PRACTICE TESTS

PRACTICE TEST - VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR PRACTICE TEST – READING COMPREHENSION Passage 1: Passage 2: The Internet Entrepreneur The late 1990s was a volatile time for the Internet entrepreneur There were a large number of new hightech and Internet-based businesses being started up, some based on little more than dreams And, nearly any entrepreneur with a high-tech or Internet-based business plan could receive a large amount of money from investors to develop the business These businesses were called ‘dot-coms’ after the last part of their Internet addresses, and that time in business history has become known as the dot.com era Most dot.com ventures failed as the inconsistencies between high-tech dreams and realities clarified, but a handful of entrepreneurs from that time remain successful today Many people look back at the dot.com era with a certain amount of cynicism Some charge that there were entrepreneurs who deliberately mislead investors about the potential of their business plans; that they had the ulterior motive of getting their hands on large amounts of cash before anything else – a ploy that some say was common in the dot.com era By 2001, most of the dot-coms had disappeared and were sarcastically referred to as “dot-bombs” By the time the hype died down, incredible amounts of money had been lost This is an unfortunate legacy of the dot-com era Why did companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google find success, while so many others disappeared? There is no concise answer, but one interesting coincidence is that many of them were started by two or more entrepreneurs working in conjunction with each other At Microsoft, Bill Gates and Paul Allen complemented each other; Apple had Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak; and owe Google to the rapport between founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin Besides collaborating with others, today’s entrepreneurs need to be able to think on their feet because the business situation changes so quickly Entrepreneurs need to constant research to keep track of changing trends Today’s entrepreneurs need to be hardworking and tenacious- the easy money of the dot-com era is history Experimentation and innovation are critical in a rapidly changing and highly competitive marketplace It seems that the mistakes of the dot-com era have shown the world what the high-tech economy truly is – and what it isn’t it isn’t a place where anyone with a dream can get rich It is, however, a powerful and flexible business environment where people with sound business ideas and effective business models can work together to produce successful business innovations – sometimes very successful one indeed But, as has always been true in the business world, there is no substitute for thorough planning and hard work What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage? A To expose the negative side of the dot-com era B To explain the history and qualities of a type of entrepreneur C To convince the reader to become an entrepreneur D To show how being an entrepreneur s easier today than ever before What is most likely the reason that it was easy to get money from investors in the dot-com era? A Investors were mainly Internet entrepreneurs B Investors didn’t expect to get their money back in those days C Investors were confused about the potential of high-tech business ideas D Investors knew that any idea would succeed Why many people look back on the dot-com era with cynicism? A Because many companies misled their investors B Because they are jealous of success of dot-coms C Because the level of technology was so much lower then D Because there were no true entrepreneurs in that era Why did some people probably refer to dot-coms as “dot-bombs” by 2001? A Because most dot-com companies were short-lived failures B Because dot-com companies started up extremely quickly C Because some dot-com companies became extremely successful D Because many people wished to eliminate dot-com businesses According to the passage, what Microsoft, Apple, and Google all have in common? A They all produce high-quality computers B They are all cynical about dot-coms C They all have a good rapport with each other D They were all developed by more than one person Passage 3: The magic of the merger The previous year was undoubtedly the year of the merger More companies than ever before joined together in deals that totalled $2.25 trillion and created the world's largest ever bank and the world's biggest oil company Faced with plummeting oil prices, oil giants Exxon and Mobil sought to achieve economies of scale through a $250bn merger There are several factors behind the increase in mergers and acquisitions Firstly, the accelerated rate of globalisation has left companies desperately seeking overseas acquisitions in order to remain competitive Another factor behind the increase in merger activity is the record performance of stock markets, which has enabled companies to finance major acquisitions on the strength of their inflated share prices Earlier this year Vodafone, the UK mobile telephone operator, acquired its US counterpart AirTouch by making AirTouch shareholders a cash and stock swap offer worth a total of $62bn The deal created Vodafone AirTouch, the world's largest mobile telecoms group with over 29m customers New technology is also making it easier for companies to diversify as different industries come to rely on common