Mid-Year Test

Name:

Date:

Mark:                      / 90 marks

Reading

A  Read the text about how cultures evolve. Culture change

All cultures change over time since all elements of culture change. Whether that be food, music, language or just the way in which people interact, our cultures are constantly evolving.

Some cultures try to resist change by creating laws to preserve and protect traditions.  1 For example, the French government has forbidden the use of English words in shops and businesses if there are French equivalents. Young people use English words such as sandwich and computer so much that the French see it as a threat to their own language. So proud are the French of their culture and traditions that foreign companies often encounter problems when trying to establish themselves there. The US coffee giant Starbucks has found it very difficult to get a foothold in France despite the fact that it is becoming successful elsewhere in Europe. There are around 50 Starbucks in France but in the UK, which has a similarlysized population, there are over 700 stores.

In contrast, other cultures are extremely open to some kinds of change. Over the last twenty years the Chinese have been rapidly adopting western technology and culture in everyday life, from mobile phones to American television shows and fast food. McDonald's has already opened hundreds of restaurants in China and soon will be adding many more. KFC has been even more successful. Since the first piece of fried chicken was sold at a Beijing KFC in 1987, the number of KFCs in China has grown to over 3,000, in 650 cities. Pizza Hut has done very well too with nearly 500 restaurants in 120 cities.  2          In 2003, the Chinese government decided that all pupils, starting in the 3rd grade of primary school, had to learn English.

The changes experienced by China are happening all around the world, whether we try to resist them or not. They are brought about by the technological advances that led to the expansion of international business and mass media.  3       In the sixty years between 1950 and 2010, the number of

Units 1 – 6

people in the world grew from 2.5 billion to 6.5 billion. With billions of people eager to experience what the world has to offer in terms of food, fashion, music and more, the road is wide open for cultural change.

But it isn't only foreign influences that bring about culture change. Local conditions can have an affect too. The change from life in rural communities to urban living brought huge changes. First and foremost, more children began attending school. With more education, they were able to find higher-paid jobs than their parents and become more socially successful. Secondly, when the majority of the world's population lived in rural areas, families were larger so that children could help with farmland and animals. Once people began moving to cities and working in industry or trade, they had no need for extra help so they limited the number of children they had.  4         When there are fewer children, parents can give more attention to each one and spend more money on them for their wants and needs. Urban living also played a role in affecting the traditional family structures by changing the role of women in the family.  5      Men were not the only ones supporting the family by earning an income. This new state of equality meant that they had to help with raising children and do things that had previously only been done by women.

Culture change is constant, and it has many causes and effects. Whether the causes are foreign or homegrown, over time they can lead to drastic changes in lifestyles and traditions. Some people are concerned by this while others welcome the changes and see them as advances rather  than threats.

B Complete the Exam Task.                                                                                                                                                  Exam Task

Five sentences have been removed from the text. Choose from the sentences A–  F the one which fits each gap (1–  5). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

A       This, in turn, affected the relationships of children with their parents and siblings.

B       What they had hoped to do was to discourage change, but they failed.

C       Education has also seen changes that will speed up westernisation.

D       As city women left the home to enter the work force, they gained financial independence.

E        Such laws aim to block foreign ideas and influences.

F        Another important factor is the human population explosion. ^{(___ / 10 marks)}

Vocabulary and Use your English

A For questions 1–10, read the text below and decide which answer (a, b, c or d) best fits each gap. Doping for Gold

For almost twenty years, East Germans ran, swam and jumped their way to Olympic glory, winning gold medals and (1)                 world records. In the 1972 Olympics, which (2)      in Munich, West Germany, the East Germans (3)  third in  the medals table behind the Soviet Union and the United States. Four years later, East Germany won an incredible  40 gold medals, six more than the Americans.

People were (4)        a loss to explain how a nation of just 17 million people (5)  rival the sporting success of the mighty Soviet Union and the United States. The answer was a secret doping programme. The government of East Germany was determined to (6)              a reputation for their country as a model of sporting achievement, and decided they could achieve this with the use of steroids developed in a secret laboratory. From the 1960s until East Germany's end in 1989, approximately 10,000 young athletes were given pills that transformed them into physically (7)      machines. The athletes were told they were 'vitamins'. But these pills came at a(n) (8)    . The steroids made many athletes sick and (9)               to heart problems and cancer. Many years later, some of these athletes spoke out and a few even asked for their records to be cancelled as they (10)             them by fair and honest means.

(___ / 10 marks)

B  For questions 1–10, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. 

