Tài liệu hướng dẫn ôn thi tiếng Anh B1 chuẩn châu Âu

Tài liệu này bao gồm những nội dung cần thiết cho các nghiên cứu sinh để hoàn thành bài thi tiếng Anh B1. Đối với các nghiên cứu sinh hiện nay đều phải trải qua giai đoạn thi tiếng anh đầu vào (B1) và đầu ra (B2). Trước khi chỉ dẫn cho các bạn cách thi và kinh nghiệm thi, tôi chia sẻ với các bạn là không còn loại chứng trỉ tiếng Anh nào dễ hơn B1 và B2. Tài liệu này gồm đặc điểm của tiêu chuẩn tiếng Anh B1 và một số đề thi thử để các bạn rèn luyện. Chúc các bạn thi tốt ^^

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Romanian Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reform

DIRECTORATE

Directorate General for Management and Human Resources

The English Testing Team

for

The B1 English Test

for the Romanian Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reform

Candidates’ Handbook Specifications and Sample Papers

– 2007 –

Coordinator: Esther Hay

Authors:

Ioana Bordeianu Ileana Chersan Cristina Dogărel Iulia Ene

dr Cătălina Harabagiu-Dimitrescu

Carmen Konrad Oana Popescu Emilia Stanciu

Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României

ESTHER, HAY

Testul de limba engleză : nivelul B1 pentru personalul MIRA /

Esther Hay, dr Harabagiu Cătălina, Chersan Ileana - Bucureşti : Editura Ministerului Internelor şi Reformei Administrative, 2007

Contents

1 Preface

2 The CEF language testing system

3 Levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

4 Background

5 Reasons for taking the B1 English Test

6 Marking and Grading

7 Administration

8 B1 English Test: an overview

9 Aims and objectives

10 General English Topics

The CEF language testing system

The English Tests for the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform in Romania feature a series

of examinations with similar characteristics, spanning six levels linked to the levels of the Common European Framework established by the Council of Europe

Levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

UNDERSTANDING

Listening

UNDERSTANDING Reading

SPEAKING Spoken interaction

SPEAKING Spoken Production

WRITING Writing

A1

I can recognise familiar

words and very basic

phrases concerning

myself, my family and

immediate concrete

surroundings when people

speak slowly and clearly

I can ask and answer

simple questions in areas

of immediate need or on

very familiar topics

I can understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example on notices and posters or in catalogues

I can interact in a simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat or rephrase things

at a slower rate of speech and help me formulate

what I’m trying to say

I can use simple phrases and sentences to describe where I live and people I know

I can write a short, simple

postcard, for example sending holiday greetings I can fill in forms with

personal details, for example entering my name, nationality and address on a hotel registration form

A2 I can understand phrases

and the highest frequency

vocabulary related to

areas of most immediate

personal relevance (e.g

very basic personal and

family information,

shopping, local area,

employment) I can catch

the main point in short,

clear, simple messages

and announcements

I can read very short, simple texts I can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus and timetables and I can understand short, simple personal letters

I can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar

topics and activities

I can handle very short social exchanges, even though I can’t usually understand enough to keep the conversation going myself I can use a series of phrases and sentences to describe in simple terms my family and other people, living conditions, my educational background and my

present or most recent job

I can write short, simple notes and messages relating to matters in areas

of immediate need I can write a very simple personal letter, for example thanking someone for

something

B1 I can understand the main

points of clear standard

speech on familiar matters

regularly encountered in

work, school, leisure, etc

I can understand the main

point of many radio or TV

programmes on current

affairs or topics of

personal or professional

interest when the delivery

is relatively slow and

clear

I can understand texts that consist mainly of high-frequency everyday

or job-related language I can understand the description of events, feelings and wishes

in personal letters

I can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken I can enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g family, hobbies, work, travel and

current events)

