Upper-Intermediate Final Exam

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Complete the sentences with one word.

Choose the correct word.

1. I ________ when I’m cleaning my apartment.

Choose the correct word.

2. ________ are becoming an increasingly large proportion of many societies.

Choose the correct word.

3. We played the music quietly ________ wake the children.

Choose the correct word.

4. ________ the very steep climb up the last hill, I really enjoyed the walk.

Choose the correct word.

5. Our eldest daughter is at ________ university. She’s studying Physics.

Choose the correct word.

6. That’s a _______ table – where did you buy it?

Choose the correct word.

7. I like the dogs that my neighbour has, but generally I prefer ________ cats.

Choose the correct word.

8. ________ of our team played well today – that’s why we lost.

Choose the correct word.

9. I love ________ in that shop.

Choose the correct word.

10. Does anyone know where ________?

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Write the words after the definitions.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

1. You have to take Diana’s age into ________ when you judge her work.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

2. I’m ________ and tired of listening to all your problems – do something about them!

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

3. I think Jerry was very tired – he’s ________ asleep on the sofa.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

4. The audience loved it all and the band came back twice to give ________.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

5. I find it ________ when apps keep updating themselves all the time.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

6. I walked for six hours, and now I’ve got ________ on my feet.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

7. It’s difficult to get the truth from newspapers in this country – they’re all ________.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

8. That dress really ________ you. It goes really well with your hair colour.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

9. Geologists working in Australia have ________ an important discovery.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

10. Have you ________ finished that book?

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

11. The two men were both charged ________ blackmail and theft.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

12. This restaurant is part of a ________ – I went to one in London last week.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

13. I was trying hard not to ________ my voice, but I was getting angrier and angrier.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

14. We were ________ when we heard that John’s ankle wasn’t broken, only sprained.

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

15. I’ll have to keep reminding Sheila about the meeting – she’s very ________-minded.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Complete the sentences with one word made from the word in brackets.

Choose the different sound.

1. /tree/          relieved   colleague   leather   illegal

Choose the different sound.

2. /fish/          guilty   bilingual   business   presenter

Choose the different sound.

3. /shower/    specialist   infection   choke   rash

Choose the different sound.

4. /up/            multicultural   flood   hooded   luggage

Choose the different sound.

5. /bike/         linen   height   biased   mild

Choose the different sound.

6. /bird/         merge   firm   journalist   heart

Choose the different sound.

7. /horse/       launch   drought   stalk   yawn

Choose the different sound.

8. /train/        baggage   faint   lay   ache

Choose the different sound.

9. /chess/       scratch   machine   cello   chilly

Choose the different sound.

10. /boot/         loose   blood  chew  lose

Choose the stressed syllable.

1. neigh|bour|hood

Choose the stressed syllable.

2. ob|jec|tive

Choose the stressed syllable.

3. co|mmen|ta|tor

Choose the stressed syllable.

4. eye|brow

Choose the stressed syllable.

5. vi|o|li|nist

Choose the stressed syllable.

6. ex|port (verb)

Choose the stressed syllable.

7. tur|bu|lence

Choose the stressed syllable.

8. mul|ti|na|tio|nal

Choose the stressed syllable.

9. au|to|ma|ted

Choose the stressed syllable.

10. un|con|scious

Read the article. For questions 1-5, choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Step In The Right Direction

It was once famously said that some things in life – like paying taxes and death – are inevitable. And leaving education trying to find employment is something that young people everywhere have to face. But despite the large amount of research that has been undertaken on young people in the job market, relatively little is known about what happens once young people start their first job. A team of researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University looked into this aspect. The survey focused on 30 people and 39 employers, and addressed a range of issues in relation to recruitment, employment, and particularly young people into the workplace.

It is clear from the interviews with young people that, for the vast majority, the idea of a ‘job for life’ no longer exists. While some had clear career ambitions, the majority appeared to be unclear on what they wanted to do. One consequence of this is that many young people saw their early work experiences as temporary – a ‘stop gap’ until their ideas on what they wanted to do had developed, or simply a way of earning money to pursue other ambitions such as travel.

This tendency has also been noted by many employers, and is particularly disappointing to smaller businesses looking for long-term loyalty in their staff. However, some employers – for example in areas such as financial services and call centres – had adjusted to the new situation, and appeared to accept that they cannot expect young people to be loyal and see a long-term future with one employer.

Like a number of other studies, the findings confirm that employers tend to focus on ‘softer’ skills and behavioural qualities in the recruitment process, with a less prominent role played by formal qualifications. The opinions of this sample of young people were remarkably consistent with those of the employers. Most of the young people seemed to have understood the message that formal qualifications are often a necessary but not sufficient condition for obtaining the types of jobs which they hope to do in the future. They recognized that skills like communication, team-working, organization, and customer service are all important. There was evidence that many young people had clearly worked on developing such skills.

