ENGLISH 12: PRACTICE TEST 15

A. LISTENING (50 pts)

Part 1. You are going to listen to a conversation. Listen and fill in the numbered blank with the
correct information. (10pts)

Hotel Information

Example answer

Name of accommodation: (0) Carlton Hotel

3 nights
Length of stay:

(1) ………………………………
Ages of children:

Two (2)…………………………… at £270

Rooms available:

(3)…………………………………
Price inclusive of:

credit card
Payment method:

Michael Fernsby
Name:

(4)…………………………1968
Date of birth:

273, Stanton Court, London.

Address:

(5)…………………………………….
Post code:

08773879456
Telephone:

Part 2. Listen and choose the best answer A, B, or C (10pts)

1. The most common style of graffiti in Brazil is

A. anti-capitalistic and anti-war
B. legalised
C. dangerous and unlawful
2. The Brazilian graffiti is different from simply some scribbling on a wall because
A. The letters lack harmony
B. Originality is taken seriously
C. it portrays skeletons
3. The reporter in the centre of Sao Paulo mentions all of the following, EXCEPT
A. it's Tuesday evening

1
 B. he's approaching a huge loud group of people
C. there are some police cars at the end of the street
4. The group of people (mentioned by the reporter) know what the graffiti on the buildings says because
A. they know the language of the graffiti
B. most of the graffiti is their work
C. they have lived in this area for a long time
5. The more risky the process of graffiti tagging is, the more its artist is
A. welcomed in the graffiti world
B. considered extravagant
C. respected among other graffiti taggers

Part 3. Listen and decide if each of the following sentences is True or False (10pts)
1. It takes skill to write a memorable novel about miserable marriages.
2. ‘Madame Bovary’ is used to exemplify how divorce made it easier for women to escape unhappy
marriages.
3. When the woman was a bridesmaid at her brother’s wedding, she was embarrassed about taking the
role because of her wheelchair.
4. The woman’s experience at her friends’ wedding made her feel equally conspicuous, but for different
reasons.
5. The woman concluded that it’s best to avoid weddings after the incident.

Part 4. Listen and fill in each numbered blank with no more than three words. (20pts)
The 'talented tenth' was a label given to those African Americans who had good social positions and were
(1)……………………..…..
She left school and began her singing career at the well-known (2)……………………..…….
Her mother was keen that Lena's singing career would bring about the collapse of (3)…………………..
Lena refused to sing for audiences of (4)…………….…….. which were (5)………………..………….
When Lena entered Hollywood, black actors were generally only hired to act in the roles
of (6)………………….……..
While she was working for Hollywood, Lena found that, during the (7)…………………….… , much of
her spoken work was removed from the film.
Lena spent a lot of the 1950s working in (8)………………..….. due to her being considered a
(9)…………………..……
Most people will remember Lena for her (10)………………….………….

2
 ENGLISH 12: PRACTICE TEST 15
A. LEXICO AND GRAMMAR (50 pts)
Part I. Choose the best option A, B, C, or D to complete the following sentences. (20pts)
1. As it’s not out on DVD yet, we might ______ get it on video, I suppose.
A. also B. as well C. too D. and
2. I’m ______ my brother is.
A. nowhere like so ambitious B. nothing near as ambitious as
C. nothing as ambitious than D. nowhere near as ambitious as
3. The government was finally______ down by a minor scandal.
A. brought B. taken C. come D. pulled
4. It appears that the hostages were not______ to any unnecessary suffering.
A. subjugated B. subjected C. subsumed D. subverted
5. The incoming administration ______ to clean up corruption in the city.
A. pledged B. contemplated C. suggested D. resumed
6. The company has just got a big order and the workers are working round the ------.
A. day B. clock C. hour D. night
7. My brother Ted is a high school dropout who joined a circus; he is the black ------ in the family.
A. sheep B. dog C. cat D. goat
8. When James came home at three in the morning, his father hit the ------.
A. door B. chair C. table D. ceiling
9. Forget it. It is no use crying over ------ milk.
A. spoiled B. spilt C. lost D. stolen
10. Coin collecting is interesting, but you find a valuable coin only once in a blue ------.
A. moon B. sky C. star D. space
11. John got sick, then his brothers and sisters all got sick. It never rains but it ------.
A. falls B. drops C. pours D. dries
12. Can you __________ to it that no one uses this entrance?
A ensure B guarantee C assure D see
13. Next year I hope to __________ my ambition of climbing Mont Blanc.
A complete B follow C realise D impose
14. We should all ___________ when advertisers attempt to use unfair practices.
A. make a stand B. make a deal C. make amends D. make a comeback
15. We were not _________ convinced by his arguments.
A. closely B. extremely C. entirely D. widely
16. I’m sure that never happened. It’s just a ______ of your imagination.
A. figment B. piece C. picture D. fantasy
17. Did you see Jonathan this morning? He looked like ______. It must have been quite a party last night.
A. a wet blanket B. a dead duck C. death warmed up D. a bear with a sore head
18. In the ______ of security, personnel must wear their identity badges at all time.
A. requirement B. demands C. assistance D. interests
19. I thought I had made it ______ that I didn’t wish to discuss this matter.
A. distinct B. plain C. frank D. straight

