READING
Time 20 minutes
You are going to read an interview with a couple who own a holiday home in the French Pyrenees. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Why did you decide to buy a holiday home here?
We have always loved travelling and spending time in different countries on holidays. It made sense to us to have somewhere which was our own, where we could go back to again and again whenever we liked. 1……………… It has everything we were looking for: mountains, beautiful scenery, good countryside for walking and there are towns and a major city nearby. We looked at some very remote places but decided we wanted to be in a town. We enjoy being able to walk down to the shops in the morning to get fresh bread and walk to a restaurant for dinner in the evening. It was important to us that it was easy to get to for short holidays too so the fact that there is an airport nearby was a key factor. 2…………………. We love both of our houses even though they are very different in style and in very different places.
How did you find this particular property?
We did some research into the area we liked and we looked at adverts on the Internet, which gave us an idea of what was available. Then we went to an agency which specialized in property in the area where we were looking. They were really helpful and in three days they took us to a number of different houses as well as some empty plots of land with potential for building a new property. 3………………….. We spent time talking to the couple who were selling it and looking around the garden as well as the house. It’s not a big house; there are only two bedrooms, but it is exactly what we were looking for. It has a fantastic terrace with views of the mountains and because it is high up we can see right over the town too. It’s very picturesque. It has a wonderful big fireplace too so is nice and warm in winter. In fact it is a beautiful place to have a holiday at any time of the year.
What do you like most about owning a second home?
4………………….We spend lots of holidays here ourselves and sometimes friends and family join us, but we also let friends and family to stay in it by themselves if they want to. It means the house is occupied more, and the more it is used the better. It would be a shame if it were empty a lot of the time. We also like that we have met some good friends here. 5………………… It means we don’t feel like strangers when we’re here. Another thing we like is that there is always somewhere new to visit and explore as well as favourite places to go back to.
Have you ever had any problems with the house?
Fortunately no, nothing serious but it is always a worry when it is empty for long periods of time and we are so far away. We are lucky to have helpful neighboursand friends who live nearby who can keep an eye on the house for us. In the very cold weather last winter the pipe to the outside tap froze and split but the postman noticed and sealed it for us. We had a problem with the hot water tank once too. We arriver one time and turned it on and suddenly water started pouring down the stairs. 6………………. We were able to get a plumber to come and look at it and then arranged for a new one to be fitted so it wasn’t too bad. One advantage of not always being here is that we have been able to have both the bathrooms redecorated. Some friends of ours did all the work for us and it worked out really well.
Would you like to move and live here permanently?
No. We have too much that we would miss back home: good friends and family. 7………………..We might come for a month or more at a time instead of a week or two as we do now. But we bought it as a holiday home or second home not somewhere to live all the time. We like having both our house and don’t want to give up either of them. We are very lucky that we can enjoy spending time in two lovely houses.
A We visited this area a couple of times and we really liked it.
B That wasn’t a very good start to our holiday but it is lucky it happened to us and not friends of ours.
C Next year we will both retire and then we will be able to spend much more time here.
D And finally we were looking for somewhere in contrast to where we live the rest of the year.
E The house we now own was actually the last one we saw and we instantly knew it was perfect.
F The weather is usually better than what we’re used to at home with lots of blue sky and sunshine, even in winter.
G It is so nice each time we come out to have a group of people to spend time with and social events to go to.
H We love that we can share it with our friends and family.
Transfer your answers to the answer sheet!
Task 3
USE OF ENGLISH
Time: 40 minutes
Task I
Complete the spaces with one word which fits in all three sentences.
0 Barry was a very complicated individual who easily …took… offence.
I …took… to the job immediately and felt like I’d been doing it all my life.
After 36 days of fighting, the invading forces finally… took… the city.
1. After quarrelling with David, Martina was …………. to tears.
It was a ......................call, but I think Leupers just won it from Collins in secondplace.
