INITIAL TEST
c) have you
d) been
I.
Choose the correct answer (61p /
1p each):
1) Did you ……… anywhere interesting last
weekend?
a) go
b) going
c) was
d) went
2) I work as a teacher and my wife ………,
too.
7) Would you like ……… help?
a) a
b) some
c) me
d) I
8) They ……… go to the cinema.
a) tomorrow
b) much
a) do
c) rare
b) is
d) seldom
c) work
d) does
3) I think ……… taxi driver
a) her job is
b) she's a
c) her job is an
d) she's
4) What is your home town ……… ?
a) situated
b) age
c) like
d) located
5) I’m afraid I ……… here for your birthday
party.
9) He hasn’t played since he ……… the
accident.
a) had
b) has had
c) has
c) had had
10) This is the best tea I’ve ……… tasted.
a) never
b) ever
c) already
d) still
11) I’m looking ……… the summer holidays.
a) before
b) forward
a) have not to be
c) for
b) am not being
d) forward to
c) will be not
d) won't be
6) How long ……… married?
a) have you been
b) are you
12) My girlfriend ……… born on the 2nd of
September 1974.
a) is
b) was
c) had
d) has been
13) In life ……… can make a mistake; we’re
all human.
19) Mum gave ……… her job when I was
born.
a) anyone
a) in
b) some people
b) up
c) not anybody
c) off
d) someone
d) away
14) If he ……… about it, I’m sure he’d help.
a) had know
20) It's all right, we ……… hurry. We have
plenty of time.
b) knew
a) mustn't
c) has known
b) shouldn't
d) knows
c) can't
d) needn't
15) I'll return the newspaper when I ………
through it.
a) will have looked
21) You have a terrible fever! ……… call a
doctor?
b) looked
a) Shall I
c) have looked
b) Do I
d) look
c) Must I
d) Will I
16) They said they ……… come, but they
didn’t.
22) These bottles ……… of plastic.
a) can
a) are making
b) will
b) are make
c) may
c) are made
d) might
d) made are
17) They were ……… hard questions that I
had no chance.
23) Do you know where ……… ?
a) did I put the keys
a) so
b) put I the keys
b) some
c) I put the keys
c) such
d) I the keys put
d) quite
18) I don't have a cent to give you. I ......
bought a new computer.
24) Magda knows a lot about badgers, but she
……… a live one.
a) doesn't ever see
a) just buy
b) hasn't ever seen
b) had just bought
c) hasn't ever saw
c) 've just
d) didn't ever see
d) soon will
25) We wash the curtains ……….
a) much
a) three times
b) most
b) once
c) more
c) three every
d) few
d) once a fortnight
32) I have a problem. ……… help me please?
26) The loudspeakers won't work unless you
……… those cables.
a) connected
b) connect
c) don't connect
d) can't connect
27) You should give ……… .
a) to your mother this letter
b) this letter your mother
c) letter this to your mother
d) this letter to your mother
28) A Jaguar is ……… than a Fiat.
a) more expensive
b) expensiver
c) much expensive
d) expensive
29) The TV's too loud. Please, ……… .
a) it turn down
b) turn it up
c) turn it down
d) turn it on
30) What about ……… for a walk?
a) Could you
b) Should you
c) Were you able to
d) Will you able to
33) Our neighbour is ……… to Ireland.
a) going travel
b) going to travelling
c) go
d) going to travel
34) Do penguins fly? No, they ……… .
a) aren't
b) haven't
c) don't
d) won't
35) ……… train are you taking?
a) Which
b) How
c) Whose
d) Who
36) Marta takes the dog for a walk ……… the
evening.
a) in
a) to go
b) at
b) I going
c) on
c) going
d) to
d) go
37) We haven't got ……… Polish friends.
31) I made one or two mistakes, but ……… of
my answers were correct.
a) no
b) any
c) none
c) to many
d) some
d) enough
38) Simon can't ……… to you now. He's
busy.
44) I ……… my boyfriend since Christmas.
a) didn't see
a) talked
b) haven't seen
b) to talk
c) don't see
c) talking
d) hasn't seen
d) talk
45) Who was the woman ……… ?
39) Have they finished working yet? I don't
think ……… .
a) it
b) this
c) so
d) that
40) Somebody stole his wallet so he ………
money from a friend.
a) spoke to you
b) to whom you were speaking
c) that you spoke
d) who you were speak to
46) Is ……… than his father?
a) Matt taller
b) taller Matt
a) lent
c) Matt more tall
b) earned
d) Matt as tall as
c) borrowed
d) lended
41) We must go now. Call the waitress and
ask for the ……… .
47) ……… is it from here to Berlin?
a) How long way
b) How long
a) bill
c) How far
b) invoice
d) How many
c) price
d) cost
42) He's a friend of ……… .
a) them
b) theres
c) theirs
d) their
43) Have you had ……… to eat?
a) too many
b) some more
48) There was a lot of noise so I didn't
understand what she was ……… .
a) saying
b) telling
c) speaking
d) talking
49) I ……… drink beer than wine.
a) would like more
b) prefer
c) had better
d) would rather
50) Would you like some more tea? There's
still ……… left.
56) They had to leave the flat because they
couldn't pay the ……… .
a) few
a) fare
b) a few
b) hire
c) a little
c) rent
d) little
d) salary
51) She didn't want the job, ……… .
