PRACTICE TEST 4 (2024)

SECTION I: LISTENING (3.0 Pts)

Part 1. Listen to the talk and then choose the correct letter A, B, or C. You are going to listen to the recording
twice.
1. What does the charity Forward thinking do?
A. It funds the art exhibitions in hospitals.
B. It produces affordable materials for art therapy.
C. It encourages the use of arts projects in healthcare.
2. What benefit of Forward thinking's work does Jasmine mention?
A. People avoid going to hospital.
B. Patients require fewer drugs.
C. Medical students do better in tests.
3. When did the organization become known as Forward thinking?
A. 1986 B. in the 1990's C. 2005
4. Where does Forward thinking operate?
A. within Clifton city
B. in all parts of London
C. in several towns and villages near Clifton
5. Jasmine explains that the Colvin Centre is
A. a school for people with health problems.
B. a venue for a range of different activities.
C. a building which needs repairing.
Part 2: You will hear part of a scientific television programme for young people in which the speaker explains
what meteors' are. For questions 6 -15, complete the notes. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for
each answer.
'Meteors' is another name for (6) ________________.
To help explain meteors, planet Earth is compared to a (7) __________________.
You can think of meteors as a group of (8) __________________.
In reality, meteors are very small chunks of (9) _________________.
The circular path the Earth travels around the Sun is called its (10) ___________________.
When Earth comes close to a meteor, the meteor is pulled (11) _________________ by gravity.
A meteor travels very fast - a hundred times faster than (12) ________________.
Due to the speed it travels through the air, the meteor becomes (13) _______________.
Because of the heat, the meteor becomes less hard, (14) ________________ and then burns.
We are lucky that most meteors burn up and never (15) ________________.
Part 3: For questions 16-20, listen to an interview with a woman called Grace Connolly who is talking about
her travel experiences in New Zealand. Decide if each sentence is True (T) or False (F). Write your answers in
the corresponding numbered boxes.
16. The first part of Grace's journey took her along the east coast of South Island.
17. When Grace took a day trip to the place called Kaikuora, she particularly wanted to see dolphins.
18. Grace hired a bike to go around the island because it was cheap.
19. Grace had to visit a hospital because she injured her shoulder.
20. Grace plans to go walking with friends when she next visits North Island.

SECTION II: GRAMMAR AND LEXICAL ITEMS (6.0 Pts)

