PRACTICE TEST 28/4/2025

I. LISTENING (points)
Part 1. You will hear a conversation between two students, Maddie and John, who are planning a biology
experiment. For question 1 to 10, write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each
answer.
Experiment Planning Form

Experimental hypothesis:
That 1................. impacts on crabs at the beach.

Variables:

Visitor numbers overall number of visitors

Time of day changes in number of people and 2.................

3................. left by visitors to the beach

Constants:

● floating rubbish
● boat pollution

Available beaches and usage levels:

Main town beach 4.................

Beach over the hill Little use

5................. No use; control

Experimental method:

Count crab holes:

● over a set 6.................
● in a defined area of sand
● the same 7................. from the sea

Equipment: (3 of each):

● measuring tapes, balls of string, small posts

● 8 ................... to check that we start and stop at the same time
● stop watches for timing
● 9................. to see at night

Observations:

● Initial time period: one hour / day and night

● Total observation period: 20 hours over a 10.................

Part 2. You will hear an interview in which two journalism students, called Matthew and Tracy, are talking
about fact and opinion in the news. For questions 11-15, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best
according to what you hear. (10 points)
11. What change did Tracy make to the questionnaire they prepared?
A. She reduced the number of options.
B. She added more open questions.
 C. She reworded some questions.
D. She defined some terms.
12. Matthew and Tracy were both impressed by an article they read about __________
A. education.
B. pollution.
C. transport.
D. sport.
13. Matthew feels worried about writing factual articles __________
A. in case he misleads readers.
B. in case he includes inaccuracies.
C. because he has little experience of it.
D. because his first one was criticised by his classmates.
14. What does Tracy point out about using photos or video when reporting news?
A. Images have a stronger impact than the written word.
B. Photos make the news seem more factual.
C. The public expect visual support for news.
D. The public prefer video to photos.
15. Matthew’s style of writing when expressing his opinion __________
A. is inspired by a contemporary novelist.
B. is based on authentic dialogue.
C. varies according to the topic.
D. reflects his personality.

II. LEXICO GRAMMAR (2.0)

Part 1. For questions 1-20, 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. - Laura: “What a lovely house you have!”
- Maria: “_____________.”
A. Of course not, it’s not costly B. Thank you. Hope you will drop in
C. I think so D. No problem
2. _____________, we can take another road.
A. If need be B. When it may
C. We might as well D. Come what must
3. For the first few months, the babies looked so alike I couldn’t tell ______________.
A. who is whom B. which is which
C. which from which D. whom with whom
4. Social scientists believe that _____ from sounds such as grunts and barks made by early ancestors of human
beings.
A. the very slow development of language B. language developed very slowly
C. language which, was very slow to develop D. language, very slowly developing
5. His talent meant he could create wondrous things, but his ______________ meant he hardly ever felt like
working.
A. adversity B. lethargy C. ineptitude D. tactlessness
6. The employees are ______________ a rally in the city centre to demand higher wages.
A. making B. performing C. staging D. presenting
7. Julie felt unfairly ______________ when she spoke out against a company proposal and the entire staff team
turned against her.
A. prosecuted B. persecuted C. oppressed D. suppressed
8. Everyone was living off tens of thousands of years of accumulated groundwater, like a ______________ heir
squandering his wealth.
A. stingy B. miserly C. spendthrift D. penny- pincher
9. There is no need to get so ______________ about being turned down. There are other advertising agencies out
there, you know.
A. destitute B. descendant C. despondent D. despicable
10. The island of Tahiti ______________ sandy beaches and crystal clear water.
A. brags B. gloats C. boasts D. swaggers
11. I've searched ______________ for that old photo album, but I can't find it anywhere.
A. high and low B. long and short
C. straight and narrow D. thick and thin
12. People don’t have a right to ______________ in judgement when they don’t know all the facts.
A. sit B. pass C. make D. bite
13. The management are making ______________ to increase the company’s efficiency.
A. measures B. steps C. moves D. deeds
make moves: thay đổi
14. It was _______________ plain to the new employees that they should be polite to the customers.
A. put B. stated C. made D. explained
15. The boss had an old axe to ______________ with Benson, which may be why he fired him.
A. weld B. sharpen C. grind D. trim
16. A(n) ______________decision has been made and there is nothing we can do about it now.
A. lock and key B. on and off
C. high and mighty D. cut and dried
17. Roads were ______________ as police searched for the escaped prisoner.
A. washed up B. cut off C. sealed off D. kept out
18. The only thing they felt he was capable of was ______________ film reviews.
A. writing in B. turning out C. signing off D. summing up
19. We hurried back to our car as we saw the clouds ______________ over the mountains.
A. rolling in B. holding off C. beating down D. bucketing down
20. The challenges Ann encountered while assisting the medical charity in Africa brought ______________ the
best in her personality.
A. up B. out C. about D. around

