BRITISH INSTITUTES EXAMINATION BOARD

BI level B2 Certificate in ESOL International (B2 CEFR)

Exam structure:

Remember to transfer your answers for Listening, Use of English and Reading on the ANSWER
SHEET. Write your final Writing task on the ANSWER SHEET in the space provided.

CANDIDATE
ID ESAME
LISTENING

In Parts A through B, you will hear some recordings. You will hear each recording twice. At the end of the recordings,
you will have some time to transfer your answers to the Answer Sheet. USE A BLACK PEN ONLY
Please ask any questions before the examination starts.

PART A

Listen to the dialogues and choose the correct answer for statements 1-10. You will hear each dialogue twice. Here is
an example, on the recording, you will hear:
Woman: What a terrible weekend! If only I had known he was going to be there!
Man: Who are you talking about? I’m sure it mustn’t have been that bad!
Woman: I just can’t get over it! John, my ex-boyfriend, brought his new girlfriend to Jesse’s party!

You will read:

The woman has had a wonderful weekend because she met John’s new girlfriend.

A) True
B) False

The best answer is B) False. On your answer sheet, fill in the space for answer B.

Dialogue 1

1) The man is reading some bad news.

A) True
B) False

2) The town in England is thinking of commemorating a woman who exists.

A) True
B) False

3) The actor who played ‘Scotty’ in Star Trek wasn’t Scottish.

A) True
B) False

4) The man believes newspaper articles are generally depressing.

A) True
B) False

5) The man enjoys reading about more important issues.

A) True
B) False

Dialogue 2

6) The woman wants to book something so she can motivate herself to diet.
A) True
B) False

7) The man believes the woman is thinking about going to the beach.
A) True
B) False
8) The man’s budget is irrelevant as they have won the lottery.
A) True
B) False

9) The man is initially not attracted to the idea of going on a cruise.

A) True
B) False

10) The man recommends signing up for an Italian language course.

A) True
B) False

PART B

Listen to the news brief and choose the correct answer for the missing information in sentences 11 - 20 by choosing
from A, B, or C. You will hear the news brief twice. The following is an example.
On the recording, you will hear:
Last night a terrible crime was committed on the underground at midnight by a young man carrying a gun.

You will read: Last night a crime was committed …

A) on the underground at 11:00 o’clock
B) on the underground by an armed man
C) by a young man carrying an axe

The best answer is B). On your answer sheet, fill in the space for answer B.

News #1
11) A passenger _________
A) attacked his girlfriend on the bus.
B) was injured with sharp object.
C) was hurt after eating on the bus.

12) Detectives from the Metropolitan police _________

A) are asking witnesses to come forward.
B) are analysing the top deck of the bus for evidence.
C) are talking to Mr Harris about the incident.

News #2
13) The royal mail will _________
A) sell stamps in Helsinki.
B) bring out a new collection of stamps lasting two years.
C) introduce stamps with Olympic events from Britain.

News #3
14) Studies show that _________
A) universities offer work to about forty percent of their students.
B) students spend an average of sixteen hours studying.
C) almost half of students work to help pay their studies.

15) The research also says that students _________

A) get help from their parents.
B) don’t spend their money on entertainment.
C) have a difficult time at university.
News #4
16) Astronomers have _________
A) confirmed Pluto as a planet.
B) decided to research the sun.
C) come across a new planet.

News #5
17) The winnings of the lottery _________
A) have been unclaimed since May.
B) have been won by a mother in Ireland.
C) have been spent entirely in a pub.

News #6
18) An incident happened on the road with a child due to _________
A) a u-turn gone wrong.
B) a black car which broke down.
C) an out of control and angry driver.

News #7
19) The man was _________
A) sleeping at the rugby match.
B) fined for crashing into a car.
C) Injured after a crash.

News #8
20) The firefighters are protesting about _________
A) the long working hours.
B) plans to lay people off.
C) work safety.
USE OF ENGLISH, READING AND WRITING

For Use of English sections 1 to 3, read the sentences and choose the correct answer A), B),C)or D) then fill
in the space on your answer sheet with a black pen only. There is only one correct answer for each number.

