Emu-Proficiency Part II Sample 3

SECTION I – LISTENING (20 points)

Task I

In this task, you will hear five short talks/conversations. You will hear them twice. There will be a break between each listening. Listen and choose the best alternative according to the information you hear. Now, you have one minute to study this task.

1. The woman injured herself by _____.

a) falling overb) hitting the postc) catching the ball

2. The people decided to _____.

a) postpone their meetingb) meet at the weekendc) cancel their meeting

3. Visitors _____.

a) are only allowed to visit at the weekendb) are advised not to come by carc) must register on arrival

4. What she dislikes most about her career is the _____.

a) lonelinessb) hours of practicec) travelling

5. During the lecture, the man felt _____.

a) boredb) angryc) confused

Task II In this task, you will hear a radio programme about a successful football club. You will hear it twice. There will be a break between each listening. Listen and fill in each blank with one or two words or a number only. Now, you have one minute to study this task. Manchester United paid 1) ____________________ for one player.

The Club sells everything from shorts to a/an 2) ____________________.

A Manchester United Strip will cost you about 3) ____________________.

The Club sells its goods throughout the 4) ____________________ at official shops.

Any company can use the Club’s facilities to hold a/an 5) ____________________ for its employees.

The supporters buy 6) ____________________ in advance.

The Club’s matches are 7) ____________________ to bring in more money.

The Club profits from being involved in 8) ____________________ and championships.

The players wear the names of various 9) ____________________ on their shirts.

The players’ 10) ____________________ cost the club an enormous amount of money.

Task III In this task, you will hear three people talking about what they on a cruise ship

holiday. You will hear them twice. There will be a break between each listening. Listen and mark each sentence a) True, b) False, or c) Not mentioned according to

the information you hear. Now you have one minute to study this task.

1. Alice says going on a cruise ship holiday awakens her sense of history.

a) True b) False c) Not mentioned

2. Mike thinks there isn’t enough entertainment on cruise ships.


3. Mike especially enjoys joining deck games.


4. Mary thinks going on a cruise ship holiday gives her a chance to explore.


5. Mary was glad she had left her credit cards on the ship.


SECTION II – ERROR CORRECTION (10 points)

Instructions: In each line below, there is one mistake (grammar, vocabulary, word order, punctuation, or spelling). The mistake is underlined. Write the correct form of the word(s) in the space next to each line. The first one has been done as an example.

e.g. _______has led_______ Recent research lead many scientists to believe that the ability

1. ______________________ to recognize whether or not someone was telling the truth or is

2. ______________________ about to break bad news has much to do with science than

3. ______________________ a magic sixth sense.

4. ______________________ The human body and brain subconsciously picks up signals so

5. ______________________ small that they would not normally noticed. If someone is

6. ______________________ telling lies, however, their body language is slightly different. The

7. ______________________ brain becomes aware of these changes, which may include of a bead

8. ______________________ sweat or a slight alteration in tone of voice, Upon the realization

9. ______________________ that the person has been laying, the brain has a ‘told you so’ sensation.

10. _____________________ Scientists urge people to trust their own judegement as this will tell

them if a person is reliable.

SECTION III – READING (30 points)

Instructions: Read Text 1 and answer the questions on the next page.

Text 1

The History of Surfing

I. It is generally believed that the ancient Polynesians were the first to surf and to introduce surfing to the Hawaiian Islands in the central Pacific Ocean. In fact, early records show that surfing was at its height in the late eighteenth century. During the next century, the sport declined, but by the beginning of the twentieth century, its popularity had increased again and it gradually became an established water sport.

II. Hawaii has the best surf in the world but the beaches are also among the most dangerous, partly because they are overcrowded. During October each year, there are huge swells where the waves can be almost twenty meters high. These swells can be seen in the southern hemisphere in April.

III. If a surfer gets sucked into the center of one of these waves and then flung onto the shore as the wave breaks, the force can be life-threatening. In addition, if the weight of the water does not make them unconscious, the wave may drag them under water long enough for them to drown.

