FCE Reading and Use of English Practice Test 1 Printable

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Answer Keys :: Vocabulary

Part 1
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer ( А, В, C or D) best fits each
gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example:

A bright В fair C keen D sharp

Messages from the Stone Age

The incredible pre-historic Chauvet cave art in France is painted in 0 _____ colours and
dates back to a period around thirty thousand years ago when early humans first started
to create rock art. Although various 1 _____ of this art have been found in caves in
Western Europe, very few people have seen the art at Chauvet because it is located 2
_____ inside an inaccessible underground cave system. Those who have seen it say that it
is very impressive, showing animals 3 _____ horses, rhinos and cows, and that the
artwork is good enough to 4 _____ modern compositions.

The first scientists to 5 _____ the Chauvet paintings missed some other important 6 _____
however. The walls of the cave are also marked with a series of lines and symbols, that
were initially 7 _____ as insignificant. But recent research has suggested that these marks
may represent humankind’s first steps towards the development of writing, which is 8
_____ people to rethink their ideas about when written communication first started.

1 A illustrations B models C cases D examples

2 A deep B thick C long D dense

3 A by means of B apart C as well as D such as

from

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Brain games

According to experts, doing puzzles keeps our brains fit and 0 0.HEALTH
_____ As well as gaining 17 _____ from finding the correct 17.SATISFY
answer to a difficult problem, we give our brains a good workout 18.SUCCESS
in the process. To help us do this, all sorts of handheld ‘brain 19.COVER
games’ are now available in the shops, and the most 18_____ 20.SOLVE
games have sold in their millions. 21.IMPROVE
What’s more, people 19 _____ that the more they play the games, 22.SCIENCE
the easier it is to find a 20 _____ to the problems posed. They see 23.PERFORM
this as proof that there has been an 21 _____ in the power of their 24.CERTAIN
brains. Unfortunately, however, this may be a false impression.

Some 22 _____ argue that the brain gets better at any task the
more often it is repeated. In other words, the improvement in the
23 _____ of the brain is something that happens naturally. So
although these brain games are obviously fun to play, it remains
24 _____ whether they are actually helping to boost brainpower or
not.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

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FCE Reading and Use of English Practice Test 1 Printable
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Part 4
For questions 25-30, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two
and five words, including the word given. Here is an example (0).

Example:
0. What type of music do you like best?
FAVOURITE
What _______________ type of music?

Example: 0. IS YOUR FAVOURITE

25. Brad speaks English better than his parents do.

AS
Brad’s parents don’t _______________ he does.

26. Cycling is not allowed in the park.

SUPPOSED
You _______________ in the park.

27. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was going to be late, Ann,’ said Jamie.
APOLOGISED
Jamie _______________ Ann know that he was going to be late.

28. A heavy fall of snow prevented them from getting home that night.
ABLE
They _______________ home that night because of a heavy fall of snow.

29. Ursula was disappointed not to win the competition.

CAME
Not winning the competition _______________ to Ursula.

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 4 A rival B compare C compete D oppose

5 A arrive B reach C meet D know

6 A instances B matters C details D issues

7 A believed B regarded C thought D agreed

8 A resulting B having C making D causing

Part 2
For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use
only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). In the exam, write your
answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on tho separate answer sheet.

Example: ARE

Swimming with seals

The UK is home to half the world’s population of grey seals and there 0 _____ many local
boat trips offering sightseeing tours out to the islands and sandbanks 9 _____ the animals
are most regularly found.

But if you really want to get close 10 _____ the seals and understand something about
their way of life, then you need to go on an underwater seal-watching trip. On these trips,
you have the chance to go over the side of the boat and, equipped 11 _____ a wetsuit,
mask and snorkel, spend time in the water alongside the animals.

Seals are extremely inquisitive creatures and, once you’re in the water, they will swim
past you trying to work 12 _____ who you are and 13 _____ you’re doing there. 14 _____
they can appear shy at first, seals soon 15 _____ used to you being in the water, and will
come and play around you. Young pups especially like to 16 _____ contact with divers,
and often use their teeth, gently biting masks, fins and cameras out of curiosity. It can be
a thrilling experience.

