Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The Guardian Newspaper: Travel Guide to Valencia

Valencia might just be the perfect weekend destination: historic centre; a unique arts and science complex; sandy beach; lots of green space; fantastic food; and a great climate. Spain's third city was established by the Romans, occupied by Muslims, and won back by Spain in 1238, when its influence grew until it was one of the most important Mediterranean cities of the 15th century. These days, it attracts nearly 2 million international visitors per year (about 80,000 from the UK). Many come for the extraordinary Las Fallas in March, a wild five-day fiesta in honour of San José, when hundreds of giant puppets are paraded and set on fire. But it is a party town all-year round – and if you miss Las Fallas, you can always visit the Museo Fallero to see the ninots (figurines) that have survived the flames.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Practice Test


1. Teresa __________ French at morning classes next term.
Choice 1          is studying
Choice 2          studies
Choice 3          study
Choice 4          was studying
Choice 5          has studied
Choice 6          studied

2. I don't know what this sentence __________.
Choice 1          is meaning
Choice 2          means
Choice 3          mean
Choice 4          has meant
Choice 5          will be meaning
Choice 6          had meant

3. Clive was driving into town when he __________ out of petrol.
Choice 1          was running
Choice 2          run
Choice 3          ran
Choice 4          would have run
Choice 5          is running
Choice 6          will run

4. I don't enjoy computer games now, but I __________ like them when I was younger.
Choice 1          was used to
Choice 2          used to
Choice 3          would
Choice 4          had
Choice 5          have
Choice 6          am

5. We expected George at 9.00 but he ___________ yet.
Choice 1          hasn't arrived
Choice 2          has arrrived
Choice 3          didn't arrive
Choice 4          won't arrive
Choice 5          wouldn't arrive
Choice 6          isn't arriving

6. The film started ___________ so you've missed quite a lot.
Choice 1          for half an hour
Choice 2          half an hour ago
Choice 3          since half an hour
Choice 4          in half an hour
Choice 5          at half an hour
Choice 6          on half an hour




7. When ___________ the picnic, they went for a swim in the lake.
Choice 1          they'd been eating
Choice 2          they'd eaten
Choice 3          they've eaten
Choice 4          they were eating
Choice 5          they're eaten
Choice 6          they'll eat

8. __________ my sister three times today but her number's always engaged.
Choice 1          I'd phoned
Choice 2          I've been phoning
Choice 3          I've phoned
Choice 4          I'll be phoning
Choice 5          I'll phone
Choice 6          I'd phone

9. Anna: Shall I ring you at one o'clock?
    Ben: No, my lunch hour is earlier tomorrow so ____________ my lunch in the canteen then. Ring me at about one-thirty.
Choice 1          I'm eating
Choice 2          I'll be eating
Choice 3          I eat
Choice 4          I ate
Choice 5          I shouldn't eat
Choice 6          I was eating

10. ___________ to the dentist after college so I can't play squash with you.
Choice 1          I'm going
Choice 2          I'll go
Choice 3          I go
Choice 4          I can go
Choice 5          I went
Choice 6          I was going

11. I'll write to you as soon as _________ my exam results.
Choice 1          I know
Choice 2          I'll know
Choice 3          I'm going to know
Choice 4          I knew
Choice 5          I'll be knowing
Choice 6          I have to know

12. The builders __________ the house by the end of this month.
Choice 1          have finished
Choice 2          will have finished
Choice 3          will haven been finishing
Choice 4          has finished
Choice 5          were finished
Choice 6          can be finished

13. This dictionary is __________ useful than that one.
Choice 1          less
Choice 2          as
Choice 3          so
Choice 4          much
Choice 5          such
Choice 6          than

14. I keep my grammar notes in a ___________ folder.
Choice 1          plastic big red
Choice 2          red big plastic
Choice 3          big red plastic
Choice 4          plastical big red
Choice 5          red bigger plastic
Choice 6          plastic redder big

