PRACTICE TEST 4

A. LISTENING (50 points):

Part 1. Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD for each answer. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 points)
Easy Life Cleaning Services
Basic cleaning package offered
 Cleaning all surfaces
 Cleaning the (1) __________________ throughout the apartment
 Cleaning shower, sinks, toilets etc.
Additional services agreed
 Every week
- Cleaning the (2) __________________
- Ironing clothes – (3) __________________ only
 Every month
- Cleaning all the (4) __________________ from the inside
- Washing down the (5) __________________
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2. Listen to the recording and decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 points)
1. Most plastic is made from oil, which is a finite resource.
2. Turng's research focuses on making plastic from recycled materials rather than corn and soybeans.
3. According to Turng, special composting facilities can currently diminish plastic waste by decomposing it.
4. The first plant-based plastics were created over 100 years ago.
5. Turng is working on bioplastics that are stronger and easier to mold than petroleum-based plastics.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 3. You will hear an interview in which two professional set designers share their experience of
working in the theatre. Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (10 points)
1. Neil first decided to become a set designer when ______.
A. the first time he went to the theater with his parents
B. at his drama course at university
C. he was asked to help out on a student production
D. he gave up on his childhood dream of becoming an actor
2. What does Neil say about working as an assistant set designer?
A. He did it because he was in need on money.
B. He believed it would help him find new professional connections.
C. He was too young to take full advantage of it at first.
D. He appreciated the opportunity to get some practical experience.
3. Vivienne believes that when you start working on a new production, the most important aspect is ______.

ESC21_English 11_1
 A. establishing a working relationship with the director
B. agreeing on how much you want to change the scenery
C. having genuine interest in the play
D. trying some sketches beforehand
4. Why does Vivienne prefer simultaneous work on several productions?
A. She finds that it stimulates her creativity.
B. She believes that it makes more sense financially.
C. It means she doesn’t have to be on all opening nights.
D. It helps her get her mind off problems in other productions.
5. Vivienne doesn’t share Neil’s opinion that reviews are ______.
A. something set designers shouldn’t be too much worried about
B. can be unreasonably critical or biased towards a designer’s set
C. annoying whenever the set isn’t mentioned in it
D. flattering when the set is specifically mentioned
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 4. Listen to part of a radio program about a device that helps ease depression and complete the
following summary. Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD taken from the recording for each blank. Write
your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (20 points)
- The “weird” headpiece that Susan Meiklejohn (1) ___________ daily is giving her relief from the deep (2)
___________depression that she has suffered most of her life.
- Meiklejohn claims that she has never attempted suicide, but she has been (3) ___________ in that ideation.
- Meiklejohn tried ketamine, commonly used in (4) ___________, to see if the new (5) ___________
treatment could provide her with some relief, but its effect didn’t last long.
- A few months ago, Meiklejohn heard about a new treatment (6) ___________ that she could try at home.
- Leigh Charvet is pioneering research in (7) ___________ direct current stimulation as a treatment for a wide
range of neurological disorders.
- Marom Bikson from the City College of New York develops methods of (8) ___________ involving the use
of devices to deliver energy in a controlled way to the nervous system to change the body.
- Bikson says the (9) ___________ roughly touches a part of your brain.
- Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain associated with problem solving, attention switching,
memory management and (10) ___________.
Your answers:
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
B. LEXICO - GRAMMAR (40 points)
Part 1. Choose one of the words marked A, B, C, or D which best completes each of the following
sentences. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (20 points)
1. She always gets what she wants because she knows how to ______ the rules.
A. elicit B. desert C. slack D. circumvent

