II.

GRAMMAR AND LEXICAL ITEMS

Part 1. Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence. Write your answer A, B, C or
D in the numbered boxes.
1. “It was a mistake to become a teacher. I wish I _______Architecture,” said Stephen.
A. had studied B. would study C. have studied D. studied
2. Ken was the second person _______ his mother in hospital.
A. to visit B. visiting C. have visited D. visit
3. Last night, I _______ ready to go to bed when, suddenly, I heard a noise coming from the basement.
A. got B. had got C. was getting D. had been getting
4. The candidate was unsuccessful as he had_______ previous working experience and did not hold a
postgraduate degree.
A. a few B. little C. a little D. few
5. Because of the hurricane we_______ not to leave the building under any circumstances.
A. have told B. tell C. have been told D. will have told
6. We are going to have a swimming pool_______ in our garden.
A. to put B. put C. being put D. putting
7. They all agreed that Stephanie might not be perfect, but has a lot of _______.
A. possibility B. potential C. probability D. likelihood
8. Bob was going to propose to Alexandra last night, but in the end he _______ and decided to wait a bit longer.
A. turned a blind eye B. was all ears C. broke a leg D. got cold feet
9. What meanings do you think the writer is trying to _______?
A. connect B. transport C. convey D. transfer
10. Although I don’t like using credit cards, they come _______ if you run out of cash.
A. in handy B. into effect C. into power D. to light
11. After a week on the yacht, Joshua was happy to be on _______ again.
A. shore B. coast C. beach D. sea
12. When the weather was nice, she liked to go for a walk in the early morning _______.
A. blizzard B. mist C. downpour D. heatwave
13. The _______ he made online cost him an arm and a leg.
A. acquisition B. profit C. purchase D. damage
14. Joe Donne has been _______ with murder and is expected to serve many years in prison.
A. charged B. convicted C. blamed D. sentenced
15. My parents told me that I would have to paddle my own _______ if I wished to pursue a career in showbiz.
A. ship B. boat C. raft D. canoe
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

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Part 2. Complete the following sentences with one preposition/particle for each blank. Write your
answers in the numbered boxes.
1. _______ my way to work yesterday I bumped into an old friend of mine, whom I hadn’t seen since
graduating from college five years ago.
2. This quaint little village is quite literally _______ the middle of nowhere, so make sure you take plenty of
supplies with you.
3. Many of my friends liked Joe’s stories although they knew that he made them _______.
4. If my sister hadn’t helped me _______ with a loan, I wouldn’t have bought that house.
5. I love visiting my grandmother living in a little cottage situated _______ the outskirts of town.
6. Just _______ the coast of the peninsula one could see the battered bow of what had once been a majestic
ship jutting out of the water.
7. It’s better for women to work _______ walking distance from their houses because they can save a heap
on daily transportation expenses.
8. Legend has it that he buried the treasure _______ the foot of a mountain under a crooked, olive tree.
9. Make sure that you are _______ top form before going on a bicycle vacation that takes you off the
beaten track.
10. It was such an embarrassing situation that she would never be able to live it _______.
Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3. There are 10 mistakes in the following passage. PUT a tick (√) for the correct lines.
UNDERLINE the mistakes and write the corrections in the corresponding space provided in the
column on the right. (0) and (00) have been done as examples.
Facebook has become one of the most popular social websites in the world. 0. ………√………..
Facebook users spend an average of more than 15 hours a month in the social 00…...…on……..
networking site. While there are plenty who caution against such extensive use 1. …...……….…..
and there are a large amount of studies detailing the harm Facebook could 2. …...……….…..
potentially cause. There are also lots of reports extolling the site's virtues. As the 3. …...……….…..
social media giant prepares for its upcoming initial public offering, here are some 4. …...……….…..
ways Facebook just might be good for you. 5. …...……….…..
Spending time on Facebook help people relax, slow down their heart rate 6. …...……….…..
and increase stress levels, according to researchers from the Massachusetts 7. …...……….…..
Institute of Technology and the University of Milan. In a study publishing earlier 8. …...……….…..
this year, researchers studied 30 students and found that a natural high was 9. …...……….…..
sparked when they were on the social websites that led to the relaxed heart rates 10. …...……….…
and lower levels of stress and tension. In the study, the students were monitoring 11. …...……….…
in three situations: looking at panorama landscapes, performing complicated 12. …...……….…
mathematical equations and using Facebook. Because the first situation was the 13. …...……….…
most relaxing to students and the math problems were the most stressful, the time 14. …...……….…
on Facebook covered high levels of attractiveness and arousal. The findings 15. …...……….…
support the researchers’ hypothesis that Facebook’s success, as well as those of 16. …...……….…

