EXAMINATION EXERCISES: FIRST CERTIFICATE TEST 000

PAPER 3: USAGE
ANSWER SHEET
PART 2: Grammar
16. how
17. in
18. again
19. gives
20. such
21. where
22. are
23. what
24. in
25. with
26. by
27. For/As
28. with
29. by
30. from
NOTE: YOUR SCORE
To be certain of an A grade in this paper, you need to score 80%; for a B grade, 70%;
and for a passing C grade, 60%. Sometimes the exercises are rather harder than in
the actual examination; occasionally, they are easier.

FCE PAPER THREE: ENGLISH IN USE

PART 2: CLOZE: STRUCTURAL WORDS
Exercise answers. You should have scored at least 8 or 9 correct answers in order to
be certain of a passing grade in the Cambridge First Certificate (that is, at intermediate
level).
01. so
02. into, to
03. There
04. top, summit, apex
05. below
06. their
07. on
08. invites, asks
09. to
10. in
11. in
12. each
13. a, per
14. what
15. up

PART 2: CLOZE: STRUCTURE

Check your answers.
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
Wedding photographers are now asking (01) for payment (02) in advance because so
many marriages are breaking (03) up in the first few weeks, often (04) during the
honeymoon.

One photographer had to sue the bride for his money after the couple split (05) up on
their honeymoon. His photographs were submitted (06) to the court who said they
were (07) of sufficient standard, and she (08) had to pay for this souvenir of her
"happiest day".

(09) In another case, the bride's mother saw the photographs and (10) ordered
enlargements and albums. The photographer said; "I called (11) up/round to say
they were ready, and the bride's mother said, 'Don't bring those bloody photographs
round (12) here - he's left (13) her.'"

Couples are now (14) asked, forced, required to pay a "divorce deposit" (15) to the
photographer.

PART 2: CLOZE: STRUCTURE

Check your answers.
A FOLK STORY WITH MEANING
Nasrudin made a bet that he could spend a night on a mountain, despite the ice and
snow. The bet was accepted.
Nasrudin took a book and candle and sat (01) through/out the coldest night he (02)
had known. (03) By/In the morning, he was half-dead as he went (04) back/down
to the village to claim his money.
"Did you have (05) anything at all to keep you warm?" The people in the village
asked him, "Not (06) even a candle?"
"Yes, I had a candle."
"Then the bet is (07) off/void"
Nasrudin did not argue.
Some months later he invited the same people (08) to a feast (09) at his house. They
sat. They waited. Hours (10) passed. They started to mutter (11) about food.
Nasrudin said: "Let's go and see how it is getting (12) on."
They all went (13) into the kitchen. They found a huge pot of water. (14) Beneath,
Under the pot a candle was burning. The water was tepid.
Nasrudin said: "It is not ready (15) yet. I don't know why - it has been there since
yesterday."

PART 2: CLOZE: STRUCTURE

Check your answers.
A GRAVEYARD FOR PETS
(01) Despite the recession, Britain's pet owners are willing to pay for a permanent
memorial (02) to much-loved furred and feathered friends. The Rossendale Pets
Cemetery, near Rawtenstall in Lancashire, now stretches to over 10 acres covered by
1,600 graves and 800 plots for small caskets of ashes.
It was started 26 years (03) ago by a local farmer who ran his dog (04) over with a
tractor and was (05) so grief-stricken that he put up a headstone. That has long since
been dwarfed (06) by elaborate monuments, including a marble gate flanked by
pillars. Dedicated to a horse called Brandy, it cost well (07) over £2,000 seven years
ago. Other animals commemorated in the cemetery vary from budgies to a lioness.
The owners of the cemetery, Mr and Mrs Annable, have had some upsetting
experiences:
"We had a man (08) who tried to climb into the incinerator to kiss his Irish wolfhound
goodbye. He was an educated man (09) as well, an English teacher. In the end, he left
half the ashes here and took half home.
"Every Sunday a long-distance driver brings fresh flowers (10) for his dog. Rain, hail,
fog or snow, he never (11) misses/forgets. And then (12) there is Kakkoo the
parrot, who spoke four languages. His grave is marked by a simple wooden cross and
a bronze plaque.
"(13) One/A couple arrived carrying a cage. They had not seen their hamster for (14)
some time. Was it in hibernation or was it dead? They couldn't bear to look. In fact, it
was as stiff as a board. When I told them, they burst into tears. I didn't (15) have the
heart to charge them."

PART 2: CLOZE: STRUCTURE

Check your answers.
EURO-DISNEY
In Euro-Disney, an investment of $2 billion has created a monstrous funfair. Pirates in
the West Indies. Ghosts and graveyards and a haunted house. Simulated space travel.
Railway rides and Peter Pan and Dumbo.... There must be (01) few of Europe's 60 or
so million children under the age of 14 who are not nagging (02) their parents.
When I hear (03) that this monstrous creation is a bare 24 miles from the centre of
Paris, I think it represents the death of civilisation. One (04) might/would have
thought the French (05) had more sense, better taste, but, then, they always did have
this love-hate relationship (06) with the USA.

(07) Let me be clear about it. Disney should stay (08) where he belongs: in the
swamps of Florida or the suburbs of Los Angeles. People (09) there appreciate him.

Perhaps the most perplexing response (10) to Disney, that pap-merchant, has been
made by collectors. In the United States, a four-volume Illustrated Disneyana Catalog
and Price Guide is (11) published/available/sold. It lists 26,000 prices (12) from
$1 for a 1966 Donald Duck book (13) to $14,000 for a tin wind-up walking Mickey
Mouse of around 1930.

In America, there are an estimated 50,000 collectors. The highest (14) prices are paid
for cels, paintings on celluloid, a specialised market worth an annual $60 million. The
most paid (15) so far for a cel has been $286,000.
Open Cloze 7

Rubber Trees
Answers. An intermediate student should have these all correct.
Los Angeles has planted 2,000 rubber trees (1) down the middle of one of (2) its
main streets. These trees do not produce rubber. They are, in fact, made of rubber. Mr
Joe Dynamo, a spokesman (3) for Los Angeles city council, explained the reasons. He
said:
"These trees are representative of our virtual society. We have polystyrene grass (4)
on our golf courses. We have non-milk powder to (5) in our coffee. We make copies
(6) in plastic of old wooden furniture. We have fibreglass tombstones. (7) Why
shouldn't we have trees made of rubber?

"At 50 miles (8) an hour, no motorist will see any difference. And our maintenance
costs will be lower. You give the trees an annual rinse (9) with detergent, and dust
them off twice a year. We save a lot of money because transplanting, pruning,
weeding and leaf-collection are all unnecessary. And we have a 60-year non-fade
guarantee on each plant. This is rationalisation (10) at its best."