Diagnostic Test I am seventeen and I am currently studying

music at sixth form college. I enjoy all types of music

A 1 C 9 A 17 A 25 A 33 A and I also play the piano, guitar and violin.
2 A 10 B 18 D 26 B 34 D I have no work experience in this area, but I have
3 C 11 A 19 A 27 D 35 C previously worked in my uncle’s bakery, so I am
4 B 12 C 20 D 28 C 36 D used to dealing with customers and handling cash. I
5 D 13 B 21 C 29 D 37 C feel I would be well suited to this position because I
6 B 14 D 22 B 30 A 38 A have a good knowledge of both modern and
7 D 15 C 23 A 31 C 39 C classical music.
8 C 16 B 24 C 32 B 40 B I am available for an interview any weekday
afternoon and I can be contacted by telephone on
B 1 B 9 C 17 D 25 C 33 B 020 34127856. I look forward to hearing from you.
2 A 10 B 18 B 26 D 34 D
3 D 11 A 19 C 27 B 35 A Yours faithfully,
4 D 12 C 20 D 28 A 36 C Tom Smith
5 A 13 D 21 A 29 C 37 B
6 C 14 D 22 C 30 C 38 C 2 (Suggested Answer)
7 B 15 C 23 B 31 B 39 A I dropped my suitcase on the floor of my hotel
8 D 16 A 24 D 32 C 40 D and sighed with relief. I had had an eventful morning
before getting there. My flight had arrived at
Barcelona Airport three hours previously and I was
making my way towards passport control when I got
Test 1 (Modules 1-2)
a nasty shock.
A 1 C 3 D 5 C 7 A 9 C I put my hand in my pocket to produce my
2 A 4 B 6 D 8 B 10 A passport but it wasn’t there! With rising alarm, I
searched my bag but again without success. I knew
B 1 C 3 A 5 D 7 D 9 A I had had it on the plane so I began to walk back the
2 D 4 C 6 A 8 B 10 C way I had come, hoping I would find it.
I was beginning to really panic, when I heard a
C 1 b 2 a 3 b 4 a 5 a gentle voice say, “Excuse me, Madam, but I think
this is yours.” I turned to see an air steward with my
D 1 C 2 C 3 A 4 C passport in his hand! “You dropped it as you were
leaving the plane,” he explained. “I had to run to
E 1 F 2 F 3 T 4 T catch you!”
I can’t say how relieved and grateful I felt to have
F 1 Both Asian and Western. my passport back. Once I reached the hotel, I stored
2 By fishing or making jewellery from seashells. it in the reception safe!

G 1 D 2 C 3 C 4 B 5 A
Test 2 (Modules 3-4)
H 1 (Suggested Answer)
A 1 B 3 C 5 A 7 A 9 C
Dear Sir/Madam,
2 D 4 D 6 C 8 B 10 A
I am writing to apply for the position of part-time
assistant at your music shop, which was
B 1 B 3 C 5 D 7 C 9 B
advertised in yesterday’s local newspaper. I am
2 D 4 C 6 A 8 C 10 C
interested in this job because I am looking for part-
time work so that I can start saving to cover my
C 1 a 2 a 3 b 4 b 5 a
university expenses next year.

