Skills Test Unit 4 Test A

Name: ___________________________________________

Everyday English
1 Complete the dialogue with the words below.
point concerned view far see right reckon sure ask agree
Sylvia In my 1____________ , there is far too much pollution in the sea. What do you
2
____________ , Anna?

Anna Well, I 3____________ with you. You’re probably 4____________ . But I don’t think
there’s anything we can do about it.

Sylvia I 5____________ what you’re saying, but I’m not so 6____________ about that. We can
do lots of things such as fining companies that cause pollution.
Anna Mmm. I take your 7____________ , but if you 8____________ me, fines don’t have much
effect on big oil companies. As 9____________ as I’m 10____________ , there’s not
much we can do.

Mark: ___ / 5

1
Listening
2  Listen to a radio interview with Josh Hughes. Tick () the best summary of the aims of
Josh’s organization.
A
It’s a government organization that teaches communities about marine life and the balance of
nature, and wants a greater understanding of these issues in schools and colleges.

It’s a newly-formed organization that wants to get young people to understand more about the
problems marine environments face, and wants them to actively take steps to transform the
situation.

3  Listen again. Circle the correct answer.

1 What’s the name of the organisation organization that Josh represents these days?
a Save the Whales
b Protect the Oceans
c Transform the Seas
2 Josh talks about how we harm the oceans. Which of the following does he mention?
a We catch too many fish.
b We hunt too many whales.
c We take too much of its oil and gas.
3 According to Josh, what is the most important aim of his organization?
a To educate people and raise awareness.
b To persuade people to take part in the protest.
c To promote change by organizing petitions.
4 Which of the following examples of positive action has Josh’s organization not yet carried out?
a starting an online petition
b organizing demonstrations
c planning charity events for schools

Mark: ___ / 10

2
Reading
Blood diamonds
Join the Stop Blood Diamonds campaign. Please read our factsheet and then join our campaign to
prevent conflict in Africa which results from the West’s desire for jewellery.
What are the facts?
Every year, mines in Africa produce an enormous number of diamonds which together are worth
over $8 billion. They are one of Africa’s major natural resources and one of the continent’s most
significant exports. In fact, more than half the diamonds in the world come from Africa. It seems
ironic that such a luxurious item comes from such a poor continent, but most of these diamonds are
mined legally, and the profits from their sale are good for the economies of African countries.
However, some mines are controlled by rebels and warlords who sell the diamonds to rich countries
in Europe, Asia and America and use the money to buy weapons. These diamonds are called ‘blood
diamonds’. Their sale has enabled the funding of terrible wars in Angola, the Democratic Republic of
Congo and Sierra Leone and, in the future, they will undoubtedly pay for many more wars.
So, what steps have already been taken to stop the sale of blood diamonds? Well, firstly,
governments have co-operated to set up the Kimberley Process, which is a way of checking exactly
where a diamond has come from. Nowadays, diamond exporters have to show where their diamonds
were mined and, in the future, this process is going to get stricter and more thorough. Secondly,
books, articles and films, such as Blood Diamond, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio, have raised
awareness of how much damage this trade in illegal diamonds causes in Africa. The problem is that
these measures haven’t fully addressed the problem. Although governments and international
diamond companies are taking the issue of blood diamonds more seriously, ordinary high street
jewellery shops in the West still don’t seem to care about the origin of the diamonds they sell.
What now?
What are we going to do next to stop the sale of blood diamonds? In the coming months, our
campaign group will be organizing protests outside high street shops that sell diamonds and will be
taking out advertisements in magazines and major newspapers to highlight the problem. We’re also
going to start an online petition which you can sign by checking out our website. We believe that
high street shops do not provide sufficient assurance to consumers that the diamonds they sell won’t
make money for warlords and rebels. That is why we need your help. We’d like you to download our
online question sheet and take it to your local jeweller’s. Ask the questions about the origin of their
diamonds and put pressure on diamond retailers to sell diamonds which have not come from
countries or regions at war. By doing this, you’ll be sending a strong message to your local jeweller’s
that their role in supporting wars must end.

