CAE Reading and Use of English: Tasks Overview

The correct answers in the form above are: 2, 4, 3, 1.

CAE 2015: Speaking : Part II

Part II of the CAE speaking test is an individual "long turn" for each candidate with a brief response from the other candidate. In turn, each candidate is given a set of three pictures (together with two written prompts in the form of direct questions) and has to talk about two of the pictures for a minute. After this, their partner will be asked a question related to the task as well. 

The part lasts  4 minutes in total: 1 minute for each candidate's individual speaking plus 30 seconds for the second candidate's response. 

The focus is on organising a larger unit of discourse: comparing, describing, expressing opinions and speculating. 

 In this speaking task it is not enough to merely describe what you see in the pictures. The candidates are supposed to compare two of the pictures, express their opinion and, most importantly, speculate. That's why it's essential to learn speculative vocabulary (may, might, must, could, might have, probably etc.) and practise guessing more than you see in the pictures.

The following questions might be useful to answer when workin with pictures.

- Who do you think the people in the pictures are? What are their relationships?

- What might they be talking about?

- What do you think could have happened just before the scene? Why?

- What do you think might happen next? Why?

The other thing which is absolutely vital for the task is organising and linking ideas. You will need to learn and practise a wide range of linking words and cohesive devices that help you move from one idea to the next one. 

Note: don't overestimate formal linkers which are more suitable for writing. Make a good use of simple linking words that sound natural in speaking.

 

Advanced English Games: Academy Island (CEFR Level: B1–C1)

CAE Content and Structure

Paper I. Reading and Use of English 

 

Состоит из 8 заданий и содержит 56 вопросов.

Время выполнения всех заданий - 1 час 30 мин.

Задание 1.  Текст с пропусками и вариантами ответа (multiple-choice cloze). В тексте сделано 8 пропусков. Для заполнения каждого пропуска предлагается 4 варианта ответа.

Задание 2.  Текст с пропусками без вариантов ответа (open cloze). Текст также как и в предыдущем задании содержит 8 пробелов, но вариантов ответа не предлагается.

Задание 3. Словообразование (word formation). Представлен текст с 8 пропусками, для заполнения которых необходимо изменить грамматическую форму слов, расположенных рядом с текстом.

Задание 4. Перифраз с использование ключевого слова (key-word transformation). 

Представлены 6 пар предложений. Предложения в каждой паре имеют одинаковое значение. Во втором предложении каждой пары сделан пробел. Необходимо заполнить пробел, используя от 3 до 6 слов, включая предложенное ключевое слово.

Задание 5. Текст с последующими вопросами и вариантами ответа (multiple choice). Представлен текст и 6 вопросов на его понимание. Для каждого вопроса предлагается 4 варианта ответа.

Задание 6. Соотнесение информации четырех коротких текстов (cross-text multiple matching). Представлены четыре текста и четыре вопроса на сравнение идей текстов. Например:  в каком из текстов автор выражает мнение по такому-то вопросу, противоположное мнению, представленному в тексте В.

Задание 7. Восстановление текста с выпущенными параграфами (gapped text). Из текста вырезаны 6 параграфов. Они представлены под текстом не по порядку. Необходимо определить в какой пробел вставить каждый параграф. 

Задание 8. Соотнесение высказываний с текстами (частями текста) (multiple matching). Представлены 10 высказываний и несколько коротких текстов (один текст, разделенный на части). Необходимо соотнести каждое высказывание с частью текста.

Paper II. Writing 

 

Состоит из двух заданий, одно из которых безвариантно, а второе предлагает выбор из трех вариантов. Обе работы оцениваются равным количеством баллов. 

Время на написание обоих заданий - 1 час 30 мин.

Задание 1. Сочинение. Предлагается написать сочинение на основе двух идей, представленных в сопровождающем тексте. Необходимо объяснить какая идея является приоритетной и почему. 

Длина текста: 220-260 слов.

Задание 2. На выбор одно задание из 3. Могут быть предложены:

- письмо (официальное или личное);

- отзыв (на книгу, фильм и т.д.);

- отчет;

- предложение.

Длина текста: 220-260 слов. 

Paper III. Listening

Состоит из 4 заданий и содержит 30 вопросов.

Примерное время на выполнение 40 мин.

Задание 1. Множественный выбор (multiple choice). Для прослушивания предлагается 3 не связанных друг с другом текста. К каждому тексту - по 2 вопроса с вариантами ответа. 

