PRACTICE TEST 10-8

SECTION I: LISTENING

Part 1: You will hear part of a lecture on episodic memory. Fill in the blank with no more than three words
from the recording.
Episodic memory
The ability to recall details, e.g. the (1) .....…………….of past events
Different to semantic memory- the ability to remember (2)……………………. about the world, which does not
involve recalling (3).……………………………….
Forming episodic memories involves three steps:
Encoding
Involves (4)………………and …………………. information
The higher (5)…..……………..given to an event, the more successfully it can be encoded
For (6)…………………… of a name, it is useful to have a strategy for encoding such information
Consolidation
The process by which memories are (7)……………., …………….….. and stored
Most effective when memories can be added to an (8)………………... of related information
The (9)……………….. of retrieval affects the strength of memories
Retrieval
Memory retrieval often depends on using semantic, (10)……………., auditory and visual prompts, e.g. the color of
an object near to the place where you left your car.

Part 2: You will hear part of a talk about best-selling books. For question 11 to 15, answer the questions with
no more than 5 words.
11. According to the research, what do most successful autobiographies write about?
……………………………………………………………………….
12. What do cookery books have that is attractive to readers?
……………………………………………………………………….
13. What feature do all sports best-sellers share?
……………………………………………………………………….
14. What do history books contain that make them interesting?
……………………………………………………………………….
15. Before advising on career promotion, what did self-help books deal with?
……………………………………………………………………….

Part 3: You are going to hear a radio phone-in program on the subject of allergies. For question 16-20, decide
whether the information is True (T), False (F) or Not given (NG)

16. It’s possible that people's resistance to allergens is lower than in the past.
17. Tim wants to know why he is allergic to grass and pollen.
18. There’s no way to keep off grass and pollen.
19. In developed countries, twelve percent of children have an allergy
20. If both parents are allergic to the same thing, it is over 50% likely that their children will have this allergy.

Part 4: You will hear an interview with a man called David Shaw, who is a professional ceramicist, making
pottery objects out of clay. For questions 26-30, choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

21  What does David say is an absolute requirement for people considering a career in ceramics?
A They must feel a passion for it. B They must be physically very fit.
C They must have enough patience. D They must wait for the right time
22 David says it took him a long time to
A develop his own style. B make his business profitable.
C decide to work at ceramics full-time. D apprentice to be a good potter
23 What does David say he finds particularly difficult?
A doing administrative tasks B Developing detailed plan of the day
C finishing new commissions on time D finding time to research new ideas
24 What reason does David give for his recent success as a ceramicist?
A He's been luckier than other ceramicists. B He's put in more effort than in the past.
C He's started to follow certain fashions. D He’s done something few other potters do.
25 How does David feel about the possibility of teaching ceramics?
A He’s not confident about his expertise B He fears it might distract him.
C He feels unprepared for it. D He's unsure about finding time.
 
