FCE PRACTICE TEST 1

Part 1
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (А, В, C or D)
best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example:

A bright  В fair  C keen  D sharp

Messages from the Stone Age

The incredible pre-historic Chauvet cave art in France is painted in 0 _____ colours
and dates back to a period around thirty thousand years ago when early humans
first started to create rock art. Although various 1 _____ of this art have been found
in caves in Western Europe, very few people have seen the art at Chauvet because
it is located 2 _____ inside an inaccessible underground cave system. Those who
have seen it say that it is very impressive, showing animals 3 _____ horses, rhinos
and cows, and that the artwork is good enough to 4 _____ modern compositions.

The first scientists to 5 _____ the Chauvet paintings missed some other
important 6 _____ however. The walls of the cave are also marked with a series of
lines and symbols, that were initially 7 _____ as insignificant. But recent research
has suggested that these marks may represent humankind’s first steps towards the
development of writing, which is 8 _____ people to rethink their ideas about when
written communication first started.

1 A illustrations B models C cases D examples

2 A deep B thick C long D dense

3 A by means of B apart from C as well as D such as

4 A rival B compare C compete D oppose

5 A arrive B reach C meet D know

6 A instances B matters C details D issues

7 A believed B regarded C thought D agreed

8 A resulting B having C making D causing

Part 2
For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each
gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). In
the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on tho separate answer
sheet.

Example: ARE

Swimming with seals

The UK is home to half the world’s population of grey seals and there 0 _____
many local boat trips offering sightseeing tours out to the islands and
sandbanks 9 _____ the animals are most regularly found.

But if you really want to get close 10 _____ the seals and understand something
about their way of life, then you need to go on an underwater seal-watching trip. On
these trips, you have the chance to go over the side of the boat and,
equipped 11 _____ a wetsuit, mask and snorkel, spend time in the water alongside
the animals.

Seals are extremely inquisitive creatures and, once you’re in the water, they will
swim past you trying to work 12 _____ who you are and 13 _____ you’re doing
there. 14 _____ they can appear shy at first, seals soon 15 _____ used to you
being in the water, and will come and play around you. Young pups especially like
to 16 _____ contact with divers, and often use their teeth, gently biting masks, fins
and cameras out of curiosity. It can be a thrilling experience.

Part 3
 For questions 17-24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end
of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an
example at the beginning (0).
In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer
sheet.

Example: HEALTHY

Brain games
0.HEALTH
According to experts, doing puzzles keeps our brains fit and 0 _____ As well as 17.SATISFY
gaining 17 _____ from finding the correct answer to a difficult problem, we give our brains a 18.SUCCESS
good workout in the process. To help us do this, all sorts of handheld ‘brain games’ are now 19.COVER
available in the shops, and the most 18_____ games have sold in their millions. 20.SOLVE
21.IMPROVE
What’s more, people 19 _____ that the more they play the games, the easier it is to find 22.SCIENCE
a 20 _____ to the problems posed. They see this as proof that there has been an 21 _____ in the 23.PERFORM
power of their brains. Unfortunately, however, this may be a false impression. 24.CERTAIN
Some 22 _____ argue that the brain gets better at any task the more often it is repeated. In other
words, the improvement in the 23 _____ of the brain is something that happens naturally. So
although these brain games are obviously fun to play, it remains 24 _____ whether they are
actually helping to boost brainpower or not.

Part 4
For questions 25-30, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar
meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given.
You must use between two and five words, including the word given. Here is an
example (0).

Example:
0. What type of music do you like best?
FAVOURITE
What _______________ type of music?

Example: 0. IS YOUR FAVOURITE

25. Brad speaks English better than his parents do.

AS
Brad’s parents don’t _______________ he does.
 26. Cycling is not allowed in the park.
SUPPOSED
You _______________ in the park.

27. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was going to be late, Ann,’ said Jamie.
APOLOGISED
Jamie _______________ Ann know that he was going to be late.

28. A heavy fall of snow prevented them from getting home that night.
ABLE
They _______________ home that night because of a heavy fall of snow.

29. Ursula was disappointed not to win the competition.

CAME
Not winning the competition _______________ to Ursula.

30. I paid far more money for my new computer than I expected to.
SO
I didn’t expect _______________ money for my new computer.