3
4 Read the text. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1 Diamonds are a minor African export. ___
2 All blood diamonds have been mined illegally. ___
3 Warlords and rebels control the majority of Africa’s diamond mines. ___
4 A war in Angola was funded by the sale of blood diamonds. ___
5 The sale of blood diamonds has been stopped by the Kimberley Process. ___
6 International diamond companies have shown no interest in caring about the origin of blood
diamonds. ___
7 The Stop Blood Diamonds campaign is planning action to target high street jewellery shops. ___
8 The campaign group want the press to draw attention to the problem. ___
9 The campaign asks supporters to send in questions they think high street shops should answer.
___
10 The campaign aims to make jewellers more responsible for finding out where blood diamonds
come from. ___

Mark: ___ / 10

Writing
5 Read the description of two events. Choose one of the special days to celebrate at your
school. Then write an opinion essay giving reasons why you chose the special day.

INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK EARTH DAY

DAY 22 April
2 April Aims to raise awareness of the Earth’s
Aims to inspire young people to read more environment and to make people appreciate
and aims to promote children’s literature. how we need to protect it.

Write your essay. Use the plan to help you.

Paragraph 1: Write an introduction and state your opinion.

Paragraph 2: Give reasons for your opinion.

Paragraph 3: Support your opinion with specific examples.

Paragraph 4: Write a conclusion and restate your opinion and reasons.

Mark: ___ / 15
TOTAL MARKS: ___ / 40

4
Challenge!
6 Complete the text with the correct form of the words (a–d).
Journey to the Amazon
Last year, I decided 1____________ the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. I don’t regret 2____________
on such a long, dangerous 3____________ through kilometres of thick vegetation. The rainforest is a
vast and majestic place. A quarter of all known land species 4____________ the forest, including the
jaguar, the river dolphin, the world’s largest flower, a monkey the size of a toothbrush and a spider
the size of a baseball. There are many more species there, but we 5____________ them all yet.
On the fifth of March, I 6____________ back to Brazil to join an environmental project in an area of
the Amazon rainforest with no trees. I 7____________ my ticket. Twenty years ago, this area
8
____________ to a group of indigenous people, but, more recently, a logging company has owned
it. I’ve 9____________ to work with no pay on the project. We’ve got a clear plan. We
10
____________ hundreds of trees. The trees in the Amazon rainforest store 80 to 120 billion tonnes
of carbon, helping to stabilize the planet’s climate, so it’s vital that we protect them.
1 a visit b visiting c to visit d to visiting
2 a go b going c to go d to going
3 a trek b tour c voyage d excursion
4 a will inhabit b inhabits c is inhabiting d are inhabiting
5 a don’t discover b haven’t discovered c didn’t discover d weren’t discovering
6 a to fly b am flying c could fly d flies
7 a already buy b already bought c ’ve already bought d was already buying
8 a belongs b will belong c would belong d used to belong
9 a volunteered b aided c donated d raised
10 a planted b plant c are going to plant d may replant

5
Vocabulary and Grammar Test Unit 4 Test A
Name: ___________________________________________

Vocabulary
1 Match the verbs (1–6) to the phrases (A–F).
1 spread A a way of life that is dying out
2 contaminate B people from one village to another village
3 relocate C a disease among a community
4 preserve D houses during a terrible flood
5 wash away E on rice and water during a famine
6 survive F the drinking water with pollution

Mark: ___ / 6

2 Complete the sentences with words formed from the prefixes in A and the root words in B.
A inter- semi- over- dis- co- under-
B permanent crowded cook act operating appear
1 The Indian city of Kolkata is ____________ . There are too many people living there.
2 Health workers in Kolkata are working together. By ____________ , they hope to relieve poverty
and disease.
3 One problem they face is that people don’t prepare food properly. If you ____________ food, it
may make you unwell.
4 Kolkata is so large that some poor children ____________ into its narrow streets. People don’t
know where they are.
5 People in Kolkata sometimes build their own homes. These ____________ houses are
dangerous and often fall down.
6 Health workers have to ____________ with people of different cultures and religions. It’s hard to
communicate with everybody.

