1. PRACTICE TEST 12
PART I. LISTENING (50 points)
Part 1. Listen to the talk and complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
GROUP PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT
Topic Information source
1. …………… check at the 2. ……………
Views on 3. …………… interview the manager of 4. ……………
Practice of 5. ……………
find relevant information from the career
office
1. _____
2. _____
3. _____
4. _____
5. _____
Part 2. Listen and decide whether each of the following statements is true (T) or false (F):
6. The canals were built despite the fact that there was no public finance and very little
technology.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
7. From 1919 to 1929, there were many canals that were competing with each other but were
not uniform in size.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
8. The new union of canals provided a continuous link between major industrial cities.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
9. There are plenty of natural habitats for a variety of wildlife on and around the canals.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
10.Walkers can go to the nearest waterway office to get information on circular walks so they
can start and end at the same place.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
Part 3:
2. For questions 11–20. Listen to a talk about plastic pollution and complete the notes with the
missing information. Write NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS taken from the recording for
each answer in the corresponding numbered spaces.
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental issues our planet faces today. Plastic slush
appears almost very where, even the air we breathe contains 11. ________________ . The problem
with plastic is that many plastic products are 12. _________________ but plastic never 13.
_________________ , which means that more and more of materials will never “go away”. Although
some plastics can be 14. _________________ , no one bother to do so, leaving wrappers, bottles, and
everything else to 15. _________________ ecosystems. Around eight million tons of plastic 16.
_________________ in the ocean every year and this number is estimated to 17. _________________ in
the next decade. By 2050, there could be more plastic in the water than fish, so marine life would
be at stake when 18. _________________ either mistake plastic for food and 19. _________________ it or
get trapped in 20. _________________ human trash.
11._________________
12._________________
13._________________
14._________________
15._________________
16._________________
17._________________
18._________________
19._________________
20._________________
Section 4: You will hear a psychologist being interviewed about friendship, choose the answer A,
B, C or D which fits best according to what you hear.
21.From three to five years old, children ___________________
A. are happy to play alone.
B. prefer to be with their family.
C. have rather selfish relationships.
D. have little idea of ownership.
22.From age five to eight or ten, children ___________________
A. change their friends more often.
B. decide who they want to be friends with.
C. admire people who don’t keep to rules.
D. learn to be tolerant of their friends.
23.According to Sarah Browne, adolescent ___________________
A. may be closer to their friends than to their parents.
B. develop an interest in friends of the opposite sex.
C. choose friends with similar personalities to themselves.
D. want friends who are dependable.
3. 24.Young married people ___________________
A. tend to focus on their children.
B. often lose touch with their friends.
C. make close friends less easily.
D. need fewer friends than single people.
25.In middle or old age people generally prefer ___________________
A. to say in touch with old friends.
B. to see younger friends more often.
C. to have friends who live nearby.
D. to spend more time with their friends.
PART II: LEXICO - GRAMMAR (40 points)
Part 1. Choose the word or phrase that best fits each blank in the following sentences.
1. When his parents are away, his older brother……….
A. knocks it off B. calls the shot C. draws the line D. is in the same boat
2. The authority is tough and will not ____to the hijackers’ absurd demands
A. collapse B. resign C. yield D. object
3. Dan wouldn’t sign the contract because he felt it was…………...
A. his line of work B. a raw deal C. none of his business D. out
of work
4. You should make a clean ______ of everything and end this affair
A. heart B. breast C. head D. chin
5. That he always forgot things is a ___ joke among his close friends.
A. constant B. lasting C. continuing D. standing
6. I am completely ____ to help you in the garden now.
A. done in B. worn off C. let out D. filled up
7. He got a chip on his ______ as he was not allowed to go out with his friends
A. back B. shoulder C. face D. forehead
8. Commentators should think twice before reviving this ugly stereotype in an attempt to………
police for killing a black teenager.
A. apportion B. decriminalize C. exculpate D. discharge
9. they are claimed to _____ guilty to the wrongdoing, which caused a lot of damage to society
A. confirmed B. state C. plead D. admit
10. Tom's controversial new research has brought him back into the public _______________ .
4. A. floodlights B. footlights C. limelight D. lowlight
11. A lot of people are………. to the damage that is being done to the environment.
A. blind B. unacquainted C. uninitiated D. ignorant
12. It's true, I tell you! I got it from the ........................... My sister works at the Town Hall. She's the
one who made the decision!