Part 2: Give the correct form of each given word to complete the following sentences. Write your answers
in the numbered boxes.
21.________ is much more effective than aggression. ASSERT
22. The singer’s ________ lifestyle attracts the attention of the press. CONVENTION
23. When she passed 30, Sue became increasingly ________ for a baby. DESPAIR
24. The unresponsive audience made the lecturer somewhat ________ .What a shame. HEAR
25. My brother’s a comedian who specializes in doing ________ of famous people. PERSON
26. Michael Spencer’s ________ book is likely to be a huge success. COME
27. Some ________ now have their own nursery facilities for staff with children. WORK
28. He won’t get angry with you- he has a very calm ________. TEMPER
29. Sam was very grateful to his ________ parents for their generosity. ADOPT
30. The subtle photography and music make the film very ________. ATMOSPHERE

Part 3: Choose the underlined part that needs correction

31. On the floor of the Pacific Ocean is hundreds of flat-tipped mountains more than a mile beneath sea level.
A. On B. is hundreds of C. more than D. beneath sea level
32. The mountain climbers proceeded forward on their long trip up the side of the mountain.
A. The B. proceeded forward C. on D. side
33. There are more than eight four million specimens in the National Museum of Natural History’s collection of
biological, geological, anthropology treasures.
A. specimens B. collection C. anthropology D. treasures
34. The tongue is the principle organ of taste, and is crucial for chewing, swallowed, and speaking.
A. the principle B. taste C. for D. swallowed
35. The man, together with his family, were invited to the Clambake last night.
A. The B. together with C. were D. to the
Part 4: Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with suitable prepositions or particles. Write your answers
in the corresponding numbered boxes.
36. Even old Henry Spalding, who has returned to Wellington in the spring, added his signature ________good
measure.
37. It was my first day on patrol and they threw me ________the deep end.
38. He’s not feeling well at the moment, but he should be up and ________again in a few days.
39. I only get ___________watching TV when the children are in bed.
40. He says he knows nothing about the missing documents but I’m sure he is holding ____________ me.

III. READING (3.0 points)

Part 1. For questions 1 – 7, read the passage and fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable
word. Write your answers in the boxes provided.
Learning about the past

Archaeology, (1) ______ history, is the study of past societies but whereas historians use written records,
archaeologists gather much of their information by (2) ______ out excavations or “digs”, looking for objects,
bones or seeds, in fact, any signs of how our ancestors lived.
Archaeologists decide (3) ______ to dig by consulting old maps, documents or, since (4) ______ 1920s,
areal photographs, which reveal traces of buildings, roads and fields that are invisible from the ground. Their next
step, painstakingly executed, is to remove layers of soil, measuring, examining, recording, and analysing (5)
______ found. Every fragment helps to create a more complete picture of the past. The relative age of objects
can be worked out using the principle of stratification, and scientific methods such as radioactive dating now
enable archaeologists to determine the (6) ______ date. Archaeologists also excavate buidlings and whole towns
under water, using many of the same methods that are used on land.
It was archaeologists who discovered that human evolution started in Africa; they can (7) ______ as easily
show us how human activity or changes in the climate or environment can destroy whole communities.
Archaeology can help people understand the changes that will happen in the future through their study of what
remains of the past.

Your answers:

1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7.