3
20. It's freezing outside so ______ to stay home and be warm.
A. we'd do well B. we might as well C. we'd better D. we're better off

Part II. Find out ten mistakes in the following passage then correct them. (10pts)
Water scarcity is fast becoming one of major limiting factors in world crop production. In many
areas, poor agricultural practices have led to increased desertification and the loss of former arable lands.
Consequently, those plant species are well adapted to survive in dry climates are being looked at for an
answer in developing more efficient crops to grow in marginally arable lands.
Plants use several purely mechanical and physical adaptations, such as the shape of the
Planet’s surface, small leaf size, and extensive root system. Some of adaptations are related with chemical
mechanism. Many plants such as cactuses, have internal gums which give them water retaining
properties. Another chemical mechanism is that of the epicuticular wax layer. This was layer acts like a
cover to protect the plant which prevents loss of internal moisture.

Part III. Fill in each gap with a suitable preposition. (10 pts)
1. Two thieves were arrested, but one is still ___________ large.
2. I’m ___________ any having more meetings.
3. Amused by the three clowns, the spectators were convulsed ___________ laughter.
4. When the police raided the gambling den, the gamblers dispersed ___________ all directions.
5. Many people aspire ___________ power and wealth, but few attain them.
6. At the moment, I am ___________ to my ears in work, so I can't go out with you.
7. Have you seen a miser parting ___________ his money?
8. The poor girl has fallen victim ___________ a wasting disease.
9. As the weather was fine, we set out ___________ high spirits.
10. Don't interrupt; just hear me ___________ before you give comments.

Part IV. 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 space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0). (10pts)

A recent poll on the use of animals in circuses showed that the (0. MAJOR) … MAJORITY… of people
in the UK now disapproves of it. Circuses which employ animals are no longer seen as a form of (1.
HARM) ……………….entertainment; in fact, most people think they should be banned outright. Eighty
percent of those interviewed (2. EQUIVOCAL) ……………………. declared that the use of endangered
wild animals such as elephants and tigers should be prohibited, while sixty-five percent said no animals
(3. WHAT) ……………………. should be used in circuses. A large proportion also claimed they were
opposed to the inevitable (4. BRUTAL) ……………..involved in training animals to perform tricks.
Animals in the wild do not juggle balls, ride monocycles, leap through (5. FIRE)………………… hoops
or wear clown costumes. Furthermore, besides being kept in (6. CONFINE) ……………………., circus
animals travel for most of the year, living a life of (7. DEPRIVE) ……………………. Unfortunately,
there is evidence to indicate that most animals face (8. TREAT) …………………….on a daily basis. The
number of people who visit animal free circuses these days is over twice the number of those who visit
traditional circuses. Animal free circuses are growing in number as well as (9. POPULAR)
……………………, and many say that the quality of the acts performed by humans far (10. EXCESS)
……………………. those acts that use animals.

4
B. READING COMPREHENSION (50 pts)
Part I. Read the text below and decide which answer best fits each space. (10 pts)
(1) ___________ popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online. Of
course, there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new
media has (2) ___________up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal
level of technical (3) ___________. Probably one of the most well-known online job opportunities is the
job of webmaster. However, it is hard to define one basic job description for this position. The
qualifications and responsibilities depend on what tasks a particular organization needs a webmaster to
(4) ___________.
To specify the job description of a webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software
that the website will manage to run (5) ___________. Different types of hardware and software require
different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running internally
or externally. Finally, the responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be
working independently, or whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be
considered before one can create requiring (6) ___________ knowledge of the latest computer
applications. (7) ___________, there are also online jobs available for which traditional skills remain in
high (8) ___________. Content jobs require excellent writing skills and a good sense of the web as a
"new media".
The term "new media" is difficult to define because it encompasses a (9) ___________ growing
set of new technologies and skills. Specifically, it includes websites, email, Internet technology, CD-
ROM, DVD, streaming audio and video, interactive multimedia presentations, e-books, digital music,
computer illustration, video games, (10) ___________ reality, and computer artistry.
1. A. Apart from B. Contrary to C. Prior to D. In contrast to
2. A. taken B. sped C. set D. opened
3. A. expertise B. master C. efficiency D. excellency
4. A. conduct B. perform C. undergone D. overtake
5. A. on B. over C. in D. with
6. A. built-in B. up-market C. in-service D. in-depth
7. A. However B. Therefore C. Moreover D. Then
8. A. content B. demand C. reference D. requirement
9. A. constantly B. continually C. increasingly D. invariably
10. A. fancy B. imaginative C. illusive D. virtual

