Test: Inglese Prova 1

Inizia il test della 13a edizione per la lingua Inglese

Domande 1-10
Choose the best word or expression to fill in each blank

1- Sam moved to New York recently. Luckily, he has ____________ friends there, so he won't be lonely.
[�
� a lots of/�
� a few/�
� few/� � quite few]

2- Rachel and Joel didn't want to see the show last night because they ____________ it the previous week.
[�
� have already seen/� � had already seen/� � had seen it yet/�� just have seen]

3- If you can't guess the answer to the question, let me know and I ______________you a hint.
[�
� will give/� � give/� � am going to give/� � am giving]

4- He is not __________ honorable man, and he is certainly not _______ humble one. He lacks ________ dignity.
[�
� an - an - the space should be left blank/�
� a - a - the space should be left blank/�
� an - a - the/�
� an - a - the space
should be left blank]

5- If I _______________ Joe at lessons today, I __________ give you a call.

[�
� will see - will/�
� had seen - would/� � saw - would/�� see - will]

6 -Which is correct?
� He was caught stealing a car. He is also being charged with violence against a police officer.
� He was caught stealing a car. He is being also charged with violence against a police officer.
� He was caught stealing a car, and he is being charged with violence also against a police officer.
� Also he is being charged with violence against a police officer after he stole a car.

7- Which of the following sentences is expressed correctly in the passive voice?

� At the station, the police are questioning the suspects.
� Being questioned are the suspects by the police at the station.
� Suspects are being questioned at the station by the police.
� The suspects are questioning at the station by the police.

� isn't it/�
8- Everybody is coming to the game on Saturday, [� � isn't he/�
� is it not/�
� aren't they]?

9- It's strange that Kate ordered onions on her hamburger. She [�

� didn't use to like/�
� didn't used to like/�
� use to
hate/�� all three options are correct] them when she was younger.

10- Studying in a group _________ be a good strategy for some people.

[�
� can/� � might/� � may/� � all three options are correct]

Domande 11-20
Choose the best word or expression to fill in each blank

11- She _____________ more careful about her words in the future. Emma's feelings were really hurt by what she said.
[�
� ought to be/�
� can be/�
� better not be/�
� all three options are correct]

12- The prisoners tried to escape, but the guards [�

� could stop/�
� were able to stop/�
� have been able to
stop/�
� succeeded to stop] them.

13- Experts should get together and [�

� discuss about/�
� discuss/�
� considerate/�
� review over] ways to decrease food
waste.

� take/�
14- Let's [� � have/�
� consume/�
� ask] a coffee at that new café on the corner.

15- [�
� Despite/�
� Although/�
� However/�
� Nonetheless] he was a tolerant man, this time he lost his patience.

16- They carried out the experiment following the instructions. In this sentence, 'carried out' means:
[�
� made/� � finished/� � did/� � figured out]

17- This restaurant is famous for its seafood. I [�

� suggest ordering/�
� suggest to order/�
� suggest you to
order/�
� recommend to order] the grilled tuna.

� am agree to signing/�
18- I [� � am agreeing signing/�
� will agree signing/�
� agree to signing] the contract.

19- ___________ twin got exactly $100 on his birthday, and both were always excited to receive such a large sum of money.
[�
� Each/�� Every/�� Both/� � all three options are correct]

20 – There __________ number of __________ not to travel alone in that country.

[�
� is a - reason/�
� are a - reasons/�
� has been - reason/�
� are a - reason]

Domande 21-30
Choose the best word or expression to fill in each blank

21- There has been a sudden [�

� increase of/�
� growing up in/�
� improving about/�
� increase in] crime in the city.

22- __________ of the children in the program _________ received excellent marks on their tests.
[�
� Eighty-five percent - has/�
� The 85% - have/� � Eighty-five percent - have/�
� The 85% - has]

23- Which of the following is correct?

� Harry who lives up my street is a bartender.
� Harry that lives up my street is a bartender.
� Harry, which lives up my street, is a bartender.
� Harry, who lives up my street, is a bartender.

� enough/�
24- Don't turn up the heat! It's [� � so much/�
� much too/�
� too much] hot in here already.