Part 5
You are going to read an article about a woman’s career. For questions 31-36,
choose the answer (А, В, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

A varied career
Chloe Kelling, a successful model and singer-songwriter, now has a new venture

I arrive for my interview with Chloe Kelling and I’m asked to wait in the garden. I
hardly have time to start looking round at the carefully tended flowerbeds when
Chloe appears. Every bit as tall and striking as I’d expected, Chloe emerges from
the house wearing an oversized man’s jacket, a delicately patterned top and jeans.
Chloe is known for her slightly quirky sense of fashion and, of course, she looks
great as she makes her way towards me through the flowerbeds.

‘Let’s talk in my office,’ she says, leading the way not back to the house, but instead
to an ancient caravan parked up next to it. As we climb inside the compact little van,
the smell of fresh baking greets us. A tiny table is piled high with cupcakes, each
iced in a different colour. Chloe’s been busy, and there’s a real sense of playing tea
parties in a secret den! But what else should I have expected from a woman with
such a varied and interesting career?

Chloe originally trained as a make-up artist, having left her home in the country at
nineteen to try and make her name as a model in London, and soon got work in
adverts and the fashion business. ‘I went to Japan to work for a short period, but felt
very homesick at first,’ she recalls. ‘It was very demanding work and, though I met
loads of nice people, it was too much to take in at nineteen. If I’d stayed longer, I
might have settled in better.’

Alongside the modelling, Chloe was also beginning to make contacts in the music
business. ‘I’d been the typical kid, singing with a hairbrush in front of the mirror,
dreaming of being a star one day,’ she laughs. She joined a girl band which ‘broke
up before we got anywhere’, before becoming the lead singer with the band
Whoosh, which features on a best-selling clubbing album. Unusually though, Chloe
also sings with two other bands, one based in Sweden and another in London, and
each of these has a distinct style.

It was her work with Whoosh that originally led to Chloe’s link with Sweden. She
was offered a song-writing job there with a team that was responsible for songs for
some major stars, but gradually became more involved in writing music for her own
band.

Although she now divides her time between London and Sweden, her first stay
there turned out to be much longer than she’d bargained for. ‘The rooms are very
tall over there and so people have these rather high beds that you climb up to,’ she
explains. ‘I fell as I climbed up the ladder and cracked three ribs. Although the
people at the hospital were very kind, I was stuck there for a while, which was very
frustrating. Sneezing and laughing were so painful at first, let alone singing!’

It was while recovering from her injuries that Chloe hit upon the idea of staging what
she calls vintage fairs. ‘It was snowing in Sweden and I wanted something nice to
look forward to.’ Chloe had always loved vintage clothes, particularly from the
1950s, and decided to stage an event for others who shared her passion. The first
fair was held in her home village and featured stalls selling all sorts of clothes and
crafts dating back to the 1950s. It was a huge hit, with 300 people turning up.

‘When I had the idea of the first fair, it was only meant to be a one-off, but we had
so many compliments, I decided to go ahead with more,’ says Chloe. ‘There’s
something for all ages and people find old things have more character than stuff
you buy in modern shops. It also fits perfectly with the idea of recycling.’ Looking
round Chloe’s caravan, I can see what she means.

31. In the first paragraph, the writer suggests that Chloe

A usually keeps people waiting.
В is much taller than he expected.
C lives up to her stylish reputation.
D is surprisingly interested in flowers.

32. What do we learn about Chloe in the second paragraph?

A She’s cooked something for her guest.
В She’s expecting some other visitors today.
C She has no room in her house for an office.
D She invites very few people into her caravan.
 33. What does Chloe say about her trip to Japan?
A She soon got used to her life there.
В She felt lonely most of the time there.
C She wishes she’d done the work better.
D She wasn’t old enough to appreciate it fully.

34. In the fourth paragraph, we find out that Chloe

A gave up modelling to become a singer.
В had always had ambitions to be a singer.
C has now left the first successful band she joined.
D sings in three bands that have a very similar sound.

35. Chloe ended up in hospital in Sweden after

A breaking a rib whilst trying to move her bed.
В hurting her leg in a fall from her bed.
C falling off a ladder in her bedroom.
D tripping over in her room at night.

