Proficiency specimen paper 3

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION SPECIMEN PAPER III
Marks Marker’s Signature
English Language Examination
Examination Date: … / … / ……
Approximate Time: 120 minutes
Detached Part Number:
SECTION ONE. PHONETICS
Part 1. Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others of the
same line.
1. A. celebration B. telecommuter C. energising D. commentator
2. A. access B. dragonfly C. tradition D. popularity
3. A. subscribe B. observance C. resolute D. represent
4. A. precession B. outcrosses C. associate D. possibly
5. A. competitive B. controversial C. promote D. commercial
6. A. raspberries B. spaciousness C. aspersed D. waspishly
Part 2. Choose the word whose main stressed syllable is different from the others of the same line.
7. A. facsimile B. influenza C. conscientiously D. multimedia
8. A. inapplicable B. congenially C. diagonally D. recoverable
9. A. collaborate B. commercially C. fluctuation D. impractical
10. A. mysteriously B. necessarily C. originally D. elaborately
11. A. continuous B. scandalous C. malicious D. delicious
12. A. mutagenesis B. socialisation C. immobility D. xylophonic
SECTION TWO. VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR
Part 1. Circle the letter (A, B, C or D) placed before the option that best completes each sentence.
13. People in this village has an ……… appetite for news.
A. inevitable B. inexorable C. insatiable D. inedible
14. I could not believe that she, of all people, was such a ……… to you.
A. brute B. harrow C. nuance D. philistine
15. The pupils are very fond of their teacher because she is as ……… as a mother.
A. gentle B. devoted C. gracious D. wise
16. The girl was ……… to tears by the sight of the famine victims.

A. changed B. turned C. pushed D. moved
17. We were ……… that the three-year-old child could actually speak a foreign language.
A. thrilled B. frightened C. amazed D. alarmed
18. The road twists and turns—it is ……… .
A. curved B. bent C. wavy D. winding
19. The island is ……… with absolutely nobody living there.
A. isolated B. barren C. uninhabited D. vacant
20. The old lady died very ……… in her sleep.
A. willingly B. peacefully C. patiently D. movingly
21. The contestants have to ponder over that question very carefully because there is no ………
answer.
A. straightforward B. undemanding C. effortless D. cushy
22. With little experience, the doctor failed to ……… the pain.
A. lighten B. soothe C. cushion D. soften
23. The pupils have been prepared for a ……… career.
A. pedagogic B. academic C. didactic D. scholarly
24. The silly boy only ……… at the memory, feeling rather embarrassed.
A. laughed B. giggled C. sniggered D. roared
25. Her choice of word, according to the professor, is a bit ……… .
A. obsolete B. antiquated C. elderly D. old-fashioned
Part 2. For each set, think of one word only which can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
26. He was afraid that his revolutionary proposals would ……… with strong opposition from
hardliners.
The Chinese factories were operating nonstop churning out shoes to ……… the demand in
Europe.
With only two hundred dollars a month, the family struggled to make ends ……… .
Cut the paper according to this line before marking.
EXAMINERS
Names Signatures
1.

2.
Detached Part Number
English Language
Proficiency Examination
Date: … / … / ……
Place of Examination:
……………………………
……………………………
Examinee’s Name:
……………………………
……………………………
Ethnic Group: ……………
Sex: Male / Female
Date of Birth: … / … / ……
Previous School:
……………………………
……………………………
Index Number
This paper comprises four
pages. Examinees are to
work in and with this
paper only. The use of
other materials is strictly
prohibited. Do not sign any
symbolical marks in this
paper. Failure to obey
these rules may result in
instant disqualification.
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27. It is irritating that they do nothing but ……… lies about our family. The whole village is about

