INSTITUTO TECNOLÓGICO DE MORELIA

COORDINACIÓN DE LENGUAS EXTRANJERAS

PREPARATION FOR B2 LEVEL

Certification sample test 7/10

Part I. Listening
Listen to the interviewer and answer questions 1-7.

1. What was unusual about Leo’s team?

a)They were all descendants of Ernest Shackleton.
b)They all had a personal link with the 1908 trip.
c)They’d all attempted to reach the South Pole before.

2. What does Leo say was the hardest thing for the team before the expedition?
a)organising the finance
b)preparing mentally
c)getting physically fit

3. What does Leo say was easier for the 21st .century expedition than for Shackleton’s expedition?
a)planning their daily route
b)doing the cooking
c) carrying their equipment

4. What problem did both expeditions experience?

a)running out of food
b)a serious illness
c)bad weather

5. How did Leo feel when he was crossing the Antarctic plateau?
a)He hadn’t expected it to be so difficult.
b)He was worried they wouldn’t reach the
South Pole.
c)He doubted his skills as a leader.

6. The part of the trip Leo enjoyed the most was

when they
a) reached the South Pole.
b) reached the same point that Shackleton had got to.
c) reached home safely.

7. What does Leo admire about Shackleton?

a)his determination
b)his ambition
c)his bravery
Part II. Reading
Read the article and select the correct options.

Learning from penguin poop

The unique features of penguin poop have allowed scientists to make a remarkable discovery. The faeces of Adelie
penguins, which live along the Antarctic coast and its islands, have a unique colour. They are bright pink due to the
penguins’ diet, which consists largely of pink creatures called krill. They eat so much of it that their plentiful poop stains
the ground on which they live, as well as their own bodies. Moreover, they produce so much poop that the pink stains can
be seen from space.

This attribute has been useful for scientists studying these birds, as it has allowed them to locate colonies of penguins
using satellite images. It isn’t possible to see individual penguins in satellite photos, but the pink stains are easy to
identify. Scientists can even estimate the size of the colony from the size of the pink area.
Researchers using this method were, until recently, reasonably certain that they knew the whereabouts of all the Adelie
penguin colonies on the continent. However, a colleague at NASA then developed an algorithm which automatically
detected these stains, rather than finding them by human eye. The computer programme identified many more pink
patches that the researchers had previously overlooked, particularly in the Danger Islands.

Researcher Heather Lynch admitted that the researchers had probably missed these colonies because they never expected
to find them there. As the name suggests, the Danger Islands are difficult to get to and are almost always covered in sea
ice. They are so small that they don’t even appear on many maps of Antarctica. However, once the researchers were aware
of the colonies, they completed a full survey. They discovered 1.5 million penguins in this small area, more than in the
rest of Antarctica.

Although this seems a large number, research findings suggest that it is lower than previous years. By studying satellite
images from the past, which date back to 1982, the team were able to deduce that penguin numbers peaked in the late
1990s, and have since declined by 10-20%. Krill fishing is one of the main causes for the population decline of penguins
in Antarctica, but because the Danger Islands are normally surrounded by sea ice, there is less human activity here than in
other parts of the continent. This leads researchers to believe that the recent decline is due to other factors, such as climate
change.

The scientists are now conducting research in the area to better understand the species and the long-term health of the
colonies. One team, for example, is analysing the colour and content of the poop to investigate changes in the birds’ diet.
This can show the extent to which penguins are affected by commercial fishing. Another is digging holes to learn more
about the penguins’ past. By radiocarbon dating the bones and eggshells found in these holes, the team have discovered
that the penguins have been inhabiting these islands since 2,800 years ago. By learning more about the penguin population
of Antarctica, the team hopes to understand more about the impact of human activity on the natural world.

8. The article is mainly about...

a.studying penguin poop to learn about their diet
b.the discovery of large, new penguin colonies
c.how climate change is affecting penguin populations
d.why penguin poop can be seen from satellite images

9. What is NOT true about the faeces of Adelie penguins, according to the text?
a.They get their colour from the krill in the penguins’ diet.
b.They are visible from space due to their colour and quantity.
c.They have allowed researchers to locate penguin colonies for many years.
d.They have changed in colour considerably since the late 1990s.

10. Why didn’t the researchers find the colonies in the Danger Islands before?
a.They hadn’t studied the satellite images.
b.It was too difficult for them to go to the Danger Islands.
c.The pink poop stains were not visible on previous satellite images.
d.They didn’t think to look for Adelie penguins in this location.
 11. What TWO things are true about the Danger Islands? Choose TWO correct answers
a.They are small and do not appear on some maps.
b.They are a popular location for commercial krill fishing.
c.They are often surrounded and covered in sea ice.
d.They have never been surveyed until recently.

12. What TWO things are true about the Adelie penguin colonies on the Danger Islands? Choose TWO
correct answers
a.They have only existed since 1982.
b.They are within a comparatively small area.
c.They contain more Adelie penguins than in the rest of Antarctica.
d.The number of penguins there has increased since the late 1990s.

13. According to the text, the number of Adelie penguins on the Danger Islands is...
a.increasing, probably due to climate change.
b.decreasing, probably due to climate change.
c.increasing, probably due to an increase in food availability.
d.decreasing, probably due to a decrease in food availability.

14. Researchers found out the age of the colony by...

a.studying remains found underground.
b.studying satellite images.
c.studying penguin faeces.
d.studying the shapes of bones and eggshells.
Part III. Vocabulary
According to the words in parenthesis , complete each sentence using the correct word formation.

15. He’s a convinced ________ of Chinese communism (follow).

16. Jane’s party was more of an _________ test that anything else (endure).
17. The government has commited itself to developing ___________ sources of energy (new).
18. He took a job as sales __________in a big department store (assist).
19. The potential benefits of this treatment _______ the risks (weigh).
20. Make sure the hairdryer is _____ before you fix the switch (connect).
21. They say that travel _______ the mind (broad).
22. Without his teacher’s __________he would have given up long ago (encourage).
23. Dicken’s last novel was _________ The mistery of Edwin Drood (title).
24. She has known me for two years now but she still ____________my name (pronounce).

Part III. Grammar

25. He wanted to become a 29. He’s good ______ 33. She’s committed _____
member, but he was turned celebrities. achieving her goals.
_____ for not being a
professional player. a) On imitating a) On
b) At imitate b) Of
A) Away c) At imitating c) To
B) In d) Of imitating d) At
C) Out e)
D) On 34. You can stay ____ with
30. He _____ about his me or with Mary.
26. Our financial situation is looking whereabouts.
_____ at last. a) Either
a) Lie b) Neither
a) Up b) Lying c) Or
b) Down c) Lay d) As
c) Out d) Lied
d) Off 35. $300 for that second-
31. She ______ the pain handed shirt? That’s a
27. I’m sorry I missed your game. bravely. complete _____
How about I make it _____ to you
with some ice cream? a) Bear a) Skim on
b) Beer b) Giveaway
a) In c) Bore c) Set up
b) On d) Bored d) Rip-off
c) Down
d) Up 32. He’s allergic ____ cats.

28. If I had studied harder, I a) Of

__________ passed the exam. b) To
c) On
a) Would d) At
b) Have
c) Had
d) Would have