D 1 D 2 D 3 B 4 C

1
E 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 F enjoyable activity, such as grooming their pet, could
simply become a burden. Consequently, the pet
F 1 They protect people living in coastal areas from may end up being given away to another home, or
the effects of extreme weather and tsunamis. worse, could become neglected.
2 It has improved and there are now mangrove On the other hand, caring for a pet can be
conservation schemes. character forming for children. They can develop a
sense of responsibility and learn important skills
G 1 B 2 A 3 C 4 A 5 D such as managing their time. In this way, pet
ownership helps them to mature more quickly.
H 1 (Suggested Answer) All in all, however, I feel that most young children
Childhood obesity is a growing problem in many would benefit from caring for a pet, but their parents
Western countries. So what can be done to deal should be prepared to help them look after it.
with this issue?
One way to reduce obesity would be to
increase the amount of exercise that children do at Test 3 (Modules 5-6)
school. For instance, doing a small workout each
A 1 C 3 D 5 C 7 A 9 A
morning before lessons began would ensure that
2 B 4 A 6 B 8 B 10 C
all children did some exercise each day.
Consequently, they would be less likely to gain
B 1 C 3 A 5 D 7 A 9 A
weight.
2 C 4 C 6 C 8 B 10 B
Secondly, parents could change their children’s
diets. For example, instead of serving fattening
C 1 b 2 a 3 a 4 a 5 b
food like pizza and chips, more fruit and
vegetables could be included in their daily menu.
D 1 C 2 B 3 A 4 A
This way, the amount of calories children consume
would be reduced.
E 1 T 2 F 3 F 4 F
Last but not least, children should be
encouraged to be more active in their free time. To
F 1 The effects of light on people and places.
give an example, playing outside instead of
2 He was insulted by the critic’s comments.
watching television would contribute towards
weight reduction and would have other health
G 1 D 2 C 3 C 4 D 5 A
benefits too.
In conclusion, I believe childhood obesity is a
H 1 (Suggested Answer)
problem that urgently needs to be tackled. It not
only causes problems for the young, but can also Stardust is a fantasy novel written by Neil
lead to health issues later in life. Gaiman. The story begins in an ordinary town in
England, but most of the action takes place in the
2 (Suggested Answer) magical kingdom of Faerie.
The main character is Tristran Thorn, a teenage
Many young children put pressure on their
boy who promises to find a fallen star for Victoria,
parents to get them a pet. However, in my opinion,
the girl he wants to marry one day. However, when
not all children are suited to taking care of an
Tristran finds the star, it is not just a lump of rock but
animal.
a beautiful woman called Yvaine. Tristran and
Firstly, looking after pets is time-consuming. For
Yvaine have many adventures on their journey
example, walking a dog could stop a child from
through Faerie, avoiding evil witches, murderous
doing their homework. As a result, they could fall
princes and flying pirates.
behind in their school lessons.
Stardust has an interesting plot, although the
Moreover, children may sometimes grow tired
characters are not that well developed, reminding
of the responsibility involved. Animals need
you more of standard fairy tale figures.
constant attention and what started out as an

2
Nevertheless, Neil Gaiman is an imaginative writer G 1 B 2 A 3 B 4 D 5 C
who creates plenty of suspense and keeps his
readers guessing until the end. H 1 (Suggested Answer)
In general, Stardust is a highly entertaining The purpose of this report is to suggest ways of
read. If you like adventure and fantasy, I would improving the school’s sports facilities.
definitely recommend it. In the first place, the basketball court is currently
in very poor condition. The surface has not been
2 (Suggested Answer) repaired for a number of years and is uneven. I
We all know that riding a bicycle is good for would recommend that the court is resurfaced so
your health, but what about using it as your only that the risk of a serious accident is reduced.
means of transport? Secondly, our gym equipment needs upgrading.
There are a number of advantages to riding a The climbing frame, for example, has several rungs
bicycle. Firstly, they do not produce poisonous missing, making it dangerous to use. Furthermore,
gases like cars do. This means that they are better there is a shortage of PE exercise mats, with some
for the environment. Moreover, a bicycle doesn’t students having to do without. If the gym is
use petrol, so it costs nothing to run. upgraded, the quality of PE lessons will improve.
Consequently, using it as your only means of Finally, the state of the showers and changing
transport saves you a lot of money. room is unsatisfactory. The lockers do not lock and
On the other hand, there are some the showers are dirty. I recommend employing extra
disadvantages to only using a bicycle. To begin cleaners and a handyman to correct the situation.
with, it is not convenient for carrying things. This By doing this, we show respect for the students’
could cause problems if you bought a lot of welfare.
shopping. Furthermore, cycling can be dangerous To conclude, if these recommendations are
in some situations. For example, if you had to use carried out, students will definitely be encouraged to
a busy road in bad weather, you would be safer participate more in sports and the school will project
travelling in a car. a better image.
All in all, there are both pros and cons to using
a bicycle as your only means of transport. I believe 2 (Suggested Answer)
it is up to each individual to decide whether it is the
right choice for them. Taking a gap year before university is becoming
more and more popular. In my opinion, it is an
excellent way to learn and gain experience.
In the first place, taking a gap year enables
Test 4 (Modules 7-8)
young people to see the world. This is a great
A 1 C 3 C 5 A 7 D 9 C opportunity to witness different cultures and meet
2 D 4 B 6 B 8 A 10 A people from all walks of life. In this way, young
people will learn to think about things from a
B 1 D 3 C 5 B 7 C 9 A different perspective.
2 A 4 A 6 C 8 B 10 D Secondly, a gap year is an opportunity for work
experience. Many young people choose to do
C 1 b 2 b 3 b 4 b 5 a charity work, which is not only beneficial for the
communities they help, but also teaches them
D 1 C 2 A 3 D 4 B valuable skills.
On the other hand, some people believe that
E 1 F 2 T 3 F 4 T taking a gap year will make young people lose the
desire to study. For instance, on returning from a
F 1 Their desert location. year abroad, a person might decide not to go to
2 Cereals, figs and grapes. university at all.

