30 bài đọc hiểu thi tiếng anh b1 có đáp án

What is the writer trying to do in the text?. I am 45, and now I want to teach young people everything I know about making shoes.. It’s a good job, and a lot of people want to buy beauti

TEST 01

A month ago I had no idea that on a Saturday afternoon in November I’d be hanging 30 metres above the ground and enjoying it Now I looked down at the river far below me, and realised why people love rock-climbing

My friend Matt and I had arrived at the Activity Centre on Friday evening The accommodation wasn’t wonderful, but

we had everything we needed (beds, blankets, food), and we were pleased to be out of the city and in the fresh air

On Saturday morning we met the other ten members of our group Cameron had come along with two friends, Kevin and Simon, while sisters Carole and Lynn had come with Amanda We had come from various places and none of us knew the area

We knew we were going to spend the weekend outdoors, but none of us was sure exactly how Half of us spent the morning caving while the others went rock- climbing and then we changed at lunchtime Matt and I went to the caves first Climbing out was harder than going in, but after a good deal of pushing, we were out at last - covered in mud but pleased and excited by what we’d done

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

a advertise the Activity Centre

b describe some people she met

c explain how to do certain outdoor sports

d say how she spent some free time

2 What can the reader learn from the text?

a when to depend on other people at the Centre

b how to apply for a place at the Centre

c what sort of activities you can experience at the

Centre

d which time of year is best to attend the Centre

3 How do you think the writer might describe her weekend?

a interesting

b relaxing

c frightening

d unpleasant

4 What do we learn about the group?

a Some of them had been there before

b They had already chosen their preferred activities

c Some of them already knew each other

d They came from the same city

5 Which of the following advertisements describes the Activity Centre?

A ACTIVITY CENTRE

Set in beautiful countryside.Accommodation and

meals provided Make up your own timetable – choose

from a variety of activities (horse- riding, fishing,

hill-walking, sailing, mountain-biking)

B ACTIVITY CENTRE Set in beautiful countryside

Accommodation provided Work with a group - we showyou a range of outdoor activities that you didn’t realise you could do!

C ACTIVITY CENTRE

Set in beautiful countryside Enjoy the luxury of our

accommodation - each room has its own bathroom

Work with a group, or have individual teaching

D ACTIVITY CENTRESet in beautiful countryside You can spend the day doing outdoor activities and we will find your accommodation with a local family

Winter Driving

Winter is dangerous because it’s so difficult to know what is going to happen and accidents take place so easily Fogcan be waiting to meet you over the top of a hill Ice might be hiding beneath the melting snow, waiting to send you off the road The car coming towards you may suddenly slide across the road

Rule Number One for driving on icy roads is to drive smoothly Uneven movements can make a car suddenly very difficult to control So every time you either turn the wheel, touch the brakes or increase your speed, you must be as gentle and slow as possible Imagine you are driving with a full cup of hot coffee on the seat next to you Drive so that you wouldn’t spill it

Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen The more ice there is, the further down the road you have to look Test how long it takes to stop by gently braking Remember that you may be driving more quickly thanyou think

In general, allow double your normal stopping distance when the road is wet, three times this distance on snow, and even more on ice Try to stay in control of your car at all times and you will avoid trouble

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

a complain about bad winter driving

b give information about winter weather

c warn people against driving in winter

d advise people about safe driving in winter

2 Why would somebody read this text?

a to find out about the weather

b for information on driving lessons

c to learn about better driving

d to decide when to travel

3 What does the writer think?

a People should avoid driving in the snow

b Drivers should expect problems in winter

c People drive too fast in winter

d Winter drivers should use their brakes less

4 Why does the writer talk about a cup of coffee?

a to explain the importance of smooth movements

b because he thinks refreshments are important for drivers

c because he wants drivers to be more relaxed

d to show how it can be spilled

5 Which traffic sign shows the main idea of the text?

R3 - Test 03 - R3 - TEST 03

When I opened the first ‘Body Shop’ in 1976 my only object was to earn enough to feed my children Today The Body Shop’ is an international company rapidly growing all around the world In the years since we began I have learned a lot Much of what I have learned will be found in this book, for I believe that we, as a company, have something worth saying about how to run a successful business without giving up what we really believe in.It’s not a normal business book, nor is it just about my life The message is that to succeed in business you have to

be different Business can be fun, a business can be run with love and it can do good In business, as in life, I need

to enjoy myself, to have a feeling of family and to feel excited by the unexpected I have always wanted the peoplewho work for The Body Shop’ to feel the same way

