ITU Prep.

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SAMPLE PROFICIENCY Test

2003-2004

SECTION I. USE OF ENGLISH ( 35 x 1 = 35 points)

Choose the most suitable alternatives to complete the following texts.
Text 1.
5
A report published by the Center for the Public Interest says Americans spend about
half their food budgets _____ (1) meals eaten outside the home. Many restaurants, cafes and
diners have increased the size of their servings. It is difficult to know the amount of fat and
nutrients in the food _____ (2) in restaurants. Processed foods sold in food stores are ____ (3)
10to include this information. The food industry advertises a lot and not always truthfully.
McDonald's and Hershey Foods have given money to an international food organization to set
up an Internet Web site. Their goal is to get children _____ (4) more. However, critics say the
food industry is not trying _____ (5) to protect the public's health.
151. a) for

b) in

c) on

d) at

b) served

c) which serves

d) which served

b) received

c) requested

d) recommended

4. a) to exercise

b) exercise

c) exercised

d) for exercising

5. a) enough hardly

b) enough hard

c) hard enough

d) hardly enough

2. a)

serves

3. a) required
20

25Text 2.
Canadian researchers have discovered a set of genes that determine the lifespan of the
common nematode, a type of worm. This _____ (6) shreds new light on the aging process
which may eventually allow _____ (7) the inexorable process of aging and death.The team at
30McGill University in Montreal was able to increase the lifespan of the nematode fivefold by
manipulating the newly discovered genes. Altering the genes apparently slowed the
metabolism of the worms to _____ (8) leisurely pace. This in turn may slow the accumulation
of the DNA defects thought to _____ (9) aging. Although there are undoubtedly other factors
_____ (10) to aging in humans, researchers are confident that the discovery will _____ (11)
35invaluable clues about this mysterious process.
6. a) invention

b) finding

7. a) them to delay
40 b) them delaying

c) notion

d) conclusion

c) for them delaying

d) for them to delaying

8. a) much

b) a more

c) more

d) a such

9. a) take on

b) cure

c) lead to

d) struggle

10. a) contributing

b) donating

c) advancing

d) improving

11. a) benefit

b) achieve

c) attain

d) provide

45

50

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Text 3.
Natural flavorings and fragrances are often costly and limited in supply. _____ (12) , the
55vital ingredient in a rose fragnance _____ (13) from natural rose oil at a cost of thousands of
dollars a pound. Since the early twentieth century, success in reproducing these substances
_____ (14) a new industry that today produces hundreds of artificial flavors and odors. Some
natural fragnances are easily synthesized; these _____ (15) vanillin, the aromatic ingredient in
vanilla and benzaldehyde, the aromatic ingredient in wild cherries. Other fragnances,
60_____(16), have dozens, even hundreds of components. It has only recently been possible to
separate and identify these ingredients by _____ (17) of gas chromatography and spectroscopy.
Once the chemical identity is known, it is often possible _____ (18) them. Nevertheless, there
are some complex substances which have still not been duplicated satisfactorily. _____ (19) is
the aroma of fresh coffee. Many of the chemical compounds that _____ (20) these synthetics
65are identical to those _____ (21) in nature and are as harmless or harmful as the natural
substances. New products must be tested for safety, and _____ (22) used in food, must be _____
(23)
by the Food and Drug Administration.
12. a) An example