Part 1: Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence. Write your answers A, B, C or D in the
numbered boxes.
1. She is reported to be ___________ a spectator.
A. an athlete more than B. more an athlete than
C. an athlete of more than D. more of an athlete than
2. I have rarely seen such an impressive sight as a ____________ of elephants roaming over the plains.
A. flock B. swarm C. pack D. herd
3. John: This grammar test is the hardest one we've ever had this semester.
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 Mary: ____________ but I think it's quite easy.
A. I couldn't agree more B. I understand what you're saying
C. You're wrong D. I don't see in that way
4. The doctor may be able to help you, but I don't expect him to ____________ miracles.
A. work B. turn C. create D. develop
5. My mother has just bought me two shirts. __________, however, is my cup of tea.
A. Neither shirts B. Neither shirt C. Neither of shirts D. Either shirt
6. On his desk ___________, which he usually sits in front of and looks at.
A. stood the picture of us B. the picture of us stands
C. standing the picture of us D. stands the picture of us
7. Unfortunately, there are no ____________ rules related to English spelling.
A. one and only B. hard and fast C. high and dry D. fair and square
8. ______________ her job, her sons and the housework, she doesn't have a minute for herself.
A. What with B. If it weren't for C. Barring D. Given
9. He is impressed by her house because it has a beautiful patio with many __________.
A. terracotta circular flower-filled pots B. circular flower- filled terracotta pots
C. circular terracotta flower-filled pots D. flower-filled circular terracotta pots
10. No matter how much pressure you put on Stevens, he won't budge a(n) __________.
A. mile B. meter C. foot D. inch
11. There is a 20 minute parking ___________ here, so we must get back to the car very quickly.
A. permission B. limit C. allowance D. ability
12. Don't forget to ____________ your sources; you don't want to get accused of stealing information.
A. quote B. cite C. name D. refer
13. It has been a good year. I've written two books and a couple of articles, and ___________ are now in print.
A. both of which B. both of them C. all of which D. all of them
14. One of Kim's secretarial works include taking the ____________ of the meeting.
A. gist B. crux C. minutes D. fundamentals
15. The police detective had been in ___________ of the suspect for two days.
A. pursuit B. employment C. expedition D. chase
16. I know you didn't want to upset me but I'd sooner you ____________ me the whole truth yesterday.
A. had told B. told C. have told D. could have told
17. The police have been investigating a crime in which a young man strangled his girlfriend in a _________ of
jealousy.
A. burst B. flash C. fit D. spell
18. No decision has been taken about the building of the new airport. The authorities are still __________.
A. beating about the bush B. comparing apples and oranges
C. sitting on the fence D. holding all the aces
19. I ____________ my best suit - everyone else was very casually dressed.
A. needn't wear B. mustn't wear C. needn't have worn D. mustn't have worn
20. She had a strong desire to be a dancer but failed to make the ____________.
A. grade B. term C. mark D. degree
Part 2: Complete each sentence with one suitable preposition or particle. Write your answers in the numbered
boxes.
21. The butter was left out of the fridge and now it's gone ____________.
22. For a whole month, Muslims abstain _____________ eating and drinking during daylight hours.
23. I am not averse _____________ an occasional glass of champagne myself.
24. She stands ____________ as one of the finest contemporary British novelists around at the moment.
25. A lorry had broken ______________ on the motorway and we had to wait for over an hour.
26. The noise from the unruly fans celebrating their team's victory didn't let __________ until early in the morning.
27. Your plan doesn't allow _____________ changes in the weather.
28. He said he would make me a rich man, but I saw _______________ him immediately.
29. Owing to circumstances ______________ our control, the flight to Rome has been cancelled.
30. He has an inspirational politician, who put ______________ his ideas with clarity.
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Part 3: Use the word given in CAPITAL to form a word that fits in the text. Write your answers in the
numbered space provided in the column on the right.
There are a myriad of lifestyle issues affecting the youth of today. Such is the pressure heaped on many
school-goers to achieve academic excellence by their parents that these (31. REAL) ________________
expectations are causing children to become hopelessly depressed. Indeed, some in their (32. DESPAIR)
___________________ to escape and their sense of guilt at being unable to reach the levels of success demanded of
them by their (33. PUSH) __________________ parents, either rebel in what is tantamount to a cry for help, or,
worse still, engage in self-harm. It is no (34. COINCIDE) _______________ that suicide rates, especially among
young males, have been rising steadily for some time now. These are tough times to be a teen. Then there are those
who get hooked on the Internet; the (35. VIRTUE) _________________ world becomes their reality. For these
teens, their social circle shrinks (36. DRAMA)_________________ until, at last, their friendship sphere is limited
solely to their online buddies. Not alone do they commonly suffer from sleep (37. DEPRIVE) _______________ on
account of their destructive addiction to game play and net-surfing, their behaviour may become so erratic and
peculiar over time as to be considered (38. SOCIETY) _________________. And while they sit at their computer
screens (39. HIDE) _________________ away in splendid isolation from the real world, such is lack of exercise
they get that their calorie intake far exceeds what is necessary for them to maintain a stable weight. In essence, due
to their sedentary lifestyle, their weight skyrockets until such time as they become morbidly ( 40. OBESITY)
__________________.

SECTION III: READING (6.0pts)

