proficiency specimen paper 2

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
EDUCATIONAL EXAMINATION
Concerned Subject:
Approximate Time:
Examination Date:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
180 minutes
…… / …… / ……

 No further explanation may be asked or given.
 Examinees are strictly forbidden to use other materials, including
dictionaries. Violation of this rule may result in instantaneous
disqualification.

EXAMINATION OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH
SPECIMEN PAPER 2
Student Name: ................................................................................
Class: ..............................................................................................
School: ............................................................................................
MARK

SECTION ONE. LEXICO–GRAMMAR
Part 1. Choose the word that best substitutes for the underlined word or phrase in each sentence. Write your answers in the numbered
box.
1. You may catch a ……… of the deer galloping in the forest.
A. glimpse
B. glance
C. gaze
D. glaze
2. He is on ……… with you, I really do not know who to promote to manager.

A. strength
B. similar
C. par
D. level
3. The squirrels are ……… nuts into their homes for the winter.
A. picking
B. stowing
C. commuting
D. concerting
4. Animals with thick fur are well ……… in winter.
A. hibernated
B. sheltered
C. insulated
D. incubated
5. Have you ……… the sale sign in front of your shop yet?
A. displayed
B. monitored
C. illustrated
D. demonstrated
6. I am sure that you are ……… enough to afford a luxurious car like that.
A. standard
B. influential
C. affluent
D. effluent
7. The accountant ……… the company fund and ran away to another country.
A. swallowed
B. confiscated
C. embraced
D. embezzled
8. She goes for a ……… once a week to ensure that her hands and nails are in good condition.

A. massage
B. trimming
C. manicure
D. filing
9. It is impossible to miss the ……… of the Generation X in America.
A. manifestation
B. advancement
C. initiation
D. acknowledgement
10. How are we going to reach you when you are staying in that ……… village?
A. illusive
B. hidden
C. lost
D. remote
11. The government has been criticised for its new economic ……… .
A. policy
B. infrastructure
C. constitution
D. legislation
12. The spendthrift has been ……… money out of his old parents.
A. squeezing
B. pressing
C. torturing
D. squandering
13. He has a strong ……… to succeed.
A. dream
B. priority
C. desire
D. feeling
14. Henna is still very ………, unaware of the cruel world outside.

A. immature
B. naïve
C. childish
D. pure
15. He ……… his head as he listens to her approvingly.
A. knots
B. knocks
C. kneads
D. nods
Your answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Part 2. 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.
in
out
down

about
along
for
off
from
aback
with
against
on
16. If you draw ……… income from your investment too quickly, it may not last long.
17. They agreed to the policy ……… the understanding that it would be to their benefits.
18. Pack it ………, will you? Your guitar playing is getting on my nerves.
19. Further ……… the road, some more policies are sure to be introduced.
20. Clever people never bite ……… more than they can chew.


21. I think it would be fun to swan ……… Europe in the summer.
22. That old, crazy man once claimed he was descended ……… William Shakespeare.
23. Without any information to bank on, we landed ourselves ……… the most boring job of the lot.
24. She gets so nervous at the thought of examinations that her mind completely blanks ……… .
25. She gambled ……… the house even though it was not hers.
Your answers
16.
17.
18.
19.
21.
22.
23.
24.

20.
25.

Part 3. Match the verbs in column A with the appropriate prepositions in column B to fill in the blanks. Note that there are two extra
pairs of verbs and prepositions. Make sure that the verbs are in the correct form. Each word may be used only once. There are two extra
words in each column. Write your answers in the provided space.
A
B
chase
weigh
keep
go
chalk
get
up
to
off
for
in
after
cease
sue
suit
set
hear
bind
of
down
out

over
along
forward
26. We could not move fast because we were ……… by bags of shopping.
27. When he first tried to ……… for the basketball team, he harshly failed.
28. He is always ……… young women. I wonder when he will get serious.
29. After she tried to ……… divorce and the husband did not show up, the court granted her that wish.
30. What do you ……… your success ……… to, luck or hard work?
31. He can always ……… his conversation ……… whoever he is with.
32. Just make sure you ……… the tower ……… sight. That way, you will not get lost.
33. The man always ……… before seven o’clock to avoid traffic jams.
34. How are you ……… in your new work? I hope everything is fine.
35. Do I know Fred Smith? No, I have never ……… him.
Your answers
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
Part 4. Read the letter below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some have a word which should not be
there. If a line is correct, put a tick () by the number. If a line has a word which should not be there, write the word on the left.
I am writing to complain about our recent holiday, which involved several last-minute changes to the
36.
arrangements, despite the fact that we had made our booking for several months in advance. The journey to the
37.

