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UAE TLS English Subject Test study materials
UAE TLS English Subject Test study resources

UAE TLS English Subject Test practice questions

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Question 1Listening

A speaker says: "Please close the window before you leave." What is the listener being asked to do?

  1. Open the window
  2. Shut the window Correct answer.
  3. Lock the door
  4. Clean the window

Explanation

The imperative 'close the window' directly instructs the listener to shut it. The time clause 'before you leave' only sets when the action should happen.

Question 2Listening

In a conversation, a woman says: "I'd rather take the train than drive." What does she prefer?

  1. Both equally
  2. Driving
  3. Neither option
  4. Taking the train Correct answer.

Explanation

The structure 'would rather X than Y' expresses a preference for X over Y. Here X is 'take the train', so that is her preferred choice.

Question 3Listening

A teacher says: "Hand in your essays by Friday at the latest." What is the deadline?

  1. Any time next week
  2. Friday at the latest Correct answer.
  3. The following Monday
  4. Before Friday morning

Explanation

The phrase 'by Friday at the latest' fixes Friday as the final acceptable time. 'At the latest' emphasises that no later submission is allowed.

Question 4Listening

A man says: "The film was nowhere near as good as the book." What does he mean?

  1. The film was slightly better
  2. The film was much worse than the book Correct answer.
  3. The film and book were equal
  4. The film was much better

Explanation

'Nowhere near as good as' is a strong comparative meaning far less good. He rates the film well below the book.

Question 5Listening

A receptionist says: "Could you hold the line for a moment?" What should the caller do?

  1. Wait on the phone Correct answer.
  2. Speak more loudly
  3. Hang up and call back
  4. Repeat the question

Explanation

'Hold the line' is a fixed telephone expression meaning wait without ending the call. 'For a moment' indicates a short wait.

Question 6Listening

A speaker says: "It's a bit chilly in here, isn't it?" What is the most likely intention?

  1. To complain about the noise
  2. To hint that the window should be closed Correct answer.
  3. To ask about the weather forecast
  4. To suggest leaving the room

Explanation

A tag question about feeling cold indoors is a common indirect request to close a window or turn up heating. The hint is conveyed politely rather than as a direct order.

Question 7Listening

A woman says: "If I had left earlier, I wouldn't have missed the bus." What actually happened?

  1. She did not take the bus at all
  2. She left early and caught the bus
  3. She left late and missed the bus Correct answer.
  4. She missed the bus despite leaving early

Explanation

The third conditional describes an unreal past situation, so the opposite of the 'if' clause is what occurred. She did not leave earlier, and she did miss the bus.

Question 8Listening

A speaker says: "The lecture was supposed to start at nine, but it was already ten past when the speaker arrived." When did the speaker arrive?

  1. At nine fifty
  2. At ten o'clock
  3. At nine
  4. At ten past nine Correct answer.

Explanation

'Ten past' refers to ten minutes past the hour already mentioned, which is nine. So the arrival was at 9:10.

Question 9Listening

A man says: "I can't stand waiting in queues." How does he feel about queues?

  1. He enjoys them
  2. He is indifferent to them
  3. He strongly dislikes them Correct answer.
  4. He is afraid of them

Explanation

'Can't stand' is an idiom meaning strongly dislike. It expresses a negative attitude, not fear.

Question 10Listening

A speaker says: "The museum is open daily except Mondays." On which day is it closed?

  1. Saturday
  2. Every day
  3. Sunday
  4. Monday Correct answer.

Explanation

'Except Mondays' marks Monday as the exclusion from the daily opening. So the museum is closed on Mondays.

Question 11Listening

A woman says: "You needn't have brought a gift." What does she imply?

  1. The gift was unnecessary but was given Correct answer.
  2. She refused the gift
  3. She forgot to bring a gift
  4. The gift was required

Explanation

'Needn't have + past participle' means an action was done but was not necessary. She implies the gift was kind but not required.

Question 12Listening

A speaker says: "The new policy will affect staff, and by extension, students." What does 'by extension' signal?

  1. A contrast with staff
  2. A repetition of the same idea
  3. A correction of the previous point
  4. An additional consequence Correct answer.

Explanation

'By extension' introduces a further group affected by the same point. It broadens the scope rather than contrasting or repeating.

Question 13Listening

A man says: "Had I known about the traffic, I would have taken the metro." What does he mean?

  1. He took the metro
  2. He did not know and drove Correct answer.
  3. He knew about the traffic and drove
  4. He avoided both routes

Explanation

The inverted third conditional 'Had I known' equals 'If I had known', describing an unreal past. He did not know about the traffic and therefore did not take the metro.

