I I I

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).

Example:

0A announced B stated @ chimed D believed

0 A B c D

- -
A Ghost Story
Charlie Bates, my great-great-grandfather, once (0) - - - to have seen a ghost. Two ghosts, actually.
And this (1) - - - his being a very level-headed, practical man by all (2) - - -.

It all happened back in 1918. Charlie was (3) _ _ - his weary way home, on foot, after three yearg
spent fighting in the First World War. On arriving at his parents' cottage, he expressed his
amazement that Daisy and Florence Boothroyd, nonagenarian sisters, were still alive and well.
Charlie's puzzled mother told him that in fact they'd both (4) - - - a year earlier. In spite of this,
Charlie insisted that he'd seen the two "old misers" as the sisters were known locally, sitting under
an ancient oak tree.

The next day the oak tree was (5) - - - by lightning and uprooted. Underneath was a huge sack of
gold coins. Charlie always (6)
- - - that the sisters' ghosts had been watching over their precious
hoard. His mother, (7) _ _ _, would mutter about the effects of shell shock and the horrors of war on
sensitive young soldiers whenever Charlie (8) - - - the subject up.

1A despite B although C contrary D albeit

2A ways B accounts C means D reports

3A limping B coming C setting D making

4A passed away B fallen out C gone through D dropped off

5A shocked B struck C stroked D beaten

6A sustained B supported C endorsed D maintained

7A furthermore B regardless C however D moreover

8A took B brought C raised D made

168 Practice Test 7

 I I
oI English: Part 2
For questlons 9 - 16, read the text below and thlnk of the word whlch best llts each space. Use only one
urord ln each space. Thenr ls an example at the boglnnlng (0). Wrlte your ansurers lN CAPITAL LETTERS.

Example: tr l) H E R E A s IIIIIIIIIII

Archoeology
Like history, archaeology is the study of past -
but (0)
.::.

societies, _ _WAEBEAS_ _ _ historians

rely on written records, archaeologists gather
much of their information by (9)
out excavations or 'digs'. During these digs, .F-,*.
I&= r
:ff
the archaeologists are (10) '4
the lookout for bones, seeds or any man-made
objects which will give them clues as to how our
ancestors lived.

One of the most significant challenges

(11) archaeologists is finding
the right place to dig. This decision is
(12) by consulting old maps,
documents or aerial photographs, which can
reveal the footprints of ancient roads or buildings E

invisible ( 13) the ground. The

next step is the painstaking removal of layers
of soil, examining, recording and analysing
everything that is found.

Although considerably ( 14)

diffi cult, archaeolo gist s have excavated buildin gs
and whole towns that were (15)
water, using many of the same techniques that
are used on land.

(16) was archaeologists who

first discovered that human evolution began in
Africa, and this is just one of many contributions
to human knowledge made by people in the
fascinating field of archaeolory.
T

Practice Test 7 169

 f,eailing and Use oI English: Part S

For questlom 17 - 24 read the text below, Use thc word given ln capltals at tho €nd ot somo ol the llnos
to lorm a word that flts ln th3 spaco in the same lins Thero is an example at the beglnnlng (0). Wdto youl
AN3WE]E IN CAPITAL LETTERS

Example: tr u) T T H s T A N D IIIIIIIII
The'Standard Family' Myth

The traditional picture of the nuclear family features a marriage that

can (0) WJTH$TA ID- the tests of time, a father who is the active STAND
(17) and a mother who cares for their common offspring. BREAD

In ( 18) ---- -, however, families that fit this description are REAL

becoming ( 19) rare. Rising divorce rates coupled with INCREASE

a growing number of (20) women who elect to have MARRY

children mean that the one-parent family is no longer a rarity to gtve just
one example.

Nevertheless, the myth of the 'typical family' seems to be tenacious.