15. Until last week, he __________ a motorbike before.
Choice 1          had never ridden
Choice 2          never had ridden
Choice 3          had ridden never
Choice 4          has never ridden
Choice 5          has ever ridden
Choice 6          hasn't ridden

16. The day before the holiday, the men worked __________ than usual.
Choice 1          hardly
Choice 2          hardest
Choice 3          harder
Choice 4          harden
Choice 5          hardened
Choice 6          hard-and-fast

17. Doesn't your brother ___________ discos?
Choice 1          enjoy
Choice 2          enjoys
Choice 3          enjoying
Choice 4          enjoyed
Choice 5          has enjoyed
Choice 6          can enjoy

18. Let's take a break soon, __________ ?
Choice 1          is it
Choice 2          will you
Choice 3          shall we
Choice 4          don't we
Choice 5          aren't we*
Choice 6          won't we



19. Most of the houses in this country have __________.
Choice 1          a garden
Choice 2          the garden
Choice 3          garden
Choice 4          those garden
Choice 5          these garden
Choice 6          this gardens

20. My father normally reads the paper while eating __________.
Choice 1          a breakfast
Choice 2          the breakfast
Choice 3          breakfast
Choice 4          one breakfast
Choice 5          the breakfasts
Choice 6          breakfasts

21. The first thing they did when they met after twenty years was to hug __________ .
Choice 1          each other
Choice 2          someone else
Choice 3          themselves (correct grammatically although it doesn’t make much sense)
Choice 4          between them
Choice 5          among them
Choice 6          among themselves

22. __________ the children look like their mother.
Choice 1          either
Choice 2          both
Choice 3          neither
Choice 4          none
Choice 5          one
Choice 6          some

23. My manager says we __________ take more than ten minutes for our break and, if we do, he'll make us work extra hours.
Choice 1          don't have to
Choice 2          don't need to
Choice 3          mustn't
Choice 4          shouldn't
Choice 5          haven't to
Choice 6          needn't

24. I ran all the way to the station but when I got there I realised that _________ because all the trains were delayed.
Choice 1          hurry
Choice 2          I needn't have hurried
Choice 3          I didn't have to hurry
Choice 4          needed to hurry
Choice 5          would need to hurry
Choice 6          wouldn't need to hurry
 


25. __________ to take a spare T-shirt as you'll probably get really hot playing tennis.
Choice 1          You'd better
Choice 2          You should
Choice 3          You ought
Choice 4          You'd rather
Choice 5          You must
Choice 6          You can

26. You look really busy. __________ I put (sic, the) shopping away for you?
Choice 1          Would
Choice 2          Shall
Choice 3          Will
Choice 4          Must
Choice 5          Might
Choice 6          Ought to

27. When I got home I looked at the bill and realised the restaurant ___________ added it up wrong so I'd paid too much.
Choice 1          must have
Choice 2          should have
Choice 3          could have
Choice 4          ought to have
Choice 5          will have
Choice 6          would have

28. That bicycle __________ belong to Judy - it's much too big for her.
Choice 1          mustn't
Choice 2          mightn't
Choice 3          can't
Choice 4          shouldn't
Choice 5          wouldn't
Choice 6          don't

While my car __________ I wandered round the city centre.
Choice 1          be repaired
Choice 2          was repairing
Choice 3          was being repaired
Choice 4          is being repaired
Choice 5          is repairing
Choice 6          repairs

30. Katie __________ her hair cut short when she left school.
Choice 1          had
Choice 2          did
Choice 3          made
Choice 4          has
Choice 5          decided
Choice 6          asked

31. Gareth __________ he was never going to lend Robert anything again.
Choice 1          informed
Choice 2          said
Choice 3          told
Choice 4          said to
Choice 5          told to
Choice 6          asked


32. I asked Ruth where ___________ her coat.
Choice 1          did she buy
Choice 2          had she bought
Choice 3          she had bought
Choice 4          does she buy
Choice 5          can she buy
Choice 6          could she buy

33. I always avoid __________ on the bus because it makes me feel ill.
Choice 1          to read
Choice 2          reading
Choice 3          read
Choice 4          reads
Choice 5          ridding
Choice 6          about reading

