B2 – MOCK EXAM

PAPER II. READING (23 points)

PART 1. Read the text about unusual and dangerous activities that some people enjoy. For questions 15-
24, choose from the activities
(A-E). The activities may be chosen more than once.

A – GORGE WALKING
B – DIVING WITH SHARKS
C – ICE BOATING
D – CANOEING DOWN WATERFALLS
E - TRAVELLING WITH DOGS IN THE YUKON

Which activity(is)…
began as something other than a sport? 15. c 16. e
needs personalised equipment? 17. d
may put the natural environment at risk? 18. b
has been going for about ten years? 19. b
has surprising benefits? 20. e
should be done with a teacher? 21. a
is less dangerous than it seems? 22. b
is unlikely to attract large numbers of people? 23. b
is more dangerous in certain weather conditions? 24. c

THE THINGS PEOPLE DO FOR FUN!

Ray Thomas reports on different and unusual ways some people find excitement and danger.
A GORGE WALKING
At its most intense, gorge-walking requires even more nerve than something as obviously daunting
as bungee jumping. It should never be done alone, and the ratio of instructor to client should not exceed
6:1. Often the route that you take follows the course of a young river, going where the water goes, which
means when you encounter a waterfall with a deep enough pool, you jump – sometimes as much as 12
metres. Gorge-walking is always exhausting, drenching and challenging to your courage – or lack of it. The
routes often have real hazards, perhaps making you zip across a narrow ravine faster than you ever thought
you wanted to go, your legs dangling in the void.

B DIVING WITH SHARKS

Nothing in the sea fascinates people like great white sharks, and off an island 200 miles north west
of Tahiti, divers are guaranteed to see dozens of them. The diving centre prides itself on taking small groups
of divers out to the area where sharks come to breed and feed, but this is not without risk – there are
strong water currents and groups of divers must be small. But what about the risk from sharks themselves?
Shark divers are apparently rarely a target for sharks, but certain species do have to be treated with special
caution – among them the great whites. Commercial companies have been running shark feeding dives for
more than a decade without serious incident; in fact, some believe that human activities are more of a
threat to sharks rather than vice versa. Even so, it is not for the fainthearted!

C ICE BOATING
 Sailing on ice started in Europe in the 1600s, when sailing boats were fitted with runners and used
for moving cargo on frozen canals in the Netherlands. Now it is the fastest sailing and non-powered sport in
the world. In temperatures of about minus 11°C, the speed that these craft can reach sailing over the ice
means that the wind-chill factor is minus 43°C – and frostbite is a real danger. The pilot lies almost flat on
his back, pinned to his seat by a speed that can increase from 60-110 mph in two seconds – faster than a
Formula One car. But unlike car drivers, there are no brakes, the pilot has no seatbelts or protection of any
kind. Less than 5 mm of fiberglass separates him from destruction – and weather conditions play an
important part. Yet, many are prepared to risk it.

D CANOEING DOWN WATERFALLS

People have enjoyed white water rafting for years. But this is an extended challenge to those who
want to take on the forces of nature. Place a blunt tube over a vertical drop with tons of water cascading
over it, and then let yourself go. Those who have done it say that going over a waterfall in a canoe, or
kayak, is an amazing experience, although full of danger. Every item of equipment has to be specially
manufactured or customised for the individual, and spinal injury is the biggest risk. Even if the fall itself
does not cause injury, there are hidden dangers from rocks or trees in the waterfall itself. Iceland, with its
hundreds of waterfalls and rapids, offers many exciting challenges to the extreme white water kayaker – but
this is an activity limited to a very small number of adventurers who are prepared to take the very real risk.

E TRAVELLING WITH DOGS IN THE YUKON

The Yukon lies between Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, and has a population of only 31,000 people,
but 185 caribou, 50,000 moose and 17,000 bears. It is also a huge playground for those adventurous types
who want to explore this wilderness of ice and snow, and the best way for them to do it is standing on a
sled being pulled by dogs. This used to be the traditional form of transport in such vast places, but
travelling like this is now big business, and there are plenty of people prepared to pay a lot for it. Speeding
through the snowy landscape for hours without seeing another person provides an unexpected escape
from the stresses of life. However, even after initial instruction, it's still dangerous, cold and not as easy as
some films make it look, yet sledding remains an exhilarating and unusual experience.

