Archivos: Quizzes & Surveys

Play to start the exam.

SECTION 1

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Time- approximately 35 minutes

(including the reading of the directions of each part)

In this section of the test, you will have an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to understand conversations and talks in English. There are three parts to this section. Answer all the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied by the speakers you hear. Do not take notes.

Part A

Directions: in Part A you will hear short conversations between two people. After each conversation, you will hear a question about the conversation. The conversations and questions will not be repeated. After you hear a question, read the four possible answers and choose the best answer.

Listen to an example.

On the recording, you hear:
 

That exam was just awful              (man)

Oh, it could have been worse    (woman)  

What does the woman mean?  (narrator) 

 

In your test, you read:          

(A) The exam was really awful

(B) It was the worst exam she had ever seen                                            

(C) It couldn’t have been more difficult

(D) It wasn’t that hard

 

You learn from the conversation that the man thought the exam was difficult and that the woman disagreed with the man. The best answer to the question “What does the woman mean?” is (D). “It wasn’t that hard.” Therefore, the correct choice is (D).

SECTION 1

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Time- approximately 35 minutes

(including the reading of the directions of each part)

In this section of the test, you will have an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to understand conversations and talks in English. There are three parts to this section. Answer all the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied by the speakers you hear. Do not take notes.

Part A

Directions: in Part A you will hear short conversations between two people. After each conversation, you will hear a question about the conversation. The conversations and questions will not be repeated. After you hear a question, read the four possible answers and choose the best answer.

Listen to an example.

On the recording, you hear:
 

That exam was just awful              (man)

Oh, it could have been worse    (woman)  

What does the woman mean?  (narrator) 

 

In your test, you read:          

(A) The exam was really awful

(B) It was the worst exam she had ever seen                                            

(C) It couldn’t have been more difficult

(D) It wasn’t that hard

 

You learn from the conversation that the man thought the exam was difficult and that the woman disagreed with the man. The best answer to the question “What does the woman mean?” is (D). “It wasn’t that hard.” Therefore, the correct choice is (D).

Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear longer conversations. After each conversation, you will hear several questions. The conversations and questions will not be repeated.
After you hear a question, read the four possible answers and choose the best answer.
Remember, you are not allowed to take notes.

Directions: in this part of the test, you will hear several talks. After each talk, you will hear several questions. The conversations and questions will not be repeated. After you hear a question, read the four possible answers and choose the best answer.

Here is an example.
On the recording, you hear:

(narrator)

Listen to an instructor talk to his class about painting.

(man)

Artist Grant Wood was a guiding force in the school of painting known as American regionalist, a style reflecting the distinctive characteristics of art from rural areas of the United States. Wood began drawing animals on the family farm at the age of three, and when he was  thirty-eight one of his paintings received a remarkable amount of public notice and acclaim. This painting, called \"American Gothic\" is a starkly simple depiction or a serious couple staring directly out at the viewer.

Now listen to a sample question.

(narrator)	What style of painting is known as American regionalist?
In your test, you read:	(A) Art from America’s inner cities (B) Art from the central region of the United States (C) Art from various urban areas in the United States (D) Art from rural sections of America

The best answer to the question “What style of painting is known as American regionalist?” is (D). “Art from rural sections of America.” Therefore, the correct choice is (D).

Now listen to another sample question.

(narrator)	What is the name of Wood’s most successful painting?
In your test, you read:	(A)“American regionalist” (B) “The family farm in Iowa” (C) “American Gothic” (D) “A serious couple”

The best answer to the question “What is the name of Wood’s most successful painting? is (C). “American Gothic.” Therefore, the correct choice is (C).

Remember, you are not allowed to take notes.

This is the end of the Listening Diagnostic Pre-Test

STRUCTURE DIAGNOSTIC PRE-TEST

SECTION 2

STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

Time – 25 minutes

(including the Reading or the directions)

Now set your clock for 25 minutes

This section is designed to measure your ability to recognize language that is appropriate for standards written English. There are two types of questions in this section, with special directions for each type.

Directions: Questions 1-15 are incomplete sentences. Beneath each sentence you Will see four words or phrases, marked (A), (B), (C), and (D). Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
Look at the following examples.

Example I
The president ______ the election by a landslide.

1. won
2. he won
3. yesterday
4. fortunately

The sentence should read, “The president won the election by a landslide.” Therefore, you should choose (A).


Example II
When _________ the conference?

