Listening
1 Recording 5 Listen and underline the correct
answer, a) b) or c).
1 Michael is concerned about ___.
a) the impact of a diminishing birth rate
b) recent government policies introduced
c) --the likelihood of a population surge--
2 Sharon feels that .
a) animals can only survive in captivity ____
b) wild animals are in danger of annihilation
c) endangered species are well cared for
3 Ray believes that ____ .
a) the race for alternative fuels is in full swing
b) bio-fuels will last indefinitely
c) oil supplies will never be completely depleted
4 Penny says the dominant issue ____.
a) is access to potable water supplies
b) should be global warming
c) is how to predict extreme weather conditions
5 Alfie considers that ____.
a) signs warning of smog need to be erected
b) air quality is deteriorating
c) people need re-educating about their health
6 Ellen says that ____.
a) she would not be interested in having a robot
b) she might miss doing everyday chores
c) we’re losing core capabilities.
2 Recording 5 Listen again and write true (T) or
false (F).
1 Michael claims that only government
intervention will tackle the problem. T
2 Sharon is depressed by the stark reality
facing many animals in the wild. ____
3 Ray argues that the media has a positive
influence on how we view the situation
regarding energy production. ____
4 Penny asserts that water is now more
precious than oil. ____
5 Alfie believes that punishing industries
which pollute is the only way forward. ____
6 Ellen is convinced that humans will be
replaced by robots one day. ____.
3 Recording 6 Listen and answer the questions
below.
1 How many people’s details were sold?
__50 thousand_
2 Which two organisations did the article say the
details were bought from?
_____________________________________
3 What are the aims of the cold callers?
_____________________________________
4 How has the government responded to the
situation?
_____________________________________
5 Who is able to buy personal details so long as this
will be of benefit to people’s health?
_____________________________________
6 According to the first speaker, what can people do
to protect their personal health records?
.
Grammar
4 Underline the correct alternative.
1 _Despite_/Even if never having finished school,
Dean went on to establish a very successful car
manufacturing company. He’s a billionaire now.
2 Difficult as it may/ought to be, it’s time to address
the controversial topic of teenage pregnancies and
to discuss effective ways to tackle the issue.
3 In some countries, anyone who is able to vote
ought/is compelled to do so. Failure to vote in a
general election has serious consequences.
4 In an attempt to reduce traffic congestion in the
capital, it’s been announced that cars must
be/have now been banned from the central zone
during peak hours.
5 Isaac will probably/is due to be late to the match
tomorrow. He said something about having to take
the children to their grandmother’s first.
6 One effective way to tackle the issue of juvenile
delinquency is to introduce/will be introducing
community programmes which help develop
family relations and improve parenting skills in
troubled families.
5 Complete the text with one word in each gap.
When I was growing up 1_it_ was always expected that
I would become a musician like my parents.
Looking back, I feel that they 2 ____
to have
asked me if I wanted to follow in their footsteps.
3 ____ spite of enjoying music, I wasn’t overly
keen on being forced 4 ____ spend at least three
hours a day practising it but this carried 5 ____
for many years because I simply didn’t dare say I
how I really felt. In 6 ____ of feeling incredibly
nervous, I finally plucked up the courage to tell
them and persuaded them to let me give up music
for my preferred pursuit of athletics. So you see, my
reluctance these days to do what 7 ____ expected
of me can 8 ____ traced back to my childhood
and it’s because of that I will never make my own
children do anything they have no interest in. Oddly
enough, in 9 ____ of my own apathy towards
music, I 10 ____ just been asked to buy a flute
for my oldest daughter, so it looks likely that we are
11 ____ to have another musician in the family
after all! .
6 Complete the second sentence with no more
than five words so that it means the same as the
first. Use the word in capitals.
1 Our car is being repaired at the moment.
GETTING
We’re _-getting our car repaired_- at the moment.
2 We had to wear school uniform.
COMPULSORY
___________________ to wear school
uniform.
3 They’ve built a lot of new houses in the village.
BEEN
A lot of new houses ___________________
in the village.
4 There’s a chance that someone saw what
happened.
MIGHT
Someone ___________________.
5 As children we couldn’t stay up later than 9pm
during the week.
ALLOWED
As children we ___________________
up later than 9pm during the week.
6 Sam and Jack are going on a walking holiday in
the Alps tomorrow. They’ll be there for ten days.
WALKING
This time next week, Sam and Jack___________________
in the Alps.
Vocabulary
7 Underline the correct answer, a) b) c) or d).
1 The new laws aim to crack ____ on late night
anti-social behaviour in city centres.
a) off b) away c) _down_ d) over
2 The witness cast her mind ____ to the night in
question and told the police all she remembered.
a) over b) back c) on d) around
3 The concert had to be called ____ because the
band’s singer had lost his voice.
a) off b) away c) back d) on
4 Stop messing ____ and go and wash your
hands. Dinner’s going to be ready in a minute.
a) on b) over c) away d) around
5 Fortunately they realised what a momentous
decision it was for me to make, and they gave me
a week to mull it ____.
a) down b) around c) over d) up
6 The waste produced by discarded gadgets is now
getting ____ control as more people become
obsessed with owning the latest technology.
a) over b) on c) out of d) into
7 In the coming years, developed countries should
invest more in sustainable energy sources than
they are ____ present.
a) on b) at c) around d) in
.
