FCE Reading and Use of English

Practice Test 4
Part 1
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (А, В, C or D) best
fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Example:
A or В and C in D nor

Royal Residences
Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle 0 _____ the Palace of Holyroodhouse are
these 1 _____ of the Sovereign and, as such, serve as both home and office for the
Queen, whose personal flag flies 2 _____ her Majesty is in residence.
These buildings are used extensively for State ceremonies and official entertaining
and are opened to the 3 _____ as much as these commitments allow. They are
furnished with fine pictures and works of art from the Royal Collection, assembled
over four centuries by successive sovereigns. Many of the State Apartments and
rooms at the official residences have been in continuous use since their conception
and many of the paintings are 4 _____ in the rooms for which they were
originally 5 _____.
The official residences are in regular use and the style and manner in which they are
shown to visitors reflects their working status. Rooms are kept as close to their
normal 6 _____ as possible. Inevitably, opening times are subject to change at short
notice depending on circumstances.
The Royal Collection, which is owned by the Queen as Sovereign in trust for her
successors and the Nation, is administered by the Royal Collection Trust to which a
proportion of the admission fee and other 7 _____ from visitors is directed. The
remainder of this money funds the majority of the cost of restoring Windsor Castle
which was badly 8 _____ by fire in November 1992.
1 A venues B residences C situations D occupation
2 A whatever B however C whoever D whenever
3 A humans B public C peoples D strangers
4 A created B explored C produced D displayed
5 A instructed B intended C performed D guarded
6 A feature B location C destination D appearance
7 A salary B budget C income D wage
8 A destroyed B ruined C damaged D collapsed
Part 2
For questions 9-16, 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). In the
exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on tho separate answer sheet.
Example: MOST

Inspiration
I have had what, I think, is the 0 _____ extraordinary day of my life. While the events
are 9 _____ clear in my mind, I wish to write them down. Let me introduce 10 _____.
My name is Lawrence Terrel. I am thirty-five years old, and in perfect health. I have
never been ill in my life, not even for a day. I am an artist. I am 11 _____ very
successful, but I earn enough money to 12 _____ care of my needs. My only near
relative, a sister, 13 _____ three years ago. So I have no family.
I ate breakfast this morning at eight. After I had read the morning paper, I smoked my
pipe and let my mind wander. I hoped I would think of 14 _____ to draw. The room
was very hot, even 15 _____ the door and window were open. I had decided to go to
the public swimming pool when an idea for a drawing came to me.
I began to 16 _____. I was so interested in my work that I forgot to eat lunch. I did not
stop until the clock struck five. I looked at what I had done. For a hurried picture, I felt
it was the best thing I had ever drawn.

Part 3
For questions 17-24, 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).
In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer
sheet.
Example: ENTERTAINMENT
0.ENTERTAI
N
17.OBSERVE
People in the world of 0 _____ have to be very 17 _____ in the way that they 18.REFUTE
dress. It’s an 18 _____ fact that image is more than just a case of 19 _____ for a 19.DECORA
celebrity. How they present themselves is all part of their artistic personality. It TE
would be 20 _____ though to think that somebody can be a successful celebrity 20.FOOL
just because of the clothes they wear. They don’t 21 _____ have to wear 22 _____ 21.NECESSA
clothing but they do need to be talented and communicative and they also need to RY
be 23 _____ of their fans who make them successful. They also need to 22.FLASH
be 24 _____ so that they can cope with all the public attention. 23.APPRECI
ATE
24.ADAPT
Part 4
For questions 25-30, 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.They think the owner of the house is in France.
THOUGHT
The owner of the house _______________ in France.
Example: 0. IS THOUGHT TO BE
25. My parents last spoke to me a month ago.
HEARD
I _______________ my parents for a month.
26. All the students had a lot of respect for their teacher.
LOOKED
All the students _______________ their teacher.
27. Linda didn’t feel like eating.
MOOD
Linda wasn’t _______________ eat.
28. My brother was treated unfairly by his teachers.
DESERVE
My brother _______________ treated that way by his teachers.
29. He couldn’t buy the car he wanted because he didn’t have enough money.
TOO
The car he wanted was _______________ buy.
30. We all agreed with my father’s proposal apart from Joy.
EXCEPTION
With _______________, we all agreed with my father’s proposal.

