Online Practice Tests First for Schools FullTest A

8/16/2019 Online Practice Tests First for Schools FullTest A

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Cambridge English: First for Schools

Practice Test A


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ContentsPaper 1 Reading and Use of English 3

Paper 2 Writing 13

Paper 3 Listening 15

Paper 4 Speaking 20

Answer key and recording script 27

Acknowledgements 32


3/323 CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: FIRST FOR SCHOOLS | TEST A

This page may be photocopied

© Cambridge University Press 2014

Reading and Use of English • Part 1

For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer ( A , B, C or D ) best fits each gap. There is

an example at the beginning (0).

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Example:

0 A ideally B perfectly C suitably D appropriately

0 A B C D

Kites

Kites are flown all around the world. Apart from a kite, all you need is some wind and (0) a hill or

a beach where you can stand. Kiting is an interest that (1) back thousands of years. The first kites

were flown in Asia and by the year 1000 they played a significant (2) in many different cultures. For

instance, they were sometimes flown over a house to (3) the arrival of a new baby. In some places

people even thought kite-flying could encourage the winds to blow away the rain clouds and (4)

the crops from flooding. Eventually, however, scientists and inventors began to be (5) of the full

potential of kites. (6) then, large kites have been developed which can pull people and vehicles and lift

equipment up into the air. But kite-flying (7) a sport which can be enjoyed by people of all ages and it

doesn’t (8) a fortune.

1 A gets B goes C stands D comes

2 A purpose B function C position D role

3 A announce B tell C advise D inform

4 A maintain B prevent C support D avoid

5 A attentive B sensitive C familiar D aware

6 A After B Following C Since D Later

7 A remains B stays C continues D keeps

8 A charge B spend C pay D cost






For questions 9–16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word

in each gap. There is an example at the beginning ( 0 ).

Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: 0 T O

The London Mini Marathon

Children aged between 11 and 17 come from all over Great Britain (0) take part in a mini marathon in

London every year. It is such (9) popular event that they have to be selected; Great Britain is divided

into regions, and team managers choose (10) children will represent each region. After (11)

selected, the children are expected to attend training sessions. Teams consist (12) runners from three

different age groups and each age group has a slightly different start time (13) that they are not all

running at the same time. There is one thing about the London Mini Marathon that makes (14) unique

compared to other ‘mini’ races for kids. It is (15) only run on the same day as the main London Marathon

race for adults but it is also run on part of the same course. This is (16) makes it especially exciting for

the participants.






For questions 17–24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to

form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning ( 0 ).

Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: 0 F A M O U S

One man and his robots

Wu Yulu, who lives on the outskirts of Beijing, is (0) for

the robots he builds. In his (17) people are used to seeing

him being pulled along in a cart by a robot which also has the

(18) to jump, paint and drink, among other things.

Wu Yulu’s (19) with robots began when he was a child.

He made his first robot when he was 11 but, (20) , it

was unable to move. He continued to experiment, increasing his

technical (21) , until he finally managed to make one with

arms and legs.

Since then, he has made over 40 robots and has been recognised

worldwide for these (22) . His aim is to make robots

which can be of (23) to humans with all the many(24) tasks they need to perform in their daily lives, like

chopping vegetables. His robots are like children to him and he gives

each one his family name.

FAME

NEIGHBOUR

ABLE

OBSESS

FORTUNE

KNOW

INVENT

ASSIST

PRACTICE






For questions 25–30, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,

using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words,

including the word given. Here is an example (0).

Example:

0 There was such a big crowd waiting outside the stadium that I couldn’t find my friends.

SO

There people waiting outside the stadium that I couldn’t

find my friends.

The gap can be filled by the words ‘were so many’, so you write:

Example: 0 WERE SO MANY

Write only the missing words IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

25 Despite having plenty of money, Josh decided not to buy the football boots.

EVEN

Josh decided not to buy the football boots plenty of money.

26 The dance class was cancelled because of a lack of interest among the students.

ENOUGH

The dance class was cancelled because not interested.

27 I know I didn’t leave my bag at school because I took my phone out on the bus.

CAN’T

I took my phone out on the bus, so my bag at school.

28 My grandfather was 70 when he started running.

TAKE

My grandfather until he was 70.

29 We need to walk faster or the shops will be closed when we get there.

UNLESS

The shops will be closed when we get there faster.

30 Everyone will get a free drink at the beginning of the race.

GIVEN

Free drinks everyone at the beginning of the race.






You are going to read an extract from a book about how people succeed in sport. For questions 31–36,

choose the answer ( A , B, C or D ) which you think fits best according to the text.


Path to the top

Matthew Syed talks about how he became a table

tennis star

At the age of 24, I became the British number-one

table tennis player for the very first time. Table

tennis is a pretty big sport in the UK, with 2.4 million

participants, thousands of teams, and serious riches

for those who do well. But what made me special?

