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A2 English Test 2022

Last updated almost 4 years ago
41 questions
Read the text and for questions 1 to 8, match each sentence with the person who might say it.

Why do people collect?

Petra Engels owns 19,571 erasers, Carol Vaughn has 1,221 bars of soap, and Ralf Shrőder has a collection of 14,502 packets of sugar. Many people love to collect things, but why? Psychologists and collectors have different opinions.

The psychologist Carl Jung believed that collecting is part of our ancient human history. Thousands of years ago, humans collected nuts and berries. They kept them carefully and ate them when there was no food. The best collectors survived long cold winters or seasons without rain. Their genes passed to future generations. Nowadays, we still have a collecting instinct.

Historian Philipp Bloom has a different opinion. He thinks collectors want to make something that will remain after their death. By bringing many similar items together, the collector gains historical importance. Sometimes their collections become museums or libraries, for example, Henry Huntington, who founded a library in Los Angeles to house his collection of books.

Author Steve Roach thinks that people collect things to remember their childhood. Many children collect things, but few have enough money to buy the things they really want, and they lose interest. In later life, they remember their collections fondly. Now, they have enough money and opportunity to find special items, and they start collecting again. This way, they can re-live and enjoy their childhood years.

Art collector, Werner Muensterberger, agrees that collecting is linked to childhood. But he believes we collect in order to feel safe and secure. While babies hold blankets or toys to feel safe when their mother isn’t there, adults collect things to stop feeling lonely or anxious.

Autograph collector Mark Baker agrees that collecting is emotional, but he doesn’t collect to reduce anxiety. “For me, it’s the excitement,” he says. “I love trying to get a famous person’s autograph. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail. Also, by collecting autographs, I feel connected to famous people. I don’t just watch them on television. I actually meet them.”

These are just a few reasons for collecting. Do you know any people with collections? Why do they collect?
1

People collect things because it makes them feel comfortable.

1

I collect because I enjoy trying to achieve something.

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People have always collected because we need to stay alive.

1

People collect because they want to remember a former hobby.

1

People collect because they want to be famous for something important.

1

People start collecting again when they can afford to buy special things.

1

Collecting gives people something to do during bad weather and cold or wet seasons.

1

Collecting links ordinary people to the lives of well-known people.

Read the following news and for questions 9-13, choose the correct option.

It’s in the news

Texting while walking is dangerous
Writing text messages and walking is dangerous. It is more dangerous than driving and texting. More people get injured while walking than driving. Walking in a straight line is not easy. We can forget how to walk properly. Dangerous things can happen. We run into people or cars. We fall over things in the street.
There are a few reasons why texting and walking is dangerous. People cannot see when they look at their keyboard. Their minds are somewhere else – they are not thinking about walking safely. Thousands of people have accidents. Some have serious head injuries. Too much jogging could be a problem!
Running is good for our health. A recent study says that running too much is bad for us and it doesn’t always make our lives longer. A specialist said too much running can damage your heart. Long-distance runners and people who never exercise can have the same risk of having a heart attack.
Experts looked at the health of 3,300 runners. Most of them ran over 30 kilometres a week. Marathon runners had hard parts in their heart. A doctor who started running in 1967 is sad. He ran 60 kilometres every week. He thought his heart was strong. Now he has heart problems. He said we should exercise, but not too much.
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Texting while walking is ...

1

Some people can be hurt in their ...

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Too much running could make our lives ..

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How many runners did the researchers look at?

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A doctor who started running in nineteen sixty-seven ...

In the video below, listen to Charlie talking about different kinds of movies. Choose the statement that is NOT true about each kind of film. (questions 14-20)
1

Sci-Fi films (NOT true)

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Romantic comedies (romcoms) (NOT true)

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Horror films (NOT true)

1

Animated films (NOT true)

1

Action films (NOT true)

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Documentaries (NOT true)

1

Musicals (NOT true)

In the video below, listen to four people talking about their futures. For questions 21 to 26, choose the correct answer.
1

Which speaker(s) will study drama?

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Which speaker(s) will study care work at the local college?

2

Which speakers will continue to do the job they are doing now? Choose two answers.

1

Which speaker(s) will work with computers in the future?

2

Which speaker(s) lost a job during COVID 19 lockdown? Choose Two answers

2

Which speakers found a job during COVID 19 lockdown? Choose two answers.

For questions 26 to 40, choose the correct word or phrase to fill in the blank.
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A: "_____ did you live in New York?"
B: "I lived there for almost five years."

1

When ____?

1

They threw a rock _____ the window and broke the glass.

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He didn't speak English, _____ it was difficult to make him understand what he had to do.

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"Why did you turn off the TV?" B: "Because I _____. I'm very tired."

1

This is the famous wine _____ is produced in this region.

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We _____ last Tuesday. We _____ here for over a week.

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I didn't see _____ strange when I went into the room.

1

This is _____ the UK.

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There weren't _____ tourists in the streets the day we went.

1

I loved the chocolates. _____ were delicious.

1

I'd buy a car if I _____ a driving license.

1

Tomorrow, I'll text you as soon as I _____.

1

The concert _____ because of the bad weather.

Write an email to a friend:

You had a birthday party last week. Write an email to a friend who wasn't there telling them about the party. Writre about 70 words.
15