Question 14Listening

A speaker says: "The proposal is not without merit." What is the speaker's view?

  1. The proposal is worthless
  2. The proposal is irrelevant
  3. The proposal is perfect
  4. The proposal has some value Correct answer.

Explanation

The double negative 'not without merit' is a litotes that means having some value. It is a hedged positive, not an outright rejection.

Question 15Listening

A lecturer says: "Bear in mind that correlation does not imply causation." What is she warning against?

  1. Using statistics in research
  2. Assuming one event causes another because they co-occur Correct answer.
  3. Reporting findings too early
  4. Measuring two variables at once

Explanation

The saying warns that two things occurring together does not prove one causes the other. The risk is inferring causation from co-occurrence.

Question 16Listening

A speaker says: "The results were, to put it mildly, disappointing." What does the speaker suggest?

  1. The results were excellent
  2. The results were slightly disappointing
  3. The results were very disappointing Correct answer.
  4. The results were expected

Explanation

'To put it mildly' signals that the stated word understates the reality. So 'disappointing' is a gentle way of saying the results were very poor.

Question 17Listening

A guide says: "The tour lasts roughly two hours, give or take fifteen minutes." What does this mean?

  1. About two hours, possibly a bit more or less Correct answer.
  2. Two hours and fifteen minutes exactly
  3. Fifteen minutes only
  4. Exactly two hours

Explanation

'Give or take' means approximately, allowing a small margin either way. The tour is around two hours with up to fifteen minutes' variation.

Question 18Listening

A speaker says: "Rather than cancel the event, they postponed it." What happened to the event?

  1. It was cancelled
  2. It was moved to a later date Correct answer.
  3. It was made smaller
  4. It was held earlier

Explanation

'Rather than X, they Y' contrasts a rejected option (cancel) with the chosen one (postpone). Postponing means moving to a later time.

Question 19Listening

Two speakers discuss a trip. Speaker A: "Shall we meet at the station at six?" Speaker B: "Six is a bit tight for me." What does B mean?

  1. B will arrive at five
  2. Six may be too early for B to arrive Correct answer.
  3. Six is convenient
  4. B prefers another station

Explanation

'A bit tight' means the timing is difficult or rushed. B is signalling that six o'clock may not allow enough time.

Question 20Listening

A speaker says: "Not only did she finish first, but she also broke the record." What is emphasised?

  1. She broke the rules
  2. She achieved two impressive things Correct answer.
  3. She finished last
  4. She finished but set no record

Explanation

'Not only...but also' adds a second achievement to the first. Both finishing first and breaking the record are highlighted.

Question 21Listening

A speaker says: "The shop is opposite the bank, just past the traffic lights." Where is the shop?

  1. Behind the bank
  2. Inside the bank
  3. Across from the bank, beyond the lights Correct answer.
  4. Before the traffic lights

Explanation

'Opposite' means facing across from, and 'just past' means beyond a point. The shop is across from the bank and after the lights.

Question 22Listening

A speaker says: "I was going to call you, but then I realised you already knew." Did the speaker call?

  1. No, the speaker did not call Correct answer.
  2. The speaker called twice
  3. The speaker will call later
  4. Yes, the speaker called

Explanation

'Was going to' describes an intention that was not carried out. The 'but' clause explains why the call did not happen.

Question 23Listening

A speaker says: "The feedback, while constructive, was hard to hear." What does the speaker mean?

  1. The feedback was useful but painful to receive Correct answer.
  2. The feedback was unhelpful
  3. The feedback was ignored
  4. The feedback was easy to accept

Explanation

The concessive 'while constructive' acknowledges value, and 'hard to hear' admits it was difficult emotionally. Both ideas are held together.

Question 24Listening

A speaker says: "Sales rose sharply in spring, whereas they levelled off in summer." What happened in summer?

  1. Sales were not recorded
  2. Sales fell sharply
  3. Sales kept rising quickly
  4. Sales stopped changing much Correct answer.

Explanation

'Levelled off' means stopped rising or falling and stayed roughly steady. 'Whereas' contrasts this with the spring increase.

Question 25Listening

A speaker says: "You should have told me about the change." What is the speaker expressing?

  1. Criticism for not being told Correct answer.
  2. Praise for being informed
  3. A request for future information only
  4. Confusion about the change

Explanation

'Should have + past participle' criticises a past action that did not happen. The speaker is reproaching the listener for not informing them.

Question 26Listening

A speaker says: 'The flight was delayed due to bad weather.' What caused the delay?

