OXFORD UNIVERSITY

MODERN LANGUAGES
ADMISSIONS TESTS

Wednesday 5 November 2014

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
This booklet contains the following Modern Languages, Linguistics, Language Aptitude and


Philosophy and Modern Languages tests:

1 Czech 7 Russian
2 French 8 Spanish
3 German 9 Linguistics
4 Italian 10 Language Aptitude Test (LAT)
5 Modern Greek 11 Philosophy
6 Portuguese

Time allowed

You have 30 minutes per test. The Philosophy test is a 1 hour test.
If you need to take two tests, you should complete them in the order in which they appear in the
booklet (the same order as they are listed above). No courses require more than two tests.
Your supervisor will notify you when you should begin the second test.
Question papers
The language test papers are each two pages long. The Linguistics test is four pages long and the
Language Aptitude Test (LAT) is three pages long. The Philosophy test is six pages long.
After you have finished, the whole booklet should be returned. Do not attempt any tests not
required for your course; no extra credit can be gained.
If you are unsure of which test(s) you should be taking, your supervisor can advise what is required
for your chosen course.
You can use the blank inside front and back covers or separate paper for rough workings or notes,
but only answers in the spaces in the papers will be marked.
No dictionaries of any kind are permitted.
In the box at the top of each test paper, you should fill in (1) your UCAS Personal ID, (2) your name,
(3) the Oxford college you chose or were allocated, and (4) your date of birth. Your supervisor will
also have a record of your UCAS Personal ID if you do not have it.

Administered on behalf of the University of Oxford by the

Admissions Testing Service, part of Cambridge Assessment, a
non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge.
This page is intentionally left blank for your rough working or notes
 Oxford college of preference
Czech
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

1. Write out the following sentences, substituting appropriate forms of the words given in
capitals and brackets (20 marks, 4 per sentence):

Example: Pavel [STUDOVAT] [ČEŠTINA] v [OXFORD] už dva [ROK].

Answer: Pavel studuje češtinu v Oxfordu už dva roky.

a) Na [STARÝ] [STŮL] je několik [TLUSTÝ] [KNIHA].

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b) [MINULÝ] [NEDĚLE] večer [JÍT] maminka do [DIVADLO].

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c) Jan a Marie včera [KOUPIT] pět [BANÁN], šest [MRKEV] a kilo [BRAMBORA].

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d) Kdybych [MÍT] dost [ČAS], [JET] bych s [TY].

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e) [VŠECHEN] [STUDENT] budou číst, co zítra [NAPSAT] pan učitel na [TABULE].

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2. Translate into Czech (40 marks, 8 per sentence):

a) He was very hungry when he returned home from the library.

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Please turn over (page 1 of 2)

b) People were sitting at tables drinking coffee and telling stories about old times.

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c) They cannot find Viktor’s house because it is almost dark and it is raining.

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d) As soon as he finished his lunch, he went to see a friend who lives around the corner.

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e) I don’t know when he will send us his new address.

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3. Translate into English (40 marks, 8 per sentence):

a) Dědeček vyprávěl o svém mládí, jak hrával fotbal s kamarády na louce za vesnicí.

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b) Zeptal se mě, jestli mám sourozence a jestli moji rodiče bydlí stále ještě v Praze.

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c) Na modrém nebi se objevily malé bílé obláčky jako stádo oveček.

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d) V osmašedesátém roce odjel do Kanady a založil tam úspěšné nakladatelství.

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e) Řekl mi, že takové věci se stávají i těm nejopatrnějším lidem.

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End of Czech paper (page 2 of 2)

 Oxford college of preference
French
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

1. Fill each gap with an appropriate single preposition unless none is necessary, in which
case put a cross (X). (10 marks, 1 per sentence)

Example: J’ai téléphoné ..... Pierre. Answer: J’ai téléphoné à Pierre.

a. Il a lu le livre ..... de voir le film.

b. Notre professeur est parti ..... voyage ce matin.
c. J’habite près de Paris ...... deux ans.
d. Je l’ai attendu à la gare ..... trente minutes.
e. L’agent de police est entré ..... la chambre.
f. Il pense toujours ..... autres.
g. Il est difficile .... découvrir la vérité.
h. J’espère ..... revenir après les vacances.
i. J’ai mis les clefs ..... ma poche.
j. Ce jeune homme habite toujours ..... sa mère.

