ENGLISH CONNECTION_FCE_FINAL EXAM

Student name

Group/Class

Date Score

LISTENING

Part 1 Multiple choice

1 You will hear people talking in eight dif f erent situations. For questions 1–8, choose the End-of-course T est 1
best answer (A, B or C).

1 You hear a radio presenter introducing a programme.

What type of programme is it?
A a phone-in
B a documentary
C a panel discussion

2 You hear two people discussing a music festival.

What do they agree about?
A T he food was reasonably priced.
B T he event was well organised.
C T he music was too varied.

3 You hear a voicemail message.

Why has the speaker called?
A to check some facts
B to accept an offer
C to make an apology

4 You hear a builder talking about his work.

What does he complain about?
A the attitude of some clients
B the difficulty in finding reliable workers
C having to wait for payment

5 You hear two people talking about visiting a well-known tourist attraction.
How did the man feel when he visited the place?
A annoyed
B confused
C bored

6 You hear two people discussing social networking.

What is the woman’s attitude towards it?
A It encourages disagreements between people.
B It can change your opinions of people.
C It is best to avoid it.
7 You hear someone talking on the radio about scientific research.
Who is the speaker?
A a student
B a scientist
C a journalist

8 You hear two people discussing part of the city where they live.
What is the woman’s opinion of the area?
A It has improved a lot.
B It will become a lot more popular.
C Publicity about it has been inaccurate.

Score: /8

Part 2 Sentence completion

2 You will hear a talk about the creation of a new system of road signs in Britain in the End-of-course T est 2
1960s. For questions 9–18, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

T he designing of road signs in Britain in the 1960s

Before working on road signs, the designers had produced the signs used in a large (9) near
London.

At the time when they created the signs, that type of work was called (10) ‘ ’. T he intention was that
the motorway signs would be part of a (11) that Europe had for road signs.

T he designers used (12) as the colour for their signs. For ordinary roads, the designers created a
typeface called (13) Warnings, for example, of ice on roads, appear on
(14) signs. Other designers praised their use of simple symbols such as
(16) for one-way streets.

T he picture showing children crossing originally included a (17) T he committee said that the
person in the pedestrian crossing sign looked like a (18) coming out of water.

Some people joked that the man in the roadworks sign appeared to be using his (10) .

Score: / 10

Part 3 Multiple matching

3 You will hear f ive short extracts in which people are talking about their homes. For End-of-course T est 3
questions 19–23, choose f rom the list (A–H) what each speaker says about his/her
home. Use the letters only once. T here are three extra letters.

A I have no intention of leaving it.

Speaker 1 [19]
B It is too small.

C T he neighbours are a problem. Speaker 2 [20]

D I have improved it.

Speaker 3 [21]
E It is in a very convenient place for me.
Speaker 4 [22]
F I found it by chance.

G It is difficult for me to afford it. Speaker 5 [23]

H It is not in good condition.

Score: /5

Part 4 Multiple choice

4 You will hear a radio interview with a woman called Maria Grant, about singing in a choir End-of-course T est 4
and then becoming the director of it. For questions 24–30, choose the best answer (A,
B or C).

24 - Maria says that they are not nervous because

A they have sung the same songs many times before.
B they have sung at bigger events before.
C they have practised more than they usually do.

25 - Maria says that the number of choirs is increasing because

A more and more people want to perform in public.
B singing is something that everyone can do.
C some choirs have had a lot of publicity.

26 - Why did Maria join the choir?

A She felt that she was a good singer.
B A friend persuaded her to do so.
C T he choir’s advert was unusual.

27 - When Maria started singing with the choir,

A she disliked some of the songs they sang.
B her singing ability improved quickly.
C other members encouraged her to continue.

28 - At first, Maria didn’t do public performances because

A she didn’t have enough time.
B she lacked the courage.
C she hadn’t practised enough.

29 - What surprised Maria about the choir’s public performances?

A how many different types of events they involved
B how much publicity they attracted
C how many members sang at all of them
 30 - Maria became director of the choir because
A she wanted to do more organising and less singing.
B the existing director wasn’t enjoying the role.
C the existing director asked her to take over.

