FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7 Printable (2024 Edition)
FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7 Printable (2024 Edition)
Part 1
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (А, В, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an
example at the beginning (0).
Example:
Space junk
The Space Age began 0 _____ over half a century ago, and ever since then the area just 1 _____ the Earth’s
atmosphere has been filling up with all kinds of man-made objects that have become 2 _____ as ‘space junk’. The
items up there 3 _____ from old satellites and parts of rockets to hundreds of thousands of pieces smaller than one
centimetre, all of them travelling at extremely 4 _____ speed. Over the last five years, the number of such objects
in space is 5 _____ to have risen by 50 per cent, and this has 6 _____ increased the risk of damage to working
satellites or space vehicles with crews on board.
International agreement has therefore now been 7 _____ on limiting the amount of new space junk. Scientists have
also 8 _____ some interesting suggestions for tidying up space. These include using laser beams, giant nets and
even an enormous umbrella-like device to collect tiny bits of junk.
Part 2
For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each
gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on tho
separate answer sheet.
Example: TO
Chewing gum
We still tend 0 _____ think chewing gum is a fairly recent invention, even 9 _____ there is evidence it was used
5,000 years ago in Finland. The Ancient Greeks also chewed gum, as 10 _____the Aztecs in Mexico during the
sixteenth century. As far as we know, however, it wasn’t 11 _____ 1869 that chewing gum became popular in its
present form, 12 _____ a New York inventor called Thomas Adams first had the idea of adding flavour to it.
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
Nowadays, of course, it is chewed around the world, 13 _____ the fact that it continues to be regarded by some 14
_____ an unpleasant habit. Unfortunately, far too many people drop used gum onto the pavement, 15 _____ it
remains for some time because it is extremely difficult to remove once it has stuck to the surface. On the other
hand, those 16 _____ favour of chewing gum claim it helps them relax, improves their concentration, and helps
keep their teeth clean.
Part 3
For questions 17-24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a
word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.
Example: EMBARRASSMENT
With surnames, make 23 _____ associations. For instance, imagine people called Cook,
Ford or King making a meal, driving a car or wearing a crown, respectively. Finally,
ending with the person’s name, as in ‘See you later, Max’ is a good way of 24 _____ that
you don’t forget it.
Part 4
For questions 25-30, 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 two and five words, including the word given.
Here is an example (0).
Example:
0.During our holidays, we eat out rather than cook at home.
INSTEAD
During our holidays, we eat out _______________ at home.
Example: 0. INSTEAD OF COOKING
25. Thomas spoke so quickly I had difficulty understanding him.
IT
Thomas spoke so quickly I _______________ him.
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
26. They’ve postponed the match and it’ll be played next weekend.
PUT
The match _______________ until next weekend.
27. I’m never going to speak to Louis again.
INTENTION
I’ve got _______________ to Louis again.
28. It seems certain that lightning started the forest fire.
HAVE
The forest fire _______________ by lightning.
29. It wasn’t worth going to the market because it was closing.
POINT
The market was closing, so _______________ going there.
30. We phoned the restaurant, but they said booking a table wasn’t necessary.
HAVE
We phoned the restaurant, but they said we _______________ a table.
Part 5
You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 31-36, choose the answer (А, В, C or D) which you
think fits best according to the text.
'Claire, it's Ruth.' Claire held back a sigh and walked into the kitchen to put the coffee machine on. A phone call
from her sister was never over quickly.
'Ruth, darling. How are you?' As she waited for her sister to start describing in detail her latest disaster, Claire
mulled over how much to reveal about her new business assignment. Her family would have to be told something,
of course. Not that they ever came to visit, or called her home phone, or sent her letters. Still, it seemed only right
to tell them it meant she was moving out for twelve months. Tuning back into the phone call, Claire realised she
had missed some key information and tried to catch up with what her sister was talking about.
