Written Comprehension

I am 70 and consider myself active around the house and garden.
I’m up and down the stairs all day long, walk to and from the shops and visit friends.
Do I really need to exercise on top of all that?
My daughter says I do. What’s your professional opinion?

Where is the text taken from?
1. A letter to an advice column.
2. An advertisement for a sports centre.
3. An article about keeping fit.
4. A report about exercise for old people.
SCHOOL GAMES EVENING: this will now take place on Tuesday evening instead of Monday.
1. The school has scheduled the games evening on Tuesday.
2. There will be a games evening at the school on Monday and Tuesday.
3. The school has cancelled next Tuesday’s games evening.
4. The games evening on Tuesday will be in a different place.
Would there be detectives waiting for Sam at London Airport? It was crazy to leave Brazil.
In Brazil there was sun, freedom and beautiful women. He could live happily for years with his £50,000.
In Britain there was rain, trouble, policemen and a strong chance of prison.
Next to him, there was sitting a tall, incredibly beautiful girl who looked at him and said:
“My name’s Detective Sergeant Honeybone.”

Sam is:
1. A thief.
2. A detective.
3. A prisoner.
4. A sergeant.
The Olympic Games are held every four years.
In 1928, at Amsterdam, women competed in the athletics for the first time. It had not been easy for women at the Olympics.
None of the people who started the Olympic Games in the 1890s with Pierre de Coubertin were women.
There were no women athletes at the first Olympics and although some women were at the second Games in Paris in 1900,
the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not want women there: the first real Olympic medals for women were not until 1912, in swimming.
Women’s athletics started in 1928 but they could not run more than 200 metres until 1960!
Even in 1984, at Los Angeles, there were still no 5,000 or 10,000 metre races for women.
1. No women participated at the 1896 Olympics.
2. Women got their first medals in 1984.
3. Women have not been allowed to take part in the athletics since 1928.
4. Women were allowed to run a distance of 5,000 metres or more in 1912.
Travelling companion/driver required for American writer ; speaking English, other languages.
Chess player appreciated.
Excellent pay.
Write to Box 492, Newton Tribune.

To apply for this job, you must:
1. Speak several languages and like travelling.
2. Be good at sport and at driving.
3. Be friendly and rich.
4. Play chess and write novels.
The RSPCA has prosecuted two 19-year-old students for putting a hamster in an envelope and sending it.
A postman emptying the post-box was shocked to discover the hamster peeping out of a hole it had chewed in the envelope.
Thankfully the lucky rodent was not hurt and has now been re-housed with a veterinary nurse.
The students were prosecuted for abandoning a hamster and banned from owning any animal for 10 years.

In this story the rodent is:
1. The two students were punished for being cruel to an animal.
2. The postman was punished for opening the envelope.
3. The RSPCA protects students and rodents.
4. The two students are now allowed to own an animal for ten years.
A - There he went up to the castle with some of his men, put the guns out of order and started burning British ships.

B - The British did not laugh so much about America’s navy after Jones’ visit.

C - In the XVIIIth century the British thought they had the strongest navy in the world and they laughed at the small navy of their American colonies.

D - One night Captain John Paul Jones, an American sailor, decided to show the British that size was not everything and he brought his ship into the English harbour of Whitehaven.

Choose the right order.
1. C - D - A - B
2. D - C - B - A
3. A - B - C - D
4. B - A - D - C
More people are going to travel by plane and this will lead to more crowded skies and greater danger.
The increase in the number of planes will mean more pollution and building bigger planes won’t solve this problem.
In my opinion, the answer is to increase the cost of flying so that fewer people can afford to fly.

To make the world better, we should:
1. Sell more expensive air tickets.
2. Build bigger planes.
3. Build more planes.
4. Sell cheaper air tickets.
Two young women are awaiting trial in the Caribbean after being arrested for trying to smuggle out rare eggs of a near-extinct parrot.