1. the doctor attended
2. did the doctor attend
3. the doctor will attend
4. the doctor's attendance

The sentence should read, “When did the doctor attend the conference?” Therefore, you should choose (B).


Now begin work on the questions.

Written Expression

Directions: In questions 16-40, each sentence has four underlined words of phrases. The four underlined parts of the sentence are marked (A), (B), (C), and (D). Identify the one underlined word of phrase that must be changed in order for the sentence to be correct.
Look at the following examples.

 

Example I

(A)The four (B)string on a violin (C)are (D)tuned in fifths.

The sentence should read, “The four strings on a violin are tuned in fifths.” Therefore, you should choose (B).

 

Example II

The (A)research (B)for the book Roots (C)taking Alex Haley (D)twelve years.

The sentence should read, “The research for the book Roots took Alex Haley twelve years.” Therefore, you should choose (C).

Now begin work on the questions.

Time – 55 minutes

(including the Reading or the directions)

Now set your clock for 55 minutes

This section is designed to measure your ability to read and understand short passages similar in topic and style to those that students are likely to encounter in North American universities and colleges.

In this section you will read several passages. Each one is followed by a number of questions about it. You are to choose the best one answer, (A), (B), (C), or (D), to each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen.

 

Answer all questions about the information in the passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.

 

Read the following passage:

 

                John Quincy Adams, who served as the sixth president of the United States from 1825
to 1829, is today recognized for his masterful statesmanship and diplomacy. He dedicated his
life to public service, both in the presidency and in the various other political offices that he
held. Throughout his political career he demonstrated his unswerving belief in freedom of
speech, the antislavery cause, and the right of Americans to be free from European and Asian domination.

 

Example I

To what did John Quincy Adams devote his life?

1. Improving his personal life
2. Serving the public
3. Increasing his fortune
4. Working on his private business

According to the passage, John Quincy Adams “dedicated his life to public service.” Therefore, you should choose (B).


Example II

In line 4 the word “unswerving” is closest in meaning to

1. moveable
2. insignificant
3. unchanging
4. diplomatic

The passage states that John Quincy Adams demonstrated his unswerving belief “throughout his career.” This implies that the belief did not change. Therefore, you should choose (C).

The hippopotamus is the third largest land animal, smaller only than the elephant and the
rhinoceros. Its name comes from two Greek words which mean “river horse”. The long name of this
animal is often shortened to the easier to handle term “hippo”.

The hippo has a natural affinity for the water. It does not float on top of the water; instead, it can
easily walk along the bottom of the body of water. The hippo commonly remains underwater for three (5)
to five minutes and has been known to stay under for up to half an hour before coming up for air.

In spite of its name, the hippo has relatively little in common with the horse and instead has a
number of interesting of similarities in common with the whale.  When a hippo comes up after a stay at
the bottom of a lake or river, it releases air through a blowhole, just like a whale. In addition, the
hippo resembles the whale in that they both have thick layers of bubbler for protection and they are (10)
almost completely hairless.

authorities on North American birds. Born in Les Cayes, Haití, in 1785. Audubon was raised in
France and studied art under French artist Jacques- Louis David. After settling on his father’s
Pennsylvania estate at the age of eighteen, he first began to study and paint birds.

tremendous amount of success; at various times during his life he was involved in a mercantile
business, a lumber and grist mill, a taxidermy business, and a school. His general mode of operating a
business was to leave it either unattended or in the hands of a partner and take of on excursions
through the wilds to paint the natural life that he saw. His business career came to end in 1819 when
he was jailed for debt and forced to file for bankruptcy. (10)

of his paintings of birds. For the next six years he painted birds in their natural habitat while his wife
worked as a teacher to support the family. His Birds of America, which included engravings of 435 of
his colorful and lifelike water colors, was published in parts during the period from 1826 to 1838 in
England. After the success of the English editions, American editions of his work were published in (15)
1839, and his fame and fortune were ensured.

Schizophrenia is one of the more common mental disorders, considerably more common than
multiple personality disorder. The term “schizophrenia” is composed of roots which mean “a splitting
of the mind,” but it does not refer to a division into separate and distinct personalities, as occurs in
multiple personality disorder. Instead, schizophrenic behavior is generally characterized by illogical (5)
thought patterns and withdrawal from reality. Schizophrenics often live in a fantasy world where they
hear voices that others cannot hear, often voices of famous people. Schizophrenics tend to withdraw
from families and friends and communicate mainly with the “voices” that they hear in their minds.

estimate the age of the oldest living trees on Earth, they often come up with the guesses in the
neighborhood of two or perhaps three hundred years. The real answer is considerably larger than
that, more than five thousand years.

