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READING – Task 1 (Questions 1–5)
Read the text and choose the correct option (A–D).
The 32,000–word novella The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, published in 1895, is generally credited with popularizing the idea of time travel by means of a time machine, a vehicle which takes the occupant backward or forward in time. Dozens of sequels and adaptations over the years have further promoted the notion. Indeed, Albert Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity lays the foundation for the possibility of time travel. So far, no one has demonstrated the ability to travel in time. However, time machines have been constructed, and they do allow glimpses into the past.
The most efficacious time machine currently in existence is the Hubble Telescope, named after the American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble. Its capability to locate distant astronomical targets and lock in on them, permitting their faint light to aggregate on its detectors, allows it to peer far into the past. Light travels 186,000 miles per second. The Hubble Telescope has looked back in time at 10,000 galaxies whose light left them billions of years ago. Therefore, utilizing the telescope as time machine, astronomers are able to contemplate galaxies as they were eons ago.
Although the telescope was launched into space in 1990, its inception was almost a half–century earlier as astronomer Lyman Spitzer, Jr. mulled over the possibility of a large space telescope in a 1946 report, “Astronomical Advantages of an Extra–Terrestrial Observatory.” Because the earth is bathed in its constantly churning atmosphere, earth–based telescopes cannot penetrate deep space; the atmosphere distorts the view. Telescopes were constructed on mountains, but there was still no way to wholly escape the effects of the layers of gases enveloping the earth.
During the 1960s, the Space Race between the then–Soviet Union and the United States was accelerating. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established. Funds for space endeavors were abundant, and plans for a large space telescope, by then designated the LST, were underway. The designs called for a 2.4–meter primary telescope mirror which could be transported into space by one of NASA’s rockets. According to National Geographic’s Imaging Space and Time, the resolving power of the deep space telescope would be “equivalent to being able to distinguish the left and right headlights of a car in California seen from New York, or features less than 1/30,000th the size of the full moon. This was at least a tenfold increase over the atmospheric limit.”
One of the primary challenges involved in successfully transporting the telescope into space was protecting the mirror from the jarring vibrations that occur during launch. It was crucial that the mirror be able to withstand the shuttle’s vicissitudes as well as the volatile atmospheric conditions found in space. If not, the precise shape of the mirror could be compromised, and its imaging capability significantly weakened.
After the telescope had been launched, astronomers subsequently realized that the primary mirror had not been ground correctly. A lens in the test instrument was about one millimeter askew, which is large by optical standards. In 1993, space–walking astronauts installed corrective lenses which improved the eyesight of the Hubble. In 2009, the corrective lenses themselves were replaced with a supersensitive spectrograph with built–in corrective lenses. The new spectrograph is expected to provide insight into the origins of stars and galaxies.
The successor to Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope, is expected to be launched in 2014. It will observe only in infrared, so it will complement the Hubble Telescope, which observes in the visible and ultraviolet light ranges.
Hubble currently has the capability to view galaxies that were formed 13.7 billion years ago, long before humans existed, in an area called the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Astronomers aspire to see beyond the Hubble Ultra Deep Field to a time that is devoid of galaxies, a time before galaxies had formed. If H.G. Wells was onto something in his novella, that time may be close at hand. As one of the characters in the popular work asked, “If Time is really only a fourth dimension of Space, why is it, and why has it always been, regarded as something different? And why cannot we move in Time as we move about in the other dimensions of Space?”
Less than a decade after Wells’ novella, Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity seemed to concur with Wells’ character by proposing that traveling through space at the speed of light would alter time by causing it to dilate, raising the possibility of not merely glimpsing the past, but perhaps traveling to it.
1) Which statement corresponds to one of the ideas mentioned at the beginning of the passage?
2) Earth-based telescopes…
3) The process of transporting the telescope into space is complicated and may lead to …
4) The James Webb Space Telescope …
5) Astronomers are interested in …
Total Questions: 5
Incorrect Answers: 0
READING – Task 2 (Questions 6–10)
Find in the text expressions that correspond to the definitions.
6) quick looks at something
7) thought about something for a long time and in a careful manner
8) attempts to achieve something
9) not at the right level or not straight
10) open or become wider
Total Questions: 5
Incorrect Answers: 0
VOCABULARY – Task 1 (Questions 1–5)
For items 1–5, write ONE word that fits all three sentences.
1.
- She couldn’t __________ the urge to buy the designer handbag, even though it was way out of her budget.
