A. Choose the word or phrase that produces a grammatically correct sentence.

1. She                                     such excellent progress that I was really shocked to hear that she was given the
sack.

a. is making             b. had been making      c. has been making      d. made

2. You should not allow yourself                                     by small and insignificant things.

a. to distract            b. to be distracting       c. to be distracted        d. to have been distracted  

3.                                     by the company that produces the product, it is logical that the report spoke in favour
of it.

a. To have written     b. To be written            c. Having been written  d. Writing

4. If Joanne hadn’t decided to stop working to look after her children, her medical practice                                    
now.

a. would have thrived b. would be thrived       c. would have been thriving d. would be thriving

5.                                     fair, it was Jessica who came up with the idea that secured us that lucrative deal, not
Betty.

a. Having been        b. To be                       c. To have been           d. Having been

6. Even though he had been working for the company for less than a year, his initiative and drive led to                                    
a promotion.

a. his being given     b. him to be given        c. his given                  d. him to give

7. Scarcely do I get back from work                                     I have to leave to go to that seminar I am presently
attending.

a. then                     b. than                         c. before                      d. when

8. If only my father                                     waiting at the office because now it’s too late for him to take me to the
party.

a. hadn’t been kept   b. didn’t keep               c. wouldn’t be kept       d. won’t keep

9. Such a nervous wreck _______________ at the onset of the audition that I ended up fainting.

a. was I                    b. I was                        c. were I                       d. I was being

10. I would have preferred                                     about the meeting a few days ahead of time rather than at the
last minute.

a. to have informed b. having informed       c. informing           d. to have been informed

11.                                     accepting accountability for the oil spill, the company refused to foot the bill for the
clean up.

a.In spite                 b.Although                  c.However                   d.Despite

12.When the scandal broke out, the director of the company decided to hand in his resignation                                    
create a lot of bad publicity for the company.

a.so as not to         b.in order not              c.in case he                d.so that 

13.Jeremy may not have the authority to, but he orders everyone around as though he                                     a
senior executive.

a.is                         b.is being                    c.were                         d.has been

14. In retrospect, he realised that he had been the ideal candidate for the job and regretted                                    
for the position.

a. not to apply         b. not applying             c. not to have applied   d. not being applied

15. Whenever I                                     into Lorrette, she talks about the environmental group which she is a
member of.

a. bump                   b. am bumping             c. bumped                   d. have bumped

B. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and eight words including the word given. 

1. I bought ten items of clothing but I didn’t need five of them.

WHICH

I bought ten items of clothing                                                                                       use to me.

2. Allegedly, this advanced telecommunications system was invented by two very resourceful young lads.

SAID

This advanced telecommunications system                                                                                       two very
resourceful young lads.

3. Perhaps he was behaving so peevishly because what you said offended him.

BEEN

He                                                                                       because what you said offended him.

4. ‘While Harold Robbins was serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was leaking confidential information’,
said the journalist.

OF

Harold Robbins                                                                                       while he was serving as Minister of
Foreign Affairs.

5. You should on no account give the parcel to anyone other than the person in question.

BE

Under                                                                                       to anyone but the person in question.

READING

Read the text and answer the questions 1-7. Choose a, b, c or d.

Ancient Ancestors:
What were the Neanderthals
                        really like?

In 1856, quarry workers in Germany found some bones in a cave which on first sight seemed to belong to a bear or other large mammal. However, these bones were later identified as being of a previously unknown species of hominid similar to humans, which were named Neanderthals after the valley in which the cave is located. Since then, numerous other similar remains have been discovered, and it has been established that the Neanderthals inhabited parts of Europe and Central Asia from around 400,000 to 28,000 years ago.

Traditionally, Neanderthals have been portrayed derogatively, as uncivilised and unsophisticated grunting cavemen. In the knowledgeable science-fiction writer HG Wells’ short story The Grisly Folk (1921), for example, they are depicted as savage creatures who deserved to die out. The reasons for this negative portrayal are not altogether clear, although it might have something to do with Neanderthals’ physical characteristics. They were about the same height as contemporary Homo sapiens, our ancestors, but they had a more robust build, with barrel chests and shorter limbs, and indeed were much stronger, especially in the arms and hands, which might bring to mind a great ape, such as a gorilla. Their heads were also characteristically different to those of Homo sapiens, and with their receding chins and foreheads appeared much more ape-like. Thus it was all too easy to see Neanderthals as thickheaded semi-humans. Indeed, this attitude is reflected linguistically, since calling someone a ‘Neanderthal’ infers stupidity and a disposition to resort to brute force.

