Question 1 I ____ my book in the launderette while my washing ________. A have read / dries B read / was drying C was reading / has dried D have read / is drying E am reading / has dried Question 2 Up to now, the predicted Millennium computer bug ____ very few problems, although many scientists last year ____ a catastrophe. A has been causing / have predicted B is causing / predict C causes / were predicting D caused / have been predicting E has caused / predicted Question 3 I only ____ the company on Monday for a copy of their magazine and I ____ it already. A was asking / am receiving B have been asking / was receiving C ask / receive D asked / have received E have asked / have been receiving Question 4 More and more of my colleagues ____ these days because the owners of the company have changed a lot of procedures. These changes won’t affect me though, because I ____ my job here only recently. A have left / was starting B leave / am starting C were leaving / started D left / start E are leaving / have started Question 5 She ____ onto the train because the station guard ____ his whistle. A has hurried / blows B hurries / has been blowing C hurried / was blowing D was hurrying / has blown E is hurrying / blows Question 6 Peggy’s family ____ pedigree dogs for three generations and they regularly ____ their dogs in shows. A have been breeding / enter B are breeding / are entering C were breeding / are entering D breed / have entered E bred / were entering Question 7 Mrs. White ____ her daughter’s wedding dress herself since November and ____ it, except for the trimmings. A made / finished B was making / was finishing C has been making / has finished D is making / finished E makes / is finishing Question 8 Because we have a young baby, we ____ the opportunity to go to the cinema any more, but now and again, we ____ a video to play at home. A didn’t have / are buying B aren’t having / were buying C don’t have / buy D weren’t having / bought E haven’t had / have been buying Question 9 The perfume ____ like cheap soap and definitely isn’t worth this price A is smelling B smells C has been smelling D was smelling E smelt Question 10 While I ____ some money from a cash machine, a man ____ it all out of my hand A was withdrawing / snatched B withdrew / snatches C am withdrawing / has snatched D have withdraw / was snatching E withdrew / has been snatching Question 11 They ____ to buy a boat for years, and finally they ____ enough money. A have been hoping / have saved B hope / saved C were hoping / are saving D hoped / have been saving E are hoping / save Question 12 As he ____ the party, a strange man ____ him A left / has been approaching B is leaving / has approached C leaves / was approaching D has left / approaches E was leaving / approached Question 13 We ____ with the sales staff tomorrow because our sales ____ recently A were meeting / declined B are meeting / have declined C meet / decline D met / were declining E have met / are declining Question 14 Sally’s husband ____ for a new job because his present one ____ no opportunities for advancement. A was looking / has offered B looks / was offering C looked / is offering D is looking / offers E has looked / has been offering Question 15 I ____ you several times last week, but no one ____ in. A was phoning / has been B phoned / was C have phoned / has been D phone / is being E am phoning / is Question 16 My father ____ English at all although he ____ it for three years when he was in high school. A isn’t speaking / has studied B hasn’t been speaking / studies C doesn’t speak / studied D didn’t speak / has been studying E wasn’t speaking / is studying Question 17 I ____ on this report for more than three weeks now, but I ____ only half of it yet. A work / have been completing B am working / complete C work / am completing D was working / completed E have been working / have completed Question 18 The archaeological evidence ____ clearly that people in ancient Crete ____ flush toilets 4000 years ago. A has shown / use B is showing / have used C showed / have been using D shows / were using E was showing / are using Question 19 Marry says she ____ George because he ____ her life miserable. A has been leaving / makes B has left / is making C leaves / was making D is leaving / has made E was leaving / has made Question 20 My brother ____ a new BMW and ever since, he ____ about it. A was buying / bragged B is buying / is bragging C has bought / brags D buys / has bragged E bought / has been bragging Question 21 He ____ great poverty until he ____ up writing and got a proper job. A has suffered / gives B suffered / gave C is suffering / has given D has suffered / was giving E suffers / is giving Question 22 I ____ a lot of weight since I ____ drinking beer every night. A have lost / stopped B lost / am stopping C lose / have been stopping D was losing / have stopped E am losing / stop Question 23 My son ____ very well at university this term because he ____ out late at night any more. A does / hasn’t stayed B did / isn’t staying C has done / wasn’t staying D was doing / hasn’t been staying E is doing / doesn’t stay Question 24 Last year he almost ____ because he ____ his social life a little too much. A fails / has enjoyed B was failing / has been enjoying C failed / was enjoying D has been failing / enjoyed E has failed / enjoys Question 25 Our company’s sales ____ since the new management ____ over. A have been improving / took B improve / has taken C improved / has been taking D are improving / was taking E were improving / is taking Question 26 The guards ____ when the enemy ____ A are sleeping / has been attacking B have slept / was attacking C slept / has attacked D were sleeping / attacked E sleep / is attacking Question 27 The negotiators ____ to bring the two sides together for months, but so far they ____. A try / are failing B are trying / failed C tried / fail D have tried / were failing E have been trying / have failed Question 28 The electricity ____ off last night just as the film on TV ____ interesting. A has gone / got B was going / has got C is going / has been getting D goes / is getting E went / was getting Question 29 More than a million people ____ the new superstore since it ____ last month. A are visiting / has been opening B have visited / opened C were visiting / opens D have been visiting / is opening E visited / has opened Question 30 Water ____ from liquid to gas when it ____a temperature of 100◦ C. A has changed / reached B changed / was reaching C changes / reaches D has been changing / is reaching E is changing / reached Question 31 The phrase “post modernism” ____ about fifty years ago, but most people still ____ what it means. A was appearing / haven’t known B has appeared / don’t know C appeared / don’t know D appears / didn’t know E has been appearing / haven’t known Question 32 People who ____ items like bottles and cans ____the world’s resources. A aren’t recycling / wasted B didn’t recycle / waste C haven’t been recycling / were wasting D don’t recycle / are wasting E haven’t recycled / wasted Question 33 The president ____ too hard lately, and as a result, he ____ terrible A has been working / looks B has worked / looked C worked / is looking D works / has looked E is working / was looking Question 34 I ____ to play the lottery about two years ago, but I ____ anything yet A was starting / didn’t win B started / haven’t won C start / haven’t been winning D have started / don’t win E am starting / wasn’t winning Question 35 I ____ in Istanbul for so long that I ____ the time before the Bosphorus Bridges A am living / remembered B lived / am remembering C was living / have remembered D live / was remembering E have lived / remember Question 36 Two years ago, she ____ English at all, but she ____ hard since then. A hasn’t spoken / is studied B wasn’t speaking / studies C isn’t speaking / studied D didn’t speak / has been studying E doesn’t speak / was studying Question 37 My brother ____ three years in jail when he was younger, but now he ____ to give up his life of crime. A spent / has decided B spends / is deciding C has spent / has been deciding D was spending / decides E has been spending / decided Question 38 I ____ my boss privately tomorrow and I ____ quite nervous about it. A have seen / am feeling B see / was feeling C am seeing / feel D saw / felt E was seeing / have felt Question 39 The first time I ____ horse riding, I was very nervous and ____ the reins very tightly. A was going / am holding B have gone / hold C am going / have held D go / was holding E went / held Question 40 Life ____ immensely since Thomas Edison ____ the first light bulb in 1879. A is changing / was inventing B has changed / invented C has been changing / has invented D changed / has been inventing E was changing / invent Question 41 Normally, people ____ quickly from the flu, but so far this year many people ____ as a result of it. A are recovering / had died B had recovered / are going to die C have been recovering / die D recover / have died E were recovering / will die Question 42 You ____ for three months by the time you leave for your holiday, so you ____ quite a lot of weight. A have been dieting / will be losing B will have been dieting / will have lost C had dieted / lost D were dieting / had lost E are going to diet / have lost Question 43 Carreta turtles ____ their eggs on the beach at night and ____ the reflection from the sea to find their way back to the water. A lay / use B were laying / have used C are going to lay / used D laid / are using E will lay / had used Question 44 By the mid 1970s, “Marks and Spenser” ____ one of the top department stores and they ____ more underwear than any other British company at the time. A had become / were selling B is going to become / had sold C has become / are selling D became / will be selling E was becoming / will have sold Question 45 I ____ the potpeeled / will be chopping atoes while youI ____ the potatoes while you ____ the leeks for the soup. ____ the leeks for the soup. A peeled / will be chopping B will have peeled / have chopped C was peeling / had chopped D peel / will have chopped E will peel / chop Question 46 For the past 24 hours, a tropical storm ____ the houses of villages in Mozambique, but it is hard to know as yet how much damage it ____ by the time it has stopped. A was going to batter / causes B battered / will have been causing C has been battering / will have caused D had been battering / has caused E is battering / has been causing Question 47 By 1840, the US Army ____ most Eastern Indian tribes west of the Mississippi. A will have pushed B have pushed C had pushed D pushed E are pushing Question 48 For most of the time throughout the picnic, the boys ____ football while the girls ____ flowers. A will play / have been picking B are playing / have been picking C have played / are picking D were playing / were picking E had been playing / have picked Question 49 Over recent years, glue sniffing, which ____ negative effects on both the body and the mind, ____ a major problem among teenagers. A has had / is becoming B has / has become C is going to have / had become D will have / will have become E is having / was becoming Question 50 Chinese merchants ____ trade in Tibet since 1950, when China ____ the country. A dominate / was invading B were dominating / has invaded C will have dominated / had invaded D had dominated / will be invading E have dominated / invaded