SECTION II: LEXICO & GRAMMAR
Part 1. Choose a word or phrase that best completes each sentence.
[Link] is a strong movement supporting the abolition of the death ________ .
A. penalty B. punishment C. discipline D. condemnation
2. The study adds to a growing ________ of evidence that links a lack of sleep with weight gain.
A. body B. form C. hulk D. soul
3. It is ________ probable that they are the original bindings of the manuscript.
A. widely B. highly C. utterly D. bitterly
4. The show was ________ bit as good as I expected.
A. every B. so C. very D. much
5. The similarities between all three crimes were such that they could not be ________ down to chance.
A. put B. laid C. set D. taken
6. She doesn't mind working overtime because she gets paid ________ .
A. by the hour B. all the hour C. at the hour D. in the hour
7. People often complain that children nowadays don't seem to respect their ________ .
A. elderly B. elders C. aged D. age
8. All statistical analysis must allow for a ________ of error.
A. margin B. border C. frontier D. boundary
9. It's time to take a rough ________ against obesity.
A. stance B. measure C. legislation D. angle
10. The world's first boot camp for teenagers addicted to the Internet may be the ________ of things to come.
A. draft B. formula C. character D. shape
11. We believe that the government has a duty ……… its pledges.
A. bear out B. standby C. go back D. count on
12. Don’t forget to buy a packet of ………. Peas
A. chilled B. frozen C. frosted D. chilly
13. He was so mean that he couldn’t bear to ………. the smallest sum of money for the charity appeal.
A. pay off B. part with C. give in D. let out
14. A huge crowd ............. in the pouring rain to cheer the president.
A. turned out B. held up C. saw off D. dropped in
15. We hadn’t ............... for such heavy traffic, and we were delayed.
A. expected B. bargained C. calculated D. supposed
16. Beyond all ……………., it was Alice who gave away our secrets
A. fail B. conclusion C. dispute D. contradiction
17. The book says that the revolution was ………….off by the assassination of the state governor.
A. launched B. cropped C. triggered D. prompted.
18. The hijackers have demanded a …………….to be paid for releasing the civilian hostages from the plane
A. currency B. revenue C. deposit D. ransom
19. Just ………….these proofs for me as I’m in a hurry.
A. run into B. run off C. run over D. run out
20. She resigned …………. No one forced her to do so.
A. for her own sake B. of her own accord
C. with a will D. on purpose
Part 2: The passage below contains 10 mistakes. Identify the mistakes and write the corrections in the
corresponding numbered boxes.
Line
1 Instagram has had a democratic effect on fashion: there are plenty of small brands that are
2 built for the platform, or rather, Instagram built it. They can swerve all the things you usually
3 need to set off a shop (major finance, infrastructure, bricks and mortar) and focus on a good
4 targeted ad strategy. Some have the authentic tang of artisan fashion. Digital natives can
5 discriminate quite easily among a genuine insurgent brand and my non-brand, non-fashion
6 items, partly by reading reviews, partly because they can read the visual language. Paris
7
8 Starn, creative director of Paris 99, a reputed Los Angeles-based brand, tells me that “a way
9 for designers to use Instagram thoughtfully are to put the same creativity they have into
10 designing into conceptualizing photographs”. Live your values, photograph your stuff in the
11 same spirit as you created it, in other words, and people will want it. Starn explains: “Our
12 SS19 lookbook shoot used friends of the brand to model and photograph the clothing, and
13 took place in a decades-old diner, reference the designer’s love of Americana culture and
14 baking.” You do have to be a genius to see the difference between those and a super-
airbrushed studio shot of some dungarees.
SECTION III. READING
Part 1. Read the following passage and choose the words that best complete the sentences.
There (1)_____ the Tale Of The Rocks In The Jar: a teacher presents his pupils with a jam jar, a few large rocks,
several smaller pebbles, and some sand. Their challenge is to fit them all into the jar. The students, who apparently
aren’t very (2)_____, try putting the sand or pebbles in first, but then find the rocks won’t fit. Whereupon the
teacher, doubtless with a (3)_____ smile, reveals the answer: put the big rocks in first, then the pebbles and finally
the sand, so the smaller items nestle between the larger. The (4)_____: to get around to your most important tasks
– your “big rocks” – you have to prioritize them. (5)_____ you’ll never fit them in.
But what never gets mentioned is that the teacher is being (6)_____. He’s rigged his demonstration by bringing
only a few rocks, which he knows in (7)_____ will fit. Yet for most people, these days, the main problem of time
management isn’t failing to prioritize what matters. It’s that there are too many things that matter: too many tasks
we pretty much have to accomplish in order to keep our jobs, pay the rent, be (8)_____ parents, and so on. There
are, in other words, too many rocks. And many of them are never getting near that jar.
Maybe your boss’s demands can’t be met with the resources you have; maybe you can’t be the spouse or parent
you want to be without quitting your current job. Maybe there’s no (9)_____ in life that will make you feel you’re
meeting your family’s expectations while simultaneously (10)_____ your soul. There’s no principle that says you
must be able to fulfill all the roles you think you ought to fulfill. And when the rules of a game make it
unwinnable, the only way to win is to change the rules.

