PRACTICE 15- 10E

PART 1. You will hear a conversation between a women and a reservation clerk at a conference center. For
questions 1-7, complete the following form with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for
each answer. (14 points)

Title of conference: 1. ______________________

Cost: 2. £ _________________ (for three days)
Payment: by 3. __________________ or on arrival
Accommodation:
- Conference Center: £15 per night, near conference rooms
- Guest House: £25 per night, approximately a 4. _______________________
from the Conference center
Documents to be sent: 5. _______________________
6. _______________________
Location: Conference Center is on 7. ___________________________, next to the library.

PART 2. You will hear a writer talking about a book she has written on the subject of aspirin. For questions
8-15, complete the sentences. (16 points

Doctors in (8) __________________________ treated their patients with a medicine derived from the bark of
the willow.
Edward Stone believed that (9) ___________________________ was similar to quinine.
The active ingredient of aspirin was isolated in (10) ___________________________
Unfortunately, salicylic acid can affect the (11) _____________________________ quite badly.
The first commercially available aspirins were made by Bayer, a (12) ___________________________
However, there was little (13) __________________________ into the way aspirin works for nearly seventy
years.
Some scientists think that people over (14) ____________________________ should take aspirin to prevent
certain diseases.
It appears that (15) ____________________________ grown without artificial chemicals also contain the active
ingredients of aspirin.

PART 3. You will hear a conversation about art forgery. For questions 16-20, decide if each sentence is
correct or incorrect. If it is correct, write T for True. If it is incorrect, write F for False. Write your answer in
the space given. (10 points)
16. It's impossible for buyers to avoid purchasing the fakes. _______
17. Aution houses and galleries sell all pieces of artwork regardless of their origin. ________
18. The chemical composition of the paint may help determine if a painting is real or not. ________
19. Comparing fingerprints left in paint helps in detecting a forgery. ________
20. Some forgeries have become valuable themselves. ________
PART 4. You will hear part of an interview with Stan Levin, a dance critic, about a modern ballet production
involving animals. For questions 21-25, choose the best answer (A, B, C or D). (10 points)
21. We gather that the ballet being discussed here
A. has received general critical acclaim.
B. has caused considerable controversy.
C. has not been well received on the whole.
D. has become popular with animals-lovers.
22. It appears that the function of the dogs in the ballet is to
A. reflect what happens to the human characters.
B. act as a contrast to the human characters.
 C. show how wild animals behave in a civilised society.
D. symbolise homeless people.
23. How does Stan feel about the increasing use of technology in dance?
A. He thinks this trend has gone too far.
B. He prefers more traditional approaches to dance.
C. He does not approve of it in principle.
D. He believes it is creating a new art form.
24. What aspect of the ballet is of greatest interest to audiences?
A. the way the dogs behave during dance sequences
B. the way the dogs perform their tricks
C. the sight of the dogs in a pack
D. the way the dogs copy the actions of one character
25. What aspect of the performance made the most powerful impression on Stan?
A. The implicit potential for violence
B. The aggression shown by the dogs
C. The bond between the dogs and the tramp
D. The primitive appearance of the dogs

SECTION II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30 points)

