Name ____________________________
Class ____________________________
1 Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation A
GRAMMAR
1 Underline the correct word(s).
Example: I love my job. However / In spite of, the commute is very difficult.
1 My bicycle was stolen, so / because I had to walk to school.
2 I didn’t study very much, and owing to / consequently, I didn’t pass the test.
3 I sold my car as a result / because I couldn’t afford the petrol.
4 He gave up running due to / since a knee injury.
5 She had to break the news gently so that / so as not to upset her father.
6 We have a large umbrella in case / as it rains.
7 We think the house will sell quickly. As a result / Nevertheless, we want to be sure it looks as
good as possible when people come to see it.
8 I read the entire book, yet / therefore I can’t remember anything about the story.
8
2 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Example: Has Dana lived in Singapore since she was a child? (live)
1 I ________ time to watch TV tonight. (not have)
2 Luis and Maria ________ married for 15 years and are very happy together. (be)
3 I can’t believe Paolo isn’t here yet. I ________ for two hours. (wait)
4 ________ you ________ work late again tonight? (have to)
5 We didn’t have time to do it ourselves, so we ________ our lounge ________ by a
professional. (decorate)
6 How many guests ________ she ________ in her house right now? (have got)
7 Did my phone ring while I ________ a bath? (have)
7
3 Does the bold word indicate result, reason, purpose, or contrast? Write your answer
in the gap.
Example: Despite her confusion, the teacher continued on with the lesson. contrast
1 Even though I didn’t want to, I spent my evening doing washing. ________________
2 I joined a gym so I can get into better shape. ________________
3 He spent the night working on his thesis; therefore, he wasn’t able to join us for dinner.
________________
4 Due to the weather today, the game has been cancelled. ________________
5 I went to the library despite the fact that I knew the book I wanted wasn’t there.
________________
5
Grammar total 20
VOCABULARY
4 Complete the words in the sentences.
Example: I tend to keep quiet when my mum starts complaining about my room.
1 We always thought Danielle felt happy here, but deep d________ she was really homesick.
Name ____________________________
Class ____________________________
1 Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation A
2 Steve won’t change his m________ – once he makes a decision, there’s no going back.
3 Lara’s got a heart of g________; she never says no when she’s asked for help.
4 Ingrid says her new boss is a cold f________. Apparently he gives nothing away and rarely
smiles.
5 My fiancé’s parents are actually very down to e________ and they agree with us that we
shouldn’t spend a fortune on our wedding.
6 My kids know very well that I’m a bit of a soft t________ and they make sure to take
advantage of it!
6
5 Underline the correct word(s).
Example: I’d like to get a job / profession abroad.
1 I don’t enjoy my job because the work is monotonous / rewarding.
2 My salary isn’t high, but the career / benefits are really good.
3 Leo is a great boss because he’s good at motivating / demanding people and making them
want to work hard.
4 I recently had some qualifications / training, which will help me do my work more
effectively.
5 I had to hire / quit my job after just five months for health reasons.
6 What are you doing after you’ve clocked / laid off? Fancy going for a pint?
7 Colleague / Staff turnover is high because the pay is too low.
8 I would prefer a regular job to fixed-term contracts / leave.
8
6 Complete the sentences with a personality adjective. There are some words which
you do not need to use.
affectionate bossy bright conscientious gentle
moody reliable sarcastic spontaneous thorough
Example: Karen’s so bossy – I’m sick of her telling us what to do!
1 Olivia’s children are both very ________. They’re doing really well at school and getting top
marks in everything.
2 I’m not surprised that he just got into his car and drove across the country to have dinner with
his friend. He’s very ________.
