ENGLISH PRACTICE 6

PART I: PHONETICS (1 point)

I: Find a word in each line whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the other three by
circling A, B, C or D. (0.5 p)
1 A allegedly B confusedly C supposedly D wickedly
2 A youths B maps C cigarettes D months
3 A equation B television C mention D decision
4 A rise B rinse C browse D bruise
5 A substitute B muddled C shutter D substantial
II: Find the word with the stress pattern different from that of the other three words in each question
by circling A, B, C or D. (0.5 p)
1 A academic B amphibian C apartheid D aquarium
2 A tuberculosis B mathematician C inheritance D communication
3 A casualty B habitual C characterize D ignorance
4 A magnificent B memorial C tobacconist D humanism
5 A trigonometry B explanatory C immediately D democracy

PART II: LEXICO - GRAMMAR (7 points)

I: Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. Circle the letter A, B, C or D next to
the correct word or phrase. (2 p)
1. …… every industry in our modern world requires the work of engineers.
A. Wholly B. Hardly C. Most D. Virtually
2. Jane had a problem with her finances, so we talked …… and now it's fine.
A. over B. it over C. over it D. over and over
3. When the electricity failed, he …… a match to find the candles.
A. rubbed B. scratched C. struck D. started
4. I usually buy my clothes …… . It’s cheaper than going to the dressmaker.
A. on the house B. off the peg C. in public D. on the shelf
5. My father …… when he found out that I had damaged his car.
A. hit the roof B. saw pink elephants
C. made my blood boil D. brought the house down
6. According to the captain, his special units can take an immediate action against terrorists should such a
need ........... .
A. arise B. originate C. evoke D. experience
7. We were ........... by the officers' decision to divert the whole traffic from the main route.
A. rambled B. baffled C. stumbled D. shuffled
8. The book says that the revolution was ............. off by the assassination of the state governor.
A. launched B. cropped C. triggered D. prompted
9. The hijackers have demanded a ........... to be paid for releasing the civilian hostages from the plane.
A. currency B. revenue C. deposit D. ransom
10. He’s .............................. work and cannot possibly see you now.
A. up to his ears in B. very interested in
C. not involved with D. concerned with
11. He suddenly saw Sue ..................... the room. He pushed his way ..................... the crowd of people to
get to her.
A. across/through B. over/through C. over/along D. across/across
12. She tried to .......................
A. talk out of me the plan B. talk me the plan out of
C. talk me out of the plan D. talk out me of the plan.
13. My cousin obviously didn’t ………… much of an impression on you if you can’t remember meeting
her.
A. create B. do C. make D. build
14. She was kept awake for most of the night by the………… of a mosquito in her car.
A. whine B. moan C. groan D. screech
15. Her business must be going rather well, ……….by the car she drives.

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 A. deducing B. deciding C. inferring D. judging
16. He looks very aggressive and threatening, and so his soft, gentle voice is rather………….
A. disembodied B. disconcerting C. dismissive D. discordant
17. If I were you, I would regard their offer with considerable…………., because it seems too good to be
true.
A. suspicion B. doubt C. reservation D. disbelief
18. My sister’s confidence in her ability to play the piano was badly……….. by her last music teacher.
A. subsided B. weakened C. undermined D. loosened
19. Your grandfather is rather tired so do not………….your visit. Let him have a rest.
A. prolong B. lengthen C. delay D. shorten
20. Their eventual choice of the house was……….by the time Peter would take to get to the office.
A. related B. consequent C. determined D. dependent

II. Put each verb given in brackets into an appropriate tense or form (1p)
In 1764 Dr. Johnson accepted the contract (1. produce) a dictionary. (2. rent) a garret, he took on a
number of copying clerks, who (3. stand) at a long central desk. Johnson (4. not have) a library available
to him, but eventually produced definitions of 40,000 words ( 5. write) down in 80 large notebooks. On
publication, the Dictionary immediately (6. hail) in many European countries as a landmark. According to
his biographer, James Boswell, Johnson’s principal achievement was (7. bring) stability to the English
language: “It (8. be) the cornerstone of Standard English, an achievement which (9. confer) stability on
the language of his country”. As a reward for his hard work, he (10. grant) a pension by the king.

