A.

LISTENING (40 points)

Part 1: You will hear part of an interview with StanLevin, a dance critic, about a modern ballet

production involving animals. For questions 1- 5, choose the answer A, B, C or D which fits best

according to what you hear. (10 pts)

1. It appears that the function of the dogs in the ballet is to _____.

A. acts as a contrast to the human characters.

B. reflect what happens to the human characters.

C. symbolise homeless people.

D. shows how wild animals behave in a civilised society.

2. How does Stan feel about the increasing use of technology in dance?

A. He prefers more traditional approaches to dance.

B. He thinks this trend has gone too far.

C. He believes it is creating a new art form.

D. He does not approve of it in principle.

3. What aspect of ballet is of greatest interest to audience?

A. the way the dogs perform their tricks

B. the way the dogs behave during dance sequences

C. the way the dogs copy the actions of one character

D. the sight of the dogs in a pack

4. What caused the lapse in mood during the performance Stan saw?

A. the inability of the dogs to concentrate

B. the behaviour of a member of the audience

C. the inability of dogs and humans to work as a team

D. the audience’s unwillingness to accept the dogs

5. What aspect of the performance made the most powerful impression on Stan?
 A. the bond between the dogs and the tramp

B. the primitive appearance of the dogs

C. the implicit potential for violence

D. the aggression shown by the dogs

Your answers:

Part 2. For questions 1-5, you will hear the historian, George Davies, talking about society and the

theatre in England in the time of William Shakespeare. Decide whether the following statements are

true (T) or false (F). (10 pts)

1. ____________ According to Professor Davies, the level of literacy in sixteen-century England

matched his expectations.

2. ____________ In Professor Davies' opinion, the advantage of the usual method of communication in

the sixteenth century was that people absorbed more of what they heard.

3. ____________ Professor Davies believes that Shakespeare's company developed their basic acting

skills by attending special voice classes.

4. ____________ In Professor Davies' view, the advantage of sixteen-century theatres was that the

performances were complemented by everyday life.

5. ___________ Professor Davies thinks that sixteen-century plays were expected to deal with personal

confessions.

Part 3. You hear a radio interview in which the presenter, Terry Davis, is talking to Dr Elizabeth

Jones, an expert on climate. Listen to the interview and complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS and/or A NUMBER. (20 pts)

CLIMATE CHANGE

1. Climate refers to a............................................................................ ; weather varies from day to day.

2. Scientists can now .............................................................................. , which helps future projections.

3. A lot of ............................................ (e.g. coastal cities) are now more vulnerable to climate changes.

4. In the late 70s: new equipment was developed to calculate the ............................................................ .
There have been very small variations over last 20 years.

5. Most warming in 20th century was caused by increased emissions of ...............................................

produced by humans.

6. Small temperature changes may cause ............................................................................................... .

7. Evidence of change: melting glaciers, early springs, less snow on mountains, more

frequent ........................................................................... .

8. Oceans and forests absorb some carbon dioxide but burning fossil fuels

produces .........................................................

9. It can take up to ......................................................... for carbon dioxide to be removed from

atmosphere.

10. One study suggests emissions at a level of 450 parts per million will be necessary to

avoid .......................................................... .

B. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (60 points)

Part 1: Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C or D) which best completes each sentence. (20 pts)

1. One of the organisation’s aims is to ________ information about the disease so that more people

know of is symptoms.

A. disentangle B. deride C. dwindle D. disseminate

2. I was kept awake for most of the night by the ________ of a mosquito in my ear.

A. moan B. groan C. whine D. screech

3. Please don’t_______ it a miss if I make a few suggestions for improvements.

A. think B. assume C. take D. judge

4. His English was roughly ________ with my Greek, so communication was rather difficult!

A. level B. on a par C. equal D. in tune

5. This insect is completely _______, I’ve never seen anything like that before.

A. out of the way B. out of sight C. off the way D. off the track

6. He had a ________ escape since the bullet came within inches of his head.
 A. slender B. close C. near D. narrow

7. After she tried to ________ for divorce and the husband did not show up, the court granted her that

wish.

A. desire B. yearn C. deputize D. sue

8. 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

9. She did smile at me several times, but I felt too _______ to ask for a date.

A. prevented B. hindered C. inhibited D. deterred

10. As a poet, I think she ________ comparison with the greatest this century.

A. makes B. stands C. leads D. matches

11. In his student days, he was as poor as a church ______

A. beggar B. miser C. mouse D. pauper

12. It was very dangerous and I escaped the accident _____________.

A. head over heels B. at a push

C. by the skin of my teeth D. first hand

13. Those campers are really ______. They have no idea how to set up a tent.

A. white B. blue C. green D. black

14. Because of an unfortunate___________ your order was not dispatched by the date requested.

A. hindrance B. oversight C. negligence D. transgression

15. I slept badly last night and am feeling particularly ______ this morning.

A. slow-witted B. far-reaching C. off-hand D. top-heavy

16. We have been running ________ of fresh water, so be careful not to use it up completely before we

get to another village.

