Exam insight 4

 Listening

1Match the words to make collocations. Try to predict which collocations will match questions A–F in ex. 2 below. 

EXAM STRATEGY

• ■ Read each statement or question before you listen.

  ■ Think about the key words you might hear in each listening.

  ■ It's more important to understand the main gist of each listening than to understand every word.

revise

I'm so

it's a great

it's

set

can't speak

• a word of a language
• an adventure
• really hard for something
• excited
• opportunity
• up a sports club

2EXAM TASK Play the recording and listen to five young people talking about their plans for the future. Match questions (A–F) to speakers (1–5). There is one question you do not need. Mark it (–). 

Which speaker is going to:

• Astart a new job?

• Blearn a new language?

• Cmove to a new country?

• Dteach?

• Ebuy a new car?

• Ftake an exam?

Reading

3Read the text about Steve Jobs quickly. Put these events into the correct order. 

exam strategy

• ■ Read the text quickly to understand the general meaning.

  ■ Read the sentence before and after each gap.

  ■ After you complete the task, read the text again and check that it makes sense.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was born in 1955 in San Francisco, California.¹_____ This part of Northern California is famous because there are lots of technology companies here.

Steve's father, Paul, was a mechanic and he encouraged his son's early interest in electronics and technology. ²_____

In 1971, Jobs met Steve Wozniac. Wozniac was twenty-one: five years older than Jobs. They were both interested in electronics and computers and they immediately became friends.

Jobs was very clever but he didn't enjoy school. He joined Reed College in 1972, but he didn't finish the course. ³_____ He worked as a video game designer at Atari electronics. For the next two years, between 1974 and 1976, Jobs worked for Atari and at the same time, he joined a computer club with Steve Wozniac. The members of the club talked about their ideas together and built their own computers.

In 1976, Wozniac and Jobs decided to set up their own computer company. They chose the name Apple and their first office was Jobs' garage. ⁴_____ This was a new idea, and it became popular very quickly. By 1980, Apple Computers was worth more than $200 million.

But Jobs wasn't always popular with other people in the company. ⁵_____ In 1985 he left Apple and formed a different computer company, NeXt. He also became the chairman of Pixar Animation Studios. Pixar made several very successful films, including Toy Story and Finding Nemo.

In 1996, Apple bought NeXt and Jobs returned to Apple. Between 1996 and 2010, Jobs and Apple launched several very successful products, including: the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. ⁶_____ He fought the illness for many years, but finally died in 2011.

Jobs was a very important influence in the world of computing. His sense of design and his interest in new and exciting ideas, helped to make computers popular with a whole generation.

• aHe set up NeXt.

• bHe returned to Apple.

• cHe met Steve Wozniac.

• dHe and Wozniac started a company in his garage.

• eHe went to Reed College.

Reading

4EXAM TASK Read the text. Match the sentences A–G to the gaps 1–6. There is one sentence that you do not need. 

exam strategy

• ■ Read the text quickly to understand the general meaning.

  ■ Read the sentence before and after each gap.

  ■ After you complete the task, read the text again and check that it makes sense.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was born in 1955 in San Francisco, California.¹ This part of Northern California is famous because there are lots of technology companies here.

Steve's father, Paul, was a mechanic and he encouraged his son's early interest in electronics and technology. 

²

In 1971, Jobs met Steve Wozniac. Wozniac was twenty-one: five years older than Jobs. They were both interested in electronics and computers and they immediately became friends.

Jobs was very clever but he didn't enjoy school. He joined Reed College in 1972, but he didn't finish the course. 

³

 

He worked as a video game designer at Atari electronics. For the next two years, between 1974 and 1976, Jobs worked for Atari and at the same time, he joined a computer club with Steve Wozniac. The members of the club talked about their ideas together and built their own computers.

In 1976, Wozniac and Jobs decided to set up their own computer company. They chose the name Apple and their first office was Jobs' garage. ⁴ This was a new idea, and it became popular very quickly. By 1980, Apple Computers was worth more than $200 million.

But Jobs wasn't always popular with other people in the company. ⁵ In 1985 he left Apple and formed a different computer company, NeXt. He also became the chairman of Pixar Animation Studios. Pixar made several very successful films, including Toy Story and Finding Nemo.

In 1996, Apple bought NeXt and Jobs returned to Apple. Between 1996 and 2010, Jobs and Apple launched several very successful products, including: the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. ⁶ He fought the illness for many years, but finally died in 2011.

Jobs was a very important influence in the world of computing. His sense of design and his interest in new and exciting ideas, helped to make computers popular with a whole generation.

ABut Jobs became very ill with cancer in 2003.

BHe got married to Laurene Powell in 1991.

CFive years later, in 1960, his family moved to 'Silicon Valley'.

DThey wanted to make computers for people at home - personal computers.

EHe taught Steve how to build radios and televisions from basic materials.

FHe had a lot of arguments and got angry very quickly.

GIn 1974, when he was nineteen years old, he left college and started his first job.

Use of English

5EXAM TASK Read the text about planning a journey. Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. 

You need to use normal letters and capital letters correctly in this task.

exam strategy

• ■ Read the whole text first quickly.

  ■ Think about the tense – is the gapped sentence in the past, present or future?

  ■ Think about the subject of the verb – is it singular or plural?

  ■ Remember that some verbs take the -ing form: She hates watching TV.

An Amazing Journey

Last year my family ¹ (make) a big decision. We decided to leave our house and our comfortable lives and to spend one year travelling around the world. My parents didn't want ² (travel) by plane because they don't enjoy ³ (fly). So they bought a big bus and put a small kitchen and some beds in it. Then we all sat down together and started to plan our journey. There was one big problem, though – my mother couldn't drive! So she 

⁴

 

(take) some lessons with a driving school. There's a big car park near our house, and my mum practised driving the bus round and round the car park every evening. She ⁵ (pass) her test last month and she's already a really confident driver.

It's Saturday today and I usually ⁶ (go) out with my friends at the weekend, but today, I 

⁷ (pack)

 

my suitcase, because we 

⁸ (start)

 

our amazing journey tomorrow. My father 

⁹

 

(drive) the bus to Dover and then we ¹⁰ (take) the ferry to Calais. I hope the weather ¹¹ (be) good for the boat journey!

Speaking

6Match the statements in the box to the photos. One statement matches both photos. 

MOVE
• They are dancing and laughing.
• It's probably summer because the sun is shining.
• I think it's inside.
• Everyone is very happy.
• I can see some food on the table.

Photo A

Photo B

EXAM STRATEGY Look at both the photos carefully before you start speaking. Look for differences and also similarities in the photos. When you state your opinion, remember to give reasons.

EXAM TASK 7  These two photos show people at a party. Compare and contrast them. Include the following points: what the people are doing what the people are wearing what kind of celebration it is which celebration you would enjoy more and why  Speak for no longer than one minute.

1.  Select Record Audio to record yourself.
2.  If you want to add a note to your teacher, write it in the Comments box.
3.  Select Submit to dropbox to send the recording to your teacher.

EXAM STRATEGY When you write a story, remember to use sequencers: at first, soon, later, etc. Try to use different adjectives to make your story more intersting. Remember to check your writing for grammar, punctuation and spelling.

EXAM TASK 8  Write a story with the title 'A very bad day'. Include information about: where you were who you were with what happened why it was a bad day

1.  Write your task in another program (e.g. Word).
2.  Save the file to your computer.
3.  Upload your file.
4.  If you want to add a note to your teacher, write it in the Comments box.
5.  Select Submit to Dropbox to send your work to your teacher.