PART 1. Choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to each of the following questions and write your answers in
the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (20 points)
1. When he saw the damage to his car, he ______into a rage.
A. rushed B. drove C. jumped D. flew
2. All efforts to calm the situation down only ______ the situation.
A. exacerbated B. exasperated C. exaggerated D. extrapolated
3. They have a(n) ______ interest in keeping the club as exclusive as possible.
A. vested B. invested C. shadowed D. implied
4. The manager’s future ______whether the team wins or loses this one game.
A. stems from B. rests on C. derives from D. counts on
5. On the way to Cambridge yesterday, the road was blocked by a fallen tree, so we had to make a ______.
A. deviation B. digression C. departure D. detour
6. It was some time before she came to ______ with the fact that she had lost.
A. catches B. holds C. grips D. grabs
7. When the Chairman ran off with his secretary, the Board tried to ______ the matter.
A. switch off B. hush up C. calm down D. tuck away
8. We are aware that he has tried his best; ______, his work is just not good enough.
A. let alone B. albeit C. be that as it may D. come what may
9. It must be true. I heard it straight from the ______ mouth.
A. dog's B. horse's C. camel's D. cat's
10. I slept badly last night and am feeling particularly ______ this morning.
A. slow-witted B. far-reaching C. off-hand D. top-heavy
11. It is difficult for museums to find funds to protect the national______.
A. inheritance B. heritage C. possessions D. legacy
12. Tim was ______ on causing mischief and nothing was going to stop him.
A. intent B. determined C. fixed D. obsessed
13. He muttered something under his ______, but I didn’t catch what he said.
A. mouth B. breath C. voice D. chin
14. What he told me was a ______ of lies.
A. load B. flock C. pack D. mob
15. Our father’s sudden illness has ______ doubt on our holiday trip to Egypt.
A. dropped B. borne C. passed D. cast
16. We can always find out what books the author consulted by referring to the ______.
A. index B. bibliography C. key D. dust jacket
17. The flights are full at the moment, so you'll have to ______ .
A. run a stroke of luck B. get a better luck
C. be down on your luck D. take pot luck
18. Jane really______ it on thick when she told the boss that she was not feeling very well. Unfortunately for her, he
realized immediately that she just wanted the afternoon off.
A. put B. spread C. laid D. painted
19. Several passengers received minor injuries when the train unexpectedly came to a ______.
A. delay B. stand C. brake D. halt
20. My sunburnt nose made me feel rather ______for the first few days of the holiday.
A. self-confident B. self-centred C. self-conscious D. self-evident
PART 2. Supply the correct forms of the words in the brackets. (10 points)
1. Before printing processes developed, books took an incredibly long time to make as they had to be
_________________________ written by hand. (PAIN)
2. You should not work out the entire mock interview beforehand or you will lose the element of
_________________________. (SPONTANEOUS)
3. The workers who were _____________________ during the recession badly need help from the government. (SIZE)
4. The unresponsive audience made the lecturer somewhat ____________________. What a shame! (HEART)
5. After admitting their mistakes, they apologized _____________________ for what they had done. (RESERVE)
6. The doctor gave him an injection to _____________________the pain. (DIE)
7. Many teachers expressed serious _________________________ about the new tests. (GIVE)
8. She went on television to make a (n) _________________________ plea for the release of her child. (PASSION)
9. There has been a fall in cargo _________________________ over the last two years. (TON)
10. The brave policemen from the anti-terrorist squad were honoured by the secretary of state for their affective
action of _____________________ a group of dangerous hijackers. (ARM)

SECTION III: READING COMPREHENSION (60 POINTS)

PART 1: Read the passage below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Write your
answer in the numbered boxes. (10 points)
The body clock
Scientists used to believe that our 24-hour cycle of sleeping and waking was (1) __________ entirely by
external factors. The most notable of these, they thought, were the rising and (2) _________ of the sun. But they have
now (3) ________that there is a daily rhythm to a wide range of biological functions – including temperature,
digestion and mental activity - which are regulated internally by a special time-keeping mechanism within the
brain.
The main function of this “body clock” is to anticipate and prepare for external changes so that, for example,
our body temperature starts to rise around dawn, gearing us up for the day, and begins to (4) _________ in the early
evening, winding us down for sleep.
Some people’s body clocks keep poorer time than others, which can greatly disturb their lives and even
threaten their health. Insomnia, depression, fatigue, poor work performance and even accidents can all be (5)
_________ or aggravated by inaccurate body clocks.
(6) _________ severe problems can result from the difficulties of (7) _________ to different time zones and
working by night instead of by day. Shift workers are known to run a higher-than-average (8) _________ of having a
number of health problems and the disruption of (9) _________ body rhythms is one possible (10) _________ for this.
1. A. conducted B. steered C. governed D. managed
2. A. descending B. diving C. plunging D. setting
3. A. established B. fixed C. settled D. assured
4. A. fall B. reduce C. lessen D. subtract
5. A. put B. formed C. caused D. made
6. A. Parallel B. Equally C. Alike D. Compared
7. A. altering B. adjusting C. fitting D. suiting
8. A. risk B. danger C. threat D. hazard
9. A. common B. conditional C. normal D. used
10. A. explanation B. solution C. account D. source

