OVERALL PRACTICE TEST

LISTENING
SECTION 1: You will hear a radio report about a wildlife holiday in Yellowstone National Park in the USA. For
questions 1 to 9, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase. You will listen to the report TWICE.
Michela describes the man she met in Canada as being (1)__________ by his experience. As a species, a wolf
is now officially classed as (2)__________ in North America. It is thought as many as (3)__________ visitors have seen
the reintroduced wolves at Yellowstone. On Michela’s first evening in Yellowstone, a (4)__________ gave visitors a talk
about wolves. Coyotes, which have long ears and (5)__________ colouring, are often mistaken for wolves. Michela’s
personal guide originally trained to be a (6)__________. Around half the wolves in the park are now fitted with
(7)__________ to help people locate them. Ken advised Michela to look for wolves on hillsides where (8)__________
could be seen through the snow. Michela used a particularly good (9)__________ to study the wolf she eventually saw.

SECTION 2: You will hear two singer-songwriters, Cathy and Paul talking about their approach to writing songs.
For questions 10 to 15, decide whether opinions are expressed by only one of the speakers or whether the
speakers agree. Write C for Cathy, P for Paul, and B for both (when they agree). You will listen to the talk TWICE.
10. ___________ Many of my songs have never been recorded.
11. ___________ I have to view songwriting as a job.
12. ___________ I rarely have difficulty in coming up with new songs.
13. ___________ I don’t allow myself to waste time on a song that is hard to complete.
14. ___________ I’ve been surprised by the success of some of my songs.
15. ___________ I need to have an idea before I can write a song.

SECTION 3: You will hear an interview with Simon Hemmings, who works as a fight director in the theater. For
questions 16 to 20, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. You will listen
to the interview TWICE.
16. According to Simon, during a fight scene, the audience should
A. feel the actors are really in danger.
B. see that the swords are not real.
C. be totally involved in the play itself.
D. be aware of the safety measures he adopts.
17. When casting the play, the theatre was looking for actors who had
A. previous experience of fighting on stage.
B. familiarity with the design of the theatre.
C. a willingness to learn a new set of skills.
D. previous training in how to handle a sword.
18. What does Simon say the actors must do during the performance?
A. improvise to cover up their mistakes.
B. adhere closely to the agreed fight text.
C. help colleagues who forget their lines.
D. involve the audience as much as possible.
19. Simon was particularly concerned that the fight scenes in this play might become
A. repetitive. B. ridiculous. C. inauthentic. D. inelegant.
20. According to Simon, fight scenes on stage should not
A. become too violent. B. appear over-practiced.
C. be taken too seriously. D. actually upset people.

USE OF ENGLISH Choose the best answer A, B, C, or D to complete each blank.

