Interchange Placement Test

Tay Lesley with Christa Hansen and Jean Zukowski-Faust

PLACEMENT TESTING PROGRAM

cambridge university pressCambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, So Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City

Cambridge University Press32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473, USA

www.cambridge.orgInformation on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107916265

Cambridge University Press 2013

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exceptionand to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,no reproduction of any part may take place without the writtenpermission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2008

A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library.

isbn 978-1-107-64866-1 Intro Students Book with Self-study DVD-ROMisbn 978-1-107-64867-8 Students Book 1 with Self-study DVD-ROMisbn 978-1-107-64869-2 Students Book 2 with Self-study DVD-ROMisbn 978-1-107-64870-8 Students Book 3 with Self-study DVD-ROM

For a full list of components, visit www.cambridge.org/interchange

It is normally necessary for written permission for copying tobe obtained in advance from a publisher. The tests and some supporting materials of this program are designed to be copied and distributed in class. The normal requirements are waived here and it is not necessary to write to Cambridge University Press for permission for an individual teacher to make copies for use within his or her own classroom. Only those pages that carry the wording Cambridge University Press may be copied.

Art direction, book design, and layout services: IntegraAudio production: CityVox, NYC

Placement Test ContentsPlacement Test Administration and Scoring Guide

Description of the Placement Testing Program 4Placement Procedure 5

Objective Placement TestDescription of the Objective Placement Test 7Administration of the Objective Placement Test 7Scoring of the Objective Placement Test 8

Placement ConversationDescription of the Placement Conversation 9Administration of the Placement Conversation 9Evaluation of the Placement Conversation 9Placement Conversation Tasks 12

Placement EssayDescription of the Placement Essay 14Administration of the Placement Essay 14Evaluation of the Placement Essay 14Placement Essay Rating Guide with Samples 15

Teachers Test Materials 21Placement Conversation Rating Form 22Final Placement Form 24Answer Key for Objective Placement Test A 25Answer Key for Objective Placement Test B 26Answer Key for Objective Placement Test C 27Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test A 28Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test B 31Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test C 34

Students Test Materials 37Placement Essay Form A 38Placement Essay Form B 40Placement Essay Form C 42Objective Placement Test A with Answer Sheet 44Objective Placement Test B with Answer Sheet 62Objective Placement Test C with Answer Sheet 80

[3]

Description of the Placement Testing ProgramThe Interchange/Passages Placement Testing Program is designed to identify the optimal level for students entering programs where Interchange and Passages are used. Placement can be made into the fi rst or second half of each level of Interchange and Passages. The test consists of three parts: an Objective Placement Test, including a recorded listening section; a Placement Conversation; and a Placement Essay. For users convenience, there are three versions of the Objective Placement Test: Tests A, B, and C. There are also three versions of the Placement Essay. Each version of the Objective Placement Test and Placement Essay covers exactly the same areas.

The Objective Placement Test is a 70-item multiple-choice test; the Placement Conversation is a plan for eliciting and rating a brief sample of spoken language; and the Placement Essay outlines the process of giving and evaluating a writing sample. The Objective Placement Test measures primarily receptive skills (listening, reading, grammar recognition), whereas the Placement Conversation and the Placement Essay measure students productive skills (speaking and writing). The three parts of the test are designed to complement one another and together provide a comprehensive picture of students language ability. All parts of the test are based on the objectives, content, and language of diff erent levels of Interchange and Passages.

The diff erent components of the test may be administered to individuals or to groups, and in any order. For example, if there are a large number of students to be tested, the students may be divided into three groups with each group taking a diff erent part of the test. As the groups complete one part of the test, they may be given the next part in rotation until all groups have completed the entire test. Placement depends on an individual students performance on all three measures (see Placement Procedure, page 5).

It is possible and in fact highly desirable for multiple raters to be involved in the Placement Conversation and the Placement Essay, as additional raters can add valuable input to the process. If two or more raters are present during the Placement Conversation, it is expected that one of the raters will be primarily responsible for leading the discussion. When multiple raters are used for evaluating either the conversation or the essay, all raters must confer and agree on the fi nal ratings.

In non-intensive English programs or in language programs with limited language objectives, it may be appropriate to use only one or two components of the Interchange/Passages Placement Testing Program. For example, a conversational program with a near-exclusive emphasis on developing listening and speaking skills may obtain satisfactory results by using only the Placement Conversation.

Before administering the Interchange/Passages Placement Testing Program, the teacher will need to photocopy the following materials for each student being tested:

the Placement Conversation Rating Form on pages 22 and 23 the Final Placement Form on page 24 a Placement Essay Form (A, B, or C) on pages 3839, 4041, 4243 an Objective Placement Test (A, B, or C) with Answer Sheet on pages 4461, 6279, 8097

Placement Test Administration and Scoring Guide

[4]


Placement ProcedureA final recommendation for placement in either the Interchange or Passages series is determined by adding together an individuals ratings on the Objective Placement Test, the Placement Conversation, and the Placement Essay, and then dividing by 3. See the Final Placement Form on page 24. The resulting number corresponds to a particular placement recommendation (see Placement Guidelines below). Some examples follow.

Placement Guidelines

Rating Placement

1 Interchange Intro, first half

2 Interchange Intro, second half

3 Interchange Level 1, first half

4 Interchange Level 1, second half





9 Passages Level 1, first half

10 Passages Level 1, second half



Example Student A

teSt Rating leVel

Objective Placement Test 3 Interchange Level 1, first half

Placement Conversation 4 Interchange Level 1, second half

Placement Essay 4 Interchange Level 1, second half

Total rating 11

Total divided by 3 3.7

Placement recommendation Interchange Level 1, second half

[5]


Example Student B

teSt Rating leVel

Objective Placement Test 7 Interchange Level 3, first half

Placement Conversation 5 Interchange Level 2, first half


Total rating 16


Placement recommendation Interchange Level 2, first half

Example Student C

teSt Rating leVel

Objective Placement Test 8 Interchange Level 3, second half

Placement Conversation 9 Passages Level 1, first half


Total rating 23


Placement recommendation Interchange Level 3, second half

[6]


Objective Placement TestDescription of the Objective Placement TestEach version of the Objective Placement Test A, B, and C consists of three sections: Listening (20 items), Reading (20 items), and Language Use (30 items), and requires 50 minutes to administer. The Listening section assesses students ability to understand context, main idea, and supporting details in a conversation, as well as the speakers intent. Similarly, the Reading section assesses students ability to understand main and supporting ideas in written passages, vocabulary, and the authors intent. Passages in the Listening and Reading sections are similar to those found in Interchange and Passages, and mirror the language that students will encounter when they begin to use the series. The Language Use section includes items that assess students ability to recognize statements that are contextually appropriate and grammatically correct. The questions in the Listening, Reading, and Language Use sections consist of four-option multiple-choice items.

Administration of the Objective Placement TestBefore administering the Objective Placement Test, the teacher will need to make a copy of the chosen version of the Objective Placement Test (pages 4497) for each student. The test pages may be photocopied and stapled into booklets, but its best to leave the answer sheets separate. In addition to these materials, the teacher will need to bring to the testing site the Listening section audio CD, scratch paper (1 or 2 sheets per student), pencils or pens, and a good-quality CD player.

