07 Aug 2022 PRACTICE TEST 18 – ESC 20

I. LISTENING (50 points)

Part 1: Based on the talk you hear, complete the table below. Write NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER for each answer. (10 points)
THE BRITISH LIBRARY
Commenced operation 1st July 1973
Four main constituent parts The Library of the British Museum
Patent Office Library
1. _National Central Lib
____________________________
The British Museum founded in The British Library Document Supply
The British Library receives a copy of Centre
many 1753
books
journals, magazines and newspapers
Famous users of the 3. _Reading 2. _printed
Room__________________________ music____________________________
_ maps
The British Library Document Supply Vladimir Lenin, Karl Max, Charles
Centre has almost 5.000.000 Dickens, George Bernard Shaw, and
The British Library’s website Virginia Woolf

4. _scientific
reports____________________________
5.
www._bl.uk________________________
 _

Part 2: You will hear two psychologists talking about modern childhood. For
questions 6 – 10, choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) which fits best according to
what you hear. (10 points)
6. What does Daniel imply about past images of childhood?
A. They are entirely fictional.
B. They all show the misfortunes of childhood.
C. They are diverse.
D. They represent the innocence of childhood.
7. When mentioning the children throwing bags on the bus-stop, Louise is _____.
A. critical B. amused C. angry D. sarcastic
8. According to Daniel, ______.
A. children are failing to learn adequate social skills
B. children do not eat a balanced diet
C. children are becoming involved in political scandals
D. children are far more sociable than they used to be
9. Louise believes that ________.
A. parents are no longer interested in their children
B. children should study harder to pass school exams
C. modern life has a negative effect on children
D. most parents are emotionally unstable
10. Daniel implies that _______.
A. children would be happier if their parents taught them at home
B. machines are more of a menace to children than people are
C. teachers aren’t helping children to be competitive enough
D. most teenage problems stem from an unbalanced diet
Part 3: You will hear five creative people talking about the experience of
receiving an award in recognition of their work. Decide whether each of the
following statements are true (T) or false (F). (10 points)
11. Speaker 1 was surprised by the quality of the competition. __F ___
12. Speaker 2 was pleased to have proved someone wrong. __T
13. Speaker 3 felt grateful for the publicity. __T__
14. Speaker 4 felt embarrassed by all the attention. ___F
15. Speaker 5 thought the judges were fair. ___F___

Part 4: You will hear part of a radio interview with a man who is the headmaster
of a Gaelic school. For questions 16 – 25, complete the sentences with NO
MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER. (20 points)
People in Scotland used to speak Gaelic, a very (16)
__old_____________________ language.
Today approximately (17) _____________________________ people speak Gaelic
in Scotland.
If fewer than (18) _____________________________ people speak a language, it
is considered dead.
Donald would like to see one third of people under 25 speaking and (19)
______________________________ Gaelic.
If very young children are (20) _______________________________ to a
language, they can learn it most effectively.
Some parents send their children to Donald’s school for (21)
______________________________ reasons.
Bilingual children are more (22) ____________________________ and tolerant.
Donald feels extremely (23) ________________________________ about the
future of Gaelic.
Welsh, like Gaelic, was in danger of (24) ____________________________.
With a lot of effort, nowadays 80% of children learn Welsh as (25)
______________________________ language.

II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (50 points)

