Cambridge English Qualifications

FCE

Part 1- For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (А, В, C or D) best fits each gap.

There is an example at the beginning (0).

A well В much C lots D far

Space junk
The Space Age began 0 _____ over half a century ago, and ever since then the area just 1 _____ the Earth’s
atmosphere has been filling up with all kinds of man-made objects that have become 2 _____ as ‘space junk’.
The items up there 3 _____ from old satellites and parts of rockets to hundreds of thousands of pieces smaller
than one centimetre, all of them travelling at extremely 4 _____ speed. Over the last five years, the number of
such objects in space is 5 _____ to have risen by 50 per cent, and this has 6 _____ increased the risk of
damage to working satellites or space vehicles with crews on board. International agreement has therefore
now been 7 _____ on limiting the amount of new space junk. Scientists have also 8 _____ some interesting
suggestions for tidying up space. These include using laser beams, giant nets and even an enormous umbrella-
like device to collect tiny bits of junk.

1 A along B away C out D beyond

2 A referred B known C called D named
3 A include B enclose C cover D range
4 A high B rapid C light D fast
5 A assessed B supposed C estimated D regarded
6 A largely B greatly C importantly D absolutely
7 A arrived B reached C finished D closed
8 A caught up with B put up with C come up with D kept up with

Part 2 - For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one
word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL
LETTERS on tho separate answer sheet.
Example: TO Chewing gum
though
We still tend 0 _____ think chewing gum is a fairly recent invention, even 9 _____ there is evidence it was
used 5,000 years ago in Finland. The Ancient Greeks also chewed gum, as 10 _____the when Aztecs in Mexico
during the sixteenth century. As far as we know, however, it wasn’t 11 _____
until
1869 that chewing gum became
when
popular in its present form, 12 _____ a New York inventor called Thomas Adams first had the idea of adding
flavour to it.
Nowadays, of course, it is chewed around the world, 13 _____ despite
the fact that it continues to be regarded by
others
some 14 _____ an unpleasant habit. Unfortunately, far too many people drop used gum onto the pavement, 15
And it remains for some time because it is extremely difficult to remove once it has stuck to the surface. On
_____
who favour of chewing gum claim it helps them relax, improves their
the other hand, those 16 _____
concentration, and helps keep their teeth clean.

Part 3 - For questions 17-24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the
lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.
Example: EMBARRASSMENT Remembering people's names
Most of us have suffered the 0 _____ of forgetting someone’s name. Often we fail 0.EMBARRASS17
introductions
to pay attention whenimpolite
17 _____ are made, but later on in the conversation we don’t .
want to appear 18 _____ by asking them what their name is. Fortunately, there are INTRODUCE
overcome
some simple ways you can 19 _____ this problem. One is to improve your powers [Link]
observation
of 20 _____. Practise studying faces in public places, making a mental note of [Link]
physical 21 _____ such as high foreheads or narrow eyebrows. You’ll be surprised [Link]
characteristics
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FCE
variety
what a wide 22 _____ of shapes and sizes people’s features have. Then, when you [Link]
first meet someone, remember them as ‘Laura with the small nose’, for example. [Link]
visible
With surnames, make 23 _____ associations. For instance, imagine people called [Link]
Cook, Ford or King making a meal, driving a car or wearing a crown, respectively. [Link]
Finally, ending with the person’s name, as in ‘See you later, Max’ is a good way of
reassuring
24 _____ that you don’t forget it.

Part 4- For questions 25-30, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words,
including the word given. Here is an example (0).
Example: [Link] our holidays, we eat out rather than cook at home. INSTEAD
During our holidays, we eat out _______________ at home. Example: 0. INSTEAD OF COOKING

25. Thomas spoke so quickly I had difficulty understanding him.

found it hard to understand
IT Thomas spoke so quickly I ______________________________ him.
26. They’ve postponed the match and it’ll be played next weekend.
PUT The match ______________________________
had put off until next weekend.
27. I’m never going to speak to Louis again.
no intention in talking
INTENTION I’ve got ______________________________ to Louis again.
28. It seems certain that lightning started the forest fire.
HAVE The forest fire ______________________________
must have been started
by lightning.
29. It wasn’t worth going to the market because it was closing.
there was no point in
POINT The market was closing, so ______________________________ going there.
30. We phoned the restaurant, but they said booking a table wasn’t necessary.
HAVE We phoned the restaurant, but they said we ______________________________
don't have to book
a table.

Part 5- You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 31-36, choose the answer (А, В, C or D)
which you think fits best according to the text.