I can connect phrases

in a simple way in order to describe experiences and events, my dreams, hopes and ambitions I can briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans I can narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film and describe

my reactions

I can write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest I can write personal letters describing experiences and impressions

B2 I can understand

extended speech and

lectures and follow

even complex lines of

argument provided

the topic is reasonably

familiar I can understand

most TV news and current

prose

I can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible I

can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining my point of

view

I can present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to my field of interest I can explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options

I can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of

subjects related to my interests I can write an essay or report, passing

on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point

of view I can write letters

views, highlighting the personal significance of

events and experiences

C1 I can understand extended

speech even when it is not

clearly structured and

when relationships are

only implied and not

signalled explicitly I can

I can understand long and complex factual and literary texts, appreciating distinctions of style I can understand specialised articles and longer

I can express myself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions

I can use language

I can formulate ideas and opinions with precision and relate my contribution skilfully to those of other speakers I can present clear, detailed

I can express myself in clear, well-structured text, expressing points of view at some length I can

write about complex

understand television

programmes and films

without too much effort

technical instructions, even when they do not

appropriate conclusion

subjects in a letter, an essay or a report, underlining what I consider to be the salient issues I can select style appropriate to the reader in mind

C2 I have no difficulty in

understanding any kind of

spoken language, whether

live or broadcast, even

when delivered at fast

native speed, provided I

have some time to get

familiar with the accent

I can read with ease virtually all forms of the written language, including abstract, structurally or linguistically complex texts such as manuals, specialised articles and literary works

I can take part effortlessly

in any conversation or discussion and have a good familiarity with idiomatic expressions and

colloquialisms

I can express myself fluently and convey finer shades of meaning precisely If I do have a problem I can backtrack and restructure around the difficulty so smoothly that other people are hardly aware of it I can present a clear, smoothly flowing description or argument in a style appropriate to the context and with an effective logical structure which helps the recipient to notice and remember significant points

I can write clear, smoothly flowing text in

an appropriate style I can write complex letters,

reports or articles which present a case with an effective logical structure which helps the recipient

to notice and remember significant points I can write summaries and reviews of professional

Reasons for taking the B1 English Test

Candidates enter for a variety of reasons: personal reasons, promotion, to improve their future employment prospects, to be selected for a mission abroad, to meet European language testing standards, etc

Marking and Grading

A candidate receives final marks for each individual papers There is a passing grade (PASS) and a failing grade (FAIL) “Pass’ corresponds to 75% accurate completion of Papers 1 and 2 and 100% of Papers 3 and 4

Administration

Candidates mark or write all their answers on the exam sheets

B1 English Test: an overview

Paper Name Timing Content Test Focus

Paper 1 Reading 45 min Four parts which test a

range of reading skills with a variety of general English and ESP texts

Assessment of candidates’ ability to understand the meaning of written English

at word, phrase, sentence, paragraph and whole text level

Paper 2 Listening 30 min Four parts which test a

range of listening skills with a variety of general English and ESP texts

Assessment of candidates’ ability to understand dialogues and monologues in both informal and neutral settings on a range of everyday topics

Paper 3 Writing 1 hour Two parts which test a

range of writing skills and functions

Assessment of candidates’ ability to produce straightforward written English, ranging from simple sentences to pieces

of continuous text

Paper 4 Speaking 12 min Four parts which test

short and long turns and interactive commu-nication

Assessment of candidates’ ability to express themselves in order to carry out the functions for B1 level, to ask and understand questions and make appropriate responses and to talk freely on matters of personal interest

Aims and objectives

Candidates who pass B1 should be able to communicate satisfactorily in most everyday situations with both non-native and native speakers of English

Reading Using the structures and topics listed further on, candidates can understand public notices

and signs, read short texts of a factual nature and show understanding of the content, demonstrate understanding of the structure of the language as it is used to express notions of relative time, space, possession etc., scan factual materials for information in order to perform relevant tasks, disregarding redundant or irrelevant material, read texts of an imaginative or emotional character and appreciate the central sense of the text