Задание 2. Закончить предложения (complete tsentences). Для прослушивания - трехминутный монолог. Задача - закончить 8 незавершенных предложений, используя информацию из текста.

Задание 3. Множественный выбор (multiple choice). Для прослушивания - разговор двух или более людей, длящийся примерно 4 минуты. Задача - ответить на 6 вопросов, к каждому из которых предложено 4 варианта ответа.

Задание 4. Соотнесение высказываний с текстами (multiple matching). Для прослушивания - 5 коротких монологов на одну тему, каждый примерно 30 сек. К каждому тексту нужно подобрать по одному подходящему варианту ответа из двух 8-вариантных списков.

Paper IV. Speaking

Состоит из 4 заданий.

Примерное время на все задания - 15 мин.

Задание 1. Интервью - 2 мин. 

Задание 2. Карточка с индивидуальным заданием - 4 мин. 

Задание 3. Обсуждение в паре и принятие решения - 4 мин. 

Задание 4. Высказывание собственного мнения по вопросам, связанным с темой третьего задания (5 минут).

CAE 2015: Speaking: Part I

Part I of the CAE speaking test is a short conversation between the examiner and each candidate individually. It lasts 2 minutes and the focus is on general social and interactional language. In the table below are some typical questions that you might be asked in this part of the exam.

Topics	Possible questions
Introductory questions	Where are you from? What do you do here?
Daily life	What’s your favourite time of day / time of year? What do you like to do at weekends? What do you do to relax? Do you prefer to follow a routine or do you like to do something different every day?
Past Experiences	Who do you think has had the most influence on your life so far? Why? Where is the most interesting place you have ever travelled to? What’s your happiest childhood memory / memory of school? What do you remember about your first school? Who is the best teacher you’ve ever had? What were the most useful things you learned at school? What were your favorite subjects? How has your life changed in the last year?
Studying languages / Learning	How long have you been learning English? Have you always been interested in languages? What do you most enjoy about learning English? If you had the opportunity to learn something new, what would you choose? What do you enjoy learning? Do you find it useful that you can speak English when you travel? Why?
Holidays / Travel	What kinds of holiday appeal to you most? Why? Which country would you most like to visit? Why? Would you prefer to spend your holidays with your family or your friends? What would you prefer: relaxing or adventurous holidays? Would you like to work in the travel industry? Why? What things do you most enjoy doing when travelling on holiday? Would you enjoy going on an adventurous, possibly dangerous journey? Why (not)? If you could choose something completely different from your usual type of holiday, what would it be?
Plans / ambitions	What would you like to be doing in five years time? What do you hope to be doing this time next year? How might you use your english in the future? Would you consider living abroad permanently? Are you someone who likes to plan for the future or do you prefer to let things happen?
Friends	What do you most enjoy doing with your friends? Have you ever had the opportunity to really help your friend? How? Tell me about a friend of yours and how you got to know him or her. How necessary is it to have good friends? How do you usually communicate with your friends?
Leisure / Entertainment	What are your main interests and leisure time activities? What types of TV programmes do you think are worth watching? What kinds of music do you like listening to? How important are sport and exercise in your life? Do you think having  a lot of free time is a good or bad thing?
Hometown / Home Country	What is the best way for visitors of your country to make friends? What part(s) of your country would you recommend to tourists? Why What’s the best time of year for people to visit your country? If sorne friends from abroad were visiting your region, which places would you take them to see? Why?
Jobs / Work	What’s your ideal job? What’s more important money or health?

CAE 2015: Writing: A Letter of Reference

     A letter of reference is supposed to have three key components:

     1) an opening paragraph (sentence) in which  you: 

      - state the purpose of writing; 

      - explain how long and in which capacities    you have known the person;

      2) an evaluation of the person's skills,      character and accomplishments depending on what is being expected by the employer;

3)  a closing paragraph that summarises why and to what degree you would recommend this person.

