Cambridge English Placement Test Demo Practice 2 with answer and audio script
PART 1- LISTENING
1. You hear an announcement about a band called the Big Bang.
What is the purpose of the announcement?
A to offer music lessons
B to promote a concert
C to recruit band members
Audio script
Narrator: Question 1. You hear an announcement about a band called the Big Bang.
Man: This next piece of local news will be of interest to musicians. Some of you’ll have heard of the Big Bang. You may even have been lucky enough to see them play since they started a year ago. If you
have, then you’ll know what a brilliant folk group they are. Well, now there’s an opportunity to meet them in person at their workshops on the first Sunday of the month, where you can learn to play some of their entertaining tunes! Don’t get your hopes up of joining the band, though – they aren’t taking on anyone new at the moment – but why not go along and benefit from their expertise?
Narrator: Now listen again.
Answer: Letter A
2. Listen and select - short listening picture answer
1 What did the man do at the sports centre yesterday?
Narrator: 1 What did the man do at the sports centre yesterday?
Man: I went along to that new sports centre yesterday evening.
Woman: Oh, yeah? Is it any good?
Man: Well, I haven’t become a member yet, but they showed me around. It was pretty good. I was thinking of joining so that I could do diving lessons, but there’s no pool. So, I don’t know.
Woman: Oh, that’s a shame. Did you try any of the facilities while you were there?
Man: I did a quick workout in the gym at the sports centre – the machines are great. You’d like it
’cos they have a running track outside.
Woman: Interesting! I’ll go and take a look.
Narrator: Now listen again.
Answer- Letter C
3. Listen and Select - Extended listening
You will hear an interview with a TV actress called Brittany Briers.
1 Brittany realised that she really enjoyed acting when
A she played at being an actor at home.
B she attended some acting classes.
C she took part in a school play.
2 How did Brittany feel before her first theatre performance?
A worried about forgetting her lines
B anxious that she would use the wrong accent
C nervous about appearing in front of a large audience
3 Why did Brittany move into TV acting?
A She needed to earn more.
B She lost interest in theatre work.
C She wanted to try something new.
4 What does Brittany still find difficult about screen acting?
A having to repeat scenes
B learning to speak more quietly
C not having an audience
5 Brittany particularly enjoys
A receiving a new part to learn.
B attending special events for actors.
C seeing her new films for the first time.
6 What does Brittany dislike about being an actor?
A not having many holidays
B being recognised in the street
C starting work early in the morning
Audio script
You will hear an interview with a TV actress called Brittany Briers.
Interviewer: We’ve got TV actress Brittany Briers in the studio. Brittany, how did you discover your love of acting?
Brittany: When I was twelve, Mum sent me to drama classes – I was always trying to be like TV characters at home, though I never thought that was acting. The others in the class were more experienced and that made me nervous, but I learned enough to act in a school play. Being on stage then was definitely what got me interested!
Interviewer: What was your first professional theatre performance like?
Brittany: You’ll probably expect me to say I felt calm ’cos of my training. The opposite was true! The person I played had an American accent – I kept thinking I’d go back to my own. I’m sure things like not remembering your lines are embarrassing when there’s a huge audience. I made sure that didn’t happen.
Interviewer: Later you went into TV acting. Why?
Brittany: It wasn’t that I got bored of the theatre. I was seen on stage by a director who thought I was perfect for a TV series he was making. I thought ‘Why not learn some fresh skills?’ The extra money was useful ’cos I was saving for a house – I’d never take a job just for money, though.
Interviewer: Is TV filming more difficult than stage acting?
Brittany: It’s different. There’s no audience, no clapping. That’s strange at first, though the director will tell you when you’ve done well. Sometimes you film the same bit over and over. That’s annoying till you realise it’s important to get it right. Then, in a theatre you have to make sure people at the back can hear – on screen that sounds like shouting. I have to be reminded about that lots!
Interviewer: What do you love most about your job?
Brittany: When a new TV series comes out and my family get excited – I prefer not to watch myself on screen and I’ve never been to any actors’ events – though I wouldn’t mind doing that one day. I get the real excitement from picking up the envelope containing my next role and I start reading the lines straightaway.
Interviewer: Is there anything you don’t like about being an actor?
Brittany: Some people find it hard to deal with being recognised in the street. That isn’t my favourite part of the job, but I accept it – most people are friendly. Getting up before it’s light is something I’ve never got used to, and I never will! But once a series is finished, you can take a long break, if you need to.
Narrator: Now listen again.
Answer:
1 C
2 B
3 C
4 B
5 A
6 C
PART 2- READING AND USE OF ENGLISH
1. Read and Select - gapped sentences
The company was accused of unfair use of personal data on a number of _______.
A cases
B examples
C incidents
D occasions
Answer- D occasions
2. Read and select - multiple choice gap fill
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Emma Watson
The actress Emma Watson grew up near Oxford in the south of England and trained as an actress at the Stagecoach School in Oxford. Although she had only acted in a few school plays, in 2001, she was lucky enough to get the (1) ...................... of Hermione in the Harry Potter film (2) ...................... . This was the part which first (3) ...................... her famous. She appeared in all eight of the Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011. After the Harry Potter films, Emma (4) ...................... to work in films, but also (5) ...................... a few years studying English Literature at university. She acted while she studied, and since 2012 she has continued to develop her career and has appeared in (6) ..................... very successful films.