Listening Candidates can understand and respond to announcements, show precise understanding

of short factual utterances and make identifications on the basis of these, extract information of a factual nature (time, dates, names) from speech which will contain redundancies and language outside the defined limits of B1, understand the sense of a dialogue

Writing Candidates can give information, report events, describe people, places and objects as

well as convey reactions to situations, express hopes, regrets, pleasure etc can also use the words appropriately and accurately in different written contexts, and produce variations on simple sentences

Speaking Candidates can express themselves in order to simulate authentic communication They

can ask and understand questions and make appropriate responses and can talk freely in order to express emotions, reactions, opinions etc

Date and place of birth

6 relations with other people

Relationship Invitations Correspondence

Club membership

Government and politics War and peace

7 health and body care

Parts of the body Personal comfort Hygiene

Ailments, accidents Medical services Insurance

8 shopping

Shopping facilities Clothes, fashion Prices

Smoking Household articles

9 food and drink

Types of food and drink Eating and drinking out

10 services

Post Telephone Bank Diplomatic services Hospital, surgery Garage

Phrase levels Noun phrases

Pronouns

Types (demonstrative, personal, possessive, relative,

interrogative, reflexive, indefinite)

Functions (existential, of time, place, manner, degree,

direction, arrangement etc.)

Form

Types (indefinite, deictic etc.)

Comparison of gradable adverbs

Types (transitive, intransitive, causative etc)

Simple forms: regular (infinitive, participles, present,

past, gerund)

Simple forms: irregular

Modal auxiliary verbs

Compound forms (perfective, progressive, passive,

modal+simple infinitive)

Be, have and do

Indirect speech

Adjective phrases Pronoun phrases Verb phrases

Forms containing one main verb Short answers

Adverbial phrases Preposition phrases Clause level

Clause types and functions

Main clauses Subordinate clauses

Forms and functions of subordinate clauses

Noun clauses Adjectival (relative) clauses Adverbial clauses

Sentence level Form

Simple sentences Compound sentences Complex sentences

Sentence types

Declarative Interrogative Imperative

Functions of sentence types

Affirmative sentences Emphatic affirmative Negative

Decision questions Wh- questions Imperative sentences

ESP Topics

Police

• Job-related personal details

• Routine work activities

• Present or more recent job

• Educational background and experience

• Police powers and duties

• Police equipment (uniform, buildings, vehicles, weapons, tools)

• Traffic-related offences and incidents

1 Read the text below Answer the questions in no more than 3 words An example (0) is given

The Royal Observatory

In 1675 King Charles II (1630 – 1685) ordered that the Royal Observatory be built at Greenwich to study the problem of longitude with regard to navigation: the first astronomer, John Flamsteed (1646 – 1719) moved in a tear later He made a very precise 3000 star catalogue Across the yard there is a straight brass line running through the cobbles This is the world Prim Meridian, longitude zero It runs from the North to South poles

At the time the Observatory was built, zero longitude could be placed anywhere a map maker or chart maker wished This affected navigation and time (there was a difference of 15 minutes between London and Plymouth) By the middle of the 1700s the Greenwich reading was being used more and more, and finally, in 1884, it was chosen as the Prime Meridian longitude zero reading There lies the tombstone of Edmund Halley (1656 – 1742) and some members of his family He discovered that the comets have periodic orbits and identified one, which is named after him He calculated that it would appear every 76 years In the Halley gallery one can see the living area arranged as it would have looked in the 1700s

(0) Who ordered a Royal Observatory to be built at Greenwich?

…………King Charles II ……… ……

(1) Who was the first astronomer at the Royal Observatory?

……….……… (2) How many stars did he describe in his catalogue?

……… (3) What was the time difference between London and Plymouth?

……… (4) When was Greenwich chosen as Prime Meridian zero?

……… (5) Who discovered that comets have periodic orbits?

