Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Student’s name:……………………………..Group:……………………….
**********************
A. LISTENING (50 PTS)
PART 1: Listen the recording and answer the questions 1-6.
1. What are the depth and width of the Acraman crater respectively?
________________________________________________________
2. When did William realize what had happened at Acraman?
________________________________________________________
3. What made the sea water shake?
________________________________________________________
4. What threw the pebbles into the air?
________________________________________________________
5. What was mixed with silt to form a layer of rock?
________________________________________________________
6. What shaped the ripples on top of the rock?
________________________________________________________
IELTS PRACTICE TEST – TEST 4- SECTION 4
PART 2: You will hear a representative from British Waterways called John Sampson talking
about a canal network in England. For question 7-16, complete the sentence.
7-8. The canals were built despite the fact that there was no _______________ and very little ____________.
9. From 1970 to 1929, there were many canals that were _______________ with each other but were
not uniform in size.
10. The new union of canals provided a _______________ between major industrial cities.
11. There are plenty of _______________ for a variety of wildlife on and around the canals; and
_________________ and canal banks are considered as an ideal location.
12 -13. Walkers can go to the nearest waterway office to get information on _______________ so they
can start and end at the same place.
14. Anglers can fish in the canals and _______________.
15. If you want to go fishing, you must buy a _______________.
16. The waterways authority request that people are ________________ towards other canal users.
CAE ADVANCED 10 – PRACTICE TEST 1- PART 2
PART 3: You will part of a radio interview with the comedian, Lenny Henry. For questions 17-21
choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best according to what you hear.
17. Why did Lenny decide to do a degree?
A. he was self-conscious because he didn’t have one.
B. Other actors persuaded him that it was a good idea.
C. He needed one to further his acting career.
D. He was impressed by other actors who had been to university.
18. What effect has studying for a degree had on Lenny?
A. It has developed his ability to think more clearly about his work in general.
B. It has made him think more seriously about his career.
C. It has given him the confidence to try.
D. It causes him a lot of stress when he has to write an essay.
19. According to Lenny, how does comedy affect the way people feel?
A. It hinders their appreciation of the seriousness of a situation.
B. It helps them deal with disturbing images.
C. It makes people more sensitive.
D. It enables them to laugh at heartbreaking stories
20. What does Lenny say about the work of Comic Relief in Africa?
A. People in Africa now have new ways of raising money for themselves.
B. The task they are facing is too big for them to make a real difference.
C. People aren’t committed enough yet to the cause.
Part 4: For question 22-25, listen to a part of a lecture about farming practices and complete the
notes with the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the
recording for each answer in the space provided.
Problems:
* erosion
* pollution from various sources, including chemical fertilizers
B. LEXICO-GRAMMAR (30PTS)
Part I. For questions 1-14, choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) to each of the following questions and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes.
1. Unanswered, the demands for nuclear deterrents have ______ fears of civil war.
A. Flashed up B. prognosticated C. sidetracked D. stoked up
2. Sport is a good ______ for aggression.
A. let off B. outlet C. offshoot D. way out
3. He’s a very informal priest. He rarely wears a ______ .
A. dog-collar B. wolf-whistles C. puppy fat D. bookworm
4. They work from dawn to dusk with such ______ that they were exhausted.
A. boredom B. zeal C. detraction D. debility
5. The recent economic crisis has brought about a ______ in world trade.
A. slump B. sag C. droop D. tilt
6. I didn’t take up his recommendation, as he sounded so ______ about it.
A. Half-headed B. half-handed C. half-hearted D. half-witted
7. Researchers have made a(n) ______ plea for more sponsorship so that they can continue their project.
A. compassionate B. dispassionate C. encompassed D. impassioned
8. I can’t seem t find my keys. I’ve looked ______.
A. High and dry B. high and mighty C. high and low D. high and tight
9. At first, she was ______ dumbfounded to hear that he wanted to break up, and then came the stirrings
of auto-hypnotic perturbation.
A. exceedingly B. out-and-out C. somewhat D. utterly
10. There was a lot of ______ as throngs of people tried to see the famous actor walking through the mall.
A. stamina B. discipline C. counsel D. commotion
11. I didn't want to make a decision _____ so I said I'd like to think about it.
A. in one go B. there and then C. at a stroke D. on and off
12. I heard _____ that Jack has been dropped from the basketball team.
A. In the woods B. on the grapevines C. Under your feet D. on the olive branch
13. We could feel the _____ effect of the oil spill on the fauna and flora of the island years after that.
A. backwash B. backlash C. backlog D. backsliding
14. The little children watched the performance in __________ amazement.
A. wide-eyed B. open-eyed C. eagle-eyed D. hawk-eyed
Part II. Use the word in capitals at the end of each of the following sentences to form a word that fits
suitably in the blank.