Part 2. For questions 8 – 14, read the passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) to complete the blank.
Write your answers in the boxes provided.
Colouring books are thought to (8) ______ concentration and patience, and allow the artist to safely
release any (9) ______ and anxiety. The question seldom asked, though, is: why is such a beneficial activity (10)
______ popular only among young children? According to several bestseller lists, it no longer is. Although
colouring books for adults may (11) ______ a few eyebrows, more and more people are seeking them (12) ______
as a way to relax and de-stress. The principle is that colouring creates the sense of fulfilment that is achieved by
any process of deep thought; when the brain is preoccupied with a specific activity. negative feelings, such as
anxiety and other generally pessimistic thoughts, are forced out.
Adult Colouring Books Colouring books have an advantage over other art activities because they remove
the 'paradox of choice', or the feeling of being (13) ______ when faced with unlimited options. An empty page
can create stress; after all, it depends on the artist to first decide what to create and then create it to an acceptable
standard. The outlines provided in colouring books, on the other hand, make the activity accessible to everyone,
regardless of (14) ______ artistic ability
8. A. promote B. contribute C. exaggerate D. decrease
9. A. jealousy B. ignorance C. frustration D. inadequacy
10. A. deeply B. immensely C. terribly D. completely
11. A. raise B. arise C. arouse D. rise
12. A. up B. on C. by D. out
13. A. excessive B. overwhelmed C. weighed D. affected
14. A. intangible B. incompatible C. integral D. inherent
Your answers:
8. 9. 10. 11.
12. 13. 14.

Part 2. Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each question.
THE FUTURE OF EXAMS
Like it or not, technology is already an established part of the exam process and the only argument still to be
fought at this year's e-assessment conference and exhibition, taking place in London this week, is just how much
further in that direction we should go.
At one end, little has changed. Students still, by and large, take exams in much the same way as they always have.
They walk into a room full of desks with an invigilator on hand to tell them when to start and stop and to make
sure no one is texting anyone else, and everyone is ticking the right boxes, or writing out the answer in longhand
if required. It’s once the ink has dried that the real change in the system kicks in. Instead of divvying up the
scripts between the thousands of markers, they are now scanned into a central computer and the markers then
access them online.
The benefits are obvious. It's quicker, cheaper and more efficient. The really dull components, such as multiple
choice or simple questions such as “name four things that contribute to global warming,” can be marked
automatically or by less experienced markers, whereas questions requiring a more nuanced, longer answer can
be left to the old hands. Your best markers don't have to be wasted on the straightforward stuff.
Students can also benefit. “Markers can now give much more precise feedback,” says Kathleen Tattersall, who chairs
the Institute of Educational Assessors. “We can tell someone almost exactly what he or she needs to do to improve a
grade because we can show them what they got right and wrong. This is particularly useful for anyone looking to resit
a January exam in the summer, because teachers can tailor individual revision plans for all their students.”
For all its advantages, no one reckons that this assessment model is the finished article. “There are difficulties that
need to be ironed out,” says Martin Walker, a former English teacher and a principal examiner for one of the
main boards. “Because markers are now often only given a few questions from each paper, it's hard to get an
accurate feel of exactly what a student does and doesn't know. When you had an entire exam script in front of
you, you could build up a picture of the candidate's range of knowledge, so when there was room for doubt in an
answer, you could make a judgement call based on previous responses. It's much harder to do that now.”
“There are also limits to what you can easily read on screen,” he adds. “In my experience, most examiners end
up printing out the long essays and working from a hard copy, which is both time-consuming and slightly self-
defeating.” The danger, as Tattersall concedes, is that schools end up teaching only what technology is capable
of assessing. “Rather, we have to look at how IT is used in the classroom to improve teaching and learning and
base our exams on that model,” she says.
It is certain that we are only halfway through the electronic revolution. In the coming years, more and more exams
will be completed - as well as marked - online, and the government and the Qualifications and Curriculum
Authority will have to think hard about ways of maintaining standards.
By far the easiest form of online testing to implement is multiple choice. A student can take the test online and it
can be automatically marked instantaneously; this system is almost foolproof. The downside is that most people
associate multiple choice with dumbing down, on the grounds that anything that can be reduced to a yes or no,
right or wrong answer is bound to be over-simplified.
“Not true,” says Stevie Pattison-Dick, head of communications for Edexcel. “Some multiple-choice exams may
be quite straightforward, but if they are, they only reflect the level of knowledge a student is expected to attain.
There's nothing inherently simple about multiple choice. We've become very sophisticated in our question setting
and are able to cross-reference the answers, so an examiner can now tell whether someone just got lucky by
ticking the right box or actually understood the process on which he or she was being assessed.” One of the final
exams a medical student has to pass before qualifying as a doctor is multiple choice, so this method of assessment
has to be extremely rigorous.
15. The writer believes that ______.
A. nothing of significance has changed in the exam system
B. a revolution in exam taking may soon be initiated
 C. many students cheat by using their mobile phones
D. technology doesn't greatly affect students when they sit exams
16. What does the writer mean by “old hands” in paragraph 3?
A. retired examiners B. experienced examiners
C. examiners who have reached a certain age D. mature students
17. The word “chairs” in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. emulates B. supplants C. presides D. follows
18. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a benefit of computer marking?
A. better utilisation of examiners
B. more interesting questions can be set
C. many set questions do not need human markers at all
D. financial advantages
19. The word “entire” in the fifth paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. absurd B. abridged C. gross D. partial
20. One advantage of the new system is that ______.
A. teachers can focus on students' weaknesses before retakes
B. students only need to retake the parts of the exam that they failed
C. students can delay taking the exam for an extra six months
D. examiners can construct comprehensive revision plans
21. What is stated to be a disadvantage of the current system?
A. Many examiners complain that the work is boring now.
B. Examiners no longer have enough work.
C. Examiners have a limited impression of the candidate.
D. Examiners aren't as skillful as they used to be.
22. What is implied about the general perception of multiple-choice testing?
A. It is easy for a student to cheat.
B. It reduces the student's writing skills.
C. It lowers the standard of the exam.
D. It's impossible for a computer error to be made.