Part II. Read the passage and fill in each gap with ONE suitable word. (15 pts)
My stay among the indigenous people of Africa turned out to be a mixture of both success and
failure. I was able to observe firsthand (1) __________ the people lived instead of relying on books or
films. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were genial people. They were friendly (2)
___________ me from the very first day and they did not display any signs of hostility throughout my
month long stay. I felt indignant (3)____________ I thought of the terrible way they had always been (4)
__________ in films and books. I felt (5)____________ for them as they did not know how much others
(6) __________ them.
However, my trip was not a (7) __________ of roses. I had been warned many times by my
colleagues that when I stay with a tribe, I had to do as the Romans do. I should not be afraid to try new
things especially the food that they (8) __________ delicacies. These were highly prized and only eaten

5
on special (9)__________. Unfortunately, I did not (10) __________ their advice and I gagged on a piece
of meat that they offered me. They looked offended and from that day, many of them were not as friendly
as they used to be.

Part III. Read the passage and choose the best answer to each question. (10 pts)

"The evolution of the banana, star of the Western fruit bowl" By Rosie Mestel
Did you hear? The genome of the banana has been sequenced, an important development in
scientist's efforts to produce better bananas.
A look at that genome has revealed curious things, said Pat Heslop-Harrison, a plant geneticist at
the University of Leicester in England who was a coauthor of the report published this week in the
journal Nature.
For example, there are regions of the banana genome that don't seem to be involved in making
proteins but are shared by many different species of plants, far beyond bananas. What, he wonders, are
they doing?
There are remnants of bits of banana streak virus spliced into the banana genome (too broken-up to
cause disease, however).
There are whole sets of DNA repeats that plants normally have but bananas do not. And,
intriguingly, three times since this genus of giant herbs took an evolutionary turn away from its relatives -
- the grasses -- it has duplicated its entire set of chromosomes.
Two of the doublings took place at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary 65 million years ago, back
when the dinosaurs and lots of other species went extinct, Heslop-Harrison noted.
Duplications like this are known to have happened in other plant groups at this same time but
haven't occurred since, Heslop-Harrison said. Scientists don't know why, but they believe having extra
copies of genes may have imparted some stability to plants during a time of rapid climate change after an
asteroid hit Earth.
Having more than one gene of each type means that if one gene of a set loses function, the plant still
has another one that works. And there's more room for adaptability to new circumstances, because one
gene could be altered and co-opted for new purposes and there would still be the other one left to perform
the original job.
"Perhaps it's the reason [bananas have] done so well in the subsequent millions of years," Heslop-
Harrison said. "One can ask, will changes occurring in the world's climate now mean there's going to be a
whole set of new genome duplications that will enable plants to survive? We don't know that, but it's
interesting to consider."
The banana genome sequenced by the French scientists was from the Pahang, a wild Malaysian
banana of the species Musa acuminata. It's a key species in the complicated evolution of the bananas and
plantains people eat around the world, including the Cavendish banana that we buy at the supermarket.
The sterile Cavendish is a so-called triploid: It has three sets of chromosomes instead of the normal
two. One of those genomes came from Pahang. The others came from other subspecies of Musa
acuminata.
The changes occurred stepwise, and went something like this:
 Thousands of years ago, two wild banana species from different parts of the islands of Southeast
Asia were brought into the same range by people. They formed hybrids. A bit like mules, the hybrids
were vigorous but fairly sterile.
 The hybrids were kept going without sex through propagation of their shoots.
 At some point, the hybrids developed the ability to set fruit without being fertilized.
 Then (for most bananas, including the Cavendish) came another chance event that caused the
hybrids to end up with three sets of chromosomes. Every now and again, the few viable eggs and
pollen that they made would mistakenly contain two sets of chromosomes instead of just one.

