PLACEMENT TEST

READING PASSAGE 1 (10 mins)

VENUS
The planet Venus, named after the Roman goddess of love, is the second closest planet to the Sun
(Mercury is the closest), and the second brightest natural object in the night sky (after the Moon).

From Earth, Venus is brightest just after sunset and just before dawn. Because of this, the planet is
often known as the Morning Star or the Evening Star. Venus is also sometimes known as the Earth's sister,
because both planets share similarities in terms of size - Venus's surface area and volume are just a little
smaller than Earth's. However, scientists believe that, several billion years ago. Venus and Earth were
much more similar than they are today. Back then. Venus' atmosphere was more like Earth's, and there
was almost certainly water in liquid form on the surface. Over time, Venus became hotter, and this water
evaporated. Today, the planet's surface is a drydusty desert.

Above the ground on Venus are sulphuric acid clouds. These thick clouds prevent the surface of the
planet being seen from Earth. Indeed, it is only in the last few decades that scientists have discovered what
the surface of the planet is really like. In the early 1990s, NASA's Magellan spacecraft mapped the surface
of Venus In detail for the first time. Its radar images of hills, ridges and craters are almost photographic in
their quality.

Question 1-3
Which THREE of the following statements are true, according to the reading passage?
A. The Moon is the brightest natural object in the night sky.
B. From Earth, Venus is at its brightest in the middle of the night.
C. Venus is a slightly larger planet than Earth.
D. Venus atmosphere has changed greatly over billions of years.
E. A telescope is required to see Venus' surface from Earth.
F. Scientists now have a detailed map of the surface of Venus.
G. The surface of Venus is almost completely flat.

Question 4-10
Complete the sentences
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
4. The ancient Romans had a …………………………… called Venus.
5. Only ……………………………. is closer to the Sun than Venus.
6. Venus has been called the ……………………….., the Morning Star and the Evening Star.
7. It is highly likely that there was …………………………….. on Venus in the past.
8. Venus is a much …………………….. planet than it used to be.
9. Venus’s thick clouds are made of ……………………
10. The spacecraft Magellan used ……………………… to create pictures of the surface of Venus.
READING PASSAGE 2 (15 mins)

SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
In 1908, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes became the first scientist to produce liquid helium, achieving the
lowest temperatures recorded up to that point. A number of researchers had suggested that materials
behaved differently at very low temperatures, and this substance was important in allowing experiments
that confirmed it. Working with solid mercury, Onnes demonstrated the phenomenon of superconductivity.
This is when the electrical resistance of the metal drops suddenly to zero. No energy is lost as an electric
current travels through the material, making it very efficient for storing or transmitting power. Since the work
done by Onnes, other superconducting materials have been discovered that can be used at higher
temperatures and which are therefore more economical.

There are a number of practical applications of superconducting materials. Many of these

applications are based on the fact that the materials can be made into extremely powerful electromagnets.
These are used in scientific experiments to direct beams of particles. They also form part of maglev trains -
trains that float a small distance above the rails because of magnetic forces. Because there is no contact
between the train and the rail, this form of transport is capable of very high speeds, although it is unlikely to
be in widespread use until costs drop considerably.

Question 11-15
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
TRUE  if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE  if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN  if there is no information on this

11. Many people had tried to produce liquid helium before Onnes. ……………………..
12. Onnes was the only scientist interested in very low temperatures. ……………………..
13. Liquid helium was used for science at very low temperatures. ……………………..
14. Only metals can be used as superconductors. ……………………..
15. Superconductors that work at higher temperatures are more expensive. ……………………..

Question 16-20
Complete the summary of the second paragraph.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS front the passage for each answer.

Superconductors are used in a variety of contexts. Very (16) ………………………………. can be

made out of superconducting materials and scientists use them in (17) ……………………… In transport,
maglev trains rely on the (18) ……………………… produced in superconductors to raise the train above the
rails, the lack of (19) ………………….. meaning that high velocities can be reached. The
(20) …………………….. of maglev systems limit their use.
LISTENING SECTION 1 (10 mins)
Question 1-6
Complete the notes below using words from the below.

Grey Castle Central Gardens Green Hall Queen's Park Farmer's Market

1. Places open all day Friday: ………………………. and Central Gardens.

2. Places the school has visited before: ………………………. and Queen’s Park.

3. Places with organised tours: ……………………….. and Grey Castle.

4. Places that charge for admission: ……………………….. and Green Hall.

5. Places where booking is required: ……………………….. and Central Gardens.

6. Places chosen for the trip: ………………………... and Grey Castle.

Question 7-10

Choose the correct letter, A, B, or C.

7. Before the trip, pupils will:

A. have special lessons.
B. read some information.
C. write an essay.
8. During the trip, pupils will be asked to:
A. take notes for an essay.
B. write a quiz for other pupils.
C. find answers to a quiz.
9. They will travel to the first place by:
A. train.
B. bus.
C. coach.
10. The school will inform the parents by:
A. letter.
B. e-mail.
C. phone.
LISTENING SECTION 2 (10 mins)

Question 11-20

Answer the questions below

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER for each answer.

