Optimise B2

Student name

Group/Class

Date Score

GRAMMAR

1 Complete the sentences with the passive f orm of the verbs in brackets.

1 You must be more careful when you’re crossing the road. You could (injure) really badly
just then.
2 T his year, it (estimate) that more than fifty thousand people will take part in the parade.
3 I hate (tell) how to do the washing up. I’ve got my own way of doing it!
4 It was a five-hour flight but we (give) any food. I was starving when we landed.
5 Over the next few months, members of the public (contact) to find out their opinions.

Score: /5

2 Complete the text with one word in each gap.

You would think it’s relatively simple to work out which novel has been read (1) the most people. You just need to
work out how many copies the book has sold. However, one problem is that some copies may (2) been given
away by the publisher while many books (3) read by more than one person. Not only that, but publishers don’t
always have accurate records of the numbers of books sold. For that reason, it’s far from clear which is the most-read
novel of all time. Nevertheless, (4) is often argued that Don Quixote by the sixteenth century Spanish writer,
Miguel de Cervantes, is a likely candidate. A list of the world’s most-read novels, which is currently (5) put
together by some academics, suggests that Don Quixote has sold more than 500 million copies.

Score: /5

3 Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the f irst. Do not change the word given. Use two to
f ive words, including the word given.

1 T he organisers are providing us with tents for the camping trip so we don’t need to take any.
PROVIDED
T ents us by the organisers so we don’t need to take any.
2 I don’t think Kevin should cut your hair. I think a professional should do it.
DONE
I don’t think Kevin should cut your hair. I’d rather by a professional.
3 Pam’s sent her story to a radio station. A presenter plans to read it out this morning.
HAVE
Pam’s sent her story to a radio station. She’s out this morning.
4 T hey didn’t give us instructions before the activity so we didn’t know what to do.
GIVEN
We didn’t us before the activity so we didn’t know what to do.
5 T hey have painted Sheena’s bedroom. T hey used bright purple paint.
HER
Sheena has bright purple paint.

Score: /5

4 Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

where which who whose why

1 T he reason he can’t come to the match is because his mum won’t let him.
2 T he woman, I’d never seen before, told me to sit down and be quiet!
3 T he shop I got your present is on the High Street.
4 Isn’t that the boy parents own that massive house with the swimming pool?
5 Jamie gave me this gorgeous pen, I only use on special occasions.

Score: /5

5 Choose the correct word (A, B or C) to complete the sentences.

1 hard all day, Owen went straight to bed when he got in.

A Having worked B Working C Worked

2 Not where the station was, we asked an elderly couple for directions.

A know B known C knowing

3 by the Egyptians, the Great Pyramid is one of the wonders of the ancient world.

A Build B Built C Building

4 the opportunity, I would definitely do a parachute jump.

A Give B Gave C Given

5 Una’s drawings, I’m convinced she’ll be a great artist someday.

A Seeing B Having seen C Seen

Score: /5

6 Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the f irst. Do not change the word given. Use two to
f ive words, including the word given.

1 After they fired him from his job, Frank decided to train to be a teacher.
FIRED
Having from his job, Frank decided to train to be a teacher.
2 If you talk while exams are in progress, we will ask you to leave immediately.
DURING
Anyone asked to leave immediately.
3 When Mr and Mrs Jones discovered they had won the lottery, they threw a party to celebrate.
OUT
Having that they had won the lottery, Mr and Mrs Jones threw a party to celebrate.
4 Jade was employed as a sales assistant at sixteen and she was a shop manager by the time she was twenty.
ON
Having as a sales assistant at sixteen, Jade was a shop manager by the time she was
twenty.
5 We made a decision to go to France on holiday, so we looked for accommodation on the internet.
ON
Having in France, we looked for accommodation on the internet.

Score: /5

7 Read the f irst sentence and complete the second sentence using reported speech and the verb in brackets in the
correct f orm.

1 ‘Have you been to the new art exhibition?’ Jody said to me. (ask)
Jody to the new art exhibition.
2 ‘You should have a rest. You look tired.’ T ricia said to Laura. (suggest)
T ricia because she looked tired.
3 ‘Will you be travelling alone?’ asked the travel agent. (enquire)
T he travel agent travelling alone.
4 ‘I’m not going with my sister!’ said Franz. (explain)
Franz sister.
5 ‘You’re always picking on me!’ Rebecca said to me. (complain)
Rebecca .

Score: /5

8 Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the f irst. Do not change the word given. Use two to
f ive words, including the word given.

