Formula B2 Test Package Answer Key
Formula B2 Test Package Answer Key
Formula B2 Test Package Answer Key
Placement Guidance:
• If students score fewer than 4 correct answers, consider starting in the level below.
• If students score between 5 and 15, start at the expected level and assess scores to check
whether remediation is required.
• If students score between 15 to 20, assess scores and consider an additional oral
interview to decide whether the expected level or the upper level with some remediation
would be more appropriate.
• Students who scored 20+ should be started at an upper level.
Task 2
[1 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
15 a articles
16 which relative clauses
17 If zero conditional
18 been past perfect continuous
19 at verbs + prepositions
20 was past continuous
21 by time expressions
22 have third conditional
23 all adverbs
24 as comparatives
25 was past simple passive
26 will future simple
Task 3
[1 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
27 responsibility
28 development
29 combination
30 patience
31 disobedient
32 impossible
33 arguments
34 growth
35 criticism
36 passionate
37 appreciate
38 harmful
39 incredibly
40 wealthy
Task 4
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
41 has / ’s been working here
42 are due to arrive
43 whether I could sit
44 not as interesting as
45 is / ’s going to be organised
Placement Guidance:
• If students score fewer than 8 correct answers, consider starting in the level below.
• If students score between 9 and 30, start at the expected level and assess scores to check
whether remediation is required.
• If students score between 31 to 40, assess scores and consider an additional oral
interview to decide whether the expected level or the upper level with some remediation
would be more appropriate.
• Students who scored 40+ should be started at an upper level.
VOCABULARY file:
17 common 18 probability 19 authority 20 number 21 identity 22 most 23 sense 24 position
25 difficulties
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p94
VOCABULARY file:
19 popularity 20 scenes 21 available 22 partnership 23 trends 24 stall 25 genuine
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p96
Section 2
[1 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
19 A 20 A 21 C 22 D 23 D 24 B 25 A
WRITING
Sample answer
The weather varies significantly across the world and some regions are hot, whereas others are cold, or even
freezing. There are advantages and disadvantages of living in both climates. This essay will argue that living in
a cold country is the best option.
Firstly, cold countries do not usually have low temperatures throughout the year. In the summer months, many
of them become increasingly warmer. This allows people to spend time outside so the cold impacts their daily
lives less.
Another benefit is that colder weather creates a better working environment. For most of the year, the cold does
not prevent people from working outside. On the other hand, in hot countries the heat is often too intense for
outdoor work. So much so that in some countries it is common to take a long summer holiday due to the
impossibility of working in the heat.
Finally, keeping warm inside is cheaper since people can add more warm clothing instead of using heating. In
hot countries a lot of money is spent on air-conditioning.
In conclusion, cold countries are better suited to our work and lifestyle in general.
(188 words)
SPEAKING
Sample answers
HOLIDAYS
1 Mostly I like going on city breaks. I’m really keen on visiting new cities, places that I haven’t been to before.
City breaks really interest me because I love art and history, so I’m happy spending hours walking around
galleries and museums, exploring the streets of historical areas or looking at different buildings and taking
photos. Beach holidays are definitely not for me … I get bored just doing nothing. Having said that, I quite like
relaxing by a pool because there isn’t any sand to get stuck in your clothes. I’m able to lie on a sun bed and
read by a pool all day, especially if I have some snacks.
2 I once went to Disneyworld in the USA and it was amazing. I was only seven years old and I loved Mickey
Mouse – I was always watching his cartoons on TV. I’d been asking my parents if we could go for ages and
finally, they said yes and we booked the flights. When I finally saw him… I couldn’t believe it. He was just like I
had imagined. As well as seeing my favourite cartoon characters, I really enjoyed the rides and everything
there. Now that I’ve grown up, I don’t think I would like it, but it was great when I was a little kid. And it was a
nice experience to share with my parents.