3
All in all, taking a gap year before university However, Internet shopping is not without its
could cause some young people to lose the drawbacks. For one thing, it is more difficult to return
motivation to study. However, I believe it is a a product purchased online. The process can take
valuable opportunity that should not be missed. up to two weeks, and the buyer is not usually
refunded the postage costs. Furthermore, buying
from websites may become addictive since the
Exit Test temptation to go online is there 24 hours a day.
All things considered, I believe the advantages of
A 1 D 3 A 5 D 7 D 9 A shopping online far outweigh the disadvantages.
2 C 4 D 6 A 8 B 10 D Provided we are reasonably careful, we can enjoy a
whole new shopping experience on the Web.
B 1 A 5 A 9 C 13 A 17 D
2 D 6 D 10 D 14 B 18 C 2 (Suggested Answer)
3 D 7 B 11 B 15 C 19 A
Sandy had just got home from school one
4 C 8 A 12 C 16 B 20 A
afternoon when she got a text message from her
best friend Sue. Opening her mobile phone, she
C 1 C 2 B 3 D 4 A
read: Please come round later and help me with the
English essay we have to write for tomorrow.
D 1 F 2 F 3 T 4 F
Sandy was surprised because Sue was top of
her class in English. She ate her lunch, did her
E 1 Whether the sentence was for 30 days or 30
homework and then told her mother she was going
years.
to visit Sue. After a short walk, she arrived and rang
2 It can indicate lack of support for certain
the doorbell. Sue’s mother opened the door. “Sorry,
individuals.
dear,” she said, “but Sue went out half an hour ago.
She said she was going to your house.”
F 1 C 2 A 3 D 4 D 5 C
Feeling extremely puzzled, Sandy returned
home. Her mother had gone out and the house was
G 1 (Suggested Answer)
in darkness. She was just entering the hall when all
If you ask most people these days whether they the lights came on and she saw party decorations
ever buy things on the Internet, the answer will and streamers everywhere! Then Sue and her other
usually be yes. So is online shopping a 21st friends suddenly appeared and shouted: “Happy
century convenience or something best avoided? birthday, Sandy!”
Shopping online has many advantages. One For a moment, Sandy was too amazed to speak.
main benefit is prices can be compared easily. For Then she burst out laughing and thanked everyone
example, the cost of a book can be checked by for the wonderful birthday surprise.
simply visiting a number of different sites that sell
it. This saves the trouble of walking round the
shops. Secondly, many online products are sold at
a discount. Therefore, shopping online can save
you money.