You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-8, choose the answer (A-D) which you think fits best according to the text.
On Saturday mornings I worked in the family shop. I started cycling down to the shop with Dad on Saturdays as soon as I was big enough. I thought of it as giving him a hand and so I didn't mind what I did, although it was mostly just fetching and carrying at a run all morning. I managed not to think of it as work and I looked forward to the bar of chocolate my grandmother passed me unsmilingly as I left. I tried not to look at her; I had reason to feel guilty because I'd generally already eaten some dried fruits or a sliver of cheese when no one was looking. As soon, as I was fifteen, though, Dad said, 'That's it, our Janet. You're of working age now and you're not coming to work unless your grandmother pays you properly.' He did his best to make his chin look determined. I shall speak to her.'
The next Saturday, Gran called me into her little office behind the shop. I always hated going in there. She had an electric heater on full blast, and the windows were always kept tightly closed whatever the weather. There were piles of dusty catalogues and brochures on the floor. 'You're wanting to get paid, I hear,' Gran said. 'Yes, please,' I replied. It was rather like visiting the, headmistress at school, so I was very quiet and respectful. Gran searched through the mess of papers? on her crowded desk, sighing and clicking her tongue. Eventually she produced an official-looking leaflet and ran her fingers along the columns of figures. 'How old are you?' 'Fifteen ... Gran,' I added for extra politeness, but she looked at me as if I had been cheeky. 'Full-timers at your age get forty pounds for a thirty-five-hour week,' she announced in such a way as to leave no doubt that she wasn't in favour of this. 'No wonder there's no profit in shopkeeping. So, Janet, what's that per hour?' Questions like that always flustered me. Instead of trying to work them out in my head, I would just stand there, unable to think straight. "I'l get a pencil and paper," I offered. 'Don't bother,' snapped Gran angrily, I'll do it myself. I'll give you a pound an hour; take it or leave it.' I'll take it, please.' 'And I expect real work for it, mind. No standing about, and if I catch you eating any of the stock, there'll be trouble. That's theft, and it's a crime.'
From then on, my main job at the shop was filling the shelves. This was dull, but I hardly expected to be trusted with handling the money. Once or twice, however, when Dad was extra busy, I'd tried to help him by serving behind the counter. I hated it. It was very difficult to remember the prices of everything and I was particularly hopeless at using the till. Certain customers made unkind remarks about this, increasing my confusion and the chances of my making a fool of myself.
It was an old-established village shop, going back 150 years at least and it was really behind the times even then. Dad longed to be able to make the shop more attractive to customers, but Gran wouldn't hear of it. I overheard them once arguing about whether to buy a freezer cabinet. 'Our customers want frozen food,' Dad said. 'They see things advertised and if they can't get them from us, they'll go elsewhere.' 'Your father always sold fresh food,' Gran replied. 'People come here for quality, they don't want all that frozen stuff.'
Actually, she gave way in the end over the freezer. Mr Timson, her great rival, installed one in his shop at the other end of the village and customers started making loud comments about how handy it was, being able to get frozen food in the village, and how good Mr Timson's sausages were. That really upset her because she was proud of her sausages and she ungraciously gave Dad the money to buy the freezer. Within a couple of weeks, she was eating frozen food like the rest of us.
1 How did Janet feel when she first started her Saturday morning job?
A
She enjoyed the work that she was given.
B
She was pleased to be helping her father.
C
She worried that she was not doing it well.
D
She was only really interested in the reward.
2 What do we learn about her grandmother's office in the second paragraph?
A
It needed decorating.
B
It was untidy.
C
It had too much furniture in it.
D
It was dark.
3 'This' (paragraph 2) refers to
A
shopkeepers' profits.
B
a thirty-five-hour week.
C
Janet's request.
D
the recommended wage.
4 'Flustered' (paragraph 2) means
A
bored.
B
angered.
C
confused.
D
depressed.
5 Why did Janet's grandmother react angrily to her offer to fetch a pencil and paper?
A
Janet was unable to answer her question.
B
Janet had been unwilling to help her.
C
Janet had made an unhelpful suggestion.