A. short B. low C. scarce D. limit

17. If you are going to town, keep your eyes ________ for that book I was telling you about.
 A. clean B. wide C. fresh D. peeled

18. That is the girl whose parents are________ about the expulsion.

A. up in arms B. keeping your hair C. kicking herself D. giving her a taste

19. The little children watched the performance in __________ amazement.

A. wide-eyed B. open-eyed C. eagle-eyed D. hawk-eyed

20. He was absolutely _______ with anger when he found that I had scratched his car.

A. burned B. carmine C. fickle D. livid

Part 2: Identify 10 errors in the following passage and correct them, (0) has been done as an

example.

(20 pts)

1 It was the human factor that contributes to the absolute majority of road accidents which

2 involves the tremendous toll of fatalities each year. Other, less decisive, causes are vehicle

3 functions or road shortcomings.

4 Speeding motorists are notorious about failing to give way at junctions, judging the situation

5 on the road or being unable to accurately estimate the distance while overtaking the “snailpacers”

6 ahead. Drinkers who settle behind the wheel after one glass or two may be running the risk of

7 causing a tragedy through their impairing perception, which is not so rare a case, again.

8 Unfortunately, it is much simpler to introduce the necessary alterations in the traffic system that

9 change the behavioural patterns of drivers. There are voices that more severe disciplinary

10 resolutions ought to put into practice if the vehicle users are to benefit from greater security on the

11 road. The idea of producing safe road users through pre-school parental instruction or through

12 incorporating the safety regulations for school curriculum has been widely acclaimed in many

13 communities and are expected to yield the required results as the first step in bettering the

14 qualifications of the future drivers and acquaint them with the potential hazards that may arise

15 enroute.
 Number Line Mistake Correction Number Line Mistake Correction

0. was is 6.

1. 7.

2. 8.

3. 9.

4. 10.

5.

Part 3. Complete each of the following sentences with a suitable preposition or particle. (10 pts)

1. He’s a reserved person. He keeps himself ……………… himself.

2. Have you missed those twins? Curiously enough, they look poles………….……

3. Her sense of fun has rubbed ……………… on her children.

4. His parents pulled him ……………… difficult periods of multiple financial problems.

5. I'm an old hand ……………… horseshoes. I've been playing since I was a kid.

6. He’s not feeling well at the moment, but he should be up and ……………… again in a few days.

7. Queen Victoria reigned ……….……… Britain and Ireland for over sixty years.

8. He was………….…… all accounts a very kind and gentle man.

9. I wish you wouldn’t fly …………….… me like that every time I make a mistake.

10. Just say you need me and I am ………..………… hand.

Part 4. Complete the following sentences with the words given in the brackets. You have to change

the form of the word. (10 pts)

1. My friends started going out late to nightclubs so I decided to …………………….. myself from the

group. (SOCIAL)

2. The witness claimed she was capable of discovering the man’s evil intentions from the

…………………….. look in his eyes. (MURDER)

anxiety and …………………….. (IRRITATE).

4. My father is a strict ………………….who always believes in 'spare the rod, spoil the child'.

(DISCIPLINE)

5. Sales forecasts indicate a poor …………………….. for the clothing industry. (LOOK)

6. An alarm sounds when the temperature reaches a …………………….. level. (DETERMINE)

7. Children who grow up in time of war are more likely to be …………………….. than others.

(ADJUST)

8. She stood there completely…………………….., so I had no idea at all what she was thinking.

(EXPRESS)

9. I’ve tried to advise my daughter against hitch-hiking around Europe alone, but she won’t listen to me.

She’s so …………………….. (HEAD)

10. How awful! What an …………………….. thing for anyone to do! (OUTRAGE)

C. READING (60 points)

Part 1: For questions 1–15, read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best

fits each gap. Write your answers in corresponding numbered boxes. (15 pts)

“SCRAMJET” – THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY

A new (1)………………….. on high-speed flight has (2)…………….with a jet aircraft smashing

all records by reaching seven times the (3)……………..of sound – fast enough to get from London to

Sydney in two hours. The global race to create world’s first “scramjet” was won by the United States

recently, with NASA (4)………………….the moment with the Wright brothers’ achievements of a

century ago. The (5)………..……..flight – in which the jet reached 5,000 mph – lasted eleven seconds

and ended with a (6)…………of the X-43A into the Pacific Ocean, never to be seen again.