1. I get absolutely no job _______ when my work load is so high.
A. contentment B. satisfaction C. gratification D. pleasure
2. You should have suitable work clothes and remember to keep your work free from _______.
A. clutter B. cluster C. cram D. pack
3. The _______ of online media has affected the sale of traditional newspapers and magazines.
A. immersion B. convergence C. permeation D. emergence
4. Plenty of countries in Europe restrict free speech, but, using the internet, _______ can speak freely to their supporters.
A. dissidents B. rivals C. protesters D. proponents
5. Though claimed as an effective teaching method, a teacher’s severity could _______ the children’s openness in the
education process.
A. deny B. deprive C. compromise D. negate
6. Farmers complain that margins are very _______ today largely because the supermarkets dictate the prices they can
get for their produce.
A. dwindled B. tight C. narrow D. slim
7. I have got _______ years left in me; I am not that old.
A. some few B. a good few C. a great deal of D. a few and so
8. My brother and I never really got on very well. We were constantly _______.
A. at loggerheads B. like a sore thumb C. like a cat on hot bricks D. chalk and cheese
9. Women nowadays have to perform a(n) _______ act between looking after children and working outside.
A. levelling B. equating C. balancing D. redressing
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10. To adults, _______ beliefs and values in children is not as easy as it was twenty years ago.
A. instilling B. etching C. engraving D. provoking
11. In harsh business competition, almost any company is _______ out for fresh new talent.
A. looking B. searching C. crying D. watching
12. I want to take part in the New York marathon, so I am _______ out five times a week.
A. working B. exercising C. training D. practicing
13. Many graduates find work in _______ centers, dealing with customer enquiries.
A. phone B. media C. call D. ring
14. There is no point in getting angry. Try to _______ your energy into something constructive.
A. turn B. guide C. control D. channel
15. A breaking voice marks the _______ of adolescence in boys.
A. outset B. onset C. offset D. inset
16. She spent three weeks researching the perfect venue before she actually _______ anywhere.
A. opted B. agreed C. chose D. decided
17. I was talking to _______ the receptionist about the bad condition of the hotel room.
A. no one rather than B. no one better than C. none other than D. none whatsover rather
18. It was one of the year’s most popular events, with _______ audiences every night.
A. full B. capacity C. utmost D. exhaustive
19. Designers try to get celebrity _______ of their products, as a kind of walking advertisement.
A. endorsements B. coverages C. commitments D. constitutions
20. They were accused of _______ of the terms of the contract, thus being liable for the payment.
A. non-conformity B. non-observance C. non-abiding D. non-compliance
21. Parents are _______ proud of their own children’s success, for they are the very first to construct it.
A. reasonably B. logically C. sensibly D. justifiably
22. The judge is soft on first-time offenders. Usually, all he does is give them _______.
A. a peck on the cheek B. a pain in the neck
C. a slap on the wrist D. a pat on the back
23. The foreigners were amazed at the _______ variety of goods in the huge department store.
A. confusing B. complex C. beleaguered D. bewildering
24. After years of devotion and persistence, the scientists have achieved _______ deserved success.
A. fitfully B. sheer C. utterly D. richly
25. Gina wishes she had produced a better script for the sit-com. It is clear that the spirit is willing, but the _______ is
weak.
A. mind B. body C. flesh D. heart
26. Some houses in the black’s neighborhood were burnt down _______ the murder of the young white man.
A. in reprisal for B. in return for C. in retaliation of D. in the teeth of
27. S1: “What are his plans for after graduation? S2: “He’s got a summer job, but _______ he has no idea.
A. since which time B. by then C. beyond that D. until later
28. I’ll leave you my phone number in case _______ in touch with me.
A. you must get B. of getting C. you should get D. you need getting
29. The news report on the African famine was so touching with the images of starving children with _______ bellies.
A. disemboweled B. distempered C. distended D. distilled
30. She has never been to Brazil before; _______ a chance to apply for a job in a Hispanic country.
A. neither she has got B. she hasn’t, too, got
C. not even she has got D. nor has she got
31. The local committee doubted that smart classes _______ out any benefits to the children in the rural areas.
A. would bring B. would not bring C. should bring D. might not bring
32. While you pedal _______ on the exercise bicycle, a machine will be monitoring your breathing and hear rate.
A. off B. away C. in D. out
33. If I were you I’d apologize _______ for negligence.
A. for fear of him suing B. for fear that he sues
C. so that he not sue D. in order that he should not sue
34. You have been _______ lately. Is everything going OK at work?
A. within limits B. out of line C. off limits D. on edge
35. Garbage _______, the beach looked much better than it used to be.
A. collected B. collecting C. had been collected D. was collected
36. Susie would sooner _______ the speech in a more impressive way; the audience could have been convinced.
A. she had delivered B. deliver C. have delivered D. she delivered
37. The teacher insisted that Jackie _______ the answers from his friends.
A. not copy B. did not copy C. would not copy D. should not have copied
38. The cashier can’t have given us the change, _______?
A. can she B. did she C. hasn’t she D. must she
39. Carlos is hopeless _______ making decisions. He even dithers for ages over which toothpaste to buy.
A. for B. at C. about D. in
40. To trace the package, you need to know the exact address of the person _______.
A. that sent B. to whom you sent C. it was sent to D. you sent to