1 Jeremy didn’t realise that his teacher’s advice would be so useful.

REALISE
Little useful his teacher’s advice would be.
2 She couldn’t reach the shelf unless she stood on a chair.
REACH
Only when she stood on a chair the shelf.
3 It was unusual for them to stay up so late in the evening.
DID
Seldom to bed so late in the evening.
4 As soon as the president arrived, the guests all stopped talking and stood up.
SOONER
No than the guests all stopped talking and stood up.
5 You are advised to take a raincoat as well as waterproof boots.
SHOULD
Not a raincoat but you should also take waterproof boots.

Score: /5
VOCABULARY

9 Complete the sentences with one word in each space. T he f irst letter is there to help you.

1 Gone With the Wind is my favourite r n . It’s a love story set in the United States in the
nineteenth century.
2 The BFG is a f film about a dream-catching giant, based on the children’s story by Roald Dahl.
3 T olstoy is one of the most famous n of all time. His exceptional story-writing talent is recognised by
critics all over the world. His books are hundreds of pages long.
4 I’m not a big fan of s f novels. I don’t like to think too much about the future.
5 Although Shakespeare wrote comedies, he also wrote many t . T he most famous is probably
Romeo and Juliet.

Score: /5

10 Complete the sentences with the correct f orm of say, speak or tell and the words and phrases in the box.

against a secret goodnight the time your mind

1 I’m glad somebody was brave enough to the government’s plans to cut education
spending in last night’s discussion.
2 I prefer to use a digital watch to . It’s more accurate than one with hands.
3 While she was on the school trip, Becky would phone us every day before she went to bed.
4 I would avoid Chris . Everyone will know about it in no time.
5 If you didn’t agree with them, you should during the meeting.

Score: /5

11 Complete the sentences with one word in each space. T he f irst letter is there to help you.

1 I went to the c to get some money out but the machine wasn’t working.
2 You can get some fantastic d on computers at the moment. One shop is offering 30% off.
3 You won’t be able to change your jumper unless you’ve kept the r .
4 T here was such a long line of people waiting to pay at the supermarket t that she decided to put all her
shopping back.
5 We always make sure we’ve got money to pay the electricity and gas b at the beginning of the month.

Score: /5

12 Complete the sentences with the correct f orm of do, get or make.

1 Davinia hopes a living from her new website.

2 I a bargain in the sales yesterday. T his new jacket was on sale at half price.
3 My dad has been business with a German company, so he goes to Berlin quite frequently.
4 Although the company denies a loss, they’ve admitted that they have some difficulties.
5 Although we a profit, I don’t think it compensated for all the work we did.

Score: /5
13 Complete the sentences with one word f rom each box in the correct f orm.

check get head pick see

away for off out up

1 I hope my dad comes to us at the station. I’d hate to leave without saying goodbye.
2 Henna is hoping to for the weekend. She hasn’t been on holiday for ages.
3 I was wondering if you’d me from the concert? It’ll be too late to get a bus.
4 You must at the hotel reception before ten o’clock in the morning.
5 Graham the school gates when I saw him.

Score: /5

14 Complete the text with the correct words (A, B, C or D).

My family and I are lucky enough to live near the mountains and normally it only takes us about ninety minutes to get
there. We’d decided to go last weekend, so we set (1) as soon as my mum finished work. We left at six o’clock
and hoped to be there by eight. However, we were about an hour into our (2) when the weather started getting
quite bad. T here was a lot of snow, so we stopped to put snow chains on the wheels. Although someone had warned us
(3) snow storms, we hadn’t realised it would be that bad. With the snow chains on, we carried on driving for a
bit but it was impossible to see the road ahead. At that point, my mum decided to turn (4) and go back home.
At first, my sister and I were upset because we really wanted to go skiing but we realised there was no point
(5) carrying on. I just hope the weather’s a bit better the next time we go.

1 A in B out C away D up
2 A excursion B ride C voyage D journey
3 A about B of C for D against
4 A away B up C round D down
5 A of B in C at D on

Score: /5

15 Complete the sentences with the words in the box. T here are some words you do not need.

earn effort fail famous infamous job work

1 My cousin has just started a new as an accountant.

2 Jack the Ripper was the murderer who was never caught by the police.
3 Some of the top division footballers an absolute fortune.
4 It doesn’t matter if you this exam. You can still pass the course.
5 Kathy has put lots of into learning English vocabulary this term.

Score: /5
 16 Choose the correct words (A, B or C) to complete the text.

