Sunday, February 8, 2015

Are you smart enough to go to a Swiss high school?

This is a mock exam (exam practice C Handbook page 92) for entry to the Swiss Canton School, 3rd year, in this case from Chur, Switzerland. This is level A2.

Give it a try!
Either it will make you feel really great about your English language skills or you will open up your books again!
At the end you will find the answers.

Part I: Structures
 
A)      Put the verbs into the past simple form. [½ point each, 6 points]


Example: We look at our holiday photos. Yesterday we looked at our holiday photos.

 
1.             They spot the life-boat on the beach.

Yesterday they _________________ the life-boat on the beach.

2.             The company builds a new visitors’ centre.

                Last year the company _________________ a new visitors’ centre.

3.             He leaves the house early.

Yesterday he____________________ the house early.

4.             The boys run away from home.

                In 2007 the boys _________________ away from home.

5.             I have absolutely no time.

 I _________________ absolutely no time last Tuesday.

6.             He falls down the stairs.

                Last night he _________________ down the stairs.

7.             It depends on the food we eat.

                It _________________ on the food we _________________ .

8.             He feels very well.

He _________________ very well last week.

9.             They try hard but they play badly.

They _________________ hard but they _________________ badly.

10.           She hears the birds singing.


Yesterday she ____________ the birds singing.                                            ___/ 6

 

B)      Put the words in the correct order and write complete sentences. Write questions (?) and positive or negative statements in the past simple. [16 points]

 
Example: / the / he / across / walk / street/ He walked across the street.


1.        / late / last / he / night / why / be / (?)  

2. / a / he / shower / yesterday / not / have / (?)

3. / at/ start / finish /7.30 /10 / and / the concert / o’clock / at /

     4. / lunch / day / programme / after / they / TV / watch / favourite / their / every /

     5. / we / last night/ the / not / enjoy / James Bond film / latest /

     6. / home / he / ‘s / shopping / carry / his / always / mother /

     7. / she / house / weekend / friend / go / last / to / ‘s / her /

     8. / training / always / friends / to / and / not / go / football /the/ Mike / his / Last   

         season


C)      Fill in the gaps. [20 points; ½ point each]

The gaps are always the second half of a word. In words with an uneven number of letters (3,5,7,9, etc.) it is the second half of the word plus one letter.


Example: The ca___ is really gr___. The camp is really great.

Hi Mum

[2]   The camp is really great. We can do many different spo___ .We can also go swim___.

[2]   in the river, it’s fantastic. We can also go ho___ riding . I’m not go___ to do that

[3]   because you kn_____ that I’m afr____of horses. We can play all so___ of games.

[2]   Th_____ are so many things to do. We never get bo_____ .

[3]   Yesterday we we_____on a canoeing tr____ . We paddled do____ the river in the

[3]   can_____ for two hours and th_____ we had a picnic ne____ the river.   Jack, our

[3]   gu_____ , made a fire and we sa_____ songs and pla_____ games.   Then we

[2]   returned to t_____ camp b_____ car. It was a great day.

[3]   The weather is qu_____ good, it’s alw_____ sunny and not t_____ warm.

[3]   Unfort______ the fo_____ is not so good, but it’s hea_____ , I suppose. We

[3]   eat fresh fr_____ and veget_____ every day. But there’s a shop wh_____ we

[1]   can buy sweets, if we wa_____ to.

 [4]   The day bef__ yesterday we vis_____ a car museum ab___20 km away fr_____

[3]   here. It has a gr_____ collection of old cars. I to_____ pictures of  th_____    

        with my new camera.

[2]   Everything is fun, but of course there are ru___ . We have to go to b___ at ten.

[1]   We have to help in the kitchen. We have to make our beds. But we do___ have to

        wash up - that’s good. I hope you and Dad are well. I miss you both. See you  

        soon.  

Love, Sam

       

D)      Fill in the correct form of the verb. [17 points]

 

1. Food is cheap in Mexico. ……..….…..……… (it /not cost) a lot of money.

2. Why ……….…..……..… (you / not be) at school yesterday? . …..…….…..………  

    (you / be) ill? – No, ………...…..……… (I / not be).

