FCE TEST 1 - Reading and Use of English

Part 1

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

Messages from the Stone Age

The incredible pre-historic Chauvet cave art in France is painted in bright colours and dates back to a period around thirty thousand years ago when early humans first started to create rock art. Although various 1 _____ of this art have been found in caves in Western Europe, .

• illustrations

• models

• cases

• examples

Answer explanation

‘Illustrations’ of art would mean visual copies of it, e.g. a photo of that art. ‘Models’ and ‘cases’ do not collocate with ‘art’.

Although various examples of this art have been found in caves in Western Europe, very few people have seen the art at Chauvet because it is located 2 _____ inside an inaccessible underground cave system.

• deep

• thick

• long

• dense

Answer explanation

‘Deep inside’ is the only appropriate collocation – the other three words do not make any working word combinations.

Those who have seen it say that it is very impressive, showing animals 3 _____ horses, rhinos and cows, ..

• by means of

• apart from

• as well as

• such as

Answer explanation

This expression is the only one that shows examples or introduces a list. ‘By means of’ means ‘by or using something’. ‘Apart from’ introduces an exception, e.g.: ‘Everybody apart from Tom attended the conference’. ‘As well as’ adds something to the list, e.g.: ‘The shops sold soft drinks, as well as cigarettes and frozen pizzas’.

Those who have seen it say that it is very impressive, showing animals such as horses, rhinos and cows, and that the artwork is good enough to 4 _____ modern compositions.

• rival

• compare

• compete

• oppose

Answer explanation

‘Compare’ and ‘compete’ require ‘with’ in this context (e.g. ‘compete with something’). ‘Oppose’ means to be against something (negative meaning).

The first scientists to 5 _____ the Chauvet paintings missed some ..

• arrive

• reach

• meet

• know

Answer explanation

This is the only word with the meaning ‘to discover, to see for the first time’.

The first scientists to reach the Chauvet paintings missed some other important 6 _____ however.

• instances

• matters

• details

• issues

Answer explanation

‘Details’ is the only word that collocates with the verb ‘to miss’. ‘Details’ are usually minor and easy to miss, while ‘matters’ are more significant. ‘Issues’ means ‘problems or difficulties’.

The walls of the cave are also marked with a series of lines and symbols, that were initially 7 _____ as insignificant.

• believed

• regarded

• thought

• agreed

Answer explanation

The only option that can be followed by ‘as’. ‘Believed’ and ‘thought’ are normally followed by ‘to be’: ‘She is believed to be the best specialist in the field’.

But recent research has suggested that these marks may represent humankind’s first steps towards the development of writing, which is 8 _____ people to rethink their ideas about when written communication first started.

• resulting

• having

• making

• causing

Answer explanation

The rest of the options can’t be followed by infinitive. ‘Making’ can look like the correct answer, but the next part would have to be: ‘making people rethink’.

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.

Swimming with seals

The UK is home to half the world’s population of grey seals and there are many local boat trips offering sightseeing tours out to the islands and sandbanks 9 (a)   the animals are most regularly found.

Answer explanation

A relative pronoun is needed here. Seals can often be found resting on (or near) sandbanks.

But if you really want to get close 10 (a)   the seals and understand something about their way of life, then you need to go on an underwater seal-watching trip.

Answer explanation

‘Close’ is normally used with ‘to’ if we talk about physical distance, e.g. if we are so close that we can touch them. ‘Close with’ would mean connection such as friendship, which is not mentioned in this context.