English A

Practice Paper One: General Proficiency

One hour 30 minutes

Items 1-4
Instructions: Each sentence in this section has ONE underlined word. Choose from the four
options, the word which is NEAREST in meaning to the underlined word.

1. The arrogant champion was contemptuous of those who had not completed the race.
A. pitiful B. considerate C. scornful D. tolerant

2. The speaker failed to convince me as her arguments were unsubstantiated.

A. controversial B. superficial C. unsupported D. inaccurate

3. After graduating with honours, the young woman speculated about her future.
A. planned B. worried C. wondered D. reconsidered

4. Audiences all over the world have been enthralled by the dancers’ brilliant performance.
A. disappointed B. astounded C. intrigued D. captivated

Items 5-8
Instructions: Each sentence in this section has ONE underlined word. Choose from the four
options, the word which is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word.

5. The intrepid explorers pressed on, disregarding the dangers which lay ahead.
A. cautious B. courageous C. inexperienced D. patient

6. The fans were disappointed by their team’s erratic performance this season.
A. exceptional B. consistent C. unsuccessful D. surprising

7. The fire officers' efforts to rescue people in the building were hindered by the thick
smoke.
A. obstructed B. assisted C. prohibited D. permitted

8. After the parade had passed by, the crowds dispersed.

A. dissolved B. circulated C. united D. assembled
Items 9-12

Instructions: Each sentence in this section is followed by four sentences A, B, C, and D.

Choose the one NEAREST IN MEANING to the original sentence. Be sure to read out all four
options before you select your answer.

9. From the perspective of the organisers, 11. The billionaire’s enormous wealth was
the show was a triumph. based on minerals extracted in developing
countries.
A. The organisers believed that the show
had been very successful. A. The billionaire based his wealth on
B. The perspicacity of the organisers minerals plundered from developing
ensured the success of the show. countries.
C. The organisers believed the show to B. The billionaire had become rich as a
have been triumphant. result of mining in other countries.
D. From the point of view of the C. The billionaire took minerals from
organisers, they had succeeded. developing countries to create wealth.
D. The billionaire’s fortune came from
10. At first the small band of men was minerals mined in the developing world.
daunted by the task ahead of them.
12. Even though the lifeguard had warned
A. The small group was frightened at first them against it, several swimmers
by the difficult task. ventured into the rough sea.
B. The nature of the task deterred the
small band of men from tackling it. A. Although the sea was very rough, some
C. Initially the small team found the task people insisted on going swimming.
facing them intimidating. B. Some people disregarded the
D. From the first, the small force was lifeguard’s warning about going into the
unafraid of the task facing them. sea.
C. It was foolish to disregard the warning
about swimming in the rough sea.
D. In spite of the lifeguard’s advice, some
people went swimming in the rough sea.
Items 13-17
Instructions: Revise each of the following sentences according to the directions that follow
it. You may delete or include words, but do not change the meaning of the original
sentence. Select option A, B, C, D for the word or phrase that must be included in your
revised sentence.

13. It rained very heavily in the morning A. had

and we were unable to go to the shops. B. was
Substitute so for very. C. survived
A. and thus we D. survival
B. that we
C. because we 16. Despite her injuries, the sprinter
D. while we managed to complete the race.
Substitute although for despite
14. During the President's tour of the A. was injured
country, he met hundreds of different B. injured
people. C. would be injured
Substitute while for during. D. would injure
A. on tour
B. would tour 17. Having walked for many miles, I
C. was touring discovered that my feet were covered in
D. tours blisters.
Begin the sentence with I walked.
15. My sister had the good fortune to A. and discovering that
survive the accident without any B. and discovered
permanent injury. C. was discovered
Begin the sentence with fortunately. D. thus discovered
In items 18--21, some of the sentences are unacceptable because of inappropriate
grammar, idiom or vocabulary. No sentence contains more than one more than one
inappropriate element. Identify the Option A, B or C, which makes the sentence
unacceptable. If the sentence has no fault, choose Option D.

18 The list of employees which were sent to the manager was found to be incomplete and
A B
was returned for checking. No error
C D
19. After discussing the problem with our teacher, my friends and myself decided to take the
A B
matter into our own hands. No error
C D
20. Having adapted to his new situation as manager, Kelvin proceeded to hire new personnel
A B C
for his team. No error
D
21. As the jury was unable to discover any concluding evidence against him, the accused
A B
man was allowed to leave the court. No error
C D

Items 22-25

In each of Items 17-20, the statement may be in some way faulty. Select the option A-D
which BEST describes the status of the sentence.

