Progress tests Straight to First

2 Success!

1 Complete the phrasal verb in bold in each 6 than / the / new / slightly / previous / more /
sentence with the correct preposition. design / complex / ones / little / is
1 She took her computer apart to work
how it functioned.
2 We came up the idea of repairing / 12
people’s computers and Harper made enough
3 Complete each gap using one word or phrase
money to take a course in programming.
from the box. You may need to change the form
3 When she was babysitting, she’d looked of any verbs. Each word/phrase may be used
the children of a successful company once only.
director.
runners-up  tournament  play  win
4 The company director took Harper as beat  match  crowd  boots  spectator
an intern in his software company to get work score  pitch  take part
experience.
In my teens and twenties I used to do a lot of exercise
5 After a few years, Harper left the company and and was really fit. My main sport was rugby and I used
set her own software business. to train every weekend with my local squad until a bad
6 Harper went to become a millionaire by injury meant I had to hang up my (1) .
However, though I may not (2) for a
the time she was 25.
team any more, I’m an enthusiastic (3) .
/6 One thing I should explain is that I don’t support
a particular side. My habit is always to cheer for
2 Rearrange the words to make comparative the underdog. Of course, they usually lose horribly
sentences. There is one extra word in each but sometimes …
sentence which you do not need. In the 2015 Rugby World Cup (4) , Japan
1 a / hundred / are / living / years / more / who hadn’t (5) a match against any
much / longer / ago / people / now / than other team for over twenty years, were playing
twice-champions South Africa. Nobody would ever
have thought that Japan could (6) these
formidable opponents but they battled on through the
2 expected / as / the / lot / a / more / than /
whole (7) and they never gave up. Then in
test / was / difficult / I
the last minutes their winger was able to
(8) one last try and that brought them
victory 34-32! The (9) went absolutely wild.
3 easily / was / the / most / she / woman / I’d / So as the players ran off the (10) , this time
met / far / ever / interesting it was South Africa who left as the (11) .
All of the Japanese players who (12) in the
game will doubtless be national heroes for years to
come.
4 the / class / shortest / person / in / is / Maya /
than / my / 12

5 go / advised / him / study / I / harder / to /

© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2016. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.
Progress tests Straight to First

Reading and Use of English Part 3 Reading and Use of English Part 4
Word formation Transformations
4 For questions 1–8, read the text below. Use 5 For questions 1–6, complete the second
the word given in capitals at the end of some sentence so that it has a similar meaning to
of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap the first sentence, using the word given. Do
in the same line. There is an example at the not change the word given. You must use
beginning (0). between two and five words, including the
Example: word given. Here is an example (0).
(0) INTENTION Example:
0 They think that the fugitive is hiding in
In it to win it
the mountains.
Italian housewife, Maria Assunta
BELIEVED
Lombardo cheerfully admits to being
 The fugitive IS BELIEVED TO BE HIDING
addicted to online competitions and she
in the mountains.
has no (0) INTENTION of giving up in INTEND
the near future. Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS.
And that’s hardly (1) SURPRISE
once you learn that this lucky lady has
1 James is slightly heavier than Ben.
won around 100,000 euros worth of NEARLY
prizes in the last 5 years! In fact, as a Ben weighs James
result of her almost (2) BELIEF 2 Dr Errol Gardiner founded the charity in 2008.
success, Mrs Lombardo has decided to
SET
give up full time work and concentrate on
her rather (3) hobby. She PRODUCT The charity 2008 by
has started a blog about her experiences Dr Errol Gardiner.
and you can read her top tips here: 3 Do you know who these swimming goggles
• Be prepared to give your belong to?
(4) information to PERSON WHOSE
many different companies. If you’re Can you tell me ?
the kind of person who’s worried about 4 We can’t afford the tickets because they cost far
privacy, then this pastime isn’t for you. too much.
• To start with, you might have EXPENSIVE
(5) deciding which DIFFICULT
The tickets we
competitions to enter but this comes
can afford.
with practice. My advice is enter as
many as possible in the 5 ‘Did your team win the competition?’ asked Lauren.
(6) to maximise your BEGIN WHETHER
chances. You can give away any Lauren asked me
(7) prizes to friends WANT the competition.
and family.
6 She has had more success in athletics than anyone
• And finally, remember it’s just a bit of else in the school.
(8) fun and don’t HARM
MOST
expect to win all the time.
She is in the school.
/8
/ 12

/ 50

© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2016. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.