3 As far as I’m concerned, it’s better for people to go on holiday to other countries so that you can open your
eyes to a world outside your daily life. I know that travelling by plane causes a lot of pollution, but going to other
countries teaches you so much about other cultures. It gives you the opportunity to try different things and you
can start to see the world from the point of view of other people. In my opinion, it is worth it and it also makes
you think about your own country differently when you come home. If you only stay in your own country, you
won’t expand your understanding of the world.
FOOD
1 I’ve not tried many unusual foods because I’m allergic to some things like cream and nuts, but once I went to
a restaurant and had a strange orange coloured fruit. I can’t remember the name, but I didn’t like it. I love sweet
fruits like mango and strawberry but this fruit was definitely not like that. The taste wasn’t very sweet at all. I was
on holiday in Malaysia at the time. I tried it because I’d eaten lots of other delicious fruits, but this was not such
a nice experience. It left a strange taste in my mouth and made me feel rather sick.
2 I grew up in the countryside in Romania and we have quite a lot of traditional dishes – a lot of them are based
on vegetables because people used to be poor in that part of the country. One of the things we eat, and
something which I love, is called ‘drob’. It is made from meat and has an egg in the middle of it. It’s made by
boiling some meat and spices and then we usually add some bread and an egg. We then put this in a square
dish and bake it in the oven. It’s delicious! In my family we eat it often – usually at the weekends. My mother
cooks it using a recipe from my grandmother.
3 In my view, people should try to follow a healthy diet as much as possible because unhealthy food such as
fast food or microwave food can cause health problems due to the high carbohydrate and salt content. If you eat
a balanced diet with lots of vegetables and fish, you’re more likely to live longer and you won’t need to go to the
doctors very often. But I don’t think people should avoid all food that’s bad for them. After all, it is not always
possible to eat healthily. For example, when you are travelling, good quality food may not be available and you
may be forced to eat fast food or buy sandwiches in a café or supermarket. Besides, sometimes the body
craves food which may be considered unhealthy.
VOCABULARY file:
17 expedition 18 diet 19 infection 20 suspicion 21 landscape 22 determination 23 precautions
24 wound 25 relief
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p98
GRAMMAR: Future time clauses + Phrases for talking about the future
19 A 20 B 21 A 22 A 23 A 24 B 25 A
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p28, p82
VOCABULARY file:
16 moon 17 conducted 18 optimistic 19 blank 20 evidence 21 looks 22 impression 23 impressive
24 media’s 25 swallow
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p100
LISTENING
Section 1
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
1 A (the cost of the centre was three million pounds. Personally, I don’t think the council should have spent that
much because it’s only a small town and there are other things which need improving too.)
2 Both (A: In my view, they definitely should have included a pool. / B: the lack of a swimming pool. I can’t give it
ten out ten without a pool because swimming is so popular with people young and old.)
3 A (There’s only one downside for me and that’s the size of the car park. It’s quite small, but I suppose it’s to
encourage people to cycle more.)
4 B (You know, it really is very impressive – new fitness studios, tennis and badminton courts, indoor football
pitches, and everything is high quality too.)
5 B (I think teenagers are going to love going here. There are special discounts for them, and lots of clubs and
teams to join too, so I expect they’ll be the main users.)
Section 2
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
6 B (They’ve got things like dance classes, Pilates and yoga and they’re free with the monthly membership so
I’m definitely going to try some.)
7 Both (A: I don’t really like group exercise classes, but I’d like to take up badminton. I’ve never played it before,
but I think I might enjoy it. / B: I also want to join the rugby club. I’ve wanted to try a new team sport for a long
time, and there is a class on Wednesday evening.)
8 A (There are classes in the evenings so I could go after work.)
9 A (And I think I’ll ask my friend Jane to come with me.)
10 B (I’m not sure if it’s suitable for someone with no experience like me. I’ll call and ask one of the reception
staff tomorrow and then decide.)
