PRACTICE TEST 8

I. LISTENING (15 pts)

Part 1: For question 1-5, you will hear part of a radio interview with a woman called Linda
Brown, who is talking about working in a cake shop when she was a student. Choose the
letter A, B, or C to indicate the correct answer. (1.0/ea)
1. Linda worked in a cake shop because ____________.
A. her parents didn’t give her enough money
B. she wanted to give her parents some money
C. she needed to buy things for college
2. Linda liked her first boss because he ____________.
A. paid her well B. was kind to her C. sent her on a training course
3. What did Linda enjoy about working in the shop?
A. eating the cakes B. the smell of baking C. the clean workplace
4. In the shop, Linda helped with ____________.
A. baking bread B. displaying cakes C. making sandwiches
5. Linda says that the full-time shop assistants ____________.
A. were friendly to her
B. hadn’t got the same skills as her
C. didn’t work as hard as her
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2: For question 6-15, you will hear a photographer called Ian Gerrard talking about
his career. Complete the sentences with a word or short phrase. (1.0/ea)

The subject that Ian studied at university was (6)_________.

Ian did a presentation on (7)_________ as part of his final year.
Ian worked for a (8)__________ in the USA for a year after leaving university.
When he travelled around the USA, Ian chose (9)__________ as the theme for his
photographs.
Ian says that (10)__________ is the season when he takes the best photographs.
When Ian came to Britain, he travelled around by (11)___________ taking photographs.
Ian says he was surprised by how few photographers specialize in shots of (12)_________
communities.
Ian’s book will be available in bookshops in (13)__________ next year.
The title of Ian’s book is (14)__________.
Ian has chosen (15)__________ as the theme for his next tour.
Your answers:
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

II. PHONETICS (5 pts)

Part 1: Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the
others. (1.0/ea)
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16. A. received B. worked C. obtained D. harboured
17. A. speed B. person C. temperature D. psychology
18. A. chemistry B. chaos C. chimney D. bronchitis
Part 2: Identify the word whose stressed pattern is different from that of the others. (1.0/ea)
19. A. benefit B. disruptive C. effective D. appropriate
20. A. superstitious B. complicated C. situated D. interestingly
Your answers:
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

III. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 pts)

Part 1: Choose the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following
questions. (1.0/ea)
21. The strike was __________ owing to a last-minute agreement with the management.
A. called off B. broken up C. set back D. put down
22. I simply couldn’t cope with such an enormous work _________.
A. amount B. load C. quantity D. volume
23. The police let him ________ after they had asked him some questions.
A. to leave B. leave C. leaving D. left
24. We regret to tell you that the materials you ordered are __________.
A. out of stock B. out of work C. out of reach D. out of practice
25. Tim looks so frightened and upset. He __________ something terrible.
A. must experience B. ought to have experienced
C. should have experienced D. must have experienced
26. His personal problems seem to have been __________ him from his work lately.
A. disrupting B. disturbing C. distracting D. dispersing
27. The farmers and their cattle ________ had been trapped in the storm were fortunately
rescued.
A. who B. whom C. which D. that
28. “May I take my break now?” – “____________”
A. No, you didn’t break it B. Yes, of course
C. I think I need five minutes D. I’ll be back in five minutes
29. _________ appears considerably larger at the horizon than it does overhead is merely an
optical illusion.
A. The Moon B. That the Moon C. When the Moon D. The Moon which
30. Remember not to cough or sneeze at the table. __________, excuse yourself.
A. For necessary B. As necessary C. With all need D. If need be
Your answers:
21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Part 2: 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). (1.0/ea)

Laughter therapy

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 A laughter therapist is paid to conduct talks, workshops and one-to-
one sessions using (0) techniques that get people to laugh. It is thought TECHNICAL
that laughing may (31) ……………… the body’s immune system, STRONG
stimulate blood (32) ……………, produce endorphins (hormones that CIRCULATE
reduce pain and increase (33) ………….…) and reduce stress. One HAPPY
laughter therapist, Enda Junkins, says, ‘Laughter is the human gift for
coping and survival.’ As a practising psychotherapist, Enda (34) COURAGE
…………..…. people to use laughter to heal (35) …………..…. PSYCHOLOGY
problems. Other laughter leaders operate more relaxed laughter clubs.
Laughter therapists may encounter tears as well as laughter, but most
feel (36) ………..… rewarded by teaching people to tackle their GREAT
problems with laughter. ‘It’s terrific,’ says laughter leader James L
Scott. ‘You can’t think about anything else when you’re laughing,
which is why it’s such a natural stress (37) ……………… tool that MANAGE
totally clears stress.’ EQUIP
Plus, it doesn’t need any special (38) ……………..…. GIFT
Are you naturally (39) …………….… at making people laugh? If so,
that will help. Laughter clinics are held in health centres across the PROFESSION
country – why not try one out to see if it’s for you? Then you can get
(40) …………..… training and become a certified laughter leader.