The overwhelming (21) of families depicted in films and MAJOR

on TV fit the traditional mould. Advertisers are (22) SPECIAL

guilty of this, seemingly unaware that by portraying families in this
way they exclude and (23) a significant portion of MARGIN

their audience.

Research shows conclusively that what is important to children is their

(24) with their caregivers, not the latter's marital status. RELATE

Tryrng to conform to an idealistic image of family life does more harm than good,
and it's high time that popular culture reflected this.

17o/ Practice Test ?

 I I
of English: Part 5

You are golng to r€ad a newspaper artlcle. For questlons 31 - 36, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) whlch
you thlnk fits best according to the text.

E><perts from the 'Developing World' Help Local Community Find Its Feet

For the first time in the five years since the closure of the While the credit union members were making ends meet
notorious Millburgh Munrtions Factory, smiles are to be more successfully than other residents of the Grange, they
seen on the faces of residents of the Grange, Millburgh's could not remain oblivious to the straitened circumstances
most run-down inner city district. New businesses of their more disadvantaged neighbours. Accordingly, with
are becoming established and unemployment, which their credrt union experience and by further recourse to the
until recently affected a staggering 45o/o of the working community development expertise available in some parts
population, is now approaching the national average of of the "developing world", Ms Bridges and like-minded
5%. But the most amzing aspect of this remarkable acquaintances set up the Grange Revitalisation lnitiative,
recovery is, according to some analysts, the fact that a lot or GRl. According to Ms Bridges, "similar initiatives had
of the credit for this change in Millburgh's circumstances already proven their worth in other communities and,
belongs to experts from the so-called 'developing world'. indeed, by the time I contacted Winnie about the success
ln the dark days when unemployment and poverty of the credit union, her own community had set up the
characterised the Grange, one thing that soon became same sort of initiative."
abundantly clear was that the government support offered Founded with the aim of embracing a wider section of the
to this badly-hit community was woefully inadequate. community and injecting a spirit of optimism and activity
Yet, surprisingly t0 some, the ideas that set Betty Bridges, into the Grange, the GRI united a great many residents
one of the founding members of the Grange Revitalisation with the goal of determining their own future. Drawing
lnitiative, on the path to success came from Winnie, on the expertise of communities in Africa and Asia, the
a penfriend she has who was born and bred in a rural lnitiative not only enabled people to pooltheir meagre
community in Africa. "Winnie's ideas seemed rather savings, but also permitted the most hard up to contribute
alien to the notions l'd been brought up with, but I was their skills and labour.
aware of how successfulthey'd proved to be in her own Using the interest on the money of those who had
community, and it didn't take much to convince me that contributed their savings, and more of the skills and
they were worth trying," explained Ms Bridges. energy of those who had no savings, the GRI quickly
Following Winnie's advice, Ms Bridges was able to began to make a difference. Flats and homes were
convince many of her friends and neighbours to pool properly insulated, making them warmer and less damp
most of their modest redundancy payments to set up a while reducing heating bills. Starting with the homes of
women's credit union. With these shared resources, the the elderly, solar heating is being installed. Co-operative
women had enough capital in their credit union to afford businesses have been established and, despite the
them some bargaining power. Each member was issued cynicism of observers from the business communrty at
with a not-for-profit credit card, with which they were large, they are confounding critics by their disciplined
entitled to obtain small amounts of credit at a low interest success. Not only do the employees have a say in these
rate. enterprises, but the wider community has a stake in
lnitially, the main benefits of the scheme were the low them too. However, the most impressive headway has
interest and the fact that the loans were collateral-free. been made in the field of vocationaltraining provided
Soon, however, the credit union had persuaded most and supported by the GR!, whose aim is to make every
local shops to accept the credit card and also managed to resident both employable and employed.
negotiate substantial discounts on bulk purchases. Thus, Judging by its activrties to date, the GRI epitomises
by co-ordinating their shopping requirements, the women wellthought-out democratic decision-making and has
were able to obtain the best qualrty for much lower prices already resulted in many new jobs as well as in a marked
than they would have obtained as individuals. improvement in local amenities and facilities. Perhaps the
The ovennthelmingly female make-up of the union is most vital element, even if ]t is not amenable to scientific
obvious, but not deliberate according to Ms Bridges. She measurement, is the community's new-found confidence
says, "l hadn't planned to set up a women's union, but on in itself. The people of the Grange now have a vision of
the one hand I didn't have many mde acquaintances and, their future: they know where they are going and have
on the other, the men we spoke to were too sceptical of plans for how they will get there.
the idea to give it a go."

