Preliminary English Test - Sample Paper

Paper 1 Reading and Writing Test
TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes


READING
Part 1
Questions 1-5
  • Look at the sign in each question.
  • Someone asks you what it means.
  • Mark the letter next to the correct explanation - A, B, C or D - on your answersheet.

1 A  Various cameras are on sale here.
B  A photographer can take your picture here.
C  No entry: film makers working here today.
D  Cameras are used to protect the building.
2 A  One film free with each camera.
B  Get a free film with every one you buy.
C  Buy three films for the price of two.
D  Films bought here are printed free.
3 A  Leave your luggage here.
B  Keep your cases with you.
C  Ask someone to look after your cases.
D  Ask someone to carry your bags
4 A  You may park your car here up to 10.30 pm.
B  You may leave your car here overnight.
C  You are not allowed to park your car here.
D  You must pay to park your car here after 10.30 p.m.
5 A  All these shoes are the same price.
B  These shoes are reduced because of damage.
C  Ask an assistant for the price of these shoes.
D  Look at the shoes to find out the price.



Part 2
Questions 6-10
  • The people below all want to buy a book.
  • You will find descriptions of eight books.
  • Decide which book - (letters A - H) would be the most suitable for each person (numbers 6-10)
  • For each of these numbers mark the correct letter on your answersheet.
6 Claire is at university. When she's not studying she likes reading books in which writers describe their own experiences. She particularly likes them to include pictures.
7 Mr Hodges would like to buy a book for his granddaughter, who is five years old. She likes playing with dolls and loves listening to adventure stories.
8 Janice has decided to start her own fashion business. She has no office experience so she wants to find out as much as possible in order to make a business plan.
9 Philip wants to buy a book for his young daughter, Laura. He wants a story about life in the real world, with either photographs or pictures to help her understand it.
10 Gloria has been reading lots of short stories by Australian and European writers. Now she would like to read some interesting stories by writers from other countries.


A S. Falkiner
Room to Move

A collection of 32 modern short stories all written by Australian women. This anthology contains a wide selection of writing from some of Australia's best known authors and most promising new writers.

B Other Fires: Stories from Women of Latin America

Collection of 20 outstanding stories by women from Latin America. The youngest writer is 17 years old, the oldest 85. Some of these wonderful tales hav already won prizes, others will in the future.

C B. Selby
Riding the Mountains Down

The remarkable account of a lone female cyclist's dangerous 5,000 mile journey from Karachi to Kathmandu. Illustrated with the author's own photographs, this book gives a vivid picture of travel in India and Pakistan.

D Jennifer Martin
The day Sharon lost her way home

A story for young children (colour pictures too!) by a Jamaican-born woman. The main characters are Sharon and her mother. It tells about the child getting lost in the town where she lives.

E Faith Jacques
Tilly's rescue:The further adventures of Tilly

A wonderful story of a small wooden doll finding life difficult in a world much bigger than she is! Will win the heart of any four-to seven-year-old. Very suitable for bedtime stories.

F Martha Gellhorn
The Face of War

Classic reporting from one of the world's greatest women journalists, brought right up to date in a new edition. Some of the reports are difficult to believe but she really did see it all happen.

G Leah Herts
The Business Amazons

A fascinating study of a hundred women who have got to the top in business. Describes how, in addition to running multi-million pound businesses, they managed to keep their marriages, bring up children and stay healthy.

H Liz Hodgkinson
The Working Woman's Guide

Advice for women needing information on career planning, training and starting out in business. This book contains all the information you need to make the right choices.




Part 3
Questions 11-20
  • Look at the statements below about air fares.
  • Read the text related to this section and decide if each statement is correct or incorrect.


11   You must pay for your Eurobudget ticket when you reserve it.

12  Pex fares are available all the year round.

13  The Pex return fare is cheaper in December than in September

14  Pex tickets are for use at weekends only.

15  You can change your Apex ticket if you pay extra.

16  Children travel cheaper with an Apex ticket.

17  The Youth Fare is the cheapest return ticket.

18  You can get a Youth Fare ticket if you are 25

19  You can buy a Youth Fare ticket at the time of departure.

20  All the flights offer hot food.





Part 4
Questions 21-25
  • Read the text and questions below.
  • for each question, mark the letter next to the correct answer - A, B, C or D - on your answer sheet.