Section 2
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
15 B (I’d recently passed my test and felt pretty competent behind the wheel, so on the way home, I thought I’d
show off my skills by speedily reversing into a parking space.)
16 E (The other runner stopped and came to my aid, and we got talking.)
17 D (I was quite a source of amusement for passers-by, who kept giving me funny looks. )
18 A (so my father and I came to the rescue and offered to rush to the supermarket before it closed… only to
realise that it wasn’t my dad or my dad’s car)
19 D (…and I would have if the top of my shoe hadn’t come away from the sole. It was curling my toes around
them to keep the parts together, but I ended up in the town centre doing the most bizarre walk.)
20 C (They saw the funny side though and gave me a round of applause for my moves)
21 B (The student was really angry, and I had to pay his father for the repairs!)
22 E (Well, this embarrassing story has a happy ending. We found out we’ve got a lot in common, and we’re
going to go jogging together in future.)
WRITING
Sample answer
From: Jane Philips janiep@home.pnet.com
To: Hannah Pendleton han00001823@gmail.com
Hi Hannah,
How are you? I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing to ask you if you’d like to come on a skiing holiday with me! I
know you love skiing and we haven’t seen each other for ages. I saw a holiday advert online, and it’s a really
good deal. It’s for seven days in the Snowy mountains and it’s only $360 each for bed, breakfast and all the
skiing hire. There’s half board but it’s more expensive. What do you think? I could drive there as it’s only 5 hours
in the car. We’d need some spending money for food and entertainment, but I think the holiday wouldn’t cost
more than $500 each including the deal.
The only thing is there are only three dates, and I’ve got exams in the first set of dates, so we’d need to go on
either the 22nd March or the 12th April. Are you free on either of those dates? What do you think?
Hope to hear from you soon! I’m so excited!
Jane
(173 words)
SPEAKING
Sample answer
Both photographs are of groups of people. The photograph on the left shows a group of friends at what looks
like a music festival or an open-air concert, and in the other photograph, we can see a family having a picnic in
the countryside. One thing both photographs have in common is the fact that the weather is good enough for
outdoor activities – it’s clearly hot and sunny in the first photograph and the second one we can just about see a
bit of blue sky in the distance. However, the main difference is in the background. In the festival photograph
there’s a large crowd of people sitting and standing in front of a stage whereas the other photograph only has
four people – a family made up of parents and two small children. They’re having lunch on the banks of a river
and the only things that are visible in the background are trees and hills. I imagine the friends are on their
summer holiday from school or university and they are big music fans. Perhaps this is the first festival they’ve
been to as they look young. I wonder if the family are on holiday or it could be one of the children’s birthdays.
VOCABULARY file:
18 deal 19 intelligent 20 bargain 21 served 22 unique 23 retailer 24 absorb 25 practical
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p102
VOCABULARY file:
16 season 17 nerves 18 temper 19 purpose 20 frustration 21 speeding 22 sank 23 fine 24 irritating
25 appreciate
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p104
LISTENING
Section 1
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
1 C (Well, only the ones from the first week. I think it’s because they were trying their best at first. Since then,
the reviews have gone downhill.)
2 C (And my husband, Pete’s, workmate went there a few days ago and Pete told me that they had a pretty bad
experience.)
3 A (Well, when they got there, there was a queue around the restaurant. It wasn’t great for the people eating
there or those waiting for tables.)
4 A (They need a better system if you ask me.)
5 B (And I’m happy to pay a fair bit, treat myself and not stick to the set menu!)
6 B (I’ve been desperate to find somewhere that has decent vegetarian food and you’re the only other veggie I
know.)
7 C (I’ll have a look online too and see if I can find any vouchers we can use too. Always worth saving a bit if we
can.)
8 B (there’s the classy Italian next door, so we have a backup if we need one!)
Section 2
[1 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
9 side dish (Well, we didn’t order that side dish…)
10 (long) wait (I’m surprised they didn’t give us any money off. After all, it was a long wait for our starters.)