  1. Bad weather Correct answer.
  2. A staff shortage
  3. Air traffic control
  4. A technical fault

Explanation

The speaker explicitly states that bad weather caused the delay. Listen for the causal phrase 'due to' followed by the reason.

Question 27Listening

A woman says: 'I'll be with you in a minute; I just need to finish this email.' What is she asking the listener to do?

  1. Leave the room
  2. Send the email for her
  3. Come back tomorrow
  4. Wait briefly Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 'I'll be with you in a minute' signals a short wait, and the reason given is finishing an email. The overall request is for the listener to wait briefly.

Question 28Listening

A man says: 'The meeting has been brought forward to 2 p.m.' When was the meeting originally scheduled?

  1. Earlier than 2 p.m.
  2. Later than 2 p.m. Correct answer.
  3. The time is unchanged.
  4. At exactly 2 p.m.

Explanation

'Brought forward' means moved to an earlier time. Since the new time is 2 p.m., the original time must have been later than 2 p.m.

Question 29Listening

A speaker says: 'The library is within walking distance of the campus.' What does this mean?

  1. The library is close enough to walk to. Correct answer.
  2. The library is a long drive away.
  3. The library is closed for walking.
  4. The library is on campus.

Explanation

'Within walking distance' is an idiom meaning close enough to reach on foot. It does not necessarily mean the library is on campus, only that it is near.

Question 30Listening

A woman says: 'I'd rather you didn't mention the surprise to anyone.' What is she doing?

  1. Revealing the surprise
  2. Inviting more guests
  3. Cancelling the surprise
  4. Asking for discretion Correct answer.

Explanation

'I'd rather you didn't' is a polite way to request that someone avoid an action. Here, she is asking the listener to keep the surprise secret.

Question 31Listening

A speaker says: 'The workshop was cancelled on account of low enrolment.' Why was the workshop cancelled?

  1. The room was unavailable.
  2. The trainer was ill.
  3. Not enough people signed up. Correct answer.
  4. The date was changed.

Explanation

'On account of' means 'because of', and 'low enrolment' means few people registered. Thus the cancellation was due to insufficient sign-ups.

Question 32Listening

A man says: 'I was under the impression that the deadline was Friday.' What does he mean?

  1. He believed the deadline was Friday. Correct answer.
  2. He is certain the deadline is Friday.
  3. He missed the Friday deadline.
  4. He wants to change the deadline.

Explanation

'Under the impression' means to have believed something, often with the implication that it may be wrong. It expresses a belief, not certainty.

Question 33Listening

A speaker says: 'The museum tour lasts approximately ninety minutes.' How long is the tour?

  1. About an hour and a half Correct answer.
  2. Exactly two hours
  3. All day
  4. Less than an hour

Explanation

'Approximately ninety minutes' means about one and a half hours. Listeners should match the number to the time expression.

Question 34Listening

Two speakers discuss a schedule. Speaker A: 'Can we move the meeting to Thursday?' Speaker B: 'Thursday doesn't work for me; how about Friday?' What does Speaker B suggest?

  1. Cancelling the meeting
  2. Meeting on Thursday morning
  3. Keeping the original day
  4. Meeting on Friday instead Correct answer.

Explanation

Speaker B rejects Thursday and proposes Friday as an alternative. The phrase 'how about' introduces a suggestion.

Question 35Listening

A speaker says: 'The instructions were anything but clear.' What does the speaker think of the instructions?

  1. They were not instructions.
  2. They were extremely clear.
  3. They were somewhat clear.
  4. They were very unclear. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Anything but' means 'not at all'. So 'anything but clear' means not clear at all, i.e., very unclear.

Question 36Listening

A woman says: 'The recipe calls for two cups of flour, but I only have one.' What problem does she have?

  1. She needs two cups of sugar.
  2. She doesn't have a recipe.
  3. She lacks enough flour. Correct answer.
  4. She has too much flour.

Explanation

The recipe requires two cups but she has only one, so she does not have enough flour. The contrast with 'but' highlights the shortfall.

Question 37Listening

A speaker says: 'The presentation was supposed to be concise, but it went on for over an hour.' What does the speaker imply about the presentation?

  1. It was well-prepared.
  2. It was cancelled.
  3. It was too long. Correct answer.
  4. It was concise.

Explanation

The speaker contrasts the expectation of conciseness with the actual length of over an hour, implying the presentation was too long.

Question 38Listening

A man says: 'I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to the party.' What is he doing?

  1. Declining an invitation Correct answer.
  2. Accepting an invitation
  3. Offering to host
  4. Postponing the party

Explanation

'I'm afraid I won't be able to make it' is a polite way to decline an invitation. The phrase 'I'm afraid' softens the refusal.