Where there does appear to be a significant difference of opinion between the views of young people and employers related to the extent to which young people actually possess the necessary ’employability’ skills. By and large, the young people interviewed were confident in their ability to demonstrate these skills and qualities. Employers, on the whole, were much less positive about this, often feeling that educational institutions were focusing too strongly on academic skills and qualifications, at the expense of employability.

Another area where employers’ and young peoples’ views differed is in relation to Information Technology (IT) skills. When asked about the things they value most about young recruits, many employers mentioned their ability with computers. On the other hand, few young people mentioned this explicitly. The probable explanation is that young people simply take their IT skills for granted, often not realizing how valuable they might be to some employers. Encouraging young people to be more positive about this aspect might help some to improve the way they are viewed by potential employers.

In terms of the inductions provided for their young recruits, the results of this study confirmed both expectations and the findings of earlier research – that employers vary widely in the nature of the training they provide. Differences included the length of time the inductions ran, how formal the training was, what topics were covered, and how often training occurred. The reaction of most young people to the induction they had experienced was positive, or at least neutral. There is clearly a tension between the need for new recruits to become good at their jobs, and their understandable desire to get involved as quickly as possible.

From the point of view of the employer, much depended upon the nature of the job, the type of employer (particularly size and sector), and the frequency with which they recruit young people. In general, the more regularly young people were recruited and the larger the employer, the more formal the induction process.

In uncertain economic times, it seems that young people more than ever are having to do all they can to find employment.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question:

1. The survey revealed that, in general, young people …

Read the article. For questions 1-5, choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Step In The Right Direction

It was once famously said that some things in life – like paying taxes and death – are inevitable. And leaving education trying to find employment is something that young people everywhere have to face. But despite the large amount of research that has been undertaken on young people in the job market, relatively little is known about what happens once young people start their first job. A team of researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University looked into this aspect. The survey focused on 30 people and 39 employers, and addressed a range of issues in relation to recruitment, employment, and particularly young people into the workplace.

It is clear from the interviews with young people that, for the vast majority, the idea of a ‘job for life’ no longer exists. While some had clear career ambitions, the majority appeared to be unclear on what they wanted to do. One consequence of this is that many young people saw their early work experiences as temporary – a ‘stop gap’ until their ideas on what they wanted to do had developed, or simply a way of earning money to pursue other ambitions such as travel.

This tendency has also been noted by many employers, and is particularly disappointing to smaller businesses looking for long-term loyalty in their staff. However, some employers – for example in areas such as financial services and call centres – had adjusted to the new situation, and appeared to accept that they cannot expect young people to be loyal and see a long-term future with one employer.

Like a number of other studies, the findings confirm that employers tend to focus on ‘softer’ skills and behavioural qualities in the recruitment process, with a less prominent role played by formal qualifications. The opinions of this sample of young people were remarkably consistent with those of the employers. Most of the young people seemed to have understood the message that formal qualifications are often a necessary but not sufficient condition for obtaining the types of jobs which they hope to do in the future. They recognized that skills like communication, team-working, organization, and customer service are all important. There was evidence that many young people had clearly worked on developing such skills.

Where there does appear to be a significant difference of opinion between the views of young people and employers related to the extent to which young people actually possess the necessary ’employability’ skills. By and large, the young people interviewed were confident in their ability to demonstrate these skills and qualities. Employers, on the whole, were much less positive about this, often feeling that educational institutions were focusing too strongly on academic skills and qualifications, at the expense of employability.

Another area where employers’ and young peoples’ views differed is in relation to Information Technology (IT) skills. When asked about the things they value most about young recruits, many employers mentioned their ability with computers. On the other hand, few young people mentioned this explicitly. The probable explanation is that young people simply take their IT skills for granted, often not realizing how valuable they might be to some employers. Encouraging young people to be more positive about this aspect might help some to improve the way they are viewed by potential employers.

In terms of the inductions provided for their young recruits, the results of this study confirmed both expectations and the findings of earlier research – that employers vary widely in the nature of the training they provide. Differences included the length of time the inductions ran, how formal the training was, what topics were covered, and how often training occurred. The reaction of most young people to the induction they had experienced was positive, or at least neutral. There is clearly a tension between the need for new recruits to become good at their jobs, and their understandable desire to get involved as quickly as possible.

From the point of view of the employer, much depended upon the nature of the job, the type of employer (particularly size and sector), and the frequency with which they recruit young people. In general, the more regularly young people were recruited and the larger the employer, the more formal the induction process.