What had marked me out for sporting greatness?

I came up with a number of factors: speed,

determination, mental strength, adaptability, agility

and reflexes. I had no particular advantages, having

been born into a family in an ordinary suburb of an

ordinary town. Mine was a triumph of individuality; a

personal journey of success against the odds. This,

of course, is the way that many who have reached

the top in sport, or indeed in any other field, choose

to tell their stories. Many of us live in a culture that

encourages this kind of individualism. The film world

of Hollywood is full of such narratives, often sugar-

coated with emotion. But while these stories areinspirational, and compulsively entertaining, are they

true? Here is my story in table tennis.

When I was eight years old my parents, for reasons

they are still unable to explain (neither of them plays

table tennis), decided to buy a table tennis table and

to put it in our large garage. I don’t know the exact

percentage, but you can imagine that there were not

many youngsters of my age in my home town who

possessed a full -size, tournament-specification table.

Fewer still had a garage in which it could be housedfull-time. This was my first bit of good fortune.

My second piece of good fortune was having an

older brother called Andrew who came to love table

tennis as much as I did. We would play for hours in

the garage after school: duelling, battling, testing

each other’s reflexes, experimenting with new spins,

investigating new bats, inviting over friends who,

although often more able in other sports, were

surprised to see just how far we had advanced in

table tennis. Without knowing it, we were happily

acquiring thousands of hours of practice.

Mr Charters was a teacher at the local primary

school, Aldryngton. He was the coach of almost all

the after-school sporting clubs, the manager of the

school football team, the caretaker of the badminton

equipment and the organiser of school sports day.

But Charters cared about one thing above all: table

tennis. He was the nation’s top coach and a senior

figure in the English Table Tennis Association. The

other sports were just a front, an opportunity to

search out sporting talent wherever it emerged so he

could focus it – determinedly and exclusively – upon

table tennis.

For a period, the streets around Silverdale Road,where the school was situated, produced more

outstanding table tennis players than the rest of the

nation combined. It seemed to go against explanation

or belief. Had something spread genetically

throughout the local neighbourhood without touching

the surrounding roads or villages? Of course not: the

success of Silverdale Road was about the coming

together of factors of a similar kind to those that

have, from time to time, happened in other parts

of the world. In particular, all of the sporting talent

was focused entirely on table tennis, and all of the

potential players were encouraged by an outstanding

coach. And as for me, with a table in the garage and

a brother as passionate about table tennis as myself,

I had a head start before I even got to Aldryngton

School.

line 49

line 50


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You are going to read an article about dinosaurs. Six sentences have been removed from the article.

Choose from the sentences A–G the one which fits each gap ( 37–42 ). There is one extra sentence which

you do not need to use.


How much do we really know about dinosaurs?

appearance, revealing for the first time a set of

animals that were to become familiar from movies

and museum displays, including Stegosaurus,

Allosaurus and Diplodocus. It became clear that

dinosaurs possessed an amazing variety of body

shapes and sizes, from flexible, two-legged meat-

eaters to long-necked grass-eating herbivores.

40 From this time, dinosaurs were therefore

no longer reconstructed as giant lizards. However, the biology of the ‘new’ dinosaurs was still

compared to that of known living reptiles, and they

were still reconstructed as large clumsy beasts.

For much of the 20th century, this impression

dominated scientific and public imaginations and

they were viewed as the ultimate example of a

failed species which became extinct. But we now

know that they were in fact highly successful

social beings and we now have fossils showing

that dinosaurs were the first creatures to have

feathers. These discoveries come from the workof palaeontologists in the 1970s, which brought

about a revolution in our understanding of

dinosaurs.These advances mean that we can now

work out how well some dinosaurs could hear or

smell. 41 Because of all this extra knowledge,

mammals and birds are now viewed as more

appropriate models for dinosaur biology, which

offers many new insights into their evolution and

behaviour.

42 How exactly did they die out? Why did

some of them thrive while others were short-lived? What were the functions of certain bizarre

features? And which factors led to their runaway

evolutionary success? There are still plenty of

things we know nothing about – and scientists

shouldn’t be afraid to say so.

Palaeontologists study fossils, the remains of

animals that lived in prehistoric times. Fossils can

be between several thousand and hundreds of

millions of years old and new technology enables

researchers to discover more and more about

them. Recently, palaeontologists from Manchester

University have found that dinosaurs, usually

shown as enormous, earth-shaking monsters, may

have been much lighter than previously thought.

Dinosaurs have fascinated people in Britain since

the first fragments of their bones emerged from

the stone quarries of southern England in the

early 1800s, but the scientists working on their

remains at the time were faced with a difficult

task. 37 And of course there were no obvious

living equivalents.

