B2 First (FCE) Reading and Use of English Practice Tests

Part 1 — Reading & Use of English Part 1 — Multiple-choice cloze

Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

1. (1) (A) staged (B) performed (C) conducted (D) displayed
2. (2) (A) enlarged (B) evolved (C) advanced (D) increased
3. (3) (A) look (B) sight (C) eye (D) view
4. (4) (A) gaps (B) spaces (C) breaks (D) intervals
5. (5) (A) regarded (B) realised (C) remarked (D) reminded
6. (6) (A) considerably (B) utterly (C) deeply (D) firmly
7. (7) (A) benefit (B) profit (C) advantage (D) gain
8. (8) (A) force (B) weight (C) strength (D) power

Part 2 — Reading & Use of English Part 2 — Open cloze

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).

WHY WE FORGET NAMES

It happens to everyone. You are introduced to somebody at a party and, within seconds, their name has disappeared (0) ___ trace. (1) ___ having heard it only a moment ago, you simply cannot bring it back, and the rest of the conversation becomes an anxious search for clues.

Psychologists insist that this is not a sign of rudeness. The problem lies in the way names are stored, (2) ___ makes them unusually hard to retrieve. A face tells us a great deal about a person, (3) ___ a name, on its own, tells us almost nothing. It is not (4) ___ we are lazy; our brains simply give priority to information that means something.

The good news is that the problem can be overcome. (5) ___ you manage to link a name to a vivid image, it is far more likely to stick. Most of us, however, would rather change the subject (6) ___ admit that we have forgotten. According to researchers, there is no point (7) ___ pretending: people usually notice, and honesty works far better. (8) ___ matters most, they say, is paying genuine attention during the first few seconds.

1. (1)
2. (2)
3. (3)
4. (4)
5. (5)
6. (6)
7. (7)
8. (8)

Part 3 — Reading & Use of English Part 3 — Word formation

Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Part 4 — Reading & Use of English Part 4 — Key word transformations

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. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Part 5 — Reading & Use of English Part 5 — Reading multiple choice

Read the text and choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to the text.

1. What do we learn about Marcus in the first paragraph? (A) His colleagues envied his apparent success (B) His private passion was hidden from the people he worked with (C) He had disliked his job from the very beginning (D) He found his workload increasingly hard to manage
2. What prompted Marcus to leave his job? (A) A doctor advised him to avoid stressful work (B) He was offered formal training in instrument-making (C) A period of enforced rest made him reassess his priorities (D) He realised he had saved enough money to retire
3. The 'arithmetic' Marcus mentions in the second paragraph refers to (A) calculations he was expected to finish for work (B) a comparison between time given to his career and to his passion (C) working out whether he could afford to resign (D) an estimate of how long his recovery would take
4. How does Marcus now regard his friends' warnings? (A) He accepts that they were justified at the time (B) He suspects they were motivated by envy (C) He feels they underestimated his ability (D) He remains slightly hurt by their lack of faith
5. According to Marcus, what carried him through the difficult early years? (A) a stubborn refusal to admit defeat (B) the loyalty of his first customers (C) a desire to keep learning from his failures (D) the knowledge that he could always return to finance
6. What advice is Marcus prepared to offer others? (A) Take risks while you are still young (B) Examine honestly where your time really goes (C) Never resign without money in reserve (D) Treat ambitious dreams with suspicion

Part 6 — Reading & Use of English Part 6 — Gapped text

Six sentences have been removed. Choose from A-G the sentence which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra sentence.

Part 7 — Reading & Use of English Part 7 — Multiple matching

Read about four students (A-D). For questions 1-10, choose from the students. They may be chosen more than once.

1. Which person took a part-time job that unexpectedly improved their English?
2. Which person was advised against their choice of destination?
3. Which person initially struggled to understand informal spoken English?
4. Which person found it difficult to adapt to a different style of teaching?
5. Which person faced a sudden financial problem?
6. Which person took on a role in order to improve their listening skills?
7. Which person improved a particular skill by writing regularly?
8. Which person intends to go back to the country where they studied?
9. Which person keeps in regular contact with people from their course?
10. Which person spent more than expected on accommodation?