Straightforward Upper Intermediate and Advanced

Placement test
The Straightforward Upper Intermediate and Advanced Placement test has been designed to
help you decide whether the Straightforward Upper Intermediate course would be suitable for
your students or whether they would qualify for using the Straightforward Advanced Course.
The Straightforward test has 50 questions, each worth one point. The first 40 are grammar
questions and the final 10 are vocabulary questions. The conversion chart below has been
designed to assist you in making your decision but please note, however, that these bandings
are a guide.
Total score
0 35
36 50

Level
Upper Intermediate
Advanced

This test can also be used to diagnose the grammar of the Upper Intermediate level that your
students need clarification on.

Grammar
1

She ____ obsessed with rock climbing at a young age.

a becomes
b became
c has become
d would become
Hes not a stamp collector, ___?
a was he
b wasnt he
c is he
d isnt he
How long ____ you had this car?
a did
b do
c have
d were
____ anyone get hurt?
a did
b were
c have
d had
He ____ about birds. It drives me mad!
a forever talk
b is forever talking
c will forever be talking
d has forever been talking
She keeps ____ her things all around the place which is so annoying.
a to leave
b leaves
c leave
d leaving
He ____ me to the first game when I was only 6.
a used to take
b would take

Unit 1A

Unit 1A

Unit 1B

Unit 1B

Unit 2A

Unit 2A

Unit 2C

Straightforward Second edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012

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c took
d has taken
At first I ____ starting work so early but this has changed.
a didn't use to
b wouldn't
c didn't have to
d wasn't used to
My new PC, ____ I bought last week, has already broken down.
a that
b which
c whose
d
I'd like to see the photos ____ you took on holiday.
a who
b whose
c where
d
People __________ from the illness find it difficult to relax.
a suffered
b suffering
c who suffering
d were suffering
You'd better take your coat ____ the weather gets worse.
a in case
b otherwise
c so that
d in order to
She did a course in confidence building ____ overcome her phobia
a so that
b in order to
c although
d in case
He ____ a therapist for several years after he left school.
a has seen
b has been seeing
c saw
d used to seeing
She ____ much better since she left the hospital last week.
a is feeling
b feels
c felt
d has been feeling
He realized that he ____ his car keys in the office.
a left
b has left
c had left
d was leaving
We couldn't fall asleep because our neighbours ____ a lot of noise.
a made
b had made
c have made
d were making
____ plans you might have for the weekend, you'll have to change them.
a Wherever
b Whovever
c Whatever
d However
They ____ out for a few years before they decided to get married.
a had gone

Unit 2D

Unit 3B

Unit 3B

Unit 3C

Unit 4A

Unit 4A

Unit 4B

Unit 4B

Unit 5A

Unit 5A

Unit 5B

Unit 5C

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b have been going

c were going
d had been going
You won't pass the exam ____ you start revising immediately.
a as long as
b provided
c unless
d if
We wouldn't have missed the bus if you ____ to chat with Mary!
a didn't stop
b hadn't stopped
c don't stop
d wouldn't have stopped
The party was so boring I wish I ____ there at all.
a hadn't gone
b wouldn't go
c haven't gone
d didn't go
If only you ____ more time to spend with the family.
a would have
b have had
c had
d have
Oh, you're busy? I ____ you later, OK?
a am calling
b call
c have called
d will call
By the time the guests arrive, we ____ everything for the party.
a will be preparing
b will have prepared
c prepare
d have prepared
During the next meeting we ____ about setting goals
.
a are talking
b will have talked
c will be talking
d talk
I can't find my keys. I ____ them.
a may lose
b must lost
c might have lost
d should have lost
The police stopped us and said we ____ to enter the building.
a can't
b couldn't
c didn't allow
d weren't allowed
Admission was free so we ____ any tickets.
a needn't buy
b mustn't buy
c didn't need to buy
d mustn't have bought
I'm not sure if you're aware ____ the risk.
a of
b to
c at
d in
The horror movie wasn't just frightening! It was ____ terrifying!

Unit 6A

Unit 6A

Unit 6B

Unit 6B

Unit 7B

Unit 7C

Unit 7C

Unit 8B

Unit 8C

Unit 8C

Unit 9B

Unit 9C

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a extremely
b absolutely
c very
d fairly
____ the weather was horrible, we decided to go out for a short walk.
a Even though
b However
c In spite of
d Despite
We should remind _____ to be thankful for all that we have.
a us
b
c ourselves
d we
His father asked Dan where ____ all day.
a had he been
b was he
c he had been
d he has been
She advised him ______ sun cream.
a putting
b put on
c to putting on
d to put on
She was only 19 when she sailed across ____ Atlantic.
a a
b an
c the
d
Your leg could be broken so you must have ____ X-ray.
a a
b an
c the
d
The square was ____ crowded we couldn't pass.
a so
b such
c very
d as
Two climbers are reported to ____ during the storm last night.
a die
b have died
c had died
d died
I'll need to have the stairs ____.
a renovate
b renovating
c to renovate
d renovated

