Grammar

1 Complete the text with these words. There are 3 Complete the text with the correct form of these
two extra words. verbs. There are two extra words.

did • had • use • used • was • were form • lose • monitor • pass • react • tell
would unfold

I didn’t (1) ………………………..………… to be a good listener. I Last week a remarkable story (1) …………………………..…...
(2) ………………………..………… always be thinking about what I about a chimpanzee and a lion cub, both residents of a
wanted to say next or, even worse, thinking how bored I world-famous zoo in Beijing, China.
was. I never (3) ………………………..………… to be able to A lion cub was abandoned by his mother at birth and zoo
concentrate very well in classes either. keepers, wanting to keep the cub alive, decided to call on
Then, last year I read a book called How to be a better Kuru, a female chimpanzee, who two weeks previously
listener. The best piece of advice I read was to ask a (2) …………………………..…... her own baby due to natural
question about what the speaker causes. They believed that Kuru would look after the lion
(4) ………………………..………… just said. For example, if they cub and treat it as one of her own.
said they had seen a film at the weekend, I would ask The lion cub was placed in Kuru’s cage and Kuru, with
‘What was it like?’. It really worked. Now, I use the the help of zoo workers, immediately
technique in my classes. In my last history class, I (3) …………………………..…... to the situation and started
(5) ………………………..………… about to lose my concentration feeding the young lion with the aid of a human baby’s
but I thought of some questions to ask the teacher while bottle.
he was speaking and it really helped. When I asked my Since Monday, zoo keepers (4) …………………………..…... the
questions, he was actually impressed that I had been relationship between the two animals and they have
listening! confirmed that a strong relationship
(5) …………………………..…... between them.
/5
/5
2 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the
story. 4 Find and correct the five mistakes in the text.
When they were at primary school Jim and his younger I’m in my twenties now, but I kept a diary on and off since
brother Danny, (1) wouldn’t/didn’t used/didn’t use to get I was fourteen. What I like best about a diary is that,
on. Jim would often play jokes on his brother, for example unlike a blog, nobody but you will ever read it. That
means you can be completely honest in it! The other day,
one day he put a plastic spider on Danny’s shoulder.
I found one of my diaries from my teenaged years while I
Danny (2) used to scream/would scream cleaned out the attic. I had wrapped it in clothes and
/screamed and ran out of the house. Another example hidden it in an old suitcase. (I was going to great lengths
was when Danny changed the time on Jim’s alarm clock. to make sure nobody ever found my diaries!) The entry
th
Jim (3) would arrive/arrived/was going to arrive at school for May 15 2005, which was my sixteenth birthday, read,
one hour early. ‘I am now officially grown up, but I still can’t learn to drive!
Who invents these rules?!!!’ Then I remembered that I’ve
However, things have changed. Since they started
always complained about something at that age! It was
secondary school they (4) have been getting/have so funny that, once I was starting reading it, I couldn’t
got/were getting on better. Jim often helps Danny with his stop.
Maths homework and last week they started playing music
/5
together. Danny still (5) hadn’t/hasn’t/wasn’t forgiven his

brother for the spider incident, though! Total / 20
/5

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 Vocabulary
5 Complete the text with one word in each gap. 7 Complete the body idioms in the dialogue with
one word in each gap.
It was the final set in the Wimbledon tennis final and
Ivanovich was serving for the match. His opponent Tony A: What’s wrong, Poppy? You look like you want to get
Grande looked as cool as a (1) …………………………..…... on something off your (1) …………………………..…...
the other side of the net; his eyes as cold as B: I wanted to go swimming with Shona on Saturday but
(2) …………………………..….... As Ivanovich bounced the ball, my parents say I have to lend them a
the stadium was as quiet as a (3) …………………………..….... (2) …………………………..…... with the decorating.
He served into the corner and quick as a A: Why doesn’t your brother help? He loves painting.
(4) …………………………..…... Tony Grande returned the serve, B: No, he has a football match. He’s got my parents
his backhand as solid as a (5) …………………………..….... completely under his (3) …………………………..…... You
Ivanovich dived to his right and hit the ball perfectly into know the worst thing?
the back corner. He had won the match. A: What?
B: It’s his room they want me to decorate!
/5
A: You’re pulling my (4) …………………………..…..., aren’t you?
6 Complete the text with the correct form of the B: I wish! I’m giving my brother the cold
words given. (5) …………………………..…... until Saturday.

How long do emotions last? This is a question that /5

researchers at the University of Leuven in Belgium have
been investigating. They found that 8 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the
(1) …………………………..…... (sad) may last up to 240 times text.
longer than surprise, fear, or even ‘Come closer, Helen, I want to tell you a secret,’
(2) …………………………..…... (bored). The reason for Jane (1) sighed/groaned/whispered. ‘This
differences in duration is linked to the summer my parents are planning on going
(3) …………………………..…... (signify) of the event. ‘Compared to the USA.’
to short emotions, long-lasting emotions are typically the ‘Really? No way!!’ Helen (2) whined/shrieked/
result of events of high commented. ‘That’s amazing!’
(4) …………………………..…... (important),’ noted the authors in ‘Shhh keep quiet.’
the conclusion of their new study. ‘Oh I really wish I could go,’ Helen (3) sighed/
Another thing they found was that the women in the study gasped/muttered.
experienced their feelings for a longer duration than the ‘Wait. There was a condition, though,’ said Jane.
men. Although the study is intriguing, its ‘I have to pass all my exams.’
(5) …………………………..…... (accurate) has been questioned ‘Oh no!’ Helen (4) whined/groaned/whispered.
as the sample size of 233 students was relatively small. ‘You’ll never pass all of them. You are terrible at
/5 maths.’
‘I know. I was so angry I (5) shrieked/whined/yelled
at my dad and eventually he said I could fail one subject.
So I think I’ll be going!’

