Answer Keys
Part 1
1 D – by. ‘To grow by’ is a common collocation here. We could also use ‘by over’ in the meaning ‘more than’, e.g. ‘The prices have grown by over 10% last month’. However, remember that we can’t use anything but the suggested options.
2 B – friendly. Another collocation – environmentally friendly – means that it aims do avoid doing excessive harm to nature. ‘Amicable’ is more commonly used to talk about people. While ‘environmentally safe’ exists, it is much less common. It can be used to talk about products, e.g. a spray that doesn’t harm the environment. ‘Environmentally acceptable’ is not a collocation.
3 B – since. We use ‘from’ when we give a limited range of time, e.g. ‘from 1990 to 1995’. ‘Since’ is used when we only talk about the beginning of something, for example, ‘I’ve been studying math since I was a child’.
4 C – profits. ‘Money’ is singular, so we can’t be using it with the auxiliary ‘are’. ‘Incomes’ is not commonly used in plural, so we rule it out on the same grounds. ‘Benefits’ does not convey the idea of monetary gains and usually means something else.
5 C – footprint. Carbon footprint is the amount of CO (carbon monoxide) and CO2 (carbon dioxide) that we create during the course of our lives. It is an attempt to quantify (express in numbers) how much pollution we create individually.
6 C – trips. A trip is what we mean by going somewhere, doing something there, and then going back. A journey, on the other hand, focuses on the time spent going somewhere, and it only implies one leg (part) of it. A raid is something that involves violence or any other forceful involvement.
7 B – frighten. The ‘away’ particle is key here. To frighten somebody away (or to scare somebody off) means to make them fear and force them to run as a result. Other verbs do not take the ‘away’ particle.
8 B – clearly. We use ‘clearly’ here to tell an idea that seems obvious, as the arguments have already been presented in an understandable way.
Part 2
9 has. We use the Present Perfect to show how a change in the past affects the current situation. Remember that we cannot leave empty gaps in FCE Use of English Part 2 (or any other part of the FCE/CAE exam)
10 up. To come up with something means to invent it, to think of it.
11 speak/think. To speak highly of something or someone means to have have good opinion about this thing or person.
12 Although/While. We need to draw a contrast between the two facts – Shakespeare being a well-known historic figure and how his life is mostly a mystery.
13 for. If you say something for sure, it means you are confident that you are right or that the information is correct.
14 put. ‘To put up with something’ – phrasal verb, to be forced to live in conditions that you are unhappy with but are unable to change.
15 difference. If you can’t tell the difference between two things, then they look the same to you.
16 majority. ‘The vast majority’ is another common phrase that means the greater part of some group.
Part 3
17 nature. You might feel like not changing the word – a common trap that you should avoid! The word in FCE Use of English Part 3 always has to change. A nature reserve is a place that is protected by the government and the idea is to preserve the local flora and fauna.
18 geologist. A person who studies the physical properties of the Earth. Note the singular form – an indefinite article comes before the gap, so the plural form doesn’t fit here.
19 sandy. A simple noun-to-adjective transformation.
20 constantly. The context clearly points to a missing adverb. Make sure to get the spelling right!
21 admire. ‘Pick up’ is the first verb in this sentence, located at the beginning and therefore it can be unclear that we need another verb here.
22 knowledgeable. This one is a nightmare to spell right. Remember that misspelling the word means you don’t get the point for it, even if the transformation itself is correct.
23 obviously. Make sure not to miss ‘u’ in the spelling.
24 coastal. Relating to the shore. A coastal clean-up is basically taking away the garbage that gets thrown away near the coast.
Part 4
25 up after he had (eaten). ‘To turn up’ is an informal phrasal verb that means to come somewhere. Note the usage of the Past Perfect to show which of the two actions in the past happened earlier.
26 must have been. We use ‘must’ to show that we are are absolutely sure about something.
27 had (already) started by the. Another case of the Past Perfect finding its use to make it clear that first the film started and then the speaker got to the cinema.
28 might be difficult/might not be easy. Note that ‘not easy’ and ‘uneasy’ are not the same – the second one usually describes a feeling or an emotion. ‘Might’ is a common modal to show uncertainty.