2. Give an appropriate form of each verb in brackets. (20 marks, 2 per sentence)

Example: Il faut que vous (SAVOIR) la vérité. Answer: Il faut que vous SACHIEZ la vérité.

a. Ils (APPRENDRE) ……………………. le français depuis cinq ans.

b. Il faut (FERMER) ……………………. les fenêtres avant de sortir.
c. L’école est ouverte bien que la plupart des professeurs (ÊTRE) ……………………. en grève.
d. Elle a posé ses bagages et puis elle (S’ASSEOIR) ……………………. .
e. Il (FAIRE) ……………………. beau pendant deux semaines.
f. Dès qu’il (FINIR) ……………………. son travail, il a quitté le pays.
g. Nous (ÊTRE) ……………………. en train de manger le dessert quand le concierge a frappé à
la porte.
h. Je lui rendrai ces livres quand je les (LIRE) ……………………. .
i. Elle (VOULOIR) ……………………. étudier la musique si seulement elle avait eu de l’argent.
j. Si je (AVOIR) ……………………. le temps, j’écrirais un roman.

3. Translate into French. (35 marks, 7 per sentence)

a. We will have dinner with the friend whose son works at the factory.

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Please turn over (page 1 of 2)

 b. I had already shown her the necklace last year and today I gave it to her.

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c. If we had known why this employee wanted to leave, we would have tried to keep him.

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d. Give me the wheel which got broken during the race.

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e. He told me that there were some big houses for sale near the sea.

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4. Translate into English (35 marks, 7 per sentence).

a. Je crois me souvenir que j’ai vu un homme courir vers le bord du lac, mais je voyais mal à
cause du brouillard.

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b. Il ne se plaignait pas de son travail, et n’en imaginait pas d’autre.

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c. À peine avais-je nettoyé le plancher que mon neveu a laissé tomber un verre de lait.

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d. ‘Quand ma tête aura été coupée, qu’est-ce que cela me fait qu’on en coupe d’autres?’, pensa
le condamné.

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e. Plusieurs classements confirment l'attrait qu'exerce la France auprès des étudiants étrangers
qui louent la qualité et le coût assez abordable de ses formations universitaires.

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End of French paper (page 2 of 2)

 Oxford college of preference
German
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

1. In the following sentences, put the words that are in capitals and brackets in an
appropriate form, where necessary, for the sentences to make sense. (40 marks)

Example: Es war dem [POLIZIST] unbegreiflich, dass [KEIN] Zeuge über [DER] Vorfall etwas
[GENAU] berichten konnte.
Answer : Polizisten, kein, den, Genaues

a. Gestern hat sie [ER] zum Abendessen [EINLADEN] und er [BRINGEN] [SIE] einen
Blumenstrauß mit.

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b. „Ist das [SEIN] Haus oder [IHR]?“

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c. Er war [EIN] [ERFOLGREICH] Regisseur.

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d. Bitte [WARTEN] kurz in [DIE] Küche. Ich bin gleich fertig.

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e. Er hat sich mit [EIN] [NEU] Buch vor [DER] Kamin gesetzt.

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f. [MEIN] Bruder werde ich [EIN] Rucksack zu Weihnachten schenken.

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g. [DÜRFEN] du mit uns in [DER] Zoo gehen?

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h. [GEFALLEN] dir der [GRÜN] Mantel besser als der [ROT]?

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Please turn over (page 1 of 2)

2. Translate into English (30 marks)

a. Er soll bereits im Alter von 21 seine Doktorarbeit geschrieben haben.

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b. Du solltest dir nicht so viele Gedanken machen.

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c. Sie hatte sich wochenlang auf die Ausstellung gefreut.

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d. Statt mit höheren Einnahmen muss die Gemeinde in diesem Jahr mit Einbußen rechnen.

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e. Den letzten Nachrichten zufolge hat sich die Lage in der Region verschärft.

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3. Translate into German (30 marks)

a. What I would like most now is a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.

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b. If she hadn’t lived in Germany as a child, her German would be much worse.

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c. Could you please answer my question?

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d. He only brushes his teeth once a day.

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e. Wasn’t this the film you watched in the cinema yesterday?

