Pre-Placement Test for Applicants to the Advanced Studies Program
You should spend about 70 minutes on this test. When you have finished, please send it to for marking.
Placement Test
TASK 1 Key word transformations
Complete the second sentences so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence using the word give in bold. Do not change this word. You must use between two and five words, including the word given. Please write the missing words in the spaces provided.
0 / You must do exactly as I tell you.carry
You must ______instructions exactly as I say. / carry out the / my
1 / If Matt was coming, he’d be here by now.
looks
It ______Matt isn’t coming.
2 / It was unfair that Eva was fired.
deserve
Eva ______fired.
3 / They don’t know what caused the accident yet.
discovered
They ______of the accident yet.
4 / There are hardly any copies of the book left in the shop.
very
There are ______of the book left in the shop.
5 / I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise it was so late.
track
Sorry, I ______time.
6 / Recruitment should think about experience when hiring new staff.
consideration
The manager should ______when hiring new staff.
7 / When I realised what had happened, I became quite afraid.
overcome
I ______when I worked out what had occurred.
8 / You led me to believe the job was mine if I wanted it.
impression
I ______that the job was mine if I wanted it.
TASK 2
Read the following text and use the word in brackets to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. An example has been done for you. Please write your answers in the boxes provided.
Some people say that the best defence is a good ______(0) (offend); an octopus, however, would disagree. In addition to being one of the strangest and most beautiful creatures in nature, the octopus has some of the most inventive defence mechanisms ______(1)(imagine). The octopus ______(2)(type) concentrates its energy on hiding from and ______(3) (confusion) its attackers. When it wants to get away, the octopus has an impressive arsenal of tricks at its ______(4)(dispose).
The most well-known of the octopus’s defence mechanisms is its ability to squirt clouds of ink into the water. Some octopi use the ink cloud as a decoy. If a large, intelligent predator such as a shark knows that octopi use ink clouds for camouflage, it might ______(5)(simple) attack the ink cloud blindly, hoping to make contact with the octopus inside. Yet another defensive ability ______(6)(possession) by some octopi is the ability to perform an autotomy, or self-amputation, of one of their limbs and ______(7)(grow) it later.
0)Offence / 1)2) / 3)
4) / 5)
6) / 7)
8)
While the octopus may not be the most vicious creature in the ocean, its ______(8)(number) and clever defence mechanisms help it to survive in the dangerous undersea world.
Reading Test – Multiple Choice
Read the four paragraphs overleaf and choose from paragraphs (A-D) to answer each question. Each paragraph may be used more than once.
Food deserts: the Problem and Solutions
- Many of the serious health concerns in modern America can be linked to poor diet. People who regularly consume foods high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fats not only increase their chances of obesity, but also increase their risks of developing heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and several types of cancer. Although some people who regularly consume unhealthy foods do so knowingly, there is also a significant portion of the population that remains undereducated about proper nutrition. What is more, individuals who live in food deserts—areas in low-income neighbourhoods that lack easy access to healthy, affordable food—may not even have the opportunity to obtain nutritious food. Although there have been some recent government efforts to reduce the number of food deserts, it is still only a minor drop in the ocean, and more community-based efforts should be encouraged and supported. Food deserts are located in high-poverty areas, such as sparsely populated rural areas or densely populated, low-income urban centres.
- Food desserts most often develop when major supermarket chains either relocate out of these areas or simply refrain from building stores there in the first place. Major food retailer chains tend to limit their store locations to wealthier urban or suburban neighbourhoods. This means that those who live in high-poverty areas often also live miles away from the fresh meats, dairy products, and produce available at supermarkets. Residents of these areas who do not have cars are thus forced to travel long distances on public transportation to do their grocery shopping, or else they are limited to the food available at local convenience stores and gas stations. These types of food retailers often only sell packaged, processed foods that offer little nutritional value.
- Furthermore, fast food restaurants are disproportionately concentrated in low-income areas; recent estimates suggest that those living in the poorest areas of a city experience 2.5 times more exposure to fast food restaurants than the wealthiest inhabitants of the city. Because individuals who live in food deserts tend to get their meals from fast food restaurants or convenience stores, they often suffer from a variety of health issues. Research has found that individuals who live in low-income neighbourhoods are much more likely to develop problems with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension than those who live in more affluent neighbourhoods. A solution to the problem of food deserts seems obvious: more supermarkets should be built in low income neighbourhoods. The problem with this solution, of course, is that it is difficult to lure supermarket chains into poor areas. Because poorer people have less money to spend on food, supermarket chains do not consider them to be attractive customers. One way that the government can help to offset this issue is by offering tax breaks or other incentives for supermarkets in low-income areas.
- In 2010, the Obama administration implemented the Healthy Food Financing program, which is a set of initiatives designed to help bring grocery stores into areas currently designated as food deserts. While this federal program is a commendable effort to improve low-income residents’ access to healthy food, local initiatives often have a stronger and more immediate impact. Community gardens, independent food stores, co-ops, and farmers’ markets are all examples of local initiatives that can substitute for or supplement the opening of a major chain supermarket. Despite the time, dedication, and funds required for community members to initiate such programs, these efforts can be incredibly beneficial, not only in providing people with access to healthier foods, but also in instilling a sense of community in the residents of these neighbourhoods.
Paragraph
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Which paragraph
Writing Test – Personal Statement
All students must complete a short personal statement of between 250 and 500 words.
Part 1: Rank in order of importance the activities which best represent your greatest achievements and interests. Include anyawards you may have received and also state the degree of your involvement.
You may want to consider drawing upon the following areas in compiling your list of activities: activities and organizations to whichyou have frequently contributed; athletic teams of which you have been a member; community activities with which you may havebeen involved such as volunteer work, religious or cultural groups; creative work, or hobbies, to which you have devoted substantialtime and which you have pursued to a high level; prizes, honours, or special recognition you have won; travel and other experiences.
Part 2: In considering your application we want to get to know you as well as we can. We ask you to use this opportunity to tellus something more about yourself to help us towards a sense of how you think and what interests you have. You shouldinclude how you expect to benefit from your time with us, what you feel you have to contribute and also what futureambitions you have.