Part 4. Read and complete the tasks required.

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A–H from the list of headings below. Write the correct
number, i–xi, in boxes 23-27.
List of Headings
i Gender bias in televised sport
ii More money-making opportunities
iii Mixed views on TV’s role in sports
iv Tickets to top matches too expensive
v A common misperception
vi Personal stories become the focus
vii Sports people become stars
viii Rules changed to please viewers
ix Lower-level teams lose out
x Skill levels improve
xi TV appeal influences sports’ success

Example: Paragraph A - v
1. Paragraph B _______
2. Paragraph C _______
3. Paragraph D _______
Paragraph E - xi
4. Paragraph F _______
5. Paragraph G _______
Paragraph H - iii
 Television and Sport
when the medium becomes the stadium
A. The relationship between television and sports is not widely thought of as problematic. For many people,
television is a simple medium through which sports can be played, replayed, slowed down, and of course conveniently
transmitted live to homes across the planet. What is often overlooked, however, is how television networks have
reshaped the very foundations of an industry that they claim only to document. Major television stations immediately
seized the revenue-generating prospects of televising sports and this has changed everything, from how they are played
to who has a chance to watch them.

B. Before television, for example, live matches could only be viewed in person. For the majority of fans, who
were unable to afford tickets to the top-flight matches, or to travel the long distances required to see them, the only
option was to attend a local game instead, where the stakes were much lower. As a result, thriving social networks
and sporting communities formed around the efforts of teams in the third and fourth divisions and below. With the
advent of live TV, however, premier matches suddenly became affordable and accessible to hundreds of millions
of new viewers. This shift in viewing patterns vacuumed out the support base of local clubs, many of which
ultimately folded.

C. For those on the more prosperous side of this shift in viewing behaviour, however, the financial rewards are
substantial. Television assisted in derailing long-held concerns in many sports about whether athletes should remain
amateurs or ‘go pro’, and replaced this system with a new paradigm where nearly all athletes are free to pursue
stardom and to make money from their sporting prowess. For the last few decades, top-level sports men and women
have signed lucrative endorsement deals and sponsorship contracts, turning many into multi-millionaires and also
allowing them to focus full-time on what really drives them. That they can do all this without harming their prospects
at the Olympic Games and other major competitions is a significant benefit for these athletes.