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2. I have no appetite and I am lethargic. I’ve been feeling under _______ for ages.
A. weather B. par C. stress D. counter
3. There was no one downstairs; so he turned off the lights again and decided that she _________ imagined
things.
A. must have B. should have C. can’t have D. needn’t have
4. _________, the diners settled the bill and left the restaurant.
A. Having hunger satisfied C. Their hunger satisfied
B. Hunger been satisfied D. Satisfying their hunger
5. My new pullover _______ to half of its previous size when I washed it.
A. dwindled B. reduced C. diminished D. shrank
6. Don’t mention work to Ray, as it’s a sore _______ with him at the moment.
A. point B. sight C. thumb D. threat
7. Today, while the vast majority of people are _______ opposed to the use of drugs in sport, detection
remains a real problem for the governing bodies.
A. steadily B. staunchly C. vaguely D. diametrically
8. The government is making little _______ in its fight to beat inflation.
A. advance B. improvement C. headway D. forward
9. _______, the meeting stops here.
A. If no question being asked C. Without any question, however
B. No questions asked D. There being no question
10. I recommend that Miriam ________ a boarding school. She'd be much more challenged
academically.
A. attend B. attending C. attended D. would attend
11. Most critics agree that rather little ________ done by the artist after his illness has any great
value.
A. of what was B. of that was C. of that what was D. which has been
12. _________, I’d like to talk about myself as the happiest person in the world.
A. Be that it may C. Strange as it might sound
B. How much strange it may be D. Strange though might it sound
13. ________ as a masterpiece, a work of art must transcend the ideas of the period in which it was
created.
A. Ranking B. To be ranked C. Being ranked D. To be ranking
14. If you continue to _______ debts at this rate, you will have to declare bankruptcy eventually.
A. arise B. secure C. incur D. default

15. Investors were caught ________ by the sharp drop in share prices.
A. unawares B. unconscious C. short D. red-handed
16. _________ , the balcony chairs will be ruined in this weather.
A. Leaving uncovered C. Having left uncovered
B. Left uncovered D. Been left uncovered
17. The government would be forced to use its emergency powers ________ further rioting to occur.
A. should B. did C. were D. had
18. Granddad would spend hours talking to us youngsters around the dinner table ________ about his happy
younger days back east on the farm.
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 A. recalling B. reminiscing C. reminding D. memorising
19. I’d rather you ________ a noise last night; I couldn’t get to sleep.
A. wouldn’t make B. didn’t make C. haven’t made D. hadn’t made
20. It’s a _________ shame that so little is done nowadays to help the homeless in our large cities.
A. sweeping B. crying C. dying D. pitying
Your answers:
1. 5. 9. 13. 17.
2. 6. 10. 14. 18.
3. 7. 11. 15. 19.
4. 8. 12. 16. 20.
Part 2. Give the correct form of the words in brackets. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes. (10 points)
1. Children of school age are very ______________ and tend to believe what they are told. (IMPRESS)
2. The candidate made a(n) ______________ speech that incensed all those who heard it. (FLAME)
3. The business is ______________ as it can no longer meet the repayments on its debt. (SOLVE)
4. They were enraged at the ______________ of a policeman accused of murder. (ACQUIT)
5. He is a totally ______________person who deliberately defies all standards. (MORAL)
6. She did not reply, but sat with crimson cheeks and ______________eyes. (CAST)
7. People were ______________by the pictures the satellite sent back to Earth. (AWE)
8. This statue ______________ the soldiers who died in the war. (MEMORY)
9. New immigrants have been successfully ______________into the community. (SIMILAR)
10. Increasing import tax is believed to be ______________ as it would give rise to smuggling. (PRODUCE)
Your answers:
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

Part 3. Complete each of the following sentences with a suitable particle. Write your answer in the boxes
provided. (10 points)
1. ________ accordance with our regulations, you will be issued with a formal written warning.
2. Why not buy the dress _________ approval then you can take it back if it doesn't fit your mother?
3. He’s so stubborn and stupid. I just couldn’t get ________ to him that he can never make money from
gambling.
4. Peter says he’s feeling a bit ________ colour today.
5. He went to the meeting _______ disguise so as not to be recognised.
6. Helen is upset at losing her job, but there is no reason to take it _______ on her family.
7. I acted ________ impulse and bought my wife a large bunch of flowers.
8. Ali was ________ an inch of reaching his goal when Ben stepped into the picture and messed up his plans.
9. The new regulations have thrown ________ a number of problems for the company.
10. Everyone laughed when he took ________ the teacher so well.
Your answers:

ESC21_English 11_4
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

C. READING (60 points)

Part 1. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap. Write your
answers in the corresponding boxes. (15 points)
There is extensive historical evidence that our ancestors may have witnessed a massive invasion of
Unidentified Flying Objects (1) _____________ on their territories. These extraterrestrials are (2)
_____________ to have come into (3) _____________ with the ancient earthly populations and helped them
erect numerous magnificent structures or even establish glamorous empires.
However, the present-day fascination with UFO was only instigated by the first widely (4)
_____________American sighting in Idaho in 1947. Since that time, countless other close encounters have
been reported both by highly credible witnesses such as top-class pilots and less credible ones such as
ordinary civilians. Thousands of people around the world maintain having come (5) _____________ to the
visitors from outer space or to have been abducted for a scientific study inside their flying saucers. Although
most of these accounts have been (6) _____________ as fantasy or hallucinations, there is mounting criticism
from the public and media for ignoring the subject for too long. To many people, rejecting even the most
inexplicable sightings or UFO encounters as luminous artificial objects, natural phenomena like auroras or
even as meteorological balloons and satellites seems to be an irresponsible (7) _____________. Most of us
would prefer to believe that these extraterrestrial guests are arriving from some remote galaxies to (8)
_____________ a peaceful relationship and possibly give us a fair warning against the consequences of our
wasteful lifestyles. Yet, there is another theory implying that the visitors' attitude towards mankind isn't so
conciliatory and that their sole aim might be the unscrupulous annihilation of the terrestrial populations.
Doubtless, flying saucers still continue to be observed in many places of the world (9) _______________ the
imagination of UFO-maniacs. However, a large percentage of such sightings will remain (10)
_____________explanation until more convincing evidence is supplied by the true experts.
1. A. encroaching B. approximating C. transgressing D. surpassing
2. A. reasoned B. alleged C. denoted D. inferred
3. A. face B. grip C. touch D. sight
4. A. conveyed B. notified C. communicated D. proclaimed
5. A. direct B. adjacent C. close D. nearby
6. A. dismissed B. disposed C. repelled D. speculated
7. A. bias B. approach C. encounter D. manner
8. A. establish B. engender C. enact D. engage
9. A. startling B. triggering C. sparking D. arising
10. A. beneath B. above C. under D. beyond
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 2. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE word in
each space. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers in the corresponding boxes.
(15 points)
Example: 0 – without
ESC21_English 11_5
 THE WAYS WE HAVE CHANGED
It is hard for almost everyone, but especially the young, to imagine a world (0) without television. We
have (1) _________________ to expect that all the important news of the day, worldwide, will be there (2)
_________________ the touch of a button. In times gone by, (3) _________________ the literate knew what
was going on in the world, and then only after a long delay. But now it is possible for any of us to watch
world events as they occur. (4) _________________ has shortened the distance that divides our private lives
from the outside world to (5) _________________ an extent as television.
Time and (6) _________________, television transports us to the habitats of rare animals, and we may
identify with them. Concern for damage to the environment extends far and (7) _________________. We
worry about the influence of technology not just in our cities but on us as people. Increasingly, we see (8)
_________________ as part of the planet rather than in isolation. (9) _________________was once the
prerogative of scholars is now accessible to countless people through the medium of television (10)
_________________ this form of popular education can be regarded as superficial, it represents a broadening
of knowledge.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3. Read the following passage and choose the best answers (A, B, C or D) according to the text. Write
your answers in the corresponding boxes. (15 points)
Jane Howard views some works of ancient art
I have just come home after viewing some astonishing works of art that were recently discovered in
Church Hole cave in Nottinghamshire. They are not drawings, as one would expect, but etchings, and they
depict a huge range of animals. The artists who created them lived around 13,000 years ago, and the images
are remarkable on a variety of counts. First of all, their sheer number is staggering: there are ninety all told.
Moreover, fifty-eight of them are on the ceiling. This is extremely rare in cave art, according to a leading
expert, Dr Wilbur Samson of Central Midlands University. “Wall pictures are the norm,” he says. “But more
importantly, the Church Hole etchings are in incredible artistic achievement. They can hold their own in
comparison with the best found in continental Europe.” I am not a student of the subject, so I have to take his
word for it. However, you do not have to be an expert to appreciate their beauty.
In fact, it is the wider significance of the etchings that is likely to attract attention in academic circles,
since they radically alter our view of life in Britain during this epoch. It had previously been thought that ice-
age hunters in this country were isolated from people in more central areas of Europe, but the Church Hole
images prove that ancient Britons were part of a culture that had spread right across the continent. And they
were at least as sophisticated culturally as their counterparts on the mainland.
News of such exciting discoveries spreads rapidly, and thanks to the Internet and mobile phones, a great
many people probably knew about this discovery within hours of initial expedition returning. As a result, some