Nearly 200 years after these initial discoveries,

palaeontologists are still try ing to resolve the issue

of what dinosaurs really looked like. 38 This

is due to new finds and technologies beyond the

wildest imaginings of those early scholars who,

working by candlelight, eagerly chipped away at

their latest discoveries with hammer and chisel.

Initially, dinosaurs were considered to be

iguanas (a kind of lizard) on a much larger scale.

Nineteenth-century scientists worked out that if

dinosaurs had the same proportions as iguanas,

then monsters over 60 metres long once existed

in Britain. 39 Nonetheless, this point of view

remained popular until the first complete dinosaur

skeletons were found, first in Europe and then in

huge quantities in the American west.

The discoveries of whole skeletons during the

second half of the nineteenth century had a lasting

effect on all subsequent impressions of dinosaur





A But none of these resembled the massive,

nightmarish visions imagined only a few

years earlier.

B Some things have become much easier,

however.

C In addition, we even have an idea of what

some of the original colours of dinosaurs

might have been.

D They based their calculations on individual

bones alone, so they were extremely

inaccurate.

E We are still in the dark, however, when it

comes to some aspects of dinosaur life.

F Because of this, they were able to analyse

old bones in much greater detail than ever

before.

G It was not clear to them how to reconstruct

the appearance and behaviour of animals

that had been dead for hundreds of millions

of years.






You are going to read some magazine reviews of video games. For questions 43–52, choose from

the reviews ( A–D ). The reviews may be chosen more than once.


Which reviewer says

there is a need for the user to be patient at certain points in the game? 43

the game has a storyline which is adequate rather than outstanding? 44

the faults in the way the game sometimes worked have been fixed? 45

the game has similarities to some films with a particular actor in them? 46

their expectations of the game were too pessimistic? 47

the game might not attract more users despite better graphics? 48

the poor quality of the graphics in some circumstances is understandable? 49

some of the game’s fans have recently been lost to competing games? 50

a vital part is played by the graphics in maintaining the users’ interest during the game?

51

the game will provide new competition for best-selling games? 52





C Dragon reviewed by Kurt, aged 15

The plot isn’t what you would call prize-winning, but itgets you involved immediately and finishes off withoutany loose ends. A month ago I was afraid that whatwe might get was another disappointing addition to

the series, but after playing on this new version I can’twait to see what will come next. The graphics in thegame take your breath away. It’s a good thing too,since you spend a lot of time travelling in the gameand it would be tiring to have a dull background whichwas repeated all the time. The music is almost toogood as it distracts you from what you’re doing. Thecharacters’ movements are smooth and the controlsare so easy to use.

D White City reviewed by Georgia, aged 14

The game’s main downside is its graphics. They aren’t

awful, but they’re certainly not the best I’ve seen.However, the reduced detail isn’t surprising due to thefact that at times you can be looking at an entire townfrom thousands of metres in the air, and then you areimmediately down on the ground. The characters arewell done, though – they all have unique qualities andyou feel as if you can actually talk to them. There isone thing gamers will not enjoy. After completing alevel, the home screen appears. These dull momentsmight ruin your concentration, but you just need toput up with them as they only last about a minute,

although they feel much longer.

A Baseball X2 reviewed by Liam, aged 14

I always thought Baseball X1 was the coolest sportssimulation game that I had ever come across. Thisversion, Baseball X2, is an update and has takeneverything that I adored and made it even better! It

has also put right some of the little things that wentwrong during the game. Sports games that have gota much larger share of the market had better look outbecause this game is going to be big! The graphicswere fairly advanced on the earlier version except itwas difficult to tell some of the players apart and theylooked a bit like aliens, but now they are so realisticyou know immediately who they are.

B Speedy Track 008 reviewed by Leila, aged 16

Speedy Track was a very successful racing gamewhen the first version came out. However, the last

version was pretty poor quality, and serious gamershave been moving over to the Big Prize and Monaco series instead. So will this new version bring themback? Well, the graphics have improved – the roadsand scenery are now more detailed. But Big Prize and Monaco have perfectly good graphics themselves,so the debate is open as to which game will appealmost. The game concentrates on a race through themountains that is filled with crashes and explosions.The idea of this kind of cross-country race is veryinteresting and has never been properly explored in

a video game before, as far as I know. Tom Saporiappeared in an advertising trailer for this game and Ican see why. The game has the same kind of actionthat is in most of his movies. Something about thecraziness just draws you in.

Reviews of the latest video games by our teenage readers





Writing • Part 1

You must answer this question. Write your answer in 140–190 words in an

appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

1 In your English class you have been talking about the importance of sport. Now your

English teacher has asked you to write an essay for homework.

Write your essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view.

Notes

Write about:

1. getting fit

2. having fun

3. ………………… (your own idea)

Is it a good idea for all young people to do sport?