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41. _______ we refused to cooperate further with that company.
A. Such annoyance was it B. Ours was so annoyance
C. Such was our annoyance D. We were so annoying
42. Dave _______ in the team today if he had not gone down with an attack of asthma.
A. would have played B. was playing
C. would have been playing D. would be playing
43. After hearing the insults, the young man stomped out of the room in high _______.
A. dudgeon B. rage C. taciturnity D. oscillation
44. We have a lot of _______ data which suggest the problem is on the increase.
A. empirical B. informed C. substantive D. static
45. The local factory could _______ 1,500 engines a day before the Second World War.
A. pull through B. turn out C. give in D. bring out
46. It was Janet, his long-serving assistant _______ in high esteem.
A. who held B. that held C. that he held D. for whom he held
47. Why do all of you intend to report on the same author? _______ the books from the library at the same time I can’t
figure out.
A. How can you borrow B. That you could borrow
C. Whether or not you borrow D. How you can borrow
48. Supposing we ______ all those years ago, who do you think you _______?
A. had never met – should marry B. had never met – might have married
C. did not meet – might have married D. did not meet – might marry
49. A photo of a crying girl _______ my attention.
A. held B. maintained C. sustained D. arrested
50. It’s a _______ that new mothers have to go back to work after six weeks.
A. crying shame B. going concern C. laughing matter D. running joke

GUIDED CLOZE
Read the passage and choose the best option (A, B, C or D) for each blank space.
PASSAGE A
‘We live in a (1)_____ age. Young people no longer respect their parents. They are rude and impatient. They
frequently (2)_____ taverns and have no self-control.’
Does this sound familiar? Those who think it does may be surprised to find out that this comment is actually a(n)
(3)_____ from an Ancient Egyptian tomb. However, replace the word ‘taverns’ with ‘bars’ and it may begin to sound all
(4)_____ familiar to today’s youth.
It seems that people manage to find a way to complain about the youth today from every possible (5)_____.
Whether in newspapers, television shows, or even general (6)_____ – young people seem to be everyone’s favourite
(7)_____. People may claim that young people are getting rowdier, or have become ruder than the ‘good old days’,
when they (8)_____ respect to their elders. The ‘good old days’ refer to people’s nostalgic memories of the past.
However, have there ever been any ‘good old days’ when it comes to young people? (9)_____ there be any truth
to the claims that today’s young generation is the worst ever? Or are these complaints something which every young
generation has had to (10)_____ deal with since Ancient Egypt?
I believe that there is probably some truth to the idea that young people are more impatient than they once were.
Isn’t this obvious, (11)_____? We live in an extremely connected world with huge (12)_____ of information right at our
fingertips. Technology has enabled us to do things more quickly, so naturally, we expect things to be done more quickly.
This doesn’t just apply to young people though, this applies to us all!
Nevertheless, people may still argue that young people are more arrogant and reckless than they once were.
(13)_____ this is because young people are (14)_____ portrayed in the media, or because they actually are getting
worse, is (15)_____ discussion.
1. A. decaying B. distorting C. deteriorating D. rotting
2. A. linger B. hang round C. reside D. inhabit
3. A. engraving B. milestone C. resume D. inscription
4. A. so B. too C. way D. same
5. A. look B. angle C. spectacle D. touch
6. A. twitter B. tic-tac C. chit-chat D. walkie-talkie
7. A. scapegoats B. new brooms C. brushwoods D. falling stars
8. A. launched B. showed C. presented D. conveyed
9. A. Would B. Will C. Could D. Should
10. A. just B. simply C. fully D. faintly
11. A. then B. hence C. too D. though
12. A. amounts B. chunks C. numbers D. pieces
13. A. That B. The fact that C. Whether D. Either
14. A. aptly B. unfairly C. ineptly D. negatively
15. A. up for B. open for C. welcome in D. round to