34. My grandfather remembers __________ into this house when he was a very small boy.
Choice 1          moving
Choice 2          move
Choice 3          to move
Choice 4          remove
Choice 5          inhabit
Choice 6          inhabits

35. If you don't know a word, you can look __________ in your dictionary.
Choice 1          it up
Choice 2          up it
Choice 3          it
Choice 4          about it
Choice 5          at it
Choice 6          for it

           
36. I've never really got __________ my neighbour, probably because we're so different.
Choice 1          up to
Choice 2          through
Choice 3          on with
Choice 4          good with
Choice 5          pleased with
Choice 6          nice with



37. I'll book seats for the concert, if there __________ any good ones avaliable.
Choice 1          will be
Choice 2          were
Choice 3          are
Choice 4          can be
Choice 5          must be
Choice 6          should be

38. Lian would have saved a lot of money, if he __________ to my advice.
Choice 1          would listen
Choice 2          had listened
Choice 3          was listening
Choice 4          listens
Choice 5          listened
Choice 6          listen

39. We'll go for a walk __________ it's foggy - I hate walking in the fog.
Choice 1          if
Choice 2          in case
Choice 3          unless
Choice 4          although
Choice 5          nevertheless
Choice 6          even

40. I wish I ____________ a good memory - it would make learning English much easier.
Choice 1          had had
Choice 2          had
Choice 3          would have
Choice 4          can have
Choice 5          have had
Choice 6          have

41. Philip wears an old coat ____________ his suit when he walks to work.
Choice 1          on
Choice 2          above
Choice 3          over
Choice 4          under
Choice 5          round
Choice 6          inside

42. We're having a party __________ the last day of term.
Choice 1          in
Choice 2          on
Choice 3          at
Choice 4          for
Choice 5          with
Choice 6          up



43. As we can't agree ___________ this subject, we won't discuss it again.
Choice 1          about
Choice 2          in
Choice 3          with
Choice 4          at
Choice 5          up
Choice 6          for

44. All the nurses were very kind ___________ me when I was ill.
Choice 1          with
Choice 2          to
Choice 3          of
Choice 4          on
Choice 5          off
Choice 6          at

45. I enjoyed ___________ last week.
Choice 1          the book you lent me
Choice 2          the book which you lent it to me
Choice 3          the book, that you lent me*(this is correct but without the comma)
Choice 4          the book the which you lent me
Choice 5          the book lent me
Choice 6          the book you lent

46. This is the room in __________ the famous poet died.
Choice 1          which
Choice 2          where
Choice 3          that
Choice 4          this
Choice 5          there
Choice 6          which one

47. I left the cinema __________ I had a headache and the film was very noisy.
Choice 1          as
Choice 2          so that
Choice 3          therefore
Choice 4          course
Choice 5          so
Choice 6          even

48. I'm __________ tired to work tonight. I'll finish my homework in the morning.
Choice 1          very
Choice 2          too
Choice 3          so that
Choice 4          so
Choice 5          so far
Choice 6          so forth




49. __________ Martin could easily afford to go on holiday, he never does.
Choice 1          Although
Choice 2          Despite
Choice 3          In spite of
Choice 4          Furthermost
Choice 5          Nevertheless
Choice 6          Furthermore

50. Since ___________ school, Sandra has had several interesting jobs.
Choice 1          left
Choice 2          leaving
Choice 3          to live
Choice 4          living
Choice 5          has left*
Choice 6          has lived