Score: /7

READING AND USE OF ENGLISH

Part 1 Multiple-choice cloze

5 For questions 0–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best f its each gap. T here is an
example at the beginning (0).

Playgrounds f or the elderly

Grandparents often (0) A themselves taking their grandchildren to the local playground, and usually they sit on
benches while the kids race around on the swings and roundabouts. But before long, it could be the other (1) round,
and children will be taking the old folk to their own playground. T hen it will be their (2) to sit while their grandparents
amuse themselves on machines (3) designed to exercise older limbs and muscles.

Outdoor senior playgrounds are now (4) up all over the world with the (5) of encouraging older people to
exercise in a fun, safe and effective way. T he machines are designed to be non-scary and used with (6) clothes and
shoes rather than gym outfits. Most over-60s have not grown up with modern-style gyms, and they can feel (7) by
the atmosphere of serious training and super-fit bodies. As a result, they mostly stay (8) from them. T he senior
machines are different, as everybody using them will be over 60s themselves.

0 A let B find C have D get

1 A side B end C part D way
2 A turn B case C spell D post
3 A exactly B utterly C specially D precisely
4 A springing B rushing C bursting D emerging
5 A point B view C aim D plan
6 A usual B standard C routine D ordinary
7 A denied B excluded C dismissed D removed
8 A apart B out C away D off

Score: /8

Part 2 Open cloze

6 For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best f its each gap. Use only one word in each
gap. T here is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPIT AL LET T ERS.

A dif f erent kind of CV

Recently, Jeff Scardino took a very novel approach (0) TO job hunting. He produced a totally honest CV that
highlighted (1) his successes, but rather all the failures in his career. He didn’t actually want a new job but
decided to write (2) he called the ‘Relevant Resume’ as an experiment. Using two different names, he sent
both a regular CV (3) the Relevant Resume to ten companies. T he results were astounding. He got one
response and zero meeting requests from the regular CV. (4) , he received eight responses and five meeting
requests from the other CV. ‘People seem to like a fresh approach,’ he explains.
(5) that mean that a good CV is now a negative CV? ‘Perhaps,’ says Janet Moran, founder of the resume
service, T he CV House. ‘Ultimately, you want to write something (6) sets you apart.’ It is, she admits, a risky
approach, ‘but (7) the right person reads it, it could (8) you seem confident, humorous and
interesting.’

Score: /8

Part 3 Word formation

7 For questions 1–8, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to f orm a
word that f its in the gap in the same line. T here is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN
CAPIT AL LET T ERS.
Watching T V seriously harms exam results

Watching television for long periods has a negative effect on exam results,
(0) ACCORDING to a recent study. T he scientists stress that what they found was an ACCORD
association, not (1) of a causal link. However, they have ruled out any influence PROVE
of (2) or wealth, as the students POOR
(3) came from a diverse range of social backgrounds. CONCERN

Lead researcher Dr Kirsten Corder, from Cambridge University, explained:

‘T elevision, computer games and internet use were all found to be (4) to HARM
academic performance, but T V viewing was the most detrimental.’ T he research was part of a
wider study looking at different factors affecting the (5) health, well-being and MIND
academic achievement of teenagers as they make the journey to (6) . T he ADULT
scientists measured activity levels of the (7) using heart rate and movement PARTICIPATE
sensors attached to their bodies. T hey also questioned the students about how much time they
spent in front of the T V or computer screens, and how long they spent doing homework, or
reading for (8) . PLEASE

Score: /8

Part 4 Key word transformation

8 For questions 1–6, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the f irst sentence, using the
word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and f ive words, including the word given.
Here is an example (0). Write only the missing words IN CAPIT AL LET T ERS.

0 He watched videos on his computer all afternoon.

WHOLE
He spent THE WHOLE AFTERNOON WATCHING videos on his computer.

1 I had never visited a city that was so big before.

VISIT
It was my big city.

2 We’ve used up all the paper for the printer.

LEFT
T here isn’t for the printer.
3 Can you tell me your decision as soon as possible, please?
KNOW
Can you your decision is as soon as possible, please?

4 Carl’s boss told him that the delay was his fault.
RESPONSIBLE
Carl’s boss accused the delay.

5 Because of the weather, I didn’t walk, I drove.

INST EAD
Because of the weather, I drove foot.