- The crisis manager warned employers to __________ demands for high pay increases.
- The pharmaceutical companies did their best to __________ the introduction of new technology of production sunscreens.
2.
- Mary remained a __________ to me though we had been in good relations for 15 years.
- Martin was a __________ to diplomatic life because his profession was far from diplomacy.
- The __________’s sudden appearance at the crime scene raised suspicions among the investigators.
3.
- Anna knew it was time to __________ to the inevitable, accept her fate and marry Mr. Lain.
- Martin refused to __________ to the harsh criticism of his colleagues and continued to pursue his passion for writing.
- Hijackers had little choice but to __________ their weapons to the government’s forces.
4.
- __________ in the joints is crucial for preventing injuries in athletes.
- __________ is essential in adapting to changing circumstances in life.
- The new system of management offers a much greater degree of __________ in the way the work in a company is organized.
5.
- The __________ of vibrant colours on the canvas added depth to the abstract painting.
- Melanie was shocked – the __________ of mud from the passing truck ruined her pristine white dress.
- Alice decided to add a __________ of lemon juice to flavour the butter.
Total Questions: 5
Incorrect Answers: 0
VOCABULARY – Task 2 (Questions 6–10)
Drag the correct idiom into each gap.
6. The workers decided in protest of the unfair treatment by their employer.
7. The documentary was , revealing the harsh realities of life in a developing country.
8. The report was of the previous one, with no new information added.
9. Though Hanna is , she still has a youthful spirit and a zest for life.
10. Jack was feeling after receiving a rejection letter from his dream job.
Total Questions: 5
Incorrect Answers: 0
GRAMMAR – Task 1 (Questions 1–5)
Write the missing part of the second sentence using the given word.
1. Unfortunately, Sean’s flat broke these days.
PENNY
Unfortunately, Sean name these days.
2. There’s no need for me to remind you how challenging this project is.
SAYING
It project is very challenging.
3. I don’t think he will make a very good financial analyst.
CUT
From my perspective, he a financial analyst.
4. The politician was harshly criticized for her controversial statements.
SUBJECTED
The politician for her controversial statements.
5. Tom was surprised to see how quickly the project was completed.
SURPRISE
Much project was completed quickly.
Total Questions: 5
Incorrect Answers: 0
GRAMMAR – Task 2 (Questions 6–10)
Choose the word or phrase (a–d) that best completes each sentence.
6. How dare you … the financial guidelines set by the board?
7. If only I … then what I know now about budgeting.
8. We … finalized the deal, but due to last-minute funding issues, we had to delay the agreement.
9. Can you keep this to yourself? I’d just … nobody else in the family knew about the surprise party.
10. The management insisted that we … a risk assessment report for the new investment.
Total Questions: 5
Incorrect Answers: 0
CULTURE STUDY – Task 1 (Chronology, UK 20th–21st centuries)
Arrange the events in chronological order. Drag each event to the correct number (1 = earliest).
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Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0
CULTURE STUDY – Task 2 (Chronology, British history)
Arrange the events in chronological order. Drag each event to the correct number.
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Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0
CULTURE STUDY – Task 3 (Stages of education in the UK)
Arrange the stages in chronological order. Drag each stage to the correct number (1 = earliest).
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Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0
CULTURE STUDY – Task 4 (History of the English language)
Arrange the stages in chronological order. Drag each stage to the correct number.
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Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0
CULTURE STUDY – Task 5 (Books, chronology)
Arrange these books chronologically according to the year of release.
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Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0
CULTURE STUDY – Tasks 6–10 (Multiple Choice)
Choose the correct option (a–d).
6. Which statement about the UK’s political system is not true?
7. Which statement about the geography of the British Isles is not true?
8. Which statement about the UK economy is not true?
9. Which statement about the UK is not true?
10. Which statement about Cambridge University is true?
Total Questions: 5
Incorrect Answers: 0
CREATIVE WRITING (20 points)
Choose ONE topic and write 250–300 words in the box below.
📢 I recommend that you do a training task on the agree-disagree essay here
- If a goal is worthy, then any means taken to attain it are justifiable.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you either agree or disagree with the claim. Take only ONE side of the argument. In developing and supporting your position, address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position. - Many important discoveries or creations are accidental: it is usually while seeking the answer to one question that we come across the answer to another.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you either agree or disagree with the claim. Take only ONE side of the argument. In developing and supporting your position, address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.