Writing • Part 2

Write an answer to one of the questions 2–5 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.

2 You have seen this announcement in an English-language magazine for schools.

Write your story .

3 You have received this email from your English friend, Alex.

Write your email.

4 You have seen this announcement on an international website.

Write your review.

5 Answer the following question based on the title below.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

Your English class has had a discussion about what happens in Touching the Void . Now your teacher has

given you this essay for homework:

How did Joe Simpson manage to survive in Touching the Void ?

Write your essay .

Stories wanted

We are looking for stories to appear in our magazine. Your storymust begin with this sentence:

As soon as Joanna saw the woman at the back of the room, sherealized her life was about to change.

Your story must include:

• some news

• a journey

The Best TV Series Ever!

Do you have a favourite TV series that you watch regularly?

Write us a review telling us what it is about, why you like it and whether

other young people would enjoy watching it.

The best reviews will be posted on the website next week.

Reviews wanted

Guess what! I’m coming to your town on an exchange visit next

year with my class. Can you tell me about your local town?

Could you tell me what’s special about it, what there is for young

people to do there, and whether you think I’ll like it?

Thanks, Alex





Listening • Part 1

Questions 1–8

01 You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1–8, choose the best

answer ( A , B or C ).

1 You hear two students discussing a TV programme they have just watched.

What did they both like about the programme?

A the main character

B the unusual plot

C the background music

2 You hear a boy telling a fr iend about a sailing course he has just done.

What is the boy’s opinion of the course?

A It was more difficult than he expected.

B It was badly affected by the weather conditions.

C It was designed for very young students.

3 You hear a teacher telling her students about a project they are going to do.

What does she warn them about?

A using internet material

B making spelling mistakes

C writing too much

4 You hear a girl talking on the radio about her favourite band.

She is attracted to their songs because

A they sing about familiar things.

B they play unusual instruments.

C they come from her area.





5 You hear two students talking about what happened in an art class at school.

What problem did the boy have in his class?

A He chose the wrong person to draw.

B He selected an unsuitable paint colour.

C He spilled something on his drawing.

6 You hear a girl talking on the phone about a shopping trip.

What pleased her about the trip?

A She bought a dress for a special occasion.

B She got a bargain in the sales.

C She found a new shop she liked.

7 You hear two students talking about a castle in Scotland.

The boy thinks the castle would be a good setting for

A a ghost film.

B a documentary.

C a children’s story.

8 You hear a sports presenter talking about a running race.

What does he say about the winner of the race?

A She shouldn’t have competed yesterday.

B She has just recovered from injury.

C She was ahead of the others from the start.






Questions 9–18

02 You will hear a young chef called Tom Neilson talking about the cookery competition he has just won.

For questions 9–18, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

Young Chef Competition

The competition, which is arranged by a group of (9) ,

began ten years ago.

Tom says that teenagers compare top chefs with (10) .

Competitors only have to cook a (11)

for the first stage of the competition.

Tom thinks that calculating the precise (12)

of the meal you make in the local final is difficult.

In the local final you are also tested on various things such as (13)

in the kitchen.

A professional chef gives (14) to the people who reach the regional finals.

In the regional final, the (15)

you do for the meal is considered very important.

Tom feels that competing in the national final is challenging because the

(16) you have to work with are chosen for you.

In the national final you are assessed on the (17)

of your food as well as your cooking skills.

Tom knows he will receive some (18) as a reward for reaching the final.






Questions 19–23

03 You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking about school visits to places of interest. For

questions 19–23, choose from the list ( A–H ) what each speaker says. Use the letters only once. There are

three extra letters which you do not need to use.

A It helped me to decide on a career.

B I enjoyed doing a team-based activity.

C It enabled me to learn a new skill.

D It was good being shown around by a guide.

E It made me change my opinion of a subject.

F There were some really unusual exhibits.

G I was surprised it was so interactive.

H I appreciated listening to an expert.

Speaker 1 19

Speaker 2 20

Speaker 3 21

Speaker 4 22

Speaker 5 23






Questions 24–30

04 You will hear an interview with an American girl who sings in a choir. For questions 24–30, choose

the best answer ( A , B or C ).

24 What does Gina say about the members of her choir?

A They come from schools specialising in music.

B They have previous experience of singing.

C They have formal qualifications in music.

25 What has belonging to a choir enabled Gina to do?

A change the way she sings

B become more self-critical

C gain confidence in herself

26 Gina feels that through mixing with people in the choir, she has learnt

A how to understand different cultures.

B how to make new friends.

C how to get people to agree.

27 What is Gina’s attitude to the music she sings?

A She would like to perform a wider range of songs.

B She is looking forward to leaning some jazz songs.

C She appreciates being able to suggest songs for the choir.

28 What does Gina say about expressing emotion through music?

A It is something everyone in the choir manages to do.

