Final FCE Simulation

Part 1 — Multiple-choice cloze

For most of the twentieth century, photography was a (1) ____ activity, requiring expensive film and patient development. The arrival of the smartphone (2) ____ all that, putting a capable camera in almost every pocket. Today we (3) ____ more images in a single weekend than entire families used to take in a lifetime. Yet many photographers argue that abundance has (4) ____ with it a strange kind of forgetfulness: pictures are taken, posted and almost immediately (5) ____. To (6) ____ this, a small but growing movement is going back to printed albums, choosing (7) ____ to keep over thousands to scroll past. Whether this is nostalgia or wisdom (8) ____ on who you ask.

1. 1. A specialistB specialisedC specialD specific
2. 2. A alteredB changedC amendedD varied
3. 3. A catchB shootC takeD grab
4. 4. A broughtB carriedC liftedD delivered
5. 5. A lostB missedC droppedD forgotten
6. 6. A counterB answerC replyD object
7. 7. A fewB littleC smallD tiny
8. 8. A dependsB restsC liesD stands

Part 2 — Open cloze

Despite (1) ____ widely predicted, the printed book has refused to disappear. Sales (2) ____ been falling for years, but the decline stopped in 2017 and has even reversed in some markets. Readers, it turns out, (3) ____ not as monolithic as publishers feared. (4) ____ are those who read almost exclusively on screens; (5) ____ are those who insist on paper. Most, however, switch between the two (6) ____ on what they're reading. What no one (7) ____ have foreseen is how strong the demand for physical books from younger readers (8) ____ become.

Part 5 — Reading: multiple choice

The end of the universal commute

For half a century, the morning rush hour was the unquestioned shape of working life. Trains, motorways and city buses were all designed around it, and so were the working hours of millions of people. Then, almost overnight, that shape broke. Hybrid working has not eliminated the commute, but it has fractured it: every day of the week now has a different rhythm, and the old peak is, in many cities, simply gone. Planners are scrambling to catch up. Some argue that the lost passenger numbers will eventually return; others believe the change is permanent and that infrastructure built for the universal commute will need to be radically rethought. What seems clear is that the assumption underpinning a century of urban planning — that everyone leaves home at the same time, in the same direction — is no longer safe.

1. 1. What does the writer say has happened to the morning rush hour?

   • A It has disappeared entirely.
   • B It has become unpredictable across the week.
   • C It has shifted to a later time.

2. 2. Planners are described as…

   • A confident the old patterns will return.
   • B divided about what comes next.
   • C unwilling to make changes.

3. 3. The final sentence suggests…

   • A urban planning is in crisis.
   • B a long-held assumption no longer holds.
   • C city governments have failed.

In your English class you have been discussing this statement: 'Schools should teach students how to manage their money.'

Write an essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view.

• future independence
• debt
• (your own idea)

Part 1 — Short extracts (multiple choice)

1. You hear two colleagues talking about a meeting.

   1. What do they agree about it?

   • A It overran.
   • B It lacked clear decisions.
   • C It was poorly prepared.

   Extract 1 audio

   Tap play to listen. Drag the timeline to jump anywhere.

   0.75×1×1.25×

2. You hear a woman talking about a recipe.

   2. What does she suggest?

   • A halving the cooking time
   • B adding more salt
   • C substituting one ingredient

   Extract 2 audio

   Tap play to listen. Drag the timeline to jump anywhere.

   0.75×1×1.25×

Part 4 — Long interview (multiple choice)

You will hear an interview with a writer, Hannah Quinn, about her debut novel.

1. 1. What does Hannah say about the writing process?

   • A She wrote quickly.
   • B She rewrote the opening many times.
   • C She co-wrote it with an editor.

2. 2. She admits she was wrong about…

   • A her readers' age.
   • B the genre's popularity.
   • C the marketing budget.

Part 1 — Interview (2 min)

1. Where are you from?
2. Tell us about a typical day for you.
3. What are your plans for the next few years?

Part 2 — Long turn (1 min each)

Candidate A

1 min long turn

Compare these photographs of people facing new challenges.

Follow-up (other candidate, 30s): Which challenge would be hardest for you, and why?

Candidate B

1 min long turn

Compare these photographs of people celebrating success.

Follow-up (other candidate, 30s): Why might these moments be important to the people involved?

Part 3 — Collaborative task (2 + 1 min)

Now decide which two help most.

Part 4 — Discussion (4 min)

1. Is success today different from what it was for your parents' generation? How?
2. Do you think people put too much pressure on themselves?