Welcome to our blog dedicated to Cambridge English Placement Test practice with a unique twist - daily devotions. In this blog, we combine the essential task of honing your English language skills with the nourishment of your soul through insightful and inspiring daily devotionals. By integrating these two elements, we aim to create a holistic learning experience that enriches your mind and spirit.
- Enhancing Your Language Skills
- Daily Devotions for Spiritual Nourishment
Narrator: 1 What time will the flight to Brussels leave? - C is the best answer.
Girl: Dad – we’ve just had an email from the airline.
Man: Oh?
Girl: Yeah – the time’s changed for our flight to Brussels. It’s something to do with a new timetable or something. There’s only a few minutes difference – we were flying out at 11.57 pm, but now it’s five past midnight. And the return flight the following Tuesday is now at two minutes past midnight. That’s a full two hours later than it was – so we might need to change our booking at the airport car park.
Short Listening Text Answer You hear a girl talking about maths. What does the girl enjoy most about maths? A getting clear answers B applying it to everyday life C solving difficult questions Transcript Girl: People often ask why I like maths so much, and if I find it easy. Well, no, I don’t. But if it wasn’t a challenge, I wouldn’t be half as excited about it. I can spend hours working on a single maths problem – I don’t give up till I’ve got the right answer. And that’s the great thing about maths – it’s either right or wrong. If you work hard enough, you can always get a hundred per cent and that’s so satisfying. Some mathematicians talk about how ‘maths' is everywhere’ – that it’s relevant to everything you do in life – but I just love it for its own sake.
Short Listening Text Answer You hear a girl talking about maths. What does the girl enjoy most about maths? A getting clear answers B applying it to everyday life C solving difficult questions
Long Listening Practice You will hear an interview in which a businesswoman called Carla smith is talking about her life and work. for each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C. track 5 1. Why did Carla change the way she worked? A She didn’t enjoy the work she did. B She spent very little time at home. C She had health problems. 2. What does Carla say about running her own business? A She continues to work a lot of hours. B It allows her to take more holidays. C She earns more than she used to. 3. What changes did Carla make to her exercise routine? A She does more exercise than she used to. B She does a new kind of exercise now. C She exercises at a different time of day. 4. How does Carla feel about her health and eating habits? A guilty about having too many snacks B delighted that she has discovered new foods C surprised that she now feels so much better 5. Where does Carla spend time with her sisters? A in her own home B at the cinema C at the local pool 6. Which time-saving idea does Carla find efficient? A checking emails on the way to work B having a lot of similar clothes C making lists of jobs to do
The city of Glasgow has a modern underground rail network and (1) ................... of buses and trains. It also has a (2) ................... other forms of transport. The ferry across the river Clyde between Yoker (3) ................... Renfrew is popular with tourists. There has been a ferry in service here (4) ................... around 500 years. The (5) ................... takes about half an hour, and it’s an interesting way to see this part of the city. For a (6) ................... boat ride, you could try one of the cruises on the Clyde. The cruises (7) ................... at the Riverside Museum and sail down the river past some interesting historical parts of the city. If you (8) ................... trying something more adventurous, you could travel from Glasgow to the island of Mull on a seaplane. The (9) ................... are quite expensive, but it’s an experience you won’t forget. Also in the air, why not try a helicopter flight? It’s not cheap, but you get an amazing (10) ................... of the city.
1. A many B enough C plenty D most
2. A few B lot C lots of D a number
3. A for B and C to D into
4. A since B before C until D for
5. A trip B travel C transport D route
6. A bigger B longer C taller D higher
7. A leave B depart C start D open
8. A fancy B want C hope D plan
9. A costs B fees C fares D charges
10. A scene B scenery C landscape D view
Write-in gap fill
Hi Mum and Dad,
I hope everyone is OK at home. I arrived in New Zealand yesterday. On the plane I sat next
(1) ................ a really nice woman (2) ................ told me about lots of places I (3) ................ visit while I’m here. And I found a place to stay (4) ................ isn’t too expensive. I’m going to be in New Zealand (5) ................ a month, and then I’m going to fly to (6) ................ USA. Dad, (7) ................ you remember to tell (8) ................ friend Patricia in San Francisco that I will be there next month? Has she said (9) ................ it’s okay for me to stay (10) ................ her? I’ll write again soon.
Sonia
Short Reading
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
Long Reading
The price of a perfect holiday?
Cruises are becoming more and more popular, with around 20 million passengers per year now enjoying holidays on board luxury ships. Many people see a cruise as the perfect way to sit back and do nothing, and enjoy time off work. But what is the effect on the environment of this trend?
Although it usually takes less energy for a vehicle to move through water than over land, cruise ships are often huge, with the biggest ones carrying up to 6,000 passengers. Moving such large vehicles requires enormous engines which burn as much as 300,000 litres of fuel a day. One scientist has calculated that cruise ships create as much pollution as 5 million cars going over the same distance. Because they are out at sea, they also burn dirtier fuel that isn’t allowed on land. Unfortunately, no government has control over the amount of air pollution out at sea.
Cruises also produce huge amounts of rubbish, and cruise ships aren’t usually good at recycling. Waste water from showers and toilets is usually poured directly into the sea – as much per day as from a small town. Waste food from restaurants isn’t put into the sea, but still causes problems when brought back to the land.
Cruise ships also cause difficulties in the cities where they stop. Popular destinations can get five or six ships per day, with thousands of tourists at a time. Good for restaurants? No. Restaurant owners complain that the visitors look around for a few hours and then return to their ship to eat. What’s more, the crowds can put off other tourists, who complain that the streets are too busy. Some towns have banned cruise ships or put a limit on the number that can stop at the same time. People who care about the environment worry that as the cruise industry continues to grow, so too will the issues for our planet.
1. The purpose of the text is to
A persuade people that a cruise is a wonderful holiday.
B criticise people who go on cruise ships.
C explain some of the problems that cruise ships cause.
D persuade governments to ban cruise ships.
2. One reason cruise ships cause a lot of air pollution is because
A they carry large numbers of cars as well as passengers.
B their engines are not as efficient as those of other ships.
C it takes more energy to move through water than over land.
D they use types of fuel that are not permitted on land.
3. What do we learn about the waste products on cruise ships?
A All the waste products are carried back to shore.
B Waste food is often thrown away at sea.
C Most cruise ships recycle their waste products.
D An enormous amount of the waste water isn’t recycled.
4. Why are cruise ship passengers not popular in some cities?
A They are sometimes rude to other tourists.
B They don’t spend money on meals.
C They fill up the restaurants, so other tourists can’t get in.
D They complain when the city is too crowded.
5. Which best describes large cruise ships?
A They seem to offer ideal relaxing holidays, but they aren’t environmentally friendly.
B They are becoming very popular, and they bring a lot of benefits, in spite of their problems.
C They used to cause a lot of pollution, but things are improving now.
D They cause pollution in the sea and on land, so cities are planning to ban them in the future.
