Cambridge english first four practice test

CollinExsams

English for

Cambridge

English

First

Four Practice Tests

for Cambridge English: First (FCE)


Collins

HarperCollins Publishers
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF

First edition 2015
10987654321

© HarperCollins Publishers 2015
ISBN 978-0-00-752954-4

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Contents
Introduction

Guide to Cambridge English: First

fo ct

Reading and Use of English

A

Writing

13

Listening

17

Speaking

21

Paper 1: Reading and Use of English
Paper 2: Writing

26

Paper 3:

Listening

Paper 4: Speaking
Paper 1: Reading and Use of English

Paper 2: Writing

Paper 3: Listening
_ Paper 4: Speaking
aper 1: Reading and Use of English

| Paper2: Writing
Paper

‘Paper

3: Listening
Speaking

38
40
46
48
60


0 prepare for the Cambridge English:

First exarnination

in English or FCE. This book will be useful if yo.
Certificate
am for the first time or taking it again.

The book

and o,

mn designed so that you can use them to study on your ows
the book if you are preparing for Cambridge English:

Firs

- essential advice for success in the exam

English: First- a guide to the exam

to-read guides with brief summaries of the diffe

will help you to understand what you need to know

ons correctly

ons - advice to help you with common problems in «

four complete

self

practice tests with authentic test questions to

with the exam

= definitions of difficult words from the practice tests in this book {the

Collins COBUILD dictionaries}

of what you hear in the Listening paper

ers for the Writing papers and the Speaking

the Listening papers as well as model


0
Introduction
* Start studying early. The more you practise, the better your
English will become. Give
yourself at least one month to revise and complete all the practice te:
sts
in this book.

Spend at least one hour a day studying

+ Time yourself when you do the practice tests, This will help you to feel
more
«OD

confident when you do the real exam

j part in each practice test. Do not be afraid to make notes

"example, writing down the meaning of words you do not know

on the

e

to remember the words later on.

ot studied for Cambridge English: First before, it is recomm
all the practice tests in this book in order. If you have
a

b ok itself.

book will

teac

with speaking and writing, that would be very useful. It is al

dy with other students who are preparing for the exam or whe

ish. Having a study partner will help you to keep motivated. Y
with areas of English you might find difficult. However

an still learn a lot.

r

ibridge English: First by getting to know the different parts o
irt tests, and how many marks there are for each part. Use tt
iction as well as the Quick guides to find out all you can. You

itions section of this book will be useful.

Try to do the

$e will help you to develop the skills you need in order to do
Ng papers. You can improve your writing and speaking

h practice. Practise writing to a time limit. If you
answer of the correct length without

the time gradually until you can write an

u should become familiar enough with your
‘the number of words you have written
at the back of the book. They will
d be like. Do not try to memorise

study hard and do all the
you

need to give good answers

it

king through the onlinetest ang¢,

lun

os

cảm

You can take one of they

version of the test. The other test forms part of»,
test with added tips, advice and infor
so has additional practice materia
g

?

jing module, please turn t
exam will be introduced.

Tt

nediate-level English exam run by
is for people who want to work in
inan English-speaking county. The

ex

lain Suite exams offered by Cambridge English


Introduction

The papers of Cambridge English: First

There are four papers in the exam.
© Paper 1:
Reading and Use of English (1 hour and 15 minutes}

. Paper 2:

riting (1 hour and 20 minutes)

"3: Listening (about 40 minutes, plus 5 minutes for transferring answers to the
eaking (14 minutes]

jare taken on the same day and in the order listed above. Paper 4
cen

a few days before or after the other papers. If you are
d contact your exam centre for dates

studying

f English paper is worth 40% of the total mark, a
pers are each worth 20% of the total mark.

