Name: …………………………………………………………………………

Date: ………………………………………………………………………….

Placement
Test

Version 1
This test is divided into two parts

Part A : Questions 1-40

Part B : Questions 41-60

Time: 40 minutes
 Part 1
Questions 1 – 5

 Where can you see these notices?

 For questions 1 to 5, mark one letter A, B or C on your Answer Sheet.

1 Please leave your A in a shop

room key at Reception. B in a hotel
C in a taxi

2 Foreign money A in a library

changed here B in a bank
C in a police station

3 A outside a theatre
AFTERNOON SHOW B outside a supermarket
BEGINS AT 2PM C outside a restaurant

CLOSED FOR HOLIDAYS

4 A at a travel agent’s
Lessons start again on B at a music school
the 8 th January C at a restaurant

5 Price per night: A at a cinema

B in a hotel
£10 a tent C on a camp-site

£5 a person

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Questions 6 – 10

 In this section you must choose the word which best fits each space in the text below.
 For questions 6 to 10, mark one letter A, B or C on your Answer Sheet.

Scotland

Scotland is the north part of the island of Great Britain. The Atlantic Ocean is on the west and the

North Sea on the east. Some people (6) .................. Scotland speak a different language called Gaelic.

There are (7) .................. five million people in Scotland, and Edinburgh is (8) .................. most

famous city.

Scotland has many mountains; the highest one is called ‘Ben Nevis’. In the south of Scotland, there are

a lot of sheep. A long time ago, there (9) .................. many forests, but now there are only a

(10) ................... .

Scotland is only a small country, but it is quite beautiful.

6 A on B in C at

7 A about B between C among

8 A his B your C its

9 A is B were C was

10 A few B little C lot

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Questions 11 – 20

 In this section you must choose the word which best fits each space in the texts.
 For questions 11 to 20, mark one letter A, B, C or D on your Answer Sheet.

Alice Guy Blaché

Alice Guy Blaché was the first female film director. She first became involved in cinema whilst

working for the Gaumont Film Company in the late 1890s. This was a period of great change in

the cinema and Alice was the first to use many new inventions, (11) .................. sound and colour.

In 1907 Alice (12) ................... to New York where she started her own film company. She was

(13) .................. successful, but, when Hollywood became the centre of the film world, the best

days of the independent New York film companies were (14) ................... . When Alice died in

1968, hardly anybody (15) .................. her name.

11 A bringing B including C containing D supporting

12 A moved B ran C entered D transported

13 A next B once C immediately D recently

14 A after B down C behind D over

15 A remembered B realised C reminded D repeated

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 UFOs – do they exist?

UFO is short for ‘unidentified flying object’. UFOs are popularly known as flying saucers,

(16) ................. that is often the (17) ................. they are reported to be. The (18) ..................

"flying saucers" were seen in 1947 by an American pilot, but experts who studied his claim

decided it had been a trick of the light.

Even people experienced at watching the sky, (19) ................. as pilots, report seeing UFOs. In

1978 a pilot reported a collection of UFOs off the coast of New Zealand. A television

(20) ................. went up with the pilot and filmed the UFOs. Scientists studying this

phenomenon later discovered that in this case they were simply lights on boats out fishing.

16 A because B therefore C although D so

17 A look B shape C size D type

18 A last B next C first D oldest

19 A like B that C so D such

20 A cameraman B director C actor D announcer

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Questions 21 – 40

 In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence.
 For questions 21 to 40, mark one letter A, B, C or D on your Answer Sheet.

21 The teacher encouraged her students .................... to an English pen-friend.

A should write B write C wrote D to write

22 They spent a lot of time .................... at the pictures in the museum.

A looking B for looking C to look D to looking

23 Shirley enjoys science lessons, but all her experiments seem to .................... wrong.

A turn B come C end D go

24 .................... from Michael, all the group arrived on time.

