EXAM TEST : grade VIII / SAMPLE /
Date: _____________
Name: _________________
TASK 1 : Reading
“Fingerprints”
Read the passage. Then answer questions about the passage below.
If you enjoy watching crime shows on TV, you know that fingerprints play a large role in identifying people. But,
you might be surprised to find out that using fingerprints for identification is not a new science. In fact, it is very old
–– dating back at least as far as 1885-1913 B.C.E. In Babylon, when people agreed to a business contract, they
pressed their fingerprints into the clay in which the contract was written. Thumbprints have also been found on clay
seals from ancient China.
In 14th century Persia, which is now Iran, a government doctor recognized that all fingerprints are different. In
1684, a British doctor, Nehemiah Grew, spoke about the ridged surfaces of the fingers. In 1686, a professor of
anatomy (the study of the structure of the human body) named Marcello Malpighi, wrote about the ridges and loops
in fingerprints. Malpighi’s work was considered so important that a layer of skin found on the fingertips was named
after him. This layer of skin is called the Malpighian layer. Although scientists had studied fingerprints, the value of
fingerprinting in the identification of individuals did not become clear until later.
Sir William James Herschel is generally thought to be the first European to realize that fingerprints were unique to
each person. In his work as chief magistrate in the Hoogly district in Jungipoor, India, Herschel asked people to put
their handprints on contracts. Herschel believed that personal contact with the contracts made people more likely to
honor their commitments, or to keep their promises. As he looked at more and more handprints, he began to see that
all the handprints were different. He started to believe that fingerprints were unique, which means they are all
different from each other, and permanent, which means that they do not ever change. To prove that they never
change, Herschel kept track of his own fingerprints over his entire lifetime.
Dr. Henry Faulds, a British surgeon at a Japanese hospital, began studying the furrows (also called ridges) on
fingertips in the 1870s. He published an article in a scientific journal about the use of fingerprints as a tool in
identification. He also devised, or invented, a system of classifying fingerprints. He wrote Charles Darwin about his
findings, but Darwin was getting too old to work on the findings. So, he promised to pass the information to his
cousin, Sir Francis Galton. Using Henry Faulds’s findings, Galton published a major book on classifying
fingerprints based on arches, loops, and whorls. His work with Sir Edward R. Henry on fingerprint classification
was the basis of a classification system which is still used by law enforcement agencies in English–speaking
countries.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) now uses a variation of the Galton– Henry system. Although the use
of fingerprinting in identification originated in Britain, it has been developed in the United States. In 1924, two
large fingerprint collections were combined to form the foundation of the Identification Division of the FBI. Within
the Identification Division, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (IAFIS) can search and find
fingerprints anywhere in the United States within thirty minutes. The IAFIS can compare results with automated
fingerprint systems in countries around the world. The IAFIS has the fingerprints of more than 250 million people
on file.
About one in six Americans has fingerprints on file with the FBI. But not all the fingerprints are related to
criminal investigations. People need to have their fingerprints taken for many other reasons. People have their
fingerprints taken for employment, licenses, and adoption. For example, when people want to work for the
government in classified,, secret jobs, their fingerprints are checked to be sure they do not have a criminal
background. When prospective parents adopt a child, their fingerprints are matched against those of all criminals for
the safety of the child.
1) How were fingerprints used in ancient times?
A. To seal contracts
B. To sign agreements
C. To identify criminals
D. All of the above
E. Both A and B are correct.
2) Who wrote about fingerprints in 1686?
A. Henry Faulds
B. Charles Darwin
C. Nehemiah Grew
D. Marcello Malpighi
E. William James Hershel
3) Why did Sir William James Herschel ask people to put their handprints on contracts?
A. He wanted to be able to better identify criminals.
B. The people were not able to write.
C. He wanted people to keep their promises.
D. He wanted to follow the local customs.
E. This was required by the intelligence agency that he was a member of.
4) How long does it take the IAFIS to find someone’s fingerprints?
A. 30 seconds
B. 30 minutes
C. 30 hours
D. 30 days
E. None of the above
5) Why would a non–criminal have their fingerprints taken?