Your answers:
1 ………..………... 2…………...……….. 3…………..………
4 ………..………… 5………..…………… 6.……..……………
7. ………..………... 8. ………..…………… 9. ………..………… 10. ........................

III. Give the correct form of the words in brackets (1 p)

1. Please (know) .................................. our letter of the 25th. We have not had a reply.
2. Eating fish and lots of vegetables greatly increases your life (expect) ......................
3. It is very rude to interrupt someone in ……………………... (sentence)
4. Wow, I'm afraid I am not very (photo)..........................
5. The (forest) ..................................... has caused many so-called man-made disasters.
6. All the ............... from the last lecture were not allowed to attend the interview for the coming project.
(absence)
7. The road was (pass) ............................... because of the snow.
8. She spent hours getting the house (spot) ...........................clean.
9. Paul is a good employee, and is very …………. (conscience).
10. …………………….. children will not be allowed to cross busy roads. (accompany)

Your answers:
1 ………..………... 2…………...……….. 3…………..………
4 ………..………… 5………..…………… 6.……..……………
7. ………..………... 8. ………..…………… 9. ………..………… 10. ........................

IV. The passage below contains 11 mistakes. (0) has been done for you as an example. IDENTIFY and
CORRECT the other ten. (1 p)
0. all complete --> completely
Things started to go wrong as soon as we got to the hotel. We were all complete exhausted after
our long journey and looking forward to shower and a rest. However, we found that our room has not
ready, which was very annoy, although the manager was extremely apologetic. While we were waiting,
we asked about the excursions to places of an interest which we had read about in brochure. Imagine how

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we felt when we were told they had all cancelled! Apparently, the person responsible for organise them
had left suddenly and had not been replaced. Then Sally saw a notice pinning to the door of the
restaurant, saying it has closed for redecoration, and Peter discovered that the swimming pool was empty.
When we eventually got to our room we were horrified find that it was at the back of the hotel, and we
had a view of a car park, which seemed to be used as a rubbish dump. We seriously began to wonder
whether or not to stay.
Your answers:
1…………...……… --> . ………………........ 2. ………………… -->. ……....……………
3. ……..…………..... --> . ………….…........ 4. . ……………….. -->. ……………...…....
5. ……………..….. --> . . ………….…........ 6.………...……… --> . ………………........
7. ……………..….… -->. …….....…………… 8. ……..………….. --> . ……….….…........
9. . ……………...….. -->. …………….....….... 10. ……………..…. --> . . ………….…........

V. Fill in each blank with one suitable preposition or particle (1 p).

1. Dishonesty is foreign ……………. his nature.
2.Yuri Gagarin lifted …………… into space aboard the Vostok 1 at 9.07 a.m. Moscow time ……………
12th April, 1961.
3. She was free to indulge …………… leisure activity like reading.
4. Is it OK if I write …………… pencil?
5. If we leave ………… the station ……… once, we arrive ………… ten minutes ………… hand.
6. Her bright red hair made her stand …..……from the others.
Your answers:
1 ………..…… 2…………...… - …………..… 3. ………..…… 4.………..……
5………….….. -…………..… - ………..…… -………..…… 6.. ...................