6 Who suggested organising this fantastic event?

IDEA
Who came organising this fantastic event?

Score: /6

Part 5 Multiple choice

9 You are going to read a newspaper article about a series of children’s stories. For questions 1–6, choose the
answer (A, B, C or D) which you think f its best according to the text.

T he continuing success of T homas the T ank Engine

On December 25, 1942, a two-year-old boy named Christopher received a model steam locomotive. Handmade by his
father, the Rev Wilbert Awdry, the blue-painted train incorporated a sawn-off broomstick for the boiler, a tube of
metal for the chimney and flattened-out carpet pins for wheels. On its side, Awdry had inscribed a gold number 1 and
the letters NW, a little joke to himself (the engine was not part of any railway company and the letters stood for
‘nowhere’). ‘I played with it for a while,’ recalls Christopher Awdry, now in his 70s, ‘and at some point, apparently, I
said, “Can you tell me a story about my engine?”’ His father, who had been inventing stories about steam engines to
keep Christopher amused during a recent bout of measles, said, ‘Yes, I can make up a story, but before I do, it has to
have a name. Why don’t we call it T homas the T ank Engine?’

T wo and a half years after that, the opening instalment in a collection of children’s books called The Railway Series
made its first appearance on British high streets. And over 70 years later, versions of that same train, now
manufactured in China on behalf of Mattel, the world’s second-largest toy company, sell in their millions everywhere
from T okyo to Mexico City. In the UK alone, where Awdry wrote 26 Railway Series books before retiring in 1972, there
are now about 1,600 T homas & Friends products – from lunchboxes and yoghurts to puzzles, duvet covers, walkie-
talkies, potties and iPad apps. A toy engine of some description – whether it’s T homas or one of his many ‘friends’,
puffed-up Gordon, say, or the ‘dockside diesel’ Salty – is sold every two seconds somewhere in the world, and the
television series is currently broadcast to more than a billion households in 300 territories each week, including
Britain.

Yet if you ask parents what the appeal of the stories is, many will shake their heads in bewilderment. Compared with
other, more recent children’s creations, the Thomas & Friends books and television programmes seem hopelessly
anachronistic. T he central characters are steam trains, after all, a form of transport that had its heyday in the mid-
19th century. T he fictitious Island of Sodor, where the stories are set, feels like a world untouched by modern life, and
the dialogue itself is repetitious, insufferably earnest and filled with outdated language. T here are certainly none of
the subtle jokes and winking references for adults which abound in other programmes.
 What’s more, T homas doesn’t seem to relate to modern concepts of parenting. T he Island of Sodor is a hierarchical
society, in which the Fat Controller (the father figure) rules unopposed and the engines (his ‘children’) are punished
whenever they step out of line. T o many liberal parents, it seems to hark back to an age when children were seen but
not heard. But far from being an unfortunate hangover from the 1940s world in which T homas was born, it is this very
unfashionableness that may be the key to its success.

‘T here is something traditional about T homas the T ank Engine,’ says Dr Aric Sigman, a psychologist who has
researched the impact of television on children and who has published several books including the parenting manual
The Spoilt Generation. ‘But whether that’s a bad thing or not is open to debate. I see a lot of young children and they like
rules. Not to be treated in an authoritarian way, not at all, but children feel comfortable when there are boundaries. It
makes them feel relaxed and it’s very important for child development.’

And what about the criticisms that it is moralistic and stuck in the past? Sigman points out that Sodor has many of the
elements children like to see within their own homes and communities. ‘It’s a relatively safe world where there is
camaraderie, natural justice, routine and structure. T he trains go from A to B along a track. It’s a linear progression,
and although there are hindrances, they are always resolved. T hese are easy concepts for children to understand.’

1 What do we learn about the engine Christopher received in 1942?

A Christopher was not very interested in it at first.
B His father had not given it a name before Christopher received it.
C His father had had great difficulty in constructing it.
D Christopher had been expecting to receive it as a present.