Part 3
For questions 17-24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of
the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the
beginning (0).
In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: HEALTHY

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30. I paid far more money for my new computer than I expected to.
SO
I didn’t expect _______________ money for my new computer.

Part 5
You are going to read an article about a woman’s career. For questions 31-36, choose the
answer (А, В, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

A varied career
Chloe Kelling, a successful model and singer-songwriter, now has a new venture

I arrive for my interview with Chloe Kelling and I’m asked to wait in the garden. I hardly
have time to start looking round at the carefully tended flowerbeds when Chloe appears.
Every bit as tall and striking as I’d expected, Chloe emerges from the house wearing an
oversized man’s jacket, a delicately patterned top and jeans. Chloe is known for her
slightly quirky sense of fashion and, of course, she looks great as she makes her way
towards me through the flowerbeds.

‘Let’s talk in my office,’ she says, leading the way not back to the house, but instead to an
ancient caravan parked up next to it. As we climb inside the compact little van, the smell
of fresh baking greets us. A tiny table is piled high with cupcakes, each iced in a different
colour. Chloe’s been busy, and there’s a real sense of playing tea parties in a secret den!
But what else should I have expected from a woman with such a varied and interesting
career?

Chloe originally trained as a make-up artist, having left her home in the country at
nineteen to try and make her name as a model in London, and soon got work in adverts
and the fashion business. ‘I went to Japan to work for a short period, but felt very
homesick at first,’ she recalls. ‘It was very demanding work and, though I met loads of
nice people, it was too much to take in at nineteen. If I’d stayed longer, I might have
settled in better.’

Alongside the modelling, Chloe was also beginning to make contacts in the music
business. ‘I’d been the typical kid, singing with a hairbrush in front of the mirror,
dreaming of being a star one day,’ she laughs. She joined a girl band which ‘broke up
before we got anywhere’, before becoming the lead singer with the band Whoosh, which
features on a best-selling clubbing album. Unusually though, Chloe also sings with two
other bands, one based in Sweden and another in London, and each of these has a
distinct style.

It was her work with Whoosh that originally led to Chloe’s link with Sweden. She was
offered a song-writing job there with a team that was responsible for songs for some
major stars, but gradually became more involved in writing music for her own band.

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Although she now divides her time between London and Sweden, her first stay there
turned out to be much longer than she’d bargained for. ‘The rooms are very tall over
there and so people have these rather high beds that you climb up to,’ she explains. ‘I fell
as I climbed up the ladder and cracked three ribs. Although the people at the hospital
were very kind, I was stuck there for a while, which was very frustrating. Sneezing and
laughing were so painful at first, let alone singing!’

It was while recovering from her injuries that Chloe hit upon the idea of staging what she
calls vintage fairs. ‘It was snowing in Sweden and I wanted something nice to look
forward to.’ Chloe had always loved vintage clothes, particularly from the 1950s, and
decided to stage an event for others who shared her passion. The first fair was held in
her home village and featured stalls selling all sorts of clothes and crafts dating back to
the 1950s. It was a huge hit, with 300 people turning up.

‘When I had the idea of the first fair, it was only meant to be a one-off, but we had so
many compliments, I decided to go ahead with more,’ says Chloe. ‘There’s something for
all ages and people find old things have more character than stuff you buy in modern
shops. It also fits perfectly with the idea of recycling.’ Looking round Chloe’s caravan, I
can see what she means.

31. In the first paragraph, the writer suggests that Chloe

A usually keeps people waiting.
В is much taller than he expected.
C lives up to her stylish reputation.
D is surprisingly interested in flowers.

32. What do we learn about Chloe in the second paragraph?

A She’s cooked something for her guest.
В She’s expecting some other visitors today.
C She has no room in her house for an office.
D She invites very few people into her caravan.

33. What does Chloe say about her trip to Japan?

A She soon got used to her life there.
В She felt lonely most of the time there.
C She wishes she’d done the work better.
D She wasn’t old enough to appreciate it fully.

