Mid-course Test

GRAMMAR
A Underline the correct word(s) in italics in the sentences. An example (0) has been done for you.
0 Whose is the funniest blog you’ve / you ever read? 6 As soon as / As long as we got there, we gave our jackets
1 My teacher hasn’t got used / didn’t use to students asking to the waiter.
so many questions. 7 I would like showing / to be shown where the sales
2 I hope I’ll have had the work accepted / accepted the work department is.
by my boss before I go on holiday. 8 We were running / ran really fast when Johan fell over.
3 I didn’t use to / wouldn’t stay out after 9 pm when I was 9 Do you think we’ll have finished / be finishing this by
a teenager. next Friday?
4 Before I started this book, I have / had been reading about 10 Do you know where I could / could I find a ticket
my family history. office, please?
5 Why does she need having / to have her hair cut? It’s
lovely as it is!
 / 10

B Use the words in italics to rewrite the sentences so they have the same meaning as the original. An example (0) has been done
for you.
0 When I was at high school, I was a member of the brass band. (used)
When I was at high school, I used to be a member of the brass band.
1 I am going to pay someone to fix my oven next week. (fixed)
I am next week.
2 John will take you home unless you have other plans. (provided)
John will take you home other plans.
3 Finding work in a foreign country can be difficult. (to)
It can work in a foreign country.
4 I hope that my project will be finished by Friday. (have)
I hope I my project by Friday.
5 I went to the gym, then met my friend for breakfast. (been)
Before I met my friend for breakfast, I to the gym.
6 Where should I go to get a travel card, please? (ask)
should go to get a travel card, please?
7 It is not my plan to get married any time soon. (getting)
I any time soon.
8 How long have you worked with my cousin? (been)
How long with my cousin?
9 Everyone was in agreement that they would ask for a pay rise. (agreed)
Everyone for a pay rise.
10 Who do you share an office with? (shared)
Who with?

 / 10

C Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. An example (0) has been done for you.
0 What will you be doing this time next year? (do) 6 I didn’t use salad as a child, but
1 We were listening to the band while we now I love it! (eat)
dinner. (have) 7 My neighbours’ house by their
2 Would you recommend with a sons. (paint)
family or in a hotel? (stay) 8 Let’s meet outside the cinema, unless it
3 Fortunately, I have never my car then we’ll meet inside by the
into. (have / break) box office. (rain)
4 She at the travel agency for 9 I don’t think I with my parents
16 years. (work) by the time I’m 30. (live)
5 How many books by the time 10 I Latin for about four years, then
you retire? (write) I gave it up! (study)

 / 10
Language Hub Upper Intermediate Tests
Published by Macmillan Education, a division of Springer Nature Limited. © Springer Nature Limited 2019. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.
Mid-course Test
VOCABULARY
A Complete the sentences with one of the words from the box. An example (0) has been done for you.

affordable area bitterly deal envious especially heap knowledge put sensitive weigh

0 I love hot drinks, especially oolong tea.

1 I’m amazed there are so many schools in this residential ; there aren’t that many people who live here.
2 I really don’t know why we up with our neighbour’s dog barking all day; we should say something to him.
3 My brother is of my car, even though it took me five years to save up for it.
4 Unfortunately, my mother has no of her family history.
5 My son and daughter-in-law are able to get their own home, thanks to the housing that has recently been built
in our area.
6 If you up all the options, the first one is the cheapest but the second one is better.
7 It was great to have a really warm summer after such a cold winter.
8 My wife often forgets to throw vegetable peelings on the compost .
9 For me, doing sport is the best way to with stress.
10 I love animals and am very towards injured or sick wild animals.