The two women were arrested because
1. They were caught with something prohibited.
2. They had killed a rare bird.
3. They had stolen a rare parrot.
4. They had eaten parrot eggs.
A: “Would you mind if I asked you some questions?”
B: “Not at all, dear boy.”
A: “How long have you been a creature of the night?”
B: “Since 1327, that’s six hundred and seventy-nine years.”
A: “Wow, and how were you born if I can say that?”
B: “Well, I knocked at the Prince’s palace door one night because I wanted to suck his blood and…”

Who is A talking to?
1. A vampire.
2. His son.
3. A little boy.
4. A prince.
The Amish came from Switzerland at the end of the eighteenth century and they settled in Pennsylvania. It is said that they look the same, talk the same, live in the same houses and do the same jobs as they did more than two hundred years ago. Nearly all of them are farmers.
1. They haven't changed their way of life since they arrived.
2. The Amish who are described in this passage live in Switzerland.
3. They want to modernize their way of life.
4. They mainly live and work in big cities.
The Boston Tea Party was led by the American colonists against Great Britain when they destroyed many crates of tea bricks on ships in Boston Harbor.

This is:
1. an article in a history book about an incident in Boston
2. an advertisement for a special brand of tea
3. an English recipe to make a good cup of tea
4. an invitation to a tea party
"I had just turned right – there was nothing coming towards me – when a man on a bicycle ran into the road in front of me . He hadn't waited for the lights to change – they were still green for me and red for him. I didn't hit him, but unfortunately a green car knocked him over. The driver hadn't seen him."

This person:
1. is reporting an accident he/she has just seen
2. is explaining how he/she was hit by a green car
3. has just hurt a man in the street
4. has just seen strange lights in the street
"I have just changed schools. I was so popular at my old school but now, at my new school, it's awful because I sit alone on a bench thinking how happy I used to be."

Choose the appropriate title for this text.
1. I can't make friends.
2. Feeling better in my new school.
3. Happy at last !
4. Changing schools, a good solution.
"Once upon a time, there was a poor widow who had one little girl. She was very fond of her, and she made her a little red cloak with a hood, so people used to call her Little Red Riding Hood when they saw her go by with her little basket. One day, the mother asked the little girl to ….."

This text is an extract from:
1. a famous traditional story
2. a newspaper article
3. a police report
4. a detective story
"Ginger belongs to Jason but she also helps his younger brothers Andy and Scott, they have hearing problems too. When the two boys grow older, both of them hope they can have their own Hearing Ear dog too."
1. Ginger is Jason's dog.
2. Ginger is Jason's sister.
3. Ginger is Andy and Scott's brother.
4. Ginger has hearing problems.
London _______ is the world's oldest _________ . In 1826, a society was created for "the introduction of curious subjects to the animal kingdom."
The ______ opened in Regent's Park in 1928. London _______ is Britain's most popular wildlife centre.

The missing word is :
1. zoo
2. eye
3. underground
4. university
Every British town has one or more DIY centres and garden centers. They are like supermarkets for the home and garden. DIY centres sell things like wood for making shelves for example. People in Britain enjoy doing work on their home and garden, because it is cheaper than employing a builder or a gardener. And DIY and gardening are fun!

The correct definition of "DIY"is :
1. the activity of making things yourself instead of bying them ready-made
2. the activity of going shopping in supermarkets
3. someone who enjoys going shopping in supermarkets
4. someone who makes things for people's houses or gardens
Wise old Viking ruler King Canute governed England, Norway and Denmark, but he disliked the nobles who treated him as special. One day he invited them down to the beach at Southampton. Sitting before the incoming tide on his throne, he ordered the sea to go back. Of course, the water kept on rising and Canute got wet feet.

King Canute invited the nobles to the beach to show them:
1. he was just a normal man
2. he could stop the waves
3. he could swim well
4. he was a man with special powers
A - A few weeks later Harry and Brenda got married but as she insisted on living in Scotland, he had to change his job.
B - Harry had a good job working for Harrods in London.
C - The only job he could get was in a small kilt factory and it was very badly paid, that’s why in a desperate effort to get some more money, Harry tried to rob a bank and was arrested.
D - One evening his friends took him to the disco and he met a lovely girl there.

Choose the right order.
1. B - D - A - C
2. B - D - C - A
3. A - C - B - D
4. A - C - D - B
Anyone who goes to Antarctica must be fully equipped to cope with the rigours of the climate. You must take all your own food, your own hut, lots of clothing, and, if you want electricity, your own generator to make it. When we arrived, all we found was a cold, icy, empty beach, exactly the same as Captain Scott found in 1911.