'Claire, it's Ruth.' Claire held back a sigh and walked into the kitchen to put the coffee machine on. A phone
call from her sister was never over quickly.
'Ruth, darling. How are you?' As she waited for her sister to start describing in detail her latest disaster, Claire
mulled over how much to reveal about her new business assignment. Her family would have to be told
something, of course. Not that they ever came to visit, or called her home phone, or sent her letters. Still, it
seemed only right to tell them it meant she was moving out for twelve months. Tuning back into the phone
call, Claire realised she had missed some key information and tried to catch up with what her sister was
talking about.

'So the doctor said it was probably lack of sleep. You know Sky is a bad sleeper and her nightmares have been
worse since she started Year Two.' Claire worked out that someone was unwell, but was unsure whether it was
her sister or her six-year-old niece.
Claire thought about her own schooling. Her parents had paid for the best, obviously, although Claire often
wondered whether that was to ensure their three children didn't affect their lifestyle, rather than to give their
offspring a good start in life. The school had encouraged independence and character but had no time for tears
and tantrums. Claire had learned quickly to work hard and stay out of trouble. More than could be said for
Ruth. It had been a constant disappointment to her parents that, while their first and third children both
achieved academic success, Ruth only acquired a reputation for bad behavior.
Ruth's next sentence sharply interrupted Claire's thoughts.
'The tests are the week after next. That's why I'm calling. Is there any chance you could come and look after
Sky? It's half-term and most of her friends are going skiing. Of course, we can't afford that...' Claire inhaled
 Cambridge English Qualifications
FCE

deeply and forced herself not to rise to the bait. Ruth was always poor and begrudged Claire her success.
Claire accepted that looking after a child on your own probably limited your career options, but look at the
'Harry Potter' author J. K. Rowling, it hadn't held her back. She was convinced Ruth could help herself if only
she'd try harder. Claire was almost too irritated by the thinly-veiled criticism to react to the request, but not
quite.
'Have Sky? How long for? When?' Claire could hear panic in her voice and forced herself to breathe in deeply.
Once she was sure she was back in control of her emotions she said in a slow voice,‘I start a new work
assignment on 1st March, and I'll... be on the road a lot. You know. Meeting clients.'
'Dining out on someone else's credit card.' Ruth's voice cut in.
'There's more to it than that,' Claire responded quickly. Then, before Ruth could start the age-old argument,
Claire consciously lowered her voice.
'Tell me the day you need me to have Sky, I'll check my diary.' 'Well, it's two days, actually.' Ruth sounded
embarrassed.
Thinking about minding a six-year-old for two days almost made Claire choke. She gulped down her coffee
and wondered if she could use the new assignment as an excuse.
There was something in Ruth's voice, though, that made her pause.
'Can't Mum take care of her? I thought Mum and Dad were the perfect grandparents?' It seemed odd to Claire
that two people who had no time for their own children could go mad over someone else's, even if they were
their grandkids.
'Er, Mum's coming with me, to the hospital.’
Ruth's words finally got through to Claire. 'Just what tests are you having exactly?' 'Weren't you listening?
You never listen to me.'
Claire almost smiled at the petulant tone in Ruth's voice. For a moment they were twelve and fourteen again.

31. When Claire realizes who is phoning her, she

A expects to hear some good news. В tries to hide her true feelings.
C hopes it will be a long conversation. D knows exactly what she will say to Ruth.

32. Why doesn’t Claire know who is ill?

A Ruth didn’t make it clear who she was talking about. В None of her other relatives had written to her
about it.
C She was away on business when the illness began. D She wasn’t paying attention when Ruth was
speaking.

33. How does Claire feel about her school?

A She would have achieved more at a better school.
В Her parents never appreciated how successful she was there.
C Her sister was better suited to that school than she was.
D She may have been sent there for the wrong reasons.

34. What is Claire’s attitude to Ruth’s financial problems?

A She feels they are largely Ruth’s own fault.
В She wishes she could do more to help Ruth.
C She thinks Ruth could get any well-paid job she wanted.
D She feels guilty about having more money than Ruth.

35. What does ‘it’ refer to? (second half of the text, sentence underlined)
A spending the firm’s money В the task Claire has been given
C looking after Ruth’s daughter D the reason Claire sounds stressed

36. What do we learn about Claire and her family?

 Cambridge English Qualifications
FCE

A Her relationship with her sister has completely changed since their childhood.
В She realises that her parents treated her very well when she was a child.
C She doesn’t understand why her parents are so close to their grandchildren.
D She accepts that her mother is more interested in Ruth than in her.