36. What does Chloe say about her ‘vintage fairs’?

A Her main aim is to raise awareness of environmental issues.
В She has responded to positive feedback from customers.
C Certain shops are now showing interest in the idea.
D They are mostly popular with older people.

Part 6
You are going to read an article about a boxer. Six sentences have been removed
from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (37-
42). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

In defence of women’s boxing

Lucy O’Connor thinks that womens boxing is widely misunderstood

Womens boxing is a new addition to the list of sports included at the Olympic
Games. But according to Lucy O ’Connor, winner of various international
competitions, it’s still widely misunderstood – a situation that Lucy’s hoping to
change. After graduating, Lucy took up boxing on the advice of a sports coach, who
thought it would improve her general fitness. But Lucy soon set her sights on
competitions and it wasn’t long before she was boxing at the National
Championships, which she eventually went on to win.

As a result of her success, Lucy was accepted on to what the navy calls its ‘elite
sportsman’s programme’. 37 __. Every day now starts with a run at 7 a.m., followed
by a skill and technique session or a strength and conditioning circuit. Come the
afternoon, there are more aerobic workouts, before Lucy gets into the ring and
practises with other elite boxers.

As with all competitors, diet is a huge part of Lucy’s life. Since she first started
boxing, she’s had to shed twenty-eight kilos. Losing the last six, which took her into
the flyweight category, required great determination. 38 __. As she explains: ‘I don’t
go out to party anymore. Thankfully, I’m married to my boxing coach, so at least I’ve
got some sort of social life!’ Lucy’s husband boxed as a heavyweight himself and
he’s in her corner for all her domestic competitions.

Lucy’s mum works as a buyer at a big department store, and Lucy has been testing
out products for the store’s sports division. Whilst preparing for a recent
international championship, Lucy wore a new titanium-based sports clothing range
designed to improve circulation and aid recovery. 39 __. But how does her family
react to her taking part in competitions? ‘Mum tends to admire me boxing from afar,
but Dad just loves it!’

Lucy has clearly answered questions about safety concerns before and cites all the
protective gear boxers strap on before a fight such as hand bandages, head
guards, gum shields and much more. ‘Amateur boxing is not dangerous,’ she says
definitively. ‘It’s so safety-orientated and the rules are so stringent it’s actually
difficult to get hurt. We approach it more as a skill and point-scoring exercise, rather
than as a fight. 40 __. ’ Boxers win points by landing the white knuckle part of their
gloves on the opponent’s scoring area – essentially the upper body and head –
cleanly and with sufficient force. In five years of competitive boxing, Lucy’s suffered
only a few bruises and a broken thumb.

And in response to those who think it’s ‘inappropriate’ to see women boxing at the
Olympics, Lucy is quick to point out that women have been competing in martial
arts such as taekwondo and judo for years. 41 __.

Her biggest concern is that people confuse amateur boxing competitions with
professional fights, where the focus is more on aggression and hurting your
opponents. ‘Female amateur boxing is about showing skill, speed and stamina,’ she
says. 42 __. ‘I find it so satisfying to be changing people’s opinion.’

A All that hard work certainly paid off and the competition itself brought out the best
in Lucy.
В That’s because in order to reach that target, she had to totally rethink her
lifestyle.
C Having access to this space-age training kit was certainly an advantage.
D If the sport was more in the public eye, then fewer people would make that
mistake.
E Nobody complained about women taking part in those events when it was
introduced.
F That’s why I’ve always regarded it as a thinking girl’s sport really.
G What this meant, in effect, was that she was able to train full-time.
Part 7
You are going to read a magazine article about students who travelled around
Australia alone during their long summer vacation. For questions 43-52, choose
from the students (A-D). The students may be chosen more than once.