IV. To most people, a twenty-meter high wave is Nature's way of saying “Stay away!” It's the oceanic equivalent of a lion's roar “Get closer and you will be killed!” But there are some surfers who actually find these dangers one of the most attractive features of the sport.

V. In the second half of the twentieth century, one man in particular was responsible for fresh enthusiasm in the sport. He was a Californian surfer, called Jack O'Neill, and he was determined to create a suit that would keep people warm in the waters of northern California, and at the same time allow complete freedom of movement.

VI. He experimented with various materials without much success until, during a plane journey in 1952, he came across a substance called neoprene. Using this material, he created a wetsuit made of rubber which kept surfers warm and made surfing a year-round activity in climates which would otherwise be too cold.

VII. Over the years, wetsuits have been used for everything from deep-sea diving to board sports which take place on land, like skateboarding. In 1988, O'Neill's original wetsuits were used for the first ever snowboarding world cup event, reflecting O'Neill's belief that snow is only frozen water and snowboarding takes place over frozen waves.

VIII. One surfer who recently rode a giant wave off the Pacific island of Tahiti astonished onlookers by walking away without a scratch. This same man now wants to surf the waves called Jaws, which crash onto the shores of Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands, for only a few days each year. Jaws can reach heights of over twenty-five meters and are known as the Mount Everest of surfing.

Instructions: Match each heading below (a-i) with the correct paragraph (I-VII) in Text 1. There is one extra heading. The first one has been done as an example.

e.g. Paragraph I __g__ a) Warnings ignored

1. Paragraph II _____ b) Future challenge

2. Paragraph III _____ c) Scientists’ involvement

3. Paragraph IV _____ d) Wetsuits for other sports

4. Paragraph V _____ e) Ideal surfing location

5. Paragraph VI _____ f) One man’s influence

6. Paragraph VII _____ g) Origins of surfing

7. Paragraph VIII _____ h) Scientific breakthrough

i) Dangers of surfing

Instructions: Mark the best alternative according to the information in Text 1.

8. ‘which’ in paragraph VIII refers to _____.

a) waves b) shores or Maui c) the Hawaiian Islands d) Tahiti

Text 2


Why the United Nations Went to School

I. Teenagers can talk for hours on the phone to their friends, but if you try to get them to

talk about politics or the latest developments in agriculture, for example, they are likely to fall

silent. __9__ It is more to do with lack of confidence or experience in putting forward clear

arguments before strangers.

II. In order to demonstrate the value of good communication skills, a boarding school in

Bath, in the west of England, decided to organize an interesting and exciting way of teaching

teenagers how to argue and debate in public. ___10___ The Model United Nations

programme, which is a role-play exercise, was first developed in the US where it forms part of

the curriculum in hundreds of schools.

III. As many as 600 student representatives, ranging in age from 13 to 18, come from

schools all over England and Northern Ireland. ___11___

IV. The important roles within the UN, like the president of the general assembly-and the

topics, are chosen by the teachers, and they also decide which subjects students will discuss.

___12___

V. MUN starts on Friday evening and lasts until Sunday evening. Before arriving, all the

students are given a country to represent and are expected to prepare for the discussion in

advance. ___13___

VI. It is then up to the students to discuss their views with the other members of the

committee to win support for their argument, before they reach a decision by voting on a

particular topic. ___14___

VII. For some students, it will be the first time they have spoken in front of an audience and

it can be very nerve-wracking. ___15___ At the same time, students become more aware of

political affairs and, as well as gaining in self-confidence, they learn about international issues.

Instructions: Match each extract below (a-h) with the correct gap (9-15) in Text 2. There is one extra extract.

9. _____ a. The other roles are taken by the students who pretend to be diplomats and they try to represent the views and opinions of different member states.

10. _____ b. However, it gives them an opportunity to develop their skills at persuading other people and interacting with other students.

11. _____ c. Who is then chosen to speak in the full assembly is up to the student who is the chairperson of that committee.

12. _____ d. This is not so much to do with lack of knowledge or opinions about these matters.