b) Such as

c) For example

d) So that

13. a) is extracted

b) extracts

c) extracted

d) is extracting

14. a) created

b) has created

c) had created

d) creates

b) consist

c) compose

d) maintain

16. a) however

b) but

c) because

d) so

17. a) ways

b) means

c) way

d) mean

70

7515. a) include

80
18. a) to synthesize
b) for synthesizing
19. a) One of these

c) that for synthesizing

d) that to synthesize
b) Either of these

c) Some of these

d) Between these

85
20. a) put up

b) bring up

c) make up

d) set up

21. a) which found

b) are found

c) be found

d) found

b) during

c) while

d) as

b) proved

c) confirmed

d) claimed

9022. a) when
23. a) approved
95

100

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Text 4.
105

Thirty-eight of the fifty American states have laws _____ (24) them to execute people
found guilty of capital crimes. Capital punishment is one of the _____ (25) debated issues in
the United States today. Opponents say the death sentence is too severe. Others say that
people who kill should die for their crimes. In 1972, _____ (26) Supreme Court of the United
States banned executions. It _____ (27) its decision on two amendments to the Constitution.
110The court ruled that the death penalty was cruel and unusual _____ (28) the way the states
enforced it. Yet the decision left open the possibility that capital punishment might be
accepted in the future. The decision meant this could happen if people _____ (29) only for
some crimes, under limited conditions. More than eight-hundred men and women have been
executed in the United States _____ (30) nineteen-seventy-six. Almost three-hundred of them
115were in the state of Texas. Three years ago, the governor of Illinois, George Ryan, decided the
state could take no more chances that it might execute people who were not guilty. He
suspended all executions in the state until their death penalty system was _____ . (31)
Governor Ryan _____ (32) a committee of legal experts and other citizens to do this. After a
two-year study, the committee raised questions about the fairness of _____ (33) . It also said
120some prisoners were given bad legal advice. It discovered wrongdoing by police officers as
well. The committee suggested there _____ (34) eighty-five reforms. They included _____ (35)
to improve collecting and presenting evidence in cases that involved the death penalty.
24. a) permit

b) permitting

c) which is permitted

d) permitted

25. a) widest

b) wider

c) much wider

d) most widely

26. a) ............

b) a

c) the

d) an

b) organized

c) depended

d) based

28. a) because of

b) because

c) due

d) despite

29. a) executed

b) had executed

c) were executed

d) will be executed

30. a) since

b) in

c) until

d) before

31. a) studied

b) could be studied

c) could study

d) could have studied

b) charged

c) established

d) responded

33. a) to sentence

b) to be sentenced

c) sentencing

d) sentenced

34. a) are

b) to be

c) being

d) be

b) measurements

c) dimensions

d) divergences

125

13027. a) set

135

14032. a) applied

145
35. a) measures

150

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SECTION II. READING COMPREHENSION ( 30 x 1.5 = 45 points)

Text 1. (Questions 36-41) Read the text below and choose the best alternative according to the

155information in it.

Solar radiation is the principal source of energy for the natural processes that create diversity
and change on the earth. However, if the earth continually received energy from the sun without
returning an equal amount to space, the oceans would boil and the land would be scorched. Since the
160average temperature of the atmosphere remains nearly the same from one year to the next, the earth
must be returning about as much energy to space as it receives from the sun.
Of course, not all locations on earth have equal energy gains and losses. Each year, tropical
regions receive a greater amount of energy than they radiate back into space. Polar regions, on the
other hand, annually lose more energy to space than they receive from the sun. We know that the
165tropical regions are not progressively heating up nor are the polar regions cooling off. This means that
there must be a flow, or flux, of energy from areas of excess to areas of deficiency. The atmosphere
and oceans circulate the energy that the earth receives, transporting warm air and water from the topics
toward the poles while moving cool air and water back toward the equator.

17036. In line 3, scorched is closest in meaning to ___________________ .

a) burned

b) flooded

c) deserted

d) damaged

37. In line 5, it refers to ___________________ .

175

a) energy

b) the temperature

c) the earth

d) space

38. In line 10, areas of deficiency means areas where something is ___________________ .

180a) lacking

b) incompatible

c) adequate

d) sufficient

39 . The temperature of the earth ___________________ .

185

a) is rising steadily because of the changes in the sun.

b) remains almost unchanged because the earth is cooled by space.
c) is rising steadily because the earth stores up energy from the sun.
d) remains almost unchanged because the earth gives off as much energy as it absorbs.

