Compact

First
Practice Test 1

Peter May

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 PAPER 1 Reading (1 hour)
Part 1
You are going to read an extract from a newspaper article about wildlife in New Zealand. For
questions 1–8, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Mark your anwers on the separate answer sheet.

Swimming with dolphins

Jonathan Lorie reports
As darkness fell on the olive trees, I had nothing Unlike my stomach when I hit the water an hour later,
particular to do, so I sat on my own in my tree house determined to catch the best experience this coastline
and listened to the Pacific waves roll in, without a care has to offer: a swim among dolphins. They’re everywhere.
in the world. My muscles ached slightly from swimming Our speedboat is surrounded by hundreds – jumping,
with 400 dolphins beyond that surf, but I was looking diving and splashing in circles around us in a display of
forward to dinner in a nearby restaurant, then an playfulness and trust. I sit there dressed in rubber, madly
evening in my room. My iPod was playing jazz but I was adjusting my mask. ‘You have too many smile lines,’
listening to the sounds of deer calling to one another warns the instructor from Dolphin Encounter. ‘They’ll let
outside. Was this, I wondered, the world’s finest place to the water in.’ Then I jump into the white water behind
get close to the wild? the boat.

I was in the small town of Kaikoura, in New Zealand. ‘It’s There’s a shock of cold water and the sensation of being
the best place in the world for swimming with dolphins,’ in the middle of the ocean, even though we’re within
explained Kate Baxter, the receptionist who welcomed sight of the mountains, not half a mile from shore.
me to Hapuku Lodge. She showed me up the slightly But out here the open water stretches all the way to
loose stairs to my tree house. ‘And seeing whales,’ she Antarctica, and wide-winged, ocean-going birds fly just
added. ‘But mind you read the weather forecast at above the waves. It rises and falls like a vast creature line 54
breakfast.’ She smiled. ‘If the sea’s rough, you might need breathing, the boat appearing and disappearing with
a Kaikoura Cracker. It’s the only seasickness pill that each wave. Luckily, I have taken a Cracker.
works.’
Then I look down. Below me, far into the depths, are
Kaikoura has two great claims to fame. One is Hapuku the shadow-like figures of dark dolphins. They move
Lodge – the luxury tree houses between the mountains quickly through soft green light. I float face down,
and the sea. Its restaurant serves superb food and its looking into their world. We make three dives like this
management is keen to be green in every respect. It – the maximum the instructor allows. ‘We don’t want to
has been called the world’s most romantic location for disturb them,’ he says. But it is enough. On the third, a
line 25 a honeymoon. The other lies just off the coast. Below single dolphin of my own length appears beside me. It
those huge waves is the Kaikoura trench – a Grand stays close. I see its head turning towards me, looking
Canyon of the ocean, 60 kilometres long and 1,200 into my face, and then I hear its voice. Nothing had
metres deep, whose rich food chain attracts 14 species of prepared me for this.
dolphin and whale. Nowhere else in the world has such
deep water a kilometre from shore. The next day I am out at sea once more, this time in
search of whales. Whales rarely come so close to shore.
Next morning, I’m ready for the sea. Following That’s what first attracted Europeans, and their earliest
instructions, I search the breakfast room for that weather settlement here was the Whaling Station in 1842. Its
forecast. It’s a handwritten note that says: ‘Rough seas original building still stands, a bungalow on a lonely
warning.’ Should I be worried by this, and go easy on the point. Now a museum, it sits in a cottage of pink and
early-morning eating? But I don’t need much persuading white flowers. But when you reach the house, you see
by Stefan, the smartly-dressed waiter, to try the Lodge’s part of it is made of whale bones. This town was built on
full breakfast dish of the day: fried duck and potatoes whales, though today the hunt is for thrills not kills.
with egg. It is wonderful.

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 1 How did the writer feel when the sun went down?
A He was only interested in the music on his iPod.
B He was very relaxed though physically tired.
C He was becoming bored and a little lonely.
D He didn’t want to have to leave his room.

2 Kate mentioned the forecast because the weather might make it

A advisable to take some medicine.
B dangerous to go up the stairs.
C impossible to go out to sea.
D unlikely he would see any whales.

3 What does ‘The other’ in line 25 refer to?

A a source of excellent food for visitors
B an example of its unspoilt environment
C a reason why the town is well known
D a place for newly-married couples

4 How does the writer react to seeing the weather forecast?

A He takes no notice of Stefan’s warning not to eat a lot.
B He thinks about it and then decides to ignore it.
C He is so worried that he does not enjoy his breakfast.
D He feels grateful to Kate for advising him to read it.