Mark: ___ / 12

3 Complete the text with the correct prepositions.

Save the whales
Do you believe 1____________ protecting the greatest creatures in the sea from people who hunt
them? If so, join our protest 2____________ the whaling industry. We set 3____________ our
campaign to help whales in 2001 because we really care 4____________ the ecology of our planet.
Belong 5____________ our organization and insist 6____________ an end to whaling. Remember
that the whales are relying 7____________ you!

Mark: ___ / 7

1
4 Circle the correct words to complete the sentences.
1 We are raising / aiding / transforming money to support good causes.
2 Jim went / took / got part in a marathon at the weekend.
3 It’s urgent that we volunteer / donate / address these problems immediately.
4 Working in Africa is going to address / raise / transform my life. It won’t be the same after that
experience.
5 I’d like to raise / volunteer / address my help. I don’t want to be paid. I just want to do all I can
to make things better.
6 I’m going to donate / address / support all the money I earn this weekend to charity.
7 Amy is going to volunteer / take part in / donate a huge charity event this weekend. She’s
looking forward to being there.
8 Our school is supporting / volunteering / donating a campaign to help poor villagers by
collecting second-hand clothes.
9 Poverty in this region needs to be addressed. We hope to raise / transform / volunteer this
difficult situation by investing in jobs.
10 This campaign will donate / volunteer / raise awareness of how rapidly the rainforest is
disappearing.
11 We’ve donated / addressed / raised our old clothes to charity. We didn’t need them so we have
given them away.

Mark: ___ / 11

2
Grammar
5 Complete the sentences with the best future form of the verbs in brackets. Use will +
infinitive, going to + infinitive, the present simple or the present continuous. Sometimes
more than one answer is possible.
1 I’ve decided to help homeless people. I ____________ (donate) money to a homeless shelter.
2 According to the timetable, the charity’s next event ____________ (take) place on 9 May.
3 I think I ____________ (work) for a charity next summer. It’s a good thing to do.
4 Penny works too hard as an aid worker. She ____________ (have) a breakdown.
5 On Tuesday, I ____________ (meet) some of the protesters for lunch.
6 I’ve decided to become active in local politics. I ____________ (stand) in the council election.

Mark: ___ / 6

6 Circle the correct words to complete the text.

I’m not sure, but I think I 1might / will join PickUp, the recycling campaign in our community. The
next PickUp campaign 2starts / will start at 10 a.m. next Saturday morning in the park, so I
3
’m meet / ’m meeting my friends for coffee at 9.30, then we’ve decided that we 4’re going to ask /
’re asking the organizers if we can join. I hope it 5’ll be / ’s going to be a fun and rewarding thing to
do. My friend Jo 6will bring / is going to bring some large bags to put rubbish in. She’s already
bought them. And Simon, my other friend, has promised that he 7brings / ’ll bring some bags, too.
Our actions 8may / will definitely change our community for the better!

Mark: ___ / 8

7 Penny is raising money for charity next Saturday. Look at her itinerary. Then write future
continuous or future perfect sentences from the prompts.

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. work in the charity shop

12 p.m. to 2 p.m. collect money in the street

2 p.m. go home

1 At 10 a.m. / Penny / work in the charity shop.

________________________________________________________________________
2 By 12.15 p.m. / she / finish work in the charity shop.
________________________________________________________________________
3 At 1 p.m. / Penny / collect money in the street.
________________________________________________________________________
4 At 1.30 p.m. / she / not work in the charity shop.
________________________________________________________________________
5 By 3 p.m. / Penny / go back home.
________________________________________________________________________

Mark: ___ / 10
TOTAL MARKS: ___ / 60
3
Cumulative Skills Test Units 1–5 Test A
Name: ___________________________________________

Everyday English
1 Complete the sentences with the missing words. Use one word in each sentence.
1 Susie looks ____________ if she’s seen a ghost. She’s gone white.
2 Oh, come on! You’ve got ____________ to lose! Try it with me and I’ll pay!
3 As far ____________ I’m concerned, we should start again.
4 You’ve really ____________ me down. I’m very disappointed in you.
5 We ____________ to inform you that the match has been cancelled.