Whether the Objective Placement Test is administered to individual students or to a group, the test room and the audio equipment should be inspected before students arrive. All students should be able to hear the audio program equally well. The room should be comfortable and quiet, with tables or desks for each student. There should be enough space to seat students so that they are comfortable and able to work independently (using every other seat, for example).

Admit the students to the test room and direct them to their seats. Distribute scratch paper, tests, and answer sheets. Tell students not to open the test booklets until they are told to do so. Have the students write their names and the date on the answer sheet. Check that no one has forgotten to do this. Then begin by having students open their test booklets to the General Directions.

Read the directions aloud as students follow along. After you have read the directions, answer any questions that students may have about the test and/or the test directions. When the students are ready, tell them to turn to the fi rst page of Section I. Say: Listen to the directions and the example. Then begin the test.

Play the audio program. While students are listening to the directions, adjust the volume as necessary. The audio program should be played without stopping until the entire Listening section has been completed.

At the end of the Listening section (Question 20), tell students to continue with the Reading section. Read the directions aloud and note the time.

[7]

Objective Placement Test

After 20 minutes, tell the students to begin the Language Use section. Check that students are on the correct page. Read the instructions aloud and note the time.

After 15 minutes, collect all test materials. The test pages (booklets) may be reused. The scratch paper should be thrown away.

Scoring of the Objective Placement TestUse the appropriate Answer Key to score each version of the Objective Placement Test. Total scores are used to indicate tentative placement into different levels of Interchange/Passages. Each Interchange/Passages level corresponds to a different rating (see the Scoring Guidelines below). These ratings are used in combination with ratings on the Placement Conversation and the Placement Essay to determine final placement (see Placement Procedure, page 5).

Scoring Guidelines

ScORe Rating Placement

15 1 Interchange Intro, first half

611 2 Interchange Intro, second half

1217 3 Interchange Level 1, first half

1823 4 Interchange Level 1, second half





5055 9 Passages Level 1, first half

5661 10 Passages Level 1, second half

6268 11 Passages Level 2, first half

6970 12 Passages Level 2, second half

[8]


Placement ConversationDescription of the Placement ConversationThe Placement Conversation is a 10-minute, face-to-face interaction with an individual student. During the conversation, students are encouraged to perform specifi c functions (e.g., introduce themselves, compare, give advice) and to demonstrate their ability to use language appropriate to each given topic or task. The Placement Conversation Tasks chart on pages 1213 provides a list of 18 suggested tasks that are refl ective of the content and goals of various levels of Interchange and Passages. In the chart, each task consists of example questions that can be used to guide the discussion as well as a language focus section indicating relevant structures and vocabulary that the task is designed to elicit.

Administration of the Placement ConversationDuring the Placement Conversation, the student is presented with a series of tasks from the chart with the goal of fi nding his or her optimum learning, or placement, level. This level is characterized as the stage at which the student experiences some challenge or diffi culty, but not so much as to cause a breakdown or induce failure.

In presenting the tasks, the interviewer begins by introducing himself or herself and fi nding out a little about the student; based on initial impressions of the students speaking ability, the interviewer then selects a task at a level judged to be most appropriate. Throughout the conversation, the selection of tasks tends to depend on a students performance on prior tasks. For example, a student providing an excellent response to one or several questions within a level would usually be led to a task at a higher level; a student who cannot respond to a task at a given level most likely would be given a task at a lower level. It is not necessary to present all the tasks in the chart or all tasks at a particular level. The interviewer may close the conversation whenever it becomes clear that enough tasks have been completed to determine a students overall level.

Evaluation of the Placement ConversationAs the student completes each task, the rater or raters immediately evaluate the students performance using the Placement Conversation Rating Form on pages 2223. All tasks are rated with a plus sign (+), a check (), or a minus sign (), as follows:

+ = very good to excellent response = appropriate/adequate response = inadequate response

It is important to remember that these represent holistic ratings, which means that raters must consider content as well as accuracy when evaluating each response. Thus, a + indicates a very good to excellent answer with respect to both content and language; a signifi es that the student understands the task and responds adequately, although the response may contain inappropriate words and/or grammar errors; and a indicates a major defi ciency in the response as, for example, when the student is not able to understand or answer a question even after it has been repeated or rephrased, or when the student gives a garbled or highly ungrammatical response.

[9]

Placement Conversation

To arrive at an overall rating, the evaluator finds the level at which the majority of responses consist of s and then, based on all the responses, determines whether the student belongs in the first or second half of the level.

Based on the Placement Guidelines below, the appropriate level is then assigned on the Placement Conversation Rating Form on pages 2223.

Placement Conversation Guidelines

Rating Placement

1 Interchange Intro, first half

2 Interchange Intro, second half











The following examples illustrate the process of evaluating students oral skills during the Placement Conversation. Each example includes (a) the specific tasks selected, (b) ratings for each task, (c) the overall oral skills rating, and (d) a brief description of the evaluation process (comments).

Example Student A

taSK # leVel deScRiPtiOn taSK Rating

1 Intro Greetings, introductions

4 1 Talk about likes and dislikes

5 1 Talk about the past

6 1 Talk about plans

Oral skills rating: 3 Comments: The student responds quite well to the greeting and introductory questions, so is given a Level 1 task. Since this and the following tasks at the same level are rated no higher than adequate, the student is given a 3 in oral skills (equivalent to the first half of Interchange Level 1).

[10]


Example Student B



9 2 Give advice

10 3 Describe the past/tell a story

11 3 Talk about learning preferences

13 Passages 1 Compare situations

15 Passages 1 Talk about social behavior

Oral skills rating: 9 Comments: This student also does well on greetings and introductions, but since she appears quite advanced, she is immediately given a Level 2 task, which she also performs very well on. She also performs very well on two Level 3 tasks, so is given two Passages 1 tasks. Since the student achieves a on Task #13 at the Passages 1 level but a on Task #15, she is given an overall oral skills rating of 9 (equivalent to the first half of Passages Level 1).

Example Student C



2 Intro Talk about yourself

3 Intro Talk about your free time

Oral skills rating: 1 Comments: Since this student achieves only an adequate rating on greetings and introductions, he is assigned another task at the same level (Intro). The students inadequate responses to example questions from Task #3 indicate that he belongs in the lower half of this level (Intro).

[11]


Interchange Intro

taSK # taSK tYPe eXamPleS language fOcuS

1 Greetings, introductions

Hello. How are you? Whats your name? Where are you from?

Simple present of be Subject pronouns Possessive adjectives

2 Talk about yourself

Tell me a little about yourself. Why are you studying English? Whats your schedule like? Do you have a job?

Simple present Present continuous

3 Talk about your free time

What do you do in your free time? Do you like sports? Can you play tennis (volleyball/soccer, etc.)?

Simple present Can for ability

Interchange Level 1


4 Talk about likes and dislikes

Do you like movies (TV/music, etc.)? What kinds of movies (TV programs/music, etc.) do you like?

Whats your favorite movie (TV program/type of music, etc.)?

Simple present

5 Talk about the past

Where did you grow up? Did you study English in elementary school (junior high school/high school)?

What other languages did you study? What was your favorite class?

Simple past Past of be

6 Talk about plans What are you doing later today? Are you doing anything special tonight? What are you going to do this weekend?

Future with present continuous and be going to

Interchange Level 2


7 Talk about foods Have you ever eaten Thai (Vietnamese/Mexican, etc.) food?

Where did you eat it? How did you like it? What kinds of unusual foods have you eaten?