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PASSAGE B
At present, scientists simply do not know the right criteria for (16)_____ making a clone of an animal. So far five
species have been cloned – cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and mice – but at a (17)_____ price. For example, a total of 8,919
eggs from cows have been used to create cloned embryos, of which only 71 live calves were born. More than a
quarter of these were larger than normal, some had serious mental (18)_____ and many were found to have
underdeveloped lungs. Twenty-six of them died young, making a(n) (19)_____ success rate of about one in 200
eggs. There is no reason to assume that the success rate for humans would be better and the disappointment and
pain caused by miscarriages, deformities and early deaths would (20)_____ be much greater.
(21)_____ though these arguments against human reproductive cloning are, the (22)_____ of success is even
more alarming. Imagine this scenario: a young boy grows up in the (23)_____ of a gifted brother killed in a car
accident. At each stage in his life, the achievements of his (24)_____ sibling are (25)_____ up to him and his own
(26)_____ are constantly ridiculed. Normally such a child would protest that he should not
have to live up to unreal expectations. But this boy cannot, for he is a clone, create from a cell taken from his
brother's body. Or consider the situation in which a person creates a clone of himself or herself to (27)_____ infertility. A
child created this way would be the identical genetic copy of his father (or mother). So how would he react if his parent
(28)_____ prematurely to an illness of genetic origin? Such worries may once have seemed (29)_____ and remote,
but, according to Ian Wilmut, creator of the world's first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep, the issue is so (30)_____ as
to demand a national debate among psychologists and biologists.
16. A. accordingly B. masterfully C. invariably D. consistently
17. A. grave B. stark C. dim D. grim
18. A. breakages B. abnormalities C. misconceptions D. vagueness
19. A. overall B. holistic C. sweeping D. general
20. A. undoubtedly B. unknowingly C. inconceivably D. responsively
21. A. Digestible B. Implicit C. Cogent D. Palatable
22. A. prospect B. vista C. scope D. expectation
23. A. shade B. shadow C. shelter D. realm
24. A. deceased B. mortal C. dying D. passing
25. A. locked B. held C. choked D. cut
26. A. clinkers B. limitations C. restraints D. failings
27. A. counter B. rise above C. overcome D. get over
28. A. suffered B. transmitted C. succumbed D. inherited
29. A. extensive B. fanciful C. deceptive D. fictitious
30. A. intensive B. heated C. importunate D. pressing

WORD FORMS
Use the correct form of the word given to fill in each blank.
1. CRS in France is a __________ organization which can help the official army of the country. (MILITARY)
2. Teenagers nowadays love to make use of blending technique in their __________ of new words for their own
communication. (COIN)
3. It is essential that the government exercise __________ in the hope of healthy development of its economy.
(INTERVENE)
4. Dan Brown’s works, most of which have attractive plots, are considered __________ to a great number of
readers. (PUT)
5. The local festival and the football match __________ took place, turning a quiet town into a noisy congested
tourist attraction. (CONTEMPORARY)
6. Good pool players believe they are having a happy life without realizing their __________ youth. (SPEND)
7. Two Chinese girls __________ talked to each other in Mandarin in a crowded bus. (CONSCIOUS)
8. Good dictionary definitions __________ between similar meanings. (AMBIGUOUS)
9. The recent factory closures and job losses are just a(n) __________ of the recession that is to come. (TASTY)
10. O’Neill Cycles provides very good __________ services, with a ten-year guarantee and a one-year parts
guarantee. (SELL)
11. Traffic in Ho Chi Minh City has become __________ for the past few years. [GRID]
12. I wish the local authorities would make the city center more __________. [BICYCLE]
13. __________ material such as plastic and polymer are causing more and more damage to the environment.
[GRADE]
14. __________ play centers are valuable for all children to spend their free time. [SCHOOL]
15. The general opinion is that good qualifications are a __________ to a well-paid job. [GATE]
16. Examinations coming, education is once again in the __________. [SPOT]
17. There is a tendency in news reports to __________ complex issues to make the news more entertaining
[SIMPLE]
18. In focusing on vocational training, the official did not mean to __________ the role of university education.
[PLAY]
19. The opening ceremony ended __________ with fireworks. [SENSE]
20. Many parents __________ place their children in danger by not making sure they wear seat belts. [WIT]

OPEN CLOZE
Fill in each blank in the following passages with ONE suitable word to make meaningful passages.
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PASSAGE A
We live surrounded by objects and systems that we (1)________ for granted, and which profoundly change the
way we behave, think, work, play and at (2)________ lead our (3)________. Look, for example, at the place in which
you are reading this now, and see how much of (4)________ surrounds you is understandable, how much of it you
could either build yourself or repair if it (5)________ cease to function. When we start the car or (6)________ the button
in the elevator, or buy food in the supermarket, we (7)________ no thought to the complex devices or systems that
make the car move, or the elevator rise, or the food appear on the shelves. By this century we have become increasingly
relied on the products of technology. They have already changed our lives: at the simplest level, the availability of
transport (8)________ us physically less fit than our ancestors. Many people are alive only because they have been
given (9)________ to diseases through drugs. The vast (10)________ of the world’s population relies on the ability of
technology to provide and transport food. We are unable to feed or clothe or keep ourselves warm without technology.