A. To adopt a child
B. To get some jobs
C. To get certain licenses
D. To identify themselves
E. All of the above
6) Anatomy is the study of…
A. surgery.
B. criminals.
E. identification.
C. the body.
7) The best synonym for unique is…
A. uniform.
B. honorable.
E. Both C and D are correct.
D. fingerprints.
C. singular.
8) The best synonym for permanent is…
A. scientific.
B. automated.
C. unchanging.
9) Another way to say devised is…
A. came about.
B. came around.
D. came through.
E. came down with.
D. similar.
D. unimportant.
E. unreasonable.
C. came up with.
10) The place where something originated is the place where it…
A. started.
B. ended.
C. arrived.
D. was remembered.
E. was forgotten.
11) If you work in a classified job,, you…
A. may not discuss your work.
C. work with automated systems.
E. probably have a criminal background.
B. work only with fingerprints.
D. must travel to many different places.
__________ / Score : 11 /
TASK 2 : Reading
Read the passage. Then answer questions about the passage below.
Into the Garbage.
The garbage bin was full of banana peels, old milk cartons, and coffee grounds. There was a lot of old, half-eaten
food. I found out what people throw away.
This is a true story that happened to me many years ago, but I still remember it vividly. It all started while we were
on vacation. Vacations should be restful, relaxing times, but I planned to do some studying too. I carefully put all
my important papers and books in a large paper bag, and put them in the car with the suitcases.
After a long drive to Los Angeles, we were happy to find a motel with a really good price. We decided to stay for a
week so we could get three extra days at no extra cost.
On the second day of our stay there, we arrived back at the motel after a day of sightseeing and a good dinner. It was
about ten o'clock in the evening, and I decided I'd better start working. I knew the bag was in the room, but I looked
all over and couldn't find it. It had disappeared! I was panic-stricken. Suddenly I had a sickening thought. I was sure
the maid took it out with the garbage.
I ran over to the main office, and asked if I could talk to the maid who had been on duty that day. They told me there
were several, and besides, they had all left for the day. The people in the office showed me the large garbage bins in
back of the motel, but didn't offer any help.
I sighed, gathered my courage, grabbed a flashlight, and walked through the dark to the garbage bins. There were
three of them. Each one was about four and a half feet high. I didn't know where to start. I looked around and found
an old shopping cart, which I used to climb into the middle of one of the bins. I spent some time rummaging through
bags and bags of other people's garbage, but I didn't have any luck. After a few minutes of tears of frustration, I
finally gave up.
Maybe I was wrong, and was just looking through banana peels, old milk cartons, coffee grounds, and half-eaten
food for nothing. I climbed out, being careful not to drop my flashlight, and looked around to see if anyone had
spotted me. I took one last look into the other two bins, this time just checking the bags on top. Then I got lucky.
Right on top of the third bin was my bag. I was never so happy to see a dirty old bag in my life! I told the manager
to tell the maid not to clean our room any more.
1. Why did the author take along some important papers?
A. She wanted to write some letters.
B. She was afraid to leave the papers in her house.
C. She was going to do some studying.
2. Why did they choose the motel in Los Angeles?
A. The daily price was very cheap.
B. They could stay one week and pay for only four days.
C. It was in a convenient location.
3. When did the author look for her books and papers?
A. In the morning of the first day.
B. In the afternoon on the second day.
C. At night on the second day.
4. When the author couldn't find her books and papers, what did she think?
A. She thought she forgot to bring them with her.
B. She thought the maid took them out with the garbage.
C. She thought her husband threw them away by mistake.
5. Why couldn't she talk to the maid who had cleaned her room?
A. The motel said she wasn't allowed to speak to the maid.
B. The maid didn't speak enough English.
C. It was too late and the maid had gone home.
6. Who helped her look in the garbage bins?
A. The people in the office.
B. No one.
C. Her husband.
7. Did she climb into one of the bins?
A. Yes.
B. No.
C. The story doesn't say.
8. What did she find in the first bin?
A. Her important books and papers.
B. Other people's garbage.
C. The story didn't say.
9.In which bin did she finally find her things?
