Student Name

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH EMPOWER

C1 PROGRESS TEST

Test 1

Time 50 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS
Do not open this question paper until you are told to do so.
Read the instructions for each part of the paper carefully.
Answer all the questions. Write your answers on the question paper.

INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

There are five parts to the test.
Part 1 is a listening part.
All questions carry one mark.
There are 40 questions.

© UCLES 2016
 Part 1
Questions 1 – 8

You will hear eight short recordings. For each one, choose the best answer. You will hear each
recording twice.

1 You hear two people talking about a language class.

What is the man inexact about?

A how many students are in the class

B his reason for forgetting a student's name
C how long the teacher has been working

2 You hear two friends talking about an article on language learning.

Which point is the woman inexact about?

A how long the benefits of language learning last

B the title of the programme on TV this week
C why she thinks her friend should learn Russian

3 You hear two students discussing using technology to learn a foreign language.

Which point is the woman inexact about?

A the name of what she uses on her phone

B her opinion of the language learning app
C how accurate online translators are

4 You hear a man talking about language changes.

Which point is the man inexact about?

A his understanding of the vocabulary young people use

B his grandchildren's reaction to his choice of words
C the name of the person who described the history of a particular verb

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5 You hear two friends talking about choosing a language course.

What does the man refer to in an inexact way?

A the attitude of the teachers on his course

B the advertising claims of some courses
C the level of language he wanted to learn

6 You hear Dan telling Emma about his trip to Japan.

What is Dan not exact about?

A the type of vocabulary he learnt from the Japanese family

B the language he picked up from his classmates
C the grammatical structures he was taught in lessons

7 You are listening to a lecture on culture and language.

What is the lecturer not exact about?

A the number of words for snow in Northern Canada

B the number of words for sweet potato in Hawaii
C the number of words for moustache in Albania

8 You hear two people talking about one person's motivation for learning a foreign language.

What is the woman inexact about?

A the types of benefits of growing up with two languages

B her own determination to learn a new language
C her first Chinese teacher's attitude towards her

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 Part 2
Questions 9 – 16

Read the sentences about language.

Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) for each space.

9 Speaking a new language may seem strange at first, but with practice you will ............ it.

A keep at B struggle with C get accustomed to D take advantage of

10 Learning a new language takes time and ............ , but it is definitely worth the effort.

A mentality B acquisition C literacy D dedication

11 To increase your ............ to a language, you can listen to music or watch movies in that
language.

A exposure B enthusiasm C immersion D influence

12 John felt he needed to ............ up his German because it was ages since he had used it.

A take B pick C draw D brush

13 Some people worry that the spread of English means that local languages are ............ .

A in the wrong B on the way C on the D in the long term

way out contrary

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14 Over the years there has been a ............ change to the vowel sounds in English.

A noticeable B proper C vivid D deep

15 We've seen a sudden, ............ in the number of new words coming into English from social
media.

A subtle change B steady increase C rapid rise D reasonable drop

16 Over time, there has been a ............ towards an earlier start to foreign language teaching in
schools.

A steady shift B significant impact C lasting change D substantial trend

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 Part 3
Questions 17 – 24

Read the sentences about languages. What are the missing words?
Some letters are already there. There is one space for each other letter in the word.

For questions 17 – 24, write the words.

17 My Chinese used to be fluent, but now it's a bit r _ _ _ _ as I haven't practised in ages.

18 It certainly helps you to pronounce new words correctly if you have a _ e_ _ for languages.

19 Because English is a global language, some English speakers feel there is no

n _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to learn other languages.

20 Having studied other languages, Emma was able to g _ _ _ _ the complicated rules of Italian
fairly quickly.

21 Some changes in language use, especially in meaning, have been so slight and s _ _ _ _ _
that most people don't notice them.

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22 The number of people learning English worldwide is definitely o _ t _ _ i _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

23 Some language changes are so small that they are hardly p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , except to
the linguists who look for them.

24 English changed s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ during the last century and will probably continue
to change as much over the next century.

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 Part 4
Questions 25 – 32

Read the text about language learning.

Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) for each space.

Surprised by language learning

I never intended to learn Arabic. In fact, until last year, (25) ………… all language learning
opportunities. I (26) ………… that I was capable of learning a foreign language.
However, since last year, all that (27) ………… . I was offered a fantastic new job and I really
wanted to accept it, but was nervous about it because it meant I would be required to move to
Egypt for a year. I (28) ………… outside Australia before, and I thought that languages weren't my
thing. What I've now realised is that I (29) ………… the right motivation before then! With this
great job to prepare for, I very cheerfully spent hours each day studying, and (30) ………… how
much I enjoyed it.
Since arriving in Egypt, I have steadily picked up more of the language and discovered that
(31) ………… at it! By this summer, (32) ………… in Egypt for a year and will have to return home.
I am keen to keep up my Arabic, and I will no longer be afraid of learning languages!

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25 A I have avoided B I had avoided C I have been D I was avoiding
avoiding

26 A didn't simply B didn't believe C simply not D simply didn't believe

believe simply believed

27 A has changed B is changing C was D had been changed

changing

28 A was never living B had never C had never D won't have lived
been living lived

29 A had just never B was just never C have just D have just never
had having never had been having

30 A I could believe B hardly I could C I could D I hardly could

– hardly believe hardly believe
believe

31 A I am reasonably B I reasonably C I am good D reasonably am I

good am good reasonably good

32 A I would have B I am C I am being D I will have been

been

9 Turn over ►
 Part 5
Questions 33 – 40

Here are some sentences about languages.

For each question, complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first sentence,
using the word given.
Do not change the word given.
You must use between two and six words, including the word given.
Write only the missing words.

33 To this day, I can't pronounce certain sounds in French, despite having had a lot of lessons.

still

Despite having had a lot of lessons, ……………………………………….. pronounce

certain sounds in French!

34 Kate was fluent in Japanese and so she got a job as an interpreter when she left university.

fluently

Because Kate ……………………………………….. , she got a job as an interpreter when

she left university.

35 After twelve months of learning Italian, it was obvious that he wasn't making any progress.

obviously

After twelve months of learning Italian ……………………………………….. making any

progress.

36 In the future, it is possible that almost all English language teaching will be done by non-
native speakers.

possibly

In the future, almost all English language teaching ………………………………………..

be done by non-native speakers.

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37 The English language was very different when I was a child.

lot

There ……………………………………….. of change to the English language since I was

a child.

38 Mary worked in the languages department for four years and then she decided to apply for a
job as a senior lecturer.

working

Mary ……………………………………….. in the languages department for four years

when she decided to apply for a job as a senior lecturer.

39 Some experts predict that by the year 2100, many languages spoken today will not be in
use.

will

Some experts predict that by the year 2100, many languages spoken today
……………………………………….. died out.

40 Jason started brushing up his French two months ago, because he has got a job in France.

brushing

Jason ……………………………………….. up his French for two months now, because

he has got a job in France.

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