19040. How do we know that there is a flux of energy?

195

a) because the tropical regions are not heating up and polar regions are not cooling off.
b) because the earth receives energy from the sun and returns an equal amount to space.
c) because polar regions lose more energy to space than they receive from the sun.
d) because tropical regions lose more energy to space than they receive from the sun.
41 . The energy received from the sun is ________________________________ .

200

a) returned from the earth to the sun.

b) cooled.
c) radiated back into space.
d) redirected by the atmosphere and oceans.

205
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Text 2. (Questions 42-49) Read the text and choose the best alternative according to the
information in it.

210

TV presenters have always taken a lot of criticism. Daytime television hosts who drip with
insincerity make it look easy and we all think we can do better. Presenting is one of the most soughtafter jobs according to a recent survey. Every year, television companies are flooded with letters from
young hopefuls. Unfortunately, their chances of getting on screen are slim. To do so, it is often who
you know , not what you know.
215
But this doesnt deter thousands from parting with their hard-earned cash to go on training
courses in the hope that this will give them an advantage. I went along to a one-day presenters course
held in a real television studio, with proper chat show sofas, two cameras and an Autocue (a machine
put next to a camera, displaying the words to be spoken). It even had talkback, a sort of hearing aid the
presenter wears to receive instructions, and there were even light and sound technicians.
220
Ten of us had turned up. Ambitions ranged from Pauls- to read The News, to Kates- to host a
game show. Tina was just doing it for a laugh. Hayley was under no illusions about why she wanted
to go on TV, Im really attracted to the glamour of the job. I think if people are honest, thats why
they want to do it. I want to be really famous. Others made virtuous noises about wanting to meet
interesting people or make high quality programmes but, judging by the looks on everyones faces,
225Hayley had hit the nail on the head.
The initial task we were given was to talk about ourselves to camera. I volunteered to go first.
Well, what could be so difficult? Switch to camera one, stand by, Fiona, and three to go ... two to
go ... good luck. Our tutors hand came down with a professional flourish, the lights came up and I
was on. I stared deep into the camera lens for inspiration. It didnt come. Say something, urged a
230voice in my talkback ear. This was the producer in the control room. Erm, good afternoon, er,
morning that is, ha ha, I forgot what what time it was
for a minute ... I gradually went silent.
42. What is the main subject of the first paragraph?
a) viewers attitudes towards TV presenters.
b) the kind of people who work as TV presenters.
c) how hard it is to become a TV presenter.
d) how easy TV presenters jobs are.

235

24043. What does the writer say about the course she did in the second paragraph?

245

a) She wasnt expecting it to be of benefit to those taking it.

b) She had difficulty understanding what some of the equipment did.
c) It wasnt typical of many other courses of the same type.
d) It recreated the circumstances in which presenters actually work.

44. What does the writer say about the other people taking the course?
a) Some of them were looking forward to it more than others.
b) Most of them were doing it because they wanted to be famous
c) Some of them knew more about what it involved than others
250
d) Most of them wanted to present a specific kind of programe.
45. When the writer had to talk about herself on camera, she ______________ .
a) was unsure about what the tutor wanted her to do.
b) got confused by what the producer said to her.
255
c) wasnt sure when she was supposed to speak.
d) wasnt able to think of anything to say about herself.

260
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46. In line 4, do so refers to ______________ .

a) be employed as a presenter.
b) have slim chances.
c) know important people
265
d) receive a lot of papers.

47. In line 6, this refers to ________________ .

270

a) attending training courses

b) earning money in a tough way

c) being a TV presenter
d) spending money to get on screen

48. In line 11, the word illusions is closest in meaning to _______________.

a) theories
b) false effects
c) ambitions
d) false ideas
49. In line 18, it refers to ______________.
275a) light
b) inspiration

c) writers voice

d) writers comment

Text 3. (Questions 50 - 53) Read the text and choose the best alternative according to the

280information in it.