WHY YOU CAN’T SAY NO TO CERTAIN FOODS
Are you a chocoholic or a fast food addict? Don’t blame yourself – certain foods can trigger an eating binge,
but there are ways to control the ……………… (15. CRAVE). Even if you’re a fairly disciplined eater, there
are sure to be foods you’ll have no resistance to. For some it’s a bar of chocolate, for others a burger. You
probably think there’s no one to blame but your weak-willed self. But the ………………. (16. ASSURE) truth
is that when it comes to controlling you junk food………………………… (17. TAKE), the odds are heavily
stacked against you. High fat, high sugar foods can act like an addictive drug, making us crave even more of
the same. In the States, where obesity rates are reaching epidemic proportions, there’s even a group called Junk
Food Anonymous, which aims to help people recover from their dependence on synthetic or refined food. Fat
is often added to food to make it more ………………….. (18. TABLE) so it’s a good way of making
inexpensive, bland food seem tastier. Another reason certain foods are so ……………….. (19. RESIST) is that
they have a very real effect on our mood, making us feel more relaxed.
Our eating habits develop when we are young and as we move into adulthood the chocolate that we were
rewarded with as a young child becomes a guilty …………………… (20. INDULGE)
We might feel we’ve earned the right to treat ourselves after a hard day at work, for example. Past associations
can reinforce bad eating habits that are difficult to break free from.
C. READING
PART 1: For questions 1-10, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
In our modern, competitive world, employers are beginning to expect almost complete
____________________ (1) from their employees. But what is it that is leading a growing army of workers to
tolerate such heavy demands all for the ____________________ (2) of earning a little money? Peer pressure is
certainly a part of it. Incessant media pressure has a lot to ____________________ (3) for too. We are
bombarded by images of the latest products ____________________ (4) to those who are in the right earning
group and the fact that the majority of people use plastic to purchase goods these days is
____________________ (5) of the “spend now, pay later” culture that is blighting modern society and leading
so many into debt.
The prevailing trend for young people to spend hours surfing the internet and the growing popularity of
eBay has ____________________ (6) it all too easy for people to purchase expensive goods without really
coming to ____________________ (7)with how much money they are spending. Perhaps, most at fault,
however are the credit card companies and banks that permit and often blatantly encourage people to spend
beyond their means. Once people are ____________________ (8) in this kind of financial trap, it is incredibly
difficult for them to extract themselves from the burden of interest that must be paid on expensive loans and overdrafts.
So how can we learn to evaluate our life in a more constructive manner? There is a need to regain some
of the basic priorities and values of the past. There needs to be a ____________________ (9) in emphasis from
materialism to building and maintaining personal relationship, both within a ____________________ (10)
circle of family and friends and with colleagues and associates. Welfare needs to become the number one
priority in a world that is becoming smaller through technology. The global village needs to adopt a village
mentality of caring by going back to the basics.
PART 2:
Reading passage 1: You are going to read four reviews of a book about architecture. For questions 11-14,
choose from the reviews A-D. The reviews may be chosen more than once.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF HAPPINESS
Four reviewers comment on philosopher Alain De Botton’s book called The Architecture of Happiness.
A
Alain de Botton is a brave and highly intelligent writer who writes about complex subjects, clarifying the
arcane for the layman. Now, with typical self-assurance, he has turned to the subject of architecture. The
essential theme of his book is how architecture influences mood and behaviour. It is not about the specifically
architectural characteristics of space and design, but much more about the emotions that architecture inspires in
the users of buildings. Yet architects do not normally talk nowadays very much about emotion and beauty.
They talk about design and function. De Botton's message, then, is fairly simple but worthwhile precisely
because it is simple, readable and timely. His commendable aim is to encourage architects, and society more
generally, to pay more attention to the psychological consequences of design in architecture: architecture
should be treated as something that affects all our lives, our happiness and well-being.