Question 39Listening

A speaker says: 'The new smartphone is a cut above the previous model.' What does the speaker mean?

  1. It is similar to the old model.
  2. It is worse than the old model.
  3. It is superior to the old model. Correct answer.
  4. It is cheaper than the old model.

Explanation

'A cut above' is an idiom meaning noticeably better than something else. So the new phone is superior to the previous model.

Question 40Listening

A speaker says: 'The concert was postponed until next week.' What happened to the concert?

  1. It took place as planned.
  2. It was moved to an earlier date.
  3. It was cancelled entirely.
  4. It was moved to a later date. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Postponed until next week' means the event was rescheduled for a later time. It was not cancelled.

Question 41Reading

Read this sentence: 'The students were excited because their project had won first prize.' What is the main idea of the sentence?

  1. The students were tired after finishing a project.
  2. The project was about winning prizes in general.
  3. The students felt happy about winning a prize for their project. Correct answer.
  4. The students did not know who won the prize.

Explanation

The main idea is the central point the sentence communicates. The cause stated ('because their project had won first prize') explains the students' excitement, so the sentence is about their happiness at winning.

Question 42Reading

A text says: 'Recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours.' What is the purpose of this sentence?

  1. To compare different types of metal containers
  2. To describe how televisions are manufactured
  3. To persuade readers that recycling has real benefits Correct answer.
  4. To explain the history of aluminium mining

Explanation

The sentence presents a concrete benefit of recycling to encourage the reader. Stating a striking energy saving serves a persuasive purpose by showing value.

Question 43Reading

Read the sentence: 'The old bridge groaned under the weight of the truck.' Which literary device is used in the word 'groaned'?

  1. Personification Correct answer.
  2. Hyperbole
  3. Simile
  4. Alliteration

Explanation

Personification gives human qualities to non-human things. A bridge cannot actually groan, so attributing a human sound to it is personification.

Question 44Reading

In the word 'unbelievable', what does the prefix 'un-' mean?

  1. Again
  2. Before
  3. Too much
  4. Not Correct answer.

Explanation

The prefix 'un-' is a negating prefix meaning 'not'. Adding it to 'believable' produces the meaning 'not believable'.

Question 45Reading

Which sentence uses correct subject-verb agreement?

  1. The list of items have been on the desk.
  2. The list of items are on the desk.
  3. The list of items were on the desk.
  4. The list of items is on the desk. Correct answer.

Explanation

The subject is 'list', which is singular, so it takes the singular verb 'is'. The phrase 'of items' is a prepositional phrase and does not change the number of the subject.

Question 46Reading

A notice reads: 'Library users must return books by the due date to avoid fines.' According to the notice, what happens if books are returned late?

  1. The user is banned from the library.
  2. The user loses their library card.
  3. The user may have to pay a fine. Correct answer.
  4. The user must buy a new book.

Explanation

The notice links returning books by the due date to avoiding fines, which means late returns can result in a fine. Literal reading of the stated consequence is required.

Question 47Reading

Which word is closest in meaning to 'rapid' as used in 'a rapid increase in sales'?

  1. Steady
  2. Small
  3. Rare
  4. Quick Correct answer.

Explanation

'Rapid' describes something happening quickly. In the phrase 'a rapid increase', it means the increase happened fast.

Question 48Reading

Read the paragraph: 'Sara packed her bag. She checked the time. She hurried out of the door.' What can we infer about Sara?

  1. She is in a rush to get somewhere. Correct answer.
  2. She has forgotten something important.
  3. She is waiting for a friend to arrive.
  4. She is going on a long holiday.

Explanation

An inference is a conclusion drawn from clues in the text. Packing quickly, checking the time, and hurrying out all suggest she is short of time.

Question 49Reading

A text describes how bees pollinate flowers and why this matters for food crops. What is the text mainly about?

  1. The life cycle of flowers in winter
  2. The role of bees in pollination and food production Correct answer.
  3. How honey is made and sold
  4. The dangers of bee stings to farmers

Explanation

The main idea combines the two linked points: how bees pollinate and why that matters for crops. Both elements must be reflected in the answer.

Question 50Reading

Read this sentence: 'Although the film received poor reviews, audiences flocked to cinemas to see it.' What does the sentence suggest?

  1. The film received excellent reviews.
  2. The film was popular despite negative criticism. Correct answer.
  3. The film was never shown in cinemas.
  4. The film was unpopular with audiences.

Explanation

The contrast word 'although' signals that the second clause opposes the first. Poor reviews contrast with audiences flocking, meaning the film was popular despite criticism.