Scale for each of the four skills and Use

‘for your overall performance in the test:

ate stating that you have demonstrated

be awarded a First Certificate in
L, but within B1, you will receive

level.

load the Cambridge English:


Guide to Reading and Use of English
Part 5 (multiple choice) has a text with six questions. You have to answer each question

by choosing the correct answer from four options, A, B, C or D. This part focuses on

Understanding main idea, gist, detail, opinion,

attitude, tone, purpose, meaning from

Part6 (gapped text) has a text from which six

|

12)

(Total marks:

context, implication and text organisation features.

sentences appear in jumbled order at the end of the

shave been removed!

The

by choosing the correct sentence for each gap. This pz

cohesion, coherence and text structure. {Total marks: 12)
Part 7 (multiple matching} has one longer text or several shorter te
‘or prompts. You have to match each question or prompt w

‘sections of the longer text or with one of the shorter texts, A, B, C or D. Tr
`":

opinion, specific information and implicat

ý llenges and solutions
Cha

` of the words in the texts and questions

hen a ‘study to help you to build your F tabutarj, You
sdge English: First. In this book there
Cambri
rd
3/ Wofor

words from the practice tests.

oh

g but try to get a poe
word
din
every
understan

understanding. If there are sections

up the meaning of any words that prevent understanding.
y,
look
difficult
that cause

all the new words or phrases you come across, Try to
SOLUTIONDo: not try to record

focus on high-frequency or common vocabulary.
anc

ses that appear before and after unknown words

Read the sentence with the unknown word carefully.

out the meaning, In
need to read the whole paragraph in order to work ses
might help you

i

ị

\s for how key words and phra

rd is underlined,

to

Examples
The students had different

excuses for not doing their

homework, such as My dog |
ate it’ or My mum washed

itin the washing machine


Reading and Use of English paper tests you
texts on a variety of subjects. The Us:
d and use B2-level vocabulary and gramr

‘the Reading and Use of English paper, you must t

d B2-level vocabulary including phrasal
phrases.

verb

‘usea good range of B2-level grammatical structures

other words

using prefixes, suffixes, etc.

texts such as extracts from fiction and non-fiction books, jo

les, and understand main ideas, gist, details, opinions, at

rases, etc.

, is organised.

within the given time.

g and Use of English
English paper has seven parts.

'cloze) has a short text with eight gaps. You have to completete
word from four options, A, B, C or D. This part focuseson

‘to the line with the gap. This part focuses
estions. Each question has a pair of

has @ gap and there is a given key’ "°°

Is including the ‘key’ word so that fe

Ce, This part focuses on gram


SOLUTION: Prefixe
Aprefix is one or
a word, e.g. unhapi
t
-y, -ment, -hood, th
glish
the meanings and uses ofn Enword
meaning of many unknow
negative meaning

one choice seems correc
n
tha
e
mor
1
t
Par
‘In
2:
E
NG
LE
AL
CH
»

dge of vocabulary and in partic
SOLUTION: Part | tests your knowleocat
Pay attention to the word:
like phrasal verbs, idioms an d coll ion.
because they may be par t of a set expression. While you are

the gap
er than just indiv
exam, keep a record of vocabulary ‘chunks’ rath
in your reading.

idua

note of any interesting ones you come across

SOLUTION: Skip the gaps you do not know and come back to them later. Croe

answer options that you know are wrong so you have fewer options to choos

» CHALLENGE 3: ‘I can't decide what the missing words are in Part 2.’

SOLUTION: Most gaps need a ‘grammar’ word. These are words such as determin
(e.g. a, the, much, manyl, prepositions (e.g. on, at, in] and conjunctions le.g. and,

Ỉ

|

because). Make a list of all the types of grammar words you find in practice test
make sure you understand how they are used.

SOLUTION: Some gaps need words that are part of a set expression. For example,
might have the expressions at least and spend time, and at and spend are in the 9a
‘on the words around a gap and decide if the missing word is part of a set exp

» CHALLENGE 4; ‘I always score badly in Part 3.’

