Listening

Student Name

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH EMPOWER C1 LISTENING COMPETENCY TEST

Mid-Course Test

Time

Approximately 40 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS Do not open this question paper until you are told to do so. Write your name on this question paper. Listen to the instructions for each part of the paper carefully. Answer all the questions. While you are listening, write your answers on the question paper.

INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS There are three parts to this test. You will hear each piece twice. For each part of the test there will be time for you to look through the questions.

© UCLES 2016

Part 1 Questions 1 – 10 You will hear five recordings. For each question choose the answer which fits best according to what you hear. There are two questions for each recording.

Extract One You hear an answerphone message. 1

2

What is the reason for the message? A

to explain an awkward situation

B

to postpone an arrangement

C

to give someone disappointing news

What do the two friends have in common? A

their taste for luxury holidays

B

their dislike of long journeys

C

their tendency to pack too much

Extract Two You hear an interview in which a woman is talking about her job as a marine biologist. 3

4

The woman states that she has only recently learned to scuba dive because A

a new opportunity has become available.

B

the number of coral reefs has grown substantially.

C

the effects of global warming are now taking hold.

What is the woman doing when she talks about scuba diving in ice-cold water? A

justifying the use of expensive resources

B

responding to a subtle criticism

C

complaining about her job

2

Extract Three You hear two people talking about whether students should be required to do voluntary work while they are at school. 5

6

What’s the man’s attitude to students doing voluntary work? A

He’s willing to support it.

B

He’s suspicious of students’ motives for doing it.

C

He’s unsure who would benefit most from it.

The woman mentions the less well off in order to A

respond to a criticism of voluntary work that has been made.

B

raise awareness of certain issues associated with voluntary work.

C

explain how they might benefit from doing voluntary work.

Extract Four You hear two students discussing ho w working as an au pair, living in a family to look after the children, can help with learning a new language. 7

8

When talking about her experience of working as an au pair, the woman advises others to A

use appropriate language.

B

try to fit in socially in the new environment.

C

get to grips with the grammar of the language.

They both believe that working as an au pair is A

particularly suitable for young people.

B

a way of living a more affluent lifestyle than they’re used to.

C

something that some people should think twice about before doing.

3

Turn over ►

Extract Five You hear a podcast in which a man is being interviewed about the experience of going scuba diving with his son for the first time. 9

10

When talking about his son scuba diving for the first time, he reveals A

his son’s reluctance to take risks.

B

his awareness of a change in the father-son relationship.

C

his dependence on support from others.

How did the man feel about the Caribbean? A

It was far too remote.

B

It failed to live up to his expectations.

C

It was more affordable than he’d imagined.

4

Part 2 Questions 11 – 20 You will hear a postgraduate called Tom Benton giving a talk about his experience of doing volunteer work in Thailand with a shark conservation programme. For each question, write a word or short phrase in the gap.

Volunteering: shark conservation For his first degree, Tom studied (11) …………………………………. . Tom says the (12) ………………………………… for the job in Thailand was strong. He had always dreamt of going to a (13) ………………………………… to do volunteering. He followed the advice of his (14) ………………………………… and accepted the post in Thailand. What struck Tom in particular was the (15) ………………………………… when he was on his first dive. On his first dive, Tom saw a type of shark called the (16) ………………………………… shark. Tom found the (17) ………………………………… used for the underwater surveys difficult to use at first. His first task was to study the (18) ………………………………… of the shark population in the area. He is concerned because, according to (19) ………………………………… that the team generated, the number of vulnerable shark species is rising. The volunteering experience has increased his sense of ( 20) ………………………………… to shark conservation.

5

Turn over ►

Part 3 Questions 21 – 26 You will hear two friends, Sarah and Dan, talking about their memories of holidays when they were younger. For each question, choose the answer which fits best according to what you hear.

21

What does Sarah say about her relationship with Clara? A B C D

22

The barbecue was an issue because Sarah A B C D

23

They were forced to eat plain food. They made the wrong choices. They didn’t have the right cooking equipment. They failed to take their parents’ advice.

According to Dan, what did the camping holiday teach him? A B C D

26

He is frequently reminded of it. He is barely able to remember the details of it. He wished he had gone alone. He has some fond memories of it.

What problem did Dan have on the camping trip? A B C D

25

struggled to hold a conversation with anyone. realised Clara’s family were missing some vital information. thought Clara’s dad had poor cooking skills. felt self-conscious because everyone was looking at her.

What does Dan say about his first camping trip? A B C D

24

Her gut instinct proved to be correct. Her lack of German turned out to be a barrier. They managed to put their differences to one side. They found they shared similar interests.

the relevance of survival skills the dangers of certain activities the importance of making the best of a situation the benefits of careful holiday planning

What would have made Sarah’s camping holiday better? A B C D

being offered an alternative location being given more freedom having more time to appreciate the experience meeting people she could relate to

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