Fluency English Placement Test

Questions 1 – 5

• Where can you see these notices? • For questions 1 to 5, mark one letter A, B or C on your Answer Sheet.
1. You can look, but don’t touch the pictures.
2. Please give the right money to the driver.
3. NO PARKING PLEASE
4. CROSS BRIDGE FOR TRAINS TO EDINBURGH
5. KEEP IN A COLD PLACE

Questions 6 – 10

• In this section you must choose the word which best fits each space in the text below. • For questions 6 to 10, mark one letter A, B or C on your Answer Sheet.

THE STARS 

There are millions of stars in the sky. If you look (6) .................. the sky on a clear night, it is possible to see about 3000 stars. They look small, but they are really (7) .................. big hot balls of burning gas. Some of them are huge, but others are much smaller, like our planet Earth. The biggest stars are very bright, but they only live for a short time. Every day new stars (8) .................. born and old stars die. All the stars are very far away. The light from the nearest star takes more (9) .................. four years to reach Earth. Hundreds of years ago, people (10) .................. stars, like the North star, to know which direction to travel in. Today you can still see that star.

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Questions 11 – 20

• In this section you must choose the word which best fits each space in the texts. • For questions 11 to 20, mark one letter A, B, C or D on your Answer Sheet.

Good smiles ahead for young teeth 

Older Britons are the worst in Europe when it comes to keeping their teeth. But British youngsters (11) .................. more to smile about because (12) .................. teeth are among the best. Almost 80% of Britons over 65 have lost all or some (13) .................. their teeth according to a World Health Organisation survey. Eating too (14) .................. sugar is part of the problem. Among (15) .................. , 12-year olds have on average only three missing, decayed or filled teeth

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Christopher Columbus and the New World 

On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain to find a new route to India, China and Japan. At this time most people thought you would fall off the edge of the world if you sailed too far. Yet sailors such as Columbus had seen how a ship appeared to get lower and lower on the horizon as it sailed away. For Columbus this (16) ................. that the world was round. He (17) ................. to his men about the distance travelled each day. He did not want them to think that he did not (18) ................. exactly where they were going. (19) ................. , on October 12, 1492, Columbus and his men landed on a small island he named San Salvador. Columbus believed he was in Asia, (20) ................. he was actually in the Caribbean.

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19. I asked him ..........................................
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Questions 21 – 40

• In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. • For questions 21 to 40, mark one letter A, B, C or D on your Answer Sheet.
21. The children won’t go to sleep ....... we leave a light on outside their bedroom
22. I’ll give you my spare keys in case you …… home before me.
23. My holiday in Paris gave me a great ………. to improve my French accent.
24. The singer ended the concert ….. her most popular song.
25. Because it had not rained for several months, there was a ………… of water
26. I’ve always ………… you as my best friend.
27. She came to live here ………. a month ago.
28. Don’t make such a……! The dentist is only going to look at your teeth.
29. He spent a long time looking for a tie which …. with his new shirt.
30. Fortunately, …….. from a bump on the head, she suffered no serious injuries from her fall.
31. She had changed so much that ……… anyone recognised her.
32. ……….. teaching English, she also writes children’s books.
33. It was clear that the young couple were …….. of taking charge of the restaurant.
34. The book …………. of ten chapters, each one covering a different topic.
35. Mary was disappointed with her new shirt as the colour ……….. very quickly.
36. National leaders from all over the world are expected to attend the …….. meeting.
37. Jane remained calm when she won the lottery and ……. about her business as if nothing had happened.
38. I suggest we …………….. outside the stadium tomorrow at 8.30.
39. My remarks were ………… as a joke, but she was offended by them.
40. You ought to take up swimming for the ………….. of your health.

Questions 41 – 50

• In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best fits each space in the texts. • For questions 41 to 50, mark one letter A, B, C or D on your Answer Sheet.

CLOCKS 

The clock was the first complex mechanical machinery to enter the home, (41) ……………….. it was too expensive for the (42) ……………….. person until the 19th century, when (43) ……………….. production techniques lowered the price. Watches were also developed, but they (44) ……………….. luxury items until 1868 when the first cheap pocket watch was designed in Switzerland. Watches later became (45) ……………….. available and Switzerland became the world’s leading watch manufacturing centre for the next 100 years.

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Dublin City Walks 

What better way of getting to know a new city than by walking around it? Whether you choose the Medieval Walk, which will (46) ……………….. you to the Dublin of 1000 years ago, find out about the more (47) ……………….. history of the city on the Eighteenth Century Walk, or meet the ghosts of Dublin’s many writers on the Literary Walk, we know you will enjoy the experience. Dublin City Walks (48) ……………….. twice daily. Meet your guide at 10.30 a.m. or 2.30 p.m. at the Tourist Information Office. No advance (49) ……………….. is necessary. Special (50) ……………….. are available for families, children and parties of more than ten people.

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Questions 51 – 60

• In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. • For questions 51 to 60, mark one letter A, B, C or D on your Answer Sheet.
51. If you’re not too tired we could have a ………. of tennis after lunch.
52. Don’t you get tired ……. watching TV every night?
53. Go on, finish the dessert. It needs ……… up because it won’t stay fresh until tomorrow.
54. We’re not used to ……… invited to very formal occasions
55. I’d rather we …….. meet this evening, because I’m very tired.
56. She obviously didn’t want to discuss the matter so I didn’t ………. the point.
57. Anyone …...... after the start of the play is not allowed in until the interval.
58. This new magazine is ……… with interesting stories and useful information.
59. The restaurant was far too noisy to be …….. to relaxed conversation.
60. In this branch of medicine, it is vital to ……………… open to new ideas.