FCE Reading & Use of English Test 5

Explanations

Part 1

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1 considered to be is a common and natural expression. It means people generally think or believe something and it is followed by a to-infinitive.

suggested usually means recommended, which doesn’t fit the idea of general opinion. 

approved means officially accepted or allowed, which isn’t the idea here.

regarded is close in meaning, but we usually say regarded as, not regarded to be.

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2 However is used to show contrast with the previous sentence. It shows that something surprising or different is coming and it’s followed by a comma.

Although also shows contrast, but it needs to be used in the same sentence as the thing it contrasts with and it is followed by a clause (subject + conjugated verb).

Despite is followed by a noun or -ing form and like although, both parts in contrast need to be in the same sentence.

Therefore is used to show a result, not contrast.

3 symbol refers to something that represents or shows the idea of something, like wealth or power, which collocates perfectly with status.

notice refers to a message or announcement, not something that shows status.

display could work as a verb (e.g. to display wealth), but here you need a noun.

logo is a design for a company, not something that shows social status.

4 only makes perfect sense here as it means just those people, no one else.

except is wrong because it’s used for excluding something, not for introducing who can do something.

instead of is used for replacing something, which doesn’t make sense here.

otherwise means if not, and isn’t logical in this sentence.

5 on is part of take on, a phrasal verb which means to challenge or fight something, which is perfect for this context.

up as part of take up means to start a hobby or activity (e.g. take up tennis).

out as part of take out is often used when removing or eliminating something.

in as part of take in can mean to absorb information or to allow someone to stay in your home which is not relevant here.

6 recent collocates with In recent years and is a very common phrase meaning in the last few years.

modern is more general and not usually used with years like this.

latest is usually used with things like news or products (e.g. the latest iPhone).

current means happening now and doesn’t collocate naturally with years.

7 fight can mean a struggle or effort for something, not always physical and it’s the option that best collocates in this context.

quarrel is a small argument, usually between two people. It doesn't collocate here.

dispute is more formal and used in legal or political situations.

conflict is often used to describe wars or serious physical or emotional struggles.

8 expected means people assume or require you to do something which fits perfectly here.

demanded sounds too strong; demanded to do something isn't natural English.

insisted on something or insisted that someone do something works, but not insisted to do something.

proposed does not go with to.

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Part 2

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9 only This is part of a common structure: not only... but also...used to connect two similar or surprising facts.

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10 as Another set phrase: as + adjective + as.  As diverse as Brazil means those countries are examples of the diversity mentioned.

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11 have We use present perfect here (have + past participle) because we are asking about a change or development over time that is still true now. As the subject is pizza and pasta a plural auxiliary is needed: have.

12 be Passive voice: can be adapted. be is the base form after can in passive constructions.

13 of A wide range of is a common collocation. We always use of after range when followed by a noun.

14 no We need a negative determiner to express that the possibilities are unlimited.
There is no limit means there’s nothing stopping you.

15 more This is the second part of the structure less to do with X and more to do with Y.

16 a We need an indefinite article here because characteristic is singular and countable.

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Part 3

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17 creative Verb to adjective transformation. The comparative phrase a gentler and more shows we need an adjective. Gentler is already a positive word, so we’re clearly talking about a positive trait, not something that needs a negative prefix.

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18 quietly Adjective to adverb transformation. It describes how they sing so we need an adverb here. It refers to manner, so quietly is the natural adverb form of quiet.

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19 researchers Verb to plural noun (people) transformation. A group of is followed by a plural countable noun, so the plural form researchers is required. We’re talking about people who did the studying which is a clear pointer to the agent noun researchers.

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20 musical Noun to adjective transformation. Before a noun sounds, we often use an adjective to describe what kind. Musical sounds means the sounds are related to music or have musical quality.

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21 pleasure Verb to noun transformation. Their requires a noun, and from the context, the feeling is positive as they’re eating food they enjoy.

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22 communication Verb to noun transformation. A form of requires a noun. The sentence is discussing function or purpose, so communication is the clearest transformation.

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23 decisions Verb to plural noun transformation. All the in this context indicates a plural noun is needed. Make a decision is a common collocation, so we naturally expect the noun decisions.