Which student mentions …

43. a daily activity that was not enjoyable alone? __
44. a good way of keeping travel plans flexible? __
45. appreciating not having to waste time organising practical details? __
46. becoming more tolerant of other people? __
47. feeling better after keeping in touch with others? __
48. having doubts at the beginning of a trip? __
49. liking not having to agree an itinerary with others? __
50. meeting people with a similar outlook on life? __
51. missing having someone to help with decision-making? __
52. the advisability of going for the best accommodation you can afford? __

Solo travel in Australia

A Phil Morston
I remember sitting in the plane thinking to myself: ‘What have I let myself in for?’.
The first few days were scary: I was all on my own on the other side of the world
with nothing planned. But I soon met up with people to travel with. Of course, some
you get on with, others you don’t. Some, for example, had every day planned out
day in minute detail, when in practice things can change and it’s great to have the
freedom to go with the flow. And that’s easy enough to do. You can take the Oz
Experience bus down the west coast, jumping off whenever you want, then catching
the next bus when you’re ready to move on again. Being away for a year, you do
occasionally get lonely. To cheer myself up, I’d sit down and write a fortnightly email
home about everything I’d been up to.

В Leila Stuart
Without doubt, you meet all sorts of people when travelling alone. I even made a
friend on the plane out there. Some people are keener to make friends than others,
of course, but if someone’s chosen to do the same type of trip as you, you’ve
probably got lots of ideas in common. The advantages of a pre-planned tour are
that you can get an agency to take care of all the arrangements, which can be time-
consuming to do yourself – but it does mean that you’re tied to a predetermined
itinerary, which wouldn’t suit everyone. There’s also the safety aspect in terms of
the places you visit often being very remote. If you go off trekking in the wilds of a
foreign country alone, it could be difficult to get help if things went wrong.

C Danny Holt
Travelling solo creates opportunities to meet people. There’s no substitute for
sharing the experiences of the day with a companion, and being alone forces you to
seek someone out. I’d never have met so many people if I’d been travelling with
friends. There’s also the wonderful freedom to do what you like, when you like,
without having to convince anybody that it’s a good idea. However, there are
downsides; meal times are something I’ve never really got to grips with in all the
years I’ve travelled alone. But my advice would be to give solo travel a go – it can
be very liberating. Maybe try a short trip to begin with, just in case it’s not for you.
Another thing is stay in the nicest places your budget permits. Miserable hostels
can really spoil a trip. And if you really are happy being anti-social, a pair of
headphones can ensure the person in the next seat doesn’t bore you to death on
the plane!

D Kerry Winterton
Fun as it is, travelling solo also has its low points, including occasional loneliness
and the pressure that you’re under to make your own mind up about everything. I
chose to travel alone because I wanted to do something different, but I did miss
people from home, and sometimes fell out with other travellers I’d teamed up with
along the way. But I learnt to accept that some people have different attitudes to
mine; that you have to put up with irritating people in hostels and accept not having
as much privacy as you’re used to at home. The best thing for me about travelling
alone was that it was a brilliant experience that enhanced my independence and
helped me feel more self-assured. I knew I was on my own, which made me make
more effort to speak to people and by doing so I made lots of great friends.
Answer Keys
Part 1

1 D – examples. Other words do not fit the context.

2 A – deep. Other three variants do not collocate with ‘inside’.
3 D – such as. This expression is the only one that shows examples or introduces
a list.
4 A – rival. ‘Compare’ and ‘compete’ require ‘with’ in this context (e.g. ‘compete
with something’). ‘Oppose’ would mean to be against something (negative
meaning).
5 B – reach. This is the only word with the meaning ‘to discover, to see for the first
time’.
6 C – details. ‘Details’ is the only word that collocates with the verb ‘to miss’.
‘Details’ are usually minor and easy to miss, while ‘matters’ are more significant.
‘Issues’ means ‘problems or difficulties’.
7 B – regarded. The only option that can be followed by ‘as’. ‘Believed’ and
‘thought’ are normally followed by ‘to be’: ‘She is believed to be the best specialist
in the field’.
8 D – causing. The rest of the options can’t be followed by infinitive. ‘Making’ can
look like the correct answer, but the next part would have to be: ‘making people
rethink’.

Part 2

9 where. A relative pronoun is needed here.

10 to. Close is normally followed ‘by’ if we talk about physical distance. ‘Close with’
would mean connection such as friendship, which is not mentioned in this context.
11 with. ‘Equipped with’ is used when talking about articles of clothing or necessary
things, in this case – a mask, a snorkel and so on.
12 out. ‘To work out’ is a synonym of ‘to find out’ – to understand, to learn the
meaning or the reason of something.
13 what. A conjunction connecting two clauses.
14 Although/Though/While. A linking word used to contrast two parts of the
following sentence. Remember that in your answer sheet all of the letters have to
be capital, the capitalisation here is to indicate that it’s the first word of the
sentence.
15 get. ‘To get used to’ means ‘to become comfortable with something new.
16 make/have. Both words collocate with ‘contact’.
Part 3

17 satisfaction. Verb to noun transformation.