PART 2
Read this article about Larry Lacerte’s dream house. For questions 30-36, choose the correct answer A, B
or C.

MEGABUCKS and MEGABYTES

Computer software has made Joyce and Larry Lacerte and their family rich enough to build their
dream house – an enormous computer-controlled mansion complete with swimming pool,
baseball pitch, miniature estate cars for racing round the grounds, and tennis court, in a leafy
Dallas suburb. There are so many rooms in the house itself that to send messages to family
members they need intercoms, absolutely essential in a house where it could take half an hour to
find somebody.

It is morning in the kitchen. Sitting in line at the huge breakfast bar in order of age from two to
eleven are their seven children. The daily printout from the master computer in the attic has
already told them what the day holds for them by producing a list of activities for each member of
the family. The computer has also recorded the outside temperature, the air pressure, the wind
direction and speed. Inside the house it controls the lights, the room temperatures, each child’s
computer, the back-up generator, the TV sets and the massive security system that protects the
property. In addition to the main computer, each child has his or her own computer station,
complete with laser printer, just like Larry’s.

It takes an army of helpers, dozens of machines and clockwork precision to make it all work. But
then precision is something the family knows all about, for this is the house that computers have
designed. Larry is the founder of a company which has built up its business providing computer
software for small firms. Larry talks as he takes us on a four-hour tour of the mansion.

‘I have always been fascinated by computers. In fact, I was brought up with them – worked with
them since the age of fourteen. I’ve been lucky, though, because I’ve always had good people to
work for me. But I think my real strength is that I’ve done every single job in the company myself,
so I know just what’s involved in each one. We’ve got three hundred and fifteen employees at the
moment and we’re still taking people on. That’s not to say that we haven’t had some scary
moments, of course. Like when we had to borrow money to pay the bills. I really hated being in
debt but it has actually worked out well for us. We’ve also bought four or five other small
companies along the way. I suppose we came to Dallas mainly for the children’s sake, because the
schools here are wonderful … and I’ve also worked out that I get a couple of hours a day more with
the children – you see, the office is so close to home!’

The children are very important to Larry and Joyce. Particularly when Larry thought that he might
not live to see them grow up. Three years ago the doctors thought that he had a brain tumour and
the future looked grim. ‘It’s changed the way I think about my family, the way I look at life, even
though everything seems to be all right now,’ says Larry. ‘I don’t want to give up my job but I don’t
work as hard as I did before!’
 25. What disadvantage is mentioned about living in a big house like Larry’s?
A. It is very expensive to provide lightning and heating.
B. It is easy for someone to try and break in.
C. It can be difficult to communicate with family members.
26. What does what the days holds for them in paragraph II mean?
A. what problems might arise during the day
B. what arrangements have been made for that day
C. what they have been advised to do that day
27. What does Larry do for a living?
A. He works for several small companies.
B. He makes electrical goods.
C. He has his own computer business.
28. What does Larry think is the secret behind his successful career?
A. his educational background
B. his knowledge of the business
C. his friends and family
29. What does one in paragraph IV refer to?
A. each member of staff
B. each company
C. each type of job
30. Larry said that he moved to Dallas
A. to manage some small companies.
B. to be nearer the office he works in.
C. to build a dream house for the family.
31. What changed Larry’s outlook on life?
A. having children
B. being ill
C. working away from home

Choose the right meaning A, B or C for the underlined words from the text.