'So the doctor said it was probably lack of sleep. You know Sky is a bad sleeper and her nightmares have been
worse since she started Year Two.' Claire worked out that someone was unwell, but was unsure whether it was her
sister or her six-year-old niece.
Claire thought about her own schooling. Her parents had paid for the best, obviously, although Claire often
wondered whether that was to ensure their three children didn't affect their lifestyle, rather than to give their
offspring a good start in life. The school had encouraged independence and character but had no time for tears and
tantrums. Claire had learned quickly to work hard and stay out of trouble. More than could be said for Ruth. It had
been a constant disappointment to her parents that, while their first and third children both achieved academic
success, Ruth only acquired a reputation for bad behaviour.
Ruth's next sentence sharply interrupted Claire's thoughts.
'The tests are the week after next. That's why I'm calling. Is there any chance you could come and look after Sky?
It's half-term and most of her friends are going skiing. Of course we can't afford that...'
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
Claire inhaled deeply and forced herself not to rise to the bait. Ruth was always poor and begrudged Claire her
success. Claire accepted that looking after a child on your own probably limited your career options, but look at the
'Harry Potter' author J. K. Rowling, it hadn't held her back. She was convinced Ruth could help herself if only she'd
try harder. Claire was almost too irritated by the thinly-veiled criticism to react to the request, but not quite.
'Have Sky? How long for? When?' Claire could hear panic in her voice and forced herself to breathe in deeply.
Once she was sure she was back in control of her emotions she said in a slow voice,‘I start a new work assignment
on 1st March, and I'll... be on the road a lot. You know. Meeting clients.'
'Dining out on someone else's credit card.' Ruth's voice cut in.
'There's more to it than that,' Claire responded quickly. Then, before Ruth could start the age-old argument, Claire
consciously lowered her voice.
'Tell me the day you need me to have Sky, I'll check my diary.'
'Well, it's two days, actually.' Ruth sounded embarrassed.
Thinking about minding a six-year-old for two days almost made Claire choke. She gulped down her coffee and
wondered if she could use the new assignment as an excuse.
There was something in Ruth's voice, though, that made her pause.
'Can't Mum take care of her? I thought Mum and Dad were the perfect grandparents?' It seemed odd to Claire that
two people who had no time for their own children could go mad over someone else's, even if they were their
grandkids.
'Er, Mum's coming with me, to the hospital.’
Ruth's words finally got through to Claire. 'Just what tests are you having exactly?'
'Weren't you listening? You never listen to me.'
Claire almost smiled at the petulant tone in Ruth's voice. For a moment they were twelve and fourteen again.
31. When Claire realises who is phoning her, she
A expects to hear some good news.
В tries to hide her true feelings.
C hopes it will be a long conversation.
D knows exactly what she will say to Ruth.
32. Why doesn’t Claire know who is ill?
A Ruth didn’t make it clear who she was talking about.
В None of her other relatives had written to her about it.
C She was away on business when the illness began.
D She wasn’t paying attention when Ruth was speaking.
33. How does Claire feel about her school?
A She would have achieved more at a better school.
В Her parents never appreciated how successful she was there.
C Her sister was better suited to that school than she was.
D She may have been sent there for the wrong reasons.
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
Part 6
You are going to read an article about the new headquarters of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Six
sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (37-42).
There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
The WWF was set up in 1961. The organisation originally fought to protect individual species, such as the Arabian
oryx, from extinction. Eventually, the focus moved from individual species to ecosystems: all the living things in
one area and the way they affect each other. Sir David, who is an ambassador for the WWF, said: 'Now, it's not just
individual ecosystems. Now the change is to a global approach. 41 __. That is because the planet is one vast
ecosystem. The WWF has been the leader in changing everyone's attitudes towards nature.'
