Michigan Ecce 2021 Practice Tests 1

7 Complete Practice Tests for the Michigan ECCE MICHIGAN ECCE PRACTICE TESTS 2021Revised: May Specifications James Suntres 1

CONTENTS Introduction 4______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ECCE Practice Tests Sample Answer Sheets 10_______________________________________________________________________________________ Practice Test 1 14 Writing 14________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Listening 15_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reading 26______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guided Writing 36__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Practice Test 2 38 Writing 38________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Listening 39_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reading 50______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guided Writing 60__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Practice Test 3 62 Writing 62________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Listening 63_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reading 74______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guided Writing 84__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Practice Test 4 86 Writing 86________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Listening 87_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reading 98______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guided Writing 108________________________________________________________________________________________________ Practice Test 5 110 Writing 110______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Listening 111___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reading 122____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guided Writing 132________________________________________________________________________________________________ Practice Test 6 134 Writing 134______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Listening 135___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reading 146____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guided Writing 156________________________________________________________________________________________________ Practice Test 7 158 Writing 158______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Listening 159___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reading 170____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guided Writing 180________________________________________________________________________________________________ Speaking Tests 183 Examinee Information 184___________________________________________________________________________________ Examiner Information 192____________________________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTION General Description The Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) is a standardized upper-intermediate examination of English as a foreign language (EFL). It is meant for test takers who have reached a B2 (Vantage) level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who sit for the ECCE do so because they need a B2-level language certificate for one or more of the following reasons: • They would like proof that they have made progress after a period of studies. • They need a language certificate in order to enter an academic program. • They would like to apply for a job that demands a language qualification. The ECCE is recognized as a language qualification in the public and private sectors. In order to succeed on the ECCE, test takers should be able to accomplish the following: • Understand the main idea of a complex text on both concrete and abstract topics. • Understand technical discussions in their professional or academic field. • Exchange ideas and discuss topics with native speakers in a reasonably fluent way. • W rite a clear and detailed text on a broad range of subjects, explaining a viewpoint on a topical issue and giving advantages and disadvantages of different options. Format and Content The ECCE includes tasks that test a broad range of skills and sub-skills in writing, listening, reading, and speaking. The written part of the ECCE (Writing, Listening, and Reading) takes 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete. The Speaking Test takes about 15 minutes. Test takers receive a separate Writing Answer Document where they write their response to the Writing section. Test takers write their answers to the Listening and Reading sections on the Listening & Reading Answer Sheet. Test takers must use a pencil to complete every section of the ECCE. Below is a summary of the format and content of the ECCE administered in 2021 and beyond. Writing Section Time Description Number of Items Writing 1 of 2 tasks 30 From a choice of two task options (an email/letter or minutes an essay), test takers write one response presenting and supporting their opinion. For the email/letter task, test takers are asked to give their opinion about a situation followed by instructions on who to write to. For the essay task, test takers are given a statement and then are asked to write an essay expressing why they agree or disagree with it. In the Writing Section, test takers choose to write either an email/letter or an essay where they give their opinion about a situation or issue. Test takers should write about a page. They have 30 minutes. 4 t MICHIGAN ECCE PRACTICE TESTS 1

INTRODUCTION ECCE Practice Tests Suggestions for the Classroom • T he email/letter task and the essay task are both evaluated according to the same criteria. Students should become accustomed to working on both. • Each Writing task in this volume is supported by suggestions for development in the Guided Writing section at the end of each practice test. These sections are designed to provide students with concrete suggestions as to how to structure their responses paragraph by paragraph. Test takers should become familiar with this step-by-step approach to ensure that they produce well-organized and well-supported responses on the day of the exam. • Teachers should encourage students to become familiar with the 4 main criteria of the ECCE Writing Rating Scale: (1) content and development, (2) organization and connection of ideas, (3) linguistic range and control, and (4) communicative effect. Awareness of these rating criteria should motivate students to incorporate these criteria into all their writing efforts. • See page 9 for information on the current Writing Rating Scale. Listening Section Time Description Number of Items Listening 25 45 Part 1 (multiple choice) minutes Short recorded conversations, each followed by a question. Answer choices shown as pictures. Part 2 (multiple choice) 20 Short extended talks on four different topics, each followed by 5 questions. Each talk will be played twice. Questions are printed in the test booklet. Time is given before each talk for the test taker to preview the questions and the answer choices. Each talk will be heard twice. The Listening Section is 45 minutes in length. It is an audio recording of native speakers of standard American English. There are no contextual background noises. Test takers will hear language that ranges from semi- formal to informal, but not very colloquial. The Listening Section is in two parts. Part 1 includes 25 short conversations with three possible answer choices shown as pictures. There is always a male speaker and a female speaker in these conversations. Part 2 includes a total of four short talks, each followed by five multiple-choice questions. There are a total of 20 questions in Part 2 of the Listening Section. The talks in Part 2 of the Listening Section can be from a wide variety of contexts including announcements, voicemail messages, radio commercials, news reports, and instructions. Each talk will be heard twice. Suggestions for Classroom Preparation • Materials should include a wide variety of everyday contexts. The Common European Framework of Reference provides a helpful list of such contexts. • S tudents should practice making their own short conversations based on the picture prompts in Part 1 of the Listening Test using language they encounter in the practice materials. • S tudents should be exposed to authentic weather reports, radio commercials, and presentations similar to those encountered in Part 2 of the Listening Test. YouTube is an excellent source of such material. • The teacher could create situations in which students can leave their own voicemail messages. • In general, the teacher should look for ways to get students to generate the type of language they will be encountering in both parts of the Listening Test. INTRODUCTION u 5