8 Complete the sentences.
1 It’s a commonly _held_ perception that putting dried
hops under your pillow will help you sleep, as
they are known to be soporific.
2 Lucia sometimes engages her mouth before her
brain and almost let it ____ that we were
planning a surprise party for Joe when she was
talking to him the other day.
3 With only four remaining, expert say that the
northern white rhino is in real ____ of becoming
extinct in the next decade.
4 Doctors warn that many thousands of people are at
of contracting the disease in the most remote rural
areas.
5 At ____, with the current situation as it is,
people are far more concerned about political and
socio-economic instability than environmental
issues.
6 Whatever you do, don’t give the ____ away
and tell Dad that Amy’s flying in from Australia.
We want to keep this quiet.
7 Rafe’s always been very discreet and I trust him
with my life so I knew it hadn’t been him who had
spilled the ____ and told everyone my secret.
8 Her portrayal of the hardships she’d endured
struck a ____ with some members of the jury.
.
9 Complete the sentences using one word or
phrase from box A and one from box B. There
are two words or phrases in each box that you
do not need.
A
--a thing-- behind by word disproved
investigative offensive protect stay
taking out uncovering
B
an injunction closed doors its sources
journalism language of mouth --of the past--
schtum the myth the truth
1 Even though vinyl records were supposed to have
become __a thing __of the past,_ they are making
a real comeback, particularly with dance DJs.
2 An article written by an undercover reporter
disclosed the truth of what went on _______
in the food industry.
3 It’s about time that businesses realised that
reviews passed on _______ can
often have a far greater impact than any expensive
marketing campaigns they opt to invest in.
4 Scientists have _______ of
unidentified flying objects in a U.S. county known
for its mysterious light display, and shown how
weather conditions there can in fact cause car
headlights to seemingly dance in the sky.
5 The teacher explained that the use of _______
would not be tolerated in any circumstances and
that the boy’s parents would be informed of his
behaviour and subsequent detentions.
6 The paper behind the scoop was adamant that it
must _______ and would not
divulge which members of parliament had passed
on information to them.
7 After a long investigation, the detectives
succeeded in ___________ behind
the sudden and mysterious disappearance of the
three women.
8 The judge ruled against the couple ___________
to prevent their children being taken into care by
social services.
.
Function
10 Choose the correct answer, a), b) or c).
1 The emergence of safer ways to shop online has
__c_ a surge in internet shopping and led directly
to the closure of some high street shops.
a) roots in b) caused c) _brought_
2 Drum and bass has _____ in hip-hop and was
first characterised by the likes of DJ Hype, who
created new sounds by speeding up hip-hop beats.
a) given rise b) its origins c) stemmed
3 The development of wind farms has _____ to a
shift in how energy is produced, particularly in
countries such as Australia.
a) attributed b) given rise c) caused
4 It’s _____ a group of Californian surfers, who
wanted to take a surfing-like activity to the streets,
that skateboarding was invented.
a) given rise b) attributed to c) because of
5 The increased use of calculators has _____ in
people losing the capacity to do basic arithmetic
in their heads.
a) caused b) given rise c) resulted
6 No-one is entirely sure where the first game of
cricket was played but some believe that it
in Flanders.
a) all started b) brought about c) stems.
11 Complete the conversations with phrases
a)–g). There are two options you do not need.
1 A: So, what 1 _g_ working abroad? I mean, if
we offered you a post overseas, would you take it?
B: That’s 2 _____. I have to say it’s 3_____
much
about before. Perhaps you could tell me what you
had in mind?
2 A: If you think about it, as taxpayers we should be
aware of how our money is being spent when it
comes to defence.
B: Perhaps, but that 4 _____
of the fact that a lot of
information relating to defence needs to be kept
strictly classified.
A: Ah, but 5 _____
to make is that it’s our money
that’s being spent, in effect, and we’re living in a
democracy, so we should have access to this
information and be able to have a say.
a) doesn’t take account
b) always the case
c) not something I’ve thought
d) the point I’m trying
e) an interesting question
f) going back to
g) --do you think about--.
12 Complete the gaps in the conversation with
one word.
A: The evidence shows that the leak is coming from
inside the company, which, if you 1
_think_ about
it, makes perfect sense.
B: Can you be absolutely sure about that?
