Professional Documents
Culture Documents
READING TEST
PRACTICE PAPER
TIME ALLOWED 90 MINUTES
You need
An answer sheet
A Pencil
INSTRUCTIONS
Select the correct answer and then mark your selection on your answer sheet
Page 1 of 14
Part One
Read the text and then select the best heading (A, B, C or D) for each
paragraph from the options given on the following page. Mark your answers on
your answer sheet.
TRAVEL TIPS
1.
When you change money, ask for some small notes or loose
change. Petty cash will be handy for tipping and public
transportation. Consider keeping the change separate from your
larger notes, so its readily accessible and youll be less of a
target for theft. Try to spend your coins before you go home as
many banks will only exchange notes.
2.
Check your existing insurance policies and credit card cover before you buy travel
insurance. You may already be covered for lost luggage, cancelled tickets or medical
expenses. The price of travel insurance varies widely, depending on the length of
your trip, your age, health and the type of trip you are taking.
3.
Rather than book a flight through a travel agency, many people
nowadays save money by booking online. Its a good idea to
check out airline websites. By booking directly through the
airline you can avoid a travel agencys transaction fee. Great
last-minute deals are available through free weekly email
services provided directly by the airlines.
4.
Travellers these days have many ways to check email and access the Internet on the
road. Of course, using your own laptop gives the most flexibility but other options,
such as cybercafs or hotel business centres, are widely available. You can also
access the Internet in some tourist information centres, though their fees are usually
higher than those in cybercafs.
5.
Tie a colourful ribbon or a strip of fabric around your luggage
handle, or put a distinctive sticker on the side of your bag. This
makes it less likely that someone will take your luggage by
mistake. Also if your bag gets lost, it will be easier to find. One
major airport in the UK currently has a lost bag ratio of 16 bags
per 1000 customers.
Page 2 of 14
A
B
C
D
Exchange Rates
Small Change
Bus Fare
Local Banks
2.
A
B
C
D
Credit Cards
Lost Luggage
Medical Expenses
Travel insurance
3.
A
B
C
D
Travel Agencies
Expensive Airlines
Cheaper Flights
Email Services
4.
A
B
C
D
How it used to be
Tourist Information Centres
The 21st century Traveller
Higher Fees
5.
A
B
C
D
Distinctive Luggage
Travelling Light
Mistaken Identity
Excess Baggage
(5 marks)
Page 3 of 14
Part Two
Read Travel Tips again and select True (A), False (B) or Not Mentioned in Text
(C). Mark your answers on your answer sheet.
6.
You are advised to keep notes and coins in the same place.
A = True
B = False
C = Not mentioned in text
7.
8.
You should buy your travel insurance when you book your flight.
A = True
B = False
C = Not mentioned in text
9.
Page 4 of 14
Part Three
Pick the word closest in meaning to these words from TRAVEL TIPS. Mark
your answers (A, B, C or D) on your answer sheet.
16. handy
A
B
C
D
useless
expensive
useful
cheap
17. varies
A
B
C
D
differs
costs
increases
decreases
18. provided
A
B
C
D
supplied
shown
sold
prevented
19. options
A
B
C
D
ideas
offices
places
choices
20. currently
A
B
C
D
presently
usually
seldom
only
(5 marks)
Page 5 of 14
Part Four
Fill in the gaps in the conversation by selecting the correct answer (A, B, C or
D). Mark your answers on your answer sheet.
Hi Lisa. Its nice to see you again. What 21 __________________?
21. A
B
do you do
have you done
C
D
will you do
are you doing
23
22. A
B
I waited
Ive been waiting
C
D
I wait
Im waiting
23. A
B
I have seen
I havent seen
C
D
I see
I saw
24
I came back
Id come back
25. A
B
Page 6 of 14
C
D
26. A
B
Ive wanted
Ill want
C
D
I want
I wanted
27. A
B
C
D
Ive applied to Trinity but I havent heard from them yet. What about
you? How come youre waiting for a bus? Is your car off the road?
Im fixing it
Im having it fixed
C
D
I fixed it
I had it fixed
29. A
B
I took
I have been taking
C
D
shall be
should be
C
D
can be
would be
(10 marks)
Page 7 of 14
Part Five
Read this text about Walking. Fill the numbered gaps by selecting A, B, C or D.
Mark your answers on your answer sheet.
If you want to get 31 ______________fit but dont fancy spending hours in a gym,
walking is probably the safest exercise you 32 _______________do. Studies have
shown that due to the design of our body, walking is more natural
33
the body as other exercises. While walking is easier on your body, it can be just
34
_____________ keep your head up and your spine straight and look straight
ahead. Keep your arms and shoulders loose although you 37 ________________look
down occasionally to avoid possible road obstacles. To get the most out of your walk
you 38 __________________keep a brisk pace. If you find it difficult to breathe easily,
slow down you 39 _____________be walking 40 _____________________.
Page 8 of 14
A
B
C
D
myself
oneself
yourself
yourselves
36.
A
B
C
D
can
must
will
wont
32.