Mark: ___ / 5

Listening
2  Listen to Dan and Lucy talking about going away on holiday. Complete the sentences
with a number.
1 Dan went on a round-the-world trip with ____________ friend(s).

2 Lucy is going to stay in Portugal for ____________ week(s).

3  Listen again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?

1 Dan took the photo of the boat. ___
2 Joe and Robbie are standing on the boat in the photo. ___
3 Robbie is similar to Dan in appearance. ___
4 These days, Dan and Robbie are often together. ___
5 Dan thought that the people were kind to him in Thailand. ___
6 Lucy isn’t at all excited about her trip to Portugal. ___
7 Lucy has already decided what to take with her on holiday. ___
8 Lucy enjoyed scuba diving when she first tried it. ___

Mark: ___ / 10

1
Reading
St Kilda
If you’ve ever wanted to get off the beaten track, it would be difficult to find anywhere as remote as
St Kilda, a group of islands which lie in the North Atlantic Ocean, over sixty kilometres north-west
of Scotland. It’s one of the most isolated places in Europe, and it was once inhabited by a unique
community of people with their own language and their own ancient way of life. Nowadays, nobody
lives on the islands except for a few military personnel, although the place comes to life every
summer when research scientists arrive to study the wildlife, and a small number of tourists make the
long boat journey across the ocean to see the remains of the old houses which now stand empty.
On a bright, blue day in August 1930, the last St Kildans locked the doors of their houses and made
their way to the boat that was waiting for them. For religious and traditional reasons, they had left an
open bible and a small pile of food in each of their houses. It would be easy to say that they were sad
to leave the islands where their ancestors had lived for a thousand years, but, in truth, many of them
were looking forward to their new lives on the mainland, away from the poverty and isolation of St
Kilda. There had never been more than 200 people living on the islands in St Kilda’s entire history,
but by the time of its evacuation there were only thirty-six people left, and most of them were old. It
was impossible to continue with no young people to farm the land and grow – or find – food.
Historians have argued about the main reasons why the community on St Kilda failed. Illness and
emigration played a part, and it seems that the common factor was the way that the modern world
influenced the islanders. While they were living in isolation, they had little choice but to work hard
and to make the best of their lives, but things changed in the 19th century when tourists started
arriving on the islands. At first, this had a positive effect because islanders could sell home-made
clothes and birds’ eggs to the visitors – but the benefits came at a price. The islanders lost their self-
esteem because the tourists treated them as strange, primitive people, and many St Kildan children
died because mainland diseases such as tetanus and influenza arrived with the boats. In the longer
term, regular contact with the outside world made the St Kildans less self-reliant. As a result of the
tourist trade, they could buy things from the mainland for the first time, so they stopped farming or
hunting for birds’ eggs, which had been their traditional methods of getting food. They became
disconnected from their ancient way of life, and most of the young men emigrated from St Kilda to
find work in Scotland. Eventually, the end of their traditional community became inevitable.

2
4 Read the text. Circle the correct answer (a–d).
1 St Kilda is situated
a in the west of Scotland.
b in the middle of a group of islands.
c close to the Scottish coast.
d in the north-western part of the Atlantic.
2 In the winter, the only things likely to happen on the islands are
a house renovations.
b sightseeing visits.
c military activities.
d wildlife studies.
3 In the text, we discover that the St Kildans who left the islands in 1930 were
a all very upset about leaving for the last time.
b probably religious people.
c worried about being poor on the mainland.
d short of food to eat.
4 Reasons why the St Kilda community had to leave include
a the influence of tourists from elsewhere.
b diseases caused by the failure of crops.
c the increasing numbers of young people in the community.
d the price of goods from the outside world.
5 In the 19th century, tourists visiting from Scotland
a worked on the islands.
b admired the islanders’ values.
c bought goods made by the islanders.
d brought cures for diseases like influenza.