(A) The sentence is too wordy, that is repetitive or contains redundancies.

(B) The sentence contains clichés or misused metaphors.
(C) The sentence is incorrect grammatically or faulty in diction.
(D) The sentence is acceptable as it stands.

22. Unconcerned by the effect of the new measures, the restrictions were introduced
immediately.

23. The factory workers complained to their boss that their work was repetitive and
unchanging.

24. Adaptability and enthusiasm for the job are qualities which are highly regarded by
employers.

25. There are some people who always bend the rules and get away with murder.
Items 26-31
Instructions: Read the following poem carefully and answer Items 21-27 on the basis of
what is stated or implied.

The Kingfisher

1 It was the Rainbow gave thee birth,

And left thee all her lovely hues;
And, as her mother's name was Tears,
So runs it in thy blood to choose
5 For haunts the lonely pools, and keep
In company of trees that weep.

Go you and, with such glorious hues,

Live with proud peacocks in green parks
On lawns as smooth as shining glass,
10 Let every feather show its marks;
Get thee on boughs and clap thy wings
Before the windows of proud kings.

Nay, lovely Bird, thou art not vain;

Thou hast no proud ambitious mind;
15 I also love a quiet place
That's green, away from all mankind;
A lonely pool, and let a tree
Sigh with her bosom over me.
W H Davies

26. The ‘thee’ of the poem is B. paradox

A. a peacock C. hyperbole
B. the pet's mother D. pathetic fallacy
C. a kingfisher
D. a rainbow 29. In the second stanza, what does the
persona urge the kingfisher to do?
27. Why does the persona state the A. pretend to be a peacock
rainbow 'gave birth' to the kingfisher? B. go and live in a park
A. Kingfishers are born when there is a C. show off its beauty to the world
rainbow. D. get the attention of kings
B. A kingfisher is brightly coloured like a
rainbow. 30. Which adjective best describes the
C. Kingfishers prefer cool damp places. kingfisher as it is portrayed in this poem.
D. Kingfishers represent sorrow as does a A. modest
rainbow. B. proud
C. sad
28. The line 'In company of trees that D. lonely.
weep' (line 6) is an example of
A. simile
31. What comparison does the persona B. Neither of them has any ambition.
draw between himself and the kingfisher? C. They do not like to be noticed.
A. They are both timid. D. They both prefer quiet, lonely places.
Items 32-39
Instructions: Read the following extract carefully and answer Items 32-39 on the basis of
what is stated or implied.

Please number every five lines.

From the age of nine, Barbadian all-rounder, Jason Holder has rarely been separated from
his beloved cricket bat and ball. While his older brother and uncle represented their country
on the basketball court, the young Jason chose to emulate his childhood heroes, Brian Lara
and Courtney Walsh. Seeing his passion for the sport, his parents enrolled him in the Empire
Sports Summer Camp, which laid the foundations for his future cricketing prowess.

Holder's talents were spotted at an early age. He rose to captain the cricket teams at both
Charles Broome Memorial Primary School and the St Michael School. On completing his
secondary education, he embarked on a management degree, which he set aside when his
sporting career began to take off.

Holder's boyhood ambition of representing the West Indies at cricket was fulfilled in January
2013, when he made his debut in a One Day International. Since then, his career has been
nothing short of meteoric. A mere 18 months later, he was selected for a Test Match versus
New Zealand, played on home territory. By December 2014, his career had reached new
heights when, at the age of 23, he became captain of the West Indies One Day International
team - the youngest player ever to captain a senior team.

In 2015, aged just 24 years, Holder was chosen to captain the West Indies team in the Test
series against Sri Lanka, one of the youngest ever players to do so. Since then he has led his
team to many victories. Driven by his passion for the game, Holder leads by example, setting
himself the most rigorous standards. His daily fitness regime when not playing in matches
consists of several hours of intensive training, followed by a quick plunge into an ice-cold
bath and a soothing massage.

Overall, Holder's ambition is to be one of the best all-rounders of all time. He is passionate
about reinvigorating the West Indies cricket team, which he admits has been struggling for a
while. He has made it his mission to turn it around and to leave the sport knowing that as
captain, he has made a positive contribution.

