FCE Reading & Use of English Test 8

Part 1

 

1 talent fits best because it means a natural ability, and artistic talent is a common collocation.

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training means learning a skill, not a natural ability.

expert is a person, not a quality (you’d need expertise).

gift is similar in meaning to talent, but artistic talent is more common and natural.

 

2 told is the only option that fits with the phrase what to do. In passive structures like this, be told what to do is a standard form.

 

led usually refers to being guided physically or as a leader.

directed is possible but sounds more formal.

forced means made to do something, but doesn’t fit with what to do.

 

3 made fits because made her name is a fixed phrase meaning she became well-known.

 

got, did, and gained aren’t correct collocations.

 

4 supply fits with the expression in short supply, which means there is not much of something available.

 

availability doesn’t follow in short naturally.

quantity doesn’t work with in short the same way.

delivery refers to sending something, not how much exists.

 

5 come come across is the correct phrasal verb meaning find by chance.

 

fall across is not a correct phrase.

happen across is possible but much less common.

run across is possible but more informal or regional.

 

6 instant is correct because instant success is a strong collocation, meaning something was immediately successful.

 

acute means severe, usually for pain or problems.

urgent is for needs or requests, not success.

extreme doesn’t fit with success naturally.

 

7 height height of fashion is the correct expression meaning something is extremely fashionable at that time.

 

peak is used for performance or physical heights, not fashion.

top is too informal and vague.

crown doesn’t collocate with fashion.

 

8 set up means to establish or start something, like a business or organisation.

 

worked out means solved or exercised - wrong meaning.

put on is for events or clothing.

carried off means succeeded at something difficult, not founded.

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Part 2

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9 into is correct because turn into is a common phrasal verb meaning to change or transform into something else.

 

10 one fits best here because of the structure one of the… which is used to refer to a single example from a group.

 

11 before is correct because it shows contrast with how things used to be. It refers to the time before gyms with climbing walls existed.

 

12 take is correct because take part in is a fixed expression meaning to participate in something.

 

13 have or need both work here to express obligation. You have to or need to wear a helmet, it’s a rule.

 

14 case is correct in the fixed expression in case, meaning if something happens; here, if you fall.

 

15 after fits because it means once the first challenge (getting off the ground) is complete, the rest of the activity follows.

 

16 which is correct because it introduces a non-defining relative clause giving extra information about the legs. It’s worth remembering that in non-defining relative clauses, i.e. the ones that use commas, you cannot use the relative pronoun that so the only option is which.

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Part 3

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17 scientists Abstract noun to plural noun (people/profession) transformation. We need a plural noun to match the other professions: astronauts and doctors. The sentence refers to the people doing the studying, so we form the noun scientists.
 

18 research Verb to noun transformation. The phrase research programme is a common collocation. Although research can look like a verb or noun, here it’s clearly a noun because it describes the type of programme.
 

19 isolation Verb to noun transformation (abstract noun). We need a noun to complete the prepositional phrase during their time in. The noun isolation fits because the volunteers are physically and socially cut off from others.
 

20 unable Adjective to opposite adjective with negative prefix. The sentence explains that due to signal delay, real-time conversation is not possible, so we need a negative adjective: unable.
 

21 mixture Verb to noun transformation. We need a noun meaning a combination of different things. Mixture refers to a combination of more than two types (solo and competitive games), and fits better than mix, which is often used as a verb or informal noun.
 

22 feedback Verb to noun (uncountable) transformation. A noun is needed here. Feedback is the natural word meaning comments or responses about performance. It’s an uncountable noun, which fits because there’s no article (a) or plural form.
 

23 emotional Noun to adjective transformation. We need an adjective to describe state. Emotional state is the correct collocation for someone’s feelings or mood.
 

24 information Verb to noun transformation (uncountable noun). We need a noun after as a result of the and information is the correct uncountable noun form of inform.

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Part 4

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25 see any/much/the point in Lisa couldn’t see the point in learning to sew means she didn’t think it was useful or worthwhile.  After see the point in, we always use the -ing form. A waste of time clearly matches with not seeing the point.

