Sample Test 4
Sample Test 4
Sample Test 4
Section 2. For questions 7-12, you will hear a radio discussion about children who invent imaginary
friends. For each question, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you
hear.
7. In the incident that Liz describes, __________.
A. her daughter asked her to stop the car B. she had to interrupt the journey twice
C. she got angry with her daughter D. her daughter wanted to get out of the car
8. What does the presenter say about the latest research into imaginary friends?
A. It contradicts other research on the subject.
B. It shows that the number of children who have them is increasing.
C. It indicates that negative attitudes towards them are wrong.
D. It focuses on the effect they have on parents.
9. How did Liz feel when her daughter had an imaginary friend?
A. always confident that it was only a temporary situation
B. occasionally worried about the friend’s importance to her daughter
C. slightly confused as to how she should respond sometimes
D. highly impressed by her daughter’s inventiveness
10. Karen says that one reason why children have imaginary friends is that _______.
A. they are having serious problems with their real friends
B. they can tell imaginary friends what to do
C. they want something that they can’t be given
D. they want something that other children haven’t got
11. Karen says that the teenager who had invented a superhero is an example of _______.
A. a very untypical teenager
B. a problem that imaginary friends can cause
C. something she had not expected to discover
D. how children change as they get older
12. According to Karen, how should parents react to imaginary friends?
A. They should pretend that they like the imaginary friend.
B. They shouldn’t get involved in the child’s relationship with the friend.
C. They should take action if the situation becomes annoying.
D. They shouldn’t discuss the imaginary friend with their child.
Section 3. For questions 13 – 18, you will hear two experts, Ken and Flora, talking about job
sharing. Listen and decide whether the opinions are expressed by only one of the speakers, or
whether both speakers agree.
Write K for Ken
F for Flora
or B for Both, where they agree
13. Job sharing enables part-timers to pursue their careers.
14. Employees who job-share may do their jobs more effectively.
15. Employers are thought to doubt the commitment of job sharers.
16. Job sharing affords employers many advantages.
17. Cooperative skills are essential for successful job sharing.
18. Job sharing may prove to be more expensive for employers.
Section 4. For questions 19-25, you will hear part of a radio programme about space travel. Listen
and complete the sentences with a word or a short phrase (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS).
- Mir’s mission was to provide Russian cosmonauts with a (19.)_____________
- Mir remained (20.) _____________ for nine years longer than had been originally planned.
- Only when oxygen started leaking into space was Mir finally (21.) _____________
Resistance to the suggestion that Mir be scrapped was significant.
- A Dutch company envisaged a future for Mir as a (22.) _____________
- One person invested $1 million in preparation for the (23.) _______________ which would make
him the first space tourist ever.
- Few people can endure being (24.) _____________ for prolonged period of times.
- Returning to Earth, some cosmonauts are so weak that they can’t even come out of their capsules
- (25.)_____________ is described as by far the worst kind of travel sickness.
Part 2: For questions 36-40, write the correct form of each blanketed word in the numbered space
provided in the column on the right. (0.) has been done as an example.
When people enjoy whatever they are doing, they report some (0.character)---characteristic---
feelings that distinguish the (36. pleasure)_____________ moment from the rest of life. The same
types of feelings are reported in the context of playing chess, climbing mountains, playing with babies,
reading a book or writing a poem. They are the same for young and old, male and female, American or
Japanese, rich or poor. In other words, the nature of enjoyment seems to be universal. We call this state
of consciousness a flow experience, because many people report that when what they are doing is
especially enjoyable, it feels like being carried away by a current, like being in a flow.
At present, (37. lament) _____________few students would recognize the idea that learning
can be like that. But if educators invested a fraction of the energy on stimulating the students’
enjoyment of learning that they now spend in trying to transmit information, we could achieve much
better results. Once students’ motivation is engaged, once they can be (38. power) _____________ to
take control of their own learning and provided with clear (39. feed) _____________on their efforts,
then they are on their way to a lifetime of self-propelled (40. acquire) _____________of knowledge.
Part 3. For questions 41-45, identify 5 mistakes in the following passage and correct them.