This venerable pine predates wonders of the ancient world such as the pyramids of Egypt, the
hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Colossus of Rhodes. It is not nearly as tall as the giant redwood
that is also found in California, and, in fact, it is actually not very tall compared with many other
trees, often little more than five meters in height. This relatively short height may be one of the
factors that aid the bristlecone pine in living to a ripe old age-high winds and inclement weather  (10)
cannot easily reach the shorter trees and cause damage. An additional factor that contributes to the
long life of the bristlecone pine is that this type of tree has a high percentage of resin, which prevents
rot from developing in the tree trunk and branches.

under quite a different name. Italian American A.P. Giannini established this bank on October 17,
1904, in a renovated saloon in San Francisco’s Italian community of North Beach under the name
Bank of Italy, with immigrants and first-time bank customers comprising the majority of his first
customers. During its development, Giannini’s bank survived major crisis in the form of a natural            (5)
disaster and a major economic upheaval that not all other banks were able to overcome.

struck San Francisco, followed by a raging fire that destroyed much of the city. Giannini obtained two
wagons and teams of horses, filled the wagons with banks reserves, mostly in the form of gold,
covered the reserves with craters of oranges, and escaped from the chaos of the city with his clients’    (10)
funds protected. In the aftermath of the disaster, Giannini’s bank was the first to resume operations.
Unable to install the bank in a proper office setting, Giannini opened up shop on the Washington
Street Wharf on a make shift desk created from the boards and barrels.

1918 there were twenty-four branches of the Bank of Italy, and by 1928 Giannini had acquired              (15)
numerous other banks, including a Bank of America located in New York City. In 1930 he
consolidated all the branches of the Bank of Italy, the Bank of America in New York City, and another
Bank of America that he had formed in California into the Bank of America National Trust and
Savings Association.

Giannini had already retired prior to the darkest days of the Depression, he became incensed when
his successor began selling off banks during the bad economic times. Giannini resumed leadership of
the bank at the age of sixty-two. Under Giannini’s leadership, the bank weathered the storm of the
Depression and subsequently moved into a phase of overseas development.

This section of the test consists of two parts. In each part you will hear dialogues and academic talks, and you will be tested on your ability to understand them. 

You will hear each dialogue and academic talk only twice, and then answer questions after each is finished. The questions ask about the main idea, supporting details, and the way the speakers use language. Answer each question based on what is stated or implied by the speakers. 

While you listen, you may take notes. You can then use your notes to answer the questions. When you finish Listening you have to click \"NEXT PAGE\" to see the answers. Remember that once you go to the questions, you cannot come back to listen to the audio.

Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.

Listen to the following audio once.  You may take notes  while you listen. When you finish click NEXT to see the questions.

You're about to start the READING SECTION.
This Section contains three texts. Read the three texts and then answer the questions that follow each of them.

The questions will be displayed after you click \"NEXT PAGE\". 

We’re proud of our Service – Here are the facts:
The TrainLine call center has been open since May 1997 and currently employs more than 450 people. We sell tickets for Connect Trains and all other UK train companies. We regularly answer more than 12,000 calls per day.
It takes just two full working days to receive your tickets by post.
Your calls are answered at two dedicated sites in Edinburgh and Inverness. We can arrange business accounts through Train Line Business Booking Service.
We’ve recently launched an e-mail booking facility: See www.connecttrains.co.uk

 

Easy come, Easy go

We promised to make the train a more convenient travel option. For some of our customers, quick transfers are what makes travel by train to the heart of our major cities so much more convenient than flying. The CarLink service that has been successfully tested in the North West has now been extended to many of our key stations. Cars can be arranged for your journeys to or from the station. Passengers to London Euston can book one of our executive cars to meet them on the platform.

The introduction of our first LimoBike at London Euston will save even more precious time. Customers are met on the platform and ride with an experienced motorcyclist on a Honda ST1100 complete with intercom, protective clothing, luggage carriers and even on onboard phone – only £10, £15 or £20 within central London. This exciting new trial is currently being sold by selected business travel agents only.

 

It’s The Business

We’ve talked and listened to our regular First Class passengers and we’ve introduced a new ticket that is tailored to their particular need. The Connect Business ticket is currently available on our West Coast routes between London and Manchester, Liverpool and North Wales.

