Intermediate language exam preparation courses

Mid-term test
Name: TOTAL out of 60

1. Read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some have a word which should
not be there. If a line is correct, put a tick if a line has a word which should not be there, write the word. (15 points)

O Nowadays, if people would want to find out what the weather will be like,
00 they simply turn on the television and listen to the forecast. But there is another
1 way. The collection of facts and traditions by which enable some people to
2 predict what the weather will be like is called weather lore. Most weather lore
3 is contained in sayings or simple rhymes which they have been made up by
4 country dwellers or sailors. In these sayings, natural signs such as wind
5 direction, either sky colour and the behaviour of animals, birds and plants are
6 indications of what the weather will be like it. Much weather lore
7 has been collected in books the greatest collection having been put up
-

8 together by a man who called Richard Inwards towards the end of the 19th
9 century. Another book, was written some 200 years later, contained a
10 complete set of rules for foretelling the weather depending on various aspects
11 of nature. Some weather lore contains conclusions which drawn from
12 observations made over many generations, so it would be foolish to say they
13 are all this nonsense. One example is a plant like the daisy weed. If you saw
14 these plants with closing their flowers, which they do when the air becomes
15 damp, you would know that it was about to rain. Many other extremely old
weather sayings are, however, quite useless.

2. 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. (20
points)

1 How much I earn is of no importance to me. difference

Howmuchlearndoes to me.
2 I know for certain that the managing director is not planning to leave the company. intention
The managing director the company, I can assure you.
3 The musicians rehearsal for tonight’s concert is still going on. finished
The musicians rehearsal for tonight’s concert.
4 Paul wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-winning film. was
The Oscar-winning film’s Paul.
5 Last month Ben earned less than in previous months. as
Last month Ben did he had in previous months.
6 Mandy decided to become a dancer so she left school. gave
Mandy become a dancer.
7 We began studying Spanish a month ago. for
We a month.
8 What attracts you to becoming an actor? want
Why an actor?
9 I’m certain that the band’s success was something to be proud of. must
The band their success.
10 That new cinema near the beach opened a month ago. since
That new cinema near the beach month.

4. Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits the space in
the same line. (10 points)

I’ve never been to a 0.. professional fashion show but my sister is PROFESSION
studying clothes design at college and her class put on an end-of-term
 fashion show to which I was invited. I didn’t really want to go because I
expected the whole thing to be a 1 failure, so I rather DISASTER
2 agreed to go along. The introduction to the show was very WILLING
3 indeed with all the models performing handstands and IMPRESS
cartwheels. It looked a bit too 4 for me but it certainly succeeded
-
ATHLETE
in getting the attention of the audience. I had expected all the models to be female
but 5 enough, there were quite a few males modelling the clothes, SURPRISE
too. They say there’s never anything totally new in fashion but the show proved this
to be 6 Everything that the students had created looked new and TRUE
7 As I looked around the audience, I could see what I suspected ATTRACT
might be people looking for new talent. And what better place to look than a
student fashion show? To make the whole thing more 8 the ENTERTAIN
young designers had asked their audience to be the judges of their success or
failure and award a first, second and third prize for the designs. There were so
many 9 ones to choose from that we had a hard time. But my STYLE
sister’s designs won second prize, so I was 10 pleased for her! CREDIBLE

3. Read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each space. (15 points)

Tomy 0 sport is merely a hobby, but to many of my friends and relatives, it seems to be
1 more than that. This is an attitude that I cannot really 2 am not at all interested in
finding out the latest basketball score, or even in watching sport on TV, but 3 soon as the sports
fanatics I know see that a sports fixture is scheduled, they make for the TV ‘on’ switch at top 4 Surely
such dedication 5 be any good for anybody? Maybe my attitude towards sport can be 6 by my
rather unpleasant memories of 7 hockey at school in the pouring rain and freezing cold. If the
weather had been kinder, perhaps 8 part in the sport might have been more enjoyable. As it was,
not even the thought of 9 the game managed to 10 me feel that the activity was worth
all the effort I put into it. One thing does fascinate me about sports fanatics, 11 and that is the
pleasure they take in 12 the game or match they have just watched. They don’t even seem to care if
they 13 with their best friends about the outcome. All that interests them is convincing anyone
willing to listen that they are right and everyone else is wrong! Sport may well be a 14 of life for
some people, but as far as
I am 15 give me a good book and a comfortable armchair any day of the week!

0 A belief B mind C opinion D idea

I A far B lot C largely D many
2 A guess B imagine C realise D understand
3 A as B such C so D like
4 A hurry B speed C haste D rush
5 A would B mightn’t C can’t D must
6 A mentioned B explained C told D said
7 A enjoying — B entertaining C acting D playing
8 A having B doing C taking - D making
9 A beating B succeeding C winning D catching
10 A cause B make C result D do
11 A yet B even C although D however
12A talking B commenting C meaning D describing
13 A fall through B fall out C fall over Dfall off
14 A way B manner - C means D route
15 A enclosed B included C concerned D contained