End-of-Year Test Units 7 – 12

Name: __________________________________
Date: ___________________
Mark: ______ / 100 marks

Reading
A Read the article about the history of plastic bags and their effects on the environment.

Ban the bag?

Once upon a time, if you went to the market, you would have to take 4
a basket with you to bring your groceries back home. That basket
would probably have been made from reed, willow or raffia, and The problem with oxo biodegradable plastic bags is that although
you’d almost certainly use it until it finally fell apart, years after it they do biodegrade, thanks to the addition of small concentrations of
had been made. If you went out shopping for clothes or shoes, you additives such as metal salts, they need to be left out in the open,
would probably bring back your new purchases wrapped in paper or exposed to heat or light, in order to decompose. If they are buried
cloth, in a cardboard box or even in a cloth bag. And if you were very under landfill, they will stay as they are. The results have not been as
rich, you would have had everything delivered to your house. promising as hoped. Studies of one particular brand have shown that
cold weather and rain virtually stop the process, making it less useful
Things changed in the middle of the nineteenth century with the in the UK, where winters are long and rainfall is high.
invention of the paper bag, which was later developed with handles to
make it easier to carry. And once supermarket shopping took off after 5
World War II, the paper bag became ubiquitous, especially in the
Envigreen’s carrier bags look exactly like plastic bags, but there the
United States once people began to drive to the shops.
difference ends. They are made from various natural ingredients
1 including tapioca, potatoes, corn, vegetable oil and bananas. What
they don’t include is any of the ingredients that make plastics, like
Then, in the 1960s, Sten Gustaf Thulin, a Swedish engineer working polyethylene or other petrochemical derivatives. The resulting bags
for a plastics company in his native country, invented the plastic bag are easily destroyed – you can burn them safely, you can dissolve
as we know it today. It seemed like a brilliant solution: plastic bags them in boiling water and you can even eat them with no ill effects.
were much cheaper to produce, used almost four times less energy This means that they will not harm an animal if it accidentally eats
and 20 times less water to manufacture, were stronger, could be one.
reused, and out-performed paper bags in every way. Except in one
crucial respect: they are almost indestructible. Long after they’ve lost The bags are available in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and Envigreen will
their usefulness, they persist in the environment, doing the terrible start selling them in India in the near future. It is also receiving orders
damage we can see in our world today. from international companies around the world. Ashwath’s dream is
to create a global brand and to begin to address the massive problem
2 of plastic waste in India, where 15,000 tonnes of plastic are generated
daily and only 9,000 tonnes collected. The rest is polluting cities,
They ruin the countryside, blowing all over fields and forests, then,
countryside, rivers and oceans.
once ripped to shreds by wind and rain, they end up in waterways, or
block drainage pipes and increase the danger of floods. They destroy 6
wildlife not only on land but in our oceans too. Turtles, for example,
mistake the bags for their favourite food; jellyfish. In India, cows eat Nevertheless, it would be rash to tar all plastics with the same brush.
them by mistake while scavenging for food in rubbish tips. Once We mustn’t forget that plastics have improved our lives immeasurably
ingested, the bags can end up blocking breathing passages and the with products such as disposable syringes, protective gloves and
stomach, eventually causing death. Thousands of animals die because artificial limbs, to name just a few. Equally, the use of plastics instead
of plastic bags every year and some species are even being brought to of metals has had many advantages: plastic doesn’t corrode, it is lighter
the brink of extinction. than metal, which can translate into energy savings when it comes to
transportation, and it is cheaper too. It is clear that we can’t do without
3 plastic, but we can and must do without plastic bags.
Instead of a ban, other countries, including the UK, have introduced a
fee for plastic bags. So when you go to the supermarket in the UK, for
example, and you’ve forgotten to

take a bag with you, you have to buy a thin plastic bag for 5p, or a
‘bag for life’, which is a thicker, more durable plastic bag, for 10p or
15p. This dramatically reduced the use of plastic bags by up to 85 per
cent in the UK in its first year.