Here is an example: After she __________ out with her boss she left the company.
A) is falling
B) has fallen
C) was falling
D) had fallen
The correct answer is D. Mark D on your answer sheet in the correct box

SECTION 1
21) __________ a permanent work contract will help you get a mortgage.
A) To have
B) Having
C) Had
D) Have

22) __________ to school, he wouldn’t have been punished.

A) Had he gone
B) He went
C) Did he go
D) He had gone

23) My hair is far too long, I’m going to the hairdresser to __________.
A) have cut it
B) have it cut
C) cut it
D) cutting it

24) I’m afraid I can’t afford __________ that jeep.

A) buying
B) to buy
C) buy
D) bought

25) You sold your car, __________?

A) did you
B) don’t you
C) have you
D) didn’t you

26) Don’t call me at 8.30 tonight as I ___________ dinner.

A) will have
B) will have had
C) will be having
D) will have been having dinner
27) If she _________ so silly, she ________ hurt herself.
A) weren’t … wouldn’t have
B) hadn’t been …. wouldn’t have
C) wouldn’t have been … hadn’t
D) hadn’t been … wouldn’t

28) I ________ in the choir since I was a child.

A) have been singing
B) have sang
C) am singing
D) sing

29) _________ the bad weather, we still went to see the tennis match.
A) Even if
B) Although
C) Nevertheless
D) Despite

30) You __________ happy when you received that huge fine!
A) can have been
B) must have been
C) should have been
D) can’t have been

31) Shall we go to the _________ to play some basketball?

A) course
B) court
C) pitch
D) field

32) I wish __________ take off your shoes when you enter the house! You know how much it annoys me.
A) you would
B) you had
C) you have
D) you would have

33) I just can’t stand people __________ my questions.

A) not answering
B) not to answer
C) don’t answer
D) answering not

34) If I ________ you, I wouldn’t call her.

A) am
B) were
C) have been
D) had been
SECTION 2
Complete the second sentences so that it has the same meaning as the first.

35) John said “I will go to the supermarket”.

John said __________.

A) he would go to the supermarket.

B) he was going to the supermarket.
C) he will be going to the supermarket.
D) he is going to the supermarket.

36) You will get fitter if you go to the gym regularly.

The __________ to the gym, the __________ you will be.

A) more you go … fittest

B) most you go … most fit
C) more you go … fitter
D) most you go … fitter

37) My daughter has a temperature and she feels awful.

My daughter is _________ with the flu.

A) coming up
B) coming over
C) coming down
D) coming out

38) I had a terrific time last night. We should do it again.

I had the time of my __________ last night. Let’s do it again!

A) semester
B) year
C) life
D) night

39) They are operating on him at the moment so please don’t disturb.
He __________ at the moment.

A) will be operated on
B) is being operated on
C) is operated on
D) is to be operated on

40) He left the house and later realised he didn’t have his wallet.
Only when he left his house ___________ he didn’t have his wallet.

A) he realises
B) was he realising
C) did he realise
D) he had realised
41) It would be desirable if we voted a different candidate for the elections next week.
We _________ vote another candidate during the next elections.

A) will better
B) must better
C) would better
D) had better
SECTION 3
Choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.

42) I really need to go on a small break to __________ some steam.

A) Let down
B) Let off
C) Let over
D) Let across

43) Half of what my friend says is false. He’s always talking __________.
A) rubbish
B) junk
C) trash
D) dumps

44) The government is about to __________ a law to reduce the number of accidents on the road.
A) Bring out
B) Bring in
C) Bring about
D) Bring up

45) The bus was so stuffy and warm that some people __________.
A) Passed out
B) Passed off
C) Passed up
D) Passed down

46) The company is going to __________ some workers to deal with the increase in demand for its
products.
A) Take up
B) Take down
C) Take over
D) Take on

47) I have to __________ the tickets at the ticket office.

