You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-8, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which
you think fits best according to the text. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.
I chose a small house on the edge of the city. It was an ideal place for me, because I wanted fresh
mountain air, space, privacy, a place where one could feel the presence of ancient gods and the spirits
of nature. The house was merely an empty shell, but I chose it because it was on the sunny side of
the valley, high enough to have a good view over the town, with sufficient breeze to diminish the
occasionally stupefying heat. It took me a good year to make the place inhabitable.
The first thing that I did was to dig out the well at the side of the house, which had caved in on itself
and was full of mud and rocks. I was helped in this by a Frenchman named Antoine, a man of
considerable culture who had chosen to live here because he was attached to the people, with whom
he had arrived in the original immigration. We repaired the walls and the roof of the house, and
painted the rooms completely white so that they became suddenly clean, bright, and spacious.
Antoine and I managed, at some danger to ourselves, to install electricity by connecting up a cable
to the faltering system invented by a teacher. This man was Professor Luis, who had set up a row of
windmills to generate power; this was perfectly adequate for lighting, but was somewhat feeble when
high amperage was required, so that the electric cooker that I had flown in by helicopter turned out
to be more use as a storage cupboard.
It often happens when setting up a house that one finds quite suddenly that there is an urgent need
for some item overlooked during the last expedition. The track down from my house was a deeply
line 18 pitted one that served as a watercourse each time that it rained, and although I have stabilised it
since, it was to begin with only negotiable on foot or by mule, or by Antoine's ancient three-wheeled
tractor. This tractor had been half-buried in the mud of the flood at Chiriguana, but Senor Vivo's
father, who is in fact General Sosa, governor of Cesar, had it dug out and brought in slung under a
vast helicopter gunship, at his son's request. It is commonly said in this country that General So sa is
the only member of the military hierarchy who ever does anything useful.
There was, at the far end of the town, a tienda that sold goods brought in by mule-train from
Ipasueno, and so every few days I would find myself rattling and bumping my way to it on Antoine's
formidable old tractor. This shop was owned by a middle-aged couple who left the running of it to
their daughter, a girl of twenty or so years whose name was Ena, as I discovered by overhearing the
father asking of her the price of a bottle of Ron Cana.
Ena was small and strongly built; usually she wore a plain, faded blue dress, and her feet were always
bare. Sometimes I used to think that her head was very slightly too large for her, but she had an
appealing and serene face framed by her long black hair. She reminded me forcibly of a Greek girl
with whom I had once been in love, for she had the same smooth and soft olive skin, and big brown
eyes beneath eyebrows almost heavy enough to meet in the middle. On her forearms were the traces
of soft black downy hair, which to be frank, is something that has always driven me crazy, and her
fingers were slim and elegant.
The best thing about her, however, was her elfin spirit; she had an air of quiet amusement, an
innocent devilry, that gave her the aura of having existed from all eternity, and of being able to see
the funny side of everything. I perceived that she had a streak of mischief in her. as was to be revealed
when I discovered how it was that she had kept me for so long in ignorance.
6
Practice Test 1
What attracted the writer to the house?
A where it was located
B how big it was
e the view it gave of the valley
D the condition it was in
Read the text once quickly to get
a general idea of what it is about,
before looking at the questions.
According to the writer, Antoine
A had recently arrived.
B liked to keep to himself.
e was a foreigner.
D painted for a living.
3 What impression does the writer give of the electricity supply?
A It was too dangerous to use.
B It didn't always work properly.
e It only worked when it was windy.
D It was a very reliable system.
4 The writer uses the phrase 'served as a watercourse' (line 18) to show that the path
A had many deep holes.
B was difficult to walk on.
e was sometimes flooded.
D needed to be repaired.
5 Why was General Sosa unlike other military officers?
A He liked helping his relatives.
B He was in charge of the area.
e He managed to get things done.
D He had his own private helicopter.
How did the writer find out what Ena's name was?
A Her father told him when he asked.
B Someone mentioned her name.
e He heard a customer asking for her.
D Antoine gave him the information.
7 What criticism of Ena does the writer make?
A She never wore shoes .
.B She wasn't interested in clothes.
e Her eyebrows were too thick.
D Her head seemed to be too big.
8 What did the writer like best about Ena?
A her sense of humour
B her physical appearance
e her innocent ignorance
D her resemblance to someone
7
PART 1
You are going to read an article about a music festival. For questions 1-8, choose tl'1'e answer (A, B, Cor
D) which you think fits best according to the text. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.