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 other social media networks, correlates to the specific positive mental and 17. …...……….…
physical state users experience. 18. …...……….…
Part 4. Read the sentences and use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the gap.
Write your answers in the numbered boxes.
1. After receiving hundreds of _______, they had to reconsider their plans. COMPLAIN
2. What were your first _______ when you saw him? IMPRESS
3. She was bursting with _______ to tell us what had happened. PATIENT
4. The police found no _______ evidence which linked the man to the crime. CONCLUDE
5. You would have been drunk last night but your behaviour was _______. DEFEND
6. I do wish my boss would stop _______ everything I do! CRITIC
7. When he said, “ _______ is a lie, women are better,” we couldn’t help laughing. EQUAL
8. Can you imagine how an astronaut must feel when they travel ______ through space? WEIGHT
9. Her article was really _______ and had us laughing. ENTERTAIN
10. _______, I found someone who knew where my long-lost sister might be living. ORDINARY
Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

III. READING
Part 1. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap. Write
your answers in the numbered boxes.
A GREAT COMPOSER
The classical composer Ernst Hoffsberger, who passed away earlier this week, truly
revolutionized the world of contemporary classical music and was a great source of inspiration to a whole
generation of (1)________ young artists in various fields. In many ways his three symphonies completely
(2)________ the achievements of all other composers of the late twentieth century and by (3)_______ the
classical genre with jazz, rock and latterly hippop, his work at times bore little resemblance to what is
commonly considered to be a classical sound.
Born in California just after the Second World War, Hoffsberger had a strict religious upbringing
during which he was taught classical piano by his father. He first found work as a freelance journalist,
playing and composing music in his free time. During the late sixties, he worked together in collaboration
with a number of other amateur musicians before finally (4)________ professional with the first public
performance in his insprirational Tenor Sax Concerto in 1971.
From (5)_______ on throughout the seventies and eighties, each new work seemed to surpass the
limit of the orchestral medium and also helped to bring classical music to a wider audience. (6)________
many people consider Hoffsberger’s defining quality that kept his music fresh and original was that he
never lost the human (7)________which gave him the ability to sit down and jam with musicians and
artists from all walks of life.
1. A. branching B. budding C. blooming D. bursting
2. A. overcame B. overshadowed C. overturned D. overwhelmed
3. A. adjoining B. attaching C. fixing D. fusing
4. A. taking B. getting C. making D. turning
5. A. now B. then C. again D. later
6. A. Which B. How C. That D. What
7. A. touch B. feeling C. contact D. aspect
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4.
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 5. 6. 7.
Part 2. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only ONE word in
each gap. Write your answers in the numbered boxes.
In the technological age we now live in, you might find it quite surprising that ___1___ and more
people are deciding not to work to live. Instead, an increasing number of us are opting for a simpler and
cheaper way of living, and one ___2___ essentially makes them happier. Those who have taken this step
feel they are no longer spending increasing hours at jobs which may bring them ___3___ or no
satisfaction, but which they do in the ___4___ of being able to keep up with spiralling living costs. By
simplifying their lives and reducing their costs, these people find they have a lot more time ___5___ to
pursue their own interests, which is something that many people now seem to have great difficulty in
achieving. ___6___ surprisingly, a change in lifestyle and attitude is a good idea when you work out how
many sick days are taken each year by people who become ill through overwork or through the ever-
present stress they have to handle in their jobs. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that companies
must waste a ___7___ deal of money on sick-pay. We should also bear in mind that as life ___8___
increases, our working life will also be extended. So, unless we gain some balance in our lives, we may
___9___ to ever reach retirement. So, the next time you are working late or counting the number of hours
you have before you can go home, ___10___ not start thinking about how you could simplify your life?
Just imagine what you might do if you came home after work and still had hours left to do things you
really fancied doing!
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3. Read the following passage and answer the questions from 1 to 8. Write your answers in the
numbered boxes.
yhotte Brontë
Published in 1847, this critically acclaimed novel tells the story of a young girl who overcomes great
adversity and blossoms into an independent woman of impeccable character. Orphaned at a young age,
Jane spends her early years at Lowood, a charity school for girls, where the pupils are forced to live in
appalling conditions. When the headmaster, Mr Brocklehurst, brands Jane a liar in front of the entire
school, Jane is determined to clear her name, and she enlists the help of the kindly superintendent, Miss
Temple. Miss Temple offers to write to Mr Lloyd, an apothecary who treated Jane in the past, to verify
that Jane is indeed an honest girl. As the extract begins, Jane and her friend, Helen, are having tea with
Miss Temple.
They conversed of things I had never heard of; of nations and times past; of countries far away; of secrets of
nature discovered or guessed at: they spoke of books: how many they had read! What stores of knowledge they
possessed! Then they seemed so familiar with French names and French authors: but my amazement reached its
climax when Miss Temple asked Helen if she sometimes snatched a moment to recall the Latin her father had
taught her, and taking a book from a shelf, bade her read and construe a page of Virgil; and Helen obeyed, my
organ of veneration expanding at every sounding line. She had scarcely finished before the bell announced
bedtime: no delay could be admitted; Miss Temple embraced us both, saying, as she drew us to her heart -
“God bless you, my children!”
Helen she held a little longer than me: she let her go more reluctantly; it was Helen her eye followed to the
door; it was for her she a second time breathed a sad sigh; for her she wiped a tear from her cheek.
On reaching the bedroom, we heard the voice of Miss Scatcherd: she was examining drawers; she had just
pulled out Helen Burns’s, and when we entered Helen was greeted with a sharp reprimand, and told that
tomorrow she should have half-a-dozen of untidily folded articles pinned to her shoulder.