VI. Insert the, a(n) or X (no article) where necessary (1 p).

I had long since prepared my mixture; I purchased at once, from (1)………… firm of wholesale
chemists, (2)……….. large quantity of (3)……….. particular salt, which I knew, from my experiments, to
be (4)...………. last ingredients required, and late one night, I mixed (5)………….. elements, watched
them boil and smoke together in (6)…………. glass, and when (7)………….. liquid had cooled, with (8)
………… strong glow of (9)……….. courage, drank off (10)………… potion.
Your answers:
1 ………..…… 2…………...… 3…………..… 4 ………..…… 5………..……
6………….….. 7…………..… 8 ………..…… 9………..…… 10. ...................
PART III: READING (6 points)
I: Read the passage and use ONLY ONE suitable word to fill in each gap (2 p).
In a village on the east coast of Scotland, people were waiting for news. Two of fishing-boats had
been caught in the storm which had blown up during the night. In the cottages round the harbor people
stood by their doors (1)______ worried to talk.
The rest of the fishing fleet had (2)______ the harbor before dark, and the men from these ships
waited and watched with the wives and families of the missing men. Some had (3)______ thick blankets
and some flasks of hot drinks, knowing that the men (4)______ be cold and tired. When dawn began to
break over in the east, a small point of light was (5) ______ in the darkness of the water and a few
minutes later, (6) ______ was a shout.
(7) ________ long, the two boats were turning in, past the lighthouse, to the inside of the
harbor. The men (8)______ helped out of their boats, and (9) ___ they were stiff (10)______ cold and
tiredness, they were all safe.

Your answers:
1……….. 2…………. 3………… 4………… 5……………
6……….. 7…………. 8………… 9………… 10…………..

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II: Read the passage carefully and then choose the best answer to each sentence by circling A, B, C or
D (1.5p)
While many nineteenth–century reformers hoped to bring about reform through education or by
eliminating specific social evils, some thinkers wanted to start over and remark society by founding ideal,
cooperative communities. The United States seemed to them a spacious and unencumbered country
where models of a perfect society could succeed. These communitarian thinkers hoped their success
would lead to imitation, until communities free of crime, poverty, and other social ills would cover the
land. A number of religious groups, notably the Shakers, practiced communal living, but the main
impetus to found model communities came from nonreligious, rationalistic thinkers.
Among the communitarian philosophers, three of the most influential were Robert Owen, Charles
Fourier, and John Humphrey Noyes. Owen, famous for his humanitarian policies as owner of several
thriving textile mills in Scotland, believed that faulty environment was to blame for human problems and
that these problems could be eliminated in a rationally planned society. In 1825, he put his principles into
practice at New Harmony, Indiana. The community failed economically after a few years but not before
achieving a number of social successes. Fourier, a commercial employee in France, never visited the
United States. However, his theories of cooperative living influenced many American through the
writings of Albert Brisbane, whose Social Destiny of Man explained Fourierism and its self-sufficient
associations or “phalanxes”. One or more of these phalanxes was organized in very Northern state. The
most famous were Red Bank, New Jersey, and Brook Farm, Massachusetts. An early member of the
latter was the author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Noyes founded the most enduring and probably the oddest of
the utopian communities, the Oneida Community of upstate New York. Needless to say, none of these
experiments had any lasting effects on the patterns of American society.
1. The main topic of the passage is……..
A. nineteen-century schools. B. American reformers
C. the philosophy of Fourierism D. model communities in the nineteenth.
2. Which of the following is not given in the passage as one of the general goals of communitarian
philosophers?
A. To remake society B. To spread their ideas throughout the United State
C. To establish ideal communities D. To create opportunities through education.
3. The Shakers are mentioned in paragraph 1 as an example of…….
A. a communal religious group B. radical reformers
C. rationalistic thinkers D. an influential group of writers.
4. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word impetus in paragraph 1?
A. Stimulus B. commitment C. Drawback D. Foundation.
5. The “phalanxes” described in paragraph 2 were an idea originally conceived by….
A. Albert Brisbane B. Robert Owen C. Charles Fourier D. John Humphrey Noyes

6. Why does the author mention Nathaniel Hawthorne in paragraph two?

A. He founded Brook Farm in Massachusetts.
B. He was a critic of Charles Fourier.
C. He wrote a book that led to the establishment of model communities.
D. He was at one time a member of the Brook Farm community.
7. Which of the following communities lasted longest?
A. New Harmony B. The Oneida Community C. Red Bank D. Brook Farm
8. The word oddest in paragraph 2 is closest meaning to which of the following?
A. Earliest B. Most independent C. Largest D. Most unusual
9. The author implies that, for readers, the conclusion of the paragraph is..........
A. obvious B. surprising C. absurd D. practical
10. Why did the author probably divide the passage into two paragraphs?
A. To compare nineteenth-century reforms with twentieth-century reforms.
B. To present an overview of a concept in the first paragraph and specific examples in the second.
C. To contrast the work of utopian thinkers with that of practical reforms.