A: Let me 2 _____ it this way: I have proof that
someone within the company has been accessing
the confidential data that has recently been
leaked to our competitors. And as only two
people, including yourself, have access to that
data …
B: Hold 3_____ a minute. Are you suggesting I
have something to do with this leak? After all
I’ve done for the company? I’ve lost count of the
number of times I’ve helped out when things
have been going wrong. Remember last year
when…
A: Getting 4 _____ to the point I was making, what
I’m basically 5
is that I believe the person
responsible is you.
B: I really don’t see 6 _____ you can believe that. I
think you’ll find that the dates when the data
was accessed concur with my three month
sabbatical.
A: I’m not sure what that 7 _____ to do with it,
given that access to that data is code rather than
location dependent. Now, let’s discuss …
.
Reading
13 Read the texts opposite and match questions
1–6 with people A–E.
Which person:
1 regrets an earlier indiscretion? __E__
2 feels it would be too much of a strain to
be laden with some secrets? _____
3 believes some information is best kept
out of the public domain? _____
4 gets a personal sense of relief from
disclosing secrets? _____
5 questions whether people should divulge
personal information? _____
6 lost a friend after revealing their secret? _____
Secrets and lies
A
Lara: I’m not sure that honesty and openness are
always necessarily the best policy. Surely there are
extenuating circumstances when it’s actually best to
keep quiet? Take classified information as an
example. Some might argue that those in power
have a duty to their citizens to keep them informed
but others would say that ignorance is bliss. We
have no idea what really goes on behind closed
doors and how would it help us to know anyway? I
think we just have to trust that the decision makers
have our best interests at heart.
B
James: I take your point on a national security kind
of level and that’s why we have the Official Secrets
Act after all, but what about personal secrets? If you
knew something about someone and that secret
could potentially harm others, what then? Is there
always a case for divulging the information? How
much right do we have to interfere in other people’s
lives? After all, looking in from the outside, we
never know the whole picture or people’s
motivations, so I think it’s better to keep schtum.
C
Sam: I think it depends on the situation and the kind
of secret it is. I also think it’s a lot to ask of
someone. Once you have been burdened with the
knowledge, which can often be rather
overwhelming, you have to be mindful that you
don’t somehow inadvertently let the cat out of the
bag. For example, if you’re in on a secret surprise
birthday party, you certainly wouldn’t want to be the
one to give the game away but it wouldn’t be the
end of the world if you did. If, however, your
knowledge could in effect jeopardise someone’s
safety, then that’s a different matter entirely.
D
Kate: As someone who has had secrets of her own,
I must say that it’s always very liberating if you feel
you can share rather than keeping everything hushhush. Obviously you have to know your confidant
very well and be sure that they’re entirely
trustworthy. As long as your motivations for having
a secret are clearly understood, I don’t see a
problem.
E
Mark: My best friend once confided in me, and
when he found out that I’d told someone else, he
never spoke to me again. I can’t excuse what I did
but I really didn’t think that his secret was such a
big deal. Of course now that I’m older I can see that
it wasn’t so much about the secret itself, more about
the fact that I wasn’t to be trusted in his eyes. Once
that trust has gone, there’s no going back and to this
day I’m sad that we fell out over such a trivial thing.
.
14 Read the article again. Underline true (T) or
false (F).
1 Lara thinks that there is always justification
for restricting what information is shared. T/_F_
2 Lara adheres to the view that citizens need
to have confidence in the choices made by
the people we appoint to run our country. T/F
3 James concurs that it wouldn’t be
detrimental for information relating to how
a nation is safeguarded to be openly
available. T/F
4 James disapproves of interference into
people’s private lives. T/F
5 James feels that an onlooker will rarely get
a distorted view of someone’s reality. T/F
6 Sam considers that the pressure of
keeping a secret is always a huge strain
on the individual involved. T/F
7 Sam is of the view that betraying a trust
may lead to devastating consequences. T/F
8 Kate has always been one to keep her
cards close to her chest. T/F
9 Kate thinks you should be wary about
who you confide in and make sure that
they understand exactly why you need to
have the secret kept. T/F
10 Mark admits he would often blurt out
what friends had told him in confidence
without a second thought. T/F
11 As an adult Mark appreciates that it’s not
always the secret itself that has meaning
to an individual but the whole idea of
putting faith in another person. T/F
.
Writing
15 Underline the correct alternative.
1 Property prices in the capital have
_rocketed_/exploded since 2000 and are now
becoming far too expensive for most first
time buyers.
2 Whilst there has been a steady collapse/decline in
the demand for real books, there is no sign they
will ever be completely replaced by eBooks.
3 The number of people booking holidays online has
soared/dropped in recent years and is set to
increase further thanks to internet discounts.
4 Over the last year, there has been a gradual
surge/increase in our country’s gross domestic
product, which is good news for the economy.
5 The number of people accessing library facilities
has dropped/surged alarmingly in the last twenty
years, forcing many libraries to close.
6 The rate at which the polar ice caps are being lost
has risen/plummeted sharply over the last decade,
making global warming an even more pressing
issue for us all.
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