D. The effects of television extend further, however, and in many instances have led to changes in sporting
codes themselves. Prior to televised coverage of the Winter Olympics, for example, figure skating involved a
component in which skaters drew ‘figures’ in the ice, which were later evaluated for the precision of their shapes.
This component translated poorly to the small screen, as viewers found the whole procedure, including the judging
of minute scratches on ice, to be monotonous and dull. Ultimately, figures were scrapped in favour of a short
programme featuring more telegenic twists and jumps. Other sports are awash with similar regulatory shifts –
passing the ball back to the goalkeeper was banned in football after gameplay at the 1990 World Cup was deemed
overly defensive by television viewers.

E. In addition to insinuating changes into sporting regulation, television also tends to favour some individual
sports over others. Some events, such as the Tour de France, appear to benefit: on television it can be viewed in its
entirety, whereas on-site enthusiasts will only witness a tiny part of the spectacle. Wrestling, perhaps due to an
image problem that repelled younger (and highly prized) television viewers, was scheduled for removal from the
2020 Olympic Games despite being a founding sport and a fixture of the Olympics since 708 BC. Only after a
fervent outcry from supporters was that decision overturned.

F. Another change in the sporting landscape that television has triggered is the framing of sports not merely in
terms of the level of skill and athleticism involved, but as personal narratives of triumph, shame and redemption on
the part of individual competitors. This is made easier and more convincing through the power of close-up camera
shots, profiles and commentary shown during extended build-ups to live events. It also attracts television audiences
– particularly women – who may be less interested in the intricacies of the sport than they are in broader ‘human
interest’ stories. As a result, many viewers are now more familiar with the private agonies of famous athletes than
with their record scores or match-day tactics.

G. And what about the effects of male television viewership? Certainly, men have always been willing to watch
male athletes at the top of their game, but female athletes participating in the same sports have typically attracted
far less interest and, as a result, have suffered greatly reduced exposure on television. Those sports where women
can draw the crowds – beach volleyball, for example – are often those where female participants are encouraged to
dress and behave in ways oriented specifically toward a male demographic.

H. Does all this suggest the influence of television on sports has been overwhelmingly negative? The answer
will almost certainly depend on who among the various stakeholders is asked. For all those who have lost out –
lower-league teams, athletes whose sports lack a certain visual appeal – there are numerous others who have
benefitted enormously from the partnership between television and sports, and whose livelihoods now depend on
it.

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?

In boxes 28–30, write YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer, NO if the statement
contradicts the claims of the writer, NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about
this.
28. Television networks were slow to recognise opportunities to make money from televised sport.
29. Television has reduced the significance of an athlete’s amateur status.
30. The best athletes are now more interested in financial success rather than sporting achievement.

IV. WRITING
1. He has an obsession about the dishonesty of lawyers. (BEE)
→ He .................................................................................................................................................
2. I must have offended her because she isn’t being friendly towards me. (SHOULDER)
→ I ....................................................................................................................................................
3. You need to make sure that he has enough money to pay for the car before you sell it to him. (COLOR)
→ You need to ..................................................................................................................................
4. He threatened the officers with violence. (THREATS)
→ He .................................................................................................................................................
5. The students’ rebellious behaviours should have been severely punished. (DESERVED)
→ The students..................................................................................................................................
6. There's no one available in this moment to take her class. (NOTICE)
→ There’s .........................................................................................................................................
7. Most people seem to think that I will be next to be promoted. (LINE)
→ Most people seem to think that I ………………………………………………………a promotion.
8. In the area, Thailand is much better than all other countries in football. (SHOULDERS)
→ In the area, Thailand .....................................................................................................................
9. We’ve agreed to share the cost. (AGREEMENT)
→We’ve ...........................................................................................................................................
10. What has this experience taught you? (DRAWN)
→What conclusions ..........................................................................................................................