File Test 1

Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation A

GRAMMAR

1 Underline the correct word(s).

Example: Justyna’s bicycle was stolen this morning, so / because she had to walk to
college.
1 I watched the entire film,____
yet / therefore I can’t remember anything about the story!
2 The agent thinks our house will sell quickly. As a result / Nevertheless,
________ we want to be
sure it looks as good as possible when people come to view it.
3 We had to break the news gently so that__________
/ so as not to upset her mother.
4 I took a large umbrella with me in___-_
case / as it rained.
5 I love my job. _______
However / In spite of, I find the commute really difficult.
6 Sergei didn’t study very much, and ___________
consequently / owing to, he didn’t pass the test.
7 Nick had to give up skiing since /______
due to a knee injury.
8 Tomasz sold his car as a result _______
/ because he couldn’t afford the petrol.
8

2 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Example: How many guests has Maria got in her flat at the moment? (have got)
1 does Simon ________
________ have to work late again tonight? (have to)
2 Did my phone ring while I ________ a shower? (have) was having
3 Sorry, I don''t
________
have time to watch a film tonight. (not have)
4 We ________
have had our kitchen ________
decorated by a professional because we haven’t had time to
do it ourselves. (decorate) have been waiting
5 I can’t believe the taxi isn’t here yet. We ________ for half an hour already! (wait)
6 Alwin and Lotte have
________
been married for 11 years and are very happy together. (be)
has your aunt ________
7 ________ lived in the Philippines since she was a child? (live)
7

3 Does the bold word or phrase indicate result, reason, purpose, or contrast?
Write your answer in the gap.
Example: Even though I didn’t want to, I spent my evening doing washing. contrast
1 Max has joined a gym so he can get in better shape. ________________
purpose
2 The tennis match was cancelled due to the bad weather. reason
________________
3 Chloe was working on her thesis; therefore, she wasn’t able to join us for dinner.
________________
result
4 Despite her confusion, the teacher continued on with the lesson.
5 Jane went to the interview despite the fact that she knew she probably wouldn’t get
the job. ________________
contrast
5
Grammar total 20

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 File Test 1
Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation A

VOCABULARY

4 Complete the words in the sentences.

Example: I tell people I’m happy living in Singapore, but deep down I still feel quite
homesick.
1 My kids know that I’m a bit of a soft t________
ouch and they take advantage of it!
2 I t________
end to keep quiet when my mum starts complaining about the state of my
room.
3 Jake’s always the l________
ife and soul of the party – everyone thinks he’s fantastic!
4 My fiancé’s parents are very down to e________
arth – they agree with us that we shouldn’t
spend a fortune on our wedding.
5 Ingrid never lifts a f________
inger to tidy up around the flat. It drives us all mad!
6 Malcom looks pretty scary but he’s actually really gentle – he wouldn’t h________
urt a fly!

5 Underline the correct word(s).

Example: Colleague / Staff turnover is high at the company because the wages are too
low.
1 Laura is a great boss because she’s good at demanding / motivating
________ people to work
hard.
monotonous / fulfilling.
2 Nicolai doesn’t enjoy his job because the work is quite __________
3 Maggie had to resign / quit
___-her job recently for health reasons.
4 My boss has allowed me to study for some qualifications / ____skills while I’m working
which should help me get further on the career ladder.
5 To be honest, I’d prefer a regular job rather than having fixed-term leave / ________
contracts.
6 That factory’s closing next month and hundreds of people are going to be hired / made___
redundant.
7 My salary might not be high, but the skills / _____
perks are excellent!
8 Trust me, that’s a tedious / ________
dead-end job – there will be no hope of promotion.
8

6 Complete the sentences with a personality adjective. There are some words
which you do not need to use.

stubborn thorough loyal conscientious

mature moody reliable sarcastic
spontaneous assertive

Example: Steph’s so thorough – she always goes over every single detail!
loyal
1 I feel very ________ to my company. I’d never want to leave and work for the
competition!
reliable
2 Don’t worry – if Matteo says he’ll be there, he’ll be there. He’s always very ________.
3 My husband can be very ________
stubborn sometimes; he’s always right, even when he’s
wrong!

