EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY OF LEFKE

ENGLISH PREPARATORY SCHOOL

PROFICIENCY EXAM

NAME & SURNAME: GRADE:____/100

DEPARTMENT:

PART I

USE OF ENGLISH & VOCABULARY (120 MINUTES)

Read the questions carefully and choose the correct answer.

1. This is ________ exciting book I‟ve ever read in my life!

A. the more B. most C. the most D. more E. the more and most

2. UNICEF is deeply committed to creating a world in which all children, regardless of their
gender or socioeconomic background, have _____ to free, compulsory and quality education
A. access B. dedication C. insight D. addiction E. tendency

3. He_______ already left when we _______ there.

A. has/got B. had/got C. will have/got D. would/got E. ------/would get

4. We have________ house in Moscow.

A. any B. a C. the D. an E. two

5. I get up ____________ 7 o‟clock in the morning.

A. for B. at C. in D. on E. to

6. If you had studied enough, you _____________ the exam.

A. wouldn‟t have passed
B. would have passed
C. have passed
D. would pass
E. will pass

7. How often _____________ to the disco?.

A. have you go B. do you go C. are you going D. are you go E. shall you go

8. Don‟t __________ that letter! I need that.

A. put down B. throw down C. throw away D. turn up E. give up

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 9. I am sure I would have regretted it if I _____ to get the job.
A. would agree
B. would have agreed
C. did agree
D. had agreed
E. have agreed

10. Salina is not ____ to travel first-class and stay in 5-star hotels, but she enjoys budget
travel because she meets ____ people.
A. as rich / too interesting
B. the richest / so interesting
C. rich enough / more interesting
D. too rich / interesting enough
E. enough rich / more interesting

11. What _____________ when I called you at 9 o‟clock last night?

A. Were you doing
B. did you do
C. you were doing
D. were you do
E. do you do

12. Tom and I are old friends. I have known him _______ we were born.
A. for B. before C. since D. after E. at

13. Susan __________ home when she saw the accident.

A. had walked
B. walked
C. was walking
D. will walk
E. is going to walk

14. Linda was born ____ 30th November ____ 1983____ 9 p.m.
A. In\at\on B. at\on\in C. on\on\in D. in/at/at E. on\in\at

15. Unfortunately, their house __________ while they were at the restaurant celebrating their
anniversary.
A. went burgled
B. burgled
C. got burgled
D. had burgled
E. had been burgled

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16. There is a long _______ in front of the shop. Everybody is waiting for the shop to open.
A. people B. customers C. visitors D. queue E. clients

17. Where ______ before she moved to Manchester?

A. would she live
B. used she to live
C. was she used to live
D. did she use to live
E. used to live

18. Peter says he can‟t ________ our invitation to dinner tonight.

A. angel B. across C. accept D. almost E. agree

19. You are going tomorrow, _________ you?

A. don‟t B. won‟t C. can‟t D. aren‟t E. weren‟t

20. I can‟t see the ____ of sitting on the beach all day.
B. attract B. attractive C. attractiveness D. attractively E. attractivenessly

21. I lost my wallet. Can you help me ________ it?

A. looking up B. look on C. looking for D. look up E. look for

22. This __________ look like my umbrella; it__________ yours.

A. mustn‟t/must be
B. doesn‟t/must be
C. isn‟t/would be
D. does/isn‟t
E. must/mustn‟t be

23. Tom is very excited because he ______________ to London tomorrow.

A. will fly B. will be fly C. would fly D. is going to fly E. is going to be fly

24. What _______ on T.V last night?

A. does she watch
B. did she watch
C. will she watch
D. do she watch
E. is she watching

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25. The car ________ by David tomorrow.
A. were repaired
B. is repaired
C. are being repaired
D. will be repaired
E. is going to repair

26. The doctor told me ________ any cigarettes anymore.

A. smoke B. not to smoke C. didn‟t smoke D. hasn‟t smoked E. to smoke

27. I don‟t think you _________ drink so much as it is quite unhealthy for you.
A. shouldn‟t B. should C. could D. must E. don‟t have to

28. Alexander Graham Bell________ the telephone in 1876.

A. invented B. discovered C. found D. prepared E. made

29. Sarah needs someone to _________ her puppy because she is going away for the weekend.
A. look like B. look after C. look for D. look forward to E. look

30. “Now, __________would ever need such a stupid gadget?”