PaTion, Make a section in your vocabulary notebook for word
forming words from some of the words you find. For example
Eat

| lunlbetievabte


Guide to Reading and Use of English
SOLUTION: Read the text before completing any gaps. Identify what kind of word is

‘Missing: noun, verb, adjective or adverb. if it is a noun, should it be singular or plural?

ifitis'a verb, what form of verb do you need? Does the word need to have a positive or

jative meaning?
bể
: ‘How can | learn all the different transforrnations for Part 4”

active to passive or from direct to indirect

book, pay attention to the types of

time to answer all the questions in Parts

ling and scanning skills to find the
read a text quickly, paying attention

‘can often quickly find the important

will save you a lot of time. To be good at
ost important ideas in a text. in the

find important ideas.

es gives you an idea of what the


you do the practice tests and look at your watcy,
n; if you cannot answerj Carryop
spend too lo ing on any one questio
question and w,
This will heli p you not to get stuck on a
YOUr time

urself when
SOLUTION: Time yo

occasionally. Do not
to the next question

using, | ge
d
J: The texts. in Parts 5 and 6 are complicate and conf

_ while I'm reading them.

vn

0L

e r
Look for ‘signposts’ as you read. intThrod
uction

ideas. For example, some words

signal the

of events |
of'Xie...), while others signal a series
of

of a

top

new

ts’ at the beginning
Finally, ...). There are often ‘signpos
agraph as well. If you underst
they can occur in the middle of a par
y
t the text

,ht be able to get a better idea of wha
youdmig
are use
7 “feel
8: ‘None of the answer options in Parts 5 and
» CHALLENGE

in tỉ

mation
SOLUTION: Correct answer options express the key infor

n can b
use different words or ‘paraphrase’ to express it. Informatio
using synonyms (words with a similar meaning) or a different grammati
active to passive, or vice versa). Sometimes, the text gives details but the

option expresses this key information in general terms. Be careful: the sam)

appear in the text can also appear in an answer option. However, this does no

this option is correct. Such options often do not answer the question correctly.

SOLUTION: Cross out any answer options that are clearly incorrect. You are more ikely
to answer the question correctly if you have fewer options to choose from.

SOLUTION: Look for evidence of the answer in the text. For example, if you think an

answer option is correct, find the part of the text where the answer appears, underline

itand fead it carefully. Make sure you are not just matching words in the answer option
with words in the text, or that only part of the answer is correct. This is important in Patt
7, whereyou have to match prompts with sections of a text: a text may have some of the

necessary information but not all.

SOLUTION: The answers to the questions in Part 5 usually appear one after the other in

Hư

sa.

the answ2"
example, you will find the answer to the second question after

.

: the writer’s opinion.
9: 'I find it difficult to identify
’

ý Occasionally, Ũ a question might

writer's opinion is on a subj ect.

ask

hy

the writer wrote the text or SeW

try answeri
You couldee
oon ng

have a better understanding of the whole text

F

such

:

question
i s last

Read articles in Magazines and newspapers. Do not worry abou!

at
ES OE hat every word; such articles will wil be at a fairly high level. Try to 9

the article is about and why the writer might have written \t


Guide to Writing
Quick guide
What is it?
The Writing paper tests your ability to write an appropriate, wel
question using the correct register and format, and a good range
and grammatical structures.

Ja

of 8

Skills needed
In order
to do well in the Writing paper, you must be able to

° understand
the instructions and include all the key points in your answ

* write
a range of formal and
reports. and reviews.

informal texts such as essays, articles,

let!

* use an appropriate register and format.

.

© write a well-organised text that is easy for the reader to follow.

use a good range of B2-level vocabulary and grammatical structures
write your answers within the word limits given in the instructions

* write your answers within the given time.

Paper 2: Writing
The Writing paper has two parts.

Part 1 is compulsory. You have to write an essay in 140-190 words, expressing your
opinion on a given essay title. You are given some ideas which you have to include in

your answer, and you must also include an idea of your own.

In Part 2 you have to answer one question in 140-190 words from a choice of three. The
possible text types are an article, an email, a letter, a report or a review.

