Welcome to the iTTi English Proficiency Test (Level C2)

Part I – Use of English

Task I

Part 1 requires candidates to complete eight gaps in a text by selecting the correct word (or phrase in the case of whole phrasal verbs or linkers) from a set of four options plus one example.

Music

Music in some form has existed since the [1. ____] of mankind. With primitive people, it may have consisted only of chanting and beating drums. In those very early times, music was used as a [2. ____] of communication and in various religious and ceremonial activities.

Today we have [3. ____] our disposal centuries of music from the past, as well as new styles of music. Modern technology also allows us to listen to music anywhere; concerts, for example, are available on videos, cassettes, and compact discs. There are several reasons why music has played a significant role in people’s lives and thus remained a dominant art form. The rhythm of music moves us, quite literally, to [4. ____] our toes, clap our hands, and sway our bodies to its beat.

Music is also the language of emotions and seeks to convey meaning and feeling. Soft, quiet music can relieve our stress resulting [5. ____] serenity, while more robust music can [6. ____] enthusiasm, such as that witnessed at political [7. ____] and athletic events. Music can also [8. ____] memories and feelings from the past.

Example:
( ) a. on ( ) b. in ( x ) c. at ( ) d. by

We listen to music at home.

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PART II: Reading

Task I

You will read three unrelated short texts from different sources. Each text has six gaps.

For each gap, choose the correct word or phrase from four options (A, B, C, or D).

Bristleworms – A Hobbyist's Guide

Historically, Bristleworms have had a bad reputation among saltwater aquarium aficionados. These marine worms usually enter the hobbyist's aquarium by 1. _______ a ride on a piece of coral. Once established, they become part of the tank's ecosystem.

Bristleworms 2. _______ greatly in size. The smallest ones are about an inch long, and the large ones can grow to over 20 inches, although, being segmented, their bodies are often 3. _______ and so not usually seen at their greatest extent.

Literature has frequently 4. _______ that bristleworms are harmful, asserting that they eat clams, anemones and even coral fish. However, most enthusiasts now conclude that small bristleworms 5. _______ no threat, and are merely scavengers, clearing the tank from detritus and carcasses of animals that are already dead. However, larger worms, particularly those of the species known as fireworms, are 6. _______ eaters and can do irreparable damage. These worms are better removed, although this is a challenge in itself, as the worms are nocturnal, sensitive to light and will go into hiding at the slightest disturbance.

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Task II

You will read four short texts that are all related to the topic of the human mind.

There are two multiple choice questions for each text, making 8 questions in total. For each question, choose the option (A, B, C, or D) that you think best matches the information in the text.

Where do emotions come from?

For many centuries, the question of how our minds work was left to theologians and philosophers. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, a new science, experimental psychology, emerged, in which the speculative theories of the past were confirmed or disproved by the scientific method. At the forefront of this research was J B Watson. His area of interest was the origin of human emotions. Do we learn them, or do we have them when we are born? In particular, Watson wanted to study fear and was prepared to go to whatever lengths to study his theory.

Watson’s subject was a 9-month-old infant, Albert. During the experiment, Watson presented the child with things which are often considered frightening – a rat, fire, a clown mask. At first, Albert was unafraid of these things. But then Watson tormented the child with loud, unexpected noises as he was playing with them. Sure enough, Albert learnt to associate these things with the unpleasant experience. Even when the noises were stopped, Albert withdrew his body and puckered his face when presented once more with the rat and mask.

Such abusive and disturbing experiments would never be permitted nowadays. The film which Watson made of the experiment makes discomforting viewing, as the child is interminably and cold-heartedly tortured by the items which he has been taught to fear. Nonetheless, this was a landmark work with profound influence. Through it, Watson confirmed that humans learn fear by association, and as a result they can ‘un-learn’ it, a discovery that still impacts the work of behavioral therapists today.

1. What did Watson set out to prove?

2. The writer believes that Watson’s work was ultimately...

Task III

You will read an extract from an article in which seven paragraphs have been removed. Choose from the list of paragraphs A–H the one that fits each of the seven gaps in the text. There is one extra paragraph that you do not need to use.

The Do-gooders

The people who changed the morals of English society.