A
B
C
D
will
would
can
must
37.
A
B
C
D
would
wouldnt
should
shouldnt
33.
A
B
C
D
than
as
that
to
38.
A
B
C
D
would
wouldnt
should
shouldnt
34.
A
B
C
D
better than
very beneficial
beneficial as
as beneficial as
39.
A
B
C
D
must
mustnt
should
would
35.
A
B
C
D
must
should
wont
will
40.
A
B
C
D
too fast
faster
as fast
fast enough
(10 marks)
Page 9 of 14
Part Six
In the following sentences one of the words underlined needs to be replaced
by another word or words. Select the word that needs to be replaced A, B, C or
D) and mark your answers on your answer sheet.
41. If I A had realised it B was raining, I C will have D brought an umbrella.
42. You A have B better hurry C up or you Dwill miss the train.
43. Yesterday A was her birthday B because I C made her a D delicious birthday cake.
44. The food in A that new restaurant was B so awful C that I D cant eat it.
45.
When we landed B at Gatwick airport, John C has D already arrived to meet us.
(5 marks)
Page 10 of 14
Part Seven
Read this article on the sun and the stars. Then read each statement on the
following page and decide whether they are true (A) false (B) or not mentioned
in the text (C). Mark your answers on your answer sheet.
Sun and Stars
From the earliest times, men have seen patterns in the
stars. The ancient Greeks grouped the stars into
constellations named after legendary heroes. A few
constellations such as Orion do look something like the
people they are supposed to represent, but most need a
great deal of imagination.
In addition, the stars are never motionless in space but
move through it at tremendous speed. Because the universe is slowly expanding, the
patterns made by the stars slowly change over time. Two thousand years ago the
Plough constellation probably looked more like a plough than it does today.
Many stars turn out to be not just single objects but clusters
of several stars. One of the finest star clusters is the
Pleiades. When you first count the members of this group
you will probably manage only six or seven but on very
clear nights this number can increase to twelve or thirteen.
A really large telescope will reveal the two hundred and
more stars in this cluster.
Our sun is a star, approximately 1.4 million kilometres in
diameter. A star produces its own energy by nuclear
fusion and so gives off light and heat. The temperature at
the suns surface is 5,500 degrees centigrade and at its
core is an unbelievable 15 million degrees centigrade.
The atmospheric pressure of the sun is 250 billion times
that of the earth. The sun will continue to burn for at least
another 5000 million years. The sun will actually become
brighter in time, as it continues to burn.
We like to think our sun is special but it is really just an average star. The bright star
Betelgeuse in Orion is about a thousand times the size of the sun.
Page 11 of 14
Page 12 of 14
Part Eight
Read the following newspaper article on Pollution and answer the questions on
the next page by selecting A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on your answer
sheet.
Pollution
Since 1950, it is estimated that humankind has produced more pollution than in all its
previous history. Pollution was thought to be a local problem. People were used to
the idea that private citizens or companies could pollute their local environment with
loud noise, smelly industry or whatever. Now, people are more aware that pollution
can, and does, occur on a global scale. We are all aware of the effects of carbon
dioxide emissions on our global weather systems the global warming or
greenhouse effect. Pollution affects us all, no matter which country we live in.
In the late 1980s, many people in Europe began to become increasingly worried
about chemicals that affected the ozone layer of our atmosphere. These chemicals
were chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs as they became commonly known. These CFCs
were widely used in aerosols such as deodorants, cleaning polishes and in
refrigerators and these polluting chemical gases escaped into the atmosphere. CFCs
are dangerous because they damage the ozone layer that filters out harmful ultraviolet, or UV, radiation from sunlight.
The unusual thing about this pollution is that its effects were not at first noticed in the
parts of the world where the pollution actually took place. CFCs released into the
atmosphere in London seemingly did not affect the ozone layer above it; indeed the
effects were not noticeable in the UK or even in Europe for a time. The CFCs were
carried by the winds and only gradually worked their way into the upper atmosphere.
So, pollution emitted in the UK or Japan or Brazil could end up causing a problem
across the other side of the globe.
The most extreme loss of ozone occurs over the North and South Poles, and of these
two areas, the greatest loss of ozone occurs over the Antarctic or South Pole. From
1978, when records first began, these ozone holes have grown bigger year after
year despite the fact that most nations have banned the use of these chemicals.
The danger in this reduction in the ozone layer is that it allows more UV radiation
through to ground level damaging plants, animals and humans. This damage can
result in the increase in skin cancer in humans, one of the most serious diseases in
the industrialised countries. In both the UK and Australia, this disease is on the
increase and it is best to listen to the official government advice to keep out of the
sun, or keep covered up and wear a strong sun blocker on areas of exposed skin.
Page 13 of 14
It is a global problem.
Its effects are not always felt at its source.
It effects are immediate.
It causes problems in the UK.
59. What single word could replace the words underlined in the fourth paragraph?
A
B
C
D
however
although
because
therefore
the planet
animals
plants
humans
(5 marks)
Page 14 of 14