work abroad

A Are you looking for a different experience before starting university? If you are, you might consider voluntary
work abroad in the summer holidays. It is a great opportunity to experience a different culture while making a
contribution to the community. (1)     This will look great on your CV and help you decide if that career is really
for you.
B Many people who have had the chance to volunteer abroad will tell you how rewarding the experience was, both
for them and the people they worked with. ‘I was building affordable homes for people in Nepal,’ explains Uma, 19.
‘I spent two weeks working in a small Nepalese village and I helped build homes for two families. I felt that we’d
really made a difference to their day-to-day lives.’ Volunteering abroad, as in Uma’s case, can have a positive impact.
(2)     
C However, before deciding to enrol on an overseas volunteer programme it is important to weigh up the benefits
for you and the local community. (3)     If you can only spare a few weeks, you need to be realistic about what
you can achieve. For example, if you are planning on teaching English to school pupils, you will probably need to
spend several months working with them in order to see real progress. ‘I was teaching English to primary school
kids in Ecuador,’ explains Connie, 19. ‘At the end of the two weeks, I was disappointed because they couldn’t speak
much more English than when I arrived. To be honest, I wish I’d chosen a different project like building a classroom.
It would have been finished when I left and the villagers would be using it now.’
D It is important to consider whether the project you are working on will have a sustainable impact on the local
community. This means asking yourself whether your contribution will continue to make a difference in the future.
It also means that you should take environmental considerations into account. There are a number of voluntary
organisations which are aware of the value of sustainable development and they will work out long-term objectives
with the local people. ‘The organisation I chose had close ties with a village in central Africa,’ says Jon, 18.
‘(4)     It made me proud that my work would have long-lasting benefits.’
E  When considering voluntary work abroad, think carefully before deciding what to do. It can be tempting to
choose a project based on its location or the opportunities for sightseeing. However, the people who need most
help are often not in the most exotic places and there might not be much to do in your free time. Therefore, if your
intention is to make a real difference, you need to make your decision by thinking about what you can offer. You
need to ask yourself what skills you can contribute and how much time can you give. (5)     If you do these
things, volunteering abroad is sure to be a positive experience for everyone.

7 Read the article and then match the paragraphs (A–E) to the summaries.
1 It’s been said that volunteering abroad can benefit the volunteer and the community in which they are
working.     
2 Certain voluntary projects develop close working relationships with local communities to decide on their
goals.     
3 There are a number of benefits of working abroad, particularly for young people who are starting to think
about their future.     
4 Some people have found that the amount of time they could give was not enough to make the contribution
they would have liked.     
5 You need to think carefully about what skills and how much time you can contribute before you commit to
volunteering abroad.     

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 11 UNIT 11 TEST | Higher B2

8 Read the article again. Choose which 10 Complete the sentences with one word
sentence (A–G) fits each gap (1–5). There from each box in the correct form.
are two extra sentences which you do not
need. check | get | head away | for | off
AT
 hey had worked out a five-year plan to pick | see out | up
improve the water supply in the village using
1 I hope my dad comes to       
solar-powered water pumps.
us        at the station. I’d hate to
BA
 n important consideration, which is easy to leave without saying goodbye.
overlook, is how much time you can dedicate.
2 Henna is hoping to               for
CE
 ven when you add the price of the flights the weekend. She hasn’t been on holiday for
on, these organisations generally offer a very ages.
good deal.
3 I was wondering if you’d        me
DT
 his is especially true when the volunteer        from the concert? It’ll be too late
leaves something useful behind when they to get a bus.
go, such as housing, school buildings, better
4 You must               at the hotel
health conditions or language skills.
reception before ten o’clock in the morning.
EO
 nce you’ve decided what you can offer,
5 Graham               the school
look for a respected organisation which
gates when I saw him.
is committed to making a long-lasting
contribution to the local community.
FT
 he problem with building houses in Nepal
was that nobody really needed them.
11 Complete the sentences with the correct
GN
 ot only that, but there’s the added bonus that form of the words in the box and a
you can get valuable experience in jobs such preposition.
as teaching, nursing and engineering.
do | keen | look | separate | upset

1 In case we get              each
other during the concert, text me and let me
Vocabulary know where I can find you.
9 Complete the sentences with one word 2 Andrew’s very              losing
his phone. I hope he finds it.
in each space. The first letter is there to
help you. 3 What do you think we should
             food for the party?
1 When I was in the Lake District in England, we
Shall we just get crisps and snacks?
went on a lovely e       by coach to Lake
Windermere. 4 I’d been              to meeting
Wanda for a long time, so it was wonderful when
2 You normally have to be at the boarding
I finally met her.
g       at least thirty minutes before take-
off. 5 I’ve never been              sushi.
I prefer my fish to be cooked.
3 We can get a taxi from my house to the station.
It’s only a short r      .