11. In which decade did the British Council create the EPTB exam? ………………………………

12. What did the "B" of "EPTB" stand for?  ………………………………

13. In which year was ELTS introduced? ………………………………

14. What kind of language "context" was ELTS intended to reflect? ………………………………

15. How many candidates took ELTS in 1985? ………………………………

16. What was conducted in 1987? ………………………………

17. Of what were there 210 in 1995? ………………………………

18. Which IELTS module was revised in 2001? ………………………………

19. In which year was a computerised version of the exam introduced? ………………………………

20. How does the lecturer describe the "industry of English- ………………………………

language exams"?
LANGUAGE (15 mins)

Question 1-10

Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each gap.

I think the place I would most like (1) ……………… is England. I (2) ……………. English for about

seven years now, and I still (3) …………… to an English-speaking country. I think that if I (4) ……………

somewhere like England, I'd be able to practise my English, and also learn about the culture of another

country. I (5) …………… to Europe once with my family, but that was to Italy. I really enjoyed (6)

…………… all the tourist attractions, but it's difficult when you don't speak the local language. My father

used (7) …………… in England when he was a student, and he says that if he (8) …………… that, then he

wouldn't have learned to speak English with a good accent. One of my ambitions is (9) …………… there

like he did, which I'm planning to do if I (10) …………… all my exams.

1. A. visiting B. visit C. to visit D. to be visiting

2. A. am learning B. learn C. have learned D. have been learning
3. A. haven’t been B. don’t go C. am not going D. hadn’t been
4. A. was going B. went C. would go D. had been
5. A. would go B. had gone C. did go D. was going
6. A. to see B. see C. to seeing D. seeing
7. A. live B. living C. to live D. to living
8. A. hadn’t done B. didn’t do C. wouldn’t do D. hasn’t done
9. A. study B. to study C. for studying D. to studying
10. A. pass B. will pass C. would pass D. am passing

Question 11-20

Read the essay below. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with a word from the box below.

the If However that at

my In although there than
 It is rare for there to be an equal number of male and female students on a university course.
Traditionally, in Britain (11) ………. least, physics students are mainly male.

(12) …… contrast, students studying modern languages such as French tend to be female. This
raises two important questions: is this because of discrimination, and what, if anything, should be done
about it?

To (13) ……………. mind, most universities do not discriminate in terms of gender. On (14)
………… contrary, they are keen to increase the number of women on physics courses, and increase the
number of men on French courses. The reason there are more women on certain courses is that more
women apply. It may well also be true that, with certain courses, (15) …………….  an equal number of male
and female students apply, the female applicants, for example, have better qualifications (16)
………………… the male applicants, and so are given more places.

It is essential that universities are allowed to choose the best qualified students for each subject.
(17) ……… they are forced to accept students because of their gender rather than ability, then the high
standards of the university will decline. For this reason, I am opposed to rules (18) ……….. control how
many male and female students they accept. (19) ……………….., that does not mean there is not a
problem. In my opinion, the solution is to encourage children at a young age to take an interest in a wide
range of subjects.

In conclusion, (20) ………… is no doubt that some university courses have more male or female
students. While this is not ideal, the solution is not to force universities to accept an equal number of
students. Universities should always choose the best students for each course, whatever their gender.

GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY (15 mins)

Question 1-5
Choose the correct option for each question. ONLY ONE option is correct in each sentence.
1. ..................... the rising oil prices, we have not seen an increase in the price of petrol. 
A. Despite
B. Although
C. Whereas
2. ‘Ethics in Management’, .................... was my favourite subject at university, is no longer considered
relevant by many people.
A. who
B. that
C. which
3. The football match was cancelled ...................... it was snowing.

A. due to the fact that

B. because of

C. due to

4. Cheap airlines have brought benefits. ...................., many more people can travel abroad.

A. Such as

B. For example

C. Like

5. The rate of union membership rose to 26.2% .................... 25.8% last year. 

A. comparing to

B. compared to

C. compared that

Question 6-10

Change the word in brackets to a NOUN, VERB, or ADJECTIVE.

Example: He was given much more responsibility  in his new job. (RESPONSIBLE)

6 (ANXIOUS)

Taking exams is a common cause of …………………. for students.

7. (EXPIRE)

It is important to check the ………………… date on fresh food.

8. (RELY)

University essays must be based on ……………….. sources of information.

9. (INFORMATION)
His lecture was very ……………………… We learned a lot.

10. (STRENGTH)

Including examples can ……………………… the argument in an essay.

Question 11-20

Choose the correct word which fits in the sentence.

11. The cost of…………………………. has risen dramatically in recent years.

A. life
B. living
C. alive
D. shopping
12. I can’t eat peanuts because I’m …………………………. to them. 
A. infection
B. allergy
C. allergic
D. appetite
13. Eating fatty food can damage your ………………………….

A. unhealthy

B. health

C. healthy

D. harmful

14. Everyone should travel because it really …………………………. the mind. 

A. opens

B. widens

C. broadens

D. develops

15. I found a very useful article ………………….. the Internet.

A. in

B. on
C. from

D. at

16. The chart shows a slight increase …………………………. the number of Thai students in the UK.

A. on

B. for

C. to

D. in

17. I think we need to …………………………. the results of the referendum.

A. except

B. excess

C. accept

D. access

18. Thailand is using more …………………………. energy, such as solar and wind power. 

A. recycled

B. reusable

C. reinvented

D. renewable

19. The…………………………. from cars may have a significant effect on global warming. 

A. emissions

B. gas

C. acid

D. smoke

20. I need to earn a lot more …………………………. before I can buy that new car.

A. salary

B. wages

C. income

D. money