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B Now Complete the Exam Task.
Exam Task
You are going to read a magazine article about the history of plastic bags and their effects on the environment.
Six paragraphs have been removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A – G the one which fits each
gap (1 – 6). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
A Fortunately, the problem is being addressed as governments and the public become more aware of just how damaging the
plastic bag can be. Many countries have followed the example of Bangladesh, which was the first country in the world to
ban thinner plastic bags, which had been found to aggravate flooding by blocking drainage systems, thus causing untold
devastation.
B There is no doubt that plastic in all its forms is extremely challenging when it comes to its disposal. Plastic bags in
particular, which are so easily substituted with other types of bags, should become a shameful memory, and one which our
grandchildren will find hard to understand.
C Despite this threat to the environment, by the 1980s, shops and supermarkets all over the world were using plastic instead of
paper bags. The general public had little idea of the damage that was being done by this seemingly harmless and useful little
bag. We now know plastic bags can cause devastation on a previously unimagined scale; not only by creating litter
everywhere, but by endangering wildlife as well.
D The oxo biodegradable plastic bag is being used widely in many countries around the world. However, the capacity of the
bags to biodegrade depends on too many conditions to make it a practical choice. They won’t biodegrade in wet or cold
weather, or if buried under a pile of rubbish. As a result, they are not seen as a truly practical solution to the problem.
E Now, however, there has been a development which has the potential to finally solve the problem for good.
It is the brainchild of 24-year-old Bengalurean Ashwath Hegde, whose company, Envigreen, has started manufacturing
carrier bags that are 100 per cent biodegradable: they are just as strong as ordinary plastic bags, but completely harmless to
the environment.
F However, there were considerable environmental costs in the production of paper bags, not least the mass felling of trees
and the amount of energy and water needed to produce the bags. They were easily broken and few people were likely to
recycle them.
G Another proposed solution, with mixed results, has been the introduction of the oxo biodegradable plastic bag, which, it is
claimed, biodegrades much faster than ordinary plastic bags, which can take decades, if not hundreds of years, to degrade
completely.

(___ / 12 marks)

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Vocabulary and Use your English
A Complete the Exam Task.
Exam Task
For questions 1 – 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in
each gap.
Left Behind
When I left home to go to university last year, I knew my mum (1) ________ find it hard, but I never thought it would be my
brother (2) ________ would end up missing me most. In (3) ________ we should have realised just how difficult it would be
for him to be like an only child all of a sudden. My sister had left the (4) ________ year, but it never occurred to us that my
brother would be so upset (5) ________ my leaving. It wasn’t just the fact that
I wasn’t there to hang (6) ________ with him, play video games and watch the football, it was also the fact that
(7) ________ been used to noise, music and chatter, it was now so quiet when he got home from school. The house felt cold
and empty and the silence was conspicuous now that my sister and I were no longer there to make a racket. And (8) ________
with my parents being at work full-time now, he felt as if there was no longer a family there at all. Added to that, when my
mum and dad got home in the evenings, my brother complained of all parental focus (9) ________ now on him alone. He had
my parents’ undivided attention, which meant they were suddenly (10) ________ stricter and more involved in his school work
and in his social life. Family dynamics had certainly changed. It finally dawned (11) ________ us that he was actually feeling
quite low. Luckily, however, my brother began to find having the house to (12) ________ quite liberating, not least when he
got a girlfriend and me and my sister weren’t there to tease him about it!

(___ / 12 marks)

B Complete the Exam Task.