Part 1: Read the following passage and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each gap. Write your
answers in the numbered boxes.
A number of scientists around the world are now investigating a phenomenon called synaesthesia that may
(1)___________ as many as one in 2,000 people. The name (2) ____________ from the Greek words for together
and perception and means that some people’s senses work in combination. For example, some people see (3)
____________ when they hear particular sounds. Similarly, a smell or taste may be (4) ___________ as a reaction to
information received from the eyes. However, the most common form of synaesthesia occurs among people who
associate certain letters or words with colours. Scientists at Cambridge University conducted experiments to (5)
_____________ whether this is actually a product of mental activity or if some individuals are just highly
imaginative. They discovered that synaesthetes, people who experience synaesthesia, (6) _____________ associate
the same letters or words with the same colours. Brain scans revealed unusual (7) _____________ in the brain when
subjects were listening to words, suggesting that it is a physical condition. The most (8) ______________
explanation is that synaesthetes have slightly different connections between the areas of the brain which control their
(9) ___________. Synesthesia is not a medical problem, however, and synaesthetes often (10) ____________ from
an unusually good memory, probably because they have extra information to help them recall things like names and
numbers.
1. A. grieve B. infect C. suffer D. affect
2. A. reminds B. derives C. prescribes D. distracts
3. A. image B. picture C. colour D. information
4. A. retained B. perceived C. thought D. responded
5. A. determine B. realize C. recognize D. comprehend
6. A. perfectly B. earnestly C. practically D. consistently
7. A. activity B. material C. action D. thought
8. A. laudable B. eligible C. plausible D. practical
9. A. consciences B. attitudes C. senses D. conditions
10. A. deter B. defer C. profit D. benefit
Part 2: Fill in the gap with ONE suitable word. Write the answers in the numbered boxes.
Gift exchange, which is also (11) __________ ceremonial exchange, is the transfer of goods or services that,
(12) _____________ regarded as voluntary by people involved, is part of the expected social behaviour. Gift
exchange may be distinguished from (13) ____________ types of exchange in several respects: the first offering is
made in a generous manner and there is (14) ____________ haggling between donor and recipient; the exchange is
an expression of an existing social relationship or of the establishment of a new one that differs from impersonal
market relationships; and the profit in gift exchange may be (15) ___________ the sphere of social relationships and
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prestige (16) ___________ than in material advantage. The gift-exchange cycle entails obligations to give, to receive
and to return.
Sanction may exist to induce people to give, disapproval or loss of prestige (17) ___________ from a failure
to do so. Refusal to accept a gift may be seen as rejection of social relations and may (18) ____________ to enmity.
The reciprocity of the cycle rests in the necessity to return the gift; the prestige associated with the appearance of
generosity dictates that the value of the return be approximately (19) ____________ to or greater than the value of
the original gift. Alongside (20) ____________ obvious economic functions, gift exchange is significant expression
of social relations.
Part 3: Read the passage including seven paragraphs and do the following tasks. Choose the correct heading
for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 21-25 below.
List of Headings
i Different accounts of the same journey
ii Bingham gains support
iii A common belief
iv The aim of the trip
v A dramatic description
vi A new route
vii Bingham publishes his theory
viii Bingham's lack of enthusiasm

Paragraph A iv
21. Paragraph B ...
22. Paragraph C ...
23. Paragraph D ...
24. Paragraph E ...
25. Paragraph F ...
Paragraph G iii

The Lost City

An explorer's encounter with the ruined city of Machu Picchu, the most famous icon of the Inca civilisation

A
When the US explorer and academic Hiram Bingham arrived in South America in 1911, he was ready for what was
to be the greatest achievement of his life: the exploration of the remote hinterland to the west of Cusco, the old
capital of the Inca empire in the Andes mountains of Peru. His goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos,
the last capital of the Inca civilisation. Cusco lies on a high plateau at an elevation of more than 3,000 metres, and
Bingham's plan was to descend from this plateau along the valley of the Urubamba river, which takes a circuitous
route down to the Amazon and passes through an area of dramatic canyons and mountain ranges.

B
When Bingham and his team set off down the Urubamba in late July, they had an advantage over travellers who had
preceded them: a track had recently been blasted down the valley canyon to enable rubber to be brought up by mules
from the jungle. Almost all previous travellers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across
mountains to rejoin the river lower down, thereby cutting a substantial corner, but also therefore never passing
through the area around Machu Picchu.

C
On 24 July they were a few days into their descent of the valley. The day began slowly, with Bingham trying to
arrange sufficient mules for the next stage of the trek. His companions showed no interest in accompanying him up
the nearby hill to see some ruins that a local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, had told them about the night before. The
morning was dull and damp, and Bingham also seems to have been less than keen on the prospect of climbing the
hill. In his book Lost City of the Incas, he relates that he made the ascent without having the least expectation that he
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would find anything at the top.

D
Bingham writes about the approach in vivid style in his book. First, as he climbs up the hill, he describes the ever-
present possibility of deadly snakes, "capable of making considerable springs when in pursuit of their prey"; not that
he sees any. Then there's a sense of mounting discovery as he comes across great sweeps of terraces, then a
mausoleum, followed by monumental staircases and, finally, the grand ceremonial buildings of Machu Picchu. "It
seemed like an unbelievable dream the sight held me spellbound ..." he wrote.