11 drinks (AND they messed up our drinks order.)
12 all (What about I get it all this time)
Section 2
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
15 C (it’s worth remembering that governments have not been investing much in space travel for a long time
and it would need an enormous amount of money, not to mention time).
16 D (In my view, space travel is not something that human beings should be focused on... I understand that
exploring space brings many benefits to society, but astronauts exploring space is not the same as space
tourism).
17 B (I’ve heard some astronauts say how they felt quite overwhelmed by the sight... My grandparents say that
it was quite amazing to watch).
18 A (I know some people think we will all be flying around space soon, but I’m rather doubtful about these
predictions).
19 D (As we know from tourism on Earth, it causes a lot of pollution and this would be the same in space.
Millions of people flying around space in rockets are highly likely to magnify the issue).
20 A (Although the planes that the military use are able to fly much higher up in the atmosphere than
commercial aircraft, this is not the same as travelling through the atmosphere into space. The way that
airplanes and rockets are built is very different).
21 B (An aspect which worries me is safety... For example, there’s a risk of radiation or the space craft being hit
by cosmic rays. In order for me to seriously consider taking a trip, I would want to feel extremely safe).
22 C (...and some companies estimate that people could be regularly travelling into space before the middle of
the century. A few companies even think that it could even be possible with a decade or so).
WRITING
Sample answer
Report on the International Environment Conference
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to evaluate this year’s International Environment Conference, which took place on
March 25th, and make recommendations for future conferences.
Positive points
There were many interesting talks and workshops at the conference. There was something for everyone who
attended the conference and people appeared pleased with the topics and the quality of the speakers. In
addition, the technology in the conference rooms was excellent and the rooms were spacious. It was evident
that the organisers had considered these points carefully.
Negative points
One aspect which was less successful was the refreshment area. It was not large enough for the
number of attendees. This meant that some people were not able to access the refreshment area during the
break times.
I recommend that the conference takes place again next year. I think that the organisers should continue to
offer similar topics of interest. However, the organisers should think carefully about the location. It may be worth
changing the venue to a location which has better facilities for refreshments. This change could improve the
conference experience in the future.
(192 words)
SPEAKING
Sample answers
LOCAL AREA
1 Well, I’m nineteen and my local area hasn’t changed too much since I was born, but it has changed
dramatically over the last fifty years, I think. Before there weren’t that many people in the town that I live in…
perhaps two thousand, and there weren’t a lot of places to go to. My father said that there were just three
restaurants and a small centre with a handful of shops. Now, the town is much bigger and livelier. Around
twelve thousand people live here, and there has been lots of construction of new buildings during this time to
house all the new residents. We’ve also got plenty of shops and restaurants… there’s even a cinema now.
2 I don’t live in a very polluted area. The town is small enough that most people walk everywhere they need to,
so we’ve got quite good air quality. I suppose the only pollution comes from the local factories which are on the
outskirts of town. There is a river which flows nearby the town and it often looks a bit dark and polluted. I
imagine that’s because the factories pollute it, but I’m not sure. It certainly looks like it.
3 If we could change anything about the local area, I’d say we should make it more beautiful. The houses and
buildings are quite practical but far from impressive. Perhaps we could design houses that are more visually
appealing and make the town prettier. If we just put some art on some of the walls, that would be an
improvement. It would be more pleasant to have places to sit by the river… if it were cleaner!
CITIES
1 The cities in my country have grown a great deal since I was young. I’m from the United Arab Emirates and
both our major cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have grown vastly. They are now some of the world’s most
competitive cities! I think this is a great change, but some of the older generation feel that we’ve lost our sense
of tradition.
2 Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have quite serious problems with pollution. The air quality is really poor in these
two cities. I think this is probably from the amount of industry in the cities and also the number of cars. We don’t
have lots of plants and trees which can sometimes reduce pollution by cleaning producing oxygen. The air
pollution causes a lot of health issues for city residents.