... Finally, this week's comedy, "Tomorrow's Another Day", at the Cambridge MGM cinema, is another in the long line of successes from director Peter hamill

This one has an unusual story-line. Just imagine this: one day Mickey Style, a TV journalist, goes off to make a programme about an exciting film festival in Canada. On his first morning there he wakes up, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and life just couldn't be better. He works through the day, goes to bed, wakes up the next morning... to find it's the same day! The same sun, the same birds singing in the same trees, the same people saying and doing exactly the same things, day after day. He is caught in a place where time has simply stood still, where there will be no tomorrows.

This could be very serious, but it's not. It's an extremely funny film, which made everyone, including your reviewer, laugh out loud. It has the silliest ending, and the audience loved it! Tabitha Taylor is great as the generous bank manager - yes, really! - although Holywood probably won't give her any prizes. So if you want to forget your troubles, this is the film for you.





21  What is the writer trying to do in the text?

  1. give his or her opinions about a particular actor
  2. give his or her opinions about a film
  3. describe a canadian film festival
  4. describe his or her strange experience

22  Why should somebody read the text?

  1. to enjoy the extremely funny jokes
  2. to find the answer to a problem
  3. to find out more about a cinema
  4. to choose their evening's entertainment

23  What is the writer's opinion of "Tomorrow's Another Day"?

  1. It's serious
  2. It's exciting
  3. It's successful
  4. It's nasty

24  Where was Mickey Style when something strange happened to him?

  1. on a working trip
  2. at the office
  3. on holiday
  4. at the movies
25  Which poster is used to advertise "Tomorrow's Another Day"?
A image B image
C image D image


Part 5
Questions 26-35
  • Read the text below and choose the correct word for each space.
  • For each question, mark the letter next to the correct word - A, B, C or D - on your answersheet.
TRAVELLING IN THE LAKE DISTRICT

The Lake district is very popular for holidays all year round. Roads leading into the area have been improved in (26)............... years. Within the area, however, many roads are (27)...........and winding with steep hills, and it may not be safe to drive (28) roads like this when they are (29) ............... in ice.
For the mountain walker a word of warning - every season visitors (30).............. lost or are injured and (31)................... to be rescued by the Mountain Rescue teams. This kind of problem can be (32)............. by following a few simple safety rules. When exploring the mountains, wear warm (33) ............ and strong boots, and take a map and a small (34).................. of food. Don't go off alone and always tell someone where you (35)..................... to go.




26ArecentBnextClastDclose
27AthinBslimCnarrowDshallow
28AonBaboveCbyDin
29AwrappedBcoveredCdrowned Dfilled
30AhaveBbeCmakeDget
31AmustBshouldCneedDought
32AencouragedBpreventedCarrangedDorganised
33AclothesBequipmentCmaterialDdresses
34AlimitBweightClengthDquantity
35AlookBseemCplanDknow






WRITING

Part 1
Questions 1-5

  • Here are some sentences about a trip to London.
  • for each question, finish the second sentence so that it means the same as the first.
  • The second sentence is started fr you. Write only the missing words on the answer sheet.

example: Anna has never been to London before.
This is ...Anna's first visit to London...
  1. Anna was taken to her hotel in a taxi
    A taxi .................................................


  2. The hotel has seventy bedrooms.
    There are .................................................


  3. Bed, breakfast and dinner are included in the price.
    The price .................................................


  4. Dinner in the hotel is more expensive than lunch.
    Lunch in the hotel .................................................


  5. The British Museum is near the hotel.
    The hotel is not .................................................






Part 2
Questions 6-15
  • You want to come to Britain to study English.
  • A college has sent you this application form.
  • Look at the form and answer each question.
  • Write your answers on your answer sheet.

ACME English College

High Street
Newtown
Sussex BN22 1HN


Full name: (6).......................................

Home address: (7) .....................................

Nationality: (8) ......................................

Date of Birth: (9) ...........................

Sex: (10) ................................

Present occupation (if you are a student say what you are studying):(11)......................

How long have you been learning English? (12) ....................

Name two activities (sports or hobbies) which you enjoy: (13) ........................

In which month(s) do you wish to come to Britain? (14) .........................

Signature: (15) ............................




Part 4
Question 16
  • You have been staying with a cousin for 4 days in a city you had never visited before.
  • Now you are writing a letter to an English-speaking friend.
  • Use the information you wrote in your diary before you arrived, and also describe how you and your cousin spent the rest of your time.
  • Finish the letter on yout answer sheet, using about 100 words.
DIARY
ThursdayArrive 12.15
FridaySightseeing!
SaturdayRestaurant?
SundaySepart 18.45



Dear John,

   I've just come back from a really exciting few days with my cousin.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .




© 2002 Holiday Centre
contact: colleen@tin.it