Art For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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H A S
Art Art (0)....always been a controversial topic of conversation and is a subject which is sure to raise many an argument. Whether you have a passion (1).... sculpture or are crazy (2).... abstract art, we have to agree that there is a place for all genres. One of the most controversial artists of our time is the French performance artist, Orlan. She (3).... a scandal with her first work, "The Kiss of the Artist", in which she sold kisses to the audience, and (4).... actually fired from her teaching job as a direct result of this. Once she got a taste (5).... shocking the public, though, there was no stopping her and she often found herself in (6).... water following one of her exhibitions. Abstract art is often not thought of as "proper art" and sometimes it's hard to tell if a painting is either upside (7).... or the wrong way (8).... However, art doesn't always have to be controversial or cutting egde. Many people take (9).... art as a hobby and a way of relaxing. Self expression is a form of relaxation and many people believe that once you (10).... it a try, you will never give it (11).... The question is, how can you tell if someone really does like your painting or whether they are just telling a little (12).... lie?
Being good at something For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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B E I N G
Being good at something You can find competitions in any discipline you can think of, from the outlandishly difficult like running 100 miles in 5 days across a desert, to carrying your wife on your back for 50 metres. Of course, (0)....good at something is not necessarily about what you're born with. It can take a great deal of practice before you are (1).... to do something at all, let alone well. Once you've got the (2)....of it, then it's time to practise, practise, practise until you can do it to the best of your (3).... . International videogames competitions are becoming more and more commonplace these days. Players from all over the world come together to fight for the right to call themselves "Number 1", each and (4).... one of them having come through tough qualifying tournaments in their own countries. However, this is a domain only for the best of the best. Mere mortals like the rest of us, who don't have time to devote hours of daily practice to something as frivolous as videogames, turn to friendly competition with friends or play over the Internet. When playing videogames, you need to be (5).... in order to have any chance of success. Using your fingers quickly and accurately is obviously key to victory. Another important thing is to choose your opponent wisely; try to (6).... before you can (7).... and go up against someone with hundreds of hours' more practice than you have and prepare to lose. Ultimately of course it would be no fun at all to play this way, there's no (8).... about it - if you suffer defeat after defeat it takes all the fun out of the experience. Videogames are not to everyone's (9).... of course, but the priciple remains the same if you're playing chess, football, golf or any other activity that can be done competitively. Do be careful with your manners though! After all, nobody likes a sore loser, do they? Sadly though, some people just can't cope (10).... losing. Similarly, nobody cares for a winner who brags about their achievements and rubs their opponent's nose in it by dancing around, pulling faces, making obscene gestures and so on. We still see this in televised sports today. Perhaps it would be better to get (11).... of people who behave like this! Anyway, if you do play against a tough opponent and eventually (12).... to win in spite of tremendous difficulty then by all means celebrate, but remember it's not winning that counts, it's taking part.
The British Sense Of Humour For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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The British Sense Of Humour As they learn more (0)....more about English, most students with any aptitude (1).... the language soon realise that if they want to (2).... on making progress and truly immerse themselves (3).... the culture they will need to learn to understand and even join in (4).... British humour. To do this they will need to learn to (5).... the funny side of things that people in their own countries normally do not find amusing. Before they come to Britain, the (6).... UK comedians that most English students usually get (7)....hear about are Mr. Bean and Benny Hill. But On arriving in the UK students are soon surprised to discover that (8).... of these two comedians is currently popular in their home country. It is true that in the past some British people did enjoy their physical type of comedy but the British public as a whole went (9).... this kind of thing a long time ago. Nowadays on UK television and in comedy clubs a different style of humour has become the centre (10).... attention.
(11).... two main kinds of humour that are popular in Britain these days are black humour (laughing at miserable or tragic situations) and toilet humour(laughing about toilets). If you don't find (12).... of these two things very amusing, it is going to be difficult for you to really appreciate the British sense of humour.