5 What happens when the writer is first in the boat?

A He has some difficulty with part of his diving equipment.
B He is warned that he must take diving more seriously.
C He is feeling unwell and he regrets going out to sea.
D He finds the behaviour of the dolphins a little frightening.

6 What does the writer compare to a ‘vast creature’ in line 54?

A the boat
B a dolphin
C the water
D a bird

7 What does the writer say about his swim with dolphins?
A He was disappointed that the water was not very clear.
B He was amazed to see and hear a dolphin so near to him.
C He was surprised how big the dolphin was when it came close.
D He was annoyed the instuctor only let him dive three times.

8 What point is the writer making in the final paragraph?

A Whales are less important to the local economy than they used to be.
B These days there are far fewer whales in the sea near Kaikoura.
C The town’s relationship with whales has changed completely.
D People have come to observe whales in Kaikoura since the 19th century.

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 Part 2
You are going to read an article about newspapers and the Internet. Seven sentences have been
removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A–H the one which fits each gap (9–15).
There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Mark your anwers on the separate answer sheet.

Do newspapers have a future?

by Stephen Glover
Experts have been predicting the death of newspapers There will, they say, still be lots of publications offering
for over 50 years. Television was supposed to kill them a wide variety of views and articles, as well as plenty
off, and it did have some small effect. The sales of of opportunities for writers. Indeed, one of the world’s
some papers began to decline from the middle 1950s, most successful media bosses recently predicted
when commercial television started, and a few went that newspapers would reach new heights in the 21st
out of business. But other papers prospered and new century. 12
ones were launched, some thriving so much that they
sold several million copies a day. This sounds sensible, and I hope it is right, but I find
it difficult to be quite so optimistic. The problem is
So, those who thought television would finish off the that no one has yet figured out a way to make much
Press were wrong. 9 Almost every daily and money out of the Internet. A regular reader of an
Sunday national newspaper in this country is selling online version of a newspaper is worth 10p a month
fewer copies than it was five years ago. In some cases, to the publisher. 13 Also, the hard copy that he
the decline has been dramatic. reads attracts much more advertising than the Internet
version.
The Internet, of course, is not the only factor. The
natural markets for some papers, those aimed at Most newspapers obtain over half their income from
industrial workers for instance, was already shrinking copies sold. And, so far at least, advertising rates on
in the late 20th century. 10 The consequence has the Internet are comparatively low for newspapers.
been a general attempt to make big savings by cutting 14 Up to 70% of the readers of many online
costs wherever possible. papers are abroad, usually dotted around several
countries, and there are huge problems in persuading
A disaster, then? Some people argue that the decline advertisers to pay to reach such widely-scattered
in readership of newspapers does not matter because markets.
many of us, and perhaps a majority of those under 30,
are reading them online. 11 So, if one adds all In other words, online papers are living off their
the readers of newspapers on the Internet to those who newsprint parents. Newsprint is where the money is.
prefer a newsprint version, there may be as many, if It follows that, as increasing numbers of readers swap
not more, people looking at the national Press as there their daily paper for a few minutes online, the breadth
were ten or 15 years ago. and quality of what they read will gradually go down.
15 When I buy a newspaper, I support expensive
and ambitious journalism; if I read it online, I do not.

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 A All national newspapers are reporting greatly E He added that the form of delivery may change,
increased web traffic, and some claim to have but the potential audience would multiply many
between 25 and 30 million ‘unique users’ a times over.
month, many of this age group.
F For example, newspapers are having to cut
B One reason they are cheap is the way the back on foreign correspondents and reporters.
readership is so spread out geographically.
G What has been happening since then is that the
C I doubt, given the competitive and global Internet has further reduced the circulation of
nature of the Internet, that these will include those papers that were already struggling, and
charging people to read articles online. it has hurt even the healthy ones.

D It is difficult, though, to be so sure the same H Someone who buys his paper at the
will be true of the Internet. newsagent’s every day, however, generates 30
or 40 times as much income as that.

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 Part 3
You are going to read a magazine article about unusual festivals in North America. For questions
16–30, choose from the festivals (A–D). The festivals may be chosen more than once.
Mark your anwers on the separate answer sheet.