Part 1: Choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) to each of the following questions.
(20 points)
1. The cat slept peacefully _______ in the long grass.
A. huddled: co rum B. nestled: nep minh C. snuggled
+ to: xich lai gan D. cuddled: om ap
2. Mr. Wright ________ his vegetable garden very carefully.
A. tends: care for B. grows C. maintains D. attends
3. She ________ a few clothes into the case and hurried to the airport.
A. shoved: nhoi nhet B. scattered C. piled: chat dong
D. heaved: nho, phong len
4. Don’t make a(n) ________ decision. Think about it first.
A. snap B. abrupt C. spontaneous D. careless
5. The woman was ________ from hospital yesterday only a week after her
operation.
A. ejected: tong di B. expelled C. evicted: ket an, tong di (tre
tien nha) D. discharged: cho ve
6. Benson had very little interest in the museum. He gave each no more than a(n)
________ glance.
A. cursory: nhin thoang qua B. transient C. temporary
D. ephemeral
7. Because so much wheat has been sold to other countries, local supplies are
________.
A. expanded B. depleted C. apprehended D. preoccupied
8. He was arrested for trying to pass ________ notes at the bank.
 A. false B. fake C. counterfeit: giay to gia D.
fraudulent
9. Although he was experienced, he was not ________.
A. mistaken B. flawed C. erroneous D. infallible
10. It had been a trying afternoon, ________ at about 6 o’clock in the television
breaking down.
A. leading B. culminating: ket thuc bang st C. arriving
D. finalising
11. I didn’t like that movie because the storyline seemed ________!
A. compulsive: obligatory B. analogous: similar C. poised: self-
assured, san sang, tu tin D. contrived: deliberately created, arranged =>
artificial, unrealistic
12. Charles Babbage’s ‘difference engine’ is widely regarded as the ________ of
modern computers.
A. precedent B. precursor C. ancestor D.
antecedent: tien de
13. Financial worries gradually ________ his health and he was obliged to retire
early.
A. undermined: lam hao mon, kiet suc B. disabled C. exhausted
D. invalidated: deprive
14. He was disappointed by his result, but he is now ________ to having to re-take
the exam.
A. composed B. submitted: accept or yield a force to take over u
C. reconciled: to cause so to accept D. subdued: overcome
15. People become less ________ to new ideas as they grow older.
A. receptive: de tiep thu, linh hoi B. available C. hospitable
D. attractive
16. Extensive forests, ________, abundant wildlife, and beautiful waterfalls are
among the attractions of Glacier National Park.
A. it has spectacular mountain scenery
B. the mountain scenery is spectacular
C. spectacular mountain scenery
D. and the spectacular scenery of the mountains
17. “Do you mind if we schedule the meeting for 11 o’clock?”
“Well actually, I ________ earlier.”
A. should prefer it will be B. am preferring it to be
C. will prefer it D. would prefer it to be
18. “Do you want to go skiing with us?”
“Oh, no! Just ________ skiing down a mountain terrifies me.”
A. the thinking of B. a thought on
C. about thinking of D. the thought of
19. “John should have warned you about that.”
“Yes, but _______, he’s still my good friend.”
A. moreover B. despite that C. although D. on the contrary
20. A network of railroads to unite the continent and encourage Western settlement
________ before the Civil War by Asa Whitney.
A. when proposed B. a proposal C. was proposed D. to propose

Part 2: The passage below contains 10 mistakes. UNDERLINE the mistakes and
WRITE THE CORRECT FORMS in the space provided in the column on the
right. (0) has been done as an example. (10 points)
CHANNEL TUNNEL WILL NOT MEET
Red-faced executives at Euro tunnel were trying making 0/ to make
light of a report that the two sides of the channel tunnel, 1/
which have been under construction for the last five years, 2/ which has been
will not meet in the middle. Not until the latest surveyor’s 3/
report published was published they realised the terrible 4/ did they realise
truth: the two ends will be approximately 300 metres 5/
apart when the digging is completed at the end of the 6/
year, which will cost an additional £20 million to put 7/
right. The error is thought to have stemmed from the fact 8/
that while English engineers have been doing calculations 9/
in feet and yards, the French have been used => using 10/
centimetres and metres. An Europe tunnel spokesman
denied this was a serious matter and said: ‘We never
actually expected the two ends would meet up exactly. It
could have been a lot worse, and we are absolutely
delighted to have got so closely => close. All we need to
make => do is to put in a few sharp corners and
everything will be all right.’

