Universitatea din Bucureşti

Facultatea de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine

Centrul de limbi străine Ariel

Strada Pitar Moş, Nr. 7 – 13, Bucureşti
Telefon: +40 21 318 15 86
Fax: +40 21 318 15 85
office@centrulariel.ro
www.centrulariel.ro

PLACEMENT TEST – INTERMEDIATE

© Macmillan Publishers Limited 1997

NAME: _____________________________
PHONE NUMBER: ___________________________
SCORE: _____out of 100

SECTION 1: VOCABULARY (20 marks)

1. Complete these sentences with ten different words or particles. (10 marks)

a. Eating too many chips and crisps isn’t _______ .

b. I was very _______ when I didn’t know the answer. Everyone laughed at me.
c. Would you mind filling _______ this form?
d. I’m looking _______ my cardigan. Have you seen it?
e. Can you _______ this sink? It’s filthy.
f. How many goals did your team _______ ?
g. Why don’t you leave now? I’ll _______ up with you.
h. My younger brother swims like a _______ .
i. There’s a spectacular _______ from the roof of the hotel.
j. I’ve cut my finger. Can you put a _______ on it?

2. Complete the sentences with one of the words in brackets. (10 marks)

Example: Come and look at this. (look/watch)

1. Can you _______ me some money? (borrow/lend)

2. Please _______ me my diary. (bring/lend)
3. Can you _______ the table? (lay/lie)
4. I’ve _______ my briefcase at home. (forgotten/left)
5. You haven’t _______ any mistakes. (done/made)
6. Where did you _______ these apples? (buy/sell)
7. I’m _______ my exam results very soon. (expecting/waiting)
8. I didn’t _______ television last night. (see/watch)
9. When did you _______ your handbag? (loose/lose)
10. Passports are always _______ at the airport. (checked/controlled)

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Lumea e mult mai aproape
Universitatea din Bucureşti
Facultatea de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine

Centrul de limbi străine Ariel

Strada Pitar Moş, Nr. 7 – 13, Bucureşti
Telefon: +40 21 318 15 86
Fax: +40 21 318 15 85
office@centrulariel.ro
www.centrulariel.ro

SECTION 2: GRAMMAR (40 marks)

3 a. Choose ten of these words to complete the first ten spaces in the passage. (10 marks)

Example: a. are you b. have you been c. were you

1. a. didn’t write b. have written c. haven’t written

2. a. age b. ago c. old
3. a. during b. for c. since
4. a. has b. should c. supposed
5. a. can b. can’t c. must
6. a. can b. can’t c. must
7. a. hers b. his c. theirs
8. a. going b. going to c. want
9. a. as b. in c. than
10. a. many b. more c. much.

b. Complete the last ten spaces with ten of your own words. (10 marks)

8 Riverside, Oxford, OX2 7HJ

December 8th
Dear Keith,

How are you? What have you been doing recently? I’m sorry I 1_______ for a long time.

I moved away from Torbay eight months 2_______. I’ve been working in Oxford 3_______
September. I’m working as a receptionist in a computer company. It’s 4_______ to be one of the
biggest in the country. I think it 5_______ be – we’ve got a lot of customers and I’m always very busy.
The work 6_______ be quite tiring.

I’m staying with Lucia, a girl from work, at the moment. The house used to be her parents’ but it’s
7_______ now. I’m 8_______ buy my own flat. Flats are more expensive in Oxford 9_______ in
Torbay and I haven’t got as 10_______ money as I need. I 11_______ looked at about twenty – but I
haven’t found the right one 12_______ .
But I’m 13___________________looking! I’m 14____________ I’ll find one soon!

Have you 15_______ been to Oxford? It’s famous 16_______ its university but there are lots of other
things I like about it. There’s one thing I prefer about Torbay – Oxford has 17_______ rain. I wanted
to go for a walk yesterday but it was raining so I wasn’t 18_______ to go out. You 19_______ to have
an umbrella here! In fact, it looks as 20_______ it’s going to rain again!

I’ll stop now. Please write and tell me your news.

