Answer Keys
Part 1
1 B. ‘Text me’ is a shorter version of ‘send me a text message’. Answer A is wrong because Anna’s battery is at 1%, so she cannot call back soon. ‘C’ is wrong because she specifically says ‘text me if it’s urgent,’ meaning it’s okay to disturb her if it is something important.
2 C. Answer C correctly paraphrases ‘working again by 3 p.m.’ as ‘later this afternoon.’ ‘A’ is not correct (it mixes up ’emergency repairs’ with ‘use in emergencies’). B doesn’t fit here because it says ‘entire day’ but the notice says ‘by 3 p.m. today.’
3 B. ‘Let yourself in’ is an invitation to go inside. Spare key is mentioned as well. ‘A’ is wrong; Tom says ‘put it back’ (same place), not ‘hide it safer.’ ‘C’ doesn’t fit here – Tom left his keys behind, so he is not home.
4 B. Answer B is a direct synonym for ‘won’t open until 11 a.m.’. Answer A is wrong – it opens late, but doesn’t say it closes early. C is wrong; ‘resume Wednesday’ means the hours 9-5 resume, but the shop might be closed Wednesday (we have no information about this).
5 B. Answer B correctly interprets ‘Don’t let anyone book… before noon’ as keeping it available until midday. ‘A’ is wrong; the writer has already updated the calendar. Answer C is wrong as well: ‘we might need it later’ means it could finish at 12, but not definitely.
Part 2
6 A. The Botanic Gardens are only 10 minutes from the Central Station. They have many species (different kids) of plants and flowers. Option E is outdoors, but not very relaxing (sports oriented). Options F covers the outdoors aspect, but it is far from the city centre.
7 G. Soft Play Village offers a place for Nadia’s children to play, coffee and a number of activities for younger visitors. Answer B offers climbing, but it is more suitable for teenagers. Answer F doesn’t fit because it is located outdoors (and it is raining on that day).
8 B. Clip N Climb centre is perfect for Carlos and his son. It offers physical challenge and a competitive element (you can try to beat your own score). Answer E has physical activity, but involves team play which Carlos is not interested in.
9 D. ‘Peaceful gallery’ (quiet place to sit, the gallery part doesn’t really matter here), ‘café serving lunch until 3:30.’
10 C. Shared benches are mentioned, which hints at the place being popular. They want to try new flavours, and the place offers lots of exotic cuisine options. Also keep in mind that ‘night’ in English doesn’t mean an actual night, but anything after 6 p. m.
Part 3
11 B. ‘I was horrified. None of my friends had to work for their holidays.’ This matches annoyed that she had been treated differently. Nothing about gratitude (being thankful) is in the text. Answer C is wrong – job search comes later. The opposite of Answer D is in the text.
12 C. From Paragraph 2: ‘… beautiful building… but it had seen better days. The red velvet seats were worn thin… carpet smelled faintly of popcorn dropped decades ago.’ This description gives clear signs of age and use. The opposite of Answer A is stated. The neighbour didn’t give much description of the place, just informed the writer about the job opportunity. The opposite of Answer D is implied.
13 C. The man’s comment makes her notice things she’d ‘missed before’—like Rita’s kindness and the sound of the doors. The next paragraph confirms she realised ‘people didn’t just come for the films.’ This shows a change in the way she sees the place. Answer A is only a minor point. Answers B and D are not mentioned.
14 A. After the man’s comment, she notices ‘people didn’t just come for the films; they came because this place mattered to them.’ This matches importance beyond just showing films. Answer C is too specific, while Answers B and D are not mentioned in the text.
15 C. The entire final paragraph and the man’s comment about visiting for fifty years support this. The text is about sentimental value, not money (A) or teamwork (D). Answer B is the opposite of her view.
Part 4
16 A. The sentence before says: ‘The only thing Dad could really make was toast.” So we expect more information about his very limited cooking ability. Sentence A continues this idea perfectly: mentioning a toast and maybe a sandwich shows that he can cook almost nothing. We are still describing the past situation, one before the accident.