Sir David is clear about the task ahead, and more importantly, unlike many environmentalists, he believes it is not
too late to make a difference. 'You can't turn the clock back, of course. 42 __. But we can slow down the rate at
which the numbers are increasing, we can cut down the carbon we put in the atmosphere,’ he said. 'It's never
happened before that the whole world has come together and made a decision. To go as far as we have done to
reduce carbon is an impressive achievement. But you cannot have unlimited growth in a limited situation. You can't
expand infinitely in a finite planet.
A. Even so, it remains in an ugly corner of a fairly unattractive town centre.
В. So even if you aren’t particularly concerned about the environment, as energy costs rise you’ll want to save
money on fuel bills.
C. Other such features include extensive glass to increase natural light, natural ventilation, rainwater in the toilets,
and heat pumps that bring warm air up from 200 metres below.
D. It is hoped their new home will be a living example of that.
E. That means you can’t put back forests that are gone, not for a century, and the population size is not going to
shrink.
F. If you want to do something, you have to persuade people of the world not to pollute.
G. If humanity is to survive, they must have been thinking, it will do so living in buildings of this kind.
Part 7
You are going to read an article from a travel magazine about beaches. For questions 43-52, choose from the
authors (A-D). The authors may be chosen more than once.
Which section...
43. recommends paying the entrance fee? __
44. states that the beach has featured in advertisements? __
45. says visitors may be surprised by the water temperature? __
46. points out that the water is quite shallow? __
47. suggests visitors should take photos of the beach? __
48. says visitors can walk on the beach in their bare feet? __
49. mentions a pleasant smell from the trees? __
50. advises visitors to get to the beach early in the day? __
51. states that it is not always possible to visit the beach? __
52. warns visitors to the beach to protect their skin? __
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
Answer Keys
Part 1
1. D - beyond. 'just beyond' here means 'right outside, in the immediate vicinity on the outside'.
2. B - known. 'Referred' takes preposition 'to'; 'Called' and 'named' do not fit the context - it would have been
'are called' and 'have been named' respectively.
3. D - range. 'Range from ... to' phrase is used to refer to the spectrum or variety of something, space junk in
this case.
4. A - high. 'High speed' is the accepted collocation. Just like how prices are 'high' and 'low', rather than
'expensive' and 'cheap', speed can't be 'fast' or 'slow'.
5. C - estimated. 'To estimate' is to guess or calculate something, such as price, amount and so on.
6. B - greatly. By a considerable amount. 'Largely' in this context would have meant 'generally', so it shouldn't
be used.
7. B - reached. 'To reach an agreement' is another strong collocation. Other words do not form any.
8. C - come up with. To invent, to suggest an idea or a plan. 'Caught up with' and 'kept up with' have a similar
meaning of reaching something you're late for, e.g. something you're falling behind. 'To put up with' means
to accept something unpleasant or undesirable.
Part 2
9. though/when. 'Though' is used to contrast two ideas in the sentence. We can also use 'when' to connect two
ideas, although with lesser contrasting.
10.did. "As did" is an expression that is used to avoid saying "the Aztecs chewed gum". The meaning is the
same to the construction "So did".
11.until/till. "It wasn't until" indicated a period of time that marked the beginning of chewing gum popularity
as we know it. 'Till' can also be used, the less formal option.
12.when. A reference to the previous date is made, clarifying what happened in that year.
13.despite. Another contrast is introduced by "despite the fact" construction.
14.as. "To regard as" has the same meaning as "to believe, to consider".
15.where. 'Where' here refers to the pavement.
16.in. "To be in favour of something" means to be for it, to support it.
Part 3
17.introductions. The plural form of the noun is required, as suggested by the plural form 'are' after the gap.
18.impolite. The negative form of the adjective is required, the context helps us understand that.
19.overcome. The meaning of the word is 'to solve, to deal with a problem'.
20.observation. Do not use the gerund 'observing', generally avoid using gerunds in CAE Part 3 if an actual
noun can be used in its place.
21.characteristics. Another plural form should be used here - the author is giving several examples such as
foreheads and eyebrows.
