Unit 8 Test A Name ............................................ Class ...............................................

Use of English: Grammar

1 Complete the sentences with
the correct verb in either the
present or past participle form.

catch
need
read
talk
walk

1 ______________ to a friend, I
missed my train and had to get
the next one.
2 ______________ the reviews of the
restaurant, she cancelled her
booking.
3 _____________ copying his partner
in class, the boy got suspended
from the school.
4 ______________ some money to
pay the builders, they went to
the bank.
5 ______________ 15 kilometres in
the pouring rain, we finally got a
taxi home.

/5
2 Choose the correct alternative.

1 From her point of view, watching

TV is by far/far more interesting
than swimming.
2 The more junk food you eat the
more fat/fatter you get.
3 Id say we have less/fewer
furniture now than we did a
couple of years ago.
4 Hiring a DVD isnt so/than
expensive as going to the
cinema.
5 Studying at school is not the
same than/as being at university.

/5

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Class...........................................................................
Name ............................................ Class ...............................................

3 For questions 1-5, read the

text and write
one word which best fits each
space.

If I compare my life now to how it

used to be, there are a number of
notable differences. Generally
speaking, (1)_____ older you get the
more tired you feel, but I have more
energy now than ever. Since retiring
last June, I definitely have less
money (2)_____ when I was working,
but that said, Im a lot happier now.

Everyone says that when you retire,

you start thinking that the price of
things is high but the cost of living
isnt (3)_____ expensive as I thought
it perhaps might be. Especially now
Im living in the countryside. Im
living in a town called Diss and its
(4)_____ far the friendliest place Ive
been to. The town doesnt offer the
(5)_____ excitement as London but
the people and the fresh air make
up for that.

/5

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Use of English: Vocabulary 5 Think of one word only which

can be used appropriately in
each set of sentences.
4 Find compound adjectives in the
paragraph that mean:
1 Were thinking of extending our
house so we can create an extra
1 very loud
_____________.
2 a situation that makes you feel
very unhappy
There was so many people at the
3 very shocking
meeting that there wasnt
4 frightening and dangerous in an
_____________ for everyone to sit.
exciting way
5 a situation that surprises you and
2 She was so enthusiastic about
that you have probably never
learning the language that she
seen before
took a _____________ course in
Russian.
Ive recently watched two films at
Five years on from the
the cinema. One I found really
financial_____________, it is
interesting and the other I
believed the hard times are now
particularly disliked. Im going to
over.
start by describing the one that I
found interesting. It was a mind-
3 The cost of leaving the car at the
blowing documentary about the
station on a daily basis lead
tsunami in Japan. Some of the
Laura to believe she was better
scenes shown were eye-opening. It
off getting a parking
depicted peoples houses being
_____________.
swept away by the vast amounts of
water. Perhaps not the most relaxing
As a reward for her good
film to watch as it was at times a
behavior, they _____________ her
little soul-destroying but the event
to leave the prison two
actually happened, and the truth
afternoons per week.
cannot be hidden. The other film I
watched was a horror film. It was
4 It was _____________ of John not to
particularly hair-raising. At the
invite my husband to the party.
beginning, I was literally on the
edge of my seat but half way
The fact that they now live in
through the film, I started to dislike
France will _____________ we see
it. The constant screams that came
them very infrequently.
from the main characters were ear-
splitting. I definitely wouldnt
5 He wouldnt tell her what was on
recommend it.
his _____________.
/5 Do you _____________ paying for
the meal? I forgot my purse.

/5

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6 Choose the correct answer, A, B,

C or D.
Reading
1 The reason she __________________
is because today she was given 7 Read the following article on
the promotion she has been how to get the most out of life.
anticipating for months. For questions 1-5, choose the
A is down in the dumps best answer according to the
B looks bleak text.
C is over the moon
D looks up Every day people find themselves
incessantly rushing from one place
2 I __________________ ever since my to another or hurrying one thing to
brother left home. I miss him a get to the next. Theres the need to
lot. make that 07:32 train or the
A have been in low spirits pressure of a work deadline.
B cast a shadow over Nevertheless, it is well known that
C have been in seventh heaven rushing causes varying levels of
D am looking up stress. Why then, when we only get
one chance to live our lives, do we
3 Things are beginning insist on living this way?
__________________ now Ive
moved house. Now, all thats left Is it really because we have a list of
is to change my job! things to do as long as our arm, as
A to feel on top of the world some say, or the burning desire to
B to feel blue beat a work colleague to a
C to lift my spirits promotion that drives this crazy life
D to look up style, or do we just accept that this
is life?
4 Luckily Katie was an optimistic
person and she never Some people just believe that this is
__________________. She always life and dont give it a second
looked on the bright side of life. thought. But perhaps these people
A looked bright have lost sight of the real meaning
B felt low of what it means to live. If we look
C was on cloud nine at the letters that make up the
D saw light at the end of the tunnel word, we can take the word life to
be an acronym of a collection of
5 Her mum promised her that very significant words. These words
things would soon are: Love, Interests, Fun, and
__________________. Spring was Enthusiasm.
around the corner and things
would soon get better. In life we need love - the love of
A feel blue our friends and family. The feeling of
B look bleak love can be heart-warming and can
C brighten up aid motivation. Interests are
D feel down in the dumps needed so that we can put away
and forget about that never ending
/5 to do list. Interests are hobbies
that guarantee life does not become