PART 2. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE word in each
space. (10 points)
How many senses are there?
The obvious answer is that there are five; but, (1) __________ most such answers, this one is wrong. In (2) _________ to
the generally recognized senses of vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste, human beings are known to have a
further one, called kinaesthesia, (3) _________ we are aware of the relative position of our limbs, the tensions in our
muscles and so on.
Clearly, then psychics and fortune tellers should talk about having “a seventh sense” (4) __________ than a sixth!
There has been a lot of debate, most of (5) ____________ has been conducted outside scientific circles, about the
possible existence of (6) _____________ a sense or, to be more accurate, set of senses. We generally refer to them
collectively as ESP (Extra Sensory Perception), thereby embracing the supposed abilities of telepathy, clairvoyance
and precognition. But in so (7) ____________, we are probably – assuming that these abilities exist at all - mixing chalk
with cheese. Clairvoyance, for example, has as little to do with precognition as vision (8) ____________ to do with
touch. The problem is that we do not as (9) _____________ have any way of knowing for sure and, (10) ____________
scientists reluctant to address the subject, answers may be a long way off.
PART 3. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer A, B, C or D. Write your answer in the space
provided. (10 points)
The first people to inhabit what today is the southeastern United States sustained themselves as hunters and
gathers. Sometimes early in the first millennium A.D., however, they began to cultivate corn and other crops.
Gradually, as they became more skilled at gardening, they settled into permanent villages and developed a rich
culture, characterized by the great earthen mounds they erected as monuments to their gods and as tombs for their
distinguished deed. Most of these early mound builders were part of the Adena-Hopewell culture, which had its
beginnings near the Ohio River and takes its name from sites in Ohio. The culture spread southward into the
present-day states of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Its peoples became great traders, bartering
jewellery, pottery, animal pelts, tools, and other goods along extensive trading networks that stretched up and
down eastern North America and as far west as the Rocky Mountains.
About A.D. 400, the Hopewell culture fell into decay. Over the next centuries, it was supplanted by another
culture, the Mississippian, named after the river along which many of its earliest villages were located. This
complex civilization dominated the Southeast from about A.D. 700 until shortly before the Europeans began
arriving in the sixteenth century.
At the peak of its strength, about the year 1200, it was the most advanced culture in North America. Like their
Hopewell predecessors, the Mississippians became highly skilled at growing food, although on a grander scale.
They developed an improved strain of corn, which could survive in wet soil and a relatively cool climate, and also
learned to cultivate beans. Indeed, agriculture became so important to the Mississippians that it became closely
associated with the Sun – the guarantor of good crops. Many tribes called themselves "children of the Sun" and
believed their omnipotent priest-chiefs were descendants of the great sun god.
Although most Mississippians lived in small villages, many others inhabited large towns. Most of these towns
boasted at least one major flat-topped mound on which stood a temple that contained a sacred flame. Only priests
and those charged with guarding the flame could enter the temples. The mounds also served as ceremonial and
trading sites, and at times they were used as burial grounds.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The development of agriculture
B. The locations of towns and villages
C. The early people and cultures of the United States
D. The construction of burial mounds
2. Which of the following resulted from the rise of agriculture in the southeastern United States?
A. The development of trade in North America
B. The establishment of permanent settlements
C. Conflicts with other Native American groups over land
D. A migration of these peoples to the Rocky Mountains.
3. What does the term "Adena-Hopewell" designate?
A. The early locations of the Adena-Hopewell culture
B. The two most important nations of the Adena-Hopewell culture
C. Two former leaders who were honored with large burial mounds.
D. Two important trade routes in eastern North America
4. The word "bartering" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. producing B. exchanging C. transporting D. loading
5. The word "supplanted" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. conquered B. preceded C. replaced D. imitated
6. According to the passage, when did the Mississippian culture reach its highest point of development?
A. About A.D. 400 B. Between A.D. 400 and A.D. 700
C. About A.D. 1200 D. In the sixteenth century
7. According to the passage, how did the agriculture of the Mississippians differ from that of their Hopewell
predecessors?
A. The Mississippians produced more durable and larger crops of food.
B. The Mississippians sold their food to other groups.
C. The Mississippians could only grow plants in warm, dry climates.
D. The Mississippians produced special foods for their religious leaders.
8. Why does the author mention that many Mississippians tribes called themselves "children of the Sun"?
A. To explain why they were obedient to their priest-chiefs.
B. To argue about the importance of religion in their culture.
C. To illustrate the great importance they placed on agriculture.
D. To provide an example of their religious rituals.
9. The phrase "charged with" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. passed on B. experienced at C. interested in D. assigned to
 10. According to the passage, the flat-topped mounds in Mississippian towns were used for all of the following
purposes EXCEPT
A. religious ceremonies B. meeting places for the entire community
C. sites for commerce D. burial sites
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