A. When B. Who C. Which D. What E. Whom

31. I __________ read a lot when I __________ a child.

A. used to/ was
B. had to/ had been
C. have/ have been
D. am used to/used to be
E. didn‟t/had been

32. When Susan arrived home she realized that someone _________ the door open.
A. left B. leave C. had left D. has left E. will leave

33. Who _____ in the house next door?

A. lives B. live C. does live D. do live E. do you live

34. The letter ________ addressed to the wrong person. It never got where it was supposed to go.
A. will have been
B. needn‟t be
C. must have been
D. should have been
E. ought to have been

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35. Although the literacy rate has increased ___ in the last fifty years, the overall quality of
education in the secondary schools has markedly deteriorated.
A. emotionally B. physically C. strikingly D. economically E. crucially

36. Alice : Where have you put my keys?

Tony : I clearly remember ____ them on the table last night.
A. to leave B. left C. did leave D. leaving E. have left

37. No offence intended ____ I think you haven‟t understood the problem correctly.
A. when B. as C. but D. if E. so

38. Animals trapped in stone called „amber‟ are sometimes so well preserved that they look
__________ they have just died.
A. so that B. in case C. as though D. even if E. now that

39. There is such an ___________ beautiful view from my office window. It is __________ .
A. incredible/perfect
B. incredibly/perfect
C. incredibly/perfectly
D. incredible/perfectly
E. incredibley/perfect

40. Each of the Olympic athletes _______ for months, even years.
A. have been training
B. were training
C. has been training
D. been training
E. train

41. A: My exam is today. I am very nervous.

B: Don‟t worry. ________________.
A. you pass
B. you will pass
C. you are passing
D. you won‟t pass
E. you shall not pass

42. The first products on our website_______ in 2000.

A. have been sold B. were sold C. sold D. were selling E. has been sold

43. Some of the prisoners ________ in the following year.

A. will release B. release C. had been released D. will be released E. are released

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44. Mr Guth _____ rather not invest that money in the stock market.
A has to B. could C. would D. must E. may

45. She drives ________ than her brother.

A. faster B. more fast C. more fastly D. the fastest E. fastest

46. My father asked me where _____ the CD.

A. had I put B. did I put C. I put D. I was put E. were I put

47. I saw the movie, but I _______ it.

A. won‟t like it B. didn‟t liked C. don‟t liked D. didn‟t like E. shouldn‟t like

48. The night before the police _______ two criminals and put them in prison.
A. catch B. arrested C. arrest D. unarrest E. unarrested

49. The critics had to admit that the ballet‟s ________ was superb.
A. portfolio B. performance C. pride D. pain E. psychology

50. Jim is very unpleasant to his parents. They ________ all the time.
A. argument B. argue C. discussion D. discuss E. angry

51. Is that the hotel ________ you stayed last night?

A. what B. who C. whose D. whom E. where

52. We decided to see the town on a _________ tour so that someone would show us the sights.
A. led B. controlled C. guided D. served E. day

53. Jason felt very _________ before the exam. He was sure he would do well.
A. angry B. nervous C. depressed D. guilty E. confident

54. You can ________ a lot of money by turning the lights off when you are not in the room.
A. waste B. lend C. lose D. save E. earn

55. I don‟t want to say _____________. It is her fault.

A. anything B. something C. nothing D. anywhere E. somewhere

56. I will tell you something if you promise you ________ tell anyone.
A. should B. shouldn‟t C. won‟t D. would E. wouldn‟t

57. Someone ___________ my house and stole my jewellery last night.

A. broke down B. broke up C. broke with D. broke into E. broke

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58. My father hates football. _______ him I love football very much.
A. Unlike B. Like C. Similar D. Same E. Likely

59. ____ lead was widely known to be dangerous, by the early years of the 20th century, it could
be found in all manners of consumer products.
A. Since B. Once C. Only when D. Even though E. Given that

60. The baby accidently __________ the milk on the white sofa.
A. poured B. put C. threw D. spilled E. laid

61. When I was a child, I _____________ climb the wall and jump into our neighbours‟ garden.
A. did
B. have
C. used
D. used to
E. should

62. If the weather ______________ bad tomorrow, we can go to a museum.

A. will be
B. was
C. is
D. has been
E. would be

63. Have you finished ___________ the wall yet?

A. paint
B. to paint
C. painted
D. paints
E. painting

64. John: Can I make myself a cup of coffee?

Mary: Of course. You ___________ to ask.
A. haven‟t
B. mustn‟t
C. needn‟t
D. don‟t have
E. shouldn‟t

65. I _________ a lot of sport in my free time.

A. do B. practice C. make D. exercise E. run

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66. __________ anywhere interesting recently?
A. Do you go
B. Have you been
C. Are you going
D. Will you go
E. Shall you go

67. _________ ever been to New York?