 

26 have been relieved when The structure modal + perfect infinitive (must have been) + clause expresses a logical deduction about a past feeling. I reckon Barry was relieved is a logical guess so must have been relieved is the right paraphrase here.

 

27 is rumoured to be This is a passive reporting structure: to be rumoured to be doing sth
is used to report hearsay about a future plan. According to the gossip and will be getting married soon indicate a future arranged plan.

 

28 only I had not/hadn’t sent This is the third conditional for past regrets. Pamela regrets something she did so we use If only + the past perfect to express regret about a past action.

 

29 without (first) eating/having (first) eaten The word given without is a preposition and so it must be followed by a gerund (-ing form). Without eating or without having eaten both work and mean Ashley never skips breakfast before leaving.
 

30 to give up going Give up is a phrasal verb that means stop doing something permanently. We use the gerund going after it, as we do after all prepositions.

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Part 5

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31 D has unrealistic ideas about what it’s like to be famous

 

The phrase you can only wish him well is slightly ironic. It shows the writer doesn’t believe Aaron’s hopes are realistic, especially because Aaron is starring in a major fantasy film that’s already created an Internet frenzy.
 

A is wrong as he might be sensible, but the writer is more focused on his unrealistic expectations.

B is incorrect since Aaron doesn’t say he’s confident about dealing with fame, he just hopes it doesn’t change anything.

C is wrong too as he’s not unaware, he knows he’s in a big film but he’s underestimating its impact.

 

32 A modest about his achievements

 

It’s nice if your work is praised, but it’s all very new to me, this,’ he says... No big hassles.

The expression hasn’t gone to his head means he’s stayed modest and hasn’t become arrogant after success.

B is not right since he says it’s all new to me so he’s not used to praise.

C is not right either as he’s not talking about awards at all here.

D is wrong as well because he doesn’t question if he deserves the attention, he’s simply being humble.

 

33 B the story is not as simple as it may seem

 

But he insists that the plot is not as straightforward as it might appear. Not as straightforward means more complex than it looks. Aaron explains that everyone thinks they are the good guy.

A is wrong as he says no one felt like the villain, not that there were clear heroes/villains. C C is also wrong because he doesn’t say why his character is liked most.

D is not correct either as there’s no mention of actors having disagreements.

 

34 A he has no wish to watch his own films

 

…who seems to be a bit of a worrier and prefers to avoid watching himself on screen.

The writer directly links Aaron being a worrier to avoiding watching himself, a sign of anxiety.
 

B is incorrect as the text says he doesn’t care for interviews, but he still gives them and there’s no link to anxiety.

C is wrong too as feeling responsibility for a role isn’t the same as anxiety.

D is not right either because thinks carefully does not mean anxious.

 

35 C he was concerned that the person might easily be offended

 

I kept wondering if he’d come and see the film, if he’d recognise himself in my performance or be angered by it. Aaron fears that the real person might be upset (angered) by how he’s shown; that’s being concerned.
 

A is wrong as there’s no mention that he wanted to meet the person.

B is not correct either as he wonders if the person will come which means he’s not sure.

D is wrong too because there's no indication the person approved or saw the film.

 

36 D he shares certain feelings with lots of other young people

 

…that unwillingness to lose naivety; to lose that childlike way of looking at the world... I think it’s universal. Aaron says others his age feel the same so this shared feeling is what universal refers to.

A is incorrect as he doesn’t say he only chooses parts like this.

B is wrong too as he says it’s probably a bit of both i.e. him choosing the roles and directors choosing him.

C is also wrong as he doesn’t say he’s immature, just childlike in perspective, which he sees as a strength.

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Part 6

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37 I really wanted to learn Selk’nam, so relatives on my father’s side who live in Punta Arenas, the southernmost town in mainland Chile, sent me dictionaries. D This meant that I was able to start learning words, verbs and expressions. But I had no idea what these sounded like.

 

The phrase this meant that… clearly refers to the previous sentence, where the writer mentions being sent dictionaries. This connection explains the result: receiving dictionaries allowed the writer to begin learning vocabulary. The word these in the following sentence links logically to words, verbs and expressions.

