FCE Reading and Use of English Practice Test 7 Printable

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Answer Keys :: Vocabulary

Part 1
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer ( А, В, C or D) best fits each
gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example:

A well В much C lots D far

Space junk
The Space Age began 0 _____ over half a century ago, and ever since then the area just 1
_____ the Earth’s atmosphere has been filling up with all kinds of man-made objects that
have become 2 _____ as ‘space junk’. The items up there 3 _____ from old satellites and
parts of rockets to hundreds of thousands of pieces smaller than one centimetre, all of
them travelling at extremely 4 _____ speed. Over the last five years, the number of such
objects in space is 5 _____ to have risen by 50 per cent, and this has 6 _____ increased the
risk of damage to working satellites or space vehicles with crews on board.

International agreement has therefore now been 7 _____ on limiting the amount of new
space junk. Scientists have also 8 _____ some interesting suggestions for tidying up space.
These include using laser beams, giant nets and even an enormous umbrella-like device
to collect tiny bits of junk.

1 A along B away C out D beyond

2 A referred B known C called D named

3 A include B enclose C cover D range

4 A high B rapid C light D fast

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 5 A assessed B supposed C estimated D regarded

6 A largely B greatly C importantly D absolutely

7 A arrived B reached C finished D closed

8 A caught up with B put up with C come up with D kept up with

Part 2
For questions 9-16, 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). In the exam, write your
answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on tho separate answer sheet.

Example: TO

Chewing gum
We still tend 0 _____ think chewing gum is a fairly recent invention, even 9 _____ there is
evidence it was used 5,000 years ago in Finland. The Ancient Greeks also chewed gum, as
10 _____the Aztecs in Mexico during the sixteenth century. As far as we know, however, it
wasn’t 11 _____ 1869 that chewing gum became popular in its present form, 12 _____ a
New York inventor called Thomas Adams first had the idea of adding flavour to it.

Nowadays, of course, it is chewed around the world, 13 _____ the fact that it continues to
be regarded by some 14 _____ an unpleasant habit. Unfortunately, far too many people
drop used gum onto the pavement, 15 _____ it remains for some time because it is
extremely difficult to remove once it has stuck to the surface. On the other hand, those
16 _____ favour of chewing gum claim it helps them relax, improves their concentration,
and helps keep their teeth clean.

Part 3
For questions 17-24, 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).
In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: EMBARRASSMENT

Remembering people’s names

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 Most of us have suffered the 0 _____ of forgetting someone’s 0.EMBARRASS
name. Often we fail to pay attention when 17 _____ are made, 17.INTRODUCE
but later on in the conversation we don’t want to appear 18 18.POLITE
_____ by asking them what their name is. 19.COME
Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can 19 _____ this 20.OBSERVE
problem. One is to improve your powers of 20 _____. Practise 21.CHARACTER
studying faces in public places, making a mental note of 22.VARY
physical 21 _____ such as high foreheads or narrow eyebrows. 23.VISION
You’ll be surprised what a wide 22 _____ of shapes and sizes 24.SURE
people’s features have. Then, when you first meet someone,
remember them as ‘Laura with the small nose’, for example.

With surnames, make 23 _____ associations. For instance,

imagine people called Cook, Ford or King making a meal, driving
a car or wearing a crown, respectively. Finally, ending with the
person’s name, as in ‘See you later, Max’ is a good way of 24
_____ that you don’t forget it.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

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FCE Reading and Use of English Practice Test 7 Printable
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Part 4
For questions 25-30, 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).

Example:
0.During our holidays, we eat out rather than cook at home.
INSTEAD
During our holidays, we eat out _______________ at home.

Example: 0. INSTEAD OF COOKING

25. Thomas spoke so quickly I had difficulty understanding him.

IT
Thomas spoke so quickly I _______________ him.

26. They’ve postponed the match and it’ll be played next weekend.
PUT
The match _______________ until next weekend.

27. I’m never going to speak to Louis again.

INTENTION
I’ve got _______________ to Louis again.

28. It seems certain that lightning started the forest fire.

HAVE
The forest fire _______________ by lightning.