 

3. ……….…......(he / not want) to answer the phone now, ……….......…                        

    (he / have) breakfast.

4. ……….…....……… (you/like) a cup of tea? – Yes, please.

5. My parents ……….…………..……… (not like / swim) in the sea.[2 points]

6. Children usually ……….…...……… (like) chocolate, but my son                ………..……… (not).

7. He ……….…..…..…… (not buy) anything at the moment, because he ……..….…..……… (not have) enough money.

8. My mother ……..….…..……….… (watch / sometimes) soaps but never when ……………..……… (we / be) there.

9. ……………..……… (you / like ) tea? Yes, I drink it every day.

10. She ……………..………(get up) early tomorrow; her train is at six.

 

E)      These are answers. Write the questions and ask for the underlined part. [22 points]

Example: They left the party at about 11 o’clock . → When did they leave the party?

 
1. Johnny lives with his family. …….…..……………………….…..….…..……………….…..……………….…..…?
2. His new girlfriend is pretty and she has a nice personality. …….…..………….………….…..……………….…..…?
3. Michael goes to school by underground. …….…..……………….…..……………….……….……………….…..…?

4. No, there aren’t any bookshops near here. ……….…..……………….…..………...…….…..……………….…...…?

5. They go back to China once a year. …….…..……………….…..………….…..………….…..……………….…..…?


6. The best table tennis players come from China. ……….…..…………………….…..…….…..……………….…..…?

7. He gets £50 pocket money every month. …….…..………...…………….…..…………….…..……………….…..…?

8. They’re going to build a new house next year…………….…..………….…..……………….…..……………….…..…?

9. I’m not eating anything, because I’m vegetarian and there’s only meat here. .…….……….…..……………….…..…?

10. My brother doesn’t like wearing baggy clothes and dark colours. ………..……………….…..……………….…..…?

11. They had lunch at the café after work. …….…..……………….….……….…..….……………….…..……….…..…?

 
F) Fill in the correct preposition. [4 points, ½ point each]

Example: We went _____ the cinema_____ bus. → We went to the cinema by bus.

 
1. The party is ________ Saturday evening ________ 8 o’clock.

2. I’m staying ________ John’s house ________ a week.

3. We’re talking ________ my father’s new car.

4. She’s not in love _________ him.

5. When my sister is ________ work I often look ________ her baby.

 

 Part II: Vocabulary and Translation

G) Fill in the correct word. [10 points]

1. What is the feeling you get when you are away from home for a long time and you want to see your family again? You feel …………………….. . ( 1 point)

2. What is the name of the room in the house where you go to sleep for the night? ……………… ( 1 point)

3. What can you wear in winter to keep warm? …………………….. (1 point)

4. Which is correct? I …………………….. television every night. (1 point)

a) look                    b) see                       c) watch.

5. Paris is in ……………………... They speak …………………….. there. (2 points)

6. What is the plural of woman? …………………….. (1 point)

7. daughter – son, mother – father, wife – …………………….. ( 1 point)

8. Monday is the first working day of the week. Wednesday is the ………………working. day of the week. (1 point)

9. To give or pay money for something. How much money do you …………………….. on food each week? (1 point)

 
H) Translation [30 points]  

1. Vati, können wir in die Disco gehen? – Ja, aber versuche bis zwölf Uhr (write the time in full) wieder zu Hause zu sein. Verpasse den letzten Bus nicht! [5 points]

2. Warum gingst du vorgestern nicht mit ihnen ins Kino? Sie wollten nicht mit mir gehen. Sie sind so albern und ich bin sehr gekränkt.( gekränkt=displeased)[5 points]
 

3. Welches ist das schnellste Tier der Welt? – Der Gepard. Er ist schneller als der Tiger. [4 points]

4. Die Austauschschülerin lebt im Südosten der Schweiz, sie ist Griechin. [4 points]

5. Wir möchten nur eine Tageskarte haben, weil wir morgen nach Hause gehen werden. [4 points]  

6. Welche Art Frisur haben sie? Nun, Johnny hat kurzes, gewelltes Haar, Laura mittellanges Haar. [4 points]

7. Sie wollen den Hund nicht in ihrer Wohnung haben, sie mögen Haustiere überhaupt nicht. [4 points]

 