Choose the best title for this extract:
1. Survival in Antarctica.
2. Captain Scott’s expedition in Antarctica.
3. Tourists lost in Antarctica.
4. Winter in Antarctica.
Today is the first of June 2007. Mr Jenkins started working as a clerk exactly thirteen years ago. Today he does exactly the same job as when he started.

As a conclusion, we can say Mr Jenkins:
1. has worked as a clerk since 1994
2. worked as a clerk for 13 years
3. worked as a clerk for 30 years
4. has worked as a clerk since 1977
I’ve never left England and I don’t want to. I mean, once you cross the Channel you meet a lot of disgusting foreigners, don’t you? Disgusting habits! Shocking food! They eat rats and snakes and things like that, you know. I’ve heard that foreigners hardly ever wash.

Which sentence IS NOT correct? The narrator has never left England because he says that:
1. a lot of foreigners live in his country
2. he doesn’t like foreigners
3. most foreigners eat badly
4. most foreigners are dirty people
To become a stunt performer Chrissy had to acquire six qualifications in various areas. She chose weight training, fencing, gymnastics, swimming, diving and trampolining. The levels of achievement are very high and Chrissy spent about a year training to get her qualifications.

Which adjective best qualifies Chrissy?
1. determined
2. dangerous
3. lazy
4. undecided
The storm was impossible to describe. Then someone started screaming something about a huge leak in the engine room. We all ran up onto the deck. I was sure I would never be able to get to one of the lifeboats. There were too many people fighting over them. I also knew that I would go down with the ship if I stayed any longer because it was going to sink any minute.

This extract is about:
1. a disaster at sea
2. an easy crossing
3. an ordinary voyage
4. a voyage ending well
Peter has two pairs of ears. One pair looks like everybody else's.The other pair is covered with fur. Peter is deaf. His furry ears belong to a dog named Lassie. Lassie is a Hearing Ear dog, trained to hear for nine-year-old Peter. In return for helping him, Peter takes care of Lassie in feeding, grooming and walking her.

Which sentence is NOT correct?
1. Lassie is Peter's sister.
2. Peter can't live properly without Lassie.
3. Peter is disabled.
4. Lassie is a she-dog.
When Francis told his crew (166 men in all) that he wanted to sail from the west coast of Africa to South America, some of the seamen objected as no Englishman had ever done that and a mutiny broke out led by Doughty. Francis landed south of Brazil and dealt with Doughty who was executed for betrayal.

In this passage we learn that ...
1. it was the first time an Englishman had sailed across the Atlantic.
2. Francis and Doughty got on well with each other.
3. Francis and Doughty were good friends.
4. Francis and Doughty were not sailors.
A The drunken driver who hit Philip was coming back from a birthday party and was doing 80 mph in a 50 mph area.

B Eventually, the driver who had killed our son at 4.30 p.m. was free by 7.00. He would later receive a sentence of four years in prison but he served only a year and four months.

C It was Palm Sunday 1992. At 4.30 p.m., our son Philip was riding his bike home from a tennis match.

D When they brought the driver to hospital to test his blood alcoholic level, he joked to the nurse about his fear of needles!

Choose the correct order.
1. C - A - D - B
2. C - A - B - D
3. D - B - C - A
4. B - D - A - C
Bill was a teacher in San Francisco where many of his students celebrated Chinese New Year. Traditionally,
kids get small red envelopes with money enclosed from family members. I thought it would be fun to give my
students envelopes. I didn't want to give them real cash so I enclosed miniature $ 1,000 bills inside each envelope. When one of my students opened her envelope, she was horrified. She informed me that at Chinese funerals, people burn fake money to symbolize prosperity in the afterlife for the deceased. By giving kids fake money I was in a sense telling them "I hope you die."

Which sentence best sums up the situation?
1. Different people, different habits.
2. Chinese people like fake money.
3. Chinese people don't like American dollars.
4. Chinese people don't like getting small red envelopes.
Martha decided to bet £1 on a horse called "Dublin boy" simply because she had spent a very pleasant holiday in that city. However, when she got to the betting-window, all she had in her purse was a £10 note. She did not realise she could ask for change and hesitated. The man behind her shouted "Hurry up!", so Martha became nervous and confused and bet the whole £10. The odds on the horse were 100/1. At the last fence it was running second. The leading horse suddenly stumbled and fell and "Dublin boy" won. Then Martha went to collect her £1,000.

