October 2009
FCE Sample Test
Use of English – Part 1
For questions 1-12, 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:
0 A known B common C popular D normal
THE MUSTARD SHOP
Norwich, a city in the east of England, is a (0) ...C... shopping centre for thousands of people. In
particular, visitors love to (1) .......... the small, unusual shops hidden away in Norwich’s narrow
streets. The Mustards Shop is usually high on everybody’s (2) ......... of interesting shops to see.
The (3) ......... between mustard, a type of sauce, and Norwich (4) ......... back to the nineteenth
century. Jeremiah Colman began to make mustard in 1814 in a nearby village. The yellow
fields, full of mustard flowers whose seeds were required for Colman’s factory, soon changed
the appearance of the local (5) ......... . The company (6) ......... rapidly and in 1854 it moved
to a suburb on the (7) ......... of Norwich. By this time, Colman’s mustard was famous in many
countries. The company is still in (8) ......... and many people continue to enjoy eating mustard
with meat, cheese and other food.
In 1973, the company opened The Mustard Shop. It is a careful reproduction of a typical mustard
shop of a hundred years ago and sells a wide (9) ......... of mustards. Upstairs there is a small
museum where visitors can (10) ......... a collection of old Colman’s posters and an exhibition
(11) ......... the history of mustard. It is a shop not to be (12) ......... when visiting Norwich.
1 A explore B enquire C research D analyse
2 A account B brochure C list D guide
3 A join B tie C union D link
4 A comes B goes C belongs D leads
5 A view B scenery C background D nature
6 A expanded B enlarged C increased D strengthened
7 A limits B frontiers C sides D outskirts
8 A reality B fact C existence D force
9 A amount B extent C range D set
10 A review B watch C examine D remark
11 A explaining B announcing C expressing D discovering
12 A unnoticed B missed C escaped D left
October 2009
FCE Sample Test
Use of English – Part 2
For questions 13-24, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only
one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
DICTIONARIES
Dictionaries are (0) among the most important tools of self-education. (13) ..................... Samuel
Johnson wrote his influential English dictionary in the eighteenth century, the work kept him busy
for seven years. At the end of that period he (14) .................. written the meanings of over forty
thousand words. Most modern dictionaries require a (15) .................... deal less time and effort to
write because writers often use earlier dictionaries (16) .................. a source of reference.
Nowadays, most dictionaries are put together by teams of writers, or lexicographers. Sometimes
they need to work together in meetings; at other times they work independently of (17) ......................
other, on different parts of the dictionary.
(18) ....................... one time, the starting point for deciding on which words to include used to
be the lexicographer’s own knowledge. These days, teams (19) ......................... use of a large
collections of examples of (20) ................................ only writing but also everyday speech, which
is known as a corpus. Teams also refer (21) ................... books and articles about language as
(22) .......................... as asking experts in particular subjects about the more specialised words.
Finally, ordinary people are asked to say what they think about the (23) ...................... the words
are defined and (24) ....................... they find the examples provided helpful or not.
13 When, 14 had, 15 great / good, 16 as / for, 17 each, 18 At, 19 make, 20 not, 21 to, 22 well, 23 way, 24 whether / if
Part 2
1A, 2C, 3D, 4B, 5B, 6A, 7D, 8C, 9C, 10C, 11A, 12B
Part 1
Answer key:
November 2009
FCE Sample Test
Use of English – Part 3
For questions 25-34, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some
of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the
beginning (0).
ISLAND IN THE SUN
With its (0) tropical sunshine, clear, blue water and the warm welcome TROPIC
you will receive, this island is hard to beat as a holiday destination.
The island has something for everyone, but the (25) ..........................west coast DELIGHT
is the perfect (26) ............................... for people who love water sports, CHOOSE
such as water-skiing and windsurfing. For those who prefer a more
relaxing holiday, there are beaches of fine, white sand, facing the calm
Caribbean Sea and also an (27) .................................... selection of restaurants, IMPRESS
where the local seafood is (28) .................................... recommended. HIGH
Among the many other (29) ................... on the island are trips in a submarine – ATTRACT
which allow you to explore the island’s fascinating coral reefs – Caribbean
dancing and a jazz festival held (30) .................., early in January. It is also worth ANNUAL
travelling along the wild east coast, where, because it faces the Atlantic
Ocean, the weather is often (31) .................... Sadly, this makes the coast rather STORM
(32) ....................... for swimming, in contrast to the calmer beaches on the west SUITABLE
coast. Getting round the island is not difficult, as car and bicycle hire is
(33) ....................... arranged, and there is an excellent road system, with a very EASY
(34) .......................... bus service. RELY
November 2009
FCE Sample Test
Use of English – Part 4
For questions 35-42, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and
five words, including the word given. Here is an example (0).
0 A very friendly taxi driver drove us into town.
DRIVEN
We were driven into town by a very friendly taxi driver.
35 My views on this subject are exactly the same as yours.
DIFFERENCE
There ...................................................................... my views on this subject and yours.
36 Sara knew that her brother had to leave by 5 o’clock.
NECESSARY
Sara knew that ............................................................ her brother to leave by 5 o’clock.
37 ‘What’s the height of the mountain?’ Lee asked his father.
HIGH
Lee asked his father .................................................................................................. was.
38 The secretary said that they had run out of paper for the photocopier.
LEFT
The secretary said that there wasn’t ................................................ for the photocopier.
39 I wished I’d done more to help.
HAVING
I regretted ................................................................................................... more to help.
40 They will be selling tickets for the concert during the lunch hour.
SALE
Tickets for the concert will .......................................................... during the lunch hour.
41 We played tennis despite the cold weather.
EVEN
We played tennis ..................................................................................................... cold.
42 The manager had the respect of everyone in the office.
UP
Everyone in the office ................................................................................. the manager.
Solutions: Use of English, Part 4 40 be / go on sale
35 is no / not / isn’t any difference between 41 even though it / the weather was
Use of English, Part 3 36 it was / would be necessary for 42 looked up to
25 delightful, 26 choice, 27 impressive, 37 how high the mountain was
28 highly, 29 attractions, 30 annualy, 31 stormy, 38 any (more) paper left
32 unsuitable, 33 easily, 34 reliable 39 not having / having not done
