Upper Intermediate Progress Test 8

Grammar

1 It’s time/I’d rather/I’d better

Choose the correct answer (a, b or c).

It’s time you _______ this.

a to know b know c knew

1 I’d rather _______ out for a meal with your colleagues this evening as I’m not
feeling too good.
a I didn’t go b not go c go

2 You’d better _______ to the meeting on time this week!

a get b got c to get

3 I’d rather you _______ your shoes off before coming in if you don’t mind.
a take b were taking c took

4 It’s time you _______ thinking about what you want to do when you leave college.
a started b start c to start

5 You’d better _______ anyone about your promotion until it’s been made public.
a tell b not tell c told

___/10

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 Upper Intermediate Progress Test 8

2 reported speech

Rewrite the sentences.

‘I’ve lived in the same house all my life.’

She said she’d (had) lived in the same house all her life.

1 ‘What’s the secret of your success?’

Ralf asked ___________________________ .

2 ‘I’m applying for a promotion.’

Rebecca said _________________________ .

3 ‘Why don’t you believe in yourself?’

Dan asked ___________________________ .

4 ‘You’re going to have to be more aggressive.’

My boss said _________________________ .

5 ‘My parents didn’t push me as a child.’

Sally said ____________________________ .
___/10

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 Upper Intermediate Progress Test 8

3 reporting verbs

Complete the sentences using a suitable verb from the box. Use no more than five
words. There are five extra verbs.

admit ask claim confirm deny remind say suggest tell

warn

‘I didn’t steal your ideas.’

Steve denied stealing my ideas.

1 ‘Why don’t we meet up later to discuss your proposal?’

Peter _________________ later to discuss my proposal.

2 ‘Don’t forget to send off your application letters.’

Sam _________________ off my application letters.

3 ‘Can you recommend a good life coach?’

Max _________________ .

4 ‘It’s true. I’ve always wanted to be rich and famous.’

David _________________ to be rich and famous.

5 ‘Don’t trust anything your colleagues say.’

Sarah _________________ anything my colleagues said.

___/10

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 Upper Intermediate Progress Test 8

Vocabulary

4 success

Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets.

Dan is a high-achiever. He’s always been incredibly ambitious. (be)

1 It doesn’t matter if you __________ . The important thing is to try. (succeed)

2 Do you think you __________ to get that report finished in time for the meeting?
(manage)

3 I’ve never done this before but I’m happy __________ a go. (give)

4 I wish Lou would stop __________ about all the things he’s done. It’s really
tiresome. (boast)

5 I’m determined __________ up. There must be a way to do this. (give)

___/10

5 describing personality

Complete the words.

Mark gets quite aggressive and raises his voice when he gets angry.

1 Patsy is very m_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ especially when it comes to getting what she

wants from her parents.

2 Luc is so w_ _ _ _ . He makes everyone laugh.

3 I’ve never met anyone as s_ _ _ _ _ -m_ _ _ _ _ as Alan. He sets himself a goal

and nothing will stop him.

4 It’s important to be p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and make things happen rather than waiting

for things to happen to you.

5 I worry about Katya because she seems so i_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and shy.

___/10

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 Upper Intermediate Progress Test 8

6 adjectives and intensifiers

Underline the correct words in italics.

It’s very important/vital that you listen carefully to this announcement.

1 I was absolutely/extremely devastated when I heard that I hadn’t been promoted.

2 Cath was extremely ecstatic/happy when she won the employee of the year award.

3 You look really/absolutely tired. What on earth have you been doing?

4 We want to organise an absolutely/a very big party for William’s graduation.

5 I’m extremely/really starving. I can’t believe the meeting went on for so long.

___/10

7 phrasal verbs with three parts

Correct the underlined word in each sentence.

The police are bound to catch you. You’ll never get off with this. away

1 I’ve always looked down to my grandparents because they are such good role
models. ________
2 I won’t be able to keep up for you if you don’t slow down. ________

3 I’d like you all to get up with at least three ideas for the new advertising campaign.
________

4 How can you go up with your brother? He never stops going on about how
successful he is. ________

5 You should cut down with the amount of time you spend in the office. It can’t be
good for you to work such long hours. ________

___/10

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 Upper Intermediate Progress Test 8

Pronunciation

8 stress on phrasal verbs

Listen and underline the main stress in the phrasal verbs.

Who do you look up to?

1 We need to cut down on the amount of paper we waste.

2 I’d like you all to come up with some new ideas for the next meeting.

3 You’ll never get away with this.

4 I’m really looking forward to the holidays.

5 I think we should try to make up for lost time.

___/10

How to…

9 introduce general and specific points

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

and / easy-going / the / I’m / Most / relaxed / of / time

Most of the time I’m relaxed and easy-going.

1 well / colleagues / On / with / my / whole / get / I / the / on

________________________________________________.

2 get / I / what / to / just / Generally / on / with / do / I / have

________________________________________________ .

3 pressure / I / rule / As / under / a / well / work

________________________________________________ .

4 workaholic / into / I / a / actually / turned

________________________________________________ .

5 boss / I / when / nervous / especially / the / is / quite / around / get

__________________________________________________ .
___/10

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 Upper Intermediate Progress Test 8

Reading

10 Read Mark’s blog ‘mumbling and musing’. Choose the correct answers.

I’ve been thinking about success a lot recently. I was at a party the other day, an old
school friend of mine was celebrating his thirtieth birthday. I hadn’t seen him for ages
so I wondered why he’d invited me – could it be that he wanted to show off, boast
about all that he had achieved (that’s what the cynic in me thought)? He always was
very ambitious and competitive at school. He was the student of whom teachers
would say ‘he’s bound to go far’. So even at a young age he was marked out for
success, a high-achiever.

I confess I was curious, so I accepted the invitation and went along to the party. And,
yes, in material terms he has certainly succeeded. He lives in a huge house, drives a
fast sports car and has surrounded himself with beautiful objects. But where was he? I
honestly didn’t recognise him. He looked at least ten years older than all of us, and
seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Was that really James? He came
over and shook my hand, slapped me on the back as if we were old buddies, but there
was something in his behaviour that made me think he wasn’t happy. It was sad to see
and yet, it was clear that a lot of people there looked up to him because of his money.
I suppose it’s easy to buy friends like that, but I came away feeling quite upset, and as
I say, it got me thinking about what success really means.

To my mind, success comes in many different packages. A successful person is

someone who has achieved what they set out to do, be it climbing Mount Everest or
raising balanced, happy children. In my opinion, it has nothing to do with how much
money you make. I’m not denying that money is useful because obviously it is, but I
don’t think it should be a motivating factor in the work you decide to do. One of the
most successful (and happiest) people I know is my neighbour Alison who works as a
teaching assistant in a primary school. She helps children who have learning
difficulties. She loves the children and they obviously adore her. She has a really good
work-life balance and fills her free time with all kinds of hobbies. Every year she
makes it her goal to learn a new skill. At the moment I think it’s playing the guitar.

As Albert Einstein said: ‘Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man
of value’. What do you think?

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 Upper Intermediate Progress Test 8

Mark was _________ about his friend’s invitation.

a sceptical b delighted c ecstatic

1 He remembers James as being _________ .

a easy-going b opinionated c single-minded

2 James’s success has affected his _________ .

a friends b appearance c health

3 Mark believes that James’ friends respect him because of his _________ .
a achievements b good taste c money

4 Mark defines success as _________ .

a being a mountaineer b reaching targets c being a parent

5 Alison is successful in Mark’s opinion because she _________ .

a teaches children b has a lot of hobbies c has a balanced,
fulfilled life

___/10

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