A. nag's head B. cat's whiskers C. horse's mouth D. lion's den
13. I am not able to go anywhere this weekend because I am up to my _______________ in work.
A. neck B. nose C. head D. forehead
14. Sterling is a __________________ town not far from Edinburgh
A. medium-large B. middle-sized C. medium D.
medium-sized
15. I can’t understand why he can’t find a job when he has such a ____________ of talent and
creativity.
A. flare B. wealth C. plenty D. number
Part 2. Each sentence has a mistake. Identify it.
1. In your capacity as a judge, you have to work with high concentration. You must make
uninterested judgment. __________
2. 2. Doctors fear possible epidemics of cholera, malaria, and other deathly diseases. __________
3. 3. His company offers a flexible package service for the food industry. __________
4. 4. We will offer you a comprehensible training in all aspects of the business if you take this
course. __________
5. 5. It has to be said it was rather ingenious of him to ask a complete stranger to take care of his
luggage. __________
Section 3. Fill each gap with the correct form of the words in brackets.
6. _______ have been trying to decipher the mystery of climatic change. (meteorology)
7. They can even scan the most __________parts of the ocean. (access)
8. The shortage of _____water on the island made their life harder. (pot)
9. We place a full _____ on Harry whenever assistance. (rely)
10.The ______noise from the traffic drives me crazy. (continue)
11.Compulsive gamblers find it _____temptation to place bet. (resist)
12.The school is _______far from my house, so I am usually exhausted at the end of each day.
(convenient)
13.Tell the truth, I can’t believe this _____story. (convince)
5. 14.Patients will follow the commands of _______(hypnosis).
15.He was suspected of getting involved in the bank ____(rob).
PART III. READING (60 points)
Section 1. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each
gap. Write your answer in corresponding numbered boxes.
Gerard Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet
When Gerard Mercator was born in 1512, the geography of the globe still remained a mystery.
It was unclear whether America was part of Asia, if there was a vast (1) _________ of sea at the top
of the world or if Australia was connected to Antarctica.
Mercator’s childhood was spent chiefly in Rupel monde, a Flemish trading town on the river,
and it was here that his geographical imagination was (2) _________ by the ships which passed to
and from the rest of the world. Alongside imagination, he developed two very different skills. The
first was the ability to gather, (3) _________ and co-ordinate the geographical information provided
by explorers and sailors who frequented the margins of the known. He also had to be able to
imagine himself (4) _________ from the heavens, to achieve the visionary (5) _________of gods in the
skies, (6) _________ down on the world. The main reason why Mercator’s name is familiar to us is
because of the Mercator Projection: the solution he (7) _________ to represent the spheroidal surface
of the globe on a two-dimensional plane. It is less well known that Mercator was the first man to
conceive of mapping the (8) _________ surface of the planet or that he (9) _________ the idea of
multiple maps being presented in bound books, to which he gave the name ‘Atlas’.
It is difficult for us now to be surprised by maps, so many are there, and of such detail and
coverage, but we should bear in mind that Mercator lived at a time when such knowledge was far
from (10) _________. He was the man who altered our worldview forever.
1. if there was a vast _________ of sea at the top of the world
A. territory B. distance C. range D. expanse
2. it was here that his geographical imagination was _________ by the ships
A. raised B. reared C. supplied D. nourished
3. The first was the ability to gather, _________ and co-ordinate the geographical information
A. congregate B. amass C. assimilate D. construct
4. He also had to be able to imagine himself _________ from the heavens
A. suspended B. located C. situated D. attached
5. to achieve the visionary (5) _________of gods in the skies
A. inspection B. observation C. perspective D. assessment
6. _________ down on the world
A. glimpsing B. scutinizing C. watching D. gazing
6. 7. the solution he _________ to represent the spheroidal surface of the globe
A. invented B. contrived C. devised D. schemed
8. Mercator was the first man to conceive of mapping the (8) _________surface of the planet
A. sheer B. full C. entire D. utter
9. he _________ the idea of multiple maps being presented in bound books
A. pioneered B. initiated C. lead D. prepared
10.Mercator lived at a time when such knowledge was far from _________.