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 “My things were indeed in shameful disorder,” murmured Helen to me, in a low voice: “I intended to have
arranged them, but I forgot.” Next morning, Miss Scatcherd wrote in conspicuous characters on a piece of
pasteboard the word “Slattern,” and bound it like a phylactery round Helen’s large, mild, intelligent, and benign-
looking forehead. She wore it till evening, patient, unresentful, regarding it as a deserved punishment. The
moment Miss Scatcherd withdrew after afternoon school, I ran to Helen, tore it off, and thrust it into the fire: the
fury of which she was incapable had been burning in my soul all day, and tears, hot and large, had continually
been scalding my cheek; for the spectacle of her sad resignation gave me an intolerable pain at the heart.
About a week subsequently to the incidents above narrated, Miss Temple, who had written to Mr. Lloyd,
received his answer: it appeared that what he said went to corroborate my account. Miss Temple, having
assembled the whole school, announced that inquiry had been made into the charges alleged against Jane Eyre,
and that she was most happy to be able to pronounce her completely cleared from every imputation. The teachers
then shook hands with me and kissed me, and a murmur of pleasure ran through the ranks of my companions.
Thus relieved of a grievous load, I from that hour set to work afresh, resolved to pioneer my way through every
difficulty: I toiled hard, and my success was proportionate to my efforts; my memory, not naturally tenacious,
improved with practice; exercise sharpened my wits; in a few weeks I was promoted to a higher class; in less than
two months I was allowed to commence French and drawing. I learned the first two tenses of the verb ETRE, and
sketched my first cottage (whose walls, by-the-bye, outrivalled in slope those of the leaning tower of Pisa), on the
same day. That night, on going to bed, I forgot to prepare in imagination the Barmecide supper of hot roast
potatoes, or white bread and new milk, with which I was wont to amuse my inward cravings: I feasted instead on
the spectacle of ideal drawings, which I saw in the dark; all the work of my own hands: freely pencilled houses
and trees, picturesque rocks and ruins, Cuyp-like groups of cattle, sweet paintings of butterflies hovering over
unblown roses, of birds picking at ripe cherries, of wren’s nests enclosing pearl-like eggs, wreathed about with
young ivy sprays. I examined, too, in thought, the possibility of my ever being able to translate currently a certain
little French story which Madame Pierrot had that day shown me; nor was that problem solved to my satisfaction
ere I fell sweetly asleep.
1. How does Jane feel while listening to Helen and Miss Temple converse?
A. fascinated by their wealth of knowledge
B. bored by their constant references to French authors
C. envious of the fact that Miss Temple seems to favour Helen over her
D. frustrated at her inability to participate in the conversation
2. Why did the girls leave Miss Temple?
A. Miss Temple suggested that they should go.
B. Miss Temple was too moved to continue the conversation.
C. They had to go to their bedroom immediately.
D. Miss Scatcherd was waiting for them in their bedroom.
3. How does Helen feel about her punishment?
A. She’s furious.
B. She is accepting of her punishment.
C. She feels angry and complains to Jane about it.
D. She feels she’s been mistreated and plans to take revenge on Miss Scatcherd.
4. Why does Jane throw the pasteboard that was tied to Helen’s head into the fire?
A. She could no longer bear to watch her friend’s passive acceptance of an unjust punishment.
B. She wanted her friend to realise that Miss Scatcherd was wrong.
C. She couldn’t stand seeing her friend crying.
D. It was the least she could do to take revenge on Miss Scatcherd.
5. The word ‘imputation’ in line 25 means _______.
A. judgement B. criticism C. deceit D. blame
6. What’s the ‘grievous load’ Jane mentions in line 26?
A. Mr Lloyd’s letter to Miss Temple. B. The inquiry made by Miss Temple.
C. The unfair accusation of Jane being a liar. D. The lack of trust from Jane’s companions.
7. What does Jane do once Miss Temple announces that her name has been cleared?
A. She turns her attention to her studies. B. She tries to improve her memory.
C. She begins studying for a French test. D. She decides to become an artist.
8. Jane sketches her first cottage and, that night, it seems that _______
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 A. she experiences a feeling of complete satisfaction.
B. she has changed her fantasies.
C. she realises that she should focus on drawing landscapes.
D. she sets new goals after reviewing what has happened during the day.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
Part 4. Read the texts A-E and answer the questions 1-15 by choosing the correct letter A-E . Write
your answer in the numbered boxes.
Who would recommend their diet to other people? 1
Who has been on numerous diets in the past? 2
Who started their diet without planning to lose any weight?
3
Who feels let down by the effectiveness of their diet so far? 4
Who is no longer on a diet? 5
Who had medical advice to start dieting? 6
Who says their diet has attracted some negative publicity? 7
Who have failed to lose any weight? 8 9
Who mentions an advantage and a drawback of the diet they lofollow? 10
Who has started to take more exercise?
11
Who has a particular date by which to finish their diet?
12
Who have to calculate how much energy is in their food?
13 14
Who replaces some meals with liquids?
15
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