1. A. comes B. says C. tells D. goes

2. A. sparkling B. bright C. twinkling D. gleaming
3. A. condescending B. encouraging C. broad D. friendly
4. A. moral B. morale C. morality D. moralist
5. A. However B. In case C. Otherwise D. Likewise
6. A. fraudulent B. deceiving C. deceptive D. deceitful
7. A. deed B. retrospect C. advance D. fact
8. A. substantial B. sufficient C. adequate D. enough
9. A. path B. way C. road D. street
10. A. soothing B. serving C. cheering D. patting

PART 2. Fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
 All tournament chess games are olayed with a chess clock- that is, two clocks joined together. When one
player makes his move, his presses a button which stops hic block and starts his opponent’s clock. (1)_______ fails
to keep to the time limit, no (2)_______ what the position on the board, loses the game.
Weekend tournaments with a fast time limit and long sessions of play of (3)________ to twelve hours a day
are very strenuous and (4)__________ in fatigue and time troubles. The play is quite sharp. Active, attracking
chess is the order of the day and it is difficult to maintain (5)_________ sustained, precise defence against such
play. A score sheet, which has to be handed to the tournament officials at the end of each round. A score of the
game must be (6)_________ as play goes [Link] only thought in everybody’d head is to win. Talent and youth –
that’s (7)_______is needed for success at chess, (8)__________ the emphasis on youth. Some approach the board
with a slow, purposeful manner (9)________ giving you a second glance – you simply don’t count. They seem to
imply that the outcome is a foregone conclusion for them; you only need to accept it with good (10)________.
Part 3: Read the text and choose the best answer A, B, C or D.
It is often helpful when thinking about biological processes to consider some apparently similar yet better
understood non-biological process. In the case of visual perception an obvious choice would be color photography.
Since in many respects eyes resemble cameras, and percepts photographs, is it not reasonable to assume that
perception is a sort of photographic process whereby samples of the external world become spontaneously and
accurately reproduced somewhere inside our heads? Unfortunately, the answer must be no. The best that can be
said of the photographic analogy is that it points up what perception is not. Beyond this it is superficial and
misleading. Four simple experiments should make the matter plain.
In the first a person is asked to match a pair of black and white discs, which are rotating at such a speed as
to make them appear uniformly grey. One disc is standing in shadow, the other in bright illumination. By adjusting
the ratio of black to white in one of the discs the subject tries to make it look the same as the other. The results
show him to be remarkably accurate, for it seems he has made the proportion of black to white in the brightly
illuminated disc almost identical with that in the disc which stood in shadow. But there is nothing photographic
about his perception, for when the matched discs, still spinning, are photographed, the resulting print shows them
to be quite dissimilar in appearance. The disc in shadow is obviously very much darker than the other one. What
has happened? Both the camera and the person were accurate, but their criteria differed. One might say that the
camera recorded things as they look, and the person things as they are. But the situation is manifestly more
complex than this, for the person also recorded things as they look. He did better than the camera because he made
them look as they really are. He was not misled by the differences in illumination. He showed perceptual
constancy. By reason of an extremely rapid, wholly unconscious piece of computation he received a more accurate
record of the external world than could the camera.
 In the second experiment a person is asked to match with a color card the colors of two pictures in dim
illumination. One is of a leaf, the other of a donkey. Both are colored an equal shade of green. In making his match
he chooses a much stronger green for the leaf than for the donkey. The leaf evidently looks greener than the
donkey. The percipient makes a perceptual world compatible with his own experience. It hardly needs saying that
cameras lack this versatility.
In the third experiment hungry, thirsty and satiated people are asked to equalize the brightness of pictures
depicting food, water and other objects unrelated to hunger or thirst. When the intensities at which they set the
pictures are measured it is found that hungry people see pictures relating to food as brighter than the rest (i.e. to
equalize the pictures they make the food ones less intense), and thirsty people do likewise with “drink” pictures.
For the satiated group no differences are obtained between the different objects. In other words, perception serves
to satisfy needs, not to enrich subjective experience. Unlike a photograph the percept is determined by more than
just the stimulus.
The fourth experiment is of a rather different kind. With ears plugged, their eyes beneath translucent
goggles and their bodies either encased in cotton wool, or floating naked in water at body temperature, people are
deprived for considerable periods of external stimulation. Contrary to what one might expect, however, such
circumstances result not in a lack of perceptual experience but rather a surprising change in what is perceived. The
subjects in such an experiment begin to see, feel and hear things which bear no more relationship to the immediate
external world than does a dream in someone who is asleep. These people are not asleep yet their hallucinations, or
so-called “autistic” perceptions, may be as vivid, if not more so, than any normal percept.