6
 When a double-chromosome pollen combined with a single-chromosome egg (or vice versa), the
result was a hopelessly sterile plant with even more vigorous fruit.
Events like this happened more than once and sometimes included other types of ancestral banana
species.
Some scientists, in fact, have made a whole study of banana domestication and movement around
the world. They've pieced the story together using quite different strands of information, including the
genomes of wild and cultivated bananas, the microscopic relics of banana leaf material found at
archaeological sites, and even the word for "banana" in different languages.
1. In paragraph 2, the word "curious" is closest in meaning to
A. inquisitive B. peculiar C. nosy D. intricate
2. What does paragraph 5 suggest about bananas?
A. The banana genus may not yet be classifiable into a traditional category.
B. Bananas are actually a species of grass.
C. Bananas may now be categorized as "herbs" in supermarkets.
D. Because banana chromosomes duplicate themselves, they have better potential for successful
cloning.
3. Why does the author use "intriguingly" to describe the phenomenon in paragraph 5?
A. To imply that bananas are far more interesting than other fruits.
B. To make readers doubt the claims scientists are making about bananas.
C. To suggest that duplication of chromosomes is a rare and interesting occurrence in the plant
world.
D. To encourage questions about whether bananas are grasses or herbs.
4. Why is the observation in paragraph 6 important?
A. It suggests that the banana mutated its genetic structure for survival.
B. It shows that bananas can be traced as far back as dinosaurs.
C. It suggests that bananas were fatal to dinosaurs and other species.
D. It proves that bananas are immune to atmospheric changes.
5. The word "co-opted" in paragraph 8 is closest in meaning to
A. decided upon together B. argued against
C. removed from the study D. adopted
6. The quote in paragraph 9 most closely suggests
A. Bananas may be an example of ways that species might alter their genetics to survive changes
in the earth's climate and atmosphere.
B. That the genetic mutations of bananas have no implications for other species.
C. That genetic structure is the only factor that should be considered when predicting survival.
D. Though bananas have made it this far, there is no proof that they will survive the next wave of
significant atmospheric changes.
7. According to the article, all are steps in the evolution of the banana EXCEPT
A. Some banana hybrids began to develop three sets of chromosomes.
B. The merging of two different banana species.
C. Bananas reproduced widely and easily through fertilization.
D. Bananas developed the ability to develop fruit without fertilization.
8. The word "chance" in paragraph 16 is closest in meaning to
A. random B. gamble C. risky D. opportune
9. All are variations of banana mentioned in the article EXCEPT
A. the Cavendish B. Dolus mundi C. Musa acuminata D. plantains

7
10. The word "domestication" in the final paragraph is closest in meaning to
A. housebroken B. well-controlled
C. adapted for human consumption D. accepted within the culture