Now this book sends these ideas of mine out into the world, makes them public I’d like to think there are no limits

to our ‘family’, no limits to what can be done

I find that an exciting thought I hope you do, too

1 What is the writer’s main purpose in writing

this text?

a to tell the reader her life story

b to introduce her ideas to the reader

c to explain how international companies operate

d to tell the reader how she brought up a family

2 What would someone learn from this text?

a how to make a lot of money

b how to write a book about business

c what the writer’s family is like

d what the writer’s book is about

3 How does the writer feel about the business she

runs?

a.She doesn’t care about success if her children are fed

b She just runs it for her own entertainment

c It is not like any other company

d It is likely to become even more successful

4 What kind of workers does the writer like to employ?

a workers who can explain her ideas

b workers who get on well with the public

c workers who have the same attitudes as she does

d workers who have their own families

5 What kind of person does the writer seem to be?

a She seems to be someone with strong opinions

b She doesn’t seem to be very confident

c She is mainly interested in making money

dShe sees running a business as just a job

Some people have complained about this year’s collection, New Writing 3, although I cannot understand why Surely

500 pages of original writing of this quality, for £6.99, is pretty amazing?

Fiction - both parts of novels and complete short stories - makes up most of the book There are some enjoyable pieces

by famous writers, such as Candia McWilliam and Rose Tremain It’s a strange fact that the less well-known people seem to have written mainly about food Take my advice about Jane Harris’s Those Nails - this piece should definitelynot be readjust after meals It contains some very unpleasant scenes which could turn your stomach!

There is fine work from nineteen poets, including R S Thomas and John Burnside There are pieces from progress by Jim Crace and Jane Rogers Finally, there is a little non-fiction, which includes a very funny article by Alan Rusbridger on certain newspapers, and an extraordinary piece about herself from Ursula Owen This is an exceptional collection and I for one can’t wait to see what next year’s choice will include

novels-in-1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

a give her opinions about a new book

b give some information about new writers

c give some advice to writers

d give her opinion of newspaper journalists

2 Why would somebody read the text?

a to find out more details about something

b to learn what next year’s collection will contain

c to find out about Alan Rusbridger’s new novel

d to decide whether to complain about something

3 What does the writer think of New Writing 3?

a It’s too long

b It’s very amusing

c It’s very good

d It’s too serious

4 How might you feel after reading Jane Harris’s piece?

R3 - Test 05 - R3 - TEST 05

"The best age to start learnmg the violin is between three and six,’ says Margaret Porter, a violinist and music teacher

‘It’s the time when you are learning about the world.’ Margaret, who lives in London, prefers to take pupils at three and four, although she has made lots of exceptions for keen five-year-olds When she started teaching the violin in

1972, her first class consisted of her children’s five- year-old school friends

Margaret’s pupils have group lessons Each group has about a dozen pupils and each lesson lasts an hour, once a fortnight In addition, each pupil has one individual lesson a week with her Parents also have to attend the classes It isimportant that the parents take an active interest in the lessons

From the earliest lessons pupils leam to play by ear They do not even try to read music until they have been playing for several years, and for a long time there is a big difference between their playing and reading of music Margaret says that her method is not supposed to produce great violinists, and always suggests that pupils who perform

particularly well should leave and study the violin using more traditional methods"

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

a explain why Margaret likes teaching the violin

b describe a different way of learning the violin

c give advice on how to find a music teacher

d explain why Margaret has a lot of pupils

2 Why should someone read the text?

a to discover how Margaret learnt the violin

b to learn why it is important to read music

c to find out about Margaret’s teaching method

d to learn why children should play the violin

3 What opinion does Margaret have about her best pupils?

a They ought to find another teacher

b They will become great violinists using her method

c They could try harder

d They take several years to learn to read music

4 Margaret’s first pupils were

a her children

b three- and four-year-olds

c her own friends

d her children’s friends

5 Which of the following would Margaret include in an advertisement for her classes?

A Learn to play the violin with your children - 2

C Group violin lessons for children - no more than 5

Unusually, it gives young people much needed experience of life outside the classroom, as well as the opportunity

to study for their exams The students, who are aged between 16 and 18 and come from all over the world, spend the morning studying In the afternoon they go out and do a really useful activity, such as helping on the farm, looking after people with learning difficulties, or checking for pollution in rivers