A. The first bin.
B. The second bin.
C. The third bin.
10. What did she ask the manager to tell the maid?
A. She asked him to tell her not to clean the room any more.
B. She asked him to tell her she made a bad mistake.
C. She asked him to tell her to be more careful the next time.
__________ / Score : 10 /
TASK 3 :Reading
Read Kerry’s blog. Decide if the statements are true (T), false (F) or not mentioned (NM).
Hi! My name’s Kerry, and I want to tell you about my work. I’m a teacher, but I don’t work at a
secondary school and I don’t teach young students. I teach older students. My students are 20 to 40 years old and
they come to me to learn English. They want to use English when they work or for holidays. I love my job, but it
isn’t easy! My students have jobs too, and I teach them after work. There are 15 students in my class. We start
lessons at 6.00 in the evening and finish at 9.30. We have a break at about 7.30 and then we have a drink of tea or
coffee. It’s very late when I get home, and I’m quite tired. In the class, I teach my students about grammar, and they
learn a lot of new words in English. I ask questions and they answer. They speak in English in the class and they do
some homework for the next lesson. Sometimes they do exercises and sometimes they read books. They like to
watch English films and listen to English music at home. I like my students! We talk about TV, sports and work. My
job is really interesting. They speak good English now too. If you want to learn English, come to my school! It’s
very good!
1
2
3
4
5
Kerry teaches at a secondary school. ............... T / F / NM
Her class has five students
................ T / F / NM
They want to learn English for an exam. ............... T / F / NM
Kerry doesn’t teach grammar.
............... T / F / NM
Sometimes she plays music in the class ................ T / F / NM
__________ / Score : 5/
Task 4.
Complete the text below using 10 of 13 words listed . There is only one correct option for each gap.
A. as / B. at / C. but / D. for / E. from / F. has / G. in / H. is
I. of / J. on / K. to / L. which / M. with /
Mark Zuckerberg, the 28-year-old founder of the social networking website Facebook, (1) _____married
his girlfriend, Priscilla Chan. On Saturday, Zuckerberg married the 27-year-old Chan in the garden of his
residence in Palo Alto, located in the US state of California. A spokesperson (2) _______ Facebook
described Chan's wedding ring (3) ______ a "very simple ruby," which Zuckerberg designed.
The couple, who had been in a relationship for more than nine years, first met at Harvard University.
Harvard (4 ) ______ where Facebook was launched by Zuckerberg in 2004. Zuckerberg and Chan
subsequently relocated (5) _____ California, where Facebook is currently based. Late last week,
Facebook was valued (6) ____ over US$100 billion in its initial public offering on the NASDAQ stock
exchange.
On Monday, the day Zuckerberg turned 28, Chan graduated (7) _____ UCSF Medical Center. The guests,
a list of under 100 people, initially thought that they would be attending a weekend celebration party for
Chan's graduation (8) ____attended the wedding instead.
Zuckerberg has modified his relationship status on his Facebook page to 'married', a status change
_____has received tens of thousands of likes. The posting includes a photo of the newlyweds. Chan is
wearing a white wedding dress decorated (10) _____ lace, and Zuckerberg is dressed in a suit with a
relaxed, loosely tied knot.
__________ / Score : 10 /
(9)
TASK 5
Choose the best word(s) to complete each sentence.