1 A title B person C role D hero
2 A set B series C group D collection
3 A produced B created C caused D made
4 A continued B kept C stayed D remained
5 A passed B spent C gave D allowed
6 A several B plenty C lots D few
Answer:
1 C
2 B
3 D
4 A
5 B
6 A
3. Open gap-fill
For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use
only one word in each gap.
So you want to run a marathon? There is no doubt that running 42 kilometres is a great
achievement. Many training plans involve running four times a week for at (1)__________ three months, and sometimes longer. Experts strongly recommend that you should (2)__________ used to running long distances gradually. If you don’t, it can increase the chances (3)__________ picking up an injury. It (4) ____________ generally thought that runners should initially go on fairly relaxed training runs. The pace should be gentle enough to allow you (5) have a conversation with someone running alongside you.
Don’t make the mistake of eating too little before the race, or you will rapidly run (6) ________ of energy. But (7)_____________ should you eat a large meal. It goes without saying that choosing the right footwear is also essential. (8)____________ you do, avoid clothes made of cotton and go for artificial materials, or even some types of wool such as merino. Choose clothing that will be comfortable.
Answer:
1 least
2 get / become
3 of
4 is
5 to
6 out
7 neither
8 Whatever
4. Read and select - short reading text
Tara,
we’ve run out of coffee! Can you get some at the supermarket when you’re coming back from college this afternoon? I’ll pay you back tomorrow.
Daisy
What should Tara do?
A buy coffee tomorrow
B go shopping on her way home
C give Daisy some money to go to the supermarket
Answer- Letter B
5. Read and select - extended reading
You are going to read an article about new technology and students. For questions 1–6,
choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Student life and technology
By Debra Mallin, a business student at Greyfort University Last Saturday, as my grandfather drove me and my sister home from a dinner to celebrate his birthday, he got frustrated at not being able to remember the name of the singer of a song he’d just heard on the radio. Without a second thought, I grabbed my smartphone, searched for the song and found the name, Bob Dylan. For me and my friends, this is a completely natural course of action, but it totally astonished my grandfather, who didn’t understand how I had checked the information so quickly. My sister and I laughed and explained, but afterwards, it made me think about how much I depend on technology.
The list of the ways I use technology is endless: writing, planning, socialising, communicating and shopping, to name a few. When I reflected on its impact on my education, I saw that, for my fellow students and I, technology has been significant in many ways. Returning to the story of my grandfather and the smartphone, he had asked me more about how I used it and about university life. He said he thought we had an easy life compared to previous generations. My sister caught my eye and we exchanged a smile. But whereas she was thinking our grandfather was just being a typical 65-yearold, I could see his point.
Not only are we lucky enough to have the same educational benefits as those of previous generations,
we have so many more as well. We still have walk-in libraries available to us, and I can see why some students choose to find and use resources in these distraction-free locations. However, the only option for studying used to be sitting in these libraries with as many books from your reading list as you could find, yet now a single search for your chosen study topic online can immediately provide access to a huge range of resources. At universities, interaction between students and university staff is another
area that has changed considerably with developments in technology. We can have face-to-face time with our tutors when we need it, and also communicate using our electronic gadgets from the comfort of our homes, or on the bus. The most popular means of doing this is via instant messaging or social media – email is often considered too slow, and it has become unacceptable for messages to be unanswered for any length of time. While this puts an extra strain on the university’s academic
support team, who usually have to answer the queries as they come in, we students are greatly benefitted.
It’s important that we remember to appreciate how much the advances in technology have given us.
Electronic devices such as tablets, smartphones, and laptops are now standard equipment in most
classrooms and lecture halls, and why shouldn’t they be? The replacement of textbooks with tablets allows students the luxury of having up-to-date, interactive and even personalised learning materials, with the added benefit of them not costing the earth.
When we compare the student life of the past and that of the present day, it is tempting to focus on the obvious differences when it comes to technology. In actual fact, students are doing what they’ve always done: embracing the resources available and adapting them in ways which allow them to work more efficiently and to live more enjoyably. The pace of change in technology continuously gathers speed, so we have to value each innovation as it happens.
1. What does the writer illustrate by describing the
incident in the car?
A the older generation’s frustration at people’s
dependence on technology
B how unaware young people are of some effects
of technology
C the difference in attitudes to technology between
two generations
D how technology helps different generations
communicate
2. What did the writer think of her grandfather’s
comment, mentioned in the second paragraph?
A It showed how out-of-date he was.
B It had an element of truth in it.
C It was an annoying thing to say.
D It made her feel sorry for him.
3. What does the writer say about getting study
resources from libraries?
A She considers libraries more preferable places
for study than home.
B She cannot understand why anyone chooses to
go to a library now.
C She appreciates the fact that people can still
study in libraries if they want to.
D She thinks libraries are limited by the quantity of
resources they can store.
4. What disadvantage of new technology does the writer
mention in the third paragraph?
A Those who can afford the best gadgets gain an
unfair advantage.
B Sometimes slow internet connections make
communication difficult.
C A heavier workload is created for teaching staff
at the university.
D Students cannot escape from dealing with
university issues.
5. What is the purpose of the question ‘Why shouldn’t
they be?’ in the fourth paragraph?
A to express an opinion
B to introduce some problems
C to make a criticism
D to indicate uncertainty
6. What is the writer’s conclusion about students today in
the final paragraph?
A They have such different lives to previous
generations that it’s unwise to compare them.
B They deal better with change than previous
generations did.
C They take advantage of new resources more
quickly than previous generations did.
D They are behaving in a similar way to previous
generations of students.
Answer
1 C
4 C
2 B
5 A
3 C
6 D