to believe their incredible stories.
Do not allow the educational system to restrict your ability to think. I urge you to ……… your
wings and do things your way.
He opened the jar, took out some jam with his knife and ……… it evenly on the warm toast.
28. Marijuana is not regarded as a ……… drug, which is why some countries are thinking of letter
people use it, at least for medical purposes.
It is ……… to believe that there are no good people out there. I am sure you can find some
good-natured individuals in this area.
I am trying to spare you learning things the ……… way. Follow my advice and you do not
need to make mistakes.
29. Blankets and shelters were in ……… supply in the aftermath of the disaster.
Nobody in the business knew his real name. He was called Bill for ……… .
She reacted angrily when her name had not been included in the ……… list.
30. Though the movie was widely ……… across the country, the sales were a disappointment for
the studio.
For a woman to get ……… in the business world seems to be a tall order in a predominantly
male environment.
This website was shut down soon after the Internet provider realised it ……… extreme views
inciting violence.
Part 3. Fill in each blank with one suitable preposition or particle from the following box. Each
word can only be used once. Write your answers in the numbered box.
over for on around through up
at with across back out down
31. Urged ……… by the home crow, Saito forged ahead after just five kilometres and built up a
two-minute lead.
32. Remember to ice ……… the champagne for the party.
33. When you mouse ……… this button, it plays a harmonious sound.
34. He only smiled when we identified him ……… his famous brother.
35. At this school, the first thing they teach you is how to think ……… yourself.
36. When she saw her old house, all her memories came flooding ……… .

37. She messed ……… all the year and as a consequence, failed the final examination.
38. Frodo tied the boat ……… and jumped ashore.
39. The love of life shone ……… the author’s book, giving me as much inspiration as I could ever
ask for.
40. After many failed attempts, the police finally managed to get ……… the truth.
Part 4. Fill in each blank with the most suitable form of the word in bold. Write your answers in the
column on the right.
RAIN MAKING
When it rains, it does not always pour. During a typical storm, a (41.
COMPARE) small amount of the locked up moisture in each cloud reaches the
ground as rain. So the idea that human intervention—a rain dance, perhaps—
might encourage the sky to give up a little (42. ADD) water has been around
since prehistoric times. More recently, would-be rain makers have used a more
direct (43. PROCEED)—that of throwing various chemicals out of aeroplanes in
an effort to wring more rain from the clouds, a practice known as ‘cloud
seeding’.
Yet such techniques, which were first developed in the 1940s, are (44.
NOTORIETY) difficult to evaluate. It is hard to (45. CERTAIN), for example,
how much rain would have fallen anyway. So, despite much anecdotal evidence
of the advantages of cloud seeding, which has led to its adoption in more than 40
countries around the world, as far as scientists are concerned, results are still (46.
CONCLUSIVE). That could be about to change. For the past three years (47.
RESEARCH) have been carrying out the most extensive and (48. RIGOUR)
evaluation to date of a revolutionary new technique that will substantially boost
the volume of (49. RAIN).
The preliminary (50. FIND) of their experiments indicate that solid evidence of
the technique’s effectiveness is now within the scientists’ grasp.
41.
42.
43.

44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
SECTION THREE. READING
Part 1. Circle the letter (A, B, C or D) placed before the option that best completes each sentence.
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It was still dark as she (51) ……… down the back stairs and drew back the (52) ……… of the kitchen door as noiselessly as possible. It
made a loud (53) ……… sound. She must remember to oil it! Every time it happened she thought that, but never remembered until the next
time it made the same noise. It never seemed to wake the (54) ……… of the house, though. Probably because it was so early.
The grass was (55) ……… with dew as she crossed the lawn in front of the house. Wet feet, again. She (56) ……… have worn her
wellingtons, but she did not know where they were. She might have left them in Maeve’s house, or Sheila could have borrowed them. She
often borrowed them, even though they were about three (57) ……… too big. She had lost one of hers and was afraid to tell Mam about it.
Sheila was careless and was always losing things.
She heard bird (58) ……… as she reached the riverbank and saw the first (59) ……… of the sun shining (60) ……… the Doonagh Hills.
51. A. slithered B. crawled C. bounded D. crept
52. A. bolt B. key C. chain D. lore
53. A. squeaking B. screeching C. screaming D. squealing
54. A. remains B. last C. rest D. others
55. A. moister B. damp C. arid D. shrivelled
56. A. could B. need C. must D. should
57. A. figures B. sizes C. pairs D. numbers
58. A. tune B. song C. cry D. music
59. A. sparkles B. lights C. rays D. gleams
60. A. over B. through C. from D. off
Part 2. Fill in each of the following gaps (61—70) with one suitable word. Write your answers in the numbered box.
Man is a unique being. He is (61) ……… from all other creatures in that he does not merely form part of the environment. Man reshapes

