FCE Listening – Practice Test 6

Part 1
You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).
1. You hear part of an interview with a pop singer. How does she feel about what happened?
A embarrassed by her mistake
В angry with her tour manager
C confused about what happened
2. You hear part of a radio programme for young people. What advice does the speaker give?
A Try to discuss the matter with your friends.
В Pay no attention to the people who laugh at you.
C Encourage other people to be like you.
3. You hear a radio presenter talking about a book. What does the presenter say about the book?
A Some of the writers have already had their work published.
В It contains work that was entered for a competition.
C It is very well organised.
4. You hear someone talking on the phone. What is the speaker’s purpose?
A to resolve a disagreement
В to make a threat
C to apologise for previous behaviour
5. You hear someone talking to an assistant at a box office. What is the situation?
A The man has lost his tickets.
В The man was sent the wrong tickets.
C The man wants to return the tickets.
6. You hear someone talking about her personality. What is the speaker doing?
A admitting something
В explaining something
C promising something
7. You hear two people talking. What is the relationship between them?
A They are members of the same club.
В They live in the same building.
C They are studying on the same course.
8. You hear a local radio presenter talking about a competition. Which of the following is true of the competition?
A The first part does not involve any cooking.
В The second part involves ten people cooking on their own.
C The final part takes place at a different restaurant.

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FCE Listening – Practice Test 6

Part 2
You will hear an interview with a representative of a wildlife park called Paradise Wildlife Park. For questions 9-
18, complete the sentences.

Paradise Wildlife Park

Project Life Lion is connected with diseases spread by 9_______ .
The Park has created its own 10_______ system, and other organisations use it.
A wide variety of 11_______ events (e.g. barbecues) are held at the Park.
For charity events, the Park will provide cheap tickets and 12______.
The Park's sister company gives people a chance to be a 13_______.
People paying to adopt an animal get a 14_______, a photograph, information about the animal and a free ticket for
two people.
People who visit the Park 15______ in a year benefit from having a season ticket.
When the weather is cold, visitors can still enjoy using the 16_______.
One of the Experience Days involves being an 17_______ for a day.
The Park is looking for people to do customer service and 18_______ work.

Part 3
You will hear five different people talking about what they discovered when they read autobiographies by famous
people. For questions 19-23, choose from the list (A - H) what each person says that they discovered. Use the
letters only once There are three extra letter which you do not need to use.

A He had a terrible life before becoming famous. Speaker 1 19 __

В He is a nicer person than he appears to be. Speaker 2 20 __
C He is exactly the same in private as he is in public. Speaker 3 21 __
D He would have preferred a different career. Speaker 4 22 __
E He has a sad personal life. Speaker 5 23 __
F He feels that he is a very important person.
G He believes family to be the most important thing
H He was very unkind to other people after he became famous.

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FCE Listening – Practice Test 6

Part 4
You will hear an interview with someone whose daughters are appearing in a show in London. For questions 24-
30, choose the best answer (A, В or C).
24. What does Jackie say about Olivia’s role in Annie?
A Olivia had difficulty learning such a big role.
В Olivia had always wanted to have such a big role.
C Olivia hadn't expected to get such a big role.
25. Jackie says that Olivia’s performance in Annie
A did not surprise other members of her family.
В was helped by advice from an agent.
C contrasted with her normal personality.
26. When Olivia tried to get a part in Mary Poppins, she
A did not really expect to get the part.
В was extremely upset not to get the part.
C was immediately rejected for the part.
27. What happened at the first auditions for The Sound of Music?
A Jackie's children were told they would have to come back the next day.
В The family arrived later than they had been told to arrive.
C There were so many people that the family considered leaving.
28. For the second audition, both girls
A decided to wear similar clothes.
В were required to sing two songs.
C felt they had to improve.
29. At the final audition,
A neither of the girls appeared to be nervous.
В Jackie told them they looked right for the parts.
C both girls made jokes about the event.
30. How have the girls reacted to getting the parts?
A They are a bit concerned that their lives will change.
В The achievement has made them more self-confident.
C Their behaviour has remained the same as it was before.