B It is easier to express happiness than sadness.

C It is hard to convey emotion to other people.

29 How does Gina feel about performing in public?

A a little frightened

B slightly stressed

C ready to be criticised

30 According to Gina, what is the choir director’s main strength?

A his personality

B his musical ability

C his conducting skills





Speaking

About the Speaking test

The Speaking test lasts for about 14 minutes. You take the test with another candidate (called your

‘partner’). There are two examiners – one will speak to you and your partner, the other will only listen.

Both examiners will award marks. The listening examiner gives five different marks: grammar and

vocabulary, discourse management, pronunciation and interactive communication. The speaking

examiner awards one mark for overall performance.

Part 1 (2 minutes)

The examiner will ask you and your partner questions about yourselves. You may be asked

questions about everyday topics such as your family, how you spend your free time and your career

plans.

Part 2 (4 minutes: a 1-minute ‘long turn’ for each candidate and 30 seconds for a response from the

second candidate)

In this part of the Speaking test, the examiner will show you two photographs and will ask you to talk

about them for one minute. Your partner will then be asked a question about your photographs.

Then the examiner will show your partner two different photographs. Your partner will talk aboutthese photographs for one minute. This time the examiner will ask you a question about your

partner’s photographs.

Part 3 (4 minutes)

Now the examiner will ask you and your partner to talk together. The examiner will give you a piece

of paper with a question written on it and some ideas to help you. You and your partner talk together

about the question, listening and responding to each other’s ideas, agreeing and disagreeing. You

should both take turns so that you speak for the same amount of time. The examiner will then ask a

further question to encourage you to summarise your discussion.

Part 4 (4 minutes)

The examiner will ask some further questions related to the Part 3 topic. The idea is to have adiscussion in a little more depth about the topic. The examiner may ask you to answer questions on

your own, or may encourage you to discuss questions with your partner.


21/32





Speaking • Part 2

1 Getting exercise

2 Holidays

4 minutes (6 minutes for groups of three)

In this part of the test, I’m going to give each of you two photographs. I’d like you to talk about your

photographs on your own for about a minute, and also to answer a question about your partner’s

photographs.

( Candidate A ), it’s your turn first. Here are your photographs (page 23). They show young people doing

different kinds of exercise.

I’d like you to compare the photographs, and say what the benefits of doing these kinds of exercise

are.

When Student A has finished, the examiner asks Student B a question.

(Candidate B), how do you keep fit? ... (Why?)

Now, (Candidate B), here are your photographs (page 24). They show different kinds of holidays.

I’d like you to compare the photographs and say what you think the young people are enjoying

about these different types of holiday.

When Student B has finished, the examiner asks Student A a question.

(Candidate A), what kind of holiday do you enjoy most? ... (Why?)





What are the benefits of doing these kinds of exercise? 1

A

B





What are the people enjoying about these different types of holiday?

A

B

2





Speaking • Part 3


Now, I’d like you to talk about something together for two minutes.

I’d like you to imagine that a secondary school has some money to spend on improving

the facilities. Here are some things your school could spend some money on anda question for you to discuss. First you have some time to look at the task.

[15 seconds]

Now, talk to each other about why these things might be useful for most students.

The examiner then asks you to decide something together.

Thank you. Now you have about a minute to decide which two things you

would not spend the money on.

Speaking • Part 4


The examiner asks you some questions related to the activity in Part 3.

Here are some examples of questions you might have:

• Some people say students spend too much time studying and not enough time doing other things.

What do you think?

• Should schools provide sports facilities or should children do sport outside school?

• Do you think schools should have an orchestra? Why? / Why not?

• Which activities do you do outside school? Which do you enjoy the most?

• Do you think drama is an important subject to include at school? Why? / Why not?

• Some people say that practical subjects like design and technology and art are as important as

academic subjects. What do you think?





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t e n n i s c o u r t s

s c h o o l b u s

d r a m

a s t u d i o

W h i c h o f t h e s e f a c i l i t i e s

w o u l d b

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27/3227

Test A key and recording script

Cambridge English: First for Schools

PRACTICE TEST KEY AND RECORDING SCRIPT

Reading and Use of EnglishPart 1

1 B 2 D 3 A 4 B 5 D 6 C 7 A 8 D

Part 2

9 a 10 which 11 being 12 of 13 so 14 it 15 not

16 what

Part 3

17 neighbourhood 18 ability 19 obsession

20 unfortunately 21 knowledge 22 inventions

23 assistance 24 practical

Part 4

25 even though he had

26 enough (of the) students were

27 I can’t have left

28 didn’t take up running

29 unless we walk

30 will be given to

Part 5

31 A 32 B 33 D 34 C 35 A 36 B

Part 6

37 G 38 B 39 D 40 A 41 C 42 E

Part 7

43 D 44 C 45 A 46 B 47 C 48 B 49 D 50 B

51 C 52 A

WritingPart 1 Answer guidelines

1

Style

The essay is always written for the teacher so it needs

to be written in a formal style; without contractions, for

example. In your answer you need to show that you can

give your opinion, with reasons. For this task you are free

to agree or disagree with the idea that it is good for allyoung people to do sport. To do this well you will need to

be able to communicate your ideas clearly, give examples

and present advantages and disadvantages.