Part 3: Complete each of the following sentences with a suitable preposition(s) or

particle(s). (10 points)
1. Table salt is composed _of________ two elements, sodium and chlorine.
2. _On________ the whole, I enjoyed the movie.
3. Will this office be adequate for_________ your company’s need?
4. My brother was married to_________ one of the most famous actresses.
5. Jazz was so popular _in________ the 1920s that the decade is sometimes called
the Jazz Age.
6. She wept herself _out________ when she heard the bad news.
7. You should get into_________ the routine of saving the document you are
working on every ten minutes.
8. You go to the beach with the kids and I’ll follow _on________ when I’ve
finished work.
9. The demonstration passed _off________ peacefully. Bac bo
10. She’s laid _up________ with a broken leg. Dung day

Part 4: Complete each space in the text with a word formed from the word in
capitals. (10 points)

 This year, (1) productivity__________________ in the PRODUCT

factory has suffered because of a lack of expert technical
knowledge. As a result we have made very substantial (2) INVEST
investments_______________ in sending employees on
training courses. The fact remains that it is becoming
increasingly difficult to get skilled labourors with the right (3) QUALIFY
qualifications_______________________, experience, and EXPERT
above all, (4) expertise___________________. The company ACT
has also suffered this year from the industrial (5)
actions______________________ in November, which saw REPRESENT
340 union members walk out in a pay dispute. Union (6)
representatives________________________ eventually sat
down with management and negotiated a 4 percent pay rise,
but not until 5 working days had been lost to the strike. As a ECONOMY
result of such problems we recognise the need to (7) CONSULT
_economise_________________ in certain areas, and, on the
advice of our external (8) STREAM
consultants____________________________, Prior and
Young, we have identified the need for at least 3 departments
to be (9) streamlined__________________________. It is CLEAR
thought that this will mean the loss of between 6 and 10 jobs,
though the exact figures and nature of the redundancies will
be (10) clarified__________________________ in the next
report. 

III. READING (60 points)

Part 1: Read the text and choose the word that best fits each of the spaces. (15
points)
Broadcasting has democratized the publication of language, often at its most
informal, even undressed. Now the ears of the educated cannot escape the language
of the masses. It (1) _______ them on the news, weather, sports, commercials, and
the ever-proliferating game shows.
This wider dissemination of popular speech may easily give purists the
(2)_______ that language is suddenly going to hell in this generation, and may
(3)_______ the new paranoia about it.
It might also be argued that more Americans hear more correct, even beautiful,
English on television than ever before. Through television more models of good
usage (4) _______ more American homes than was ever possible in other times.
Television gives them lots of (5) _______ English too, some awful, some creative,
but that is not new.
Hidden in this is a (6) _______ fact: our language is not the special private property
of the language police, or grammarians, or teachers, or even great writers. The (7)
_______ of English is that it has always been the tongue of the common people,
literate or not.
English belongs to everybody: the funny (8) _______ of phrase that pops into the
mind of a farmer telling a story; or the (9) _______ salesman's dirty joke; or the
teenager saying, 'Gag me with a spoon'; or the pop lyric — all contribute, are all as
(10) _______ as the tortured image of the academic, or the line the poet sweats
over for a week.
1. A. circles B. surrenders C. supports D. surrounds
2. A. thought B. idea C. sight D. belief
3. A. justify B. inflate C. explain D. idealise
4. A. render B. reach C. expose D. leave
5. A. colloquial B. current C. common D. spoken
6. A. central B. stupid C. common D. simple
7. A. genii B. genius C. giant D. generalisation
8. A. turn: turn of phrase B. twist C. use
D. time
9. A. tour B. transport C. travel D. travelling
10. A. valued B. valid C. truthful D. imperfect

Part 2: Read the following text and think of the word which best fits each gap.
Use only ONE word in each gap. (15 points)
KRAKATOA
Volcanic eruption has been a constant threat to our natural environment for
millions of years, but seldom in recent times (1) has___________ a volcano
erupted with the ferocity of Krakatoa.
Krakatoa, (2) which___________ is a volcanic island group in Indonesia, erupted
on 27th August 1883. Not only was the explosion (3) so___________ loud that it
was heard as far away (more than 3,000 km) as Perth in Australia, (4) so
but__________  it is also recognized as (5) being___________ the loudest sound
(6) ever___________ recorded.
Ten thousand people in the region were killed, many (7) drowning___________ in
the enormous tsunamis which the eruption produced – tsunamis which eventually
reached South Africa and the English Channel.
The explosion also had a major effect on the (8) whole___________ world’s
weather system. The volcanic dust in the atmosphere reduced the (9)
amount___________ of sunlight reaching the earth’s surface, reducing global
temperatures by more than one degree centigrade. Only after five years had passed
(10) did___________ global temperatures begin to normal.