Part 5
You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 31-36, choose the
answer (А, В, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
“Come along, young fellow,” shouted Mr. Watson. “I’ll show you the school room.”
He swept out of the drawing-room with giant strides and Philip hurriedly limped
behind him. He was taken into a long, bare room with two tables that ran along its
whole length; on each side of them were wooden forms.
“Nobody much here yet,” said Mr. Watson. “I’ll just show you the playground, and
then I’ll leave you to shift for yourself.”
Mr. Watson led the way. Philip found himself in a large playground with high brick
walls on three sides of it. On the fourth was an iron railing through which you saw a
vast lawn and beyond this some of the buildings of King’s School. One small boy was
wandering disconsolately, kicking up the gravel as he walked.
“Hulloa, Venning,” shouted Mr. Watson. “When did you turn up?”
The small boy came forward and shook hands.
“Here’s a new boy. He’s older and bigger than you, so don’t you bully him.”
The headmaster glared amicably at the two children, filling them with fear by the roar
of his voice, and then with a guffaw left them.
“What’s your name?”
“Carey.”
“What’s your father?”
“He’s dead.”
“Oh! Does your mother wash?”
“My mother’s dead, too.”
Philip thought this answer would cause the boy a certain awkwardness, but Venning
was not to be turned from his facetiousness for so little.
“Well, did she wash?” he went on.
“Yes,” said Philip indignantly.
“She was a washerwoman then?”
“No, she wasn’t.”
“Then she didn’t wash.”
The little boy crowed with delight at the success of his dialectic. Then he caught sight
of Philip’s feet.
“What’s the matter with your foot?”
Philip instinctively tried to withdraw it from sight. He hid it behind the one which was
whole.
“I’ve got a club foot,” he answered.
“How did you get it?”
“I’ve always had it.”
“Let s have a look.”
“No.”
“Don’t then.”
The little boy accompanied the words with a sharp kick on Philip’s shin, which Philip
did not expect and thus could not guard against. The pain was so great that it made
him gasp, but greater than the pain was the surprise. He did not know why Venning
kicked him. He had not the presence of mind to give him a black eye. Besides, the
boy was smaller than he, and he had read in The Boy’s Own paper that it was a
mean thing to hit anyone smaller than yourself. While Philip was nursing his shin, a
third boy appeared and his tormentor left him. In a little while he noticed that the pair
were talking about him, and he felt they were looking at his feet. He grew hot and
uncomfortable.
But others arrived, a dozen together, and then more, and they began to talk about
their doings during the holidays, where they had been, and what wonderful cricket
they had played. A few new boys appeared, and with these presently Philip found
himself talking! He was shy and nervous. He was anxious to make himself pleasant,
but he could not think of anything to say. He was asked a great many questions and
answered them all quite willingly. One boy asked him whether he could play cricket.
“No,” answered Philip. “I’ve got a club foot.”
The boy looked down quickly and reddened. Philip saw that he felt he had asked an
unseemly question. He was too shy to apologise and looked at Philip awkwardly.
31. What does ‘strides’ mean? (Paragraph Two, underlined)
A. brooms
B. leaps
C. steps
D. yells
32. When Philip is shown around the school, it is
A. mostly empty.
B. bright and cheerful.
C. small and cramped.
D. full of noise and activity.
33. Why were the children afraid of Mr. Watson?
A. He was very loud.
B. He was angry with them.
C. He was unkind to them.
D. He was very big and powerful.
34. What does ‘his tormentor’ refer to? (fourth paragraph from the bottom,
underlined)
A. Phillip’s club foot
B. the boy called Venning
C. the third boy to arrive
D. the pain in Philip’s shin
35. Why does Philip become hot and uncomfortable when the boys talked about his
foot?
A. It was summertime.
B. He had been beaten.
C. He was embarrassed.
D. He felt left out.
36. How do the boys who interact with Philip directly react to his club foot?
A. They pay it little attention.
B. They are curious or embarrassed.
C. They are polite and sympathetic.
D. They are disgusted by it.

Part 6
You are going to read a magazine article about one person’s experiences of learning
to skydive. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the
sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (37-42). There is one extra sentence
which you do not need to use.