Exam Task
Complete the text with the correct form of the words in capitals.
Consumerisms
We often think of consumerism as a new phenomenon brought about by (1) _______________. We bemoan
the good old days when people were happy with their lot and didn’t always crave new things, fashionable
clothes and new furnishings for their house. But conspicuous consumption is much older than we might
imagine. The Chinese poet Lin Sumen wrote in 1808 about the super-rich flaunting their wealth, about
women (2) _______________ for the latest fashion, hoping to achieve (3) _______________ at last, INDUSTRY
despite the fact that with sleeves almost half a metre wide, they (4) _______________ must look quite (5)
_______________. He bemoaned the fact that people spent fortunes doing up their houses to impress others
or they insisted on keeping the latest exotic pet; in this case, a rat! He could have been writing about any
developed country today. YEARN
But is consumerism such a bad thing? However (6) _______________ it might sound, the truth is we can’t SOPHISTICAT
really survive without it. Our economy depends (7) _______________ on consumer spending, perpetuated ED
by our never-ending need for the new. Unless we are in the service sector, or doctors, teachers or lawyers, we SURE
are most likely to be involved in one way or another with consumerism. There is no doubt that our houses are RIDICULE
stuffed with an (8) _______________ of things we don’t need and don’t want any more, things we’ve
hardly ever used, clothes never worn, gadgets (9) _______________ once a better one comes along. It is a
very strong-minded person who isn’t seduced at some point or another by some useless but (10) SIMPLE
_______________ new contraption or item of clothing. And so, despite the (11) _______________ effects ENTIRE
of overwork, people work harder and harder to afford all the tat they don’t need. And although consumerism
is the bedrock of our economy it is also (12) _______________ in much of our downfall. We are
overburdened with huge debts which we won’t be able to pay back, all for the sake of stuff we never really ABUNDANT
needed. As Scottish thinker James Steuart wrote in 1770, ‘men are forced to labour now because they are
slaves to their own wants’. DISCARD
(___ /ALLURE
12 marks)
DETRIMENT

INSTRUMENT

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C Complete the Exam Task.
Exam Task
For questions 1 – 12, read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
What Makes an Outstanding School?
You may think that’s easy to answer: surely a good school is one which (1) _____________ good exam results. After all, it is these
results which will (2) _____________ students to get into good universities. However, schools are about much more than exams.
They are about education for all, from the most academic to the least. A good school has three (3) _____________ ingredients:
good (4) _____________ from the head, dedicated teachers with high
(5) _____________ for all students, and students who want to be there and are willing to (6) _____________ rules and respect one
another. It isn’t easy to (7) _____________ around a failing school, but research has shown that a strong and (8) _____________
leader is often the key to success. A good head or principal of a school will (9) _____________ teachers and students alike, will not
tolerate bullying or bad behaviour and will (10) _____________ the respect of all. He or she will make sure teachers are
encouraged and assisted in their work, and that they receive the training they need to do their job (11) _____________; once this is
in place, teachers are happier and more fulfilled and students (12) _____________ the benefits. Some will go on to get brilliant
academic results, others may not do so well in their exams, but provided they have reached their potential and they have passed
with acceptable grades, the school will not have failed them.

1 A conveys B delivers C brings D gives

2 A allow B accept C admit D enable
3 A critical B acute C crucial D burning
4 A leadership B control C running D executive
5 A expectations B ideals C opportunities D potentials
6 A accept B understand C grasp D follow
7 A go B turn C direct D transform
8 A inspirational B moving C promising D uplifting
9 A drive B provoke C motivate D arouse
10 A control B order C command D direct
11 A actually B effectively C accurately D convincingly
12 A earn B obtain C realise D reap
(___ / 12 marks)

D Complete the Exam Task.