“To put this into (7)..................., a little over 100 years ago a couple of guys from Ohio flew for

120ft in the first controlled powered flight. Today we did something similar in the same (8)………….

……….of time. “Lawrence Huebner, NASA’s lead propulsion engineer, said, “but our vehicle under air-
breathing power went over 15 miles.” The significance of the (9)…….………..is underlined by the

margin between the X-43A and the world’s (10)…………… fastest jet, Lockheed’s Blackbird. That two

man reconnaissance aircraft, painted black to avoid radar detection, (11) ………………the United States

for 25 years until the Cold War (12)……………in 1990. Its fastest speed was 2,193 mph. The X-43A is

unmanned but NASA predicted that the inaugural flight would inspire business, industry and the

military to (13)………………..in its “hypersonic” revolutionary propulsion system.

A scramjet would (14)…………………an aircraft which had already reached supersonic speeds.

The US military is considering using the technology to create a warplane that could bomb targets

anywhere on the globe in a (15) …………of hours.

1 A. make B. take C. do D. have

2 A. instigated B. dawned C. switched D. flown

3 A. pace B. ratio C. scale D. speed

4 A. researching B. revealing C. comparing D. including

5 A. period B. ancient C. historic D. contemporary

6 A. checkout B. check-up C. check-in D. check indicator

7 A. perspective B. operation C. reality D. opinion

8 A. number B. deal C. track D. amount

9 A. breakthrough B. breakout C. breakdown D. breakneck

10 A. premature B. belated C. prime D. previous

11 A. worked at B. lived on C. served D. devoted

12 A. frosted B. froze C. thawed D. liquidized

13 A. devote B. enclose C. invest D. consist

14 A. boost B. promote C. amplify D. diminish

15 A. problem B. matter C. amount D. number

Part 2: For questions 1-10, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use

only one word in each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). (15pts)

Celebrity Crossover
 It is not surprising that actors want to be pop stars, (0) and vice versa. (1)___________ that is

deep in a part of our brain that most of us manage to keep (2)___________ control, we all want to be

pop stars and actors.

Sadly, there's nothing about the one profession that automatically qualifies you for the other, but,

of course, for the fact that famous actors and singers are already surrounded by people who never

(3)___________ no to them. (4)_____________ the whole, pop stars tend to far better on screen than

their (5)__________ numbers do on CD. Let's (6) _____________ it: not being able to act is no big

drawback in Hollywood, whereas not being able to play or sing still tends to count (7)___________ you

in the recording studio.

Some stars do display a genuine proficiency in both disciplines, and a few even maintain

successful careers in both fields, but this just sets a bad example for all the others. (8) ___________

every success, there are two dozen failures. And most of them have no idea how terrible they are.

(9)___________ as power tends to corrupt, so celebrity tends to destroy the ability to gauge whether or

not you're making a fool of yourself.

But perhaps we shouldn't criticize celebrities for trying to expand their horizons in this way.

(10)______________ there is one good thing about actors trying to sing and singers trying to act, it is

that it keeps them all too busy to write books.

Your answer

Part 3: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. (15 pts)

Joanne scanned the area around her, her small frame straining above the pile of wood. She had to

wriggle her way through the wood and rubble. It did not matter where she tried, they were all the same.

The holes were too small and she used all her might to remove the obstacles, pushing and shoving them

out of the way, the noise ringing into the night. She was imprisoned. The silence was a far cry from the

explosion moments ago. Afraid to be heard, she tried to be as quiet as possible. It was an impossible and

ludicrous task. The destruction left behind by the men was far greater than their numbers. Their goals

had probably been achieved. Those who did not escape were probably dead.
 Telephone lines had been cut and lights had been shut off moments before the much feared raids

began. Except for the cut-off in communication, there was nothing to indicate that the men would soon

arrive. Under the cover of darkness, the more fortunate ones had managed to escape. Those near the

border climbed through the holes in the fence, to seek refuge in the neighbouring country.

For weeks, the government had warned of an impending attack by the group. Initial

apprehension turned to fear when the expected day arrived. However, when nothing happened,

everyone thought that the government had made a mistake. After all, how often within that past year had

they failed to deliver what had been promised to the citizens? First, the new lands promised to the

farmers after the massive insect attacks were insufficient and each farmer had to contend with land that

was one third their original size. Then, there was the promise of opening the economy to the

international community, allowing many to sell their handicraft overseas but this never materialised. The

people soon became angry as they were being deceived and complacency about the raids was abounding

in the community.