      Below I have put down some useful expressions and structures for the opening and closing paragraphs as well as for evaluating various kinds of skills

Purpose of writing	I am writing on behalf of… I am writing to recommend … for a position of … with… I am writing in regard to ...’s application..
Relations	I have known … personally and socially for for approximately 5 years /  since childhood for over 2 years during which time she worked as a … in my office we are in the same tutorial group at college and she is a highly qualified candidate for a position is qualified and experienced to accept the challenge of being...
Active position	is involved in her local community, her church and her childrens’ schools
Social skills	has an excellent rapport (gets on) with people of all ages will establish productive relationships with (will be popular with) is used to dealing with …. the social (interpersonal) skills she has learnt in this job should serve her well as .../ enable her to... / allow her to...
Organisational skills	outstanding organisational skills an excellent person to have around in times of crisis dependable not inclined to panic or lose her temper although never bossy, she can take control over difficult situations without upsetting anyone would definitely be able to cope if things went wrong… ...which may come in very useful .. is able to successfully complete multiple tasks with favourable results despite deadline pressure consistently demonstrated leadership abilities
Physical condition	an accomplished sportsman at… she has reached competition level
Communication skills	Her strong verbal and written communication skills allowed her to relay information in a clear and coherent manner. She demonstrated the ability to articulate information and ideas in both the written and verbal forms.
Diligency	She will devote herself to a position with your organisation with a high degree of diligence ...is a direct result of her hard work and strong focus With her enthusiastic commonsense (can do) approach she would ensure…. She has been effective in her efforts to...
Academic performance	exceptional (above-average) academic performance out of a class of 150 students, she graduated with honours in the top 10
Closing	I believe, she would make an excellent…/ would be a valuable asset to ... I am confident that she ... I have no hesitation in recommending her to your company (for the post) I recommend her to you without reservation. I highly recommend her ...

Advanced English Collocations: Environment

 Do you know how to speak about environmental threats such as climate change and deforestation? Which words does 'threat' collocate with?  What can be 'sustainable? 

Below you can find some useful collocations that deal with causes and consequenses of major threats to the environment, opinions on the issues, and measures to protect the planet.

What is good for the environment

                    alternative energy sources
                    renewable energy
                    solar heating
                   offshore wind farms
                   hybrid cars
                   green taxes / issues / politics / credentials
                   eco-friendly design / products
                   pollution prevention / standards / control
                   sustainable development / agreeculture / form of transport / use of resources
                   recyclable materials / substances / cardboard packaging etc.
                   biodegradable materials / chemicals / plastic
                   organic farming / gardening
                   ecological balance

Threat(en)   

 

to threaten crops / wildlife / water supplies
to pose a threat (to)
environmental /  fundumental / grave threat
under threat of extinction
the threat from overfishing /deforestation
a threat to places / species / people's livelihoods
to identify smth as an urgent threat 

to threaten / to destroy the livelihoods

Climate Change

climatic changes
irreversible climate change
to cause / to produce climate change
to fight / to tackle / to address / to adapt to  climate change

 CAUSES
global warming
greenhouse gases / effect
to contribute to the greenhouse effect
to trap heat in the atmosphere
to exist naturally
to act like a blanket
household / toxic waste      
carbon dioxide / nitrogen oxide, sulphur // veicle / exhaust  //  harmful, toxic emissions          
to release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere    
fossil fuels
to burn fossil fuels
to generate energy


CONSEQUENCES
dire / devastating / unavoidable / serious consequences
to face the consequences / new challenges for survival
to prepare for consequences

the changing weather patterns
extreme weather events
rising sea levels
melting glaciers
intense / record droughts
intense rainfalls
searing heat (обжигающая)
heat waves
heat waves become frequent
the temperatures soar
widespread flooding

acid rain

shrinking habitats
endangered species
environmental catastrophy
risks to public health
to wreak havoc on...


OPINIONS
respected scientific organisations
to reach a consensus
an overwhelming consensus

to identify smth as an urgent threat

the need for urgent action to address...
the need is indisputable

to address the crisis
to adequatly address ...
demographic / future projections
prophets of doom and gloom
the worst case scenario

to change our ways


to reduce carbon pollution // our carbon footprint // carbon / vehicle emissions // our food miles
to urgently / dramatically reduce

to offset carbon emissions
schemes for offsetting...

Deforestation

FORESTS' ROLE
to protect the planet
to produce vital oxigen
to absorb  / soak up carbon dioxide
massive amounts of CO2
to act as a carbon sink
to mitigate climate change / carbon emissions
to play a critical role in
to provide homes for
be home of the world's biodiversity / the most endangered species
to offer benefits
to keep a balance between

FORMS AND CAUSES
to clear / chop down / cut down / destroy / drain / log forests

to convert forests to farmland
conversion to agriculture / farmland / pasture land / pulp plantations
illigal logging / removal of timber

IMPACTS
result in extinctions
go extinct
unable to subsist
reduced biodiversity
to become carbon sources
to increase carbon emissions
soil erosion / loss
disrupted livelihoods

MEASURES
sustainable forestry
responsible / sustainable forest manegement

to promote sustainable bioenergy / reforestation
to combat illigal logging
to seem unattainable

CAE 2015: Writing: Assessment

The four categories in which CAE writing papers are assessed are content, communicative achivement, organisation and language. Each category is marked on a subscale from 0 to 5.