Clifton Suspension Bridge For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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W H I C H
Clifton Suspension Bridge The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a famous road bridge across the River Avon, (0).... joins Clifton in Bristol (1).... one side to Leigh Woods on the (2).... side. When it was originally built, it was the longest bridge of (3).... kind anywhere in the world and indeed, many people had believed that bridging such a great distance would turn out to (4).... impossible. When Isambard Kingdom Brunel first designed the bridge in 1731, the two towers that were going to support the roadway were designed to have (5).... ancient Egyptian appearance. Unfortunately, Brunel died before the bridge (6).... completed and the engineers who completed (7).... , covered the stone towers with conventional red bricks instead. Even today, more (8).... a hundred years later, the bridge is still an impressive sight. The roadway that stretches between the two towers is two hundred and fourteen metres long, at a height of seventy-five metres above the river and the A4 road below. Originally, (9).... car driver, cyclist and pedestrian who crossed the bridge had to pay a toll. (10).... nowadays, people on foot and cyclists can cross for free and (11).... motorists must still pay. In April 2006, the bridge was used (12).... the centre of a huge fireworks display to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of its great designer, Brunel.
Free-fall Racing For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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Free-fall Racing Since the rise of the current health (0)....safety culture, most people in the UK have begun to lead lives with absolutely no element (1).... danger at all. And after realising that their lives are nowhere(2).... as dangerous as they once were, (3).... didn't take long before a group of young entrepreneurs came up with a new sport that really lets them push (4).... to the limit in terms of risk and excitement. Every weekend, at an airfield (5).... the North Devon coast, a group of otherwise risk-averse individuals meet and attempt to (6).... a new record for how fast they can fall a distance of two kilometres from a small airplane. These are people who rarely if ever break (7).... speed limit. But as free-fall racers, they compete to pick (8).... as much speed as they can before finally opening their parachutes at the last minute. Each race is over and finished in (9).... matter of seconds but during those vital few seconds, the racers say they are totally absorbed (10).... trying to make their bodies fall that little bit faster and trying to judge the perfect moment to pull the parachute cord. Many of them say that they hold(11).... breath for the whole duration of the fall, only breathing out again when they touch the ground. Bill Morris, one free-fall racer says that he has tried every extreme sport but that all of the others are simply nothing (12).... comparison.
Handwriting Analysis For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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Handwriting Analysis In the UK (0)....days, many companies employ handwriting experts. These people are paid to analyse the handwriting (1).... the various people who are applying (2).... jobs in the company. These handwriting experts are (3).... as graphologists and they claim to be (4).... to accurately make predictions about the personality and behaviour of any applicant if they have a large (5).... sample of their handwriting. By looking at (6).... a candidate has written (7).... the application form they can quickly decide if the candidate is suitable for the job (8).... they have applied for. One interesting example of how this technique (9).... used is in the way graphologists look at the tops and bottoms of each line. If parts of letters hang (10).... a long distance below the line, a graphologist would say (11).... you have a 'strong lower zone' and this means that you are a calm, organised kind of person. For this (12).... it may be a good idea to make your writing like this when applying for a job.
Health and Fitness For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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Health and Fitness Do people in your country worry (0)....their health and keeping fit? It seems that nowadays everyone is (1).... pressure to look young and slim due to the television and media bombarding us with images of what we should look like.
(2).... present, people are starting to worry more about their health and (3).... making a conscientious effort to improve their lifestyles by joining gyms and taking (4).... healthy activities such (5).... running. Many people are also starting to cycle to work instead of driving or using public transport. (6).... time to time, we all need to take a look at our lifestyles because suddenly, (7)....warning, you could have a heart attack and die. Doctors give advice about what we can do to keep fit. (8).... instance, eating a balanced diet, doing a little exercise and getting enough sleep all contribute towards a healthy body. Smoking kills (9)....least 100,000 people a year in the UK. Therefore if you smoke, then why not try to give (10).... ? As well as feeling much healthier, you'll also be able to save some money. It is, (11).... a doubt, crucial that we look (12).... our bodies. After all, we only have one.
