1.

Read the following text and chose the correct option: Consumers went back to using their credit cards in March to keep spending while student and new-car loans shot up as the value of outstanding consumer credit jumped at the fastest rate since late 2001, data from the Federal Reserve showed on Monday. Total consumer credit grew by $21.36 billion - more than twice the $9.8 billion rise that Wall Street economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast. That followed a revised $9.27 billion increase in outstanding credit in February. Analysts expressed some reservations whether the date reliably signalled a real pickup in demand, something that would normally fuel stronger growth, or just a need to rely more on credit in an economy generating anemic job growth. "The optimistic read is that consumers' improved outlook on the economy and employment prospects led them to feel comfortable spending on credit, while a more downbeat interpretation is that credit is needed for consumers to keep up," Nomura Global Economics said in a note afterward. The March rise in consumer credit was the strongest for any month since November 2001 when it soared by $28 billion. That was shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks when big automakers were offering zero-percent financing and other incentives to lure consumers back to their showrooms. New-car sales and production were a key influence on the 2.2 percent annual rate of economic growth posted during the first three months this year. The government estimated that about half of that growth came from increased new car production. 1. According to the article, the growth in consumer credit in March was ______________ economists had predicted. - about the same as - slightly lower than - twice as much as 2. By using the word "anemic", the article wants to say that the current job growth numbers are ______________. - average - poor - impressive 1

3. According to the article, does the increase in consumer credit mean that the economy is improving? - Not necessarily - Yes - No, just the opposite 4. How long had it been since the consumer credit numbers increased so much in one month? - A year - Over 10 years - About three years 5. According to the article, what played an important part in the economic growth at the beginning of this year (2012)? - A record-breaking drop in unemployment - A decrease in tax rates - New car production and sales 2. Complete the sentences with the definite, indefinite article or no article. 1. Bank of America, ______ nation's largest bank, announced its earnings last week. 2. Several ______ members suggested a more cautious approach. 3. If we invest more in ______ advertising, we'll be able to capture a bigger chunk of the market. 4. We have______ responsibility to our customers to make sure that our products are safe. 5. This type of legislation is not really in______ public interest. 6. Your job is to ensure ______ customer satisfaction. 7. We intend to provide even more loans to ______ borrowers. (Any borrowers in general, not specific ones) 8. We intend to provide even more loans to ______borrowers. (Specific borrowers that we already mentioned)

9. He works for _______ non-profit organization. 10. Does he work in the private sector? No, he works for ___________ government. 3. Put the verb in brackets in the correct form Sue Thomas is a fashion designer. She 1) .......... (make) clothes ever since she 2) ...(be) a young girl. She 3) . (get) her first job in a clothes factory when she was sixteen. She 4) .. (sew) buttons onto a shirt one day when she 5)..... (have) a brilliant idea for a design- After she 6) .. (speak) to her bank manager, she got a loan and she 7) ...(open) her own little workshop. Now she 8) . (make) lots of money. Next year she 9) ... (open) a shop which will sell all her own designs. She 10) (sell) clothes to a lot of famous people, including film stars and singers, and she 11) .... (think) she will be very rich soon. 4. Complete the following sentences with the correct preposition 1. I'm not capable ________________ that type of behavior. Of/In/At 2. Smoking is bad ________________ you. At/For/On 3. I'm so angry ________________ this! About/with/to 4. I'm so angry _______________ you! About/to/with 5. She was dressed _______________ pink. With/in/on 6. This restaurant is famous _______________ its mussels. In/with/for 7. George is married _______________ a German woman. To/With/by 8. Are you afraid ________________ him? Of/to/on 9. I'm so proud _______________ you! With/of/to 10. We're not associated _______________ that company. Along/in/with 5. Write the opposite of each word 1. Don't talk so loudly - Talk more__________ 3

2. I love my new car. I sold my __________ one. 3. One of his best friends is very rich, but he used to be __________ . 4. Do you like big cars or __________ ones? 5. This towel is wet. Give me a __________ one. 6. Is that the right answer. No, it's__________ . 7. I felt bad in the morning, but now I feel__________ . 8. This shirt is dirty. Give me a __________ shirt. 9. I don't want to spend more time with him - I want to spend________time with him. 10. Do you feel better? No, I feel __________! 6. Adjective or adverb? 1. He speaks French pretty ________ (bad/badly). 2. The movie we saw was pretty ________ (bad/badly). 3. Our cat was lying around ________ (lazy/lazily). 4. Robert is a very ________ person (lazy/lazily). 5. Her room was ________ (bright/brightly). 6. Her room was ________ decorated (beautiful/beautifully). 7. I love your apartment! It's so ________ (colourful/colourfully). 8. He keeps his room ________ (clean/cleanly). 9. Our neighbours are always ________ (helpful/helpfully). 10. You can ________ get there from here (easy/easily).

7. Write the comparative or superlative form of the adjectives. 1. This is ________ book in the whole store (expensive). 2. That shirt is ________ than the other one (dirty). 3. Peter was laughing hard, but his wife was laughing even ________(hard)! 4. He is ________ (strong) man that I know. 5. Robert is never on time. He always arrives ________ (late) than the rest of us. 6. That is ________ (good) song I've ever heard! 7. Your cat is ________ (small) than ours. 8. I thought this test would be difficult, but it's ________ (easy) test I've ever taken. 9. Out of all the films I've seen, this one is ________ (sad). 10. Your answer is wrong, but it's ________ (correct) than the other students' answers.