FCE Sample Test 1
FCE Sample Test 1
FCE Sample Test 1
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer
(А, В, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Example:
A bright В fair C keen D sharp
Part 2
For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best
fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the
beginning (0). In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on
tho separate answer sheet.
Example: ARE
Swimming with seals
The UK is home to half the world’s population of grey seals and
there 0 _____ many local boat trips offering sightseeing tours out to the
islands and sandbanks 9 _____ the animals are most regularly found.
But if you really want to get close 10 _____ the seals and understand
something about their way of life, then you need to go on an underwater
seal-watching trip. On these trips, you have the chance to go over the side
of the boat and, equipped 11 _____ a wetsuit, mask and snorkel, spend
time in the water alongside the animals.
Seals are extremely inquisitive creatures and, once you’re in the water,
they will swim past you trying to work 12 _____ who you are and 13 _____
you’re doing there. 14 _____ they can appear shy at first, seals
soon 15 _____ used to you being in the water, and will come and play
around you. Young pups especially like to 16 _____ contact with divers, and
often use their teeth, gently biting masks, fins and cameras out of
curiosity. It can be a thrilling experience.
Part 3
For questions 17-24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals
at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the
same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate
answer sheet.
Example: HEALTHY
Brain games
0.HEALTH
According to experts, doing puzzles keeps our brains fit and 0 _____ As well as 17.SATISF
gaining 17 _____ from finding the correct answer to a difficult problem, we give our Y
brains a good workout in the process. To help us do this, all sorts of handheld ‘brain 18.SUCCE
games’ are now available in the shops, and the most 18_____ games have sold in SS
their millions. 19.COVER
What’s more, people 19 _____ that the more they play the games, the easier it is to 20.SOLVE
find a 20 _____ to the problems posed. They see this as proof that there has been 21.IMPRO
an 21 _____ in the power of their brains. Unfortunately, however, this may be a false VE
impression. 22.SCIEN
Some 22 _____ argue that the brain gets better at any task the more often it is CE
repeated. In other words, the improvement in the 23 _____ of the brain is something 23.PERFO
that happens naturally. So although these brain games are obviously fun to play, it RM
remains 24 _____ whether they are actually helping to boost brainpower or not. 24.CERTA
IN
Part 4
For questions 25-30, complete the second sentence so that it has a
similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change
the word given. You must use between two and five words, including
the word given. Here is an example (0).
Example:
0. What type of music do you like best?
FAVOURITE
What _______________ type of music?
Example: 0. IS YOUR FAVOURITE
25. Brad speaks English better than his parents do.
AS
Brad’s parents don’t _______________ he does.
26. Cycling is not allowed in the park.
SUPPOSED
You _______________ in the park.
27. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was going to be late, Ann,’ said Jamie.
APOLOGISED
Jamie _______________ Ann know that he was going to be late.
28. A heavy fall of snow prevented them from getting home that night.
ABLE
They _______________ home that night because of a heavy fall of snow.
29. Ursula was disappointed not to win the competition.
CAME
Not winning the competition _______________ to Ursula.
30. I paid far more money for my new computer than I expected to.
SO
I didn’t expect _______________ money for my new computer.
Part 5
You are going to read an article about a woman’s career. For questions 31-
36, choose the answer (А, В, C or D) which you think fits best according
to the text.
A varied career
Chloe Kelling, a successful model and singer-songwriter, now has a new
venture
I arrive for my interview with Chloe Kelling and I’m asked to wait in the
garden. I hardly have time to start looking round at the carefully tended
flowerbeds when Chloe appears. Every bit as tall and striking as I’d
expected, Chloe emerges from the house wearing an oversized man’s
jacket, a delicately patterned top and jeans. Chloe is known for her slightly
quirky sense of fashion and, of course, she looks great as she makes her
way towards me through the flowerbeds.
‘Let’s talk in my office,’ she says, leading the way not back to the house,
but instead to an ancient caravan parked up next to it. As we climb inside
the compact little van, the smell of fresh baking greets us. A tiny table is
piled high with cupcakes, each iced in a different colour. Chloe’s been
busy, and there’s a real sense of playing tea parties in a secret den! But
what else should I have expected from a woman with such a varied and
interesting career?
Chloe originally trained as a make-up artist, having left her home in the
country at nineteen to try and make her name as a model in London, and
soon got work in adverts and the fashion business. ‘I went to Japan to work
for a short period, but felt very homesick at first,’ she recalls. ‘It was very
demanding work and, though I met loads of nice people, it was too much
to take in at nineteen. If I’d stayed longer, I might have settled in better.’