One of the great things about Atlantic College students is that they come from many different social backgrounds and countries As few can afford the fees of £20,000 over two years, grants are available A quarter of the students are British, and many of those can only attend because they receive government help

‘I really admire the college for trying to encourage international understanding among young people’, as Barbara Molenkamp, a student from the Netherlands, said ‘You learn to live with people and respect them, even the ones you don’t like During the summer holidays my mother couldn’t believe how much less 1 argued with my sister.’

To sum up, Atlantic College gives its students an excellent education, using methods which really seem to work

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

a give an opinion about a particular student

b give an opinion about a special type of education

c describe the activities the students do in their free

time

d describe his own experience of education

2 What can a reader find out from this text?

a how to become a student at Atlantic College

b what kind of programme Atlantic College offers

c what the British education system is like

d how to get along better with other people

3 What is the writer’s opinion of Atlantic College?

a It doesn’t allow students enough study time

b Its students are taught to like each other

c It doesn’t give good value for money

d Its way of teaching is successful

4 Since being at Atlantic College Barbara

a has learnt a lot about other countries

b has become more confident than her sister

c finds it easier to get on with other people

d prefers her new friends to her family

5 Which advertisement uses correct information about Atlantic College?

A Study at Atlantic College Courses for

16-18 year olds Lessons all morning, sport in the

afternoon

B.Courses for 16-18 year olds Morning lessons and afternoon activities

Help with fees available

C Study at Atlantic College Classes on

international topics Many free places

available Students of all ages welcome

D Study at Atlantic College Learn English in a beautiful place Lots of weekend activities Help with fees available

R3 - Test 07 - R3 - TEST 07

When I injured my back I had to take a break from my running career I decided to introduce more women to the sport,

to show them how much fun it can be and to give them the confidence to get out and run

I decided to start a running club for women in my area because I was annoyed by the attitude of many race organisers They complain about the lack of women in the sport but also use this as an excuse for not providing separate changing facilities

I put up posters and 40 women, young and old, fit and unfit, joined All of them were attracted by the idea of losing weight but I don’t think they had really thought about running before When or if they did, they had a picture of painful training They didn’t think of chatting and smiling while running in beautiful places, like by a river

At first they ran for only a minute - now they can rim for thirty minutes They’ve also learned from other runners about diet and keeping fit in general

I wanted to do something for women’s running and I’ve had so much pleasure watch'ng their progress - almost as much as they’ve had themselves

1 What is the writer’s main aim in writing the

text?

a to describe her own running career

b to complain about race organisers

c to talk about women runners

d to describe good running methods

2 What would a reader find out from the text?

a the best kinds of places for running

b how runners can avoid injuring themselves

c the progress made by the women in the club

d the teaching skills of the writer

3 What is the writer’s opinion of the runners she trained?

a They were too serious

b They needed encouraging

c They couldn’t develop their skills

d They were difficult to train

4 The women joined the running club to

a have a good time

b meet other people

c help them lose weight

d become top runners

5 Which of the following would be the best title for the cl Jb poster?

A Discover the pleasures of running B Riverside Running Club for Women

C Athletics competitions:how to win D KEEP FIT BY TRAINING HARD

To: The Manager of Mezzo Mash Restaurant Dear Sir,

Last Tuesday evening I went with two friends to your restaurant for my 18th birthday I’d booked the table for eight o’clock anJ we arrived about ten minutes late, but that was not a problem The waiter, who was very polite, showed

us to our table and we studied the menu I ordered a fish pie and my friends ordered some salads However, after about fifteen minutes, the waiter informed us that there was no more fish pie He apologised and suggested ordering something else I looked at the menu again and decided to have the same as my friends - a salad

When the food came, it was very good After we’d finished, we decided to order some desserts The waiter said that,unfortunately, it was too late There wasn’t enough time for us to order desserts He said he was very sorry but our table was reserved by another group at nine thirty and we would have to leave

We paid the bill and left feeling very disappointed It spoilt my birthday Nobody told us when we arrived that there was a time limit It was very unsatisfactory and I doubt that we’ll go to your restaurant again