29. It wasn’t worth going to the market because it was closing.

POINT
The market was closing, so _______________ going there.

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30. We phoned the restaurant, but they said booking a table wasn’t necessary.
HAVE
We phoned the restaurant, but they said we _______________ a table.

Part 5
You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 31-36, choose the answer (А, В, C
or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

‘Claire, it’s Ruth.’ Claire held back a sigh and walked into the kitchen to put the coffee
machine on. A phone call from her sister was never over quickly.

‘Ruth, darling. How are you?’ As she waited for her sister to start describing in detail her
latest disaster, Claire mulled over how much to reveal about her new business
assignment. Her family would have to be told something, of course. Not that they ever
came to visit, or called her home phone, or sent her letters. Still, it seemed only right to
tell them it meant she was moving out for twelve months. Tuning back into the phone
call, Claire realised she had missed some key information and tried to catch up with what
her sister was talking about.

‘So the doctor said it was probably lack of sleep. You know Sky is a bad sleeper and her
nightmares have been worse since she started Year Two.’ Claire worked out that
someone was unwell, but was unsure whether it was her sister or her six-year-old niece.

Claire thought about her own schooling. Her parents had paid for the best, obviously,
although Claire often wondered whether that was to ensure their three children didn’t
affect their lifestyle, rather than to give their offspring a good start in life. The school had
encouraged independence and character but had no time for tears and tantrums. Claire
had learned quickly to work hard and stay out of trouble. More than could be said for
Ruth. It had been a constant disappointment to her parents that, while their first and
third children both achieved academic success, Ruth only acquired a reputation for bad
behaviour.

Ruth’s next sentence sharply interrupted Claire’s thoughts.

‘The tests are the week after next. That’s why I’m calling. Is there any chance you could
come and look after Sky? It’s half-term and most of her friends are going skiing. Of
course we can’t afford that…’

Claire inhaled deeply and forced herself not to rise to the bait. Ruth was always poor and
begrudged Claire her success. Claire accepted that looking after a child on your own
probably limited your career options, but look at the ‘Harry Potter’ author J. K. Rowling, it
hadn’t held her back. She was convinced Ruth could help herself if only she’d try harder.
Claire was almost too irritated by the thinly-veiled criticism to react to the request, but
not quite.

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‘Have Sky? How long for? When?’ Claire could hear panic in her voice and forced herself
to breathe in deeply. Once she was sure she was back in control of her emotions she
said in a slow voice,‘I start a new work assignment on 1st March, and I’ll… be on the road
a lot. You know. Meeting clients.’

‘Dining out on someone else’s credit card.’ Ruth’s voice cut in.

‘There’s more to it than that,’ Claire responded quickly. Then, before Ruth could start the
age-old argument, Claire consciously lowered her voice.

‘Tell me the day you need me to have Sky, I’ll check my diary.’

‘Well, it’s two days, actually.’ Ruth sounded embarrassed.

Thinking about minding a six-year-old for two days almost made Claire choke. She
gulped down her coffee and wondered if she could use the new assignment as an
excuse.

There was something in Ruth’s voice, though, that made her pause.

‘Can’t Mum take care of her? I thought Mum and Dad were the perfect grandparents?’ It
seemed odd to Claire that two people who had no time for their own children could go
mad over someone else’s, even if they were their grandkids.

‘Er, Mum’s coming with me, to the hospital.’

Ruth’s words finally got through to Claire. ‘Just what tests are you having exactly?’

‘Weren’t you listening? You never listen to me.’

Claire almost smiled at the petulant tone in Ruth’s voice. For a moment they were twelve
and fourteen again.

31. When Claire realises who is phoning her, she

A expects to hear some good news.
В tries to hide her true feelings.
C hopes it will be a long conversation.
D knows exactly what she will say to Ruth.

32. Why doesn’t Claire know who is ill?

A Ruth didn’t make it clear who she was talking about.
В None of her other relatives had written to her about it.
C She was away on business when the illness began.
D She wasn’t paying attention when Ruth was speaking.