34. In the fourth paragraph, we find out that Chloe

A gave up modelling to become a singer.
В had always had ambitions to be a singer.
C has now left the first successful band she joined.
D sings in three bands that have a very similar sound.

35. Chloe ended up in hospital in Sweden after

A breaking a rib whilst trying to move her bed.
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В hurting her leg in a fall from her bed.
C falling off a ladder in her bedroom.
D tripping over in her room at night.

36. What does Chloe say about her ‘vintage fairs’?

A Her main aim is to raise awareness of environmental issues.
В She has responded to positive feedback from customers.
C Certain shops are now showing interest in the idea.
D They are mostly popular with older people.

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FCE Reading and Use of English Practice Test 1 Printable
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Part 6
You are going to read an article about a boxer. Six sentences have been removed from the
article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (37-42). There is one extra
sentence which you do not need to use.

In defence of women’s boxing

Lucy O’Connor thinks that womens boxing is widely misunderstood

Womens boxing is a new addition to the list of sports included at the Olympic Games.
But according to Lucy O ’Connor, winner of various international competitions, it’s still
widely misunderstood – a situation that Lucy’s hoping to change. After graduating, Lucy
took up boxing on the advice of a sports coach, who thought it would improve her
general fitness. But Lucy soon set her sights on competitions and it wasn’t long before
she was boxing at the National Championships, which she eventually went on to win.

As a result of her success, Lucy was accepted on to what the navy calls its ‘elite
sportsman’s programme’. 37 __. Every day now starts with a run at 7 a.m., followed by a
skill and technique session or a strength and conditioning circuit. Come the afternoon,
there are more aerobic workouts, before Lucy gets into the ring and practises with other
elite boxers.

As with all competitors, diet is a huge part of Lucy’s life. Since she first started boxing,
she’s had to shed twenty-eight kilos. Losing the last six, which took her into the flyweight
category, required great determination. 38 __. As she explains: ‘I don’t go out to party
anymore. Thankfully, I’m married to my boxing coach, so at least I’ve got some sort of
social life!’ Lucy’s husband boxed as a heavyweight himself and he’s in her corner for all
her domestic competitions.

Lucy’s mum works as a buyer at a big department store, and Lucy has been testing out
products for the store’s sports division. Whilst preparing for a recent international
championship, Lucy wore a new titanium-based sports clothing range designed to

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improve circulation and aid recovery. 39 __. But how does her family react to her taking
part in competitions? ‘Mum tends to admire me boxing from afar, but Dad just loves it!’

Lucy has clearly answered questions about safety concerns before and cites all the
protective gear boxers strap on before a fight such as hand bandages, head guards, gum
shields and much more. ‘Amateur boxing is not dangerous,’ she says definitively. ‘It’s so
safety-orientated and the rules are so stringent it’s actually difficult to get hurt. We
approach it more as a skill and point-scoring exercise, rather than as a fight. 40 __. ’
Boxers win points by landing the white knuckle part of their gloves on the opponent’s
scoring area – essentially the upper body and head – cleanly and with sufficient force. In
five years of competitive boxing, Lucy’s suffered only a few bruises and a broken thumb.

And in response to those who think it’s ‘inappropriate’ to see women boxing at the
Olympics, Lucy is quick to point out that women have been competing in martial arts
such as taekwondo and judo for years. 41 __.

Her biggest concern is that people confuse amateur boxing competitions with
professional fights, where the focus is more on aggression and hurting your opponents.
‘Female amateur boxing is about showing skill, speed and stamina,’ she says. 42 __. ‘I find
it so satisfying to be changing people’s opinion.’

A All that hard work certainly paid off and the competition itself brought out the best in
Lucy.
В That’s because in order to reach that target, she had to totally rethink her lifestyle.
C Having access to this space-age training kit was certainly an advantage.
D If the sport was more in the public eye, then fewer people would make that mistake.
E Nobody complained about women taking part in those events when it was introduced.
F That’s why I’ve always regarded it as a thinking girl’s sport really.
G What this meant, in effect, was that she was able to train full-time.

Part 7

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