The electronic computer began life during the Second World War as a high-powered
calculating machine for dealing with complex mathematical problems, but in the intervening forty
years it has changed a great deal.
285
The vast majority of computers nowadays are used for relatively humdrum tasks such as
storing, classifying, sorting, cataloguing and retrieving information of all kinds. This has become
possible because of the cheapness of mass-produced chips; as the technology improves, the chips work
at ever-increasing speeds, allowing more work to be done in the same time, and memories become
larger, which really means cramming more data into the same tiny space. Much of this development
290is a spin-off from the space programme, and from work on controlling missile systems. The problems
involved in controlling fleets of missiles are so huge that a massive research effort has gone into
producing powerful computers to carry out the necessary calculations at the speed needed. Eventually,
this effort should provide benefits in civilian life. Already one effect is accurate weather forecasts
produced with the aid of large supercomputers, which benefit oil exploration, airlines, the
295construction industry and many others who need to plan for different weather conditions.
50 . In line 4, humdrum is closest in meaning to ______________ .
a) extraordinary

300

b) monotonous

51 . In line 5, this refers to ______________ .

a) using computers for humdrum tasks
b) the vast majority of computers

c) exciting

d) new

c) using computers as calculating machines

d) the improvement in technology

30552 . What does which in line 13 refer to?

a) necessary calculations
b) benefits in civilian life

c) planning for different weather conditions

d) accurate weather forecasts

53 . The development in electronic computers was partly triggered by ______________ .

310

a) the need for oil exploration and construction industry.

b) the need for improving weather forecasting
c) the progress made in space technology.
d) the cheapness of mass-produced chips.

315
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20

Text 4. (Questions 54 62) Read the text and choose the best alternative according to the
information in it.

Its a sound you will probably never hear, a sickened tree sending out a distress signal.
320But a group of scientists has heard the cries, and they think some insects also hear the trees
and are drawn to them like vultures to a dying animal.
Researchers with the U.S. Forest Service fastened sensors to the bark of droughtstricken trees and clearly heard distress calls. According to one of the scientists, most
parched trees transmit their plight in the 50- to 500-kilohertz range. (The unaided human ear
325can detect no more than 20 kilohertz.) Red oak, maple, white pine, and birch all make slightly
different sounds in the form of vibrations at the surface of the wood.
The scientists think that the vibrations are created when the water columns inside
tubes that run the length of the tree break, a result of too little water flowing through them.
These fractured columns send out distinctive vibration patterns. Because some insects
330communicate at ultrasonic frequencies, they may pick up the trees vibrations and attack the
weakened trees. Researchers are now running tests with potted trees that have been deprived
of water to see if the sound is what attracts the insects. Water-stressed trees also smell
differently from other trees, and they experience thermal changes, so insects could be
responding to something other than sound, one scientist said.
335
54. Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
a) the vibrations produced by insects
b) the mission of the U.S. Forest Service
c) the effect of insects on trees
340
d) the sounds made by trees
55 . The word them in line 3 refers to __________.
a) trees
b) scientists
c) insects

d) vultures

34556 . The word parched in line 6 is closest in meaning to __________.

a) burned
b) dehydrated
c) recovered

d) reduced

57 . The word plight in line 6 is closest in meaning to _________.

a) cry
b) condition
c) anger

d) struggle

350
58 . The word fractured in line 11 is closest in meaning to _________.
a) long
b) blocked
c) hollow
59 . The word they in line 12 refers to _________.
355a) ultrasonic frequencies b) trees vibrations
c) some insects

d) broken
d) weak trees

60 . In the passage, the writer infers that the sounds produced by the trees _________ .
a) serve as a form of communication among trees
b) are the same no matter what type of tree produces them
360
c) cannot be heard by the unaided human ear
d) fall into the 1 20-kilohertz range
61. Which of the following could be considered a cause of the trees distress signals?
a) torn roots
b) attacks by insects
c) experiments by scientists
d) lack of water
365

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62. It can be inferred from the passage that research concerning the distress signals of
trees ______________.
a) was conducted many years ago
b) has been unproductive
370
c) is continuing
d) is no longer sponsored by the government
SENTENCE DELETION (Questions 63-65)
375In the following text, three sentences have been deleted. Choose from the list of sentences A-D the
one which BEST fits each gap and write the letter of the sentence in the gap. There is ONE EXTRA
sentence which you do NOT need to use.