13. _____ e. They try to destroy the other representative’s argument.

14. _____ f. Once they are all together, they are divided into five committees.

15. _____ g. They hold an annual Model United Nations (called MUN for short by teachers and students) based on the real United Nations General Assembly.

h. In a few years, a few students from other countries such as Italy and Poland will also attend.

Text 3


A Sumo Wrestling Stable

I. “There must be strict discipline in a sumo stable,” Honoured Wife (47-year-old Noriko Fujishima) told me primly as she perched like a tiny bird on a vast sofa in her mirrored drawing room in Tokyo. “In the wrestlers’ dormitory, the lights must be out at ten o’clock promptly, and the doors are locked so that they cannot get out again!”

II. “In the past, it is true,” – Honoured Wife could scarcely bring herself to make this horrifying admission – “we did have some bad ones who used to sneak out of a window after lights out. But they are no longer with us.” I dared not ask what ‘no longer with us’ meant. I never thought I’d feel sorry for sumo wrestlers: 250-kilogram men in the ring can inspire a variety of emotions, but pity isn’t one of them.

III. At first glance, Honoured Wife is a sweet, delicate, giggly creature who looks as fragile as a piece of porcelain, but that’s just the outer appearance. The inner is another matter. Only her friends call her Noriko: to everyone else she is the Honoured Wife of the Boss of the Fujishima Stable, which trains and houses 30 wrestlers, aged from 15 to 27.

IV. Sumo wrestling now has a big following in Britain, but in Japan it is not just a sport. Because of its ancient links with the Shinto religion – many of whose purification ceremonies are used in the ring – sumo has an almost sacred status in Japanese culture.

V. Champion sumo wrestlers become millionaires, are feted everywhere, showered with gifts by major business patrons, and treated with all the awe and adulation of pop stars. But a young wrestler entering a stable – so-called because their human livestock is treated as though they were a cross between prize race horses and gigantic schoolboys – is in for a long, sharp shock.

VI. Apprentice wrestlers rise at dawn, perform all the household chores, work as servants to the highest-ranking wrestlers, endure fearsome workouts, and do all the cooking. Sumo food consists of a huge, bubbling stew called chanko nabe, an ancient recipe to clothe a sumo wrestler’s bones in wads of highly-muscled fat. Only two meals a day are taken, and the youngest wrestlers eat last, after the stable stars have filled their stomachs. “To begin with, some of the newcomers even lose weight as a result! They’re not used to the work, and some don’t like chanko nabe.”

VII. “Yes, it’s very hard for the juniors. They also get very lonely and homesick sometimes, so I have to be their comforter. My husband, the Boss, is the one they must learn to fear: when he’s around, they daren’t even leave their slippers out of line.”

VIII. Does she ever allow her homesick hulks to phone home? “Yes, I encourage that. Although, you know, when a wrestler enters the stable, his real mother always tells him that from that moment on, he must look on me as his mother.”

Instructions: Mark the best alternative according to the information in Text 3.

16. Which of the following is true according to the text?

a) Sumo wrestling is popular only in Japan.b) Young sumo wrestlers break the rules in the stable.c) Sumo wrestlers have an easy life in Japan.d) Noriko’s husband scares the wrestlers.

17. ‘Chanko nabe’ is a/an _____.

a) name given to the stableb) traditional sumo meal c) method of wrestlingd) article of clothing

18. A new wrestler may lose weight at first because he is not ______.

a) allowed to contact anybody during his training b) fed enough by trainers in the sumo stablec) shown any affection from anybody there d) accustomed to the living conditions in the stable

19. Which of the following is not mentioned in the text?

a) Mr. and Mrs. Fujishima live in the stable.b) A number of rules have to be obeyed in the sumo stable.c) The ages of the sumo wrestlers in the stable vary.d) Champion wrestlers have a good reputation.