 

38 The programme interviewed two sisters, Cristina and Ursula Calderon, and said they were the only two speakers of their language left. A I felt a sudden desire to learn that one too. Only later did I discover that the two languages are quite different; that the two peoples couldn’t communicate with each other.

 

Sentence A fits naturally here because the speaker hears about another endangered language and immediately feels motivated to learn it. The phrase that one refers to the language spoken by Cristina and Ursula (mentioned in the previous sentence). The next sentence introduces a contrast: that despite the interest, the languages were very different, supporting the idea of initial enthusiasm followed by realization.

 

39 When I was thirteen, I went to the south for the first time on my own to meet Cristina Calderon. G The trip seemed the best way to find out about my roots. I discovered that there used to be four thousand Selk’nam in Tierra del Fuego.

 

The reference to going on a trip in the first sentence links perfectly to Sentence G. The sentence explains why the writer took that trip: to learn about their heritage. The use of The trip seemed… makes it clear we’re talking about a specific journey. The following sentence continues logically by giving historical background, which matches the idea of finding out about my roots.

 

40 Now, there’s no way back. I got hold of some recordings of a Selk’nam shaman from the 1960s and started to study them. B It was slow because I had no one to talk to.
Gradually, however, I began to understand how the words sounded and began to reproduce them.

 

This is a classic contrast structure. The inserted sentence explains that learning was difficult due to the lack of speaking practice, and the following sentence uses however to introduce a change: progress was made anyway. The idea of studying recordings ties directly to the idea of having no one to talk to. The transition between difficulty and improvement makes the paragraph flow naturally.

 

41 The Selk’nam express themselves using lots of prefixes and suffixes, and the sounds are guttural, nasal and tonal. C Yagan is quite different, however, because it has more vocabulary. For example, it has lots of different words for the weather.

 

The paragraph is making a comparison between Selk’nam and Yagan. After describing Selk’nam’s structure, Sentence C provides contrast by focusing on Yagan, linking the two languages. The example that follows lots of different words for the weather clearly refers to vocabulary, reinforcing the content of the inserted sentence. The linking word however helps show the contrast.

 

42 Because music is something that reaches lots of people, I started composing traditional songs in Selk’nam and formed a band with two friends. This meant that they had to learn some words, too. E This was good because I didn’t want to be the only one. I need to teach my language to more people because if something happened to me, it would die out all over again.

 

The final paragraph talks about sharing the language. Sentence E fits logically, because it explains why it was good that the bandmates learned Selk’nam: the speaker didn’t want to be alone in speaking it. The reference the only one ties into the fear of the language dying out again. This leads naturally into the last sentence, which expresses the urgency of preserving the language.

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​Part 7

 

43 B ...don’t go expecting to see weights or rowing machines - this ‘gym’ just has rows of lovingly tended organic fruit and vegetables.

 

Sefton Green Gym is not a gym but a place for gardening.

 

44 A Martin says winning the award would help them make changes which the cyclists who contact us have been asking for.

 

This shows they listen to feedback.

 

45 C ...our artwork can now be admired in many public buildings and spaces in our region.

 

This means the results of their work are on display.

 

46 B He’s worked hard to raise funds but with limited success, and the gym faces closure if we don’t get any more.

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Raise funds means to find money, and limited success means it's been difficult.

 

47 A The website is meant to give newcomers the confidence to start cycling.

 

This shows it offers advice and support for people starting out.

 

48 D Volunteers collect and grade tiles before selling them.

 

This means there is a pick-up service to get the tiles.

 

49 C They plan to develop a retail range of recycled products to help fund their work.

 

retail shows they want to start selling things.

 

50 B They say the award would help with advertising for new members.

 

Therefore, they would use the money to publicise their group.

 

51 D Recognising that many tiles could be reused, a group of volunteers formed...

 

They’re giving something useful a second life.

 

52 A Even though they’re based in Cambridge, Martin says their routes are available in all regions nationwide.

 

nationwide is another way of saying all over the country.

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