The Glastonbury Festival
Entering the already crowded festival site, I
was a little uneasy. I'd heard discouraging tales of
muddy fields, shocking toilet facilities and not
being able to find your tent among so many
others exactly the same as yours. I had, of course,
tried to prepare for every eventuality. In my
rucksack were a brightly coloured flag to raise
above my tent so I could find it easily, bright
green wellington boots and - just in case the sun
did come out - some suncream. As it turned out,
all of them proved to be very useful.
The three-day Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, held on Worthy
Farm in Somerset every June, is the largest openair music festival in the world. The festival grew
from humble beginnings in 1970 into the massive
event it is today. The main organiser of the
festival is the farm's owner, Michael Eavis, who
started it all up because he likes music, and he still
makes the final choice of which big-name bands
will appear. Over 100,000 tickets were sold this
year, which is a lot of organisation for one farmer.
(In fact he does hire a music promotion
organisation to help him sort out all the
complications of running such a huge festival, so
he isn't quite all on his own.)
But it's not just music at the festival. As I
wandered about the site, looking for somewhere
to pitch my tent, I realised that this was, indeed, a
festival of performing arts. There were theatre
tents, dance performances, jugglers and mime
artists all over the site. You certainly wouldn't
starve in this place, either. I'd never seen so many
food stalls in my life. Whether you prefer Thai,
Indian and African, to mention just a few, or even
good old English staples such as jacket potatoes,
there was something for everyone.
Mer a pleasant evening of meeting people
line 39 from every imaginable walk of life and dancing
18
the night away at the dance village, I awoke to the
sounds of thunder and lightning. The downpour
only lasted a couple of hours, but it was still one
of the worst rainstorms of the past 100 years. I
was one of the lucky ones. Although my tent
leaked a bit and my clothing was damper than I
would have liked, at least I was on high ground.
Some poor souls who had camped further down
the hill had to try to retrieve whatever belongings
they could from tents submerged under four feet
of water. The organisers did an efficient job of
mopping up most of the water fairly quickly, but
there was no escaping the mud. Festival-goers
didn't let that dampen their spirits in the least,
though, and thanks to my green wellies, nor did 1.
The famous Pyramid Stage had its usual lineup of great bands and there were plenty of big
names playing on the Other Stage, too. In fact,
there are so many stages, with so many different
types of music and things going on, that it can be
really difficult getting to see and do everything
you want to. I found myself running from one
venue to the next, trying to catch at least part of
my favourite acts, and still missed a few
altogether.
Then it was all over, and I had to pack up my
mud-caked belongings and head back to the real
world again. It had been a pleasant surprise to
discover that 100,000 people crammed into
muddy fields in basic conditions (the stories I'd
been told about the toilets were true) can still
manage to have the ' time of their lives. Tickets
aren't cheap, but since over £1 million in
proceeds from the festival goes to charity, it
would be childish to complain. I left clutching the
handcrafted souvenirs bought from various stalls,
and with a warm, happy feeling that I'm sure is
shared by anyone who has experienced the magic
of the Glastonbury Festival.
Practice Test 2
1 When the writer arrived at the festival, she
A was afraid she might not enjoy it.
B had to walk across muddy fields.
C was wearing wellington boots.
D was shocked by the toilets.
'I '
Read only the question or question
stems, not the options, and underline
the key words. This will help you
read more effectively later.
2 The organisation of the festival
A is managed by Michael Eavis alone.
B is difficult due to the size of the project.
C takes just a few days in the summer.
D is completely controlled by a music company.
3 What impression did the writer get walking round the festival?
A There was too much food on sale.
B It was a very theatrical festival.
C It was easy to get lost on the site.
D There was lots to see and do.
4 The writer uses the phrase 'from every imaginable walk of life' (line 39) to show
A the lively way people at the festival behaved.
B what activities people were doing at the festival.
C there were a wide variety of p'eople at the festival.
D how many people she had met at the dance village.
5 The flooding didn't affect the writer as much as some people because
A her tent didn't let any water in.
B she had set up her tent on a hill.
C she didn't mind wearing damp clothes.
D the organisers were good at their job.
What complaint did the writer have about the performances at the festival?
A She didn't manage to see some performances.
B She became tired from running around the site.
C There was too much music on at the festival.
D It wasn't possible to see a full performance.
What feature of the festival had the writer not expected?
A Tickets for the festival were very expensive.
B There were over 100,000 people there.
C Festival profits are donated to charity.
D It was enjoyable despite the lack of comfort.
What was the writer's attitude to the festival by the end of it?
A She realised the discouraging stories she'd heard were untrue.
B She felt that attending the festival had been a special experience.
C She thought she had spent too much on tickets and souvenirs.