32. What do we learn about Jason Holder 33. Which of the following words may
from the first paragraph? BEST be used to replace 'prowess' (line 0)?
A. He is the only member of his family to A. success
play sport at a high level. B. ambition
B. Members of his family are talented in C. advantage
different sports D. talent
C. His first love was basketball.
D. His family did not support his ambition
to play cricket.
34. The phrase ‘nothing short of meteoric' B. II, III and IV
(line 00) tells us that Holder C. I, II and IV
A. rose to fame as a cricketer very rapidly. D. All of these
B. was not instantly recognised as a
talented cricketer. 37. We learn from the last paragraph that
C. was resented by other cricketers for his at the time Holder became captain, the
talent in the sport. West Indies cricket team
D. overcame many obstacles to become a A. lacked good players.
well-known cricketer. B. was not playing very well.
C. was one of the best in the world.
35. The statement 'Holder leads by D. was improving after a bad patch.
example' (line 00) implies that he
A. expects his team members to set a 38. Which statement best summarises the
good example for other players. writer's opinion of Jason Holder?
B. is always an exemplary player. A. He could do more to turn around the
C. shows his team members how to play fortunes of the West Indies cricket team.
by the way he plays himself. B. He is a worthy captain of the West
D. expects his team members to do what Indies cricket team.
he tells them. C. He has not fulfilled his early promise as
a cricketer.
36. Which of the following does the D. He was too young to be captain of the
passage suggest have led to Holder's West Indies team
success? (lines 00- 00)?
I. hard work 39. The purpose of this passage is to
II. natural talent A. direct
III. family support B. persuade
IV. leadership skills C. inform
D. entertain
A. I, II and III
Items 40-47
Instructions: Read the following passage carefully and answer 40-47 on the basis of what is
stated or implied.

Please number every five lines.

Thanks to the strides made in biotechnology, global food production has soared in recent
decades. So why do scientists predict a global food shortage by 2050? They attribute this to
two principal causes: population growth and climate change.

The past 50 years have seen an unprecedented increase in the world’s population, which
now stands at over seven billion. Despite the increase in food production, close on one
billion people in the world today are undernourished. Conversely many countries have
experienced a marked rise in prosperity. As people become wealthier, they eat greater
quantities and increase their consumption of meat, which requires far more land and water
resources to produce than cereal crops.

Although there are still a few climate change deniers, for the great majority of scientists the
evidence is incontrovertible. Global temperatures have risen by nearly 1◦C over the last
century and are likely to rise by another 2◦-3◦ by 2100. Sea levels are rising at a rate of 3.3
mm a year as a result of the melting of the polar ice caps, and the concentration of CO2 in
the world’s atmosphere is higher than at any time in the history of mankind. It is generally
believed that change in climate is attributable to human activity.

It is not easy to define the role climate change might play in creating a global food shortage,
as food production has always been subject to the vagaries of the weather. A year with too
much or too little rainfall, a heatwave or frost at the wrong time has serious consequences
for crop yields and livestock production. Although modern farming techniques have reduced
this vulnerability, a recent rise in extreme weather events such as severe storms, flooding or
droughts attributed by most scientists to global warming, has resulted in the widespread
destruction of valuable crops.

Loss of agricultural land through the urban development needed to accommodate rapidly
expanding populations will create a significant threat to global food production. In addition,
crop-growing in low-lying countries will be affected by rising sea levels. On top of this, our
insatiable thirst for oil has led to millions of acres of prime agricultural land being used for
the production of bio-fuels rather than food.

40. According to the first paragraph, the 41. The word 'unprecedented' (line 0) is
amount of food produced in the world in CLOSEST in meaning to
recent years has A. unusual
A. decreased B. undisputed
B. increased greatly C. uneven
C. remained about the same D. unparalleled
D. increased slightly
42. The use of the word ‘incontrovertible’ 45. Why has it always been difficult to
(line 0) suggests that most scientists manage the production of food?
believe that the evidence for climate A. Climate change has had a serious effect
change on food production.
A. has not yet been proven B. There is not enough land available for
B. gives cause for concern food production.
C. cannot be disputed C. Farming techniques have been
D. is extremely controversial inefficient.
D. Food production has always been
43. Which of the following reasons are affected by weather patterns.
given for a possible future food shortage?
I population growth 46. The tone of this passage is best
II loss of agricultural land described as
III modern farming techniques A. optimistic
IV increased food consumption B. objective
C. indignant
A. I, III, IV D. tolerant
B. I, II, IV
C. II, III, IV 47. Which statement BEST summarises the
D. all of these theme of the passage.
A. Climate change will lead to the loss of
44. What reason is given in the third much valuable agricultural land.
paragraph for the recent rise in sea levels? B. It is likely that population growth and
A. high concentration of CO2 in the climate change will lead to serious food
world's atmosphere shortages.
B. atmospheric pollution C. It is too late to prevent the loss of
C. melting ice at the North and South agricultural land through population
Poles growth and climate change.
D. a series of extreme weather events. D. Stricter measures should be passed to
control population growth and climate
change.
Items 48-54
Instructions: Read the following advertisement carefully and answer Items 48-54 on the
basis of what is stated or implied.