A. Jane
I started my diet as a new year’s resolution. I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but I really did want to turn over a
new leaf and have a new lifestyle. This was my first diet, at least it is if you exclude a crazy one based on
eating pineapples which I tried in my early twenties. But when celebrities like Rene Zellweger and Geri
Halliwell swear by it, and every other magazine has an article on it, when I realised it was time for a diet,
I realised also it was time for an Atkins diet. The great thing about Atkins is that everything you eat is what
you want to eat, and therefore everything tastes good; the downside is that most of their suggested
menus are on the expensive side, since they include foods like lobster. I’ve been on the diet for
3 months now, and I’ve lost 5 pounds, which is frankly disappointing, but at least I’m still going.
B. Emily
I’m getting married next month, and so three months ago I decided I would try to look a bit sleeker for my
big day. In order to give me an extra bit of incentive, I ordered my wedding dress two sizes too small, which
left me with 8cm to lose around my waist. But I think the extra pressure will give me a shove in the right
direction, even if my doctor warned me that it might backfire. I chose to use the Weightwatchers diet, which
involves counting the number of points in different types of food, where the points are linked to their
calories. I’ve also managed to be more active – nothing particularly demanding, but I’m walking instead of
catching the bus for short distances, and this way I’m able to increase my point allowance. It is a hassle,
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having to count the point value for everything I eat, but perhaps this allows me to work out whether I really
want to eat the particular foodstuff, or whether I’m merely satisfying a sudden craving which will pass in a
minute or two. Anyway, whatever the reason, my waist is 2cm smaller than it was, which is better than
nothing, although I don’t think I’m going to hit my target.
C. Greg
I chose to become one of the three million vegetarians in Britain mostly because of health concerns about
eating meat, although I am also concerned about the moral issues. My diet includes only cereal products,
nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy products and fruit and vegetables. Avoiding some animal products can be tricky,
although not of course as difficult as for vegans. Rennet, for example, which is extracted from the stomach
lining of cows, is often used in cheese making. Although my motivation was not to lose weight, over the 10
months after my conversion to vegetarianism I’ve actually lost 7 or 8 pounds. Since I haven’t started taking
any exercise, I guess it’s probably because my fat intake has dropped, since the soya products which
constitute the core of my diet have much less than the beef, pork and lamb dishes I used to eat. On top of all
this, I’m feeling really good, and so I wholeheartedly urge other people to take the vegetarian plunge!
D. Rob
I’m a serial dieter. I’ve been overweight for years, and since I’ve now passed 50 and 18 stone, I’ve become
seriously worried about my future. I decided to start the Cambridge Diet, despite it being so controversial,
since I felt reassured that the modern version of the diet is not as risky as the original version of the 1970s
and 80s. My diet substitutes shakes in place of breakfast and lunch, and thereby aims to keep the calories
under a short rein. My target is 1,000 calories a day, which given my weight undoubtedly constitutes a crash
diet. I take supplements of minerals, vitamins and fatty acids to reduce the loss of nutrients due to the severe
calorie restriction, but these hardly fill me up. I’ve been on the diet for just a month now, and it has taken