17 E. Sentence E mentions a piece of paper, which fits the context of him writing down step-by-step instructions.
18 G. It is said that the first weeks were difficult. Sentence G introduces a contrast: ‘something changed’. We then read how the father decided to take a different, more thorough approach to cooking.
19 H. The sentence before tells about him learning and cooking every evening. Then we have this part: ‘My mother told me she had never seen him so focused…”. So we need something that shows progress and improvement.
20 C. The context before this gap talks about the father’s decision to continue cooking. Then, sentence C tells how mother was ‘delighted’ (very happy) with this plan.
Part 5
21 C. ‘take/have an interest in something’ are the correct fixed phrases. ‘Made interest’ and ‘done interest’ are not English collocations. ‘Had’ is correct here: ‘I’ve never had much interest.’
22 B. When giving someone’s name after their description, we use ‘called’ or ‘named.’ ‘Called’ is the more natural choice in this informal context. ‘Named” makes more sense when you give somebody (like a newborn) or something a name. ‘Known’ would require ‘known as.’ ‘Said’ is incorrect.
23 A. ‘Give up’ means to surrender or hand over something you possess. ‘Put up’ means to tolerate. ‘Turn up’ means to arrive or increase volume. ‘Hand up’ is not a common phrasal verb. The chickens didn’t want to surrender their eggs.
24 B. ‘All’ is used for three or more items. The text says ‘lambs’ (plural, a group). ‘Both’ is for two. ‘Every’ and ‘each’ are followed by singular nouns (‘every lamb’). The gap is followed by ‘were’ (plural), so ‘all’ is correct.
25 A. ‘Notice’ means to become aware of something, often something that isn’t obvious and difficult to spot (like nervousness). Animals here can notice how people feel around them. ‘Watch’ and ‘look’ are about using your eyes deliberately, with a certain purpose. ‘See’ is more passive.
26 D. If you enjoy somebody’s company, then you like being with them. You can also be pleased by somebody’s company (requires passive, answer B), find somebody’s company enjoyable (answer A) or look for somebody’s company (answer C). As you can see, all other options require certain additions or changes to work in this context.
Part 6
27 to. The phrase ‘go to’ requires the preposition ‘to’ when followed by a place. ‘Go somewhere’ has no preposition, but ‘go to a place’ does. Here, ‘there is one place I always go to’ is correct. ‘Go there’ is correct, but the sentence structure is ‘one place I always go __.’ When ‘place’ is the object, the preposition ‘to’ is needed at the end of the relative clause.
28 bit/little. ‘A bit old-fashioned’ or ‘a little old-fashioned’ are common fixed phrases meaning ‘slightly’ or ‘somewhat.’ Both are acceptable in the exam mark scheme.
29 that/which. The gap introduces a relative clause describing ‘a large window.’ ‘That’ and ‘which’ are both correct for referring to things. Don’t use ‘who’, which is suitable for people but not objects.
30 because. We show reason why the library is closed – because of the repairs taking place there. ‘For repair work’ makes sense in isolation (‘closed for repairs’), but the gap is followed by ‘of,’ so ‘because of’ is the only correct collocation.
31 too. The structure is ‘too + adjective + for someone + to do something.’ Here, ‘too noisy for me to focus.’ ‘Very noisy for me to focus’ is grammatically incorrect.
32 from. The adjective ‘far’ is typically followed by the preposition ‘from’ when showing distance between two places. ‘Too far from my house.’ ‘Far to my house’ is incorrect.
Vocabulary
The vocabulary below is meant to help you with the more difficult words. If the word isn’t on the list then you are either supposed to know it or it is too specific to be worth learning and you don’t have to know it to answer the question. Symbols in brackets mean part of speech(see bottom of the list). Sentences in italics give examples of usage for some more complex words and phrases.
And remember — you are not given a vocabulary list (or a dictionary) at your real exam.
Part 1
Operational (adj) — working and ready to be used. The heating system is now operational, so the flat will get warm soon.
Disturbed (adj) — interrupted or bothered while you are doing something. Please do not leave the meeting room unless it is an emergency — we do not want to be disturbed.
Resume (v) — to begin again after stopping. Classes will resume on Monday after the holiday.