1. ( ) In the last decades of the 18th century, the losers seriously outnumbered the winners. Those who were fortunate enough to occupy the upper levels of society, celebrated their good fortune by living a hedonistic life of gambling, parties and alcohol. It was their moral right, they felt, to exploit the weak and the poor. Few of them thought their lives should change, even fewer believed it could.

2. ( ) But the decisive turning point for moral reform was the French revolution. John Bowlder, a popular moralist of the time, blamed the destruction of French society on a moral crisis. Edmund Burke, a Whig statesman agreed. 'When your fountain is choked up and polluted,' he wrote, 'the stream will not run long or clear.' If the English society did not reform, ruin would surely follow.

3. ( ) Englishmen were deeply afraid that the immorality of France would invade England. Taking advantage of this, Burke was able to gain considerable support by insisting that the French did not have the moral qualifications to be a civilized nation. He pronounced 'Better this island should be sunk to the bottom of the sea that than... it should not be a country of religion and morals.'

4. ( ) Sobering though these messages were, the aristocracy of the time was open to such reforms, not least due to fear. France's attempt to destroy their nobility did much to encourage the upper classes to examine and re-evaluate their own behavior. Added to this was the arrival of French noble émigrés to British shores. As these people were dependent on the charity of the British aristocracy, it became paramount to amend morals and suppress all vices in order to uphold the state.

5. ( ) Whether the vices of the rich and titled stopped or were merely cloaked is open to question. But it is clear that by the turn of the century, a more circumspect society had emerged. Styles of dress became more moderate, and the former adornments of swords, buckles and powdered hair were no longer seen. There was a profusion of moral didactic literature available. Public hangings ceased and riots became much rarer.

6. ( ) One such person was Thomas Wackley who in 1823 founded a medical journal called 'the Lancet'. At this time, Medicine was still a profession reserved for the rich, and access to knowledge was impossible for the common man. The Lancet shone a bright light on the questionable practices undertaken in medicine and particularly in surgery, and finally led to improved standards of care.

7. ( ) How though did changes at the top affect the people at the bottom of the societal hierarchy? Not all reformers concerned themselves which changes at the authoritative and governmental levels. Others concentrated on improving the lives and morals of the poor. In the midst of the industrial revolution, the poorest in society were in dire straits. Many lived in slums and sanitation was poor. No-one wanted the responsibility of improvement.

8. ( ) Could local authorities impose such measures today? Probably not. Even so, the legacy of the moral reform of the late 1800s and 1900s lives on today. Because of it, the British have come to expect a system which is competent, fair to all and free from corruption. Nowadays everyone has a right to a home, access to education, and protection at work and in hospital. This is all down to the men and women who did not just observe society's ills from a distance, but who dared to take steps to change it.

Paragraphs

A. But a moral makeover was on the horizon, and one of the first people to promote it was William Wilberforce, better known for his efforts in abolishing the slave trade. Writing to a friend, Lord Muncaster, he stated that 'the universal corruption and profligacy of the times...taking its rise amongst the rich and luxurious has now ... spread its destructive poison through the whole body of the people.'

B. But one woman, Octavia Hill, was willing to step up to the mark. Hill, despite serious opposition by the men who still dominated English society, succeeded in opening a number of housing facilities for the poor. But, recognizing the weaknesses of a charity-dependent culture, Hill enforced high moral standards, strict measures in hygiene and cleanliness upon her tenants, and, in order to promote a culture of industry, made them work for any financial handouts.

C. At first, moralists did not look for some tangible end to moral behavior. They concerned themselves with the spiritual salvation of the rich and titled members of society, believing that the moral tone set by the higher ranks would influence the lower orders. For example, Samuel Parr, preaching at London's St Paul's Cathedral, said 'If the rich man...abandons himself to sloth and all the vices which sloth generates, he corrupts by his example. He permits...his immediate attendants to be, like him, idle and profligate.'

D. In time, the fervor for improved morals strayed beyond personal behavior and towards a new governance. People called for a tightening of existing laws which had formerly been enforced only laxly. Gambling, dueling, swearing, prostitution, pornography and adultery laws were more strictly upheld to the extent that several fashionable ladies were fined fifty pounds each for gambling in a private residence.