380

The End of Intelligence

Will machines ever be more intelligent than humans? The answer is clearly, yes! So began a
lecture given last month to the British Association for the Advancement of Science by Professor
Kevin Warwick of Reading University.
Sounding like a mad scientist from a bad movie, Warwick continued to draw some worrying
385conclusions from his prediction. If machines can be made as intelligent as humans, he said, then
thats really it for the human race. He believes that humans will not be in charge of the Earth
anymore. The machines will take over and either destroy us or force us to lead a slave-type existence.
People who say it will never happen are not being realistic.
At first glance, this looks like the fantasy of a man who has spent too long with toy robots and
390has lost touch with reality. 63____ For perhaps the most worrying thing about his view on the future
of robots and the human race is that many other people working in artificial intelligence do not think
that such views are particularly eccentric.
A few years ago, Hans Moravec, the director of the Mobile Robot Laboratory in Pittsburgh,
published a book called Mind Children. In it he predicted the coming of the robot age and the end of
395the human race. 64____ We humans will benefit for a time from their work, but sooner or later, like
natural children, they will seek their independence. Meanwhile, we, their aged parents will fade away.
Both scientists believe that robots with human intelligence will be common within 50 years. Warwick
claims that machines more intelligent than humans will be built certainly within the lifetime of our
children.
400
Are all the people working in computers mad? 65_____ Is there any reason to believe these
predictions? At present, Warwick claims, we can make an exact copy of the brain and intelligence
of some more primitive life forms, for example, insects. We can also create artificial animals which
can take on a more defensive or aggressive role.

405
A) He also predicted that robots the children of our minds will be able to develop more quickly
than we can to face the enormous challenges in the larger universe.
B) Or do they know something we dont?

410

C) But what does it mean in practice?

D) But if Professoe Warwick is mad, then so are a lot of his colleagues.

415

SECTION III. WRITING (20 points)

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25ITU Prep. Programme

SAMPLE PROFICIENCY Test

2003-2004

420Write an essay of 250-300 words on ONE of the topics below.

Use the regular format to organize your essay. (Introduction / thesis statement with controlling
idea(s) / body paragraphs with specific examples / conclusion)
For question number 1, you may use the graph given as support for your essay.
425

1) Why are big cities getting overcrowded? Discuss.

2) What are the effects of computers on our lives? Discuss.
3) Capital punishment should be abolished. Agree or disagree.
NOTE: Examples for essays on the 3 topics above are given on the Proficiency page,
under writing.

430

435

440

445

450

455

460

465

470
Section 1(Questions 1 35) 1 point each; Section II. (Questions 36 - 65) 1.5 points. each

1. c
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2. b
3. a
4754. a
5. c
6. b
7. a
8. b
4809. c
10. a
11. d
12. c
13. a
48514. b
15. a
16. a
17. b
18. a
49019. a
20. c
21. d
22. a
23. a
49524. b
25. d
26. c
27. d
28. a
50029. c
30. a
31. a
32. c
33. c
50534. d
35. a
36. a
37. c
38. a
51039. d
40. a
41. c
42. a
43. d
51544. b
45. d
46. a
47. a
48. d
52049. b
50. b
51. a

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52. d
53. c
52554. d
55. a
56. b
57. b
58. d
53059. c
60. a
61. d
62. c
63. d
53564. a
65. b

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