Remember to indicate the line containing the mistake. There is an example at the beginning.
Example: Line 1: response → responses
Line
1 The key ingredient in the body’s psychological response to danger is adrenaline.
2 The body produces this chemical in the center of the adrenal glands atop the kidneys.
3 When a physically or mentally stressful situation rises, a flood of adrenaline into the
4 blood flow prepares the body to act swiftly and forcefully to protect it. The heart
5 beats faster. Blood is directed away from the skin and toward such structures as the
6 skeletal muscle and the brain- all to provide the oxygen necessary to run fast, lift
7 heavy objects, and think quickly. This physiological reaction to risk is the well-
8 known “flight- to- flight”.
9 Although activated by a threat, the sudden release of adrenaline and the body’s
10 responses to it produce a distinctively pleasurable feeling once the danger has
11 passed. Even people who are not seeking danger but who confront it accidentally
12 will speak afterwards or an exciting “adrenaline rush.” To some people, the pleasure
13 of such an experience is so intensive that they rate it among life’s most desirable
14 sensations. This hints at a likely biochemical- psychological mechanism motivating
15 some, perhaps most, risk-seeking individuals.
Part 2: For questions 56 – 65, read the text below and think of ONE word which best fits each gap.
Write your answer in the corresponding numbered boxes on the answer sheet.
NATURE vs NURTURE
You got your blue eyes from your mother, and your ears from your father. But (0.)---where--- did
you get your adventurous personality or your talent (56.)__________ singing? Did you learn these from
your parents or were they predetermined by your genes? While it’s clear that physical characteristics are
hereditary, things are a little (57.)__________ clear when it comes to an individual’s behavior,
intelligence and personality. Ultimately, the old argument of nature vs nurture has never really been won.
We (58.)__________ not yet know exactly how much (59.)__________ what we are is determined by our
DNA and how much by our life experience. But we do know that both (60.)___________ a part.
Some scientists think that people behave (61.)___________ they do according to genetic
predispositions or even “animal instincts”. This is known as the “nature” theory of human behavior.
(62.)___________ scientists believe that people think and act in certain ways (63.)__________they are
taught to do so. This is the “nurture” theory.
Our growing understanding (64.)___________ the human genome has recently made it clear that
both sides are partly right. Nature endows us (65.)___________ inborn abilities and traits; nurture take
these natural tendencies and moulds them as we learn and mature.
Part 3: For questions 66 – 75, read the text below and choose from the sections (A-E) in the article
about dietary trends. The section may be chosen more than once.
A. We didn't need an in-depth research project into students' eating habits to tell us that a fair
percentage of the student population eat too few vegetables. Fortunately, the UK's first study of
the dietary changes brought about by going to university delves into more wide-ranging issues.
And it has already unearthed a less predictable trend. Male students are particularly prone to what
Dr Ricardo Costa from Coventry University calls 'disordered eating patterns'. Not to be confused
with eating disorders. 'We're not talking about bulimia, anorexia and other psychological
conditions,” he stresses. 'That's not my field.”
B. Dr Farzad Amirabdollahian, whose field is dietetics and human nutrition, and one of his
colleagues have so far carried out around 130 in-depth interviews with undergraduates of both
sexes. Between now and next April they hope to talk to another 270. 'That 400 will give us a really
strong idea of the trends in one university,” says Costa. 'From there, we hope to apply for a grant
and expand the study to two more.'
C. One university likely to be chosen for the study is Hertfordshire, where Amirabdollahian used to
work; the other is in North Wales, where Costa did research while also working as a dietician
elsewhere. 'The more I looked into the obesity epidemic, the more it became clear that there was a
lot of evidence about the dietary habits of children and adults, but very little in between,” he
explains. 'I knew that my diet changed when I first went to university and colleagues had told me
that it was the same for them. I thought it was time we looked at what living the student life is
doing to your body.'
D. As many as 50% of male students who have taken part in the survey seem to share with
contemporaries from all walks of life a susceptibility to the blandishments of men's magazines.