One of his waiters behaved badly

Some customers had a bad experience

His food is unsatisfactory

He charges too much for the meals

3 What does Martin think about their experience?They got to the restaurant too late

There was not much choice on the menu

They won’t return to the restaurant

The food took too long to arrive

4 Martin and his friends couldn’t have any dessert because

someone had booked their table

they had to be home by 9.30

it was too expensive

there was none left

5 What did Martin’s friends say as they left the restaurant?

A I didn’t like my salad

I wish I’d had fish pie like you

B Never mind, let's go and get some ice cream at Rick's

C I hope you didn’t leave the waiter a tip -

he was so unfriendly

D It’s a pity there wasn’t enough birthday cake

ABCD

R3 - Test 09 - R3 - TEST 09

John Fisher, a builder, and his wife Elizabeth wanted more living space, so they left their small flat for an old metre-high castle tower They have spent five years turning it into a beautiful home with six floors, winning three architectural prizes

40-‘I love the space, and being private,’ Elizabeth says ‘You feel separated from the world If I’m in the kitchen, which is 25 metres above the ground floor, and the doorbell rings, I don’t have to answer it because visitors can’t see I’m in!’

‘There are 142 steps to the top, so if I go up and down five or six times a day, it’s very good exercise! But having tocarry heavy things to the top is terrible, so I never buy more than two bags of shopping from the supermarket at a time Apart from that, it’s a brilliant place to live.’

‘When we first saw the place, I asked my father’s advice about buying it, because we couldn’t decide After paying for it, we were a bit worried because it looked awful But we really loved it, and knew how we wanted it to look.’

‘Living here can be difficult - yesterday I climbed a four-metre ladder to clean the windows But when you stand onthe roof you can see all the way out to sea on a clear day, and that’s a wonderful experience I’m really glad we moved.’

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

describe how to turn an old tower into a house

recommend a particular builder

descr.be what it is like to live in a tower

explain how to win prizes for building work

2 From this text, a reader can find out

why visitors are not welcome at John and

Elizabeth’s house

why Elizabeth exercises every day

why Elizabeth asked her father to buy the tower

why John and Elizabeth left their flat

3 Which of the following best describes Elizabeth’s feelings about the tower?

She wanted it as soon as she saw it

She likes most things about it

She has been worried since they paid for it

She finds it unsuitable to live in

4 What problem does Elizabeth have with living

in such a tall building?

Her visitors find it difficult to see if she is at home.She feels separated from other people

She cannot bring home lots of shopping at once

It is impossible to clean any of the windows

5 How will John and Elizabeth advertise their tower if they sell it?

A FOR SALETall building, formerly acastle High windowsgive a good view

Needs someimprovement

B FOR SALE

A house with a difference - acastle tower, turned into alovely home

Wonderful view

C FOR SALEPrize-winning home, five yearsold Six rooms, all with seaviews

D FOR SALECastle tower, turned into sixsmall flats, close to

supermarket

A

B

CD

The shoemaker

Bill Bird is a shoemaker who cannot make shoes fast enough for his growing number of customers - and he charges more than £300 for a pair! Customers travel hundreds of kilometres to his London shoe clinic or to his workshop in the countryside to have their feet measured He makes shoes for people with feet of unusual sizes: very large, very small, very broad or very narrow The shoes are at least as fashionable as those found in ordinary shops

Mr Bird says: ‘My problem is that I cannot find skilled workers Young people all seem to prefer to work with computers these days We will lose the necessary skills soon because there are fewer and fewer shoemakers

nowadays I am 45, and now I want to teach young people everything I know about making shoes It’s a good job, and a lot of people want to buy beautiful shoes specially made for them.’

