Optimise A Midterm Test

Student name

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Date Score

LISTENING

1 Listen to the f ive speakers. For each question choose the best answer (A, B or C). Unit 1 Listening

1 You hear a boy and his sister, T anya, talking. What do they agree about?
A T he size of the screen on the boy’s phone.
B T he boy can borrow the tablet at any time.
C T hat the boy should have his own tablet.
2 You hear a father and his son talking. What do they disagree about?
A T hey need to get a more modern television.
B A curved screen T V would be better for playing video games.
C It’s best to buy televisions online.
3 You hear two friends talking. What do they agree about?
A T hey like the holiday photos Hannah posted online.
B T heir photos are available for anyone to see online.
C It’s a good idea to limit online access to your photos.
4 You hear a teacher and a student, Helena, talking. What do they agree on?
A Helena is not supposed to be in the computer room.
B Helena is only supposed to use the computers for school work.
C Helena is supposed to find out about Justin Bieber for a project.
5 A man and a woman are talking in their car. What do they disagree about?
A whether the navigation system told them to drive 30 kilometres
B whether the woman has paid attention to the navigation system
C whether they are going in the right direction

Score: /5

GRAMMAR

2 Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1 I think we’d better to help/help/helping them.

2 She didn’t mention to see/see/seeing you at the museum.
3 I’d prefer to stay/stay/staying in this evening. I’m really tired.
4 We’re having difficulty to choose/choose/choosing paint colour for my bedroom.
5 Would you like me to read/read/reading your essay? I can check for mistakes.

Score: /5
 3 Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the f irst sentence, using the word given. Do not
change the word given. You must use between two and f ive words, including the word given.
1 My football team would lose all the time but we still had fun.
My football team all the time but we still had fun. USED
2 It’s normal for me to walk two kilometres to school.
I two kilometres to school. USED
3 I used to get upset because they never used to tell me where they were going.
I used to get upset because where they were WOULD
going.
4 T hey hardly ever spoke to each other but now they’re best friends.
T hey to each other very often but now they’re USE
best friends.
5 For Matthew it’s strange to be told what to do.
Matthew told what to do. USED

Score: /5

4 Complete the text with the best answer (A, B, C or D).

It’s very easy to upload a video to YouT ube. You (1) upload videos from phones, tablets or computers.
First, you (2) choose the video file that you want to upload. T here are some video files that you
(3) upload so make sure it is the right type of file. When you have chosen it, click the ‘share’ button and
you will have the option to name your video. You (4) name it but it’s a good idea so people can find it
easily. Your video is now uploaded. If you have any problems uploading, you (5) try checking the
YouT ube help page.

1 A could B might C will D can

2 A might B may C must D ought to
3 A will B couldn’t C won’t D can’t
4 A can’t B don’t have to C mustn’t D shouldn’t
5 A must B ought C have to D could

Score: /5

READING

Digital technology: Is it all bad news?

A More people than ever before are using digital technology such as smartphones, tablets and computers.
Newspapers and other media are full of articles about how we spend too much time online and not enough time
developing relationships with other people. It paints a picture of a selfish society, where people no longer have time
for each other and are only interested in their own happiness. However, in my opinion this is not the case. It is my
belief that digital technology has greatly improved our lives.
 B T echnology has always been important to our development. T he discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel are
good examples of how technology has benefitted society. Without them, life today would be very different.
However, there was a huge increase in the amount of technology available at work and at home in the last century. We
had more leisure time than ever before, which we spent reading, listening to music and, of course, watching T V.
However, none of those activities are particularly sociable or involve working with other people.

C T he latest statistics show that people still do the same leisure activities they did 20 years ago. However, nowadays
people are doing those things online, and that is especially true for younger people. T hey watch T V and listen to music
on streaming services, and they read the news on online newspapers and microblogging sites. Young people are still
listening to as much music as ever, and they still know what is happening in the world. T he difference is that leisure
activities are more interactive and sociable these days. For example, if you read an interesting news story, you can
post comments and share opinions online, as well as email it to your friends.

D Many other aspects of our lives have also been improved by digital technology. For example, it is much easier for
people to stay in touch with each other nowadays. T ext messaging and online chat mean we can manage larger
groups of friends and have more social interaction. T here are even apps which find the best time for a group of
friends to meet up. Education is another aspect which has changed for the better. Students can now use computers
to help them learn more efficiently while working with others.