'They're very focused on their body image and not just to meet sporting needs,” says Costa. Does
he mean that they want to get rid of the burgeoning paunch and put on muscle to look good for
women? 'Yes, that's what the trend suggests. But instead of trying to achieve it through a balanced
diet as well as exercise, they're going for disordered eating - outside the norm, in other words.
They're spending their money on dietary supplements such as protein powders and amino acids.'
Any food to go with that? 'They tend to go for a lot of high-protein, low-fat meat, such as chicken
or turkey breast from the economy or frozen ranges. Fish and chips are also one of the fast-food
options for students who aren't in the habit of cooking healthy food. Oh yes, and egg whites,
without the yolks.' Fruit and veg? 'Very little.' This may, of course, be a phase that many of these
young men will grow out of. But if it continues, the consequences for their health could be serious.
'The liver and kidneys eventually struggle to break down an excess of protein,” Costa warns, 'so
liver and kidney failure is a distinct possibility in the long term. We've already seen that
phenomenon among body builders. They're also going to have a deficiency in good-quality fats.
That can ultimately lead to cardiac problems. And don't forget the mental issues that will arise for
those who fail to meet this idealized body image.' He would dearly love to involve psychologists
as the project expands and spreads. Not only to work with young men worried about their lack of
muscle, but also to find new ways of spreading the healthy-eating message across campuses.
'Posters don't seem to work,” he says.
E. The research, still in its early stages, already indicates a disinclination to buy what Costa calls
'proper food'. With the exception of mature students, cooking skills are low and consumption of
ready meals and takeaways high. Very few respondents are eating anywhere near the 'five-a-day'
fruit and vegetable intake recommended, he says. 'Females were better than males in that regard
and students in the health professions were well above average. But even among them, the average
was only four portions a day.' Admittedly we are talking about flats, bedsits and halls of residence
in Coventry rather than a Cambridge college. But the trend seems to be common to students of all
social backgrounds. 'Another finding from the early stages of our work is that parents' income and
education have no apparent influence on students' dietary choices,” says Costa. 'No matter if
you're rich or poor, university is a level playing field.' Well, when it comes to nutritional
standards, anyway.
Part 4: For questions 76-82, you are going to read an article about the social history of coffee
houses. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-H
the one which fits each gap. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
THE INTERNET IN A CUP
The Internet café is not such a new idea- something similar existed back in the seventeenth century
Where do you go when you want to know the latest news, keep up with celebrity gossip, find out what
others think of a new book, or stay abreast of the latest scientific and technological developments? Today,
the answer is obvious: you log on to the internet. Three centuries ago, the answer was just as easy: you
went to your favourite coffee house.
76.________
What's more, rumours, news and gossip were often carried between them by their patrons and runners
would flit from one to another to report major events. Each establishment was, therefore, an integral part
of quite a complex web of contacts. But of even greater importance was their role as centres of scientific
education, literary and philosophical speculation, commercial innovation and, sometimes, political
fermentation.
77.________
This reputation accompanied its spread into Europe during the seventeenth century, at first as a medicine,
and then as a social beverage in the eastern tradition. It was reflected in the decor of the dedicated coffee
houses that began to appear in European cities, London in particular, where they were often adorned with
bookshelves, mirrors, gilt-framed pictures and good furniture.
78.________
There was a new rationalism abroad in the spheres of both philosophy and commerce, and this ethos
struck exactly the right note, whilst coffee was the ideal accompaniment. The popularity of the beverage
owed much to the growing middle class of information workers - clerks, merchants and businessmen –
who did mental work in offices rather than performing physical labour in the open, and found that it
sharpened their mental faculties .
79.________
As with modern websites, the coffee houses an individual or group frequented reflected their interests, for
each coffee house attracted a particular clientele, usually by virtue of its location. Though coffee houses
were also popular in Paris, Venice and Amsterdam, this characteristic was particularly notable in London,
where eighty-two coffee houses had been set up by 1663, and more than five hundred by 1700. For many,
coffee houses had become almost an extension of the home.
80.________
That said, most people frequented several houses for the purpose of furthering their commercial, social or
political interests. A merchant, for example, would generally oscillate between a financial house and one
specializing in shipping or trade with a particular region. The wide-ranging interests of Robert Hooke, a
scientist and polymath, were reflected in his visits to around sixty houses during the 1670s. Not to visit
one at all was to invite social exclusion.