All Connect Business customers travel in wide seat comfort and a reserved at their seat with complimentary breakfast, sandwiches and snack as appropriate to the time of day, plus hot, cold and alcoholic drinks.

Connect Business tickets can be purchased up to 6 pm the day before travel and will include your outward seat reservation. You can return on any train within one month. What’s more, if you’re travelling to or from London Euston you even get an Underground Zone 1 return ticket.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The questions will be displayed after you click \"NEXT PAGE\".

​The extracts on Text Three, opposite, are from a brochure and list six eating places in or near Miami. Read through the extracts and decide which places the following people choose to eat at. 

*La Paloma* A four-star Restaurant that is Elegant and Romantic Dine in the ambience of Old World Europe an charm amidst sparkling chandeliers, fresh flowers and candle light in a stunning atmosphere resplendent with a magnificent collection of Limoges statues, limited edition signed pieces and objects d’art. Reservations requested.  1	The Taste and Style of Miami   Creative continental cuisine. Dine under the stars or enjoy the casual elegance of the Caribbean Room. Dinner from 6 pm to midnight. Music and Dancing Fairmont Café In the heart of South Beach/Art Deco District 2
BENIHANA REMINDS TOY THAT THE BEST PARTIES ALWAYS END UP IN THE KITCHEN! At Benihana, most dining experiences start off as a meal and end up as a party. It’s rare that any restaurant would dare to invite its patrons to eat in the kitchen, but Benihana does that as a matter of course. At Benihana, a meal isn’t a party unless it ends up in the kitchen. Eat chicken, scallops, lobster and hand-picked vegetables, tender steaks. In the kitchen, if you wish. BENIHANA THE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 3	MEDITERRANEO  RESTAURANT   Elegant dining in a comfortable atmosphere The only Greek-Mediterreanean ocean-view dining in Miami Beach   Reservations only – valet parking 4
ENCOUNTER THE ORIENT IN MIAMI   Enjoy the finest quality in Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine freshly prepared to your liking.  Experience authentic Chinese ‘dim sum’ served daily. A la carte and complete dinners featuring lavish deserts. Open everyday for Lunch and Dinner.  For reservations phone 974-2217   KWANS CHINESE RESTAURANT 5	TARKS SEAFOODERY AND GRILL   Garlic shrimp – Steamed shrimp – Garlic crab – Fish fry – chicken wings – Danish ribs – salads – sticks – clams   ALL-U-CAN EAT!! AND MUCH MORE!! 12 early bird complete dinners at $6.95 (3 pm – 6 pm)   Super Lunch Specials 6

Read the following questions and choose the best answer for each one.

You're about to start the GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY SECTION.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentences below. Click NEXT PAGE to see the questions.

Select the correct answer to complete the text below. Choose the word that fits best in each number.

“Red” Andrews has led an interesting life. Nowadays he (41) _________ a shrimp processing plant in Tampa. However, he (42) _______ in the mountains of West Virginia, where his father was a coal miner.  Red had started to work in the mines as a boy, (43) ________ he hated it. In 1949, he came south to Florida (44) _________ for work on a boat.

Red loved the hot (45) __________ in Florida. He got a job on a boat that worked in the Gulf of Mexico.

On his first trip, the owner (46) ________ off the boat at night and was lost.

Red worked hard until (47) ____________ he was able to buy his own boat, going to Mexico and     South America to fish. But times changed. There were fewer fish, and new laws (48) __________ protected the environment began to restrict the fishermen‟s work. Americans couldn‟t fish in other countries (49) ________ . So Red sold his boat and bought a processing plant. He buys, processes and sells fish to other companies. He doesn‟t see any (50) ___________ in fishing.

This section of the test consists of two parts. In each part you will hear dialogues and academic talks, and you will be tested on your ability to understand them. 

You will hear each dialogue and academic talk only twice, and then answer questions after each is finished. The questions ask about the main idea, supporting details, and the way the speakers use language. Answer each question based on what is stated or implied by the speakers. 

While you listen, you may take notes. You can then use your notes to answer the questions. Remember that once you go to the questions, you cannot come back to listen to the audio.

You will listen a conversation between a receptionist and a man. As you listen, choose the correct answer to each question.

Listen to the following audio once.  You may take notes  while you listen. When you finish click NEXT to see the questions.
 

SECTION 2 READING

You're about to start the READING SECTION.
This Section contains three texts. Read the three texts and then answer the questions that follow each of them.

TEXT 1

By Stephen Slater



The inquest has been adjourned until the second week in October.