 / 10

B Underline the correct word(s) in italics to complete the sentences. An example (0) has been done for you.
0 My dad is much more easy-going / sensitive than my mum – nothing bothers him.
1 Living in the suburbs / rural has a lot of advantages.
2 We were thrilled / horrified to hear our house had been burgled.
3 I was so ashamed of / by my brother when he was rude to the teacher.
4 I stood on my phone by accident and the screen smashed / crashed.
5 We’re facing a great risk of / to snow.
6 Her parents are getting an additional car, but merely / frankly I don’t know how they can afford to run their current one.
7 Physique / Physical exercise is not as good for you as eating healthily.
8 Some say our mental health / ageing decreases as we get older.
9 He always wanted to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps / feet and become a journalist.
10 I love Maria’s loyal / down-to-earth way of organising a party – she’s very practical indeed!

 / 10

C Find and correct the errors in the sentences. If there is no error, put a tick (✓) next to the sentence. An example (0) has been
done for you.
0 He had a good bringingup with his grandparents. 6 It was absolutely dreadful the way their boss had
He had a good upbringing with his grandparents. treated them.

1 Getting a phone upgrade is beneficial if you want

a better camera and more storage. 7 Obese rates have doubled since junk food has
become more affordable.

2 Blue eyes walk in the family.

8 We have sorted out all our problems and I’m happy
with the outcoming.
3 The car whirred as the driver slammed on his brakes.

9 Double glaze saves a lot of money on heating bills.

4 This is the most ridiculously easy crossword
I’ve ever done.
10 We bought plenty of disposable plates and cutlery
to take on the picnic.
5 He has a reputation for being unreliable, but
I have always been able to depend on him.
 / 10

Language Hub Upper Intermediate Tests

Published by Macmillan Education, a division of Springer Nature Limited. © Springer Nature Limited 2019. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.
Mid-course Test
READING
A Read the article and then decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F). An example (0) has been done for you.

The Very Real Stress of World Book Day

If you’ve got kids going to school in the UK, you’ll be all too familiar with World Book Day. It’s a national day
which recognises not only authors but also illustrators, books and reading in general. As the name suggests,
it’s a global celebration with more than 100 countries participating. It takes place on the first Thursday in
March, but as a parent, I can confidently tell you that the stress levels start way before that date.
Basically, the idea is that your little darlings happily walk to school dressed as their favourite character. And I
must admit, some are truly inspirational. I can only hope to achieve something as ambitious as Dr Seuss’ The
Cat in the Hat or Dumbledore from Harry Potter. As a working mother of three, I would love to have the time
to search for the perfect costume, or better still make it from scratch at home. There is actually some amount
of looking down on children who have come with a shop-bought creation. It’s almost regarded as cheating.
The reality is that first I have to convince my kid that their choice of costume might not necessarily be the
best idea, usually because of how impossible it is to recreate. This is the first battle between parent and child.
But if you’re lucky, they will believe you when you say that there are many stories with a witch or a ghost in
them. This is a victory on the part of the parent as it means that the same costume can be used for Halloween
as well. If you’re unlucky there will be a hurried look in every wardrobe in your house and even a quick trip
into town, to search for something that even slightly looks like their chosen character.
When the day itself comes and everything is laid out at the foot of the child’s bed, it’s still too early to relax.
It all depends on what kind of mood your son or daughter is in when they wake up. The dream is that they’ll
jump up and be ready for school in a flash. On the other hand, you could be struggling to keep the costume
on until you at least cross the school gates. What they do after that point is none of your concern. You’ve done
your bit. The rest will be up to the teachers!

0 World Book Day is to appreciate the work authors do. T/F

1 The writer is ambitious with her choice of costumes. T/F
2 Many parents think home-made costumes are superior to bought ones. T/F
3 The writer has to persuade her child to choose a costume she is able to make. T/F
4 Unfortunately, Halloween costumes can’t be used on World Book Day. T/F
5 Once a costume is prepared, children are always keen to wear them to school. T/F

 /5

Language Hub Upper Intermediate Tests

Published by Macmillan Education, a division of Springer Nature Limited. © Springer Nature Limited 2019. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.
Mid-course Test
B Read the article, then fill in the blanks in the sentences with words from the text. An example (0) has been done for you.