29 to put up with. Putting up with something means tolerating something that you are not particularly happy about.
30 was fascinated by. A regular active-to-passive voice transformation with no real challenges.
Part 5
31 C. Even if you are unfamiliar with the definition of the word ‘abyss’, the phrasal verb ‘looking down into’ should give you a general idea of what it means. An abyss is a hole or a pit, especially one that is so deep that it seems to have no bottom.
32 B. ‘That’ here refers to the previous reason stated by the writer – the fantastic view underneath.
33 C. The answer is in the penultimate sentence of the second paragraph. Visitors have to take their shoes off to avoid scratching (damaging) it with the shoe soles.
34 D. David Jin is said to have raised the money. Nothing is said about donations. Visitors didn’t finance the structure (they didn’t give money to have it built) – instead, they just pay the fees to use it.
35 A. The last paragraph opens with a statement that the Hualapai are in need of money. Even though there are many tourists interested in the region, not many of them come to the Skywalk. By developing it, they hope to make it more attractive. This, in turn, will help Hualapai generate more money that they desperately need.
36 B. At the end of the last paragraph, the author asks himself whether the Skywalk structure should be there. Answer A cannot be chosen for the same reason – he has doubts about the whole idea. Answer C is wrong – the visitors agree that this development is worth it. Don’t choose Answer D – he does list all the buildings and improvements, but he does not share his own opinion on whether they should be there.
Part 6
37 F. In the previous sentence we see examples of how celebrities get involved with the environmental concerns, showing their support of the issue. Then, in sentence F we have another, more illustrative example of their involvement, this time by DiCaprio. Sentence B is not optimal here, as in the next sentence we go back to yet another example, this time the main person of this text – Daryl Hannah.
38 A. Hannah’s involvement with celebrities of various calibers is discussed, with Sentence A expanding on this list organically.
39 B. A nice finalizing sentence that underlines the importance of environmental awareness. It also fits well with the paragraph that follows, which expands on why exactly we should be worried about the environment. Sentence D is not perfect here because of the introductory word ‘instead’, which contrasts it with the previous sentence.
40 E. Mentioning that her house is very small is then contrasted with the ‘huge mansions’ in the sentence after the gap.
41 G. The ‘experience’ from Sentence G is going to the survival camp. As she went there often during her formative years, it brought her closer to nature and made her realise its importance in our lives.
42 C. ‘Them’ refers to her cars. Old cars are known to be very bad for the environment because of their poor fuel economy. She isn’t planning on driving them until they can be made eco-friendly.
Part 7
43 D. Martin hopes to become a good role model for his students in Ghana. A role model is a person others look up to and want to be like because they respect this person.
44 C. Maria says that she is getting a ‘cash bonus’ at the end of her term, which she is then planning to spend on travelling around the US.
45 B. Jonah will have to ‘pull their belonging in a sledge’ – probably some kind of research equipment. Don’t be tricked into answering ‘A’ – even though the word ‘equipment’ is mentioned there, it is there in the context the kind of work Sally will be doing.
46 A. General maintenance is making sure that the equipment is in good order. This is exactly the kind of thing Sally will be doing in the dive shop.
47 B. An expedition to the North Pole is probably as difficult as it can get, so this answer is a no-brainer.
48 C. Maria is hoping to spend the money she gets at the end of her stay to explore the US further.
49 A. Sally will be observing turtles and their behaviour in the evening as well as ‘in the moonlight’, as stated in the text.
50 A. Martin mentions not having much experience in coaching, but he’s hoping to get some training when he arrives there.
51 B. Jonah and his colleagues will be collecting important data for scientists to analyze later.
52 C. Maria will be spending her time in New York, so she won’t be seeing exotic animals in the wild there.
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
Decade (n) – ten years. Having lived there for two decades, it was difficult to leave the town, even though he has grown pretty tired of it.
Unprecedented (adj) – never seen before, without a precedent. We use it as an intensifier.
Niche (adj) – if something is niche, it means that only a limited number of people will find it interesting or appealing. A niche hobby like beekeeping is on the rise nowadays.