In uncertain economic times, it seems that young people more than ever are having to do all they can to find employment.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question:

2. What do employers think about formal qualifications?

Read the article. For questions 1-5, choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Step In The Right Direction

It was once famously said that some things in life – like paying taxes and death – are inevitable. And leaving education trying to find employment is something that young people everywhere have to face. But despite the large amount of research that has been undertaken on young people in the job market, relatively little is known about what happens once young people start their first job. A team of researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University looked into this aspect. The survey focused on 30 people and 39 employers, and addressed a range of issues in relation to recruitment, employment, and particularly young people into the workplace.

It is clear from the interviews with young people that, for the vast majority, the idea of a ‘job for life’ no longer exists. While some had clear career ambitions, the majority appeared to be unclear on what they wanted to do. One consequence of this is that many young people saw their early work experiences as temporary – a ‘stop gap’ until their ideas on what they wanted to do had developed, or simply a way of earning money to pursue other ambitions such as travel.

This tendency has also been noted by many employers, and is particularly disappointing to smaller businesses looking for long-term loyalty in their staff. However, some employers – for example in areas such as financial services and call centres – had adjusted to the new situation, and appeared to accept that they cannot expect young people to be loyal and see a long-term future with one employer.

Like a number of other studies, the findings confirm that employers tend to focus on ‘softer’ skills and behavioural qualities in the recruitment process, with a less prominent role played by formal qualifications. The opinions of this sample of young people were remarkably consistent with those of the employers. Most of the young people seemed to have understood the message that formal qualifications are often a necessary but not sufficient condition for obtaining the types of jobs which they hope to do in the future. They recognized that skills like communication, team-working, organization, and customer service are all important. There was evidence that many young people had clearly worked on developing such skills.

Where there does appear to be a significant difference of opinion between the views of young people and employers related to the extent to which young people actually possess the necessary ’employability’ skills. By and large, the young people interviewed were confident in their ability to demonstrate these skills and qualities. Employers, on the whole, were much less positive about this, often feeling that educational institutions were focusing too strongly on academic skills and qualifications, at the expense of employability.

Another area where employers’ and young peoples’ views differed is in relation to Information Technology (IT) skills. When asked about the things they value most about young recruits, many employers mentioned their ability with computers. On the other hand, few young people mentioned this explicitly. The probable explanation is that young people simply take their IT skills for granted, often not realizing how valuable they might be to some employers. Encouraging young people to be more positive about this aspect might help some to improve the way they are viewed by potential employers.

In terms of the inductions provided for their young recruits, the results of this study confirmed both expectations and the findings of earlier research – that employers vary widely in the nature of the training they provide. Differences included the length of time the inductions ran, how formal the training was, what topics were covered, and how often training occurred. The reaction of most young people to the induction they had experienced was positive, or at least neutral. There is clearly a tension between the need for new recruits to become good at their jobs, and their understandable desire to get involved as quickly as possible.

From the point of view of the employer, much depended upon the nature of the job, the type of employer (particularly size and sector), and the frequency with which they recruit young people. In general, the more regularly young people were recruited and the larger the employer, the more formal the induction process.

In uncertain economic times, it seems that young people more than ever are having to do all they can to find employment.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question:

3. What can we learn from the survey about young people and IT skills?

Read the article. For questions 1-5, choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Step In The Right Direction

It was once famously said that some things in life – like paying taxes and death – are inevitable. And leaving education trying to find employment is something that young people everywhere have to face. But despite the large amount of research that has been undertaken on young people in the job market, relatively little is known about what happens once young people start their first job. A team of researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University looked into this aspect. The survey focused on 30 people and 39 employers, and addressed a range of issues in relation to recruitment, employment, and particularly young people into the workplace.

It is clear from the interviews with young people that, for the vast majority, the idea of a ‘job for life’ no longer exists. While some had clear career ambitions, the majority appeared to be unclear on what they wanted to do. One consequence of this is that many young people saw their early work experiences as temporary – a ‘stop gap’ until their ideas on what they wanted to do had developed, or simply a way of earning money to pursue other ambitions such as travel.

This tendency has also been noted by many employers, and is particularly disappointing to smaller businesses looking for long-term loyalty in their staff. However, some employers – for example in areas such as financial services and call centres – had adjusted to the new situation, and appeared to accept that they cannot expect young people to be loyal and see a long-term future with one employer.

Like a number of other studies, the findings confirm that employers tend to focus on ‘softer’ skills and behavioural qualities in the recruitment process, with a less prominent role played by formal qualifications. The opinions of this sample of young people were remarkably consistent with those of the employers. Most of the young people seemed to have understood the message that formal qualifications are often a necessary but not sufficient condition for obtaining the types of jobs which they hope to do in the future. They recognized that skills like communication, team-working, organization, and customer service are all important. There was evidence that many young people had clearly worked on developing such skills.