Karaoke For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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Karaoke Some time in (0)....early seventies, a Japanese musician (1).... Daisuke Inoue was working (2).... a drummer in a band in Kobe in Japan. His group were usually paid money (3).... play along with drunken businessmen and (4).... their singing sound good. One day, Inoue (5).... the idea of making recordings of popular songs without the singer. His idea was that people (6).... then pay money to play these music tracks and use a special microphone to sing along. The first karaoke machines were (7).... popular that soon their inventor was hiring and selling them both in Japan and abroad. In the 1980s and 1990s karaoke went (8).... to become a popular activity in bars and restaurants (9).... over the world. Unlike early machines, (10).... relied on tapes or discs, the newer versions used digital technology which meant (11).... they were able to store thousands of songs. As well as giving pleasure to millions of people karaoke has had a political impact too. In 2002 karaoke machines were successfully sent as a peace gift from South Korea to North Korea. More recently, however, karaoke was voted the world’s (12).... annoying invention in an online poll.
Mountain Hiking For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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Mountain Hiking For me, (0)....of life's greatest pleasures has always been hiking in the mountains. From Monday to Friday, I work in a busy office where I often (1).... arguments with complete strangers and where many of my colleagues drive (2).... completely crazy. But one thing that I (3).... very strange is that many of my colleagues like to spend their weekend evenings drinking until they pass (4).... . I admit that I like to drink (5).... moderation but for me, having to spend my spare time in the same city environment that I work in would make my life (6).... misery. In contrast, my idea of heaven (7).... not seeing another person for two or more days and if I do happen to run (8).... a stranger on a mountain trail, exchanging a brief greeting and then continuing on our separate ways. It's not that I have a strong dislike (9).... other people. It's just that in my crowded office setting, I feel completely (10).... of control whereas, on my own, up on a mountain top, I can be my own boss and set my own pace. Occasionally, people ask me what I would do if I (11).... myself into a difficult situation so far away from civilisation. But for me, this seems a very small danger compared to (12).... increased risk of heart problems and high blood pressure that I would face by remaining in the city.
Paparazzi Pizza For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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Paparazzi Pizza One of the newest (0)....hottest nightspots in Bristol, Paparazzi Pizza is far from being a typical night(1).... . In a city where a round (2).... drinks usually costs in (3).... region of twenty to thirty quid, Paparazzi Pizza is by no means cheap. But what you get there is the unique experience of spending a little (4).... being rich and famous, treated like a celebrity by the waiters, bar staff and three permanent staff photographers who (5).... every chance to capture images of every 'famous' customer. It all stated back in 2004, when two unemployed waiters, Anthony Taylor and Emma Ross decided to buy (6).... the cafe where they had been working until it had closed a month earlier. They realised that with so many young people being intent (7).... becoming famous that there was a gap (8).... the market for a restaurant where ordinary people could live the celebrity lifestyle for just one evening. In the first six months their newly opened cafe (9).... a big loss and at one point, they nearly decided to pack (10).... all in and go back to doing normal jobs. But they decided to give it a (11).... for one more month and try taking photographs of customers while they were actually eating. Now, three years later, they have left all their money worries (12).... and their restaurant is now one of the most successful small businesses in the city.
