ENGLISH 12: PRACTICE TEST 14

LISTENING (50 points)

Part 1. Listen and complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR
A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
(10 points)
Notes on University 2
Subject: International Business
Qualification: MIB

Entry requirements
Educational qualifications 1._______________________
English language 7 in IELTS or higher.

Course hours: 2 ._______________________ per week.

Extended stay: at the start of the 3 . _______________________

Course dates
Semester 1: 27th September to 22nd January.
Semester 2: 7th February to 4 ______________________ th May.

Course content

Study of 5 _______________________ in particular how they are managed and their

changing external context.

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2. You will listen to the whole documentary, and for questions 1-5, choose the best
answer (A, B or C). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10 points)

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1. In the past, science fiction fans imagined that jetpack
A. would become a part of everyday life.
B. would be used on the moon.
C. would only be flown by a few people.
2. What was wrong with the Rocket Belt developed by Wendell Moore?
A. It was too slow.
B. It couldn’t fly far enough.
C. It was too fast.
3. The thing which causes most difficulty for a pilot of a jetpack is
A. the terrible heat.
B. keeping stable.
C. trying not to land on water.
4. What is the main advantage of the EFV over a jetpack?
A. It can fly much faster.
B. It is much less heavy.
C. It can fly much further.
5. The company that makes the EFV also makes
A. a type of helicopter.
B. an unmanned flying vehicle.
C. a moon buggy.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 3. Listen to an extract from a radio programme about the climber Annabelle Bond,
and say whether sentences 1-5 are true or false. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes. (10 points)

1. It took her about a year to climb the seven mountains.

2. Only four men have climbed the peaks faster than Annabelle.
3. Annabelle always wanted to be a marathon runner.
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4. She raised £8,500 for a cancer charity.
5. She plans to do more climbing in the near future.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 4: You will hear an interview between interviewer and Mick Davidson, a member of
the ADG. For questions 1-10, complete the sentences with NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS for each gap. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (20
points)

1. Animal rights protesters destroyed expensive _______________ at a research laboratory.

2. Davidson believes that using animals in experiments is a _______________.
3. Firms need a lot of _______________ to set up experiments.
4. Davidson hasn’t got any shoes that are made of _______________.
5. Newspapers publish _______________ that Mick Davidson has written.
6. Davidson damaged _______________ in a shop in London.
7. In one illegal action, Davidson removed _______________ from a laboratory, which
halted the research.
8. In the attack on a laboratory, Davidson and his ADG colleagues took _______________
away with them.
9. Davidson doesn’t support the use of _______________ , except against property.
10. The ADG has apologised to people that they have _______________ without meaning
to.
Your answers:
1. 5. 9.

2. 6. 10.

3. 7.

4. 8.

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 ENGLISH 12: PRACTICE TEST 14
A. LEXICO - GRAMMAR (50 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. The strike was ____________ owing to a last-minute agreement with the management.
A. called off B. broken up
C. set back D. put down
2. Lindsay's excuses for being late are beginning to ____________ rather thin.
A. get B. turn C. wear D. go
3. ___________, the people who come to this club are in their twenties and thirties.
A. By and large B. Altogether
C. To a degree D. Virtually
4. My cousin was nervous about being interviewed on television, but she rose to the
___________ wonderfully.
A. event B. performance C. incident D. occasion
5. The train service has been a ____________ since they introduced the new schedules.
A. shambles B. rumpus C. chaos D. fracas
6. The new school complex cost _____ the city council had budgeted for.
A. just twice as much as B. twice more by far than
C. twice much more than D. almost twice as much as
7. Larry _____ forgot where he’d left his keys.
A. momentarily B. directly C. singularly D. shortly
8. The Earth will be a planet where human beings, animals and plants live in peaceful _____.
A. cooperation B. coordination C. corporation D. coexistence
9. James could no longer bear the _____ surroundings of the decrepit old house.
A. oppressive B. domineering C. pressing D. overbearing
10. I find the idea of experimenting on animals _____.
A. disagreeing B. objectionable C. distasteful D. objective
11. Mary said she wanted to be Prime Minister when she grew up but Anna, not
to be _____________ , said she was going to be Queen.