Updated (adj) — changed to add the newest information. Make sure you have the updated timetable before you book your train.
Client (n) — a person or company that pays for a service. My mother is a hairdresser, and one of her clients brings her flowers every Christmas.
Part 2
Buzz (n) — a feeling of excitement, energy, or activity. There was a real buzz in the stadium before the match started.
Grab a bite (phrase) — to get something quick to eat. Let’s grab a bite before the film starts.
Mezzanine (n) — a small floor built between two main floors of a building. The café is on the mezzanine, so you can look down at the shop below.
Burn off energy (phrase) — to use physical energy by being active. Taking the dog for a long walk helps him burn off energy.
Dedicated zone (n) — an area that is designed for one specific purpose or group. The library has a dedicated zone for silent reading.
Exotic (adj) — unusual and interesting, often because it comes from a faraway country. The market sells exotic fruit like dragon fruit and lychees.
Buzz (n) — (here): a lively, busy atmosphere with lots of people and noise. The new café has a great buzz in the evenings.
Casual seating (n) — chairs and tables that are not formal or reserved. You can sit anywhere — the casual seating means no bookings.
Shared benches (n) — long seats that several people can sit on together. At the food market, you eat on shared benches next to other visitors.
Kiosk (n) — a small shop or stand that sells drinks, snacks, or newspapers. We bought water from a kiosk near the park entrance.
Part 3
Horrified (adj) — very shocked and upset. Gemma was horrified when she saw her phone had fallen into the water.
Firm (adj) — strict and not likely to change. My parents were firm about the rule: no phone at the dinner table.
Concession stand (n) — a small counter where you buy food, drinks, or tickets. At the cinema, he works at the concession stand selling popcorn.
Supervisor (n) — the person who watches and checks your work. Her supervisor helped her learn how to use the new till.
Screening (n) — a showing of a film or TV programme. We went to a special screening of an old black-and-white movie.
Shift (n) — a period of time that you work, especially in a job that is not 9 to 5. Her morning shift starts at 6 a.m., so she wakes up very early.
Permanently (adv) — for all time; not temporarily. The old shop closed permanently last year, and now it is a bank.
Genuine (adj) — real and sincere, not fake. You could see the genuine happiness on his face when he won.
Multiplex (n) — a cinema with many separate screens. We prefer the small local cinema to the big multiplex.
Part 4
Retired (adj) — stopped working permanently, usually because of age. My grandfather retired at 65 and now spends his time gardening.
In charge of (phrase) — responsible for something or someone. While the teacher was away, the assistant was in charge of the class.
Exaggerating (v) — making something seem bigger, worse, or more important than it really is. He said he had called you ten times, but he is exaggerating — it was only twice.
Countless (adj) — too many to count; very many. She has tried countless times to learn guitar but always gives up.
Notebook (n) — a small book with blank pages for writing notes. He writes all his ideas in a notebook he keeps in his bag.
Arrangement (n) — a plan or agreement about how something will happen. We have an arrangement: I cook, and she washes the dishes.
Part 5
Grew up (phrasal v) — spent your childhood and became older in a particular place. She grew up in a small village with no traffic lights.
Foreign (adj) — from or relating to a different country. The food smelled strange to him because it was foreign.
Pecked (v) — (of a bird) hit or bit with its beak. A chicken pecked my shoe, but it did not hurt.
Lambs (n) — young sheep. The lambs were jumping around the field next to their mothers.
Nervous (adj) — worried or slightly afraid about something. He always feels nervous before speaking in front of the class.
Company (n) — (here): being with other people, not a business. I enjoy your company — you are fun to talk to.
Part 6
Concentrate (v) — to give all your attention to one thing. I cannot concentrate on my homework with the TV on.
Old-fashioned (adj) — not modern; from or like the past. My dad still uses an old-fashioned phone with a wire.
Surprisingly (adv) — in a way that is unexpected or unusual. The test was surprisingly easy — I thought it would be much harder.
Repair work (n) — the job of fixing something that is broken or damaged. Repair work on the bridge will take three months.
Focus (v) — to give all your attention to one thing. Please focus on your writing and stop looking at your phone.