INTRODUCTION Reading Section Time Description Number of Items Reading 15 75 Reading: Grammar (multiple choice) minutes The test taker reads an incomplete sentence or conversation, followed by a choice of words or phrases to complete it. The test taker chooses the item that is grammatically correct from the four answer choices. Reading: Vocabulary (multiple choice) 14 The test taker reads an incomplete sentence or sentence, followed by a choice of words or phrases to complete it. The test taker chooses an item from the answer choices that has the correct meaning in the context. Reading Part 1 (mutliple choice) 36 The test taker reads two short reading passages on different topics, each followed by 5 questions. Each question has four choices. Reading Part 2 (multiple choice) In Reading 2, the test taker reads two sets of four short texts related to related texts, each followed by 12 questions. Each question has four answer choices. There are 65 questions in the Reading Section: 15 Grammar, 14 Vocabulary, 12 Reading Part 1, and 24 Reading Part 2. Test takers have 75 minutes to complete the entire section, Examples are provided in the instructions to this section. Reading: Grammar Each grammar item is a sentence or short dialogue where a word or phrase has been left out. Test takers have to select, from four possible answer choices, the word or phrase that best completes the sentence or dialogue so that it is grammatically correct. Test takers should read the entire sentence or dialogue and all four answer choices before they choose the answer choice that they think is correct. Reading: Vocabulary Each vocabulary item is a sentence where a word or phrase has been left out. Test takers have to select, from four possible answer choices, the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Only one answer choice is correct with regards to meaning and context. Suggestions for the Classroom • Students should read the entire sentence or dialogue in the question stem and all four answer choices before making their selection. • S tudents should keep in mind that the correct answer choice completes the question stem with regards to form, function, and meaning. For Grammar questions, the four answer choices may include different forms of the same verb or other part of speech, or four different linking expressions. For Vocabulary questions, the four answer choices may include four words that are similar in meaning, but the context is such that only one is correct. • W hen learning vocabulary, students should remember to learn words in context. They must not just memorize definitions of words. They should also be familiar with the collocations and expressions that these words might appear in. 6 t MICHIGAN ECCE PRACTICE TESTS 1