4 Charles Darwin wrote a famous book about his
v       on a ship called the Beagle.
5 This train is normally packed with
c       on their way to work at this time
of the morning.

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 11 UNIT 11 TEST | Higher B2

12 Complete the text with the correct words (a, b, c or d).

My family and I are lucky enough to live near the mountains and normally it only takes us about ninety
minutes to get there. We’d decided to go last weekend, so we set (1)     as soon as my mum finished work.
We left at six o’clock and hoped to be there by eight. However, we were about an hour into our
(2)     when the weather started getting quite bad. There was a lot of snow, so we stopped to put snow
chains on the wheels. Although someone had warned us (3)     snow storms, we hadn’t realised it would
be that bad. With the snow chains on, we carried on driving for a bit but it was impossible to see the road
ahead. At that point, my mum decided to turn (4)     and go back home. At first, my sister and I were upset
because we really wanted to go skiing but we realised there was no point (5)     carrying on. I just hope
the weather’s a bit better the next time we go.
1 a) in b) out c) away d) up
2 a) excursion b) ride c) voyage d) journey
3 a) about b) of c) for d) against
4 a) away b) up c) round d) down
5 a) of b) in c) at d) on

Speaking
13 Complete the dialogue with one word from each box in each space.
be | good | kind | tempted | thought about | honest | of | question | to

Teacher: What would you like to do on your next holiday?

Student: I haven’t really (1)              that because I’ve been so busy at school. That’s a very
(2)             . I’d be (3)              say that I’d like to go on a beach
holiday somewhere warm. I could spend time swimming and sunbathing and it would be really
relaxing. To (4)              though, I always feel like I should use my holidays better.
I’m the (5)              person who wants to see the world and experience different
cultures, so I’d probably prefer to go somewhere different.

14 Answer the interview questions with at least two sentences.

1 Would you like to go on an adventure holiday? Why (not)?
                                                     
                                                     
2 Would you rather go on holiday with your friends or your family?
                                                     
                                                     
3 Would you be interested in doing voluntary work abroad?
                                                     
                                                     
4 Which form of transport do you prefer when you go on holiday?
                                                     
                                                     
5 Do you prefer to stay near home or travel far away on holiday?
                                                     
                                                     

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 11 UNIT 11 TEST | Higher B2

Use of English
15 Write a form of the word in capitals in each gap to complete the text.
Pickpockets
For many people going on city breaks, their biggest fear is the pickpocket. Most tourist
destinations are a magnet for these thieves, who target tourists, taking money, passports
and other (1)        while the owner is unaware of what is happening. This can be VALUE
(2)        inconvenient for the victim. For example, if you lose your passport, you HUGE
will probably have to spend the rest of your holiday making a lot of (3)        to ARRANGE
replace it. Not surprisingly, most tourists take particular care to keep their belongings
well out of reach of the pickpockets. Recently, however, a new threat has appeared in the
form of remote credit card readers. Some pickpockets now carry these devices which,
when (4)        , can instantly take money from your bank account. Any new ACTIVATE
‘contactless’ cards are at risk and the pickpocket does not even have to touch you. It
seems that tourists are largely (5)        in this situation and the only thing you HELP
can do is to leave your card at home.

16 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 ‘I won’t help you if you keep talking to me like that,’ Owen said to me.
WOULD
Owen said                  if I kept talking to him like that.
2 ‘We’re hoping to go on holiday for a few days,’ said Sally.
AWAY
Sally said she                  for a few days.
3 ‘Tidy your room at once!’ said my dad.
ORDERED
My dad                  room at once.
4 There were so many people at the concert that we couldn’t find Jim and Daisy.
CROWDED
The concert                  people that we couldn’t find Jim and Daisy.
5 ‘Is it OK if we pay the bill and leave the hotel in the afternoon?’ we asked the receptionist.
CHECK
We asked the receptionist                  of the hotel in the afternoon.

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 11 UNIT 11 TEST | Higher B2

Writing
17 Choose the correct options to make the sentences informal.
1 If you ever go to Paris, you must certainly spend some time at / absolutely check out the Eiffel Tower.
2 We were lucky in that we finally got to / eventually managed to see some dolphins really close to our boat.
3 Fiona is looking forward to spending / can’t wait to spend some time with her friend from Canada.
4 There are plenty of / loads of interesting things to do in Saint Petersburg.
5 I couldn’t believe / was very surprised that our hotel room was so dirty.

18 Look at the writing task and write your email.

You have received an email from a friend asking about your holiday. Write a reply.

From: Patrick
Subject: Unusual holidays
I’m writing a blog post on unusual holidays. I know you went on an unusual holiday so I’d like to include
your story. Where did you go? What made it so unusual? Tell me all about it!

                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     
                                                     

Total score

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