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FCE Reading and Use of English – Practice Test 6

Part 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 major В frequent C similar D various

The Eighth Wonder of the World

The Thames Barrier is a 0 _____ part of the flood defence scheme for protecting London 1 _____ rising
water levels. The defenses 2 _____ include raised river embankments and additional flood gates at strategic
points, including the Barking Barrier. The unique structure that is the Barrier spans the 520-metre wide
Woolwich reach and 3 _____ of 10 separate movable gates, each pivoting and supported between concrete
structures which house the operating machinery.
When raised, the four main gates 4 _____ stand as high as a five storey building and as wide as the opening
of Tower Bridge. Each 5 _____ 3700 tonnes. During the first twelve years of 6 _____, the Barrier has been
closed twenty nine times to protect London.
7 _____ the Barrier from the comfortable cafeteria. Picnic on the riverside embankment. Enjoy beautiful
views from the riverside walk. Visit the shop which stocks a large selection of souvenirs, books and Barrier
information.
There is a children's play area suitable for 4- to 12-year olds, located adjacent to the riverside walk. A visit
to the spectacular Thames Barrier is a 8 _____ experience.
1 A against B for C between D with
2 A and B also C still D too
3 A consists B includes C involves D contains
4 A which B every C each D none
5 A measures B costs C calculates D weighs
6 A operation B surgery C vacation D profession
7 A Sight B View C Hear D Explore
8 A forgettable B memorable C forgetful D memorised

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FCE Reading and Use of English – Practice Test 6

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: IN

Datamac
Datamac was the greatest machine 0 _____ the world. Its business 9 _____ facts: it accepted 10 _____,
stored them, tested them and delivered them.
It was located in Tokyo, where it received messages and questions from all 11 _____ the world. It sent
answers to every town and city in every 12 _____. An army of workers fed it with facts all the time. Other
workers moved about inside Datamac and 13 _____ after it.
Datamac had a very special duty. It was in 14 _____ of all the facts about every person in the world. Each
day it brought these four million facts together, and answered the question: "15 _____ will happen
tomorrow?" Every city in the world received report for its own part of the country. And the complete World
Report 16 _____ to the Chief of the Correction Force in Tokyo. John Williams had been Chief for only three
weeks. By now he was not afraid of the World Report every morning. It was just a pile of papers, fifteen
centimetres thick.

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: ENTHUSIAST
Being a DIY 0 _____ I was happy to take on the challenge of 17 _____ an old but 18 0.ENTHUSE
_____ cottage. 17.MODERN
18.DELIGHT
I had been given the 19 _____ by a man who used to be an 20 _____ of mine before 19.INVITE
he stopped working for me. 20.EMPLOY
21.EXTEND
The cottage needed to be changed 21 _____, and my friend had to remove all his 22 22.POSSESS
_____ before I could starts. 23.ARRANGE
24.TRANSFORM
The requirements for such a task are many and before any 23 _____ could be made
some organisation was needed. The final 24 _____ was worth the effort though.

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FCE Reading and Use of English – Practice Test 6

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.They think the owner of the house is in France.
THOUGHT
The owner of the house _______________ in France.
Example: 0. IS THOUGHT TO BE
25. The hairdresser did Mary's hair last Tuesday.
HAD
Mary _______________ last Tuesday.
26. Andrew's job is to supervise all the employees of the company.
RESPONSIBLE
Andrew _______________ all the employees of the company.
27. Harry reads faster than his little sister.
READER
Harry _______________ his little sister.
28. "I didn't steal the lady's purse", said the boy.
DENIED
The boy _______________ the lady's purse.
29. It was our first trip to Italy so we were very excited about it.
TIME
It was the _______________ to Italy so we were very excited about it.
30. "Whose car is this?" he asked.
BELONG
"Who _______________ ?" he asked.

