Progress test 1

Name: _________________________________

LISTENING
You will hear a lecture about the spice routes.
Complete the sentences with a word or short phrase from the recording.
You will hear the recording twice.

0 In the past, spices were expensive and used to ____display wealth____.

1 Spices from Asia were taken to other countries and used in foods and as
________________________.

2 Long sea voyages were often difficult for explorers because of

________________________.

3 While looking for a trading route across the ocean, explorers accidentally
discovered the ________________________.

4 Some people think ________________________ came about because of the

spice trade.

5 Due to the variety of people trading spices, port towns became very
________________________.

__ / 10

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 Progress test 1
Name: _________________________________

READING
Section 1
Read the article. Circle the answer (A, B or C) which you think fits best
according to the text.

Tourism and the World’s Natural Wonders

People love to travel. Many want to enjoy the bright lights of cities such as
Tokyo or New York while others are more drawn to nature. Whatever the
reason for travelling though, the Natural Wonders of the World have secrets
that can only be experienced by being there.

Great Barrier Reef

The world’s largest coral reef is the pride of Australia’s natural wonders. No
other place has such a wide diversity of plant and marine life. With over 2
million visitors a year, it is a popular tourist destination. Unfortunately, tourism
and climate change have led to the destruction of over half its plant and
animal life since 2016. Recently though, the Australian government has been
working with tour companies to reduce the impact that tours have on the
wildlife. There are now fewer tour companies and the tours themselves have
changed. Many tours have wildlife experts who explain how our modern
lifestyles affect the reef and give advice on lifestyle changes which benefit the
ecosystem.

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0 What is the writer’s view of the natural wonders of the world?

A People need to experience them in person.

B They are more interesting than famous cities.

C They help people relax from their stressful lives.

1 Why is the Great Barrier Reef so important?

A Over half the oceans’ wildlife are said to live there.

B It contains more species than anywhere else.

C It attracts more tourists than other natural wonders.

2 The Australian government has changed the Great Barrier Reef tours by …

A reducing the number of visitors to the area.

B forcing all companies to have a special license.

C improving understanding of the impact of tourists.

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Northern Lights

Those who have seen the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, say that this
natural wonder is one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Being
in the sky, it somehow feels ‘out of this world’. Caused by electricity from the
sun entering the atmosphere of the Earth, this amazing light show can be
seen both in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. However, they are more
impressive when viewed in winter from Northern Hemisphere countries,
such as Canada and Iceland. In fact, a large part of Iceland’s tourism industry
is now based on the Northern Lights whilst the Norwegian city of Tromsø
offers the highest odds of seeing them on any given night of the year. Past
visitors say the lights may not always be visible due to weather conditions
but highlight the fact that there are plenty of other amazing things to do in the
Northern Lights’ destinations, for example, seeing polar bears or hiking
on glaciers.

Victoria Falls

This waterfall, located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is part of
the Zambezi River. It is nearly two kilometres wide and over one hundred
metres high. People can visit the falls at different times of the year as the
experience is always amazing. In April and May during the flood season,
the water sprays far into the sky and shows the river’s power. When the water
is low, however, river trips allow tourists to see the cliffs from below.

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Name: _________________________________

3 What is unique about the Northern Lights?

A They can only be seen at certain times of the year.

B People can see them from both sides of the planet.

C They are the most impressive of all the natural wonders.

4 What do people say about going to see the Northern Lights?

A The most enjoyable trips take place in Iceland.

B The experience was much better than they expected.

C The Northern Lights’ countries offer other fun activities.

5 When does the writer advise people to visit Victoria Falls?

A During the rainy season.

B In the winter months.

C At any time of the year.

__ / 10

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 Progress test 1
Name: _________________________________

Section 2
Read the text and circle which answer (A, B or C) best fits each gap.

A Greek mathematician chose the 0 ___ ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ over
2000 years ago. The number seven was important in Greek culture 1 ___ that
time. The structures selected were engineering marvels or gardens but today
only one of them 2 ___: The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Other lists of wonders have been created since then. In 1997, an American
television company produced ‘The Seven Natural Wonders of the World’,
which included Mount Everest. Then between 2007 and 2011, a Swiss
company developed ‘The New7Wonders of Nature’. They asked 100 million
people 3 ___ for their favourite natural wonder. 4 ___, there was criticism that
the selection process was unfair as people could vote several times. This
shows that these kinds of competitions have little 5 ___. It is also difficult to
explain what a ‘wonder’ is. In general, it should be both inspiring and a symbol
of human history. What this means, however, is different for everyone.

0 A
current B
original C
beginning

1 A
at B
by C
on

2 A
remains B
continues C
extends

3 A
to choose B
to select C
to vote

4 A
Although B
Therefore C
However

5 A
function B
value C
influence
__ / 10

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WRITING
Write an essay to answer the following question:

Is it better to live in a hot country or a cold country?

Write about:

1 The seasons

2 Work

3 __________ (your own idea)

Write between 140–190 words.

__ / 30

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 Progress test 1
Name: _________________________________

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 Progress test 1
Name: _________________________________

SPEAKING
Choose ONE set of three questions per student.
Give each student 2-3 minutes.

Holidays

1 What kinds of holidays do you like? Why?

2 Tell me about an exciting holiday you went on.

3 Is it better to go on holiday in your own country or go abroad?

Why / Why not?

Food

1 What is the most unusual food you have tried? Where were you?

2 Tell me about a traditional dish from your country.

3 Should people eat healthily every day?

Why / Why not?

__ / 20

TOTAL: ___ / 80

x 1.25 = ___ / 100

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