The Customer Is King

In the competitive world in which we live, organisations must understand the needs of clients and provide the
best service possible.
At this year’s National Customer Service Awards, James Bradley, 18, who works at HSBC, is an example of
how even those who have been with a company for a relatively short amount of time are able to make a big
impact on how people see the bank.
Lorraine Agnew, who is programme director of the awards, pointed out that customer service is becoming
increasingly important in the decisions companies make. She said, ‘In fact, more and more businesses are
expected to provide shareholders with detailed information on the quality of their customer service.’ The
reasons generally fall into three categories: clients being more sophisticated in what they need, products
becoming more alike and action by regulators.
In this year’s awards, there seems to have been a move towards companies trying to understand the real needs
of their clients. An example of this can be seen at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Previously it had disallowed
any more than £5 being paid in coins. The fear was that it would result in long queues at their banks. It then
realised that many people actually save their spare change and want to be able to deposit it at the bank. It’s
now up to the individual branch whether they will allow customers to do this, and it is often down to how
busy it is at that time.
The businesses most willing to improve customer service are those which are currently suffering. Rail
companies fall into this category. Communication is key in an industry which often sees its customers facing
disruption on a daily basis. It is vital that they tell the customer exactly what is going wrong, why and what
the company is doing to make the situation better.
Customer service is also important in the public sector. Local authorities now understand this. The lack
of competition or need to make a profit doesn’t mean that they can get away with bad customer service.
Customers and staff can benefit from the feel-good factor and the reputation of the service which has to be
good for everyone.

0 A relatively new member of staff can have a big impact on the customer service of a company.
1 Companies are having to prove to their that they are able to provide a good quality of customer service.
2 There is a growing fashion for organisations to actually listen and respond to their clients’ .
3 At the Royal Bank of Scotland, customers who want to pay in more than £5 in change is a decision for the
to make.
4 For failing businesses the most important things is with their customers.
5 Even with organisations in the public sector, good customer service can result in them having a good .

 /5

Language Hub Upper Intermediate Tests

Published by Macmillan Education, a division of Springer Nature Limited. © Springer Nature Limited 2019. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.
 Mid-course Test
LISTENING
A Listen to six people talking about a dangerous or frightening situation they had found themselves in, and match the speaker
5 to the summary below. There is one extra summary that you will not need. The first extract is an example.
a They didn’t know how to help the situation. Speaker 1 g
b Something worse happened the following day. Speaker 2
c There wasn’t anyone around to help. Speaker 3
d The situation lasted for two days. Speaker 4
e They found help nearby. Speaker 5
f They had an accident despite being prepared. Speaker 6
g It was an accident.

 /5

B Listen to a lecture on sleep and then complete the notes below. An example (0) has been done for you.
6
0 Sleep has an influence on biological processes that impact the heart .
1 People who sleep fewer hours are likely to put on weight.
2 The occasional lie-in is not believed to be to people’s health.
3 Blood sugar control worsened for those who consistently slept for hours a night.
4 The trial monitored food consumption, light and in the lab.
5 The group had more sleep when they were allowed to sleep as much as they wanted at the weekends.

 /5

Language Hub Upper Intermediate Tests

Published by Macmillan Education, a division of Springer Nature Limited. © Springer Nature Limited 2019. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.
Mid-course Test
WRITING
A Write an article for an online website giving advice about how to become a more eco-responsible shopper. Consider the
following points:
• re-using
• recycling
• packaging
• shopping bags

Write 250–300 words.

 /5

B Some schools already provide free lunches for their pupils, while others consider it a waste of resources. Write an essay and
discuss the two views of providing free lunches for all pupils and give your own opinion. Consider the following points:
• Whose responsibility it is to provide lunch
• The benefits to the families
• The cost
• The quality of the food

Write 200–250 words.

 /5

 Total: / 90
Language Hub Upper Intermediate Tests
Published by Macmillan Education, a division of Springer Nature Limited. © Springer Nature Limited 2019. This page may be photocopied and used within the class.