………

2 Read the text below Match the titles (A-G) with the news stories (1 – 6) Write your answers

in the box An example (0) is given There is one letter you do not need to use

(0) The Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates, receives 4m e-mails in his inbox every day, making him the most spammed man in the world and focussing his mind on a problem that threatens the internet

(1) North Korea has agreed to return to Japan what are thought to be the remains of Megumi Yokata 27 years after the 13-year-old girl was snatched off the streets of her home town in Japan by North Korean spies

(2) Margaret Hassan, the Care International director who was taken hostage by Iraqi insurgents in October was murdered The body of a woman, believed to be that of Irish born Hassan, 59, was found in Falluja after a video emerged that showed masked men shooting a blindfolded woman

(3) The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, apologized to President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt after Israeli soldiers fired across the border at the southern end of the Gaza strip, killing three Egyptian police officers An investigation has been ordered

(4) A plane crashed into a lake in northern China seconds after take-off, killing all 53 people on aboard and one person on the ground

(5) A Zimbabwean man has appeared in court for denigrating President Robert Mugabe by calling him a dictator, the Herald paper said

A Charge over insult

B Aid worker shot by kidnappers

C Government investigates shooting

D Girl’s reminds go home

E Spam, spam and more spam

F Female body found in Japan

3 Read the text below Put the sentences (A-G) in the gaps (1-6) Write your answers in the space provided An example (0) is given There is one extra letter you do not need to use Flexible Speeding Fines

Flexible speeding fines and a fresh crackdown on the use of mobile phones in cars are among new road safety measures being unveiled on Tuesday The proposed new laws would also allow courts

to force the worst drink drivers to retake their driving tests Seriously poor drivers (0) ……… Minister wants to cut the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents by 40% and

by half for children, by 2010 The government says it is half way towards meeting the target, (1) …………

On speeding, the government is also set to clarify which vehicles can exceed the speed limits in emergency situations, (2) ………… There will also be higher penalties for people driving carelessly or inconsiderately The moves against drink-driving will also include enabling police to take evidence at the roadside In order to detect uninsured drivers, police also promised help (3)………

The planned variable fines for speeding offences have been welcomed by motorists’ groups The RAC said it was important to distinguish between those travelling a couple of miles over the speed limit in a non-residential area away from schools and other dangers, and those travelling (4)…………

The move is also being seen as an attempt to deflect anger about speed cameras The Conservatives have pledged to remove those speed cameras which they say only raise money rather than (5)…………

A in using automatic number plate recognition

B such as those carrying donor organs

C could be retrained

D based on the average for the years 1994-1998

E match the punishment to the offences

F at high speed in sensitive areas

G improve road safety

4 Read the text below Choose one word from the box for each space An example (0) is given There is one word you do not need to use

Gang Members Sue Over ‘Privacy Breach’

Teenage gang members responsible for “an epidemic of anti-social behaviour” (0) protested to the

High Court today after having their names and photographswidely publicised after anti-social behaviour orders were made against them Under the orders, they and five others were (1)

from an area of North London where local residentslived in fear of leaving their houses because of the gang’s activities

In the small area (2) by the exclusion zone, there were more than 200 allegations

of robbery, burglary, criminal damage and vehicle crime by the gang between April 2002 and April

2003

The orders were (3) against them last year by the Metropolitan Police and Brent Council under the Crime and Disorder Act

The three youths, who cannot be named and were (4) to in court as S, M, and

K, claimed that their “right to privacy” under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights was breached by the publicity