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overly monotonous. So often people you do less frequently, like meeting

see life as a process or as a cycle, up with friends, dancing, going on
and to some degree theyre right, holiday or dining out. We all need
but everyone gets stuck on the fun. Without it, life would be boring.
conveyor belt and at times, they
need to step off and take a look at * Enthusiasm gives people energy.
the bigger picture. Thats where You have to ask yourself, if youre
fun comes into it. Doing something not enthusiastic about doing
fun enables people to relax and something, why are you doing it?
value life. Remember, all work and Often people say I cant be
no play can have a negative effect bothered to... or I dont see the
on us. Last but by no means least, point in doing...... Why moan about
we need enthusiasm. Enthusiasm something? My advice is either
for what we do and what we believe avoid doing the things you cant be
in. bothered to do or change your
For those wanting to make the most mentality and be more enthusiastic.
out of life, here are four quick and
easy life-changing steps that you If youve read these very simple
could be doing: suggestions, then its not too late to
do something to adjust things for
* Make contact in person if possible, the better. You only get one chance
or if not via email, phone or text at life so dont mess it up! Act
with at least one family member and today, so you dont regret tomorrow.
friend each day. Those friends you
keep saying you need to contact,
contact! Love comes from 1 According to the writer, people
relationships that have been built, are always in a hurry because
not from those that are hanging by a A nowadays they have a vast
thread. Already, I can hear shrieks amount of work to do.
from people saying I dont have B they feel the pressure from
time for that. Well, make time! external sources.
C they want to get a promotion at
* We all need hobbies that we do in
work.
our free time. I hear it again, free
D they accept that life is intended
time, we dont have that, our lives
are too busy. If that is the case, to be this way.
you need to organise your time
more efficiently. Try to carry out
2 In the article, the writer claims
something that you enjoy doing at
people get stuck on the
least once a week. Your interests
conveyor belt, what is meant by
may include: cycling, painting,
this?
photography...the list is endless. If
A People accept life to be a
you dont like doing things alone,
get a friend or family member to continual process and therefore
join you. dont do anything to change
things.
* Understandably, each person has B People believe they cant change
their idea of what constitutes fun. anything in their life and that
It could be closely tied up with your everything is set in stone.
interests or it could be something

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C People question the meaning of D People need to remember the

life but dont do anything to meaning of their lives.
change things.
D People want to get off the /5
conveyor belt but they are
unsure how.

3 In the second life-changing step,

people are meant to
A persuade a friend to take up a
hobby to do with them every two
weeks
B carry out as many hobbies as
possible in a seven day period
C take up one hobby and make
sure they do it no less than one
time per week.
D organise their time more
efficiently so they can spend
more time with friends and
family. Listening
8 You are going to hear
4 In the fourth life-changing step, an interview with a retired
the writer advises people to accountant. Complete 1-5 in the
A ensure they have more energy summary below. Use no more
when they carry out activities. than three words for each gap.
B stop moaning about things and
concentrate on enjoying them. David Francis is 61 years old. He is
C change their attitude so that they married and has three children. He
are more enthusiastic when they used to be a chartered accountant
do things they dont enjoy. and worked 60 hours per week. One
D change their approach to doing (1) ______________, he watched a film
that changed his life. The film made
things they dont particularly
him realise that he wasnt getting
want to do or worst case, stop any younger and that life isnt
doing them. always something you should (2)
______________, as people get ill or
pass away unexpectedly. After
5 At the end, what is the writers watching the film, he wrote his
overall belief? bucket list, which lists many things
A It you dont act now you will he wants to do before he kicks the
regret it in the future. bucket.
B Its never too late to make a He immediately retired and went to
change. (3) ______________ where he saw
C People have already messed up elephants, tigers and zebras. He
their lives so its too late to act. learned how to (4) ______________

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 Name ............................................
and also went travelling for three
months to South America. He still
has many other things that he wants
to do, for example, swim with
dolphins, snorkel in the Great Barrier
Reef, etc. He advises people not to
take life too seriously, write (5)
______________ and enjoy fulfilling
each point.
/5
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Class ...............................................
Writing
9 It is important to develop a
career before starting a family.
Do you agree with this
statement?
Write an essay of 200-250
words.
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