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A overawed B outdone C outclassed D overtaken
12. Sally’s remark that she was feeling worn out _____________ thoughts of a holiday.
A stimulated B provoked C prompted D engendered
13. The soldiers had little to _____________ from delaying military action.
A benefit B win C gain D obtain
14. In terms of protocol, the President takes _____________ over all others in the
country.
A priority B the lead C precedence D the head
15. In this district there is a growing _____________ between those with jobs and those
without.
A separation B fissure C difference D divide
16. This champion racehorse is one in a _____________
A hundred B million C billion D thousand
17. I’m not surprised people are arguing - they are at the _____________ of their tether.
A end B limit C finish D termination
18. _____________you had to find a new job, what would you like to do?
A Provided B Supposing C So D Though
19. _____________from collecting shells, he also enjoys looking for fossils,
A Except B Besides C Apart D Excluded
20. _____________ I’m concerned he’s the best manager this company has ever had.
A Where B As far as C Whereas D While

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Part 2. Read the following text which contains 10 mistakes. Identify the mistakes and write
the corrections in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10 points)

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 Sir Walter Scott was the key figure in creating a colorful image of Scotland’s past,
initially with his bestselling narrative poem, with his even more celebrated novels, the first of
which was Waverley. It was published anonymously in 1814 and, in subsequent years, its
successors were described as being ‘by the author of Waverley’, which accounts the term
‘Waverley novels’. Although Scott gave no public acknowledgement of his authorship until
1827, the writer’s identity was an open secret long before then. He wrote ordinarily quickly,
and the first collected edition of the Waverley novels was published as early as 1819. The set
of illustrations of Alexander Nasmyth was produced for the second collected edition and
these drawings used on the title pages.
Nasmyth has been called the father of landscape painting and, such as Walter Scott, he
helped to popularized his country’s romantic and picturesque scenery. The drawings were
recently presented to the National Library of Scotland, which now boasts a superb and
rivalled collection of manuscripts and papers relating to Scott and his circle.
What is less well known about Sir Walter Scott is that after his bankruptcy in 1826, his last
years were spent in frantic literary activity to pay off all the creditors whom he owned
money.
Your answers:
Line Mistakes Corrections
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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Part 3. Complete each of the following sentences with a suitable preposition) or particle.
Write your answer in the boxes provided. (10 points)
1. As the riot police approached, the crowd backed __________.
2. Reforms will kick ____ later this year.
3. I was thrown ______ balance by the sudden gust of wind.
4. Their capital is all locked ______ in property.
5. As the boat went _____ , the women and children started screaming.
6. He had been nursing a grievance ______ his boss for months.
7. Her husband is doing time _____ armed robbery.
8. No, I can't lend you $ 50. Money doesn't grow ______ trees, you know!
9. Snipers were picking _____ innocent civilians.
10. The bombing was_______ revenge for the assassination.

Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 4. Give the correct form of the words in brackets. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes. (10 points)
THE SPIRAL AND THE HELIX
They are everywhere, graceful, curving shapes whose incredible (1) REGULAR
_________ contrasts so sharply with the random world around them. We call them spirals
and helices but that hardly does (2) JUST ____________ to their diversity or their
significance.
Over the centuries, (3) MATHEMATICS __________ have identified many
different types, but the most intriguing are those that (4) REPEAT ____________ occur in
the natural world.
The need to (5) RAVEL _____ the mysteries of the existence of spirals and helices
has exercised some of the best scientific brains in the world and opened the way to a number

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of (6) BREAK ______________ in fields as widely varied as genetics and (7) METEOR
______________.
The most (8) SPECTACLE ________________ spirals on earth are also the most
unwelcome - hurricanes. Their (9) AWE _______________ power comes from the sun's
heat, but they owe their shape to the force caused by the rotation of the earth. After
innumerable years of study, however, Nature's spirals and helices have yet to
(10)_____________ all their secrets. For example, why, astronomers wonder, are so many
galaxies spiral-shaped?

Your answers:
1. 5. 9.

2. 6. 10.

3. 7.

4. 8.

B. 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 corresponding numbered boxes. (10 pts)

Black light theatre is just as it sounds, that is, a black light (1) ________ an otherwise
dark stage using ultraviolet light. Actors perform wearing fluorescent costumes
that reflect light, and any stage (2) ________ the set designer wishes to remain
unseen are painted black.
Less technological variations of this type of stage (3) ________ have been used
for millennia; actors in ancient theatres would sometimes all dress in black
and play on a dark stage. Its modern form was (4) ________ in the 1960s, after an
outstanding performance at the 1962 Edinburgh Theatre Festival led to a