Mark: ___ / 10

3
Writing
5 Write one of the following tasks.
A Write a personal letter to a friend. Tell them you have been worrying about your exams. Explain
how you are planning to improve your mood with exercise, and other plans you have to feel
happier.
B Write a letter to a local newspaper expressing your views and concerns on a plan to introduce a
curfew on young people being out alone after 8 p.m. Explain how you feel about this scheme.
Show an understanding of the problem and make alternative suggestions.

Mark: ___ / 15
TOTAL MARKS: ___ / 40

4
Speaking
6 Think about your typical weekend and what you did last weekend. Prepare to answer the
questions below. Then work with a partner. Take turns to interview each other.
1 What do you usually do at the weekend? Where do you go? Who do you spend time with?
2 What did you do last weekend? Where did you go? Who did you go with? Did anything unusual
happen? If so, what?

Challenge!
7 Complete the text with the correct words (a–d).
A trip to Andalucía
Last summer, my family and I went on a trip to Andalucía in the south of Spain. While we
1
____________ in Seville, we saw a lot of famous 2____________ , including the cathedral, Torre
del Oro. Then we went to Granada and visited the Alhambra Palace. The place was 3____________-
crowded because there were so many tourists there, but it was still fabulous. If you go to Granada,
you 4____________ exactly what I mean! The Alhambra is one of the most beautiful palaces in the
world. It is located 5____________ of the hill al-Sabika. Today, some of the wall paintings in the
palace 6____________ to decay. Protecting monuments like the Alhambra is important, so I’ve
joined an online support group to 7____________ awareness of this issue. By the end of this century,
some world famous monuments will have fallen down if we 8____________ to look after them now.
1 a stayed b have stayed c had stayed d were staying
2 a sees b views c visions d sights
3 a up b over c far d many
4 a see b will see c saw d would see
5 a on bottom b on top c at top d under
6 a start b have started c started d were starting
7 a raise b donate c take part in d address
8 a failed b were failing c fail d are failing

5
Cumulative Vocabulary and Grammar Test
Units 1–5 Test A
Name: ___________________________________________

Vocabulary
1 Circle the correct words to complete the sentences.
1 Bill’s generosity / laziness / prosperity is a result of working hard and making lots of money.
2 Ellen is so stubborn / modest / assertive! She never changes her mind even if she is wrong.
3 Angie goes to the gym three times a week to look good and stay trim / plump / handsome.
4 When training for the tournament, Emma showed great sportsmanship / commitment / self-
esteem. She trained every day because she really wanted to win.
5 The water in this area is devastated / contaminated / evacuated with bacteria. You can’t drink
it.
6 Vandalism is a serious theft / offence / shoplifter.
7 Last year, I went on a long, difficult trek / excursion / voyage through the jungle. We walked for
days!
8 Our association helps to deserve / survive / conserve wildlife in Central Asia.

Mark: ___ / 8

2 Match the words in A that collocate with the words in B. Then complete the sentences with
the compound words.
A second armed single self short theme broad die
B minded robbery out sighted hand reliant parks shouldered
1 Gary is good at doing things with no help from other people. He is very ____________ .
2 Many types of animals will ____________ if we don’t protect them.
3 If you're looking for retro clothes for a party, try this ____________ shop. Clothes here are often
cheap and stylish, in spite of the fact they have been worn by other people.
4 Jamie is ____________ . This means that it's difficult for him to see things in the distance.
5 Gemma is very ____________ in her desire to learn Spanish. She’s revising new words all the
time!
6 Although they were teenagers, the criminals went to prison for committing ____________ .
7 My niece enjoys going to ____________ . She always goes on the fast rides.
8 Alf is a strong, ____________ man. He could be a professional boxer.