172
31 We Iearn in the second paragraph that Betty Bridges
A got help from a friend who had moved to a rural community in Africa.
B wrote to everyone she knew asking for help.
C was initially uneasy about taking advantage of her friend.
D was unacquainted with the type of proposal her friend had made.

32 What appears to have been the main strength of the credit union initially?
A It provided a good source of cheap, easy credit.
B It enabled members to negotiate better deals.
C It was a not-for-profit arrangement.
D It was run by women for women.

33 What point does Ms Bridges make about men with regard to the credit union?
A They wanted someone other than Ms Bridges to be in charge.
B They felt that they had been left out.
C Their doubts prevented them from becoming involved.
D They were dissuaded by the fact that the idea originated overseas.

34 The founding of the Grange Revitalisation Initiative was prompted by

A the jealousy of residents who weren't in the credit union.
B the success that a similar initiative had enjoyed in Winnie's community.
C the continuing plight of residents of the area.
D the credit union's inability to succeed without attracting more members.

35 The writer regards the activities of the GRI as being

A somewhat exploitative of those who had no savings.
B instrumental in creating employment.
C rather limited by a lack of business experience.
D too disciplinarian despite their obvious success.

36 What point is the writer making when referring to scientific measurement?

A There is little proof that the GRI has achieved much.
B The Initiative's main success is not easy to quantiry.
C There is no scientific basis for confidence in the GRI.
D Despite their success, the people behind the Initiative have not acted very logically.

Practice Test 7 r73

 I I I
a I

You aro golng to read a nawapaper artlcle, S€ven paragraphs havo be€n removed trom the artlclo.
Chooso trom the paragraphs A - H the orc whlch lltc each gap (37 - 43). There ls one extra paragraph
urtrlch you do not nood lo uae.

The New Consumers

What comes to mind when you think about the 40

average ten-year-old child? There are all sorts of
possible answers to this question, but it is unlikely This means that other generations are sometimes
that you came up with the word 'consumer'. neglected. Indeed, on the whole, advertisers have
Nevertheless, a growing number of business been slow to recognise the importance of elderly
entrepreneurs are targeting 9- to L2-year olds, and consumers. As life expectancy continues to rise and
are doing very nicely, thank you! For some time, some pensioners, at least, are reasonably well off, it
it has been acknowledged that advertisements for is surprising that this market has been overlooked.
fast-food outlets, clothes and snack foods have been
aimed at teenagers, but pre-teens? Isn't that going
too far? Doesn't it smack of immorality? 41

In order to attract these customers for life,

37 businesses understand how important it is not
to underestimate young consumers' intelligence
It's true that via tablets and smartphones, today's by patronising them. It is important to construct
children are better connected to the wider world than the right image for their products and also to use
ever before. Other generations absorbed information other novel techniques that appeal particularly to
about products through TV and magazines, but children.
these pre-teens live in a technological age which is,
in many ways, more complex than at any time in the
past. They have access to information from sources 42
that were unimaginable fifty years ago.
Of course, there is nothing truly new under the
sun, and this marketing technique had its origin
38 in children's radio programmes, which began in
the 1950s. In the 1960s, kids' comics had Birthday
Another consequence of this trend is that parents Corners and would print a child's photo during the
may not have time to prepare meals for the family. week of their birthday, even on occasion offering
Instead, they treat their children by taking them small prizes for each one published. They realised of
wherever they want to go, thus inadvertently giving course that many children get a thrill from receiving
pre-teens more spending power. And where do kids presents and from public recognition.
want to go to eat? Fast-food outlets. Take a walk
along the high street and you will see the number of
families eating in such establishments. 43

