B2 Practice Test 1
KGL Contest in English
B2
Time: 60 minutes
Instructions
Read each part carefully.
To answer a question click on the answer. To change your answer click on another answer.
To go to the next part click Next. To go back click Back.
You can go back to check you work until the end of the test.
Clicking on Exit ends the test.
You must answer all questions.
To start the test click on the button below.
Part 1 - Reading
Questions 1-10
Click on the gap and choose the correct word
Should parents use GPS apps to spy on their children?
Do you ever feel your parents are watching your (1) move? According to an Australian survey, maybe they are.
In the survey, one in three parents in Australia said they use Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking apps to see (2) their children are. More shocking perhaps is that one in ten would go so
(3) as to consider microchipping their children with ‘tech implants’.
A very large percentage, in fact almost 60%, of parents say they believe it’s their ‘parental right’ to know what’s happening.
Experts say that microchipping your child is (4) the same as tagging a dog and will result in serious trust issues between you and your child. Although not yet approved, there have been lots of requests by parents wanting to get their children the tracker implants, according to Sinead Karan from the Chip Me Now Company in Sydney.
Other parents responded that they would (5) tracking their children even though they don’t do so now. Some parents claim they are worried that their children might be (6) or lost and they just want to make sure they’re safe.
Child psychologist Dr Martin Care has said that monitoring children with implants is not (7) and that parents should stop treating their children like brainless creatures. ‘They have to understand the greatest (8) is in fact what’s between the ears of their children, he said.
Many parents of children with smartphones say they use Find My Phone or similar apps to (9) their children when they are out. Celine, a 14-year-old, said she feels (10) when her mum knows where she is all the time. ‘If I get in trouble, I know she can find where I am and make sure I’m okay’, she said. However, experts insist that this kind of remote parenting is just madness and should not be allowed.
Part 2 - Reading
Questions 11-18
Read reviews A-D and answer the questions. Choose A, B, C or D
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Review A I read 5 Steps to Success for Teenagers many years ago. I remember being impressed by it, so I decided to order the Kindle version to refresh my memory so I could discuss it with my 14-year-old daughter. I found myself wishing Leo Robertson concentrated less on sharing so many stories and more on making his point. While I personally prefer a more direct approach, I have to admit that his way may very well be a better way to reach this age group. I think I was focused more on the fun way he tried to write than on the points he was trying to illustrate. My daughter had a hard time relating to some of the stories and found them a bit boring, although again, she is only 14. I may ask her to read the book again in a year or two (and perhaps every year after that) as hopefully she will be able to relate to it better and get more out of it as she gets older. I would recommend getting the paperback version rather than the Kindle version as there are some ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ exercises to do. Additionally, the charts in the book do not display well in the Kindle version |
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Review B My wife and I believe the general ideas and concepts in 5 Steps to Success for Teenagers are a positive addition to any teen’s life. We started reading this book as a family and then having general discussions on goals and behaviours for success as discussed in the book. I think this approach is a great way to get teens interested in identifying what they want and then developing an action plan for success based on their wants and interests. If your teen doesn’t enjoy reading or is hesitant about self-reflection, then having them read and discuss just a chapter or two every few days is a good way to make the task easier. Be consistent with this or they will just lose interest. And remember: they will probably open up and share their thoughts more freely with you if you stay quiet and encourage them to figure out for themselves the kind of life they want to live |
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Review C My son is highly intelligent but I needed something to help him understand what makes a person effective and successful in life. As he matures and heads off to high school very soon, this book should prove to be very helpful to him. I feel it is a wonderful resource for parents and teachers to share with all teens. The world is big and changing so fast. Let’s equip them in every way we can. There is also an accompanying workbook that you can purchase. I cannot recommend this book enough, and not just for teens. The principles detailed in this book would be life-changing if you applied them to your own life as well (that's the hard part!). A lot of the problems faced by teenagers in society today could be fixed if everyone took to heart the advice given here. |
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Review D I am a huge fan of Leon Robertson. I own almost every book he has ever written. When the school principal suggested we get students to read ‘5 Steps to Success for Teenagers’ I was excited. I always like to see teenagers read something that can be of practical value to them. The first warning bells went off when the author stated that he speaks as a ‘retired teenager’. Umm, NO! Once you're not a teenager, you should not speak as one. Teenagers and adults are of two different generations with different life views. The book seems to be written in the voice of the typical teenager who has done all the right things. Some teens are not typical, and I think it would have been better to have the advice come from an actual teenager as opposed to a ‘retired’ one. That would have made the book easier for teens to relate to. |
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Part 3 - Reading
Questions 19-25
Read the article and answer the questions. Choose A, B, C or D
How I discovered that ads are not random
I was an early user of SoundLoud, and for the first few years I just listened to the music a lot without upgrading to the ad-free version. In other words, I got to know SoundLoud ads rather well. Had I upgraded, I would not have had those interruptions but, at the time, I just saw it as the price you pay for not upgrading and it really wasn’t a big deal for me.