Mark: ___ / 8

1
3 Complete the text with the prepositions below. Some prepositions are used more than once.
down up out on in with of over

Last week, our band played at the music festival and, surprisingly for us all, we won the first prize – a
trip to London. We were very pleased. In fact, we were 1____________ the moon! Later, we found
2
____________ that we had to prepare a new song to play on our tour next month. I wanted to choose
from the songs we wrote last year, but Matt the drummer insisted 3____________ playing something
from the festival. Everybody argued a lot and eventually fell 4____________ 5____________ each
other! I thought it was the end of our band and felt 6____________ 7____________ the mouth all
weekend. On Monday, the guitarist came 8____________ 9____________ an idea. He suggested that
we should write a completely new song especially for the tour! We all liked the idea. So, a week
later, we went 10____________ the trip to London and then started our tour performing a new song
called London Days. Everybody loved it, and we felt 11____________ top 12____________ the
world!

Mark: ___ / 12

4 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in brackets. Add the correct
prefixes or suffixes.
1 Our company has an ____________ (national) website. You can read the news in five different
languages.
2 Some people think eating carrots gives you the ____________ (able) to see in the dark.
3 The local people are living in ____________ (permanent) houses on the island. Building work on
their new homes should be completed in six months.
4 No wonder you've ____________ (cooked) the meat! You left it in the oven for an hour instead
of thirty minutes!
5 David can be quite ____________ (honest). He doesn’t always tell the truth.
6 It rained on Saturday, but in spite of this ____________ (fortune), we had a lovely indoor picnic!
7 Jane showed me a lot of ____________ (kind) during my stay. She was friendly and helpful.
8 We ____________ (operate) and worked hard together to solve our problems.

Mark: ___ / 8

2
Grammar
5 Complete the letter with the correct forms of the verbs below. Some verbs are used more
than once.
stay write try have go see

Hi Jenny!
1
____________ this email to you from an island in Thailand. Tim and I 2____________ at a
bungalow by the sea since yesterday, and it’s just perfect! Yesterday, we 3____________ to see a fire
show on the beach. I must say, it was something I haven’t 4____________ before! And we
5
____________ some local food, too. It was a bit too spicy for me!
We 6____________ on a trip to the jungle before we head to the next island. If you 7____________
time, please 8____________ to me!
Lots of love,
Emily

Mark: ___ / 8

6 Complete the sentences with the correct answers (a–c).

1 You ____________ use a hair dryer here. It’s so hot that your hair will be dry in a minute.
a don’t have to b can’t c mustn’t
2 If I ____________ Mary, I’ll tell her you’ve left her a message.
a see b will see c saw
3 I ____________ go to Italy this year. I haven’t decided yet.
a can b will c might
4 I ____________ for the bus since 3 p.m., and it still isn’t here!
a was waiting b ’ve been waiting c ’d been waiting
5 Penny ____________ abroad when she was a small child.
a would live b has lived c used to live
6 Jack ____________ be online. The internet isn’t working.
a mustn’t b wouldn’t c can’t
7 If I had more money, I ____________ travelling around the world.
a ’d go b ’ll go c went
8 By this time tomorrow, we ____________ the mainland. In fact, we’ll be checking into the hotel!
a ’ll reach b ’ll be reaching c ’ll have reached

Mark: ___ / 8

3
7 Read the sentences. Then complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning.
Include the word in brackets.
1 If I won the lottery I could do so many things. (would)
If I won the lottery I ________________________ round the world and buy lots of designer
clothes.
2 I liked heavy metal music when I was a teenager, but I don’t any more. (used)
I ________________________ heavy metal music when I was a teenager.
3 It’s a pleasure for Jack to explore new cities. (enjoys)
Jack ________________________ new cities.
4 Being back at work is very boring. (only)
If ________________________ still on holiday, spending all day at the beach.
5 I feel bad about not going anywhere exciting last year. (wish)
I ________________________ somewhere exciting last year.
6 Amy was sorry that she didn’t take her swimming costume. (regretted)
Amy ________________________ her swimming costume.
7 I didn’t take up basketball because I was already in a football team. (decided)
I ________________________ take up basketball because I was already in a football team.
8 Don’t spend all afternoon in the sun because you may get sunburnt. (avoid)
________________________ all afternoon in the sun because you may get sunburnt.

Mark: ___ / 8
TOTAL MARKS: ___ / 60