Simple past vs. present perfect

8 Talk about your home

Do you live in a house or an apartment? What is it like? Compare your home with someone elses home.

Descriptive adjectives Comparisons

9 Give advice What advice would you give to tourists visiting your country/city?

What do they need to do to be prepared? What places should they visit?

Present modals

Placement Conversation Tasks

[12]


Interchange Level 3


10 Describe the past/tell a story

Describe a difficult event in your life. What happened? What were you doing at the time?

Simple past Past continuous

11 Talk about learning preferences

If you could study anything you wanted, what would you study?

Would you rather study in the day or at night? Would you prefer to take an art class or a photography class?

Would rather and would prefer

12 Speculate about the future

What will you be doing a year from now?

How do you think it will be different then? Will you have finished your studies?

Future tenses

Passages Level 1


13 Compare situations

Compare your life today with your life a few years ago.

How has it changed? How do you think it will be different in the future?

Verb tenses (present, past, future)

Comparisons

14 Talk about problems and solutions

What is the biggest problem in the world (your country/your city, etc.) today?

Why is that the most important problem? If you were responsible, how would you fix it?

Superlatives Present unreal conditional

15 Talk about social behavior

What does it mean to be polite in your culture?

Give examples of polite/impolite behavior. Is it OK to ask someones age (interrupt someone/compliment a person, etc.)?

Infinitives

Passages Level 2


16 Talk about superstitions and beliefs

Are you superstitious? Do you believe that certain things cause good or bad luck? Why or why not?

What things do people avoid doing because of their beliefs?

Relative clauses Gerunds

17 Talk about your upbringing

What have you been told about your childhood?

Were you raised by relatives other than your parents?

Were you encouraged to be independent?

Passive forms

[13]


Description of the Placement EssayThe Placement Essay is a composition on an assigned topic that students complete within a 30-minute period. Students are given three topics to choose from on Placement Essay Form A, B, or C.

For users convenience, a list of additional writing topics for the Placement Essay has been included below. Although the topics on this list and on the Essay Forms refl ect the subject matter and assignments in diff erent levels of Interchange/Passages, they are appropriate for all learners.

Additional Writing Topics

Select three of the following for students to write about:

1. Describe your favorite free-time activity. Why is it fun?

2. What is the most interesting place you have ever been? What advice would you give to a person who is going there for the fi rst time?

3. Compare two cities that you know. Describe their similarities and diff erences.

4. What were your favorite books to read when you were a child? Describe how your taste in reading has changed since then.

5. What advice about local customs would you give to a visitor to your country?

6. Describe how you made a decision about a diffi cult problem. Based on the knowledge you have now, would you have made the same decision? Why or why not?

Administration of the Placement EssayThe requirements regarding the comfort and condition of the room and spacing of students already outlined in the section on administering the Objective Placement Test (see page 7) apply to the administration of the Placement Essay as well.

Direct students to their seats, and ask them to put away any notes or materials they may have brought with them. Students may not refer to previously prepared notes or use any books, including dictionaries. Give students paper for making notes and for writing their fi nal draft, as well as pencils and pens as needed. Announce that they will have 30 minutes to complete the writing sample. Distribute a copy of Placement Essay Form A, B, or C to each student (see pages 3843) or a sheet of paper listing three topics chosen from the list above. At the end of the period, collect all papers, including the forms.

Evaluation of the Placement EssayPlacement essays are rated on a scale from 1 to 12 based on the descriptions in the Placement Essay Rating Guide (see pages 1520). Each of the descriptions in the chart corresponds to a particular level of Interchange/Passages.

Placement Essay

[14]

Placement Essay

Placement Essay Rating Guide with SamplesFollowing are six authentic essays written by students who completed the Interchange/Passages Placement Testing Program. A number of characteristics of each essay are highlighted to provide teachers with a gauge with which to rate their own students writing. Please note that not all students mistakes in the essays are pointed out.

Placement Essay Guidelines

Rating Placement

12 Interchange Intro

34 Interchange Level 1



910 Passages Level 1

1112 Passages Level 2

Sample 1

Rating: 1 (Interchange Intro)

Topic: Describe your plans for the future. What do you plan to be doing in ten years?

I go to the U.S. and work; but study; my family live in Peru; ha the send money one the month; I work in the U.S. four year; come the Peru and put one restaurant. I like the cook. Ha stud cheff .

Very short text with somewhat garbled message.

Misspelled words and omitted subjects confuse the reader.

Lack of knowledge of basic structural patterns is shown in verb usage.

[15]

Placement Essay

Sample 2

Rating: 3 (Interchange Level 1)

Topic: What foreign languages have you learned? Based on your experience, what advice would you give to someone who wants to learn a foreign language?

Im studying french and english Language at the University. Not only is grammar, listening, reading or writing; the culture of our countries travel with the language. A foreign languageisnt our maternal language. Think in the language of other is very difi cult, the someone isnt our experience. Learn to makesomeone (cook, travel, work) in the foreign country, i.e. theculture, link the classroom with our experience. I guess.

Lack of control over structure and usage makes it diffi cult to interpret overall message.

Only short, simple sentences are grammatically correct.

Advice is given, but it remains unclear and undeveloped.

[16]

Placement Essay

Sample 3


Topic: What sports have you learned to play? Based on your experience, what advice would you give to someone who wants to learn to play one of these sports?

I learned to play basketball when I was junior high school student. I belonged to basketball teem, so I did my best everyday. When I began to practice basketball, I practiced the basics of basketball again and again everyday. Since Iwent back home. I also practiced them. Then I could join to basketball game.

I think the important things which learn to play basketball orevery sports is people who have to do them best ans practiceagain and again; theremore make friends, because it need to help each other.

The essay has a clear topic and point of view, but the thesis is simplistic and lacks development.

Student is able to use a number of basic structures correctly (e.g., past tense), but lacks control over mid to higher level structures such as present perfect and relative clauses.

Errors in spelling, grammar, and usage indicate skills of an emerging learner.

[17]

Placement Essay

Sample 4


Topic: What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town?

Living in a small town has a lot of advantages, like for example: you can live without the noise of the big cities, the air is fresher than in the industrialized places, you will never get lost because you can know everybody and everyplace of the town.

But at the same time, living in a small town could be boring and you dont have the confort that you can have by living in acitie. If you are customized to live in a small town is going to be diffi cult to you moving to an industrialized citie.

For this reasons I prefer to live in a citie, but not in a metropolis, because is too much contaminated, but in a place that I can feel safe and confortable, make lots of friends, and fi nd job opportunities without any problem. I like to go out and to be without stress.

The writer clearly understands the topic and provides good examples of advantages and disadvantages, though point of view does not become clear until the end.

Several lapses in usage indicate that the writer lacks familiarity with idiomatic English.

Content is basically good but needs further development.

[18]

Placement Essay

Sample 5

Rating: 9 (Passages Level 1)

Topic: What sports have you learned to play? Based on your experience, what advice would you give to someone who wants to learn to play one of these sports?

I used to play Kendo which is japanese sport. I think that it is really helpful for people who want to be patient and want to relax for two reasons. First, playing Kendo needs to practice about mental. Second, learning Kendo is a good way to be mature.