33. How does Claire feel about her school?

A She would have achieved more at a better school.
В Her parents never appreciated how successful she was there.
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C Her sister was better suited to that school than she was.
D She may have been sent there for the wrong reasons.

34. What is Claire’s attitude to Ruth’s financial problems?

A She feels they are largely Ruth’s own fault.
В She wishes she could do more to help Ruth.
C She thinks Ruth could get any well-paid job she wanted.
D She feels guilty about having more money than Ruth.

35. What does ‘it’ refer to? (second half of the text, sentence underlined)
A spending the firm’s money
В the task Claire has been given
C looking after Ruth’s daughter
D the reason Claire sounds stressed

36. What do we learn about Claire and her family?

A Her relationship with her sister has completely changed since their childhood.
В She realises that her parents treated her very well when she was a child.
C She doesn’t understand why her parents are so close to their grandchildren.
D She accepts that her mother is more interested in Ruth than in her.

Part 6
You are going to read an article about the new headquarters of the World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF). Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences
A-G the one which fits each gap (37-42). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to
use.

The ultimate green home: the WWF’s new headquarters

Sandwiched between an incredibly ugly shopping centre and a busy main road, the
environmentalist Sir David Attenborough, no less, is planting a tree and declaring: ‘Today
is a historic day.’ He really means it.

Maybe our children’s future will be an overheated, desert-like world, but if it’s not, it will
probably look a lot like this. The new, highly environmentally-friendly home of the World
Wide Fund for Nature, a hemispherical glass tube standing above a council car park, was
officially opened today, watched by a small but enthusiastic crowd. 37 __.

Known as the ‘Living Planet Centre’, it has jumping panda animations that greet visitors
to its WWF Experience, where schoolchildren can interact with Ocean, River, Forest and
Wildlife Zones. Since the mid-20th century, many of the ideas behind humanity’s
attempts to protect animals and the natural world have been started by the WWF. 38 __.

The World Wide Fund for Nature is one of the great hopes for the world,’ Sir David
Attenborough said. ‘This building enshrines that, and advertises it to the world.’ The
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concrete is all recycled, as is the carpet and even most of the computer equipment, and
there are many solar energy panels. 39 __. In addition, new habitats and plant species
have been installed around the gardens, while indoors a home has been found for three
tall trees.

The sense of total calm inside, from the high curved ceilings to the plants and trees, is all
the more remarkable for the building’s urban location. It has been built between a canal
and a small area of woods listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. 40 __. The contrast
gives us an idea of what might just be possible in the future.

The WWF was set up in 1961. The organisation originally fought to protect individual
species, such as the Arabian oryx, from extinction. Eventually, the focus moved from
individual species to ecosystems: all the living things in one area and the way they affect
each other. Sir David, who is an ambassador for the WWF, said: ‘Now, it’s not just
individual ecosystems. Now the change is to a global approach. 41 __. That is because the
planet is one vast ecosystem. The WWF has been the leader in changing everyone’s
attitudes towards nature.’

Sir David is clear about the task ahead, and more importantly, unlike many
environmentalists, he believes it is not too late to make a difference. ‘You can’t turn the
clock back, of course. 42 __. But we can slow down the rate at which the numbers are
increasing, we can cut down the carbon we put in the atmosphere,’ he said. ‘It’s never
happened before that the whole world has come together and made a decision. To go as
far as we have done to reduce carbon is an impressive achievement. But you cannot
have unlimited growth in a limited situation. You can’t expand infinitely in a finite planet.

A. Even so, it remains in an ugly corner of a fairly unattractive town centre.

В. So even if you aren’t particularly concerned about the environment, as energy costs
rise you’ll want to save money on fuel bills.
C. Other such features include extensive glass to increase natural light, natural
ventilation, rainwater in the toilets, and heat pumps that bring warm air up from 200
metres below.
D. It is hoped their new home will be a living example of that.
E. That means you can’t put back forests that are gone, not for a century, and the
population size is not going to shrink.
F. If you want to do something, you have to persuade people of the world not to pollute.
G. If humanity is to survive, they must have been thinking, it will do so living in buildings
of this kind.

Part 7

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