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24 fascinating Verb to –ing adjective transformation. We need an adjective to describe discovery and most tells us we need the superlative form of an adjective. Fascinating describes something that makes you interested (active meaning).

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Part 4

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25 advised me not to go Reported speech of a negative piece of advice. Shouldn’t go out becomes advised not to go. Verb patterns is also being tested here as you must use the pattern: advise someone to do something i.e. advised + object + infinitive with to.

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26 have my hair cut This sentence uses the causative structure: have + object + past participle meaning someone else does the action for you/a service is performed for you.

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27 (been) three years since This is a common expression It’s been X time since + past simple.

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28 did not mean to break This expresses lack of intention: breaking something unintentionally. The phrase by accident means not intentional and is paraphrased with didn’t mean to + to infinitive.

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29 more difficult than Wasn’t as easy as means it was harder, so we need more difficult than. This is a comparison of expectation vs. reality. This is a very common type of sentence in this part of the exam: not as + adjective + as transforms to more/less + opposite adjective + than.

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30 have turned down The phrasal verb turn down means to not accept or refuse. It was a mistake expresses regret so we must use shouldn’t have + past participle to convey this idea.

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Part 5

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31 D His job suits his personality

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The first paragraph describes Martin as courteous, humorous, intelligent, and well-informed, all traits that are perfect for a good tour guide. The phrase seems to bring together most of the necessary virtues strongly suggests that his personality is well suited to his job.

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A is wrong as he used to be a lecturer but now he’s a guide. He doesn’t do both.

B is also wrong as there is no suggestion they worked together.

C is incorrect too because there's no mention of it being a hobby before becoming a job.

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32 C avoid the failings of many other tour guides

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In paragraph two, the writer mentions that Martin stood out from the arrogant, repetitive and bossy guides and says I sought him out again to see... just how the trick was done. This shows curiosity about how Martin avoids these common negative traits.

A is wrong as there’s no mention of Martin competing for customers.

B is incorrect since he does entertain, but the focus is on how he avoids common problems.

D is also wrong because there is no mention of encouraging people to book again.

33 A greeted everyone warmly

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He welcomed them with dazzled pleasure and genuine excitement. This implies a warm, friendly greeting, even with a touch of anxiety, now thankfully relieved.

B is not right as the anxiety was minor and immediately replaced by joy.

C is wrong because there is no mention of being on time.

D is also incorrect since he checks understanding later on the coach, not during the initial greeting.

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34 B Encourage tourist participation

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In paragraph four we read how Martin introduces themes that lead to questions and discussions. This interactive approach shows he encourages the group to get involved and not just listen.

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A is incorrect as the route isn't chronological.

C is also wrong because he sits up front with the group, not moving around.

D is not correct either since there is no mention of this - he leads the content.

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35 D Arranging courses

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Martin says I used to organise a lot of courses and then says It was quite stressful. The it clearly refers back to the stressful course organisation, not to guiding.

A is wrong because he says he enjoyed this.

B is also wrong as this is discussed later, not linked to the word it here.

C is not correct either since the sentence talks about why he changed to guiding, but it refers to his previous job.

36 C The amount of preparation involved in Martin’s job

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The last paragraph says: It’s a great deal harder than it looks, and it demands... an even longer stretch of study and forethought. This shows the preparation and knowledge behind every successful tour.

A is incorrect since there is not mention of that.

B is not right either as it is not mentioned.

D is also wrong because it’s about Martin's method, not comparing all guides.

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Part 6

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37 It’s all the idea of Anna Wilson, who wants to educate young children about cooking and eating in a healthy way. ‘I’m very keen to plant the idea in their heads that food doesn’t grow on supermarket shelves,’ she explains. ‘The course is all about making food fun and enjoyable.’ She thinks that eight is the perfect age to start teaching children to cook, because at that age they are always hungry. D This is particularly true of young boys, who are happy to do anything that will end in a meal.

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The sentence before the gap talks about how kids are always hungry. This in D clearly refers back to the idea of kids having big appetites. The phrase particularly true of young boys adds detail about gender-specific motivation, which fits the age group of the children.