Part IV. Read the passage and do the tasks that follow. (15 pts)
Secrets of the Forest
A. In 1942 Allan R.Holmberg, a doctoral student in anthropology from Yale University, USA, ventured
deep into the jungle of Bolivian Amazonia and searched out an isolated band of Siriono Indians. The
Siriono, Holmberg later wrote, led a "strikingly backward" existence. Their villages were little more than
clusters of thatched huts. Life itself was a perpetual and punishing search for food: some families grew
manioc and other starchy crops in small garden plots cleared from the forest, while other members of the
tribe scoured the country for small game and promising fish holes. When local resources became
depleted, the tribe moved on. As for technology, Holmberg noted, the Siriono "may be classified among
the most handicapped peoples of the world". Other than bows, arrows and crude digging sticks, the only
tools the Siriono seemed to possess were "two machetes worn to the size of pocket knives".
B. Although the lives of Siriono have changed in the intervening decades, the image of them as Stone
Age relics has endured. Indeed, in many respects the Siriono epitomize the popular conception of life in
Amazonia. To casual observers, as well as to influential natural scientists and regional planners, the
luxuriant forests of Amazonia seem ageless, unconquerable, a habitat totally hostile to human civilization.
The apparent simplicity of Indian ways of life has been judged an evolutionary adaptation to forest
ecology, living proof that Amazonial could not - and cannot - sustain a more complex society.
Archaeological traces of far more elaborate cultures have been dismissed as the ruins of invaders from
outside the region, abandoned to decay in the uncompromising tropical environment.
C. The popular conception of Amazonia and its native residents would be enormously consequential if it
were true. But the human history of Amazonia in the past 11,000 years betrays that view as myth.
Evidence gathered in recent years from anthropology and archaeology indicates that the region has
supported series of indigenous cultures for eleven thousand years; an extensive network of complex
societies - some with populations perhaps as large as 100,000 - thrived there for more than 1,000 years
before the arrival of Europeans. (Indeed, some contemporary tribes, including the Siriono, still live
among the earthworks of earlier cultures.) Far from being evolutionarily retarded, prehistoric Amazonian
people developed technologies and cultures that were advanced for their time. If the lives of Indians
today seem "primitive", the appearance is not the result of some environmental adaptation of ecological
barrier; rather it is a comparatively recent adaptation to centuries of economic and political pressure.
Investigators who argue otherwise have unwillingly projected the present onto the past.
D. The evidence for a revised view of Amazonia will take many people by surprise. Ecologists have
assumed that tropical ecosystems were shaped entirely by natural forces and they have focused their
research on habitats they believe have escaped human influence. But as the University of Florida
ecologist, peter Feinsinger, has noted, an approach that leaves people out the equation is no longer
tenable. The archaeological evidence shows that the natural history of Amzonia is to a surprising extent
tied to the activities of its prehistoric inhabitants.
The realization comes none too soon. In June 1992 political and environmental leaders from across the
world met in Rio de Janeiro to discuss how developing countries can advance their economies without
destroying their natural resources. The challenge is especially difficult in Amazonia. Because the tropical
forest has been depicted as ecologically unfit for large-scale human occupation, some environmentalists
have opposed development of any kind. Ironically, one major casualty of that extreme position has been
8
the environment itself. While policy makers struggle to define and implement appropriate legislation,
development of the most destructive kind has continued apace over vast areas.
F. The other major casualty of the "naturalism" of environmental scientists has been the indigenous
Amazonians, whose habits of hunting, fishing, and slash-and-burn cultivation often have been
represented as harmful to the habitat. In the clash between environmentalists and developers, the Indians,
whose presence is in fact crucial to the survival of the forest, have suffered the most. The new
understanding of the pre-history of Amazonia, however, points toward a middle ground. Archaeology
makes clear that with judicious management selected parts of the region could support more people than
anyone thought before. The long-buried past, it seems, offers hope for the future.
Questions 1-4
Choose the most suitable headings (i-vi) for sections A, B, C and D
List of Headings
i. Amazonia as unable to sustain complex societies
ii. The role of recent technology in ecological research in Amazonia.
iii. The hostility of the indigenous population to North America influences
iv. Recent evidence
v. The influence of prehistoric inhabitants on Amazonian natural history.
1. Section A_______
2. Section B_______
3. Section C_______
4. Section D_______
Question 5-10
Do the following statements agree with the view of the writer of the passage? Please write
Yes If the statement agrees with the view of the writer
No If the statement contradicts the view of the writer
Not given If it is impossible to say what the writer think about this
5. The reason for the simplicity of the Indian way of life is that Amazonian has always been unable to
support a more complex society. _________________
6. There is a crucial popular misconception about the human history of Amazonia. ______________
7. There are lessons to be learned from similar ecosystem in the other parts of the world. ___________
8. Most ecologists were aware that the areas of Amazonia they were working in had been shaped by
human settlement. _____________
9. The indigenous Amazonian Indians are necessary to the well-being of the forest. ______________
10. It would be possible for certain parts of Amazonia to support a higher population. _____________

C. WRITING (50 pts)

Part I. Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that it stays the same meaning to the
first one, using the word given. Do not change the word given. (10pts)
1. Don't panic about something so trivial. MOUNTAIN
_______________________________________________________________________
2. I suddenly realized the meaning of a "freebie". DAWNED
_______________________________________________________________________
3. They arrived at their destination alive and kicking. SOUND
_______________________________________________________________________
4. My jewellery has been stolen. OFF
9
_______________________________________________________________________
5. This is a subject that Jack and I disagree about. EYE
_______________________________________________________________________

Part II. 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 three and six words, including
the word given. There is an example at the beginning (0). (10pts)
0. He paid no attention to our warning.
NOTICE
He ……… took no notice of …………. our warning.
1. I’m not sure which year saw the abolition of capital punishment in this country.
DID
I’m not sure when they ……………………………………………………………… capital
punishment in this country.
2. I wish I hadn’t said that to her.
TAKE
If only ………………………………………………………………I said to her.
3. If children were allowed to do what they wanted, they would probably play computer games all day.
OWN
If children were ……………………………………………………………… they would probably
play computer games all day.
4. If Tom hadn’t acted promptly to extinguish the fire, there might have been more damage to the house.
IN
But ……………………………………………………………… out the fire, there might have been
more damage to the house.
5. Initially, everybody believed his story but now they think he was lying.
UP
He is now ……………………………………………………………… the story.

Part 3. Essay writing. (30 pts)

Many Vietnamese people say that “To make the economy truly integrate with other countries in the
world, we should remove the Lunar New Year and celebrate the Solar New Year.”
What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons and details to explain your opinion. Write 200 - 250
words.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
10