A) Pick out
B) Drop in
C) End up
D) Pick up

48) She __________ to pay for her daughter’s university.

A) was on the brink
B) went to great lengths
C) was set in her ways
D) was in a fix

49) Unfortunately, you have to __________ the traffic when living in a city.
A) Put up with
B) Turn down
C) Set off
D) Come up with
The football player __________ the new contract offer from the club.
E) turned up
F) turned down
G) turned over
H) turned around

50) I was being naughty, so my parents __________.

A) put their foot down
B) put their hand down
C) put their head down
D) put their leg down.

51) Your personality is similar to your father. You have really _________ him.
A) taken after
B) looked like
C) taken down
D) looked up at

52) The police had to __________ the violent protestors.

A) end up
B) wind up
C) crack down on
D) fit in with
READING

SECTION 4

Read the text below and then read statements 54-63. For each statement, choose the best answer from A, B, C, then
transfer it to your answer sheet.

Here is an example: “Sweet toothed” is similar in meaning to _______

A) Someone who loves sugary products.
B) Someone who has teething problems.
C) Someone who is very kind.

The correct answer is A. Mark A on your answer sheet in the correct box

We're a sweet-toothed nation, eating far too much sugar for our own good.

A sugary diet can lead to weight gain and health problems such as type-2 diabetes, so none of us should be
having more than the maximum seven teaspoons of sugar a day. Public Health England wants our sugar
intake from a host of popular foods to be cut by a fifth by 2020. Part of the solution includes reformulating
foods with sugar replacements. Artificial sweeteners give a sweet taste with few or no calories. But are they
healthier?
There are lots of different types in thousands of different products, including diet foods and drinks. They all
aim to do the same job of delivering sweetness in the place of sugar, meaning fewer calories. Some, such as
saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame K and aspartame, are intensely sweet in tiny doses, making them ideal for
using in low-calorie soft drinks and sugar-free gum. Others, such as sorbitol and xylitol, are more bulky, like
real sugar, so are useful as a replacement in products such as confectionary. Ask an expert and,
frustratingly, most will say it should be down to "personal choice".
Limiting how much sugar you eat is definitely a good thing - helping reduce your risk of diabetes, obesity
and tooth decay. When you consider that a regular can of cola contains about nine cubes of sugar - more
than an adult's daily allowance - having a diet version instead could make a difference.
Whether swapping sugar for a sweetener is truly healthy is harder to answer. Certainly, eating low-sugar,
low-calorie products is no guarantee that you will stay fit and slim. They are not a replacement for a healthy
diet. If they are artificial, doesn't that make them unhealthy? Many are synthetic, but some sweeteners
may be made from naturally occurring substances. Stevia-based sweeteners are made from the leaves of a
plant.
Also, synthetic does not mean unhealthy. By law, food or drink products must be clearly labelled and list on
the packaging whether they contain low-calorie sweeteners, allowing consumers to make choices when
they buy.
Reducing the calories you get from sugar can help with weight loss. How much weight you will lose,
however, depends on your overall diet and how much exercise you are getting, as well as your genetic
make-up and metabolism. Dr. Stacey Lockyer, from the British Nutrition Foundation, says switching to
artificially sweetened, low-sugar foods and drinks might help some dieters. "There are studies showing
both in the short and long term that people who consume low-calorie versions in their diets take in fewer
calories and do tend to lose weight. "If you take drinks, for example, plain water is best - but some people
might find it hard to switch from sugary drinks to water. "They might want to consider having a diet or low-
calorie drink if they like the taste."

