Pre-employment English Test Questions
This is a quiz designed tomeasure proficiency in the English language. It is necessary in thisjob to have a good grasp of both written and spoken English.
Reminder: This is a timed quiz. You have 30 minutes to answer all the questions. Â
Questions and Answers
- 1.
Reading Comprehension A dog is bigger than a mouse, but smaller than an elephant.
- A.
A dog is smaller than a mouse.
- B.
A dog is very big.
- C.
A dog is the biggest.
- D.
An elephant is bigger than a dog.
Correct Answer
D. An elephant is bigger than a dog.Explanation
The given statement states that a dog is bigger than a mouse but smaller than an elephant. Therefore, the correct answer is that an elephant is bigger than a dog.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Verb Forms We usually ______ dinner at 8:00 p.m.
- A.
Eat
- B.
Eating
- C.
Never have eaten
- D.
I don't know
Correct Answer
A. EatExplanation
The correct answer is "eat" because the sentence is in the present tense and "eat" is the base form of the verb that agrees with the subject "we".Rate this question:
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- 3.
Verb Forms Yesterday, we ______ a very interesting conference call about the new ERP project.
- A.
Are having
- B.
Have
- C.
Had
- D.
Were had
Correct Answer
C. HadExplanation
The correct answer is "had". The sentence is in the past tense, and "had" is the correct past tense form of the verb "have". It indicates that the conference call took place in the past.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Verb The plane _____ at New York's Kennedy Airport .
- A.
Took off
- B.
Took down
- C.
Landed
- D.
Drove
Correct Answer
C. LandedExplanation
The correct answer is "landed". This verb is used to describe the action of an airplane touching the ground after a flight.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Compound Nouns Thomas White, who orchestrated ___________ rescue packages, will address the group.
- A.
Multibillion-dollars
- B.
Multibillions dollars
- C.
Multibillion-dollar
- D.
Multibillion dollar
Correct Answer
C. Multibillion-dollarExplanation
The correct answer is "multibillion-dollar". In this sentence, "rescue packages" is a compound noun that describes the type of packages being orchestrated by Thomas White. To properly modify this compound noun, we need to use a hyphenated compound adjective "multibillion-dollar" to indicate that the packages are worth multiple billions of dollars.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Prepositions The computer printer is _______ the table ______ the computer.
- A.
On ---- at
- B.
On ---- next to
- C.
On ---- on
- D.
On ---- under
Correct Answer
B. On ---- next toExplanation
The correct answer is "on ---- next to." This is because the sentence is describing the location of the computer printer in relation to the table and the computer. "On" indicates that the printer is physically resting on top of the table, while "next to" indicates that it is positioned beside the computer.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Prepositions She always gets up early ______ the morning, so she can make it to class ______ time.
- A.
By ---- in
- B.
In ---- in
- C.
On ---- on
- D.
In ---- on
Correct Answer
D. In ---- onExplanation
The correct answer is "in ---- on." The preposition "in" is used to indicate a specific time period, in this case, the morning. The preposition "on" is used to indicate a specific point in time, in this case, the time she needs to make it to class. Therefore, the sentence means that she always gets up early during the morning, so she can make it to class on time.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Context Clues I took the tome off the shelf and opened it to page 94. Then I began to read.Tome means...
- A.
Food
- B.
Clues
- C.
A book
- D.
A cigarette
Correct Answer
C. A bookExplanation
In the given context, the narrator mentions taking the "tome" off the shelf and opening it to a specific page, indicating that "tome" refers to a book.Rate this question:
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- 9.
Reading Comprehension The "taint of melancholy" which Edgar Allan Poe throughout his life associated with the more "soulful" aspects of beauty was, of course, one of the familiar moods of romantics everywhere. But it is somewhat unusual that this particular mood should be so favoured by Southern poets. From the defiant anguish reminiscent of Byron to the delicate sadness characteristic of female poets like Mrs. Felicia Hemans, the whole range of melancholy feeling could be found in the pages of The Messenger during the 1930's. This is not to say that the magazine published only the poems of the Southern poetasters who invoked melancholy. The significant point is that the Southern poets whom The Messenger did publish were prone to exploit melancholy. Poems on Poe's favorite subject, the death of a beautiful woman, were numerous enough in The Messenger to make us feel some retroactive concern about the durability of Southern belles. Q2: Poe had a preference for poems that dealt with:
- A.
The death of a child
- B.
Byronic despair
- C.
Southern belles
- D.
The death of a beautiful woman
Correct Answer
D. The death of a beautiful womanExplanation
The passage mentions that poems on Poe's favorite subject, the death of a beautiful woman, were numerous enough in The Messenger. This suggests that Poe had a preference for poems that dealt with the death of a beautiful woman.Rate this question:
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- 10.
Reading Comprehension The "taint of melancholy" which Edgar Allan Poe throughout his life associated with the more "soulful" aspects of beauty was, of course, one of the familiar moods of romantics everywhere. But it is somewhat unusual that this particular mood should be so favoured by Southern poets. From the defiant anguish reminiscent of Byron to the delicate sadness characteristic of female poets like Mrs. Felicia Hemans, the whole range of melancholy feeling could be found in the pages of The Messenger during the 1930's. This is not to say that the magazine published only the poems of the Southern poetasters who invoked melancholy. The significant point is that the Southern poets whom The Messenger did publish were prone to exploit melancholy. Poems on Poe's favorite subject, the death of a beautiful woman, were numerous enough in The Messenger to make us feel some retroactive concern about the durability of Southern belles. Q3: The author implies that Southern belles:
- A.
May often have been delicately sad
- B.
May often have died young
- C.
May have written many poems
- D.
May have lived very melancholy lives
Correct Answer
B. May often have died youngExplanation
The author implies that Southern belles may often have died young. This is suggested by the mention of the numerous poems on the death of a beautiful woman in The Messenger, which raises concerns about the durability of Southern belles. The association of melancholy with the death of a beautiful woman implies that these women may have had short lives, contributing to the prevalence of this theme in Southern poetry.Rate this question:
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- 11.
Reading Comprehension The "taint of melancholy" which Edgar Allan Poe throughout his life associated with the more "soulful" aspects of beauty was, of course, one of the familiar moods of romantics everywhere. But it is somewhat unusual that this particular mood should be so favoured by Southern poets. From the defiant anguish reminiscent of Byron to the delicate sadness characteristic of female poets like Mrs. Felicia Hemans, the whole range of melancholy feeling could be found in the pages of The Messenger during the 1930's. This is not to say that the magazine published only the poems of the Southern poetasters who invoked melancholy. The significant point is that the Southern poets whom The Messenger did publish were prone to exploit melancholy. Poems on Poe's favorite subject, the death of a beautiful woman, were numerous enough in The Messenger to make us feel some retroactive concern about the durability of Southern belles. Q4: The Messenger published:
- A.
Only melancholy poems
- B.
Only female poets
- C.
Only Southern poets who wrote melancholy poems
- D.
Many poems about death
Correct Answer
A. Only melancholy poemsExplanation
The given answer states that The Messenger published only melancholy poems. This is supported by the information in the passage that Southern poets whom The Messenger did publish were prone to exploit melancholy and that poems on Poe's favorite subject, the death of a beautiful woman, were numerous enough in The Messenger. Therefore, the answer suggests that The Messenger focused on publishing poems with a melancholy theme.Rate this question:
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- 12.
Reading Comprehension The "taint of melancholy" which Edgar Allan Poe throughout his life associated with the more "soulful" aspects of beauty was, of course, one of the familiar moods of romantics everywhere. But it is somewhat unusual that this particular mood should be so favoured by Southern poets. From the defiant anguish reminiscent of Byron to the delicate sadness characteristic of female poets like Mrs. Felicia Hemans, the whole range of melancholy feeling could be found in the pages of The Messenger during the 1930's. This is not to say that the magazine published only the poems of the Southern poetasters who invoked melancholy. The significant point is that the Southern poets whom The Messager did publish were prone to exploit melancholy. Poems on Poe's favorite subject, the death of a beautiful woman, were numerous enough in The Messanger to make us feel some retroactive concern about the durability of Southern belles. Q5: The words "reminiscent of" mean most nearly
- A.
Prominent in
- B.
Recalling
- C.
Absent in
- D.
Favoured by
Correct Answer
B. RecallingExplanation
The words "reminiscent of" mean most nearly "recalling". This means that the anguish described in the passage brings to mind or reminds one of the anguish associated with Byron. It suggests a similarity or connection between the two.Rate this question:
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- 13.
PrepositionsThe professor said ________ the first day of the course that there would be a big final test _______ the end of the semester.
- A.
At ---- on
- B.
At ---- at
- C.
On ---- at
- D.
On ---- in
Correct Answer
C. On ---- atExplanation
The preposition "on" is used to indicate a specific day or date, so it is appropriate to use "on" before "the first day of the course." The preposition "at" is used to indicate a specific time, so it is appropriate to use "at" before "the end of the semester."Rate this question:
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- 14.
Context Clues The thought of eating a rat is abhorrent to most people.
- A.
Fun, lively
- B.
Horrible, repugnant
- C.
Delicious, tasty
- D.
Sweet, sugary
Correct Answer
B. Horrible, repugnantExplanation
The context clue "abhorrent" indicates a strong feeling of disgust or hatred towards the thought of eating a rat. This aligns with the meaning of "horrible" and "repugnant", which both convey a strong sense of aversion or revulsion. Therefore, the correct answer is "horrible, repugnant".Rate this question:
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- 15.
Verb Tenses Usually, I (work) ______________ as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study) ______________ French at a language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.
- A.
Am working ---- was studying
- B.
Worked ---- studied
- C.
Work ---- am studying
- D.
Am working ---- am studying
Correct Answer
C. Work ---- am studyingExplanation
The correct answer is "work ---- am studying". This is because the first sentence states that the person usually works as a secretary at ABT, indicating a habitual action in the present. However, the second sentence mentions studying French in Paris, which is happening in the present (this summer). Therefore, the present continuous tense "am studying" is used to show an action that is happening now.Rate this question:
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- 16.
Pronouns If you happen to see your parents this weekend, give ___ my best regards.
- A.
Her
- B.
Him
- C.
Them
- D.
They
Correct Answer
C. ThemExplanation
The correct answer is "them" because the sentence is referring to multiple parents. "Them" is the correct pronoun to use when referring to more than one person.Rate this question:
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- 17.
Tag Questions You'll be leaving for Los Angeles soon, __________ ?
- A.
Won't you?
- B.
Don't you?
- C.
Aren't you?
- D.
Shouldn't you?
Correct Answer
C. Aren't you?Explanation
The correct answer is "aren't you?" This is a tag question that is used to seek confirmation or agreement from the listener. In this case, the speaker is assuming that the person they are speaking to will be leaving for Los Angeles soon and is seeking confirmation of this assumption. The use of "aren't" instead of "won't," "don't," or "shouldn't" is appropriate because it matches the verb tense and form of the main sentence.Rate this question:
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- 18.
Context Clues You can trust the salesmen at that store because they always conduct business in an aboveboard manner.
- A.
Honestly, openly
- B.
Sneaky, dishonest
- C.
Horrible, repugnant
- D.
Strange, unusual
Correct Answer
A. Honestly, openlyExplanation
The context clues in the sentence indicate that the salesmen at that store conduct business "in an aboveboard manner." The phrase "aboveboard" means honest and openly. Therefore, the correct answer is "honestly, openly."Rate this question:
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- 19.
In 5 sentences or less, kindly provide a brief explanation of how you get from your house to this testing centre.
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