First, playing Kendo needs to practice about mental. For example, when I started to join a Kendo club, my teacher told me to sit down on the fl oor and not to think about me. I was worried what was going on. However, later, he told me again that before I started to play, I needed to be clear. It was the best way to become a good player. Actually, he was right. While I was si ing on the fl oor, I felt comfortable then I could feel relax. I strongly feel that Kendo is not just sport. It is mental study.

Second, learning Kendo is a good way to be mature. This is because, if I want to win, I need to go straight everytime. For example, as a player, I tried not to go back while I was playing. If I went back, it would be a signal for losing the game. Therefore I always thought positive and tried to be not afraid. Because of that, I could think many right ways and I could do right things.

Finally, I strongly feel that Kendo is going to help people who want to be patient and want to relax for two reasons that I mentioned. While I was learning Kendo, I noticed many children who needed to learn it. Nowadays, children are doing whatever they want because of bad situation of economy in my country. Playing Kendo can help them a lot.

There is a clear main idea with mostly suffi cient detail to clarify it.

The passage is very well organized with appropriate use of transition words (fi rst, second, fi nally); however, main points in introduction are simply restated at the beginning of the following paragraphs rather than rephrased, leading to needless repetition.

The language is generally clear and idiomatic, but there are a couple of areas that lack explanation and instances of awkward and/or incorrect usage.

[19]

Placement Essay

Sample 6

Rating: 11 (Passages Level 2)

Topic: What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town?

Nowadays, living in a large city has become very stressfuldue to the traffi c jams, violence, demonstrations, etc. Would moving to a small town be the answer to these problems? In order to answer this question, we have to analyze the pros and cons of such a solution.

If we lived in a small town we could have the chance to leada paceful life because in small town you dont have to be ina hurry. Another good point of living in a small town is that we would have the chance to meet all our neighbors.

Some of the cons of living in a small town are that most of the times the students have to move to large cities in order to pursue in a carrier. Another point that could be a disadvantage is that the medical services are not as goodas they are in large cities.

We have to say that the advantages or disadvantages of living in a small town depends on the point of view and necessities of each person.

There is a clear, well-developed thesis and the discussion is organized into introduction, body, and conclusion.

Student shows control over a variety of complex structures (e.g., gerunds, conditional sentences, noun clauses, and comparisons).

Minor errors in spelling and/or grammar do not hinder comprehension.

[20]

Placement Essay

Before administering the Interchange/Passages Placement Testing Program, the teacher will need to make copies of the Placement Conversation Rating Form (pages 2223) and the Final Placement Form (page 24). Instructions for conducting the Placement Conversation are found on pages 913. Guidelines for completing the Final Placement Form are on pages 56.

Teachers are encouraged to make a template of the Answer Key that corresponds to the version (A, B, or C) of the Objective Placement Test they are administering. To make a template, photocopy the Answer Key and hole punch each correct answer. Place the template over the students Answer Sheet. If the students answer is correct, it will appear through the punched hole in the Answer Key.

Placement Conversation Rating Form 22

Final Placement Form 24

Answer Key for Objective Placement Test A 25

Answer Key for Objective Placement Test B 26

Answer Key for Objective Placement Test C 27

Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test A 28

Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test B. 31

Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test C 34

Teachers Test Materials

[21]

Teachers Test Materials

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Placement Conversation Rating Form

Students Name Date

Placement Conversation Rating:

taSK Rating (circle) cOmmentS

Interchange Intro (12 points)tasks1 Greetings, introductions

Hello. How are you? Whats your name? Where are you from?

2 Talk about yourself Tell me a little about yourself. Why are you studying English? Whats your schedule like? Do you have a job?

3 Talk about your free time What do you do in your free time? Do you like sports? Can you play tennis (volleyball/soccer, etc.)?

Interchange Level 1 (34 points)tasks4 Talk about likes and dislikes

Do you like movies (TV/music, etc.)? What kinds of movies (TV programs/music, etc.) do you like?

Whats your favorite movie (TV program/ type of music, etc.)?

5 Talk about the past Where did you grow up? Did you study English in elementary school (junior high school/high school)?

What other languages did you study? What was your favorite class?

6 Talk about plans What are you doing later today? Are you doing anything special tonight? What are you going to do this weekend?

Interchange Level 2 (56 points)tasks7 Talk about foods

Have you ever eaten Thai (Vietnamese/ Mexican, etc.) food?

Where did you eat it? How did you like it? What kinds of unusual foods have you eaten?

8 Talk about your home Do you live in a house or an apartment? What is it like? Compare your home with someone elses home.

9 Give advice What advice would you give to tourists visiting your country/city?

What do they need to do to be prepared? What places should they visit?

[22]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

taSK Rating (circle) cOmmentS

Interchange Level 3 (78 points)tasks10 Describe the past/tell a story

Describe a difficult event in your life. What happened? What were you doing at the time?

11 Talk about learning preferences If you could study anything you wanted, what would you study?

Would you rather study in the day or at night? Would you prefer to take an art class or a photography class?

12 Speculate about the future What will you be doing a year from now? How do you think it will be different then? Will you have finished your studies?

Passages Level 1 (910 points)tasks13 Compare situations

Compare your life today with your life a few years ago.

How has it changed? How do you think it will be different in the future?

14 Talk about problems and solutions What is the biggest problem in the world (your country/your city, etc.) today?

Why is that the most important problem? If you were responsible, how would you fix it?

15 Talk about social behavior What does it mean to be polite in your culture? Give examples of polite/impolite behavior. Is it OK to ask someones age (interrupt someone/ compliment a person, etc.)?

Passages Level 2 (1112 points)tasks16 Talk about superstitions and beliefs

Are you superstitious? Do you believe that certain things cause good or bad luck? Why or why not?

What things do people avoid doing because of their beliefs?

17 Talk about your upbringing What have you been told about your childhood? Were you raised by relatives other than your parents? Were you encouraged to be independent?

18 Talk about hypothetical situations in the past If you could change one thing about the past, what would it be?

What do you think you could/should have done in that situation?

Would it have made a difference? Why?

[23]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Final Placement Form

Students Name Date

teSt Rating leVel



Placement Essay

Total rating

Total divided by 3

Placement recommendation

Comments:

[24]

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Section I: Listening

Section II: Reading

Section III: Language Use

Answer Key for Objective Placement Test A

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Example

21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70.

Scoring Guidelines


15 1Interchange Intro, first half

611 2Interchange Intro, second half

1217 3Interchange Level 1, first half

1823 4Interchange Level 1, second half





5055 9Passages Level 1, first half

5661 10Passages Level 1, second half



[25]

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable


Section II: Reading


Answer Key for Objective Placement Test B

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Example

21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70.

Scoring Guidelines














[26]

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable


Section II: Reading


Answer Key for Objective Placement Test C

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Example

21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70.

Scoring Guidelines














[27]

Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test AThe following transcript includes the material for the Listening section of Objective Placement Test A.


In this section of the test, you will hear conversations and answer some questions about them. For each conversation, first read the situation and the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation. Answer the questions after you hear the conversation. Respond to the questions by marking the correct answer (a, b, c, or d) on your answer sheet.

Read the example situation and question.

Now listen to the example conversation.

receptionist: Dr. Stocktons office. May I help you?bill: This is Bill Sanchez. I need to see the doctor, please.receptionist: How about Tuesday at ten, Mr. Sanchez?bill: Im busy then. Can I come on Wednesday?receptionist: Is four oclock OK?bill: Thats fine.

Now answer the example question.

