PRACTICE TEST 33

I. Listening (50 points)

Part 1 : You will hear a radio interview with the comedian Brain Conley, who does a considerable
amount of work in panto, a type of family-friendly show which is popular at Chrismas. For
questions 1-5 , choose the answer which fits best according to what you hear.
1. Brian likes Birmingham because
A. It has provided him with a steady income 
B .It is where he grew up 
C. It was where he first became famous 
2. When they discuss children’s participation in panto, Brian says that
A. He prefers children not to come up on stage 
B. It’s important to get the parents’ permission if a child wants to participate 
C. He thinks that children’s participation adds a certain quality to the show 
3. According to Brian, the advantage of panto is that
A. All the actors can change their lines to reflect current events. 
B. The qualities required in panto match his talents. 
C. It gives him the chance to play a comedy character. 
4. Brian became involved in comedy because
A. He had wanted to do it since he was a child. 
B. His friends at school encouraged him to do it. 
C. He found he could earn more by doing comedy. 
5. What does Brian say about providing comedy for corporate events?
A. It is easy because the audience has had a lot to drink. 
B. He has learnt how to respond to comments from the audience. 
C. It’s the only way for many comedians to find work. 

Part 2 : You will hear a piece of news called “ Bottled air ”. For questions 6-10, write an answer of
no more than three words for each of the questions below.

6. What kind of news did the man see that made him decide to start his business?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .
7. What is the name of the industry the man is in?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .
8. How much air can you buy for $115?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .
9. Where does the entrepreneur live now?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .
10. What does the man sometimes have to go to the bottom of to get air?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .

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Part 3 : You will hear a radio programme about Biomimicry, the science of copying nature on order to
create new technologies. For questions 11-20 complete the spaces with a word or a short
phrase.

11. Biomimicry imitates nature’s structures, processes and …………………. to create new ideas.
12. Velcro was developed after its inventor observed the sticking qualities of one particular plant’s
……………….. .
13. Wood has the beneficial feature of being able to ………………
14. The synthetic ‘wood’ created for the post office will not ………… according to surrounding
environmental conditions.
15. The Namibian Fog Basking beetle uses its ability to ………………….. in order to live in harsh
conditions.
16. A ………………. on the beetle’s shell repels water and aids the formation of large droplets.
17. The Sahara Forest project utilized this concept in the design of a ……………………………….. .
18. The ‘Able Project’ uses ………… from the composting process as an input to the fish farm.
19. The extinction of one species of ………………………. has prevented scientists from finding a cure
for excess stomach acid.
20. Velcro was invented by the Swiss engineer George de Mestral in ………………. .

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

II.LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 points)

Part 1: Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C or D) which best completes each sentence.
1.Harry was offered a scholarship to study in Spain and he …. The opportunity with both hands.
A.grasped B.grabbed C.held D.passed
2.No way will you beat him.You don’t ……a chance.He’s a hundred times better than you are.
A.hold B.run C.possess D.stand
3.It was…..by chance that we managed to find her.
A.sheerly B.purely C.plainly D.highly
4.Both the favourite and then the second favourite pulled out.Naturally ,we thought we were …..a
chance
A. in with B.up for C.in for D.up with
5.The vase slipped from his hands and ,on hitting the floor, it…….into a thousand pieces
A.split B.crumbled C.cracked D.shattered
6.The kitchen is flooded .One of the water pipes must have……
A.ripped B.burst C.torn D.parted
7.Fresh fruit juice is better for you than……drinks.
A.fuzzy B.fizzy C.saccharine D.bubbly
8.They don’t sell tea or coffee .They only sell ……drinks.
A.mild B.sweet C.plain D.soft
9.We had to pay for our food but not for the drinks. They were on the…..
A.house B.cafe C.compliment D.consumption
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10.There’s plenty of…….food in the larder.
A.spoiled B.raw C.frozen D.canned.
11.The fire…..for days until the monsoon rains put it out.
A.ignited B.scorched Cflashed D.raged
12.The city below her was…..with neon lights.
A.afresh B.alight C.ablade D.acute
13.Icould see the lantern….in the dark.
A.gleaming B.glowing C.glistening D.glimmering
14.It’s only a small lamp, so it doesn’t …..off much light.
A.cast B.spend C.shed Dgive
15.The fire hardly touched the exterior of the building .The inside ,,however ,was completely……
A.swept B.gutted C.smouldered D.blazed
16.Angry ? I was absolutely ……when our appointment was cancelled for the third time.
A.annoyed B.irritated C.livid D.cross
17.The reason why he gets into trouble so often is that he has a ….temper.
A.fast B.rapid C.speedy D.quick
18.What I find most…….about it is that he didn’t even have the decency to say that he was sorry.
A.galling B.furious C.touchy D.resentful
19.George wasn’t in a particularly good mood. but then he is always a bit…..in the morning.
A.irate B.crotchety C.indignant D.infuriated
20.Like many children of his age, he is prone to throwing a(n)…….
A.outburst B.temper C.mood D.tantrum.