technologies Microsoft, for instance, is busily diversifying into cable and mobile telecommunications as well as WebTV The US software giant has a $5bn equity stake in AT&T, which recently bought Media One for $57bn Under the deal, Microsoft will succeed in introducing its recentlylaunched cable television software into millions of homes in the US and UK Not all mergers, however, are the result of global economic trends, political change or technological innovation BMW's takeover of the Rover Group injected much needed investment into the struggling UK car manufacturer whilst extending BMW's product range And when the UK pharmaceutical firm Zeneca merged with Swedish drug company Astra, the new company started life with strong combined R&D capabilities, further strengthened by the world's best selling drug Losec in its portfolio of products Despite all these potential benefits and their promise of competitive advantage, mergers and acquisitions are not risk-free ventures Such alliances are more than just financial agreements; they also involve the coming together of different corporate and, in many cases, national cultures This can have a destabilising effect on a workforce and may mean projected efficiencies are not delivered Daimler and Chrysler, for example, face the challenge of integrating two very different corporate and national cultures Exxon and Mobil merged in order to A enter new overseas markets В reduce costs and improve margins С create the world's biggest company D undercut competitors' prices Vodafone was able to acquire AirTouch by A selling highly-valued share to customers В obtaining a loan based on its share value С exchanging shares as part of the deal D buying under-valued AirTouch shares What is Microsoft's interest in AT&T's acquisition of Media One? A It will raise Microsoft's equity stake in AT&T В It will give Microsoft access to new technologies С It will increase the size of Microsoft's core market D It will help Microsoft break into new markets Why was the BMW takeover in Rover's interests? A Rover was able to raise capital В It extended Rover's product range С Rover gained new distribution channels D It reduced Rover's operating costs What is the main challenge facing Daimler and Chrysler? A Customers may not want to buy foreign products В Workforce reductions could affect delivery times С Their managers might not work together effectively D The cost of the merger will outweigh any savings Passage 4: Fair Trade Chocolate Have you ever wondered where the chocolate in your favorite candy bar come from? Chocolate comes from the cacao tree, which grows in warm, tropical areas of West Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, and South America And who eats the delicious chocolate made from the cacao grown in these places? The majority of chocolate is consumed in Europe and North America This probably sounds like a familiar story, with developing countries producing inexpensive raw materials that are manufactured and sold as finished goods in developed countries, and generally, that’s what happens with chocolate Large chocolate companies buy cacao beans at a low price and produce cocoa and chocolate products to sell at a relatively high price But the familiar story has a new chapter Beginning in the 1980s, some consumers learned that cacao farmers were living difficult and uncertain lives The farmers received money for their crops based on world markets, and the market price for cacao was sometimes so low that farmers received less for their crops than the crops had cost to produce In response, groups of consumers in Europe and the United States developed ‘fair trade’ organizations to guarantee that farmers of cacao, as well as coffee and tea, would receive fair and consistent prices for their crops Fair trade organizations benefit farmers by buying cacao beans or other products from them directly at higher-than-market prices and eliminating ‘middle men’ such as exporters Fair trade organizations also encourage farming techniques that are not harmful to the environment or to farm workers, for example, growing cacao without chemical pesticides or fertilizers in the shade of rain forest trees One organization, Equal Exchange, helps farmers set up farming cooperatives in which they can share resources and work on projects such as community schools Another, Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), guarantees that products bearing its label meet standards that improve the lives of growers and producers The results of fair trade are a better standard of living for some farmers and gourmet chocolate bars made with organically produced cocoa that consumers don’t feel guilty about buying And although fair trade chocolate is somewhat more expensive than other chocolate and now makes up only per cent of chocolate sold, the fair trade idea is spreading quickly You may soon see fair trade chocolate right next to the more famous bars in your favorite store Cacao trees might be grown in _ A Brazil B Greece C Canada D Egypt People in _probably eat a lot of chocolate A Peru B Papua New Guinea C Switzerland D South Africa Why does the author mention the large chocolate companies? A to accuse them of taking advantage of developing countries B to persuade readers to buy chocolate products from them C to give examples of companies that manufacture and sell finished goods D to explain why the price of cocoa is low Consumer groups created fair trade organizations _ A to invest in world markets B to get more