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(5) ________ ovation. Soon after, the (6) ________ behind the production, Jiri Srnec,
began staging performances in his native Czech Republic to (7) ________ houses. There
are numerous black light theatres in Prague today.
Performances are visually (8) ________ as there is such intricate choreography
involved. Actors must rehearse (9) ________ before going on the dark stage. A single
wrong move can ruin the whole (10)___________ .
1. A. sparkles B. glows C. beams D. illuminates
2. A. props B. supports C. bases D. parts
3. A. shading B. darkening C. colouring D. lighting
4. A. popularised B. familiarised C. customised D. standardised
5. A. leading B. jumping C. standing D. lasting
6. A. thoughts B. wits C. ideas D. brains
7. A. packed B. crammed C. crowded D. jammed
8. A. disturbing B. alarming C. shocking D. stunning
9. A. accurately B. intensively C. severely D. strictly
10. A. produce B. production C. productivity D. productiveness

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. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (15
points)

Along with London’s West End theatres, New York’s Broadway theatres are thought to (2)
_________ the pinnacle of theatrical production in the English-speaking world. For most
American actors, landing a role in one of these productions is far (2) _________ their
wildest dreams, as working on Broadway represents the highest (3) _________ in any
theatrical actor’s career. Naturally, all actors must keep their options (4) _________ when

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seeking theatrical work. For those just about to (5) _________ the plunge, it might be wise to
first pursue a role in what’s known as the Off-Broadway theatres, or even better, Off-Off-
Broadway theatres. These two types of theatre are defined by seating capacity - the former
being 100 to 499 seats, the latter (6) _________ 100. While the productions are smaller,
performances in these theatres can still (7) _________ respect from the theatrical
community. An actor can use the venues to get their craft down to a fine (8) _________ and
eventually turn in performances eliciting reviews (9) _________ of praise from critics who
attend. Conversely, there’s less need for an actor to worry too much about a bad
performance. As it’s only an Off-Off-Broadway production, it’s not the (10) _________ of
the world.

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3. Read the passage and choose the best option A, B, C, or D to answer the questions.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10 points)
In the 1980s the United States Department of Energy was looking for suitable sites to
bury radioactive waste material generated by its nuclear energy programs. The government
was considering burying the dangerous wastes in deep underground chambers in remote
desert areas. The problem, however, was that nuclear waste remains highly radioactive for
thousands of years. The commission entrusted with tackling the problem of waste disposal
was aware that the dangers posed by radioactive emissions must be communicated to our
descendants of at least 10,000 years hence. So the task became one of finding a way to tell
future societies about the risk posed by these deadly deposits.
Of course, human society in the distant future may be well aware of the hazards of
radiation. Technological advances may one day provide the solutions to this dilemma. But
the belief in constant technological advancement is based on our perceptions of advances
made throughout history and prehistory. We cannot be sure that society won’t have slipped
backward into an age of barbarism due to any of several catastrophic events, whether the

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result of nature such as the onset of a new ice age or perhaps mankind’s failure to solve the
scourges of war and pollution. In the event of global catastrophe, it is quite possible that
humans of the distant future will be on the far side of a broken link of communication and
technological understanding.
The problem then becomes how to inform our descendants that they must avoid areas of
potential radioactive seepage given that they may not understand any currently existing
language and may have no historical or cultural memory. So, any message indicated to future
reception and decipherment must be as universally understandable as possible.
It was soon realized by the specialists assigned the task of devising the communication
system that material in which the message was written might not physically endure the great
lengths of time demanded. The second law of thermodynamics shows that all material
disintegrates over time. Even computers that might carry the message cannot be expected to
endure long enough. Besides, electricity supplies might not be available in 300 generations.
Other media storage methods were considered and rejected for similar reasons.
The task force under the linguist Thomas Sebeok finally agreed that no foolproof way
would be found to send a message across so many generations and have it survive physically
and be decipherable by a people with few cultural similarities to us. Given this restriction,
Sebeok suggested the only possible solution was the formation of a committee of guardians
of knowledge. Its task would be to dedicate itself to maintaining and passing the knowledge
of the whereabouts and dangers of the nuclear waste deposits. This so-called atomic
priesthood would be entrusted with keeping knowledge of this tradition alive through
millennia and developing the tradition into a kind of mythical taboo forbidding people to
tamper in a way with the nuclear waste sites. Only the initiated atomic priesthood of experts
would have the scientific knowledge to fully understand the danger. Those outside the
priesthood would be kept away by a combination of rituals and legends designed to warn off
intruders.
This proposal has been criticized because of the possibility of a break in continuity of
the original message. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that any warning or sanction passed
on for millennia would be obeyed, nor that it could survive with its original meaning intact.
To counterbalance this possibility, Sebeok’s group proposed a “relay system” in which

