Reading ECPE

Test 2

Sample content

15
Reading ECPE

51 They were stunned that the tickets 55 First Response Industries,

near the stage __________ than those __________, is a company that deals
right at the back of the theatre. in emergency medical devices.

A were not any expensive A with its name implies

B were not as expensive B implying as its name
C were none so expensive C as the name implies
D were no more expensive D to imply the name

52 __________ our mains when the 56 __________ disturb your mom when
server came along and snatched up she's working in her office.
the plates, telling us they were closing.

A We had finished hardly A Don't be sure to

B Had we finished hardly B You're sure to not
C Hardly had we finished C To be sure don't
D Finished hardly had we D Be sure not to

53 __________ this product malfunctions, 57 Ellen couldn’t find the book she was
be sure to return it to the retailer for a looking for, but she __________ a
refund or replacement. recommendation for similar one.

A In the event that A had been gotten

B On condition when B was getting
C So long as C did get
D Provided for D has been getting

54 Rather than planning every minute 58 In order to process your application

detail of our vacation, why don't we quickly, please bring __________ I
just __________? requested to my office.

A take it as it comes A some papers that

B take as comes it B the papers that
C take what it comes C your papers what
D take it to come D a paper to which

51 A B C D 52 A B C D 53 A B C D 54 A B C D
55 A B C D 56 A B C D 57 A B C D 58 A B C D

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16
 Part 1 | Grammar | Test 2

59 We were all surprised when John quit 63 Nuria __________ her parents’ car
because nobody__________ idea that without asking beforehand.
he had any intention of leaving.

A didn't have a faint A wouldn't dream of driving

B had the faintest B wouldn't dream to drive
C had only a faint C wouldn't have dreamt to drive
D was having the faintest D wouldn't be dreaming of driving

60 Most young couples have to 64 The team is bound to win the track
__________ a house until they've both events as __________ super hard, but
got a stable income. they are also really talented.

A hold buying off A not only have they been training

B hold off on buying B they have been training not only
C hold buying from C not only they have been training
D hold from buy D they not only have trained

61 They took on extra staff at the free 65 If the bosses aren't going to listen to
concert __________ large crowds. your solutions, __________ their own
mess.

A that anticipating A let them have fixed

B to anticipate some B let them fix
C with anticipation for C let fixing themselves
D in anticipation of D let them to fix

62 We __________ in Los Angeles at 66 __________, the farmers were already

7:30am, but our flight was delayed. up and working in the fields.

A had due to arrive A Before it is sunrise

B were due arriving B It was before sunrise
C were due to arrive C Being before sunrise
D had been due arriving D The sunrise happening

59 A B C D 60 A B C D 61 A B C D 62 A B C D
63 A B C D 64 A B C D 65 A B C D 66 A B C D

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and is not associated with Prosperity Education or its products.

17
Reading ECPE

This passage is about Silicon Valley. 67 A protagonists C innovators

B intruders D advocates
Silicon Valley is renowned as the home of
countless 67)___________________ in all things
technological. With famous corporations 68 A breaking new C going with the
headquartered there and innovative starts ups on ground flow
every corner, it is constantly B turning over a D burning the
68)___________________ in all sorts of fields. new leaf midnight oil

Yet few people are aware that its history is

69 A on the dot C in the face
grounded more in academia than in business. The
area gained prominence B at the turn D to the point
69)___________________ of the 20th Century,
after the establishment of Stanford University in
70 A overload C outline
1891. This, coupled with an
70)___________________ of money and B expenditure D influx
increasing international trade, soon created a
unique business culture. 71 A set his sights C taken stock of
on
The second boost came during the 1950s from
B come to terms D given rise to
Stanford’s dean of engineering, Frederick with
Terman, an academic who had
71)___________________ turning the area’s
electronics industry into an economic 72 A addressed C founded
powerhouse. His approach was B related D represented
72)___________________ on strict guidelines
concerning what research the university would do
for private organizations or government. He 73 A joining forces C breaking free
persuaded William Shockley, an innovator in B knowing best D bearing fruit
transistor technology, into
73)___________________ and setting up a
company, but, unfortunately, he was 74 A deceptive C ruthless
74)___________________ at management and B appalling D conceited
the company soon dissolved. However, the
engineers from his company went on to set up
Fairchild Semiconductors, which became 75 A an intense C a profound
significance in impact on
remarkably successful. The new company had
75)___________________ Silicon Valley, and B deep D sincere efforts
this is still felt today since almost three quarters of indications for in
Bay Area companies are considered to be its
direct 76)___________________. 76 A hierarchies C predecessors
B ventures D descendants

67 A B C D 68 A B C D 69 A B C D 70 A B C D
71 A B C D 72 A B C D 73 A B C D 74 A B C D
75 A B C D 76 A B C D

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18
 Part 2 | Multiple-choice Cloze | Test 2