Write your answers (A, B, C or D) here:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
___________
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
___________ __________ __________ __________ __________
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
__________ __________ __________ ___________ ___________

Part 2:Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to show the underlined part that needs
correcting.
1.One of the problems of United States agriculture that has persisted during the 1920s until the present
A B
day is the tendency of farm income to lag behind the costs of production.
C D
2.Volcalogical occurs on Earth in several geological setting, most of which are associated with the
A B
boundaries of the enormous, rigid plates that make up the lithosphere.
C D

3.Early European settlers in North America used medicines they made from plants native to treat colds,
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 A B C
Pneumonia ,and ague, an illness similar to malaria.
D
4.Some insects bear a remarkable resemblance to dead twigs, being long, slenderness ,wingless ,and
A B C
Brownish in colour.
D
5.A food additive is any chemical that food manufacturers intentional add to their products.
A B C D
Write your answers(A,B,C or D) here
1. ___________ 2. 3. 4. 5.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Part 3. Fill in the blank with suitable prepositions or particles.

1.I am afraid our plans has fallen……We will have to think again.
2.The results of the experiment bear out your theory. It has been borne ……..by statistics.
3.Bob,who knew how to box, laid……his attackers with a quick blow to the chin.
4.Frank said that they had gone…..all the toilet paper in the house but Steve couldn’t believe that they
had used it all up.
5.Cynthia was….edge all day about the important presentation she had to give to the local citizen group.
Write your answers (A, B, C or D) here:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
Part 4. Complete the following sentences with the words given in the brackets. You have to change the
form of the word.
The FederationReserve System ,……(COMMON) called the Fed, is a(n)….(DEPEND) agency of the
United States government charged with…..(SEE) the national banking system. Since 1913, the
Federation Reserve System has served as the…..(CENTRE) bank for the United States .The Fed’s
primary function is to control…..(MONETIZE) policy by influencing the cost and……(AVAILABLE)
of money and credit through the purchase and sale of government….(SECURE).If the Federation
Reserve provides too little money, interest rates tend to be high, borrowing is expensive, business
activity slows down,…(EMPLOY) goes up, and the danger of a recession is….(AUGMENT).On the
other hand, if there is too much money, interest rates decline, and borrowing can lead to excess demand,
pushing up prices and fuel….(INFLATED)

Write your answers (A, B, C or D) here:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
___________
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

III. READING (60 points)

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Part 1. For questions 1-15, read the three texts below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits
each gap.
My most embarrassing moment? Oh ,without doubt, the time my company sent me off to Germany for
some pretty important negotiations in which they foolishly trusted my….(1)They seemed to think I had
an …(2)knowledge of all things euro, that I was well…(3) in how the E.U operated and had all the
necessary information at my…(4)In fact I had only a …(5) acquaintance with such matters and had only
a…. (6)knowledge of the subjects under review. What’s more ,they assumed my…(7) of German, French
and Spanish was adequate. In fact, it was….(8)knowledge among my colleagues that I had only a
mere….(9) of Spanish, my German was terribly…(10)and my knowledge of French, well,….(11) ,at
best, this was a(n)….(12) secret, but nobody on high seemed to care that much .For three days I just
couldn’t get the ….(13) of what was going on because I didn’t have the…(14) idea what anyone was
saying. It was that experience that turned me into a …..(15)pro-European. I realized that once and for all
our island mentality must die.