The answer for the example is d, Wednesday at 4:00. The letter d is filled in on your answer sheet.

Now go on to page 3.

Read Situation 1 and the question.

Now listen to the conversation.

david: Hi, Monica.monica: Oh, hi, David. How are you?david: Fine, thanks. By the way, this is my friend Tomomi.monica: Hi, Tomomi. Nice to meet you.tomomi: Nice to meet you, too, Monica.

Now answer Question 1.



nancy: So, are you having the steak, Ken?Ken: Actually, Im having the chicken.nancy: What? I thought you really liked steak.Ken: I do. I eat it all the time. I just dont feel like it tonight.




Karen: Hello. This is Karen. May I speak with Jason, please?man: Im sorry, Karen. He isnt back from work yet. Can I take a message?Karen: Uh, when do you think hell be back?man: Probably in about an hour.Karen: Thats fine, then. Please just ask him to call me when he gets in.

[28]

Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test A



Read Situation 4 and the questions.

Now listen to the report.

reporter: Now for the national weather report. Time to put on your winter clothes in the Northeast. It will be cold and snowy in Boston, with a temperature of twenty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. In Miami, the weather will be very different eighty degrees and clear. In Seattle, its not so nice: cool and cloudy, with a temperature of fifty-five degrees but at least no rain.

Now answer Questions 4 and 5.



bill: Hi, Jennifer. How would you like to go to dinner and a movie tonight? Theres a great film at the Metro.

Jennifer: Id love to, Bill, but Im working late tonight. I dont get off until seven. What times the movie?

bill: Hmm. The movie starts at seven-thirty. That doesnt leave us enough time. Oh, I know. Lets go to dinner after the movie.

Jennifer: i guess that will be OK. Ill just eat a late lunch.





linda: What are you going to do this summer, Jim?Jim: Well, it depends. Usually my family just stays home, so I go to the beach a lot or visit

friends. But this year were planning to rent a cabin up in the mountains.linda: So, what will you do up in the mountains?Jim: My dad likes to go fishing, but thats a little boring for me, so Im thinking of doing some

hiking on my own.linda: That sounds great! I wish I could join you.




susie: Whats wrong, Phil? You look upset.phil: I am upset, Susie. You know, my friend Albert borrowed a hundred dollars. I gave it to him

because he said hed give it back right away.susie: Well, what happened?phil: He just started his new job, so now he says he cant pay me back until he gets paid. But Im

going on a trip, and I need the money now.susie: Cant you borrow it from someone else?phil: I can always get it from my parents if I need to, but it makes me mad. I shouldnt have

given him the money.susie: I know how you feel. Giving money to a friend can affect a relationship, especially when

you dont get it back right away. Thats why I never lend money to friends!

[29]


Now answer Questions 10, 11, and 12.




natalie: Have you traveled outside the U.S., Chuck?chucK: Yes, I have. My dad does business in Brazil, so Ive been down there with him a few

times. And I went backpacking in Europe the summer after I graduated from high school.

natalie: Oh, what was that like?chucK: It was a trip Ill always remember. I traveled with a friend from high school, and we

went just about everywhere. I think about the only country we missed was Portugal, although I really would have liked to have seen it. How about you, Natalie? Have you traveled much?

natalie: Not traveled, exactly. But I have lived out of the country. A few years ago, I participated in a study-abroad program in Japan.

chucK: Wow! That sounds really interesting!natalie: It was. I lived with a Japanese family and learned a lot about the culture. The only

problem I had was the language. I had expected to pick it up a lot quicker.chucK: Well, it sounds like a great experience. But as much as I love to travel, I dont think I

could actually move to another country. Id get too homesick!

Now answer Questions 13, 14, 15, and 16.




diane: So, how did you get into advertising, Conrad?conrad: Well, you know, Diane, I had just finished college and a friend of mine who was working

in an advertising firm heard about an opening in his company. I applied for it, and.it just started from there.

diane: Do you ever regret that you didnt go into some other kind of work?conrad: When I was younger, I had dreams of being a doctor helping people and all that but

then I found out how long it takes. I didnt have the patience for that. In fact, if Id decided to become a doctor, Id probably still be in school now! How about you, Diane? Did you think youd grow up to be anything else?

diane: You know, I always had this idea that Id go into business for myself. But my parents discouraged me from doing that.

conrad: Oh, why did they do that?diane: My mom and dad had a restaurant for a while. They were pretty successful at it, but

there were lots of ups and downs. They lost money some years, and they had to work really hard.

conrad: Well, sometimes I wish I had become a doctor. But advertising is challenging work, and I really like it.


This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test A.

Now go on to page 8 and begin the Reading section.

[30]


Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test BThe following transcript includes the material for the Listening section of Objective Placement Test B.





receptionist: English Language Center. May I help you?marty: Yes, I need to talk with an advisor.receptionist: Can you come today?marty: No. I have a class this afternoon. How about tomorrow?receptionist: In the morning? Hows nine oclock?marty: Thats great.


The answer for the example is c, tomorrow morning. The letter c is filled in on your answer sheet.




tony: Oh, hi, Meriko. How are you?meriKo: Good, thanks. And you?tony: Fine. Do you know Alex? Hes an old friend.meriKo: Its nice to meet you, Alex.alex: Nice to meet you, Meriko.




server: So, what can I get you for the first course, maam?Woman: Lets see. I can have either soup or salad, right?server: Thats right.Woman: Well, I hardly ever get soup. I guess Ill have that.




Joe: Hello. Is Ramon home?Woman: No, Im sorry. Hes still at school. He has class until five.Joe: Does he usually come home right after class?

[31]

Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test B

Woman: Yes, he usually gets here by five-thirty. Can I take a message?Joe: Yes, please. Please ask him to call Joe Perez when he has time. Thanks.





reporter: Heres todays weather. It will be a typical spring day in much of the country. California will be warm and dry, with temperatures in the seventies and eighties. If you live in the Northwest, expect some rain. In fact, its raining in Seattle now. In New York, it will be cool and cloudy with temperatures in the fifties, but no rain is expected at least for a few days.




Jeff: Hi, Audrey. This is Jeff. Can we plan our meeting now?audrey: Sure.Jeff: How would you like to have the meeting at lunch tomorrow?audrey: Id love to, but I cant. I dont get out of another meeting until two.Jeff: Do you have time before that meeting? Say at ten?audrey: Hmm. That doesnt give us much time. Say, how about a late lunch just after two?Jeff: I think that would be OK.





Jerry: What are your summer plans, Sue?sue: Well, I really dont know yet. My family usually doesnt go anywhere, but this year were

probably going to the beach.Jerry: So, what will you do there?sue: My dad likes fishing, my brother likes to swim, and my mother wants to visit friends.Jerry: And you?sue: Well, I like to do things on my own, so I may rent a sailboat and learn how to sail.Jerry: Now that sounds great! I wish I could do that.




tom: Whats wrong, Peggy? You look upset.peggy: I am upset. Its about my car. I let Karla use it because she said shed give it back right

away. But she had a little accident. Nothing serious, but it has to be fixed before I can drive it.

tom: Isnt she going to pay for it?peggy: Yes, but I need the car now not next week.tom: Cant you borrow one from someone else?peggy: Sure, I can always ask my parents if I need to, but it just makes me mad. I shouldnt

have lent her the car.