/5

Total / 20

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 Reading
9 Read three letters about unusual experiences. Match the questions (1–6) with the people (A–C). You can
choose the people more than once.

Letters from readers

This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences.
A
One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first
because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next
word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I
looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand
and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of
communication.
I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of
headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got
lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there
was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I
was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and
that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of
words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby

B
My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my
dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just
perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming.
After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to
play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and
smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in
such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt
the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way.
After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting
anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out
completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only
then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to
attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those
dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine

C
My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in
our home town of Devon.
We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and
Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children.
We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be
because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were
usually able to get the message across.
One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the
ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but
finally decided that this was the best option.
From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our
family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals
all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew

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 Which person/people … Finally, Matthew, a zoo owner, learned to
1 made a difficult decision after receiving an unusual (4) …………………………..…... the body language of the gorillas
message? …………………………..…... that lived there and describes a special request that one of
2 couldn’t be helped by anyone while the experience them made.
lasted? …………………………..…...
/4
3 felt excitement followed by shock? …………………………..…...
4 values something more now as a result of what Total / 16
happened? …………………………..…...
5 had an experience which they understood later?
…………………………..…..., …………………………..…...

6 experienced something similar to parenthood? Use of English

…………………………..…...
12 Complete the text with the correct form of the
/6 words given.

Solving the problem of sleep

10 Read the letters again and answer these Most teenagers know that getting enough sleep is
questions. important for the (1) …………………………..…... (develop) of their
1 What does Abby suffer from frequently? brains. However, it’s not so easy making it a priority when
………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..……… there are other more important things than sleeping.

2 What did she later discover about her condition? One trick is to keep a consistent sleep schedule. This
………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………
allows your body to get synchronised with its
(2) …………………………..…... (nature) patterns. With a regular
3 What did the dolphins do to Jasmine and her father?
routine you will find that it’s easier to fall asleep at bedtime.
………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………
Try to have some before-bed habits like choosing your
4 Why was Jasmine’s mum worried? clothes for the next day, making a to-do list or reading a
………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..……… book. Writing things down can reduce stress and
5 What was Matthew and Lucy’s relationship with the (3) …………………………..…... (anxious) by
gorillas like compared with the other animals at the zoo? (4) …………………………..…... (literal) taking things off your mind.
………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..……… Of course you shouldn’t eat or do anything that involves a

6 How does Cola communicate what she wants? lot of (5) …………………………..…... (move) within a few hours of

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………
your bedtime and try to avoid the television, computer or
your mobile. In fact, avoid all (6) …………………………..…...
/6
(active) which provide (7) …………………………..…... (stimulate)
to the body or mind when it needs to relax.
11 Complete the summary. Since teenagers need 8–10 hours sleep and the average
All three readers had experiences that were bedtime is 11.00 pm, the best (8) …………………………..…...
(1) …………………………..…... to communication in some way. In (solve) might be for schools to start one hour later. Schools
the first letter, Abby describes how she was completely that have started doing this have reported increased
(2) …………………………..…... to express herself through words (9) …………………………..…... (alert) in the students as well as
for a short period of time. Another reader, Jasmine, increased (10) …………………………..…... (produce).
encountered a group of dolphins in the sea and felt they / 10
were trying to (3) …………………………..…... her something.

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 Listening
13 Listen to an interview with a teenage actress. 14 Listen again and complete the notes with two
Are these statements True (T), False (F) or is the or three words in each gap.
information Not Mentioned (NM)?
1 When she was five, Nicola did …………………………..…... for
1 When Nicola tasted the breakfast cereal a breakfast cereal.
she pretended to enjoy it. T/F/NM
2 She had to do the scene in the sweet shop about
2 Nicola acted for the BBC when she was
…………………………..…....
seven. T/F/NM
3 She was chosen to be in the teen drama 3 While working on Kidders, Nicola felt she was
Kidders because of her smile. T/F/NM …………………………..…... and learning.
4 Most of the filming for The Window on the 4 In The Window on the Sea, Nicola played a character
Sea took place underground. T/F/NM who was a …………………………..…... than her.
5 In The Road Trip the actor Louise Blake
5 When Nicola was …………………………..…... she learned a
plays an amusing character. T/F/NM
lot from Louise Blake.
/5
/5

Total / 10

Writing
15 You have decided to enter a short story writing competition. The rules state that you must begin the story
with the sentence below. Write your story.

Sarah was walking along the beach when suddenly she saw something sticking out of the sand.

Write 250–275 words.

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

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………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

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………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

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………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

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………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….…………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……..………..……….……

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Speaking
16 You are going to interview someone in your class. Think of answers to the questions below. Think about
how to extend your answers as much as you can.

1 Tell me something about the area where you live.

2 Do you prefer studying on your own or with other people?
3 Tell me about a film you have seen that you enjoyed.
4 What did you do last weekend?
5 What kind of job would you like to do in the future?

Now work with a partner. Take it in turns to ask and answer the questions.

/ 12

Total / 100

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