Part 5
You are going to read an extract from the novel, “Alice in Wonderland". For questions 31-36, choose the
answer (А, В, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Before she had drunk half the bottle, she found her head pressing against the ceiling, and had to stoop to
save her neck from being broken. She hastily put down the bottle, saying to herself 'That's quite enough - I
hope I will not grow any more - as it is, I can’t get out at the door - I do wish I hadn't drunk quite so much!'

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FCE Reading and Use of English – Practice Test 6

Alas, it was too late to wish that! She went on growing, and growing, and very soon had to kneel down on
the floor: in another minute there was not even room for this, and she tried the effect of lying down with one
elbow against the door, and the other arm curled round her head. Still she went on growing, and, as a last
resource, she put one arm out of the window, and one foot up the chimney, and said to herself 'Now I can do
no more, whatever happens. What will become of me?'
Luckily for Alice, the little magic bottle had now had its full effect, and she grew no larger: Still it was very
uncomfortable, and, as there seemed to be no sort of chance of her ever getting out of the room again, no
wonder she felt unhappy.
'It was much pleasanter at home,' thought poor Alice, 'when one wasn't always growing larger and smaller,
and being ordered about by mice and rabbits. I almost wish I hadn't gone down that rabbit hole - and yet...
and yet - it ’s rather curious, you know, this sort of life! I do wonder what can have happened to me! When I
used to read fairy-tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here l am in the middle of
one! There ought to be a book written about me, that there ought! And when l grow up, I'llw rite one... but
I'm grown up now,' she added in a sorrowful tone; 'at least there's no room to grow up any more in here.'
'But then,' thought Alice, 'will I never get any older than I am now? That'll be a comfort, one way... never to
be an old woman... but then... always to have lessons to learn! Oh, I shouldn’t like that!'
'Oh, you foolish Alice!’ she answered herself. 'How can you learn lessons in here? Why, there’s hardly room
for you, and no room at all for any lesson books!’
And so she went on, taking first one side and then the other, and making quite a conversation of it
altogether; but after a few minutes she heard a voice outside, and stopped to listen.
'Mary Ann! Mary Ann!’ said the voice. 'Fetch me my gloves this moment!' Then came a little pattering of
feet on the stairs. Alice knew it was the Rabbit coming to look for her, and she trembled till she shook the
house, quite forgetting that she was now about a thousand times as large as the Rabbit, and had no reason to
be afraid of it.
Presently the Rabbit came up to the door, and tried to open it; but, as the door opened inwards, and Alice's
elbow was pressed hard against it, that attempt proved a failure. Alice heard it say to itself 'Then I’ll go
round and get in at the window.’
'That you won't' thought Alice, and, after waiting till she fancied she heard the Rabbit just under the
window, she suddenly spread out her hand, and made a snatch in the air. She did not get hold of anything,
but she heard a little shriek and a fall, and a crash of broken glass, from which she concluded that it was just
possible it had fallen into a cucumber-frame, or something of the sort.
Next came an angry voice - the Rabbit’s - ’Pat! Pat! Where are you?' And then a voice she had never heard
before, 'Sure then I’m here! Digging for apples, your honour!’
’Digging for apples, indeed!' said the Rabbit angrily. 'Here! Come and help me out of this!' (Sounds of more
broken glass.)

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FCE Reading and Use of English – Practice Test 6

'Now tell me, Pat, what's that in the window?’

