Initial Evaluation



PART ONE. OPEN CLOZE. Fill each of the blanks in the following passage with one suitable word
While they were in the taxi (1)___________ their way home from the airport, James began to feel (2)_______________ ill. With (3)_________ head swimming and a feeling of intense weakness in his limbs, he sat (4)____________ out of the window but not (5)____________ the people (6)__________ the streets. He felt sure (7)__________  he (8)__________ have (9)___________ temperature. (10)__________   wife, (11)__________  had (12)__________ him up at the airport, soon (13)____________ his silence and asked him (14)___________ he was. He (15)____________ back and closed his eyes. "A bit strange," he said, "but I'm sure it won't (16)________."
She wanted to know how long (17)___________  had been (18)___________ he had eaten. "(19)___________ night at eleven o'clock I had a sandwich. (20)__________,  before that I (21)__________ not had time to eat, not (22)__________  lunch. I've (23)__________ the last two days discussing the new plans with people in (24)__________  many different places (25)__________  I've never been able to stop to eat."


PART TWO. WORD BUILDING.  For each blank space you are given words in their basic form. Decide on the correct form of each word and write it in the corresponding space.  Make sure your spelling is clear and unambiguous. An example (0) has been done for you.

Father Fires Son
A (0) businessman (BUSINESS) sacked his own son because of (1) ___________(LAZY), (2)____________ (COMPETENT) and (3)___________ (HONEST). Stuart Bidwell received dozens of letters of (4)_____________ (COMPLAIN) about his work during the ten years he was his father's (5)__________ (EMPLOY). "He got (6)____________ (NUMBER) (7)___________ (WARN)," said Stephen Bidwell, Stuart's father. And the (8)____________ (MANAGE) of the company. "He was (9)__________ (ABSOLUTE) (10)__________ (USE) at his job and he didn't even have the right (11)_____________ (QUALIFY)." (12)_________ (EVENTUAL) he was asked to hand in his (13)_____________ (RESIGN) after being caught making phone calls to a girlfriend in Australia. His (14)__________ (REFUSE) to resign forced his father to sack him, (15)_________ (FAIR) according to Stuart, who is now suing his father.