money to farmers C to make crops cheaper to produce D to respond to consumers in Europe The author implies that _ A there will be more fair trade chocolate in the future B fair trade chocolate is not as tasty as other chocolate C consumers feel guilty about buying fair trade chocolate D there is probably no reason to worry about cacao farmers Passage 5: Fill in appropriate word/phrases from the list all apart contain divide lumber microscope polar rural every telescope filbers such sure Plants grow in almost ……………… (1) part of the worlds We see ……………… (2) plants as flowers, grass, and trees nearly every day Plants grow high on mountaintops, far out in the oceans, and in many desert and ……………… (3) regions Without plants, there could be no life on earth Man could not live without air or food, and so he could not live without plants The oxygen in the air we breathe comes from plants The food we eat also comes from plants or from animals that eat plants We build houses and make many useful products from ……………… (4) cut from trees Much of our clothing is made from the ………………(5) of the cotton plant Scientists believe there are more than 350,000 species of plants, but no one knows for ………………(6) Some of the smallest plants, called diatoms, can be seen only with a ………………(7) A drop of water may hold as many as 500 diatoms The largest living things are the giant trees of California Some of the stand more than 290 feet high and measure over 30 feet wide Scientists ………………(8) all living things into two main groups – plants and animals It is usually easy to tell the two ……………… (9) Almost all kinds of plants stay in one place, but nearly all species of animals move about under their own power Most plants make their own food from air, sunlight, and water Animals cannot make their own food The basic units of all life, called cells, are also different in plants and animals Most plant cells have thick walls that ……………… (10) a material called cellulose Animal cells not have this material Passage 6: Complete the passage with appropriate words/ phrases from the list available consequently disturbing eliminating even explains for example in marine poison refers scattering too with Environmental pollution is a term that ………………(1) to all the ways by which man pollutes his surroundings Man dirties the air with gases and smoke, ……………… (2) the water with chemicals and other substances, and damages the soil with ……………… (3) many fertilizers and pesticides Man also pollutes his surroundings ……………… (4) various ways ……………… (5) people ruin natural beauty by ……………… (6) junk and litter on the land and in the water They operate machines and motor vehicles that fill the air with ……………… (7) noise Environmental pollution is one f the most serious problems facing mankind today Air, water, and soil are necessary to the survival of all living things Badly polluted air can cause illness, and ……………… (8) death Polluted water kills fish and other ……………… (9) life Pollution of soil reduces the amount of land that is ……………… (10) for growing food Environmental pollution also brings ugliness to man’s naturally beautiful world SAMPLE TEST PAPER 1: READING COMPREHENSION I Circle the correct choice 10 11 12 …… ….90% of Asia’s people live in the eastern 13 and southern parts of the continent, which contain some of the most ………… regions in the world A Most/ thick-populated B Most/ thickly-populated C Almost/ thick-populated D Almost/ thickly-populated You should drive carefully because accidents …………easily A occurring C occur 14 B occurred D are occurred He directed that no one ……… before sunset A eats C ate 15 B eat D could eat 10 II Look at the text in each question What does it say? Circle the correct explanation Francescol! Problem – Maria’s borrowed my history textbook and she’s away Could you lend me yourself? Leave it with Ken when you see him Thanks, Natalie Whose textbook does Natalie want to borrow? A Ken’s B Maria’s C Francesco’s THIS CAR PARK IS LOCKED AFTER BUSINESS HOURS EACH DAY A Users must lock the car park after leaving B People can park here while they are at work C This car park is for employees only PLAYERS WANTED For Friday’s basketball match against Barton College – can help the team? Come to the gym at p.m today, whatever your level A The basketball team only wants to see experienced players B There aren’t enough team members available on Friday C The Barton College team will visit the gym later today JAZZ ON A SUMMER EVENING A All Sunday evening tickets are already sold B You must book tickets for Sunday in advance C A ticket is not necessary for Sunday evening NO TICKETS LEFT FOR SUNDAY’S PERFORMANCE To: Charlotte From: Giacomo What time does your flight arrive tomorrow? Can’t pick you up if it’s earlier than midday as I’m holding a meeting at our office – sorry A Giacomo will be able to see Charlotte early tomorrow evening B Charlotte needs to arrive in time for Giacomo’s meeting tomorrow C Giacomo can collect Charlotte from the airport tomorrow afternoon III Read the passage and choose the best answer to each question about it A month ago I had no idea that on a Saturday afternoon in November I’d be hanging 30 metres above the ground and enjoying it Now I looked down at the river below me, and realized why people love rockclimbing 11 My friend Matt and I had arrived at the Activity Centre on Friday evening The accommodation wasn’t wonderful, but we had everything we needed (beds, blankets, food), and we were pleased to be out of the city and in the fresh air On