Part III: Reading/Comprehension

 

I)                    Read the text and then choose ‘True’ or ‘False’ or ‘Don’t Know’

 (underline the correct answer). [10 points]

 

Hi Mike!
I’ve just had the most fantastic experience of my life. We went to Lapland! It was a school trip (one week during the semester instead of school) and it was fantastic. We went reindeer spotting with a Sami guide. He took us into the tundra where we walked for ages in the freezing cold, but then, suddenly, in the middle of all the empty snow, we saw a huge herd of reindeer.
We visited a Sami camp too. We saw people making knives and leather clothes and houses – all from reindeer. Their houses seemed really warm and comfortable. We also went on a sled ride with husky dogs – with a driver. We went really fast and it was so exciting, and guess what – we found Father Christmas, he was hiding behind a tree. Well, sorry, I was only joking! One afternoon we drove north and stayed there deep in the Arctic Circle. We didn’t experience the midnight sun – that only happens in summer –
but we saw the most amazing Northern Lights. They were fantastic, absolutely stunning: impressive and beautiful. You see so many colours dancing around the sky.
But I think the best thing was we stayed in an ice hotel. And now I’m not joking! Can you believe it … a hotel made just of ice? You sleep on ice beds, you sit on ice chairs … OK, with reindeer skins on top, and don’t worry – the hotel’s a nice, warm –5C! The hotel’s in a place called Jukkasjarvi. It’s very small and quiet with just a museum and a restaurant. But the museum’s really interesting. It has an exhibition about the Sami way of life.
This was absolutely the best trip I’ve ever been on. Go there too – you really must.
Love,  Hannah

 1. Hannah went to Lapland in her school holidays.                                 True         False        Don’t Know

2. They didn’t find the reindeer quickly.                                            True         False        Don’t Know

3. The Sami people danced in colourful clothes.                     True         False        Don’t Know

4. Hannah drove a sled herself.                                                               True         False        Don’t Know

5. Hannah actually saw Father Christmas.                                              True         False        Don’t Know

6. They visited the Arctic Circle in the summer.                      True         False        Don’t Know

7. Hannah was frightened by the Northern Lights.                                 True         False        Don’t Know

8. Hannah’s favourite thing was the ice hotel.                                         True         False        Don’t Know

9. Mike doesn’t worry about the temperature in the hotel.      True         False        Don’t Know

10. Jukkasjarvi is a busy tourist resort.                                                   True        False        Don’t Know

 
K) Read the texts and then choose the correct answers (underline the names) in questions 1 - 10. Sometimes there is more than one correct answer. [19 points]
 
Toby
My favourite place is Hong Kong. I love it. It’s so beautiful – it’s on the sea, with mountains all around and it’s full of shops and high buildings. Hong Kong never sleeps – it’s always busy and always crowded. Some people don’t like that but I do. It means you can always do things and meet people. And at weekends you can go to the mountains and visit the country parks or the beaches on the small islands and have a swim there. Hong Kong is great – a big, fast city and a lovely, quiet country … but it’s very, very hot.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mitra
The place I like most is New Zealand – it really is beautiful. It’s very green, has lots of mountains and snow and beaches, and the weather is good too. The people are friendly and the country isn’t crowded. That’s what I like – lots of big, empty spaces. You can eat well in New Zealand too – lots of fish and meat. And there’s so much to do there. You can go sailing, walking, skiing, surfing, swimming – all in one day if you want! And the wild animals are fantastic, especially the sea animals like the whales.
                                                                          
Anys
My favourite place? I don’t know. I like lots of things in lots of places. There are the waterfalls in Zimbabwe – Victoria Falls. They’re really spectacular. Then I love the Taj Mahal in India because it’s so beautiful and so romantic. I like Bangkok too because I love shopping in all its markets; it’s a big, busy city, and I love eating there too. Thai food is superb! And Egypt with all its fabulous monuments. No, I don’t have a favourite place. I want to travel until I’ve seen all the countries in the world!
 