Personal details and photographs of the three youths, aged 15, 16 and 18, were unnecessarily (5)

thousands of homes and even posted on the internet, leading to worldwide exposure, Michael Fordham, their counsel said

obtained excluded distributed covered

protested breached referred

See answers on page 16

Sample Paper 2

1 Listen and match the name of a celebrity (A-F) with their idea of the best date (1 – 6) There

is one extra number you do not need to use

An example (0) is given

A B C D E F

0

2 Listen and circle the letter of the correct answer An example (o) is given

(0) A Swedish police officer

1 The 36 year old man was caught when

A He stole a car worth 30,000 dollars

B He used stolen money to buy a car

C Colleagues found the missing money

D He gave false information to the press

A Stole a lot of airplane parts and metal objects

B Kept lots of metal and rubbish outside his house

C Attacked his neighbours for taking things from his house

D Dumped rubbish in his neighbour’s garden

3 He claimed the sentence was unfair because

A He was an artist and needed the things for his work

B Nobody had complained before

C The things belonged to his wife

D He had had a lot of things stolen from his house

4 Malaysia is trying to

A Increase the wages for police officers

B Sack officers who take bribes

C Reduce corruption in the country

D Recruit more honest police officers

5 Officers will be given a cash reward if

A They arrest more than 20 criminals per month

B They ignore minor crimes

C They arrest anyone who tries to give them a bribe

D They report colleagues who take bribes

3 Listen and complete the missing information

Write one word in each space One example (0) is given

The (0) _singer _ Josephine Baker was in a bar She was insulted by a white man

who made some remarks about her (1) _ Ms Baker has lived in

(2) _ and couldn’t accept that kind of boorishness

She reported the incident to the police who did nothing because they hadn’t

heard the (3) _ However, Mrs Baker used the Los Angeles

Statute and (4) the man herself as a private citizen

Then the police accused him of (5) _ and disturbing the peace

4 Listen and complete the information in the notes

Write no more than 4 words in each space An example (0) is given

Human Rights Conference

Date (0) 19 – 21 March Location (1) Arrival (2) _Thursday 19 March Departure 6.00 p.m Saturday, 21 March

Contact reception for airport minibus transfer

Guest Speaker Professor Arthur

Organisation he (3) _

represents

Topic of his ‘ Domestic Violence and the Effects on Children’ presentation

Workshop (4) Child Labour ,

topics Asylum Seekers, Sex Discrimination

Social (5 ) Friday Evening _ Event in the ballroom

Listening Paper Tapescript

Rubric

This is the B1 Listening English Test, year 2007

There are four parts to the test You will hear each part once For each part of the test there will be time for you to look through the questions and time for you to check your answers

Write your answers on the question paper

Please ask any questions now, because you must not speak during the test

You have 15 seconds to read through the questions

Speaker: Celebrities can have the most luxurious dates of anyone, right? They get into the

trendiest clubs, they can afford the swankiest restaurants or jet off to them most gorgeous spots around the globe But when you ask them what makes some couple-time really wonderful, you’d b quite surprised by their answers Listen to what these stars had to say when we posted the question

‘ Gwen and I have had the best date nights in our own house We just sit on the couch close together

on a Saturday night and watch movies We’ll also go see a film like Sideways and just hold hands Those are perfect romantic nights.’

Alicia Silverstone

‘There is nothing more romantic on a date to me than someone who wants to just go with me to a park to walk my dog You have the setting sun and the dog is happy Plus, dogs are a great judge of character!’

Part 2

Listen and circle the letter of the correct answer An example (o) is given

You have 45 seconds to read through the questions

Newsreader: Welcome back to Capital Radio’s breakfast programme The best way to start your

day

There will be a news update at nine o’clock, but first we continue our look at strange stories from around the world Today we turn our attention to the subject or crime and some of the unusual events the police forces in other countries have to deal with

In Sweden a police officer has confessed to robbing a bank The unnamed officer was later investigated the crime itself and told reporters at the time that they police had no clues as to the culprits However colleagues became suspicious when he bought a new car, costing over 30 thousand dollars Investigators discovered that he had paid for the car in cash, using banknotes taken from the robbery The 36- year old officer appeared in court on Monday and was charged with armed robbery He pleaded guilty to the offence The exact amount of money stolen has not been revealed