He started in the business 19 years ago and now he employs three other people His customers pay about £500 for their first pair of shoes He says: ‘Our customers come because they want comfortable shoes which are exactly the right size.’ Extra pairs of shoes cost between £320 and £450, as it takes one employee a whole week to make just one shoe

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

describe where Mr Bird finds his staff

encourage people to wear comfortable shoes

advertise a job selling expensive shoes

show Mr Bird’s worries about his trade

2 What can readers find out from this text?

how many customers M' Bird has

how to make shoes like Mr Bird

how to get to Mr Bird’s London shop

how much Mr Bird’s shoes cost

3 What is Mr Bird’s opinion of young people?They want too much money

They are difficult to train

They prefer other jobs

They don’t work hard enough

4 Customers choose Mr Bird because his shoesare the most fashionable

fit perfectly

look very unusual

are traditional in design

5 Which advertisement would Mr Bird put in a newspaper?

A Wanted - experiencedshoemakers to work in largeshoe company in London

Good rates of pay

B Wanted - young people to train as shoemakers Must

be able to use a computer

C Wanted - young people totrain as shoemakers Goodjob with small company

D Wanted - country workshopneeds people for unskilledjobs working with shoes

ABCD

Accommodation is in a variety of apartments of different sizes These have up to four bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom, as well

as a dining area Before going, I thought the apartments might not be big enough for all of us, but I was pleasantly surprised - it was not too crowded at all

I’ll definitely go back to Greenwood next year Why don’t you give it a try? Visit their website for further information now!

1 What is the writer's main purpose in writirg this

text?

to give her opinion of the holiday village

to describe what her family did at the holiday village

to give advice to a friend going to the holiday village

to complain about the holiday village

2 From the text, the reader can find out

the best way to get to the holiday village

the best time of vear to visit the holiday village

what activities are available at the holiday village

how to reserve accommodation at the holiday village

3 What does the writer think about the holiday village?

The apartments there are not big enough

It is not convenient because you cannot use your car

It can only be enjoyed in good weather

There is something there for all ages

4 What does the writer say about the apartments?

There is not much space between them

Each one has its own bathroom

They all have four bedrooms

Not all of them have dining areas

5 Which postcard would somebody send from the holiday village?

A Dear Jane,The children love the beach andall the activities We've got alovely 4 bedroom apartment

Love,Ann

B Dear Jane,

As it's April, the weather isn'tgood, but it doesn't matter asthere's a lovely swimming pool

Love,Ann

C Dear Jane,

My parents love the swimmingpool, ar.d the children loveriding around the forest ontheir bicycles

Love,Ann

D Dear Jane,We're a bit disappomred that

we have to drive everywhere,but there's lots to see and do

Love,AnnA

BCD

Orbis is an organisation which helps blind people everywhere It has built an eye hospital inside an aeroplane and flown it all over the world with an international medical team Samantha Graham, a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl from England, went with the plane to Mongolia Samantha tells the story of Eukhtuul, a young Mongolian girl.

‘Last year, when Eukhtuul was walking home from school, she was attacked by boys with sticks and her eyes were badly damaged Dr Duffey, an Orbis doctor, said that without an operation she would never see again I thought about all the everyday things I do that she couldn’t, things like reading schoolbooks, watching television, seeing friends, and

I realised how lucky I am.’

‘The Orbis team agreed to operate on Eukhtuul and I was allowed to watch, together with some Mongolian medical students I prayed the operation would be successful The next day I waited nervously with Eukhtuul wh'le Dr Duffey removed her bandages “In six months your sight will be back to normal,” he said Eukhtuul smiled, her mother cried, and I had to wipe away some tears, too!’

‘Now Eukhtuul wants to study hard to become a doctor Her whole future has changed, thanks to a simple operation

We should all think more about how much our sight means to us.’

1 What is the writer’s main purpose in writing

this text?

to describe a dangerous trip

to report a oatient’s cure

to explain how sight can be lost

to warn against playing with stick

2 What can a reader learn about in this text?

the life of schoolchildren in Mongolia

the difficulties for blind travellers

the international work of some eye doctors

the best way of studying medicine

3 After meeting Eukhtuul, Samantha feltgrateful for her own sight

proud of the doctor’s skill

surprised by Eukhtuul’s courage

angry about Eukhtuul’s experience

4 What is the result of Eukhtuul’s operation?She can already see perfectly again

After some time she will see as well as before.She can see better but will never have normal eyes.Before she recovers, she will need another

operation

5 Which is the postcard Samantha wrote to an English friend?

A I've visited a Mongolian hospital and watched local doctors do an operation

B You may have to fly a long way to have the operation you need, but the journey will

be worth it

C I'm staying with my friend Eukhtuul, while I'm sightseeing in Mongolia

D Make sure you take care of your eyes because they're more valuable than you realise!

R3 - Test 13 - R3 - Test 13

Read the passage and then answer the questions below.