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D. To give the causes for a phenomenon in the first paragraph and its consequences in the second

III: Read the text and decide which word best fits each blank by circling the letter A, B, C or D (1.5p).
United Parcel Service (UPS) believes that its employees should give the firm a fair day’s
work for a fair’s day pay. The package delivery firm seems willing to give more than a fair’s day pay. But
in (1) ____, UPS expects maximum output from its employees.
Since 1920s, the firm’s industrial engineers have been studying every detail of every task (2)
____ by most UPS employees. From their studies have come time and motion standards that (3) ____
how those tasks are performed and how long they should take. Drivers, for example, are expected to walk
to a customer’s door at a speed of exactly three feet per second. They are told to knock as soon as they get
there, rather than (4) ____ time looking for a doorbell.
Work engineers are (5) ____ riding with drivers, timing everything from stops at traffic lights, to
wait at customers’ doorway, to stairway climbs, to coffee break. And they are not (6) ____ to pointing out
the occasional inefficiency. Additionally, supervisors ride with the least good drivers, noting how they
work and constantly (7) ____ them until their work is up to standard.
The (8) ____of all this work engineering is efficiency, and UPS has been called one of the most
efficient companies anywhere. It's also a highly profitable company. Most drivers take the regimentation
in stride: many show (9) ____ in meeting the UPS standards each day. Others, however, feel that they are
constantly being pushed, that it is impossible for them to (10) ____ at work. UPS officials claim that the
standards provide accountability. And, they say, employees who work according to UPS standards should
feel less tired at the end of the day.
1: A. fact B. exchange C. return D. short
2: A. hold B. performed C. accepted D. under
3: A. indicate B. govern C. demonstrate D. tell
4: A. wasting B. spend C. spending D. waste
5: A. consistently B. continually C. constructively D. chronically
6: A. impolite B. brave C. intimate D. averse
7: A. scolding B. criticizing C. encouraging D. correcting
8: A. task B. reason C. object D. target
9: A. pride B. passion C. interest D. pleasure
10: A. rest B. relieve C. relax D. restrain

IV. Read through the following text and then choose the best phrase given below, to fill each of the
gaps. Write one letter (A-I) in each of the numbered gaps. Some of the suggested answers do not fit at
all. (0) has been done for you (1p).

Every teacher knows that not all students are good examinees. Some are too tense, become over-
anxious or too stressed and then perform below expectations just when it matters most.
Teachers try to help by compensating, believing that if they boost a student’s academic knowledge
they will cure his fear of exams.
So, last year, (0) ____I____, I completely rewrote the Business Studies Revision Course at this
secondary school. The central idea of the course is to treat the examination as an event, a challenge, a
performance, much like a sports match, a drama production, or perhaps a major music concert, (1)
________ and very definitely on the public stage. The idea is to show that the exam is not a test, but an
opportunity to show how good the candidate is.
The objective is to improve students’ final performance (2) ________, control and ability to cope.
The theme of ‘total preparation for performance’ teaches them that (3) ________ are obviously important,
they are only two of the five skills required, the others being coping strategies, mental skills and
management skills. These additions give a new dimension (4) ________, increasing enjoyment and
motivation. They widen a student’s focus and help to convince some of the less confident students that
there are many ways in which they can actively contribute towards their (5) ________.