coast took four hours longer than your brochure suggested. The coach which took us was far too much old and
38.
the last part of the journey was terrifying, as if the driver tried to make up for the time we had lost. However,
39.
this was nothing compared with our horror when we arrived at the hotel. Your advertisement promised to us
40.
large rooms with colour television. In fact, our bedroom was hardly that big enough to lie down in and the only
41.
television was in the lounge. We did not go downstairs for an evening meal, but decided instead to go to the bed
42.
straightaway. It was quite clear that we could not enjoy our holiday in this hotel. Your representative was no
43.
help at all, so we had to find somewhere else to stay at for the rest of the week ourselves. I expect you to return
44.
the money we paid for this trip, which it totally failed to live up to the claims in your brochure.
45. .........................
Part 5. Fill in each blank with the most suitable form of the word in brackets. Write your answers in the column on the right.
FAST BRAIN WAVES
Over half a century ago, scientists found that they could record the electrical signals of the brain at
work. What at first appeared a random hotchpotch of activity became a pattern of elegant waves (46. 46.
RHYTHM) determined. Ever since, scientists have wondered whether the secrets of our thoughts, (47. 47.
PERCEIVE) and even (48. CONSCIOUS) itself might be hidden in the patterns of our brain waves.
48.
The question of why we have brain waves is, (49. ARGUE), as hotly debated today as it was when the
patterns were discovered. But the meaning, and even the existence, of fast rhythms in the alert brain is 49.
highly (50. CONTROVERSY).
50.
What is problematic is that you cannot perceive these rhythms directly, they are so well hidden in the 51.
noise created by other brain activity, but many (51. SEARCH) now hold the (52. CONVINCE) that the
52.

significance of these brain waves should not be (53. ESTIMATE).
The latest suggestion is that the rhythms could be (54. DECIDE) in detecting progresses going on in 53.
different regions of the brain. Some believe that these rhythms might even interact, and in doing so help 54.
the brain to package information into (55. COHERE) thoughts. How we bring together these related 55.
signals of the brain is a puzzle as yet unsolved.
SECTION TWO. READING
Part 6. Choose the word that best fits each of the blanks in the following passage. Write your answers in the numbered box.


SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Sport as a spectacle and photography as a way of recording action have developed together. At the turn of the 20th century, Edward J.
Muybridge was experimenting with photographs of movement. His pictures of a runner (56) ……… in every history of photography.
Another milestone was when the scientist and photographer Harold Edgerton (57) ……… the limits of photographic technology with his
study of a (58) ……… of milk hitting the suffice of a dish. Another advance was the development of miniature cameras in the late 1920s,
which made it possible for sports photographers to (59) ……… their cumbersome cameras behind.
The arrival of television was a significant development in the transmission of sport. Paradoxically, it was of benefit to still photographers.
People who watched a sports event on TV, with all its movement and action, (60) ……… the still image as a reminder of the game.
Looking back, we can see how (61) ……… sports photography has changed. Early sports photographers were as interested in the stories
behind the sport as in the sport itself. Contemporary sports photography (62) ……… the glamour of sport, the colour and the action. But the
best sports photographers today do more than simply tell the story of the event, or make a (63) ……… of it. They (64) ……… in a single
dramatic moment the real emotions of the participants, emotions with which people looking at the photographs can (65) ……… .
56. A. exhibit
B. show
C. feature
D. demonstrate
57. A. enlarged
B. extended
C. prolonged
D. spread
58. A. splash

B. drop
C. dash
D. drip
59. A. put
B. keep
C. lay
D. leave
60. A. chose
B. valued
C. pointed
D. cheered
61. A. highly
B. radically
C. extremely
D. severely
62. A. outlines
B. signals
C. emphasises
D. forms
63. A. preservation
B. store
C. mark
D. record
64. A. seize
B. grasp
C. capture
D. secure
65. A. identify
B. share
C. unite