The Skydiving Experience

The thrill of skydiving is beyond any possible description. Falling at 120 mph with the
wind screaming past your body is an unbelievable experience of total freedom. The
sport is not without an element of danger; indeed, it is this fear that makes it so
addictive. Yet there are relatively few serious injuries in this activity because of the
tight regulations and safety requirements mandated for skydiving and parachuting
organisations.
I still recall my first jump from 2,500 feet using what is called a static line. 37 __. The
static line system is often used for those new to the sport. It is a means of helping
them to deal with the sensation of falling, while ensuring that they will not actually hit
anything.
38 __. Still, there seems to be a little slice of missing time from the point where I let
go of the aircraft to the parachute canopy actually opening. Pure terror sometimes
does that! It was a moment where time ceased to exist, not quite a total blackout but
still quite strange. Two days of training on the ground, the ceaseless drill of counting
out “one thousand, two thousand, three thousand” and about all I seem to recall
when I let go is something like “aaaaahhhhhh”. After a second and many subsequent
jumps, this sensation soon faded to a dim recollection as I became accustomed to
falling.
The first real free fall commenced at about the fifth jump. This simply involved letting
go of the aircraft and immediately deploying the canopy. 39 __. Starting from three
seconds (let go and pull the ripcord) to five seconds (let go, count to three then pull
the ripcord) increasing to seven seconds and so on. Once I made it to ten seconds
and beyond, it became important to use an altimeter.
Free fall became really interesting at the 15-second mark because that is when the
real training started. Turning, tumbling and rocketing forward by using different body
positions put a completely new challenge before me. I learned it was possible to put
my body in a position where forward ground speed was around 80 mph with an
increase of downward velocity close to 200 mph – the ears tend to get a little warm! It
is also quite important to flare out, slow and adopt a more stable position before
deploying the canopy. Doing so at really high velocity really hurts, and I suspect
everyone does this at least once. It is quite a lot of stress on your body when pulling
up from 120 mph to 10 mph in about two or three seconds. 40 __.
One of my most fearful experiences occurred when I made a complete mess of trying
to do a reverse tumble and became wildly unstable. Nothing I did seemed to correct
the spinning and rolling, I was still at 5,000 feet and in desperation I deployed the
canopy. 41 __. The bag wrapped around one of my legs. Luckily, by this time had
enough free fall experience to have the presence of mind to see what was happening
and it was not too difficult to reach down and disentangle the risers. I also knew there
was plenty of time to correct the problem because I was far higher than the standard
2,500 deployment altitude. It turned out fine in the end.
I would say one of my most memorable free falling experiences was above the
Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. 42 __. From this altitude, I did some nice
slow turns and drank in the scenery of Port Phillip Bay, out to sea, across the length
of the peninsula to the city of Melbourne, all in an orange-red glow of the most
amazing sunset I can ever remember. It was incredible.
A. There are few other ways to experience the total and utter freedom of flight.
B. This is a strong nylon tape that is attached to the aircraft on one end, and to the
release pin of the jumper’s canopy on the other.
C. I think my ears are still ringing from that mistake.
D. Altitudes increased gradually, as did time in free-fall.
E. It was a 40-second fall from 14,000 feet, right at sunset.
F. What happened next was not good at all.
G. My first experience is still very sharp in my memory.

Part 7
You are going to read some extracts about the fears or challenges that several
people have faced. For questions 43-52, choose from the people (A-D). The people
may be chosen more than once.
Which person…
43. did not receive help willingly at first? __
44. did not realise how difficult something would be? __
45. did not feel a need to change? __
46. helped others while being challenged? __
47. can rely on a family member who does not share their phobia? __
48. was afraid of being unsuccessful? __
49. felt a sense of great happiness while taking part in an extreme activity? __
50. initially tried to overcome his/her difficulty alone? __
51. took advantage of an offer which had conditions attached to it? __
52. had the support of a friend? __