In America a man has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for refusing to move airplane parts and other junk from the yard of his house The 49 year old defendant was charged with illegal dumping and creating a public nuisance He had been repeatedly warned by the local authorities to move the rubbish and clear up his yard He claims that he is a victim of a conspiracy by the authorities and that he needed the airplane parts and other metal objects for his work as an artist His wife claimed that they had a right to keep such things in their yard as it is private property However after frequent complaints by neighbours he was taken to court

And finally a new scheme in Malaysia was introduced to fight against corruption in the police force Police officers are being offered a cash reward if they refuse a bribe The reward will be double the money of the bribe A spokesman said that the office must also arrest the person responsible for offering the bribe in order to claim the reward Corruption is a growing problem in the country Wages are low and bribes can be used to persuade police officers to look the other way or to let people off with minor offences

Part 3

Listen and complete the missing information

Write one word in each space One example (0) is given

You have 30 seconds to read through the questions

Newsreader: In Los Angeles today the singer Josephine Baker sat with two friends in the Grill of

the Buildmore Hotel

At the table next to them sat a man who made some audible and slurry remarks about Ms Baker’s race Pigmentation classifies her as a dark skinned member of the human race, as contrasted with the yellow, brown and fair skinned people of which the man at the adjoining table was a representative

This sort of insult is too commonly accepted in embarrassed silence for an unsatisfactory recourse But Ms Baker has lived for many years in Europe She is not accustomed to that kind of boorishness and she took action She called the police who informed her that since they hadn’t heard the remarks, they could do nothing But they pointed out to Ms Baker that under the Los Angeles Statute, as a private citizen, she could make the arrest herself, if they were standing by

And this Ms Josephine Baker did The offender identified himself as Fred Harland, resident of Dallas, Texas And, in the absence of any statute covering “bad manners”, he was booked on suspicion of drunkenness and of disturbing the peace

Part 4

Listen and complete the information in the notes

Write no more than 4 words in each space An example (0) is given

You have 20 seconds to read through the questions

Good morning Before we start the meeting today I would like to remind you about the Human Rights Conference next month We have received some more details from the organisers and you will be pleased to know that the venue is going to be the same as last year… The Hilton Hotel

I know many of you attended the event last year and were very pleased with the facilities that the Hilton has to offer

As there are a lot of speakers, we would like everyone to arrive by 8.30 on Thursday morning That’s Thursday 19 March at half past eight That gives everyone time for coffee before the opening session at 9 o’clock There is a full 3 days programme so please make your travel arrangements so you get to the hotel early on Thursday morning or on Wednesday evening We plan to finish at

6 o’clock on Saturday evening, so do not arrange for a flight that departs before 6 p.m The hotel has a mini-bus for anyone who needs transfer to the airport However you need to book it in advance at the hotel reception

The special guest speaker this year will be Professor Arthur Brown, from Childcare International, who will give a talk on Domestic Violence and the Effect on Children’ He has published many books and articles on the subject and recently gave an interview on the BBC

The conference will be organised in a series of 2 hour workshops covering topics such as Child Labour in Europe and Africa, the growing problems of Human Trafficking, changes in the law in dealing with Asylum Seekers and Sex Discrimination in the workplace and society All workshops will be followed by a question and answer session There will also be a poster and book exhibition with a chance to buy some of the latest publications and meet some of the authors

On Friday evening there will be a concert of African music in the hotel ballroom The concert will

be given by a group of musicians from the university They are a very talented group who have

appeared at local music festivals and have recorded their own CDs So you can have a chance to relax and dance at the end of a long day If you have any more questions, please see me at the end

of the meeting Thank you Now let’s move on to the main business of the meeting The first point

on our agenda is the budget for next year………

That is the end of part 4

You now have two minutes to check your answers

Pause 2 minutes

That is the end of the test

See answers on page 16

1 The Hilton Hotel

2 (by) 8.30/half past eight (a.m.)