B
Alain de Botton raises important, previously unasked, questions concerning the quest for beauty
in architecture, or its rejection or denial. Yet one is left with the feeling that he needed the help and support of
earlier authors on the subject to walk him across the daunting threshold of architecture itself. And he is given to
making extraordinary claims: ‘Architecture is perplexing ... in how inconsistent is its capacity to generate the
happiness on which its claim to our attention is founded.’ If architecture's capacity to generate happiness is
inconsistent, this might be because happiness has rarely been something architects think about. De Botton
never once discusses the importance of such dull, yet determining, matters as finance or planning laws, much
less inventions such as the lift or reinforced concrete. He appears to believe that architects are still masters of
their art, when increasingly they are cogs in a global machine for building in which beauty, and how de Botton
feels about it, are increasingly beside the point.
C
In The Architecture of Happiness, Alain de Botton has a great time making bold and amusing
judgements about architecture, with lavish and imaginative references, but anyone in search of
privileged insights into the substance of building design should be warned that he is not looking at drain
schedules or pipe runs. He worries away, as many architects do, at how inert material things can convey
meaning and alter consciousness. Although he is a rigorous thinker, most of de Botton’s revelations, such as the
contradictions in Le Corbusier's theory and practice, are not particularly new. However, this is an engaging and
intelligent book on architecture and something everyone, professionals within the field in particular, should
read.
D
Do we want our buildings merely to shelter us, or do we also want them to speak to us? Can the right sort of
architecture even improve our character? Music mirrors the dynamics of our emotional lives. Mightn’t
architecture work the same way? De Botton thinks so, and in The Architecture of Happiness he makes the most
of this theme on his jolly trip through the world of architecture. De Botton certainly writes with conviction and,
while focusing on happiness can be a lovely way to make sense of architectural beauty, it probably won’t be of
much help in resolving conflicts of taste.
(Source: CAE Handbook. Reproduced with permission from Cambridge English)
Which reviewer:
11. Has a different opinion from the others on the confidence with which de Botton discusses architecture?
12. Shares reviewer A’s opinion whether architects should take note of de Boton’s ideas?
13. Expresses a similar view to reviewer B regarding the extent to which architects share de Botton’s
concerns?
14. Has a different view to reviewer C on the originality of some of de Botton’s ideas?
Reading passage 2: You are going to read an extract from an article. Seven paragraphs have been
removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-G the one which fits each gap. There is one
extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
The Do-gooders
The people who changed the morals of English society.
In the last decades of the 18th century, the losers seriously outnumbered the winners. Those who were
fortunate enough to occupy the upper levels of society celebrated their good fortune by living a hedonistic life
of gambling, parties and alcohol. It was their moral right, they felt, to exploit the weak and the poor. Few of
them thought their lives should change, even fewer believed it could.
15. ___________
But the decisive turning point for moral reform was the French revolution. John Bowlder, a popular moralist of
the time, blamed the destruction of French society on a moral crisis. Edmund Burke, a Whig statesman agreed.
'When your fountain is choked up and polluted,' he wrote, 'the stream will not run long or clear.' If the English
society did not reform, ruin would surely follow.
16. ___________
Englishmen were deeply afraid that the immorality of France would invade England. Taking advantage of this,
Burke was able to gain considerable support by insisting that the French did not have the moral qualifications
to be a civilised nation. He pronounced 'Better this island should be sunk to the bottom of the sea that than... it
should not be a country of religion and morals.'
17. ___________
Sobering though these messages were, the aristocracy of the time was open to such reforms, not least due to
fear. France's attempt to destroy their nobility did much to encourage the upper classes to examine and re-
evaluate their own behaviour. Added to this was the arrival of French noble émigrés to British shores. As these
people were dependant on the charity of the British aristocracy, it became paramount to amend morals and
suppress all vices in order to uphold the state.
18. ___________
Whether the vices of the rich and titled stopped or were merely cloaked is open to question. But it is clear that
by the turn of the century, a more circumspect society had emerged. Styles of dress became more moderate,
and the former adornments of swords, buckles and powdered hair were no longer seen. There was a profusion
of moral didactic literature available. Public hangings ceased and riots became much rarer.
19. ___________
One such person was Thomas Wackley who in 1823 founded a medical journal called 'the Lancet'. At this time,
Medicine was still a profession reserved for the rich, and access to knowledge was impossible for the common
man. The Lancet shone a bright light on the questionable practices undertaken in medicine and particularly in
surgery, and finally led to improved standards of care.
20. ___________
How though did changes at the top affect the people at the bottom of the societal hierarchy? Not all reformers
concerned themselves which changes at the authoritative and governmental levels. Others concentrated on
improving the lives and morals of the poor. In the midst of the industrial revolution, the poorest in society were
in dire straits. Many lived in slums and sanitation was poor. No-one wanted the responsibility of improvement.