D She was sad that she would have to go back to a normal life again.
19
PART 1
You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-8, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which
you think fits best according to the text. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.
It would be simple enough to follow him. Roger was a man of habits, and even when his hours of
work were irregular he would still take his mid-day meal, whenever he did take it, at Percy's. Miss
Temple found an antique bookshop across the street where, as she was obliged to purchase
something for standing so long watching through its window, she on impulse selected a complete
four-volume Illustrated Lives of Sea Martyrs. The books were detailed enough for her to spend the
time in the window, apparently examining the books, while actually watching Roger first enter and
then, after an hour, exit alone, from the heavy doors across the street.
He walked straight back to his office in the Ministry courtyard. Miss Temple arranged for her
purchase to be delivered to the Boniface, and walked back into the street, feeling like a fool. She had
re-crossed the square before she convinced herself that she was not so much a fool as an
inexperienced observer. It was pointless to watch from outside the restaurant because only from
inside could she have discovered whether or not Roger dined alone or with others, or with which
particular others - all important information.
She had a pretty good feeling that the crime she believed he had committed wasn't to benefit his
work, which meant she was likely to learn nothing from observing his working day. It was after work
that any real information would be gathered. Abruptly she entered a store whose windows were thick
with all shapes of luggage, hampers, oilskins, lanterns, telescopes, and a large assortment of walking
sticks. She left wearing a ladies' black travelling cloak, with a deep hood and several well hidden
pockets, opera glasses, a leather-bound notebook and an all-weather pencil. Miss Temple then took
her tea.
Between cups of tea and two cakes, she made entries in the notebook, summarising her plan and
then describing the day's work so far. That she now had a kind of uniform and a set of tools made
everything that much easier and much less about her particular feelings, for tasks requiring clothes
and supporting equipment seemed somehow more objective, even scientific, in nature. In keeping
with this, she made a point to write her entries in a kind of code, replacing proper names and places
with synonyms or word-play that hopefully would not be understood by anyone but herself.
Miss Temple left the tea shop at four o'clock, knowing Roger to leave usually at five, and hired
a carriage. She instructed her driver in a low, direct tone of voice, after assuring him he would be
well paid for his time, that they would be following a gentleman, most likely in another carriage, and
that she would knock on the roof of the coach to indicate the man when he appeared. The driver
line 31 nodded, but said nothing else. She took his silence to mean that this was a usual enough thing, and
felt all the more sure of herself. When Roger appeared, some forty minutes later, she nearly missed
him, amusing herself for the moment by peering through the opera glasses into nearby open
windows, but a sudden feeling caused her to glance back at the courtyard gates just in time to see
Roger, standing in the road with an air of confidence and purpose that took her breath away, flag
down a coach of his own. Miss Temple knocked sharply on the roof of the coach and they were off.
The thrill of the chase, complicated by the nervousness of seeing Roger, was qui : lost when,
after the first few turns, it became obvious that Roger's destination was nowhere more interesting
than his own home.
30
Practice Test 3
1 Miss Temple thought it would be easy to follow Roger because
A he always took a break at the same time.
B his work schedule never changed.
C he always ate lunch at a particular location.
D she already knew the schedule of his working day.
Underline parts of the text where
you expect to find the answers to
each question. Write the question
number in the margin if it helps you.
2 Miss Temple bought a book at the bookshop because
A she suddenly felt like buying something.
B she was forced to by the shop owner.
C she wanted a way to pass the time.
D she needed an excuse to stay there.
3 What mistake did Miss Temple soon realise she had made?
A She had waited for Roger in the wrong place
B She needn't have made a purchase at the bookshop
C She should have followed Roger back to the Ministry when she had had the chance
D She had re-crossed the square at the wrong place
4 Miss Temple decided to follow Roger after work because
A she believed that was the time she could find out what she wanted to know.
B she couldn't see what he was doing inside his office.
C she didn't want to risk him seeing her outside his office.
D she had other, more important things to do during the working day.
5 How did Miss Temple's purchases make her feel about what she was doing?
A more determined
B less personally involved
C better prepared
D less confused
6 The word 'this' in line 31 refers to
A the driver's silence.
B banging on the hood of the carriage.
C being asked to follow someone.
D paying drivers well for their time.
When Roger left his office at about five o'clock, Miss Temple
A watched him through her new opera glasses.
B saw him just before he got into a carriage.
C had a sudden feeling of breathlessness.
D pretended to be looking into an open window.
Miss Temple's excitement at following Roger
A increased each time she caught sight of him.
B turned into boredom after a while.
C ended when her carriage started following him.
D disappeared when she realised where he was going.
31