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End of German paper (page 2 of 2)
 Oxford college of preference
Italian
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

1. In the following sentences, put the words that are in capitals and brackets in an appropriate
form, where necessary, for the sentences to make sense (30 marks, 6 per sentence):

Example: Se io (SAPERE) che ti eri fatto male (io – VENIRE) a trovarti (IN + article) ospedale in cui ti
avevano ricoverato.
Answer: Se io avessi saputo che ti eri fatto male sarei venuto a trovarti nell’ospedale in cui ti
avevano ricoverato.

a) Sono davvero contento che tu (VENIRE) da me e (pronoun + RACCONTARE) la verità su quello

che (pronoun) è successo ieri sera.

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b) Quando (pronoun) ho parlato, Lucia mi ha assicurato che non (AVERE) nessuna intenzione di
(FARE + pronoun) del male, quindi dovresti perdonarla.

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c) La serata era talmente piacevole che nessuno (DI + article) invitati sembrava desideroso di
andarsene, sebbene (ESSERE) ormai molto tardi: l’anno prossimo noi (RIPETERE) l’esperienza.

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d) La ragazza si domandò spazientita quando (ARRIVARE) il fratello, visto che (pronoun) aspettava da
un’ora ed egli non (pronoun + AVVERTIRE) del ritardo.

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e) Ieri sera (preposition+article) televisione c’era un bel film poliziesco (relative pronoun) non ricordo il
nome: tu (VEDERE+ pronoun)?

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2. Translate into Italian (40 marks, 8 per sentence):

a) She wrote several books of poetry in the last years of her life and the last one became a real
bestseller.

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Please turn over (page 1 of 2)

 b) The world is getting warmer and the oceans are rising. Why is this happening and what can we do
about it?

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c) Last year, two new computers were purchased and some old furniture was replaced in our office.

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d) It is often said that children can learn foreign languages more easily than adults.

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e) Their father used to get up, shave, shower, get dressed and make breakfast for all of them.

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3. Translate into English (30 marks, 6 per sentence):

a) Non capisco quello che state dicendo perché il volume della radio è troppo alto e ci sono troppe
persone che parlano.

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b) Da quando è caduta, Maria non ha più ripreso in mano la bicicletta per paura che le possa
accadere ancora.

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c) Sulla scalinata bianca che portava alla villa era apparsa una signora: alta, magra, con una
lunghissima gonna di velluto.

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d) Se ce l’avesse chiesto, avremmo sicuramente potuto darle un passaggio la sera, anzi, ci avrebbe
fatto piacere.

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e) Nello scendere le scale sono scivolato e mi sono slogato una caviglia.

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End of Italian paper (page 2 of 2)

 Oxford college of preference
Modern Greek
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

1. Write out the following sentences, substituting appropriate forms of the word given in
capitals and brackets (30 marks, 6 per sentence):
a) Ο φίλος μου ο Γιάννης είχε δύο [ΞΑΔΕΛΦΟΣ] που ήταν [ΤΑΞΙΤΖΗΣ].
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b) Αν δεν είσαι σίγουρος για το τι [ΓΙΝΟΜΑΙ], καλύτερα [ΔΕΝ ΛΕΩ] τίποτα.

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c) Παραλίγο [ΦΕΥΓΩ] το τρένο πριν [(εγώ) ΦΤΑΝΩ] στο σταθμό.

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d) Αύριο, αφού [(εσύ) ΒΛΕΠΩ] το Νίκο, [ΕΡΧΟΜΑΙ] στο σπίτι μου να μου [ΛΕΩ] τι [(εσείς)
ΚΟΥΒΕΝΤΙΑΖΩ].
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e) Αν [(εσύ) ΔΙΑΒΑΖΩ] το γράμμα της, θα [ΞΕΡΩ] ότι [ΕΙΜΑΙ] πολύ στενοχωρημένη.

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2. Translate into Modern Greek (40 marks, 8 per sentence):

a) I haven’t seen them for many years, but they always call me on my birthday.
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Please turn over (page 1 of 2)

b) Do you know whose books are these? They are not mine.
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c) When John arrived, she was wearing the dress she bought yesterday.
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d) If I had seen her, I would have told her about the party.
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e) When you arrive home, don’t forget to call me immediately.

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3. Translate into English (30 marks, 6 per sentence):

a) Πάει καιρός που δεν μένω πια στην Αθήνα. Δεν το ήξερες;
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b) Αν προλάβω, αύριο μπορεί να πάω σινεμά.

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c) Ό,τι και να πεις, εγώ δεν θα αλλάξω γνώμη.