Use only one word in each gap. Living in a capsule

The famous capsule hotels of Japan offer accommodation unlike any other you may have experienced (1)    . These unique hotels were built to cater (2)          the needs of Japanese business men who work (3)  late and miss the last train home. For late-night party people, it's safer and cheaper to spend the night in a capsule (4)             it is to go home. At a cost of around 20-35 euros per night (less for weekly or monthly rates), they offer just the basic necessities.

All you do is get a ticket from a vending (5)          that is usually in the lobby. You hand the ticket to the clerk and you are given a capsule number and a key that opens a small locker (6)               contains a pair of slippers, pyjamas and towels for bathing. You (7)     take your shoes off because it is customary in Japan not to wear shoes indoors.

You use a small ladder to climb into your capsule. The capsules are surprisingly comfortable to lie in, but they are not suitable for (8)         else. However, each capsule does contain a TV, and there's usually free wi-fi so you can (9)           online if you have a laptop. The most common complaint made by people who have stayed in a capsule hotel is loudly-snoring neighbours. But there's not really (10)     you can do about that.

(___ / 10 marks)

C  For questions 1–10, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. Over the top

                I was puzzled by my sister's (1)            . She kept               BEHAVE   locking    herself in her room and would spend hours in

          there all alone, sometimes crying (2)                                                      .                                 CONTROL

              So one day, when she was out, I decided to do some detective work.

                I know I shouldn't have, and I did feel (3)                           COMFORT              looking through her stuff, but my (4)      had got CURIOUS                the better of me and I was (5)              for some answers.  ANXIETY                 To my (6) , I came across a massive notebook filled           ASTONISH

              with I love Justin line after line. That's it. Over and over again. 'That's 

        (7)                                                       ,' I thought and wondered who this Justin                       EXCESS

           could be. Whoever he was, I certainly (8)                                                        of                     APPROVE

                my sister wasting her time on him. As I stood there scratching my head,  my gaze fell upon the various posters on her bedroom walls.         Of course! Justin Adams! He was her favourite singer. But

                how could a skinny teen, whose only (9)                            ACCOMPLISH         was a stupid hairstyle, turn my otherwise intelligent sister into

        a(n) (10)                                                        being who was constantly miserable?                   RATIONAL

          It was time for a serious talk.

(___ / 10 marks)

D  For questions 1–10, use the word given to complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

1          Could you tell me where the bus stop is, please?  IF

I                                                                                                                     me where the bus stop is.

2          Quentin, how long have you known Tracy?  WHEN

             Quentin,                                                                                Tracy?

3          It was wrong of you to speak to your sister like that.  SHOULD

             You                                                                                 to your sister like that.

4          They didn’t let the athletes leave the country.  ALLOWED

              The athletes                                                                                 the country.

5          Danny started watching TV at ten and it's now twelve.  HAS

             Danny                                                                                 two hours.

6          My parents and I never went to the cinema when I was younger.  USE

I                                                                                                                     to the cinema with my parents when I was younger.

7          Miranda wasn't confident enough to become an actress.  SHY

             Miranda                                                                                 an actress.

8          We started looking for a new house and found one soon after.  BEEN

             We                                                                                  long when we found our new house.

9          Come on, Harry, or we’ll get to the stadium after the match starts!  WILL

                By the time we get to the stadium, the match                                                                                  , Harry!

10       I don’t think there are many celebrities who deserve their fame.  VERY

I                                                                                                                     celebrities who deserve their fame.    (___ / 20 marks)

Listening

Complete the Exam Tasks.                                                                                                                                                     Exam Task

Exam Task

2       You will hear a guide giving a talk in a museum. For questions 1– 6, choose the best answer (a, b or c).

1       Who showed the first moving pictures?

a                     Cecil B. DeMille      b the Lumière brothers         c Leon Bouly

2       When does the museum's oldest item date from?

a                     1890   b 1895   c 1899

3       Where was the first public film screening?

   a at the Lumière factory       b in Hollywood      c in Paris

Listen again.

4       Which important event occurred in the 1920s?          a Hollywood became famous.             b A new kind of film was developed.            c Audiences listened to jazz.

5       Why was Hollywood a good place to make films?       a The weather was warm and sunny.

                 b There were lots of actors.                 c Famous directors lived there.

6       What is the purpose of the talk?                   a to promote a place             b to advertise an event         c to inform about a topic         (___ / 6 marks)

Writing

Complete the Exam Task.

Exam Task