Name: ______________________________________ Class: ______________________________

Gold Advanced Progress test 5

Section 1: Vocabulary

1 Read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Have you ever had a brilliant idea which you thought might change the world? Strangely
enough, people who have (1) _____ with some of the most brilliant ideas never imagined
the extent to which they would change the way we live. Most brilliant ideas seem to have
emerged as a result of a scientist trying to (2) _____ a problem, often totally unrelated to
the use the idea is finally put to. In fact, invariably, great ideas and inventions are the
(3) _____ of many peoples work over many years or even centuries. For example the
original idea for a computer was probably brought to light by a seventeenth-century
philosopher, GW Leibniz, and people like Charles Babbage just added to his initial
speculations. However, (4) _____ we often credit Babbage with being the inventor of the
modern computer, his work would not have been possible without the developments in
logic explored by people like Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein. In fact, todays
complex communication networks would not exist if it werent for the Quantum Theory,
developed mainly by Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrdinger, Max Planck and Werner
Heisenberg. These men were working on purely theoretical physics because they liked the
(5) _____ of finding answers to their (6) _____ and they little realised that our world
would not be able to operate today without their experiments and discoveries. For them,
the (7) _____ of discovering these answers was reward enough. There have been many
stories of frustration and (8) _____ amongst scientists working on the same ideas over the
centuries but today, due to the massive amount of information available to all and sundry,
its almost impossible to develop a new idea totally on ones own. Guaranteed, if one
scientist is working on a particular new concept, there are others on every continent
(9) _____ much of each others work. On (10) _____ inspection, its almost impossible to
say that a new idea is completely new, as someone has usually thought of it before.

1 A turned up B come up C taken up D gone up

2 A decide B determine C resolve D relieve
3 A culmination B cultivation C implication D interpretation
4 A despite B even so C furthermore D although
5 A experiment B challenge C assessment D evaluation
6 A guesses B possibilities C opinions D hypotheses
7 A exhilaration B indifference C cheerfulness D hysteria
8 A friendliness B bitterness C fierceness D moodiness
9 A deciphering B projecting C duplicating D donning
10 A closer B other C more D extra
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Section 2: Grammar

2 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three
and six words, including the word given.
1 Everyone says that the route the climbers are taking is the easiest.
THOUGHT
The route the climbers are taking _____________________________ the easiest.

2 They were going to find another concert venue but they didnt have enough time.
HAVE
Another concert venue _____________________________ but they didnt have enough time.

3 Everyone was happy with the changes to the itinerary but Michael didnt like them, so
he refused to come with us.
FROM
Everyone was happy with the itinerary changes _____________________________ to come with us.

4 There werent many people at the concert, which surprised us.

FEW
We _____________________________ people there were at the concert.

5 I regret writing an impolite letter to my boss.

SHOULD
I _____________________________ an impolite letter to my boss.

6 At the meeting, the managers suggested a few ways to cut costs.

FORWARD
A few ways to cut costs _____________________________ at the meeting.

7 We failed to reach our sales target last month.

SUCCEED
We _____________________________ our sales target last month.

8 I only realised what the answer was when I walked out of the room.
STRUCK
The _____________________________ as I walked out of the room.

9 Most critics think this is the book of the year.

CONSIDERED
This book _____________________________ the book of the year by most critics.

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Section 3: Listening

3 05 Listen to part of a discussion about a book on laughter and complete the

sentences. Use no more than three words in each sentence.

1 Provines book proposes that laughter is used to improve human ________________________ .

2 Mark says that today people often only laugh at TV ________________________ .

3 Diana says that women think a good ________________________ is vital in personal male/
female relationships.

4 Diana thinks that the fact that there havent been many ________________________ in the past
reflects a commonly held attitude.

5 Although laughter is important in relationships, there is no evidence to suggest that our

________________________ would benefit.

6 Provines book suggests that its important to ________________________ more frequently

with friends if you want to laugh more.

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Section 4: Reading

4 Read four reviews of a photography exhibition. For questions 16, choose from the
reviewers (AD). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

Which reviewer
1 does not appear to be impressed by the backgrounds used for the portraits? ____

2 believes that not all the portraits are of the highest standard? ____

3 says that contemporary photographers have been unable to match Penns skills? ____

4 thinks the exhibition is inadequate in some way? ____

5 observes that some of Penns sitters look uncomfortable with the minimalistic backgrounds? ____