3 If I could change the cities in the UAE, I wouldn’t change much. I think I’d make them greener… so have more
parks and open spaces. I’d also ban cars in some areas to limit pollution. I imagine to do this, we’d need to
make the cities more pleasant places to walk in, and also improve the public transport so it’s cleaner, cheaper
and more frequent.
VOCABULARY file:
19 banned 20 deficiency 21 dubbed 22 exotic 23 designed 24 supply 25 way
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p106
VOCABULARY file:
16 balanced 17 adapt 18 nests 19 sunlight 20 friendship 21 eye 22 healthy 23 darkness 24 mess
25 ingredient [3 words not needed: bond, loss, species]
For revision, go to Student’s Book: p108
GRAMMAR: Tenses in the passive + Informal use of the passive with get
1 are given / will be given 2 must / have to be submitted 3 could / may / might be asked
4 to be considered 5 will not / won’t be given / are not going to be given 6 got damaged
7 are being opened 8 got injured 9 is / ’s used // is / ’s being used 10 was bought
11 being / having been chosen 12 had not / hadn’t been occupied
LISTENING
Section 1
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
1 B (We all like spending time with friends and usually that puts us in a good mood, which is beneficial to our
health. It’s clear that this is understood by many people because they experience it daily.)
2 A (Our friends are connected to so many aspects of our lives – from our family to our work life and free time
activities. This makes friendship unique and ideal to study.)
3 A (According to one study, this is a result of people talking to their friends about their problems, which can
reduce the amount of stress in their lives. It seems that people who do this are less likely to suffer from all sorts
of health problems from the common cold to more serious illnesses.)
4 C (What does seem to be key for most people is to maintain regular contact with their friends. A study of over
300,000 people around the world found that an active social life was more important than exercise for keeping
people healthy.)
5 B (These studies are useful because they can enable doctors to better understand how to diagnose patients.
If we know that socialising … can be used as a way to prevent or reduce health issues such as heart disease,
then doctors are better equipped to discuss lifestyle changes with their patients.)
6 C (In particular, scientists have studied how friends often influence each other’s healthy living behaviour. For
example, if someone is trying to exercise or eat more healthily, having sporty or vegetarian friends can increase
their likelihood of success because they have better role models.)
7 B (Firstly, they enable people to increase the number of friends they interact with, but more importantly, they
help people who are less able to get out and meet others.)
Section 2
[1 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
8 development (Before we look at some of the key points, I’d like to briefly talk about how psychologists believe
that friendship is an integral part of our development from children into adults.)
9 sharing (As children, we make friends based on shared time, space and activities with other children. It’s
important for children to understand that sharing is a key skill in our relationships with others.)
10 kind (In addition, it’s interesting to note that from an early age, children will automatically demonstrate a
desire to be friends with other children who have the same interests as them, but also those who are kind.)
11 confidence (Sharing activities with friends boosts our confidence in our abilities to do things well and work
with others.)
12 manage stress (As I mentioned earlier, we know, for example, that people without stable, supportive
friendship networks in their lives are more likely to manage stress more effectively)
13 face-to-face (I’d like to finish by saying that people don’t always need to meet face-to-face to benefit from
friendship. Long distance friendships via email or social media are just as good at supporting our mental health.)
Section 1
[2 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
1 B (However, with the rise in the power of technology and the range of products and innovations in the last two
decades, education and classrooms have been changing dramatically.)
2 D (but separating truth from opinions can be difficult, especially for young people. Unfortunately, they tend to
automatically accept the validity of much of what they read online.)
3 F (Teaching robots, which would act as classroom assistants, in classrooms are one possible future
innovation.)
4 C (At the moment, virtual classrooms are generally only used for specific reasons.)
5 G (learning can also be more personalised for individual students…. In this way, the computer program can
increase or decrease the challenge of the contents for each student to help them learn and progress.)