E
We should remember, however, that Lost City of the Incas is a work of hindsight, not written until 1948, many years
after his journey. His journal entries of the time reveal a much more gradual appreciation of his achievement. He
spent the afternoon at the ruins noting down the dimensions of some of the buildings, then descended and rejoined
his companions, to whom he seems to have said little about his discovery. At this stage, Bingham didn't realise the
extent or the importance of the site, nor did he realise what use he could make of the discovery.

F
However, soon after returning it occurred to him that he could make a name for himself from this discovery. When
he came to write the National Geographic magazine article that broke the story to the world in April 1913, he knew
he had to produce a big idea. He wondered whether it could have been the birthplace of the very first Inca, Manco
the Great, and whether it could also have been what chroniclers described as "the last city of the Incas". This term
refers to Cilcabamba, the settlement where the Incas had fled from Spanish invaders in the 1530s. Bingham made
desperate attempts to prove this belief for nearly 40 years. Sadly, his vision of the site as both the beginning and end
of the Inca civilisation, while a magnificent one, is inaccurate. We now know that Vilcabamba actually lies 65
kilometres away in the depths of the jungle.

G
One question that has perplexed visitors, historians and archaeologists alike ever since Bingham, is why the site
seems to have been abandoned before the Spanish Conquest. There are no references to it by any of the Spanish
chroniclers - and if they had known of its existence so close to Cusco they would certainly have come in search of
gold. An idea which has gained wide acceptance over the past few years is that Machu Picchu was a moya, a country
estate built by an Inca emperor to escape the cold winters of Cusco, where the elite could enjoy monumental
architecture and spectacular views. Furthermore, the particular architecture of Machu Picchu suggests that it was
constructed at the time of the greatest of all the Incas, the emperor Pachacuti (c.1438-71). By custom, Pachacuti's
descendants built other similar estates for their own use, and so Machu Picchu would have been abandoned after his
death, some 50 years before the Spanish Conquest.

❖ For questions 26-28, do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write
True if the statement agrees with the information
False if the statement contradicts the information
Not Given if there is no information on this
26. Bingham went to South America in search of an Inca city.
27. Bingham chose a particular route down the Urubamba valley because it was the most common route used by
travellers.
28. Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in order to find evidence to support his theory.
❖ For questions 29-30, complete the sentences below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each
answer.
29. The track that took Bingham down the Urubamba valley had been created for the transportation of
____________.
30. Bingham found out about the ruins of Machu Picchu from a ___________ in the Urubamba valley.

SECTION IV: WRITING (5pts)

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Part 1. Rewrite each of the following sentences using the suggested word(s) so that its meaning stays the same.
Write each answer in the space provided.
1. The Mediterranean is warm, whereas the North Sea is much colder.
 The North Sea is nowhere...........................................................................................................................
2. The boy was so scared that he could hardly breathe.
 Such.............................................................................................................................................................
3. In my opinion, it's better to talk calmly than to argue.
 I'd prefer......................................................................................................................................................
4. Many creatures still survive and thrive in the harsh conditions of the deserts.
 Harsh...........................................................................................................................................................
5. Nick told one of the detectives that he had taken the cashbox.
 Nick admitted..............................................................................................................................................
Part 2. Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first printed, using the word
given in CAPITAL. Do not change the word given. You must use between THREE and SIX words. Write each
answer in the space provided.
6. The company tried unsuccessfully to secure a bank loan. (AVAIL).
 The company's......................................................................................................... securing a bank loan.
7. I'm sorry I said that your new hat looked like a lampshade. (BACK).
 I ..................................................................................said about your new hat looking like a lampshade.
8. Peter grimaced as he swallowed the foul-tasting medicine. (PULLED).
 Peter ...................................................................................................................the foul-tasting medicine.
9. Although the manager is sluggish, he is a smooth speaker. (GIFT)
 Sluggish as the manager is, he....................................................................................................................
10. I can't find the answer without a calculator. (OUT).
 I can't...................................................................................................................................... a calculator.
Part 3: Write an essay of about 200 words on the following topic.
Parents are supposed to respect their children's privacy in both virtual and real world. To what extent do you
agree or disagree with this view.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.
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THE END