Confront your fears and face your challenges

A Katie
I’m afraid of spiders. You won’t hear me scream, but I will certainly get out of the
room until someone else has dealt with it. Once, when I was a teenager, and my
parents were both working late, I sat on the front steps of the house for nearly five
hours waiting for help. There was a spider on the ceiling in the hallway, you see! I
couldn’t get into the house! My father was quite angry with me when he got home; he
thought I needed to learn to be more independent. “How will you ever survive if you
have to live alone some day?” he asked. Well, I’m sure if I had to I would just deal
with it, although it would be a challenge. But I’ve never had to live alone. I had
flatmates at university, and now I’m married. Luckily my husband has no problem with
spiders, and is tolerant of my phobia!
B Ellie
The most challenging thing I’ve ever done, by far, was trekking in the Himalayas. It
was something I’d always dreamed of doing and I was incredibly fortunate to have
the opportunity to join a trek for charity. I always considered myself fit; I mean, I go to
the gym two or three times a week. But as soon as we set out I realised I was quite
out of my depth; I’d never even carried a pack before. In retrospect, I can’t imagine
what I was thinking. On the first day, we had a six-hour walk and after four hours I
was so exhausted I felt that I couldn’t go on. I took off my pack, sat down, and cried.
Apparently my reaction was fairly common so our group leader knew just how to deal
with it. He calmly explained that we were only two more hours from our first camp,
while I’d have to walk for four, alone, to go back! I had no choice. I had to continue.
So I did, and when we eventually reached Everest base camp it was the proudest
I’ve ever been.
C Daniel
After high school I was accepted into a very good music school, by merit of my
audition. I almost declined; I didn’t want to go to university. It was a terribly difficult
time because nobody could understand why I would make that decision. I was just so
terrified that I would fail. I’m dyslexic, and I knew that even if I were studying music I
would have to write essays for so many classes. I’d had some teachers in the past
that were convinced that I was just careless, that I was lazy, when in fact I was
spending much more time on the assignments than my classmates. In the end I
went, but I had a terrible attitude. I missed a lot of classes; I wasn’t even trying.
Eventually I found my way to an office that offered support to students with special
needs; I think someone told me that I could get a free computer, or something. That
turned my life around. To get the computer I had to attend regular meetings with an
advisor, which I hated at first, but eventually I learned to recognise my strengths and
be realistic about my weaknesses; I realised I could get help when I needed it, and
that was OK. That was the hardest thing; but once I’d understood it, there was no
stopping me.
D Jack
My fear of heights was affecting my life because I had difficulty going up and down
stairs or over bridges, particularly if I could see down, beneath me. I would just get
paralysed. I would feel nauseous, and my feet would feel heavy, as if they were made
of lead. I had read that it was possible to get over phobias by exposure, so I put
myself into difficult situations on purpose. It was exhausting, but I knew it was
important. I noticed slight improvements, but only very slight. It was frustrating. Then I
had the idea; I was going to try bungee jumping. I got a trusted friend to go with me;
to make sure I didn’t change my mind. He told the people in charge they would have
to push me, because I wouldn’t jump. It was all very fast; there was no time to think.
The feeling was exhilarating, to be honest. And I’ve had no trouble in my day-to-day
life since then. Though, I admit, I have no desire to do it again.

Answer Keys
Part 1
1.B – residences. A residence is a place where one ‘resides’, or lives. A venue is a
place where something happens, i. e. a a stadium is a good venue for a music
festival. The other two words do not fit the context.
2.D – whenever. At or in any place. If the Queen lives there, then the flag marks her
residence.
3.B – public. ‘Open to the public’ is a set phrase that means that it accepts visitors,
just like an exhibition or a museum would.
4.D – displayed. This verb is the most commonly used when talking about showing
various exhibits, such as paintings, sculptures or other forms of visual art.
5.B – intended. ‘Intended’ here means planned, designed for.
6.D – appearance. Visually, the rooms are almost unchanged.
7.C – income. Income is a general term that is used here for money, coming from
various sources. In this cases – the visiting public.
8.C – damaged. The only word that collocates with the adverb ‘badly’.

Part 2
9.still. The conjunction ‘while’ hints at an adverb of time.
10.myself. The beginning of the next paragraph is the key – the author is telling us
about himself.
11.not. The contrast suggested by ‘but’ further in the sentence suggests that we need
a conjunction – ‘not very successful, but…‘.
12.take. ‘Take care’ a common phrase meaning ‘to address one’s needs’.
13.died. The next sentence ‘So I have no family’ explains what happened to his
sister.
14.something. He was looking for inspiration, for a thing to draw. ‘Anything’ shouldn’t
be used here as it is mostly found in negative and interrogative sentences (i. e.
questions).
15.though/when. Although the meaning changes depending on the choice, both
words are acceptable
16.draw/work/sketch. For the sake of avoiding repetition I wouldn’t recommend
using ‘work’. Of course, it isn’t going to affect your mark.