his environment (62) ……… will to suit his purposes. He does not have a natural habitat and is able to adapt (63) ……… to living in
different environments. Among the many ways in which Man has changed his environment are the building of cities and roads, the (64)
……… of land for farming and the reclaiming of land from the sea. (65) ……… some of the changes are harmless, some are extremely
harmful to the environment.
An example of a harmful consequence of Man's actions is (66) ……… of pollution. Through the use of scientific knowledge and
advanced technology, Man has increased his well-being and life (67) ……… . In the process, (68) ………, he has also brought about the
growing problem of worldwide pollution. One of the main sources of air pollution is motor vehicles. Gases emitted from the car (69)
……… do contain many chemicals, which are harmful to people, animals and plants. Industry also contributes significantly to the pollution
of the environment. There is no majority city in the world today in which we can breathe fresh, clean (70) ……… . It is, therefore,
important for us to be environment-conscious and avoid actions, which bring about harmful effects to our environment.
Your answers
61. 62. 63. 64. 65.
66. 67. 68. 69. 70.
Part 3. Read the following article about books. Write the letter that represents the publishers (A—E) that are mentioned.
71. ……… mentions reviewers taking the opportunity to display
their own experience.
72. ……… describes how good reviews can contribute to the
commercial failure of a book.
73. ……… says that writers and publishers do not react to negative
reviews in the same way.
74 – 75. ……… and ……… suggest that the length of a review may
be more important to publishers than what they actually say.
76. ……… feels that certain books are frequently overlooked by
reviewers.
77. ……… talks about the sales of some books being stimulated by
mixed reviews.
78. ……… says the effect of reviews on sales does not have a
regular pattern.
79 – 80. ……… and ……… say that some books succeed whether
they are reviewed or not.

DO REVIEWS SELL BOOKS?
We asked five leading British publishers about the effect of the reviews of a book on its commercial success. Here is what they said.
Publisher A
Reviews are absolutely key for publishers—the first part of the
newspaper we turn to. The Book Marketing Council found some
years ago that when questioned on why they had bought a particular
book, more people cited reviews than any other prompting influence
(advertisements, word of mouth, bookshop display, etc.).
Authors’ reaction to reviews is slightly different from publishers’.
Both are devastated by no reviews, but publishers are usually more
equable about the bad reviews, judging that column inches are what
matter and that a combination of denunciation and ecstatic praise
can actually create sales as readers decide to judge for themselves.
Publishers probably get the most pleasure from a review that
precisely echoes their own response to a book—they are often the
first ‘reader’.
Publisher B
While publishers and the press fairly obviously have a common
interest in the nature of book review pages, one also needs to
When the reviews are favourable, of course, they are worth
infinitely more than any advertisement. The reader knows that the
good review is not influenced by the publisher’s marketing budget:
it is the voice of reason, and there is no doubt that it helps to sell
books. Publishers themselves often claim that they look for size
rather than content in reviews.
The actual effect of reviews on sale is the inscrutable heart of the
whole business. Good reviews can launch a book and a career and
occasionally lift sales into the stratosphere: but never entirely on
their own. There has to be some fusion with other elements—a
word-of-mouth network of recommendation, a robust response from