20. ‘them’ in paragraph II refers to the _____.

a) lights b) wrestlers c) emotions d) men

21. ‘They’ in paragraph VI refers to the _____.

a) bones b) newcomers c) meals d) stomachs

Text 4

The Ballet Sculptor

I. Sculptor Suzy Jordan is fast developing an international reputation for her beautifully-

crafted figures which are made from a mixture of clay and metal. People love dancers,

particularly ballet dancers, and Suzy has a fascination for them too. “I used to long to be a

dancer when I was younger,” she says. “There’s something amazing about all those graceful

movements that, unknown to the audience, can be so painful for the dancers. I’m glad I didn’t

go in for it, but just watching them gives me so many ideas.”

II. Suzy has been in touch with some leading ballet companies to see if they will allow

her to sit and draw their dancers during rehearsal time. Her dream is to join forces with them,

do a series of life-size sculptures, and then hold an exhibition in the foyer of the theatre where

dancers perform.

III. Most of her sculpture is of figures. “If I get the chance to sculpt from life, it is really

great because I can work more quickly and I’m not guessing shapes or turning to reference

books,” she told us. But most of her work has to be done from drawings. After graduating

from Art School, Suzy taught drawing for a number of years before setting up as a sculptor, so

at least she has the necessary skills.

IV. Most of Suzy’s works are individually commissioned and one piece can take as long

as four or five months to complete. All of the work is done in a small shed in the garden of

her family home in the country. This tiny space, about 3 square meters, contains her main

worktop, plus all her equipment. Suzy uses terracotta clay to form her sculptures and applies

a mixture of lacquer and crushed metal powder, usually bronze, on top. This makes her pieces

less expensive than solid bronze figures would be. Then she adds a layer of resin or wax to

give her work an aged look.

V. One of Suzy’s biggest commissions came from a school in Sweden. They wanted

three specially-designed life-size figures to suspend from the ceiling in their gymnasium.

Hard to imagine how she did it, but each one was made in her garden shed. They had to be

made of plaster so that they wouldn’t be too heavy to hang up. Suzy traveled to Sweden with

the sculptures to help direct their installation. One of the drawbacks of working to

commissions rather than on mass produced pieces is having to work out what sort of price to

charge. “I use to be such a softie,” she confides, “If someone fell in love with something I’d

made, I’d accept a lower offer or let them pay it in instalments, just so that it went to a good

home. But I’ve learnt not to do that anymore.”

VI. Suzy’s work starts at around £100 for the smallest figures, but large sculptures can

cost as much as £3,000 each. But as she doesn’t make copies of her work, each person has an

original, so they must be worth having as an investment. As she explains, “All artists want

some kind of recognition for their work. I don’t think many of us do it for the money. I have

a friend who says she can’t wait to see my work in ten years and see how it’s progressed. I’m

very lucky to be doing the sort of work where that kind of progression shows.”

Instructions: Choose the best alternative according to the information in Text 4. Mark your

answers on the optic answer sheet.

22. Suzy is _____.

a) inspired by the way dancers move b) upset by how much dancers sufferc) sad that she didn’t train to be a dancerd) impressed by how dancers react to audiences

23. Suzy has contacted certain ballet companies because she’d like to _____.

a) find a job in a theatre b) sell sculptures to themc) be invited to performances d) co-operate in a joint project

24. Suzy prefers not to work from drawings because _____.

a) she is not good at drawing b) books advise against itc) it takes a long time to do d) she’d like to develop new skills

25. Suzy doesn’t make her figures from metal because _____.

a) they would look too new b) they would cost too muchc) it would make them too heavy d) it would require more space

26. Suzy’s attitude towards her work changed because she _____.

a) now produces larger quantities b) now only works to commission c) no longer has problems selling it d) has become more businesslike

27. What Suzy finds satisfying about her work is that _____.

a) each piece is unique b) she makes a good livingc) her work is rising in value d) people influence what she does

28. ‘worktop’ in paragraph IV is a/an _____.

a) type of building b) piece of equipmentc) surface to work on d) article of clothing

29. ‘drawback’ in paragraph V means _____.

a) improvement b) control c) demonstration d) disadvantage

30. ‘their’ in paragraph V refers to the _____.

a) sculptures b) commissionsc) mass produced pieces d) installments

SECTION IV – WRITING (20 points)

Instructions: Use one of the following topics to write an essay of about 300 WORDS. Use a suitable format and the necessary linkers. Your composition will be graded according to content, organisation, accuracy, and use of vocabulary.