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d) Λες να μην έρθει αύριο; Μήπως πρέπει να του τηλεφωνήσω ξανά;

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e) Μακάρι να μην έρθει απόψε. Έχω πολλή δουλειά ακόμα.

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End of Modern Greek paper (page 2 of 2)

 Oxford college of preference
Portuguese
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

A. Find an adjective which belongs to the same family as each of the following nouns:
[10 marks]
Example: casa
Answer: caseiro

1 nação. ……………………………………. (2)

2. cabelo ……………………………………. (2)

3. pureza ……………………………………. (2)

4. cão ……………………………………. (2)

5. vento ……………………………………. (2)

B. In each sentence insert the verb in the correct form for its grammatical context.
[15 marks]

Example: Naquele dia eu ..…….. de casa mais cedo. (SAIR)

Answer: Naquele dia eu SAÍ de casa mais cedo.

1. Ontem às 18 horas o público …...…...... (COMEÇAR) a entrar na praça. (3)

2. Não é possível que …………….…. . (DIZER) abertamente tais coisas. (3)

3. Quando éramos crianças ……...……...….. (DORMIR) no quarto dos pais. (3)

4. Embora a data ……………….... (SER) inoportuna, vamos assistir à festa. (3)

5. Vão comprar o sofá quando ………………. (TER) uma alcatifa nova. (3)

C. Fill in the gap with an appropriate preposition, making any necessary adjustments:
[15 marks]

Example: Eu gosto ……………. jogar futebol.

Answer: Eu gosto DE jogar futebol.

1. A quadro foi pintado ……………..... o artista flamengo mais famoso (3)

2. Arrumei os brinquedos ……………. a guarda-roupa. (3)

3. Este carro é bem fácil …………….... conduzir. (3)

4. Comecei …………….. descascar as batatas. (3)

5. Faça o favor de aproximar-se ..o balcão! (3)

…………………………………......................................................................................

Please turn over (page 1 of 2)

D. Translate the following sentences into English: [30 marks]

1. Digam o que disserem, vou vestir a camisa chinesa vermelha. (6)

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2. O juizo emitido pelo conselheiro não agradou nada aos clientes. (6)

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3. Risquei as palavras que sobravam e acrescentei algumas que faltavam. (6)

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4. Já não há tempo para mandarem consertar o lava-louça. (6)

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5. Parecem não ter a mínima conscência da gravidade do que está a acontecer. (6)

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E. Translate the following sentences into Portuguese: [30 marks]

1. Unless I tell you otherwise, give all my books to the city library. (6)

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2. No-one could ever pronounce a word with so many consonants! (6)

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3. She was sleeping in the back garden when the postman knocked at the door. (6)

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4. What were you thinking of when you invited them to dinner? (6)

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5. I need you to water all those roses before it gets too hot. (6)

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End of Portuguese paper (page 2 of 2)

 Oxford college of preference
Russian
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

1. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences, substituting appropriate forms of the words in
capitals enclosed in brackets (25 marks, 5 per sentence). NB: Infinitives are given in the
imperfective aspect. You should choose the aspect which is appropriate to the sentence.

a) Сегодня утром она (ПОЛУЧАТЬ) ……………………… пять (ПИСЬМО) ……………………… от

(МАТЬ) ……………………… и две (ГАЗЕТА) ……………………… и сразу (САДИТЬСЯ)
………………………, чтобы их прочитать.

b) Скажите (ОНИ) ………………………, что если они не (ПРИХОДИТЬ) ………………………

вовремя, мы (ОТПРАВЛЯТЬСЯ) ……………………… без них на (ДАЧА) ………………………
(АВТОБУС) ……………………… .

c) Елена давно работает (СЕКРЕТАРША) ……………………… в Москве. С (ДЕТСТВО)

……………………… она (ИНТЕРЕСОВАТЬСЯ) ……………………… (ТЕАТР) ……………………… , где
она проводит много (ВРЕМЯ) ……………………… .

d) У (СТУДЕНТКИ) ……………………… мало (ДЕНЬГИ) ………………………; они (ЕСТЬ)

……………………… очень мало и (ЖИТЬ) ……………………… очень скромно, но они все-таки
довольны (ЖИЗНЬ) ……………………… .

e) Она обычно (ВСТАВАТЬ) ……………………… очень рано, (МЫТЬСЯ) ……………………… в

(ВАННАЯ) ………………………, и (ЖДАТЬ) ………………………, пока не (ПРОСЫПАТЬСЯ)
……………………… дети.

