Exam

Practice
Answers:
June 2012
The Distance Delta 
Paper 1 and Paper 2 - All Tasks

Paper 1 and Paper 2 - All Tasks

All tasks from Cambridge Delta Examination Report June 2012 (updated to current
specifications)

Paper 1
Task 1
a. antonym
b. transitive (verb)
c. intrusion / intrusive (sounds, phoneme)
d. collective (noun)
e. anaphoric (referencing)
f. indirect (test)
Task 2
Morpheme
Basic definition
The smallest unit in a word / language / grammar that has meaning.
Example
Un-love-able / want-ed etc.

Gradable adjective 
Basic definition
An adjective that can vary in its degree / intensity.
Example 
big, interested etc.

Fricative
Basic definition
Refers to the sounds produced by restricting the airflow through certain parts of the mouth
so that friction is produced / the flow of air is partially blocked.
Example
/f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/

Process writing
An approach to teaching writing where the focus is on the final outcome / product / result
and a written model is provided as guidance.
Example:
Learners analyse a model of a formal letter for its use of layout conventions, paragraphs etc.
and then write a similar formal letter.

Task 3
1. Organisation of content / Paragraphing 
Example  1 background and description of main character/setting, 2 (bad) event, 3
(overcoming bad) event, 4 resolution OR equilibrium – disequilibrium – re-
equilibrium (NB: candidates had to mention a minimum of two) 

2. Direct / Indirect speech 

Example  The little girl said, ‘What big teeth you have’. The little girl told her granny
what big teeth she had. 

3. Sequencers / Time-related linkers  

Example  then she ran all the way home, after that the witch made new plans to kill
her, before long the news of their marriage spread through the kingdom 

4. Relative clauses / Participle clauses 

Example  the princess who lived in ..., The forest which he passed through ..., Passing
through the forest, he saw …, 

5. Adjectives / Adjective + noun collocations / Adverbs / Adverbial phrases  

Example  the cruel old man, handsome prince, wicked witch, lucky charm, She tried
again and again, to her surprise, the frog turned into a prince. 

6. Substitution / Use of synonyms (to avoid repetition / to create interest) 

Example  the dark wood – the frightening forest, the prince – the kindly young man

Task 4
Key strengths 
1. Task achievement 
The learner achieves the task fully by describing a person he admires (his mother)
and saying why he admires her 
Example  description he says where she was born / what her background was /
describes how she managed to get to university / what she did once she had
graduated (NB: candidates had to mention a minimum of one of these) AND reasons
he admires her because she has reached all her goals / she has strong principles / a
good sense of humour / a positive attitude / is hardworking / she has fought against
troubles (NB: candidates had to mention a minimum of one of these) 

2. Organisation
The information is in a logical order 
Example  he describes his mother's background, her life from past to now and then
he gives his reasons for admiring her (NB: candidates had to mention a minimum of
two topics) 

3. Accuracy and range of lexis 

Some accurate and sophisticated phrases / collocations are used 
Example  very succesful woman, reached all her goals, very strong principles, good
sense of humour, a positive attitude 

4. Accuracy of grammar 
Some accurate use of complex sentences 
Example  After she spent some time teaching ... she had a great offer, The person
that I particularly admire, is my mother. 

5. Accuracy of grammar 
Accurate use of present perfect OR present perfect and past simple 
Example  When my mother finished ..., he wanted to study ... but her parents didn’t
have..., when she found the job she started her degree. ... she had one of the best
marks..., she got Economics degree ..., After she spent some time teaching in the
University she had a great offer, ... she has reached all her goals, ... and she has
always followed 
 
Key weaknesses 
6. Organisation 
Poor paragraphing / one-sentence paragraphs 
Example  paragraphs could be between lines 1–5 (background); lines 6–9 or 6–18
(how she got to university & her subsequent career); lines 9–18 (her subsequent
career); lines 19–25 (reasons why he admires her) NB: candidates had to mention a
minimum of one possible paragraph which was wrong or a corrected version) 