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information is passed on over relatively short periods of time, just three generations ahead.
The message then to be renewed and redesigned if necessary for the following three
generations and so on over the required time span. In this way information could be relayed
into the future and avoid the possibility of physical degradation.
A second defect is more difficult to dismiss, however. This is the problem of social
exclusiveness brought about through possession of vital knowledge. Critics point out that the
atomic priesthood could use its secret knowledge to control those who are scientifically
ignorant. The establishment of such an association of insiders holding powerful knowledge
not available except in mythic form to nonmembers would be a dangerous precedent for
future social developments.
1. The word "chambers" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. partitions B. openings C. cavities D. fissures
2. What problem faced the commission assigned to deal with the burial of nuclear waste?
A. How to reduce the radioactive life of nuclear waste materials
B. How to form a committee that could adequately express various nuclear risks
C. How to notify future generations of the risks of nuclear contamination
D. How to choose burial sites so as to minimize dangers to people.
3. In paragraph 2, the author explains the possible circumstances of future societies
A. to warn about the possible natural catastrophe
B. to question the value of advances
C. to highlight humankind's inability to resolve problems
D. to demonstrate the reason nuclear hazards must be communicated
4. The word "scourges" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. pressures B. afflictions C. worries D. annoyances
5. In paragraph 4, the author mentions the second law of thermodynamics
A. to support the view that nuclear waste will disperse with time
B. to show that knowledge can be sustained over millennia
C. to give the basic scientific reason behind the breakdown of material objects
D. to contrast the potential life span of knowledge with that of material objects
6. The word "Its" in the passage refers to

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 A. knowledge B. committee C. solution D. guardians
7. In paragraph 5, why is the proposed committee of guardians referred to as the "atomic
priesthood"?
A. Because they would be an exclusive group with knowledge about nuclear waste
sites.
B. Because they would use rituals and legends to maintain their exclusiveness
C. Because they would be an exclusive religious order
D. Because they would develop mythical taboos surrounding their traditions
8. According to the author, why did the task force under Sebeok propose a relay system for
passing on information?
A. To show that Sebeok 's ideas created more problems than they solved
B. To support the belief that breaks in communication are inevitable over time
C. To contrast Sebeok's ideas with those proposed by his main critics
D. To compensate for the fact that meaning will not stable over long periods of time
9. According to paragraph 7, the second defect of the atomic priesthood proposal is that it
could lead to
A. the nonmembers turning knowledge into dangerous mythical forms
B. the possible misuse of exclusive knowledge
C. the establishment of a scientifically ignorant society
D. the priesthood's criticism of points concerning vital knowledge
10. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as difficulties in devising a
communication system with the future EXCEPT
A. the failure to maintain communication link
B. the loss of knowledge about today's civilization
C. the inability of materials to endure over time
D. the exclusiveness of priesthood
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

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Part 4. Read the text and do the following tasks. (15 points)
For questions 1-6, choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list of
headings below. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
List of Headings
A. The benefits of simple language F. Differing interpretations
B. A necessary tool G. Publicizing new words
C. A lasting way of concealing disasters H. Feeling shut out
D. The worst offenders I. Playing with words
E. A deceptively attractive option

JARGON
1
Jargon is a loaded word. One dictionary defines it, neatly and neutrally, as ‘the
technical vocabulary or idiom of a special activity or group’, but this sense is almost
completely overshadowed by another: ‘obscure and often pretentious language marked by a
roundabout way of expression and use of long words’. For most people, it is this second
sense which is at the front of their minds when they think about jargon. Jargon is said to be a
bad use of language, something to be avoided at all costs. No one ever describes it in
positive terms (‘that was a delightful piece of rousing jargon’). Nor does one usually admit to
using it oneself: the myth is that jargon is something only other people employ.

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The reality, however is that everyone uses jargon. It is an essential part of the
network of occupations and pursuits that make up society. All jobs present an element of
jargon, which workers learn as they develop their expertise. All hobbies require mastery of a
jargon. Each society grouping has its jargon. The phenomenon turns out to be universal –
and valuable. It is the jargon element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of
expression, and thus help make life easier for the workers. It is also the chief linguistic
element which shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-
talk’).

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 When we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take
pleasure in, whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball or computers.
It can add pace, variety and humour to speech – as when, with an important event
approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk about countdown, all systems go, and
lift-off. We enjoy the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and
we enjoy the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, we are jealous
of this knowledge. We are quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of our group without
being prepared to take on its jargon.