57) She ……… at me and then turned away.
a) however well-paid was it
a) viewed
b) however well-paid it was
b) regarded
c) for how good pay might it be
c) responded
d) however good pay it was
d) glanced
52) We have ……… for a receptionist but
haven't appointed anyone yet.
58) The book shop rang ……… that the
dictionary you ordered has arrived.
a) advertised
a) to say
b) announced
b) to tell
c) advised
c) for saying
d) noticed
d) for telling
53) She's very beautiful but that kind of
woman doesn't ……… to me.
59) If he hadn't drunk so much, he ………
sick.
a) fancy
a) didn't feel
b) appeal
b) wouldn't be feeling
c) attract
c) hadn't felt
d) turn on
d) hasn't felt
54) The language school that I attend is 20
kilometres ……… .
60) Maria has two sisters, but she doesn't
speak to ……… of them.
a) far
a) both
b) away
b) any
c) distance
c) either
d) long
d) neither
55) "I'm going to the cinema on Saturday."
"So ……… ."
61) Hubert is an uncle of ……… .
a) Kim
a) I am
b) Kims
b) do I
c) Kim's
c) I do
d) Kims'
d) am I
II. Write an e-mail to your manager asking for a training course which you would like to attend. In
your letter explain
• What course you want to take,
• How it will contribute to your performance,
• How you will manage work during the training.
(40p)
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing to express my interest in attending a training course in English. A colleague of mine told me
about this training. It’s a 2-and-a-half-month part time course starting 2nd December and classes will be
held twice a week on week days in the evenings from 4 pm to 8 pm.
I am sharing this information because I am convinced that the course will not only help to enhance my
English skills but will also improve and boost my confidence. As you know, English plays a crucial role
nowadays and my language skills aren’t up to scratch. Therefore, I believe that this course will increase
my ability to express my ideas fully.
Currently the organization is going through a lean period so I feel this is the best time to get some
training. I hope you will consider this training as a way the company can invest in my further
professional development.
I appreciate your consideration and I look forward to hearing more about your thoughts on this request.
Yours Faithfully,
STEP 1: DO YOUR HOMEWORK If you’re going
to ask your boss to fund your professional
development, make sure you’ve done your research
first. You need to be able to justify exactly why your
selected course is the best option for you, and how
this will improve your performance at work or
positively impact the organisation.
2. EXPLAIN THE TANGIBLE BENEFITS TO
YOUR ORGANISATION Do some thinking around
how the skills you would learn through the short
course will directly improve a process or aspect of
your organisation that clearly needs improving.
You’ll need to present your boss with a persuasive
argument as to why the company should contribute to
your studies.
HOW WILL THE COURSE YOU CHOOSE
COMPLEMENT YOUR CURRENT ROLE?
HOW WILL LEARNING THESE NEW SKILLS
POSITIVELY INFLUENCE YOUR WORK
PERFORMANCE?
WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS
THESE SKILLS WILL HAVE ON YOUR ABILITY
TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT WITHIN
YOUR COMPANY?
MAKE A LIST OF THE TANGIBLE WAYS YOUR
ORGANISATION (AND SPECIFICALLY, YOUR
TEAM) WILL BENEFIT FROM YOUR NEW
SKILL SET: You’ll add increased value by being
equipped to drive a more innovative approach to your
work You’ll empower and inspire those around you
with fresh insights and updated knowledge You’ll be
able to take on more responsibility and/or new
projects You’ll generate additional revenue for the
organisation, either by diversifying your offering or
increasing workflow efficiency You’ll introduce upto-date methodologies and adopt the latest industry
tools and techniques to ensure the company is
operating in line with best practice You’ll be able to
take on a strong leadership or management role,
where and when needed You’ll mentor new
employees, and train up your team members.
STEP 3: START THE CONVERSATION WITH
YOUR BOSS After you’ve done your research, send
your boss an email and set up a meeting to discuss
your professional development opportunities.
Dear
Our recent [discussion/work/research] around/on/for
[project xyz] inspired me to reach out to you today to
speak about my professional development. I’m
extremely dedicated to the growth of my career here
at …., and I’d like to discuss the opportunity to
strengthen my abilities and make a more meaningful
impact within our organisation. I’ve done a
substantial amount of research around potential
training and development options for someone in my
position, who aspires to ….. and I’ve been thinking
about the most valuable way to add to the pool of
skills in our team. I have identified an online short
course that I feel would impact both my career and
the organisation positively, and would like to discuss
the possibility of our organisation assisting with the
course fees. The name of the course is …., and I
believe it’s the best option for me because: • I
strongly believe that the skills it will equip me with most notably , ……, and …..- are aligned to my
current responsibilities, and training in this area is
guaranteed to improve my performance and output. •
The course is highly practical and industry-relevant,
which will allow me to have an immediate impact on
the work that I do on a day-to-day basis. • I want to
master the most up-to-date tools and practices in the
field of….. , so that I can foster an innovative and
competitive approach to our work. • I’d like to bring
forward recommendations and suggestions to our
work processes to ensure continual improvements
and boost our organisation’s performance in the
longer-term. This short course has a very flexible
schedule, so it will in no way interfere with my usual
work pattern and performance. I’d be happy to keep
you updated with what I am learning throughout the
course and share my knowledge with our team,
perhaps in a series of presentations, to ensure the
whole team receives maximum benefit from my new
learnings. Please let me know when would be a
convenient time to chat.
Kind regards, YOUR NAME