'Sure, it's an arm, your honour!'
'An arm, you goose! Who ever saw one that size? Why, it fills the whole window!'
'Sure, it does, your honour: but it's an arm for all that.’
31. Why didn't Alice leave the house when she noticed she was growing?
A. She couldn't find her way out.
B. She was already too big.
C. She was hiding from the Rabbit.
D. She was comfortable there.
32. As she grew, Alice had to
A. keep changing position.
B. break the roof of the house.
C. be very gentle.
D. climb up the chimney.
33. Alice had a long conversation with
A. the Rabbit.
B. herself.
C. an old woman.
D. Pat.
34. Mary Ann is most likely
A. the name of the Rabbit.
B. what the Rabbit calls Alice.
C. Alice's little sister.
D. Alice's friend.
35. Before the Rabbit called him, Pat was spending his time
A. doing something secret.
B. hiding from the Rabbit.
C. doing something silly.
D. growing food.
36. Why does the Rabbit argue about what they see in the window?
A. He knows that Pot is foolish.
B. He can't see it clearly.
C. He can't believe his eyes.
D. He is trying to trick Pat.

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FCE Reading and Use of English – Practice Test 6

Part 6
You are going to read a magazine article about one person's experience of being aware while she is
dreaming, called lucid dreaming. 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. 37 __.

Lucid Dreaming
The other night I experienced a lucid dream. In the dream I was sitting gazing into our fish aquarium. I
peered in closely, examining our spotted suckerfish. I often gaze at him because he never moves much in
the daytime. I watch him to see if he is OK. As I stared at him, suddenly I noticed there were two more
suckerfish! They were identical to the original.
37 __. Then I wondered where they could have come from. As I pondered this I abruptly realised that I must
be dreaming! 38 __. I jumped up and looked around. There were other people in this dream with me. I had a
husband, a son and a dog. Before looking at the fish, I had been going along, living my daily life in a
mundane fashion. The last thing I had remembered doing was feeding the dog and kissing my little boy on
the head while he played on the kitchen floor.
As i looked at these people, I realised it wasn't my real husband or either of my real children - I excitedly
blurted out at them that we were all dreaming. 39 __. I yelled again "We are dreaming!" As I became even
more self-conscious, I announced that I could test my theory by flying.
If this really was a dream, I should be able to fly! So I jumped up and flew to the ceiling. I can still see the
look on the man's face as he watched me float up to the ceiling. Unfortunately, as I watched the fear and
doubt on his face, I began to fall. I sank all the way back down and landed with a hard thud on the floor.
When that happened, I began to doubt my own perception and lost my awareness as I fell back into a
regular dream state.
The above is an example of lucid dreaming. 40 __. You are aware that you are dreaming, while dreaming. If
you have ever had it happen to you spontaneously, you understand how exciting it is, the heart races with
excitement at your prospects.
Gazing at something in your home or on your body, such as your hands during your regular workday is a
technique used by dream researchers to induce lucid dreaming. Another technique is to continually ask
yourself throughout the day if you are dreaming. 41 __. On another occasion just before becoming lucid in a
dream, I noticed that my kitchen cupboards were the wrong colour, which alerted me. The duplicated fish
are another example.
Stephen LaBerge, the pioneer of lucid dreaming research, suggests that once you can become lucid, there is
no limit to what your imagination can create in a dream. 42 __. You can even try out things you've always
wanted to try and see what it is like. It has been discovered, and my experience supports this, that when you
do become lucid, it is extremely difficult to stay that way. Research has shown though that the more you do

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FCE Reading and Use of English – Practice Test 6

it, the better at it you get and the better your control is. Often a few seconds of lucidity is all that is
manageable. It is still a thrilling experience.
A. "Of course!" I said; that explains this.
B. At first I was startled and shocked, surprised that there were more.
C. It truly is amazing, from flying, to inventing, to art.
D. After waking from the dream and becoming lucid, I remember gazing at my hands and noticing that they
were an odd shape.
E. My husband looked at me, perplexed.
F. If you develop these habits - if you happen to be in a dream state while looking at your hands - you will
be tipped off when your hands look odd.
G. Lucid dreaming is the state of being conscious in your dreams.