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 File Test 1
Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation A
4 You never know with Tara. One minute she’s fine, and the next she’s not – she’s so
________!
moody
5 I’m not surprised Max just went to the airport and bought tickets to a random
spontaneous
destination. He’s very ________.
6 I don’t like sarcastic
________ people. It’s not nice to say horrible things to make others feel bad.
6
Vocabulary total 20

PRONUNCIATION

7 Match the words to the same sound.

qualifications relatives tedious demanding

assertive earth

Example: employee tedious

1 steady ________
2 repetitive ________, ________
3 surface ________, ________
5

8 Underline the stressed syllable.

Example: a|sser|tive
1 ful|fill|ing
2 re|pe|ti|tive
3 con|sci|en|tious
4 ex|tro|vert
5 sym|pa|the|tic

5
Pronunciation total 10
Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation total 50

English File fourth edition Advanced Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2020
 File Test 1
Reading and Writing A

READING

Read the article and tick () A, B, or C.

Rethinking success
What are your priorities over the next five years? Do you have grand plans to secure your
dream job, achieve a fitness goal, or buy your first home? If so, you certainly wouldn’t be
alone in your ambitions. From a young age, we’re conditioned to pursue goals in order to
achieve success: work towards an exam; win a competition; secure a place in a top
university; achieve financial success … Failure is never presented to us as an acceptable
option. But while there’s nothing specifically wrong with being conscientious and pursuing
personal success, when we invest so much effort in achieving it, we inadvertently expose
ourselves to failure and risk damaging our self-esteem in the process.
The truth is, that no matter how hard we try, we can’t control the outcome of our efforts.
Unfortunately, any failure to live up to our own, or others’, expectations can result in negative
thinking. We end up telling ourselves all sorts of things that aren’t necessarily true: ‘If only I’d
studied harder / trained more efficiently / said this or that in the interview’, and ultimately, ‘I’ve
only got myself to blame’. This is probably why more of us than ever before are suffering
from anxiety and depression.

If this sounds familiar to you, don’t worry – with the help of the Stoic philosophers, you can
rethink your goals and change your life for the positive. The ancient philosophy of Stoicism
was founded in Athens in around 300 BC, and was subsequently practised by both Greek
and Roman philosophers. The Stoics believed that the key to a happy life was accepting that
we have little control over external events, and focussing instead on what we can control
such as our own thoughts, judgements, and responses to whatever happens in life. So, let’s
consider three Stoic principles that could help change your definition of success.
1. Accept what you can’t control
If you put yourself in a position where your personal success and self-worth depend on a
specific achievement, then you’re seriously risking your happiness. Although our efforts can
contribute to positive outcomes, we can never completely control the end result. For
instance, while we may perform really well in a job interview, whether we get the job or not is
another matter. It’s important to see the bigger picture in such situations. You are not the
only person involved in the process, and consequently the outcome will be determined by a
range of factors including the interviewers’ expectations, and the other candidates’
experience and performance on the day.
2. Shift your focus
The Stoics used the sport of archery as an example of how people should approach life’s
challenges. Weather conditions, your prey’s reaction, and how you feel at the time, will all
affect your ability to hit the target, thus limiting your chances of success. However, what you
can control is your expectations. So, focus less on the target, or outcome, and instead work
on mastering the techniques. Of course, this won’t guarantee success every time, but it will
increase your skills and confidence, making both happiness and success more likely.

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 File Test 1
Reading and Writing A

3. True value is internal, not external

Thinking like a Stoic means rethinking your priorities. While getting that promotion or pay rise
might sound appealing, there’s no guarantee you will be happier or more fulfilled. Those
changes could potentially even make things worse – more pressure, greater responsibility,
increased stress, less time to spend on the things that make you … you. And who’s to say
you’ll stop striving once you achieve that goal? For many, it’s just a case of taking one more
step on the ladder – a never-ending line of new goals, each replacing the one before it. It’s
all just too exhausting.
According to the Stoics, the best way to achieve well-being is through having a calm, rational
mind. So, try to forget all those external elements of life that you can’t control and focus
instead on cultivating your mental well-being. Do everything as well as you can, simply for
the satisfaction of doing it, without seeking further reward or personal gain. Now, that’s
something that’s completely within your control.