The questions will be displayed after you click "NEXT PAGE". 

Text 2

HOW TO BOOK

1. Ring us stating:   Where and when you want to go. How long you want to stay. How many seats you need. The names of each passenger as they appear on their passports.

2. We send you an invoice and ask for a deposit, usually $80. The deposit guarantees the reservation but not the fare and forms part of the payment.

HOW TO PAY

You can pay by: 

*personal cheque, but allow for 9 calendar days for bank clearance.
*cash, if you come in to our shop.
*credit card, debit card, charge card (over the phone)(there are no extra charges for payment by credit or charge card).
*bankers cheque or draft.
*travelers cheque

TRAVEL TIP

Book early, especially for travel in July, August, at Christmas, New Year and Carnival. It’s not unreasonable to book up to 11 months in advance in order to secure the seats, dates and airline of your choice.

LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS

If you need to travel within a week of booking, you must pay by cash, card or bankers cheque. Book, pay and receive your tickets in a matter of hours. There is a charge for this service. Otherwise, if the airline allows it, you can pick the ticket up at the airport when you check in.

 

RESTRICTIONS

The prices listed in this brochure are for special fares and the following general restrictions apply:

1. You must stick to the same airline.

2. You must stick to the route on your ticket.

3. The financial penalties for making changes or losing your ticket can be severe.

 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT AIRLINE

You may not want the cheapest fare to Latin America. You may have other requirements, such as a generous baggage allowance, the ability to fly from your nearest airport, or you may be traveling with children or infants and so need to use an airline which offers competitive fares for families. Most airlines offer between 25% and 50% discounts off the fares shown here to children while infants travel for 10% of the full IATA fare (usually between $100 and $250). Please ring us with your requests.

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Text 3

Sharks hardly ever attack swimmers. Unless.........
American Times
Vero Beach, Florida

For a 9-year old, Willie Teller was a decent swimmer. But he should never have ventured 90 yards offshore on a recent Saturday picnic here, reaching a water depth of 10 feet before his father realized something was wrong.

The boy could have been caught by one of the local \"rip tides\", currents that strong adult swimmers often find impossible to fight. He could have had his neck rotted by a big wave, but he wasn't.  Willie was dragged underwater and torn to death by a tiger shark. That made him the first shark fatality near an American beach in 22 years. \"Fatalities are extremely rare in Florida, but what was disturbing this time was that it was a child\", according to Professor George Burgess, director of the Florida Shark Attack File. \"If he was flailing his arms, the shark may have been attracted by the movements. They use the standard predatory strategy of any animal, going after the weak or infirm.

People are fascinated by sharks. We probably fear shark attacks more than hurricanes or earthquakes. Tigers can usually be controlled with a well-placed shot. But sharks are something we can't control, they have the upper hand in a one-to-one encounter The last time a shark killed anyone in the US was in 1988, but that was a deep water swimmer who had dived off a boat. The last American shoreline swimmer killed in a shark attack was In 1976, the year after the film Jaws was made.

"You have a much better chance of winning the Florida lottery than of encountering a shark on our coastline" Professor Burgess likes to say. He produces statistics showing that more people in Florida were killed by alligators than by sharks over the last 50 years, and that Americans are more likely to be killed by lightning than by a shark. \"Take 1987, when there were only 13 shark bite injuries in the US,\" he says. \"In New York City alone that year, there were 8,064 cases of dog bites human, 1,587 cases of human bites human and 98 cases of squirrel bites human.

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Read the following questions and choose the best answer for each one.

SECTION 3 GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY

You're about to start the GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY SECTION. 

PART 1
Choose the best answer to complete the sentences below. Click NEXT PAGE to see the questions.

Part 2

Select the correct answer to complete the text below. Choose the word that fits best in each number.

For thousands of years, gray wolves have (41) Europe, Asia and North America from the Arctic to Central Mexico. They were once the (42) land mammal after man. Now, however, most wolves (43) by man, and their (44) is in danger of extinction. Wolf families (45) in packs for efficient hunting. Members of the pack are affectionate with each other and (46) to the group. Wolves usually kill other wild animals, but when there are not enough of these, the wolves attack domestic animals (47) cows and sheep. Farmers want to protect their animals (48) the wolves, while ecologists want to save the wolves. It seems clear that wolves (49) be protected, or they will (50) from the earth forever. Acknowledgement: The reading section above was based on D.Chadwick. “Return of the Gray Wolf.” National Geographic, May 1998, 72-99.