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MID-COURSE ASSESSMENT SECTION B: READING

(UNITS 1–6) 3  Read the text on the next page and choose the correct
option, a, b, c or d.
SECTION A: LISTENING 1 What does the writer imply about life before the
printing press?
a Population levels were lower.
1  MCA1   Listen to three people talking about the b The general public had little power.
film Captain Phillips, about a ship which was hijacked c States were governed by poorly educated people.
by Somali pirates in 2009. Decide if the following d People wanted to have more control over their lives.
statements are True (T) or False (F).
2 What does the writer say about life since the invention
 1 Speaker 1 was unaware of the original story of the printing press?
until he saw the film.     a More people are in control of their own lives.
 2 Speaker 1 thinks Tom Hanks has done b Each person has direct influence over the government.
better movies than Captain Phillips.     c Behaviour has been modified by successive inventions.
 3 Speaker 1 admired the pirates in a small way.     d No mass communication medium has changed
 4 Speaker 1 could understand what society more than printing.
prompted the pirates to take the ship.    
3 The writer states that the saying ‘knowledge is power’ has
 5 Speaker 2 didn’t know much about the
a encouraged people to get an education.
movie before she saw it.    
b been the driving force behind the development of
  6 Speaker 2 was disappointed by aspects of
mass media.
the film.    
c sometimes failed to have the expected results.
 7 Speaker 2 feels that prior knowledge had no
d motivated people to access as much information as
influence on her impression of the film.    
possible.
 8 Speaker 3 believes that the film-maker
invented some of the story.     4 The writer says that responsibility
 9 Speaker 3 found the film matched a is a result of improved education.
his expectations.     b must be exercised when accessing information.
10 Speaker 3 disliked the way some of c must be developed in order to maximise the use of data.
the action was filmed.     d and power should work together.
5 The writer states that
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a communities are the lifeblood of nations.
b nations are made up of groups of communities.
2  MCA2   Listen to Jack Griffith, a professional surfer, c a community is a group of people with differing ideals.
being interviewed. Select FIVE correct statements. d communities have been diminished by nations.
a Jack confirms that big wave surfing is not for 6 What does the writer say about socialising online?
everyone.  a It can be comforting for some people.
b He believes that every surfer wants to ride a b People have too many friends online to be of any value.
big wave.  c Identity theft is a problem for people on social
c His parents encouraged him to go into big networking sites.
wave surfing.  d Virtual lives can stop people enjoying a real life.
d He was the winner in his first ever surfing 7 What does the writer say about the benefits to society
competition.  of modern communication?
e He became a professional surfer when he a Businesses cannot survive without it.
started big wave surfing.  b It is a useful tool for governments to inform their
f He was frightened as he was about to surf citizens.
his first big wave.  c Facebook is an effective way of advertising products.
g He suffered physically after his first big wave surf. d Most people are putting pressure on governments
h The boards for big wave surfing can easily about climate change.
be bought anywhere.  8 Which statement best summarises the writer’s overall
i Preparation is key to success when big view of electronic communication?
wave surfing.  a It is more powerful than many people believe.
j You should wear a protective head covering b It changes attitudes much too quickly.
in case of falls.  c It should be employed wisely.
d Governments need to have better control of it.
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4  Read the text. Which paragraph mentions:

The effects of modern electronic 1 a past perception?    
communication on society 2 health benefits of a method of travel?    
Ever since the invention of the printing press over 500 3 a construction project?    
years ago, mass communication has been growing and 4 acquiring a more thorough knowledge of a place?    
affecting the way communities and countries behave. 5 a recommendation?    
Where once the written word was the domain of the 6 the opportunity to see stunning scenery?    
church and privileged, allowing them to keep control
7 the potential for travel disruption?    
of populations, now everyone believes that they have
power over governments because of the vast amount
of knowledge available to them thanks to electronic
communication. At every stage of the development of
European travel
communication, that is, the telegraph, the telephone,
A   If you are travelling to Europe this year, you should really
radio and television, society has had to adapt to the
effects of mass communication. But have the effects consider going by train. No checking-in hours before departure
been more positive or negative? or long tailbacks on congested roads; just climb aboard, find
The saying ‘knowledge is power’ has been an excellent your seat and relax. Most main railway stations are in the heart
motivator for people to improve their lives, but today of cities, so there are no long and expensive transfers to your
everyone in the world has access to such a massive hotel from distant airports or parking problems. In addition, the
amount of information that it may not always be views from the train of the passing landscapes are second to
helping them in the way people would hope. There is none and there are no distractions to your enjoyment of them.
the expectation that power ought to be led by a sense
B   For the fitness freaks or those amongst you who just want
of responsibility and many people may not be willing
or capable of acting responsibly, as has become evident to improve their fitness, cycling through Europe is a wonderful
over the past few years. For example, we know that way of travelling. Many cities in Europe have bikes to rent, so it
communities are groups of people bound together by is not necessary to bring your own. Not only is it the cheapest
similar beliefs, aspirations and habitats, but over the way to travel, but you also get to see much more diverse
years these communities have been replaced by nations countryside and meet fascinating people along the way. It
which are now collective groups of diverse communities. offers an interesting way of getting a real feel for the country,
Modern connectivity seems, in some cases, to be
exploring less visited areas and having a chance to enjoy
magnifying instead of unifying these differences and
this leads to groups of disillusioned and disenfranchised spectacular dishes created from local produce while travelling
people with extreme views coming together and plotting through a variety of landscapes.
to disrupt societies or bring down regimes. C   An increasingly popular method of travel through Europe
Nevertheless, many people find solace in their virtual is taking a river cruise along the main waterways. It allows
worlds and are happy to connect with real-life friends visitors the possibility of stepping straight out of a luxury cabin
and online friends from the familiar surroundings of their in a floating hotel onto the streets of major cities. Since 1992,
living rooms. However, being able to reinvent themselves
when the Main-Danube Canal opened, all the continent’s main
online and be whoever they want to be leads to the
question of whether they are losing their identities by arteries were connected, opening up 2,200 miles of navigable
living in a virtual world. river. Perhaps the only downside to river cruising is the weather,
On the other hand, attitudes have been transformed to which can dramatically affect this type of travel. Erratic rainfall
benefit society. Look at the way we now recycle products. can lead to delays or cancellations, as too much rain – or
We wouldn’t have known about the need for this not enough – can mean that passages under bridges or over
without the help of mass communication. Governments, shallower parts of the river become impossible.
businesses and pressure groups use advertising, blogs, D   As flying becomes more stressful with all the checks and
Facebook and so on to get a message across to large
long waits at airports, more and more people are considering
groups of people. After hundreds of years of destroying
the planet with human activity, modern communication travelling by coach. As the current economic recession is
ensures that nearly everyone on the planet is aware of hurting a lot of pockets, coach travel offers a less expensive
climate change, loss of habitats and the extinction of way of travelling through Europe. Furthermore, for those who
numerous species of wild animals. are environmentally aware, it is also, apart from cycling, the
Modern electronic communication now pervades every cleanest form of transport. Coach travel has had to shake off its
area of our lives – it is a powerful tool that has raised some reputation as being the poor man’s way to travel and now the
concerns for society. However, it has also brought countless vehicles are much more comfortable than in the past, providing
benefits to society. At the end of the day, it can be used all mod-cons: air-conditioning, entertainment, wi-fi and
both for good or evil and ultimately relies on the morals
refreshments, for example. It’s well worth trying this method of
and sense of responsibility of the individual or community
involved. In short, it needs to be used with care. travel when you next visit Europe.

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SECTION C: LANGUAGE 7  Choose the correct option, a, b, c or d.

When people talk with 1    about the good old
5  Complete the text by putting the verbs in brackets days, I remind them that if they had needed surgical
in the most appropriate form. Sometimes more than treatment, they would have been awake throughout
one answer is possible. the procedure. They would have needed to find a (an)
2
    who could work very fast to do the operation,
The world we live in 1          (change) as there was no 3    making sure the patient
dramatically over the past 20 years. Before the arrival of remained asleep and felt no pain.
fast communication and transport, the world
To work in the medical world requires determination,
2
          (seem) a very large place with
a certain mental 4    and a lot of self-5    to
remote lands yet to be discovered. Nowadays, it is very
stay focused and get through many years of study and
small as we are in constant contact with every part of the
exams. People expect a lot from their doctors and
world. For the last 20 years, the human population
demand that they not only 6    great skill in the
3
          (grow) considerably, a trend which
operating theatre, but are also able to establish a good
looks set to continue in the future. We 4         
rapport with the patient. We expect them to be
(still/deplete) many of the world’s natural resources 7
    at all times, helping us to keep calm.
without replacing them at the same rate, which could lead
to a disastrous shortage of food in the near future. Most of
the world’s population currently 5          1 a memory  b nostalgia  c era  d sympathy
(inhabit) cities instead of living on the land and, as a result, 2 a midwife  b surgery  c surgeon  d operator
carbon emissions have increased enormously over the last 3 a anaesthetist  b physician  c surgeon  d midwife
few years. There is little doubt now that these issues are a 4 a roughness  b thickness  c hardness  d toughness
major cause of global warming. We know that glaciers 5 a development  b discipline  c defence  d diagnosis
6
          (melt), causing sea levels to rise. 6 a express  b prove  c impart  d exhibit
Experts predict that climate patterns 7          7 a promising  b heart-warming  c gripping  d reassuring
(continue) to change all over the world. So, the question /7
is: 8          (we/be) able to slow down the
changes by 2030? I certainly hope so.
8  Complete the text with words from the box. There
/8 are more words than you need.