A. typical B. common C. routine D. normal
Section 2. Read the passage and fill in each gap with ONE suitable word.
Long-term memory is the (11)___________ interesting of the memory structures, and most
believe that the storage (12)___________ of long-term memory is unlimited and contains a
permanent record of everything you have learned. Long-term memory plays an influential role
throughout the information processing system. The interests, attitudes, skills, and knowledge of
the world existing in your long-term memory influence (13)_____________ you perceive and how
you interpret your perceptions. They also affect (14)______________ you process information for
short-term or long-term storage.
One way of understanding the nature of long-term memory is to consider the types of
information (15)____________ there. Long-term memory can hold recollections of personal
experiences as well as factual knowledge acquired through (16)________ means such as reading. It
also holds skills such as knowing how to (17)____________ a bicycle. In its ability to learn and
remember, the brain can (18)___________ between facts and skills. When you acquire factual
knowledge by memorising dates, word definitions, formulas, and other information, you can
consciously retrieve this fact memory from the data bank of your long-term memory. In
(19)______________, skill memory usually involves motor activities that you learn by (20)_____________
without consciously remembering specific information. You perform learned motor-skilled, such
as walking or riding a bicycle, without consciously recalling the individual steps required to do
these tasks.
11._____
12._____
13._____
14._____
15._____
16._____
17._____
18._____
19._____
20._____
7. Section 3: Read the passage and choose the best answers (A, B, C or D) to the questions.
Population ecology is the science that measures changes in population size and
composition and identifies the causes of these fluctuations. Population ecology is not concerned
solely with the human population. In ecological terms, a population consists of the individuals of
one species that simultaneously occupy the same general area, rely on the same resources, and
are affected by similar environmental factors. The characteristics of a population are shaped by
its size and by the interactions among individuals and between individuals and their
environment.
Population size is a balance between factors that increase numbers and factors that
decrease numbers. Some factors that increase populations are favourable light and temperature,
adequate food supply, suitable habitat, ability to compete for resource, and ability to adapt to
environmental change. Factors that decrease populations are insufficient or excessive light and
temperature, inadequate food supply, unsuitable or destroyed habitat, too many competitors for
resources, and inability to adapt to environmental change.
Another important characteristic of any population is its density. Population density is the
number of individuals per units, such as the number of maple trees per square kilometer in a
county. Ecologists can rarely determine population size by actually counting all individuals within
geographical boundaries. Instead, they often use a variety of sampling techniques to estimate
densities and total population sizes. For example, they might estimate the number of black bears
in a national park by counting individuals in a few sample plots representative of the whole park.
In some cases, they estimate population size through indirect indicators, such as the number of
nests or burrows, or signs such as tracks or droppings.
Another important population characteristic, dispersion, is the pattern of spacious among
individuals within the population’s geographical boundaries. Various species are distributed in
their habitats in different ways to take better advantage of food supplies and shelter, and to avoid
predators or find prey. Within a population’s range, densities may vary greatly because not all
areas provide equally suitable habitat, and also because individuals space themselves in relation
to other members of the population.
Three possible patterns of dispersion are clumped, uniform, and random. A clumped
dispersion pattern means that individuals are gathered in patches throughout their habitat.
Clumping often results from the irregular distribution of resources needed for survival and
reproduction. For example, fallen trees keep the forest floor moist, and many forest insects are
clumped under logs where the humidity is to their liking. Clumping may also be associated with
mating, safety, or other social behavior. Crane flies, for example, swarm in great numbers, a
behavior that increases mating chances, and some fish swim in large schools so they are less
likely to be eaten by predators.
A uniform or evenly spaced distribution results from direct interactions among individuals
in the population. For example, regular spacing of plants may result from shading and
competitions for water. In animal populations, uniform distribution is usually caused by
8. competition for some resource or by social interactions that set up individual territories for
feeding, breeding, or testing.
Random spacing occurs in the absence of strong attraction or repulsion among individuals in a
population. Overall, random pattern are rare in nature, with most populations showing a
tendency toward either clumped or uniform distribution.
Populations change in size, structure, and distribution as they respond to changes in
environmental conditions. Four main variables- births, deaths, immigration and emigration –
determine the rate of change in the size of the population over time. A change in the birth rate or
death is the major way that most populations respond to changes in resource availability.