me a while to get used to it, and I know I haven’t always kept within my calorie count. That’s why I wasn’t
too surprised when I discovered at my last weighing that my weight was exactly the same as when I started.
But I know by now that these things take time, and I’ll keep going. I feel I have to.
E. Lily
I’ve never really thought much about my food, and have always had a penchant for junk food and chocolate.
Over the years the pounds have slowly accumulated, but things came to a head only recently, after I moved
from a flat to a house, and discovered I was getting short of breath whenever I climbed the stairs. I thought
there might be something wrong with me medically, but my doctor told me it was straightforward obesity.
Thus I started my diet on doctor’s orders. I started reading up on healthy eating, and realised my normal diet
was too high in fats and sugars, and so resolved to change it. But this I found was harder than I thought it
would be, and for several weeks I really tried hard but found that I was actually getting very stressed and
putting on more weight. I didn’t want to concede defeat, but my doctor and friends said they thought I
should take time off it for a while to relax and recharge my batteries, and maybe have another go in the
future.
IV. WRITING
Part 1. A. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
beginning with the given word .
1. I was given a transfer by my superior, not a promotion.
 What _____________________________________________________________________________.
2. Jenny didn’t miss that important phone call because she didn’t leave as early as she had expected.
 Had ______________________________________________________________________________.
3. Everyone but Jonathan failed to persuade foreign businesses to invest in the project
 Only Jonathan ______________________________________________________________________.
4. The Personnel Manager was determined not to sack Tim despite his repeated absence.
 The Personnel Manager had no ________________________________________________________.

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5. There are no seats left for the concert on July 20th.
 All the seats ________________________________________________________________________.
Part 2. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first, using the word
given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and eight words including the
word given.
1. I bought ten items of clothing but I didn’t need five of them. WHICH
 I bought ten items of clothing ___________________________________________________use to me.
2. Allegedly, this advanced telecommunications system was invented by two very resourceful young lads. SAID
 This advanced telecommunications system ____________________________________________ two
very resourceful young lads.
3. Perhaps he was behaving so peevishly because what you said offended him. BEEN
 He might _____________________________________________ because what you said offended him.
4. “While Harold Robbins was serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was leaking confidential
information”, said the journalist. OF
 Harold Robbins was _______________________________________________ while he was serving as
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
5. You should on no account give the parcel to anyone other than the person in question. BE
 Under _________________________________________________to anyone but the person in question.
Part 3. ESSAY
Some people think that too much technology can have a negative impact on our lives. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?
In about 250 words, write an essay to express your opinion on the issue. Use reasons and examples to
support your composition.
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_____ THE END _____

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