lucrative did cared scale tailback from with

6  Choose the correct option to complete the text. quantity made emissions outstanding goalposts
When I was asked to join a book club, I didn’t realise
that I 1 used to / would / will have to read more than
She had 1       a lot of sacrifices in order
one book a month, nor was I aware of the depth of
to become CEO of the environmental charity. She
critique they required. It seemed that I 2 have / was /
had fought governments for years as they constantly
had stumbled upon 3 the / one / some most serious
moved the 2       about how to protect the
of book clubs, whose reviews were often used in
environment. She wanted to protect the world
magazines. Generally, I love reading, but for my own 3
       mankind’s destructive influences,
enjoyment only. Unfortunately, with this club, I was
especially the large companies who were reluctant to
expected to produce 4 the / some / a thousand word
give up their 4       businesses cutting down
reviews of each book I read. This meant that instead
forests. She was on her way now to a meeting with
of reading the book quickly, I had to concentrate on
the Prime Minister and was furious as she had just got
characterisation, plot twists and language used, 5 all /
stuck in a long 5       on the motorway. She
one / any of which detracted from the main story, in
was dismayed as she imagined all the carbon
my view anyway. However, at the first meeting I had 6
       from this stretch of road disappearing
been totally unprepared for all this. 6 That / It / He
into the atmosphere to do its damage. The
went something like this: ‘Well, John, how evident 7
       of the problem was almost
are the author’s own perceptions of life in the story?
unbearable to think about as so much of the world
Could you tell us what your feelings were as you read
had already been destroyed in her lifetime. She
the book?’ I hadn’t considered these topics at all while 8
       deeply about the planet and it was
I was reading the book. I’d 7 never / almost / hardly
painful to contemplate where it was heading.
had time to read it, let alone analyse it in depth.

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SECTION D: WRITING
9  Look at the table showing the results of a questionnaire about energy and the environment. Write a report
about the information in the table. You should include data referring to:
• human activity.
• alternative sources of energy.
• nuclear energy.
• wind farms.
• comparison between the two surveys.

RESULT OF MOST RECENT SURVEY

Age Accept climate change Agree that alternative sources In favour of In favour of
group due to human activity of energy must be found nuclear energy wind farms
18–30 74% 90% 25% 57%
30–50 45% 85% 35% 47%
Over 50 30% 60% 20% 50%

RESULTS TEN YEARS AGO

18–30 70% 85% 20% 30%
30–50 15% 60% 40% 45%
Over 50 25% 30% 15% 25%

Write about 150 words.

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

                                                    

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SECTION E: SPEAKING
10  Prepare to talk to your teacher. You have two minutes to prepare. Make some notes so that you can:
• talk about how you think communication has changed over the last ten years.
• explain how you think your life will have changed in 20 years’ time.
• describe a sportsperson you admire and explain why.
• say what your views are on the amount of money sportspeople are paid.
• say if you think the money spent on sport would be better used to improve medical facilities.
When you have prepared, talk to your teacher. Your teacher will ask you questions.

Your notes

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MID-COURSE ASSESSMENT SECTION E: SPEAKING

SCORE CARD
You
NAME: _____________________________________
talked about how you think communication has
CLASS: _____________________________________ changed over the last ten years.
Content: 1 2
SECTION A: LISTENING Effective communication: 1 2
/15 explained how you think your life will have
changed in 20 years’ time.
SECTION B: READING
Content: 1 2
/15
Effective communication: 1 2
SECTION C: LANGUAGE described a sportsperson you admire and
explained why.
/30
Content: 1 2
SECTION D: WRITING Effective communication: 1 2
Content points /5 said what your views are on the amount of
Production and coherence /5 money sportspeople are paid.
Range /5 Content: 1 2
Accuracy /5 Effective communication: 1 2
/20 said if you think the money spent on sport
would be better used to improve medical
facilities.
Content: 1 2
Effective communication: 1 2

/20

Total: /1000

New Language Leader Upper Intermediate Mid-course Assessment © Pearson Education Ltd. 2014 6