Your answers:
31. 32. 33. 34. 35.
36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

IV. READING (25 pts)

Part 1: Read the text below and think of the word that best fits each gap. Use only ONE
word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). (1.0/ea)

I’M NOT SUPERSTITIOUS, HONESTLY!

How (0) many people could truly say they are not superstitious? A recent survey shows that
almost 90% of people believe in one sort of superstition or another and say that it influences
(51) _______ lives.
One of the questions people (52) ________ asked is whether they saw themselves as lucky or
unlucky. Their answers turned out to be (53) _________ most interesting aspect of this survey.
Nearly two-thirds of those who took part said they believed that people were naturally lucky or
unlucky.
Professor Morgan Howard, who analysed the results of this survey, was fascinated by this
finding, so he went a step further and asked these people (54) _________ kind of superstitions
they believed in. To his surprise, he discovered that almost all the people who regarded
themselves (55) _________ lucky believed in positive superstitions.They did things to promote
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their good luck, such as crossing their fingers. It would appear that people make their own luck
by their attitude to life.
Your answers:
51. 52. 53. 54. 55.

Part 2: Read the text and choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) which you think fits best
according to the text. (1.0/ea)
FLASH MOBS - A NEW KIND OF EVENT
In 2003, an unusually large number of customers arrived without warning in the carpet
department of Macy's Department Store in New York. The assistants couldn't see why all of them
were so interested in buying exactly the same carpet. In 2006, 4,000 people arrived with MP3
players and headsets at a London railway station and started dancing at a set time. As no music
could be heard, this looked very strange. Police were even called to make sure that trains
continued to run on time, but when they arrived the dancers had gone. In March 2013, more than
2,000 people gathered in Seoul, South Korea, complete with musical instruments, and started to
dance. Many were students from Sungsin Girls' High School - they joined other Earth Hour
supporters and collected a staggering 150,000 signatures from local citizens in support of the
campaign. In Korea, an estimated 12 million people participated in Earth Hour 2013. These are
three examples of 'flash mob' events, when a crowd of people suddenly come together in a public
place, perform an unusual action, and disappear as quickly as they had appeared. They are
organized using electronic media such as mobile phones or the internet.
To their fans, flash mobs are simply a chance to have some light-hearted, if rather silly, fun.
However, when just under 2,000 people got together in San Francisco for an enormous pillow
fight, it ended up costing thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, a heavy rainstorm meant that the
city was left covered with wet feathers, which caused streets, shops, and a restaurant to be
flooded, and ruined the local fountain. It took several days to put the damage right. Norman
Dito, head of the city's Recreation and Park Department said, 'In future, organizers of such events
should apply for permission beforehand and pay the standard fee to cover security, insurance,
and cleaning up afterwards. Sadly, I think this is unlikely to happen, since nobody knows who
the organizers are, or when or where a flash mob will take place next'.
Crimes associated with flash mobs are rare, but occasionally make international headlines.
Sometimes referred to as 'flash robs' by the media, these start with the intent to destroy, or lead
to the destruction of private property or violence. Professor of Psychology Mark Leary explains
that as social media adds the ability to recruit a large number of people, individuals who would
not rob a store on their own feel freer to misbehave without being identified. In Germany, the
authorities in some cities have taken things even further by strictly enforcing an already-
existing law that says a special permit must be obtained to use a public space for any event.

56. The police were called to the London railway station to________
A. arrest the dancers B. stop the trains departing late
C. make sure no one was injured D. prevent people watching the event
57. What does the writer say about the pillow fight in San Francisco?
A. Because of the fight the city had to spend lots of money
B. People helped to clean the streets after the fight
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C. The fight was filmed and put on the internet
D. Some shops closed before the fight started
58. Norman Dito thinks controlling future flash mob events would be impossible because ___
A. the preparations would take too long B. nobody knows who plans them
C. so many people take part D. it would be too expensive
59. What does Mark Leary say about people who take part in 'flash robs'?
A. They feel safe because they are with many other people
B. They are usually not well-behaved members of society
C. They are afraid that someone might recognize them
D. They have often taken part in flash mobs
60. What is the writer's aim in this text?
A. to give advice on how to arrange flash mobs
B. to warn people against going to flash mobs
C. to complain about a recent flash mob
D. to explain what flash mobs involve
Your answers:
56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

Part 3: Read the article about a trip to the Grand Canyon. Five sentences have been
removed. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (61-65). There is one
extra sentence which you do not need to use. An example is given at the beginning (0).
(1.0/ea)