Part 3
17.observant. Observant is attentive, good at seeing or noticing things and details.
‘Observing’ is wrong as it means ‘watching, looking’ and doesn’t have the required
meaning.
18.irrefutable. Irrefutable means ‘impossible to argue with, true’. Note the indefinite
article ‘an’ before the gaps that indicates that the word should start with a vowel
sound. Mind the spelling.
19.decoration. Decoration here is used in the meaning of something visual, having
no function or practical usage.
20.foolish. An adjective meaning unwise, not smart.
21.necessarily. Make sure to get the spelling right or you won’t get the point. One ‘c’,
double ‘s’.
22.flashy. Noun to adjective transformation, flashy means bright, catching attention.
23.appreciative. Note the preposition ‘of’. To be appreciative of something or
someone is to be grateful for it and acknowledging its importance.
24.adaptable. Adaptable is being ready and able to change according to the
situation.

Part 4
25.haven’t heard from. Present perfect is needed here to indicate that the speaker
still hasn’t got in touch with their friends.
26.looked up to. ‘To look up to someone’ means to respect someone, to hold
someone in high regard.
27.in the mood to. ‘To be in the mood for something/to do something’ is to feel like
doing something, to want to do something
28.didn’t deserve to be. Positive into negative change.
29.too expensive for him to. It is important to include ‘for him’, as it is he who
couldn’t afford the car. You have to be specific and keep the meaning of the original
sentence unchanged, otherwise you lose one of two points.
30.the exception of Joy. ‘With the exception of someone’.
Part 5
31.C. ‘Stride’ means a long step, taken when running or walking fast.
32.A. Paragraph Two: ‘He was taken into a long, bare room…’; “Nobody much here
yet,” said Mr. Watson.
33.A. The headmaster glared amicably at the two children, filling them with fear by
the roar of his voice
34.B. A tormentor is something or someone that causes great pain or distress to you.
Venning caused a lot of discomfort to Carey with his questions and aggression.
35.C. At the end of the paragraph with the underlined word: ‘he felt they were looking
at his feet. He grew hot and uncomfortable.’. Later it was mentioned how he tried to
instinctively hide his club foot. It is clear that he is uncomfortable with others seeing it
and grows embarrassed when they do.
36.B. Last paragraph: ‘… he felt he had asked an unseemly question’. Unseemly
means ‘socially impolite or unacceptable’. However, we shouldn’t choose Answer C:
‘They are polite and sympathetic’, as nothing referring to sympathy is stated in the
text.

Part 6
37.B. The sentence explains what a static line is and how it works. Both sentences
next to the gap are related to this system that is often used for newcomers’ first
jumps.
38.G. This sentence provides a contrast with the sentences that follow it, in which
author’s memory seems to be missing some details about the experience.
39.D. Sentences after the gap describe the gradual increase in altitude and the time
of free-falling that it allowed.
40.C. ‘That mistake’ refers to deploying the canopy at speed that is too high. In order
to reduce the speed of free-fall the skydiver has to assume a ‘stable position’.
41.F. The sentence that fills the gap introduced the problem the author faced had
faced.
42.E. ‘right at sunset’ helps to connect this sentence with the paragraph, which
mentions that the fall took place in ‘an orange-red glow of the most amazing sunset’

Part 7
43.C. To get the computer I had to attend regular meetings with an advisor, which I
hated at first, but eventually I learned to recognise my strengths and be realistic
about my weaknesses;
44.B. I always considered myself fit; I mean, I go to the gym two or three times a
week. But as soon as we set out I realised I was quite out of my depth;
45.A. I’m sure if I had to I would just deal with it, although it would be a challenge. But
I’ve never had to live alone.
46.B. The most challenging thing I’ve ever done, by far, was trekking in the
Himalayas. It was something I’d always dreamed of doing and I was incredibly
fortunate to have the opportunity to join a trek for charity. – Taking part in a charity is
the ‘helping others’ parts.
47.A. Luckily my husband has no problem with spiders, and is tolerant of my phobia!
48.C. I was just so terrified that I would fail.
49.D. It was all very fast; there was no time to think. The feeling was exhilarating, to
be honest.
50.D. I had read that it was possible to get over phobias by exposure, so I put myself
into difficult situations on purpose.
51.C. To get the computer I had to attend regular meetings with an advisor…
52.D. I was going to try bungee jumping. I got a trusted friend to go with me; to make
sure I didn’t change my mind.