A. Have you
B. Are you
C. Did you
D. Were you
E. Would you like to

68. The amount of organically grown food on sale has ________enormously in recent years?
A. raised
B. lifted
C. increased
D. built
E. passed

69. Can you believe it? A woman has been _________ for hacking into the computer of her
online virtual husband.
A. accused
B. suspended
C. arrested
D. suspected
E. assaulted

70. We have _____________ come back from a trip to India. It was amazing.
A. already
B. yet
C. just
D. only
E. until

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 PART II

READING

Read the following reading passages and answer all questions.

PASSAGE I

The locations of stars in the sky relative to one another do not appear to the naked eye
to change, and as a result stars are often considered to be fixed position. Many unaware
stargazers falsely assume that each star has its own permanent home in the night-time sky.

In reality, though, stars are always moving, but because of tremendous distances
between stars themselves and from stars to Earth, the changes are barely perceptible here. An
example of a rather fast-moving star demonstrates why this misconception prevails; it takes
approximately 200 years for a relatively rapid star like Bernard‟s star to move a distance in
the skies equal to the diameter of the earth‟s moon. When the apparently negligible movement
of the stars is contrasted with the movement of the planets, the stars are seemingly unmoving.

71. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A. What the Eye Can See in the Sky
B. Bernard‟s Star
C. Planetary Movement
D. The Evermoving Stars
E. Milky Way Stars

72. The expression “naked eye” in line 1 most probably refers to ...
A. a telescope
B. a scientific method for observing stars
C. unassisted vision
D. a camera with a powerful lens
E. blind eyes

73. According to the passage, the distances between the stars and Earth are ...
A. barely perceptible
B. huge
C. fixed
D. moderate
E. quite close

74. The word “perceptible” in line 5 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
A. noticeable
B. persuasive
C. conceivable
D. astonishing
E. surprising

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75. In line 6, a “misconception” is closest in meaning to a(n) ...
A. idea
B. proven fact
C. erroneous belief
D. theory
E. mystery

76. The passage states that in 200 years Bernard‟s star can move ...
A. around Earth‟s moon
B. next to Earth‟s moon
C. a distance equal to the distance from Earth to the Moon
D. a distance seemingly equal to the diameter of the Moon
E. around the Venus as well

77. The passage implies that from Earth it appears that the planets.....
A. are fixed in the sky
B. move more slowly than the stars
C. show approximately the same amount of movement as the stars
D. travel through the sky considerably more rapidly than the stars
E. do not move around the Sun

78. The word “negligible” in line 8 could most easily be replaced by......
A. negative
B. insignificant
C. rapid
D. distant
E. quick

79. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Stars do not appear to the eye to move
B. The large distances between stars and the earth tend to magnify movement to the eye.
C. Bernard‟s star moves quickly in comparison with other stars.
D. Although stars move, they seem to be fixed.
E. None of the above

80. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses

A. the movement of the planets
B. Bernard‟s star
C. the distance from Earth to the Moon
D. why stars are always moving
E. invasion of aliens

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81. This passage would most probably be assigned reading in which course?
A. Astrology
B. Geophysics
C. Astronomy
D. Geography
E. Gastronomy

PASSAGE II

It has been noted that, traditionally, courts have granted divorces on fault grounds: one
spouse is deemed to be at fault in causing the divorce. More and more today, however,
divorces are being granted on a no-fault basis.

Proponents of no-fault divorce argue that when a marriage fails, it is rarely the case
that one marriage partner is completely to blame and the other blameless. A failed marriage is
much more often the result of mistakes by both partners.

Another argument in favour of no-fault divorce is that proving fault in court, in a

public arena, is a destructive process that only serves to lengthen the divorce process and that
dramatically increases the negative feelings present in a divorce. If a couple can reach a
decision to divorce without first deciding which partner is to blame, the divorce settlement
can be negotiated more easily and equitably and the post-divorce healing process can begin
more rapidly.

82. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. Traditional grounds for divorce
B. Who is at fault in a divorce?
C. Why no-fault divorces are becoming more common
D. The various reasons for divorces
E. None of the above

83. The word "spouse" in line 2 is closest in meaning to a ...

A. judge
B. problem
C. divorce decree
D. marriage partner
E. friend

84. According to the passage, no-fault divorces ...

A. are on the increase
B. are the traditional form of divorce
C. are less popular than they used to be
D. were granted more in the past
E. are on the decrease

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85. It is implied in the passage that ...
A. there recently has been a decrease in no-fault divorces
B. not all divorces today are no-fault divorces
C. a no-fault divorce is not as equitable as a fault divorce
D. people recover more slowly from a no-fault divorce
E. all of the above

86. The word "proponents" in line 4 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
A. advocates B. recipients C. authorities D. enemies E. people

87. The passage states that a public trial to prove the fault of one spouse can ...
A. be satisfying to the wronged spouse
B. lead to a shorter divorce process
C. reduce negative feelings
D. be a harmful process
E. offend the other spouse

88. Which of the following is NOT listed in this passage as an argument in favor of no-fault
divorce?
A. Rarely is only one marriage partner to blame for a divorce.
B. A no-fault divorce generally costs less in legal fees.
C. Finding fault in a divorce increases negative feelings.
D. A no-fault divorce settlement is generally easier to negotiate.
E. None of the above

89. The word "present" in line 9 could most easily be replaced by

A. existing B. giving C. introducing D. resulting E. last one

90. The word "settlement" in line 10 is closest in meaning to ...

A. development B. serenity C. discussion D. agreement E. building

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PART III

WRITING

Choose the best answer for each blank to complete the following paragraphs.

Paragraph I

Cities, large and small, are at the heart of a fast changing global economy – they are a
cause of, and a response to world economic growth. Many urban areas are growing (91) ___
their rural hinterlands are depressed, which forces improverished rural people to move to the
cities in search of work. These newcomers often end up not (92) ____ the opportunities they
are looking for, so they become part of the urban poor. (93) ____ arrival to the city, they often
encounter lack of housing and infrastructure services. To (94) ____ the lack of available
homes, newcomers often set up shelters on the city outskirts, usually on public-owned land.
They often live without electricity, running water, a sewerage system, roads and other urban
services. (95) ____ dealing with poor sanitation and pollution from dirty cooking fuels and
primitive stoves, they are exposed to modern environmental hazards, such as urban air
pollution, exhaust fumes and industrial pollution.

91. A. unless B. in case C. so that D. whenever E. because

92. A. to find B. finding C. to have found D. being found E. To be found

93. A. About B. To C. For D. Upon E. By

94. A. cut down on B. go in for C. turn back on D. fall behind with E. make up for

95. A. Despite B. Owing to C. For the sake of D. In addition to E. Unlike

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Paragraph II

No single country owns Antarctica. (96) ____, countries wishing to have a say in how
the Antarctic (both the continent itself and the surrounding Southern Ocean) is governed (97)
____, and agree to abide by, the Antarctic Treaty. However, prior to the signing of the
Antarctic Treaty in 1959, several countries had made claims to parts of Antarctica, some of
which overlapped. The Treaty does not (98) ____ these claims; Article IV of the Treaty states
in part, “No acts or activities taking place while the present Treaty is in force shall constitute a
basis for asserting, supporting or denying a claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica.” (99)
_____ avoiding the claims issue in this way, it was possible to produce a treaty that may
parties could sign. Unfortunately, this means that (100) ____ many countries follow the spirit
of cooperation of the Treaty, there are still disputes over territory that remain unresolved and
come up from time to time.

96. A. Instead B. For example C. At least D. In short E. Similarly

97. A. were to sign B. had to sign C. must sign D. may sign E. used to sign

98. A. jeopardize B. withdraw C. underestimate D. recognize E. deteriorate

99. A. By B. From C. About D. Along E. Without

100. A. as B. while C. if D. until E. before

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English Proficiency Exam Answer Key

1. C 26. B 51. E 76. D

2. A 27. B 52. C 77. D
3. B 28. A 53. E 78. B
4. B 29. B 54. D 79. B
5. B 30. B 55. A 80. A
6. B 31. A 56. C 81. C
7. B 32. C 57. D 82. C
8. C 33. A 58. A 83. D
9. D 34. C 59. D 84. A
10. C 35. C 60. D 85. B
11. A 36. D 61. D 86. A
12. C 37. C 62. C 87. D
13. C 38. C 63. E 88. B
14. E 39. B 64. D 89. A
15. C 40. C 65. A 90. D
16. D 41. B 66. B 91. E
17. D 42. B 67. A 92. B
18. C 43. D 68. C 93. D
19. D 44. C 69. C 94. E
20. C 45. A 70. C 95. D
21. E 46. C 71. D 96. A
22. B 47. D 72. C 97. C
23. D 48. B 73. B 98. D
24. B 49. B 74. A 99. A
25. D 50. B 75. C 100. B

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