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If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad
press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as include.
We may not be too concerned if we find ourselves faced with an impenetrable wall of jargon
when the subject matter has little perceived relevance to our everyday lives, as in the case of
hydrology, say, or linguistics. But when the subject matter is one where we feel implicated,
and think we have a right to know, and the speaker uses words which make it hard for us to
understand, then we start to complain; and if we suspect that the obfuscation is deliberate
policy, we unreservedly condemn, labeling it gobbledegook and calling down public derision
upon it.

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No area is exempt, but the fields of advertising, politics and defence have been
especially criticized in recent years by the various campaigns for Plain English. In these
domains, the extent to which people are prepared to use jargon to hide realities is a ready
source of amusement, disbelief and horror. A lie is a lie, which can be only temporarily
hidden by calling it an ‘inoperative statement’ or ‘an instance of plausible deniability’. Nor
can a nuclear plant explosion be suppressed for long behind such phrases as ‘energetic
disassembly’, ‘abnormal evolution’ or ‘plant transient’.

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While condemning unnecessary or obscuring jargon in others, we should not
forget to look out for it in ourselves. It is so easy to ‘slip into’ jargon, without realizing that
our own listeners/readers do not understand. It is also temptingly easy to slip some jargon

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into our expression, to ensure that others do not understand. And it is just as easy to begin
using jargon which we ourselves do not understand. The motivation to do such apparently
perverse things is not difficult to grasp. People like to be ‘in’, to be part of an intellectual or
technical elite; and the use of jargon, whether understood or not, is a badge of membership.
Jargon, also, can provide a lazy way into a group or an easy way of hiding uncertainties and
inadequacies: when terminology slips plausibly from the tongue, it is not essential for the
brain to keep up. Indeed some people have developed this skill to professional levels. And
certainly, faced with a telling or awkward question, and the need to say something acceptable
in public, slipping into jargon becomes a simple way out, and can soon become a bad habit.

Task 2: Complete the summary using the list of words (A – I ) below. There’s one
example.

A. judgement D. efficiency G. contempt

B. jokes E. know-how H. feeling
C. shop-talk F. humour I. pleasure
The Up Side of Jargon
Jargon plays a useful part in many aspects of life including leisure. For example, when
people take up pastimes they need to develop a good command of the relevant jargon. During
discussion of these of other areas of interest, conversation can become more exciting and an
element of (7 ) _____ can be introduced by the use of shared jargon.
Jargon is particularly helpful in the workplace. It leads to more (8 ) _____ in the way
colleagues communicate during work hours. Taking part in (9 ) _____ during moments of
relaxation can also help them to bond better.
It is interesting that members of a group, whether social or professional, often
demonstrate a certain possessiveness towards the particular linguistic characteristics of their
subject area and tend to regard new people who do not wish to learn the jargon with (10)
_____.

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
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C. WRITING (40 points)
Part 1. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means the same as the
one printed before it. Write your answers in the space provided. (10 points)

1. They believe that Oliver failed his exam because he was nervous.
--> Oliver’s failure _______________________________________________________
2. The inhabitants were far worse-off twenty years ago than they are now.
--> The inhabitants are nowhere ___________________________________________
3. If you don't know the art market, there's a risk you will spend a lot of money on rubbish.
--> If you don't know the art market, you are _____________________________________
4. Whatever the methods used to obtain the result, drugs were definitely not involved.
-> There was no question ___________________________________________
5. Those terrapins which survive their first year may live to be twenty.
-> Should _________________________________________

Part II. Rewrite the sentences below in such a way that their meanings stay the same. You
must use the words in capital without changing their forms. Write your answers in the
space provided (5 points)
6. Every student will get good marks to express their gratitude towards teachers. (lengths)
_________________________________________
7 I am determined to become a teacher of maths. (heart)
_________________________________________
8 Some of the patients taken to the hospital have got an infectious disease.
(diagnosed)
_________________________________________
9 This contract is as important and confidential as that one. (equally)
_________________________________________
10 He has called the meeting in order to raise money for the latest storm.
(purpose)

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 _________________________________________
Part 3. Paragraph writing. (20 points)
Nowadays, more and more foreign students are going to English-Speaking countries to learn
the “international language – English". It is undoubtedly true that studying English in an
English-speaking country is the best way, but it is not the only way to learn it.
Do you agree or disagree with the above statement?
Use your own knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and
relevant evidence.
Write a paragraph of 150-200 words to state your viewpoint.
__________________________________________________________________________
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