Channel your English Upper-Intermediate - Test Booklet

Test 13-15

Listening (10 marks)

You will hear a doctor giving a lecture on the dangers of being exposed to too much
noise. For Questions 1-5, complete the sentences.

More than a third of the (1) __________________ can have their sleep interrupted.
If you can't hear someone who is less than (2) __________________ away from you clearly,
then your environment could be considered noisy.
Workers who work in very noisy circumstances for more than (3) __________________ years
usually have high blood pressure.
The noise level of low-flying aircraft is equal to the noise level in a (4) __________________.
Installing double-glazing and buying quiet (5) __________________ are good ways to reduce
noise.

reading (10 marks)

You are going to read an article about writing. Four paragraphs have been removed
from the article. Choose the most suitable paragraph from the list A-E for each part (1-4)
of the article. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

A Still, literacy is a hot topic worldwide. Even today, in some developing

countries, around 80% of the population is illiterate. The reasons for this may
be social, financial or psychological, and despite the systematic attempts that
have been made, the results are not particularly encouraging.

B Learning how to read is a complex process and also one that keeps causing a
lot of disagreement among teachers. This is basically due to the fact that there
are about nine commonly recognised methods of teaching reading. They
include whole-word, whole language, global and 'look-and-say'.

C Other such languages include musical and mathematical symbols, diagrams,

road signs and computer screen icons. This symbolic system of communication

has been around for centuries.

D The ability to read and write does not come easily to everyone. There's a small
percentage of people who find it very difficult to eventually become fluent readers
and writers. And whether we like it or not, it is a tough world for those who are not
literate. From shopping lists to legal contracts, reading and writing are at the heart
of our society.

E At any airport, for instance, you'll see mostly symbols aimed at travellers who
speak any language. They include the phone symbol or a knife and fork to
indicate restaurant services.
 The art of written communication
We learn how to speak long before we can read and write; most people are between six and
seven when they first attempt to learn these skills. According to statistics, we have some 4000
words in our vocabulary by the age of six, whereas we can only read about 600. But how do
we come to eventually learn how to read and write with reasonable ease?

(1) _______________________________________________________________________
Nowadays, however, most teachers use a combination of these approaches, which can
roughly be divided into two main systems. One considers letters to be the units of written
language and attempts to teach children to combine speech sounds with graphic symbols (e.g.
'b'-'ball'). The other regards words as the basic unit of language. Regardless of the teaching
method teachers apply, one thing is certain: learning how to read and write is easier said than
done.

(2) _______________________________________________________________________
Research into the field has shown that because society is getting increasingly complex, the
need for higher levels of literacy is also increasing. For some people, such as the Japanese,
for example, achieving a high level of literacy is like trying to hit a moving target, since they
have to master about 2000 symbols.

(3) _______________________________________________________________________
In a world like ours, where the written word seems to have triumphed, literacy seems like a
must. On the other hand, though, much communication today works through symbols, not
letters.

(4) _______________________________________________________________________
Specialists claim that a universal symbolic system of communication may have to be devised
to help people understand each other more easily. But can this become a reality? Not really.
Such a system will automatically involve excluding all sound from speech, which is impossible.
In the future, as in the past, communication will still combine both symbols and sounds.

Use of English (30 marks)

1. Complete the blanks with the correct form of the words in capitals.

1. The dress Fiona wore to the wedding was totally _____________ APPROPRIATE
for the occasion.
2. Have you seen the _____________ at The Hours gallery? EXHIBIT
3. John gets very _____________ when you criticise his work. DEFEND
4. Don't worry about _____________ details; try to concentrate RELEVANT
on what's important.
5. 72% of the students are _____________ with the food that's SATISFY
served in the school cafeteria, and only 28% are happy with it.
6. In the past, a large part of the population was _____________; now LITERATE
most people can both read and write.
7. My job is very _____________ but I find that doing yoga after STRESS
work helps me relax.
8. Sylvia has just started working as a mystery shopper and
she has her first _____________ tomorrow. ASSIGN
9. Pets are such a _____________! COMMIT
10. Useful information was collected through close _____________ of OBSERVE
 the animals' behaviour.
2. Read the text below and choose the best word a, b or c for each blank.

Julia Woodward was voted 'Businesswoman of the Year' in 2002. She is the chairperson of
the Woodward Foundation and is one of the most famous and wealthy women in business
today! However, her (1) __________ didn't come easily. She knows what it is like to work
hard to get the (2) __________ light for a project and then to work even harder to make it a
success. Here is some of her advice about how to become successful and get rich: 'When I
started in the business world, I realised I had to dress for success so I spent my first salary
on clothes and accessories (3) __________ order to look successful. The bottom
(4) __________ is that you should invest time and money into things that you will benefit
from'. Julia also advises people to open bank (5) __________ and start saving money so that
they won't have to (6) __________ if they find themselves out of work. She says 'You should
have enough money (7) __________ your disposal to pay the (8) __________ and buy the
basics. According to Julia, people should also think beyond their salaries. They should
(9) __________ their own money-making opportunities. Finally, she advises people to
(10) __________ their sights higher. She explains: 'The wealthiest families didn't get where
they are today on their salaries, but by investing wisely.'

1. a. promotions b. motivations c. achievements

2. a. green b. red c. black
3. a. in b. on c. of
4. a. point b. line c. part
5. a. bills b. cheques c. accounts
6. a. worry b. care c. trouble
7. a. in b. to c. at
8. a. receipts b. bills c. charges
9. a. cause b. create c. provoke
10. a. set b. sit c. send

3. Choose a, b or c to complete the sentences.

1. The patient was first taken to General Hospital but was later __________ to Memorial
Hospital.
a. transmitted b. transferred c. transported
2. I am very __________ to find out if I have passed my oral exam.
a. anxious b. worried c. nervous
3. Rumour __________ it that you’re going to get promoted. Is it true?
a. gets b. brings c. has
4. They estimated the __________ of the flood damage at 2000.
a. value b. cost c. price
5. The weather has __________. I think we can go camping tomorrow.
a. cleared up b. come clean c. broken through
6. Our teacher __________ that students who work hard throughout the year do better in
their final exams.
a. pointed out b. picked out c. put out
7. As residents of the town, we would like to __________ our concern about the lack of
seats in the public park.
a. reveal b. express c. indicate
8. I really didn't feel like going to the theatre, but Jerry __________.
a. set my sights high b. talked me into it c. breathed down my neck
 9. My sister's heading off to Paris for the weekend and I'm absolutely ________ with envy.
a. blue b. green c. red
10. Do you think I'd be __________ my luck if I asked Ms Collins to give me a couple of days
more to finish my project?
a. pulling b. forcing c. pushing

Writing (10 marks)

Write an essay on the advantages and disadvantages of being rich and famous. Your
essay must be between 120 and 180 words.

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