[32]


tom: I know how you feel. Lending something to a friend can affect the relationship, especially when something happens.

peggy: Thats why I never lend money to friends. I shouldnt lend cars either.





liz: Have you been outside the country much, Frank?franK: Yeah, quite a bit. I went down to Argentina once with my family when I was younger. And

I traveled in Europe with my cousin Chad after we graduated from high school.liz: Really? What was Europe like? I havent been there yet.franK: It was great. We traveled everywhere. I think the only country we missed was Norway,

although we would have liked to have seen it. But how about you, Liz? Have you traveled much?

liz: Well, Ive lived abroad. My dads company sent him to China, so we lived in Beijing for a couple of years. We wound up seeing a lot Thailand, Indonesia, Japan.

franK: That sounds great!liz: It was. We made friends with a Chinese family and learned a lot about the culture. The only

problem was the language. We all expected to pick up Chinese, but we didnt learn much.franK: Did you get homesick?liz: A little. You know, I love new things, though I dont think Id be happy always living abroad.

But we knew wed be there for two years, so we made the most of it.





ben: So, Margaret. How did you wind up becoming a fashion designer?margaret: Well, you know, I did go to design school. I had just finished up my coursework when

one of my teachers told me about an opening in a small fashion design company. I applied for it, and I got it! And things just went on from there.

ben: Did you always want to be a designer?margaret: Pretty much. When I was a little girl, I used to dream about making beautiful clothes

and all that. But I never knew how hard it would be to become established. How about you, Ben? Did you always want to be a newspaper reporter?

ben: Not exactly. My parents wanted me to become a doctor or a lawyer, but what I really liked to do was read novels and write. I wanted to become a famous writer or maybe teach literature in college.

margaret: So what happened?ben: Well, I really didnt have anything I wanted to write about, and I realized that becoming

a professor would take a lot of work too much school. In fact, if Id decided to become a teacher, Id still be in college. Anyway, I like what I do now.

margaret: You do?ben: Yeah. Being a newspaper reporter is hard work, but its fun, too.


This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test B.


[33]


Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test CThe following transcript includes the material for the Listening section of Objective Placement Test C.





receptionist: Rooms for Rent. How can I help you?ellen: I need to talk with someone about an apartment.receptionist: Can you come sometime today?ellen: I have to work today. Is tomorrow all right?receptionist: Ten oclock?ellen: Fine. See you then.


The answer for the example is c, tomorrow morning. The letter c is filled in on your answer sheet.




ann: Hey, Yoshi!yoshi: Oh, hi, Ann. Good to see you.ann: Do you know Tomas? Hes an old friend of mine.yoshi: I dont think so. Hi, Tomas.tomas: Hi, Yoshi. Nice to meet you.




ricK: So, what are you going to have?sharon: Im not sure. I usually have chicken, but I want something else tonight.ricK: How about the fish? That looks good.sharon: I hardly ever have fish. Well, why not?




sven: Hi. This is Sven. Is Marcos home?man: Sorry, hes not here. He has a meeting until four-thirty.

[34]

Audio Scripts for Objective Placement Test C

sven: Will he be home by six?man: Yes. In fact, hell probably be here by five-thirty. Can I take a message?sven: Yes. Please ask him to call Sven when he gets home. Thanks.





reporter: And now for todays weather. Get out your swimsuits because here comes summer! Its hot and dry in the West, from California to Colorado. Temperatures there will be in the eighties and nineties. Its warm in Florida, too, but not so dry. Miami will get some rain this afternoon. Nice weather in New England. Clear skies in Boston, with a temperature of seventy-five degrees.




dom: Hi, Phil. This is Dom. Im calling about our golf game. How would you like to play after lunch tomorrow?

phil: Id like to, Dom, but I have a business meeting that wont finish until four.dom: Do you have time in the morning like at ten?phil: Hmm. That doesnt leave me enough time to get ready for my meeting. Say, how about

early morning just after seven?dom: Actually, that would be great.





sherry: So, what are you doing this summer, Jill? Are you going somewhere with the family?Jill: Were still making plans. We usually go somewhere together, but this year everyone

wants to do something different.sherry: Like what?Jill: My husband wants to go hiking, Timmy would like to go swimming, and Sarah just

wants to shop.sherry: And you?Jill: Actually, Id like to go to some art museums and maybe read a novel or two.sherry: That sounds great to me. I wish I had time to do some reading.




george: Whats the matter, Melanie? You look really angry.melanie: Thats because I am angry. I just talked with Carol about my new laptop computer.

I let her take it to a conference, but she dropped it and now it has to be fixed.george: Isnt she going to pay for the repair?melanie: Yes, but it wont be ready for a couple of weeks, and I need to write a paper now.george: How about using someone elses computer?

[35]


melanie: Sure, I can always borrow one from one of my friends if I need to, but it just makes me angry. I shouldnt have given it to her.

george: I know how you feel. Lending something to a friend can affect the relationship, especially when you dont get it back right away. Thats why I usually dont lend things.





gloria: Have you traveled much, Henry?henry: Some. Ive been to Mexico with my mom and dad, and I went backpacking around South

America with a friend after we finished school.gloria: Boy, that sounds interesting. Did you get to Brazil? Id love to see Rio.henry: Its funny you ask that. I think the only country in South America we missed was Brazil,

although we would have liked to have seen it. We stayed in Argentina too long and ran out of time for Brazil. But how about you, Gloria? Have you traveled a lot?

gloria: Well, we lived abroad. My dads company opened an office in Poland, so we lived in Warsaw. We wound up seeing a lot of Central Europe.

henry: I bet you had a great time!gloria: Yes, we did. We lived next door to a wonderful Polish family and learned a lot about the

culture from them. Our only problem was the language. We expected to pick it up right away, but Polish isnt that easy to learn. And my sister got pretty homesick.

henry: Didnt you?gloria: No, I love new things. I think I could be happy always living abroad. But Dottie missed

her school and her friends.





barbara: Eddie, I hear youre working full time at Delaneys these days. How did that happen? It must be great working there. Its such a nice store.

eddie: Well, you know I had already sold clothes at another store on weekends and during the holidays. I was just finishing up school when a friend from work told me about a full-time position as a manager in the mens clothing department at Delaneys. So I applied, and I got the job. So what about you, Barbara? Did you go to nursing school? I remember you always wanted to be a nurse.

barbara: Youre right. I did want to be a nurse ever since I was a little kid. But nursing school takes so long. I decided I didnt have the patience for that much school. If Id gone to nursing school, Id still be taking classes.

eddie: So what are you doing now?barbara: I work for my grandfather in his jewelry store downtown.eddie: Really? Do you like it?barbara: Yeah, I do. Being a salesclerk with beautiful things to sell is fun. And Im glad that Im

making enough so that I can have my own place and still live close to my family.


This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test C.


[36]


Placement Essay Form A 38Placement Essay Form B 40Placement Essay Form C 42

Objective Placement Test A 44Section I: Listening 45Section II: Reading 51Section III: Language Use 57Answer Sheet 61

Objective Placement Test B 62Section I: Listening 63Section II: Reading 69Section III: Language Use 75Answer Sheet 79

Objective Placement Test C 80Section I: Listening 81Section II: Reading 87Section III: Language Use 93Answer Sheet 97

Students Test Materials

[37]

Students Test Materials

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Placement Essay Form A

Name Date Rating

Directions: Please write about one of the following topics. Do not write about all three. Write a well-organized essay about the topic you choose. When you finish your essay, read it over and correct any mistakes you find.