'Content' is about what information you convey. It focuses on how well the task is fulfilled, by which I mean if the writer has done exactly what the question asked.


'Communicative achievement' is about who you are writing to and why. It focuses on whether the writer uses the format and style appropriate for the type of writing. Besides, it evaluates the candidate's ability to communicate ideas effectively and to hold the target reader's attention.

'Organisation' is about how ideas are ordered and linked. It focuses on how the piece of writing is put together: whether ideas are organised in clear paragraphs and if the writer has made a good use of linking words and other cohesive devices.

'Language' is about how you convey the message. In addition to evaluating accuracy, it focuses on the range and complexity of grammatical structures and vocabulary.

The table below shows what abilities candidates need to be successful in each category.

Content	Communicative achievement	Organisation	Language
- fulfil the task requirements - give all the information required	- use the correct register - use the appropriate format	- order information - use a range of cohesive devices effectively	- use a range of vocabulary effectively - use correct grammatical structures

Advanced English Phrasal Verbs: Weather

Here you'll find out what phrasal verbs might help you speak about the weather getting better or worse; changes of temperature; the weather preventing people from doing something; the sun;  the clouds and the fog; the wind; and the rain.

Weather Getting Better

BRIGHTEN UP - if the weather (it) brightens up, the sun begins to shine and the sky becomes brighter

Ex. If the weather brightens up, we could walk down to the beach.

CLEAR UP - if the weather (it) clears up, it stops raining and becomes more pleasant

Ex. The weather forecast said that it would clear up later in the day.

LET UP - (of bad weather or an unpleasant situation) to stop or become less serious than before

Ex. I'll drive you into town as soon as the snow lets up.

           LET-UP (noun, singular, uncountable) - a pause in bad weather or an improvement in an 

           unpleasant situation

           Ex. Streets were flooded, but still there was no let-up in the rain.

BLOW OVER - (about a storm) to end

Ex. The Weather Center predicts that the snowstorm will quickly blow over.

BLOW itself OUT - (about a storm) to end

Ex. The hurricane moved along the northeast before blowing itself out over the North Atlantic.

Weather Getting Worse

CLOUD OVER - if the sky (it) clouds over, it become covered with clouds and the sun disappears

Ex. In the afternoon it clouded over and cooled down a bit.

CLOSE IN - (of bad weather) to start getting worse

Ex. The fog began to close in and we couldn't see a thing.

BLOW UP - (of a storm or strong wind) to suddenly start

Ex. The sky's getting dark - it looks like there's a storm blowing up.

COME ON  - to statrt or be nearly starting

Ex. As soon as we had left the shelter, the rain came on.

Temperature Changing

WARM UP - to become warmer

Ex. In spring the weather soon starts to warm up.

COOL DOWN - to become slightly colder

Ex. The air has cooled down a little now.

COOL OFF - to return to a normal temperature after being hot

Ex. By late autumn Mediterranean islands have cooled off.

Weather Preventing Something from Happening

BE RAINED OFF (BrE) / BE RAINED OUT (AmE) -if an event (an outdoor activity) is raind off / out, it cannot take place or has to stop because it's raining

Ex. Last night's match with Leeds United was rained off.

BE SNOWED OFF (BrE) / BE SNOWED OUT (AmE) - if an event (an outdoor activity) is snowed off / out, it cannot take place or has to stop because it's snowing

Ex. Apparently, the game was snowed off.

BE SNOWED IN / BE SNOWED UP (BrE) - to be unable to leave the place where you are because there is so much snow on the ground

Ex. Many people are snowed in and cannot get to work.

BE FLOODED OUT -  to be forced to leave your home because of floods
Ex. Hundreds of Londoners were flooded out after the worst rain for twenty years.

The Sun 

BEAT DOWN - to shine very strongly

Ex. The sun was beating down on our backs and our throats were dry.

COME UP - (of the sun or moon) to move up into the sky where you can see it
Ex. We got up early to watch the sun come up behind the muontains.
Similar to: rise

GO DOWN - (of the sun) to gradually get lower in the sky until it disappears
Ex. It was six o'clock, and the sun was going down for the day.
Similar to: set.

