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C2 Proficiency Level Evaluation

Reading Evaluation

Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each gap.

Planetary Artistry
By Johanna Kieniewick

For me, the highlight of this past week's science news was the images (1) ........... back from the Curiosity rover, providing (2) ........... geologic evidence that water flowed on Mars. Of course, this wasn't exactly a surprise; for decades, planetary scientists have suggested the channel networks visible in spacecraft imagery couldn't have been made by anything else.

The evidence has been (3) ........... as well, as various clay minerals and iron oxides have been identified through hyperspectral imagery.

Proficiency reading image for questions 1, 2 and 3

Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

Global English

Global English exists as a political and cultural reality. Many misguided theories attempt to explain why the English language should have succeeded internationally, whilst (4) .......... have not. Is it because there is something inherently logical or beautiful about the structure of English? Does its simple grammar make it easy to learn? Such ideas are misconceived.

Latin was once a major international language, (5) .......... having a complicated grammatical structure, and English also presents learners with all manner of real difficulties, (6) .......... least its spelling system. Ease of learning, therefore, has little to do with it.

Proficiency reading image for questions 4, 5 and 6

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including the word given.

7) I don’t think you’ll find that many road atlases have such detailed maps.
     FEW
     I …………….................………………. have such detailed maps.


8) Martin was too lazy to present any of his ideas at the meeting yesterday.
     BOTHERED
     Martin …………….................………………. forward any of his ideas at the meeting yesterday.


9) Philip said that his friends were surprised when he suddenly decided to retire.
     CAME
     Philip said that his …………….................………………. to his friends.

You are going to read a magazine article. Three paragraphs have been removed. Select from the paragraphs A - D the one which fits each gap.

Market Road

Just at that turning between Market Road and the lane leading to the chemist's shop he had his 'establishment'. At eight in the evening you would not see him, and again at ten you would see nothing, but between those times he arrived, sold his goods and departed. Those who saw him remarked thus, 'Lucky fellow! He has hardly an hour's work a day and he pockets ten rupees - even graduates are unable to earn that! Three hundred rupees a month!' He felt irritated when he heard such glib remarks and said, 'What these folks do not see is that I sit before the oven practically all day frying all this ...' . (10) ............

At about 8.15 in the evening he arrived with a load of stuff. He looked as if he had four arms, so many things he carried about him. His equipment was the big tray balanced on his head with its assortment of edibles, a stool stuck in the crook of his arm, a lamp in another hand and a couple of portable legs for mounting his tray. He lit the lamp, a lantern which consumed six pies' worth of kerosene every day, and kept it near at hand, since he had to guard a lot of loose cash and a variety of miscellaneous articles. (11) ............

He always arrived in time to catch the cinema crowd coming out after the evening show. A pretender to the throne, a young scraggy fellow, sat on his spot until he arrived and did business, but he did not let that bother him unduly. In fact, he felt generous enough to say, 'Let the poor rat do his business when I am not there.' This sentiment was amply respected, and the pretender moved off a minute before the arrival of the prince among caterers. (12) ............

A. No one could walk past his display without throwing a look at it. A heap of bondas, which seemed puffed and big but melted in one's mouth; dosais, white, round, and limp, looking like layers of muslin; chappatis so thin you could lift fifty of them on a little finger; duck's eggs, hard-boiled, resembling a heap of ivory balls; and perpetually boiling coffee on a stove. He had a separate aluminium pot in which he kept chutney, which went gratis with almost every item.

B. Rama prepared a limited quantity of snacks for sale, but even then he had to carry back remnants. He consumed some of it himself, and the rest he warmed up and brought out for sale the next day.

C. When he saw some customer haggling, he felt like shouting, 'Give the poor fellow a little more. Don't begrudge it. If you pay an anna more he can have a dosai and a chappati.'

D. He got up when the cock in the next house crowed. Sometimes it had a habit of waking up at three in the morning and letting out a shriek. 'Why has the cock lost his normal sleep?' Rama wondered as he awoke, but it was a signal he could not miss. Whether it three o'clock or four, it was all the same to him. He had to get up and start his day.

Writing Evaluation

Write you answer in about 100 words

Small World

An international newspaper has asked for articles from readers on the theme ‘Small World’.

You decide to write an article. You should briefly describe some of the effects of global developments in communications, such as travel and social networking. You can also evaluate how the consequences of these developments may affect your own country’s cultural identity.

Write your article.

Listening Evaluation

You will hear a journalist reporting on a scientific expedition to a volcano in Papua New Guinea. Complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

You will hear part of a discussion between two language experts who are talking about how advances in communication are affecting English usage. Select the answer which fits best according to what you hear.

Speaking Evaluation

Can you talk about the following questions. There are also some ideas on the card for you to use if you like. Try talking for 2 to 3 mins with someone.

Proficiency speaking image for question 20

Phase 2

Now, to finish the part, we’re going to talk about ‘authority’ in general. Address a selection of the following questions to both candidates:
 •  
Is it easier to lead or follow?… (Why do you think that?)
 •  Do teachers need to be strict to be effective?… (Why / Why not?)
 •  Why can wearing a uniform give a person added authority?
 •  What makes some people choose to seek positions of power?
 •  Would the world be a better place if there were more laws or fewer laws?… (Why/why not?)
 •  In many cultures, people are given more respect as they grow older. How do you feel about this?

Complete all four parts (20 questions) before submitting.
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