3 David is a very ________ person; he’s always hugging his children.
4 You just never know with Sarah. One minute she’s fine and the next she’s not – she’s just so
________!
Name ____________________________
Class ____________________________
1 Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation A
5 Don’t worry – if Jack says he’ll be there, he’ll be there. He’s very________.
6 I don’t like ________ people. It’s really not nice to say horrible things to make people feel bad.
6
Vocabulary total 20
PRONUNCIATION
7 Match the words to the same sound.
employee relatives steady tedious terrible
turnover
Example: ready steady
1 nephew ________, ________
2 respect ________, ________
3 work ________
5
8 Underline the stressed syllable.
Example: time|ta|ble
1 in|tro|vert
2 a|sser|tive
3 sen|si|tive
4 com|pe|ti|tive
5 re|bel|lious
5
Pronunciation total 10
Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation total 50
Name ____________________________
Class ____________________________
1 Reading and Writing A
READING
Read the article and tick () A, B, or C.
CREATING YOUR OWN JOB SATISFACTION
A lot of people think that job satisfaction is only for other people. They look with envy on
people who love their jobs and who don’t think of them as work. The idea of earning a living
from something you really like doing only applies to a few very lucky people, they think. But
this isn’t so. It’s not only people in the so-called ‘glamour professions’, for example, who can
get genuine job satisfaction. You don’t have to be in the arts or a sports person to get
enjoyment from what you do for a living. Even if you’re in a boring job, it’s quite possible to
get some satisfaction from it.
The key to this is your attitude. You may think it’s unlikely that you can derive much
satisfaction from a dull job that doesn’t require much thought and that involves a lot of
routine procedures. But if you approach it with the right attitude, and put some effort in, you
may be surprised at how enjoyable you can make it. Of course, if you just sit there telling
yourself how boring your job is, you’ll never get anything out of it. But if you set out to find
ways of making it enjoyable, there’s a good chance you’ll manage to.
One thing you can do is to set yourself challenges. Think about what you can do for yourself
to make your work a little bit more interesting. If you’ve got a repetitive job, set yourself
some targets to meet and try to beat your previous records. Or use your initiative in other
ways. Think about ways you could develop your career into more interesting areas – see
how you could improve your skills by doing a course, for example, or look into new skills you
could get that would stand you in good stead for the future.
For some people, it’s not boredom that’s the problem, it’s the fact that their jobs involve a
significant amount of unpleasantness. But if you keep telling yourself your job is horrible and
there’s nothing you can do about it, you’ll get stuck in a rut and you’ll never get out of it.
Focus on developing a positive attitude and try to keep any negative thoughts about your job
out of your mind. Keep a sense of perspective – if something’s gone wrong on a particular
day, decide whether it really matters or not. If it isn’t actually all that important, don’t dwell on
it –let it go. Learn from it, and take an upbeat view of what’s happened – you’ll know how to
avoid the problem in the future, or what to do about it if it happens again.
Of course, you may reach the point where you feel totally trapped in a job. If this mind-set
starts to overwhelm you, check out the options you may have in the place where you work.
Map out a plan for improving your situation there. Are there other roles in the organization
you could apply for? Could you ask to be given different tasks? Could you get a different
kind of assignment or go to another department where your skills are required? Finding out
there are other options will give you a sense of control over your own working life. Even if
you have no job satisfaction right now, you’ll feel better if you know that there is a realistic
prospect of work that gives you a degree of it.
Expectations are another key ingredient in job satisfaction. Take a long hard look at what
you really are capable of. Sometimes it’s important to accept that you couldn’t really do the
much more interesting or high-powered job you aspire to. Try to be aware of your own
strengths and weaknesses. Focus on the things you really are good at, rather than on things
Name ____________________________
Class ____________________________
1 Reading and Writing A
that, if you’re really honest with yourself, you couldn’t actually do. Make the most of your
situation and feel good about what you can do, rather than feeling bad about what you can’t
do.
Work is a very important part of most people’s lives and it’s important to get at least some
satisfaction from it. If you really dislike your time at work, the rest of your life is affected too,
and you can easily get a negative outlook on life in general. It’s in your own hands to avoid
this. Even if you can’t get the job of your dreams, you can take steps to create your own job
satisfaction.