Sustainable (adj) – not relying on finite resources, something that can be done indefinitely. Sustainable forms of energy, such as solar and wind power are too expensive to be profitable nowadays.
Consideration (n) – a point that is worth thinking about, something that is important.
Part 2
Play (n) – a theatrical performance.
Baptise (v) – to make somebody take part in a religious ritual that makes them a part of the Christian faith.
Speculation (n) – talking about something without having any actual information or evidence about it, making guesses. Tabloids are famous for having wild speculation about the lives of celebrities.
Contemporary (adj) – living or existing in the same time period. For example, William Shakespeare and Thomas Kyd (another famous playwriter) are contemporaries (here used as a plural noun).
Part 3, 4
Stretch of (n) – a large area of a particular landscape. A mile stretch of thick bushes separated our farm from the nearest road.
Landslide (n) – land or rock moving down or falling in large quantities.
Erosion (n) – a gradual process in which soil or rock becomes less strong because it is affected by waves, wind or rain.
Fossil (n) – what remains of dead living things that have turned to stone over the course of many hundreds of years.
Stunning (adj) – (here) impressively large or beautiful.
Part 5
Abyss (n) – a hole so deep that it seems to have no bottom
Gorge (n) – a valley that is both deep and narrow.
Cope with something (v) – to be able to deal with something negative. Medicine should only be taken if your body cannot cope with the disease by itself.
Alarmed (adj) – if you feel alarmed, then you are worried that something bad might happen. The dog seemed alarmed, and it was barking at the bushes with some uncertainty.
Fee (n) – a payment for a service. The parking fee here is $3 an hour.
Vary (v) – to be different. Prices can vary depending on the season.
Overdeveloped (adj) – (about an area) having too much infrastructure, ruining the natural feeling of the place as a result.
Runway (n) – a long stretch of asphalt or any other firm, level piece of land that is used by aircraft for takeoff and landing.
Setting (n) – (here) – the general feel of the place.
Part 6
Campaign (v) – to promote an idea, especially one that is not popular or widely accepted. She campaigned against increasing the speed limit in the city centre.
Accomplished (adj) – (about a person) successful in what they do. An accomplished writer will not necessarily be recognized in the street, as their faces often remain unknown to the general public.
Fossil fuels – oil, gas, coal and other finite fuels that produce energy and heat when burnt. Reliance on fossil fuels as the main source of energy is not going to work in the long term.
Habitat (n) – a place where particular species (animals, insects, plants) live because the conditions there are favourable for them.
Extinct (adj) – (about a species) no longer existing because they have all died out. It is likely that this breed of parrot will go extinct in the next two years.
Remote (adj) – (here) situated far away from civilization. Renting a house in a remote village is a great way to have a break from the stressful life in the city.
Recycled (adj) – (about some thing or material) given a second life through reusing.
Mansion (n) – a large and expensive house.
Property developer – a person or company that builds new or renovates existing houses.
Possession (n) – something material that you own. Leaving the house at 18 her only possession was a bicycle.
Cut back on something (phr v) – to reduce the consumption of something, especially something that is not good for you.
Content (adj) – happy about something. I am content with where I am in life at the moment, even though for others it might seem that I live on the verge of poverty.
Self-sufficient (adj) – not relying on help or resources from the outside; independent.
Part 7
Air tank – a cylindrical object containing oxygen, used in scuba diving to divers with air while underwater.
Halfway (n) – in the middle from the point of departure and the destination. We were halfway from home when I remembered I had forgotten my cellphone there.
Sledge (n) – a type of transport that is used to slide across snow and ice, using either a motor or animals to pull it.
Come across something or somebody (phr v) – to meet or find something without meaning to. I came across an interesting note between two pages of an old book.
Au pair – (French) a person (a young woman usually) that goes to a foreign country to learn their language and stays with a family to look after their kids. In exchange, she gets to live there and have her expenses covered by the host family. She might also receive a small financial compensation for her work.
Get a taste of something – (figurative) to experience something yourself rather than hear or read about it.