1 In paragraph 1, the writer, suggests that ________.

A society promotes personal achievement as a measure of success **
B people fail if they are not conditioned to achieve personal goals
C society does not adequately support people who fail

2 According to the writer in paragraph 2, ________.

A it is not important to impress others
B it is not a good idea to invest money in a personal ambition
C it is impossible to guarantee the results of our hard work **

3 The writer says that not achieving a personal goal could ________.
A lead to poor work performance
B ultimately result in mental illness **
C lead to a greater determination in future

4 According to Stoic philosophy, ________.

A success can only happen if we gain control of external events
B people should not attempt to control any parts of their lives
C changing your perception of success can make you happier **

5 The writer explains the importance of realizing that ________.

A your chances of success depend on how hard you work at it
B your actions are not the only factor contributing to your chances of success **
C you have to fail a few times before you can succeed

6 According to the Stoics, your chances of success in archery are determined by

________.
A factors beyond your control
B the amount of personal risk you’re prepared to take
C your level of expectation **

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 File Test 1
Reading and Writing A

7 Focussing on acquiring new skills can ________.

A have a negative impact on future outcomes
B create greater pressure to succeed
C increase your chances of life satisfaction **

8 According to the writer, achieving a work-related goal could result in ________.

A improved future job prospects
B poorer quality of life **
C a sense that you no longer need to try hard

9 A consequence of achieving personal goals is that ________.

A you become more critical of others
B you end up feeling less motivated to master new skills
C you place greater pressure on yourself to achieve more **

10 The Stoics believed that our primary focus should be to ________.

A attempt to forget negative experiences
B enjoy whatever we are doing without having a goal **
C gain material possessions

Reading total 10

WRITING

Write an email to your friend telling him / her about a job you have applied for
recently.

Write approximately 250 words. Include the following information:

• say what the job is
• explain why you are interested in doing this job
• describe the qualities and personality traits you have which will make you a good
candidate.

Writing total 10

Reading and Writing total 20

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 File Test 1
Listening and Speaking A

LISTENING

1 Listen to five people talking about relatives or friends. Match the speakers
(1–5) to the characteristic each person associates their person / people with
(A–H).
Speaker 1
Speaker 2
Speaker 3
Speaker 4
Speaker 5

A being very resourceful

B having to do things to the letter
C being spontaneous
D being sensitive and moody
E being patient
F being conscientious and assertive
G being very bossy
H being self-sufficient

2 Listen to an interview with an AI expert about jobs and personality types.

Tick () A, B, or C.
1 Martin says that asking job-seekers to fill out surveys ________.
A provides the most accurate assessment of their personality traits
B could transform their employment opportunities
C does not provide specific enough results for the changing jobs market

2 According to Martin, when people conduct any activity online, they ________.
A risk their personal security
B reveal clues about their personality
C practise skills that will be useful in future jobs

3 Martin’s study showed that people who practise sports ________.

A dislike repetitious tasks
B tend to have good organizational skills
C are more capable of thinking in abstract terms

4 According to Martin, the Vocation Map ________.

A became popular surprisingly quickly
B turned out completely different from what they had predicted
C revealed some results they couldn’t have predicted

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 File Test 1
Listening and Speaking A

5 Regarding the Vocation Compass, Martin admits that ________.

A it isn’t completely accurate
B the technology is not yet sophisticated enough
C he hasn’t dared to try it for himself yet
5

Listening total 10

SPEAKING

1 Ask your partner these questions.

1 What kind of work would give you job satisfaction? Why?
2 Are you a planner or would you say you’re more spontaneous? Give examples.
3 What activities or experiences would you put on your bucket list? Why?
4 Do you have any particular talents or skills? What? / Why?
5 Have you inherited any family traits? If so, what? If not, which three adjectives best
describe your personality?

2 Now answer your partner’s questions.

3 Talk about one of these statements, saying if you agree or disagree. Give
reasons.
1 ‘It’s more important to have job satisfaction than a high salary.’
2 ‘It is not possible to be both successful and happy.’
3 ‘Most people’s personalities do not change as they get older.’

4 Now listen to your partner. Do you agree with him / her?

Speaking total 20
Listening and Speaking total 30

English File fourth edition Advanced Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2020