PASSAGE B
When people play sports or spend a lot of time (11)________ on a hot day, their bodies become sticky and wet.
Sometimes this happens when people are nervous, excited, or anxious. This salty watery substance produced by the
human body is known as sweat. Although sweat may smell bad, it is mostly (12)________ of water. It has some minerals
as well, such as sodium, which is why it has a (13)________ taste. Sweat (14)________ because of a process known
as perspiration, which is essential to survival. Perspiring is a way of regulating body temperature. Perspiration on human
skin evaporates and takes heat away from the body before it damages our (15)________ organs. If this process doesn’t
work, the organs will not be able to function properly.
Fortunately, humans have sweat glands in the skin that become (16)________ when the brain senses that the
skin has become too hot. There are two kinds of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine. Eccrine sweat glands are all over
the body and are only found in primates and humans. They are the primary form of (17)________ for people. They are
believed to have developed along with people’s smooth and relatively hairless skin. Apocrine sweat glands are located
only in (18)________ certain areas of the body as the armpit. In the (19)________ of humans, these sweat glands are
mainly involved with hormonal and emotional stimulation. For many other animals, they are the most important to control
body heat. Both eccrine and apocrine sweat glands release sweat through the (20)________ of perspiration, helping
the body to cool down when it gets too hot.

PASSAGE C
Femininity today is associated with being independent, outspoken, compassionate and kind, a new study has
found. The research reveals how the idea of femininity has evolved over the decades - 50 years ago, 53 per cent of
people said to be (21)________ meant to be “a good mother and caring", while 41 per cent of people considered being
“delicate and sweet” an essential (22)________ of being a woman.
Now, however, attitudes have evolved, as the study of 2,000 women by Always Platinum reveals. Today, women
are striving to show compassion and kindness, be good friends and (23)________ other females in the workplace. The
study also found that 26 per cent of people believe it’s in (24)________ 30s that women find the perfect balance of
being soft and strong - almost 9 in 10 believe it’s possible to be assertive and get what you want in life whilst
(25)________ being caring.
The research confirms what many people will have already known about how the (26)________ of femininity
has evolved. As society makes (27)________ steps towards gender equality, what it means to be masculine has also
come under (28)________.
Many people have made strides to debunk concept of ‘toxic masculinity’ - the idea that being a man involves
being aggressive, stoic and dominant (29)________ women. As what it means to be feminine evolves, (30)________
seems to be developing too.

PASSAGE E
Journalists gather the news in a number of different (1) __________. They may get stories from pressure (2)
__________ which want to air their views in public. They seek publicity (3) __________ their opinions and may hold
press (4) __________ or may issue a press release. A person who especially wishes to attract news (5) __________
will try to (6) __________ a sound bite in what they say. It is particularly hard for journalists to get material (7)
__________ the silly season. Journalists also get stories by tapping useful sources (8) __________ by monitoring
international news (9) __________ like Reuters. The more important a story is, the more (10) __________ inches it will
be given in the newspaper.

PASSAGE F
One day it will seem strange (1) __________ retrospect, that we spent much more thought and effort on
developing human ability than on making good (2) __________ of it, once we had it. There innumerable examples. We
(3) __________ them in casual conversation and occasionally they catch a journalist’s attention.
Doctors provide a good source of complaints: they (4) __________ to undergo a particularly protracted and
detailed training and – at the end of it – many of them spend a substantial part of their (5) __________ day in relatively
routine or clerical operations. Has anyone ever considered how much money could be saved by splitting (6) __________
these two aspects of a GP’s job? Nurses have recently reiterated their age-old complaint that their scarce and (7)
__________ womanpower is frittered away in quite unskilled work. The educational world is (8) __________ of
examples of highly paid specialists typing their own letters with two (9) __________. We promote top research
academics to headships of departments and give them inadequate support services. Even in business, the provision of
secretarial help tends to go by seniority and not by the (10) __________ of routine work that has to be done.