Members of some animal species can avoid or reduce the effects of another with more favorable
environmental conditions, thus altering the population’s dispersion.
21.According to the passage, which factor might cause the population of a species to decrease
in size?
A. A favorable amount of light and water
B. An ability to hide from or defend against predators
C. A large number of other species competing for food
D. A greater number of births than deaths
22.Which of the following is an indirect indicator of a population’s density?
A. The distribution of food in a given area
B. The number of nests in a given area
C. The number of births in a given period of time
D. The number of individuals counted in a given area
23.The distribution pattern of individuals within a population’s geographical boundaries is
known as
A. population ecology
B. population density
C. population change
D. population dispersion
24.The word range in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to
A. territory B. control C. history D. shelter
25.The word patches in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to
A. dark places B. family groups C. warm spots D. small areas
26.The word their in paragraph 5 refers to
A. resources B. trees C. insects D. logs
9. 27.All of the following are given as reasons for clumping EXCEPT
A. uneven resource distribution
B. territorial disputes
C. mating behavior
D. safety from predators
28.The phrase set up in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to
A. forbid B. establish C. increase D. conceal
29.Which of the following situation s would be most likely to result in a uniform dispersion
pattern?
A. Birds compete for a place to build their nests
B. Fish swim in large schools to avoid predators
C. Whales develop strong bonds among relatives
D. Elephants form a circle to protect their young
30.Why does the author mention immigration and emigration in paragraph 8?
A. To identify factors affecting population dispersion
B. To give examples of territorial behavior in animals
C. To show that populations balance themselves over time
D. To explain why animal populations are uniformly dispersed
Section 4. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
The Hollywood Film Industry
A This chapter examines the ‘Golden Age’ of the Hollywood film studio system and explores
how a particular kind of filmmaking developed during this period in US film history. It also
focuses on the two key elements which influenced the emergence of the classic Hollywood
studio system: the advent of sound and the business ideal of vertical integration. In addition
to its historical interest, inspecting the growth of the studio system may offer clues
regarding the kinds of struggles that accompany the growth of any new medium. It might, in
fact, be intriguing to examine which changes occurred during the growth of Hollywood
studio, and compare those changes to comtemporary struggles in which production
companies are trying to define and control emerging industries, such as online film and
interactive television.
B The shift of the industry away from ‘silent’ films began during the late 1920s. Warner Bros.’
1927 film The Jazz Singer was the first to feature synchronized speech, and with it came a
period of turmoil for the industry. Studios now had proof that ‘talkie’ films would make them
money, but the financial investment this kind of filmmaking would require, from new camera
10. equipment to new projection facilities, made the studios hesitant to invest at first. In the
end, the power of cinematic sound to both move audiences and enhance the story
persuaded studios that talkies were worth investing in. Overall, the use of sound in film was
well-received by audiences, but there were still many technical factors to consider. Although
full integration of sound into movies was complete by 1930, it would take somewhat longer
for them to regain their stylistic elegance and dexterity. The camera now had to be encased
in a big, clumsy, unmoveable soundproof box. In addition, actors struggled, having to direct
their speech to awkwardly-hidden microphones in huge plants, telephones or even
costumes.
C Vertical integration is the other key component in the rise of the Hollywood studio system.
The major studios realized they could increase their profits by handling each stage of a film’s
life: production (making the film), distribution (getting the film out to people) and exhibition
(owning the theaters in major cities where films were shown first). Five studios, ‘The Big Five’,
worked to achieve vertical integration through the late 1940s, owning vast real estate on
which to construct elaborate sets. In addition, these studios set the exact terms of films’
release dates and patterns. Warner Bros., Paramount, 20th Century Fox, MGM and RKO
formed this exclusive club. ‘The Little Three’ studios - Universal, Columbia and United Artists -
also made pictures, but each lacked one of the crucial elements of vertical integration.
Together these eight companies operated as a mature oligopoly, essentially running the
entire market.