E. So far, however, circumspection in the upper classes had done little to improve the lives of those in the lower classes. But that was to change. Against a backdrop of the moral high ground, faults in the system started to stand out. One by one, people started to question the morality of those in authority.

F. The attitudes of the upper classes became increasingly critical during the latter part of the eighteenth century. In 1768, the Lord of the Treasury was perfectly at ease to introduce his mistress to the Queen, but a generation later, such behavior would have been unacceptable. Such attitudes are also seen in the diaries of Samuel Pepys, who, in 1793 rambles without criticism about his peer's many mistresses. A few years later, his tone had become infinitely more critical.

G. Similar developments occurred in the Civil Service. Civil servants were generally employed as a result of nepotism or acquaintance, and more often than not took advantage of their power to provide for themselves at the expense of the public. Charles Trevelyan, an official at the London Treasury, realised the weaknesses in the system and proposed that all civil servants were employed as a result of entrance examinations, thus creating a system which was politically independent and consisted of people who were genuinely able to do the job.

H. These prophecies roused a little agitation when first published in 1790. But it was the events in 1792-93 which shocked England into action. Over in France, insurrection had led to war and massacre. The King and Queen had been tried and executed. France was now regarded as completely immoral and uncivilized, a country where vice and irreligion reigned.

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Task IV

You are going to read a magazine article about Imelda Marcos.
There are 7 multiple choice questions based on the text.
For each question (1–7), choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) that you think is best according to the article.

An Unlikely Muse

A new wave of music and arts projects has emerged, focusing on someone who may seem for some a dubious source of inspiration. Imelda Marcos, former first lady of the Philippines, is currently becoming the subject of musicals, song cycles and shows on a worldwide arena.

When the Marcos regime collapsed in 1986, and Imelda and her husband Ferdinand were exiled in Hawaii, they carried with them allegations of embezzlement, corruption and human rights abuses. Imelda had spent the last twenty years living off a seemingly endless supply of funds, living an exotic and glamorous lifestyle and rubbing shoulders with powerful figures worldwide. In 1972, when the superstar couple’s popularity was fading and they were at risk of losing their power, Ferdinand Marcos instated martial, leading to an era of chaos and plunder, and what is described by some as the second most corrupt regime of the twentieth century. Ferdinand and Imelda fled in 1986 to escape the People’s Power Revolution, Imelda leaving behind some 2000 pairs of shoes.

After her husband died in Hawaii due to ill health, Imelda stood trial in the United States on behalf of her husband. Following that, she returned to the Philippines to face seventy more counts of corruption and tax evasion. She has now returned to congress in the Philippines, her make-up and gowns as flawless as ever.

So what makes Imelda Marcos such an appealing muse? Undoubtedly, Imelda Marcos’s resolute character which has withstood exile, legal battles and the wrath of her enemies makes her an appealing heroine, but film-maker Fenton Bailey attributes her iconicity to her sense of glamour and style, and her role as a cultural trend-setter. And like so many women who let nothing come between them and their goals, she has gained a certain iconic status, particularly among homosexuals, not unlike that of Judy Garland and Lady Gaga.

And now the story of Imelda Marcos can be seen in the format of a musical, an artistic genre which is quite befitting for this flamboyant, entertaining figure of beauty and glamour. ‘Imelda – A new musical’ has played in Los Angeles and New York. The artistic director of the musical, Tim Dang, realizes that the musical glosses over the darker aspects of the Marcos regime, but wanted to portray Imelda as a person with all her faults on display, leaving the audience to come to a verdict. However, despite the glitz of the show, reviews were mixed, stating the ‘the serio-comic spoof... had a vacuum at its center’.

The story of Imelda Marcos has also been immortalized as a song cycle, ‘Here Lies Love’ written by David Byrne and Norman Cook, in which Imelda comes across as both a hero and villain. Their reasoning was to try to understand the story of how people can attain positions of such power and greed. They were also inspired by Imelda’s love of dancing and clubbing, and how her own style of music could be incorporated into their own. Byrne adds that their story is not black and white – the couple were very popular at first, and Imelda headed a lot of public works in the Philippines and added much to the nation’s sense of culture and identity.

At the Cultural Centre of the Philippines, a tour named ‘La Vida Imelda’ led by Carlos Sedran describes the life of Imelda Marcos, the cold war and martial law, while also portraying the glamour of the Imelda lifestyle. He describes it as an eternal story, in which her extravagance can be seen as either distasteful or in some ways estimable.

There is a danger that these new art forms airbrush out the atrocities which accompanied the ostentation and glamour. It was a time when democracy was suppressed, political enemies disappeared, and billions of dollars which could have helped the poverty-stricken country were spent on the Marcos’s extravagant lifestyle. However, the artists involved are keen to make clear that the regime also resulted in great leaps forward in the country’s culture, architecture and infrastructure. The Marcos legacy remains in the form of hospitals, Heart and Lung Centers, Folk Art theatres and homes for children and the elderly, notwithstanding that the Marcos couple set their war-ravaged, poverty-stricken land onto the world stage.

1. Why are Imelda’s shoes mentioned in the second paragraph?

2. What aspect of Imelda’s character is emphasized in paragraph 3?

3. Why is Imelda compared with Judy Garland and Lady Gaga?

4. Why was the musical of Imelda’s life criticized?

5. What was it about Imelda’s story that interested David Byrne and Norman Cooke?

6. According to Carlos Sedran, how do people respond to Imelda’s expensive lifestyle?

7. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text as something Imelda Marcos did for the Philippines?

Part III – Listening

Task I

You will hear four short recordings of conversations between two speakers. Each recording is followed by two multiple-choice questions (A, B, or C). All recordings are connected by a common theme — in this case: marriage.

You hear two friends discussing the topic of marketing.

1. The speaker makes the point that…

2. “Madame Bovary” is used to exemplify…

Part IV – Writing

Task I

You must answer this question. Write your answer in 240–280 words.

In your English class, you have been talking about the impact of technology on modern life. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay for the class on the following topic:

“Technology has improved our lives in countless ways, but it has also created new problems.”

Write an essay discussing two of the following areas:

• Communication
• Education
• Employment
• Personal relationships

  You should explain which area has been most significantly affected and give reasons for your opinion.

  Assessment Focus:

  • Content relevance and task fulfillment
  • Organization and cohesion
  • Range and accuracy of grammar and vocabulary
  • Register and style

  Write here about 240–280 words in the proper style.

Task II

Choose one of the following tasks (2A–2D).

2A – Article

You see this notice in an online magazine:

We’re looking for articles about working across cultures. Share your experiences or insights about adapting to new cultural environments. What challenges did you face? How did you overcome them?

The best articles will be published online.

2B – Report

You have been asked to write a report for a university committee on student well-being.

Write a report summarizing the key challenges students face regarding mental health and academic stress. Make recommendations on how the university could support students more effectively.

2C – Review

You recently read a novel or watched a film that presents a powerful moral dilemma.

Task: Write a review for a literary or film blog. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the work, and how effectively it explores ethical or philosophical questions. Would you recommend it to others?

2D – Letter

You want to apply for a position as a guest speaker at an international education conference.

Write a formal letter of application. Explain your background, experience in education, and what you would contribute to the conference theme: “Rethinking the Future of Learning.”

Part V – Speaking

Task I

Purpose: Introduce yourself and demonstrate fluency in discussing everyday and personal topics.

Choose 2–3 prompts below. Record a video answering the questions and upload it when finished.

Prompts:

1. Tell me about a memorable experience that changed the way you see the world.
2. Describe a situation when you had to solve a problem creatively.
3. What book, film, or piece of art has influenced you the most, and why?

Task II

Purpose: Deliver a structured, extended response on a complex issue.

Choose one of the following and speak for 3–4 minutes. Organize your speech with an introduction, main points, and conclusion.

1. “Technology is advancing faster than society can adapt.” — Discuss whether you agree or disagree, providing examples
2. “The global economy should prioritize sustainability over growth.” — Present your opinion and possible solutions.
3. “Language shapes thought.” — Explore this idea with examples from English or another language you know.

Follow-up Reflection (1–2 minutes): After your main talk, add a short reflection: “What counterarguments might others raise, and how would you respond?”

Task III

Purpose: Demonstrate critical thinking and argumentation.

Choose one pair of questions below. Record both your initial answer and your reasoning.

Topic A – Society & Culture