Exam Task
For questions 1 – 6, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not
change the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including the word given.
1 After their holiday they scarcely had any money to buy a ticket to go home.
VIRTUALLY
After their holiday ______________________________________________ to buy a ticket to go home.
2 He said he wasn’t very good at tennis, but he beat the whole team!
CLAIMED
He ______________________________________________ be very good at tennis, but he beat the whole team!
3 They said Mary had broken the vase in the living room.
ACCUSED
They ______________________________________________ the vase in the living room.
4 ‘You’ll be reimbursed soon,’ said Anthony to his colleagues.
ASSURED
Anthony ______________________________________________ soon.
5 We delivered the gifts to children who were refugees of war.
WHOM
The ______________________________________________ were refugees of war.
6 We are willing but unable to help you because we simply haven’t got the funds.
MUCH
______________________________________________, we can’t because we simply haven’t got the funds.
(___ / 12 marks)

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Listening
A Listen and complete the Exam Task.
Exam Task
You will hear three different extracts. For questions 1 – 6, choose the answer (a, b or c) which fits best according to what you hear.
There are two questions for each extract.
Extract One
You hear a reporter talking about voluntourism in children’s homes.
1 What is the main premise of the report?
a Children should not be sent to orphanages if they have a living parent.
b Money is best spent in preventing children going to orphanages in poverty-stricken countries.
c Only professionals should look after vulnerable children.
2 In what way is voluntourism particularly indefensible?
a People with no professional qualifications are given too many responsibilities.
b It does more harm than good to the volunteers themselves.
c It encourages the perpetuation of institutions which can harm the most vulnerable.
Extract Two
You hear a school careers adviser talking about interview techniques.
3 What does the careers adviser say about dress codes for interviews?
a The most important thing is to wear something comfortable and smart.
b What you wear should be suitable and as a result, hardly noticed.
c It’s best not to wear something too fashionable or chic.
4 What can you do before an interview to make it go more smoothly?
a You should find out as much as you can about the organisation and practise your interview techniques.
b You should find ways to control your nerves so you come across as confident and engaging.
c You should practise smiling and keeping eye contact as well as researching the job you’re applying for.
Extract Three
You hear a historian talking about early photography.
5 What was the main reason people didn’t use to smile in early photos?
a They generally had teeth that were decaying and so looked unattractive.
b Photos were not easily affordable and so people felt it was safer not to smile for posterity.
c It was generally felt that smiling or laughing made people look less intelligent.
6 Which of these comments do you think the speaker would agree with most?
a The old photographs of people looking serious are more appealing than the photos people take of themselves today.
b Vanity was the main reason people didn’t smile in photos in the past.
c Thanks to better dentistry and technological advances in photography, people are happy to smile in photos.
(___ / 6 marks)

B Listen and complete the Exam Task.

Exam Task
You will hear an expert taking about what it means to be dyslexic and what can be done about it. For questions 1 – 8, complete the
sentences with a word or short phrase.
1 Being dyslexic when first going to school can have a detrimental effect on how _______________
that child progressively feels.
2 Not long ago, dyslexic children used not to be considered _______________ enough to go on to higher education.
3 It is believed that _______________ in ten people are dyslexic to some degree or another.
4 The key to preventing dyslexia from becoming a serious hindrance is _______________.
5 Dyslexia used _______________ as a reading, writing and spelling difficulty only.
6 Many dyslexics have problems _______________ they have been told recently, like instructions.
7 There isn’t a _______________ between social class and dyslexia.
8 Dyslexics often _______________ ethic than non-dyslexics because they are used to having to
make more of an effort to complete a task.
(___ / 8 marks)
Listen again.