TOPICS:

You recently spent a day showing foreign visitors around your town. Your teacher has asked you to write a report of the day for your school newspaper.

OR

The recycling of used glass and paper is a waste of time. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Section I – Listening

Task I

In this task, you will hear five short talks/conversations. You will hear them twice. There will be a break between each listening. Listen and choose the best alternative according to the information you hear. Now, you have one minute to study this task.

1 (Woman) It was so stupid. I’ve been playing netball for years and apart from a few falls

when I’ve bruised my arms or legs quite badly, I have never, ever run into anything or anyone

before. It was such a good match but we were one goal down and we only had about five

minutes left. So I caught the ball, turned to shoot it into the net and didn’t realize how close I

was to the post. The next minute – wham, I’d knocked myself out!

2 A: So, how are you fixed? Can you make it next week?

B: It's not easy but I could manage an evening.

A: Evenings are difficult for me so I'd rather keep to a morning or afternoon.

B: Hmm. How long do you think we'll need? About two or three hours, I’d guess.

A: At least. I suggest we put this off, unless you can manage the weekend.

B: You must be joking, weekends are out. OK, obviously this will have to wait, although it's

essential that we deal with it face to face.

3 Welcome to the Royal Hospital Visitor Information Service. If you plan to visit a

friend or relative in hospital, and are traveling by car, please allow plenty of time. There is a

limited number of parking spaces at the hospital so you may find it more convenient to use

public transport. Upon arrival at the hospital, please check the information board at the front

of the main entrance. This will give you directions to the wards. If you have a long journey

and should wish to purchase light refreshments, there is a small snack bar to the left of the

entrance. If you wish to find out about the condition of a relative or friend, please press 1

now.

4 (Woman) The thing is that, however much you practice, you know you can always

practice more. I got used to that at music college and you learn to discipline yourself to

practice at least six to eight hours a day. There are days, of course, when it's more difficult

than others, but it's sitting there for hours by myself, that is worse. And then the same is true

when you're performing and you have to stay overnight in a hotel. It's very rare that concert

organizers will pay for anyone else to be with you.

5 (Man) I thought it was going to be interesting and I suppose it was in many ways. I've

always found this particular lecturer to be really good and space travel is his thing, after all.

It's how he made his name. But what he said was so complex that I was lost before we were

even halfway through. Quite a few people around me were whispering that they couldn't

follow either and they sounded quite irritated. I guess I'll have to buy his book, read, and re-

read it until I understand what he was saying.

Task II

In this task, you will hear a radio programme about a successful football club. You will hear it twice. There will be a break between each listening. Listen and fill in each blank with one or two words or a number only. Now, you have one minute to study this task.

Hi, and welcome to the programme. A number of you have written in to ask what

makes Manchester United Britain's most successful soccer club. Well, apart from the obvious

answer – they've got lots of brilliant players – there're a lot of other things that go on to

promote the Club which make it possible for 'Man U' to buy players for millions of pounds.

And I mean millions. In the past they've paid 19 million pounds for just one player. So how

come it is such a wealthy club?

Well, one way for the Club to earn money is to sell merchandise – you can buy anything

from a pair of shorts to a woolly scarf. Some people think the prices they charge for this

merchandise are quite high and I expect many parents would agree. A complete Manchester

United strip costs almost 80 pounds – not cheap. They're selling this merchandise all over the

world through a number of official shops or outlets, so you begin to get an idea of the huge

profits the Club can make.

Another big way to make money is to provide food and drink for fans at the football

matches. And not just the fans who, for the most part, want chips, burgers, and hot dogs. The

Club also offers entertainment on a grand scale for people who want to use the Club premises

for their own purposes. For example, a large business might reward its employees with a

company dinner held at a famous football club that's far more exciting than an ordinary

restaurant, but twice as expensive.

