Upper Intermediate Mid-course Test A

Grammar and Vocabulary

Listening
1 Track 11 Listen to six speakers. Are the 3 Select the correct alternative.
statements true (T) or false (F)?
1 The woman has always enjoyed dancing. F 1 I’m very particular about for
2 The man gets on well with his flatmate. hygiene.
3 The woman wishes she hadn’t turned down a good 2 I’ve really got over into
job overseas. salsa dancing.
4 The woman enjoys contemporary novels. 3 We were brought on up
5 The man prefers independent travel. in a village.
6 The woman now uses her mobile phone regularly. 4 I have finished my report. Now I can hand
10 over up
the project to my colleague.
2 Track 12 What are they talking about? Listen 5 I take care for of
and select the correct answer: a), b) or c). her when she’s ill.
6 The Grants turned up in
1 a) website forum
late as usual so they missed the meal.
b) manga
7 I always put off on
c) e-book
filling in my tax return until the very last minute.

2 a) pollution 8 We’ll have to take over on

b) drought more staff if we want to expand.

c) famine 9 Dan lives on in

the edge of a forest.
10 At With
3 a) speed cameras
hindsight I’d have done a lot of things very
b) phone cameras differently.
c) CCTV cameras
11 Let’s cross that bridge when we come

4 a) a geek to over it.

5
b) a people person
c) a good laugh 4Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of
the word in capitals.
1 Stephen’s generosity is almost too much
5 a) an advertising slogan sometimes. GENEROUS
b) an advertising jingle 2 His behaviour at the party was totally
. OUTRAGE
c) an advertising campaign 3 Rising unemployment can result in more problems
with . HOME
6 a) being frustrated 4 I could see John’s as he heard that
he’d come second. DISAPPOINT
b) being adventurous 5 The internet has the way we
c) being anxious communicate. REVOLUTION
6‘ guaranteed’, that’s what it says on
10 the packet! SATISFY

5
 Upper Intermediate Mid-course Test A

5 Complete the text with one word in each gap. 10 I really don’t think Maria go travelling
I’ve never been interested 1 in having the latest next year.
gadgets, but Mark is just 2 opposite. He’s a a) will b) might c) is going d) is likely
3
of a geek and has recently 4 to 11 We live in a small cottage by the sea
playing the Warcraft game with all his online before we moved to the city.
friends. He doesn’t take 5 notice of me. He a) would b) were used to
disappears for 6 on end and only comes c) got used to d) used to
downstairs to eat! I’ll have to get used to 7 5
more time on my own, but I could kick 8
for having bought him 9 new laptop for his
8 Complete the second sentence so that it means
birthday. Mind you, I’ve taken 10 ballroom
the same as the first. Use the word in capitals.
dancing and have met lots of ‘real’ people so I
11 1 Peter ignored the crowds of reporters outside his
you could say that every cloud has a
house. TOOK
silver lining.
Peter took no notice of the crowds of reporters
5
outside his house .
6 Correct two mistakes in each sentence. 2 I’ve been working for five years. AGO
1 I’m very exhausted after all an excitement of I .
today. 3 When will the current director resign? STEP
absolutely the When ?
2 The news last night were extremely disturbed. 4 Judy doesn’t mix much with others. HERSELF
Judy .
3 Paul was never pulled his heaviness around the 5 There isn’t any more milk. RUN
house. We’ve .
6 I’ll never recover from the death of my dog.
4 Let’s build that bridge when we get to it. OVER
I’ll never .
5 I would pay for the meal as often as you make the
reservation. 5

6 Tony Blair had written about his time as Prime 9 Complete the words.
Minister in his biography. 1 If on l y I hadn’t said anything!
2 It’s ten kilometres to town as the c flies.
3 I really enjoy reading b of the
5
old Hollywood stars.
4 Ben’s having s thoughts about applying
7 Choose the correct answers: a), b) or c). for promotion as he’s not sure about his new boss.
1 Pay attention c this announcement. 5 Where there’s life, there’s h .
a) on b) for c) to d) at 6 I’ve never been able to make out the l of
2 The concert was called off because too few tickets most heavy metal songs.
sold beforehand. 7 Tokyo is an incredibly d populated
a) had been b) have been c) were being d) are city.
3 goes around comes around. 8 Before you start messing around with your new
a) With b) Why c) Which d) What keyboard, I think you should read the m .
4 Chris and Ken have recently up a web 9 The main d to working from home is
design company. the sense of isolation which can be quite depressing.
a) got b) put c) set d) turned 10 It’s a p you can’t make it this evening, but
5 calling is an invasion of privacy in my hopefully we’ll get together soon.
opinion. 11 Everyone is praying for rain after the longest
a) Cool b) Cold c) Warm d) Hot d in living memory.
6 Simon is really -fisted and never pays for
anything when we go out. 5
a) tight b) hard c) light d) tough
7 Mark always gets to work late he leaves
before the rush hour begins.
a) as long as b) providing c)if d) unless
8 The train is my favourite of transport.
a) mean b) modes c) means d) way