2. Translate into Russian (50 marks, 10 per sentence), writing out any numerals in words.

a) My uncle is sixty eight and he is three years older than my father. I don’t know how old my
mother’s brothers are.

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b) The First World War, during which many soldiers were killed, began on 28 July 1914.

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Please turn over (page 1 of 2)

c) She said that she would send me her new book after the holidays, but I haven’t received anything
from her yet. She must have forgotten.

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d) I consider Mayakovsky to be the greatest Soviet poet and I do not want his works to be forgotten,
even if nobody reads them today.

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e) If Ivan had been at the lesson, he would have agreed with me that Mayakovsky is much better
than Akhmatova.

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3. Translate into English (25 marks, 5 per sentence).

a) Девушке, с которой он пришел, очень нравится танцевать.

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b) Ей не с кем было поговорить о своих сомнениях по поводу нового учителя.

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с) Выпив кофе, она выходила в сад и читала, сидя в кресле, любимые свои книги.

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d) Что бы ему ни говорили, он всегда всему верит.

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e) В изучаемых студентами книгах нет ни правды, ни красоты.

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End of Russian paper (page 2 of 2)

 Oxford college of preference
Spanish
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

A) Choose the correct alternative from the words in brackets:

1. Creía que estaba de empleado pero, [PARA/POR] lo visto, trabaja [PARA/POR] su cuenta. [4]

2. A Luis, siempre [LE HAN INTERESADO/LO HAN INTERESADO/ME HAN INTERESADO] los
animales, y todo lo [RELACIONAR/ RELACIONANDO/ RELACIONADO] con los bichos. [4]

3. Últimamente [ERES/ESTÁS] muy raro. Espero que no te [HAS/HABRÁS/HAYAS] molestado por

algo. [4]

4. No [ESTOY/SOY] seguro de eso, pero sí que [ES/ESTÁ] seguro que va a llegar tarde. [4]

5. No creo que [TENGO/TENGA/TENDRÉ] tiempo para reservar los billetes, [A/DE/EN] caso
contrario te [AVISÉ/AVISA/AVISARÉ]. [6]

B) In each sentence insert a verb or verbs appropriate to the grammatical context:

Example: Si [HACER] …………………….. buen tiempo, [IR, nosotros] …………………….. al

parque.
Answer: Si hace buen tiempo, iremos al parque.

1. [HACER, tú] …………………….. los deberes de una vez y [DEJAR, tú] …………………….. de
incordiar a tu hermano. [4]

2. Aunque está claro que le [DAR, usted] ……………………... un poco de miedo saltar en
paracaídas, espero que [DIVERTIRSE, usted] ……………………... [4]

3. Si [MONTAR, ustedes] …………………….. a caballo con frecuencia, [PODER, ustedes]

…………………….. competir a nivel nacional. [4]

4. ¿Qué [HACER] …………………….. tu padre mañana para que las maletas [CABER]
…………………….. en el coche? [4]

5. Necesito encontrar a alguien que [HABLAR] …………………….. cantonés y que [SABER]

…………………….. bailar tango. [CONOCER, tú] ¿ …………………….. a alguien con estas
características? [6]

Please turn over (page 1 of 2)

C) Translate into Spanish:

1. When I was a child, I loved conjugating the Spanish verbs out loud. [5]

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2. It seems that we will need to wait at least three more hours until they reopen the airport. [6]

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3. My brother-in-law asked me not to drive his car without his authorization. [5]

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4. The magician performed various tricks but his magic did not convince the public. [6]

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5. The more you practise the subjunctive the more you’ll master this aspect of the Spanish language.

__________________________________________________________________________ [6]

D) Translate into English:

1. Siempre llegas tarde. Creo que ya va siendo hora de que aprendas a llegar a los sitios con
puntualidad británica. [6]

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2. Últimamente tiene un humor de perros. Espero que se alegre un poco cuando oiga la noticia. [5]

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3. No te preocupes, que tampoco es para tanto. Eso lo soluciono yo en un dos por tres. [6]

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4. Las inundaciones en Oxford causaron muchos desperfectos pero, afortunadamente, el casco

histórico de la ciudad no se vio afectado. [6]

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5. Ten un poco de paciencia. No es algo que vaya a suceder de la noche a la mañana. [5]

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End of Spanish paper (page 2 of 2)

 Oxford college of preference
Linguistics
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

I am applying for a course involving (please tick):

□ Modern Languages & Linguistics □ Single Modern Language (other than French and German)
□ Psychology & Linguistics □ Philosophy & Linguistics
Make an attempt to answer all the questions. Do not worry if you find you have little to say about some of
the questions, or if you do not have technical terms for the features you wish to describe. While there are
"right" and "wrong" answers (or several equally good answers), how you go about finding answers is as
relevant to us as producing an answer which is completely correct.