Saturday morning we met the other ten members of our group Cameron had come along with two friends, Kevin and Simon, while sisters Carole and Lynn had come with Amanda We had come from various places and none of us knew the area We knew we were going to spend the weekend outdoors, but none of us was sure exactly how Half of us spent the morning caving while the others went rock-climbing and then we changed at lunchtime Matt and I went to the caves first Climbing out was harder than going in, but after a good deal of pushing, we were out at last – covered in mud but pleased and excited by what we’d done What is the writer trying to in the text? A Advertise the Activity Centre C Explain how to certain outdoor sports B Describe some people she met D Say how she spent some free time What can the reader learn from the text? A When to depend on other people at the Centre B How to apply for a place at the Centre C What sort of activities you can experience at the Centre D Which time of year is best to attend the Centre How you think the writer might describe her weekend? A Interesting B relaxing C frightening D unpleasant What we learn about the group? A Some of them had been there before B They had already chosen their preferred activities C Some of them already knew each other D They came from the same city Which of the following advertisements describes the Activity Centre? A C ACTIVITY CENTRE ACTIVITY CENTRE Set in beautiful countryside Set in beautiful countryside Accommodation and meals provided Enjoy the luxury of our accommodation – each Make up your own timetable – choose from a room has its own bathroom Work with a group, variety of activities (horse-riding, fishing, hill- or have individual teaching walking, sailing, mountain-biking) B D ACTIVITY CENTRE ACTIVITY CENTRE Set in beautiful countryside Set in beautiful countryside You can spend the Accommodation provided Work with a group – day doing outdoor activities and we will find we show you a range of outdoor activities that your accommodation with a local family you didn’t realize you could do! 12 IV Choose one word or phrase from the list to fill in each numbered blank after sells food sell stores each other of before as a result area restaurants to because After World War II, as cities grew larger and larger, it became more and more difficult to drive downtown to go shopping Store owners decided they could more business if they left downtown and moved closer to the new residential areas …………………….(1) , today we find many shopping centers on the main streets of residential areas Downtown in most cities is not as important for shopping as it was ……………….(2) 1945 A large shopping center, or mall, usually has about 50 to 100 ………………(3) of all kinds and a large parking lot for cars It is near a residential……………….(4) , not downtown, and parking in the parking lot is free Most malls have two or more department stores that ………………(5) everything you can imagine – clothes, toys, cameras, and sports equipment These department stores also sell furniture, dishes, towels, and …………… (6) things for the home Some shopping centers have supermarkets that sell………………(7) Some have drugstores that sell medicine and hundreds ……………….(8) other things The other stores in a shopping center usually …………….(9) sell only one kind of thing –books, shoes, music cassettes and CDs, computers or almost anything else A shopping center often has several fast-food……………….(10) and larger restaurants that serve snacks, lunch and dinner PAPER 2: WRITING I Rewrite each sentence in such a way that it does not change the meaning of the previous sentence I can’t play tennis as well as my brother My brother “Don’t move or I’ll shoot!” The bank robber said to the clerk The bank robber threatened It was such a boring book that nobody liked it The book Unless he phones her immediately, he won’t get any information If She last visited her parents two weeks ago She II Suppose you are Tom and you are writing a reply to your friend Peter’s letter Look at the letter and some notes Write your letter in about 100 – 120 words Could you give me some advice? Tell me how to keep fit and healthy! Avoid fat, junk food and alcohol - Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables - Play a sport such as football or tennis 13 PAPER 3: LISTENING Task 1: You will hear part of a radio program about classical music For each question, circle the correct answer This week’s prize is _ A A music cassette B two concert tickets C a classical CD The person who wrote the music lived in A Italy B Spain C France What else shares the title of this music? A A garden B a play C a park What did people when they first heard the music? A Some left before the end B only a few clapped C some asked for their money back This piece of music has been A Played in the cinema B used in advertising C used for a TV play Task 2: You will hear a radio program in which people from different parts of the country are interviewed Fill in the missing information in the numbered space Information Sheet Name: Mike Davis Age: ……………………(1) years old School: Stanley Form: ……………………….(2) Favorite subject: (3) Favorite sport: (4) Usual transport: (5) On Saturday: He helps his uncle to (6)cows, and he sometimes (7) the cowsheds On ……………… (8): He goes to the Young Farmers’ Group He’s belonged to this group since he was 10 It’s mostly fun but they also (9) things Future job: (10) 14 ...2 PRACTICE TEST – READING COMPREHENSION Passage 1: Passage 2: The Internet Entrepreneur The late 1990s