D
Janet had answered her rudely.
6What did Janet's father and grandmother disagree about?
A
how to keep their customers loyal to the shop
B
the type of advertising needed to attract customers
C
the type of customers they needed to attract
D
how to get new customers to come to the shop
7What eventually persuaded Janet's grandmother to buy a freezer?
A
She found that she liked frozen food after all.
B
A new shop opening in the village had one.
C
It was suggested that her products weren't fresh.
D
She responded to pressure from her customers.
8 What impression do we get of Janet's feelings towards her grandmother?
A
She respected her fairness.
B
She doubted her judgement.
C
She disliked her manner.
D
She admired her determination.
YOUR ANSWER TASK 1
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8
TASK 2
You are going to read an article written by someone who lives in a house in a valley. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each gap (9-15). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
A
It was the river, the Ryburn, which normally flowed so gently, that threatened us most.
B
And yet the immense power of all this water above us prevents us from ever believing ourselves to be completely safe in our home.
C
They twisted and turned, rising eastwards and upwards, warning of what was to come.
D
It was far deeper than we'd ever seen it so near our home, lunging furiously at its banks.
E
We can thus enjoy, rather than fear, the huge clouds that hang over the valley, and can be thrilled by the tremendous power which we know the river possesses.
F
It almost completely blocked our lane and made the streamside path slippery and dangerous.
G
There in the heights it was like the Niagara Falls, as the water surged over the edge of the dam and poured into the stream below.
H
It was the year when the storms came early, before the calendar even hinted at winter, even before November was out.
Living in the valley
We had been living in our valley for sixteen months when we first realised the dangers that could exist in the surrounding hills and threaten our very survival.
9_____ Until that time, we had felt safe and sheltered in our valley below the protecting hills.
Soon snow began to fall. Within a day it lay some 15 centimetres deep. 10_____ But on the neighbouring heights the snow was much deeper and stayed for longer. Up there the wind blasted fiercely. Deep in our valley we felt only sudden gusts of wind; trees swayed but the branches held firm.
And yet we knew that there was reason for us to worry. The snow and wind were certainly inconvenient but they did not really trouble us greatly. 11_____ It reminded us of what could have occurred if circumstances had been different, if the flow of water from the hills had not, many years before, been controlled, held back by a series of dams.
In a short time the snow started to melt. Day after day, we watched furious clouds pile up high over the hills to the west. Sinister grey clouds extended over the valleys. 12_____ We had seen enough of the sky; now we began to watch the river, which every day was becoming fuller and wilder.
The snow was gradually washed away as more and more rain streamed from the clouds, but high up in the hills the reservoir was filling and was fast approaching danger level. And then it happened - for the first time in years the reservoir overflowed.13_____
The river seemed maddened as the waters poured almost horizontally down to its lower stretches. Just a couple of metres from our cottage, the stream seemed wild beneath the bridge. 14_____ For three days we prayed that it would stay below its wall. Fortunately, our prayers were answered as the dam held and the waters began to subside.
On many occasions through the centuries before the dam was built, the river had flooded the nearby villages in just such a rage. Now, though, the dam restricts the flow of the river and usually all is well; the great mass of water from the hills, the product of snow and torrential rain, remains behind its barrier with just the occasional overflow. 15_____ Thanks to this protection we can feel our home in the valley is still secure and safe.
YOUR ANSWER TASK 2
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9
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TASK 3
You are going to read a magazine article in which five people talk about their characters. For questions 16-30, choose from the people (A-E). The people may be chosen more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order.
Which person or people state(s) the following?
16
I used to avoid giving my opinions at work.
17
Taking time off for your professional development can make you feel more self-assured.
18
I never thought I'd be a confident person.
19
I'm not influenced by people's opinions of me.
20
Everyone gets nervous at times.
21
Everyone gets nervous at times.
22
Initially, I misunderstood what confidence was.
23
I find making notes very supportive in my work.
24
A certain event changed the course of my life.
25
A certain event changed the course of my life.
26
I've worked on having a confident appearance.
27
I am realistic about my abilities.
28
I am realistic about my abilities.
