Practice test 1

Task 1. Skim the text and underline the topic sentence in each paragraph.

Knowledge may be acquired through conversation, watching television or travelling but the deepest and most consistent way is through reading. If we consider the literate population of the world, we may conclude that a few spend their whole lives on academic reading; many read something light for pleasure; a few dip into something more serious now and then; while very many men, women and children never advance beyond the sports page of a newspaper, a fashion article or a comic.

If you have learnt to love books as a child, the reading habit will never desert you. But if this has not been your good fortune, you tend to think about reading as a bore. A few, but very few, come to habit late in life. The circumstances which help to set a child on the path to the literary adventure are: a life even minimally above real poverty so that there is scope in the family for thoughts and activities not wholly devoted to the struggle for survival; the availability of free books either in the home or in a public library; and the possession of a character both curious and independent.

In order to desire to read one must be curious. A few children are able to keep this curiosity and their mental independence alive despite the educational system of the country. But many fall victim either to an overstrict authoritarian system where parrot-learning is the keynote; or to a lax and lazy one where even the basic disciplines of literacy are ignored in the sacred names of free expression. It is aperpetual miracle that at least a few children survive their schooling and emerge as people who can think, people who are open-minded and knowledgeable.

Thus various circumstances mitigate against the reading habit. And we may add to this the worldwide atmosphere of violence and anarchy, the new Dark Age in which we live today. Many of us no longer have the peace of mind necessary to a quiet hour with a book. But it is precisely because of our present troubles that we should read. How, otherwise, are we to understand the nature of hatred, of bestiality, of power politics? How, otherwise, are we to take a stand on the tortured question of individual freedom and authority? How, otherwise, are we to comprehend and perhaps solve these urgent problems that beset us?

Ideally then, a school system should be one in which the love of learning rather than the acquisition of sterile facts is cultivated; one in which the spirit of enquiry is encouraged. Ideally, family and governmental policy should be to see that books abound — any books. A person with a book is truly homo sapiens; without a book he is homo the sap.

Re-read the text more carefully and then label the statements that follow 'true/false' according to the text:

_____ 1. Most people have no desire to read serious literature.

_____ 2. Well-being of a family matters very much in developing the reading habit.

_____ 3. It is very fortunate that many children leave school well-educated and knowledgeable.

____ 4. The educational system of a country is to blame for the lack of interest in reading.

Task 2. Read the text quickly to understand what it is about. Then choose its main topic from the four alternatives given below:

It is difficult conclusively to prove the notion that Britain's top universities are falling behind their international counterparts such as Harvard and Yale. There is, after all, no internationally agreed definition of what a university is supposed to do. 'Fitness for the world' – what J.H. Newman, the great 19"'-century advocate of a liberal education, saw as its ultimate aim – is tricky to measure. Teaching is obviously part of any definition; but it is difficult to compare the modular education offered in top American colleges with Britain's single-subject approach.

The creation of wealth directly as well as indirectly is increasingly regarded as part of a university's role; and in terms of the efficiency with which they spin off companies and pull in outside investment British universities seem to be doing rather well. They still attract more than their fair share of foreign students.

But there are some indications that Britain's share of top-level research is diminishing. Britain won 11 Nobel prizes in chemistry, physics, physiology and medicine in the 1960s, 13 in the 1970s, four in the 1980s and two in the 1990s. Of the past five British scientific Nobel prize-winners none worked at a British university — only 80 of the world's 1,200 most-cited scientists are working in Britain compared with 700 in America whose lead is growing.

The author's main idea is to discuss

A the difference between American and British top universities

B the overall lead of American universities

C the fact that universities in Britain are still among the best

D the problem of 'brain-drain' in Britain

Task 3. Read the following text and choose from the list A-J the best phrase to fill each of the spaces. Each phrase may only be used once. Some of the suggested answers do not fit at all. The exercise begins with an example (0).

Just a hundred years after the University of Pennsylvania established the world's first business school, Oxford and Cambridge, (0) J, are dipping their toes into the waters of management education. Recently, Cambridge University launched its first MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree course, and Oxford University, (1), plans to open the doors of its own School of Management Studies soon.

The two universities could not be entering the MBA arena at a worst time (2). Recession has halted recruitment in management consultancy and investment banking, (3). Those companies that are still hiring MBA graduates are cutting salaries (4). Many company directors complain that new MBA graduates are not as competent as they expected them to be, and say that they often need a considerable amount of in-company training. At the heart of the problem is the MBA curriculum, (5). Critics claim that a typical MBA course encourages a preference for theoretical knowledge rather than the insight that comes from practical experience. Many leading business schools are rethinking their courses (6). Only time will tell if these old universities can set new standards of excellence.