The environment was ripe for the triad attack. No one noticed the men ambling into the town.

What made their attack even more shocking was that the multitude of people returning from work and

sitting down to a meal did not even notice the seven men walking past their windows. Military uniform

had been a common sight in the town ever since the government’s warning was announced. There was

no need for these men to run or hide. No one had seen them. Joanne inched her foot out of a gap and half

crawled, half walked ahead. Every step she took was painful. Mounted up by the lack of water for hours,

the pain in her leg was excruciating and the more she walked, the more bodies she saw. Arms and legs

were sticking out from under piles of rubble and sometimes a lifeless face could be seen among the

debris. Everyone she saw was dead. Despite her situation, Joanne hoped that she would not be able to

find any of her family members.

Suddenly, she saw a movement among a pile of rubble. She ran the short distance forward, glad

for any sign of life in the place. What she saw spurred her on and she pushed aside several pieces of

wood and lifted an orange cloth, probably once a curtain. Groping about, she managed to locate the little
body and using all her might, dragged it out. The child could have been more than five years old. He

was covered in soot and his stomach heaved in and out in agony. His eyes were shut and only his

breathing told her that he was still alive.

Joanne carried the child over her shoulder and squinted in the darkness, trying to locate her bearings.

Her only hope was the border. Moments ago, she had wanted to forgo everything, thinking that it was

probably better to lie in the darkness until it eventually overcame her and the feelings of loneliness

would disappear. Now, she was encouraged to continue. If she could reach the border, she would be able

to get help. Looking around, she ran in the direction of what looked like spots of bright yellow light.

1. What was causing “the noise” in the first paragraph?

A. Her small frame straining above the pile of wood.

B. Her wriggling through the wood and rubble.

C. Her pushing and shoving the obstacles out of the way.

D. The explosion heard moments ago.

2. Why were the lights “shut off” in the second paragraph?

A. It enabled the people to escape from the place.

B. It led them to the neighbouring country.

C. It warned the people of the coming raids.

D. It was shut inadvertently by the raiders.

3. The word “apprehension” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to _________.

A. anxiety B. clairvoyance C. voidance D. incongruity

4. It can be inferred from the passage that _________

A. the government had yet to fail the people

B. the strange men were dressed in military uniform

C. the main target of the mentioned men were Joanne

D. there were numerous indications of the men’s arrival

5. What spurred Joanne to remove the wood and orange cloth?

B. The short distance between her and the child.

C. The vague sight of a family member.

D. The lifeless faces seen among the debris.

6. The word “excruciating” in the fourth paragraph can best be replaced by _________

A. painless B. discerning C. piercing D. powerful

7. What is not mentioned as a cause of the pain in Joanne’s walk?

A. Her leg was then in physical agony.

B. She saw numerous dead bodies.

C. She walked in fear of the men approaching.

D. She was in need of being hydrated.

8. Which did not happen before the raids began?

A. The people were cut off from the outside world.

B. Militarily dressed men entered the town.

C. The small frames strained above the wood.

D. The people saw massive insect attacks.

9. The word “bearings” in the last paragraph can be substituted by the term _________.

A. whereabouts B. collocations C. managements D. strengths

10. What particular feeling led Joanne to the desire to “forgo everything” as mentioned in the last

paragraph?

A. The fright the shadows had given her.

B. The worry for her family members.

C. The fear that the men would come for her.

D. An intense feeling of loneliness.

Part 4. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. (15 pts)
 JARGON

Jargon is a loaded word. One dictionary defined it, neatly and neutrally, as ‘the technical vocabulary or

idiom of a special activity or group’, but this sense is almost completely overshadowed by another:

‘obscure and often pretentious language marked by a roundabout way of expression and use of long

words’. For most people, it is this second sense which is at the front of their minds when they think

about jargon. Jargon is said to be a bad use of language, something to be avoided at all costs. No one

ever describes it in positive terms (‘that was a delightful piece of rousing jargon’). Nor does one usually

admit to using it oneself: the myth is that jargon is something only other people employ.

The reality, however, is that everyone uses jargon. It is an essential part of the network of occupations

and pursuits that make up society. All jobs present an element of jargon, which workers learn as they

develop their expertise. All hobbies require mastery of jargon. Each society grouping has its jargon. The

phenomenon turns out to be universal - and valuable. It is the jargon element which, in a job, can

promote economy and precision of expression, and thus help make life easier for the workers. It is also

the chief linguistic element which shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness

(‘shoptalk’).