A Except B Other C Besides D Apart

25 She .................... her neighbour’s children for the broken window.

A accused B complained C blamed D denied

26 As I had missed the history lesson, my friend went ...................... the homework with me.

A by B after C over D on

27 Whether she’s a good actress or not is a .................... of opinion.

A matter B subject C point D case

28 The decorated roof of the ancient palace was .................... up by four thin columns.

A built B carried C held D supported

29 Would it .................... you if we came on Thursday?

A agree B suit C like D fit

30 This form .................... be handed in until the end of the week.

A doesn’t need B doesn’t have C needn’t D hasn’t got

31 If you make a mistake when you are writing, just .................... it out with your pen.

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 A cross B clear C do D wipe

32 Although our opinions on many things .................... , we’re good friends.

A differ B oppose C disagree D divide

33 This product must be eaten .................... two days of purchase.

A by B before C within D under

34 The newspaper report contained .................... important information.

A many B another C an D a lot of

35 Have you considered .................... to London?

A move B to move C to be moving D moving

36 It can be a good idea for people who lead an active life to increase their .................... of vitamins.

A upturn B input C upkeep D intake

37 I thought there was a ..................... of jealousy in his reaction to my good fortune.

A piece B part C shadow D touch

38 Why didn’t you ..................... that you were feeling ill?

A advise B mention C remark D tell

39 James was not sure exactly where his best interests ..................... .

A stood B rested C lay D centred

40 He’s still getting .................... the shock of losing his job.

A across B by C over D through

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 Part 2

Questions 41 – 50

 In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best fits each space in the
texts.
 For questions 41 to 50, mark one letter A, B, C or D on your Answer Sheet.

The tallest buildings - SKYSCRAPERS

Nowadays, skyscrapers can be found in most major cities of the world. A building which was many

(41) ……………….. high was first called a skyscraper in the United States at the end of the 19th

century, and New York has perhaps the (42) ……………….. skyscraper of them all, the Empire

State Building. The (43) ……………….. beneath the streets of New York is rock,

(44) ……………….. enough to take the heaviest load without sinking, and is therefore well-suited

to bearing the (45) ……………….. of tall buildings.

41 A stages B steps C storeys D levels

42 A first-rate B top-class C well-built D best-known

43 A dirt B field C ground D soil

44 A hard B stiff C forceful D powerful

45 A weight B height C size D scale

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 SCRABBLE

Scrabble is the world’s most popular word game. For its origins, we have to go back to the 1930s in

the USA, when Alfred Butts, an architect, found himself out of (46) ……………….. . He decided

that there was a (47) ………………. for a board game based on words and (48) ………………. to

design one. Eventually he made a (49) ………………. from it, in spite of the fact that his original

(50) ………………. was only three cents a game.

46 A earning B work C income D job

47 A market B purchase C commerce D sale

48 A took up B set out C made for D got round

49 A wealth B fund C cash D fortune

50 A receipt B benefit C profit D allowance

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Questions 51 – 60

 In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence.
 For questions 51 to 60, mark one letter A, B, C or D on your Answer Sheet.

51 Roger’s manager ................... to make him stay late if he hadn’t finished the work.

A insisted B warned C threatened D announced

52 By the time he has finished his week’s work, John has hardly ................... energy left for the
weekend.

A any B much C no D same

53 As the game .................... to a close, disappointed spectators started to leave.

A led B neared C approached D drew

54 I don’t remember .................... the front door when I left home this morning.

A to lock B locking C locked D to have locked

55 I .................... to other people borrowing my books: they always forget to return them.

A disagree B avoid C dislike D object

56 Andrew’s attempts to get into the swimming team have not .................... with much success.

A associated B concluded C joined D met

57 Although Harry had obviously read the newspaper article carefully, he didn’t seem to have
.................... the main point.

A grasped B clutched C clasped D gripped

58 A lot of the views put forward in the documentary were open to .................... .

A enquiry B query C question D wonder

59 The new college .................... for the needs of students with a variety of learning
backgrounds.

A deals B supplies C furnishes D caters

60 I find the times of English meals very strange – I’m not used ..................... dinner at 6pm.

A to have B to having C having D have

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