Which festival

lasts nearly a fortnight? 16

includes races by animals? 17

includes different kinds of music? 18

awards prizes for artistic creativity? 19

lets people apply to take part in an event the day before it begins? 20

began because of a story told hundreds of years ago? 21

has a competition that involves preparing food for cooking? 22

serves food that people may not be accustomed to eating? 23

raises funds for local charities? 24

offers camping facilities for visitors? 25

gives advice on how to avoid accidents? 26

has an event which can only be fully appreciated at night? 27

promises not to frighten people? 28

asks people to do unpaid work there? 29

places restrictions on the admission of young visitors to one event? 30

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 North America’s oddest festivals
A Nanaimo Marine Festival C Barnesville Potato Days Festival
Since 1967, the Nanaimo Marine Festival in This annual two-day festival of all things
Canada has hosted the International World potato-related in Barnesville, Minnesota dates
Championship Bathtub Race. Every year, back to the 1930s. Anything you can possibly
on a (usually) sunny Sunday in July, 200 do to a potato happens over the two days: you
brave contestants take the bathtub from can fry it, throw it, race it, roast it, eat it,
their bathroom and attempt to sail it 58 decorate it or sing about it ― and lots more.
kilometres across the sea to Nanaimo on First up is the Potato Peeling Contest, using
Vancouver Island. Apart from ‘the World’s an old-fashioned potato peeler or simply a
Cleanest Sport’, there’s plenty more to do sharp knife. Each contestant has three minutes
during the four days of the festival, with a to peel as many as possible, with the winner
street fair, activities for kids, water sports, determined by the weight of the peeled
informative displays on boat safety, a marine potatoes. Nothing is wasted at the Festival, so
food fair, and also the World Championship they are then boiled and mashed ready either
Waiters Race. Later on, there’s a spectacular for the Mashed Potato Eating Contest, or for
firework display in the harbour plus musical the Mash Sculpture Contest, in which you
entertainment. Admission to the festival is are invited to turn a pile of mashed potato
free, though it costs $50 to enter the Bathtub into an interesting shape, such as a dog or
Race. Registration for that begins on the cat! The winner receives $50; the runner-up
Thursday and ends on the Saturday night $25. If you’re staying for the whole festival,
prior to the event. With so many activities which usually takes place in the second half of
to run we always need volunteers, so if you’d August, the Barnesville Inn has 13 comfortable
like to help out, please contact us at mail@ rooms at reasonable prices, while nearby
bathtubbing.com. Wagner Park has space for up to 78 trailers or
tents. Reservations should be made 24 hours
in advance.
B The Raleigh BugFest
Every September, the North Carolina Museum
of Natural Sciences holds its insect festival in D Contraband Days:
downtown Raleigh. Among the attractions is Louisiana’s Pirate Festival
the Backyard Beekeeper, a class for anyone According to an 18th century legend, the
who dreams of keeping bees ― perhaps notorious pirate Jean Lafitte buried silver
for honey ― or just finds them fascinating and gold treasure in his favourite hideaway in
creatures. There’s a $10 fee for this Louisiana, and this led to the area becoming
workshop, and participants under 16 must be known as Contraband Bayou. Nowadays
accompanied by an adult. For kids there are Contraband Days is a themed pirate festival
arts and crafts projects, they can have their that has grown from a one-day party to a
faces painted in various insect-like ways, and twelve-day series of events, winning awards
they can sing along to family music band, as one of the top annual festivals in North
The Sandbox Band. Watch the 150 centimetre America. A terrific variety of recreational
sprint by your least favourite insects, and cultural activities includes full-costume
cockroaches, or take in a film at the Insect re-enactments of battles with pirates, boat
Horror Cinema (‘nothing too scary’, according races, and concerts that range from Gospel
to the organisers), where some rather unusual and Country to R & B and Classic Rock. With
popcorn is available. And if that’s to your over 200,000 people attending each year,
taste, try the Café Insecta, where the Museum there’s a carnival atmosphere with evening
staff point out the biological similarities parades and delicious meals prepared by
between the items on the menu and creatures prize-winning chefs. As well as providing
that we already enjoy eating, such as crabs entertainment and promoting tourism,
and shrimps. There is no entry charge for the Contraband Days also has a big economic
BugFest, and free parking is available. impact on the community by supporting 20
organisations that help people in need.

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 PAPER 3 Use of English (45 minutes)
Part 1
For questions 1–12, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each
gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Example: A became B developed C grew D turned

0 A B C D

Amelia Earhart
The pilot and author Amelia Earhart was born in Kansas in 1897, and it quickly (0) clear that
she was an adventurous child. She loved (1) activities such as exploring the countryside and
climbing trees, and enjoyed taking (2) in games that involved speed, like racing down hills on
her home-made sledge.

