BEC Vantage Masterclass

Progress test 2 (Units 1–10)

1 Verb forms
Complete the gaps in the newspaper article below with a suitable form of the
verb in brackets. Choose from the following active or passive forms: present
simple, present continuous, past simple, present perfect, future forms and modals.

USING RECRUITMENT AGENCIES

So, you 0 have decided (decided) to look for a new job and you
1 (think) of using a recruitment agency. The tips below
2 (help) you get the best out of that potentially crucial
relationship. And remember: by law, agencies 3 (charge)
businesses, but not staff, for placing candidates, so you 4
(not worry) about paying fees.

Find the right agency

Recruitment agencies 5 (vary) considerably, from the very
specialist – agencies for drivers, or actors, for instance – to those that
6 (cover) a wide range of jobs. You 7
(speak) to four or five agencies before deciding on the best one or two to deal
with. After they 8 (see) your CV, ask them what they
9 (do) for you, and explain exactly what you
10 (look) for in a new job.

Make the right impression

Often recruitment agencies 11 (ask) to produce a shortlist
of half a dozen candidates for the employer to interview. So your dealings with
the agency are, in effect, the equivalent of a preliminary interview. The agency
12 (not want) to put you forward if you
13 (appear) too casual in your dress or behaviour when you
first 14 (visit) them.

Take their advice

For those of you who last 15 (hunt) for a job several years
ago, agencies 16 (give) useful advice on the way you
17 (present) yourself at interviews. For example, many
dotcoms 18 (be) surprised if candidates
19 (turn) up in a business suit, but IT departments in
businesses still 20 (appreciate) a certain degree of
formality.

Progress Test 2 © Oxford University Press 1

 BEC Vantage Masterclass

2 Verbs and nouns

In each set of verbs (1–15) below there is one verb that does not combine with
the noun on the right. Underline the verb that does not combine with each noun.
Example
apply for/attend/leave/look for a job
1 insert/install/place/reply to an advertisement
2 acquire/buy up/produce/start up a company
3 deal with/make/launch/voice a complaint
4 buy/produce/source/target components
5 give/offer/negotiate/win a discount
6 compose/delete/draft/post a letter
7 arrange/organise/replace/set up a meeting
8 invest/investigate/raise/spend money
9 crack/ensure/enter/move into a new market
10 attract/demonstrate/launch/promote a product
11 check/conform to/improve/reassure quality standards
12 boost/generate/improve/obstruct sales
13 buy/hire/interview/recruit staff
14 manage/run/save/spend time
15 do/enrol for/make/organise a training course

3 Definitions
Write the words that match the definitions below. The first letter of each word
has been given to help you.
Example
suitable (adj) a ppropriate
1 a time or date by which something must be done (n) d
2 a letter for a new employer giving information about you (n) r
3 a building where goods are stored before distribution (n) w
4 necessary or essential (adj) v
5 products sold to another country (n, pl) e
6 happening all over a country (adj) n
7 having the opposite effect to the one you wanted (adj) c
8 letters sent and received (n) c
9 not working properly or not made correctly (adj) f
10 something which you must do (n) o
11 facts or information (n) d
12 a person who has a university degree (n) g
13 very busy, full of activity (adj) h
14 a list of items to be discussed at a meeting (n) a
15 a radio or TV advertisement (n) c