Choose the appropriate title for the text.
1. Lucky Martha
2. Martha from Dublin
3. Poor Martha
4. Unlucky Martha
If your students are reluctant to read, give them some non-traditional options. Song lyrics, vacation brochures,
assembly instructions, product labels, and catalogues all offer opportunities to "read outside the book."

This is a piece of advice for ...
1. teachers whose students don't like reading.
2. students who enjoy reading.
3. teachers who hate reading.
4. students whose teachers can't stand reading.
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."
(Mother Teresa)

In this sentence we learn that ...
1. the echo of nice words has got no limit at all.
2. the echo of nice words has got a limit.
3. the echo of children's words has got a limit.
4. the echo of children's words has got no limit at all.
Interviewer: So Malcolm, you're ... you're a quadruplet. Now what was your mother's reaction when she had four babies at the same time?

Malcolm: Well ... er ... My mother wasn't prepared for me, you know. I was born in 1959 and in those days ... er ... pregnant women did not have scans and the doctor'd told her that ... that she was expecting twins.

Interviewer: Oh my goodness!

Malcolm: Er ... Andy was the fist born, followed thirty minutes later by Nathan and, imagine her surprise, when he was followed after another twenty minutes by Kenny. Now when I turned up half an hour later er ...she could hardly believe it.

The best title for this passage is:
1. An unexpected event.
2. An only child.
3. A happy father.
4. Nieces and nephews.
This house to rent is quite a big place which can accommodate up to eight people. The owners, who are away on holiday, welcome families with children but would rather not have any pets in their house. Please note that they don't mind smokers.

Choose the right answer.
1. Smokers are allowed to rent this house.
2. Parents with eight children can rent this house.
3. All animals are really welcome.
4. Smokers are not allowed to rent this house.
Two wolves, one male and one female, were recently shot because local sheep farmers had complained that their flocks had been attacked by wolves. The government has plans to kill even more wolves and the battle between environmentalists and farmers is getting worse.

The passage tells us that ...
1. the government agrees with the killing of wolves.
2. some environmentalists killed two wolves.
3. some sheep farmers were killed by two wolves.
4. two wolves were killed by some sheep.
What did I do all day? I got Pat up, got him dressed and got him off to school. I shopped and cleaned. I was waiting for him at the school gates in the afternoon when he came out. Then I made sandwiches, read to him and got him ready for bed. What did I do all day?

The man here ...
1. is telling us how he used to spend his days.
2. is called Pat and is explaining what he used to do when he was young.
3. is speaking about his own childhood as a little child.
4. wants to show how difficult school was when he was a child.
She is the daughter of a rock star worth £100 million. But 24-year-old Kimberley Stewart is having to learn the value of money by working in a boutique for £6 an hour. Her father Rod is worried that all his children have become too dependent on him and is forcing them to make their own way in the world.

Which sentence is correct?
1. Rod wants his children to earn their living.
2. Kimberley is a rock star.
3. Kimberley is worth one hundred million dollars.
4. Kimberley to work in a shop.
The thrilling opening rescue attempt, played out in front of a monster space battle is amazing. As always, the special effects are astounding. This film is everything it should be - tragic, scary, thrilling and amazing.

The film which is spoken about here must be ...
1. a science fiction film.
2. a historical film.
3. a romantic film.
4. an animal documentary.
Dear Mr President,
I received your invitation three days after I had agreed to go to a dinner honoring the wonderful high school teacher who taught me how to write. I know you will not miss me at your dinner, but she will be disappointed if I don't go to hers.

About the man who writes the letter, which sentence is NOT correct?
1. He will go to the President's dinner.
2. His high school teacher is a woman.
3. He will go to the high school teacher's dinner.
4. He won't go to the President's dinner.
THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA

ANY PERSON WHO PERMITS A DOG TO FOUL THE FOOTPATH IS LIABLE TO PROSECUTION UNDER THE COUNCIL'S BYE-LAW

MAXIMUM PENALTY £ 20

You will be prosecuted if ...
1. your dog dirties the footpath.
2. you haven't got twenty pounds.
3. you walk your dog along the footpath.
4. your dog walks along the footpath.

Written Comprehension - B1

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