Write your answers in the space provided on the paper. Please take care to write clearly. If you wish to
write your notes on the paper, there is no need to cross them out. Total marks: 100.

Question 1. [Total value: 32 marks]

The following examples are from Inari Saami, a language spoken in Finland.

a) Almai kuáláást onne.

‘The man is fishing today.’

b) Almah kuálástava onne.

‘The men are fishing today.’

c) Almah kuá’lasteh onne.

‘The men are fishing today.’

d) Meeci-st lava uábbi já viiljá.

‘My sister and brother are in the forest.’

e) Riddoo-st lii almai.

‘A man is on the beach.’

f) Meeci-st láá nelji ulmuu.

‘Four people are in the forest.’

g) Táálu-st lava kyehti uábbi.

‘Two sisters are in the house.’

h) Sij kuá’lasteh.
‘They are fishing.’

i) Suoi lava tyebbin.

‘They are over there.’

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(i) What are the Inari Saami words for: [12 marks]

men

in the house

people

(ii) What is the difference between: [10 marks]

lii and láá?

sij and suoi?

(iii) How would you say the following in Inari Saami? [10 marks]

‘My brother and sister are fishing on the beach.’

Question 2. [Total value: 32 marks]

In the lists below you have some words from Portuguese, and the corresponding words from a
Portuguese creole language spoken in Africa. The words are not written as speakers of the
languages in question would write them; instead, they are written in the International Phonetic
Alphabet (IPA), a system in which one sign always represents one sound. The IPA is designed to be
able to represent the sounds of any language.
In the IPA, [ᖴ, ᢑ], and [ᖡ] are vowels, [ᢵ] is a consonant similar to [l] but pronounced further back in the
mouth, [ᖮ] is pronounced like ‘sh’ in English she, [tᖮ] is like ‘ch’ in child, [ᖵ] is like ‘g’ in courgette, and
[dᖵ] is like ‘j’ in jaw. (Note also that [j], in the IPA, does not sound like ‘j’ in jaw, but like ‘y’ in yet).

Portuguese Creole Portuguese Creole Portuguese Creole

1. ˜‡ᖮ’ᖴ ˜‡ᖮ’ƒ 6. ”ƒ–— Žƒ–— 11. ᖴᢕ—ᢵᖴ ᢕ—Œƒ

2. ᖮ‹ᢕƒ” ᖮ‹ᢕƒ 7. ƒ”–ᢑ ƒ–ᖮ‹ 12. –‹”ƒ” –ᖮ‹Žƒ

3. •ᖡᢕ— •ᖡᢕ— 8. –ƒᖮ— –ƒ•— 13. †Œƒ„— †ᖵƒ„—

4. ᖮ—„— •—„— 9. —Ž’ᖴ Ž—’ƒ 14. ᖮᖴƒ” •ƒƒ

5. ’ᢑᖮƒ” ’‹ᖮƒ 10. ”ᢑᖮ’ᖴ‹–— Ž‹ᖮ’‡–— 15. ™ƒœᢑ ™ƒᖵ‹

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Because the data is in the IPA, we can see that the creole language has changed the sound of the
language from what we can hear in Portuguese. We expect that these sound changes will be
systematic: for example, in pair 11 we can see that Portuguese [ᖴᢕ—ᢵᖴ] has become [ᢕuja] in the
creole. This suggests that vowels at the beginnings of words have been lost. If we’re right about this,
then we expect it will always be true: if a Portuguese word begins with a vowel, its equivalent in the
creole should have lost the initial vowel.

