oxford online placement test

Man:

wrong?

Woman: I don't feel very well.

2

C What's?Woman: I'll be back in the office early on Monday. ?Man:

3

Right. C Havea good weekend, then.

Husband: Shall I prepare the vegetables for dinner? Wife:

4 Yes, but be careful not to cut D yourself, the knife's sharp. Man: Do you spell your name with Woman: It's Anne with an 'e'.

5 A orwithout an 'e'? ?Woman: How far is ?Man:

6

to the bus stop? Only about five minutes' walk.

A itMan: What did you think of Paul's?girlfriend?

C quiteWoman: I thought she was 7

nice, but she talks all the time.

Woman: Come in –?you look a bit cold.?? Man:

8

Thanks –?the wind's so strong it nearly blew my hat B off.

Woman: Michael looks fed up. Man:

Yes, he's just been about his new promotion.

Woman: What's the problem? Isn't he getting enough money?

9

C grumblingWoman: I've got loads of old discs in my cupboard.? Man: What are you going to do with them? Woman: I don't know – it seems like something new comes along!

A just aswe? get used to?one thing,

10

Woman: Can you tell me where the nearest garage is? Man:

Turn right Woman: Thanks.

C atthe next crossroads. You can't miss it.

11 What does the woman mean?

A?? I think it's a great idea.

B?? I think you're unlikely to succeed. C? ?I don't think you should do that immediately.

Man:?

I'm going to throw my hat in the ring for the Managing Director job. What do you think??

Woman:? Well, to be honest, I think it's a bit of a long shot.?

12 What does the?man mean by his SECOND comment?

A???I'm frustrated by your attitude. B???I'm afraid I can't agree with you. C???I'm finding it hard to believe you.

Man:? I see the train drivers are preparing for strike action again next week.? Woman: I don't suppose anything will come of it, though. Man: I wish I could share your optimism.

13 What does the mother mean?

A? I don't want you to do that. B? I'm not saying anything about this. C? Not until we have talked about this.

Mum – I've decided I'm going to hitch-hike round Europe! Son:

Mother: Not if I have anything to say about it.

14 What does the man mean?

A?

It's losing a lot of money.

B? It's bringing in a lot of money.

C? It's hardly making any money.

Timothy's business seems to be thriving. Man:

Woman: Actually, I think he's only just about breaking even.

15 The woman is ...

A?

voicing her regret.

B? expressing her surprise.

C? passing on her good wishes.

Apparently that Head of Department job might finally be coming my way. Man:

Woman: Well, that's a turn-up for the books!

16 What does the man mean?

A?

Most new technology can be unexpectedly difficult to use.

B?

It can be hard keeping up-to-date with technology.

C? New technology requires too much effort.

New technology is sometimes more trouble than it's Man:

worth.

Woman: You never did like keeping up with the times.

17 What does the woman mean?

A? You didn't use to like new technology.

You've always been against any kind of change.? B?

I always thought you were really keen on new technology. C?

New technology is sometimes more trouble than it's worth. Man:

Woman: You never did like keeping up with the times.

18 What does the girl mean?

A? B?

She never sees the boy at the swimming pool. She always sees the boy at the swimming pool.

C? She sometimes sees the boy at the swimming pool. Boy: I really like going swimming.

Really, but?I hardly ever see you at the swimming

Girl:

pool.

Boy: I always go early in the mornings.

19 What does the brother mean?

A?

You can't understand.

B? You don't understand.

C? You refuse to understand.

I don't know what you see in fishing sitting on a river bank for hours on end Sister:

doing absolutely nothing and finishing the day with a couple of trout.

Brother: You just don't get it, do you? It's not about how many fish you catch.

20 What does the man mean?

A??

I'm not worried about missing the start of the play.?

B?? I need to leave at 8 pm?to be on time for the play.?

C?? I'm not going to miss any part of the play.

Woman:? Don't you need to leave now if you want to see the beginning of the

play?

Don't worry about it. It doesn't start until 8 pm.? Man:

21 What does the woman mean?

A? I've told my personal assistant exactly why I'm unhappy with him.

B? I'm not sure if my personal assistant understands why I'm?unhappy with him. C? I'm unhappy that his performance at work does not meet the terms of his

contract.

What's wrong with your personal assistant? Man:

Woman: I'm not happy with his performance at work and I've just let him know in no

uncertain terms.

Well, you don't exactly mince your words, do you? Man:

22 What does the man mean by his SECOND comment?

A?

You don't always say exactly what you mean.

B? You always communicate precisely and effectively.

