Placement Test

LISTENING

Question 1-10

Listen to two friends, Deon and Mark, talking about an adventure holiday, and choose the correct answer, A, B or C.

Example:

When will Deon and Mark go on the adventure holiday?

A June

B July

C August

Answer: C

1. What do Mark and Deon need to do in advance?

2. Where they can find more information about World Trek holidays?

3. How did Deon come up with Trek Holidays idea?

4. What kind of activities does NOT include in World Trek Holidays?

5. What does Deon most preferred activities?

6. How much does Trek Holidays initially cost?

7. How much if they want to book it before the weekend?

8. Which holidays cost more expensive?

9. The price of the holiday does NOT include

10. What time Deon and Mark will meet?

11. Vocabulary (Booking hotel rooms for a family)
James: Hi, I was wondering if you have family room ..... for August 31st?

12. Receptionist: Let's see. Yes, we have a family unit, and that comes with an (12) ..... bathroom and some basic cooking (13)......

13. Receptionist: Let's see. Yes, we have a family unit, and that comes with an (12) ..... bathroom and some basic cooking (13)......

14. James: Great. Um, how about ......... to the Internet?

15. Receptionist: You can connect from your room. There's a small....., $5 per 30 minutes

16. James: OK. Great. I'd like to make a ....., please. My name's James Wierer.

17. Receptionist: Awesome, Mr. Wierer, can I have a...... of your phone number, please?

18. I am calling on behalf of my disappointment with the previous product that I bought from your company. I've read that it is actually a .......... item, so I can get my money back fully. (REFUND)

19. Will there be any ....... events happening in this time? (CULTURE)

20. The construction of so many skyscraper buildings has had an ....... impact on the surrounding environment. (INVADE)

GRAMMAR

Choose the correct option to complete the sentences below.

21. The start of the class was at 2 PM.
The class ........ at 2 PM.

22. We had brunch during our wait.
While........... brunch.

23. The police did not know the exact chronology of the incident
The police did not know when exactly .............

24. The games started before we got into the stadium. (by)
The games..............................................

25. Thanks very much for your help

26. By the end of the month, interest rates...........

27. Despite these promising sales results, we expect that profits.........
NB. You can choose more than one option.

28. The company provides compensation and was established 14 years ago.
The company.............................................
NB. You can choose more than one option.

29. Recent statistics indicate a rise in the number of young people entering higher education.
The number of young people entering higher education............. recently.
NB. You can choose more than one option.

30. The research team's conclusion is that the new vaccine is not effective.
................................................................... the new vaccine is not effective

READING 

Question 31-34

Match the following paragraphs with the main ideas accurately.

GLOBALISATION OF EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE

A. Globalisation has affected most aspects of our lives. One area which has changed is education. More and more people move to different countries for their studies. At the same time, more people stay at home and study by distance learning. It is now easy to learn without attending a college or university, or attending less often. 'Blended learning' means studying partly in a traditional way in the classroom and partly online or via email. These changes also mean that there is now more interest in 'lifelong learning', the idea that we go on learning throughout our working lives and even into retirement. It is easy to attend 'webinars' or online seminars without being away from our offices. Many adults go back to college later in life because it is so easy to get a qualification without giving up work or disrupting family life.

B. Different countries have benefitted from the globalisation of education in different ways. Many British, Australian and American universities run their degree programmes in countries throughout Asia, and many students, parents and employers feel this is a valuable opportunity. Students can get an internationally recognised degree at a much cheaper price than going abroad and so can improve their chances of getting a good job. At the same time, those in the countries providing world-class degrees also benefit. They have greater access to ideas and knowledge from all over the world and having international students enriches their universities.

C. However, it is not good news for everyone in some developing countries. It is usually the elite - or the richest people in the large cities -who have access to international education. Many people in rural areas have not even had a primary education. Also, those areas usually do not have reliable internet connections and most people do not own a computer. It will take a bit more time for international opportunities to reach everyone in developing countries.

D. One concern people have about globalisation is that it can start to mean 'westernisation'. In other words, local knowledge can be lost and money seen as more important than culture. Education should treat every culture with respect; it should not be just learning about the West, but should include different ways of teaching and approaches from around the world. The aim is to enrich and share; the flow of ideas and information should go from East to West as well as from West to East.

E. Educational institutions have changed their focus due to globalisation. There are so many benefits of having overseas students that universities are competing for them, using strategies from the world of business. For example, they visit Education Fairs all over the world and spend time and money creating publicity material and advertisements. There is also more emphasis on the student experience. There is more focus on customer care, especially on helping international students to settle in, improve their English and understand the academic culture of the host country.

F. There are many advantages to the globalization of education and the workplace. More people get benefits that were only available to those in developed countries before. There is more understanding between different nations as people learn about each other's cultures. However, it is important to make sure the benefits reach everyone and don't leave many citizens of the developing world behind.

31. Which FOUR sentences represent the main ideas of the passage?

32. Who receives the advantages of globalized education in developing countries?

33. What is the definition of 'westernisation'?

34. What is the definition of 'globalization' based on the passage above?

35. Why have educational institutions changed their focus?

EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE IN THE UK

There has been a trend towards creating a closer connection between education/training and the workplace. This is because many employers felt that school leavers were not prepared well enough and didn't have the skills they would need to do well at work. Having a dose relationship between training and work is not new: apprenticeships were a common way of learning in the past. Young people learnt by working with an expert, but this was most common in trades such as builders or electricians. The trend now is for a closer connection between education and the workplace at all levels and in many different types of job.

