What is my English Level?
You can test just how good your English is with the test below. You will be given 25 grammar questions/15 Vocabulary questions and 10 Reading Questions. Each question has at least three possible answers. Choose the correct answer for each question. At the end of the test, we will let you know the level you have achieved. Good luck!
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I usually go to work ______ train.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Bob will meet ______ at the airport.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Do you sell stamps? Yes, we do. How ______ do you want?
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I think cycling is more dangerous ______ driving.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Paul has a holiday home near ______ sea.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
If you've got a headache, you ______ go home.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I only get about five hours sleep a night. That's not ______ .
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Did Anne finish the report? No she ______ it tomorrow.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Is Ottawa the capital of Canada? I think ______ .
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
The last time I ______ Joanna was in Paris.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I ______ a lot of sport in my free time.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Learning the piano isn't as difficult ______ learning the violin.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
If the weather ______ bad tomorrow, we can go to the museum.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
About a billion cans of Coca-Cola ______ drunk around the world every day.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
When I was a child, I ______ climb the wall and jump into our neighbours' garden.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Lena used to find work boring ______ she became a nurse.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
If I ______ closer to my office, I could walk to work.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I ______ outside the cinema when suddenly, a police car arrived.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
We've ______ come back from a trip to India. It was amazing.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I've got to be at work in five minutes. Don't worry I ______ you a lift if you want?
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
My doctor advised me ______ more exercise.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Boxing is a sport ______ requires a lot of speed and fitness.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
What clothes should I pack for a trip to Boston. Well, it depends ______ the time of year that you go.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Ben got the job because he ______ a very good impression at his interview.
Section: Grammar
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
By the age of eighteen, I ______ not to go to university.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
A lot of ____ came to Ireland in the 1990s.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
There was a nice meal and a band at the wedding ____
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I mostly ____ my friends via email.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Bob has had a very interesting ___ . He has had jobs in many countries and industries.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
She's very successful. Her ___ has risen a lot in the past few years.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I am very ___ in old cars.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
He ___ his exam because he didn't study.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Stress is not an illness, but it can ___ to many illnesses.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
He ____ off his holiday until after the winter.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
I only paid €20 for this jacket! It was a real ____.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Jane is always poking her nose in other people's business. She's so ____!
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
As far as I'm ____, I do not support the new government.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
The window ____ was really imaginative.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
She ____ the sack last week and is now looking for a new job.
Section: Vocabulary
In this section, you must choose the correct answer between A,B,C or D.
You can only choose ONE answer per question.
She doesn't ____ of my decision.
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph states how surprised the writer was at Duncan's early difficulties?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph says that Duncan sometimes seems much more mature than he really is?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph describes the frustration felt by Duncan's father?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph says that Duncan is going to reach a high point in his profession soon?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph suggests that Duncan caught up with his team mates, in terms of physical development?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph explains how Duncan was a good all-round sportsperson?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph gives an example of how Gavin reassured his son?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph mentions Duncan's current club's low opinion of him at one time?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph mentions a personal success despite a failure for the team?
Section: Reading
You are going to read an article about a young professional footballer. For questions 1-10, choose the correct paragraph – A, B, C or D that mentions the answer. You can only choose ONE answer per question.
Rising Star
Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club
| A) It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fame that it is with some disbelief that you listen to him describing how his career was nearly all over before it began. | B) Gavin, himself a fine footballer – a member of the national team in his time – and now a professional coach, sent Duncan to three professional clubs as a 14 year-old, but all three turned him down. ‘I worked with him a lot when he was around 12, and it was clear he has fantastic technique and skill. But then the other boys shot up in height and he didn’t. But I was still upset and surprised that no team seemed to want him, that they couldn’t see what he might develop into in time. When Chelsea accepted him as a junior, it was made clear to him that this was more of a last chance than a new beginning. They told him he had a lot of hard work to do and wasn’t part of their plans. Fortunately, that summer he just grew and grew, and got much stronger as well.’ |
| C) Duncan takes up the story: ‘The first half of that season I played in the youth team. I got lucky – the first-team manager came to watch us play QPR, and though we lost 3-1, I had a really good game. I moved up to the first team after that performance.’ Gavin points out that it can be beneficial to be smaller and weaker when you are developing – it forces you to learn how to keep the ball better, how to use ‘quick feet’ to get out of tight spaces. ‘A couple of years ago, Duncan would run past an opponent as if he wasn’t there but then the other guy would close in on him. I used to say to him, »Look, if you can do that now, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re 17, 18 and you’re big and quick and they won’t be able to get near you. » If you’re a smaller player, you have to use your brain a lot more.’ | D) Not every kid gets advice from an ex-England player over dinner, nor their own private training sessions. Now Duncan is following in Gavin’s footsteps. He has joined a national scheme where young people like him give advice to ambitious young teenagers who are hoping to become professionals. He is an old head on young shoulders. Yet he’s also like a young kid in his enthusiasm. And fame has clearly not gone to his head; it would be hard to meet a more likeable, humble young man. So will he get to play for the national team? ‘One day I’d love to, but when that is, is for somebody else to decide. » The way he is playing, that won’t be long. |
Which paragraph explains how Duncan and his father are fulfilling a similar role?
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Q20 I've got to be at work in five minutes. Don't worry I ______ you a lift if you want?
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Q21 My doctor advised me ______ more exercise.
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Q22 Boxing is a sport ______ requires a lot of speed and fitness.
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Q24 Ben got the job because he ______ a very good impression at his interview.
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Q26 A lot of ____ came to Ireland in the 1990s.
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Q27 There was a nice meal and a band at the wedding ____
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Q28 I mostly ____ my friends via email.
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Q29 Bob has had a very interesting ___ . He has had jobs in many countries and industries.
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Q41 Which paragraph states how surprised the writer was at Duncan's early difficulties?
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Q42 Which paragraph says that Duncan sometimes seems much more mature than he really is?
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Q43 Which paragraph describes the frustration felt by Duncan's father?
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Q44 Which paragraph says that Duncan is going to reach a high point in his profession soon?
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Q45 Which paragraph suggests that Duncan caught up with his team mates, in terms of physical development?
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Q46 Which paragraph explains how Duncan was a good all-round sportsperson?
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Q47 Which paragraph gives an example of how Gavin reassured his son?
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Q48 Which paragraph mentions Duncan's current club's low opinion of him at one time?
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Q49 Which paragraph mentions a personal success despite a failure for the team?
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Q50 Which paragraph explains how Duncan and his father are fulfilling a similar role?
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The correct answer is