25- The child kicked and screamed because he didn't want to eat his vegetables. [�
� I had witnessed never/�
� Rarely I had
witnessed/�
� Never had I witnessed/� � Not ever I had witnessed] such a temper tantrum!

26- Gosh, this sushi tastes terrible! It's practically [�

� delectable/�
� not eatable/�
� inservable/�
� inedible].

27- [�
� Much information was/� � Many informations were/�
� Many advices were/�
� Important informations were]
given at the online meeting last week.

28- They had been hiding the fact that the boy was getting a puppy for his birthday. There were some clues, but he never
[�
� held out/�
� took after/�� caught on/� � gave up]. It was a complete surprise.

29- Which sentence is correct?

� The experience taught us courage, patience, and to be humble.
� The experience taught us courage, to be patient, and humility.
� The experience taught us to be courageous, patience, and humility.
� The experience taught us courage, patience, and humility.

30- The teacher used creative props to [�

� imply/�
� spur/�
� infer/�
� convey] her pupils' imagination.

Domande 31-40
Read the text below

For over 30 years, the Erasmus Programme has been one of the European Union's most visible success stories, empowering
young people in their personal, socio-educational and professional development, with the aim of leaving no-one behind.
Today, one of the central goals of Erasmus+ is to promote equal opportunities, access, inclusion, diversity and fairness.
Young people with fewer opportunities are at the heart of these objectives and the Programme puts lots of resources at their
disposal. To ensure equal opportunities, the Programme also reaches out to people of different ages and from diverse cultural,
social and economic backgrounds, including people with disabilities and migrants, as well as EU citizens living in remote
areas or facing a wide range of socio-economic difficulties.

When designing their projects and activities, host organisations must have an inclusive approach and make them accessible to
a diverse range of participants. They must also reach out to potential participants with fewer opportunities and help address
the barriers different target groups may face. The list of these potential barriers to participation in the ERASMUS+
Programme is long, and often young people may face not just one of them but rather a combination of two or more.

The many different kinds of challenges young people may need to overcome to reach their goals include:

• Disabilities: This includes physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various
barriers, may hinder someone's full and effective participation in society on the same footing as others.

• Health problems: Barriers may result from health issues including severe illnesses, chronic diseases, or any other
physical or mental health-related situation that prevents from participating in the programme.

• Barriers linked to education and training systems: These barriers may result in individuals struggling to perform in
education and training systems, early school-leavers, NEETs (people not in education, employment or training) and
low-skilled adults with limited opportunities. Although other factors may play a role, these educational difficulties,
while they may also be linked to personal circumstances, mostly result from an educational system which does not
fully take into consideration the particular needs of individuals.

• Cultural differences: While cultural differences may be perceived as barriers by people from any background, they can
particularly affect people with fewer opportunities. Such differences may represent significant barriers to learning in
general, even more so for people with a migrant or refugee background – especially newly-arrived migrants—and
people belonging to a national or ethnic minority, sign language users, people with linguistic adaptation and cultural
inclusion difficulties, etc. Being exposed to foreign languages and cultural differences when taking part in any kind of
programme activities may put off individuals and somehow limit the benefits from their participation. And such
cultural differences may even prevent potential participants from applying for support through the programme, thereby
representing an entry barrier altogether.

• Social barriers: Social adjustment difficulties may include limited social competences, anti-social or high-risk
behaviours, a history of criminal activity, past problems with drug or alcohol abuse, or social marginalisation. Other
social barriers can stem from family circumstances, for instance being the first in the family to access higher education
or being a parent (especially a single parent), a caregiver, a breadwinner, an orphan, or having lived or currently living
in institutional care.

• Economic barriers: Economic disadvantages including a low standard of living, low income, learners who need to
work to support themselves, dependence on the social welfare system, long-term unemployment, precarious situations,
poverty, being homeless, in debt or with financial problems, etc., may all represent a barrier.

• Barriers linked to discrimination: Barriers can occur as a result of discrimination linked to gender, age, ethnicity,
religion, beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, or a combination of two or several of these discrimination barriers.
 • Geographical barriers: Living in remote or rural areas, on small islands or in peripheral/outermost regions, in urban
suburbs, in less serviced areas (limited public transport, poor facilities), etc., may constitute a barrier.

