Skills Test Unit 1 Test A

1 Complete the sentences (1–5) with the words below. Then match the
sentences to the correct responses (A–E) to make dialogues.
are explain exactly view understand
1 Can you just ____________ that again? I’m not sure I understand. ___
2 What do you mean ____________ ? ___
3 I ____________ that point of view. ___
4 ____________ you saying that you agree with me? ___
5 My ____________ is that they are all worthy winners. ___

A What I’m trying to say is that we don’t share the same opinion.
B I guess so. That doesn’t happen very often, does it?
C Sure. It’s not that complicated really.
D That’s a relief. I was beginning to think everyone was against me.
E I suppose you’re right. It’s going to be hard to judge.

2  Listen to James Henson talking to a presenter on a radio show about his

new book, Life’s a Challenge. Circle the correct answer.
1 James Henson’s book talks about self-preservation / self-sacrifice / self-
confidence.
2 James Henson’s main message is that it’s important to be successful / give
yourself goals / motivate others.

3  Listen again. Circle the correct answer (a–c).

1 James thinks people should set challenges which they are
a sure they can do.
b going to achieve easily.
c uncomfortable with.
2 In James’ example, having a problem with his feet
a worried him.
b motivated him.
c discouraged him.
3 People who overcome life-changing situations are often those who
a create new goals.
b take the opportunity to travel.
c try a variety of new things.
4 James says that it’s important for people to

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 a keep trying.
b know when to give up.
c not let their ambition take over their lives.
The voyage of a lifetime

As the plane landed in Saint Lucia, I had no idea of the enormity of the challenge I
had taken on. Having worked solidly for three months prior to my flight in order to
raise funds, I thought I might now get the chance to take it easy for a bit. I mean,
there was sun, palm trees and clear blue water. It seemed as far away from hard
work as I could imagine. This thought couldn’t have been further from the truth.
I had been selected as one of twenty-one trainees to participate in a three-month
transatlantic voyage from the Caribbean to the UK. Although a few were in their
twenties, at only eighteen years of age and full of optimism and excitement, I was
fairly typical of the kind of trainee aboard the forty-metre sail training ship. The first
thing the permanent crew had to do was to demonstrate how we were going to
successfully get the ship back to the UK. Those who had sailing experience had a lot
to learn. Those who hadn’t, like myself, were few in number and had an even
greater challenge!
With this in mind, there was no time to lose. We were immediately sent up the
masts to take down the sails, which meant anyone with a fear of heights had to get
over it pretty quickly. Twenty-five metres might not seem that high in the calm seas
off the local beaches, but it would prove to be very different in the middle of the
Atlantic, when we would have to cope with gale force winds as well. Next was
taking orders from the chef. Peeling potatoes for thirty is not the most stimulating
job, but it is one of the most vital. Anyone who works outdoors knows how much a
good meal is appreciated. Initially we must have been a hindrance rather than a
help, but day by day we learned to overcome obstacles like homesickness and
fatigue, and became an efficient, supportive unit.
Naturally, living together in such a small area demands tolerance. Most trainees
shared a sleeping area with a dozen others, the private cabins being reserved for
permanent crew. Although privacy was an issue, the ability to sleep rarely was. We
were put into teams of six and had a rota of four-hour shifts which ensured the boat
kept moving towards our destination twenty-four hours a day.
Having been at sea without setting foot on dry land for a fortnight, it came as a
massive blow that we would be unable to stop at Flores, an island in the middle of
the Atlantic, because of a violent storm. It was simply too risky. We wouldn’t get to
the neighbouring island until the following day. Everyone turned their
disappointment into a single-mindedness to reach it as quickly as possible.
After three months at sea, I felt a mixture of emotions as my family rushed to greet
me at Southampton. It truly had been a character-building experience and I wasn’t
ready to hang up my deck shoes. It was with a heavy heart, then, that twenty years
later, I learned that the boat, named Astrid, was no more. She sank off the coast of
Ireland in rough seas in July 2013. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and her memory will
live on in the hundreds of teenagers who had the chance to be part of her
adventure.
4 Read the text. Circle the correct answer (a–d).
1 According to the text, the writer expected the trip to be
a shorter than it actually was.

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 b a great deal of hard work.
c less expensive than it turned out to be.
d more relaxing than the previous three months.
2 Unlike the majority of trainees, the writer
a was in her late teens.
b didn’t have a sailing background.
c knew very little about this type of sailing.
d had been picked to take part in the voyage.
3 While they were in the Caribbean, the trainees
a had plenty of time to learn new skills.
b got annoyed with the permanent crew.
c experienced terrible weather conditions.
d increased their mental strength.
4 Not being able to stop at Flores was especially upsetting because
a the next island was more dangerous to reach.
b they were going to be at sea for another two weeks.
c the extreme weather conditions were making the trainees sick.
d everyone had been looking forward to stopping there.
5 When the boat came into Southampton, the writer
a thought it had ended too soon.
b only felt sadness.
c couldn’t get off the boat quickly enough.
d felt a great sense of relief to be home.

Writing

5 An online magazine has stated that people nowadays are only interested
in themselves and that there are no role models any more. Write an
article describing someone you admire. This could be a friend or family
member. You should describe this person and give examples of why you
admire them.

Follow the plan:

Paragraph 1: Introduce your friend or family member and say why you disagree
with the magazine.

Paragraph 2: Say why you admire this person.

Paragraph 3: Describe events in their life to support this.

Paragraph 4: Sum up how this person has changed your life for the better.

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Challenge!

6 Complete the text with the correct words (a–d).

Chuck Close
The American portrait painter Chuck Close 1________ five when his father made him
an easel for Christmas. He 2________ ever since.
Up until the 1980s he enjoyed a successful career. However, in 1988, whilst
attending an award ceremony in New York, he was dealt a major 3________ . He
collapsed, unable to move his body. A spinal illness had left him paralysed.
Determined to overcome this 4________ , Close decided he would continue painting
by holding a brush in his mouth. This meant that the technique he 5________ used to
would have to change. Although he has regained some movement since then, he
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________ unable to create the photographic accuracy of his previous work.
He now divides his paintings into segments. This innovative technique is a clear
symbol of his 7________ in the months following his collapse and a clever way of
continuing to use his unique style. The reason is that, close up, the pictures
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________ to be blurred, but from a distance they still take on the realism of his early
work.
1 a was b has been c is d had been
2 a had been painting b was painting c painted d has been painting
3 a problem b loss c blow d perseverance
4 a obstacle b hindrance c perception d fight
5 a has been b had been c is being d was being
6 a was b is being c has been d had been
7 a self-defence b selflessness c self-preservation d self-sacrifice
8 a appeared b are appearing c appear d were appearing