D. join
Your answers
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
Part 7. Read the following passage and answer the questions following the instructions given.
Inflation is a dreaded situation among everyone all over the world. It normally occurs after a long period of changes but there are also
intervals at which large and sudden increases in prices take place. When the supply of well-traded goods falls suddenly, the prices of the
goods will rise. Whether inflation is to happen depends on the nature of the demand and supply of the goods. When demand increases, the
prices of the goods will rise, especially if supply cannot keep up with the demand. It is common to see the price of fuel increasing when the
supply of oil is disrupted.
The supply and demand of a good determines the price at which it is sold. How many times have we seen items that have been collecting
dust on shop shelves given a discount? When an item is popular, the price naturally increases. Suppliers increase the price when people are
willing to pay more for the goods they want. Inflation is usually most pertinent in everyday items. These are usually necessities, like food,
soap, shampoo and even clothes and shoes. It might be surprising to discover that such common items, most of which fetch an average of
ten dollars, will be the hardest hit when changes occur in the economy. Luxury goods are only demanded by a small portion of the
population and will hardly be affected by inflation. However, as more and more goods become part of everyday items, inflation begins to
affect a wider spectrum of goods sold in the market. For example, in the past, air-conditioners and washing machines could only be found
in homes for the rich. Today, they are a necessity in almost every household.
Tribal groups are the hardest hit when inflation occurs in the country that they are residing in. For many of them, the opening up of their
societies has exposed them to the different goods available in the world. In a bid to obtain these goods, many of them have to leave their
homes and work in the city. For the less fortunate ones, they usually remain in the mountains and countryside, producing traditional
handicraft on a massive scale. The only way for them to obtain goods sold in the towns is to earn money from the sale of their handicraft.

Some of them have even opened their homes to tourists for a fee.
When inflation occurs, goods that are affected are usually those that the tribal groups have set their sights on. Hence, the price of spices,
material and household tools like cutlery become more expensive. On the other hand, the price of handicrafts remain the same. The situation
is worsened when the tribes produce more handicraft to earn more. The uniqueness of such handicraft is the draw for many buyers and when
produced on a massive scale, becomes less desirable.
Inflation therefore affects different people differently. Besides the relationship between the type of goods that are desired and the type of
goods that one has to offer for sale, inflation usually affects those in the lowest rungs of society. The little that they own can now buy much
less than they could before.
Answer the questions that follow by choosing A, B, C or D. Write your answers in the numbered box.
66. It can be inferred from the passage that ……… .
A. tribal groups are the sole affected group of people during inflation
B. items needed by less people are less affected by inflation
C. people in the city find it harder to obtain goods
D. inflation can be prevented by supplying more goods
67. Why does the writer mentions “items that have been collecting dust on shop” in the second paragraph?
A. To show the extent to which demands affect prices.
B. To demonstrate how the supply of goods is important.
C. To state how difficult it is to find antiquities in shop.
D. To exemplify the cause of inflation.


68. The word “disrupted” used in the first paragraph can best be replaced by ……… .
A. permitted
B. perceived
C. obstructed
D. precognitive
69. The word “spectrum” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to the word ……… .
A. range
B. power
C. matter

D. length
70. Which of the following is not stated as a hindrance to the obtaining of spices by tribal groups during inflation?
A. There is an increase in the price of spices.
B. Prices of handicrafts remain unchanged by inflation.
C. Too many handicrafts are produced leading to reduction in price.
D. They are not allowed to go to the city.
For each of the following sentences, decide whether it is true, false or not given by writing T, F or NG in the numbered box.
71. Inflation oftentimes affects those at the lowest ranks of the society.
72. Tribal members that leave to seek jobs in the city are more likely to suffer from inflation than others.
73. The only way for tribal groups to get goods sold in the towns is to sell their handicrafts or open their homes to tourists for a fee.
74. Monetary negotiations are often made during inflation.
75. Goods that sell badly are those not very demanded ones.
Your answers
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
Part 8. Complete the following passage by filling in each blank with one suitable word. Write your answers in the numbered box.
URBAN SPARROWS
During the last 25 years, Britain’s urban sparrow population has declined by as much as two-thirds, and the bird has almost disappeared
from many of (76) ……… former haunts. The decline has been blamed on (77) ……… from cats to garden pesticides. Moreover, modern
buildings have far (78) ……… few nooks and crannies (79) ……… the birds can nest. Factors (80) ……… these may well be involved, but
alone they (81) ……… to explain the severity of the decline, or the fact that other urban birds have been less affected.
Denis Summers-Smith is the world’s leading expert on sparrows, so when he (82) ……… up with a theory to explain their decline, it has