2 What does the writer emphasise about the success of Awdry’s creation in the second paragraph?
A how big it is
B how unexpected it was
C how quickly it happened
D how lucky it is

3 In the third paragraph, the writer says that one reason why the continuing success of the stories is surprising is that
A they are more complex than most modern stories for children.
B they do not contain elements that are intended to amuse parents.
C the characters in them are machines, not people.
D there is often more dialogue than action in them.

4 T he writer says that some parents may regard the stories as

A having a bad influence on children.
B giving children a confusing view of adult behaviour.
C reflecting accurately their own behaviour as parents.
D presenting an unacceptable way of treating children.
5 Dr Aric Sigman says that the traditional nature of the stories
A causes some children to have difficulty following them.
B makes them particularly suitable for children’s television.
C provides children with something they need.
D might cause some children to become upset.

6 In response to criticism of the stories, Sigman says that

A their emphasis on morality is their most important characteristic.
B they describe the sort of problems children have in their everyday lives.
C the fact that they are set in a past world is not relevant.
D it indicates a misunderstanding of what the stories actually contain.

Score: /6

Part 6 Gapped text

10 You are going to read a newspaper article about a successf ul disabled climber. Six sentences have been removed
f rom the article. Choose f rom the sentences A–G the one which f its each gap (1–6). T here is one extra sentence
which you do not need to use.

T he rock climber with one leg and a determination to reach the top

Born with one leg, the 21-year-old Phil Mitchell is the star of the British Paraclimbing T eam and practises a sport that
demands tenacity, strength and the capacity to ‘get battered quite a lot’. Mitchell first visited a climbing wall three years
ago and instantly fell in love with the sport. But despite his success in the competitive arena, the climber’s true passion is
exploring the great outdoors. ‘T he variety of outdoor climbing appeals to me much more than the sport climbs,’ says Phil.
[1] ‘ I really like that variety, and I don’t limit myself because otherwise you can’t climb using different styles and
techniques.’

Mitchell has a tight friendship circle, all of whom spend their free time traversing the UK in search of the perfect climb.
Friendship is clearly very important to the young climber, and the camaraderie of his fellow climbers is what helps him
continuously work on ways to conquer the limitations of his disability. ‘I think that’s what happens with all friendship
groups – you push each other. And yes, it’s sometimes frustrating because I’m missing a leg, but then there’s the
challenge to get around it, to work past it and push harder. I just think that when I complain, I’m being childish.
[2] But I’ve never got really annoyed, I’m just stubborn. I’ll only give up when I am utterly beaten – when I’ve tried
every single way and it’s still not working.’

Paraclimbing gives disabled individuals the chance to experience their sport in a competitive environment. ‘T here are
three competitions on the GB Paraclimbing Circuit,’ Mitchell explains. ‘One in London, one in Newcastle and one in
Manchester. You have to complete three sport climbs and three boulder problems, and the way they score it is pretty
simple. Each hold has a value up to 100. [3] ’

However, like many events in the Paralympics, slight differences in disabilities create problems when the competitors
have to be placed into categories, says Mitchell. ‘Although I’m a full leg amputee, my best friend – who has brain damage –
competes in the same category as me, despite the fact that he has four contact points and I only have three. [4] So

presumably as more people discover paraclimbing, the categories will be refined.’

T he young man clearly doesn’t view his disability as such, instead approaching his climbing with the same attitude as any
other sportsman. ‘Everybody is physically different, for instance, some people are too short to make certain moves. And
that’s all that I am really, just not physically suited to some moves. [5] Everyone’s different, and you just have to
learn to work with what you’ve got.’

Mitchell’s injury rate certainly reflects his talent for climbing. ‘I haven’t hurt myself much, though I really quite badly
injured my ankle last year when I fell and landed between the two crash mats rather than on them. [6] But you’ve just
got to be brave and pick yourself up, because you get battered quite a lot, and that’s really just part of the sport.’

A All climbers are like that though, so I don’t think it’s specific to me having just one leg.
B I was out for a while after that.
C T hat’s a common misunderstanding about what paraclimbing involves.
D T hat you can be climbing around on really small ledges one week and then scaling stone rock the next week, that’s
great.
E On the other hand, I’m better suited to certain actions than people with no disabilities.
F T hey argue that the system is set up this way because there aren’t enough people competing.
G T he further up you get, the more holds you use and the more points you get.

