Student’s name ___________________________________________________________
PART ONE: LISTENING COMPREHENSION ……….…./20 points
PART TWO: READING COMPREHENSION ……….…./20 points
PART THREE: GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY ……….…./20 points
PART FOUR: WRITING ……….…./20 points
PART FIVE: SPEAKING ……….…./20 points
TOTAL: ……........... /100points
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GDAŃSK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
LANGUAGE CENTRE
C1 LEVEL ENGLISH EXAM – SAMPLE PAPER
PART ONE: LISTENING COMPREHENSION (20 points)
I You will hear part of a radio discussion about iris recognition systems. For questions 1 -6,
choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D which fits best according to what you hear.
1 Jim says that the idea behind iris recognition systems (IRS)
A
is based on state-of-the-art technology.
B
was thought of many years ago.
C
relies on a simple camera.
D
requires sophisticated computer software.
2 He believes that iris recognition machines will be adopted on a large scale chiefly because
A
they can be depended upon.
B
they speed up the identification process.
C
they can be connected to a wide range of secondary devices.
D
the machines in use at present are proving very successful.
3 Iris recognition machines were used at a school
A
to gauge the reaction of students.
B
to stimulate interest in science lessons.
C
to improve efficiency at a school canteen.
D
to identify pupils entering a school.
4 Jim feels the people who object to iris recognition machines
A
regard them as a threat to personal freedom.
B
object to X-ray machines as well.
C
are a very small minority.
D
fail to appreciate how they work.
5 What does Jim say about the costs involved in registering the population?
A
The government will not pay all the costs involved.
B
They will depend on the scale of the project.
C
They will be modest at the outset.
D
They will be high initially.
6 According to Jim, what will convince governments to adopt iris recognition systems?
A
reduced expenses
B
public acceptance
C
increased security
D
ease of use
________/6
II You will hear an astrobiologist talking about her work. For questions 1 - 8, complete
the sentences.
What is Astrobiology?
It could be claimed that the science of astrobiology has no (1) …………………………….. .
However, astrobiologists are also concerned with how life evolved (2) ……………………. .
There are some popular misconceptions about what (3)……………………… might look like.
For much of the Earth’s history, single-celled (4) ……………………………….. were the only
life forms in existence.
Multi-cellular life evolved during the (5) ………………………….. known as the Cambrian.
Then, about (6) …………………………… years ago, human-like creatures evolved.
Life on other planets will probably be (7) ……………………………. life on Earth.
Human beings might not have evolved if (8) ……………………………… had not become
extinct.
_______/8
III You will hear six short extracts in which people talk about wind power. For questions
1-6, choose from the list A-H the attitude each speaker has towards wind power.
A Placing wind turbines out at sea is perfectly acceptable.
B Wind power is one of the sources of renewable energy we need to exploit.
C Wind turbines are a serious threat to birds in the area.
D Wind power has created attractive business opportunities for some people.
E Wind turbines in the countryside are an unpleasant sight.
F There are valid objections to situating wind turbines offshore.
G Wind power is grossly inadequate as a means of generating our electricity needs.
H Wind power is one of the most practical ways to generate a country’s electricity.
SPEAKER 1 ____________
SPEAKER 2 ____________
SPEAKER 3 ____________
SPEAKER 4 ____________
SPEAKER 5 ____________
SPEAKER 6 ____________
_________/6
PART TWO: READING COMPREHENSION (20 points)
I Answer questions 1 – 15 by choosing from the sections of the article (A-F). You may
choose any of the sections more than once. When more than one answer is required, they may
be given in any order.
Which section
emphasises that your CV must make the leader sit up and pay attention?
1________
mentions the usefulness of a CV during the interview?
2________
says that self-promotion is absolutely vital?
3________
4________
emphasizes the importance of telling the truth?
5________
advises referring to yourself as ‘he’ or ‘she’ rather than ‘I’?
6________
describes two different types of CV?
7________
advises paying attention to the vocabulary you use?
8________
suggests that what you did at school may not be important?
9________
warns of the consequences of a badly-written CV?
10_______
emphasises linking your most important abilities to the requirements of the job? 11_______
states that what you put last is of great importance?
12_______
mentions typographical features that you can put in your CV?
13_______
suggests that a CV should not be hand-written?
14_______
________/14
Story of your Life
A
Your curriculum vitae is your most selling document. If you get it right it will land you the
interviews you want; get it wrong and your hard-earned work experience could be consigned
to the waste bin.
As it is the only thing that you can fully control in the job selection process, it is vital
that your CV puts across everything you want to say about yourself in the most impressive
way. It must highlight your value to the potential employer, as well as leaving the interviewer
with a clear reminder of what you could do for them. Not only that, if it gets you on the short
list, it will help provide a structure for the interview and encourage your interviewer to focus
on your achievements.