C? You don't always tell people exactly what you think. What's wrong with your personal assistant? Man:

Woman: I'm not happy with his performance at work and I've just let him know in no

uncertain terms.

Well, you don't exactly mince your words, do you? Man:

Write?ONE or TWO words into each space. There is an example (0) at the

beginning. Contractions, e.g. isn't count as one word.

Having a chat The female chatterbox, a woman who seldom if ever lets men get a (0)?word in edgeways, is a traditional stereotype in certain cultures. However, research 23?carried out by psychologists has found both sexes?are?equally capable of talking a lot. In the study, almost 600 male and female volunteers were fitted with digital microphones. These were then programmed to record people speaking at regular intervals as the subjects 24?were about their daily lives?over a 10-day period. Using these recordings, the research team estimated that women speak, on average, 16,215 words each day, 25?whereas men utter 15,669 words. The most talkative people of all in fact, tend to be men. Four of the biggest talkers 26?who took part in the study were male, one of?whom produced over 45,000 words in the course of his normal day. His total was a great surprise! The most talkative woman in the study, 27?in contrast, managed a mere 40,000 words daily. Men were also the majority group at the silent end of the spectrum, with the quietest averaging as 28?few as 500 words a day. In the 29?end , there is nothing like data to undo a stereotype! 30 Two?hikers are walking up a hill. They agree to ... A??? have a rest. B??? stop for lunch. C????take another route.? D??? return to their hotel. 31

Two friends are talking about electrical equipment in the home. The man agrees that ...?

kitchen appliances use less electricity than

A? ?

some other domestic appliances.?

eliminating kitchen appliances would have

B? ?

negative consequences.?

people ought to go to restaurants instead of

C? ?

cooking at home.?

it is not necessary to have a?washing machine in

D? ?

the house.?

32

Two people are talking about a new flat (apartment). How does the woman feel about her new home??

A?? pleased with the location of the flat B?? fed up with the noise from the street C?? disappointed with the size of the kitchen D?? happy that she can spend more time at home 33

Two business people are discussing foreign trade. Why, according to the man, have exports of a particular product fallen recently??

The current version of the

A?

product is of inferior quality. Some countries are making their

B?

own, similar products.

Interest rates in the country of

C?

manufacture fell sharply. The product has become more

D?

expensive in key markets.

34

Two friends are talking about homes. Where does the woman live??

A?? in the countryside B?? in the mountains C?? on the coast D?? in the city

35

Two people are talking about memory. What comment does the man?make

about?memory?

A? ? B? ?

Lie-detectors are an effective way of?making people recall past events.?

Our recollection of past events can be influenced by?outside factors.??

Our memories of dramatic events are more vivid than other memories.??

The long-term memory helps us to recreate events in our childhood.?

C? ? D? ?

36

Two people are talking about some female pop singers. What does the woman say about the singers??

Some of these singers won't be

A??

popular for very long.

She prefers to listen to other kinds

B??

of music.

She thinks their music is quite

C??

conventional.

D??

37

They all look quite similar to each other.

You will hear part of a travel programme. Where is the presenter speaking from??

A? a boat on a lake B? a bridge over a river C? a village by the sea D? a hill overlooking a bay 38

A man is talking about running his own restaurant. What does he imply about his career in the restaurant business??

If he'd accepted the airport contract, it would

A?

have been a disaster.?

He had a better opportunity to

B?

learn innovative techniques working abroad.?

If he'd had less adventurous menus, he wouldn't

C?

have achieved what he has.?

If he'd continued working abroad, he might have

D?

been even more successful.

39

You will hear an advertisement for a health centre. The speaker says that you can get a reduced rate at the centre if . . .?

A??you are aged over 50.

B??you book a place early. C??you don't stay for lunch. D??you have regular check-ups. 40

A man is talking on the radio about a man with a new business idea. Why did the investors decide to support the man's business idea??

A? They thought he had a unique product. B? They felt the risk in backing him was low. C? They found his personality very appealing.

D? They were impressed by his ambition for his business.

41

How does the man now view the future of his business?

A B

He is determined to expand his business. He is unwilling to change his business approach.?

C He is realistic about the limitations of his product.? D He is worried he won't be able to repeat his first success.?

42

A man is talking about his company. What does the man promise his customers?

A? expert help if needed B? compensation for injury C? complete freedom from worry D? fast replacement of lost property 43

A woman is talking about the influence her mother had on her. What did the woman learn from her mother about work??

A?? a natural ability to work hard B?? only to work if she was getting paid C?? making money is the most important thing D?? work is something you have to accept in life