NEW TV STAR

Caroline Benson talks about her first TV role

‘I never expected to spend some of my first year at university filming The Finnegans I’d only ever acted at school, but I’d loved the book since I was eleven My grandmother used to say I was just like Polly Finnegan and I always imagined myself playing her.I’d taken a year off to go travelling before university While I was in Chile, my mother emailed me to say there were plans to turn the book into a TV drama I knew I had to go for the part

She was surprised at first, but sent my photograph to the director and persuaded him to meet me I flew back and got the part.The outdoor filming started a week into term, so I got permission from the university to be away for three weeks Once I was back

at university, I got up at 6.00 am to write the essays I’d missed I didn’t tell my university friends, but they found out and thought

it was great

It was an amazing experience - I’m so lucky After university, I definitely want to make acting my career I’m not from an acting family, though my grandfather was an opera singer I’ve tried for other TV parts but haven’t received any offers yet

I don’t know how I managed it all, because I had a fuil social life too When filming finished,

I hardly knew what to do I’ve since appeared in two college plays Unfortunately, I haven’t been home much and now my first year at university is over, I’m off to Greece for the summer with friends.’

1 In this text, Caroline Benson is

advising students to finish studying before taking up

explaining why she has always wanted to be an actor

2 Why did Caroline decide to try for a part in

The Finnegans?

She thought the book would make a great TV drama

She agreed with her grandmother that she should apply

She felt she was perfect for the part of Polly

She was anxious about starting university

3 What does Caroline say about her mother?

She encouraged Caroline to keep travelling

She felt Caroline would be a good actor

She was sorry she had emailed Caroline

She helped Caroline to get the part

4 How did Caroline manage to find time to

do the filming?

She missed lectures and hoped nobody would notice.She delayed going to university until filming was over.She took time off and did her college work later.She asked her friends to help with her essays

5 Which of the following would Caroline write to a penfriend?

I’m going to continue with my studies, but hope to have the opportunity to do another TV programme s

Now I’ve finished both the filming and my first year at university, I plan to spend more time with my family

I enjoyed filming the TV drama but I’ve missed having a social life – I don’t know what to do at weekends

Acting is more difficult than I’d expected, but I’ve learned a lot from other members of my family who work in the business

Read the passage and then answer the questions below.

MARIA MUTOLA

Former 800 metres Olympic champion

In 1988, Maria Mutola was playing football as the only girl in an all-boys team in a local competition in Mozambique 'We won/ she said 'At first no one thought it was a problem that I was a girl But then the team we beat complained.'The story appeared in a local newspaper and José Craveirinha, who had encouraged other African athletes, learnt about Maria He went to meet her and found her kicking a ball around outside the football club He realised

immediately that she was fast 'He talked to me about athletics I had no idea what he meant The only sport I knew about was football Then he bought me running shoes and took me training It was such hard work and my legs really ached/ But José visited her parents and persuaded them she could be successful and this would help end their poverty They agreed to let him take her away to train

In 1991, she finally accepted an invitation to train in the United States She had refused previously because she knew she would miss her family Her background was unlike those of the girls she met in the US She explains, 'They were good athletes but, while I worried about my parents having enough to eat, they worried about dresses and make-up They knew very little about me and even less about my problems But I knew I was lucky to be there The trainers were brilliant and I learnt a lot.'

Today, Maria still runs and for most of the year she lives happily in South Africa with her mother

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

persuade more Africans to take up athletics

describe how Maria became a top athlete

give information about Mozambique

explain how Maria manages to stay fit

2 José Craveirinha found out about Maria

when

he went to watch a local football competition

she was blamed for her team losing a football

competition

he saw an article about her role in a football match

people complained about another member of her

football team

3 When José first introduced Maria to athletics, she

didn’t know what was involved

was worried about being injured

was keen to learn everything he knew

didn’t think her family would approve

4 does Maria say about the girls she met in the United States?

