SKILLED II, PLACEMENT TEST

GRAMMARDIRECTIONS: Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.

1. ::SKILLED 2:: She was glad _____ a credit card.{~to have given ~to give =to have been given}

2. ::SKILLED 2:: Of all the students in the program, she was the _____.{~nice =nicest ~nicer}

3. ::SKILLED 2:: He asked if her roommate _____ clean and organized.{~is ~will be =was}

4. ::SKILLED 2:: We _____ to paint our house.{=got a painter ~a painter got ~gets a painter}

5. ::SKILLED 2:: I have to work and study; _____, I have to find a part time job.{~in order to =consequently ~because}

6. ::SKILLED 2:: They expect _____ into the new health insurance program.{=to be accepted ~to accepted ~to accept}

7. ::SKILLED 2:: _____ you _____ have a talkative roommate or a quiet one?{~Had…better =Would…rather ~Would...mind}

8. ::SKILLED 2:: Are you prepared _____ this kind of economic risk?{=to take ~take ~taking}

9. ::SKILLED 2:: She said that she _____ waiting for me to finish my career to get married, and she did.

{=wouldn’t mind ~wouldn’t like ~would rather not}

10. ::SKILLED 2:: Ever since we were little, my sister has always been _____ than me.{~short =shorter ~the shortest}

11. ::SKILLED 2:: _____ pay for her student loan, Meg decided to get a part time job.{=In order to ~On account of ~For this reason}

12. ::SKILLED 2:: We will _____ check our car; it has been breaking down often.{~have =have a mechanic ~a mechanic have}

13. ::SKILLED 2:: You _____ your sweater; it is very cold outside.{=had better not forget ~had better forget ~would rather not forget}

14. ::SKILLED 2:: The divorce rate has increased _____ to the rate 20 years ago.{~on account of ~as a result =in contrast}

15. ::SKILLED 2:: I _____ investigate all of the possibilities before making a decision on what health insurance to get.

{=had better ~would mind to ~would rather}

VOCABULARYDIRECTIONS: Choose the best possible answer in each case.

RECORDINGS:

1. ::SKILLED 2:: If you consciously decide to do something questionable, you have to be ready

to _____.{=face the music ~take the bull by its horn ~dive in headfirst}

2. ::SKILLED 2:: My roommate found out that she had failed the semester; she was _____.

{~at stake ~full of beans =out of sorts}

3. ::SKILLED 2:: He always manages to put himself in dangerous or _____.

{~cheap shots =dicey situations ~out of sorts}

4. ::SKILLED 2:: They felt it was time to forget the problems and fights they had had; it was

time to _____.{~dive in headfirst ~even the score =bury the hatchet}

5. ::SKILLED 2:: Even though he didn’t lie; he was able to ____.{~bury the hatchet =bend the truth ~take the bull by its horns}

Roommates

When you decide to 1.____ the possibility of getting a roommate, whether it is at college or not, there are many things 2. _____. Is this person trustworthy? Will this person be easy to live with? You cannot 3. _____; you must consider all the options or as people call it, 4. _____ before making this huge life-changing decision. Of course, we all have good and bad days, and you have to be aware that living with someone you don’t know well will be quite the challenge; 5._____, it is a good way to reduce expenses.So, the best advice in this scenario is to 6._____ and hope for the best. Keep in mind that there will be times when, for the sake of peace, you will have to 7. _____. Instead of 8.____ whenever you get mad at your roommate, try to 9. _____ by treating him 10. _____to get him on your side.

1. {~up to par =take a chance on ~bend the truth}2. {=at stake ~full of beans ~out of sorts}3. {~face the music ~even the score =dive in headfirst}4. {=leave no stone unturned ~take a chance on ~bend the truth}5. {~face the music =be that as it may ~have a bone to pick}6. {~buy a lemon =take the bull by its horn ~bury the hatchet}7. {=bury the hatchet ~leave no stone unturned ~buy a lemon}8. {~facing the music ~leaving no stone unturned =blowing a fuse}9. {~take a chance on ~dive in headfirst =bury the hatchet}10. {=cap in hand ~up to par ~out of sorts}

READING COMPREHENSIONDIRECTIONS: Read the following article carefully.

FOUR INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED OUR LIVES IN THE LAST TWENTY YEARS

ON-DEMAND MUSIC PROVIDERSIt all began in 1999 with Napster and it caused a worldwide revolution that has grown out of proportion ever since. Napster was the first peer-to-peer file transfer service that was used to transfer music in MP3 format. Eventually, Napster got into legal trouble for breaking copyright law by allowing copyrighted material to be copied and transferred. The eventual company’s demise did not slow down the trend; all the contrary, the concept (initially just sharing files among peers) has grown and evolved into something completely

E-READERSE-readers have revolutionized the printing industry, bringing it to a halt as of 2004. Although a lot of people claim that printed books will never disappear, we cannot deny the popularity e-readers have amassed. But, what’s the difference between an e-reader and a tablet? Well, the answer is in the e-paper technology. E-readers, contrary to tablets, have incorporated screens that resemble paper (glare-free and eyesight-friendly) which attract even the most voracious readers. A lot of the people who would rather buy an e-

legal. It is now possible to listen to on-demand music on line or to download applications to your mobile phones that allow you to listen to what you want to for free or with small charges for premium services. Buying music is slowly turning into a memory from the past.

book claim that e-readers provide greater battery life than tablets and are able to hold thousands of titles, which solves any storage problems they might have had in the past.