Topic 1: Describe a person that you know well. Why is that person special to you?

Topic 2: What foreign languages have you learned? Based on your experience, what advice would you give to someone who wants to learn a foreign language?

Topic 3: What are the advantages and disadvantages of marrying someone from another country?

[38]

1Placement Essay Form A

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

[39]

2Placement Essay Form A

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Placement Essay Form B

Name Date Rating


Topic 1: Describe your plans for the future. What do you plan to be doing in ten years?

Topic 2: Where would you go if you could visit anyplace in the world? Why would you want to visit this place?

Topic 3: What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a car?

[40]

1Placement Essay Form B

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

[41]

2Placement Essay Form B

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Placement Essay Form C

Name Date Rating


Topic 1: Describe the house or apartment where you live. How is it different from your friends home?

Topic 2: What sports have you learned to play? Based on your experience, what advice would you give to someone who wants to learn to play one of these sports?

Topic 3: What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town?

[42]

1Placement Essay Form C

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

[43]

2Placement Essay Form C

General DirectionsThe Objective Placement Test has three sections: Listening, Reading, and Language Use. There are 70 questions. You are allowed 50 minutes to complete the test.

In Section I, the Listening section, you will hear nine conversations and answer one or more questions about each one. Before you listen to a conversation, read the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation. Answer the questions after the conversation ends. Choose the correct answer for each question and fi ll in your choice on your answer sheet. You will hear the conversation only once. The fi rst conversation is an example. You have 15 minutes to complete this section.

Section II, the Reading section, has several short passages. After you read each passage, choose the correct answer for each question and fi ll in your choice on your answer sheet. You have 20 minutes to complete this section.

Section III, the Language Use section, has 30 items. Choose the correct completion for each item and fi ll in your choice on your answer sheet. You have 15 minutes to complete this section.

Mark your answers clearly on your answer sheet. If you want to change an answer, erase your fi rst answer completely. If you want to take notes during the test, write on the paper you were given.

Objective Placement Test A

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

[44]

1Objective Placement Test A

Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Section I: ListeningIn this section of the test, you will hear conversations and answer some questions about them. For each conversation, first read the situation and the question or questions. Then listen to the conversation. Answer the questions after you hear the conversation. Respond to the questions by marking the correct answer (a, b, c, or d) on your answer sheet.


Example

Situation: Bill Sanchez calls Dr. Stocktons office to make an appointment.

Bill is going to see the doctor on .

a. Tuesday at 10:00b. Tuesday at 4:00c. Wednesday at 10:00d. Wednesday at 4:00


[EXAMPLE CONVERSATION]


The answer for the example is d, Wednesday at 4:00. The letter d is filled in on your answer sheet.


[45]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Situation 1: David is talking with Tomomi when Monica comes into the room.

1. are meeting for the first time.

a. David and Monicab. David and Tomomic. Tomomi and Monicad. David, Monica, and Tomomi

Situation 2: Ken and Nancy are at a restaurant.

2. Ken .

a. is having steak tonightb. stopped eating steakc. eats steak a lotd. prefers chicken to steak

Situation 3: Karen calls Jasons home. Jasons father answers the telephone.

3. Karen is going to .

a. speak with Jason at workb. call back in an hourc. wait for Jason to calld. send a written message


[46]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Situation 4: A reporter is giving todays weather forecast.

4. It will be clear in .

a. the Northeastb. Seattlec. Bostond. Miami

5. In Seattle, the weather is .

a. hotb. snowyc. coold. rainy

Situation 5: Bill invites Jennifer to go to dinner and a movie.

6. Jennifer doesnt accept right away because she cant .

a. eat a late lunchb. leave work earlyc. go to dinnerd. see the movie

7. Theyre going to .

a. leave work a little earlyb. go to the movie before dinnerc. see the movie tomorrowd. have dinner at 7:00


[47]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Situation 6: Linda is asking Jim about his plans for the summer.

8. In the summer, Jim usually .

a. stays in the mountainsb. takes trips with his familyc. visits his parentsd. goes to the beach

9. This summer hes planning to .

a. stay at homeb. go to the beachc. fish with his dadd. hike in the mountains

Situation 7: Phil is talking with Susie about money.

10. Phil is upset because .

a. Susie cant lend him any moneyb. his parents wont give him moneyc. Albert hasnt returned his moneyd. his friends never lend him money

11. Albert .

a. didnt borrow $100b. isnt working nowc. doesnt need the moneyd. cant return the money yet

12. Susie doesnt lend money to friends because .

a. she has just enough for herselfb. lending money can change a friendshipc. people wont lend her moneyd. her friends dont need it


[48]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Situation 8: Natalie and Chuck are talking about their experiences abroad.

13. Chuck went backpacking .

a. in Brazilb. by himselfc. after high schoold. with his father

14. Chuck says he would have liked to have seen Portugal. He means that he .

a. went there, and he liked itb. didnt go there, but he wanted toc. went there, but he didnt like itd. didnt go there, and he didnt want to

15. While Natalie was in Japan, she .

a. traveled all over the countryb. lived with a Japanese familyc. learned Japanese quicklyd. got very homesick

16. Chuck doesnt want to .

a. travel anymoreb. learn a foreign languagec. stay at homed. live abroad


[49]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Situation 9: Diane and Conrad are talking about their careers.

17. Conrad got into advertising because he .

a. studied advertising in collegeb. heard about a job openingc. liked to help peopled. was tired of his old job

18. When he was young, Conrad wanted to .

a. work in advertisingb. become a doctorc. stay in schoold. go into business

19. Dianes parents didnt want her to .

a. start her own businessb. finish collegec. be too successfuld. change her career

20. Conrad .

a. owns his own companyb. enjoys working in advertisingc. thinks his job is boringd. wants to leave his job

This is the end of the Listening section of Objective Placement Test A.


[50]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Section II: ReadingIn this section of the Objective Placement Test, you will read some short passages and answer questions about them. Choose the word or words that best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your answer on the answer sheet. You will have 20 minutes to complete this section.

Passage 1: What are you doing today?

betty chan: I usually stay home on Sundays and take it easy read, clean the house, do stuff like that. But today Im at the mall. Im buying some things for my kids.

21. Betty is today.

a. shoppingb. readingc. cleaningd. resting

Passage 2: What do you do?

tony perez: Im a flight attendant with a major airline. Flying isnt dangerous, but it can be stressful. When Im up in the air working, I always have something to do. I like it because I meet a lot of interesting people.

22. Tonys job is .

a. busyb. easyc. relaxingd. boring


[51]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Passage 3: A vacation postcard

Dear Sal,

Greetings from France its so good to be back here again! We left the kids with their grandparents in Chicago, and were biking across the French countryside by ourselves. We brought a tent and sleeping bags, so we can camp out if we want to, but were really enjoying the small hotels we find along the way.

Love, Michael and Paula

23. Michael and Paula .

a. have been to France beforeb. took their children with themc. are visiting their grandparentsd. prefer to sleep outside

Passage 4: The zone

Youre deeply involved in a task and can ignore everything around you ringing telephones, your neighbors TV, even your own hunger and still do things in record time. This is similar to what athletes call the zone: the power to concentrate so hard that you can ignore everything else. This ability can bring success in any field, but in athletics it can mean all the difference between winning and losing a game or event.