Nicholas
 
I know the place that I like best – it’s where I live. It isn’t beautiful, it isn’t exciting, there aren’t lots of things to do, there aren’t lots of monuments to look at, but I know it and I know lots of the people. I know where I can go to meet my friends, where the best shops are, what time the cinema starts, where all my friends live. This is very boring, I know, but that’s fine. The place I like best is my home town. I like travelling but I always want to come back here.

Who likes …

1. big cities?                                            Toby                        Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas

2.quiet, empty countryside?                    Toby                        Mitra                      Anys                       Nicholas

3. to be in company?                               Toby                        Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas

4. good food?                                          Toby                        Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas

5. the place he/she knows best?              Toby                     Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas

6. lots of different things?                      Toby                        Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas

7. travelling around?                                Toby                        Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas

8. returning home?                                  Toby                        Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas

9. seeing wild animals?                           Toby                        Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas

10. the sea?                                              Toby                       Mitra                       Anys                       Nicholas        ___/ 19
 
 
KEY

 
1 They spot the life-boat on the beach. Yesterday they spotted the life-boat on the beach.
2 The company builds a new visitors’ centre. Last year the company built a new visitors’ centre.
3 He leaves the house early. Yesterday he left the house early.
4 The boys run away from home. In 2007 the boys ran away from home.
5 I have absolutely no time. I had absolutely no time last Tuesday.
6 He falls down the stairs. Last night fell down the stairs.
7 It depends on the food we eat. It  depended on the food we ate.
8 He feels very well. He felt very well last week.
9 They try hard but they play badly. They tried hard but they played badly.
10 She hears the birds singing. Yesterday she heard the birds singing.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 / late / last / he / night / why / be / (?) Why was he late last night?
2 / a / he / shower / yesterday / not / have / (?) Did he not have a shower yesterday? / Didn’t he have a shower yesterday?
3 / at/ start / finish /7.30 /10 / and / the concert / o’clock / at / The concert started at 7.30 and finished at 10 o’clock.
4 / lunch / day / programme / after / they / TV / watch / favourite / their / every / They watched their favourite TV programme every day after lunch. / Every day after lunch they watched their favourite TV programme.
5 / we / last night/ the / not / enjoy / James Bond film / latest / We didn’t enjoy the latest James Bond film last night. / Last night we didn’t enjoy the latest James Bond film.
6 / home / he / ‘s / shopping / carry / his / always / mother / He always carried home his mother’s shopping. / He always carried his mother’s shopping home.
7 / she / house / weekend / friend / go / last / to / ‘s / her / She went to her friend’s house last weekend. / Last weekend she went to her friend’s house.
8 / training / always / friends / to / and / not / go / football /the/ Mike / his / Last season Mike and his friends didn’t always go to the football training .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Mum [2] The camp is really great. We can do many different sports . We can also go swimming
[2] in the river, it’s fantastic. We can also go horse riding . I’m not going to do that
[3] because you know that I’m afraid of horses. We can play all sorts of games.
[2] There are so many things to do. We never get bored .
[3] Yesterday we went on a canoeing trip . We paddled down the river in the
[3] canoes for two hours and then/there we had a picnic near the river. Jack, our
[3] guide , made a fire and we sang songs and played games. Then we
[2] returned to the camp by car. It was a great day.
[3] The weather is quite good, it’s always sunny and not too warm.
[3] Unfortunately the food is not so good, but it’s healthy , I suppose. We
[3] eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day. But there’s a shop where we
[1] can buy sweets, if we want to.
[4] The day before yesterday we visited a car museum about 20 km away from
[3] here. It has a great /grand collection of old cars. I took pictures of them with my new

camera.
[2] Everything is fun, but of course there are rules . We have to go to bed at ten.
[1] We have to help in the kitchen. We have to make our beds. But we don’t have to wash up - that’s good. I hope you and Dad are well. I miss you both. See you soon. Love, Sam

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Food is cheap in Mexico. …it doesn’t cost… (it /not cost) a lot of money.