29
My behaviour helps others relax too.
30
Getting things wrong can have a positive result.
Confident people What's their secret? Confident people may look as though they were bow that way, but most will tell you that it's a skill they've learned because they had to. Nina Hathway asks Jive people how they did it.
A Jenny
When I left school I was very shy and I always thought I'd stay that way. I was about twenty-five when I was asked to help out at my daughter's school. I was sure I wouldn't cope, but I surprised myself by doing well and someone there suggested that I should do a university course. There was a huge knot in my stomach the day I turned up for my first lecture. But my confidence gradually grew - I became more outgoing. Looking back, working at the school was the turning point in my life that has helped everything else fall into place.
B Michaela
It all started four years ago when my father became ill and I had to take over the family business. I was so scared, I went over the top and became a bit too aggressive and impatient. I thought that was what confident people were like, but gradually I learned otherwise. To be confident you've got to believe in yourself. If things get too demanding for me at work, I don't let myself feel guilty if I save a number of tasks until the next day. When I'm confronted with something difficult, I tell myself that I've got nothing to lose. It's fear that makes you lack confidence, so I'm always having quiet chats with myself to put aside those fears!
C Lisa
People think I'm very confident but, in fact, the calmer I look, the more terrified I really am. I've had to develop the ability to look confident because it's the most vital thing in TV. Interviewing people has helped me realise that most - if not all — of us get tense in important situations, and we feel calmer when we speak to someone who's genuinely friendly. The best ever piece of advice came from my mother when I was agonising as a teenager about wearing the right clothes. She simply cried, 'Who's looking at you? Everybody's too busy worrying about how they look.' I've found that's well worth remembering. I also think you gain confidence by tackling things that scare you. When I took my driving test I was so nervous, but I passed. After that I felt sure that I'd never feel so frightened again, and I never have.
D Barbara
My confidence comes naturally from really enjoying the work I do, but it's something that I've built up over the years. If you just get on with it and leam from any mistakes you make, you're more confident the next time round. I work hard and I'm popular in the restaurant, but it's probable that one out often people doesn't like me. I don't let that affect me. You've got to like yourself for what you are, not try to be what others expect. My company runs a lot of training courses, and going on those has built up my self-esteem. The company also encourages employees to set manageable targets. It helps no end if you can see you're achieving something tangible, rather than reaching for the stars all at once, and ending up with nothing but air!
E Kim
After I left college I worked for years as a secretary and would sit in meetings, not always agreeing with what was being said, but too scared to speak up. Eventually, I summoned up the confidence to start making my point. Even so, when I first worked in politics, I'd never spoken in public before and always used to shake like a leaf. I would say to myself, 'Don't be so silly. People do this every day of their lives, so there's no reason why you can't.' I also found it helpful to jot a few things down to refer to - rather like having a comfort blanket! I don't think there is anyone who isn't a little shaky when it comes to talking publicly. The real secret of confidence hes in telling yourself over and over again, 'Nothing is impossible.'
YOUR ANSWER TASK 3
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16
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TASK 4
For questions 31-42, read the text below and decide which answer (А-D) best fits each gap.
Everyone's an artist
Every year, the village of Pettineo celebrates its unique arts festival. For a few days each summer, artists from all over Europe 31_____ at this village near the north coast of Sicily to 32_____ the creative atmosphere. During their stay, the artists get together with the local people to paint a one-kilometre long picture that runs the 33_____ of the high street. 34_____ the painting is done, each visiting artist joins a local family for a big lunch and, 35_____ the meal, the family receives the 36_____ of the painting that the artist has painted. As a result, 37_____ few villagers are rich, almost every home has at least one painting by a well-known European artist. Visitors to the village are eagerly 38_____ into homes to see these paintings. The festival was the idea of Antonio Presti, a local businessman who 39_____ it up several years ago. Since then, Pettineo has 40_____ a sort of domestic art museum in 41_____ any visitor can ring a doorbell, go into a house and 42_____ a painting. In addition to this exhibition of paintings in people's homes, for those who have time to spare, there is an opportunity to wander through the display of huge sculptures in the village square.