A those not mattering so much B self-confidence and self-esteem

C by increasing self-confidence D relying on my expertise alone
E to a student’s revision F but a real desire
G while knowledge and examination techniques H but bigger and more important

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I drawing on my teaching experience and sports psychology skills

PART FIVE: WRITING (6 points)

I. Rewrite the following sentences in such a way that the second sentence has the same meaning as
the first one (2p)
1. Something must be done quickly to solve the problem of homelessness.
--> Urgent ...............................................................................................................
2. Scientists have tried very hard to find a cure for this disease.
--> Enormous ..........................................................................................................
3. Just thinking about his face at the moment makes me laugh.
--> The very………………………………………………....……………...……....
4. The teachers agreed to introduce the new methods.
--> There was an ........................................................................................................
5. The boy does whatever his father wants in an obedient way.
--> The boy dances ................................................................................................
6. I simply fail to understand some of my colleague’s attitudes to work.
-->I have some colleagues ........................................................................................
7. I did not realize how much he was influenced by his brother.
-->I did not realize the extent ..................................................................................
8. Mass tourism has been one of the causes of the environmental problems.
-->Mass tourism is ....................................................................................................
9. It was six months since I stopped subscribing to that magazine.
-->I cancelled .............................................................................................................
10. These books are on loan from the British Council library.
-->These books have .....................................................................................................

II: Rewrite the following sentences with the given words in such a way that the second sentence has
the same meaning as the first one. Do not change the form of the word in brackets (2p)
1. I can’t find the answer without a calculator. (out)
......................................................................................................................................................
2. My friend took no notice of my advice. (deaf )
.....................................................................................................................................................
3. These two makes of computer are practically the same. (hardly)
......................................................................................................................................................
4. His smooth manner didn’t deceive us. (taken)
......................................................................................................................................................
5. Everyone who spoke to the victim is a suspect. (under)
......................................................................................................................................................
6. There’s nothing new about crimes of passion (hills)
......................................................................................................................................................
7. The northwest of Britain has more rain each year than the southeast. (annual)
......................................................................................................................................................
8. From the educational point of view his childhood years had been well spent. (terms)
......................................................................................................................................................
9. Make yourself at home. (ceremony)

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......................................................................................................................................................
10. She will probably be elected. (stands)
......................................................................................................................................................
III: Make all the changes and additions necessary to produce, from the cues given below, a complete
letter (2p)
Dear Rob and Randy,
1. all these weeks/ hospital/ I just/ receive two pieces/ good news.
......................................................................................................................................................
2. The doctor/ say/I / can / home / few days.
......................................................................................................................................................
3. My wife tell/ me / how you two/ been clearing/ snow / from our driveway and sidewalk.
......................................................................................................................................................
4. Have/ such/ good neighbours/ make / very happy.
......................................................................................................................................................
5. My wife/ tell/ you/ refuse / take / money /for your efforts.
......................................................................................................................................................
6. But I/ think/ I find / way round that.
......................................................................................................................................................
7. Please accept / enclosed check.
......................................................................................................................................................
8. I/ would/ never think/ as payment/ the snow shoveling.
......................................................................................................................................................
9. but as a sincere token/ appreciation/ your thoughtfulness.
......................................................................................................................................................
10. Thank/ again / see/ soon.
......................................................................................................................................................
Best regards,
- THE END -

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 KEYS
PART I: PHONETICS (1 point)
I: Find a word in each line whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the other
three by circling A, B, C or D. (0.5 p)
1B 2A 3C 4B 5D

II: Find the word with the stress pattern different from that of the other three words in each question
by circling A, B, C or D. (0.5 p)
1A 2C 3B 4D 5A

PART II: LEXICO - GRAMMAR (7 points)

I: Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. Circle the letter A, B, C or D next to
the correct word or phrase. (2 p)
1D 2B 3C 4B 5A 6A 7B 8C 9D 10A
11A 12C 13C 14A 15D 16B 17C 18C 19A 20C

II. Put each verb given in brackets into an appropriate tense or form (1p)
1. to produce 2. Having rented 3. stood 4. did not have 5. written
6. was hailed 7. to bring 8. is 9. conferred 10. was
granted