Occasionally there is outrage, when TV stations run

39 a glut of advertisements for toys, during the run-
up to Christmas, say. However, it seems that this
These children have more extra-curricular activities type of marketing to 9- to L2-year olds is broadly
to occupy their time, keeping them busy after school accepted. Is this because the marketing people are
so that their schedules fit in with their parents' right in their belief that modern pre-teens are more
working day, and in the evening they text their sophisticated than previous generations and are,
friends and go online. therefore, fair game?

774l Practice Test 7

EI
A One unusual technique that an online retailer F One reason for the lack of foresight is that
came up with was to set up a Birthday Club. advertisers tend to want their products to
They would send birthday cards and small value be seen as 'hip' or 'cool' and so are more
gift vouchers to their young customers. Given interested in trying to sell to a younger
that receiving mail is something of a novelty in demographic. Another is that, historically,
this day and age, especially for this age group, the elderly made up only a small proportion of
they seem to have hit upon a winning idea. the overall population. Although this may be
changing, advertisers still appear to prefer to
target the young, hoping that, by encouragtng
B Despite their packed daily routines, children brand loyalty, they can guarantee themselves
will always still find time for fun. What is customers for the foreseeable future.
different today is that their wishes can now be
more speedily gratifred. When pre-teens can
instantly shop online, or at the very least pester G Not so, say the marketing people. These pre-
their parents or grandparents to do the same, it teens are much more sophisticated than those
is no wonder that advertisers are now willing to of previous generations. No one is implying that
prioritise attracting their custom. they have lost the innocence associated with
childhood, but they have a greater knowledge
of the world around them and have become
C A further important consideration is that these streetwise at an earlier age in several respects.
children increasingly come from two-income
families. In order to make ends meet, if they are
able to find work, both parents are likely to have H Of course, for the most part, parents still control
to take it. As the number of working mothers the family purse strings, but the influence
increases, more children are being given of pre-teens is undeniable. Moreover, these
greater responsibility. This does not mean that parents defemed childbearing until later than
they are neglected, but they often, by necessity, had been the norm in previous generations.
have more responsibility for purchasing goods They spend less time on housework and food
for the household than their parents did at that preparation and so have more time to indulge
age. their cherished children. This only adds to
the children's appeal, as far as advertisers are
concerned.
D Such marketing methods seem quite tame
compared with today's, but they were still
rooted in consumerism. Radio programmes
wanted to compete with other stations and the
comics aimed to increase their circulation.

E Modern societies in the West are more

multicultural than they were in the past.
Thus, youngsters are becoming accustomed to
different foods, and are more adventurous in
their tastes than before. In addition to this,
there is an unprecedented variety ofconvenience
foods on the market these days.

Practice Test 7 175

 I I
oI Englieh: Part T

You are golng to read an artlcle about ob$lty. For questions 44 - 53, choose lrom the sectlons (A - E).
The sectlons may be chosen more than once.

In which seetion is each of these views expressed?

Activists are demanding more action from the authorities in order to tackle the 44
problem of obesity.

Enjoying unhealthy foods in moderation occasionally shouldn't be forbidden. 45

In the past, other public health issues were seen as more important than obesity. 46

It isn't uncommon for adults to eat quickly while they are on the move. 47

A lack of information limits the assistance that some people can give to others. 48

Contemporary culture often promotes ideals which are virtually unattainable. 49

Mistreatment of youngsters who are overweight can often result in the problem 50
becoming worse.

Certain corporations see an advantage in promoting their products to youngsters. 51

Children may have access to fewer areas where they can play sports than they 52
did in the past.