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
22.variety. A characteristic of being different. If there's a variety of something, it means that it comes in many
different forms, shapes or colours.
23.visual. The following noun suggests that we should be using an adjective.
24.ensuring. Good way of doing something. Use the en- prefix, as 'insuring' has a different meaning.
Part 4
25.found it difficult to understand. 'To find something easy/difficult to do'
26.has been put off. 'To put off' means to postpone, to move to a later date. Note that you have to use Present
Perfect as in the original sentence to get full points.
27.no intention of (ever) speaking. 'To have (no) intention' means to be (not) willing or planning to do
something.
28.must have been started. A passive voice structure is required here - suggested by the keyword 'have'.
29.there was no point in. If there is no point in something, it is not worth doing.
30.didn't have to book. 'Didn't have to do something' - both sentences contain the negative form of the verb.
Part 5
31.B. In the first sentence of the text, Claire is mentioned to have 'held back a sigh' - that is, she prevented
herself from sighing, that is a sign of tiredness, irritation or desperation. She is trying to conceal her true
feelings.
32.D. Last sentence of Paragraph Two: 'Tuning back into the phone call, Claire realised she had missed some
key information...'. Claire was too deep in her own thoughts to pay attention to the telephone conversation.
33.D. Second sentence of Paragraph Four: '... Claire often wondered whether that was to ensure their three
children didn’t affect their lifestyle...'. Her parents sent her to that school to have her away and just live their
own lives.
34.A. In Paragraph Seven, Claire uses the example of J. K. Rowling as a self-made woman who managed to
become wealthy despite having to raise children of her own: 'She was convinced Ruth could help herself if
only she’d try harder.'. Answer C is not mentioned.
35.B. Ruth believes that all Claire has to do is go out with clients spending company money, which is not true.
36.C. 'It seemed odd to Claire that two people who had no time for their own children could go mad over
someone else’s, even if they were their grandkids.'
Part 6
37.G. At the beginning of the paragraph, they are talking about possible extinction of the human race and the
changing weather conditions. Sentence G then confirms that if the human race plans to survive, it will have
to live in such structures.
38.D. 'Their' refers to the animals. 'Living example of that' talks about the attempts at protecting those animals.
39.C. These are all the examples of using natural resources without creating unnecessary pollution. Option F
shouldn't be used here - even though it too focuses on eco-friendliness, it will be better used later on in the
text.
40.A. A contrast is introduced here - the building gives off a sense of calm, despite being in an ugly part of
downtown.
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
41.F. An ecosystem is the mass of all living things and how they affect each other and the environment. The
words 'global approach' help us to connect it with the phrase 'you have to persuade people of the world'
from Sentence F.
42.E. The paragraph focuses on having to deal with the current situation and not looking back. Sentence E fits
right in, confirming the statements.
Part 7
43.D. '... it is well worth the small amount it costs for access'.
44.D. 'It’s easy to see why commercials have been made there.'
45.A. ' At first sight it almost seems tropical, until dipping your toe in the water encourages you to spend a
lazy day on the beach rather than dive in for a swim.'
46.C. 'he air temperature hardly varies around the year, and neither does that of the ocean – which is only
waist-high even hundreds of metres from the shore.'
47.D. '... don’t forget to get some shots of your own...'
48.B. 'The sand, in contrast, always remains cool as it is of a type that reflects the sunlight, so you won’t need
sandals.'
49.A. '... the scent of pine from the nearby woods...'
50.D. 'The best spots – those with both sunshine and shade – quickly get taken, so make sure you arrive well
before the sun starts to beat down and the sand heats up.'
51.A. '... with public access limited to the summer months...'
52.C. 'There isn’t, however, much shade, so it is advisable to use plenty of sun cream...'
