9-11

LISTENING (20 minutes)

Task 1

Listen to a lecture about the learning of foreign languages. Mark the statements below as
true (T), false (F) or not given (NG).

1. No-one actually knows how one’s first language is learnt.

2. There are very few facts know about how language is learnt.
3. Subliminal language learning can only take place overnight.
4. You do not need to listen closely to the worlds on the tape.
5. You learnt your first language quickly because you were exposed daily to new words.
6. Watching TV or playing the radio in a foreign language is useless.
7. The words on the subliminal tape must be spoken softly and slowly.
8. You should restrict the number of new words when starting to learn a language.
9. Reading a foreign newspaper is never a waste of time.
10. The author thinks that learning a new language in six weeks is possible.

Task 2
Listen to a radio program about violent computer games and complete the gaps in the
summary with the correct word or phrase you hear.
Before the recording starts, you will have 45 seconds to read the summary.
You will hear the recording ONCE ONLY.

Violent video __11__________ could be responsible for a rise in violence by children in

society, but not enough ____12_____________ has been done to prove it. Although a disturbed
child may __13_______________ violently after playing a _14_______________ computer
game, it is possible that he or she will react similarly after a less violent stimulus. There is a great
amount of violence on TV and in computer games because violence _15______________ well.
Young __16___________________, however, play less violent games than young males, but this
may be because of the way in which _17____________ companies package their products.
Computer games are __18______________, unlike TV, playing games is not a passive activity.
Perhaps children can relieve their _19__________________ harmlessly in this way. Or maybe
such games reward violence instead of punishing it. It you agree, telephone _20______________
.

This is the end of the listening section.

Transfer your answer to your answer sheet.

READING (45 minutes)

Task 1
Read this news item about an unusual teenager. Then mark the statements below as True
(T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).

An Australian teenage girl hoping to become the youngest person to sail around the world has
suffered a major setback. Nick Bryant reports from Australia:

‘After more than six months at sea Jessica Watson is in the final stretch of her epic
voyage around the globe. She's hoping to reach Sydney Harbour later this month a couple of
days shy of her seventeenth birthday.
But although there's no question that she's circumnavigated the globe, sailing experts say
she hasn't gone far enough to claim the record of being the youngest person to sail solo nonstop
and unassisted around the world.
The influential Sail World website has praised her heroic achievement but is a stickler for
the rules of what it calls "true circumnavigation". To have achieved that, it says, the teenager
should have sailed much farther north into the Atlantic to a point in line with France, rather than
simply crossing the Equator and then returning south.
"We don't want to take away from what the kid's done," said the editor of the website "but
it's one thing to be a hero and another to be a record holder. Had she sailed three thousand seven
hundred kilometres further she could have made that boast."
Nick Bryant, BBC News, Sydney

1. Jessica is about to arrive at the same point where she started her voyage.
2. Jessica Watson is not 17 years old yet.
3. To get the record, Jessica should have gone to France.
4. The Sail World editor said that Jessica was not really a hero.
5. Jessica Watson sailed a few thousand kilometers less than was required for the record.

Task 2
Read this news item about recent events in Australia. Then fill in the gaps in the text by
completing the sentences. The possible endings (A – F) are given below. There are more
options than you need.

A state of emergency has been declared in New South Wales in Australia

___6____________________. Two hundred homes have been destroyed so far.
Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate with___7___________________. Jon Donnison
reports from Sydney for the BBC:

‘Here amid the smoky haze of the bush, the heat hits the senses. Temperatures are back in
the mid-30s __8__________________. Helicopters whirr overhead dumping water on the nearby
fire fronts. They’re trying to stop several fires from merging into one huge blaze spanning
hundreds of kilometers.
‘In several communities, people are being warned not to try and stay put to defend their
homes. With hundreds of houses already destroyed, disaster welfare centres have been set up
where families can start the planning _______9______________. Most of the firefighters are
volunteers. Many look exhausted; some have even lost their own homes.
‘The fires follow unseasonably hot weather; conditions are expected to worsen
throughout the week with dangerously strong winds forecast on Wednesday and
______10__________________ .’

A. as fire fighters continue to battle bush fires

B. needed to rebuild their lives
 C. they are afraid of losing their homes
D. to continue fighting the fire
E. little let-up in the temperature
F. as they think the bad weather will continue
G. making the work of fire fighters increasingly difficult
H. to refuse to leave their homes
I. high temperatures and strong winds forecast in the coming days

Task 3
Read the text about frogs, then do the tasks below.