etchings may already have been damaged, albeit inadvertently, by eager visitors. In a regrettably late response,
the site has been cordoned off with a high, rather intimidating fence, and warning notices have been posted.
An initial survey of the site last year failed to reveal the presence of the etchings. The reason lies in the
expectations of the researchers. They had been looking for the usual type of cave drawing or painting, which
shows up best under direct light. Consequently, they used powerful torches, shining them straight onto the rock
face. However, the Church Hole images are modifications of the rock itself, and show up best when seen from a
certain angle in the natural light of the early morning. Having been fortunate to see them at this hour, I can only
ESC21_English 11_6
say that I was deeply – and unexpectedly – moved. While most cave art often seems to have been created in a
shadow past very remote from us, these somehow convey the impression that they were made yesterday.
Dr Samson feels that the lighting factor provides important information about the likely function of
these works of art. “I think the artists knew very well that the etchings would hardly be visible except early in
the morning. We can therefore deduce that the chamber was used for rituals involving animal worship, and
that they were conducted just after dawn, as a preliminary to the day’s hunting.”
However, such ideas are controversial in the world of archaeology and human origins. Dr Olivia
Caruthers of the Reardon Institute remains unconvinced that the function of the etchings at Church Hole can
be determined with any certainty. “When we know so little about the social life of early humans, it would be
foolish to insist on any rigid interpretation. We should, in my view, begin by tentatively assuming that their
creators were motivated in part by aesthetic considerations – while of course being prepared to modify this
verdict at a late date, if and when new evidence emerges.”
To which I can only add that I felt deeply privileged to have been able to view Church Hole. It is a site
of tremendous importance culturally and is part of the heritage, not only of this country, but the world as a
whole.
1. The word staggering in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _____.
A. shrinking B. alleviating C. astounding D. promising
2. According to the text, the images in Church Hole cave are _____.
A. unique examples of ceiling art.
B. particularly beautiful cave paintings.
C. superior in quality to other cave art in Britain.
D. aesthetically exceptional.
3. What is the cultural significance of these images?
A. They indicate that people from central Europe had settled in Britain.
B. They prove that ancient Britons hunted over large areas.
C. They reveal the existence of a single ice-age culture in Europe.
D. They suggest that people in Europe were more sophisticated than Britons.
4. The word intimidating in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. frightening B. charming C. deploying D. adjusting
5. According to the text, ______.
A. the discovery of the images should not have been made public.
B. the images in the cave are vulnerable to damage.
C. many people visited the cave within hours of its discovery.
D. the measures taken to protect the images have proved ineffective.
6. Why were the images not discovered during the initial survey?
A. They were not viewed from the right angle.
B. People were not expecting to find any images.
C. Artificial light was used to explore the cave.
D. The torches used were too powerful.
7. What conclusions does Dr Samson draw from the lighting factor?
A. Rituals are common in animal worship.
B. The artists never intended to make the images visible.
C. The images were intended to be visible at a certain time of day.
D. Ice-age hunters worshipped animals in the cave.
ESC21_English 11_7
8. According to Dr Caruthers, ______.
A. we cannot make inferences from cave art.
B. the images in Church Hole do not serve any particular function.
C. experts know nothing about life 13000 years ago.
D. the function of such images is open to question.
9. The word tentatively in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. provisionally B. certainly C. concurrently D. permanently
10. It seems that the writer ______.
A. can now envisage the life of ice-age hunters more vividly.
B. was profoundly impressed by the images in the cave.
C. has now realized the true significance of cave art.
D. thinks the images should receive more publicity.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 4. For questions 1-10, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow. Write your answers in
the corresponding boxes. (15 points)
THE ROBOTS ARE COMING - OR ARE THEY?
What is the current state of play in Artificial Intelligence?
A. Can robots advance so far that they become the ultimate threat to our existence? Some scientists say
no, and dismiss the very idea of Artificial Intelligence. The human brain, they argue, is the most complicated
system ever created, and any machine designed to reproduce human thought is bound to fail. Physicist Roger
Penrose of Oxford University and others believe that machines are physically incapable of human thought.
Colin McGinn of Rutgers University backs this up when he says that Artificial Intelligence is like sheep trying
to do complicated psychoanalysis. They just don't have the conceptual equipment they need in their limited
brains'.
B. Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is different from most technologies in that scientists still understand very
little about how intelligence works. Physicists have a good understanding of Newtonian mechanics and the
quantum theory of atoms and molecules, whereas the basic laws of intelligence remain a mystery. But a
sizeable number of mathematicians and computer scientists, who are specialists in the area, are optimistic
about the possibilities. To them it is only a matter of time before a thinking machine walks out of the
laboratory. Over the years, various problems have impeded all efforts to create robots. To attack these
difficulties, researchers tried to use the 'top-down approach', using a computer in an attempt to program all the