QUESTION (This is a horrible bit of English prose)
I've read and heard so many good reports of the Thai restaurant The Golden Spoon that I decided to try it myself. The menu appeared to be all in Thai but then we noticed the English translations. When the waitress realised it was our first visit, she came across as she knew it would take (she became cross?? Came across what??? ) us a long time to choose. In the end we ordered what she recommended because we didn't know where to start – there was so much choice. Because it was early on a Monday evening (they are open from midday to midnight without a day off), it wasn't too busy but it got busier later and in fact, they recommend that you book, even on Mondays.
The Golden Spoon offers a wide range of extremely tasty food, mostly quite spicy, but that was fine with me. Even the vegetarian among us had plenty of choice. Everything was cooked quickly and perfectly.
The first course looked rather small, but there were six more courses to follow and we couldn't finish all of them.
The entrance to the restaurant is rather dark and the inside isn't much better. The Thai family who run it (the father and grandfather do all the cooking) have been there since 1975 and haven't really changed it since then. There are some Thai paintings on the wall which are probably rather beautiful but they are very dusty so it's difficult to tell. But none of that is important because I didn't go there to look at the walls. What I did look at was our meal being prepared in the kitchen, which is in one corner of the restaurant, and that was a wonderful sight. The meal cost more than I had expected but was worth it.

51. What is the writer trying to do.
Choice 1          suggest changes a restaurant could make
Choice 2          recommend the food in a restaurant
Choice 3          describe what he ate in a restaurant
Choice 4          complain about the service in a restaurant
Choice 5          reject food at a restaurant
Choice 6          praise Thai restaurants


52. What does the writer say about the waitress?
Choice 1          it was impossible for her to serve so many customers.
Choice 2          It was difficult to choose from the menu without her help.
Choice 3          She translated the menu from Thai for them.
Choice 4          She took a long time to take their order.
Choice 5          She hurried to wait on them.
Choice 6          She was the best waitress in the restaurant.

           
53. What did the writer think of the food?
Choice 1          It was too spicy for him.
Choice 2          There weren't enough vegetarian dishes.
Choice 3          There was too much of it.
Choice 4          It was not cooked properly.
Choice 5          It was easy to make up your mind about what to eat.
Choice 6          Most dishes were vegetarian dishes.

54. What did the writer particularly like about the restaurant?
Choice 1          The paintings on the walls.
Choice 2          The entrance
Choice 3          The prices
Choice 4          The position of the kitchen
Choice 5          The inside
Choice 6          The restaurant hours

55. Which of the following is an advertisement for the restaurant?
Choice 1          The Golden Spoon. Run by the same Thai family for more than 25 years. Recommended in local guidebooks. Booking advised. Open 12-12 every day.
Choice 2          The Golden Spoon. Local restaurant recently improved - more space available. Run by the same Thai family since 1975. Book early so you are not disappointed. Open 12- 12 every day.
Choice 3          The Golden Spoon. New chef from Bangkok Restaurant. Meals available to eat in the restaurant every day from 12-12 or take away.
Choice 4          The Golden Spoon. Compare our prices with other Thai restaurants and you will be pleasantly surprised. Open every day except Monday from 12-12.
Choice 5          The Golden Spoon. Compare our prices with other Thai restaurants and you will be pleasantly surprised. Open every day except Monday morning.
Choice 6          The Golden Spoon. Compare our prices with other Thai restaurants and you will be pleasantly surprised. Open every day except Mondays.


56. The contaminated meat has been declared unfit  ________  human consumption.
Choice 1          for
Choice 2          to
Choice 3          attached to
Choice 4          regarding
Choice 5          about
Choice 6          in



57. I was just about to apologise for having forgotten to meet her after  work when she hung _____ on  me.
Choice 1          off
Choice 2          of
Choice 3          up
Choice 4          <0>
Choice 5          out
Choice 6          around

58. That woman joined the protection league shortly after   its foundation and she's been a ______     all these years.
Choice 1          post
Choice 2          pillar
Choice 3          staff
Choice 4          pole
Choice 5          stick
Choice 6          stake

59. He gave me a  _______ of pain as we tried to move him.
Choice 1          blurb
Choice 2          kiln
Choice 3          rumble
Choice 4          gasp “he gave a gasp of pain” would be better
Choice 5          belch
Choice 6          retch

propaganda
horno
  retumbar
jadear
  eructo
  vomitar fácilmente

60. We were so hungry we ________ ourselves on the wild berries.
Choice 1          creaked
Choice 2          gorged
Choice 3          trickled
Choice 4          fed
Choice 5          squeaked
Choice 6          choke

crujió
  Harto
  goteado
  alimentados
  chilló
  ahogar



61. My car's making a terrible noise.  I'll have ________.
Choice 1          to get someone to look
Choice 2          to get it to look
Choice 3          to get it looked at
Choice 4          it to look at
Choice 5          gotten a look at it
Choice 6          been getting a look at it