Love,

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Universitatea din Bucureşti
Facultatea de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine

Centrul de limbi străine Ariel

Strada Pitar Moş, Nr. 7 – 13, Bucureşti
Telefon: +40 21 318 15 86
Fax: +40 21 318 15 85
office@centrulariel.ro
www.centrulariel.ro

Isobel

3. Rewrite these sentences. Begin with the words in brackets. Make sure the meaning stays the same.

a. When she phoned, I was watching television. (While)

b. Could you repeat that? (I wonder if)

c. Saturday is the best day for me to do the shopping. (I like)

d. We were having lunch when the police arrived. (As)

e. Does it matter? (It doesn’t)

f. Florida is more dangerous than Texas. (Texas)

g. You have to wear a uniform. (You’re)

h. It’s possible that I’ll be away. (I)

i. You can’t smoke here. (You’re not)

j. We haven’t bought a television yet. (We still)

k. My uncle drives appallingly. (My uncle is)

l. ‘I saw a lion yesterday,’ he said. (He said he)

m. ‘Are soap operas the most popular programmes?’ he asked (He asked)

n. ‘Be careful,’ she said to her son. (She warned)

o. I’ll ask the shop assistant to wrap up the present. (I’ll have)

p. I didn’t work very hard for my exams. (I wish)

q. Sally is likely to be late. (Sally will)

r. I’ll take a drink in case I get thirsty. (I might)

s. Call a taxi and you won’t miss your train. (If you)

t. It was wrong of me not to leave a tip. (I should)

SECTION 3: READING (20 marks)

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Universitatea din Bucureşti
Facultatea de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine

Centrul de limbi străine Ariel

Strada Pitar Moş, Nr. 7 – 13, Bucureşti
Telefon: +40 21 318 15 86
Fax: +40 21 318 15 85
office@centrulariel.ro
www.centrulariel.ro

4. Read the passage Coffee, Italian-style. Was Tim Parks on holiday when he visited the bar? Or was
he living in Italy? (2 marks)

5. Imagine that you are moving to Italy to live. Does Tim Parks advise you to do these things in an
Italian bar? Put a tick by the things he advises and a cross by the things you shouldn’t do. (4
marks)

1. eat pastries before ten-thirty in the morning

2. ask for long-life milk in your coffee
3. put wine in your coffee
4. only drink cappuccino before lunch.

6. Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) or doesn’t the passage say (DS)? (6 marks)

Example: Montecchio is a large town. (F)

1. The Pasticceria Maggia is the only bar in Montecchio.

2. Only bars in the country serve grappa.
3. In some bars you pay before you order.
4. Tim Parks doesn’t like going to business or tourist bars.
5. Tim Parks and his wife arrived in Montecchio on a Sunday.
6. Tim Parks’ wife is Italian.

7. Why does Tim Parks like the Pasticceria Maggia so much? Write four sentences giving his reasons.
(8 marks)

COFFEE, ITALIAN-STYLE

The morning after our arrival in Montecchio, we set off to try the village bars. And for anyone moving to Italy, this is a
habit that I would very much recommend.

Timing is very important. If you want to order milky coffee and a pastry, cappuccino and brioche, you should arrive before
ten-thirty. Of course, you could order the same things later in the day but this would show that you are foreign. Italians
usually like foreign visitors. But they like foreigners more if they agree that the Italian way of doing things is best. When a
tourist orders a cappuccino rather than an espresso after lunch, they smile to themselves. Imagine pouring all that milk onto
an already full stomach!

Note this warning. If the first taste of your cappuccino tells you that the milk is of the long-life variety, change bar before
you spend too much time there. Either the bar is very much out in the country where nobody appreciates cappuccino, or this
is a bar where most people are ordering wine or grappa. If they are ordering coffee, they are putting wine or grappa, but
definitely not milk, in it.

Avoid bars where you have to pay before you order your drink. If you want to sit down in such bars, you will have to pay
for waiter service. So, you will have to pay extra if you pick up your coffee and sit down with it. More important, these are
not bars where the same people come and relax every day. No, these are busy bars, business bars, tourist bars. I do not
recommend them.

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Universitatea din Bucureşti
Facultatea de Limbi şi Literaturi Străine

Centrul de limbi străine Ariel

Strada Pitar Moş, Nr. 7 – 13, Bucureşti
Telefon: +40 21 318 15 86
Fax: +40 21 318 15 85
office@centrulariel.ro
www.centrulariel.ro

My wife and I went to the Pasticceria Maggia, our local cake shop and bar, that very first Sunday. We ordered at the bar
from the girl who was serving. I picked up my cappuccino and brioche and settled into a comfortable chair. My coffee was
delicious! I picked up the Gazzetto dello Sport and studied the English football results! (Every bar in Italy is obliged to buy
newspapers for its customers.) The whole experience was so relaxing. We have been regular customers since that very first
visit.

I have lived in London, Cambridge, Boston. I have spent long periods of time in Switzerland and New York and have
holidayed in most of Western Europe. I can honestly say that the Pasticceria Maggia is the most pleasant place for the
ordering of coffee.

Adapted from Italian Neighbours by Tim Parks.

SECTION 4: WRITING (20 marks)

8. Think about a film or TV programme you have seen or a book you have read recently. Describe
what happened. Try to use a variety of different structures. Write 15 to 20 sentences. (20 marks)

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