1. In the first paragraph, the author suggests that

A. color photography is a biological process.
B. vision is rather like color photography.
C. vision is a sort of photographic process.
D. vision and color photography are very different.
2. What does the word “it”, underlined in the first paragraph, refer to?
A. perception B. the photographic process
C. the comparison with photography D. the answer
3. In the first experiment, it is proved that a person
A. makes mistakes of perception and is less accurate than a camera.
B. can see more clearly than a camera.
C. is more sensitive to changes in light than a camera.
D. sees colors as they are in spite of changes in the light.
4. What does the word “that”, underlined in the second paragraph, refer to?
A. the proportion of black to white B. the brightly illuminated disc
C. the other disc D. the grey color
5. The second experiment shows that
A. people see colors according to their ideas of how things should look.
B. colors look different in a dim light.
C. cameras work less efficiently in a dim light.
D. colors are less intense in larger objects.
6. What does the word “satiated”, underlined in the fourth paragraph, means?
A. tired B. bored
C. not hungry or thirsty D. nervous
7. What does “to equalize the brightness", underlined in the fourth paragraph, mean?
A. to arrange the pictures so that the equally bright ones are together
B. to change the lighting so that the pictures look equally bright
C. to describe the brightness
D. to move the pictures nearer or further away
8. The third experiment proves that
A. we see things differently according to our interest in them.
B. pictures of food and drink are especially interesting to everybody.
C. cameras are not good at equalizing brightness.
D. satiated people see less clearly than hungry or thirsty people.
9. The expression “contrary to what one might expect” occurs the fifth paragraph. What might one expect?
A. that the subjects would go to sleep.
B. that they would feel uncomfortable and disturbed.
C. that they would see, hear and feel nothing.
D. that they would see, hear and feel strange things.
10. The fourth experiment proves
A. that people deprived of sense stimulation go mad.
B. that people deprived of sense stimulation dream.
C. that people deprived of sense stimulation experience unreal things.
D. that people deprived of sense stimulation lack perceptual experience.
Part IV: For question 31-40, read the text about Hurricanes then do the tasks that follow.(10 points)
Hurricanes
A. A hurricane is a tropical cyclone, an area of intense low pressure in the tropics surrounded by a violent rotating
storm. It is called a hurricane in the North Atlantic, the Northeast Pacific east of dateline, and the South Pacific
Ocean east of 160E; west of the dateline it is called a typhoon, and in the Ocean, a cyclone. It becomes a hurricane
officially if its wind speeds reach 75mph, or force 12 on the Beaufort scale; below that it is a tropical storm. Every
year, there are about 100 tropical storms and about 50 of them reach hurricane strength. The name comes from
"Hurricane", the Carib god of evil.
B. Hurricanes need precise meteorological conditions to form: the sea surface temperature needs to be above
26.5C. They are formed over the tropical ocean when strong clusters of thunderstorms drift over warm water.
Warm air from the and the ocean surface combine and begin to rise, creating an area of low pressure on the ocean
surface. Rising warm air causes pressure to decrease at higher attitudes. Air rises faster and faster to fill the low
pressure, in turn drawing more warm air up off the sea and sucking cold air downwards. The cluster of
thunderstorms merge to become a huge storm, which moves west with the trade winds. While it remains over
warm water and the tropical wave begins to grow. Wind speeds increase as air is sucked into the low pressure