Amelia’s first (3) of flying came when she was 23, when she visited an airfield and
paid $10 for a ten-minute flight that would change her life (4) . As she said afterwards, ‘by
the (5) I had got two or three hundred feet off the ground, I knew I had to fly.’

She was (6) to become a pilot, but flying lessons were expensive and that (7) she had
to work hard and save up. So she did a variety of jobs, including working as a photographer and
as a truck driver, and in this way she even (8) to save enough money to buy her own plane.

This was a second-hand bright yellow biplane, which she named ‘The Canary’, and within a year
she (9) a new world record in it by rising to a height of over 4,000 metres. In 1928, she
became the first woman (10) to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, and four years later she flew
over the Atlantic alone, becoming only the second person in history to have (11) so.

Many other records followed, and she helped to form an organisation for female pilots called the
Ninety Nines, with the aim of promoting (12) for women. Nowadays, there are schools,
streets and airports named after Amelia Earhart.

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 1 A outer B outside C outward D outdoor

2 A place B turns C part D steps

3 A exploration B experiment C experience D expedition

4 A forever B continually C constantly D always

5 A moment B time C point D minute

6 A definite B convinced C positive D determined

7 A needed B meant C demanded D required

8 A managed B succeeded C achieved D reached

9 A fixed B put C set D made

10 A now B ever C then D already

11 A been B done C made D gone

12 A equality B uniformity C similarity D comparability

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 Part 2
For questions 13–24, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use
only one word in each gap.
There is an example at the beginning (0).
Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: 0 S O M E / O N E

The common cold

It is likely that everybody in the world has at (0) time suffered from the common cold. We
are all, unfortunately, familiar (13) the coughing, sneezing, headache, sore throat and runny
nose that tell us we have once again (14) down with one of the most common of human
diseases.

(15) average, adults have a cold two to four times a year, while over the (16) period
children catch between three and eight colds. In this country alone, almost a million people have
a cold on any one day. (17) , with about 30% of the population in employment, nearly
300,000 of them are off work with colds every day.

With (18) a huge number of working hours lost to the economy every day, quite (19)
from the human suffering that colds cause, it is perhaps surprising that the medical science of
the 21st century is still incapable (20) finding a cure. The wide range of medicines used to
treat the common cold only manage to make us feel less awful, (21) to reduce the length of
the illness.

One possible explanation for this is that colds eventually cure themselves; (22) is to say, the
body’s natural defences can deal with the disease. (23) reason is the fact that they can be
caused by any one of 200 types of virus, the tiny living things responsible for infectious diseases.
This makes it as difficult to cure the common cold (24) it would be to discover a single cure
for hundreds of other diseases.

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 Part 3
For questions 25–34, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some
of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the
beginning (0).

Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: 0 P O S S I B L Y

The USA by bus

Travelling by coast-to-coast bus is (0) the most interesting way to POSSIBLE
see the USA. It is also a (25) cheap form of transport, and in most COMPARE
cases no (26) are necessary. You just turn up at the bus station an RESERVE
hour before (27) , buy your ticket, and half an hour or so later you DEPART
get on board. Then you are off.

Depending on the (28) of your journey, you may want to take with LONG
you such things as snacks, a blanket, and a good book to read. Also think
about what you will wear. Tight clothes can become (29) when COMFORT
you’ve been sitting for many hours, so perhaps put on something a little
looser for travelling in.

Your journey may take you through a (30) of types of countryside, VARIOUS
from vast farmlands and amazing desert scenery to (31) mountain IMPRESS
ranges covered in snow. Don’t forget to take your camera!

On most routes, the bus will stop at various points to pick up (32) ADDITION
passengers. It may also make rest stops every few hours, (33) at SPECIAL
normal meal times, although express services are sometimes available.
Passengers with (34) who require travel assistance should contact ABILITY
the bus company at least 24 hours before their journey begins.

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 Part 4
For questions 35–42, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two
and five words, including the word given. Here is an example (0).
Example:
0 It sounds like this CD has a scratch on it.
THERE
It sounds like this CD.

The gap can be filled by the words ‘there is a scratch on’ so you write:

Example: 0 THERE IS A SCRATCH ON

Write only the missing words IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

35 There was so much traffic, I had to wait ten minutes to cross the road.
UNTIL
There was so much traffic, I couldn’t cross the road
ten minutes.