___ QUESTIONS ___

Which priority of the Erasmus+ Programme does this article focus on ?

� Ensuring that diverse groups of people have equal access and opportunities
� Studying, training and working abroad for people of all ages and nationalities
� Getting as many young people as possible to participate in the Erasmus+ Programme
� Eliminating racism & discrimination against certain groups of people in the European Union

Which of these people is a 'NEET' ?

� A 16-year-old girl who has just abandoned her studies
� A 25-year-old who isn't studying or getting job training and isn't even looking for a job
� An unemployed 30-year-old working on a master's degree while looking for their dream job
� A Nicely Educated Elite Teenager

Find the correct synonym for the underlined expressions from the text:

Being exposed to foreign languages and cultural differences (...) may put off individuals and limit the benefits from their
participation (...) or even prevent potential participants from applying for the programme.
[�
� postpone/� � encourage/� � discourage/� � disgust]

"Social barriers can stem from family circumstances."

[�
� create/�� cause/� � result in/�
� be a result of]

"These barriers may result in individuals struggling to perform in education and training systems."
[�
� doing well only after making a big effort/�� not even trying to perform/� � making an effort that doesn't give good
results/�
� acting as if there were no problem rather than admitting they are having difficulties]

"Disabilities may hinder someone's full and effective participation in society on the same footing as others."
[�
� because they can't stand up/�
� in the same places as other people/� � in the same ways other people
participate/�
� under conditions where everyone has an equal chance]

Which of the following is not mentioned?

[�
� All 3 of these groups are mentioned/�� People who have dropped out of school/�
� Rural students/�
� Transgender
students]

The article mentions several situations which can hinder full participation in the Erasmus+ programme. What does hinder
mean?
[�
� to discourage/� � to exclude/� � to impede/�� to ban]

The article mentions different types of challenges that young people can experience or need to overcome in their personal and
professional development. Another word to describe these 'challenges' is:
[�
� impairments/� � barriers/� � obstacles/� � all three of the options could be used, depending on the context]

The article mentions a bread-winner. A bread-winner is:

[�
� always a caregiver/� � the male in the home/�
� the eldest person in the home/�
� the main financial provider]

Domande 41-50
Adapted from https://bigthink.com/high-culture/7-lost-idioms-english-language/

(...) LOST IDIOMS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE — AND WHAT THEY TEACH US ABOUT WHO WE WERE
by Jonny Thomson

Idioms are one of the hardest, but most interesting, aspects of learning a language. They're hard, because they almost always
have little connection with the modern world. You probably know what it means to "have egg on your face" or to "bury the
hatchet," but try explaining that to a non-native speaker !

Idioms not only teach us about a people, they also teach us about our past. They teach us how our forebears saw the world,
and what mattered enough to make a catchy turn-of-phrase about it. So, without any more "beating around the bush" (or
"walking through hot porridge," if you're Czech), here are some lost idioms of the English language and what they can teach
us.

"An ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of clergy"

Before the state-funded school system and secular universities, most formal education was organised by the church. The
oldest schools in Europe were often attached to a cathedral. So, "clergy" in this 18th century proverb refers to "book smarts."
It is both the lessons from the pulpit and knowledge on a blackboard. But, as has been known for millennia, smart does not
mean wise. Street wisdom and "mother-wit" is what gets things done. As the Irish rugby player Brian O'Driscoll put it,
"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad."

"A snow year, a rich year"

Long before we knew about nitrogen and photosynthesis or any chemical elements at all, peasants knew their fields. They
watched the crops and they learned. This idiom springs from the observable phenomenon that often a snow-covered field will
then have a greater yield in the harvest season. Today, we know that it's because a snow-covered crop will not sprout too
early. What's more, a slow-melting snow provides moisture and nitrogen from the air, both of which are essential to a fertile
farm. The expression came to mean "hardships bring good times" — like a kind of tempering. However long, dark, and cold
a winter might be, the summer will be sweeter for it. Recessions lead to booms, and struggles make us strong.