Part 3: Read the passage and choose the best answer to each of the following
questions. (15 points)
Archaeological records-paintings, drawings, and carvings of humans engaged in
activities involving the use of hands - indicate that humans have been
predominantly right-handed for more than 5,000 years. In ancient Egyptian
artwork, for example, the right hand is depicted as the dominant one in about 90
percent of the examples. Fracture or wear patterns on tools also indicate that a
majority of ancient people were right-handed.
Cro-Magnon cave paintings some 27,000 years old commonly show outlines of
human hands made by placing one hand against the cave wall and applying paint
with the other. Children today make similar outlines of their hands with crayons on
paper. With few exceptions, left hands of Cro-Magnons are displayed on cave
walls, indicating that the paintings were usually done by right-handers.
Anthropological evidence pushes the record of handedness in early human
ancestors back to at least 1.4 million years ago. One important line of evidence
comes from flaking patterns of stone cores used in toolmaking: implements flaked
with a clockwise motion (indicating a right-handed toolmaker) can be distinguished
from those flaked with a counter-clockwise rotation (indicating a left-handed
toolmaker).
Even scratches found on fossil human teeth offer clues. Ancient humans are
thought to have cut meat into strips by holding it between their teeth and slicing it
with stone knives, as do the present-day Inuit. Occasionally the knives slip and
leave scratches on the users' teeth. Scratches made with a left-to-right stroke
direction (by right-handers) are more common than scratches in the opposite
direction (made by left-handers).
Still other evidence comes from cranial morphology: scientists think that physical
differences between the right and left sides of the interior of the skull indicate
subtle physical differences between the two sides of the brain. The variation
between the hemispheres corresponds to which side of the body is used to perform
specific activities. Such studies, as well as studies of tool use, indicate that right- or
left-sided dominance is not exclusive to modern Homo sapiens. Populations of
Neanderthals, such as Homo erectus and Homo habilis, seem to have been
predominantly right-handed, as we are.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Human ancestors became predominantly right-handed when they began to
use tools.
B. It is difficult to interpret the significance of anthropological evidence
concerning tool use.
C. Humans and their ancestors have been predominantly right-handed
for over a million years.
D. Human ancestors were more skilled at using both hands than modern
humans.
2. What does the author say about Cro-Magnon paintings of hands?
A. Some are not very old.
B. It is unusual to see such paintings.
C. Many were made by children.
D. The artists were mostly right-handed.
3. The word "depicted" in the first paragraph refers to ________.
A. written B. portrayed C. referred D.
mentioned
4. When compared with implements "flaked with a counter-clockwise rotation”,
it can be inferred that "implements flaked with a clockwise motion" are ______.
A. more common B. larger
C. more sophisticated D. older
5. The word "cranial morphology" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to
______.
A. the form of crane B. the form of study
C. the study of physical bodies D. the study of skulls
6. The fact that the Inuit cut meat by holding it between their teeth is significant
because ______.
A. the relationship between handedness and scratches on fossil human
teeth can be verified
B. it emphasizes the differences between contemporary humans and their
ancestors
C. the scratch patterns produced by stone knives vary significantly from
patterns produced by modern knives
D. it demonstrates that ancient humans were not skilled at using tools
7. The word "hemispheres" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.
A. differences B. sides C. activities D. studies
8. Why does the author mention Homo erectus and Habilis in the last paragraph?
A. To contrast them with modern humans
B. To explain when human ancestors began to make tools
C. To show that early humans were also predominantly right-handed
D. To prove that the population of Neanderthals was very large
9. All of the following are mentioned as types of evidence concerning handedness
EXCEPT _______.
A. ancient artwork B. asymmetrical skulls
C. studies of tool use D. fossilized hand bones
10. Which of the following conclusions is suggested by the evidence from cranial
morphology?
A. Differences in the hemispheres of the brain probably came about
relatively recently
B. There may be a link between handedness and differences in the
brain's hemispheres.
C. Left-handedness was somewhat more common among Neanderthals.
D. Variation between the brain's hemispheres was not evident in the skulls of
Homo erectus and Homo habilis.
Part 4: Read the passage and do the tasks that follow. (15 points)
THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE
A. Language everywhere changes over time; it has to. A central reason that
necessitates modification is to allow for developments in our world to be expressed.
For example, the technological revolution alone has been responsible for the
addition of a plethora of words to our vocabulary: hard drive, software, modem to
name just a few. The Japanese writing script katakana, which was originally
introduced in the 9th century as a means by which Buddhist monks could correctly
interpret Chinese pronunciations, is now most commonly used to embrace foreign
words for which there is no original Japanese character; pizza or hamburger for
example. Likewise the western world’s exposure to and familiarity with foreign
cultures now means that words such as sushi, nam bread and kebab, for example,
are used by diners on a regular basis.
B. However, expansion of our vocabulary is just one element involved in how and
why language evolves. Given the variation of dialects or regional accents present in
most language systems, it is clear that an individual’s interpretation of what is
actually correct and commonly used will vary quite dramatically, since this
perception is based upon a combination of factors including the age, educational