When we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in, whether the

subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball or computers. It can add pace, variety and humour

to speech - as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk

about countdown, all systems go, and lift-off. We enjoy the mutual showing-off which stems from a

fluent use of terminology, and we enjoy the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits.

Moreover, we are jealous of this knowledge. We are quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of our

group without being prepared to take on its jargon.

D
If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important

reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as include. We may not be too concerned if we

find ourselves faced with an impenetrable wall of jargon when the subject matter has little perceived

relevance to our everyday lives, as in the case of hydrology, say, or linguistics. But when the subject

matter is one where we feel implicated, and think we have a right to know, and the speaker uses words

which make it hard for us to understand, then we start to complain; and if we suspect that the

obfuscation is deliberate policy, we unreservedly condemn, labeling it gobbledegook and calling down

public derision upon it.

No area is exempt, but the fields of advertising, politics and defence have been especially criticized in

recent years by the various campaigns for Plain English. In these domains, the extent to which people

are prepared to use jargon to hide realities is a ready source of amusement, disbelief and horror. A lie is

a lie, which can be only temporarily hidden by calling it an ‘inoperative statement’ or ‘an instance of

plausible deniability’. Nor can a nuclear plant explosion be suppressed for long behind such phrases as

‘energetic disassembly’, ‘abnormal evolution’ or ‘plant transient’.

While condemning unnecessary or obscuring jargon in others, we should not forget to look out for it in

ourselves. It is so easy to ‘slip into’ jargon, without realizing that our own listeners/ readers do not

understand. It is also tempting easy to slip some jargon into our expression, to ensure that others do not

understand. And it is just as easy to begin using jargon which we ourselves do not understand. The

motivation to do such apparently perverse things is not difficult to grasp. People like to be ‘in’, to be

part of intellectual or technical elite; and the use of jargon, whether understood or not, is a badge of

membership. Jargon, also, can provide a lazy way into a group or an easy way of hiding uncertainties

and inadequacies: when terminology slips plausibly from the tongue, it is not essential for the brain to

keep up. Indeed some people have developed this skill to professional levels. And certainly, faced with a
telling or awkward question, and the need to say something acceptable in public, slipping into jargon

becomes a simple way out, and can soon become a bad habit.

Questions 1-5

The Reading has six paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of

headings below.

LIST OF HEADINGS

i The benefits of simple language

ii A necessary tool

iii A lasting way of concealing disasters

iv The worst offenders

v A deceptively attractive option

vi Differing interpretations

vii Publicising new words

viii Feeling shut out

ix Playing with words

1. Paragraph A ……………

2. Paragraph B ……………

Paragraph C …… ix ……

3. Paragraph D ……………

4. Paragraph E ……………

5. Paragraph F ……………

Questions 6-10

Complete the summary using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage above.

THE UP-SIDE OF JARGON

pastimes, they need to develop a good (6)……………………… of the relevant jargon. During

discussion of these or other areas of interest, conversation can become more exciting and an element of

(7)……………………… can be introduced by the use of shared jargon.

Jargon is particularly helpful in the workplace. It is the (8)………………………………which leads to

more efficiency in the way colleagues communicate during work hours. Taking part in (9)

……………………… during moments of relaxation can also help them to bond better.

It is interesting that members of a group, whether social or professional, often demonstrate a certain

possessiveness towards the particular linguistic characteristics of their subject area and tend to (10)

……………………… new people who do not wish to learn the jargon.

D.WRITING (40 pts)

Part 1: (5 pts)

A/ Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to

the sentence printed before it. (2 pts.)

1. What put me off the idea was simply how expensive it was going to be.

The sheer ……………………………………………………………………………………

2. I’d prefer to come out on top in the end, though! (LAUGH)

I’d rather ………………………………………………………, though!

B/ For each of the sentence below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the

original sentence but using the word given. This word must not be altered in any way. (3 pts.)

3. I bought it without thinking about it first. (SPUR)

…………………………………………………………………………………

4. You made an embarrassing mistake when you asked him where his wife was. (FOOT)

…………………………………………………………………………………

5. I don't like him because he boasts a lot. (MOUTH)

Part 2: (10 pts)

The table shows the proportions of Pupils Attending Four Secondary school types between 2000 and

2009 in Fancyland.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons

where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Secondary School Attendance

2000 2005 2009

Specialist schools 12% 11% 10%

Grammar schools 24% 19% 12%

Voluntary-controlled schools 52% 38% 20%

Community schools 12% 32% 58%

Part 3. Essay writing (25 pts) Facebook dominates many people’s life, especially students’. It can

have negative effects on their study and physical development.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write an essay (about 250 words) to express your

opinion.

......................THE END...................