Progress Test 2 © Oxford University Press 2

 BEC Vantage Masterclass

4 Cloze
Choose the best word, A, B, C or D, to fill each gap in the text below.

CHUPA CHUPS’ CELEBRITY SUCKERS

Chupa Chups is the world’s largest producer 0 A lollipops. The 45-
year-old family 1 , which is based 2 Barcelona, sells 4
billion lollipops a year in 170 countries but it is in competition 3
giant companies such as Cadbury Schweppes, Hershey Foods, and Nestlé,
which produce a wider 4 of confectionery. What’s 5 , there
are fewer children than before in large markets like the United States, Europe
and Japan, as birthrates have been declining 6 several years. So,
some years ago, Chupa Chups decided to create a secondary market for itself
by 7 fun-loving 16 to 25 year olds.
Rather than launching an expensive 8 campaign, the company has
used unconventional tactics to 9 this age group aware of the
10 . When movie, pop or sports stars attend premieres, fashion
shows or other high 11 events, they are met by teams of girls who
offer them free 12 of Chupa Chups lollipops. If the media then
photograph a celebrity who is sucking a lollipop, Chupa Chups benefits from
the resulting publicity although it has 13 the company almost nothing.
Thanks to this unusual approach, as well as more conventional promotional
14 , teenagers and young adults are now enthusiastic 15 of
Chupa Chups lollipops.

0 A of B for C from D by
1 A member B group C firm D organisation
2 A on B to C by D in
3 A from B with C to D by
4 A chance B scope C range D possibility
5 A better B further C more D less
6 A for B since C in D during
7 A attracting B reaching C managing D targeting
8 A marketing B production C distribution D selling
9 A do B increase C help D make
10 A make B brand C type D mark
11 A street B fun C profile D price
12 A brochures B samples C tests D examples
13 A charged B paid C spent D cost
14 A methods B tasks C responsibilities D topics
15 A customers B consumers C clients D users

Progress Test 2 © Oxford University Press 3

 BEC Vantage Masterclass

5 Verbs and prepositions

Complete the sentences below by using a verb from list A, in an appropriate
tense, followed by a preposition from list B. Use each word in the lists once only.
A B
comply down
fix for
go into
hand off
liaise out
look to
move through
pay up
speed up
switch with
turn with

Example
In the end we went for the more experienced candidate, rather than
the one who had outstanding qualifications.

She 1 their offer of a job in Hong Kong as she didn’t want

to be so far from her family.
Can you 2 a meeting with our Marketing Manager in Poland,
please? I need to 3 him on the product launch in Eastern
Europe.
We 4 over 5,000 brochures at the trade fair last month.
The safety inspector says our fire extinguishers (not) 5 the
latest legislation and we’ll have to replace them. So could you
6 these catalogues and identify two or three possible
models for us to choose from?
We’ve waited over three months to get our import permit. Is there anything you
could do to 7 the process?
Without a doubt, all that safety training 8 , as we have had
far fewer accidents this year.
We’re planning to 9 the mail order market next year.
In many countries, small talk is very important, and a long time can pass before
it’s appropriate to 10 discussing business.

Total /100

Progress Test 2 © Oxford University Press 4

 BEC Vantage Masterclass

Progress test 2 key

1 1 are thinking 8 have seen 15 hunted

2 will help 9 can/will do 16 can/will give
3 can/may charge 10 are looking 17 should present/present
4 don’t have to worry 11 are/have been asked 18 would be
5 vary/can vary 12 will not/won’t want 19 turned
6 cover 13 appear 20 appreciate
7 should speak 14 visit
(1 mark for each correct answer)

2 1 install 6 delete 11 reassure

2 produce 7 replace 12 obstruct
3 launch 8 investigate 13 buy
4 target 9 ensure 14 run
5 win 10 attract 15 make
(1 mark for each correct answer)

3 1 deadline 6 nationwide 11 data

2 reference 7 counter-productive 12 graduate
3 warehouse 8 correspondence 13 hectic
4 vital 9 faulty 14 agenda
5 exports 10 obligation 15 commercial
(2 marks for each correct answer)

4 1 C 6 A 11 C
2 D 7 D 12 B
3 B 8 A 13 D
4 C 9 D 14 A
5 C 10 B 15 B
(1 mark for each correct answer)

5 1 turned down 6 look through

2 fix up 7 speed up
3 liaise with 8 has paid off
4 handed out 9 move into
5 don’t comply with 10 switch to
(2 marks for each correct answer, one for the correct verb + preposition, and
one for the appropriate verb form)

(Total: 100 marks)

Progress Test 2 © Oxford University Press 5