21. ___________
Could local authorities impose such measures today? Probably not. Even so, the legacy of the moral reform of
the late 1800s and 1900s lives on today. Because of it, the British have come to expect a system which is
competent, fair to all and free from corruption. Nowadays everyone has a right to a home, access to education,
and protection at work and in hospital. This is all down to the men and women who did not just observe
society's ills from a distance, but who dared to take steps to change it.
Paragraphs
A But a moral makeover was on the horizon, and one of the first people to promote it was William
Wilberforce, better known for his efforts in abolishing the slave trade. Writing to a friend, Lord Muncaster, he
stated that 'the universal corruption and profligacy of the times...taking its rise amongst the rich and luxurious
has now ... spread its destructive poison through the whole body of the people.'
B But one woman, Octavia Hill, was willing to step up to the mark. Hill, despite serious opposition by the
men who still dominated English society, succeeded in opening a number of housing facilities for the poor.
But, recognising the weaknesses of a charity-dependent culture, Hill enforced high moral standards, strict
measures in hygiene and cleanliness upon her tenants, and, in order to promote a culture of industry, made
them work for any financial handouts.
C At first, moralists did not look for some tangible end to moral behaviour. They concerned themselves
with the spiritual salvation of the rich and titled members of society, believing that the moral tone set by the
higher ranks would influence the lower orders. For example, Samuel Parr, preaching at London's St Paul's
Cathedral, said 'If the rich man...abandons himself to sloth and all the vices which sloth generates, he corrupts
by his example. He permits...his immediate attendants to be, like him, idle and profligate.'
D In time, the fervour for improved morals strayed beyond personal behaviour and towards a new
governance. People called for a tightening of existing laws which had formerly been enforced only laxly.
Gambling, dueling, swearing, prostitution, pornography and adultery laws were more strictly upheld to the
extent that several fashionable ladies were fined fifty pounds each for gambling in a private residence.
E So far, however, circumspection in the upper classes had done little to improve the lives of those in the
lower classes. But that was to change. Against a backdrop of the moral high ground, faults in the system started
to stand out. One by one, people started to question the morality of those in authority.
F The attitudes of the upper classes became increasingly critical during the latter part of the eighteenth
century. In 1768, the Lord of the Treasury was perfectly at ease to introduce his mistress to the Queen, but a
generation later, such behaviour would have been unacceptable. Such attitudes are also seen in the diaries of
Samuel Pepys, who, in 1793 rambles without criticism about his peer's many mistresses. A few years later, his
tone had become infinitely more critical.
G Similar developments occurred in the Civil Service. Civil servants were generally employed as a result
of nepotism or acquaintance, and more often than not took advantage of their power to provide for themselves
at the expense of the public. Charles Trevelyan, an official at the London Treasury, realised the weaknesses in
the system and proposed that all civil servants were employed as a result of entrance examinations, thus
creating a system which was politically independent and consisted of people who were genuinely able to do the
job.
H These prophecies roused a little agitation when first published in 1790. But it was the events in 1792-93
which shocked England into action. Over in France, insurrection had led to war and massacre. The King and
Queen had been tried and executed. France was now regarded as completely immoral and uncivilized, a
country where vice and irreligion reigned.
Reading passage 3: You are going to read an article containing reviews of crime novels. For questions 22-31,
choose from the reviews (A – F). The reviews may be chosen more than once.
Constable, has known the villagers all his life, but his instinctive feelings about the case are called into
question by the arrival of Diane Fry, a ruthlessly ambitious detective from another division. As the
investigation twists and turns, Ben and Diane discover that to understand the present, they must also
understand the past – and, in a world where none of the suspects is entirely innocent, misery and suffering can
be the only outcome.
E Andrew Roth’s deservedly celebrated Roth Trilogy has drawn to a close with the paperback publication
of the third book, The Office, set in a 1950s cathedral city. Janet Byfield has everything that Wendy Appleyard
lacks: she’s beautiful, she has a handsome husband, and an adorable little daughter, Rosie. At first it seems to
Wendy as though nothing can touch the Byfields’ perfect existence, but old sins gradually come back to haunt
the present, and new sins are bred in their place. The shadows seep through the neighbourhood and only
Wendy, the outsider looking in, is able to glimpse the truth. But can she grasp its twisted logic in time to
prevent a tragedy whose roots lie buried deep in the past?