7. Accuracy of grammar 
Use of articles 
Example  finished the High School, the University, when she found the job, She never
defaulted in the life, She got Economics degree, great offer of one bank, she is a
Manager of one Office Bank, she is very succesful woman, she has a very strong
principles 

8. Accuracy of grammar 
Use of prepositions 
Example Study a degree, to pay the University, searching a job, of her university, a
great offer of one bank 

9. Range of lexis 
Overuse/repetition of after / after that 
Example  lines 10, 11, 13, 15 

10. Accuracy of grammar 

Use of past continuous 
Example  Then, we was searching a job, She was studying and working at the same
time, She was teaching in a High School 

11. Punctuation
Capitalisation of ordinary nouns and pronouns 
Example  in the North-West of Spain, When My mother finished the High School He
wanted to Study a Degree but, After that She was studying, Now She ... Office Bank,
For me She is 

12. Punctuation 
Inaccurate use/omission of commas OR use of full stops instead of commas 
Example  The person that I particularly admire, is my mother; In this place, the most
part of the people; Then. We was searching; Now. She is; incredible person. no
because 
 
 
Task 5
a:  Features of a celebrity interview in a popular magazine 
Layout (NB: only one of these was allowed) • 
a. Picture
b. Title/heading
c. Different fonts / Bolding for questions / Non-bold for answers  

Organisation
d. Organisation structure i.e. Brief introduction (who Jimmy Osmond is) followed by
rest of article, with promotion at end (for Jimmy’s show) • 
e. Question and answer format e.g. Do you enjoy cooking? I do 

Content 
f. Preferences / experiences e.g. What food reminds you of your childhood? [...]
desserts that my mum used to make [...] 
g. Humorous anecdote e.g. eating white mouse
h. Lack of controversial content / positive content (to promote Jimmy Osmond) e.g.
food / family / family man
i. Tidied up (spoken) language  e.g. no hesitation devices / no repetition / no
rephrasing 

Style 
j. Informal / Semi-formal / Spoken style / Colloquial lexis   e.g. Yummy, it’s fun,
crunched up, so sick! / would take a year to explain 

Lexical/grammatical
k. Direct speech e.g. What’s your favourite recipe?
l. Pun in the title i.e. celebritybites (what the celebrity eats vs. sound-bites)
m. Expressions / Adverbs / Adjectives to express attitude / feelings / opinions e.g. it’s
fun, unfortunately, it’s so yummy, it’s amazing
n. Person reference e.g. you in questions and I in answers
o. Short answers / Question tags e.g. I do, isn’t it? 

Discourse
p. Contractions / Ungrammatical sentences / Vague language / Fillers e.g. it's like a big
art project, that's totally my mum, stuff, and boy
q. Short sentences / Simple linking devices / Parataxis e.g. and 

Graphological
r. Punctuation e.g. exclamation marks / dashes 

b:  Question forms and features of connected speech in phrases in bold 

Do you enjoy cooking? (line 5) 
Question Form
a. auxiliary / dummy auxiliary / operator / do
b. second person singular
c. subject pronoun (you) 
d. base form / bare infinitive / infinitive without to of main verb (enjoy)
e. regular
f. transitive
g. present simple
h. yes/no question / closed question + gerund
i. to ask about permanent states / something which is always true / stative verb 
Features of connected speech
j. Weak form of you  /jə/or /jʊ/ or do /də/ 
k. coalescence/assimilation of do you /dʒə/ or /dʒʊ/ or /dʒ/ 
l. intrusive /w/ between you and enjoy /dʒu:wɪndʒ ɔɪ/
m. stress is likely to be on enjoy 

… it’s all showbiz isn’t it? (line 8) 

Question Form
n. third person singular
o. present simple
p. subject pronoun
q. question tag / tag question
r. main verb be inverted with the subject/pronoun
s. negative because main clause is affirmative
t. contracted 
u. anaphoric reference to Presentation / cooking
v. to involve the listener / ask for confirmation  
Features of connected speech
w. consonant + vowel linking / liaison / catenation isn’t it /ɪzəntɪt/
x. elision of first /t/ in /ɪzənɪt/
y. glottalisation/elision of second /t/ in /ɪzənɪ?/
z. insertion of a schwa /ə/ between /z/ and /n/ 
aa. stress is likely to be on isn’t 

What food reminds you of your childhood? (lines 59–60) 

Question Form
bb. interrogative determiner / question word What
cc. uncountable
dd. noun
ee. subject
ff. third person singular
gg. regular
hh. transitive
ii. main verb
jj. present simple
kk. no auxiliary
ll. object pronoun you
mm. wh /open question
nn. subject question
oo. to ask about permanent states / something which is always true/stative verb 
Features of connected speech
pp. glottalisation/elision of /t/ in what /wɒ?/
qq. glottalisation/elision /d/ in food /fuːd/
rr. assimilation between reminds you /rɪmaɪnʒjə/
ss. weak form of you /jə/ OR /jʊ/
tt. stress likely to be on food, reminds (One example of stress is sufficient)  
 
c:  Form and use of phrases in bold 
It’s a bit artistic (line 6) 
Form
a. adverbial phrase / adverb 
b. indefinite article a + (countable) noun bit
c. quantifier 
Use
d. informal/colloquial/spoken
e. qualifying/modifying adjective artistic
f. weakens the adjective / hedges / non-boastful / non-proud 
  
I’m a pretty good dessert guy  (line 25) 
Form
g. adverb 
Use
h. informal/colloquial/spoken
i. qualifying/modifying adjective good
j. intensifier not as strong as very
k. makes Jimmy sound modest OR boastful 

It’s really kinda weird  (lines 28–29) 

Form
l. reduced/contracted/abbreviated/clipped/shortened kind of
m. noun kind
n. preposition of
o. acts as an adverb 
Use
p. informal/colloquial/spoken
q. common in American English
r. filler / vague language
s. qualifying/modifying adjective weird
t. weakens the adjective / hedges / implies not weird in a bad way 
 
d:  Use of relative pronoun and relative clauses in bold 
that my mum used to make… (lines 61–64) 
Relative pronoun
a. that is used for things
b. anaphoric reference to the desserts
c. that can be replaced by which but that is more common in spoken English
d. that can be omitted because it is the object of the verb  
Relative clause
e. defining
f. gives essential information about / specifies / identifies which desserts
g. no comma is used 
 
which is yummy…  (lines 61–64) 
Relative pronoun
h. which is used to refer to things
i. anaphoric reference to the pudding
j. which cannot be omitted because it is the subject of the clause
k. that cannot be used instead of which 
Relative clause
l. non-defining
m. gives extra/non-essential/additional information about the pudding
n. comma precedes the clause 

 …I think … (lines 74–76)  

Relative pronoun
o. ellipsis / omission of that /which because it is the object of the verb
p. anaphoric reference to the first thing 
 Relative clause
q. defining
r. gives essential information about / specifies The first thing
s. no comma is used 
 
 
Paper 2
Task 1
Positive points
1. Content  It is on a business topic / It has valid professional content
2. Direct / integrative test  It tests the learner’s ability to speak / Does not test any
other skills / It tests language and speaking
3. Ideas provided / choice of topics   There is an appropriate range of topics to choose
from / The topics are general / familiar / personal
4. Level  Appropriate for the learner’s level / achievable / sufficiently challenging
5. Assessment mode  Monologue so teacher does not need to act as interlocutor and
assess his speaking at the same time
6. Style  Semi-formal / Neutral style is appropriate and so has validity as a test
7. Language  Replicates authentic language use e.g. describing, giving information so
has face validity / allows learner to demonstrate language OR grammatical OR lexical
OR pronunciation OR discourse skills (a minimum of 1)
8. Rubric  Clear and simple instructions and prompts. This helps reliability.
9. Task type  A monologue is relevant to a business context as it is similar to giving a
presentation / doing ‘small talk’ with clients. 
 
Positive Applications
a. Learner reaction  The learner will find the task motivating / will have something to
say / will have faith / confidence in the test
b. Relevance  The test is relevant to the learner
c. Evidence / diagnostic test  The teacher should get a clearer picture of what the
learner can do / The task provides useful data of what the learner can do / The
learner will be able to perform to the best of his abilities
d. Test content / Course content / Task type  The test indicates to the learner that the
course will be relevant to his professional needs / The test contains content which
he might say when socialising in a work context
e. Format  The learner will know what to do in the task, even though he may not be
familiar with this test format
f. Appropriate style  The learner will see the test as valid as he uses a semi-formal
neutral style with his customers at work
g. Ideas provided  The learner does not have to think of ideas / ideas and language at
the same time. He won’t do badly because he lacks ideas 
 
Negative points
1. Language avoidance  In an integrative test like this, the learner can avoid language
he finds difficult / The learner is directed towards the use of certain language
because it is embedded in the prompts / The learner may choose one of the topics
because he feels confident using the language needed to talk about it
2. Limited range of language  The learner is tested on a limited range of language e.g.
not tested on future verb forms, conditional forms, modals, functions of
persuading / negotiating
3. Topic / Lexis related to the topic of travel  It is a general business topic / There is no
opportunity to assess the learner’s use of specific travel topic-related lexis
4. Speaking sub-skills  The task does not test speaking management skills (turn taking,
interrupting etc.)
5. Appropriateness of task / type of interaction  The task is a monologue and there is
no interactive conversation and discussion /  no test of ability to understand and
respond appropriately to oral prompts (all test prompts are written) / no test of
face-to-face or on the phone skills
6. Limitation of Task  There are no fresh starts / The learner is only given one
opportunity to speak / Short or limited task. 
 
Negative applications
a. Needs / lack of relevance  The test is not entirely relevant to learner’s needs
regarding types of speaking he needs to do in his work i.e. face-to-face interaction /
speaking on the phone
b. Evidence for the teacher of language abilities / speaking skills  The teacher may not
have a full picture of the learner’s language abilities / speaking abilities / has poor
predictive validity / does not generate much data
c. Evidence for the teacher of listening skills  The lack of a listening element reduces
useful data for the teacher / lowers validity
d. Impact on course design  It may be difficult for the teacher to design an appropriate
course to meet the learner’s needs
e. Lack of reliability  There may be a lack of reliability
f. Learner performance  The learner may not show his real abilities
g. Learner reaction  The learner may not be motivated by the test / interested in the
topics because they are not directly related to his field of work, i.e. sales / not have
faith in the test / not have faith in the course that the teacher is going to design /
not have faith in the teacher.

Task 2a
Exercise Intended Purpose

Listenin 1. to introduce / familiarise the learners with the topic of the text / activate
g schemata
Exercise 2. to expose learners to natural language in a (semi)-authentic text
1 3. to personalise the topic of the text
4. to expose learners to the TL (i.e. expressions to talk about plans)
5. to check understanding of the context of the TL
6. to contextualise the TL (NB: awarded for either Exercise 1 or 2)

Listenin 7. to present the target expressions in context (NB: awarded for either
g Exercise 1 or 2)
Exercise 8. to focus on / introduce / notice / the form or pronunciation of the TL
2 9. to give intensive listening practice to focus on the TL / listen for detail of
TL /
10. listen for specific language
11. to provide learners with written examples / models / record of the TL

English 12. to review and extend expressions of the TL / to provide additional 

in Use models of the TL to those introduced in the listening text
Exercise 13. to show that one function has several different exponents / one meaning
1 expressed by different forms / a variety of ways for expressing plans
14. to focus on question forms
15. to focus on / check learners’ understanding of the use / meaning /
function of the TL
16. to encourage students to use the context to work out the functions /
meaning / use
17. to   encourage   students   to   record   expressions   according   to  
function / meaning /use / to provide a written record of the TL
 
Task 2b
Exercise How exercise combines with exercises in Part (a)

Speak 1. generates interest in / introduces the topic / activates schemata /

for prepare learners for the listening
yourself 2. checks key vocabulary (for the listening) (via the use of visuals)
3. helps learners to see any gaps in their knowledge / to give the teacher
the opportunity to find out what the learners already know
4. provides a variety of skills (speaking before listening) (awarded for either
Speak for yourself or Speak out Exercise 1)
5. to activate / use language that they know / which may be in the listening
6. challenges the learners to activate their knowledge within a time frame
before  they  focus  on  the  TL  in  Listening  Exercise  1  /  to motivate the
learners by giving them a time limit.
7. provides a fun activity to allow for a change of pace /  to balance the
more analytical work in Listening Exercise 1 / English in Use 1 (awarded
for either Speak for yourself or Speak out Exercise 1)
8. provides a variety of interaction as the exercises in Task 2 are done
individually (awarded for either Speak for yourself or Speak out Exercise
1)

Speak 9. provides a fun activity to allow for a change of pace / to balance the
out more analytical work in Listening Exercise 1 / English in Use 1 (awarded
Exercise for either Speak for yourself or Speak out Exercise 1)
1 10. appeals to a different type of learner i.e. kinaesthetic
11. to extend the practice to include time expressions
12. provides a variety of interaction as the exercises in Task 2 are done
individually (awarded for either Speak for yourself or Speak out Exercise
1)
13. gives the learners the chance to use the language presented in the
previous exercises / provides freer practice
14. makes the language relevant to the students through personalisation
15. provides  a  focus  on  oral  fluency  after  some  quite  intensive  /
analytical work / moves the learners from receptive to productive work
16. gives the learners / teacher the chance to see progress / recognise the
learner’s improved ability to talk about plans
17. maintains the context of talking about plans / extends the topic from
discussing plans for the weekend to short and long-term plans
18. provides a variety of skills (speaking after listening) (awarded for either
Speak for yourself or Speak out Exercise 1)

Task 2c
Assumptions and reasons
1. Advanced learners need to extend their lexical repertoire / learners need to have a
range of functional exponents at their disposal [Listening Exercise 2, English in Use
Exercise 1] 
So that they can express themselves more concisely and with more variety / to
sound more like a native speaker / they need to understand a range of speakers 
2. Learners  should  learn  lexical  chunks/phrases/idiomatic  language  especially  in 
spoken functional language [All exercises] 
Because it helps them to retrieve language more easily/quickly / it has high
surrender value outside the classroom 
3. Advanced learners benefit from focusing on many different future forms together
[English in Use Exercise 1] 
Presenting  the  future  forms  together  helps  learners  notice  own  weaknesses  / 
presents  a motivating challenge / allows the teacher to notice the learners’
weaknesses 
4. Form and meaning cannot be separated so it is useful to present both together / it
is not necessary to focus explicitly on the form of this TL at an advanced level
[English in Use Exercise 1]
Because advanced learners will feel patronised if the material focuses on the form /
they will have learnt the form at previous levels / it is the subtle differences in use
which are the key problems with this area of language 
5. Learners need to understand the meaning / gist of a text before focusing on
language [Listening Exercise 1] 
Because this will help them to understand the meaning of the language / because
this helps to develop the listening skill they need for much of real life listening 
6. Learners need a task to focus them on the overall meaning of the text [Listening
Exercise 1] 
Because this prevents them from trying to understand every word / this mirrors real
life use as we usually listen to something for a specific purpose 
7. Learners should be encouraged to respond personally to texts [Listening Exercise 1]
Because this generates interest / because listening is an interactive process 
8. Learners need to hear / see the language in context [Listening Exercises 1 & 2] 
So that they can see how it is used / it mirrors how the L1 is learnt 
9. Listening texts are a good way of presenting functional language [Listening
Exercises 1 & 2] 
Because this reflects what happens in real life / may encourage learners to become
‘language detectives’ outside the classroom 
10. Learners should be exposed to natural features of spoken discourse (e.g. false
starts / (semi) authentic texts) [Listening Exercises 1 & 2] 
Because  they  may  not  have  exposure  to  these  features  if  they  are  not 
learning  in  an  L1 environment / they provide good models for learners whose use
of the L2 sounds a little unnatural 
11. Learners need a task to help extract language examples from a text / notice the
language [Listening Exercise 2] 
Because otherwise they won’t know which part of the text to focus on / it ensures
that they identify the correct TL quickly 
12. Learners  benefit  from  categorising  language  /  cognitively  engaging  tasks  are 
useful [English in Use Exercise 1] 
Because it helps them to see similarities and differences / recording lexis in this way
may make it easier for them to retrieve / because learners are motivated by such
tasks / because cognitive engagement encourages them to process the language
forms and leads to greater retention / helps learners to notice the language 
13. Providing  prompts/examples  of  language  /  a  written  record  is  helpful
[English  in  Use Exercise 1]  
Because it provides scaffolding during activities / it allows learners to revise what
they have learnt 
14. Learners  should  be  encouraged  to  work  out  language  use  themselves  /  use 
guided discovery [English in Use Exercise 1] 
Because they can utilise the knowledge that they already have which is motivating /
it allows learners to see where the gaps in their knowledge are 

Task 3
(a) Similarities 
1. Topic/semantic field  This is the organising principle for lesson rather than a
grammatical structure
2. Language chunks / no analysis at word level  These are the basis for language
acquisition
3. Memorisation  Teaching language in chunks helps learners to remember them / aids
fluency
4. Ungraded  They both contain mixed grammatical patterns / the language items are
not graded
5. Idiomatic / formulaic language  They both focus on idiomatic language / formulaic
language 
6. High frequency / real language  They both focus on high frequency / realistic
language 
7. Spoken language  They both focus on informal / colloquial / spoken language
8. Designated language  Both focus on teacher pre-selected items rather than
language emerging from the classroom
9. Restricted number of items  Both focus on a small number of items each

(a) Differences
10. Lexical approach  Selection A focuses on verb + noun collocations / verbs, which
relates to Lewis’s ‘The Lexical Approach’ in which he says verbs are a neglected word
class
11. Analytical  Selection A reflects a more analytical/academic approach to language
selection
12. Base form  In Selection A, the language items are in their base / infinitive form / the
language items need to be manipulated before the learners can use them
13. Topic  Selection A is related to the general topic of money / is topic based 
14. Sense relations  In Selection A, lexical items are from a lexical set / lexical field
15. Functional / situational approach  Selection B focuses on language in use, i.e.
shopping reflects influence of audio-lingualism
16. Contextualisation  Selection B language contextualised in extracts from a dialogue 
17. Communicative  purpose / activity  Selection  B  reflects  the  influence  of  the 
Communicative Approach, where the emphasis is on situation based teaching
18. Full exponents  In Selection B, the language items are already in a form where they
can be used /the learners can use them immediately
19. Pronunciation  It could be easier to focus on features of pronunciation, e.g.
intonation, sentence stress, in Selection B 

(b) Criticisms
1. Learner expectations  Learners often expect language learning to focus on the study
of grammar
2. EIL/ELF  According to EIL/ELF, idiomatic language is not useful
3. Difficulties  It is difficult to remember / cope with different patterns, especially in
one class / they are daunting
4. Variety of language patterns  The language items do not contain one grammatical
structure / generalisable patterns
5. Lack of creativity/cognitive challenge  There is no opportunity for learners to
choose their own language / demotivating
6. Learner needs  Learners may not relate to / have experience of the topic / need this
language
7. Lack of context  The items in Selection A are unlikely to all occur in one text / the
items are uncontextualised
8. Opportunities  for  practice  It  would  be  more  difficult  to  find  a  way  to  practise 
the  items  in Selection A
9. Manipulation of language  In Selection A, learners may not be able to manipulate
the language OR in Selection B, learners may not learn to manipulate the language /
apply the language to different situations
10. Real Life  Selection B is not good preparation for real life – conversation is less
predictable
11. Limited use  Items selected on situations (Selection B) have a  limited use because
they can only be used in one situation / do not allow for differences in style (formal /
informal)
12. Types of learners  Items selected on situation (Selection B) ignore the needs of
analytical learners / caters for some learning styles only 
13. Teachability / syllabus  Some teachers may find it difficult to teach at phrase level as
opposed to word level / to design a syllabus
14. Usefulness  The approach of selecting a group of collocations / topic vocabulary can
result in the inclusion of some low frequency items