Unit 9D

Unit 10A

Unit 10B

Unit 10C

Unit 11A

Unit 11C

Unit 11D

Unit 12B

Unit 12C

Vocabulary
41 I only paid 20 for this jacket! It was a real ____.
a buy
b price
c bargain
d sale
42 Jane is always poking her nose in other people's business. She's so ____!
a inquisitive
b obedient
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c playful
d unreliable
As far as I'm ____, I do not support the new government.
a matter
b referred
c according
d concerned
The window ____ was really imaginative.
a exhibition
b display
c collection
d vision
She ____ the sack last week and is now looking for a new job.
a did
b made
c took
d got
She doesn't ____ of my decision.
a agree
b approve
c accept
d support
During his stay in Indonesia he went ____ with malaria.
a up
b off
c down
d over
When the customs officers found some illegal goods hidden in the car, he was arrested for
____.
a assault
b mugging
c hijacking
d smuggling
I can't move the sofa. Could you ____ me a hand with it, please?
a give
b get
c take
d borrow
I couldn't get in ____ with you all week! Where have you been?
a contact
b call
c touch
d talk
The country would be more successful if it _____ better use of women at work.
makes
a would have made
b is making
c made
d makes
I _____ if I hadn't been asked.
a had gone
b wouldn't go
c was gone
d didnt go

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53 If he hadn't been drunk, he _____ control of the car.

a wouldn't have lost
b hadn't lost
c wouldn't lose
d hasn't lost
54 1. "He will come tomorrow".
a She told me that he ________ tomorrow.
b is coming
c will come
d would come
55 "I am happy".
a She told me that she ________ happy.
b has been
c is
d was
56 "I am flying to India tomorrow".
a He told me that he ________ tomorrow.
b is flying
c was flying
d will fly
57 I have to have this report finished _____.
a by Friday
b until Friday
c Friday before
d Friday beginning
58 It is already 3 o'clock. Can you _____ time to catch the bus?
a have enough
b have it in
c make in
d make it in
59 It _____ to me whether we meet them or not.
a makes no difference
b makes not a difference
c is indifferent
d is not a difference
60 How long did the baseball game _____?
a last
b endure
c survive
d continue

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The holiday flight

I am not a good traveler. I suffer from car sickness, sea sickness and air sickness. Sometimes I feel ill
when I am riding a bicycle! Therefore I was hesitant before I accepted an invitation from my sister, Lucy,
to join her for a holiday in Hawaii. The problem was the six hour flight from Tokyo. On the other hand, I
had not seen Lucy for nearly two years, and a holiday in Hawaii was very attractive. We met up in Narita
Airport. The flight took off, and I experienced the usual queasy feeling in my stomach. I had taken some
travel sickness pills but these never seem to do the ticket for me. I missed lunch and settled into my seat
to try to sleep.
About four hours into the flight, I was woken by some violent bouncing. The flight attendants were
hurrying through the plane, telling people to sit down quickly and to fasten their seatbelts. Then suddenly
the plane seemed to fall out of the sky. We must have dropped several thousand metres. I was thrown into
the air before my seatbelt pulled me back again. The cabin lights went out and many people started
screaming.
It seemed like ages, but was probably only few seconds before the plane was under control again.
There were still some bumps, but nothing as bad as before. My heart was pounding and I was very, very
sick..
A few minutes later, the pilots calm voice came over the intercom. Ladies and gentlemen, he said, I
am afraid we hit some unexpected and severe turbulence. We shall continue to Honolulu and expect to
arrive there on schedule in a little over one hours time. Please keep your seatbelts fastened at all times
for the rest of the flight.
We reached Honolulu safely and had a good holiday, but I will never forget that flight.
61 After reading, we can know Narita Airport is in _________.
A. in Hawaii B. in Honolulu C. in Tokyo D. It cant be known from the passage.
62 In the passage the word age means ________.
a length of time a person has lived
b later part of life
c period
d very long time
63 From the passage, we know how long it took the writer to make her journey to Hawaii? _______
A. about 6 hours B. about 7 hours C. 5 hours D. 8 hours
64 From the passage we cant infer ___________.
a The writer missed her sister very much.
b The writer and her sister left Tokyo for Honolulu together.
c On the plane the writer missed her lunch because of the pills.
d The plane was under control in seconds.
65 Which of the following shows the right order of what happened to the writer? _______
1) The writer fell asleep.
2) The writer suffered the queasy feeling in her stomach.
3) There were some bumps on the plane.
4) A violent turbulence hit the plane.
5) The writer was thrown into the air.

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66 Writing task 1
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
A persons worth nowadays seems to be judged according to social status and material
possessions. Old-fashioned values, such as honour, kindness and trust, no longer seem
important.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Straightforward Second edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012

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