PART 4. The passage has six paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B - F from the list of
headings below. There are two headings you do not need. (10 points)
List of Headings
i The positive correlation between climate and wealth
ii Other factors besides climate that influence wealth
iii Inspiration from reading a book
iv Different attributes between Eurasia and Africa
v Low temperature benefits people and crops
vi The importance of institution in traditional views
vii The spread of crops in Europe, Asia and other places
viii The best way to use aid
Example: Paragraph A: iii
1 Paragraph B
2 Paragraph C
3 Paragraph D
4 Paragraph E
5 Paragraph F
Your answers:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Wealth in a cold climate
A
Dr William Masters was reading a book about mosquitoes when inspiration struck. “There was this anecdote about
the great yellow fever epidemic that hit Philadelphia in 1793,” Masters recalls. “This epidemic decimated the city
until the first frost came.” The inclement weather froze out the insects, allowing Philadelphia to recover.
B
If weather could be the key to a city’s fortunes, Masters thought, then why not to the historical fortunes of nations?
And could frost lie at the heart of one of the most enduring economic mysteries of all — why are almost all the
wealthy, industrialised nations to be found at latitudes above 40 degrees? After two years of research, he thinks
that he has found a piece of the puzzle. Masters, an agricultural economist from Purdue University in Indiana, and
Margaret McMillan at Tufts University, Boston, show that annual frosts are among the factors that distinguish rich
nations from poor ones. Their study is published this month in the Journal of Economic Growth. The pair speculate
that cold snaps have two main benefits — they freeze pests that would otherwise destroy crops, and also freeze
organisms, such as mosquitoes, that carry disease. The result is agricultural abundance and a big workforce.
C
The academics took two sets of information. The first was average income for countries, the second climate data
from the University of East Anglia. They found a curious tally between the sets. Countries having five or more frosty
days a month are uniformly rich; those with fewer than five are impoverished. The authors speculate that the five-
day figure is important; it could be the minimum time needed to kill pests in the soil. Masters says: “For example,
Finland is a small country that is growing quickly, but Bolivia is a small country that isn’t growing at all. Perhaps
climate has something to do with that.” In fact, limited frosts bring huge benefits to farmers. The chills kill insects or
render them inactive; cold weather slows the break-up of plant and animal material in the soil, allowing it to
become richer; and frosts ensure a build-up of moisture in the ground for spring, reducing dependence on seasonal
rains. There are exceptions to the “cold equals rich” argument. There are well-heeled tropical countries such as
Hong Kong and Singapore (both city-states, Masters notes), a result of their superior trading positions. Likewise,
not all European countries are moneyed — in the former communist colonies, economic potential was crushed by
politics.
D
Masters stresses that climate will never be the overriding factor 一 the wealth of nations is too complicated to be
attributable to just one factor. Climate, he feels, somehow combines with other factors such as the presence of
institutions, including governments, and access to trading routes to determine whether a country will do well.
Traditionally, Masters says, economists thought that institutions had the biggest effect on the economy, because
they brought order to a country in the form of, for example, laws and property rights. With order, so the thinking
went, came affluence. “But there are some problems that even countries with institutions have not been able to get
around,” he says. “My feeling is that, as countries get richer, they get better institutions. And the accumulation of
wealth and improvement in governing institutions are both helped by a favourable environment, including
climate.”
E
This does not mean, he insists, that tropical countries are beyond economic help and destined to remain penniless.
Instead, richer countries should change the way in which foreign aid is given. Instead of aid being geared towards
improving governance, it should be spent on technology to improve agriculture and to combat disease. Masters
cites one example: “There are regions in India that have been provided with irrigation, agricultural productivity has
gone up and there has been an improvement in health.” Supplying vaccines against tropical diseases and
developing crop varieties that can grow in the tropics would break the poverty cycle.
F
Other minds have applied themselves to the split between poor and rich nations, citing anthropological, climatic
and zoological reasons for why temperate nations are the most affluent. In 350 BC, Aristotle observed that “those
who live in a cold climate… are full of spirit”. Jared Diamond, from the University of California at Los Angeles,
pointed out in his book Guns, Germs and Steel that Eurasia is broadly aligned east-west, while Africa and the
Americas are aligned north-south. So, in Europe, crops can spread quickly across latitudes because climates are
similar. One of the first domesticated crops, einkorn wheat, spread quickly from the Middle East into Europe; it
took twice as long for corn to spread from Mexico to what is now the eastern United States. This easy movement
along similar latitudes in Eurasia would also have meant a faster dissemination of other technologies such as the
wheel and writing, Diamond speculates. The region also boasted domesticated livestock, which could provide meat,
wool and motive power in the fields. Blessed with such natural advantages, Eurasia was bound to take off
economically.

Questions 6-10: Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of the reading passage. Using NO MORE
THAN TWO WORDS from the reading passage for each answer.
Dr William Master read a book saying that a (an) 6. __________ which struck an American city of years ago was
terminated by a cold frost. And academics found that there is a connection between climate and country’s wealth as
in the rich but small country of 7. __________; Yet, besides excellent surroundings and climate, one country still needs
to improve their 8. ___________ to achieve long prosperity. Thanks to resembling weather conditions across latitude
in the continent of 9. __________, crops such as 10 ___________ is bound to spread faster than from South America to
the North.
PART 1. The chart below gives information about how families in one country spent their weekly
income in 1968 and in 2018. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. (20 points)
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