Vocabulary
The vocabulary below is meant to help you with the more difficult words. If the word isn't on the list then you are
either supposed to know it or it is too specific to be worth learning and you don't have to know it to answer the
question. Symbols in brackets mean part of speech (see bottom of the list). Sentences in italics give examples of
usage for some more complex words and phrases.
And remember — you are not given a vocabulary list (or a dictionary) at your real exam.
Part 1
Man-made (adj) - created by humans (artificially) rather than by nature (naturally). Some scientists doubt that the
Pyramids of Egypt are man-made.
Crew (n) - people who operate a complex machine such as a plane, a ship or, in this case, a space vehicle.
Tidy up (phr v) - to make something cleaner by removing unnecessary items.
Part 2
Evidence (n) - proof, supporting information. Evidence suggests that dolphins are the most intelligent animals
found on our planet.
Flavour (n) - a particular taste added to food, usually done by chemicals. Note that while the word 'taste' is the
natural way the food feels like, 'flavour' is artificial.
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
Regard (v) - to have an opinion about something, to know as having some quality. Students of Harvard are
regarded as one of the most knowledgeable when it comes to liberal arts.
Part 3
Mental note - something that you force, or tell yourself, to remember without actually writing it down. I was
making a mental note of the names of all the places we were visiting during our trip to Japan.
Forehead - the part of one's face between the eyebrows and the beginning of hairline.
Part 4
Postpone (v) - to move something like an event or a meeting to a later date, to reschedule.
Intention (n) - a plan or an idea, something that you are going to do in the future.
Part 5
Sigh (n) - the act of letting air out through your mouth or nose when you feel upset or relieved. I could swear I
could almost feel a sigh of relief from her as soon as she heard the good news.
Mull over (phr v) - to think about carefully before deciding what to do next.
Offspring (n) - a formal word meaning children. Can also be used to refer to animals.
Tantrum (n) - when a child loses their temper and protests in a noisy when, they are said to throw a tantrum. Same
word could be used to talk about an adult, not literary but as a form of criticism.
Rise to the bait - to let yourself be provoked by something intended as a provocation. The politician didn't let
himself rise to the bait of groundless accusations by the opposing party members.
Begrudge (v) - not to begrudge somebody something is to try and not say that somebody did something unfairly or
didn't deserve it. Note that this is mostly used with 'not'. I never begrudge my dad his academic success, as he has
dedicated his entire career to get where he is now.
Hold somebody back (phr v) - to prevent somebody from doing or achieving something.
Choke (v) - to have food stuck in your throat that prevents you from breathing. Here it is used figuratively to show
shock or unpreparedness for something the author has just heard.
Gulp down (phr) - to swallow liquid or medicine with visible effort.
Petulant (adj) - (usually about children) upset or unhappy about something.
Part 6
Hemispherical (adj) - in the shape of half a sphere, like an orange sliced in half.
Enshrine (v) - to protect something valuable.
Extinction (n) - the situation when a species no longer exists because of being hunted or due to natural causes such
as climate change. The reason for dodo extinction is that it had no natural predators and therefore was not afraid
of humans, who took advantage of the situation to hunt the bird down.
Vast (adj) - extremely big. This politician's influence in the region is vast.
Environmentalist (n) - a person who actively protects the environment by various means or advocates for the
importance of such actions.
Shrink (v) - to reduce in size suddenly and considerably, like a balloon when all air escapes it.
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FCE Reading and Use of English Test 7
Part 7
Fee (n) - a sum of money that you pay either for a service or for the right to access some place. The entrance fee is
$5 during the week and $7 on the weekend.
Shallow (adj) - the opposite of deep. Shallow beaches of this region are very popular with kids of all ages.
Stunning (adj) - so amazing or impressive that it blows your mind; extremely beautiful.
Charge (n) - a synonym to fee in this context, it is an amount of money you have to pay to access some location, in
this case the beach.
Patches (n) - small, isolated areas of something, usually some surface. The lawn was pretty far from perfect with
patches of naked dirt here and there.
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