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You are going to read an article about human behaviour. For questions 1-8, choose from the sections (A-D).
The sections may be chosen more than once.
Which section mentions ...
1. a strong reaction to news of the writer’s research?
2. one animal showing jealousy?
3. an animal thinking of the consequences of their actions?
4. any unfairness provoking a strong and selfish reaction?
5. the animal behaviour shown not going as far as equivalent human behaviour?
6. a sense of injustice from people having to cope with adverse conditions?
7. an explanation for the irrational sense of unfairness that humans or animals may show?
8. an animal’s feeling of injustice leading to irrational behaviour?

Do animals share our sense of unfairness over displays of greed?

A. How often have you seen rich people take to the streets, shouting that they’re earning too much? Protesters are
typically blue-collar workers yelling that the minimum wage has to go up, or that their jobs shouldn’t go overseas.
Concern about fairness is always asymmetrical, stronger in the poor than the rich. And the underlying emotions aren’t
as lofty as the ideal itself. Children become thoroughly indignant at the slightest discrepancy in, say, the size of their
slice of pizza compared to their sibling’s. Their shouts of ‘That’s not fair!’ never transcend their own desires. We’re all
for fair play so long as it helps us. There’s an old story about this, in which the owner of a vineyard rounds up labourers
at different times of day. Early in the morning he went out to find labourers, offering each 1 denarius. But he offered the
same to those hired later in the day. The workers hired first thing in the morning expected to get more since they had
worked through the heat of the day, yet the owner didn’t feel he owed them any more than he’d originally promised.
B. That this sense of unfairness may turn out to be quite ancient in evolutionary terms as well became clear when
graduate student Sarah Brosnan and I discovered it in monkeys. When testing pairs of capuchin monkeys, we noticed
how much they disliked seeing their partner get a better deal. We would offer a pebble to one of the pair and then hold
out a hand so that the monkey could give it back in exchange for a cucumber slice. Alternating between them, both
monkeys would happily barter 25 times in a row. The atmosphere turned sour, however, as soon as we introduced
inequality. One monkey would still receive cucumber, while its partner now enjoyed grapes, a favourite food with
monkeys. While that monkey had no problem, the one still working for cucumber would lose interest. Worse, seeing its
partner with juicy grapes, this monkey would get agitated, hurl the pebbles out of the test chamber, sometimes even
those measly cucumber slices. A food normally devoured with gusto had become distasteful.
C. There is a similarity here with the way we reject an unfair share of money. Where do such reactions come from?
They probably evolved in the service of cooperation. Caring about what others get may seem petty and irrational, but in
the long run it keeps one from being taken advantage of. Had we merely mentioned emotions, such as resentment or
envy, our findings might have gone unnoticed. Now we drew the interest of philosophers, anthropologists and
economists, who almost choked on the monkey comparison. As it happened, our study came out at the very time that
there was a public outcry about the multimillion dollar pay packages that are occasionally given out on Wall Street and
elsewhere. Commentators couldn’t resist contrasting human society with our monkeys, suggesting that we could learn
a thing or two from them.
D. Our monkeys have not reached the point at which their sense of fairness stretches beyond egocentric interests -
for example, the one who gets the grape never levels the outcome by giving it to the other - but in cooperative human
societies, such as those in which men hunt large game, anthropologists have found great sensitivity to equal distribution.
Sometimes, successful hunters aren’t even allowed to carve up their own kill to prevent them from favouring their family.
These cultures are keenly aware of the risk that inequity poses to the social fabric of their society. Apes, as opposed to
monkeys, may have an inkling of this connection. High-ranking male chimpanzees, for example, sometimes break up
fights over food without taking any for themselves. During tests, a female received large amounts of milk and raisins,
but noticed her friends watching her from a short distance. After a while, she refused all rewards. Looking at the
experimenter, she kept gesturing to the others, until they were given a share of the goodies. She was doing the smart
thing. Apes think ahead, and if she had eaten her fill right in front of the rest, there might have been repercussions when
she rejoined them later in the day.