D During the Golden Age, the studios were remarkably consistent and stable enterprises,
due in large part to long-term management heads - the infamous ‘movie moguls’ who ruled
their kingdoms with iron fists. At MGM, Warner Bros, and Columbia, the same men ran their
studios for decades. The rise of the studio system also hinges on the treatment of stars, who
were constructed and exploited to suit a studio’s image and schedule. Actors were bound up
in seven-year contracts to a single studio, and the studio boss generally held all the options.
Stars could be loaned out to other production companies at any time. Studio bosses could
also force bad roles on actors, and manipulate every single detail of stars’ images with their
mammoth in-house publicity departments. Some have compared the Hollywood studio
system to a factory, and it is useful
to remember that studios were out to make money first and art second.
E On the other hand, studios also had to cultivate flexibility, in addition to consistent factory
output. Studio heads realized that they couldn’t make virtually the same film over and over
again with the same cast of stars and still expect to keep turning a profit. They also had to
create product differentiation. Examining how each production company tried to
differentiate itself has led to loose characterizations of individual studios’ styles. MGM
tended to put out a lot of all-star productions while Paramount excelled in comedy and
Warner Bros, developed a reputation for gritty social realism. 20th Century Fox forged the
musical and a great deal of prestige biographies, while Universal specialized in classic horror
movies.
11. F In 1948, struggling independent movie producers and exhibitors finally triumphed in their
battle against the big studios’ monopolistic behavior. In the United States versus Paramount
federal decree of that year, the studios were ordered to give up their theaters in what is
commonly referred to as ‘divestiture’ - opening the market to smaller producers. This,
coupled with the advent of television in the 1950s, seriously compromised the studio
system’s influence and profits. Hence, 1930 and 1948 are generally considered bookends to
Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Section 4.1.
The reading passage has seven paragraphs A - G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A -
G from the list of headings below
List of Headings
i. The power with each studio
ii. The movie industry adapts to innovation
iii. Contrast between cinema and other media of the time
iv. The value of studying Hollywood’s Golden Age
v. Distinguishing themselves from the rest of the market
vi. A double attack on film studios’ power
vii. Gaining control of the industry
viii The top movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age
Example: Paragraph A ______iv____
31.Paragraph B __________
32.Paragraph C __________
Example: Paragraph D ____i_____
33.Paragraph E __________
34.Paragraph F __________
Section 4.2.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSEif the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
35.After The Jazz Singer came out, other studios immediately began making movies with
synchronized sound.
36.There were some drawbacks to recording movie actors’ voices in the early 1930s.
12. 37.There was intense competition between actors for contracts with the leading studios.
Section 4.3. Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the
passage for each answer.
THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
38.Throughout its Golden Age, the Hollywood movie Industry was controlled by a handful of
studios. Using a system known as ______________, the biggest studios not only made movies,
but handled their distribution and then finally showed them in their own theaters.
39.These studios were often run by autocratic bosses—men known as ______________, who
often remained at the head of organisations for decades.
40.However, the domination of the industry by the leading studios came to an end in 1948,
when they were forced to open the market to smaller producers - a process known as
______________.
Section 5. You are going to read an article about great tennis players. For questions 41–50,
choose from the people (A-D). Each of the people may be chosen more than once.
To which person does each statement relate?
41.He was determined to make a transition that required him to come out of his comfort
zone and alter his style of play. _____
42.He held his nerve under a large amount of external pressure to come back from a
serious setback and win a particular major title at the second time of asking. _____
43.Despite enjoying a hot streak of form during which he landed some major titles, he has
yet to convince the tennis world of the exact extent of his greatness. _____
44.He pushes himself physically to such a degree that his career may be cut short. _____
45.He took excellent advantage of a temporary lack of depth in his sport. _____
46.He was faced with the task of having to try to overcome already seasoned champions in
the matches in his efforts to claim a first Grand Slam. _____
47.Although he has since bested a player who comprehensively outplayed him for a spell,
early exits from a major tournament have tarnished his reputation. _____
48.Despite the fact that he will probably never amass as many major titles as any of his
rivals, one stunning display in a slam final will be forever remembered. _____
49.He endured an unusually long period out of the major-title winner’s enclosure at one
point in his career. _____
50.He dominated a rival for season only to later taste defeat in a title-decider at the hands
of the same player. _____
FOUR AMAZING TENNIS PLAYERS!