level and region of the country a person is from. As we go about our daily lives and
interact with others from different backgrounds and experiences, the language we
hear is often taken on board and incorporated into the way in which we
communicate ourselves. Many phrases with American origins are now
commonplace in British English for example, due to the frequency with which they
are heard on television and in the movies.
C. Changes in language are often driven by the young and many such changes are
commonly considered by older people to be a disintegration of standards rather
than an evolution and an improvement. Let’s consider an Americanism commonly
used by youngsters in all pans of the English speaking world. Used  as an
alternative to “Tom said…” it is now commonplace to hear “Tom goes, the pay rise
was unacceptable.” or, “Tom was all, the pay rise was unacceptable.”; much to the
horror of many traditionalists. However, this modification could also be considered
to be adding to and not detracting from our ability to communicate effectively. To
illustrate, let’s consider the original phrase “Tom said”; it is used solely to show’
the listener that we are reporting the words of Tom, while the modern variation,
“Tom goes” has literally the same meaning. However, if the speaker chooses
instead to use the latter phrase, “Tom was all”, they are also able to convey the
message that Tom had an emotional reaction to the situation they are reporting,
therefore a much more effective method of communicating information has been
created, some may say. However, should the now’ commonly used texting
abbreviations such as ‘gr8t’ (great) and ‘l8r’ (later) become permanent
replacements of the original words, it is likely that even the most liberal amongst us
would be horrified.
D. Variations on language are usually more readily accepted into informal language
prior to them being absorbed for use in formal writing. Examples of words that we
now commonly use, but were once considered incorrect, are ‘pea’ and ‘hopefully’.
Let’s take pea; it derived from the word ‘pease’, which being an uncountable noun
has the same form regardless of whether one or more pease were being spoken
about. However, this was commonly overlooked and misunderstood, and through
error the singular form of the vegetable became ‘pea’. More recently ‘hopefully’
was considered by many to be an inappropriate alternative to ‘I hope’; at best only
accepted in informal use. The word hopefully is now’ fully acceptable in both
informal speech and formal writing.
E. Some people believe that traditional usages of language are always more
superior and refined than modern variations even when the reasons behind the rule
were dubious in the first place. For example, it was once seriously frowned upon to
split an infinitive in a sentence and even today it is considered grammatically
incorrect to do so. To demonstrate, let’s consider the following sentence: ‘The
examiner asked me to quietly leave the room’; this was considered incorrect as the
word ‘quietly’ splits the infinitive of the verb ‘to leave’. The origins of this rule hail
back to the 17th century when scholars believed that the English language should
be adapted to follow the rules of Latin; then considered the perfect language. Since
splitting infinitives in Latin is impossible, it was decided that splitting infinitives in
English, even though possible, was not acceptable, Given that initial motivations
behind the rule were questionable and the clarity of meaning of the sentence is not
compromised in the ‘incorrect’ form, it could be argued that this grammar rule is a
prime example of an unnecessary sanction which is likely to be abandoned in the
future.
F. As language evolves, changes in grammar structures which would result in
confusion of the actual meaning of the sentences are unlikely; however, the
meanings of words are often modified or altered beyond recognition by different
generations and can be easily misinterpreted by other social groups. Take, for
example, the modern version of the word ‘bad’ meaning ‘great’ when used in
contemporary slang. Many slang words remain dated in the era in which they are
developed, for example words like ‘to beef, meaning to complain (introduced in the
1920’s) are not only dated but may not even be understood in a modern context,
while others such as ‘guy’ become absorbed into mainstream language. Who
knows what future generations will add to the ever changing environment of
communication?
Questions 1 – 4
Reading the passage and choose the correct heading for paragraphs B, C, E and
F from the list of headings below.
            List of Headings
i. Historical acceptance of change
ii. The Generation Gap
iii. Influences on speech
iv. Ancient writing in Asia
v. Cultural evolution and its impact on language
vi. Slang expected in the future
vii. Questioning logic
viii. Lifespan of vocabulary
Example: Paragraph A; Answer: v
1. Paragraph B iii
2. Paragraph C ii
Example: Paragraph D; Answer: i
3. Paragraph E vii
4. Paragraph F viii
Questions 5 – 7
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
Write:
YES                             if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO                              if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN              if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
 5. If language were static, it would negatively affect our ability to incorporate
other cultures into our own way of life. Y
6. The language we grow up knowing and that we adopt through new
experiences have equal effects on the way we speak. NG
7. All modern adaptations of language are suitable for mainstream use. N
Questions 8 – 10
Complete the summary of paragraphs E and F with the list of words A-H below.
Some grammar rules such as avoiding 8. B____________ are deeply entrenched in
history and were created by academics who wished to perfect the English language.
It is likely, however, since they do not affect the 9. D______________ of the
sentence that such rules are likely to be 10. F______________ in the future. In the
same way, many contemporary words in common usage today are likely to become
defunct.
A. Slang D. Recognition
B. Split infinitives F. Disregarded
C. Grammatically incorrect G. Misinterpreted
D. Meaning H. Confusion