FROG LIFE

(para 1) When was the last time you saw a frog? Chances are, if you live in a city, you
have not seen one for some time. Even in wet areas once teeming with frogs and toads, it is
becoming less and less easy to find those slimy, hopping and sometimes poisonous members of
the animal kingdom. All over the world, even in remote jungles on the far side of the globe, frogs
are losing the ecological battle for survival, and biologists are at a loss to explain their demise.
Are amphibians simply over-sensitive to changes in the ecosystem? Could their rapid decline in
numbers be signaling some coming environmental disaster for us all?
(para 2) This frightening scenario is in part the consequence of a dramatic increase over
the last quarter century in the development of once natural areas of wet marshland, home not
only to frogs but to all manner of wildlife. Yet, there are no obvious reasons why certain frog
species are disappearing from rainforests in the Southern Hemisphere which are barely touched
by human hand. The mystery is unsettling to say the least, for it is known that amphibian species
are extremely sensitive to environmental variations in temperature and moisture levels. The
danger is that planet Earth might not only lose a vital link in the ecological food chain (frogs
keep populations of otherwise pestilent insects at manageable levels), but we might be increasing
our output of air pollutants to levels that may have already become irreversible. Frogs could be
inadvertently warning us of a catastrophe.
(para 3) An example of a bizarre occurrence regarding a species of frog dates from the
summer of 1995, when ‘an explosion’ of multi-coloured frogs of the species Rana klepton
esculenta occurred in the Netherlands. Normally these frogs are brown and greenish-brown, but
some unknown bi- and even tri-coloured frogs are functioning similarly to their normal-skinned
contemporaries. It is thought that frogs with lighter coloured skins might be more likely to
survive in an increasingly warm climate due to global warming.
(para 4) One theory put forward to explain extinct amphibian species that seems to fit the
facts concerns the depletion of the ozone layer, a well-documented phenomenon which has led to
a sharp increase in ultraviolet radiation levels. The ozone layer is meant to shield the Earth from
UV rays, but increased radiation may be having a greater effect upon frog populations than
previously believed. Another theory is that worldwide temperature increases are upsetting the
breeding cycles of frogs.

Choose the best heading for each paragraph in the passage

a) Frogs making changes to the ecosystem
b) Multi-coloured frog species cause problems
c) Frogs declining in number
 d) Theories concerning the demise of frogs
e) Possible adaptation of frogs to the environment
f) Possible proof that global warming is harmful
g) Fewer frogs in wet marshland
h) An example of the extinction of a frog species

11. Paragraph 1 _________ 12. Paragraph 2 _____________

13. Paragraph 3 _________ 14. Paragraph 4 _____________
15. What would the next paragraph to follow the passage probably be about?
a. Searching for other multi-coloured frogs
b. Feeding habits of frogs
c. What is being or could be done to reduce the problem
d. Other forms of wildlife at risk.

Find the words in this text with the following meanings:

Example: Appearing in great numbers ___teeming_________

16. Death ___________

17. Disturbing ______________
18. Strange _________________
19. Existing at the same time __________________
20. No longer in existence _______________

This is the end of the reading section. Transfer your answers to your answer sheet.
 USE OF ENGLISH (60 minutes)

Task 1
Complete the description of the bicycle by inserting one of the words/ phrases in the box.
Not all the words and phrases in the box or in the illustration may be placed in this text.

metal chain seat air pump wheel cable frame brake lever
saddle pedals gear lever headlamp rubber tyres cyclist

The __1_________, who is balanced on top of a ______seat_______ covered by a soft

__2__________, leans forwards and grips the handlebars, pushing down with his feet on the
__3_____________ which rotate up and down. They drive a central notched cog which is
connected by a(n) __4____________ to the back wheel hub. Alternative gear positions are
available by operating a(n) __5________________ at hand level. Also on the handlebars is the
_6______________ which is connected by a(n) __7_______________ to a set of brakes on the
back wheel.
Accessories include a(n) _8_______________, with which the __9___________ are filled
periodically with air, a speedometer, and a(n) ___10______________ for use at night.

Task 2

A. (Questions 11 – 15) Out of the four options given below, choose ONE word which
MAY NOT be used to fill in the gaps in the text.
B. (Questions 16 – 10) Fill in the gaps in the text with ONE suitable word.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH RUBBISH?