Challenges and solutions
CHALLENGE 1: ‘I’m not sure how much time to spend on each question.’
SOLUTION: Know how much time you have. On the day of the exam, wear a watch. While

you work, keep an eye on the time. You can use this guide while you write.
mae Cee Und

Read the instructions carefully and plan your essay.

Write your essay. Make sure you include the ideas you are given as

well as your own idea.

Check your essay carefully for mistakes [e.g. grammar, spelling,

punctuation, word order].

13

BPP

ue

which questi
Read all three questions carefully and decide

answer best.

question yo
Read the instructions dsof the
and think caref (ly abs
Underline the key wor
tto.use—. Then plan your writing
d
a
nee
m
you
r
o
f
.
.
..
“.

sw.er_.
anwer

yorurans
PiWrivateteyou

Check your writing carefully for mistake
ctuation, word order]
punoo

ideas.
‘I'm afraid the examiner will not understand my
ion’ words that connect the ideas in two sentence

despite/in spite of Howe

but Conversely,...

Nonetheles.
Nevertheless,
On the other hand,
tho

In contrast, ....

Furthermore,

._

also

and

Besides that,

In addition, ..__ Moreover,

Asa result,.. Consequently, .
Therefore, ..
inother words

namely

For that reason,

thatis to say

before Finally,... First/Second/Third,
| after assoonas
.. later meanwhile
next soon then

While a few misspelled words will not affect your

‘prevent the examiner from understanding your

‘spelling is to read a lot: the more often you see
il remember how they are spelled.
it text types are organised.”

irst

of the text types you need to be

Handbook

nswers

from the Cambridge

with comments by 2"

s like and how it shoulé


Guide to Writing
» CHALLENGE 4: ‘| don’t know what to write about in Part 1."

SOLUTION: The essay question in Part 1 will give you two ideas to use in your answer. In
order to come up with more ideas, brainstorm the topic:

think about the topic and spend

‘a min
or ute
two writing down all the points you can think of for different

sides of the

argument. When you have finished brainstorming, you can look at the notes you have
nade

and

chose

the best points.

there are no right
or wrong opinions. in other words, you
‘opinions. The important thing is how well you express

are
your

ideas for each topic and give yourself about two t

will get used to thinking of ideas in a limit
‘if | can express an opinion in Part 2.’
e

nt or disagreement in Part 1 and also c

might also need to express your opinion in a letter
are examples of expressions you can use

cation. In the table below
you come across them.


haveE di jifficulty writing
‘IG
EN

+ CHALL7:
essions that native speakers use tom: beginof ang
: There are man y set orexpr
ton something. Learn as any
letters or emails to commen
informal letters or emails.”

nd informal

e below there are some examples of ¢
ions as you c: ‘an. in the tabloss
them
you come acr
Howare you? | hope you're well
Thanks for your letter. It was
[msorry to hear... - fm sop|
It’s great to hear
Write back soon.

See you soon.

Best wishes.

Take care,

|
a record of examples of informal and formal language
a
l
In the table below there are some examples of such

them.

I'm/ You're /It's

lam /You are / It is

I'm up to my ears in work.

am very busy.

was really angry when |

1 was rather disappointed to
discover .

‘putup with

tolerate

Passive

Inversion (e.g. Should you ... Had

|.

o improve my vocabulary for the exam.’

ying

the same things using different words).

f English paper in this book. Then choose a
†

and try to paraphrase what you have
ragraph with the one in the book. Did you
same meaning}? Did you change


Guide to Listening
LISTENING

ic information.
and agreement between speakers

ut 30 seconds) from conversations

lestions. For each question, you

e options, A, B or C. This part
attitude, opinion, purpose and
}

minutes) and ten questions.

tion from the recording. This
inion. (Total marks: 10]

bout 30 seconds) and

a list of eight. This


very useful. By reading
Land you can gu

SOLUTION: The re

below there are some exa

Guessing the meaning of unknown words
Example

Repetition: The speaker repeats a key

word in different sentences.