13. A. ROGER FEDERER
Roger Federer is the man who, on paper at least, is the undisputed greatest of them all. He has
smashed virtually every record in existence and amassed an incredible seventeen Grand Slam
titles, a full three more than his nearest rival, Pete Sampras. Now over 30, he has had a pretty
barren spell by his lofty standards of late, but did manage to break a two-year major-title drought
at Wimbledon, in 2012, beating Andy Murray in the final. On the strength of his record, he could
be regarded as the greatest player by some margin, but, title tally aside, there are other things to
consider here, such as the fact that his rise to prominence coincided with a time of transition in
the sport when the existing powers – Sampras, Agassi, etc. – were on the wane and ready to pass
on the baton to a new generation. Federer was a very willing recipient of course, but, truth told,
he beat a lot of second-rate players and players past their prime in the process of amassing over
half his total haul of slams in those early years. But, with the emergence of Nadal, that would all
change.
B. RAFAEL NADAL
Nadal, like most Spaniards, grew up playing on the ubiquitous clay, so it is hardly surprising that
his style of play is best-suited to the surface, nor that he favoured the red soil in those early days
and produced his best performances on it, while, at the same time, struggling initially to make a
real impact on grass or hard court.
Nadal exhibited a level of humility and determination rare in this sport of egos, and set about
reinventing himself as an all-rounder. And what a transformation it proved to be, one which must
surely have surpassed the expectations of even his most optimistic and faithful supporters, for
adapt his game he did, and so successful that, by 2008, he was ready to do the unthinkable,
beating a peak-of-his-powers Federer on his favourite surface (grass) in a Wimbledon final lauded
as the greatest tennis match of all time, sending shockwaves through the sport. Nadal went on to
dominate men’s tennis and his archrival for the best part of the next three years. The world of
tennis was suddenly forced into a swift rethink; paper stats were brushed aside as it was soon
clear that while no one could compete with Federer in the talent stakes, Nadal had shown himself
to be a superior match player and fighter.
Still a young man, he could potentially even surpass Federer’s achievements on paper, but it
remains to be seen if his career can have longevity of the Fed’s, so demanding is his style of play
on the body. And shock early-round losses at both the 2011 and 2012 Wimbledon championships
remains serious blots on an otherwise stellar career to date.
C. NOVAK DJOKOVIC
And so we come to the Serb, a player who, it seemed, was destined to ply second fiddle to Nadal
and Federer’s stars. For him, 2011 was a watershed year, and his performances and the manner
of his victories were so utterly emphatic that he was instantly catapulted right to the top of the
game, prevailing over the once invincible Nadal in three consecutive slam finals. Tennis now had
a new number one, and Djokovic had prised the title of the most consistent, hard-hitting,
counter-attacking player on the circuit away from the Spaniard with shocking ease. 2012 also
started well for the new poster boy of tennis, but Djokovic’s level has since dropped enough to
14. have enabled Nadal to enjoy success over him in their more recent slam-final tussels. His tally of
six major titles is not to be sniffed at, but the Serb has much yet to prove if he is to one day be
considered the very best.
D. ANDY MURRAY
By comparison to the achievements of the players already profiled, Murray’s record looks pretty
ordinary indeed. And yet, were it not for the fact that he has had the misfortune of playing the
game at the same time as arguably the three greatest sportsmen to have ever graced tennis, this
talented all-rounder would already have amassed a considerable haul of major titles of his own.
And, consider this, unlike his three rivals, who faced debutants when winning their first slam
finals, Murray has had no such luck, and, in fact, on very occasion he has made it to the last two,
has faced the daunting prospect of having to overcome one of the aforementioned trio. He has
also had the weight of expectation of an entire nation on his shoulders, and, wide though they
are, this must surely have been a terrible cross for him to bear. But, at long last, the monkey is off
his back. Andy Murray bounced back like a Trojan from his loss to Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon
final, claiming Olympic gold and his first Grand Slam the same year. The ghost of his near-miss at
Wimbledon was also banished in 2013, when, somehow, amid a nation’s furore, he kept a cold
head and gave what must go down as one of the greatest performances by any athlete in history
to beat Federer in three straight sets to claim the holy grail of tennis. He may never reach the
heights of success of his great rivals, but this brave Scot has already made his mark on tennis
history, and there will, no doubt, be more slams to come.