Content

You need to answer to the essay question by writing about

both of the content points given on the question paper, and

by providing one content point of your own. Whether you

agree or disagree with the essay question, it is important

that you argue from your own point of view. You many feel

there are a number of disadvantages to doing sport, or that

not all sports are equally suitable for young people because

they are too aggressive or dangerous.

Organisation

Plan your essay before you begin to write in order to

present your ideas in a logical way. You will need to decide

what each paragraph is about. In the first paragraph, you

might want to mention the advantage of getting fit but

balance it with the disadvantage of getting injured. If you

do this kind of advantages/disadvantages essay you willneed to balance the second and third point. For example,

to address the second point you could say that you can

have fun doing sport with your friends but if it is too

competitive you might get anxious or worried. The third

paragraph needs to be your own idea, for example: how

doing sport is a good way to make friends and get a social

life. Your final paragraph could then be your conclusion:

whether overall you think it is a good idea for young

people to do sport or not.

Part 2 Answer guidelines

2

Style

The story should be neutral or formal in style as it is for

publication in an English-language magazine. In this case

it should be written in the third person (Joanna/she). To

tell the story well you will need to use a range of narrative

tenses, including the past simple, past continuous and past

perfect. By adding direct speech and some suspense or fast

action you can make your story more interesting.

Content

You need to continue the story from the given sentence.

In this case during the course of the story you will need

to make it clear what kind of room Joanna was in (forexample, a classroom, a restaurant, a doctor’s waiting

room, etc.), who the woman was and whether Joanna’s life

was going to change in a good or bad way. The story also

has to include the two points given – some news and a

journey. They should be included as important elements of

your story and not just incidental details.

Organisation

Before you start to write, you will need to plan your story

and think about how you are going to include the two

points and how the story is going to end. You might also

want to give your story a title. Linking words will help

you to show the sequence of events in your story and causeand effect. You will also need to be able to use the correct

punctuation for direct speech.

3

Style

The email should be informal as it is to a friend; however,

you will need to use a range of structures and vocabulary

to describe your town and to give suggestions for what

young people might like to do there.

Content

The content of the email needs to be relevant to Alex’s

request for information about your town and the things you

can do there. Do not change the topic of the letter and start

writing about your recent holiday or family news! Offering

to meet up with Alex when he visits and suggesting that

you show him around your town would be acceptable

additions to your letter as they are related to the topic.


28/3228 PRACTICE TEST KEY AND RECORDING SCRIPT

Organisation

Plan what you want to say in each paragraph of your email.

You might want to start by showing excitement at Alex’s

visit (‘That’s fantastic news!’). Your first paragraph could

give factual details about the town (size, location and so

on) then the second paragraph could focus on the town’s

special qualities: is it relaxing, friendly, busy, etc.? You

might want to deal with the last two questions together

(what young people can do and whether Alex would like it)as it would be natural to do so. The final paragraph could

then be an offer to show Alex around.

4

Style

The review should be neutral but to keep the reader

interested you will need to use lively language and full

sentences when you describe your favourite TV series. Do

not use bullet points or subheadings. Remember, you want

the reader to choose your review to be put on the website

next week.

Content

Think of a TV series you want to write about – you might

want to use that as the title of your review. You will need

to give the reader a summary of the storyline of the series

and descriptions of the main characters. You should use

a range of narrative tenses, including present and past.

Explain clearly why you like the series: is it the quality of

the dialogue, the relationships between the characters or

perhaps how funny or dramatic it is? Is there a particular

episode that you can talk about that highlights the things

you like about the series? Although this is your favourite

TV series you are reviewing, it is fine if you want to

include a couple of things that you don’t like so much or

that you hope improve as you continue to watch. End byrecommending the series. If you think that not all young

people would like it, only those with a particular interest,

then that would be good to include.

Organisation

Before you start to write, plan what each paragraph of

your review is going to be about. Each of your paragraphs

should answer the separate questions asked in the task

(what it is about / why you like it / whether other young

people would enjoy watching it). Avoid just writing a list

of all the things you like about the show. Instead, focus on

the two or three main things that you like and write fully

about them.

5

Style

The essay should be neutral or formal as you are writing

it for your teacher to read. You will need to use a range of

past tenses to explain what happened in the story and how

Joe managed to survive.

