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Objective Placement Test B

General Directions
There are three sections in the Objective Placement Test: Listening, Reading, and Language Use.
There are 50 questions. You are allowed 40 minutes to complete the test.
Section I, the Listening section, has eight conversations and a total of 15 questions. You will
hear the conversations and answer one or more questions about each one. Before you listen to
each conversation, read the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation. Choose the
correct answer for each question, and fill in your choice on your answer sheet. You will hear the
conversation only once. The first conversation is an example. You have 15 minutes to complete
this section.
Section II, the Reading section, has eight reading passages and 15 questions. After you read each
passage, choose the correct answer for each question, and fill in your choice on your answer sheet.
You have 15 minutes to complete this section.
Section III, the Language Use section, has 20 questions. Choose the correct completion for each
item, and fill in your choice on your answer sheet. You have 10 minutes to complete this section.
Mark your answers clearly on your answer sheet. If you want to change an answer, erase your first
answer completely. If you want to take notes during the test, write on the extra paper you were
given before the start of the test.

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Section I: Listening
You will hear conversations and answer some questions about them. For each conversation, read
the situation and the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation. After you hear the
conversation, answer the questions. Mark the correct answer (a, b, c, or d) on your answer sheet.

Read the example situation and question.

Example
Situation: Laura talks to her classmate Bob about weekend activities.
Laura ___ on Sunday afternoon.
a. plays soccer with friends
b. hangs out at a club
c. eats out with her family
d. watches movies at the mall
Now listen to the example conversation.
[EXAMPLE CONVERSATION]
Now answer the example question.
The answer for the example is a, plays soccer with friends. The letter a is filled in on your
answer sheet.
Now go on to page 3.
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Situation 1: Paula is asking Peter how he gets to work.

1. Peter ___ to work on Fridays.
a. drives his car
b. takes the bus
c. rides his bike
d. takes the subway
Situation 2: Keith is asking Linda about her vacation in Australia.
2. Linda didn’t ___ in Australia.
a. go to the beach
b. take lots of pictures
c. buy souvenirs for friends
d. take a tour of Sydney
Situation 3: Lara and John are talking on the phone about the weather and travel plans.
3. The weather is ___.
a. sunny in Toronto right now
b. very cold in San José today
c. nice in Toronto in March
d. rainy in Costa Rica in May
Situation 4: Hannah and Michael are talking about changes in Michael’s life.
4. Michael ___.
a. is going to retire soon
b. can’t take tennis lessons
c. might start a new hobby
d. will go on vacation now
5. Hannah thinks Michael ___.
a. should go to Elite Tennis
b. can’t take tennis classes

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c. should try Mark’s Tennis Club
d. won’t have time for tennis
Situation 5: Ellen is asking Bob about his travel experiences.
6. Bob ___.
a. is going to Greece next summer

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b. has been to the Acropolis
c. was in Athens last year
d. says Skyros is near Athens
7. Bob says that ___ is one of the most beautiful places in Greece.
a. the Acropolis
b. the Kastro
c. Athens
d. Skyros
Now go on to page 4.

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Situation 6: Ethan is talking to Maria about his friend Allen.

8. Ethan says that Allen ___.
a. has contacted him recently
b. is angry with him
c. started a new job
d. is worried about him
9. Ethan ___.
a. says he will call Allen
b. thinks he has upset Allen
c. doesn’t want to talk to Allen
d. doesn’t talk to Allen very often
Situation 7: Stacey is telling Bill about something that happened to her.
10. Stacey ___.
a. didn’t make a guest list for Allen’s party
b. sent Allen’s sister an invitation
c. will plan Allen’s party again
d. didn’t have an address for Allen’s sister
11. Allen was ___.
a. stressed out
b. embarrassed
c. upset
d. easygoing
12. Bill thinks that Stacey ___.
a. didn’t want Allen’s sister to come
b. should have called Allen’s sister sooner
c. didn’t make a guest list
d. should have realized the mistake
Situation 8: Louisa and Jack are talking about a birthday party.
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13. Jack didn’t go to the party because ___.

a. he had a meeting at his job
b. his car stopped working
c. he didn’t want to go
d. he hadn’t bought a gift
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14. Louisa ___.

a. thought the band was great
b. came to the party with Evan
c. didn’t hear the band play
d. complained about the noise
15. The band ___.
a. wasn’t paid for playing
b. probably played too loudly
c. played for more than an hour
d. was upset when they left
This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test B.
Now go on to page 5 and begin the Reading section.