B
Your aim is to make it as easy as possible for your potential employer to select you, so
ensure that your skills, abilities and experience literally shout out from the page. Keep it brief
but full of substance, so that they can see at a glance that you would be capable of the job.
Most critical is that you write for the reader. Identify what it is that your potential
employer is looking for, so that your CV focuses on their needs. Ideally, you should tailor
your CV for each job. Keep sentences short; they are easier to read and have greater impact.
Examine each word that you have used to describe yourself to see if a more powerful one
could be used. Avoid jargon.
Write your CV in the third person, rather than the first, so that you can give yourself
proper credit without appearing brash.
C
Keep your CV up to date. The interviewer is more interested in what you are doing
now and the pertinence of your current skills and experience than in what you were doing ten
years ago. Headhunters nowadays advise that your career and corresponding achievements are
highlighted up front. So after your name and address and contact number at the top, go
straight into details about your employment history, followed by your education and
qualifications, finishing with your personal details.
Always put your most recent job first and then work back in chronological order. As
people read from left to right, put the most important things on the left side of the page, so
state the title of the job you had first, then for whom you did it and finally when you did it.
Give it a brief description of the scale and scope of the company you worked for. You cannot
assume your reader will have heard of it.
Under each particular job you mention, your own achievements are more important
than your responsibilities. Quantify and qualify what you actually did in your role, using hard
facts to demonstrate the tangible benefits you brought.
D
If you have been in a career for a long time, you do not need to include your early
education and qualifications. Write the information in reverse order and put the qualifications
you achieved, then where you achieved them, followed by the date. Include any appropriate
training courses you have been on.
Apart from your name, address and contact numbers, which should go at the top of
your CV, all other personal details, including your date of birth, marital status and interests
should be left to the end.
Interests are an important part of your CV. They can really bring you alive, say
something about you as a person, and differentiate you from the rest. Make sure what you put
down adds value.
E
Having worked on the content, make sure the layout does not let you down. It must
look professional and be clear and easy to read. Use headings to help the reader to scan the
document and bullet points to focus on key information. Print it on quality paper to ensure a
quality impression.
F
Ideally, you should customise your CV for each job you are going for, but this may not
be practical if you are going for dozens of jobs at a time. What differs fundamentally about
the CV you produce is whether it is built around your present job or aimed at a change in your
career. CVs appropriate for a change in career will need to pull out relevant transferable skills
and this can be done by having a skills and experience section ahead of the career summary.
These four to five key skills will match what is on the job specification.
At the end of the day, your CV is all about packaging. If you can’t sell yourself, how
will you be able to promote the company you are working for? And you must feel
comfortable with what you have written, and confident you can back it up.
II For questions 1-6 you must choose which of the paragraphs A-G fit into the numbered gaps
in the following newspaper article. There is one extra paragraph which does not fit in any of the
gaps.
Wind of Change
The world’s biggest wind farms are currently being constructed off the coast of Britain after a major
policy decision by the government to invest time and money in renewable forms of energy. When the
entire project is finished, it is estimated that almost eight percent of the electricity that the country
needs will be generated in this way.
1
The wind farms themselves will consist of towers with fan-like blades at the top, arranged in
groups of as many as 300. As these blades are turned by the wind, they generate electricity.
The towers are tall enough to ensure that there will always be enough wind, even on the
calmest days, to turn the rotor blades. The electricity generated from these turbines is fed by
underground cable to the mainland, where it is incorporated into the national grid.
2
The reason for the delay is due to a conservative approach to new technology as well as
economic considerations. Governments are notoriously reluctant to embrace new technology
which has not yet proved itself, fearing that if it were to fail, the electorate would blame them.
Moreover, until recently it was cheaper to generate electricity by traditional methods.
However, now that fossil fuels are becoming more expensive – and the cost of mining them is
also rising – the balance has shifted.
3
The way ahead is not without its problems, however. There have been a large number of
complaints about wind farms on land, with critics maintaining that the tall towers and gigantic
blades are an eyesore. Appearance is less likely to be a problem with offshore wind farms
since they will be far enough from the coast to be virtually invisible unless the weather is
exceptionally clear.
4
Environmental organizations hope that the government’s commitment to wind power will encourage
the use of other ‘green’ methods of producing electricity, though some technologies are less likely to
be developed than others, at least in this country. The British Isles enjoy relatively few sunny days, so
solar energy is hardly going to be a great success here.
5
It now appears likely that funds will be made available for the necessary research, especially since the
British government has made it clear that it sees no future for nuclear power. Existing nuclear power
stations are to be phased out gradually, though the government has been wary of providing precise
dates for decommissioning.
6
In the meantime, it is encouraging to note that energy solutions which would have seemed unlikely,
not to say laughable, just a few decades ago are finally starting to make an impact. It is to be hoped
that this trend will continue.