Sunrise Estate

No trip to our island is complete without a visit to the Sunrise Estate. Spectacularly sited
on a hilltop with a panoramic view over the whispering rainforest below, a visit to this
unique 250-acre working plantation offers an incomparable experience to visitors.

Take one of our 90-minute tours, where your guide will delight you with stories of the
colourful history of the plantation. Observe with your own eyes how sugar cane syrup,
cocoa and coffee are produced and sample our delicious products. You won't be able to
resist taking some home for you family and friends to enjoy.

Then enjoy the thrill of swooping swiftly like a bird high above the trees on our newly-
installed zipline. No visit is complete without a pit-stop in our beautiful Flavours
Restaurant, which offers an unrivalled range of freshly-pressed juices and traditional
dishes. The perfect end to your visit!

'Our visit to Sunrise Estate was the highlight of our holiday,' Mrs J Da Souza.

48. The word 'unique' (line 0) suggests C. tasting items produced at the plantation
that Sunrise Estate D. learning about the history of the
A. is the only working plantation on the plantation
island
B. offers the most interesting tours on the 52. What is the MAIN reason given for
island visiting the restaurant?
C. is an interesting place to visit A. It serves a wide range of fruit juices and
D. is different from the other working traditional dishes.
plantations on the island. B. The quality of the food and drink cannot
be bettered.
49. The expression 'the whispering C. It is a beautiful place to relax for a
rainforest' (line 0) is an example of while.
A. pathetic fallacy C. metonomy D. Visitors will not get the most out of
B. symbolism D. personification their visit unless they go there.

50. Which of the following words could 53. The MOST likely audience for this
BEST be used to replace ‘incomparable’ advertisement is
(line 00)? A. people interested in farming
A. superior C. unequalled B. people seeking adventure
B. perfect D. prime C. visitors to the island
D. teachers planning a school excursion
51. Which ONE of these features is not
included in the 90-minute guided tour?
A. a demonstration of cocoa production
B. a trip on a zip-line
54. Which of the following persuasive techniques are used in the advertisement?
I. memorable phrases
II. bandwagon appeal
III. recommendations
IV. imperatives

A. I, II, III C. II, III, IV

B. I, II, IV D. All of these
Items 55-60
Instructions: Read the following advertisement carefully and answer Items 55-60 on the
basis of what is stated or implied.

All over the world, top athletes are turning to

Logo of athlete with an energy drink
Recommended
by physicians
Sportsade
the drink

ARE YOU
• Looking for an energy drink to pep you up when you're feeling down?
• Seeking to improve your stamina?
• Trying to avoid consuming excessive sugar?

If so

Sportsade is the only drink for you!

If it's good enough for athletes, it's good enough for you!
No harmful
Sportsade contains additives
• B vitamins which help convert food to energy
• Taurine to improve blood flow and oxygen to the heart.

Special offer for the next month only:

US$2.50 a litre, or $20 for 10x 1 litre bottles

Why not treat yourself to Sportsade today?

If you suffer from allergies, consult your doctor before consuming Sportsade.

55. The MAIN appeal of the advertisement A. I, II, III B. I, II, IV

is to people wanting to C. II, III, IV C. All of these
A. improve their physical stamina
B. increase their physical fitness 57. Which of the following claims is NOT
C. reduce their weight made about Sportsade?
D. become more healthy A. It does not contain a lot of sugar.
B. It does not contain any additives which
56. Which of the following techniques are are bad for your health.
used to persuade in this advertisement? C. It will help you to relax.
I. imperatives D. It gives you more energy.
II. scientific formulas
III. bandwagon appeal
IV. recommendations
58. Which of the following language C. help people to economise
devices are used in the advertisement? D. indicate that Sportsade is good value
I. paradox for money.
II. hyperbole
60. The effect of placing the information
A. about allergies at the end of the
B. advertisement
C. A. emphasises the fact that not everyone
D. should consume Sportsade
B. minimises the consequences of
59. The phrase 'for the next month only' is Sportsade for people with allergies
included to C. indicates that the advertisers wish to
A. encourage people to buy the product as draw attention to this information
soon as possible D. conceals the fact that consuming
B. indicate that stocks of Sportsade are Sportsade might have harmful
limited consequences

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