"Everybody to their taste," said the old lady as she kissed the cow
In Charles Dickens' book The Pickwick Papers, there's a popular character named Sam Weller who throws out idioms and
comical lines like this. The idea behind a "Wellerism" is that you take a well-known expression, usually a cliché, and you
invert it with a funny twist. For instance, this idiom starts on a variation of "to each their own" but ends with the old lady
having a particular passion for cattle. The end result is a slightly confused non-wisdom. It gives an exception to the rule.
Everybody to their taste — but kissing a cow is a bit much. Similarly, there is a Russian proverb which runs, "You can't have
everything." The Wellerism, or anti-proverb, might go, "You can't have everything — some of it will have to be stolen." Try
it with any cliché you can think of. It's pretty fun.

"No alchemy like saving"

"Get rich, quick" schemes are not a new phenomenon. Since the start of civilisation, if there was ever a way to get wealthy
without so much as lifting a finger, you can guarantee that someone, somewhere will have tried it. For most of human history,
this meant "alchemy." Alchemy, broadly, is the belief that you can convert one metal into another. In practice, it was a hunt
for a recipe to make gold. Alchemy was so mainstream that even Isaac Newton thought it was worth investigating. It wasn't
until the 19th century that the idea of "creating gold" was proven to be impossible (at least without nuclear reactions). But
that didn't stop fraudsters and charlatans getting people to part with their money for these alchemical "get rich quick"
schemes. So, as the saying goes, it's much more sensible to just save.

"Bring not a bagpipe to a man in trouble"

I love this one. There's something in the imagery that makes me laugh. I imagine someone who has had a bad day — they've
been sacked, their partner left them, they've got a cold, etc. — then in walks your mate, Angus, with his bagpipes. Don't get
me wrong, I'm a big fan. They bring me to tears when played well, and they inspire passion on a dreary, drizzly day. But
when a person is in need of soft words and gentle comfort, the bagpipes won't do. There are two ways to read this proverb.
The first is: "Don't be loud and brash to someone who needs help." The other thought has to do with the fact that bagpipes
were often played at funerals. So, it could also read, "Don't be dramatic when times are hard." Either way, there's wisdom in
there.

1. The article says that when we learn idioms, they...

� enrich our vocabulary./�
[� � are often linked to the past./�
� are the most important aspect of communication./�
� are the
same in every language.]

2. What is a "catchy turn-of-phrase"?

[�
� the opposite of what we mean/� � an interesting expression that is easy to remember/�
� a slang phrase about
animals/�
� a musical phrase that a person invents in the moment they're speaking]

3. Which of the following is true according to what you have read?

� Idioms are a way of dealing with hard times.
� 'Beating around the bush' and 'walking through hot porridge' mean something different to different people.
� Our ancestors enjoyed plays on words.
� Idioms can reveal how our ancestors saw the world and what was important to them.

4. "An ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of clergy" means

[�
� common sense is much more valuable than formal education./� � tomatoes are fruits that should not go into a fruit
salad./�
� knowledge learned from what is written on a blackboard is more useful than that dictated by a scholar./�
� secular
universities are more prestigious than religious institutions.]

5. One lesson from the idiom "A snow year, a rich year" could be
[�
� to be patient/�
� to plant your crops early/�� to watch your fields like ancient peasants did/�
� to plant more when
there is snow]

6. An example of a Wellerism is
[�
� Nothing ventured, nothing gained./� � I see, said the blind man./�
� Can we address the elephant in the room?/�
� You
really need to get your ducks in a row.]

7. "No alchemy like saving" means:

[�
� people should invest in buying gold rather than believe they can make it magically/�
� scientists like Newton taught us
to save money/�
� people should invest in scientific experimentation/�� people should simply save their money instead of
risking it]

8. 'Charlatan' is another word for:

[�
� a scam artist/� � a 19th century scientist/�
� a 19th century banker/�
� a fortune-teller]

9. "Bring not a bagpipe to a man in trouble" means:

[�
� it is better not to talk about problems/�
� be sensitive to other people's tribulations/�
� don't play music if your friend is
having a bad day/�� means bringing a bagpipe to a funeral is in bad taste.]

10. According to this author, bagpipes

[�
� should be played only on rainy days/�
� can be pleasing/�
� should not be played inside the home/�
� should only be
played at funerals]

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