Giving overweight children the opportunity to socialise with one another can 53
boost their self-esteem.

A Modern Health Problem

A There is growing concem about the way we view food, which goes beyond the 'do we live to eat or eat to live?'
debate. More and more children are leading inactive lifestyles and are suffering from obesity. ln the 1990s and early
years of this century, tobacco-related diseases were the main problem, but aggressive anti-smoking campaigns
caused the focus of concern to shift. ln this decade, obesity appeaB to be the major health concern with far-reaching
repelcussions. obese children sufler taunts and bullying trom their peers and this, instead ot causing them to rethink
their eating habits, may perpetuate the vicious circle; in other words, lhese children tum to 'comfort eating' which adds
to their weight problem.
Researchers have noted that some children are doing less than one or two minutes of 'moderate activity' in an hour,
which is an alarming reduction on the results of previous studies. The problem seems to be worse in teenage girls than
in their male counterparts, with older children getting much less exercise than younger ones.

r76 Practice Test ?

B Many parents realise that their children are overweight, but do not know enough about nutrition to give their otlspring the
support they need in order to help them change their lifestyles. Given time pressures from work and family, a growing
number of people rely on pre-cooked convenience loods or quick fry-ups, thus exacerbating the problem. ln general
there is some recognition of the situation. For example, at 'Weight Loss Camps', obese children, along with their slightly
less oveMeight peers, learn to read food labels and undeBtand the nutritional content of food, or lack of it, eat healthily
and exercise. This experience can also increase their conlidence in themselves, as they are sunounded by youngsters
who are in the same boat. But, by and large, not enough is being done.

C Schools are partly to blame, as they have marginalised physical education due to time limitations. Also, in many cases,
they have bowed to {inancial pressure and sold off playing fields, often in order to buy more up-to-date computers,
which in turn encourage sedentary lifestyles. The food industry musl also shoulder some of the responsibility, as their
advertising campaigns promote loodstuffs which are high in fal and sugar. Advertisements irequently feature such
products as lizzy drinks, king-size chocolale bars and ever larger packets of crisps. These are attractive to families on
low incomes because you now get more for the same price as the original, smaller portions. However, children who
have large bags of crisps or bars of chocolale in their school lunch-boxes don't save half lor the next day; they eat the
whole thing. lt would appear that last-lood marketing people have seized upon children as being brand-loyal from cradle
to grave. They therefore target small children with free toys, a worrying trend which, some believe, warrants government
action.

D Some campaigners want governments to treat the fast-{ood industry as they do the tobacco industry, insisting that
foods with a high lat or sugar content should carry an official heatth warning. They would also like a ban on vending
machines in schools, as it is estimated that one fifth ol children get more than 20 per cent of their energy from sugar,
with 5 per cent of that coming from the consumption ol fizzy drinks. 0f course, children are not the only ones to sufler
from obesity. ln one survey, only 40 per cent of adults claim to regularly sit down lor a meal, which means that the
majority are eating on the hoof. only around 30 per cent say that they cook all their own meals. lt becomes reasonably
obvious that this is so when you look around you in the street or in an underground station. Walking and talking are
interspersed with eating and drinking; people carry a can to swig irom, and clutch food to scoff.

E We live in a cuhure which actively promotes fast food while simultaneously showing images of svelte models who are
supposedly the ultimate in 'beauty'. The majority of us could never achieve this perlect look, given our lifestyle and diet.
This tact, in turn, gives rise to both overeating and its extreme opposite, anorexia. lt is obviously time for us to take a
close look at our relationship to food. The recommended daily diet, at least according to some experts, consists of at
least five portions of fruit and vegetables, some protein (but not too much) and only a few carbohydrates. N0 one would
deny, however, that the occasional lapse would be acceptable. Remember the old adage: a little of what you fancy does
you good!
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Practice Test ? 177