Re-wording: The speaker rewords a
phrase so that the meaning is clearer.
He/She might use an expression like
the following: By that, | mean . ; What
I'm talking about here is...; In other
words,
Definitions: The speaker might use
an expression like the following to
introduce a definition: This refers to
«i This means....; That's a ..; | think a

Many anim
from p

camouflage

camou

ck ir
usbyestid
Why do companies vet ne
do they perform background

potential employee's history?

It's a matter of agency. | think a definition is
here. Agency is people's ability to make cho
will influence their futures

definition is in order here.

Giving examples: The speaker might

clarify a word by giving examples

which he/she might introduce by using
an expression like the following: like;
such as; for instance/example.

Engaging in recreational activities such as jo991n9

or playing an instrument has been shown to re
stress levels.

» CHALLENGE
2: ‘I get lost when | listen to the monologue in Part 2.’

SOLUTION: The questions follow the order of the information in the recording. Use
pause before the first listening to read all the questions. Underline key words

for them when the recording starts. Using the questions as a guide in this wey
you not to get lost when you listen.

Listen for ‘signposts’ (words or phrases that signal that th

u

of information). Some ‘signposts’ signal the intr
to....). Others signal the definition of a

osts, you can get a better idea of what

y focused. To practise, listen to the re


Guide to Listening

down all the ‘signpost’ words you hear. Then check your notes against
How many did you notice?
write too many words when | complete the sentences

ite each sentence with a single word, a short phrase
ithis. The missing words are the same as ones you
ave to Write a different word or number. However,

Not be in the same order or even the same

, itis important to listen for meaning and not

1 a similar meaning] or a different

imes, the recording gives details


|

|

|

and cross out the ones that are,
SOLUTION: Read the answer options carefully
You are more likely to answer
incorrect or that do not answer the question.
:

choose from
correctly if you have fewer options to

ify a speaker's opinion o;
SOLUTION: Some questions ask you to ident
they give an opinio:
the different expressions that speakers use when
my opinioi

question, \f yc
SOLUTION: Do not spend too much time answering any one
the most appea
certain of an answer, choose the answer option that is
ct
to the next question. If you spend too long worrying about the corre
not hear the answer to the next question.

» CHALLENGE 5: ‘I don’t always understand the speakers. Sometimes the
fast.”

SOLUTION: Listen as much as possible to natural English.

T

English speech, the better you will understand the English used

following:

or films. The programmes do not have tc
h
TV programmes
* Watc
_ comedies and dramas have good examples of natural English

English-language films with subtitles. Listening can be ez
eck

understanding.

Jage club. Your university, local library or communit
ing,
you will be able to practise speaking Englis
nity. There may be native speakers of En

d will be happy to practise talking to you us
radio programmes that you

“only a minute or two at 2 *
1

fas many

times 2s)


Guide to Speaking
SPEAKING

|
|

Quick guide
What is it?
The Speaking paper tests your ability to understand and use spoken English. You will
take the Speaking paper with another candidate, although there is a small chance that
you will take it with two other candidates.

jo well in the Speaking paper, you must be able to
d and use the language of social interactions.

d compare.

ur opinion.

ct and come to a decision.

| range of B2-level vocabulary and grammatical structure

hts and express them clearly.

etc. This part focuses on general

minutes]

raphs and asks you to describe and
other candidate two different
andidate has finished speaking, the

to speak for 30 seconds.
and organising speech.

| and then come to a decision

and justifying


Challenges and solutions

ner's

>» CHALLENGE 1: ‘I'm not sure how much to say when | answer the exami

in Part 1.’
‘questions

This part is just a simple conversation between you and the exarn

i

chance
for him/her to get to know more about you. You do not have to give long

but you should say more than ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. When you answer Part 1 question. Give
reason for your answer or an example. For example:
What kind of food do you like to eat?
Examiner:
Candidate: —_/ enjoy Indian food. There's a really nice restaurant near my house 5,
¬
always order something spicy to eat when we go there.