Score: /6

Part 7 Multiple matching

11 You are going to read a newspaper article about various national parks in the United States. For questions 1–10,
choose f rom the parks (A–D). T he parks may be chosen more than once.

Channel Islands, Calif ornia

T hough Channel Islands National Park lies just 11 miles off the southern California coast, less than an hour away by
boat, few people actually venture to this undeveloped, eight-island chain (five comprise the national park). What
they’re missing: a sublime throwback to California of old, where craggy arches, spindly spires and grassy hills jut up
from the Pacific, without a car or mobile phone in sight. What makes Channel Islands even more special are its plants
and animals – more than 150 endemic or unique species have earned it the nickname ‘North American Galapagos’.
T his is the only place in the world you’ll see, for example, island fox, island deer mouse and yellow-blooming coreopsis.
Just as amazing is the life in the surrounding waters: more than 30 species of sea animals – sea lions, elephant seals,
whales – cavort about. Of special note: the largest aggregation of blue whales in the world convenes here every
summer.

Pinnacles, Calif ornia

One second you’re driving along a two-lane road just two hours south of San Francisco, enjoying pretty, chaparral-
carpeted hills. T he next, out of nowhere, looms the sky-high castle of jagged, red-rock spikes and monoliths belonging
to America’s newest national park. Upgraded from national monument to national park in 2013 due in part to its
important condor recovery program, Pinnacles is little trekked and little known – one of the best reasons to visit. Its
postage-stamp size, just 26,606 acres, makes it manageable in a day. Strike out on more than 30 miles of trails
ranging from easy to arduous and venture into pitch-black, bat-inhabited caves (take a headlamp). And always keep
an eye out for condors, those prehistoric-looking raptors with wingspans reaching up to 10 ft; their favourite haunts
include High Peaks in the early morning or early evening or along the ridge just southeast of the campground.
C

Denali, Alaska

Only one road accesses six-million-acre Denali, a single, mostly unpaved, 92-mile strip that opens up dramatic views
of the subarctic wilderness – and perhaps offers the best chance to experience wildlife of any national park. No cars
are allowed beyond Mile 15; everyone must jump aboard a shuttle bus. T his is a good thing, given the road’s
precipitous, winding nature (and the temptation to keep peering at the ever-more-dramatic landscape). A constant
companion on the horizon are the massive, snow-capped peaks of the Alaska Range, topped by the surreal, 20,320-ft
Denali (also known as Mount McKinley), North America’s tallest mountain. Along the way, keep an eye out for
sightings of the park’s ‘big five’, Alaska style: moose, caribou, sheep, wolf and cinnamon-coloured T oklat grizzlies. At
the end of the road awaits Wonder Lake, with stunning reflections of Denali on clear-sky days.

Everglades, Florida

At first glance, Florida’s Everglades does not impress. Its centrepiece is a miles-wide river at most just a few inches
deep that creeps through expansive green-brown sawgrass from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. T hat’s not the
grandeur one might expect from a national park. But take a closer look and you’ll discover that this seemingly
nondescript, low-lying, subtropical land, actually comprising several different ecosystems (sawgrass prairie, jungle-
like hammock and mangrove swamp), is not quite so dull. Indeed, these million-plus acres of wetlands harbour 200
types of fish, 350 species of birds, 120 different kinds of trees and more than 1,000 kinds of plants — and that’s just
for starters. Everglades was founded in 1947 to preserve this unique jumble of ecosystems, the first national park
established for the sake of flora and fauna rather than geologic scenery.

Of which national park does the writer mention

A a reason why a certain rule in the park is logical?

[1]
B a reason why the place changed from one official
category to another? [2]
C the large variety of different types of environment
[3]
to be found there?

D creatures that cannot be found anywhere else? [4]

E a belief that visitors may initially feel that it is not a

[5]
remarkable place?

F particular places within the park where certain [6]

creatures might be spotted?
[7]
G surprise at the low number of visitors the place
attracts? [8]

H a historical difference between this park and other

[9]
national parks?

I something that can always be seen by visitors [10]

when they are there?

J advice to bring a certain piece of equipment?