This passage is about automation. 77 A out of place C back to front

B on the cards D a safe bet
While automated vehicles seem like a vision that
wouldn’t look 77)___________________ in a
sci-fi movie, they are very much a reality in 78 A founders C developers
today’s world. Citizens of cities like Austin, B champions D pioneers
Pittsburgh and Phoenix, amongst others, are
some of the 78)___________________ already
sharing their highways with fully driverless 79 A jumping to C keeping their
automobiles. conclusions fingers crossed
B posing the D raising the
Naturally, all such considerable developments question alarm
tend to bring about skepticism from the general
public, especially regarding road safety, with
80 A it C to
many people 79)___________________ of
whether automation can really be as trustworthy B that D so
as human control. However, the fact of the matter
is that the data suggest
81 A confront C reconcile
80)___________________, as does history.
B prevail D incorporate
Developments that involve automation have
always taken time for the public to 82 A outset C application
81)___________________ themselves to.
Nowadays, for example, we wouldn’t think twice B principle D means
about using an automatic elevator, but at the
82)___________________ of their automation 83 A in confidence C off limits
many people felt 83)___________________
B ill at ease D touch and go
about it, as they were accustomed to having an
elevator ‘driver’ whose very presence provided a
psychological 84)___________________ to 84 A tolerance C reassurance
passengers.
B resignation D willpower

Ironically, what many people don’t appreciate is

that human action is considerably more 85 A legitimate C susceptible
85)___________________ to errors compared to
B eminent D disposable
the reliability of automation. This has already
been embraced in the aviation industry where
some of the most demanding manoeuvres are 86 A authorized by C made do with
86)___________________ automation, and B implied in D left to
before long, hopefully, a similar confidence will be
bestowed on vehicle automation.

77 A B C D 78 A B C D 79 A B C D 80 A B C D
81 A B C D 82 A B C D 83 A B C D 84 A B C D
85 A B C D 86 A B C D

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19
Reading ECPE

87 Worker __________ is especially 91 As far as I’m concerned, this idea

important to the company, which is __________ serious consideration.
why we offer great employee benefits.

A rejection A merits
B retention B endorses
C resolution C appreciates
D repression D devises

88 For Jane, the __________ of working 92 When the cost of living rises, everyone
in an office was something she wanted has to __________.
to avoid no matter what.

A mediocrity A toe the line

B stability B tighten their belts
C humanity C make their way
D peculiarity D recharge their batteries

89 Working in the movie industry can be 93 If you __________ it, you’ll master the
very __________, but for the majority guitar in a couple of years.
it’s a tough business with little reward.

A lucrative A keep in
B immense B keep at
C applicable C keep up
D monetary D keep to

90 There was __________ in the 94 Nick was only __________ injured in

community when the prisoner was the car accident, and was still able to
released early. go to work.

A rapture A visibly
B sincerity B deeply
C irony C unavoidably
D outrage D superficially

87 A B C D 88 A B C D 89 A B C D 90 A B C D
91 A B C D 92 A B C D 93 A B C D 94 A B C D

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20
 Part 3 | Vocabulary | Test 2

95 The statue was erected to __________ 99 I noticed someone attempting to steal

the achievements of the city’s famous a car and had the __________ to call
artist, Erika Jones. the police

A reinforce A means to an end

B overlook B conscious decision
C embody C presence of mind
D commemorate D breadth of experience

96 There are __________ drinks and 100 Basil has a pleasant taste and
snacks available on all AirGo long- __________ that can be sensed in
haul flights. any dish.

A supplementary A musk
B complimentary B air
C mandatory C odor
D voluntary D stink

97 Vicky moved to Canada and gradually 101 My memories of living in southern

__________ from her friends. France are something I will
__________ forever.

A slipped away A treasure

B stepped down B perceive
C backed out C indulge
D drifted apart D deduce

98 Whitez detergent is specially 102 Research suggests that people

developed to avoid __________ on __________ giving speeches more
your family’s skin. than taking exams.

A irritations A revolt
B annoyances B dread
C nuisances C suppress
D frustrations D disguise