1. Mandy uses her ______ to search ______.
A. flowers … the garden
B. car … the garage
C. key … the lock
D. computer … the internet
2. Allen is a ______. When my house was on fire, he saved my life!
A. lawyer
B. actor
C. janitor
D. firefighter
3. Jack loves to ______ when he ______ to music.
A. dance … listens
B. paint … moves
C. sing … talks
D. read … writes
4. It is ______ to drive without a license.
A. fun
B. safe
C. fantastic
D. illegal
5. Mari was ______, so she made a ______.
A. hungry ... sandwich
B. wet ... shower
C. thirsty ... cake
D. tired ... Bed
6. Her dress is ______ because she just ______ it.
A. pretty ... ruined
B. lost ... folded
C. fancy ... bought
D. clean ... washed
7. I don’t like that book. It is too ______.
A. boring
B. exciting
C. interesting
D. good
8. Florence is ______. She doesn’t understand what’s happening.
A. confused
B. intelligent
C. beautiful
9. Ron and Linda are getting married. Their ______ will be in June.
A. children
B. divorce
C. wedding
D. cake
10. Susan is a ______. She oversees trials all day at the courthouse.
A. judge
B. criminal
C. doctor
D. policewoman
11. If you want to eat something in a restaurant, you must ______ it first.
A. pay
B. cook
C. make
D. order
12. The little frog ______ into the water.
A. flew
B. jumped
C. ran
D. sat
13. When a traffic light turns ______, all of the cars ______.
A. red ... Stop
B. yellow ... break
C. green ... Turn
D. orange ... Crash
14. After a long workout, he wanted to ______ his clothes.
A. sell
B. burn
C. make
D. change
15. Jodi ______ a ______ when she rides her bike.
A. holds … hat
B. wears … helmet
C. buys … bracelet
D. loses … backpack
D. silly
16. Bruno is a ______. He works in a fancy ______.
A. server … restaurant
B. banker … school
C. salesman … hospital
D. construction worker … office
17. I will ______ the package to you today. It should ______ sometime next week.
A. ship ... leave
B. mail ... melt
C. send ... arrive
D. throw ... Catch
18. Elizabeth is a ______. She ______ airplanes.
A. teacher … teaches
B. lawyer … argues
C. doctor … heals
D. pilot … flies
19. Laura is ______. Some of her paintings are hanging in a ______.
A. a butcher ... grocery store
B. a gardener ... garden
C. an artist ... museum
D. an architect ... Building
20. Ashley and Tom are ______. I can hear them yelling at each other. They sound angry.
A. fighting
B. sleeping
C. reading
D. eating
__________ / Score : 20 /
TASK 6
Fill the gaps with the correct tenses.
I 1______________ (learn) English for seven years now. But last year I 2 ______________(not / work) hard
enough for English, that's why my marks 3 ____________ (not / be) really that good then. As I 4 __________(pass
/ want) my English exam successfully next year, I 5___________ (study) harder this term.
During my last summer holidays, my parents 6__________ (send) me on a language course to London. It 7______
(be) great and I think I 8 _________ (learn) a lot. Before I 9 ___________ (go) to London, I 10______________
(not / enjoy) learning English. But while I 11___________ (do) the language course, I 12____________ (meet) lots
of young people from all over the world. There I 13___________ (notice) how important it is to speak foreign
languages nowadays. Now I 14__________ (have) much more fun learning English than I 15_________ (have)
before the course.
At the moment I 16____________ (revise) English grammar. And I 17_____________ (begin / already) to read the
texts in my English textbooks again. I think I 18 ______ (do) one unit every week. My exam is on 15 May, so there
19 ________ (not / be) any time to be lost. If I 20_________ (pass) my exams successfully, I 21____________
(start) an apprenticeship in September. And after my apprenticeship, maybe I 22___________ (go) back to London
to work there for a while. As you 23_________ (see /can), I 24_____________ (become) a real London fan already.
__________ / Score: 24 /
Total score: 80 / _______
ANSWER KEY
READING 1:
1. a / 2. d / 3. c / 4. b / 5. e / 6.c / 7. c / 8. c / 9. c / 10. a / 11. a .
READING 2:
1. c / 2. b / 3. c / 4. b / 5. c / 6. b / 7. a / 8. b / 9. c / 10. a.
READING 3:
1. f / 2. f / 3. f / 4. f / 5 . NM .
Task 4 :
(1) has / (2) for / (3) as / (4) is / (5) to / (6) at / (7) from / (8) but / (9) which / (10) with
TASK 5 :
1. d / 2. d / 3. a / 4. d / 5. a / 6. d / 7. a / 8. a / 9. c / 10. a /
11. d / 12. b / 13. a / 14. d / 15. b / 16. a / 17. c / 18. d / 19. c / 20. a .
TASK 6 / GRAMMAR /
1. have been learning / 2. was not working / 3. were not / 4. want to pass / 5.am going to study / 6. sent / 7. was /
8. have learned / 9. went / 10. had not enjoyed /11. was doing / 12. met / 13. noticed / 14. have / 15. had / 16. am
revising / 17. have already begun / 18. will do / 19. is not / 20. pass / 21. will start / 22. will go / 23. can see /
24. have become