centre. If the depression strengthens and its wind speed climbs oboe 40mph it becomes a tropical storm and is
named by US National Hurricane Centre. Once the sustained wind exceed 74mph,
C. Hurricanes produce the highest wind speeds, up to 200mph in the most extreme cases, which only the strongest
structures can withstand. They produce absolutely enormous amounts of rain which can lead to catastrophic flash
floods. Sometimes most seriously, they produce a phenomenon known as a storm surge. This is a huge raising of
the sea level, caused jointly by the huge winds and the very low atmospheric pressure. In the most extreme cases it
can be as much as 25ft above normal. The hurricane pushes this heightened sea along in front of its path and when
it hits the coastline, especially the low-lying coasts, there can be disastrous inundations, especially when the surge
combines with torrential rain. Once a hurricane reaches land, it tends to die out fairly quickly as there is no more
warm water to supply heat. But out in the open ocean it can last for a fortnight or more.
D. Hurricanes are now measured between strengths 1 and 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, formulated in 1969 by
Herbert Saffir, a consulting engineer, and Dr Bob Simpson, the director of the US National Hurricane Centre. The
scale was devised in the aftermath of Hurricane Camille in 1969, the most violent storm ever to hit the continental
United States. Its categories run like this:
Category one (minimal): winds 75 to 95mph, minor flooding, slight structural damage, storm surge up to 1.5
meters.
Category two (moderate): winds between 96 and 110mph, roof and tree damage, storm surge 1.8 to 2.4m.
Category three (extensive): winds between 111 and 130mph, houses damaged, severe flooding, storm surge 2.7 to
3.7m
Category four (extreme): winds of between 131 and 155mph, major structural damage to houses and some roofs
destroyed, storm surge of between 4 and 5.5m.
Category five (catastrophic): winds above 155mph, many buildings destroyed, smaller ones blown away
completely, severe inland flooding, storm surge of more than 5.5m.
E. Although global warming is confidently expected to produce more violent storms, scientists cannot yet prove a
link between current hurricane rates and climate change. There does not seem to have been an increase in the
number of category five hurricanes world-wide. This year appears to be more active than 2003 and 2002 but less
active than the four years before that.
F. All tropical cyclones are named, to provide ease of communication between forecasters and the general public
about forecasts, watches, and warnings. Since the storms can often be long-lasting and more than one can be
occurring in the same region at the same time, names can reduce the confusion about which storm is being
described. Before the 20th century, especially in the Caribbean, hurricanes were sometimes named after the saint's
day on which they struck land. During the Second World War, US Navy meteorologists gave them the female
names of wives and loved ones, but by 1950 a formal naming strategy was in place for North Atlantic cyclones,
based on the phonetic alphabet of the time (Able, Baker, Charlie and so on.) In 1953 the US Weather Bureau
decided to switch to female first names, and with the agreement of the World Meteorological Association, included
male first names in the list in 1979. Each meteorological region of the world now has an agreed list of names. The
letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not used because few names begin with these letters. Quite a few hurricane names -
including Andrew, Betsy, Bob, Camille, Hugo and Hilda - have been officially retired because the storms
concerned caused damage on a scale unlikely to be repeated. About 50 names have been retired: a country can
request retirement.