Score: / 10
WRITING

Part 1

12 You must answer this question. Write your answer in 140–190 words in an appropriate style on the separate
answer sheet.
In your English class, you have been talking about what interests and does not interest young people today in
the world outside their personal lives. Now, your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

Write an essay using all the notes and giving reasons f or your point of view.

What aspects of lif e outside their personal lives do young people today take most interest in?

Notes

Write about:

1 politics

2 the environment

3 ……………. (your own idea)

Score: / 10

Part 2
13 Write an answer to one of the questions 1–3 in this part. Write your answer in 140–190 words in an appropriate
style on the separate answer sheet. Put the question number in the box at the top of the answer sheet.

1 You have seen this announcement on an English-language website.

T he Longest Day

What was the longest day you’ve ever had? Describe what happened on that day and how you felt during it.

We’ll publish the best articles in a special section next month.

Write your article.

2 You have received this email f rom a member of your English class.

From: Max

Subject: Present for Sara

Some of us were talking today about getting a present for Sara when our course ends – she’s been a fantastic teacher
and helped all of us in so many ways. I’ve had a few suggestions for what we can get her but I’m asking you as well since
you weren’t at class today. Let me know what you think would be a good present from all of us.

Max

Write your email.

3 You recently saw this notice in an English-language magazine.

A period in history

Have you seen a T V series or film that took place in a particular period in the past that you really enjoyed?

What aspects of the series or film did you particularly like? What impressions did it give you of that historical period?

Write a review of the series or film, focusing on how it showed the historical period.
 Write your review.

Score: / 10

SPEAKING
14
Part 1 Interview (2 minutes)

T he examiner will ask you some questions individually.

Social media

- How important is using social media in your life?

- What kinds of social media do you regularly use?

- What do you mainly use social media for?

- What aspects of social media do you most like/dislike? (Why?)

Shopping

- Do you prefer to go to shops or to shop online? (Why?)

- How often do you shop, and what do you usually buy?

- What kind of shops do you particularly like/dislike? (Why?)

- What did you buy when you last went shopping or shopped online?
 T he English language

- How much English is spoken in the country you come from?

- What is the main advantage for you of learning English?

- What aspect of learning English have you found the easiest/most difficult? (Why?)

- When do you see or hear people speaking English outside your lessons?

Score: /5

15
Part 2 Long turn (4 minutes)

1 Spending time alone

Candidate A: Look at photographs 1A and 1B. T hey show places where people might spend time alone.

Compare the photographs and say why people might like to spend time alone in these places.

Candidate A talks on his/her own for about 1 minute.

Candidate B: Where do you spend time alone and what do you do there?

Candidate B talks on his/her own for about 30 seconds.

Why do you think people might like to spend time alone in these places?

1A
1B

2 Working environments

Candidate B: Look at photographs 2A and 2B. T hey show people working in dif f erent environments.

Compare the photographs and say what you think the advantages and disadvantages of working in each
environment are.

Candidate B talks on his/her own for about 1 minute.

Candidate A: Which of the two environments would you pref er to work in and why?

Candidate A talks on his/her own for about 30 seconds.

What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of working in each environment?

2A

2B

Score: /5

Part 3 Collaborative task (4 minutes)

 16 You will do this part of the exam in pairs. T his task has two parts.

Imagine that you are involved in organising a social event for new students at your college or new employees at the place
where you work. Here are some ideas for social events that could be organised and a question for you to discuss. First
you have some time to look at the task.

Now talk to each other about why these social events would be good for new students/employees.

Candidates A and B discuss this together for about 3 minutes.

Now you have about a minute to decide which social event would be the best one to organise.

Score: /5

17
Part 4 Further discussion (4 minutes)

You will do this part of the exam in pairs. Answer the following questions together:

- Is it a good idea to change jobs regularly or to stay at the same place of work? (Why?)

- Is it better to stay in your own area to work/study or to move to another region or country? (Why?)

- What problems do people typically have when they move to a new place to work/study?

- What are the best ways of getting used to being in a new place?

- Why might it be difficult to make friends at a new place of study/work?

- What mistakes can people make when they first start at a new place of work/study?

Score: /5