F And finally, Reginald Hill has a brilliant new Dalziel and Pascoe novel, Dialogues, released in the
spring. The uncanny resemblance between stories entered for a local newspaper competition and the
circumstances of two sudden disappearances attracts the attention of Mid-Yorkshire Police. Superintendent
Andy Dalziel realises they may have a dangerous criminal on their hands – one the media are soon calling the
Wordman. There are enough clues around to weave a tapestry, but it’s not clear who’s playing with whom. Is it
the Wordman versus the police, or the criminal versus his victims? And just how far will the games go?
Reading passage 4: Read the following passage and answer the questions 32- 42.
A. The need for a satisfactory education is more important than ever before. Nowadays, without a
qualification from a reputable school or university, the odds of landing that plum job advertised in the
paper are considerably shortened. Moreover, one’s present level of education could fall well short of
future career requirements.
B. It is no secret that competition is the driving force behind the need to obtain increasingly higher
qualifications. In the majority of cases, the urge to upgrade is no longer the result of an insatiable thirst
for knowledge. The pressure is coming from within the workplace to compete with ever more qualified
job applicants, and in many occupations one must now battle with colleagues in the reshuffle for the
position one already holds.
C. Striving to become better educated is hardly a new concept. Wealthy parents have always been willing
to spend the vast amount of extra money necessary to send their children to schools with a perceived
educational edge. Working adults have long attended night schools and refresher courses. Competition
for employment has been around since the curse of working for a living began. Is the present situation
so very different to that of the past?
D. The difference now is that the push is universal and from without as well as within. A student at a
comprehensive school receive low grades is no longer as easily accepted by his or her peers as was
once the case. Similarly, in the workplace, unless employees are engaged in part-time study, they may
be frowned upon by their employers and peers and have difficulty even standing still. In fact, in these
cases, the expectation is for careers to go backwards and earning capacity to take an appreciable
nosedive.
E. At first glance, the situation would seem to be laudable; a positive response to the exhortations of
politicians for us all to raise our intellectual standards and help improve the level of intelligence within
the community. Yet there are serious ramifications according to at least one educational psychologist.
Dr. Brenda Gatsby has caused some controversy in academic circles by suggesting that a bias towards
what he terms “paper excellence” might cause more problems than it is supposed to solve. Gatsby
raises a number of issues that affect the individual as well as society in general.
F. Firstly, he believes the extra workload involved in resulting I abnormally high stress levels in both
students at comprehensive schools and adults studying after working hours. Secondly, skills which
might be more relevant to the undertaking of a sought-after job are being overlooked by employers not
interviewing candidates without qualifications on paper. These two areas of concern for the individual
are causing physical as well as emotional stress.
G. Gatsby also argues that there are attitudinal changes within society to the exalted role education now
plays in determining how the spoils of working life are distributed. Individuals of all ages are being
driven by social pressures to achieve academic success solely for monetary considerations instead of
for the joy of enlightenment. There is the danger that some universities are becoming degree factories
with an attendant drop in standards. Furthermore, our education system may be rewarding doggedness
above creativity; the very thing tutors ought- to be encouraging us to avoid. But the most undesirable
effect of this academic paper chase, Gatsby says, is the disadvantage that “user pays” higher education
confers on the poor, who invariably lose out to the more financially favored.
H. Naturally, although there is agreement that learning can cause stress, Gatsby’s comment regarding
university standards have been roundly criticized as alarmist by most educationists who point out that,
by any standard of measurement, Britain’s education system overall, at both secondary and tertiary
levels, is equal to that of any in the world
Questions 32-39: Match the headings to the paragraphs in the passage. The first paragraph has been done for you.
List of headings:
i. Causes of concern for the individual
ii. The struggle for better education results in parents sending children to costlier schools
iii. Doubts as to whether competition is a modern phenomenon.
iv. The value of education in securing employment.
v. Questions raised concerning the over-emphasis placed on paper qualifications.
vi. Reaction to criticism of perceived bias towards paper qualifications.
Questions 40-42: Following is a summary of a part of the passage. Fill in the gaps with NO MORE THAN
THREE WORDS from the passage.
Dr. Gatsby, an educational psychologist, has suggested that there are problems affecting the individual
and society when the workplace is biased towards hiring personnel only on the basis of their
(40)________________. He claims that an over-emphasis placed on academic success is causing stress in
students at school and in working adults studying part-time. Also, more practical skills might be overlooked by
employers hiring applicants for jobs. However, the most (41)_______________consequence of this preference
for ever more highly qualified applicants, apart from a possible drop in university (42)______________ is that
those who are unable to afford a higher level of education are disadvantaged. Gatsby’s views have not met
with universal acceptance.