24. In this reading, the zone refers to a persons .

a. state of mindb. neighborhoodc. physical conditiond. intelligence

25. Athletes in the zone are more likely to .

a. fallb. competec. wind. relax


[52]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Passage 5: Henry Ford and the Model-T

Henry Ford became famous and rich because he found a better, faster way to build cars. This is shown in the history of the Model-T. When the Model-T was first introduced in 1908, it took 14 hours to build and cost $850. After Ford introduced into his own factory the mass-production techniques that he saw in a meat-packing plant, the time for building a Model-T was reduced to less than two hours. As a result, Ford was able to drop the price of the car to $265. By 1927, he had sold over 15 million Model-Ts.

26. The first Model-T was expensive because it .

a. was newb. was very popularc. took a long time to buildd. was built in a factory

27. The Model-T became so popular because it was than other cars.

a. newerb. fasterc. betterd. cheaper


[53]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Passage 6: Its a big country!

When it comes to body weight, Americans stand out. Most visitors to the United States, no matter where they go across this vast country, comment on the size of many Americans. In fact, these impressions are backed by numerous statistics. For example, the average 5' 4" American weighs 162 pounds, or 15 pounds more than the average person of the same height from Western or Central Europe. Another comparison: At 150 pounds, the average 5 4 American woman is 24 pounds heavier than her Japanese counterpart.

Why are Americans so heavy? Some blame the American diet. Certainly its true that Americans eat more high-fat foods meat, dairy products, and processed food and fewer grains and vegetables than people in other countries. But fat isnt the whole story. Lifestyle factors including the tendency for Americans to drive rather than walk or ride a bicycle to work, to snack throughout the day, and to have so many labor-saving devices in the home appear to contribute to the problem.

28. According to the article, visitors to the United States often comment on the size of the .

a. populationb. citiesc. countryd. people

29. According to the article, the average Western European weighs .

a. more than an Americanb. more than a Central Europeanc. less than an Americand. less than a Japanese person

30. In comparison with Americans, people in other countries eat more .

a. meatb. dairy productsc. processed foodd. grains

31. The article implies that Americans would lose weight if they .

a. snacked more oftenb. rode bicycles to workc. stayed at home mored. ate fewer vegetables


[54]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Passage 7: Small talk isnt so small

Small talk may not be about serious issues; nevertheless, researchers into the subject have concluded that its important. Thats because small talk keeps us connected to one another and can lead to bigger things, such as a job or a new friendship. Yet people who find themselves alone with another person often dont know what to say. Here are a few tips to help you start a conversation, and to keep the conversational ball rolling:

Start with the obvious. If you have something in common with another person (your job, hobbies, a person you both know, etc.), begin with that. If you dont know the person, its always acceptable to bring up a neutral topic such as the weather or a recent news event. It isnt necessary to be clever all thats required is to show interest in the other person and to be willing to talk.

Compliment where appropriate. If the other person has done something you like or is wearing something attractive, its always appropriate to compliment. But avoid talking about the specifics of a persons physical appearance (people cant usually change how they look) and keep your compliments short and to the point (What a great tie! or You look great tonight!) and continue with another topic.

Talk about yourself then return to your partner. Its perfectly OK to talk about your own interests for a while, but keep your conversation from becoming a monolog. Its only polite, for example, that after talking about your own children, you turn the conversation back to your partner by asking about his or her children.

32. According to the article, the main function of small talk is to .

a. show our own importanceb. get valuable informationc. relate to other peopled. talk about major issues

33. Start with the obvious means that you should talk about things that you .

a. have in commonb. enjoy doingc. want to understandd. know everything about

34. You need to be careful when complimenting someone because most people .

a. dont like complimentsb. cant change how they lookc. dont dress very welld. havent done anything interesting

35. You should avoid monologs because other people .

a. have no interest in what you sayb. already know a lot about youc. like to talk about themselves, tood. prefer to discuss neutral subjects


[55]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Passage 8: Headaches

Everyone has experienced headaches, but only recently have medical researchers begun to learn more specifically about the causes and possible treatments for different types of headache pain.

The most common type of headache is the simple tension headache. Tension headaches are usually mild and short-lasting and can result from various factors, such as stress caused by worry or noise. Tension headaches are caused by a tightening of the neck or back muscles, which slows the flow of blood and, therefore, oxygen to the brain. It is the lack of oxygen that causes the pain. Most headaches can be relieved by taking a mild analgesic such as aspirin. Analgesics expand the blood vessels and restore the normal flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.

A more serious type of headache is the migraine. Migraine headaches are often extremely painful and can last for hours or days. Like tension headaches, they can be the result of different factors, including stress, hormonal changes, and allergies. Unlike tension headaches, however, they are caused by an abnormal expansion or swelling (rather than a contraction) of the blood vessels within the head. Medicines that shrink swollen blood vessels can be used to treat migraine headaches.

A tiny minority of headaches can be linked to severe physical problems such as head injury or brain tumors. For these types of headaches, there are medicines to treat the symptoms, but there is no cure unless the underlying problem is removed.

36. This article discusses the .

a. tiny minority of people who have headachesb. history of medical research into headachesc. causes and remedies for headachesd. physical problems caused by headaches

37. A tension headache can result when .

a. the neck and back muscles relaxb. people get injured in an accidentc. the flow of blood is restrictedd. too much oxygen goes to the brain

38. Migraine headaches .

a. are the most common kind of headacheb. usually last only a few minutesc. can cause extreme paind. have one main cause

39. Medicines for migraines .

a. relax the head and neckb. generally relieve tensionc. increase the flow of bloodd. cause blood vessels to contract

40. Headaches caused by serious physical problems .

a. cant be treatedb. dont cause much painc. have no symptomsd. are not very common

Now go on to page 14 and begin the Language Use section.

[56]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

Section III: Language UseIn this section, you will answer questions about the use of English. Choose the word or words that best complete the sentence. For each item, fill in your answer on the answer sheet. You will have 15 minutes to complete this section.

41. several good restaurants in our neighborhood.

a. Thereb. Theyrec. There ared. Their

42. The gas station is Main Street.

a. onb. atc. nextd. close

43. I cant swim very well. I cant .

a. toob. eitherc. sod. neither

44. I enjoy out two or three times a week.

a. to eatb. eatingc. eatd. I eat

45. These days, women keep working after they get married.

a. mostb. most ofc. almostd. the most

46. My new job is very .

a. excitementb. excitedc. excitingd. excite

47. After finishing college, I hope married.

a. getb. that getc. gettingd. to get


[57]


Ca

mbridge

University Pr

ess 2

013

Photoc

opiable

48. Mt. Everest is mountain in the world.

a. the highb. high asc. higher thand. the highest

49. Bobs never been bungee jumping, he?

a. isb. hasc. doesd. was

50. Ive run out of money. I wish I more.

a. am savingb. have savedc. had savedd. will save

51. Could you tell me where ?

a. is the post officeb. the post office isc. is it the post officed. it is the post office

52. If I had known about the accident, I it to the police.

a. reportedb. would have reportedc. was reportingd. have been reporting

53. Yolanda part time for several years now.

a. has been workingb. is workingc. worksd. was working

54. The Taj Mahal is really worth .

a. to see itb. seeingc. you see itd. see

55. If I went to live in a foreign country, my friends.

a. Id missb. Im missingc. I missedd. I miss


[58]


Documents

Interchange Placement Test