Alongside the modelling, Chloe was also beginning to make contacts in the
music business. ‘I’d been the typical kid, singing with a hairbrush in front
of the mirror, dreaming of being a star one day,’ she laughs. She joined a
girl band which ‘broke up before we got anywhere’, before becoming the
lead singer with the band Whoosh, which features on a best-selling
clubbing album. Unusually though, Chloe also sings with two other bands,
one based in Sweden and another in London, and each of these has a
distinct style.
It was her work with Whoosh that originally led to Chloe’s link with
Sweden. She was offered a song-writing job there with a team that was
responsible for songs for some major stars, but gradually became more
involved in writing music for her own band.
Although she now divides her time between London and Sweden, her first
stay there turned out to be much longer than she’d bargained for. ‘The
rooms are very tall over there and so people have these rather high beds
that you climb up to,’ she explains. ‘I fell as I climbed up the ladder and
cracked three ribs. Although the people at the hospital were very kind, I
was stuck there for a while, which was very frustrating. Sneezing and
laughing were so painful at first, let alone singing!’
It was while recovering from her injuries that Chloe hit upon the idea of
staging what she calls vintage fairs. ‘It was snowing in Sweden and I
wanted something nice to look forward to.’ Chloe had always loved vintage
clothes, particularly from the 1950s, and decided to stage an event for
others who shared her passion. The first fair was held in her home village
and featured stalls selling all sorts of clothes and crafts dating back to the
1950s. It was a huge hit, with 300 people turning up.
‘When I had the idea of the first fair, it was only meant to be a one-off, but
we had so many compliments, I decided to go ahead with more,’ says
Chloe. ‘There’s something for all ages and people find old things have
more character than stuff you buy in modern shops. It also fits perfectly
with the idea of recycling.’ Looking round Chloe’s caravan, I can see what
she means.
31. In the first paragraph, the writer suggests that Chloe
A usually keeps people waiting.
В is much taller than he expected.
C lives up to her stylish reputation.
D is surprisingly interested in flowers.
32. What do we learn about Chloe in the second paragraph?
A She’s cooked something for her guest.
В She’s expecting some other visitors today.
C She has no room in her house for an office.
D She invites very few people into her caravan.
33. What does Chloe say about her trip to Japan?
A She soon got used to her life there.
В She felt lonely most of the time there.
C She wishes she’d done the work better.
D She wasn’t old enough to appreciate it fully.
34. In the fourth paragraph, we find out that Chloe
A gave up modelling to become a singer.
В had always had ambitions to be a singer.
C has now left the first successful band she joined.
D sings in three bands that have a very similar sound.
35. Chloe ended up in hospital in Sweden after
A breaking a rib whilst trying to move her bed.
В hurting her leg in a fall from her bed.
C falling off a ladder in her bedroom.
D tripping over in her room at night.
36. What does Chloe say about her ‘vintage fairs’?
A Her main aim is to raise awareness of environmental issues.
В She has responded to positive feedback from customers.
C Certain shops are now showing interest in the idea.
D They are mostly popular with older people.
Part 6
You are going to read an article about a boxer. Six sentences have been
removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which
fits each gap (37-42). There is one extra sentence which you do not need
to use.
Answer Keys
Part 1
43 С.… meal times are something I’ve never really got to grips with in all
the years I’ve travelled alone.
44 A.You can take the Oz Experience bus down the west coast, jumping
off whenever you want, then catching the next bus when you’re ready to
move on again.
45 B.The advantages of a pre-planned tour are that you can get an
agency to take care of all the arrangements, which can be time-
consuming to do yourself
46 D.But I learnt to accept that some people have different attitudes to
mine
47 A.To cheer myself up, I’d sit down and write a fortnightly email home
about everything I’d been up to.
48 A.I remember sitting in the plane thinking to myself: ‘What have I let
myself in for?’
49 C.There’s also the wonderful freedom to do what you like, when you
like, without having to convince anybody that it’s a good idea.
50 B. …if someone’s chosen to do the same type of trip as you, you’ve
probably got lots of ideas in
common.
51 D.… the pressure that you’re under to make your own mind up about
everything.
52 C.Another thing is stay in the nicest places your budget permits.
Miserable hostels can really spoil a trip.
Vocabulary
The vocabulary below is meant to help you with the more difficult words. If
the word isn’t on the list then you are either supposed to know it or it is
too specific to be worth learning and you don’t have to know it to answer
the question. Symbols in brackets mean part of speech(see bottom of the
list). Sentences in italics give examples of usage for some more complex
words and phrases.
And remember — you are not given a vocabulary list(or a
dictionary) at your real exam.