PART THREE. MULTIPLE CHOICE CLOZE. Read the text below and choose the option that best corresponds to the blank.
Edward the Conqueror
Louisa, holding a dishcloth in her hand, stepped out of the kitchen door at the back of the house into the cool October sunshine.
"Edward!" she called. "Ed-ward! Lunch is ready!"
She paused a moment, listening; then she strolled out on to the (0)_A_ and continued across it to the end of the garden towards her husband. (1)_______, she could easily have called again and made herself (2)________, but there was something about a first-class bonfire that impelled her (3)________ it, right up close so she could feel the heat and listen to it burn.
"Lunch," she said, approaching.
"Oh, hello. All right-yes. I'm coming. I've decided to clear this place right out," her husband said. "I'm (4)_______ of all these brambles." His long face was wet (5)_______ perspiration. There were small beads of it clinging all over his moustache like dew.
"(6)___________ be careful you don't overdo it, Edward."
"Louisa, I do wish (7)________ treating me as though I were eighty. A bit of exercise never did (8)________."
"Yes, dear, I know. Oh, Edward! Look! Look! The cat!"
Sitting on the ground, (9)________ close to the fire that the flames sometimes seemed actually (10)________ touching it, was a large cat of a most unusual colour. It stayed quite still, with its head on one side and its nose in the air, (11)__________ at the man and the woman with a cool yellow eye.
"It'll get burnt!" Louisa cried, and she dropped the dishcloth and darted swiftly in and grabbed it with both hands, whisking it away and putting it on the grass (12)_________ clear of the flames.
"You crazy cat," she said, dusting off her hands. "What's the matter with you?"
"(13)_________ know what they're doing," the husband said.
"Whose is it? Have you seen it before?"
"No, I never have. Damn peculiar colour."
Louisa bent down and stroked its head. "You must go home now," she said.
The man and wife started to stroll back towards the house. The cat got up and followed, leading the way, walking (14)_________ it owned the place, holding its tail straight up in the air, like a mast.
When they (15)________ the house, it came with them, and Louisa gave it some milk in the kitchen. During lunch, it hopped up to the spare chair between them and sat through the whole meal watching the proceedings with those dark-yellow eyes which kept moving from the woman to the man and back again.
0. a) lawn                              b) green                                c) pitch                       d) turf
1. a) She had wanted         b) Did she want                   c) Had she wanted d) She wanted
2. a) hear                              b) heard                                c) to hear                   d) to be heard
3. a) forward                         b) towards                             c) through                 d) against
4. a) sick and tired               b) worn out                           c) up to my ears       d) bored
5. a) of                                   b) in                                       c) with                        d) by
6. a) You'd rather                b) You ought                        c) You'd had                        d) You'd better
7. a) you'll stop                    b) you'd stop                         c) you've stopped    d) you stop
8. a) anyone any harm       b) someone any harm        c) no one no harm d) anyone no harm
9. a) very                               b) too                                     c) so                           d) as
10. a) that they were           b) be                                      c) that were               d) to be
11. a) staring                        b) watching                          c) observing             d) peeping
12. a) far                               b) right                                   c) well                        d) wide
13. a) The cats                     b) A cat                                  c) The cat                  d) Cats
14. a) so that                        b) despite                              c) as though                         d) although
15. a) arrive to                      b) drew                                  c) got at                     d) reached
PART FOUR. KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS. 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.
1. Nobody in our school is as good at singing as I am.
AM
I ________________________________ in our school.
2. "Why don't we go out for a meal tonight?," Joe Asked.
SUGGESTED
Joe____________________________ night .
3. The weather was so bad that we had to cancel the trip.
SUCH
We____________________________________ cancel the trip.
4. Shall I phone you this evening?
WANT
Do ____________________________________ this evening?
5. Could you possibly take me to the airport?
MIND
Would_________________________________ the airport?
6. I thought her story was amazing.
WAS
I_______________________________ her story.
7. It will be good to see them again.
LOOKING
I _________________________ them again.
8. My younger sister is a nurse in the local hospital.
AS
My___________________________ the local hospital
9. I didn't have an umbrella with me so I got wet.
IF
I__________________________________ an umbrella.
10. When my grandmother was younger, she would clean the kitchen floor incessantly
USED
My grandmother___________________________________ was younger.
11. It's possible that she didn't understand the message.
MIGHT
She_________________________________ the message.
12. My wallet contained over €100. It was found in the street by a schoolboy.
FOUND
My wallet,__________________________________  over €100.
13. The bread was so delicious that I ate a whole loaf.
WAS
It________________________________ a whole loaf.
14. The last time Nancy came here was in 1986.
COME
Nancy____________________________ 1986
15. Old cities are beautiful although the streets are sometimes narrow and winding.
IN
Old cities_________________________________________________ streets.
16. One day you'll wish you'd studied more.
REGRET
One day__________________________ more
17. Dave couldn't drive well enough to pass his driving test.
ENOUGH
Dave wasn't _________________________________ his driving test
18. Do I have to fill in any forms?
NECESSARY
Is ___________________________any forms?
19. This machine is so noisy that you can hear it in the street.
NOISE
This machine ___________________________ in the street.
20. I had difficulty understanding her accent.
FOUND
I ____________________________ understand her accent.
21. I'll try to contact Christine when I go to Paris.
TOUCH
I'll try to _______________________ Christine when I go to Paris.
22. Because the Managing Director was ill, he cancelled the meeting.
CAUSED
The Managing Director's _____________________________ the meeting
23. I only found out the truth because I heard the two of them talking.
FOUND
If I _____________________________________________________ the truth
24. Two brothers started the business in the US in the 1950s.
SET
The business __________________________ two brothers in the US in the 1950s
25. His decision to take the job was influenced by money.
INFLUENCE
Money______________________________________ his decision to take the job.
KEY
PART ONE. OPEN CLOZE. Fill each of the blanks in the following passage with one suitable word
While they were in the taxi (1)_____on____ their way home from the airport, James began to feel 


(2)__somewhat___ ill. With 



(3)__his___ head swimming and a feeling of intense weakness in his limbs, he sat 



(4)_looking__ out of the window but not 



(5)_seeing__ the people 



(6)___on___ the streets. He felt sure 



(7)__that___  he 



(8)_would___ have 



(9)___a____ temperature. 



