OPTIONS
(exam focus p.64)
NO OPTIONS
(exam focus p.90)
WORD BUILDING
(exam focus p.102)
TRANSFORM
(exam focus p.76)
LISTENING
(exam focus p.52)
100

The word 'Staycation' is formed by (1) _________ the word stay with vacation, forming the neologism staycation.

A mixing    B securing    C combining      D attaching

 C combining

100

It was in the 1990s (1) ____a young journalist called Ma Jun became interested in the environmental problems of China’s Shanxi province

when

100

ketchup, that bottled tomato sauce enjoyed with all sorts of dishes, actually dates back over 500 years to China where it was used (1) (THROUGH)  south-east Asia to enhance the taste of savoury dishes. 

throughout

100

1    He sings in the musical and dances in it as well.

     ONLY

     Not _____in the musical, he also dances in it.

only does he sing

100

1    You overhear two friends talking in a corridor. What did the man find difficult when he was studying Arabic?

A the grammar    B the writing      C the pronunciation

A THE GRAMMAR

200

The idea of a staycation (2)_____ a popular choice for people wanting to spend their time away from work or education, without the need to spend large amounts of money on flights and hotels overseas.

A continues    B remains    C lasts    D endures

  B remains

200

a young journalist called Ma Jun became interested in the environmental problems of China’s Shanxi province and their impact (2) _______local people. 

on

200

It might be hard to believe, but (2) (ORIGIN)ketchup was tomato-free.

originally

200

2    The author doesn’t write as well as he did in the past.

     USED

The author ___________ he does now.

used to write better than

200

2    You hear a student talking about his future plans. What is he going to do when he leaves university?

     A get a job as a teacher   B do voluntary work          C  study to become a psychologist

B DO VOLUNTARY WORK

300

The idea of a staycation gives people the same (3)_____ of rest and relaxation as a holiday and also gives them a welcome opportunity to go and spend time at some of the tourist (4)_______ close to their home, something which they might not otherwise ever do.

3. A impression   B mood   C emotion   D feeling

4. A pleasures   B attractions   C delights  D interests

3. D feeling

4. B attractions

300

The journalist had begun (3) ______researching a story about families, but instead he filled his notebooks (4) _____ notes about the pollution he saw.

3. by

4. with

300

In the 1500s, many considered the tomato to be (3) (POISON) and refused to eat it. 

The first known published sauce recipe including tomato was in 1812 although, (4) (LIKE) the ketchup of today, it didn’t include vinegar. 

3. poisonous

4. unlike

300

3    Our very friendly tourist guide showed us around.

     SHOWN

     We  ________our very friendly tourist guide.

were shown around by

300

3    You hear a man and a woman discussing the qualities of a traditional education. What does the woman think?

     A Learning doesn’t stop once children have left school.

B Children learn from a traditional education how to become good citizens. 

C A traditional education provides more career opportunities.

 A Learning doesn’t stop once children have left school.

400

That being said, a staycation isn’t necessarily the most (5) _______choice of holiday for everyone. For many people, the whole (6) ______of a holiday is to visit towns and cities in other countries.

5. A appropriate  B capable  C effective  D acceptable

6. A worth   B point   C profit   D aim

5. A appropriate

6. B point

400

These notes in the journalist's notebook became the basis of his first book, China’s Water Crisis, (5) ___has been compared to the 2006 environmental documentary film An Inconvenient Truth in (6) ____of its importance and influence.

5. which

6. terms

400

In 1834, ketchup was made into pills by Dr John Cooke Bennet and sold as medicine to treat a variety of (5) (ILL) such as indigestion and muscle pain.

The popularity of these pills spread (6) (RAPID) and they were soon copied.

5. illnesses

6. rapidly

400

4    Everyone apart from Steven thought it was an excellent performance.

     PERSON

     Steven was ______ not think it was an excellent performance.

the only person who did

400

4    You hear two students talking about one of their university courses. What do they agree about?

A how boring it is  B how difficult it is                         C how relevant it is

5    You hear two friends talking at a graduation ceremony. Why didn’t the woman want to attend?

A She didn’t enjoy her time at university.

B Her family aren’t there.

C She doesn’t enjoy parties.

4. B how difficult it is

5. C She doesn’t enjoy parties.

500

Critics also argue that people find it difficult to ( 7) _____ themselves from their daily lives, particularly when they’re staying in their own homes. For example, it can be (8) _______ to check work emails or even do the housework, things they wouldn’t necessarily do while on holiday.

7. A distinguish  B split  C separate  D divide

8. A tempting B desirable  C attractive  D compulsory

7. C separate

8. A tempting

500

The (7) _____ that over 3 million people have now downloaded an app that monitors companies’ pollution levels is proof that, just (8) _______Ma Jun, ordinary Chinese people want to know that pollution in their cities remains within legal limits.

7. fact

8. like

500

However, some (7) (HONEST) businessmen replaced tomatoes with other ingredients and made false claims that their new sauce could cure anything from vitamin deficiency to broken bones. While the ketchup medicine industry collapsed soon after, the rapid (8) (GROW) of ketchup as a food item continued and it still remains high on people’s shopping lists today.

7. dishonest

8. growth

500

5    The singer said it was harder to sing rock than most other kinds of music.

     ONE

The singer said rock was _____kinds of music to sing.

6    “Don’t forget to pick up the tickets on the way home, Maria,” said her husband.

     REMINDED

Maria’s husband _____the tickets on the way home.


5. one of the hardest

6. reminded her to pick up

500

6    You hear a woman talking on the phone to her son. What does she suggest?

A he works harder at school B he spends time with his friends C he starts his next assignment

7    You hear a man talking on the radio about his job. What disappoints him about being a lecturer?

     A the marking B the salary C the long hours

6.  B he spends time with his friends 

7.  A the marking