INTRODUCTION Reading Parts 1 and 2 ECCE Practice Tests Reading Part 1 consists of two reading comprehension passages with six multiple-choice questions each. Each passage is about 200 words long. Reading passages cover a wide range of issues and topics, but require no specialized knowledge. They include issues and topics that test takers may find important for personal, professional, or academic reasons. In Reading Part 2, there are two sets of four related texts followed by 12 multiple-choice questions each. The four texts may include a range of text types such as announcements, emails, advertisements, and articles. For each set, one to three questions refer to a specific text, while two or three questions require test takers to combine information from two or more of the texts. Suggestions for the Classroom • F or Reading Part 1, students should read the text first before they try to answer the questions • Before they begin reading, students should quickly read the statement introducing each passage. This statement gives important information about the general topic of the passage. It is intended to provide students with a quick frame of reference.. • While reading the passage, students should think about why the information in the passage is important. After reading the passage, students should be able to briefly explain what new information they have learned from the passage. • F or Reading Part 2, students should first quickly skim the four texts to get an idea of the common theme. • A fter reading each text carefully, students should answer the corresponding question(s) by quickly identifying key words in each question and then scanning the text for information that relates to these key words. Speaking Section Time Description Number of Items Speaking 4 stages 15 A structured oral interaction occurs between the test taker minutes and the Speaking Test examiner. The interaction involves a visual prompt. The Speaking Test is a conversation between an oral examiner and a test taker. It involves a visual prompt. It usually takes about 15 minutes. It is completed in the following four stages: • Stage 1 – The test taker provides information about himself/herself (e.g., name, education, hobbies, general interests, etc.) in response to questions from the examiner. • Stage 2 – The examiner gives the test taker a problem represented in a visual prompt. With the help of guided questions, the test taker asks the examiner about the problem. • S tage 3 – The test taker offers suggestions on how to solve the problem, giving reasons and examples. • Stage 4 – The examiner asks the test taker one to three thematically related discussion questions. Suggestions for the Classroom • S tudents should be using English as much as possible in the classroom to communicate and exchange ideas. • S tudents should role-play situations in pairs where one is the candidate and the other is the examiner. • W hen students are doing speaking activities, the teacher should avoid interrupting them and constantly correcting them. • Teachers should encourage students to become familiar with the three main criteria of the ECCE Speaking Rating Scale: (1) overall communicative effectiveness, (2) language control and resources (i.e., range of grammar and vocabulary), and (3) delivery and intelligibility. Awareness of these rating criteria should motivate students to incorporate these criteria into all their speaking efforts. • See page 9 for information on the current Speaking Rating Scale. INTRODUCTION u 7

INTRODUCTION General Preparation Students wishing to take the ECCE do not need to follow any specific course or syllabus. However, in order to succeed on the ECCE, students should use materials at an upper-intermediate level. These materials should comprehensively cover all four language skill areas and a wide variety of contexts. The tasks on the ECCE are similar to course materials. ECCE tasks are also representative of the language that students encounter in the real world. Michigan ECCE Practice Tests 1 contains seven complete practice tests for the ECCE. The tests have been designed to familiarize students with the format of the ECCE administered in 2021 and beyond. It also provides students the opportunity to practice the language and test themselves to see whether their English is at the level required for the actual exam. Passing the ECCE The Listening and Reading sections are scored by computer at Michigan Language Assessment. Each correct answer adds to the final score for its section; points are not deducted for wrong answers. The Speaking and Writing sections are rated using scoring criteria established by Michigan Language Assessment. The Speaking section is conducted and assessed by a certified Speaking examiner, and the Writing section is assessed by at least two certified raters. (See page 9 for information on the Writing and Speaking rating scales.) A scaled score, ranging from 0 to 1,000, is reported for each section of the test and also averaged to produce an overall score. ECCE test takers who achieve an overall score of 650 or higher are awarded a Certificate of Competency. Those who achieve an overall score of 840 or higher are awarded a Certificate of Competency with Honors. 8 t MICHIGAN ECCE PRACTICE TESTS 1

INTRODUCTION ECCE Writing Rating Scale ECCE Practice Tests (Standard / Band 3 only) To download the full ECCE Writing Rating Scale (bands 1–5), please visit the Michigan Language Assessment website at https://michiganassessment.org/michigan-tests/ecce/ecce-details/ and click on Test Scoring and Results. Content and Organization and Linguistic Range Communicative Development Connection of Ideas and Control Effect • Relevance of content • A rrangement of • Variety and precision of • How well to task content grammar and vocabulary communicative goals are • Quality of ideas used to • How language is used Sufficient range of grammar achieved develop the response to link ideas and vocabulary to fulfill the task. Errors in grammar Adequate sense STANDARD Adequately develops an Ideas clearly and and vocabulary do not of audience and argument. May rely on adequately organized. interfere with reader’s purpose for writing prompt for content. Standard connectors comprehension. generally allow the used appropriately reader to follow but somewhat the text. mechanically. ECCE Speaking Rating Scale (Standard / Band 3 only) To download the full ECCE Speaking Rating Scale, please visit the Michigan Language Assessment website at https://michiganassessment.org/michigan-tests/ecce/ecce-details/ and click on Test Scoring and Results. Overall Communicative Language Control & Resources Delivery/ Effectiveness Intelligibility* Grammar Vocabulary Conveys information, ideas, • In interactive STANDARD and viewpoint comprehensibly, • Some errors • Enough vocabulary context, speaks at though at times may struggle a bit occur but to convey generally a reasonable rate still generally intended meaning with infrequent Expresses ideas generally comprehensible but occasionally has pauses or though supporting details may errors in word choice hesitations not always be clear • Shows functional and morphology grammatical • In longer Sustains talk; interlocutor control with • Uses circumlocution responses, pausing occasionally needs to pauses mainly and fillers to cover is more noticeable summarize or restate for at phrase/clause some vocabulary clarification, particularly with boundaries gaps • Features of L1 regard to longer test-taker are evident but responses; interlocutor does not • Self-monitors and deviations in strain to understand test taker attentive to correction sounds or stress do not interfere Generally understands ideas • Lack of sufficient cohesive devices with communication but may have to negotiate the (grammatical and lexical) causes some or result in many meaning of details awkwardness; lack of sustained clarity or misunderstandings some incoherence in longer responses Active Participant: spontaneously elaborates and contributes to topic development; initiates exchanges * Pauses (filled and unfilled) and hesitations referred to are those that appear to be due to lack of language rather than those needed occasionally by any speaker to conceptually plan what one wants to say. INTRODUCTION u 9