(10)_His__ wife, 



(11)_who___  had 



(12)_picked__ him up at the airport, soon 



(13)_noticed___ his silence and asked him 



(14)_how___ he was. He 



(15)___sat___ back and closed his eyes. "A bit strange," he said, "but I'm sure it won't 



(16)__last___."
She wanted to know how long 



(17)__it_____  had been 



(18)__since__ he had eaten. 



"(19)_Last___ night at eleven o'clock I had a sandwich. 



(20)_However__,  before that I 



(21)___had____ not had time to eat, not 



(22)_even_____  lunch. I've 



(23) _spent___ the last two days discussing the new plans with people in 



(24)__so____  many different places 



(25)_that____  I've never been able to stop to eat."

PART TWO. WORD BUILDING.  .

Father Fires Son

sack somebody (informal, especially British English) to dismiss somebody from a job. Synonym fire. E.g. She was sacked for refusing to work on Sundays.

redundant (of a person) without a job because there is no more work available for you in a company. E.g. to be made redundant from your job.

unemployed: without a job although able to work. E.g. How long have you been unemployed? 

jobless: without a job. E.g. The closure left 500 people jobless. 

dole: (also the dole) (British English, informal) money paid by the state to unemployed people. E.g. He's been on the dole (= without a job) for a year. 

loss: the state of no longer having something. E.g. The closure of the factory will lead to a number of job losses. 

A (0) businessman (BUSINESS) sacked his own son because of (1) _LAZINESS_(LAZY),  



(2)_INCOMPETENCE_ (COMPETENT) and 



(3)_DISHONESTY_ (HONEST). Stuart Bidwell received dozens of letters of  



(4)_ COMPLAINT_ (COMPLAIN) about his work during the ten years he was his father's 



(5)_EMPLOYEE_ (EMPLOY). "He got 



(6)_NUMEROUS_ (NUMBER) 



(7)_WARNINGS_ (WARN)," said Stephen Bidwell, Stuart's father. And the 



(8)_MANAGER_ (MANAGE) of the company. "He was 



(9)_ ABSOLUTELY_ (ABSOLUTE) 



(10)_USELESS_ (USE) at his job and he didn't even have the right 



(11)_QUALIFICATIONS_ (QUALIFY).



" (12)_EVENTUALLY_ (EVENTUAL) he was asked to hand in his 



(13)_ RESIGNATION_ (RESIGN) after being caught making phone calls to a girlfriend in Australia. His 

notice: a formal letter or statement saying that you will or must leave your job or house at the end of a particular period of time. E.g. He has handed in his notice. They gave her two weeks' notice.


(14)_REFUSAL_ (REFUSE) to resign forced his father to sack him, 



(15)_UNFAIRLY_ (FAIR) according to Stuart, who is now suing his father.


PART THREE. MULTIPLE CHOICE CLOZE. Read the text below and choose the option that best corresponds to the blank.

dishcloth: a cloth for washing dishes

tea towel: a small towel used for drying cups, plates, knives, etc. after they have been washed.

stroll: to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way. People were strolling along the promenade.

promenade /ˌprɒməˈnɑːd/ a public place for walking, usually a wide path beside the sea. E.g. the promenade at Blackpool. They walked along the promenade.

 

0. a) lawn                             b) green                                c) pitch                      d) turf




1. a) She had wanted         b) Did she want                   c) Had she wanted d) She wanted




2. a) hear                              b) heard                               c) to hear                   d) to be heard




3. a) forward                         b) towards                           c) through                 d) against
impel: (impelling, impelled) if an idea or feeling impels you to do something, you feel as if you are forced to do it. E.g. impel somebody to do something He felt impelled to investigate further. Impel somebody (to something) There are various reasons that impel me to that conclusion.




4. a) sick and tired             b) worn out                           c) up to my ears       d) bored
be up to your ears in sth: to be very busy, or to have more of something than you can manage: I'm up to my ears in work. She's up to her ears in debt.

brambles: a wild bush with thorns on which blackberries grow. Sp. zarza.




5. a) of                                   b) in                                       c) with                       d) by
bead: a small drop of liquid. E.g. There were beads of sweat on his forehead.
cling, clung, clung: to hold on tightly to somebody/something. E.g. survivors clinging to a raft. Leaves still clung to the branches.