62. Several  tourists ________  back from entering the cave, as  they were unsure what they would find in there.
Choice 1          hung
Choice 2          broke
Choice 3          run
Choice 4          cut
Choice 5          got
Choice 6          get

63. The valuable paintings were given to the state by the millionaire _______ of taxes.
Choice 1          in lieu
Choice 2          on the fringe
Choice 3          on the edge
Choice 4          in the region
Choice 5          on the verge
Choice 6          because
64. I have no _________ to  your coming camping with us.
Choice 1          interest
Choice 2          regrets
Choice 3          hesitation
Choice 4          objection
Choice 5          decision
Choice 6          interrogation

           
65. Alice promised to live with Hugh through _______.
Choice 1          fortune and fame
Choice 2          thick and thin
Choice 3          soul and life
Choice 4          blood and flesh
Choice 5          thunder and rain
Choice 6          weakness and strength*(also not incorrect)


66. ______ lightning tends to strike the nearest high point, you would do well not to stand under a tall tree during a thunderstorm.
Choice 1          Given that
Choice 2          As long as
Choice 3          But for
Choice 4          Unless
Choice 5          For instance
Choice 6          Regardless


           
66. ______ lightning tends to strike the nearest high point, you would do well not to stand under a tall tree during a thunderstorm.
Choice 1          Given that
Choice 2          As long as
Choice 3          But for
Choice 4          Unless
Choice 5          For instance
Choice 6          Regardless

67. In all walks of life, music is just what the doctor ______, improving the quality of sleep for anxious people, calming overactive children and encouraging and strengthening the sick.
Choice 1          decreed
Choice 2          ordered
Choice 3          told
Choice 4          required
Choice 5          said
Choice 6          specified

68. Cities need old buildings so ________ it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them.
Choice 1          seriously
Choice 2          greatly
Choice 3          exceedingly
Choice 4          badly
Choice 5          urgently
Choice 6          imperatively

           
69. In my opinion the menu _____ of various starters, main courses and desserts are all designed to please the eye rather than the palate.
Choice 1          comprised
Choice 2          contained
Choice 3          composed
Choice 4          consisted
Choice 5          imprinted
Choice 6          dealt

70. Under the table  ______ with bright, beady eyes.
Choice 1          sat a tiny mouse (also correct)
Choice 2          there sat a tiny mouse
Choice 3          a tiny mouse sat
Choice 4          it sat a tiny mouse
Choice 5          was sat a tiny mouse
Choice 6          seated a tiny mouse



71. No sooner had I returned from the supermarket  ______ I realized I had forgotten my wallet.
Choice 1          when
Choice 2          than
Choice 3          that
Choice 4          and
Choice 5          how
Choice 6          if

72. Lionel ______ a grudge against the head teacher for many years.
Choice 1          fostered
Choice 2          constrained
Choice 3          subdued
Choice 4          harboured
Choice 5          kept
Choice 6          maintained


73. In  psychological discourse, the term `quality of life´ refers to mental _______ such as realism and vitality.
Choice 1          propensities
Choice 2          susceptibilities
Choice 3          weaknesses
Choice 4          inhibitions
Choice 5          sensitivities
Choice 6          sensibleness

74. Poltergeists have always been with us; there are ______ cases as far back as AD 530, and from all parts of the world.
Choice 1          inscribed
Choice 2          recorded
Choice 3          minuted
Choice 4          registered
Choice 5          noted
Choice 6          downloaded


75. Wherever you go, you meet people who think that foreigners have either no sense of humour or at best, a _____   one.
Choice 1          raw
Choice 2          rude
Choice 3          clumsy
Choice 4          crude
Choice 5          moody
Choice 6          black