Content

You will need to present the main parts of the story that

lead to Joe’s survival. You might also want to talk about

his personality, as his courage and mental strength also

helped him to survive. You will need to have a goodknowledge of the main details of the story to answer this

question.

Organisation

You will need to plan what you want to write and

think about what the focus of each paragraph is going

to be. For example, in your first paragraph you could

start with a brief description of Joe as an individual,

his strengths and qualities. Each of the following

paragraphs could then focus on an event in his journey

down the mountain and you could relate the decisions

he made and the way he coped with problems to thepersonal qualities you mentioned in the first paragraph.

ListeningPart 1

1 B 2 A 3 B 4 A 5 A 6 C 7 C 8 B

Part 2

9 hotels

10 pop stars

11 main course

12 cost

13 safety

14 advice

15 timetable

16 ingredients

17 presentation

18 (kitchen) knives

Part 3

19 E 20 C 21 A 22 H 23 G

Part 4

24 B 25 C 26 C 27 C 28 A 29 B 30 A

Recording script

Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. Forquestions 1–8, choose the best answer, A, B or C.

Question 1. You hear two students discussing a TV programme they have just watched.

Girl: Did you see that new detective showyesterday? I loved the female police officerwho starred in it, she was really cool …

Boy: Yeah, well I really liked, it too. I wasn’t

so keen on her, I thought she was a bittoo good to be true. I thought the musicin the background really added to theatmosphere though … nice tracks …

And the twists and turns in the storylinewere amazing, weren’t they. You had toconcentrate to keep up. I haven’t seenanything quite like that before …

Girl: Me neither, that was the best bit. I didn’tfind the music that good actually, but I’llwatch it again …

Boy: Me too.

Question 2. You hear a boy telling a friend about a sailing

course he has just done.

Girl: Oh hi, Adam. Did you enjoy the sailingcourse you did at the weekend?


29/32



Now, about the competition itself. There are four stagesand you start with a competition at the school you attend.For the first stage you just have to cook a (11) main course,there’s no need to cook a dessert. The food is judged byteachers at the school, and the three winning pupils go onto represent their school in the second stage, which is calledthe local final.

In that, you have to work out the exact (12) cost of the two-course meal you cook, which can be quite hard if you’re

using just a small quantity of certain stuff like herbs andspices! The local final is held at a college, and judged byprofessional chefs, who also test you on a range of thingsabout working in a kitchen, like (13) safety. They expect youto know the names of well-known French and Italian dishestoo, but you don’t get a formal test on that. The winner thengoes on to participate in one of the twelve regional finals,and before you take part in those, you get (14) advice froma professional chef. Jane Spelling, the chef who helped me,was great. I learnt so much from her.

At the regional final, you have to cook a meal to a fixedbudget, and the most important thing that’s tested is the(15) timetable you draw up for your meal. You have to listevery step of your food preparation and how long it will taketo do. And once you’ve done that, you have to stick to it!

Believe me, that’s really tough. I had to practise a lot before Igot it right. And if you survive all that and get through to thenational final as I have, then the pressure is really on …

Why? Well, you have to plan and cook a meal for fourpeople within two hours, and the trickiest thing is that theygive you the (16) ingredients, so you have to work out whatto make with them. Everyone gets the same, and you’re notallowed to look at any recipes at all. That means you have tohave good basic cookery knowledge. And you’re judged not

just on your cooking skills, but on the (17) presentation ofyour dishes. I know that the standard is very high, so I’ll betrying a lot of things out before the Big Day!

And if I win? Well, there are some really awesome prizes.The first prize is a chance to spend two weeks working in a

restaurant belonging to a top chef, which is fantastic. Thesecond prize is also good though, because you get sometop quality stainless steel cooking pans and I’d really lovethose too. And there’s actually a set of (18) kitchen knivesfor everyone who gets as far as the national final, so I’mcertain to get those! I’ll be taking part in the National Finalon 30th March, so wish me luck. It’s not long now …

Part 3

You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking about school visits to places of interest. For questions19–23, choose from the list (A–H) what each speaker says.Use the letters only once. There are three extra letters which

you do not need to use.

Speaker 1

I went on a visit to London this year with my school, andthis time we went to the British Museum. Our teacher saidthere’d be lots of hands-on stuff and there was. And really,I had the best time ever. We had a worksheet to fill in insome of the galleries, and you could learn a lot doing that.The visit made history feel – well, alive to me. I used to thinkit was really dull. Not any more though. What I really lovedwas that everything was bright and colourful in the exhibitswe went to.

Speaker 2

Our school visit was to an outdoor activity centre this year. Iwasn’t keen on the idea at first. I was hoping for a trip to thescience museum, like last year. They said it was going to beall team challenges and climbing trees and mud and stuff,which didn’t sound like my scene at all. When we got there,though, the activity leader let us choose which activitieswe did. I decided to try rock climbing, so I spent a morningbeing taught the basics, and then doing an easy climb. I’dnever done anything like it before, and it was great!