SAMPLE ANSWER SHEETSSAMPLE ANSWER SHEET 10 t MICHIGAN ECCE PRACTICE TESTS 1

SAMPLE ANSWER SHEETSSAMPLE ANSWER SHEET 12 t MICHIGAN ECCE PRACTICE TESTS 1

Listening Transcript PRACTICE TEST 1 M: For one thing you shouldn’t keep them in the same cage. And keep them next to an open window for as Part 1 much as you can during the day. Canaries don’t like closed windows! 1. M: Should I leave the potatoes on the kitchen table or Q: What is the man’s advice? under the sink? 8. W: Actually, I want you to put them in the fridge. W: What should we get my sister as a wedding present? M: In the fridge? I thought we kept them under the sink! M: I don’t know. Maybe something practical like a toaster or W: Just do as you’re told! Q: Where does the woman want to keep the potatoes? a sewing machine. W: No, I want to get her a big-ticket item. 2. M: Then a washing machine might be nice. M: Where should I put this dirty towel? Q: What will they probably buy as a wedding gift? W: Put it in the tool box or with the kids’ toys! M: Come on, be serious! 9. W: Well, there’s a basket full of dirty laundry in the M: Did you enjoy the movie last night? W: No. We didn’t even get into the theater because of the basement. Q: Where does she tell him to put the towel? tremendous line, which was too bad since we walked to the theater. 3. M: Why’d you walk? M: We don’t seem to like the same TV programs. W: W ell, traffic’s so bad that it’s faster to walk downtown W: Look, just because I didn’t like the basketball game you from where I live. Q: Why didn’t they see the movie last night? wanted to watch and you hated my favorite soap opera doesn’t mean we can’t watch TV together. After all, we 10. both enjoyed that movie. M: Where are you going for your vacation? Q: How did they probably feel about the movie? W: Our original plans were for a Caribbean resort ... 4. you know, tropical beach, palm trees ... But then we M: How did you do so much damage to your car? Did you changed plans completely and decided to go camping. M: Well, we’re going to a hotel in the mountains. run into a pole or something? Q: Where is she going to spend her vacation? W: No! I ran a red light because I was careless and 11. smashed into another motorist. M: Mary! You haven’t changed one bit! M: You’re lucky you didn’t hit a pedestrian! W: Well, my hair didn’t use to be so long, and I was a bit Q: What happened in the accident? fatter. 5. M: That’s right, you have lost weight! What’s your secret? M: You’ve really cooked up a storm! I told you I was going Q: What does the woman look like? to bring you some food! 12. W: It’s okay. Besides, I like preparing meals. W: This portable TV doesn’t work, unless of course I’m M: Well, you should’ve made a few sandwiches and then pushing the wrong button to turn it on! relaxed. M: Maybe it needs batteries ... oh, look! We’ve got to plug Q: What has the woman done? it in! 6. Q: What must they first do so the TV will turn on? M: All the musicians were great, but I especially liked the 13. girl on the sax. She was dynamite. M: How are your grades? W: What about the guitarist or the girl playing the flute? W: I’m having endless problems in math. M: They were really good, but not like the saxophonist. M: Is that so? How about your other subjects? Q: Which musician did the man like most of all? W: Well, I’m more or less okay at history, but I find English 7. to be a piece of cake. W: I have a couple of canaries, but neither of them sings! Q: What is true about the woman’s grades? LISTENING TRANSCRIPT u 201