A
The most striking aspect of the project is the simplicity of the fundamental idea. Indeed, it seems odd
that the principle, which has, after all, been applied to power windmills for thousands of years, has
only very recently been used successfully to generate electricity on a large scale.
B
There has been little attempt up to now to persuade the general public that wind power is the
technology of the future. The government no doubt hopes that when the towers are in place and people
realize they are neither a threat to the environment nor aesthetically ugly, attitudes will change.
C
Some form of water power would seem a far more likely candidate for development, with tides off the
coast of Britain being strong and, of course, regular. As has been the case with wind power, sizeable
investment will be needed in order to produce the required technology, but the potential is certainly
there.
D
This is in line with the target the government set itself of producing ten percent of Britain’s electricity
from renewables – wind power being the most significant of these – by the year 2010. Environmental
groups have hailed the government’s commitment and are claiming that the future is definitely looking
greener as far as energy is concerned.
E
It has been pointed out by those who fear the terrible consequences of an accident that this is only a
small step in the right direction. Even when the existing power stations are shut down, the huge
problem of disposing of the radioactive materials from them will still have to be solved.
F
Another cause for concern is voiced by wildlife organizations, fearful that migrating birds could crash
into the rotating blades. Experience in other countries such as Denmark suggests this is unlikely, but
the government has promised to monitor the progress of a pilot scheme at present in operation off the
coast of Wales.
G
Britain is not being particularly revolutionary in placing its trust in wind power. In fact, there is very
little risk involved. The country if fortunate when it comes to this particular source of energy – it has a
great deal of wind all year round. In a few years Britain may well become a world leader in offshore
wind exploitation.
_________/6
PART THREE: GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY (20 points)
I Change the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word
given. Do not change the given word. You are supposed to use between two to eight words.
1 An electrical failure was said to be the cause of the accident. BLAMED
They ………………………………………… an electrical failure.
2 His unusual story didn’t deceive us. TAKEN
We were………………………………………his unusual story.
3 All visitors to the village fall In love with it. THOSE
All……………………………………………… fall in love with it.
4
I don’t know who did the ironing, but they didn’t do it well. MAKE
Whoever………………………………………... good job of it.
5 John damaged the lift and broke a window too. BUT
Not only………………………………………….broke a window.
6
There’s nothing better to do, so take a break. MAY
You………………………………………………..take a break.
7 New solutions are being implemented which are helping the fight against the problem.
IMPLEMENTATION
The fight against the problem ………………………………………………………
new solutions.
8
The police are interrogating the man in connection with the theft. ABOUT
The man is…………………………………………the theft by the police.
9
They didn’t receive the results of their exams for ten days. BEFORE
It was……………………………………………...the results of their exams.
10
The film wasn’t as good as we had expected. UP
The film didn’t……………………………………………..expectations.
_______/10
II For questions 1-10, complete the following article by writing each missing word.
Use only one word for each space.
BEARS ON CAMPUS
Svalbard University, (0) ..on.. the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, has more than one claim
(1)…………. fame. Firstly, it is the world’s most northerly campus, located in an area dotted
(2)…………. international establishments at the frontiers of scientific research. The
university itself is recognized (3)……….. a centre of excellence, specializing in things
(4)…………. climate change and marine biology. What’s more, there are no fewer than
fourteen professors on campus, (5)………….. gives probably the best ratio of professors to
students anywhere in the world.
Even (6)…………. surprising, however, is the fact that Svalbard is the only campus in Europe
(7)…………. the students are routinely armed by the university authorities. Safety is a big
issue here and on arrival, students must master (8)………. skills as the best way to pack a
sledge or signal to a passing helicopter, as well as learning how to protect (9)…………..
against attack from polar bears. (10)………….. great is the risk of attack from these creatures,
that students are told never to venture out without their rifles.
_______/10
PART FOUR: WRITING (20 points)
The school or college at which you are studying runs a scheme known as ‘mentoring’, by
which new students from abroad can get advice and assistance from experienced older
students. You have just been a ‘mentor’ for one year.
Write a report to your Principal, saying how successful you think the mentoring scheme is.
Give details of how well the students adapted to their new life, any problems that occurred
and any recommendations for the future.
Write your report in 250 - 300 words.
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PART FIVE: SPEAKING (20 points)
I.
Ask your partner a few personal questions. Then answer his/her questions. Do
not worry if the examiner interrupts you, as you are not supposed to take longer
than a minute each. Ask about family, interests, future plans, ways of spending
free time.
II.
Read the card below. You have two minutes to prepare what you are going to
say. Use the ideas on the card if you like. Your presentation should take about
two minutes.
What does the word ‘ethics’ mean
in business?
 financial aspects
 competition
 advertising
III.
Listen to the other person’s presentation and discuss it with him / her or ask
questions. Then answer the examiner’s questions.