COME OUT - (of the sun, moon or stars) to appear in the sky after being hidden

Ex. Just as we were about to leave the beach, the sun came out.

BREAK THROUGH (smth) -  (of the sun or light) to appear from behind the clouds or mist

Ex. At that moment the sun broke through (the clouds).

GO IN (BrE) - (of the sun or moon) to disappear behind some clouds so you cannot see it any more

Ex. The sun had gone in and it was starting to get cold.

Clouds and Fog 

ROLL IN - (of clouds or fog) appear in large amounts
Ex. Fog rolled in from the sea.

BLOT OUT smth / BLOT smth OUT - to cover and prevent fromn being seen.
Ex. The clouds blotted out the sun.

FOG / MIST / STEAM UP - (of windows or glasses) to become covered with small drops of water so you can't see through them.

Ex. My windshield fogged up, making it nearly impossible to see the road.

The Wind

GET UP (BrE) - to start and get stronger

Ex. The wind got up during the night and blew their tent away.

PICK UP - to become stronger

Ex. That evening the wind picked up and storm clouds started moving over from the east.

DIE DOWN - to become less strong

Ex. At last the storm died down.

Raining a Lot

POUR DOWN / BEAT DOWN - to rain very hard

Ex. It's been pouring down all morning.

      At that moment the sky darkened and the rain began to beat down

           DOWNPOUR (noun, countable) - when a lot of rain falls quickly in a short period of time

           Ex. A heavy downpour delayed the firework display.

LASH DOWN - if the rain lashes down, a lot of rain falls and there is also often a lot of wind

Ex. It was a wild evening. The rain was lashing down and the wind was howling through the trees.

BE PELTING DOWN (informal) - used to say that it is raining very heavily

Ex. It's been pelting down all morning.

BE BUCKETING DOWN (BrE, informal) - used to say that it is raining very heavily

Ex.  It's been bucketing down all afternoon.

BE TIPPING DOWN  (BrE, spoken, informal) - used to say that it is raining very heavily

Ex.  It's been tipping down all morning.

BE CHUCKING (IT) DOWN (BrE, spoken, informal) -  used to say that it is raining very heavily

Ex. It's been chucking down for days now - when is it going to stop?

Not Raining (Although You Expect It to)

HOLD OFF - (of rain or snow) not to start, although it looks like it will soon

Ex. It looks like snow's on the way - I hope it holds off until we get home.

KEEP OFF (BrE) - (of bad weather) not to start, although it looks as if it might begin soon

Ex. The rain kept off until we boarded our coach at 6.15.

CAE Writing (2015): Tasks Overview

There are several types of text a candidate has to be able to write for CAE:  an essay, a report, a proposal, a review, a formal letter and an informal letter. Each of them requires that candidates follow rather strict conventions including areas such as layout and format (what it looks like and how it is structured); register (how formal it is); functions (the purpose of the text). From the table below you can learn who each text type might be written for, what register is most appropriate in every situation, which functions candidates might be expected to fulfil and which skills it is advisable to practice for achieving success in every type of writing.

Task Type	Target Reader	Register	Functions	Things to practise
An essay	An academic tutor	Formal or neutral	- Present an argument and give reasons for it; - agree or disagree; - give opinion; - judge prioritie	- Effective planning and paragraphing; - linking ideas
A letter / an e-mail	- director of a company / school principal - the editor - a peer	- extremely formal - relatively formal - informal	- narrate personal experience; - give factual information; - give advice; - describe places; - reassure;    - correct a misunderstanding - justify a course of actions etc.;	- letter-writing conventions; - formal vs informal style
A proposal	- a peer group (such as colleagues or club members); - a supervisor (such as a boss or a college principal)	- less formal         - extremely formal	- make polite recommendations and suggestions; - persuade; - evaluate;	- a proposal format; headings
A report	- a peer group (such as colleagues or club members);     - a supervisor (such as a boss or a college principal)	- less formal             - extremely formal	- describe a situation; - evaluate to what extent a particular aim has been achieved; - make recommendations and suggestions (suggest an alternative course of action);	- a report format (headings) - specific vocabulary areas such as transport,     leisure and entertainment;
A review	readers of a magazine or a web site	- neutral or context-dependent	- describe; - explain; - give an opinion; - make a recommendation	- read as wide a range of reviews as possible for holidays, books TV programmes, consumer goods; - adjectives to describe and explain