Artificial sweeteners are closely regulated and have passed the necessary checks to be used in foods.
Food ingredient manufacturers have to provide evidence showing that their sweetener: does not cause any
adverse effects, including cancer; does not affect reproduction; is not stored within the body or
metabolized into other potentially unsafe products; does not cause allergic reactions.
The European Food Safety Authority sets an acceptable daily intake, which is the maximum amount
considered safe to consume each day over the course of your lifetime. And these limits are hard to bust.
Using the sweetener aspartame as an example, an "average" adult (weighing 70kg; 11 stone) could drink up
to 14 cans of a sugar-free fizzy drink or use 40 teaspoons of the sweetener in their tea or coffee each day
without exceeding the limit. For a child (weighing 23kg), the equivalent maximum is four cans of drink and
13 teaspoons of sweetener.
There has been lots of negative press about artificial sweeteners. Some studies have claimed they might
make people more hungry and upset blood-sugar levels, but there is no convincing evidence of harm.
There are some people who cannot or should not consume artificial sweeteners, however. Children up to
the age of three should not have them, but pregnant women can. People born with a rare genetic condition
called phenlyketonuria should avoid aspartame because it can be harmful to them. For the rest of us, it is
worth noting that consuming lots of them may cause flatulence and diarrhoea.

53) Public Health England _______

A) wants to reduce sugar in food by 20% by 2020.
B) would like to use sugar inside sweeteners.
C) want people to be more conscious when consuming sugar.

54) Sweeteners have the ability to _______

A) make you lose weight without cutting back on food.
B) make you enjoy sugary foods in the same way as sugar.
C) be used for cooking food.

55) Reducing sugar intake, according to experts helps _________

A) your stress levels.
B) your teeth.
C) your heart.

56) According to the text, sweeteners are _______

A) always suggested when dieting.
B) never good for diets.
C) effective for people who can’t switch to unsweetened drinks.

57) Sweeteners _______

A) are dangerous and should be consumed as little as possible.
B) can sometimes come from natural sources.
C) are artificial and therefore they shouldn’t be consumed.

58) Losing weight would require _______

A) eating lots of food with sweeteners.
B) sweeteners together with an active lifestyle and good diet.
C) drinking lots of water and avoiding sweeteners at all costs.

59) One of the requirements for a sweetener to be considered safe is that _______
A) it doesn’t result in serious diseases.
B) it helps with female and male procreation.
C) it can help people consume food they are allergic to.

60) The daily intake limit that The Food Safety Authority has is _______
A) difficult to keep below the recommendations.
B) hard to negotiate with them.
C) quite easy to remain within.
61) Evidence of side effects _______
A) haven’t really been proven yet.
B) have proven that they result in many problems.
C) are connected to a lowering of appetite.

62) Sweeteners _______

A) are not recommended to women expecting children.
B) can cause harm to people who suffer from a particular genetic condition.
C) can give children problems over time.
READING

SECTION 5

For section 5 complete the text, with the correct form of the words in brackets 64-73. Choose the best answer from
A,B , or C. Fill in the space on your answer sheet with a black pen only. There is one correct answer for each number.

It seems hard to believe that in this day and age there are people who don’t own a mobile phone, but as a
matter of fact, those people exist, and I am one of them. But why would somebody in their right mind
decide to do something so contrary to what 64__________ deems so essential? In my case, it was more by
accident than design. One day I forgot my 65__________ expensive phone in a bar and it just got stolen.
Then, as a way of punishing myself for such a terrible mistake, I decided not to get a new one for some
time.
Not having a phone, I became 66__________ aware of the extent to which such a small device rules our
daily 67__________ . My hand had to reach into my pocket hundreds of times before learning that there
wasn’t a phone to be found in it. Every 30 minutes or so, I was 68__________ to check what had been
going on in the world for the last 30 minutes – that was how often I would check my phone before losing it.
Little did I know that you can get separation 69__________ from a machine.
I began to fill the void left by my phone with the simple little habits that we all used to have before our
phones took over our lives. I started making uninterrupted eye contact when someone was talking to me,
or making small talk with my co-workers, or looking through the window when travelling on the train, or
even asking for 70__________ and looking around while I was walking.
I started to really enjoy my new-found 71__________ , the contemplative moments, the social
72__________ , the sunshine, the fresh air. I’m still in that stage, and I’m determined to continue in in for
as long as I enjoy it, which I don’t think is going to end any time soon. I should have had my phone stolen a
long time ago, I had been missing out on so many things. The only problem now is that while I have opened
my eyes, everybody around me is still looking at the world through their touchscreen, and it can sometimes
be 73__________ for outsiders like me. I wish phones had never been invented.