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C Listen and complete the Exam Task.
Exam Task
You will hear part of a conversation between two friends, Pat and Tom, who are talking about their experiences renting and buying
a property. For questions 1 – 6, choose the answer (a, b, c or d) which fits best according to
what you hear.
1 Why don’t Tom and Angela buy the flat they are renting at the moment?
a They’d like to buy it but it’s not for sale.
b They wish they could buy it or any other flat in the area but it’s out of their price range.
c Although they love the flat, they don’t want to have to commute any more.
d They think buying in the area is like pouring money down the drain.
2 One of the flats Tom and Angela saw
a had far too many windows, which made it hard to heat.
b had very gloomy views from the windows.
c had an attic-type bedroom, which was accessed by a ladder rather than stairs.
d lacked light because it had no windows.
3 How does Pat feel about Tom and Angela’s chances of finding a flat to buy?
a She thinks they have as good a chance as she and her husband had buying their house.
b She seems to be quite pessimistic but she tries to hide it by telling Tom about her experience.
c She’s fairly optimistic because there should be more flats to choose from soon.
d She doesn’t think they’ve tried hard enough or spent long enough looking.
4 Why didn’t Pat and her husband agree to buy the house straight away?
a They weren’t planning to buy a property because they were happy to rent indefinitely.
b They were taken by surprise and they didn’t think they’d be able to afford it as they had no savings.
c They really liked the house, but they wanted to rent for the foreseeable future.
d They were reluctant to ask their family for a loan.
5 What made Pat and her husband change their minds about buying the house?
a When reality hit, they realised that the house meant more to them than just bricks and mortar.
b They managed to get a mortgage quite easily because there was a short lease on the house.
c They realised that their family would be happy to lend them the money to put down a deposit.
d They knew that they would never find a house as nice as the one they were in.
6 What is the main thing that Pat and her husband have done to make their financial situation more
comfortable and less austere?
a They’ve extended the lease on their house so that it will be worth more in the future.
b They’ve made sure they’ll be able to extend the short lease on the house when they can afford it.
c They’ve decided to rent out one of their bedrooms and so bring in a bit of income to help pay off the mortgage.
d They’ve decided not to go away on holiday, not to eat out or buy any new clothes for the
foreseeable future.
(___ / 6 marks)

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D Listen and complete the Exam Task.
Exam Task
You will hear five short extracts in which members of the public talk about their first jobs. Complete both tasks as
you listen.

Look at Task 1. For questions 1 – 5, choose from the list (A – H) the kind of first job the speaker had.

Task 1
1 Speaker 1 
2 Speaker 2 
3 Speaker 3 
4 Speaker 4 
5 Speaker 5 

A The speaker did a job that was not unusual with his/her peer group.
B The speaker learnt how to do the job little by little from a very young age, and was paid all along.
C It wasn’t far from home and it fitted in well with the speaker’s timetable.
D Although it was hard work, the speaker was happy to do the job because he liked the location and the people.
E The speaker managed to get a job nearby doing what he/she usually did at home without pay.
F It was very pleasant because it could be done at any time.
G The speaker has never had a job because of his/her sporting commitments.
H It required a skill that might appear simple to others, but in fact is quite difficult to master.
(___ / 5 marks)

Now look at Task 2. For questions 6 – 10, choose from the list (A – H) what kind of job the speaker has now or hopes to get in the
future.

Task 2
6 Speaker 1 
7 Speaker 2 
8 Speaker 3 
9 Speaker 4 
10 Speaker 5 

A The jobs the speaker did when growing up probably inspired him/her to train for the job he/she’s doing now.
B The speaker has found an area he/she is good at and is thinking of taking it further once qualified.
C The speaker is interested in doing a job he/she loves that doesn’t feel like work.
D The speaker is going to university to get the qualifications needed to work with computers.
E The speaker wants to get a similar job to the one he/she had when still at school.
F The training the speaker got as a child qualified him/her to do the technical job he/she has now.
G The speaker is working for the family business, which has expanded as a result.
H The speaker wants to do a job that uses some of the skills learnt at university.
(___ / 5 marks)

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Writing
Complete the Writing Task.
Exam Task
A magazine has asked for reviews of the best film the readers have seen in the last six months. You decide to send in
a review, in which you describe a film you’ve seen recently and liked a lot. You should write about the film without giving away too
much of the plot or the ending of the film. You should also give your opinion of the acting, and of the directing of the film. Finally,
say what you liked about it and explain why you think other readers should go and see it.

Write your review in 280–320 words.

(___ / 10 marks)

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