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38 Anna has worked as a chef in all sorts of situations and has even cooked for the crew of a racing yacht, in limited space and difficult weather conditions. E As a result, she has a very relaxed attitude to cooking, constantly encouraging the children and never talking down to them. ‘Kids are easy to teach,’ she insists, ‘because they’re naturally curious and if you treat them like adults they listen to you.’

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The phrase As a result refers clearly to her experience described in the previous sentence. It links well with how she teaches the children: relaxed, encouraging, and respectful.

39 Back in the kitchen, Anna is giving the introductory talk, including advice on keeping hands clean, and being careful around hot ovens. G This is followed by a session on ‘knife skills’, which will be important later on. Judging by the eager looks on their young faces as they watch Anna’s demonstration, they are just keen to start cooking.

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Logically follows a safety introduction: hygiene, ovens… then knives. Which will be important later on is a clue as the next paragraph talks about chopping onions, which proves this session is relevant.

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40 The children learn the simplest way, by watching and then doing it themselves. They gather round as Anna chops an onion for the first evening meal. Then the boys compete with each other to chop their onions as fast as possible, while the girls work carefully, concentrating on being neat. F This contrast will become something of a theme during the course. When they learn to make bread, the girls knead the dough with their hands competently, while the boys punch it into the board, cheerfully hitting the table with their fists.

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The sentence before shows a clear difference in behaviour between boys and girls. The phrase This contrast refers directly to that. The next sentence gives another contrast in kneading styles so F links both parts nicely.

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41 The following morning, four boys with dark shadows under their eyes stumble into the kitchen at 8.30 a.m. to learn how to make breakfast (sausages and eggs, and fruit drinks made with yoghurt and honey). We learn later that they didn’t stop talking until 4.30 a.m. C Their obvious tiredness may explain why one of them goes about the task so carelessly that the ingredients end up on the floor. Ignoring this, Anna brightly continues trying to persuade everyone that fruit drinks are just as interesting as sausages and eggs.

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The sentence about staying up late sets the stage. Their obvious tiredness explains the messy result. The next sentence Ignoring this… refers to this clumsy behaviour.

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42 Anna has great plans for the courses and is reluctant to lower her standards in any way, even though her students are so young. A She always uses top-quality ingredients, such as the best cuts of meat and the finest cheeses, so there’s clearly no profit motive in this operation. ‘And I like to keep the course fees down,’ Anna adds, ‘because if the children enjoy it and go on to teach their own children to cook, I feel it’s worth it.’ If this course doesn’t inspire them to cook, nothing will.

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This sentence explains what is meant by her standards i.e. using high-quality food. The next sentence I like to keep the course fees down… contrasts this by showing she isn’t in it for the money.

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Part 7

43 B At the time, Tim was writing a novel between takes, and Mark was preparing to get married.
 

These are two major life events happening during the making of the film, showing they were under pressure.

44 A We make a good team... unless, of course, one of us gets an offer he can’t refuse.
 

They work well together now, but they accept that they might split if a better opportunity comes. That’s realistic!

45 D You can’t rest on your laurels… We’re always looking for different sorts of projects.

 
They are saying it’s important not to stop or get lazy after success; they stay active and creative.

46 B ...when they were young boys... send video diaries...
 

Their interest started in childhood, which shaped their future career. This is an early influence that led directly to making films.

47 C ...entered the film into Channel Four’s competition… it won… Channel Four’s promise to fund their next project.

They impressed Channel Four, who then offered to finance their next film.

48 B Tim was writing a novel... now writing a screenplay... several other films...
 

They are working in different creative areas: novels, screenplays, short films. This shows a love of variety.

49 C We’ve seen so many directors get it wrong, that we kind of know how to get it right.
 

They worked in production companies and learned from watching others, which helped them improve.

50 C No one knew who on earth we were, but that couldn’t have mattered less.

 
They were at Cannes, a big event, but didn’t care about being unknown. They were happy to be there.

51 A...as they sat in the cinema... it dawned on them just what they had achieved.
 

The expression it dawned on them shows a sudden realisation of how well it was going (audience was laughing!).

52 C ...disenchanted with the theoretical... both men left university before completing their courses...
 

disenchanted shows they were not happy, and they quit; clearly the studies weren’t giving them what they wanted.

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