CODE RED MID-TERM TEST UNITS 1-5

Name: ______________ Date: ______________

Mark: ____ / 80

Reading

1 You are going to read an article about future travel. Seven sentences have

been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences (A-H) the one which

fits each gap. (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

[7 points]

In some parts of the world, travel and transport are taken for granted as something

easy and cheap. (1) _______ Taking a short overseas holiday is much the same as

going on a day trip. And from an economic point of view, if you are organized, the

cost of a plane ticket can cost less than the petrol required for a journey by road.

There are hundreds of low budget airlines around today and you can use them to

travel all over the world. And this isn’t likely to change. (2) _______ However,

scientists are realizing that our climate is changing and we are the cause of the

environmental disasters that these changes cause. So we need to do anything we

can to reduce the negative effects that our ‘globe trotting’ lifestyles are having on the

planet.

Air travel does affect the environment. It does make air quality worse. (3) _______

This has important consequences. But technological research has shown that there

are ways to reduce fuel consumption. Low budget airlines are already finding ways to

cut costs which do in fact reduce the harmful effects a little, but more should be done.

Firstly, a luggage allowance on a budget flight is much lower than more luxurious

airlines – 15 kilos instead of 23 or 25. (4) _______ This means that the overall weight

of the plane is lighter and petrol consumption is lower. Yet, technologically we can

still do more. This involves discomfort for the passengers but it means that

companies can increase their profits and decrease their carbon footprint. (5) _______

A bit like sardines on a war plane. This won’t be very comfortable for flights of more

than two hours, but it will be fine for short journeys, as long as passengers don’t mind

spending the journey staring at a stranger. This could be happening very soon. But

further into the future the plane that we know and recognize now will have change

completely.

It is possible that the plane, in order to improve aerodynamics reduce weight and fuel

consumption will look a lot more like a sting ray. (6) _______ Passengers will be

seated in rows like theatres and the window seats will no longer be an option.

Uncomfortable solutions but will people actually travel less? Probably not; the way

people work now has changed radically. (7) _______ But today with fast internet

connections and electronic communication, the world has gone digital and it’s

perfectly normal to do business in the comfort of your own home. Short journeys will

be less of a necessity and people will need to travel further and faster but in a way

that’s clean safe and acceptable to the environment.

A In the past going to an office or a specific place of work used to be an accepted

part of employment.

B It will basically consist of a set of wings, and a pointed nose - much like the space

ships in science fiction films.

C So think carefully before you get on that plane!

D And passengers are only allowed to carry one very light bag onto the plane.

E Travel abroad is no longer a luxury that only the rich can afford.

F For example, in the near future, rather than sitting in rows of 5, 8 or 10 seats

across the plane, passengers could be sitting in long lines next to each other and

opposite each other.

G From 704 million passengers in 2005 numbers are going to rise to an estimated

1.95 billion in 2025.

H Aeroplanes are heavy and they travel fast and in order to do this they need to

consume large amounts of fuel or petrol.

Grammar and vocabulary

2 Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each

gap. [12 points]

On your feet all day!

Not so long ago I managed to (1) _______ my friends into a trip to Buckingham

palace. It involves a short train (2) _______ into the centre of London, which is cool,

but most of my friends would rather do something (3) _______ than standing outside

a palace. But I wanted to go for a specific reason. Have you ever wondered

(4) _______the worst job in the world is? You think, toilet cleaner, working on an oil

rig or maybe tasting cat food. No, being a guard at Buckingham Palace would really

(5) _______ my nerves. But, watching them at work is (6) _______ amazing, not

because they ever do anything, but because of what people try to make them do.

These guards spend hours a day cleaning, polishing and perfecting their uniform.

They (7) _______ to look immaculately clean and tidy, if they don’t, they are

punished. Then they spend hours a day standing completely still. Actually they are

(8) _______ move every ten minutes, they can do a bit of marching – but the difficult

thing is that any form of speaking or reacting to the public is (9) _______ . This is

what makes watching them so (10) _______ . There are always tourists who are

(11) _______ to make the Foot Guards’s laugh or shout or even just frown. I’ve spent

hours waiting to see a frown or an indication of irritation but I’ve (12) _______

anything to show that they’re even human!

1 A convince B beg C talk D persuade

2 A excursion B travel C voyage D ride

3 A more fun B funnier C fun D as fun

4 A which is B whether C what D how

5 A get on B take on C press on D stay on

6 A extremely B very C so D absolutely

7 A expect B ought C must D have

8 A let to B can C able to D allowed to

9 A forbidden B banned C compulsory D optional

10 A performing B impressing C entertaining D excitement

11 A hoping B determined C willing D trying

12 A never ever seen B never been seeing C never saw D ever seen

3 Read the text below. Use the words given in capitals at the end of some of

the lines to find a word that fits in the gap in the same line. [12 points]

Criminal blunders

Can a (1) ________ ever be considered clever? Surely CRIME

in the case of the unsolvable crimes that have been

(2) ________ , careful planning and attention to detail COMMITTING

indicate a certain level of (3) ________ . But clever or not, INTELLIGENT

resorting to acting outside the law often signifies a kind of

(4) ________ on an emotional and social level. What makes FAIL

someone decide to steal or kill, commit fraud or become a

(5) ________? What makes a person feel that they are KIDNAP

(6) ________ of living as other people do and therefore a CAPABLE

crime becomes an option for making life (7) ________ ? GOOD

Some researchers have claimed that (8) ________ can lead to EMPLOY

breaking the law. Some graduates find themselves without

a job for longer than the time it took to get their (9) ________ . QUALIFY

This can and will lead to such a strong sense of sadness and

disappointment that clear judgment becomes impossible.