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Section II: Reading

In this section, you will read some passages and answer questions about them. Choose the word or
words that best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your answer on the answer sheet. You
will have 15 minutes to complete this section.

Passage 1: What Do You Do After Work?

MARK: I always work Monday through Friday. On Monday and Wednesday, I go to school after
work. Then I often go home to study. On Tuesday and Thursday, I always eat dinner at home with
my family. Then I exercise with my brother in the park in the evening. On Friday, I hang out with
my friends in the evening. We usually eat out and go dancing.
16. Mark ___ with his brother.
a. hangs out
b. goes dancing
c. works
d. exercises
Passage 2: An Email, Subject: Vacation in China!
Hi Mike,
My mother and I are traveling in China right now. We are taking interesting pictures. Last week,
we took a tour on the Yangtze River and saw the Three Gorges Dam. The trip was awful because
I was sick. This week, we are in Beijing. Our hotel is near some museums, and there’s a great
restaurant on the corner. I really love the food here. Yesterday, we walked on the Great Wall. It
was exciting! Tomorrow, we are going to visit the Forbidden City and shop in Panjiayuan Market. I
am going to buy souvenirs for everyone. Next week, we are going to see the Terracotta Warriors in
Xian. I love vacations!
Ken
17. Ken ___.
a. liked the tour on the Yangtze
b. visited the Great Wall yesterday

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c. is in Xian right now
d. is going to a museum tomorrow
Passage 3: How Healthy Is Your Diet?
We spoke to Dr. Adele Ryan about American eating habits. She says that only about 30 percent
of Americans eat five or more fruits and vegetables every day. A balanced diet with a lot of fruits
and vegetables is very important for good health. Dr. Ryan says, “I plan my meals every week, Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011
and then I go grocery shopping. I buy healthy foods, and I usually cook and eat meals at home. I
eat fruits or vegetables with every meal. I also eat fruits or vegetables between meals for healthy
snacks. I hardly ever eat at restaurants. Some restaurant food is not very healthy. I also eat a good
breakfast every day. This helps me feel less tired in the morning.”
18. Dr. Ryan says that ___.
a. most Americans eat healthy foods every day
b. she often eats out at restaurants
c. a good breakfast makes her less tired
d. she hardly ever eats at home
Now go on to page 6.

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Passage 4: Rita’s Restaurant Review: Pete’s Place

Pete’s Place is a fairly new restaurant downtown. It has the most amazing food! It’s a small,
quiet restaurant next to the art museum. My husband and I went there for dinner a week ago to
celebrate his new job. We had a delicious meal. My husband had the tomato soup, a steak, and
mixed vegetables. I ate ravioli, garlic bread, and a salad. For dessert, I ordered the cheesecake and
coffee. My husband had some cheesecake, too. But he didn’t want any coffee. They gave us a lot of
food. There was enough food to take some home to eat later. The service was extremely good. The
waitresses were friendly and the owner, Pete, was very friendly, too. We had a relaxing evening. We
may go again next Thursday to try their spaghetti special. You should try this new restaurant. You
will love it!
19. Rita and her husband ate at Pete’s Place to ___.
a. have some tomato soup
b. celebrate his new job
c. have the spaghetti special
d. try a new restaurant
20. Rita’s husband had ___.
a. some coffee
b. garlic bread
c. a salad
d. cheesecake
Passage 5: Life After College
My son Tim is graduating from college next month. Right now, he is looking for a job as an
accountant. Tim is very hardworking and serious. When he was a child, he used to do his homework
every day after school. I didn’t have to remind him. He studied hard for all his exams and got very
good grades. He took accounting classes in college because he has always been good with numbers.
He’s also a very honest person. One time when he was 16, he was paying for his food at a restaurant,
and the waitress gave him back too much money. Luckily, he noticed and gave her back the extra.
Now he has finished his education and wants to start his career in a small company that helps
families or single people save money for their future. He’s not interested in a job at a large
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company because he thinks the work will be very stressful. He really enjoys helping others. He
wants to teach people about money and to challenge them to spend their money well and save
some at the same time. He is determined to find his dream job, and I think he will get it because of
his talent with numbers and his honesty.
21. When Tim returned the extra money to the waitress, he showed that he ___.
a. is honest
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b. is hardworking
c. has talent
d. is serious
22. Tim would like a job in a company that ___.
a. is busy and challenging
b. will pay for his college
c. helps people save money
d. teaches accounting
Now go on to page 7.