Initial vowel loss is one of 11 systematic changes between Portuguese and the creole. Please list the
rest below. [20 marks]

1. Vowels at the beginning of a word have been lost.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Finally, please write, in the IPA, a transcription of how you expect the following Portuguese words to
sound in the creole [12 marks]:

a) ᖮƒƒ”ǣ  „ሻ’—Žᢕᖴǣ  …ሻ†ƒœᢑǣ  †ሻ‘”–ᢑǣ

Question 3. [Total value: 36 marks]

Figure 1: Priming Example
When researchers want to see if a word is currently
active in a participant’s mind, they often rely on 640
Reaction Time (msec)

priming, a demonstration that a word is accessed 620

more quickly than it would normally be. For instance, 600
participants will be faster to respond that a target word 580 DOCTOR
DOCTOR is a real word if they just saw the same 560 BRICK
prime word (DOCTOR) compared to if they just saw 540
an unrelated prime word (BRICK). This is shown in DOCTOR
Figure 1. Target

Recently, researchers wanted to know if people decompose complex words into their
component parts when accessing them. For instance, do people access the word BUILD when they
read the word BUILDER, which are related to one another, and do people access the word CORN
when they read the word CORNER, which are not related to one another?

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They presented the target word BUILD or CORN after participants saw either the same word prime
(BUILD/CORN), that word plus –er prime (BUILDER/CORNER), or an unrelated word prime
(ACTOR). In the first study, they presented the target word 750 milliseconds (msec) after the prime
word (Figure 2). In the second study, they presented the target word 75 msec after the prime word
(Figure 3).

Figure 2: Priming 750 msec Delay Figure 3: Priming 75 msec Delay

640 640

Reaction Time (msec)

Reaction Time (msec)
620 620
600 BUILD/CORN 600 BUILD/CORN
580 580
560 BUILDER/CORN 560 BUILDER/CORN
ER ER
540 540
ACTOR ACTOR
520 520
BUILD CORN BUILD CORN
Target Target

1. Did the same word condition prime the target words… [8 marks]

a. At the 750 msec delay? For BUILD: Yes / No For CORN: Yes / No

b. At the 75 msec delay? For BUILD: Yes / No For CORN: Yes / No

2. Did the word plus –er condition prime the target words… [8 marks]

a. At the 750 msec delay? For BUILD: Yes / No For CORN: Yes / No

b. At the 75 msec delay? For BUILD: Yes / No For CORN: Yes / No

3. Did the two delays produce the same results? Why or why not? [20 marks]

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End of Linguistics paper (page 4 of 4)

 Oxford college of preference
Language Aptitude Test
Time allowed: 30 minutes
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

I am applying for a course involving (please tick):

□ Celtic □ Beginner’s German □ Beginner’s Italian

□ Beginner’s Portuguese □ Beginner’s Russian

The questions in this test are all based on an invented language, called Pip. Read each group of
examples carefully, paying particular attention to different forms of words, and working out what
information they convey (just as in English there are differences between e.g. cat and cats, or beckon
and beckons and beckoned). Word order in Pip is different from that of English and is not really fixed;
it is not a reliable guide to the meanings of sentences. Note also that Pip has nothing corresponding
to the English the and a(n), so that pit can mean a dog or the dog. Note that a and ã are different
vowels from each other. You are also advised to work through the questions in this section in the
order in which they are given, as the later ones presuppose some information or vocabulary supplied
in earlier examples. [Total value for the test: 50 marks]

(a) pit sak run The dog chased the cat.

rin lup kat The cat watched the mouse.

mup taw kid The horse saw the teacher.

liip puut kat The mice watched the dogs.

kid taw muuk The horse saw the squirrels.

Give the meaning of:

miip put kat ________________________________________________________________ [4]

taw kud lip _________________________________________________________________ [3]

Translate into Pip:

The mouse saw the cats. ______________________________________________________ [5]

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(b) mip put kakap The teacher likes the dog.

sasãk rin The cat chases him.

pit kãp The dog liked her.

kakãt lip The mouse watches him.

kiid tatãw The horses see her.

mik yub tataw The squirrel sees an apple pie.

pãs kid The horse bit it.

pit pãp The dog cut it.

sasãt rin The cat steals it.

lip papãs The mouse bites it.

rin kãt The cat watched it.

rarãf mik The squirrel takes it.

yub lip lam The mouse got the apple pie.