In such sweltering heat, it was unbearably......................and humid on the
Underground.
2. Jane’s father......................with rage when she told him she was pregnant.
Events in oil-producing countries...................... the confidence of investors.
The lion ...................... its magnificent mane and gave an almighty roar.
3. John and Mary met at university, and they’ve been going...................... for almostfive years.
‘......................on - is that really what you want you to do?’
There has been a ......................decline in the number of male applicants.
4. ‘I just can’t imagine my Dad ......................me down the aisle in church to get
married,’ said Maggie.
Lewis Hamilton is currently...................... the drivers’ championship.
She emerged from the stable...................... a beautiful black horse.
5.Ford’s latest....................... is a collaboration with several other great pianists.
After his ........................from prison, Golding promised to go straight.
Several workers were taken to hospital after the accidental.................... ofcarbon
dioxide in a local chemical factory.
Task II
Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the gap.
| 6. I thought the game would be closer, but unfortunately, my team were well and truly … | CLASSED |
| 7. The psychologist claimed he could recover childhood memories using … | HYPNOTISE |
| 8. Expect a long queue at the health centre. They are greatly… | STAFFED
|
| 9. … claim that the virus among seals was caused by pollution.
| ENVIRONMENT
|
| 10. The fish in the river provide an… supply of fish for the young bears. | ABOUND |
| 11. Nowadays only a ...of wild crocodiles remain there. | HAND |
| 12. We... go to the pub before lunch on Sunday. | VARY |
| 13. Leisure habits won’t change much in the ... future. | SEE |
Task III
You are going to read an extract from a book on history. Find five words in the text which will fit thegaps of the following sentences. Pay attention to the usage of the words: both meaning and grammar.
In the first years of William’s reign, leading Englishmen who were loyal were permitted to keep theirlands and titles. After 1070 however, William pursued an active policy of Normanization. DisaffectedSaxon lords were stripped of their land, while estates without heir were granted to Normans. A similarprocess transformed the Church hierarchy. In 1070 Lanffanc, a noted scholar and Abbot of Caen, wasappointed to Canterbury, replacing Stigand who had been deposed. Lanfranc proceeded to promoteclerics who shared his continental origins. Native ecclesiastical foundations withered, while newmonastic houses with links to Normandy and France were given support.
14.The president had been completely … of power.
15. He planned to marry and produce an … for his estate.
16. He is not … for his sense of humour.
17. The left-wing government was threatened and eventually … by a right-wing junta.
18. The businesses … and eventually died.
Task IV
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the firstsentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given.
0. Don’t under any circumstances press this red button.
do
Whatever.....you do, don’t ......... press this red button.
19. I had only just arrived home when the phone rang.
sooner
No …………………………………………………………………. the phone rang.
20.You can stay with us for a few days.
you
We can ……………………………………………. for a few days.
21.Apparently her ex-husband was a terrible gambler.
known
Her ex-husband is………………………………… a terrible gambler.
22.I think a change would do you good.
from
I think ……………………………………………………… a change.
23. There is something on your mind, isn’t there?
about
You’re ……………………………………………., aren’tyou?
Task V
Read the following statements. Fill in the blanks with one word. Pay attention to the spelling ofwords.
Example: 0. Winston
24. In 1620 the … Fathers pointed the Mayflower into the breeze and set sail for America.
25. Held in west London over a bank holiday weekend, … Hill Carnival is Europe’s biggest street festival.
26. Black … is a traditional British black sausage containing pork, dried pig’s blood, and suet.
27. George Bernard … was a Nobel Prize and Oscar-winning Irish playwright, and critic.
Transfer your answers to the answer sheet!
WRITING
Time: 40 minutes
You have decided to enter a short story competition. The competition rules say that the story must end with the following words:
I promised myself I wouldn’t let anything like that happen again.
Write your story for the competition. (120 – 180 words)
Writing: Write 120 – 180 words.
Reading
Use of English
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