to be (83) ……… listening to. He suggests that the culprit is a chemical added to unleaded petrol. It would be deeply ironic if a policy that
was intended to improve the nation’s health (84) ……… to prove responsible for the decline of (85) ……… of its favourite species.
(86) ……… to Summers-Smith, social species such as the sparrow require a minimum population in a specific area to breed successfully.
If, (87) ……… whatever reason, numbers drop (88) ……… this threshold, the stimulus to breed disappears. The most dramatic example is
the passenger pigeon, (89) ……… in the late nineteenth century went from (90) ……… the world’s most common bird to total extinction
within fifty years.
Your answers
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
SECTION FOUR. WRITING
Part 9. For Questions 91 – 115, write at least 150 words following the instruction below.
The charts below show the main reasons for study among students of different age groups and the amount of support they received
from employers. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

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Part 10. For Questions 116 – 150, write a composition of between 300 and 600 words on the following topic.
“Without goals and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no direction,” Fitzhugh Dodson once said. How
important are goals in one’s life? Explain your answer.
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THE END

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
EDUCATIONAL EXAMINATION
Concerned Subject:
Approximate Time:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
180 minutes

EXAMINATION OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH
SPECIMEN PAPER 2
ANSWER KEY

1. A
2. C
3. B
4. C
5. A
6. C
7. D
8. C
9. A
10. D
11. A
12. A
13. C
14. B
15. D
16. down
17. on
18. in

19. along
20. off
21. about
22. from
23. with
24. out
25. away
26. weighed down
27. go out
28. chasing after
29. sue for
30. chalk up
31. suit to
32. keep in
33. sets off
34. getting along
35. heard of
37. for
38. much
39. if
40. to
36. 
41. that
42. the
44. at
45. it
43. 
46. rhythmically
47. perception(s)
48. consciousness

49. (un)arguably
50. controversial
51. researchers
52. conviction
53. underestimated
54. decisive
55. coherent
56. C
57. B
58. B
59. D
60. B
61. B
62. C
63. D
64. C
65. A
66. B
67. A
68. C
69. A
70. D
71. T
72. F
73. F
74. NG
75. T
76. its
77. everything/anything
78. too

79. where/wherein
80. like
81. fail
82. comes
83. worth
84. were/was
85. one
86. According
87. for
88. below/beneath
89. which
90. being
Part 9. For this part of the Paper, markers may refer to the following scheme of grading the composition:
Contents, Organisation and Cohesion (8 marks): The student must be able to:
- Summarise key features of both charts.
- Identify clear trends and support them with appropriate figures.
- Organisation is clearly clever and progressive in showing the analysed features.
Command of Language (5 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.
Part 10. For this part of the Paper, markers may refer to the following scheme of grading the composition:
Contents (11 marks): The student can show clear, pondering reasons for their choice and development in their answer.
Organisation and cohesion (11 marks): Clear paragraphing and coherent, compelling, expressive way of reasoning.
Command of Language (11 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.
Example Answer (Part 9).
The first graph shows that there is a gradual decrease in study for career reasons with age. Nearly 80% of students under 26 years old
study for their career. This percentage gradually declines by 10 – 20% every decade of age. Only 40% of 40 – 49 years old and 18% of
over 49 years old studying for career reasons in late adulthood.

Conversely, the first graph also shows that study stemming from interest increases with age. There are only 10% of under 26 years old
studying out of interest. The percentage increases slowly till the beginning of the fourth decade, and increases dramatically in late
adulthood. Nearly same number of 40 – 49 years old study for career and interest. However 70% of over 49 years old study for interest
in comparison to 18% studying for career reasons in that age group.
The second graph shows that employer support is maximum (approximately 60%) for the under–26–year–old students. It drops rapidly
to 32% up to the third decade of life, and then increases in late adulthood up to about 44%. It is unclear whether employer' support is
only for career-focused study, but the highest level is for those students who mainly study for career purposes.
Examiner’s Comment.
This answer summarises the key features of both charts and integrates them well. Clear trends are identified and supported with
appropriately-selected figures. The answer could only be improved by adding an introduction to the general topic of the charts.
The information is well organised, with a clearly-signalled progression. Linking words are used accurately and precisely, although there
is occasional omission. Paragraphing is used well initially, but lapses in the later section.
A very good range of vocabulary is used to convey the information concisely and accurately with only occasional inappropriacy. Words
are used precisely and there are no errors in spelling or word form.
A wide range of structures is used and most sentences in this answer are accurate. Errors are rare and do not affect communication in
this answer.