Part 7
You are going to read four accounts of people who have followed their dreams and travelled someplace
amazing. For questions 43-52, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.
Which person...
43. interacted closely with wild animals? __
44. was participating in a water sport? __
45. did not think he/she would like the place so much? __
46. was in relatively close proximity to dangerous animals? __
47. refers to documenting their travel experiences? __
48. appreciated the advantages of travelling alone? __
49. spent time near places of worship? __
50. told someone all about his/her experience? __
51. compared the place he/she visited with other places? __
52. was shown around by a professional? __

Following Dream
A Harry
Just north of Fregate I met two manta rays. They were seven or eight feet wide with massive outstretched
fins that seemed like rubberized wings. The water was murky, rich with plankton that attracted the giant
rays that filtered it through their wide mouths. They treated me with caution, maintaining a constant
distance if I turned towards them, but were content to let me swim on a parallel course, as if I, too, was
feeding on the plankton. For a few minutes we were companions, until, circling and shifting shape against
the depths, they became faint black shadows in the gloom and were gone. The deep blue of the Indian
Ocean has captured my heart and drawn me back again and again to these pure shores. On Praslin there
were dolphins offshore and a pair of octopus, sliding across the coral as they flashed signals to one another
with changing skin tones as remarkable as - but much faster than - any chameleon. At Conception, close to

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FCE Reading and Use of English – Practice Test 6

Mahe, giant rocks formed an underwater cathedral beckoning me into its vaults where moray eels gaped at
me, the strange visitor to their liquid world.
В Gabriel
And so my first real trip to Asia unfolded in what seemed a series of dream-panels - adventures and faces
and events so far removed from my day-to-day experience that I could not convert them into any tongue I
knew. I revisited them again and again, sleepless, in my memories and notes and photographs, once home.
Almost every day of the three-week trip was so vivid that, upon returning, I gave a friend a nine-hour
account of every moment. The motorbike ride through Sukhothai; the first long lazy evening in an expat's
teak house in Sunkumvhit; the flight into the otherworldly charm of Rangoon and the Strand Hotel, and the
pulse of warm activity around the Sule Pagoda at nightfall. Long hot days in the silence, 5,000 temples on
every side; slow trips at dawn along Inle lake, seeing a bird-faced boat being led through the quiet water; a
frenzied morning back in Bangkok, writing an article while monsoon rains pounded on the windows all
around me.
C Maya
As I stepped off the six-seater Cessna plane after a bumpy flight over the Okavango Delta and my feet
touched the arid ground I knew this was what I'd been waiting for all my life - Africa. Our first day was at
the Selinda Camp in one of the driest parts of the Delta and when we arrived I thought that nothing could
possibly survive under the relentless sun. I was almost immediately proved wrong, as Selinda is near a
small lagoon - home to a group of hippos. At night we could hear their bark-like call.
Our guides warned us that although hippos may seem harmless, if threatened, they could easily kill a man!
We went on to stay in various other camps that were situated in different habitats. Jacana Camp was
surrounded entirely by water and only accessible by boat. But my favourite place was the Kalahari Desert.
Our final camp was located just on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, which are home to many rare
species of animal, such as the brown hyena.
D Tom
I'd been to New York three times in the past but not for long and I couldn't remember much of it. This time I
only had four days but I was on my own and this seems like a better way to get to know a city: less being
sociable, more walking and visiting different places. Perfect. I liked New York even more than I expected
and it's right up there on my list of foreign cities where I'd like to live. It's fighting for the top spot with San
Francisco, with the next position occupied by Paris. I stayed at the Incentra Village House, which was
lovely: reasonably priced, really friendly, comfortable rooms. I'd stay there again. I did a lot of walking and
could easily have done a lot more. I rarely left Manhattan. One day I walked more than 12 miles, including
the length of Central Park and on down Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue was the least pleasant place; it felt like
London's Oxford Street. I also walked along the High Line, which is very nicely done, although rather
shorter than Paris's Promenade Plantee.

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