They did not make full use of their abilities.Their training programmes were less demanding than hers

They did not show enough respect for the trainers.Their experiences of life were very different from hers

5 What would Maria say about her life?

José has made all my dreams possible From the first day we met, 1 was certain I wanted to become a top athlete

My life hasri’t always been easy but I’ve had many opportunities Running is important to me and so

I regret becoming involved in athletics It was horrible leaving Mozambique and my parents I’d like to go back to football

The US has some wonderful training facilities, so I’m glad that I agree to go when I was offered the chance

R3 - Test 15 - R3 - Test 15

GARETH ELLIS

Gareth Ellis, 13, is the youngest son of Alan, an engineer, and Kath, a nursery teacher His older brothers work in banking and computers, but Gareth’s dream was always to become a clown Three years ago, Alan, Kath and Gareth joined the circus ‘People laugh when we tell them,’ says Kath ‘But it’s true Gareth has wanted to be a clown since

we took him to the circus when he was three.’

When Alan lost his job, he and Kath decided to see if they could find full-time circus jobs They both got jobs with a famous circus and Gareth began training to become a clown He calls himself Bippo They travel with the circus during rhe summer and return home for the winter Gareth’s brothers are old enough to look after the house while they are away

‘I can’t say it was easy,’ says Kath ‘There was a lot to think about and organise We only had a car and a very small caravan to sleep in, and we were leaving behind our lovely house The only thing Gareth missed was his long, hot baths.’

‘People ask about my education,1 says Gareth, ‘but from the beginning, wherever we go, someone has always come toteach me I follow the same books as everyone back at school and I’ve got a computer I’ve never fallen behind my classmates.’

And the future? ‘It was a difficult decision,’ says Kath, ‘but there was no other way to teach Gareth about being a clown I’m happy to say it’s working, and we’re enjoying it.’ And Gareth? ‘I’m going to be the main clown in a circus one day’, he says,

‘perhaps Bippu’s circus.’

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

describe how one family changed their lives

give details about how to join the circus

talk about the best way to educate a child

advise what to do when you lose your job

2 What would a reader learn about Gareth

from the text?

He does not enjoy school work

He has a definite aim in life

He would like to be at home with his brothers

He wants to be the same as other boys

3 Alan and Kath joined the circus because

they wanted to spend time travelling in the summerthey needed money in order to buy a bigger car

their older sons needed their house for themselves.their youngest son wanted to train as a performer

4 When they first joined the circus, Kath

wanted to go back home

did not have enough to do

found things difficult

was not able to sleep properly

5 Which postcard did Gareth write just after he joined the circus?

A

B

CD

LITTLE CHEFS

For one group of children aged between ten and fifteen, Saturdays are spent learning the art of serious cooking Their weekly lessons In small classes are so popular that there is a waiting list of 30 children who want to do the course Parents pay £280 for the course where their children can have fun and learn how to make good food

Class member Bill, aged ten, says, 'I love my mum's cooking and now I can do it better than her The teachers make uslaugh, especially when we sit down with them to share the food we've made.'

Flora is twelve, and she's having problems preparing onions '1 love cooking I did a meal for ten friends which they really enjoyed Then my mum suggested I take up a hobby, instead of doing nothing at weekends I was happy staying

at home, so I wasn't too keen at first I'm really glad I decided to come, though.'

Their teacher, Philippe, says, 'It's great fun Children pay attention and remember things better than adults, although the kitchen isn't always as tidy when they're cooking! As adults, we're always learning more about food If parents interest their children in cooking while they are young, they'll have enough skill to make food for themselves when they leave home.'

1 What is the writer trying to do in the text?

warn parents not to expect too much from their

children

advertise schools that teach people how to cook

describe how some children spend their spare time

explain why parents want to learn more about

cooking

2 What can a reader find out from this text?

whicn dishes students prefer to cook on the course

why the classes are so successful

how much one lesson costs

when the next classes begin

3 Why did Flora join the course?

Her friends persuaded her to do it

She wanted to learn to cook a big meal

She felt bored at weekends, with nothing to do.Her mother wanted her to develop an interest

4 What does Philippe say about his young students?

They will be confident about cooking in the future.They have a good memory but don’t always listen.They keep the kitchen cleaner than adults do.They teach their parents what they have learnt in class

5 What would one of Philippe’s students say to a friend?

We made onion soup yesterday The course is great, although there are 30 people in my class

I go every Saturday, and now I can cook as well as my mum I’m ten, and I’m the oldest

It’s great No one’s over 15 and the food looks delicious I just wish we could eat it together instead of taking it home

I was on a waiting list for ages, but now I’m on the course Last week I cut up some onions - it was