1 The writer’s aim in the first paragraph is to ________.
A distinguish between different kinds of work
B correct a false belief
C define the term ‘job satisfaction’
2 In the second paragraph, the writer ________.
A warns readers against a certain attitude
B advises readers not to have unrealistic ideas about work
C suggests to readers that most jobs are dull
3 In the third paragraph, the writer emphasizes ________.
A how easy it can be to progress in a career
B a particular route to job satisfaction
C the need for people to motivate themselves
4 The writer uses the phrase ‘stuck in a rut’ to refer to ________.
A a situation that won’t improve
B the bad behaviour of others
C the danger of being too sensitive
5 What is the writer’s advice if something goes wrong?
A Pretend that it didn’t happen.
B Use the experience to your advantage.
C Don’t think about it until later.
6 The writer says that people who feel ‘trapped’ in a job should consider ________.
A discussing their unhappiness with managers
B moving to a different company or organization
C changing the kind of work they do
7 The writer says that you will feel better about your working life if you ________.
A think that some job satisfaction is possible in the future
B choose a particular career option for the future
C stop aiming for job satisfaction for a while
8 What does the writer say about expectations of work?
A Too many people have unrealistic ones.
B They should be based on real ability.
C They may change as time passes.
Name ____________________________
Class ____________________________
1 Reading and Writing A
9 In the final paragraph, the writer says that ________.
A lack of job satisfaction has serious consequences for people
B a negative attitude to life leads to a negative attitude to work
C there is more to life than job satisfaction
10 Which of the following best sums up the writer’s view in the text as a whole?
A Some people find it easier to get job satisfaction than others.
B Everyone can get a certain amount of job satisfaction.
C Job satisfaction is the most important issue in the workplace today.
Reading total 10
WRITING
You have decided to apply for the position advertised below. Write approximately
250 words in a covering letter or email.
Is this for you?
We are looking for responsible, experienced people (individuals or couples) of any age to
‘work’ as house-sitters in different European countries for varying lengths of time. All you
need to do is take care of someone’s house, pets, and garden whilst they are away on
business or on holiday.
You won’t earn any money but your accommodation is free. The minimum length of stay is
one week so you can move from place to place.
Interested? Send an email or letter and CV to Bruce Matthews at housesit@talknet.com or
post it to…
Writing total 10
Reading and Writing total 20
Name ____________________________
Class ____________________________
1 Listening and Speaking A
LISTENING
1 Listen to five people talking about the disadvantages of various jobs. Match the
speakers (1–5) to the disadvantages of the job that they mention (A–H).
Speaker 1
Speaker 2
Speaker 3
Speaker 4
Speaker 5
A lack of job security
B the possibility of making a serious mistake
C having to work at inconvenient times
D bad treatment from employers
E having to work in unpleasant physical conditions
F other people’s low opinion of the job
G having to be dishonest
H the need to cooperate with colleagues
5
2 Listen to two friends discussing an article about personality types. Tick () A, B, or
C.
1 The two speakers agree that ________.
A the man does not react well to pressure
B other people like the man’s attitude and behaviour
C the man should not consider himself a ‘go-getter’
2 The man doesn’t agree that he ________.
A is good at organizing other people B makes too little effort
C annoys other people
3 What do the two speakers agree on the subject of discussions?
A The man often changes his view during them.
B The man always wants to make other people agree with him.
C The man likes it when people disagree with him.
4 The woman agrees that she ________.
A is regarded as unreliable by many people B has a relaxed attitude to life
C frequently changes her plans
5 The man says that one characteristic of ‘performers’ is that they ________.
A think too much about criticism B expect too much of other people
C are too loyal to other people
5
Listening total 10
Name ____________________________
Class ____________________________
1 Listening and Speaking A
SPEAKING
1 Ask your partner these questions.
1 Which person has inspired you the most?
2 What kind of work would give you job satisfaction?
3 Which three adjectives best describe your personality?
4 When you argue with friends or family, what do you argue about?
5 Why is it important for you to be good at English?
2 Now answer your partner’s questions.
3 Now talk about one of these statements, saying if you agree or disagree. Give reasons.
1 ‘It is not possible to be both successful and happy.’
2 ‘Most people’s personalities do not change as they get older.’
3 ‘You can easily tell someone’s personality type just by looking at their social media profiles.’
4 Now listen to your partner. Do you agree with him / her?
Speaking total 20
Listening and Speaking total 30