E It is clear that digital technology has had a positive effect on our lives, especially for young people. We are more
sociable, work better together and are more knowledgeable about the world than previous generations. It is true that
over-dependence on technology is not a good thing, in the same way that doing too much sport or working too hard
are not good for you. However, most young people are aware of those problems and they are probably more in
control of the situation than we think. Although people worry about the effects of digital technology, I believe that it
is actually helping us achieve a more sociable and caring society.

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

1 What does the writer say about the media in the first paragraph?
A Nowadays everybody reads news articles on their devices.
B Journalists are selfish and don’t care about society.
C It doesn’t give an accurate description of the effects of digital technology.
D T here are too many articles about modern technology.
2 What does the writer say happened to technology in the last century?
A T here was a large increase in technological developments.
B It made us more sociable and collaborative.
C It had a negative effect on our lives.
D T here weren’t any significant technological developments.
3 How has life become different in recent years according to the writer?
A Young people watch more T V than ever before.
B People have less time for leisure activities now than they did 20 years ago.
C More leisure time is spent connected to the internet.
D People no longer know what’s happening in the world.
4 How does the writer think digital technologies have improved people’s lives?
A It’s become easier to manage a business than in the past.
B It’s not as difficult to maintain contact with people as in the past.
C We can choose our friends more efficiently than in the past.
D It’s possible to have more close friends now than in the past.
 5 What is the writer’s purpose in the final paragraph?
A T o convince readers of the benefits of digital technology
B T o show readers that people are over-dependent on digital technology
C T o warn readers about the dangers of digital technology to young people
D T o explain that too much sport or work can be bad for you

Score: /5

VOCABULARY

6 Complete the sentences with the correct f orm of the collocations in the box.

come to an agreement do (sb) a favour do (sb’s best) make a decision take (sb’s) advice

1 I know you’re busy but could you and help me with my homework?
2 We need to . We can’t keep disagreeing with each other.
3 I said he should see a doctor about his illness so I’m pleased he’s .
4 We can see that you’ve been . We really admire your hard work.
5 It’s a difficult choice but I’ve . I’ve decided to go to France.

Score: /5

7 Complete the text with the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

I think it’s (1) how much time some people spend on their phones. My sister has her phone in her hand
from morning to night. She’s always chatting with her friends or sharing photographs. She just can’t stop herself. T his
morning she was (2) pictures of her breakfast to her Facebook page! When I saw that, I suggested
(3) her phone off for a few hours a day. I explained that the experts say it’s (4) to
disconnect from time to time. She said that she takes my (5) but she doesn’t want to miss out on what’s
going on in the world!

1 A unfashionable B unbelievable C believable D fashionable

2 A making B posting C taking D mending
3 A doing B taking C turning D making
4 A reversible B sensible C terrible D accessible
5 A decision B favour C agreement D point

Score: /5

8 Complete the sentences with the best answer (A, B or C).

1 He’s always but no one ever laughs.

A going online B telling jokes C making fun of

2 My mum says I can for dinner at the weekend.

A have a friend round B do good C take a break

3 Angela loves acting. She’s going to the school play this year.

A take part in B have a friend round C make fun of

 4 It doesn’t to stay up late. You’ll be very tired tomorrow morning.

A go online B find it funny C do you good

5 You shouldn’t other people. It can be very upsetting.

A tell jokes B take part in C make fun of

Score: /5

USE OF ENGLISH

9 Write a f orm of the word in capitals in each gap.

Nowadays we have a huge (1) of videos to watch online, especially if you like CHOOSE
videos of people in dangerous situations. T wo popular videos in recent years show a woman
nearly being hit by lightning and a man fighting off a shark in the sea. However, it seems that
these videos were just a bit of (2) fun because an Australian company has HARM
admitted that there wasn’t any (3) in them. T hey say that their TRUE
(4) were part of an experiment to see how many downloads they could achieve. CREATE
T hey thought that people would watch their videos even if they were completely
(5) . T hey were right because the shark video alone got more than 30 million hits, BELIEVE
and although people now know that it’s not authentic, they still keep watching it.

Score: /9