63) ________
A) society
B) social
C) socially

64) ________
A) incredulous
B) incredibly
C) credible

65) ________
A) full
B) fully
C) fullness

66) ________
A) acted
B) act
C) actions
67) ________
A) desperation
B) desperately
C) desperate

68) ________
A) anxiety
B) anxious
C) anxiously

69) ________
A) directly
B) directions
C) direct

70) ________
A) freedom
B) freely
C) free

71) ________
A) interactions
B) interact
C) interactive

72) ________
A) annoyance
B) annoyed
C) annoying
WRITING

SECTION 6

Choose ONE of the following tasks between A (summary) or B ( transactional letter). Mark the box A or B on the
answer sheet and write your answer in the space provided. Write clearly (do not use uppercase print) and use a black
pen only.

74/A-SUMMARY
Summarize the text and give your personal opinion on the subject matter of the text. Use between 150-200 words.
DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY
Diplomats who represent their country abroad enjoy diplomatic immunity. This protects them against
prosecution in the receiving state for the entire period in which they hold their diplomatic post.
The international agreements on diplomatic immunity can be found in the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations. For instance, the receiving state is not permitted to prosecute diplomats, and must
protect them, along with their families and property. The main aim of the Convention is to allow diplomats
to carry out their work without hindrance in the receiving state. They can do this only if they do not face
any risk of reprisals from the latter state’s government.
These agreements are vital to international relations. Diplomats attempt to ensure that relations between
countries run as smoothly as possible. This sometimes means that they have to raise difficult issues in a
direct manner. In doing so they take into account local customs and sensibilities in order to ensure that
their efforts achieve the maximum effect.
The Vienna Convention allows diplomats to pursue the interests of its citizens and businesses in foreign
countries as effectively as possible, even where there are doubts about legal certainty. Diplomats can also
use their influence to remind receiving states of their international obligations, for instance to comply with
human rights.
Diplomatic immunity only works if every country abides by the rules. The way that countries treat foreign
diplomats has an impact on how other countries treat our diplomats. We must treat foreign diplomats with
the same respect and in accordance with the same standards that we expect of others abroad.
The Vienna Convention does not give diplomats carte blanche for misconduct. Diplomatic immunity does
not place diplomats above the law and diplomats are obliged to conduct themselves in accordance with the
laws of the receiving state. In the event of misconduct, however, only the sending state has the authority to
take action, for instance by recalling the diplomat or waiving his/her diplomatic immunity.
Long ago, diplomats acted as a form of guarantee for the good conduct of the sending state. If that state
did not conduct itself appropriately, its diplomat would be held responsible. Sometimes the consequences
could even be fatal. Nowadays, the opposite applies: if a diplomat breaks the law, responsibility lies in the
first place with the sending state.
International agreements on diplomatic immunity continue to be indispensable. Diplomats are the personal
representatives of their countries, and can therefore be the targets of irritation, aggression or even
unbridled hatred, for instance when the receiving state disagrees with the sending state’s policies. All over
the world, cases arise every day in which diplomats and representatives of international organisations
require international legal protection.
Fortunately, diplomats rarely fall victim to terrorism or any other kind of violent attack nowadays. One
tragic exception was the killing of the First Secretary of the Dutch Embassy in Tunis in 1991. But there have
been some close calls too, in which diplomats have been held hostage, assaulted or narrowly escaped
bomb blasts or gunfire.

74/B- TRANSACTIONAL LETTER

You went to a well-respected restaurant for dinner. You found their prices on the internet to be moderate
and decided to take your family to experience it. Unfortunately, the prices online didn’t mirror the prices
on the final bill and you were left disappointed. Inform the manager about this discrepancy between online
and real life information and ask for an explanation and a possible refund.
Write a letter to the manager about this discrepancy between online and real life information giving your
views. Do not include addresses.

Write your answer in the space provided on the answer sheet.

Please write clearly and use a black pen only.