ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST

B2 Ver. 1
NAME:
Reading 1

Read the text and for questions 1- 8 choose the best answer A, B, C or D.

A family adventure centre

I’m focused. Completely terrified, but focused. I’ve got a tiny area to stand on and beneath me is a
10-metre drop. To make things worse, the totem pole that I’m trying to climb onto is shaking. With
one knee bent on the top of the pole and the other foot next to it, I slowly stand up with my arms
outstretched for balance. Once upright, my legs are still wobbling but an enormous smile has spread
across my face. I shuffle my toes over the edge. And then I jump. Back on the ground, my knees
won’t stop quaking. But for the boys at Head 4 Heights, an aerial adventure centre in Cirencester, it’s
all in a day’s work.

Head 4 Heights, one of the tallest climbing centres in Britain, opened two years ago. It’s the only UK
climbing centre open to the public year-round (the only days it closes are when winds exceed 70 mph,
almost to blow you off a totem pole and into one of the lakes). The course was set up by Rod Baber,
adventurer extraordinaire and holder of the world record for scaling the highest peak of every country
in Europe in the shortest time. Rod’s latest plan is to snag the record for North and South America as
well, but in between he starts every day with a clamber round the Cirencester course. His favorite is
the ‘Trapeze’ challenge: ‘It still gets me every time. Eyes dilate, mouth goes dry and adrenalin goes
everywhere.’

Although the course is only roughly the size of a tennis court, it packs a lot into a small space. There
are four totem poles (of varying degrees of difficulty according to the holds attached to them), a
stairway to heaven (a giant ladder with an increasing distance between the rugs), two freefall
platforms and a trapeze jump. Plans for a new 30-metre pole are presently under way. All can be
made easier or harder, according to ability, and incorporated into different challenges, which is why
the course has proved a success with families, corporate days out and the armed forces. More than
half who visit return for more and the centre now averages about 1,500 visitors a month.

All ages over five are welcome, but children are the most enthusiastic and ‘far easier to teach than the
bankers,’ says Rod. Parents are usually more reluctant to join in. ‘We hear all sorts of excuses,’ says
Rod. ‘Everything from bad knees to “I haven’t trimmed my toenails”.’ The oldest customer was a 78-
year-old who arrived with his son and grandson. When the younger two decided to give it a miss the
grandfather set off to show them how it was done.

For the most part, though, people start off nervous and only gain confidence as they progress.’
Everything is kept very positive. We always tell people to look up not down and to take their time.’
says Rod. ‘We want to push people outside their comfort zone and into the adventure zone, but we
don’t want people to be pushed into the panic zone, which can be mentally damaging.’

Also reassuring is the 100 per cent safety record. The course was designed and built by Nick
Moriarty, an expert in his field who has constructed 450 courses in 16 countries and trained 2,700
instructors. Key to the design is the safety-rope system, which ensures that if you do lose your
balance or grip, your full-body harness will guarantee that you float, not fall, back to earth.

What isn’t guaranteed, though, is family harmony. ‘The leap of love’ is usually left as the final
challenge and involves two (similarly sized) people squeezing themselves onto a ‘bird table’ at the
top of a totem pole, before jumping in tandem to grab a trapeze. Not everything always goes
according to plan. Aside from not arguing, both people need to be careful not to unbalance each other
and must jump at exactly the same time. ‘We do have some people who have refused to speak to each
other afterwards,’ says Rod, ‘but if you can both make it together, it’s such a buzz.’

1. One problem the writer describes in the first paragraph is that

A. she keeps falling off the totem pole.
B. she is trying to stand on top of a moving object.
C. she cannot get her arms into the right position.
D. she is too nervous to complete the climb

2. What do we learn about Head 4 Heights in the second paragraph?

A. it remains open even in quite windy conditions.
B. Rod Baber got the idea for it while climbing mountains.
C. it did not initially stay open throughout the year.
D. it is aimed at people who don’t have the chance to climb mountains.

3. What does Rod Baber say about the ‘Trapeze’ challenge?

A. He does it more often than anything else on the course.
B. He always fails to complete it.
C. He continues to find it difficult.
D. He takes a long time to recover after doing it.

4. The writer says that the main reason for the course’s popularity is that
A. the challenges it offers cannot be found anywhere else.
B. new challenges are constantly being added
C. it can be completed in a fairly short time.
D. it can be adopted for different people.

5. The people who ‘decided to give it a miss’ are examples of people who
A. find it difficult to do the course
B. are unwilling to do the course.
C. are easily taught how to do the course
D. give up while they are doing course.

6. Rod says that the intention of course is that people taking part
A. learn how to deal with extreme fear
B. progress as quickly as possible
C. take risks they might not initially want to take
D. increase in confidence after repeated visits.

7. The writer uses the phrase ‘Also reassuring’ to emphasize

A. that people benefit from doing the course.
B. how carefully the course has been constructed
C. that people should not be afraid to do the course
D. how enthusiastic Rod is about the course.