Scientific research has nonetheless concluded that this popular conception of Neanderthals is mere prejudice. Firstly, the evidence that exists seems to indicate that they had comparable intelligence to modern humans. Their cranial capacity was the same or slightly larger than contemporary Homo sapiens, indicating that they had brains at least as big. Moreover, it seems that the brain areas responsible for complex thought were just as advanced as ours, and so they probably had the ability to think like us. Nevertheless, because we have only bones and no soft tissue to go on, any conclusions drawn about Neanderthal brains and cognitive capacity can only be provisional at best. This said, if Neanderthals were indeed intelligent, we would expect that there to be some signs of Neanderthals applying this intelligence, and indeed we do.

Neanderthals performed many sophisticated tasks which are normally associated only with humans. For example, it is known that they controlled fire, constructed complex shelters and skinned animals. They also made various tools, including hammers of bone and wood, and stone-headed axes and spears. They even seem to have performed burial ceremonies, since they buried their dead with flowers and tools. It is also believed that they used a kind of body paint, and perhaps even had jewellery, with the caveat that the latter may have instead been traded from the Homo sapiens who co-existed with them.

There is, however, a particular ability that human beings have which makes us unique, namely language. Like us, Neanderthals lived in groups and had varied social systems, and so language would have been very useful for them. Nevertheless, the idea that they lacked complex language was widespread until 1983, when a Neanderthal hyoid was found at Kebara Cave in Israel. The hyoid is a small bone which connects the muscles of the tongue with those of the larynx in a way that facilitates a notably wider range of tongue and laryngeal movements. The hyoid bone found in the Kebara Cave is virtually identical to that of modern humans, indicating that Neanderthals were able to make a comparably broad range of sounds, as required for speech. So it seems that Neanderthals could do more than merely grunt.

Another factor important in communication by speech is understanding. From the shape of their outer and middle ears, Neanderthals appear to have had an auditory sensitivity similar to modern humans and very much more advanced than chimpanzees. Thus, they were probably able to differentiate between many different sounds, such as the various sounds of spoken language. Indeed, some researchers hypothesise that they enjoyed music and singing.

1. What did HG Wells say about Neanderthals?

a. They had never actually existed.

b. They were intelligent and innovative.

c. They still lived on in certain parts of the world.

d. They were inferior to Homo sapiens.

2. What may have led to Neanderthals’ being depicted in an unfavourable light?

a. their size and build

b. the fact that they were stronger than Homo sapiens

c. the fact that they descended from gorillas

d. their volatile temper and tendency to violence

3. According to the writer, what is true of Neanderthals’ brains?

a. They were certainly larger and as advanced as the ones of modern humans.

b. The evidence that Neanderthals applied their intelligence is inconclusive.

c. They were the same size as the ones of modern humans or even slightly bigger.

d. They were very similar to the ones of modern humans in terms of size and cognitive capacity.

4. What does caveat in paragraph 4 mean?

a. cautionary note

b. conviction

c. scientific discovery

d. evidence

5. The writer implies that

a. there are several misconceptions regarding Neanderthals.

b. Neanderthals were not as ugly and violent as many people think.

c. Neanderthals were as intelligent as Homo sapiens.

d. more scientific research is required in order to discard the prejudices linked with Neanderthals.

6. The discovery of a Neanderthal hyoid bone is very important because it shows that Neanderthals

a. spoke a complex language.

b. could make a large variety of sounds.

c. were able to make only animal noises.

d. had vocal organs identical to the ones of modern humans.

7. What did examination of Neanderthal ears show?

a. They were able to understand human speech.

b. They could hear very quiet sounds.

c. The shape of their ears was the same as modern humans.

d. They could distinguish a wide range of sounds.

LISTENING