6. a) You'd rather                b) You ought                        c) You'd had                        d) You'd better




7. a) you'll stop                    b) you'd stop                      c) you've stopped    d) you stop




8. a) anyone any harm     b) someone any harm        c) no one no harm d) anyone no harm




9. a) very                               b) too                                     c) so                          d) as




10. a) that they were           b) be                                      c) that were               d) to be




11. a) staring                       b) watching                          c) observing             d) peeping
stare: to look at somebody/something for a long time. E.g. I screamed and everyone stared.
peep: to look quickly and secretly at something, especially through a small opening. E.g. We caught her peeping through the keyhole.




12. a) far                               b) right                                   c) well                       d) wide
whisk somebody/something + adverb/preposition: to take somebody/something somewhere very quickly and suddenly. E.g. Jamie whisked her off to Paris for the weekend. The waiter whisked away the plates before we had finished.




13. a) The cats                     b) A cat                                  c) The cat                  d) Cats
Damn: a swear word that people use to emphasize what they are saying. E.g. damn good. We got out pretty damned fast! I'm damn sure she had no idea.




14. a) so that                        b) despite                              c) as though            d) although




15. a) arrive to                      b) drew                                  c) got at                     d) reached


PART FOUR. KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS. 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.
1. Nobody in our school is as good at singing as I am.
AM




I _am the best one at singing ______ in our school.
2. "Why don't we go out for a meal tonight?," Joe Asked.
SUGGESTED




Joe_suggested going out that____ night .
3. The weather was so bad that we had to cancel the trip.
SUCH




We_had such bad weather that we had to__ cancel the trip.
4. Shall I phone you this evening?
WANT




Do _you want me to phone you______ this evening?
5. Could you possibly take me to the airport?
MIND




Would_you mind taking me to___ the airport?
6. I thought her story was amazing.
WAS




I_was amazed by__ her story.
7. It will be good to see them again.
LOOKING




I _am looking forward to seeing__ them again.
8. My younger sister is a nurse in the local hospital.
AS




My_younger sister works as a nurse at__ the local hospital
9. I didn't have an umbrella with me so I got wet.
IF




I_ wouldn't have got wet if I had had __ an umbrella.
10. When my grandmother was younger, she would clean the kitchen floor incessantly
USED




My grandmother _used to clean the kitchen floor incessantly when she____ was younger.
11. It's possible that she didn't understand the message.
MIGHT




She__ might not have understood ___ the message.
12. My wallet contained over €100. It was found in the street by a schoolboy.
FOUND




My wallet,_ which was found in the street by a school boy, contained__  over €100.
13. The bread was so delicious that I ate a whole loaf.
WAS




It_ was such delicious bread that I ate__ a whole loaf.
14. The last time Nancy came here was in 1986.
COME




Nancy__ hasn't come here since__ 1986
15. Old cities are beautiful although the streets are sometimes narrow and winding.
IN




Old cities_ are beautiful in spite of the narrow winding___ streets.
16. One day you'll wish you'd studied more.
REGRET




One day _you'll regret not studying_____ more
17. Dave couldn't drive well enough to pass his driving test.
ENOUGH




Dave wasn't __ a good enough driver to pass__ his driving test
18. Do I have to fill in any forms?
NECESSARY




Is _it necessary for me to fill in__any forms?
19. This machine is so noisy that you can hear it in the street.
NOISE




This machine _makes so much noise that you can hear it____ in the street.
20. I had difficulty understanding her accent.
FOUND




I _found it difficult to__ understand her accent.
21. I'll try to contact Christine when I go to Paris.
TOUCH




I'll try to _get in touch with________ Christine when I go to Paris.
22. Because the Managing Director was ill, he cancelled the meeting.
CAUSED




The Managing Director's _illness caused him to cancel____ the meeting
23. I only found out the truth because I heard the two of them talking.
FOUND




If I __hadn't heard the two of them talking, I wouldn't have found out_____ the truth
24. Two brothers started the business in the US in the 1950s.
SET




The business _was set up by____ two brothers in the US in the 1950s
25. His decision to take the job was influenced by money.
INFLUENCE



Money_ had an influence on______ his decision to take the job.