8. What is said about ‘The Leap of Love’?

A. Most people fail to do it successfully
B. It can cause people to fall out with each other
C. It is the hardest challenge on the course
D. some people don’t try hard enough to do it
8/…………..

Reading 2

Read the article. Seven sentences have been removed from it. Choose from A-H the one which
fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Maps of the stars

Ever since the 1910s, when the film-maker like Cecil B. Demille first set up in Hollywood,
mapmakers, the explorers of the city’s social terrain, have been compiling the only-in-Los Angeles
fixture, the maps showing the locations of the fabulous homes of the stars. Collectively, they form an
unofficial version of the Oscars, reflecting who’s in and who’s out in the film world. ‘Each one looks
different,’ says Linda Welton, whose grandfather and mother pioneered these maps. 9……… .
Former icons vanish from them, new ones appear on them, and some of the truly greats are permanent
fixtures on them.

In 1933, noticing the steady stream of tourists drifting westward to follow the stars from Hollywood
to Beverly Hills, the nearby district where most of the stars went to live, Ms.Welton’s grandfather,
Wesly Glake, obtained a copyright for his Guide to Starland Estates and Mansions. 10……. . For 40
years Ms. Welton’s mother, Vivienne E Welton, sold maps just down the road from Gary Cooper’s
place at 200 Baroda. The asterisk indicates that it was the actor’s final home, as opposed to a plus
sign (denoting a former home) or zero (for no view from the street).

‘My grandfather asked Mom to talk to the gardeners to find out where the stars lived,’ Ms Welton
recalls. ‘She’d say : “ Oh, this is a beautiful garden. Who lives here?” Who would suspect a little
girl?’ Ms Welton and her crew now sell about 10,000 maps a year from a folding chair parked
curbside six days a week. 11…….

The evolution of the maps mirrors both the Hollywood publicity machine and real estate and tourism
development. 12……… . The first celebrity home, according to Marc Wanamaker, a historian and
founder of the Westwood and Beverly Hills Historical Societies, belonged to the artist Paul de
Longre. He had a luxuriously-landscaped house at Cahuenga Avenue and Hollywood and real estate
agents would take prospective clients past it on tours. Although it is not known for certain who
published the first map, by the mid-1920s all sorts of people were producing them. 13………

One of the most famous of the early maps was produced to show the location of Pickfair, the
sprawling home of the newly married stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks Sr, and the homes
of some of their star friends. During World War I, they opened their home to serve refreshments to
soldiers. As Vivienne Welton once explained in an interview with Mercator’s World, a map and
cartography magazine, ‘She urged a few friends to do the same. 14…… ’

For over 40 years, people have marched towards the corner of Sunset and Baroda with hand-painted
yellow signs saying: ‘Star Maps, 2 block’, ‘Star Maps, 1 block’, ‘Star Maps here’. The maps reflect
the shifting geography of stardom as celebrities, seeking escape from over-enthusiastic fans, some
with ill intentions, have moved out to Pacific Palisades or Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. 15…….
. Legendary stars –Garbo, Monroe, Chaplin- remain on them. Others, however, hang on for about a
decade and then vanish.

A As they do so, they give advice to the tourists on star safaris through the lime green
landscape of Beverly Hills
B Studious like Paramount published the names and addresses of its stars on theirs, and
businesses distributed them as a promotional gimmick
C Others, however, say that the star maps are still as essential part of Hollywood and the film
world.
D More profoundly, perhaps, the maps suggest the temporary nature of fame.
E Early film stars like Lillian Gish lived in modest, somewhat grubby rooming houses, taking
street cars to end to and from the studio.
F Updated regularly, they are still for sale at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Baroda
Drive.
G And so a map was needed.
H It is the oldest continuously published star map and one of a half-dozen or so maps of
varying degrees of accuracy and spelling correctness sold today.
7/………..
 Vocabulary

I. Fill in: frizzy, convinced, renewable, unflattering, assertive, inadequate, flawless, muscular,
glossy, access, enhanced. There is one extra word in the list.

1 Students should have …………………… to good school libraries.

2 Wind, water and sunlight are …………………… energy sources.
3 She is ……………………………. that she looks fat even though everyone is always
telling her how beautiful she is.

4 My sister puts spray on her ……………………………. hair to make it smooth.

5 That shirt is ……………………………. . It makes you look too thin because it’s the
wrong size.
6 The photos in this magazine have been digitally ……………………………. . There’s no
way the models really look like that!
7 The studio employs professional make-up artists to give the actors
……………………………. complexions.
8 Ryan goes to the gym to exercise because he wants to become more
……………………………. .
9 Teenagers can be influenced by the pictures in ……………………………. magazines, but
often they do not show realistic images.
10 Many people feel ……………………………. when they compare themselves with

celebrities

10/…………

Grammar
I

A. Complete the exchanges with the causative form of the verbs in brackets.
1 A: When ............................................................................................ (your hair/highlight)?
B: Last Friday. Do you like it?