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Passage 6: Our Dream Home

My wife and I would love to live in a small town in the mountains near Los Angeles. In the
mountains, it snows in the winter, and it is warm enough in the summer to swim in the lakes. We
have always wanted to live in a place that has different seasons. If we moved there, my wife would
really like it because she skis a lot every winter and often hikes in the summer. I would really
enjoy being in the mountains so I could see more wildlife every day.
It would be nice to live in a small town because it is very quiet, and life is more relaxing. The people
who live in small towns are usually pretty friendly, and it is fairly safe to live there. It isn’t very
crowded, so there would be less traffic, and we wouldn’t have to wait at the supermarket or bank.
If we lived in a small town in the mountains, our house wouldn’t be very big. We don’t need a lot of
rooms because our children have already moved out. I have retired, but my wife is still working, so
we would need enough space for her home office. We’d like a small house because we wouldn’t need
to buy a lot of new furniture, and we wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time cleaning it!
23. The author and his wife would like to live in a small town in the mountains because ___.
a. they want to live far from Los Angeles
b. he likes to go skiing in the winter
c. she would enjoy watching the wildlife
d. they enjoy watching the seasons change
24. The author and his wife want a small house because ___.
a. his wife doesn’t need office space
b. their children still live at home
c. they want to buy new furniture
d. it wouldn’t take much time to clean it
Now go on to page 8.

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Passage 7: Doug’s Baseball Blog

As you know, yesterday afternoon the Angels played the Indians. I didn’t watch the game in the
afternoon because I was working. But I am an enthusiastic Angels fan, so I recorded the game. I
invited a few friends to drop by last night so we could watch the game together. I like watching
games that I have recorded because I can skip the commercials and just see the game! It’s great to
rewind to see different parts of the games again – especially the great plays that the players make.
Unfortunately, most of the great plays that we saw last night were made by the Indians. We were
really upset because the Angels played terribly and lost! One of the players, Martinez, missed the
ball several times. One time he dropped the ball, and the Indians got three runs! Martinez could
have caught the ball, but he wasn’t paying attention. He wasn’t hitting the ball well, either. The
Indians won by only one run, so if Martinez had gotten a hit in the last inning, the Angels could
have won!
My friends and I think Martinez should retire. He has been playing for 20 years, and he doesn’t
play as well as he used to. He is extremely talented, but he hasn’t been dedicated to playing the
game for a while now. We wish the Angels’ owner would look for a new player who works harder
than Martinez. Then they could win more games later this season. Let’s hope they find someone
more reliable for next year, too. It’s pretty embarrassing to be an Angels fan right now!
25. The author ___.
a. enjoys watching baseball games alone
b. liked seeing the good plays the Indians made
c. recorded the baseball game yesterday
d. rewinds to watch the commercials
26. The Angels ___.
a. won the game yesterday
b. scored three runs
c. got a hit in the last inning
d. didn’t play very well
27. Martinez ___.
a. caught two balls during the game
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b. is going to retire this year

c. didn’t pay attention during the game
d. is a very dedicated player
Now go on to page 9.
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Passage 8: One Way Modern Technology Has Changed Our Lives

During the last twenty or thirty years, many new means of communication have been developed.
Because of these innovations, some of our work habits have changed. Now, many businesses allow
employees to work from home, or telecommute, for all or part of the time. This would not have been
possible 30 years ago. But with telephones, cell phones, fax machines, and Internet access – along
with email accounts – employees can work from home and take care of their job responsibilities.
There are many good things about this form of working, but there are also problems.
On the good side, having more telecommuters is good for the environment. It decreases traffic and
air pollution. Businesses need less office space, which means they use less energy. Employees save
time and money by not commuting. They are less likely to get sick because they are less stressed.
It can be easier for people to balance family life and work.
One of the problems with telecommuting is that dedicated employees might not know when to
stop working. When an employee leaves the office, that usually means leaving work until the next
day. But for telecommuters, with so many ways to be connected, it can be hard to separate work
time from personal time. Also, if people work from home most of the time, they may forget how to
communicate effectively in person. We need to turn off these modern conveniences from time to
time, so we can interact comfortably in face-to-face situations.
28. The main idea of the article is that ___.
a. telecommuting is good for the environment
b. there are good and bad things about telecommuting
c. telecommuting wasn’t possible 30 years ago
d. telecommuting is good for people with families
29. The article says that people who telecommute ___.
a. don’t get sick as often as other employees
b. are more stressed than office workers
c. don't need office space at home
d. don’t have enough time to finish their work
30. According to the article, a problem with telecommuting is that workers ___.
a. spend too much time with their families