Give the meaning of:

kid yub papap. _____________________________________________________________ [4]

kakãp miik. ________________________________________________________________ [4]

Translate into Pip:

The dogs get it. ______________________________________________________________ [5]

(c) put pupup-yub kid taw The horse saw the dog cutting the apple pie.

mip susuk-luup run kakat The teacher watches the cat chasing the mice.

mik run taw sut-yub The squirrel saw the cat who had stolen the apple pie.

rin taw puut suk-luup The cat saw the dogs who had chased the mice.

kat rin lup lulũm The cat watched the mouse getting it.

rũf tataw pit muup The dog sees the teachers who have taken it.

muuk sũt tataw riin The cats see the squirrels who have stolen it.

Give the meaning of:

put liip taw ruruf-yuub. _____________________________________________________[3]

piit luup rurũf tataw. ________________________________________________________[4]

Translate into Pip:

The cat sees the teacher having cut it. ____________________________________________[5]

Please turn over (page 2 of 3)

(d) kod kokot-yub, rin lup sak While the horse was watching the apple pie,
the cat chased the mouse.

pot sosok-ruun, yuub lip pap While the dog was chasing the cats, the mouse
cut the apple pies.

pop-yub pot, mip sak lup When the dog had cut the apple pie, the teacher
chased the mouse.

lop popop-yuub, pit run tataw While the mouse is cutting the apple pies,
the dog sees the cat.

rof-yub ron, taw pit muk When the cat had taken the apple pie, the
dog saw the squirrel.

roon sosot-yub, kakat lup miik While the cats are stealing the apple pie,
the squirrels watch the mouse.

mok tow-yub, pit sasak run When the squirrel has seen the apple pie,
the dog chases the cat.

Give the meaning of:

tow-run lop, pit yub papap.

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ [4]

kokot-run loop, kat yub mip. _________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ [4]

Translate into Pip:

While the cats are watching the squirrels, the dogs get the apple pie.___________________

__________________________________________________________________________ [5]

End of Language Aptitude Test paper (page 3 of 3)

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 Oxford college of preference
Philosophy
Time allowed: 1 hour
UCAS Personal ID Surname & first name(s) Date of birth

Answer PART A and ONE QUESTION ONLY FROM PART B.

Spend half an hour on each and do as much as you can within that time.

PART A

1. Read the following passage carefully, and then answer questions (a) and (b) below.

Nothing about a literature can be more essential than the language it uses. A language has its own
personality; implies an outlook, reveals a mental activity, and has a resonance, not quite the same as
those of any other. Not only the vocabulary – heaven can never mean quite the same as ciel – but
the very shape of the syntax is unique and one of a kind. Hence in the Germanic countries, including
England, the debt of the medieval (and modern) literatures to their barbarian origin is all-pervasive. In
other countries, where the Celtic languages and those of the German invaders were both almost
completely obliterated by Latin, the situation is quite different. In Middle English literature, after every
necessary allowance has been made for French and Latin influences, the tone and rhythm and the
very ‘feel’ of each sentence is (in the sense that we are now giving to the word) of barbarian descent.
Those who ignore the relation of English to Anglo-Saxon as a ‘merely philological fact’ irrelevant to
the literature betray a shocking insensibility to the very mode in which literature exists.

(C.S. LEWIS)

a) Explain briefly in your own words the general claim of the above passage.

b) EITHER: Can the claim of the passage be proved or disproved? If so, how might one go
about doing so?

OR: What does the author mean by the phrase ‘the very mode in which literature exists’? If he
is correct, what implications does this have for study of the literature of any particular
language?

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PART B – Answer EITHER Question 2 OR Question 3 OR Question 4

2. Discuss the relationship between the following three concepts: disclose, confess, admit.

3. For each of the following ambiguous sentences, state the different meanings which the
sentence might have, and explain how the ambiguity arises.

a. The bank’s collapse placed Smith in danger.

b. Josie respects her teacher, as all sensible children do.

c. Sadie saw the woman with her binoculars.

d. Mary only grows red roses.

e. Discounts are available for small vehicle drivers.

f. Samantha means everything she says literally.

g. No one can enter without suitable clothing or permission and a licence.

4. ‘Simply ignoring evil or violence or pretending we are beyond its reach only ensures that our
dark impulses go underground, where they can wreak a different kind of havoc. So it is good
that artists can explore, on our behalf, the black places in our hearts.’ May this be a good
basis for justifying the portrayal of evil and violence in artistic productions?

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End of Philosophy paper (page 6 of 6)

END OF MODERN LANGUAGES ADMISSIONS TESTS BOOKLET