1. A. know-how B. know-what C. know-why D. know-all

2. A.intense B.intensive C. extensive D. extended
3. A.acquainted B.versed C.dressed D.done
4. A.toes B.fingertips C.wit’s end D.arm’s length
5. A.shaking B.slight C.nodding D. tiny
6. A.scant B. all-round C.first-hand D.common
7. A. insight B. ability C.command D.gift
8. A.universal B.general C.common D.full
9. A.smattering B.knowledge C.acquaintance D.command
10. A.tarnished B.stained C.faded D.rusty
11. A.inadequate B.rudimentary C.common D.comprehensive
12. A.public B.open C.blatant D.closed
13. A.hook B.leaf C. hang D. view
14. A.windiest B.foggiest C.snowiest D.stormiest
15. A.staunch B.compulsory C.practising D.strict

Write your answers (A, B, C or D) here:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
___________
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
11. 12. 13. 14. 15. __________
___________ __________ __________ __________

Part 2. Fill in each of the blanks with one suitable word

Stress is often called a 21st century illness but it has always been with us if perhaps…..(1) different
names. These days we regard stress as a necessary evil of modern living. Yet stress is not negative and
without it we would not enjoy some of the high points in life such as the anticipation before a date or the
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tension leading….(2) to an important match .All these situations produce stress but….(3)you can control
it and not the other way round you will feel stimulated ,not worn…(4).Unlike these situations, which are
generally positive and easier to deal with, sitting in a train…(5) is late,…(6) stuck in a traffic jam,
working to a tight deadline are…(7) harder to manage and control .Stress is now recognized as a medical
problem and as a significant factor…(8) causing coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and a high
cholesterol count. Patients are often unwilling to admit to stress problems…...(9) they feel they are a
form of social failure and it is important that symptoms are identified in order to avoid unnecessary
sufferings. So what should we be looking out for as danger signals? Common signs of stress are
increased tiredness irritability and.....…(10) inability to cope with certain situations.
Write your answers (A, B, C or D) here:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Part 3: The reading passage has nine paragraphs A – I. From the list below choose the most
suitable headings for B – I. Write the appropriate number (i – xiv) beside in boxes 1 – 8 on your
answer sheet. There are more headings than paragraphs, so you do not have to use them all.
List of headings
i. The traveler’s character.
ii. Disproportionate growth.
iii. Pilots and aircrew.
iv. Additional action.
v. Smaller seats.
vi. Uncomfortable aeroplanes.
vii. Origins.
viii. A major threat.
ix. Demands for change.
x. Business people.
xi. The roots of the problem.
xii. The pace of life.
xiii. Links to the surroundings.
xiv. Personal experience.

Air Rage
A. The first recorded case of an airline passenger turning seriously violent during a flight, a
phenomenon now widely known as “air rage”, happened in 1947 on a flight from Havana to
Miami. A drunk man assaulted another passenger and bit a flight attendant. However, the man
escaped punishment because it was not then clear under whose legal control a crime committed on
plane was, the country where the plane was registered or the country where the crime was
committed. In 1963, at the Tokyo convention, it was decided that the laws of the country where
the plane is registered take precedence.

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B. The frequency of air rage has expanded out of proportion to the growth of air travel. Until recently
few statistic were gathered about air rage, but those that have been indicate that passengers are
increasingly likely to cause trouble or engage in violent acts. For example, in 1998 there were 266
air rage incidents out of approximately four million passengers, a 400% increase from 1995. In the
same period American Airlines showed a 200% rise. Air travel is predicted to rise by 5%
internationally by 2010 leading to increased airport congestion. This, coupled with the flying
public’s increased aggression, means that air rage may become a major issue in coming years.
C. Aside from discomfort and disruption, air rage poses some very real dangers to flying. The most
extreme of these is when out of control passengers enter the cockpit. This has actually happened
on a number of occasions, the worst of which have resulted in the death and injury’ of pilots or the
intruder taking control of the plane, almost resulting in crashes. In addition, berserk passengers
sometimes attempt to open the emergency doors while in flight, putting the whole aircraft in
danger. These are extreme examples and cases of air rage more commonly result in physical
assaults on fellow passengers and crew such as throwing subjects, punching, stabbing or scalding
with hot coffee.
D. The causes of air rage are not known for certain, but it is generally thought that factors include:
passenger behavior and personality, the physical environment changes in society. A recent study
has identified the issues that start the incidents to be as follows.

Alcohol 25%

Seating 16%

Smoking 10%

Carry on luggage 9%
Flight attendants 8%
Food 5%

E. One of the major causes seems to be the passenger’s behavior or their personality. Fear of flying
and the feeling of powerlessness associated with flying can lead to irritable or aggressive
passengers. Also, alcohol consumed on a plane pressurized to 8000ft affects the drinker more
quickly and the effects are stronger. Many people do not take account of this and drinking may
increase any negative reaction to the flying environment they have, which, combined with the
lowering of their inhibitions, may cause air rage. Smoking withdrawal, which some liken in
severity to opiate withdrawal, is another major cause of air rage incidents. Passengers caught
smoking in the toilets occasionally assault flight attendants and have been known to start fires.
When conflicts occur in these conditions, they can escalate into major incidents if the passenger
has a violent personality or a fear of flying and because of the enclosed nature of a plane offers no
option of retreat as would be natural in a “fight or flight” reaction.