36 On his arrival at the railway station, the escaped prisoner was arrested.
SOON
The escaped prisoner was arrested as at the railway
station.

37 The Government will officially announce its decision later today.

MAKE
The Government will about its decision later today.

38 It’s a pity I didn’t save some of that money.

WISH
I all that money.

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 39 If the weather doesn’t improve, we can’t ski here.
GO
We can’t the weather improves.

40 I last spoke to Joel seven days ago.

WEEK
It I last spoke to Joel.

41 ‘Can you see the tree on the hill, Marta?’ asked Mikel.
SHE
Mikel asked Marta the tree on the hill.

42 Apparently, somebody stole the painting during the night.

APPEARS
The painting stolen during the night.

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 PAPER 4 Listening (approximately 40 minutes)
Part 1
You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1–8, choose the best
answer, A, B or C.

1 You hear a woman talking about joining a tennis club.

Why did she decide to join?

A She had enjoyed being a member of another club.

B She knew she would quickly make friends there.

C She felt it was the only way to improve her tennis.

2 You hear an advertisement on the radio.

What is being advertised?

A a computer game

B an adventure park

C an outdoor job

3 You hear a woman talking on the phone to a friend.

What is she doing?

A accepting an offer

B making an invitation

C giving advice

4 You overhear someone talking as he is leaving a football ground.

Who is the man?

A a player in one of the teams

B a spectator at the game

C the coach of one of the teams

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 5 You overhear two young people talking about going out.
What do they agree about?

A how to spend the evening together in the city centre

B when to come back from the city centre

C how to travel into the city centre

6 You overhear a woman talking about moving house to a different area.

Why does she want to leave the area she is in?

A Her street is often very noisy.

B There is a lot of crime there.

C It’s difficult to park her car.

7 You hear part of a radio programme about walking in the mountains.

What advice does the woman give?

A Don’t go if the weather is very bad.

B Tell someone where you are going.

C Make sure you take plenty of food.

8 You overhear a woman talking to a man about a TV remote control.

What is she doing?

A denying she did something

B complaining about something

C apologising for doing something

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 Part 2
You will hear part of an interview with a horse-riding instructor, Marta Kowalski. For questions
9–18, complete the sentences.

Marta became a riding instructor 9 ago.

She works in a small town near 10

When she was a small child, her 11 let her ride a horse.

Some of her childhood friends were 12 of horses.

She became an instructor to help children share her 13

for horse riding.

It sometimes helps to 14 the horse gently before

riding it.

Marta says the most important quality for a riding instructor is

15

New instructors have to get used to working in 16

Apart from instructing, Marta has to 17 the horses each

day.

This summer, Marta intends to ride in the 18 of southern

Spain.

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 Part 3
You will hear five people talking about walking for pleasure. For questions 19–23, choose from
the list (A–F) what each speaker says. Use the letters once only. There is one extra letter which
you do not need to use.

A I took some photographs while walking.

Speaker 1 19

B I regretted walking so far.

Speaker 2 20

C I felt afraid at one point on the walk.

Speaker 3 21

D I did part of the walk at night.

Speaker 4 22

E I felt very cold during my walk.

Speaker 5 23

F I saw very little wildlife as I walked.

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 Part 4
You will hear part of an interview in which Eva Kanchelskis, a television scriptwriter, talks about
her work. For questions 24–30, choose the best answer, A, B or C.

24 Where was Eva’s first play performed?

A on the radio
B in a local theatre
C at her school

25 What was the next thing Eva wrote after Raby Mere?
A a television programme
B another play
C an adventure story

26 Eva says the most important thing she must do in a script is

A make the characters sound real.
B ensure the story is easy to understand.
C include some exciting events.

27 As part of her job, Eva has to

A help design the storyline for the series.
B create new characters for future episodes.
C comment on the other writers’ work.

28 How does Eva feel about criticism of her work by her colleagues?
A She still finds it quite depressing.
B She regards it as something positive.
C She often gets angry about it.

29 What does Eva most enjoy about her work?

A seeing her own ideas in a popular television programme
B reading the reviews after the programme is shown on television
C knowing that viewers will enjoy watching the programme

30 What advice does Eva give to anyone wanting to do the same job as her?
A begin as a part-time writer of a TV series
B aim to become a scriptwriter for a big film studio
C watch lots of previous episodes of the series

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