2. Why ...were you not /weren’t you.. (you / not be) at school yesterday? ..Were you. (you / be) ill? – No, ..I wasn’t...(I / not be).


3. He doesn’t want …. (he / not want) to answer the phone now, …he is having ..(he / have) breakfast.

4. …Would you like… (you/like) a cup of tea? – Yes, please.

5. My parents don’t like swimming/ don’t like to swim (not like / swim) in the sea.[2points]

6. Children usually …like… (like) chocolate, but my son …doesn’t…(not).

7. He isn’t buying.. (not buy) anything at the moment, because he …doesn’t have…(not have) enough money.

8. My mother …sometimes watches/watched….. (watch / sometimes) soaps but never when ……we are/were.. (we / be) there.

9. …Do you like… (you / like ) tea? Yes, I drink it every day.

10. She is going to get up / is getting up (get up) early tomorrow; her train is at six.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Johnny lives with his family. Who does Johnny live with?

2 His new girlfriend is pretty and she has a nice personality. What is his new girlfriend like?

3 Michael goes to school by underground. How does Michael go to school?

4 No, there aren’t any bookshops near here. Is there a nice bookshop near here? / Are there any nice bookshops near here? / Can I buy any books near here?

5 They go back to China once a year. How often do they go back to China? / How many times a year do they go back to China?

6 The best table tennis players come from China. Where do the best table tennis players come from?

7 He gets £50 pocket money every month. How much pocket money does he get every month?

8 They’re going to build a new house next year. When are they going to build a new house?

9 I’m not eating anything, because I’m vegetarian and there’s only meat here. Why are you not eating anything?

10 My brother doesn’t like wearing baggy clothes and dark colours. What doesn’t your brother like wearing? What sort/kind of clothes doesn’t your brother like wearing?

11 They had lunch at the café after work. Where did they have lunch after work?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 The party is _on__ Saturday evening __at__ 8 o’clock.

2 I’m staying __at__ John’s house __for_ a week.

3 We’re talking __about__ my father’s new car.

4 She’s not in love _with_ him.

5 When my sister is _at_ work I often look _after_ her baby.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  You feel homesick . ( 1 point)

2.  bedroom ( 1 point)

3. sweater/pullover/cardigan/jacket.. (1 point)

4. watch  (1 point)

5. Paris is in France . They speak French there. (2 points)

6. What is the plural of woman? women (1 point)

7. daughter – son, mother – father, wife – husband ( 1 point)

8. Wednesday is the third working day of the week.(1 point)

9. How much money do you spend?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Dad, can we go to the disco? – Yes, but try and be back (try to be back) by twelve o’ clock. Don’t miss the last bus.
 
2.  Why didn’t you go with them to the cinema the day before yesterday? They didn’t want to go with me. They are so silly and I am very upset.
 
3. Which is the fastest/quickest animal in the world? – The cheetah. It is faster/quicker than the tiger.

4.  The exchange student lives in the south east of Switzerland, she is Greek.

5.We would only like to have a day-pass, because we are going home tomorrow.

6.  What kind of hairstyle do they have? Well, Johnny has short, wavy hair, Laura medium length hair.

7. They don’t want the dog in their flat/apartment, they don’t like pets at all. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Hannah went to Lapland in her school holidays. False

2 They didn’t find the reindeer quickly. True

3 The Sami people danced in colourful clothes. Don’t Know

4 Hannah drove a sled herself. False

5 Hannah actually saw Father Christmas. False

6 They visited the Arctic Circle in the summer. False

7 Hannah was frightened by the Northern Lights. False 

8 Hannah’s favourite thing was the ice hotel. True 

9 Mike doesn’t worry about the temperature in the hotel. Don’t Know

10 Jukkasjarvi is a busy tourist resort.  False
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who likes …
 
 
1 big cities? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

2 quiet, empty countryside? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

3 to be in company? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

4 good food? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

5 the place he/she knows best? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

6 lots of different things? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

7 travelling around? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

8 returning home? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

9 seeing wild animals? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

10 the sea? Toby Mitra Anys Nicholas

 

No comments:

Post a Comment