6 A (Teachers are able to emotionally connect with their students, which is something computers and robots
cannot do.)
Section 2
[3 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
7 B (However, with the rise in the power of technology and the range of products and innovations in the last two
decades, education and classrooms have been changing dramatically.)
8 B (It is likely that we will see a move towards teaching more skills rather than fact-based knowledge… Another
important life skill is working together … developing abilities such as sympathy and understanding, as well as
offering support to others.)
9 A (Teaching robots, which would act as classroom assistants, are one possible future innovation. / ... assist
teachers with their paperwork.)
10 C (Technology also enables mobile classrooms… These boats use solar technology to power computers
and are an innovative technological solution.)
11 D (It is likely, as research has shown that it does not significantly improve learning, that homework will
become a thing of the past.)
12 C (It is far more likely that teachers and technology will join forces in the future in order to improve education
for everyone.)
WRITING
Sample answer
I was sitting on the beach looking out at the sea when suddenly something shining in the sand caught my eye. It
looked like a bottle, so I thought I’d be responsible and put it in the recycling. I walked over and started to pull
the object from the warm sand. Suddenly, I noticed that it wasn’t a bottle at all. It was a pair of sunglasses. I
could tell from the design that they belonged to a woman. They were beautiful and looked like they had cost
someone a considerable sum of money at some point. I turned around looking for someone who might be the
owner, but the beach was deserted. Then I saw a café at the far end of the beach. It had a few tables and some
customers relaxing in the sunshine. At that moment, a man looked up and I started waving. I went over to the
table and immediately he said to the girl sitting next to him, “Look! There are your glasses!” Then they invited
me to have lunch to say thank you because apparently, the sunglasses were a birthday present.
(189 words)
SPEAKING
Sample answer
Although both these photographs show people shopping for food, they show very different shopping
experiences. The photograph on the right appears to be a street market, whereas the one on the left is clearly a
supermarket. The main difference is that the woman in the street market looks like she’s enjoying the
experience, whereas we can’t see the faces of the supermarket shoppers well so this may be more like a
regular shopping trip rather than a fun activity. The street market photograph shows a woman buying some
bread or cakes. It looks like one of those modern food markets where all the food products are home-made. I
imagine she is paying quite a lot more than she would in a supermarket, but she’s smiling so she might not mind
spending a lot on some speciality food. In the background we can see other customers walking around so this
market might be a popular place for people to shop at the weekend. Another difference is that in the
supermarket there is a wider range of products compared to the market stall. However, it’s quite empty and one
of the women only has a small basket so it could be a convenience store.
Task 2
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
9 out 10 have 11 to 12 will 13 had 14 was 15 does 16 makes
Task 3
[1 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
17 reality 18 disagreements 19 solution 20 impolite 21 objective(s) 22 unhealthy 23 improvement
24 insensitive
Task 4
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
25 had / ’d (already) started cooking 26 have /’ve been learning Spanish 27 was always breaking
28 am / ’m getting used to 29 am / ’m going to see 30 have / ’ve been working 31 will not / won’t have finished
32 promised to call me 33 he had not / hadn’t gone
Task 5
[1 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
34 B 35 A 36 C 37 D 38 B 39 D 40 C 41 A
Task 6
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
42 are 43 for 44 when 45 more 46 most 47 where 48 would / ’d 49 will / ’ll
Task 7
[1 mark for each correct answer for this exercise]
50 effective 51 suspicious 52 knowledge 53 significantly 54 sadness 55 cheerful 56 sensitive
57 friendship
Task 8
[2 marks for each correct answer for this exercise]
58 recommended (that) we visit 59 As long as you are / you’re 60 gets on my nerves 61 sooner we start, the
earlier 62 I wish Johanna would / ’d remember 63 needs to be fixed 64 have a lot in common 65 would have /
would’ve passed 66 is / ’s believed to be