Part 6 - You are going to read an article about the new headquarters of the World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF). Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits
each gap (37-42). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

The ultimate green home: the WWF's new headquarters

Sandwiched between an incredibly ugly shopping centre and a busy main road, the environmentalist Sir David
Attenborough, no less, is planting a tree and declaring: 'Today is a historic day.' He really means it.
Maybe our children's future will be an overheated, desert-like world, but if it's not, it will probably look a lot
like this. The new, highly environmentally-friendly home of the World-Wide Fund for Nature, a hemispherical
glass tube standing above a council car park, was officially opened today, watched by a small but enthusiastic
D
crowd. 37 ____.
Known as the 'Living Planet Centre', it has jumping panda animations that greet visitors to its WWF
Experience, where schoolchildren can interact with Ocean, River, Forest and Wildlife Zones. Since the mid-
20th century, many of the ideas behind humanity's attempts to protect animals and the natural world have been
started by the WWF. 38 ____. G
The World Wide Fund for Nature is one of the great hopes for the world,' Sir David Attenborough said. 'This
building enshrines that, and advertises it to the world.' The concrete is all recycled, as is the carpet and even
most of the computer equipment, and there are many solar energy panels. 39 ____. C In addition, new habitats
and plant species have been installed around the gardens, while indoors a home has been found for three tall
trees.
The sense of total calm inside, from the high curved ceilings to the plants and trees, is all the more remarkable
for the building's urban location. It has been built between a canal and a small area of woods listed as a Site of
A
Special Scientific Interest. 40 ____. The contrast gives us an idea of what might just be possible in the future.
The WWF was set up in 1961. The organization originally fought to protect individual species, such as the
Arabian oryx, from extinction. Eventually, the focus moved from individual species to ecosystems: all the
living things in one area and the way they affect each other. Sir David, who is an ambassador for the WWF,
F
said: 'Now, it's not just individual ecosystems. Now the change is to a global approach. 41 ____. That is
because the planet is one vast ecosystem. The WWF has been the leader in changing everyone's attitudes
towards nature.'
Sir David is clear about the task ahead, and more importantly, unlike many environmentalists, he believes it is
E
not too late to make a difference. 'You can't turn the clock back, of course. 42 ____. But we can slow down the
rate at which the numbers are increasing, we can cut down the carbon we put in the atmosphere,’ he said. 'It's
never happened before that the whole world has come together and made a decision. To go as far as we have
done to reduce carbon is an impressive achievement. But you cannot have unlimited growth in a limited
situation. You can't expand infinitely in a finite planet.

A. Even so, it remains in an ugly corner of a fairly unattractive town centre.

В. So even if you aren’t particularly concerned about the environment, as energy costs rise you’ll want to save
money on fuel bills.
C. Other such features include extensive glass to increase natural light, natural ventilation, rainwater in the
toilets, and heat pumps that bring warm air up from 200 metres below.
D. It is hoped their new home will be a living example of that.
E. That means you can’t put back forests that are gone, not for a century, and the population size is not going
to shrink.
F. If you want to do something, you have to persuade people of the world not to pollute.
G. If humanity is to survive, they must have been thinking, it will do so living in buildings of this kind.
 Cambridge English Qualifications
FCE

Part 7- You are going to read an article from a travel magazine about beaches. For questions 43-52, choose
from the authors (A-D). The authors may be chosen more than once.
Which section...
43. recommends paying the entrance fee? __ D
44. states that the beach has featured in advertisements? __ D
45. says visitors may be surprised by the water temperature? __ A
46. points out that the water is quite shallow? __ B
47. suggests visitors should take photos of the beach? __ C
48. says visitors can walk on the beach in their bare feet? __ B
49. mentions a pleasant smell from the trees? __A
50. advises visitors to get to the beach early in the day? __ B
51. states that it is not always possible to visit the beach? __ A
52. warns visitors to the beach to protect their skin? __ C

Four of the world’s best beaches

Which are the best beaches on Earth? Here are our top four.

A Rodas Beach, the Cies Islands, Spain

Some of Spain’s most spectacular beaches lie in Galicia on the Atlantic coast, and perhaps the most stunning
of these are on the Cies Islands. These unspoilt and uninhabited islands are a national park, with public access
limited to the summer months, and contain the perfectly-shaped Rodas Beach with its pure white sand and
clear blue sea. At first sight it almost seems tropical, until dipping your toe in the water encourages you to
spend a lazy day on the beach rather than dive in for a swim. There you can enjoy the quiet, the warmth of the
sun and the scent of pine from the nearby woods, and later on have an excellent meal in the reasonably-priced
fish restaurant close to the beach.

В Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Australia is famous for wonderful beaches, and Whitehaven must surely be one of its very best. Set against a
background of amazingly-green tropical forest, and with views across the clear blue ocean to distant small
islands, the sandy white beach is like something from a picture postcard or a TV commercial. As you would
expect in such a sunny climate, the water is pleasantly warm, ideal for swimming on or below the surface. The
sand, in contrast, always remains cool as it is of a type that reflects the sunlight, so you won't need sandals. As
the island has no permanent inhabitants, and most day trippers leave by boat quite early, in the late afternoon
and evening you can have the place almost to yourself.