Then, of course, there's what's called the gate receipts – that's what the Club collects

from the people who pay for a ticket to get in to watch the team play at home at Old Trafford

– the name of Man U's football stadium. The stadium can hold up to 67,000 spectators and is

usually sold out for all first team games. Many fans have season tickets, which means they've

paid in advance for all the games, but although the average price is between 20 and 30

pounds, Man U's tickets are not as expensive as those for many other clubs.

Another hugely profitable area is allowing Club matches to be filmed for television.

There is an enormous demand for sports programs from satellite channels as well as the BBC

and independent TV companies and the income from this is increasing year by year. And if

you think of all the football competitions and international championships, in addition to the

regular matches, you can imagine how much money this brings the Club.

Anything else? Well, yes there is – and that's sponsorship. Just look at the names of the

products, and they're all different, printed on the players' shirts or on the advertising boards

beside the pitch. Any firm or business will benefit from its name being associated with such a

successful Club.

By now you've probably got a pretty good idea as to why the Club is so wealthy. But

where does all this money go? You don't need me to tell you that some top players are

seriously rich. The Club spends millions of pounds on the players' wages. Then there are the

buildings and the stadium to maintain, the cost of transport whenever the players travel either

in the UK or abroad, all the staff who look after the running of the Club. The list is endless.

Task III

In this task, you will hear three people talking about what they enjoy about going on a cruise ship holiday.

You will hear them twice. There will be a break between each listening. Listen and mark each sentence a) True, b) False, or c) Not mentioned according to

the information you hear. Now you have one minute to study this task.

Interviewer: Nowadays, going on a cruise ship holiday is very fashionable and today we are

asking a group of people for their opinions. Yes Alice, what do you think?

Alice: Cruises have something special. Something you can’t get on a train and certainly not

on a plane. It’s that point at the end of the day when the sun is sinking and the sky is a

wonderful mix of gold and red and purple. I stand on the deck and imagine what it must have

been like for those early explorers sailing into the unknown. They must have been incredibly

brave. Or I think about those battles that were fought of the sea or ships that have sunk

without a trace, full of treasure. So romantic!

I: How about you, Mike? Do you agree with Alice?

Mike: Well, I think cruises are great fun. You go on board knowing that everything you want

is going to be there. You don’t have to leave the ship if you don’t want to. You don’t have to

think about what to do. There is something organized if you want it from the moment you

wake up to the moment you go to bed. Deck games, competitions, discos, cabaret, never a

dull moment. And I join in everything, so that I sleep wonderfully well because I’m always

so exhausted!

I: Well, that’s another view. Thank you Mike. Mary?

Mary: What I like most are the different ports we stop at and all the things that are on offer.

The shops on board are nothing special. But all those foreign souks and markets full of all

kinds of exotic goods! One port we stopped at I deliberately left my credit cards on the ship.

I was determined just to look and not spend. So who was I kidding? One look at the piles of

the most gorgeous silk scarves and I was running around seeing who would lend me some

money. I could have bought the lot!

I: Thank you, all.

ANSWER KEY

SECTION I

Task 1

1. b 2. a 3. b 4. a 5. c

Task II

1. 19 million

2. (wooly) scarf

3. 80 pounds

4. world

5. dinner / entertainment

6. (season) tickets

7. filmed / on TV

8. competition/regular matches

9. sponsors/firms/businesses

10. wages

Task III

1. a 2. b 3. a 4. c 5. b

SECTION II

1. is telling

2. has more

3. a magical

4. pick up

5. normally be noticed

6. therefore

7. a bead of

8. voice. Upon

9. has been lying

10. judgment / judgement

SECTION III

Question Correct Answer Question Correct Answer Question Correct Answer1 E 11 F 21 B2 I 12 A 22 A3 A 13 C 23 D4 F 14 E 24 C5 H 15 B 25 B6 D 16 D 26 D7 B 17 B 27 A8 A 18 D 28 C9 D 19 A 29 D10 G 20 C 30 A

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Emu-Proficiency Part II Sample 3