Siula Grande is a mountain in the Andes which is (1) for being the setting of the book Touching the Void. In
1985, two climbers called Joe Simpson and Simon Yates attempted to climb the west face of the 6,000-metre mountain.
Although they (2) their goal of becoming the first people to ascend by that route, they ran into trouble on the
way back down. At first, the weather got really bad and practically (3) off their route. T hen Simpson fell and
broke his leg. Unable to climb down the mountain, they decided to lower Simpson down it on a rope. However, he slipped
over a cliff and was left hanging on the rope. T he weather was so bad that Yates lost (4) of where his partner
was. He made a big (5) to hold on to the rope for some time but, unable to hold on any longer, he eventually
decided to cut the rope. Yates left the mountain in the morning, thinking that his climbing partner was dead. However, as
Yates was about to return home several days later, Simpson appeared, having crawled back down the mountain on his
knees.

1 A famed B infamous C identified

2 A achieved B earned C succeeded
3 A roped B cut C shaved
4 A temper B nerve C track
5 A work B effort C job

Score: /5

USE OF ENGLISH

17 Write a f orm of the word in capitals in each gap to complete the text.

Braille

Braille is a system of raised characters on firm card which are read by touch. T he characters are
like the six spots on the face of a dice, with different combinations of spots representing
different letters of the alphabet. It has been used to help people who are
(1) to read and write due to blindness or other poor vision. Since its ABLE
(2) in the 1820s, it has given thousands of blind people the chance to APPEAR
appreciate written texts and become more (3) about literature. It was KNOW
invented by a blind Frenchman called Louis Braille who was familiar with a similar form of writing
called Night Writing. His (4) was that Night Writing could be improved and he THINK
came up with his form of Braille. Since then, (5) Braille systems have been VARY
developed and all the letters of the alphabet as well as numbers are represented.

Score: /5
18 Write one word in each gap to complete the text

Millennial consumers

T he millennial generation is the group of people (1) were born between 1980 and 2000. T hey stand out from
previous generations because they are the internet generation. (2) grown up with access to huge amounts of
information about the world, they see things differently, especially when it comes to buying things. Before
(3) an important purchase, many millennials will do some research into the product. By simply switching
(4) a computer, millennials have instant access to all sorts of information about comparable products and
prices. Another way in (5) millennials differ is that they tend to place less importance on owning things like
T Vs and other material products. While they might purchase one if they see it as good value, they are happy to wait if it
does not make economic sense.

Score: /5

19 Write a f orm of the word in capitals in each gap to complete the text.

Pickpockets

For many people going on city breaks, their biggest fear is the pickpocket. Most tourist
destinations are a magnet for these thieves, who target tourists, taking money, passports and
other (1) while the owner is unaware of what is happening. T his can be VALUE
(2) inconvenient for the victim. For example, if you lose your passport, you will HUGE
probably have to spend the rest of your holiday making a lot of (3) to replace it. ARRANGE
Not surprisingly, most tourists take particular care to keep their belongings well out of reach of
the pickpockets. Recently, however, a new threat has appeared in the form of remote credit card
readers. Some pickpockets now carry these devices which, when (4) , can ACTIVATE
instantly take money from your bank account. Any new ‘contactless’ cards are at risk and the
pickpocket does not even have to touch you. It seems that tourists are largely
(5) in this situation and the only thing you can do is to leave your card at home. HELP

Score: /5

20 Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the f irst. Do not change the word given. Use two to
f ive words, including the word given.

1 ‘I won’t help you if you keep talking to me like that,’ Owen said to me.
WOULD
Owen said if I kept talking to him like that.
2 ‘We’re hoping to go on holiday for a few days,’ said Sally.
AWAY
Sally said she for a few days.
3 ‘T idy your room at once!’ said my dad.
ORDERED
My dad room at once.
4 T here were so many people at the concert that we couldn’t find Jim and Daisy.
CROWDED
T he concert people that we couldn’t find Jim and Daisy.
 5 ‘Is it OK if we pay the bill and leave the hotel in the afternoon?’ we asked the receptionist.
CHECK
We asked the receptionist of the hotel in the afternoon.

Score: /5

WRITING

21 Rewrite the sentences to make them more interesting.

1 Many people are amazed by the palace of Alhambra in Granada.

One of the in Spain is the Alhambra in Granada.
2 T he castle is set in an impressive location.
What is most impressive about the castle location.
3 T he great hall has wonderful architecture and it is beautifully decorated.
Not only wonderful architecture but it is also beautifully decorated.
4 T here’s only one thing I would criticise about this place and that is the number of tourists.
My only this place is the number of tourists.
5 You should visit it if you’re interested in monuments.
I’d highly recommend it for in monuments.

Score: /5

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Score: / 10