In 1944, the UK government created a new system of education. Education was divided into three parts. Children who passed an exam at 11 went to grammar schools. Pupils who didn't do well in the exam went to 'secondary modern' schools or technical schools. At technical schools they studied work-based subjects. In practice, however, only 0.5% of pupils went to technical schools, and this system divided students at a very young age into academic and nonacademic. The system did not produce good results, and changed to a more equal system in the 1970s.

In the 1980s the British government introduced NVQs or National Vocational Qualifications so that young people could get certificates to show their practical skills. It helps employers understand what workers can do. In 1994, the government started a programme which aimed to provide 'quality training on a work-based (educational) route'. These 'modern apprenticeships' are available at three different levels. At the higher levels of education, too, there has been more emphasis on work-based learning, which links academic study closely to practical experience. At degree level, companies have linked with universities to create specialised qualifications, such as the BA in Distribution run between Middlesex University and Asda Supermarket. Such partnerships also exist at Masters and even doctorate level.

The development of technology has helped work-based learning to develop. Blended learning means part of the course can be delivered online, so people don't have to miss work to go to classes. Older or recently retired employees have been given the opportunity to develop new skills as tutors, mentors and coaches for the work-based part of these courses. This kind of work-based training was common in fields such as nursing and teaching, but has now spread to careers which were traditionally not closely linked to education. There are some challenges involved in work-based learning. Some lecturers might find it difficult to teach students with a lot of work experience. It may also be difficult to find teachers who can teach in different places and at different times. However, it is a positive trend as there are more ways to learn and people can study at different stages of their lives.

36. What is the definition of apprenticeships?

37. What happened to the education system introduced in 1994?

38. Blended learning can be a method that….

39. The pain point of work-based learning includes……

40. When was the British government introduced NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications)?

41. Why UK government changed to a more equal systems in 1970s?

42. What were the most common fields of studies in an apprenticeship program in the UK at that time?

43. What are the obstacles of work-based learning? EXCEPT

44. In general, what led the UK government to conduct a work-based learning system?

45. What does the writer imply with ‘positive trend’ at the end of the passage?

FOOD CULTURE SHOCK

Complete the questions below using a word from the text.

A. CHARLES

You would think that eating with your fingers would be easy. In the US, there are only certain things you can eat with your fingers, like burgers, for example, and that's easy enough. When I went to South India, though, I realised that it is a whole new skill to learn to eat rice and curry with your fingers. You have to mix the curries together and with the rice and form a 'ball'. Dool* is particularly helpful as a kind of glue. You use your fingertips, never the palm of your hand, and use your thumb to pop it into your mouth. I thought I knew where my mouth was, but my first few attempts were a disaster. There was food everywhere! *Dool is a lentil curry widely eaten in the Indian subcontinent.

B. ALFREDO

For me, when I travel, the 'fast food' culture always shocks me. I can't believe there are people in the world who live on 'junk food' like burgers and just grab a sandwich for lunch. Back home, food is very important to us. We cook fresh food for lunch and dinner and sit down and eat as a family at least once a day, twice at weekends. A lot of people grow their own vegetables and keep chickens. Food is part of your identity, so what are you saying about yourself when you eat some rubbish which contains chemicals and goodness knows what else? The worst thing I have seen on my travels is a baby being given a fizzy drink in a bottle. That really shocked me!

C. QIANG SHI

I enjoy trying food from different countries, but what interests me more is the culture and habits surrounding food and eating. In China, when we go to a restaurant with colleagues, when we are offered something, we say 'No thanks', even though we want it, because the person will definitely repeat the offer. In other countries, though, 'no' means 'no', so if you are just trying to be polite and don't take it the first time, you will end up with nothingl To me, it feels wrong to take something the first time it is offered, so it took me a while to get used to that when I travel abroad.

D. PAULINE

Being a vegetarian is so easy here in the UK that we forget that not everyone in the world understands vegetarianism. For vegans the situation is even more difficult. Probably the best place I've been to is India, as everything is divided into 'veg' or 'non veg' so you know exactly what you're getting. In many countries, they don't even realise that there is a concept of not eating meat for ethical reasons. In many parts of the world, meat equates to prosperity, so the idea of going out for a meal and not having meat is alien to them. I have travelled to places where, as a vegetarian, all I have been able to eat is salad, fruit and chips. I'm glad to get home where we have special vegetarian products.

E. AILEEN

I think breakfast is the meal where food culture shock really hits you. In Australia, there are certain foods you eat for breakfast and certain foods you don't. We usually eat cereal or toast, maybe yoghurt and fruit. We would never eat chicken or vegetables. But when I travelled in Asia, I realised that in many places, there is no difference between breakfast and dinner: rice, curry, noodles, soup, steamed vegetables and fish all appeared at breakfast. Even though I love all those things, I just can't face them at breakfast!

46. In china, if you refuse food, the host will usually............... the offer

47. For Alfredo, food plays an important role in a person's............

48. In India, you should not use your ........... when eating.

49. In some countries, eating meat represents ..........

50. In many places in ............................, there is no difference between food eaten for breakfast and dinner.