Part 1
Date back (phr) — to exist at some time in the past. Russian’s love for
potatoes dates back to Peter the Great reign.
Inaccessible (adj) — impossible to reach or get to. I’m afraid the
destination you’re interested in is inaccessible – no trains or cars go there
this time of the year.
Insignificant (adj) — not large or important enough to be noticeable. Do
not worry about insignificant details, concentrate on the main picture.
Humankind (n) – all humans as group. Space exploration is thought to be
one of the humankind’s greatest achievements.
Part 2
Wetsuit (n) — a suit made of rubber, that is used for diving or surfing. Its
main purpose is to keep you warm. Buying a good wetsuit is important if
you’re serious about surfing.
Snorkel (n) — A mask with a breathing tube used for swimming with your
face underwater.
Inquisitive (adj) — Curious, asking many questions, willing to learn
more. Maria is a young, inquisitive student who is always eager to learn
more about the subject.
Pup (n) — a baby of an animal. We went to the zoo yesterday and saw
some cute seal pups there!
Part 3
Workout (n) — a set of physical exercises. My daily workout consists of 20
pull-ups.
Handheld (adj) — One that can be carried around or easily used with one
or two hands. Nintendo 3DS is the most popular handheld gaming console.
Boost (v) — to improve, to make higher or better. A good way to boost
company income is to attract new clients.
Part 5
Venture (n) — an activity that is not guaranteed to be successful; a a
risky attempt. I’m now looking for investors to support my new business
venture.
Flowerbed (n) — a small area on the ground that is used to grow flowers
Quirky (adj) — strange, attractive and interesting. This new car has really
quirky design.
Den (n) — a place where wild animals make their home. After looking for
two hours straight, we finally found the wolf den.
Homesick (adj) — feeling sad or lonely because you are away from
home. If you ever feel homesick, just look at your friends’ pictures, it
ought to cheer you up.
Bargain (v) — if you bargain for something, you ask for it, you expect it or
are prepared for it. Spending two years in a foreign country wasn’t what I
really bargained for.
Rib (n) — Ribs are bones in your chest that protect your lungs. Mike fell
from a ladder yesterday and broke two ribs.
One-off (n) — if something is a one-off, only one of this exists. This BMW
supercar is a one-off model – they won’t be making another one.
Part 6
Take up (phr v) — if you take up something, you start doing it regularly. I
hadn’t taken up jogging until I turned 33 years old.
Conditioning (n) — process of improving a personal physical condition. In
the army, young people have to go through difficult conditioning
exercising.
Shed (n) — a small building used as a storage space that is usually made
of wood. My grandfather used to keep his motorcycle in the shed.
Whilst (conj) — during the time, at the same time. Similar to ‘while’, but
old-fashioned. Whilst you were sleeping I ordered some pizza.
Gumshield (n) — A piece of plastic shaped after your gums that is used in
fighting to protect your teeth. Tyson hit the opponent so hard that the
gumshield flew out of his mouth.
Stringent (adj) — very severe and limiting. Financial regulation in this
country are quite stringent.
Stamina (n) — physical and mental strength that allows to do something
for a long time. If you want to test your stamina, come trekking with us
next Saturday!
Part 7
Flexible (adj) — easily changed or adjusted for current needs. Flexible
timetable is what every school should consider.
Itinerary (n) — route of your journey or travel. I want to include some
additional places to our planned itinerary.
Get on (phr. v) — if you get on with someone, you get along well, you are
friendly to each other. I’m sorry that you didn’t get on with Susan.
Go with the flow (phr) — to do something others do; to let situation
guide you, to improvise. At first I had a carefully planned itinerary for our
trip, but then I decided not to use it and just go with the flow.
Fortnightly (adv) — every two weeks. A fortnight is a period of two
weeks. While you’re away, please send me letters fortnightly.
Remote (adj) — situated far away from everything, distant. He has always
wanted to live a quiet life in a remote part of the world
Substitute (n) — replacement or alternative. There is no substitute for
sports – it is important to exercise if you want to live a healthy, fulfilling
life.
Get to grips with (phr) — to try and deal with a difficult situation. Once
you get to grips with mathematics, programming becomes much easier.
Liberating (adj) — making you feel free, unrestricting. Moving out of your
parents house can feel extremely liberating.
Miserable (adj) — unhappy or causing unhappiness. Walking in the rain
when it’s cold can be really miserable.
Enhance (v) — improve the quality or strength of something. To greatly
enhance your quality of life, I suggest giving up smoking.
n — noun; v — verb; phr v — phrasal verb; adj — adjective; adv — adverb