 Today, many cities around the world face an increasing amount of __11________
produced by citizens. This essay aims to _12________ the causes of this and also _13_________
a number of solutions.
There are many reasons .16……………….. so much rubbish is produced. One important
factor is the consumerist lifestyle of many people today which has led them to buying and
consuming more products …17……………….. as food, clothes and home appliances. As a
result, more packaging is thrown away everyday which creates a lot of rubbish. Furthermore,
many families do not separate reusable garbage like cans or glass jars from the rest since they
are too tired or busy. The main reason …18………………..this is that a majority of parents have
to work long hours out of home to make enough money for their families.
Governments can do various things to __14____________ the amount of garbage. Firstly,
they can legislate laws to limit the garbage produced by households …19………………..a
certain level, say, a kilogram every day. As a result, people would definitely try to buy only the
things which they need to avoid throwing away too much. This is likely to be very effective
although it might not be so popular, especially in large cities. Also, governments could invest in
building recycling plants so …20………………..more garbage is reused to produce new
products. For example, they could use plastic bottles to make new plastic balls or computer parts.
In conclusion, the reasons behind the rise in waste production include consumerism and
people not recycling, and possible ways to __15___________ the problem are laws to restrict
household garbage as well as building recycling centres.

11 A Garbage B Litter C Outcast D Waste

12 A Research B Look out C Look into D Investigate

13 A Propose B Suggest C Put forward D Put up

14 A Drop B Reduce C Decrease D Bring down

15 A Address B Solve C Tackle D Decide

Task 4

Complete the conversations below with a suitable discourse marker from the box.

Will you well then sort of you see mind you hang on let me see

A. Here’s a package for you!

B. Right. Put it on that table there, …will you………… .
A: What’s Sally’s telephone number?

B: Oh, .21…………….., I’ll get my address book, I had it somewhere...

A: D’you live in the centre of town?

B: …22……………., near the centre, but not actually in it.

A: Why weren’t you here to meet her?

B: I got mixed up. …23……………………, I thought she was coming on Wednesday.

A: Are you free tomorrow night?

B: …24……………………….. . I thought I had some appointment then, but I can't remember

who with!

A: So, see you Friday then. …25………………… , don't be late!

Task 5

Use discourse markers to rewrite the beginnings of these sentences without changing the
meaning. The first letter of the discourse marker is given.

Example: As a last point, let us consider the effect on the environment. F……finally………..

26. The first point is, we should not allow our personal feelings to influence our decision.

F……………..,

27. Now changing the subject of the question of violence on television, the evidence for its
effects is not clear.

T………………… a………….………,

28. To end this argument, we may say that it is too early to decide what will happen to the
economy as a result.

In ………………………..………..,

29. To say again briefly what I have already said, there are three main arguments.

To s……………. ……………..,

30. To introduce another solution, we could prohibit smoking on the premises altogether.

A……………….,
Task 6

Fill the gaps with collective nouns in the CORRECT FORM, singular or plural. Use each
noun once only. There are more words in the box than you need.

Gang crowd pack herd team deck shoal flock swarm packet company band

Example: A .......pack................... of wolves came out of the forest in search of food.

31. There was a ………….. of cows in the next field.

32. The boat had a glass bottom and we could see ................... of beautifully-coloured fish.

33. She was attacked by a ………………….. of bees and had to go to hospital.

34. Have you got a ………………… of cards? I’ve learnt a new game. I’ll show you.

35. A ……………. of detectives are looking into the crime.

Task 7
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.
Example:
0. A very friendly taxi driver drove us into town.
DRIVEN
We ………were driven into town by…………………………. a very friendly taxi driver.

36. The two boys were sitting by themselves in the classroom.

Own
The two boys were sitting …………………………………. in the classroom.
37. ‘I have an interview tomorrow, so I ought to leave soon,’ Yannis said.
Better
‘I have an interview tomorrow, so I …………………………………. soon,’ Yannis said.
38. Robert arrived late this morning because his train was delayed.
Time
If the train …………………………………. Robert would not have arrived late this morning.
39. I had never met Pia’s husband before.
first
It was…………………………………. ever met Pia’s husband.
40. Ken’s mother didn’t let him play on the computer until he had done his homework.
Made
Ken’s mother …………………………………. his homework before he played on the
computer.
 WRITING (45 minutes)

Continue the short story which begins in the following way:

It was the first day of my school holiday. I hadn't yet decided how to spend it and was
considering different options when suddenly...
In your story, try to give some descriptions of the characters/ their feelings/ objects, etc. The
story must have a suitable ending. Write at least 200 words.