A couple of years into my usage, I needed to change some of my account settings. The system didn't let me save the changes I wanted to make unless I also indicated my gender. Turns out, when I signed up this wasn't one of the questions asked, but somewhere along the way they realised they could get better ad revenue if they knew their users' gender. I indicated that I'm female and hit ‘save’. The key here is to note that until I clicked that button, my gender was unknown to SoundLoud.
The ads I received changed immediately, and the listening experience was totally different. Before SoundLoud found out my gender, the ads I remember hearing were for business card printing services, cars, a local sports-oriented radio station and DIY videos. And after I had declared my gender these ads mysteriously disappeared and I was hearing ads for engagement rings, hair and beauty products, weight reduction plans and fashion clothes. And that's just what I can remember.
But the story's not over yet. After a few weeks, I was heartily tired of hearing yet another engagement ring advert. I was just 20 at the time and single. SoundLoud knew the former but not the latter.
I decided I would try to go back to my ‘old’ ads, and try to ‘take back’ my gender declaration. Of course, SoundLoud didn't let me go back to ‘undeclared’ but I could switch to ‘male’. So I did. Now I had a renewed curiosity as to what, if anything, might have changed. Indeed, as I somehow suspected the ads did change again and now I was exposed to the male ads for business card printing services, cars, a local sports-oriented radio station and a ‘White Now for Men’ toothpaste. The exact same ads as before, with a toothpaste for men added!
The fact that adverts are gender-targeted was not that surprising to me. But, the extent of the contrast really surprised me. There was almost no overlap!
In addition, because I had the advantage of getting to experience male, female and neutral settings, I also found out that the ‘default’ person for SoundLoud was male by assumption. So, men get to be defined by things like their interests or abilities or strengths (business owner, car enthusiast, and sports fan), while for women just the category ‘woman’ can be enough. I had heard of this concept before, but this accidental experiment really highlighted to me how it plays out in reality and how much it matters. Neutral ads = men's ads. But surely both genders need business cards, and drive cars, and listen to local radio stations. However, these ads disappeared as soon as I was female. Then, my category was suddenly defined by fashion, beauty, and relationships. No more business cards for me.
I much preferred the male ads. To this day, my SoundLoud profile is listed as male. And I am more aware of all the random male/female gender buttons that are everywhere on the internet.
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Part 4 - Reading
For questions 26-31 choose the word(s) closest in meaning to the underlined word(s)
For questions 32-35 choose A, B, C or D
Have you heard about the leaning tower?
Yes, you might say. Almost everybody knows about the learning tower of Pisa in Italy, which is slowly sinking on one side. And yes, you would be right. But what if I were to tell you that I am not talking about Pisa but about San Francisco! One day it may also become a major tourist attraction but that is the last thing on the minds of those (26) afflicted by the sinking Millennium Tower in San Francisco.
The tower is a 58 storey residential building and is considered one of the top residential buildings in the world and boasts to be the home of some of the richest people in America. The prices of apartments in the tower (27) spanned from $1.6 million to more than $10 million.
But it’s sinking. And it’s not only sinking at an alarming rate – 16 inches since its completion in 2008 – it’s also sinking unevenly and has begun to lean. ‘That’s significant … and of concern’, said Professor Greg Deierlein, director of the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center at Stanford University.
What happens as a building begins to lean is that walls can crack and elevators might (28) break down . While it's expected that high-rises will sink over extended periods of time, the sinking of the Millennium Tower is quite unusual and was expected to sink only about six inches over its life span. ‘It started off small, and by 2009 the (29) incline was only two inches’, says Pete, who was
one of the first to move into the tower. ‘I assume the tilt of the Tower of Pisa started out small too and no one noticed at first’, he says. At the same time one of the apartments has gone on the market for almost double what the current owner paid in 2011, at $3.23 million.
Others are selling their apartments for less than they paid for them but they find there are no buyers, even at bargain prices. ‘It’s really disturbing’ says Jill, who now says her apartment has zero value because no one wants to buy it. ‘If you can’t sell it, then it’s really worth nothing’, she says. When we visited the agent, who listed Jill’s property for sale, we were impressed by the
(30) features of the apartment which included a superb view with over 250 metres of living space and a garage for one car. We asked the agent why the apartment was still listed for sale if there are no buyers. The agent was quick to point out that someone may wish to buy it despite the problems. ‘After all, it is going for a bargain price and there is always the possibility that a solution to the problem will be found and the property will once again (31) regain its true value’.
Perhaps the agent is also aware of the rumours that work is already underway to right the Tower but engineers will have to install 150 foundation pillars, 200 feet down into the bedrock from the building's basement - which could cost an estimated $150 million. The question is, of course, who is going to pay for this?
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Part 5 - Reading
Questions 36-40
Complete the sentences with the word that is spelt correctly. Choose A, B or C
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