the book trade, clever marketing.
Publisher D
The relationship in Britain between publishing and reviewing? I
wish I knew! In the United States it is simple: the New York Times
can make or break a book with a single review. Here, though, the
people in the bookshops often do not appear to take much notice of
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remember that their requirements substantially differ: a newspaper
or magazine needs to provide its readers with appropriately
entertaining material; a publishing house wants to see books,
preferably its own, reviewed, preferably favourably.
Without any question, book reviewing is ‘better’—more diverse,
less elitist—than 40 years ago, when I began reading review pages.
That said, there is still a long grumbled-about tendency to neglect
the book medium read by a majority—namely paperbacks. The
weekly roundups are not really adequate even if conscientiously
done. And even original paperbacks only rarely receive serious
coverage.
But publishers should not complain too much. Reviews are an
economical way of getting a book and an author known. There is no
question that a lively account of a new book by a trusted name can
generate sales—even more if there are several of them.
Publisher C
Reviews are the oxygen of literary publishing; without them, we
would be cut off from an essential life-source. Because the books we
publish are generally not by ‘brand-name’ authors, whose books sell
with or without reviews, and because we seldom advertise, we
develop on the space given to our books by literary editors.
them.
It sometimes takes 20 years of consistently outstanding reviews

for people to start reading a good writer’s work. Yet some of the
most dismally received books, or books not yet reviewed, are the
biggest sellers of all. So it is all very unpredictable, though non-
fiction is less so.
Mind you, non-fiction does allow reviews to indulge themselves
by telling us what they know about the subject of the book under
review rather than about the book itself.
Publisher E
Of course, all publishers and all writers dream of long, uniformly
laudatory reviews. But do they sell books? I once published a
biography. The reviews were everything I could have craved. The
book was a flop—because everybody thought that, by reading the
lengthy reviews, they need not buy the book.
Does the name of the reviewer make a difference? Thirty years
ago, if certain reviews praised a book, the public seemed to take
note and obey their recommendations. These days, it is as much the
choice of an unexpected reviewer, or the sheer power or wit or
originality of the review, which urges the prospective buyer into the
bookshop.
SECTION FOUR. WRITING
Part 1. Use the word given in bold and make any necessary additions to write a new sentence in such a way that it is as similar as
possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do not change the form of the given word.
81. She is likely to be shortlisted for the position. STANDS
She through to shortlist for the position.
82. My grandfather had completely forgotten that he phoned me last night. RECOLLECTION
My grandfather phoning me last night.
83. If Matt had not taken up politics, he might have become a famous art historian. NAME
Had it himself as an art historian.
84. Nadia’s friend arrived just as she was about to leave the restaurant. POINT
Nadia was just the restaurant when her friend arrived.

85. Louise felt offended by the fact that she was left out by her friends. EXCEPTION
Louise leaving her out.
Part 2. For this part (86—100), within a paragraph, describe the kind of media that you like most and explain why.
















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THE END
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
EDUCATIONAL EXAMINATION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION
ANSWER KEY
1. D 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. C
6. A 7. A 8. A 9. C 10. B
11. B 12. B 13. C 14. A 15. B
16. D 17. C 18. D 19. C 20. B
21. A 22. B 23. D 24. B 25. D

26. meet 27. spread 28. hard 29. short 30. promoted
31. on 32. down 33. over 34. with 35. for
36. back 37. around 38. up 39. through 40. at
41. comparatively 42. additional 43. procedure 44. notoriously 45. ascertain
46. inconclusive 47. researchers 48. rigorous 49. rainfall 50. findings
51. D 52. A 53. A 54. C 55. B
56. D 57. B 58. B 59. C 60. A
61. different 62. at 63. successfully 64. using 65. while/whereas/etc.
66. that 67. span/expectancy 68. however 69. exhaust/engine 70. air
71. D 72. E 73. A 74. A/C 75. C/A
76. B 77. A 78. D 79. C/D 80. D/C
81. stands a good chance of getting/being put
82. had no/did not have any recollection at all/whatsoever of
83. not been for Matt/Matt’s taking up politics, he might have gotten/made a name for
84. on the point of leaving
85. took exception to her friends
86 – 100. For this part of the Paper, markers may refer to the following scheme of grading the composition:
Contents, Organisation and Cohesion (7 marks): The student possesses the ability to argue confidently and wholly. Points are made
with both arguments and examples to support. The composition has a positive effect on the reader.
Command of Language (6 marks): The student employs a good range of vocabulary and a grammatical selection of appropriate
structures.
Handwriting and Presentation (2 marks): The student’s handwriting is intelligible and space is cleverly used.
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