PRACTICE TEST ON LISTENING

Part 1. You are going to hear a talk. As you listen, fill in the missing information. For questions
1-15, write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in the spaces provided. Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DON’T SLEEP?
In 1965, 17-year-old high school student, Randy Gardner (1) ______ for 264 hours. That's 11 days to
see how he'd cope without sleep. On the second day, his eyes stopped focusing. Next, he lost the
ability to identify objects by touch. By day three, Gardner was (2) ______. At the end of the experiment,
he was struggling to concentrate, had trouble with short-term memory, became paranoid, and (3)
______. Although Gardner recovered without long-term psychological or physical damage, for others,
losing shuteye can result in hormonal imbalance, illness, and, in extreme cases, death.
We're only beginning to understand why we sleep to begin with, but we do know it's essential. Adults
need seven to eight hours of sleep a night, and adolescents need about ten. We grow sleepy due to
signals from our body telling our brain we are tired, and signals from the environment telling us it's dark
outside. The rise in sleep-inducing chemicals, like adenosine and melatonin, send us into a light doze
that grows deeper, making our breathing and heart rate slow down and our muscles relax. This non-
REM sleep is when DNA is repaired and our bodies (4) ______ for the day ahead.
In the United States, it's estimated that 30% of adults and 66% of adolescents are regularly (5) ______.
This isn't just a minor inconvenience. Staying awake can cause serious bodily harm. When we lose
sleep, learning, memory, mood, and reaction time are affected. Sleeplessness may also cause (6)
______, hallucinations, high blood pressure, and it's even been linked to (7) ______. In 2014, a devoted
soccer fan died after staying awake for 48 hours to watch the World Cup. While his untimely death was
due to a stroke, studies show that chronically sleeping fewer than six hours a night increases (8) ______
by four and half times compared to those getting a consistent seven to eight hours of shuteye.
For a handful of people on the planet who carry a rare inherited (9) ______ sleeplessness is a daily
reality. This condition, known as Fatal Familial Insomnia, places the body in a (10) ______ state of
wakefulness, forbidding it from entering the sanctuary of sleep. Within months or years, this (11) ______
condition leads to dementia and death. How can sleep deprivation cause such immense suffering?
Scientists think the answer lies with the accumulation of waste products in the brain. During our waking
hours, our cells are busy using up our day's energy sources, which get broken down into various
byproducts, including adenosine. As adenosine builds up, it increases the urge to sleep, also known as
sleep pressure. In fact, caffeine works by blocking adenosine's (12) ______. Other waste products also
build up in the brain, and if they're not (13) _____, they collectively overload the brain and are thought
to lead to the many negative symptoms of sleep deprivation.
So, what's happening in our brain when we sleep to prevent this? Scientists found something called the
glymphatic system, a clean-up mechanism that removes this buildup and is much more active when
we're asleep. It works by using cerebrospinal fluid to flush away toxic byproducts that (14) ______.
Lymphatic vessels, which serve as pathways for immune cells, have recently been discovered in the
brain, and they may also play a role in clearing out the brain's daily waste products. While scientists
continue exploring the (15) ______behind sleep, we can be sure that slipping into slumber is a necessity
if we want to maintain our health and our sanity.
Your answers:
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15.

Part 2: You are going to listen to a report on how European countries are dealing with the
coronavirus pandemic and decide whether these statements are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F). Write
your answer in the corresponding numbered box provided.
16. Under the full lockdown in Italy, all grocery stores must be shut down.
17. There is a ban on entry for people from Austria into Italy
18. Angla Merkel warned that Coronavirus could infect up to 17% of Germany’s population.
19. Public gatherings still take place in the UK.
20. According to the professor, although the UK is taking more drastic measures than Italy, its
effectiveness is open to question.
Your answers:
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
Part 3: For questions 21 – 25, listen to part of a program in which two racing drivers, Eddie
Kiwitz and Jenny Pelaw, are discussing their profession and choose the answer (A, B, C, or D)
which fits best according to what you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes.
1. What does Eddie say to Jenny about being the number one driver in the world?
A. She will have to adjust quickly to her new status.
B. She needs to recognise that nobody is unbeatable.
C. She must convince herself that she is worthy of the title.
D. She must keep reminding herself that she can still improve.
2. What do we learn about a leading journalist’s criticism of Jenny?
A. It led Eddie to leap to Jenny’s defence.
B. It was widely seen as unnecessarily harsh.
C. It didn’t upset Jenny as much as people thought.
D. It provided Jenny with the motivation she needed.
3. When talking about differences between their respective eras, Eddie and Jenny agree that _____
A. there is now less comradeship among drivers. B. drivers are now more prone to self-doubt.
C. racing has become substantially safer. D. nowadays drivers tend to go faster.
4. What view do Eddie and Jenny share about simulators?
A. Their influence is likely to increase as time goes on.
B. They are useful for drivers working on technique.
C. They are no substitute for natural ability.
D. Their attempt to provide fitness is ill-conceived.
5. What effect has the experience had on Cindy?
A. rather regretting some of the things he did.
B. being rather indifferent to Jenny’s enthusiasm.
C. wanting to avoid the public eye wherever possible.
D. preferring the racing world from when he was a driver.
Your answers:
21. 22. 23. 24. 25.