Questions 31-35. The reading has six paragraphs , A- F. Choose the correct heading for paragraph B-F from
the list of heading below. There is an example at the beginning (0). (10 points)
List of headings
i. Process of information v. Damaging effects
ii. Effect of a storm surge vi. History of hurricanes
iii. Defining characteristics vii. System for classification
iv. System for identifying viii. Speculation about cause
0. Paragraph A. iii_
31. Paragraph B ___
32. Paragraph C ___
33. Paragraph D ___
34. Paragraph E ___
35. Paragraph F ___

Questions 36-40. Complete the summary of the reading text. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from
the passage for each answer. Write the answers in the numbered boxes below. (10 points)
Hurricanes, also known as cyclones and typhoons, commonly occur in the (36.)_______. The lowest
(37.)______ hurricane may cause only minor damage, while the most severe will see many buildings destroyed or
even blown away completely. No proof yet exists of a connection between an increased number of severe
hurricanes and (38.)______. Various systems have been used for identify hurricanes, but only since 1979 have they
been described using (39.)______. Hurricane names are allocated to a (40.)_______and special circumstances can
be officially retired.

Part 5: You are going to read an article in which four people are talking about sport. For questions 1 -10,
choose from the people (A- D). The people may be chosen more than once.
A. Luke Hazelton
My mum is the team manager for the Olympic diving team and when I was a baby I used to go with her to
the pool and jump in and out- now I practice diving every day after school and on Saturdays. I’m really too tall to
be a great diver and my long legs make it difficult to do somersaults, so I don’t think I’ll ever make it to the top.
But nevertheless, I find it exhilarating when I’m diving well. If it is a complicated dive, I have to concentrate very
hard, which is difficult if I feel nervous. My dad’s support is very motivating for me. I take part in about ten
competitions a year, both national and international. The best thing about it is that you make new friends from
different countries. I do trampolining for the regional team, which prepares me for diving- the moves are similar
but you don’t land in water! The one thing I don’t like about it is that doing my homework takes up my spare time
and I don’t have much time to go out with my friends from school.
B. Natalie Harris
Last year our netball team was promoted to the top league and so the coach became very strict. At that
level, every move is scrutinized and discussed, which makes everyone feel very pressurized. There’s a lot of
competition to get chosen for the team and sometimes I got substituted. When I played last year, I would look at
the subs sitting on the sidelines and not really care, but when I started to become one myself I had a whole new
perspective on the game. Now I realize that when you’re not the best at a sport it doesn’t seem as much fun as
when you’re a top player. I left the team earlier this year, as the pressure of playing in matches was too much; it
was becoming a frustration instead of a recreation. I still enjoy playing netball with my friends in gym classes,
when I can relax without worrying about impressing my coach all the time.
C. Joanne Whittaker
I was good at football and I really enjoyed playing left back in the school team. Then one Saturday when I
was 14, I went to watch the local ice hockey team play. It was so exciting and became a real turning point in my
life. School football seemed so dull in comparison. I discovered that there was a local women’s ice hockey team
just being set up. At first, the coach thought I was too young and too inexperienced as I’d only done occasional fun
skating on Saturday afternoons. But she agreed to give me a trial and I have been playing for three years now. I’ll
really find out what I can do in June when we go to take part in a women’s international ice hockey competition in
Prague.
D. James Spiers
I knew I was serious about rugby when I scored a try in my first game. I was named “player of the year” at
my club last year and I’m also captain of my school team. My uncle often comes to watch me play. He’s very
competitive so that is probably why I am too. Losing makes me feel that I’ve done something wrong. It doesn’t
happen very often, though. I’m not normally an aggressive person but, on the rugby pitch, I am. I don’t think girls
should play rugby as it’s so aggressive and they could easily get injured. Most of my schoolmates play rugby and
all of them are sporty. I can’t imagine my life without rugby! I’m going to agricultural college when I leave school
and eventually will take over my uncle’s farm, but I hope there’ll still be time for lots of rugby. If I have a son, I’ll
want to help coach his team and I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t interested in sports. I’ll definitely be a competitive
dad!
(First Certificate in English 4)
Your answer:
Which person
thinks winning is the most important thing? 1.
was inspired by seeing others take part in the sport? 2.
feels their sport has both a positive and negative impact on their social life? 3.
thinks that their sport may be inappropriate for a particular group of people? 4.
was nearly refused a place on a team? 5.
has changed their mind about participating in competitive sport? 6.
has long –term plans which include continued involvement in their sport? 7.
is realistic about their chances of being very successful? 8.
feels that there is too much emphasis on analyzing performance? 9.
has learnt to be more sympathetic to less successful competitors? 10.
SECTION IV: Writing

Part 1: Use the word(s) given in brackets and make any necessary additions to complete a new sentence in
such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do not change the form of the
given word(s).
1. I thought about what had happened all those years before. CAST
I cast ..........................................................................................................................................
2. A great many people will congratulate her if she wins. SHOWERED
.........................................................................................................................................................
3.I remained neutral during their disagreement because I liked both of them. SIDES
.........................................................................................................................................................
[Link] couldn’t do anything more stupid than to give up your job now. HEIGHT
.........................................................................................................................................................
5. This is a subject that Jack and I disagree about. EYE
.........................................................................................................................................................
6. Andrew doesn’t claim to have a lot of musical talent. PRETENCE
.........................................................................................................................................................

Part 2: You want to apply to a private college seeking admission for a bachelor degree. You are experiencing
financial problems at the moment and can not get admitted to the college without some help.
Write a letter to the Principal of the college explaining your situation and ask for information on
scholarships or other means of financial help available.

Write at least 150 words.

Part 3: Write an essay of about 350 words to express your opinion on the following topic:
The social networks have a tremendous influence in shaping juveniles’ character.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?