Headway

NAME CLASS New

Skills test 5 Elementary FOURTH EDITION

Reading 1 Read the article. Give short answers to the questions.

1 Which was the largest city on earth in the year 100 AD?
Rome.
Life in the largest city on earth 2 How many people lived in Rome in 100 AD?
According to some experts, Rome became the first city in the world ____________
with a population over 1 million, around the year 100 AD. So, what
was life like in the largest city on earth? 3 What colour were the houses in Rome?
____________
Poor people lived in blocks of flats called insulae, sometimes more
than three stories high. These flats had no heating, and no running 4 How many times did people eat a day?
water, so they were not very comfortable. Each flat only had one ____________
room. The typical home or domus for wealthier people was the 5 What was the name for the main square?
town house. These houses usually had a courtyard or atrium in the ____________
middle, as well as bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, and a
kitchen. The wealthiest people even had baths or libraries in their 6 What were the names of some important
houses. People usually painted their houses white at the top, and amphitheatres? ____________
red at the bottom.
1 point for each correct answer  5
Romans usually ate three times a day. They had a very small
breakfast, sometimes only a slice of bread with milk or wine. They
had a small lunch. The most important meal of the day was dinner. 2 Read the article again. Write true (T) or false (F). If
Many poor people only had bread with some vegetables. Rich there is no information in the text about the statement,
people often had dinner parties, with three-course meals. They had write no information (N).
meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and sweet desserts. They made their 1 Romans all lived in comfortable homes with heating
desserts with honey because there was no sugar in those days. They
and water.  F
drank wine with water. But everybody in Rome, both rich and poor,
used their hands to eat. 2 Poor people lived in one-room flats.  ___

Streets in Rome were always busy, with a lot of people walking to 3 Some rich people could have a bath in their own
work to do business in the forum, which was the main square of a houses. ___
town or city. People also went shopping, visiting the different shops 4 In the country Roman people lived in farmhouses
along the streets. There were also colourful markets, temples, and called villa rustica.  ___
public baths in the city. Rome had amazing architecture, which
people still copy today! 5 The biggest meal of the day was lunch.  ___
6 Romans never used sugar in their food.  ___
In their free time, Romans went to see chariot races and gladiator
fights at the amphitheatre. The most famous amphitheatres in the 7 Roman people always ate with their hands.  ___
city were the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum. People also often 8 The Colosseum is the best example of Roman
visited the theatre. Men played all the roles on stage – even the architecture. ___
parts of women. The theatre was free for all Roman citizens!
9 Women had to pay to go to the theatre.  ___
Public baths were also popular – they were like fitness centres or
gyms today. Men, women and children all visited the baths. Many 10 You could do your shopping in some of the public
baths had restaurants, shops, libraries or museums inside. People baths. ___
could spend a whole day in a bath. 11 According to the text, life in ancient Rome was quite
2000 years ago Rome was at the centre of the Roman Empire, and its different to modern city life.  ___
people enjoyed city life in a similar way to ourselves. Of course
there is still a lot we can see of the ancient city today – since Rome 2 points for each correct answer  20
is now the busy and beautiful capital city of Italy! Reading total 25

New Headway Elementary FOURTH EDITION Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2011 1
 Headway
NAME CLASS New

Skills test 5  Continued Elementary FOURTH EDITION

Writing 2 Listen again. Match two statements from a–j to each

speaker. There is one extra statement.
Write a letter to your English friend about your holidays.
You should: 1 d g
• include a suitable greeting. 2 ___ ___
• talk about where you went on holiday last year, and 3 ___ ___
what it was like. 4 ___ ___
• say where you are going to go this year, and what you 5 ___ ___
want to do there.
6 ___ ___
• ask your friend about his/her plans for the holidays.
• find a suitable closing phrase. a The woman wore a white shirt and blue jeans.
Write your letter in 100–150 words. b He wants to celebrate the same way in 10 years’ time.
_______________________________________________ c The others didn’t want to help her find her way around.
_______________________________________________ d The family was new in town.
_______________________________________________ e He was sad to leave on the last day.
_______________________________________________ f Someone spoke there for a long time.
_______________________________________________ g Her sister took her on the first day.
_______________________________________________ h There was a big party for everyone who was leaving.
_______________________________________________ i He didn’t know the other person’s name.
_______________________________________________ j It was the worst company she has ever worked for.
_______________________________________________ k More people came to see him than he expected.
_______________________________________________ l She still has a photo of the special day.

Writing task  25 2 points for each correct answer  20

Writing total 25 Listening total 25

Listening Speaking
1 Listen to six people talking about a special day in their 1 Ask and answer the questions with a partner.
lives. Tick the special occasions they mention. 1 What is the best thing to do on holiday in your
birthday  country?

wedding day  2 What is the most expensive thing you have ever
bought? Why did you buy it?
first day at school  ✓
3 What makes you annoyed? What do you do when you
first day at work 
are annoyed?
birth of first child 
4 What do you think was the most important day in 20th
New Year’s Eve  Century history? Why?
first meeting their wife  5 What are your plans for studying English in the future?
leaving school 
leaving university  max. 1 point for each topic  5

1 point for each correct answer  5

New Headway Elementary FOURTH EDITION Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2011 2
 Headway
NAME CLASS New

Skills test 5  Continued Elementary FOURTH EDITION

2 Look at the photos. Compare different ways of 3 A  Look at the information. Use the words to make five
travelling, and say what is good and bad about each. questions.
What are the good and bad points about other ways of
travelling? Visit Ilford – the historical university city!
First mentioned in the Golden Chronicle, in 1562.
Population: 282,500.
Amazing architecture: stone buildings from the 16th and 17th
centuries, university library from 1720, cathedral from 1780
Great transport links: 55 minutes from the capital by train, 70
minutes by coach (via M40 motorway). Ilford International
Airport open all year round!
Excellent for shopping: Sterling Mall with the best selection of
fashion, food, and electronic goods, Farmers’ Market for your
daily needs and Shrubbery Garden and Home Centre for the
fans of gardening and DIY.

1 how old ?
2 how many people ?
3 see in Ilford ?
4 get to Ilford ?
5 where / go shopping / and what ?

1 point for each correct question  5

B  Answer the questions.

1 point for each correct answer  5

Speaking total 25
Skills test 5 total 100

max. 10 points  10

New Headway Elementary FOURTH EDITION Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2011 3