III. Give the correct form of the words in brackets (1 p)

1. acknowledge 2. expectancy 3. mid-sentence 4. photogenic 5. deforestation
6. absentees 7. impassable 8. spotlessly 9. conscientious 10. Unaccompanied

IV. The passage below contains 11 mistakes. (0) has been done for you as an example. IDENTIFY and
CORRECT the other ten. (1 p) [0.1 p for each both identified and corrected mistake]
1. all complete--> completely
1. shower  a shower 2. has was 3. annoy annoying
4. an interest  interest 5. in brochure the brochure 6. cancelled been cancelled
7. organise  organising 8. pinning pinned 9. has closed was closed
10. horrified find  horrified to find

V. Fill in each blank with one suitable preposition or particle (1 p).

1. to 2. off - on 3. in 4. in 5. for - at - with - in 6. out

VI. Insert the, a(n) or X (no article) where necessary (1 p).

1. a 2. a 3. a 4. the 5. the 6. the/a 7. the 8. a 9. 0 10. the

PART III: READING (6 points)

I: Read the passage and use ONLY ONE suitable word to fill in each gap (2 p).
1. too 2. reached/entered 3. brought/got 4. would 5. seen/ visible
6. there 7. Before 8. were 9. although/ though 10. with/ from

II: Read the passage carefully and then choose the best answer to each sentence by circling A, B, C or
D (1.5p)
1.D 2C 3A 4A 5C 6D 7B 8D 9A 10B

III: Read the following text and decide which word best fits each blank by circling the letter A, B, C or
D (1.5 p).
1C 2B 3B 4D 5B 6D 7D 8C 9A 10C

IV. Read through the following text and then choose the best phrase given below, to fill each of the
gaps. Write one letter (A-I) in each of the numbered gaps. Some of the suggested answers do not fit at
all. (0) has been done for you (1p).

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 0. I 1. H 2. C 3. G 4. E 5. B

PART FIVE: WRITING (6 points)

I: Rewrite the following sentences in such a way that the second sentence has the same meaning as
the first one (2p)
1. Urgent action must be taken to solve the problem of homelessness.
2. Enormous efforts have been made by scientists to find a cure for this disease.
3. The very thought of his face at the moment makes me laugh.
4. There was an agreement among the teachers to introduce the new methods.
5. The boy dances attendance on/upon his father.
6. I have some colleagues whose attitudes to work I simply fail to understand.
7. I did not realize the extent to which he was influenced by his brother.
8. Mass tourism is partly responsible/ to blame for the environmental problems.
9. I cancelled my subscription/subscribing to that newspaper six months ago.
10. These books have been lent by the British Council library.

II: Rewrite the following sentences with the given words in such a way that the second sentence has
the same meaning as the first one. Do not change the form of the word in brackets (2p)
1. I can’t work out the answer without calculator.
2. My friend turned a deaf ear to my advice.
3. There is/are hardly any difference(s) between these two makes of computer.
4. We were not taken in by his smooth manner.
5. Everyone who spoke to the victim is under suspicion.
6. Crimes of passion are as old as the hills
7. The annual rainfall in/for the northeast of Britain is higher than that in/for the southeast.
8. In terms of education, his childhood years had been well spent.
9. Don’t stand on ceremony
10. She stands a (good) chance of being elected.

III: Make all the changes and additions necessary to produce, from the cues given below, a complete
letter (2p)
Dear Rob and Randy,
1. After all these weeks in (the) hospital I (have) just received two pieces of good news.
2. The doctor said/says that I could/can go home in a few days.
3. My wife told me how you two have been clearing the snow from our driveway and sidewalk
4. Having such good neighbours like you makes me very happy.
5. My wife told me you refused to take any money for your efforts.
6. But I think I've found a way round that.
7. Please accept this/ the/my/our enclosed check.
8. I would never think it as payment for the snow shovelling
9. but as a sincere token of our appreciation for your thoughtfulness.
10. Thanks again/Thank you again and see you soon.
Best regards,

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