Speaker 3

We went to a place called Dinosaur Island last month on aschool visit. At the visitor centre we did a lot of interactivestuff like weighing fossils. It was fascinating. I’ve alwaysloved that kind of stuff, and I decided while I was there thatI’m going to work in science when I finish school. I reallyenjoyed going on a walk along the beach too, to collectfossils. Our teacher thought we’d have an expert guidewith us but in the end there was just us and it was more fun

really. He’s really nice and he didn’t give us any worksheetsor anything …

Speaker 4

We went on a school visit to the Eden Project as part ofour biology course on the environment. It’s a huge place! Icouldn’t believe my eyes when I got there. We spent a daylearning about the rainforest and had a talk from someonewho’s spent his whole career studying it. It was so inspiringto hear about his experiences. We found out about the linksbetween the UK and the rainforest too, you know, throughthings like the plants we get medicines from. And at the endof the day we went into the souvenir shop, which had somefantastic stuff.

Speaker 5

I’m doing media studies this year, and we got a great visitto a film studio as part of our course. I couldn’t believe howhands on it was! I knew we were going on a sort of ‘behindthe scenes’ walking tour, and I thought we’d just have aguide to show us round and talk to us. But we walked roundthe sets, tried on costumes, and were shown how to dospecial make-up. And the best thing of all was the specialeffects show at the end. I loved it! I’d recommend the visit toanyone …

Part 4

You will hear an interview with an American girl who sings in a choir. For questions 24–30, choose the best answer (A, Bor C).

Interviewer: And today in the studio we welcome GinaGenoza, who’s 14 and in grade 8 at HighSchool. She’s going to talk to us about herexperience of singing in a choir. Welcome,Gina.

Gina: Hi …

Interviewer: Tell us a bit about the choir you sing in.

Gina: Well, I started off in my school choir. Butfor the last two years I’ve been singing ina youth choir, which takes young peoplefrom schools all over the county andencourages them to perform in front of anaudience whenever possible. You have to

be really keen, and (24) you have to be ata high standard before you join, so thatmeans you’ve put in a lot of time and effortalready and you have to keep right ondoing that …

Interviewer: I see. And the choir is important to you?

Gina: Oh yes!

Interviewer: Why is that?

Gina: Well, the choir is a place where no-one judges you. A lot of different people areaccepted into the choir, and singingunites a wide range of musical styles intosomething real special. And if someone

messes up, no one worries about it … you just move on … (25) it gives you belief inyourself, makes you willing to try things.



Interviewer: So is one of the reasons you enjoy thechoir that you mix with other people?

Gina: Absolutely. Every choir rehearsal is asocial event, I expected to make a lot ofnew friends and I have! Everyone there isa friend now. (26) You also find out howto persuade people to reach agreementby talking things through and asking theright questions … That’s something I didn’t

really get before … I do now though … Andof course, I’ve met people from differentbackgrounds too, Hispanic, Chinese …

Interviewer: And how do you feel about the music yousing?

Gina: Well, we do a variety, mostly modern popsongs ’n’ stuff, but also classical. And Ithink we may try some jazz arrangementssoon, although I’m not sure I’ll like thoseso much. (27) As a choir we always getto select a lot of our own music, though,which I really like. And as our directorshows us things we would never havecome up with on our own, the range of

music we sing is broad …Interviewer: Is singing a good way for people to

express themselves?

Gina: It certainly is. Being in the choir meanslearning how to express yourself musicallyof course, and through the songs you getto express emotions. (28) Even peoplewho are normally quite shy and quiet reallyget into it. And you can pass things ontoother people too. You can show them howmuch joy you feel in the music, or how sadthe lyrics of a certain song make you feel.That’s cool.

Interviewer: I know your choir performs a lot for the

public. How do you find that?

Gina: Well, the first two or three performanceswith an audience were a bit scary for me,but I was allowed to stand at the back.

And it’s fine now. We’re all there together,our families are usually in the audience andthey all really want to see what we can do.They’re normally on our side, rather thanbeing there to criticise. (29) Some peoplestill feel under pressure, but I don’t really.Well, not much anyway!

Interviewer: And finally, the choir has a musicaldirector, John Greenbaum. What does hecontribute?

Gina: Oh gosh, well of course he has a fairlynice voice himself, so he can demonstratewhat he wants, and as a good conductor,he’s clear. And when we’re performing,if we start to go wrong, he can sort ofpull us through with the (30) force of hisenthusiasm! That’s vital, his best quality infact. He’s a very dynamic person. He holdsus together …

Interviewer: That’s wonderful. Gina, thanks for talkingto us today.

Gina: Thank you.


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Photos

Key: T=Top; B=Below

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