VIDEOCONFERENCEOk, so this is not that new. The first attempts at “video phone calls” date back to the 1930s in Germany, and the 1970s in the United States.But it wasn’t until the late 1990s that video-communication became a reality for the common citizen due to the availability of high capacity broadband services. It is now more common than not to be able to communicate with relatives and friends who live abroad without worrying about spending money. Expensive long distance phone calls are a thing of the past.

HYBRID VEHICLESHybrid vehicles are slowly becoming more popular. They are different from your traditional car in the sense that they combine two different energy sources in order to function. In simpler terms we can say that a hybrid is a vehicle that combines a traditional engine (internal combustion engine) with an electric motor in order to achieve greater fuel economy and less dangerous emissions. Hybrids are more expensive than normal cars, but a lot of environmentalists claim that their benefits far surpass the expense.

Sources: Whatiswhat.com

DIRECTIONS: Choose the best possible answer for the following questions.

1. ::SKILLED 2:: What is the objective of the article?

{~compare and contrast =informative ~statistical}

2. ::SKILLED 2:: According to the article, what did Napster represent for the music industry?

{~a scam ~a service =a change}

3. ::SKILLED 2:: According to the article, why don’t people buy music anymore?

{=because they can listen to what they want on-demand ~because music has become too expensive ~because you can download anything for free}

4. ::SKILLED 2:: According to the article, what’s the difference between a tablet and an e-reader?

{~the price =the e-paper technology ~the related services}

5. ::SKILLED 2:: According to the article, which of the following is an advantage of an e-reader?

{~price ~technology =storage capacity}

6. ::SKILLED 2:: When did videoconference technology become popular?

{=1990s ~1930s ~1970s}

7. ::SKILLED 2:: According to the article, when did videoconferencing become a communication option?

{~mobile phone availability =broadband services availability ~more service providers}

8. ::SKILLED 2:: What is a hybrid vehicle?

{~an internally combusted car ~an electric car =a combined-engine car}

9. ::SKILLED 2:: What are the benefits of owning a hybrid vehicle?

{=fuel economy ~design ~price}

10. ::SKILLED 2:: Which of the following, according to the article, are things of the past?

{~buying phones and tablets =expensive phone bills and buying music ~printed books}

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

DIRECTIONS: Listen to the following conversation carefully.

Customer: Hello?

Company Representative: Is this Megan Smith?

Customer: Megan speaking. How may I help you?

Company Representative: Actually, I think we can help you out. I am calling you from Missions Bank to offer you a credit card. My name is Sonia Baker.

Customer: Oh, I see.

Company Representative: You are in our referral list and we are ready to offer you a very attractive deal. We have the best interest rates in the market for someone with your credit history and we can have your new plastic delivered within two days.

Customer: Well, I was actually planning to ask for a new credit card. My old credit card was stolen and I never got it renewed. How low do you say your interest rate is?

Company Representative: I can send you an e-mail with all the necessary information.

Customer: That would be great. Have all the information sent and I’ll go over it.

Company Representative: We also offer no administration fees of any kind during your first year with us plus free insurance.

Customer: That’s very generous. I don’t think the interest rate is that low now.

Company Representative: You’ll be surprised. I am e-mailing you the rest of information as we speak. When can I call you again to discuss any questions you may have.

Customer: Let’s talk tomorrow morning; that will give me time to go over the numbers.

Company Representative: I am sure you’ll find our credit card to offer the best conditions in the market at the moment. I’ll give you a call tomorrow. Have a nice day.

Customer: Have a nice day yourself.

DIRECTIONS: Determine if the following statements are true or false based on the listening.

NOTE: I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE FALSE ANSWERS.

1. The customer’s name is Sonia.2. The customer is being offered a credit card.3. The customer is not interested in the credit card.4. The customer service representative is rude.5. The customer already has a credit card.

DIRECTIONS: Choose the best possible answer in each case.

1. ::SKILLED 2:: Why is the customer interested in the offer?

{~because the interest rates in her current card are too high ~because she has never had a credit card =because she never replaced her old card}

2. ::SKILLED 2:: What information does the representative offer to send by mail?

{=interest rate information ~insurance information ~general credit information}

3. ::SKILLED 2:: Why does the customer service representative offer to call the next day?

{~not to be rude =to give the customer time to analyze the information ~to come up with a different strategy}

4. ::SKILLED 2:: What else does the customer service representative offer the customer?

{~miles ~cash =insurance}

5. ::SKILLED 2:: According to the listening, the customer service representative is offering…

{=the most competitive conditions in the market ~the best insurance package ~the most miles and promotions}