A but none has the luxury of Oxbridge's fresh start

B which has changed little since the 1960s

C because applications for such courses have fallen during the past two years

D and that criticism has some force

E and questioning what they are getting for their money

F because this re-training is increasingly important

G which are areas in which MBAs have been highly regarded and well-rewarded

H but conditions have changed radically since then

I which is Cambridge's arch-rival in everything from astrophysics to rowing

J which are Britain's two most famous and prestigious universities

Task 4. Read the following passage and answer the question below. Then suggest the best heading for the passage.

A fair number of young people do in fact spend at least a year abroad. In most cases they go for study in their special subject or to learn and get more practice in the language of that country because they need this in their future job and you can't speak a foreign language really well without having lived in the country where it is spoken. Other go to work there, either as part of their training or because they can get better pay.

A lot of people are satisfied with just learning or working: they go to classes or earn money and that is enough. They get to know very little about the country itself: its interesting places, its scenery and its history, what sort of ideas the people have and how they live. But there are also people who travel around the country as much as they can and try to get to know as many people as possible, not only to practise the language on but to have discussions with and make some real friends.

It is a good thing too to spend some time seeing your own country from the outside: it helps you to get a sense of proportion and become more tolerant and less narrow-minded. Sometimes living at home is like being in a small room with only a window to look at the world through, and going to another country is like opening the door and stepping out.

Finally you learn to stand on your own feet. Some young people abroad lose their heads and get into trouble but perhaps they learn something even from this. Others gain self-confidence and are able to make much more out of their lives.

What are the reasons for spending a year or two in a foreign country?

Task 5. Read the text for the gist first.

1. The need for a satisfactory education is more important than ever before. Nowadays, without a qualification from a reputable school or university it is very difficult to get a good job. Moreover, one's present level of education could fall well short of future career requirements.

2. 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.

3. Striving to become more educated is hardly a new concept. Wealthy parents have always been willing to spend the vast amounts 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. Is the present situation so very different to that of the past?

4. The difference now is that the push is universal and from without as well as within. A student at a comprehensive school receiving low grades is no longer as easily accepted by his or her peers as it was once the case. Similarly, in the workplace they may be frowned upon by their employers and have difficulty even standing still. In fact, the expectation is for careers to go backwards and earning capacity to take an appreciable nosedive.

5. 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. Brendan 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.

6. Firstly, he believes the extra workload involved is resulting in abnormally high stress levels in people. 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.

7. 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 of 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, according to Gatsby, is the disadvantage that 'user pays' higher education confers on the poor who invariably lose out to the more financially favoured.

8. Naturally, Gatsby's comments 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.

Now match the headings (a-1) given below to the paragraphs in the text. Five answers do not fit any paragraph. The first paragraph has been done for you:

l. d 3.... 5.... 7....

2.... 4.... 6.... 8....

a. Causes of concern for the individual.

b. The struggle for better education results in parents sending children to costlier schools.

c. Doubts as to whether competition is a modern phenomenon.

d. The value of education in securing employment.

e. Questions raised concerning the over-emphasis placed on paper qualifications.

f. Reaction to criticism of perceived bias towards paper qualifications.

g. Social consequences of the push for further education.

h. Competition in the workplace increasing the need for higher qualifications.

i. Pressure to perform well at school and continue study while working.

j. Positive response to the urging of educationists to increase learning.

k. Dr. Gatsby proves that learning causes stress.

l. The disadvantage of 'user pays' education systems.

Finally, read the text again intensively and label the statements given below 'true/false/not given' according to the text:

____ 1. It is impossible these days to get a good job without a qualification from a respected institution.

____ 2. Most people who upgrade their qualifications do so for the joy of learning.

____ 3. In some jobs, the position you hold must be reapplied for.

____ 4. Some parents spend extra on their children's education because of the prestige attached to certain schools.

____ 5. Students who performed badly at school used to be accepted by their classmates.

____ 6. Employees who do not undertake extra study may find their salary decreased by employers.

____ 7. Citizens appear to have responded to the call by politicians to become better qualified.

____ 8. Britain's education system is equal to any in the world in the opinion of most educationists.

Task 6. Combine the following sentences to form one or not more than two complex sentences. You may make any necessary changes but must not change the sense of the original.

First study the example:

The bubonic plague raged in England during the Middle Ages. The name given to it was 'The Black Death'. It carried off thousands of the population. In some cases it exterminated whole towns and villages.

'The Black Death' was the name given to the bubonic plague which raged in England during the Middle Ages carrying off thousands of the population, and in some cases exterminating whole towns and villages.

What the English call 'Public Schools' are in fact private or independent schools. Foreigners are frequently surprised to learn this. These schools cater in the main for fee-paying pupils. These pupils come from middle and upper-class families. Many of these families have to make great financial sacrifices. They do this in order to send their children to the school of their choice.

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