9 After graduating Jo went to do an MA.

a) up b) on c) over d) in
 Upper Intermediate Mid-course Test A

Reading Love
10 Match gaps 1–6 in the text with a)–g). Hannah x
There is one extra sentence you do not need.
Hi Annie a) I still have to go into the office once a week for
meetings but it’s a good balance (and a chance to
Thanks so much for your newsy email – I’m glad catch up on office gossip!).
you’re enjoying your new job. I know how you were b) It’s been a very stressful time for me recently
rather dreading it but I think it’s always hard to start with all the problems at work and problems with my
again especially when you have to move as well. health.
And what about accommodation – did you decide to c) I guess it must be quite expensive if you want to
find something on your own or are you sharing? be in town so you might not have much choice.
1
c d) Of course I was the hot topic of conversation for
the first week or so but I guess that’s to be expected
Quite a lot’s happened here as well since I last wrote in a small community, so I didn’t feel bad about it.
to you. I finally moved last month. You know I’d e) I hope you can get some time off soon to come
been looking to move out of the city centre, well, I and visit as I know you’ll love it too, and it will do
found a lovely little house half way between where I you good.
had been living and the coast. 2 And dark too f) The hardest thing for me to adjust to has been the
as there are no street lights – so you can see the change of pace in life here – I’ve found it difficult to
stars. I haven’t quite got used to it yet, having slow down.
always been a city girl! g) It’s on the edge of the village so it’s really
peaceful and very quiet, especially at night.
Everyone has been very friendly though. You know,
before I moved everyone was saying that I was 10
crazy because villagers tend to keep themselves to
Speaking
themselves and don’t welcome outsiders, but I can’t
tell you how kind everyone has been. 3 I’m 11 Rewrite the sentences using the prompts in
living in a terraced house so have neighbours on brackets.
either side. Both sets are friendly, but not too 1 Where’s the nearest bank?
friendly, if you know what I mean. In any case, it’s (Could / tell)
certainly good to know that there are people there if Could you tell me where the nearest bank is ?
I need help. 2 Help me with my luggage.
(Would / mind)
4
You know what it’s like in the city – ?
everyone’s in a rush all the time and it’s hard not to 3 Send me another copy of the latest contract.
join in somehow. Here, however, everything is (I / grateful)
much slower. I really like it. It usually takes me an .
hour or so to go to the post office by the time I’ve 4 Tell me about the council’s plans for the city
stopped a few times to chat to people! centre.
(like / enquire)
Things are going well on the work front as well. I .
wasn’t sure how this would work out at first. My 5 When did the language courses for foreign
boss was happy to let me work from home so that’s students start?
what I’m doing at the moment. 5 I bet some of (Can / tell)
my colleagues think I’m not really doing anything ?
down here but in fact, I think I get far more done at 6 Can I make a reservation for this evening?
home as I’m not constantly being disturbed by (wondering / possible)
colleagues. It’s amazing how much you can get .
through in an hour when there’s no one else there.
5
It’s early days yet I know, but I really do feel very
happy and settled here. Long may it last! 6
You can give me some tips on the garden. It’s not
very big but there’s enough room for a small
vegetable patch.

Let me know how you’re getting on. And send me

some photos if you get the chance. I want to see
what your new haircut looks like!
 Upper Intermediate Mid-course Test A

15 You have just started a new job in a new

12 Complete the conversation with the words in
town. Write an informal email to tell your
the box.
friends how everything is going. Write 140–180
convinced point favour suppose sure words.
way
A: I’m all in 1 favour of lowering the voting age.
B: Hmm, I’m not so 2 . After all, a lot of
teenagers are quite immature, aren’t they?
A: You’ve got a 3 there, but only those
who are really interested would bother to vote.
B: I 4 so, but how would you encourage
them?
A: Well, the 5 I see it, kids need to learn
about politics and current affairs at school.
B: I’m still not 6 , but why don’t we see
what Jan thinks?
5

13 Put the words into the correct order to make

sentences.
1 into / science / John / really / fiction / isn’t
John really isn’t into science fiction .
2 I’m / short / of / big / a / stories / fan
.
3 stand / I / punctuation / of / couldn’t / lack / the
.
4 thing / the / writing / The / love / his / I / about / is
/ humour
.
5 I / What / their / main / was / characters / liked /
the / about / relationship
.
6 couldn’t / I / into / mood / get / the / just / right
.

Writing
14 Find the mistakes using the correction code.
Then write the corrections.
1 (sp) Dad is such an embarrasment on the dance
floor.
embarrassment
2 (p) If you knew you were going to be late why
didn’t you call?
.
3 (wo) I feel as though I’ll never get this cold over.
.
4 (ww) I thought the documentary was really
interested.
.
5 (v) We lived in the same house since 2005.
.
6 (gr) I’ll never get used to drive on the left.
. 10

5
Total: 95

Name: Result: