PAU English Exam Solutions 2024-2026: Reading and Grammar Practice

PAU Exams 2024-2025: Model Test

Breath Meditation: Relieving Stress Effectively

1. True, False, or Not Given

  1. Only experienced…breathing. → False: “Paying attention to your breath is a form of “entry level” meditation that anyone can do.”

  2. Listening to music while practicing breathing exercises is becoming very popular. Not Given.

  3. The practice of mindfulness requires…opinions. → True: “Mindfulness simply means the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment.”

2. Answer the Following Questions

  1. Explain two negative consequences of stress on health. Stress can worsen illnesses like heart disease and also harm memory or cause more aches.

  2. Why do people…of that practice? People start mindfulness to relax, and it eventually helps them accept things better and handle challenges more calmly.

3. Find the Words in the Text

  1. terrible (p1) → devastating

  2. wish (p2) → prefer

  3. door (p3) → gateway

  4. emerge (p4) → arise

4. Grammar Transformations

  1. I should have started working on the project last month. (if only)

    If only I had started working on the project last month.

  2. When I play football, I feel very happy. (makes)

    Playing football makes me feel very happy.

  3. “I won’t go to that boring party,” said Nick. (refused)

    Nick refused to go to that boring party.

  4. First, David wrote his mother an email, and then he apologised for his behaviour. (after)

    After writing his mother an email, David apologised for his behaviour.

  5. “What is he going to do to relax?” Sue asked me.

    Sue asked me what he was going to do to relax.

  6. They are building a new high-technology hospital in my town.

    A new high-technology hospital is being built in my town.

PAU 2024-2025: Ordinary Session

The Magic of Train Travel

1. True, False, or Not Given

  1. Means of…were introduced. → True: “Before the invention of railways, carriages pulled by horses took days to cross a country and passengers were at constant risk of injury or death, as accidents were frequent.”

  2. When you…places you visit. → True: “Besides, it is not so rapid, like air travel, as to get rid of the need for adaptation from the familiar location to a new one.”

  3. People…the train. Not Given.

2. Answer the Following Questions

  1. In the…enjoyable? Include two ideas. At first, trains became more enjoyable thanks to the addition of features such as restaurant cars and more comfortable seats, which made the journey more pleasant.

  2. Give…railway travel. Railways diminish the charm because they resemble air travel with strict procedures and move so fast that passengers cannot slowly appreciate the scenery.

3. Find the Words in the Text

  1. much (p2) far

  2. joy (p3) pleasure

  3. give (p3) provide

  4. unexpected (p5) surprising

4. Grammar Transformations

  1. It was a bad idea for me to miss yesterday’s class. (should)

    I should have gone to class yesterday.

  2. I’m excited about going on that train trip. (forward)

    I look forward to that train trip.

  3. We haven’t got any more wrapping paper. (run)

    We have run out of wrapping paper.

  4. She was the best candidate, but she didn’t get the job. (Although)

    Although she was the best candidate, she didn’t get the job.

  5. “Why don’t we go to that new sushi bar for lunch tomorrow?”

    She suggested going to that new sushi bar for lunch the next day.

  6. “Yes, I broke this vase yesterday.”

    Sue admitted that she had broken that vase the day before.

Home Education: The Right Choice?

1. True, False, or Not Given

  1. Home…decade. → False: “There has been a notable rise in parents choosing to home educate their children over recent years, particularly since the COVID pandemic.”

  2. In flexi-schooling…textbooks. Not Given

  3. One of…themselves. → True: “Some families prefer to home educate so they can teach the curriculum they wish and give their children a personalised education.”

2. Answer the Following Questions

  1. What do…school? They must remove their child from the school’s register by sending a letter to the school.

  2. How are…schooling? More people learn about home schooling through social media, where parents share experiences and information.

3. Find the Words in the Text

  1. obligation (paragraph 1) requirement

  2. route (paragraph 2) pathway

  3. concentrate (paragraph 3) focus

  4. convenient (paragraph 3) suitable

4. Grammar Transformations

  1. I didn’t know John wanted to come to the party, so I didn’t invite him. (if)

    If I had known that John wanted to come to the party, I would have invited him.

  2. I started playing the piano three years ago. (for)

    I have played the piano for three years.

  3. Although the restaurant was crowded, we managed to find a table. (In spite of)

    In spite of the crowd, we managed to find a table.

  4. “Why don’t we get another assistant for the job?”

    Jim suggested getting another assistant for the job.

  5. “Do you really need to use your phone at this moment?”

    My dad asked me if I really needed to use my phone at that moment.

  6. “The students in this group are making a huge effort to get the highest marks this year.”

    A huge effort is being made by the students in this group to get the highest marks this year.

PAU 2024-2025: Extraordinary Session

Would You Eat Insects?

1. True, False, or Not Given

  1. An important…people. → True: “Insect consumption has been highlighted by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization as an important tool in addressing food insecurity for a growing global population.”

  2. Research…countries. → Not Given.

  3. Bugs…diets. → False: “Yoon pointed out that people have been eating insects since long before the practice was recognized as a climate win.”

2. Answer the Following Questions

  1. Name two…people. Some people have reacted by spitting out the food, and even insulting him online.

  2. What type…eating? Mention two. He gives talks in schools and universities, and he also cooks insect-based dishes for professionals like journalists and scientists.

3. Find the Words in the Text

  1. famous (paragraph 1) renowned

  2. aim (paragraph 2) objective

  3. quantity (paragraph 3) amount

  4. strategy (paragraph 4) approach

4. Grammar Transformations

  1. Clothes are much cheaper than they were a few years ago. (used).

    Clothes used to be more expensive a few years ago.

  2. The museum was less interesting than I expected. (as)

    The museum was not as interesting as I expected.

  3. I advise you to go to the dentist at least once a year. (had better)

    You had better go to the dentist at least once a year.

  4. John is so healthy because he eats lots of fruit and vegetables.(if)

    If John didn’t eat lots of fruit and vegetables, he wouldn’t be so healthy.

  5. “What else did you see?”

    I asked the little girl what else she had seen.

  6. “People are spending more money on video games now than they spent ten years ago.”

    More money is being spent on video games now than was spent ten years ago.

PAU Exam Model 2025-2026

The Reinvention of Killarney, an Irish Tourist Town

1. True, False, or Not Given

  1. Killarney…went there. → True: “The arrival of the railway in 1853 and Queen Victoria’s 1861 visit did the rest.”

  2. Getting…the train. → False: “The train station is in the centre of town so it is quite possible to travel without flying or driving.”

  3. American…of Killarney. → Not Given.

2. Answer the Following Questions

  1. Name two…destination. Too many hotels and crowded roads ruined the natural beauty, and noisy parties disturbed visitors.

  2. Describe…drinks. Killarney banned single-use coffee cups, encouraging people to bring reusable cups or borrow one for a small deposit.

3. Find the Words in the Text

  1. found (paragraph 1) discovered

  2. terrible (paragraph 2) awful

  3. perseverance (paragraph 2) tenacity

  4. prohibit (paragraph 3) ban

  5. neat (paragraph 3) clean

4. Grammar Transformations

  1. My sister was too young to travel on her own. (enough)

    My sister was not old enough to travel on her own.

  2. Patrick drove a car for the first time last year. (never)

    Patrick had never driven a car before.

  3. My brother usually sleeps until noon. (used)

    My brother is used to sleeping until noon.

  4. My teacher said she was sorry she was late for the lesson. (apologised)

    My teacher apologised for being late for the lesson.

  5. “When will you be back?”

    Peter asked the girl when she would be back.

  6. “I don’t think we need to listen to what she has to say.”

    There is no point in listening to what she has to say.