GLOSSARY WRITING 10. Practice Test 1 vacation (n) διακοπές Task 1 11. city council (n) δημοτικό συμβούλιο What’s your secret? (expr) Ποιό είναι το μυστικό σου; take action against (expr) αναλαμβάνω δράση, 12. portable (adj) φορητός λαμβάνω μέτρα 13. stray (adj) αδέσποτος more or less (expr) λίγο πολύ, πάνω κάτω community (n) κοινότητα a piece of cake (expr) κάτι πολύ εύκολο member (n) μέλος 14. suggest (v) προτείνω snack on (ph v) τρώω κάτι πρόχειρο munch (v) μασουλώ, μασώ Task 2 15. unique (adj) μοναδικός symptom (n) σύμπτωμα ασθένειας serve (v) λειτουργώ, υπηρετώ sore throat (n) πονόλαιμος role model (n) πρότυπο bother (v) κάτι που ενοχλεί agree (v) συμφωνώ 16. disagree (v) διαφωνώ Believe it or not! (expr) είτε το πιστεύεις είτε όχι statement (n) δήλωση 17. include (v) περιλαμβάνω footwear (n) είδη υπόδησης specific (adj) συγκεκριμένος sportswear (n) αθλητικά ρούχα reason (n) λόγος, αιτία slippers (n) παντόφλες details (n) λεπτομέρειες lingerie (n) γυναικεία εσώρουχα και νυχτικά support (v) υποστηρίζω 18. opinion (n) γνώμη sleep on the job (expr) κοιμάμαι αντί να δουλεύω not sleep a wink (expr) δεν κλείνω μάτι LISTENING 19. upset (adj) αναστατωμένος, εκνευρισμένος Listening, Part 1 opposing (adj) αντίπαλος the winning goal (n) το νικητήριο γκολ 1. referee (n) διαιτητής sink (n) νεροχύτης 20. fridge (n) ψυγείο cloudy (adj) συννεφιασμένος Just do as you’re told! (expr) Να κάνεις αυτό που weather forecast (n) δελτίο καιρού 21. σου λέω! block (n) (οικοδομικό) τετράγωνο 2. 22. tool box (n) εργαλειοθήκη unclaimed luggage (n) αζήτητες αποσκευές Be serious! (expr) Σοβαρέψου! pull (v) τραβάω dirty laundry (n) άπλυτα ρούχα 23. basement (n) το υπόγειο client (n) πελάτης 4. 24. pole (n) κολόνα (της ΔΕΗ, π.χ.) electrical work (n) ηλεκτρολογική εγκατάσταση run a red light (expr) παραβιάζω το κόκκινο φανάρι Yours truly! (expr) Εγώ ο ίδιος! smash into (ph v) προσκρούω, συγκρούομαι electrician (n) ηλεκτρολόγος 5. retire (v) συνταξιοδοτούμαι cook up a storm (expr) δίνω ρέστα στο μαγείρεμα 25. 6. Oh, dear! (expr) Πω, πω! sax (= saxophone) (n) σαξόφωνο We’re lost! (expr) Χαθήκαμε! She was dynamite. (expr) Ήταν καταπληκτική. keep going straight (expr) πήγαινε ευθεία 7. sign (n) ταμπέλα cage (n) κλουβί 8. Listening, Part 2 big-ticket item (n) κάτι που είναι ακριβό 9. Questions 26–30 tremendous (adj) τεράστιος prof (= professor) (n) καθηγητής line (n) ουρά, σειρά cubism (n) κυβισμός downtown (adv) στο κέντρο της πόλης first-hand experience (expr) εμπειρία από πρώτο χέρι Practice Test 1 u 3

MICHIGAN 2021Revised: May Specifications ECCE1P R A C T I C E T E S T S The Hamilton House Michigan ECCE Practice Tests 1 contains 7 complete practice tests that familiarize students with the level, content, and exact format of the new ECCE (launched in May 2021 by Michigan Language Assessment). Key features • A comprehensive introduction including an explanation of each part of the revised exam (2021 specifications), excerpts from the Writing and Speaking Rating Scales, and sample • answer sheets • 7 complete practice tests (Writing, Listening, and Reading sections) Guided Writing sections providing brainstorming questions and paragraph-by- 7 paragraph guidance for the email/letter and essay tasks in each practice test • 7 Speaking tests with information sheets for both examinee and examiner Components Michigan ECCE Practice Tests 1 Student’s Book Michigan ECCE Practice Tests 1 Glossary Michigan ECCE Practice Tests 1 Teacher’s Edition Michigan ECCE Practice Tests 1 Audio