18 successful. Mind the spelling! Double ‘c’, double ‘s’, one ‘l’.
19 discover. Prefix changes the meaning of the verb to ‘to learn, to find out’.
20 solution. Verb to noun transformation.
21 improvement. Verb is changed to noun. Pay attention to the spelling.
22 scientists. Make sure to pluralise the noun, as suggested by ‘some’ at the
beginning of the sentence and the following ‘argue’.Another difficult word to spell.
23 performance. Verb to noun transformation.
24 uncertain. a prefix is used to make the adjective negative.

Part 4

25 speak English as well as. A comparison ‘as well as’ is hinted at by ‘as’ in the
task.
26 are not supposed to cycle. Passive form of the verb is required.
27 apologised for not letting. Reporting verb with gerund is used.
28 were not able to go/get. Remember that you can’t change the given word, so
‘were unable to go/get’ can’t be used, even though it is grammatically and
contextually correct.
29 came as a disappointment. ‘Come as a disappointment’ is a fixed expression.
Be attentive to spell ‘disappointment’ correctly.
30 to pay so much. A comparative expression with ‘so’.

Part 5

31 C. Last sentence of the paragraph: Chloe is known for her slightly quirky sense
of fashion. The opposite of A and B is said in the text. Answer D is not mentioned.
32 A. Second sentence of Paragraph Two: …the smell of fresh baking greets
us. Answer B is not mentioned. The opposite of Answers C and D is stated in the
text.
33 D. Last two sentences of Paragraph Three: … it was too much to take in at
nineteen. If I’d stayed longer, I might have settled in better. Answers A and C are
not mentioned. Answer B is incorrect as she only felt homesick at first, not ‘most of
the time’ as states in the answer.
34 B. Second sentence: ‘I’d been the typical kid, singing with a hairbrush in front of
the mirror, dreaming of being a star one day,’. The opposite of other answers is
stated in the text.
35 C. Paragraph Six: I fell as I climbed up the ladder and cracked three ribs.
36 B.but we had so many compliments, I decided to go ahead with more. Answer A
mentions a minor point. Answer C is not mentioned. The opposite of Answer D is
said in the text.
Part 6

37 G. ‘What this meant’ refers to becoming a part of the intensive training

programme.
38 B. The ‘target’ is getting to the flyweight boxing. The changes to her lifestyle are
described in the next sentence: ‘I don’t go out to party anymore. Thankfully, I’m
married to my boxing coach, so at least I’ve got some sort of social life!’
39 C. ‘Space-age training kit’ mentioned in sentence C is the special sports clothing
from the previous sentence.
40 F. The girl’s sport means that you are unlikely to get hurt. It is implied that in
sports women are less likely to to participate in sports that involves physical pain or
potential injury.
41 E. ‘Those events’ from sentence E are judo and taekwondo.
42 D. ‘That mistake’ refers to thinking that female boxing is about ‘aggression and
hurting your opponents’.

Part 7

43 С.… meal times are something I’ve never really got to grips with in all the years
I’ve travelled alone.
44 A.You can take the Oz Experience bus down the west coast, jumping off
whenever you want, then catching the next bus when you’re ready to move on
again.
45 B.The advantages of a pre-planned tour are that you can get an agency to take
care of all the arrangements, which can be time-consuming to do yourself
46 D.But I learnt to accept that some people have different attitudes to mine
47 A.To cheer myself up, I’d sit down and write a fortnightly email home about
everything I’d been up to.
48 A.I remember sitting in the plane thinking to myself: ‘What have I let myself in
for?’
49 C.There’s also the wonderful freedom to do what you like, when you like, without
having to convince anybody that it’s a good idea.
50 B. …if someone’s chosen to do the same type of trip as you, you’ve probably
got lots of ideas in
common.
51 D.… the pressure that you’re under to make your own mind up about everything.
52 C.Another thing is stay in the nicest places your budget permits. Miserable
hostels can really spoil a trip.