Where there does appear to be a significant difference of opinion between the views of young people and employers related to the extent to which young people actually possess the necessary ’employability’ skills. By and large, the young people interviewed were confident in their ability to demonstrate these skills and qualities. Employers, on the whole, were much less positive about this, often feeling that educational institutions were focusing too strongly on academic skills and qualifications, at the expense of employability.

Another area where employers’ and young peoples’ views differed is in relation to Information Technology (IT) skills. When asked about the things they value most about young recruits, many employers mentioned their ability with computers. On the other hand, few young people mentioned this explicitly. The probable explanation is that young people simply take their IT skills for granted, often not realizing how valuable they might be to some employers. Encouraging young people to be more positive about this aspect might help some to improve the way they are viewed by potential employers.

In terms of the inductions provided for their young recruits, the results of this study confirmed both expectations and the findings of earlier research – that employers vary widely in the nature of the training they provide. Differences included the length of time the inductions ran, how formal the training was, what topics were covered, and how often training occurred. The reaction of most young people to the induction they had experienced was positive, or at least neutral. There is clearly a tension between the need for new recruits to become good at their jobs, and their understandable desire to get involved as quickly as possible.

From the point of view of the employer, much depended upon the nature of the job, the type of employer (particularly size and sector), and the frequency with which they recruit young people. In general, the more regularly young people were recruited and the larger the employer, the more formal the induction process.

In uncertain economic times, it seems that young people more than ever are having to do all they can to find employment.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question:

4. The survey suggests that young people themselves value skills such as being able to…

Read the article. For questions 1-5, choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Step In The Right Direction

It was once famously said that some things in life – like paying taxes and death – are inevitable. And leaving education trying to find employment is something that young people everywhere have to face. But despite the large amount of research that has been undertaken on young people in the job market, relatively little is known about what happens once young people start their first job. A team of researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University looked into this aspect. The survey focused on 30 people and 39 employers, and addressed a range of issues in relation to recruitment, employment, and particularly young people into the workplace.

It is clear from the interviews with young people that, for the vast majority, the idea of a ‘job for life’ no longer exists. While some had clear career ambitions, the majority appeared to be unclear on what they wanted to do. One consequence of this is that many young people saw their early work experiences as temporary – a ‘stop gap’ until their ideas on what they wanted to do had developed, or simply a way of earning money to pursue other ambitions such as travel.

This tendency has also been noted by many employers, and is particularly disappointing to smaller businesses looking for long-term loyalty in their staff. However, some employers – for example in areas such as financial services and call centres – had adjusted to the new situation, and appeared to accept that they cannot expect young people to be loyal and see a long-term future with one employer.

Like a number of other studies, the findings confirm that employers tend to focus on ‘softer’ skills and behavioural qualities in the recruitment process, with a less prominent role played by formal qualifications. The opinions of this sample of young people were remarkably consistent with those of the employers. Most of the young people seemed to have understood the message that formal qualifications are often a necessary but not sufficient condition for obtaining the types of jobs which they hope to do in the future. They recognized that skills like communication, team-working, organization, and customer service are all important. There was evidence that many young people had clearly worked on developing such skills.

Where there does appear to be a significant difference of opinion between the views of young people and employers related to the extent to which young people actually possess the necessary ’employability’ skills. By and large, the young people interviewed were confident in their ability to demonstrate these skills and qualities. Employers, on the whole, were much less positive about this, often feeling that educational institutions were focusing too strongly on academic skills and qualifications, at the expense of employability.

Another area where employers’ and young peoples’ views differed is in relation to Information Technology (IT) skills. When asked about the things they value most about young recruits, many employers mentioned their ability with computers. On the other hand, few young people mentioned this explicitly. The probable explanation is that young people simply take their IT skills for granted, often not realizing how valuable they might be to some employers. Encouraging young people to be more positive about this aspect might help some to improve the way they are viewed by potential employers.

In terms of the inductions provided for their young recruits, the results of this study confirmed both expectations and the findings of earlier research – that employers vary widely in the nature of the training they provide. Differences included the length of time the inductions ran, how formal the training was, what topics were covered, and how often training occurred. The reaction of most young people to the induction they had experienced was positive, or at least neutral. There is clearly a tension between the need for new recruits to become good at their jobs, and their understandable desire to get involved as quickly as possible.

From the point of view of the employer, much depended upon the nature of the job, the type of employer (particularly size and sector), and the frequency with which they recruit young people. In general, the more regularly young people were recruited and the larger the employer, the more formal the induction process.

In uncertain economic times, it seems that young people more than ever are having to do all they can to find employment.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question:

5. Induction processes vary in terms of …

Listen to five teenagers talk about trips they have made with their families. Choose from the list (A-F) what each speaker says they have learned as a result of going on the trip. Use the letters only once. There is one extra letter you do not need to use.

Listen to a talk by a young dancer who is doing a course at the Youth Ballet School. Underline the correct answer.