81.________
This is exactly the kind of threat that worries some people today about the power of social-networking
sites. Interestingly, a proclamation of 1675 that sought to outlaw the coffee houses of London was met by
a public outcry, for they had become central to commercial as well as political life. When it became clear
that the proclamation would be ignored, it was toned down and then quietly dropped.
82.________
But history also provides a cautionary tale for those operators who would charge for access. Coffee
houses used to charge for coffee, but gave away access to reading materials. Many coffee shops are now
following the same model, which could undermine the prospects for fee-based hotspots. Information, both
in the seventeenth century and today, wants to be free - and coffee-drinking customers, it seems, expect it
to be.
A. According to local custom, social differences were left at the door when you entered such a
scholarly space, each of those details contributing to an ambience that fostered sober, respectful
behaviour. Indeed, anyone who started a quarrel had to atone for it by buying a coffee for all
present. In short, these were calm, well-ordered establishments that promoted polite conversation
and discussion.
B. But that was a risk some were willing to take, for coffee houses did have their detractors. Coffee
itself was held by some to be a harmful substance, although this was never taken particularly
seriously. The real opposition came from those who were alarmed at the houses' potential for
facilitating political discussion and activity.
C. Coffee, the drink that fuelled this vibrant network, originated in the highlands of Ethiopia, where
its beans were originally chewed rather than infused for their invigorating effects. Coffee spread
into the Islamic world during the fifteenth century, where it came to be regarded as stimulating
mental activity and heightening perception.
D. In the days before formal addresses or regular postal services were introduced, for example, it
became a common practice to use one as a mailing address. Regulars could pop in once or twice a
day, hear the latest news, and check to see if any post awaited them.
E. Lavish entertainment at home was beyond the means of this social stratum but a few pence a day
on coffee could be afforded. What's more, coffee houses provided a forum for education, debate
and self-improvement, and were nicknamed 'penny universities' in a contemporary English verse.
F. Such kinship was soon underlined by the establishment of so-called 'hotspots'. What's more, from
the outset these often provided access in establishments where coffee was also on offer - this can't
have been a coincidence.
G. The parallels are certainly striking. Originally the province of scientists, the Net also soon grew to
become a nexus of commercial, journalistic and political interchange. In discussion groups, gossip
passes freely - a little too freely, according to some regulators and governments, which have
generally failed in their attempts to rein them in.
H. The quality of the coffee wasn't the only factor governing which one this would be, however, for
these lively and often unreliable sources of information typically specialized in a particular topic
or political viewpoint. They also doubled as outlets for a stream of newsletters and pamphlets that
reflected the interests of their particular clientele.
Question 90: Choose THREE letters A-F. Write your answer on your answer sheet. Which THREE
of the following are stated about psychologists involved in personality assessment?
A. “Depth” psychologists are better at it than some other kinds of psychologist.
B. Many of them accept that their conclusions are unreliable.
C. They receive criticism from psychologists not involved in the field.
D. They have made people realize how hard the subject is.
E. They have told people what not to do, rather than what they should do.
F. They keep changing their minds about what the best approaches are.
Questions 91-95: Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the Reading
Passage?
In boxes 91-95 on your answer sheet write:
YES if the statement agrees with the view of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is possible to say what the writer thinks about this
91. People often feel that they have been wrongly assessed.
92. Unscientific systems of personality assessment have been of some use.
93. People make false assumptions about the expertise of psychologists.
94. It is likely that some psychologists are no better than anyone else at assessing personality.
95. Research since 1940 has been based on acceptance of previous theories.
Part 2: (2,0 points) The table gives information about the percentages of mobile phone owners using
various mobile phone features. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Percentages of mobile phone owners using various mobile phone features
2006 2008 2010
Make calls 100 100 99
Take photos 66 71 76
Send& receive text messages 73 75 79
Play games 17 42 41
Search the Internet No data 41 73
Play music 12 18 26
Record video No data 9 35
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