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b. may forget how to relate to others face-to-face
c. can leave work too early in the day
d. find it difficult to call people in the office by phone
Now go on to page 10 and begin the Language Use section.

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Section III: Language Use

In this section, you will answer questions about the use of English. Choose the word or words that
best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your answer on the answer sheet. You will have
10 minutes to complete this section.
31. Mike and I ___ the bus to school every morning.
a. doesn’t take
b. take
c. not take
d. takes
32. ___ Melanie dancing with her friends at the club tonight?
a. Does
b. Are
c. Do
d. Is
33. My brother ___ breakfast yesterday morning.
a. made
b. making
c. make
d. makes
34. A: What ___ like?
B: They are friendly.
a. do they
b. do they look
c. are they
d. would they
35. There ___ pants in the closet.
a. aren’t any
b. ’s some
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c. isn’t any
d. aren’t some
36. I don’t like the weather today. It’s ___ yesterday.
a. more cloudy than
b. cloudier than
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c. cloudier that
d. cloudy than
37. I ___ sushi.
a. have not ate
b. ‘’ve never eaten
c. has not eaten
d. have never ate
Now go on to page 11.

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38. A: I like playing soccer.

B: ___.
a. Neither am I
b. Neither do I
c. So do I
d. I am, too
39. My friends and I have fun when we ___ to the park.
a. went
b. go
c. were going
d. have gone
40. Arcadia is a town ___ many excellent museums.
a. that has
b. who it has
c. who have
d. which have
41. They ______ volleyball before.
a. play
b. don’t play
c. are playing
d. have never played
42. A: How long ___ volleyball?
B: ___ she was a child.
a. does she play / For
b. has she played / For
c. did she play / Since
d. has she played / Since
43. You ___ weight if you ___ healthier food.

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a. may lose / eat
b. lose / might eat
c. could lose / will eat
d. will lose / ate
44. The pie ___ last night.
a. were made
b. made Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011
c. was made
d. was making
45. A: Are you going to the concert on Saturday?
B: No, I can’t. I ___ to work.
a. must
b. have
c. should
d. had better
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46. ___ dinner lately?

a. Did she make
b. Does she make
c. Has she been making
d. Would she make
47. Mark ___ basketball if he ___ taller.
a. play / would be
b. will play / would be
c. would play / were
d. plays / were
48. My mother reminded me ___ out late.
a. don’t stay
b. not stay
c. not to stay
d. to stay not
49. His sister ___ have helped him make this delicious cheesecake. She is a great chef.
a. must
b. couldn’t
c. can
d. might not
50. What ___ next summer?
a. were you doing
b. do you do
c. have you been doing
d. will you be doing

END OF TEST
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Objective Placement Test B

ANSWER SHEET
Name ______________________________ Date ________________
Total Points ________________________ Rating ______________

Section 1: Listening
Example: a b c d

1. a b c d 9. a b c d
2. a b c d 10. a b c d
3. a b c d 11. a b c d
4. a b c d 12. a b c d
5. a b c d 13. a b c d
6. a b c d 14. a b c d
7. a b c d 15. a b c d
8. a b c d

Section II: Reading

16. a b c d 25. a b c d
17. a b c d 26. a b c d
18. a b c d 27. a b c d
19. a b c d 28. a b c d
20. a b c d 29. a b c d
21. a b c d 30. a b c d
22. a b c d

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23. a b c d
24. a b c d

Section III: Language Use

31. a b c d 38. a b c d 45. a b c d Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

32. a b c d 39. a b c d 46. a b c d
33. a b c d 40. a b c d 47. a b c d
34. a b c d 41. a b c d 48. a b c d
35. a b c d 42. a b c d 49. a b c d
36. a b c d 43. a b c d 50. a b c d
37. a b c d 44. a b c d

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