Welcome to the SoE Proficiency Test Level A2.

iTTi English Proficiency Test Level A2

PART 1: Writing

2. I _____ coffee, but today I _____ one.

3. She _____ very fast when she _____ control of the car.

4. I'm going to the florist's _____ roses for Patricia.

5. We _____ to Disney for Thanksgiving. I'll be fun!

6. I wasn't _____ to understand what had happened.

7. He isn't capable of _____ this to _____.

8. I'm going _____ in the park.

9. We _____ do it now. We can do it later.

10. What time _____ there?

11. I _____ a car if I lived nearby.

12. ______ to play any sports when you were at school?

13. David won't help us, and neither _____ Betty.

14. In the morning, she said she _____ at the office all afternoon.

15. My phone wasn't on the desk. Somebody _____ it!

Read the text and choose the correct answer for each gap.

For example, some people video themselves while they  (2) an onion or a lemon. 

  (3)  of these challenges are harmless and fun.

(4)    , a few of them are dangerous.

For example, in one challenge, people have to hold ice and salt in  (5)    hands.

They get together with friends and find out who can hold it for the (6)  time.

But this challenge is so dangerous that nobody (7)  do it. If you take some ice and add salt,

the temperature of the ice (8)   to -17ºC. Ice at this temperature will burn you.

The problem is, you (9)  notice that your hand is burning because the ice is so cold.

In another challenge, people try to eat a large spoonful of cinnamon powder without drinking (11)
.

It sounds simple, but it isn’t. In fact, it’s both impossible and dangerous. Cinnamon powder (12)  in water or the saliva in your mouth.

So, if you put a spoonful of (13) in your mouth, your body will panic and you will start coughing.

If that powder gets (14) your lungs, you might damage them.

So, in the future, when someone (15) you to do a food challenge, don’t agree to it unless you know it is safe. Don’t risk your health just to make a funny video.

Check the vocabulary in the ‘Explanation’ tab and fill in the gaps with the words in the box.

EXAMPLE: The journey to San Francisco was very long

2. They travelled car.

3. We in a nice hotel by the beach.

4. We went on on the river Seine.

5. We went in a beautiful lake.

6. We really enjoyed the . There were lots of chic bars and nightclubs.

7. We a table in a very traditional restaurant.

8. We did some and some souvenirs.

PART 2: Reading

Why do people collect?

Petra Engels owns 19,571 erasers, Carol Vaughn has 1,221 bars of soap, and Ralf Shrőder has a collection of 14,502 packets of sugar. Many people love to collect things, but why? Psychologists and collectors have different opinions.

The psychologist Carl Jung believed that collecting is part of our ancient human history. Thousands of years ago, humans collected nuts and berries. They kept them carefully and ate them when there was no food. The best collectors survived long cold winters or seasons without rain. Their genes passed to future generations. Nowadays, we still have a collecting instinct.

Historian Philipp Bloom has a different opinion. He thinks collectors want to make something that will remain after their death. By bringing many similar items together, the collector gains historical importance. Sometimes their collections become museums or libraries, for example, Henry Huntington, who founded a library in Los Angeles to house his collection of books.

Author Steve Roach thinks that people collect things to remember their childhood. Many children collect things, but few have enough money to buy the things they really want, and they lose interest. In later life, they remember their collections fondly. Now, they have enough money and opportunity to find special items, and they start collecting again. This way, they can re-live and enjoy their childhood years.

Art collector, Werner Muensterberger, agrees that collecting is linked to childhood. But he believes we collect in order to feel safe and secure. While babies hold blankets or toys to feel safe when their mother isn’t there, adults collect things to stop feeling lonely or anxious.

Autograph collector Mark Baker agrees that collecting is emotional, but he doesn’t collect to reduce anxiety. “For me, it’s the excitement,” he says. “I love trying to get a famous person’s autograph. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail. Also, by collecting autographs, I feel connected to famous people. I don’t just watch them on television. I actually meet them.”

These are just a few reasons for collecting. Do you know any people with collections? Why do they collect?
__
1. People collect things because it makes them feel comfortable.

PART 3: Listening

PART 4: Speaking