95 A B C D 96 A B C D 97 A B C D 98 A B C D
99 A B C D 100 A B C D 101 A B C D 102 A B C D

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21
Reading ECPE

This passage is about probiotics. 103 What is the main purpose of the passage?
A to outline the uses of probiotics
Probiotics seem to be all the rage in many
parts of the USA at the moment, and B to discuss the effectiveness of
understandably so – after all, who wouldn’t probiotics
want to take a one-size-fits-all solution to any C to describe how probiotics function
health issues they might have? However, the
jury still seems to be out regarding whether D to explain why the popularity of
they can really live up to all the hype currently probitics has grown
surrounding them.
104 What does the writer say about Westerners’
What we can declare with some certainty is gut health?
that our microbiome, in particular the
microorganisms in the gut, is important to our A It’s cleaner than it was.
health, and that the array of people’s B It’s more important than it used to be.
microbiomes in the West is becoming more
and more limited due to antibiotics use and, C It’s worse than before.
ironically, the efforts we make to stay D It has the most microbiomes.
hygienic. As a result of this, conditions like
asthma and allergies have soared in recent
decades. 105 In paragraph 2, which word could best
replace ironically?
Probiotics claim to help populate the gut with A justifiably
healthy microorganisms, therefore improving
overall gut health and possibly generating a B scrupulously
curative effect for other illnesses. These kinds C acutely
of probiotics are found naturally in many foods
such as sauerkraut, but these are not in the D paradoxically
everyday diet of many Westerners. More
recently, as a result, probiotic juices, capsules 106 What does the writer say about the
and pills have been made so that people can effectiveness of probiotics?
take them consistently day to day, and this has
grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. A They are the answer for people with
gut problems.
There are some factions out there that will B They can help with a range of illnesses.
categorically state that these probiotics can’t
make serious changes to our health, but the C More validation studies need to be done.
truth of their effects may well be more D They are limited in their benefits so far.
ambiguous. There is some evidence, for
instance, that they can help sufferers of
digestive illnesses related to the stomach, but 107 In the second sentence of paragraph 5,
the claims made that they could also help with which word could best replace arbitrary?
a whole host of illnesses cannot be adequately A unknown
validated at present. This doesn’t mean that
they can’t – or indeed one day won’t – have a B random
positive effect on other ailments. C varied

Firstly, there are trillions of microorganisms in D useless

the gut, and unlocking the formulae of these is
not a simple endeavor that has been achieved,
even partially. At the moment, while there is a
bewildering range of probiotics in the market,
their effectiveness is arbitrary in that any one
person could take one brand and respond
differently to someone else.

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22
 Part 4 | Reading | Test 2

Therefore, effectiveness now is up to individual 108 What is the writer’s overall opinion of
trial and error, and it’s up to the scientists to probiotics?
build upon what they already know to create A They could be more effective once we
more effective and targeted remedies for know more about them.
the future.
B They are likely to replace traditional
medicine one day.
C They should be studied more before
they are sold.
D They don’t make much difference to
our overall health.

103 A B C D 104 A B C D 105 A B C D 106 A B C D

107 A B C D 108 A B C D

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23
Reading ECPE

This passage is about the Brooklyn Bridge. 109 What is the main purpose of the passage?
A to describe features of bridge engineering
With their sweeping curves and imposing
B to acknowledge the people who built
towers, suspension bridges are impressive and
the bridge
awe-inspiring structures, and the Brooklyn
Bridge is one of the most iconic. Spanning the C to explain the complexities of building
East River and connecting Brooklyn with the the bridge
island of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge was D to show why people are attracted to
innovative in its use of materials being the first the bridge
to use steel in place of iron. When it opened in
1884, it took the record for the longest 110 What does the passage say about the
suspension bridge in the world. project?
A it was completed on schedule
Despite the fact that the project was beset by B it received financial subsidies
all sorts of troubles, including the tragic death
of its engineer, John Roebling, and costs that C it had some design flaws
spiralled to $15 million (double the predicted D it suffered several setbacks
amount), the bridge is nothing short of a
triumph of engineering. Its completion was also 111 What does the author say about the East
a testament to the efforts made by Roebling’s River?
son Washington and daughter-in-law Emily A it was troublesome for vessels to navigate
who ensured that his vision was realized after
B its qualities are dissimilar to those of
his death.
other rivers

The issues that Roebling had to overcome C it has few stretches suitable for bridges
were sizeable and had therefore prevented a D its bed is not appropriate for heavy
bridge from previously being constructed over foundations
the East River even though, for many years,
the need for a crossing was plain for all to see. 112 In the fourth sentence of paragraph 4, what
First and foremost was the river itself, which is does these refer to?
actually more of a tidal estuary, extremely wide A factors
in many places with deep and turbulent water.
B implications
Any bridge would have needed the deepest
foundations ever built and to be able to C loads
withstand the pressures of tidal waters. D towers
Construction workers frequently suffered from
decompression sickness, so working on a Why had no one built a bridge over the East
113
project such as this was dangerous. River before?
Compression sickness occurs when people
A raising sufficient investment was
move too quickly from a high-pressure to low-
problematic
pressure environment, and typically affects
B engineering practices were not
underwater divers, and workers on
advanced enough
construction sites on riverbeds or seabeds.
C the risk of accidents put many
There were additional factors that the engineers off the idea
engineers had to account for, including the fact D the need had not been sufficiently critical
that the East River had more river traffic than
almost any other stretch of water on Earth.