32. In paragraph 1, the word mansion means

A. a very large house
B. a room in a building that is under the level of the ground
C. a room in a building that is above the level of the ground
33. In paragraph 1, the word massive means
A. very small
B. not effective
C. very large in amount or degree
34. In paragraph 3, the word providing means
A. refusing
B. causing something to exist or being available
C. giving the wrong idea or impression
35. In paragraph 4, the word taking people on means
A. employing somebody
B. making somebody unemployed
C. taking an interest in something
36. In paragraph 4, the word in debt means
A. when you owe money to someone
B. when you give money to someone
C. when you find money
37. In paragraph 5, the word tumour means
A. a mass of cells in your body that grow in a way that is normal
B. a mass of cells in your body that grow in a way that is not normal
C. a piece of advice

PAPER III. USE OF ENGLISH (53 points)

PART 1. Put the verbs in brackets (38-50) into the correct form.
38. When I arrived my car was being washed (wash).
39. I always try to avoid driving (drive) in the rush hour.
40. If James had been more careful, he wouldn’t have broken (break/not) the plate.
41. This time tomorrow, Amy will fly(fly) to London.
42. Please remember to buy (buy) some food. The fridge is empty.
43. You must have been(must/be) delighted when you heard you had won the lottery!
44. While they (have) were having a picnic, it started to rain.
45. Tom _has been writing (write) the report for five days but he hasn't finished yet.
46. Mark and Susan are getting (get) married next Saturday. Everything has already been
arranged.
47. I feel sick. I wish I hadn’t eaten(eat/not) that seafood last night.
48. As soon as I get (get) the news, I will phone you
49. The teacher threatened to give (give) the students extra homework if they didn’t stop
talking.
50. It’s so embarassing (embarrass) when I can’t remember someone’s name, but they can
remember mine.

PART 2. Ask the question about the underlined part of the sentence.
51. This CNN programme investigates child labour and human trafficking.
Is child labour and human trafficking investigated by CNN programme?
52. Alexander Graham Bell invented the first working telephone in 1876.
When and by whom the first working telephone was invented?

PART 3. Complete indirect questions.

53. Does this bus go to the castle?
Could you tell me it this bus goes to the castle?
54. Who is Mary waiting for?
Do you have any idea for who is Mary waiting?

PART 4. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one. Do
not change the word given.
55. We missed the last bus because we left the party too late.
WOULD
If we leave the party too late we will be late for the bus
56. I went to an oculist and he tested my eyes.
HAD
I went to an oculist and he had tested my eyes
57. “I will always love you”.
SAID
He said he would always love me

PART 5. Put the words in brackets (58-67) into the correct form.
When Bill 58 come back (return) home, the house was unusually quiet. His parents 59
was waiting (wait) for him in silence. They had been sitting on the sofa in the living
room for an hour. They both looked nervous, but everyone in the family seemed
nervous at the moment. They were expecting Bill’s exam results any time.
‘A letter 60 just had arrived (just/arrive) for you,’ said Bill’s father, holding it out.
‘Thank you,’ Bill replied and said that he 61 met (meet) the postman near their house.
He opened the letter 62 quickly (quick).
‘What a pity,’ said Bill, looking at the letter. Bill’s mother gasped and his father started
to comfort her.
'We 63 should be (should/be) stricter with him before the exam,' they thought. 'We
didn't make him 64 studied (study) enough!'
‘But I’ve passed!’ he exclaimed. ‘Seven grades A’s. What a pity I only got a ‘B’ in
Chemistry! I wish I had learned (learn) more!’
‘Congratulations, son,’ his father sighed with relief. His mum looked a little confused.
Bill quickly 66 hid (hide) the letter – an invitation to a party. 'If my parents knew the
real results, which had been delivered the day before, they wouldn’t let me go (go) to
the party,' he thought.

PART 6. Read the text and decide which word A-L is missing in items 68-77. There are more
words than you need.
It takes all sorts of different people to make things 68 work. Sometimes we don't take time
69 to appreciate all the different 'sorts'. Leonardo da Vinci was 70 one of the greatest
painters and geniuses in history. Thomas Alva Edison invented the electric light bulb and 71
developed the first modern research laboratory. Albert Einstein, one of 72 the greatest
scientists in history, was responsible 73for the theory of relativity and many other
contributions to 74 sciences What 'sort' of person were these geniuses? Just a few of the
many gifted people with dyslexia. 75 others dyslexic celebrities include Tom Cruise, Whoopi
Goldberg and Cher, to name just a few. These gifted people didn't let anything 76 prevent
them from 77 being successful.
A. BE C. DEVELOPED E. ONE G. PREVENT I. SINCE K. TO
B. BEING D. FOR F. OTHER H. SCIENCE J. THE L. WORK