IV. WRITING (40 points)

Part 1: Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the sentence
given, beginning as shown. (10 points)
1. If anyone succeeds in solving the problem, it will probably be him.
 He is the most _LIKELY PERSON TO SUCCEED IN…
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Mr. Foster asked me to write this letter to you.
 It is at Mr…’s request that I write…
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Regarding payment, most major credit cards are acceptable.
 As far as _payment is concerned, most major…
_______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. My parents think that I should go to university rather than start a job
immediately.
 My parents would prefer __me to go to uni rather than to ….
_________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. The soldiers entered the castle while it was dark.
 Under _the cover of darkness, …
_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Rewrite the sentence in such a way that it has the same meaning to the
original sentence. Do NOT change the word given. You must use between three
and eight words, including the word given. (10 points)
1. He owed his life to that surgeon. INDEBTED
 He _was indebted to that surgeon for saving his ____ life.
2. There wasn’t a single ticket left for the concert so we couldn’t go. SELL-OUT
 The _concert was a complete sell out so we __________ couldn’t go.
3. You have the ability to do really well in your career if you make an effort. MIND
 You could do really well in ur career_if u put ur mind ______________ to it.
4. The news of the merger really surprised the staff. TAKEN
 The staff _were taken aback__________________________________________
by the merger.
5. I expected the film to be good, but it wasn’t at all. LIVE
 The film ___didn’t live up to my expectations _____ at all.

Part 3: Write a paragraph of about 180 words to express your opinion on the
following topic. (20 points)
The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in
shaping people's ideas.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for
your answer.
THE END