2 A: Will Pat be staying in the guest room?

B: No, we ................................................................................................... (it/not/paint) yet.
3 A: Did you enjoy the food at the reception?
 B: No, they ........................................................................................ (already/dinner/serve)
by the time we got there.
4 A: Have you heard the news about Chris?
B: Yes! He .................................................................................... (his article/publish) in an
international magazine next month.
5 A: Where do you get your newspaper from?
B: I .......................................................................................... (it/deliver) to my house daily.

B. Rewrite the sentences using the word/phrases given. (Inversion)

6 This is the only way we can make it to the theatre on time.

Only in this way …………………………………….. to the theatre on time .
7 They had hardly arrived at the office when their supervisor called a meeting.
Hardly …………………………………… when their supervisor called a meeting .
8 As soon as I got into the house, the phone rang.
No sooner ………………………………………… that the phone rang .
9 I’ve never met such a know-it-all before.
Never before ……………………………………….. .
10 The celebrity rarely goes out without her make-up on.
Rarely …………………………………………… without her make-up on .

10/………….
II. Underline the correct particle.
11 They arrived late because they were held up/out in a traffic jam.
12 In a few days, the excitement will die by/down.
13 I was quite amazed by what they managed to come up/over with in such a short space of
time.
14 You shouldn’t let your friends walk all off/over you like that.
15 No problem, I will pass up/on the message for you.
16 If you would just fill out/up this application form, I can process your membership.
17 Susan is trying out/on for the team tonight. I hope she gets in.
18 He’s always showing on/off with that bike. He should be careful or he will hurt himself.
19 It was really good to see Sharon stand up/out for her little sister.
20 I don’t know how you put off/up with him. He never stops talking
21 Matthew said he would stick out/around until the party ended to help us clean up.
11/………..
Use of English

I. For questions 1-12 read the text and decide which answer A,B, C or D best fits each gap.

Amid much controversy, 16-year-old Laure Dekker, and her boat Guppy, have completed what
many are calling a record-breaking solo global navigation. Unfortunately, however, Guinness
World Record say they no 1………have a record for the youngest sailor. They, like the Dutch
authorities who tried to 2……Laura’s 27,000-mile trip around the world, feel 3……..record-
breaking attempts are far too risky for such a young 4………

Dutch school officials were also against Laura’s endeavor as they were of the 5……..that she
should be in the classroom learning, not on a small boat sailing the high 6………However,
unlike Abby Sutherland and Jessica Watson- two other teenagers who have sailed the globe-
Laura 7……..at ports all along the way to sleep, repair her 38-foot boat, and 8…..up on
homework. While it may be 9……that Laura hasn’t spent as much time in formal education as
10….. of her age, she has studied weather, tides, navigation and naval regulations extensively.
11…., she gave ten percent of all donations she received to the wildlife protection agency Sea
Shepherd Netherlands-and that is a lesson in caring and generosity that we should all 12…..

1 A higher B longer C wider D deeper

2 A block B close C plug D check
3 A so B what C how D such
4 A opponent B participant C contestant D player
5 A view B idea C mind D opinion
6 A seas B waters C oceans D lakes
7 A docked B parked C embarked D landed
8 A make B keep C catch D hold
9 A honest B real C true D truthful
10 A others B those C them D another
11 A Furthermore B Although C Therefore D Despite
12 A discover B notice C learn D spot

12/…………

II. Complete the sentences with the word derived from the words in bold.

Do you need to shed a few pounds? Or are you looking to improve your 13…………..(FIT)
level? Well, if you are, come to Alpine Boot Camp! Our camp is tailored to meet your individual
14…………………….(REQUIRE) by focusing on your unique physical strength. Our week-
long 15……………………(INTENSE) programme is guaranteed to improve your overall health
as we push your 16………………...(ENDURE) to the limit. All
17…………..…..(PARTICIPATE) should be prepared for the toughest, but most
18……………………….(REWARD) week of their lives! Throughout your stay with us, our
fully qualified 19 ………………….…(INSTRUCT) will take you on a breathtaking journey
across the 20……………………….…( SPECTACLE) French Alps. At the end of each day,
you can put up your feet at our 21……………………..(LUXURY) hotel and spa. Then after
dinner, feel free to attend our 22 …………………………(OPINION) seminars which focus on
health 23………………………...(MANAGE) and ways to avoid unhealthy habits. By the end of
the week, your body and mind will feel completely revitalized. So what are you waiting for? Join
us today for an 24…………………………...(FORGETTABLE) experience of a lifetime!

12/………….

III. Complete the gapped sentences so that they have a similar meaning to the original ones,
using the words given. (Use from one to five words)

25. He finished school and immediately went home.

AS

He went home ………………………………………………school.

26. “I’m sorry I missed the meeting,” she said

FOR

She …………………………………………………………..the meeting

27. The last time Liza saw Peter was last year.

SINCE

Lisa ……………………………………………………………last year.

28. “Have you written your essay?” Ann asked him.

IF

Ann asked him ……………………………………his essay.

29. The school has a new computer lab because of donations.

THANKS

It ………………………………………………………..that the school has a new computer lab.

10/………….

TOTAL 80/………..