essential rules onto a single disc. By inserting this into a machine, it would then become self-aware and attain
human-like intelligence.
C. In the 1950s and 1960s great progress was made, but the shortcomings of these prototype robots soon
became clear. They were huge and took hours to navigate across a room. Meanwhile, a fruit fly, with a brain
containing only a fraction of the computing power, can effortlessly navigate in three dimensions. Our brains,
like the fruit fly's, unconsciously recognise what we see by performing countless calculations. This
unconscious awareness of patterns is exactly what computers are missing. The second problem is robots' lack
of common sense. Humans know that water is wet and that mothers are older than their daughters. But there is
no mathematics that can express these truths. Children learn the intuitive laws of biology and physics by
interacting with the real world. Robots know only what has been programmed into them.
ESC21_English 11_8
D. Because of the limitations of the top-down approach to Artificial Intelligence, attempts have been
made to use a 'bottom-up' approach instead - that is, to try to imitate evolution and the way a baby learns.
Rodney Brooks was the director of MIT's Artificial Intelligence laboratory, famous for its lumbering
'topdown' walking robots. He changed the course of research when he explored the unorthodox idea of tiny
'insectoid' robots that learned to walk by bumping into things instead of computing mathematically the precise
position of their feet. Today many of the descendants of Brooks' insectoid robots are on Mars gathering data
for NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration), running across the dusty landscape of the
planet. For all their successes in mimicking the behaviour of insects, however, robots using neural networks
have performed miserably when their programmers have tried to duplicate in them the behaviour of higher
organisms such as mammals. MIT's Marvin Minsky summarises the problems of AI: 'The history of AI is sort
of funny because the first real accomplishments were beautiful things, like a machine that could do well in a
maths course. But then we started to try to make machines that could answer questions about simple children's
stories. There's no machine today that can do that.'
E. There are people who believe that eventually there will be a combination between the top-down and
bottom-up, which may provide the key to Artificial Intelligence. As adults, we blend the two approaches. It
has been suggested that our emotions represent the quality that most distinguishes us as human, that it is
impossible for machines ever to have emotions. Computer expert Hans Moravec thinks that in the future
robots will be programmed with emotions such as fear to protect themselves so that they can signal to humans
when their batteries are running low, for example. Emotions are vital in decision-making. People who have
suffered a certain kind of brain injury lose the ability to experience emotions and become unable to make
decisions. Without emotions to guide them, they debate endlessly over their options. Moravec points out that
as robots become more intelligent and are able to make choices, they could likewise become paralysed with
indecision. To aid them, robots of the future might need to have emotions hardwired into their brains.
F. There is no universal consensus as to whether machines can be conscious, or even, in human terms,
what consciousness means. Minsky suggests the thinking process in our brain is not localised but spread out,
with different centres competing with one another at any given time. Consciousness may then be viewed as a
sequence of thoughts and images issuing from these different, smaller 'minds', each one competing for our
attention. Robots might eventually attain a 'silicon consciousness', Robots, in fact, might one day embody an
architecture for thinking and processing information that is different from ours - but also indistinguishable. If
that happens, the question of whether they really 'understand' becomes largely irrelevant. A robot that has
perfect mastery of syntax, for all practical purposes, understands what is being said.
Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-F.
1. an insect that proves the superiority of natural intelligence over Artificial Intelligence
2. robots being able to benefit from their mistakes
3. many researchers not being put off believing that Artificial Intelligence will eventually be developed
4. the possibility of creating Artificial Intelligence being doubted by some academics
5. no generally accepted agreement of what our brains do
Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
When will we have a thinking machine?
Despite some advances, the early robots had certain (6) __________________. They were given the
information they needed on a (7) __________________. This was known as the 'top-down' approach and
enabled them to do certain tasks but they were unable to recognise (8) __________________. Nor did they
have any intuition or ability to make decisions based on experience. Rodney Brooks tried a different (9)

ESC21_English 11_9
__________________. Robots similar to those invented by Brooks are to be found on (10)
__________________ where they are collecting information.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

D. WRITING (50 points)

Part 1: (20 points)
The graph below gives information about the price of bananas in four countries between 1984 and
2004.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

________________________________________________________________________________________
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ESC21_English 11_10
Part 2. Essay writing. (30 points)
Write an essay of about 250 words to express your opinion on the following topic:
It is the responsibility of schools to teach children good behaviour in addition to providing formal
education. Do you agree or disagree?
Use your own knowledge and experience to support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
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---- THE END ----

ESC21_English 11_11