» CHALLENGE 2: ‘I'm not sure I'll have enough to say in Parts 1 and 4.
SOLUTION: The questions in Part 1 are about you and your experienc:
your
might ask you to talk about your hobbies and interests, where you live,
studies, etc. and you already know a lot about these subjects! Look at th
Think about the kind of questions the examiner might ask you about the
how you would answer them.

fs

Peet cei)
Do many tourists visit your town?

Where you live
_| Your hobbies

or interests

ds and family
routine

Have you always had the same hobbi

Who do you look like in your family?
What time do you like getting up?
What was/is your favourite subject at school?

Have you read a book lately that you really enjo
What kind of food do people in your country
use the same words and phrases all the time. For exampl

like or don't like:

.......* I can't stand...
____*

] fan of...
a big
I'm [not

I'm not that bothered

about.


Guide to Speaking

‘opinion one way or the other. | Suppose ...

‘of the opinion that...

thought to. Perhaps...

Means you must listen carefully to what he/she

‘questions’ appropriately. These are useful in Part 3 and

‘that | won't

have enough time to finish talking in

1 won't have enough to say!”

ise for Part 2 so that you get a good idea what

Jo the speaking tasks in this book and find more on
jhile you practise, you will learn not to speak too fast or

to give a complete answer within the time allowed.

| worried that my description will be disorganised and

lâm

for your description. Here is a suggestion:
is about. For example: These photographs show

like a children’s birthday party .

h and what they are doing. For example:

Some are sitting at a table and the adults are
describing what some of them are wearing


cont"
but remem ber to compare and
h
rap
tog
pho
ond
sec
me for the
5 ws people celebrating but tp
7/ she second photo also sho
e:
pl
am
ex

For
.
;
es
en
sc
ae
first photograph, all the people
the
h
wit
st
ra
nt
co
In
on.
asi
occ
Tees work-related

Ễ

For example: The fi

by commenting on t he scene.
« Ifyou have time, finish
ties | had as a child.

_ ch me of the birthday par

expressions that you can u
SOLUTION: There are many words and ow there are some common
ganise your thoughts. In the table bel

‘or

rn them.
words and expressions as you lea

However,

a though

Comparing

but

compared to

On the one hand,

On the other hand,

Giving reasons

because

s0

because of

in order to

Giving examples

for example
for instance

To give you an example

The first reason is...

What's more, .

The second reason is . .

Finally, .

Soall in all, ..

In general,

Also, ...

To sum up, . .

il

ition

is bad.”
The examiner does not expect you to speak with a native speaker
accent is not regarded as a problem, even at a higher level

speak clearly so that people can understand you easily.

cording of you speaking English. They might be able
problems you have. In particular, ask them if it is e:

1g. What words do they have difficulty understand

of your voice with that of the n2t
ion of the native speaker? K&

|


Guide to Speaking

SOLUTION: Practise speaking English with native English speakers. To find native

English speakers in your area, try going to tourist attractions in your city. You could also

join an English language club at your school. If your school does not have one, check at
your local library or start one yourself!

¬

:

SOLUTION: Some speakers have trouble with certain sounds. For example, Spanish

speakers sometimes add e to English words beginning with s, e.g. ‘eschool’. Other

speakers pronounce the letter was av. Find out if speakers from your country ha
particular problem with English pronunciation and practise that area

If you want people to understand you when you speak, you have to stress

Ifyou stress the wrong syllable, people might not understand you. For
ing nouns, the underlined syllable is stressed:

J

yourself when you make a mistake is a good way of showing the

for quite a long time and this will be difficult if you correct

est to correct some mistakes but try to relax and speak as

English as much as you can before the exam. One way

lf when you are alone. The advantage of being alone is

ha

ess worried about making mistakes. Talk about what has

your plans are for the rest of the week or your opinion of