Use of English · Test 32

High heels

For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer ( A, B, C or D ) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning ( 0 ).

Example:

High heels are a familiar 0 _____ around the world. Coming in all shapes, sizes and heights, they are widely 1 (1) ____ to be an essential part of any elegant outfit for women. 2 (2) ____, the first high heels were in fact worn by men. They became fashionable among wealthy European men in the sixteenth century, as a 3 (3) ____ of their status. The idea was that 4 (4) ____ someone very rich, who didn’t have to work, could wear such impractical footwear! Women began to wear them in the nineteenth century as part of their battle to take 5 (5) ____ traditional male power and authority. In 6 (6) ____ years, they have again become part of the 7 (7) ____ for women’s rights — this time for the right NOT to wear them. Women who work in jobs where they are 8 (8) ____ to wear high heels are calling for the right to wear flatter, more comfortable footwear. I can understand why!

How Italian food took over the world

For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning ( 0 ). In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

Example: MOST

Studies over the last few years have shown repeatedly that Italian food is the 0 _____ popular in the world. This is true not 9 9 in Europe, but also in countries as diverse 10 10 Brazil and South Africa. So why 11 11 pizza and pasta become such universal favourites? One big advantage of both is that they are cheap and can easily 12 12 adapted to different tastes. It is possible to conjure up a tasty pasta sauce using a wide range 13 13 different ingredients, and there is 14 14 limit to what you can put on a pizza, from pineapple to eggs, and even bananas! Another reason for their popularity may have less to do with flavour and 15 15 to do with industrial food production. Both foods are easy and cheap to mass-produce and transport, and it may be 16 16 characteristic which has led to their spread to all corners of the globe.

Gorillas are well known for beating their chests when they are 0 _____, but it seems they also have a gentler and more 17 17 side to their character. A new study has shown that gorillas ‘sing’ 18 18 while they are eating. A group of 19 19 who studied the animals in the wild found that they make a range of different 20 20 sounds, especially when eating their favourite foods. And different gorillas have their own favourite ‘tunes’. The sounds may show their 21 21 in what they are eating, but they may also be used as a form of 22 22. The larger, male gorillas are the ones who make all the 23 23 for the group. The ‘singing’ may be their way of saying that it is time to sit down and eat. This is perhaps the most 24 24 discovery, as it might shed light on how human language evolved. 0.ANGER