C Matira Beach, Bora Bora, Tahiti

Matira Beach on the Pacific island of Bora Bora has incredibly white sand, beautiful fish swimming in clear
bluegreen water, and stunning sunsets. The air temperature hardly varies around the year, and neither does that
of the ocean - which is only waist-high even hundreds of metres from the shore. And unlike windier beaches
nearby, Matira is quite well sheltered. There isn't, however, much shade, so it is advisable to use plenty of sun
cream, and the sand can feel uncomfortably hot unless you wear beach shoes or something similar. There is no
charge to visit the beach, yet it rarely becomes crowded at any time of day. Everyone should go there at least
once in life, and when you do, make sure you have your photo taken as the sun goes down.

D Anse Source d’Argent Beach, Seychelles

This must be one of the most photographed beaches in the world, so don’t forget to get some shots of your
own, especially of the sea and the sand framed by the background of enormous pink rocks, with tall palm trees
right behind them. It’s easy to see why commercials have been made there. The patches of brilliantly white
sand between those beautiful rocks make it the perfect place to spend a relaxing day, and it is well worth the
small amount it costs for access. The best spots - those with both sunshine and shade - quickly get taken, so
make sure you arrive well before the sun starts to beat down and the sand heats up.
 Cambridge English Qualifications
FCE

LISTENING PAPER - Part 1

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer
(A, В or C).
1. You hear a person talking about a recently constructed road. What do they think about the road?
A They believe it will make shopping trips longer.
В They approve of it.
С They are concerned about the environmental impact.
2. You hear someone talking about their education. What did they study?
A Medicine В Fine arts С Science
3. You hear a man talking to another person. Who is he talking to?
A a client В a student С a janitor
4. You hear a woman and her neighbor talking. What does the woman want her neighbor to do?
A look after a pet В feed her child С water her plants
5. You hear a woman planning to go to a beauty parlor. What is she doing there?
A getting her hair done
В having her nails done
С getting a massage
6. You hear a conversation between two colleagues. Why is the woman upset?
A Something went missing.
В Something got wet.
С Something is broken.
7. You hear a technician talking about a broken computer. When will it be repaired?
A Friday В Monday С Tuesday
8. You hear a woman talking about her commute to work. How does she feel about it?
A It makes her relaxed. В It stresses her. С It is very long.
Part 2
You will hear a radio programme about a famous dessert dish. For questions 9-18, complete the sentences
with a word or short phrase.
Pavlova Russian Ballet Dancer

Pavlova is a dessert that takes its name after 9_______ Anna Pavlova. New Zealand

It is believed that the dessert had been created to celebrate Pavlova’s tour of Australia and 10 _______ in the
cuisine
1920s. One of the common festive meals the dessert is served at is 11_______. Professor Helen Leach, a
culinary anthropologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, has researched the dessert and compiled a
series of cookbooks containing 12 _______
667 Pavlova recipes. Some sources point at Bert Sachse as the original
pearl austrailia
creator of the dish at the Esplanade Hotel in 13 _______ in 1935. Matthew Evans from The Sydney Morning
difficulty
Herald said that 14 _______ about the pavlova’s origins is not likely to be found.
The process of making Pavlova involves 15 _______ beating
into a thick mass, with other ingredients such as sugar
and vinegar added later.16 _______ is where raspberry topping seems to be the most popular one.
united kingdom

water and
Ready-to-be-made pavlovas can be bought, that require little effort to make and only need both 17 _______
sugar
added to [Link] Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa, made 18 _______ in February 1999 memorable by
the First

creating the largest pavlova in existence, called ‘Pavzilla’.

 Cambridge English Qualifications
FCE

PART 3
You will hear five people talking about their first employment experiences.
For questions 19-23, choose from the list (A-H) what each person says about it. Use the letters only once.
There are three extra letters which you do not need to use.

D
A
F
B
E

Part 4
You will listen to a person talking about their time at school. For questions 24-30, choose the
best answer (A, В or C).
24. The author’s family
A went to the same school.
В did not enjoy their school years.
С had poor academic performance.
25. The other boys at the school
A also hated following the rules.
В seemed to be okay with it.
С enjoyed staying there.
26. The author’s illness during the first term
A did not get proper treatment from the nurse.
В turned out to be not as serious as he had thought.
С was so bad that he nearly died.
27. During his stay at the hospital the author
A was irritated by nurses’ attitude.
В was worried about other patients.
С was too shy to talk to the nurses.
28. Because of the illness the author
A had to skip one year of school.
В had to have classes in the library.
С had enough private time.
29. When leaving school, the headmaster expected the author to
A feel sorry about finishing school.
В realise how good the time at school had been.
С be happy about leaving school.
30. The author now
A understands headmaster’s point of view.
В has the same feelings about his time at school.
С feels uncertain about how he feels about his time at school.