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 F. Some people feel that the physical environment of a plane can lead to air rage. Seats on most
airlines have become smaller in recent years as airlines try to increase profits. This leads to
umcomfortable and irritated passengers. Also, space for carry on luggage is often very small.
Because up to 8% of checked in luggage is lost, misdirected or stolen, passengers have been
trying to fit larger carry on items into these small storage areas and this can lead to disputes that
can escalate into air rage. Airlines could also be to blame by raising passengers’ expectations too
high with their marketing and advertising. Many air rage incidents start when disappointed
passengers demand to be reseated. Finally, there is some evidence to show that low oxygen levels
can raise aggression level and make people feel more desperate. Airlines have lowered oxygen
levels to save money. Now the level of oxygen in the air that the pilots breathe is ten time higher
than in cabin class.
G. Another reason that has been suggested is that society is getting ruder and less patient. The
increased congestion at airports, longer queues and increased delays have only added to this. In
addition, some air rage incidents have been linked to the demanding nature of high achieving
business people, who do not like people telling them what to do and resent the power that the
cabin staff have over them. For them, a flight attendant is a waiter or waitress who should do what
the passenger wants.
H. The strongest calls for action to control air rage have come from pilots and aircrew. The
International Transport Workers’ Federation argues that there are too many loopholes that let
people escape punishment and that the penalties are too light. They want to notify all the
passengers of the penalties for air rage before taking off, rather than after the passenger begins to
cause serious problems, when it may be too late. The Civil Aviation Organisation has been
organizing international cooperation and penalties have increased in recent years. The most severe
punishment so far has been a 51 month jail sentence, a fine to pay for the jet fuel used and 200
hours community service for a man who attempted to enter the cockpit and to open the emergency
door of a domestic US flight.
I. Various other measures are being used to control air rage. Air crew are getting training on how to
calm passengers and how to predict where incidents might result in air rage and take action to
prevent this. Other measures include, strengthening doors to stop people entering the cockpit,
training crew in the use of plastic restraints to tie down unruly passengers and having pilots divert
their planes if passengers cause problems. Banning passengers who are guilty of air rage from
flying has also been tried to a lesser extent.

Example:
Paragraph A Answer: vii
1. Paragraph B
2. Paragraph C
3. Paragraph D
4. Paragraph E
5. Paragraph F
6. Paragraph G
7. Paragraph H
8. Paragraph I
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Question 9 – 10: Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F)
9. The environment in a plane makes disagreements more likely to become serious problems.
10. It has been impossible to ban passengers with histories of air-rage.

Part 4: Read the text and choose the best answer from A – B – C or D to complete the questions.
SWIMMING MACHINE
Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes (marlins, sailfishes, and swordfish) swim continuously. Feeding,
courtship, reproduction, and even “rest” are carried out while in constant motion. As a result, practically
every aspect to the body formand function of these swimming “machines” is adapted to enhance their
ability to swim.
Many of the adaptations of these fishes serve to reduce water resistance (drag). Interestingly enough,
several of these hydrodynamic adaptations resemble features designed to improve the aerodynamics of
high-speed aircraft. Though human engineers are new to the game, tunas and their relatives evolved their
“high-tech” designs long ago.
Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes have made streamlining into an art form. Their bodies are sleek and
compact. The body shapes of tunas, in fact, are nearly ideal from an engineering point of view. Most
species lack scales over most of the body, making it smooth and slippery. The eyes lie flush with the
body and do not protrude at all. They are also covered with a slick, transparent lid that reduce drag. The
fins are tucked into special grooves or depressions so that they lie flush with the body and do not break
up its smooth contours. Airplanes retract their landing gear while in flight for the same reason.
Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes have even more sophisticated adaptations than these to improve their
hydrodynamics. The long bill of marlins, sailfishes, and swordfish probably helps them slip through the
water. Many supersonic aircraft have a similar needle at the nose.
Most tunas and billfishes have a series of keels and finlets near the tail. Although most of their scales
have been lost, tunas and mackerels retain a patch of coarse scale near the head called the corselet. The
keels, finlets, and corselet help direct the flow of water over the body surface in such as way as to reduce
resistance. Again, supersonic jets have similar features. Because they are always swimming, tunas simply
have to open their mouths and water is forced in and over their gills. In fact, tunas must swim to breathe.
They must also keep swimming to keep from sinking, since most have largely or completely lost the
swim bladder, the gas-filled sac that helps most other fish remain buoyant.
One potential problem is that opening the mouth to breathe detracts from the streamlining of these fishes
and tends to slow them down. Some species of tuna have specialized grooves in their tongue. It is thought
that these grooves have to channel water through the mouth and out the gill slits, thereby reducing water
resistance.
There are adaptations that increase the amount of forward thrust as well as those that reduce drag. Again,
these fishes are the envy of engineers. Their high, narrow tails with swept-back tips are almost perfectly
adapted to provide propulsion with the least possible effort. Perhaps most important of all to these and
other fast swimmer is their abilities to sense and make use of swirls and eddies (circular currents) in the
water. They can glide past eddies that would slow them down and then gain extra thrust by “pushing off”
the eddies. Scientists and engineers are beginning to study this ability of fishes in hope of designing more
efficient propulsion systems for ships.
The muscles of these fishes and the mechanism that maintains a warm body temperature are also highly
efficient. A blue fin fish’s tuna in water of 7°C (45°F) can maintain a core temperature of over 25°C
(77°F). This warm body temperature may help not only the muscles to work better, but also the brain and
the eyes. The billfishes have gone one step further. They have evolved special “heaters” of modified
muscle tissue that warm the eyes and brain, maintaining peak performance of these critical organs.
Questions:

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1. The word “enhance” in the passage 1 is closest in meaning to:
A.Use
B. Improve
C. Counteract
D.Balance
2. The word “they” in the passage 2 refers to:
A.Qualities B.Fins C.Grooves D.Depressions
3. Why does the author mention that: “Aircraft retract their landing gear while in flight”?
A.To show that air resistance and water resistance work differently from each other.
B. To argue that some fishes are better designed that airplanes are.
C. To provide evidence that airplane engineers have studied the design of fish bodies.
D.To demonstrate a similarity in design between certain fishes and airplanes.
4. The word “sophisticated” in the passage 4 is closest in meaning to:
A.Complex
B. Amazing
C. Creative
D.Practical
5. According to paragraph 4, “the long bill of marlins, sailfishes, and swordfish” probably help these
fish by:_______
A.Increasing their ability to defend themselves.
B. Allowing them to change direction easily.
C. Increasing their ability to defend odors.
D.Reducing water resistance as they swim.
6. According to paragraph 6, which of the following is one of the reasons that tunas are in constant
motion?
A.They lack a swim bladder.
B. They need to suck in more water than other fish do.
C. They have large muscles for breathing.
D.They can not open their mouths unless they are in motion.
7. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the underlined sentence
in the passage 7?
A.These fishes often have a problem opening their mouths while swimming.
B. The streamlining of the fishes prevents them from slowing down.
C. The streamlining of these fishes tends to slow down their breathing.
D.Opening the mouth to breathe can reduce the speed of these fishes.
8. The word “channel” in the passage 7 is closet meaning to:_____
A.Reduce
B. Remove
C. Direct
D.Provide
9. According to the passage 8, one of the adaptations of fast-swimming fishes that might be used to
improve the performance of ships is these fish’ ability to:

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 A.Swim directly through eddies.
B. Make efficient use of water current.
C. Cover great distances without stopping
D.Gain speed by forcing water past their gills.
10. According to paragraph 9, which of the following is true of blue fin tunas’?
A.Their eyes and brain are more efficient than those of any other fish.
B. Their body temperature can change greatly depending on the water temperature.
C. They can swim in water that is much colder than their own body.
D.They have special muscle tissue that warms their eyes and brain.
Write your answers (A, B, C or D) here:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
___________ ___________ ___________
___________ ___________
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

IV. WRITING (60 points)

Part 1. Rewrite the following sentences, using the word in the bracket. The second sentence must be as
close as possible in meaning to the first.
1. When Mary was pregnant, all she wanted to eat was jelly.(CRAVING)
............................................................................................................................... .
2. The interview panel thought that Sarah had a very good manner.
(IMPRESSION) ......................................................................................................................................
3. Organic vegetables are said to be healthy.(WONDERS)
............................................................................................................................................
4. The fact that he will never race again is something he cannot accept.
(TERMS) ...............................................................................................................................................
5. Pandas need a special diet,without it they perish.(PROVIDED)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Part 3. Write an essay of about 250 words on the following topic:
Some people believe that studying at University or college is the best route to a successful career, while
others believe that it’s better to get a job straight after school.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.

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