Supposedly, this is the moment when the (10) ________ of UNDERSTAND

right and wrong starts to seem less clear and the feeling of

(11) ________ will lead people take desperate measures. DISAPPOINT

However some criminologists claim that in (12) ________ , REAL

The people that turn to crime are different. It has nothing to do

with pressure, loss or poverty.

4 Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only

one word in each gap. [10 points]

Water

In much of the world getting a glass of clean water is (1) _______ easy that we don’t

even think about how we get it. Turn the tap on and nice clean water flows out. Yet,

at the beginning of the 20th Century drinking a glass of water (2) _______ to be a risk.

It could save your life but it could also kill you.

In the USA the population was increasing fast and all the people (3) _______ clean

drinking water in order to survive. Although there (4) _______ plenty of water sources

– rivers and lakes, these were also areas where human waste was ending up. Town

planners (5) _______begun wondering what processes they (6) _______ use to

clean the water and get it into people’s homes.

An early method of purification was discovered in Birmingham, England in 1913.

Chemists had (7) _______bubbling air through sewage to see how this would work

towards purifying the water. They noticed during their experiments that after the solid

waste material settled the water left above it was clean. This led (8) _______ the

construction of the first water purification plant on Lake Michigan.

Today our water is purified up to fifteen times and the main worry is no longer

(9) _______ the water we drink is clean and safe, but when our water supplies are

(10) _______ to run out.

5 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first

sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use

between two and five words including the word given. [8 points]

1 Sadie started to revise in April.

SINCE

Sadie ___________________________________________ April.

2 The first film is better than the second film in the trilogy.

AS

The second film in the trilogy _____________________________________ the first.

3 The twins think you’re coming to their party.

EXPECT

The twins ________________________________________________ to their party.

4 My Dad never had the opportunity to go to university so he really wants me to do

well.

GOT

My Dad never ________________ go to university so he really wants me to do well.

5 Would you mind if I opened the window?

OPEN

_________________ the window please?

6 Sonia says that she loves the smell of coffee.

LOVELY

Sonia says that _________________.

7 Sam only took his driving test after a year of having lessons.

BEEN

Sam _________________ lessons for a year before he took his driving test.

8 The new thriller by James McCormick takes place in a forest in Russia.

IN

The new thriller by James McCormick _________________ a forest in Russia.

6 Choose the best answer a, b, c or d. [6 points]

1 During her time at university, Gina _______ as a waitress to pay the fees.

a was working

b had been working

c had worked

d worked

2 As a child we didn’t go on holidays abroad, but we _______ camping in the

mountains.

a did use to go

b did used to go

c used to going

d were going

3 Samantha is a genius. She _______ from university by the age of 20 – four years

before all her peers.

a will be graduating

b will have graduated

c is graduating

d is going graduate

4 Slow down, you _______ into the car in front of you!

a will crash

b are crashing

c will be crashing

d are going to crash

5 The exam _______ when the fire alarm sounded.

a just begun

b was just beginning

c had just been beginning

d had just begun

6 Everyone was wondering _______ a life sentence.

a whether the accused would get

b would the accused get

c would get the accused

d if the accused get

7 Choose the best answer a, b, c or d. [5 points]

1 The _______ was packed with students and the noise of whispering made it

impossible to hear the professor talking.

a library

b lecture theatre

c staff room

d hall of residence

2 Samuel was lucky enough to _______ a vey expensive public school in England.

a enter

b qualify

c attend

d go

3 Unplug the TV from the _______ before you go to bed, please.

a wire

b switch

c link

d socket

4 The head mistress _______ talking during morning assembly at school.

a spoke out to Marcus for

b spoke angrily to Mark for

c told Mark off for

d spoke her mind to Mark for

5 The holiday resort where we stayed was very _______ and we had lovely views

over the bay to the islands.

a scenic

b spectacular

c breathtaking

d picturesque

Writing

8 Your English speaking friend Paul is thinking of starting up an internet

website providing revision tips for school kids. Read Paul’s letter and the

notes you have made then write a letter to Paul and all your notes. Write your

letter in 120-150 words. [20 points]

I’ve decided to set up an internet website for school

kids. I want to create a place where pupils can go and

talk to other people doing exams. Do you think it would

be a good idea? (1)

(1) yes, give opinion

(2) tell Paul

To help me with the kinds of things to include, can you

tell me what kind of problems you and your friends have

when you have exams? (2)

I also want to people to write me emails. Do you have

anything you can write about? (3) If you know anyone

else who has anything to say they should send their

emails too? (4)

(3) yes give details

(4) ask for details about

how and where