6 feels that an attempt at modernisation reflected badly on Penn? ____

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Beneath the faade
Four reviewers comment on an exhibition of the works of portrait photographer, Irving Penn
A
What is most apparent from this exhibition of Irving Penns portraits, which covers the
photographers entire career, is his commitment to quality and style. From the 1940s until
his last work in 2007, he remained constant in his approach, never failing to deliver anything
less than utter perfection. As his career progressed, Penn moved from classic fashion shots
to focus more on portraits, investigating how far a persons character can be portrayed on
their face. He managed to shine a light on the inner qualities of his subjects by exaggerating
an expression or gesture. The simplicity of the sets he used in all his portraits cleverly leaves
his subjects nowhere to hide, exposing the individual behind the icon. The result is, for
some, awkward, but for others it is liberating and only serves to magnify their status. The
collection offers a fascinating insight into the true nature of some of the most significant
cultural figures of the twentieth century.
B
Irving Penn once wrote that very often what lies behind the faade is rare and more
wonderful than the subject knows or dares to believe. The exhibition displays portraits of
some of the most celebrated figures of the last century, including John F Kennedy, Pablo
Picasso and Truman Capote. The less obvious points of his subjects personalities are
unashamedly portrayed by the photographer in characterless, bare surroundings. In showing
the sitters without any of the trappings of celebrity, Penn successfully reveals qualities not
seen in other portraits of such superstars.
The development in style that takes place over Penns fifty-year career is clearly shown,
from his full-body images of the forties, to more intimate close-up portraits of later years.
These all demonstrate that Penns technical mastery is without equal. He undoubtedly
created a style that later generations of photographers have found impossible not to imitate.
C
Irving Penn Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery follows the progress of the American
photographers studio portraits from 19472007, emphasising the continuity of his vision,
sensitivity to his subject and technical skill. It celebrates his interest in the power of
photography (and its limitations) as a means of depicting the inner life of sitters and to
discover, as Penn states, what lies behind the faade. Penns success lies in the importance
of precision, attention to detail and meticulously planned composition. Penn is and will
continue to be a giant in the world of photographic portraiture. But while he transformed the
style of studio portraiture, his relevance also endures as a fashion photographer and the
omission from this exhibition of some of his most iconic images for Vogue results in an
incomplete portrayal of his achievements.
D
As Penns reputation inevitably begins to fade, those unfamiliar with his work might at
first see only a collection of slightly out-of-date black and white portraits. But a closer
inspection will reveal how Penn turns the face into a landscape to be explored and
discovered. Every feature is highlighted in a manner that most photographers appear
incapable of capturing today.
The exhibition spans some fifty years of his work and one clearly sees a development in his
confidence and style. The majority of these portraits were taken in his studio using a plain
background and very few props. This helps to create a mood which, together with his expert
use of light and shadow, make his images never less than exhilarating. Only in the last
decade of his life does his work lose some of its magic: he experiments more with modern
trends in lighting and appears to have been persuaded by celebrity publicists and fashion
stylists to flatter his famous subjects.

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Section 5: Writing

5 Complete the essay with the words and phrases in the box.

apart from consequently finally firstly given in addition in conclusion

it goes without saying the truth of the matter is there is no denying that while

The government is currently trying to improve the teaching of science subjects in our
schools because it feels that these subjects are more important than arts subjects.
(1) _________________ there is a shortage of highly skilled workers in technological and
engineering industries, as well as a shortage of good teachers of maths, biology, physics and
chemistry, but should schools consider these subjects to be more important than history,
geography or languages, for example? (2) _________________ , I will look at the value of
arts subjects for the future and secondly, I will assess the need for science subjects in
todays world. (3) _________________ , I will give my own views and recommendations
on the best way forward.

(4) _________________ todays world is full of gadgets created by engineers and science
graduates, it is also important to have an understanding of the world in which we live, its
history, its geography and an understanding of the people who live within it in order to
ensure that inventions which are developed can be used to their greatest advantage.
Without artists, the devices we use would look ugly and uninteresting; without composers,
the music we listen to would be dull and without directors and film-makers, films would
be uninspiring and unattractive.

(5) _________________ that without scientists and engineers, we would still be living in
the Stone Age and, (6) _________________ , there would be no electricity, no computers,
cars and so on. (7) _________________ , we would still be dying of common diseases.
(8) _________________ the expertise of these people, however, and in order to benefit
from their knowledge, we also need those who have imagination and vision, which often
comes with training in the arts.

(9) _________________ , I would say that both sets of subjects are vital in todays world.
I would not say that one is more important than the other but (10) _________________
that we need to ensure that the skills can work together to create the best that humans are
capable of. Somebody once said that science is for exploring the universe while art is for
exploring ourselves. (11) __________________ that it is part of the human condition to
understand our role in the world, the two areas should definitely work together.

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Section 6: Speaking

6 Talk to your teacher about some of your experiences and opinions. You should:

say if you think people should hide their emotions while they are at work and why.
say if you think that having a dress code at work is a good idea and why.
describe what sort of person makes a good scientist.
say if you think that science is more important than art and why.

Your teacher will mark your presentation using the score card below. The teacher circles 1
mark if a student includes the area and 2 marks for communicating it accurately and
effectively. There is a maximum of 8 marks.

The student:
said if they think people should hide their emotions at work and why. 1 2
said if they think having a dress code at work is a good idea and why. 1 2
described what sort of person makes a good scientist. 1 2
said if they think science is more important than art and why. 1 2

/8
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