Redevelopment For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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Redevelopment Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing (0)....regard to the redevelopment of Wycombe town centre. Local councils these days seem to have a (1).... to knock down entire sections of a town or city in the name of modernisation, but I would argue that this is unnecessary in my home town. In particular, I have noticed that workers intend to pull (2).... our beautiful historic theatre. Destruction of such wonderful buildings will unavoidably lead to an ugly sight that offends the eyes for months on end. Visions such as these will (3).... back memories of the aftermath of the bombs dropped on London (4).... the war. I know I speak for many in my neighbourhood when I say that it would be preferable to (5).... down on the amount of redevelopment that occurs in city centres. At the very least, council officials should (6)....time to providing places for the younger generation to spend their free time. Since the media would have us believe that all young people have a (7).... to disturb local residents, vandalise property, and stab one another as if it is part of their personality, I am convinced that this would combat the problem. In (8).... to the above, there is a plethora (9).... other options to consider spending public money on. For (10).... , the sports centre is in dire (11).... of improvement. The facilities are rather dated and in bad condition, and offering a wider choice of activities would help correct the worrying problem of British teenagers having the dubious honour of (12).... to be the fattest in all of Europe. Surely you can agree that this could only be a good thing not only for our town at present, but also for the health of the nation in the future. Yours faithfully, Isaac Tesla
The Big Issue For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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The Big Issue In nearly every town or city centre (0)....the UK, on most days of the week you can find one (1)....more people standing in (2).... street selling a magazine called The Big Issue. These people are all homeless but they are (3).... begging for money. Instead, they are selling the magazine as a means(4).... making a small but respectable living. The Big Issue magazine (5).... started in 1991 by Jon Bird and Gordon Roddick after they saw that there were many homeless people (6).... were living on the streets of London. On a previous visit to New York, one of them (7).... seen homeless people selling a newspaper known (8).... Street News and they decided to set (9).... something similar in the British capital. Nowadays, the Big Issue has spread (10).... over the UK and there are even different versions of the magazine in different (11).... of the country. The sellers buy each magazine from the organization for seventy pence and then sell it to a customer for one pound fifty. By working with The Big Issue, many people have (12).... helped to escape from homelessness and many of them have eventually moved on to new jobs and new lives.
The Bristol To Bath Cycle Path For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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The Bristol To Bath Cycle Path In the 1970s, we had a world fuel crisis during (0)....there was a shortage of petrol in many countries. A group of people in Bristol, UK decided (1).... British people relied too much (2).... private motor cars. Their reaction was to form a new charity organization known (3).... Sustrans. They wanted to build a network of cycle paths all over the UK so that cyclists (4).... enjoy cycling without(5).... to use noisy and dangerous public roads. (6).... first project was to construct a thirteen-mile cycle path all the way from Bristol to Bath. The Bristol to Bath Cycle Path was built over an old railway line. The project was finally completed in 1986 and immediately became a huge success (7).... with local people and as a tourist attraction. The path attracts not (8).... groups of serious cyclists with their racing bikes and brightly coloured clothing, but also families and individuals just enjoying a little fresh air in the countryside. (9).... total 2.4 million journeys a year are made along the path. However, (10).... the popularity of the cycle path, the Bristol City Council (11).... recently developed plans to close the cycle path and build a bus route in its place. Naturally, this idea has met (12)....strong opposition and so far thousands of people have signed a petition to prevent this plan from becoming a reality.
The History Of Soap For questions 1 - 12, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only oneword in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet below.
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The History Of Soap The earliest soap in history was probably produced around five thousand years (0)....in Ancient Babylon. Archeologists (1).... found ancient tablets with writing on them (2).... seem to describe a formula for making soap. (3).... the Romans probably knew how to manufacture soap as well, (4)....is believed that they only used it (5).... washing fabrics and actually cleaned their bodies in a totally different (6).... . An ancient Egyptian papyrus from around 1550 B.C. also refers to soap manufacture. The first soaps that we would recognise today were produced by Muslim chemists in the mediaeval Islamic world around 1000 A.D. (7).... soaps were not only made from similar materials (8).... also included colouring and perfume in some cases. But it was not (9).... the Nineteenth Century that large-scale soap production began making a product that was cheap (10).... for everybody to afford it. In 1862, Andrew Pears and (11)....granson, Francis opened the Pears soap factory in Isleworth in London. Today, Pears has become(12).... of the best known brands of soap in the world.