WATER WONDER
The view from the top of the Grand Canyon in Arizona is famous all over the world, but if
you go several miles down and look back up, the view's even more amazing. O G The best
way to reach the floor of the canyon is by raft, or small rubber boat. And that's exactly what my
friend and I did last year.
Our six-day adventure began with a lesson in packing our bags. When you book a rafting
trip, you're sent a list of the things to take with you. 61 It's a very, very short list! If it
doesn't float, or might harm the environment in the canyon, then it's not going with you.
All our normal kit went back into our suitcases to be delivered to the end point of the trip in six
days' time. If we ever got there, that is. By the time our talk on safety began, half of the group
was nervous about the trip. 62 We were about to meet our guides, pull on our life-
jackets, and get into our rafts. We'd only just discovered that on a scale of one to ten, when one
is flat and easy, several of the rapids - parts of the river which were difficult to travel through -
ahead of us were perfect tens. We also learned that once we set off, there was no going back.
Still, we strapped ourselves into the rafts and started to paddle. And that's when it all started to
go right. A lot of good feeling came from our seven-strong team of guides and raft leaders. We
had the perfect mix, from fresh young university graduates to river tour guides with forty years'
experience. 63
At first, this mainly involved them yelling: 'Pull! Pull! Left! Left! Now right! I said right!' at us
all. But when we finally got it right, they took advantage of the occasional strange silence to tell
us about the area. We learned lots about the canyon's history, its plant and animal life, and even
some old stories from the past.

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As the days passed, and we went deeper and deeper into the canyon, the atmosphere became
more and more mysterious. 64 Nights were just as special because we slept under the
stars. After all, there were no campsites on the canyon floor. Our beds might have been basic,
but our meals were anything but that. The guides used the ingredients they'd carried in boxes on
the rafts to cook some delicious meals, with pancakes for breakfast and steaks for dinner.
There wasn't a lot of privacy and it's not the best holiday for people who like a daily shower and a
clean pair of socks every morning. 65 We didn't just look at the Grand Canyon as it
towered ever higher above us. We felt it. For six glorious days, we lived in it. The only bad
thing was that on the very last day we had a pretty difficult climb getting out of it!

A The rest of us were terrified.

B It was worth it so that we could talk about the view from below.
C From the start they never stopped talking, but we didn't mind
that.
D At times, it felt almost magical.
E And if you're looking for the second page, there isn't one.
F But it's ideal if you want to see sights that very few others get to
see.
G Getting all the way down there is, in fact, a holiday in itself.

Your answers:
61. 62. 63. 64. 65.

Part 4: Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each space.
(1.0/ea)
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch – these are the five senses through which we (66)
________ the world around us. They can help protect us from potential danger, for example,
when we (67) ________ to a strong light by covering our eyes, or when a loud noise warns us
to look out for trouble.
Results of medical research have (68) _________ that the body’s immune system
functions in a similar way. Like the senses, it too sends messages through the brain, telling the
body how to respond in certain situations. For example, if you catch a virus or a disease and
infection is (69) ________ in your body, the immune system immediately goes into (70)
________ and produces a chemical called IL-1 that tells you to feel feverish and sleepy. Once,
these feelings were thought of only as symptoms of the infection. However, recent research has
modified this point of (71) ________. Doctors now believe that they represent the system’s
method of helping us fight the disease because fever reduces the (72) ________ of harmful
bacteria and resting in bed (73) _________ up our recovery.
Doctors now accept that the immune system is influenced not only by our physical but also
our mental state. It is a (74) _________ fact that when people are under (75) ___________ the
immune system is compromised and they are far more likely to become ill.

66. A. observe B. experience C. accept D. deal

67. A. reply B. resist C. react D. relate
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68. A. presented B. pointed C. displayed D. indicated
69. A. available B. present C. current D. local
70. A. play B. motion C. swing D. action
71. A. opinion B. view C. mind D. idea
72. A. growth B. advance C. extent D. progress
73. A. builds B. increases C. speeds D. holds
74. A. plain B. known C. hard D. cold
75. A. tress B. tension C. anxiety D. worry
Your answers:
66. 67. 68. 69. 70.
71. 72. 73. 74. 75.

V. WRITING (25 pts)

Part 1: Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one.
(1.5/ea)
76. Tania hasn’t played volleyball for three years.
It ………………………………………………………………
77. You should not send money to us by post under any circumstances.
Under no circumstances ………………………………………….
78. You must not drive a car in the town center.
You are …………………………………………………….…
79. It is said that the robber was caught while climbing up a fence.
The robber ……………………………………………………..…
80. It’s such a pity I didn’t see that film on television last night.
I wish …………………………………………………

Part 2: 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. (1.5/ea)

81. The food she eats affects her health badly. EFFECT
The food she eats …………………..… her health.
82. Brad speaks English better than his parents do. AS
Brad’s parents don’t ………………………..… he does.
83. The doctor told her to reduce the amount of sugar in her diet. CUT
The doctor told her ………………………….… the amount of sugar in her diet.
84. Damon looked so funny in his brother’s tracksuit that we had to laugh. HELP
We ……………………… at Damon because he looked so funny in his brother’s tracksuit.
85. I prefer staying bed to getting up early at the weekend. RATHER
I’d ………………………………… get up early at the weekend.

Part 3: Writing (10 pts)

● This is part of a letter you receive from an English penfriend.

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So you told me you have a new mobile phone. How much do you use it? Where do you
take it? How useful is it?

● Now write a letter (about 100 -120 words), answering your penfriend’s questions.
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