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and is not associated with Prosperity Education or its products.

24
 Part 4 | Reading | Test 2

For the river to remain unobstructed, any 114 According to the passage, what was John
bridge would need to be high and long. This Roebling’s legacy?
would then have implications for the towers, A his innovation had a lasting impact on
which would need to be strong enough to industry
shoulder the enormous loads of the roadway
B his bridge designs were copied
and cables. All of these resulted in a challenge extensively
that was significantly beyond the expertise and
C he invented modern engineering
experience of most engineers of the day.
practices
D he made construction sites safer for
However, Roebling’s understanding of workers
materials, and steel in particular, allowed him
to propose a design that answered all the
engineering questions associated with the
Brooklyn Bridge, and to pave the way for a
revolution in construction in fields as diverse
as aviation, elevators and cable cars.

109 A B C D 110 A B C D 111 A B C D 112 A B C D

113 A B C D 114 A B C D

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25
Reading ECPE

This passage is about technology. 115 What is the main purpose of the passage?
A to explain why technology is important
Most people have some kind of love–hate in the hotel industry
relationship with technology that varies from
being addicted to their phones to wanting to B to argue how hotels should deploy
throw their malfunctioning printer out of the technology
window. You’d be inhuman not to have these C to describe the problems guests have
kinds of reactions sometimes. This kind of with technology
relationship can also be seen in the guest
experience in hotel use, where most D to outline the types of technology
customers love high-tech convenience, but hotels use
only up to a point.
116 In paragraph 2, sentence 2, what does this
Nowadays, the idea of hyper-personalization is refer to?
all the rage for many hotel groups, which
tailors the guest experience, from booking A the needs and personalities of guests
through to post-stay follow ups, according to B the experience of the customer
the needs and personalities of individual
guests. This puts the customer experience at C booking and post-stay follow ups
the forefront by using customer data, such as D the idea of hyperpersonalization
browsing activities and purchasing behavior, to
ensure that hotels offer exactly what every
customer needs. 117 What does the writer say about
hyperpersonalization?
This is all well and good, but hotels must not A Not everybody enjoys personalized
lose sight of the customer when drawn into this experiences.
data-driven technology. While studies indicate
that the majority of hotel guests find the use of B It can distract from real customer
technology to do things such as order room service
service a welcome advancement from the C It can only be as good as the data that
more traditional face-to-face exchanges, a is available.
large proportion also said that they feel the
need for human interaction should they face D It is overwhelmingly successful for
any technological problems during their stay. hotels.
Indeed, many forms of digital assistance, such
as self-help screens, FAQs or chat bots, are 118 What do hotels have a tendency to do?
generally cited by guests as irritations. Despite
often doing so, hotels should not neglect the A overestimate their customers’
customer who would prefer their entire guest technological abilities
journey to be a genuine, human experience. B overlook part of their customer base
There could be a myriad of reasons for this:
perhaps the guest is constantly on the C undersell technological innovation
computer or phone and requires a digital D undervalue the guest journey
detox; or perhaps, for them, technology has
passed them by.
119 In paragraph 4, sentence 3, which
Providing a seamless, dual process of guest expression could replace the bottom line?
interaction is something that many hotels now A the tip of the iceberg
need to focus on, and data indicates support
for this assertion. Recent research has found B the deciding factor
that some chains had overly focused on their C the prime example
digital offering at the expense of the personal
touch that comes from human interaction. D the last resort

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and is not associated with Prosperity Education or its products.

26
 Part 4 | Reading | Test 2

There is no denying that the world is 120 What does the writer think is the most
advancing, and as such hotels need to keep important part of applying technology in
up digitally, but the bottom line of all this is hotels?
that they must also remember that the A understanding the effects
application of this technology at the right time
B knowing the limits
is paramount, and that it should be done in
conjunction with a human touch. C smoothing out problems
D timing the changes

115 A B C D 116 A B C D 117 A B C D 118 A B C D

119 A B C D 120 A B C D

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and is not associated with Prosperity Education or its products.

27
 Answers | Test 2

51 D 69 B 86 D 103 B

52 C 70 D 87 B 104 C

53 A 71 A 88 A 105 D

54 A 72 C 89 A 106 D

55 C 73 A 90 D 107 B

56 D 74 B 91 A 108 A

57 C 75 C 92 B 109 C

58 B 76 D 93 B 110 D

59 B 77 A 94 D 111 C

60 B 78 D 95 D 112 A

61 D 79 B 96 B 113 B

62 C 80 D 97 D 114 A

63 A 81 C 98 A 115 D

64 A 82 A 99 C 116 D

65 B 83 B 100 C 117 B

66 C 84 C 101 A 118 B

67 C 85 C 102 B 119 B

68 A 120 B

115