Know your level of English language proficiency

Fill in the profile with information from the text.

Example

This is my best friend, Marisa. She’s twenty-four. She’s from Brazil, and she’s a professional singer. I’m happy she got that job, because she loves music.

a) Name: Marisa

b) Age: twenty-four

c) Profession: singer

d) Nationality: Brazilian

e) Likes: music

This is my teacher, Teddy. He teaches at the First English Academy and he spends most evenings doing yoga.

He had his thirtieth birthday last week but he looks a bit older and more serious. He’s from Spain but he’s been working in London for the last two years. He really likes cooking. My favourite dish of his is spaghetti carbonara. It is delicious!

Most of his family lives in Spain. He also has two brothers, Jimmy and Matty, and a sister called Annie. In London, he lives with his dog called Goofy.

Two people have written into an advice column of a newspaper. Read their letters and the advice, then fill in the gaps in the summaries. Complete the summary using ONE word from the text.

Dear Fiona,

My boyfriend has helped me through such a lot. When I was sacked from my job, and didn’t have enough money to pay the rent, I felt lost. I couldn’t find any sense of purpose. He supported me and I was thrilled when he let me move in with him while I sent off applications. Then my mother became ill, and although I was anxious, he helped me get through it.

But recently we had a conversation that made me question whether the relationship can last. I told him at some point I want kids, but he has two from a previous relationship and doesn’t want any more. He said two is enough to be responsible for, and he doesn’t want to be around babies again. I burst into tears. I was devastated. Now I think we should break up, but I don’t think I’d cope.

Ariana

Fiona says:

Dear Ariana,

You are unlikely to be able to step straight into another relationship, so if having a child is an absolute priority for you, you might be best freeing yourself now. On the other hand, if you and your boyfriend are strong together, you could give him a year to reflect – and give both of you time to explore compromises. After all, just because he doesn’t want to face the early ages, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be prepared to foster older children. Would that be a good option? At least give it some thought.

Dear Fiona,

I’ve worked outside most of my life. I was in construction for years before switching and becoming a bus driver. After years of work, I quit to care for my wife full-time. I thought it was a good plan, but it’s not worked out. I’m depressed and on medication. I struggle even with the housework. I’d rather just curl up in bed. I used to be active, so I don’t get why. My wife, who’s in a wheelchair, moans to me about the state the house is in, and says I should something about it, which makes me angry.

Chris

Fiona says:

You have made huge changes to your lifestyle and the repetitive nature of housework can feel disheartening. It sounds like you think you need to get everything done at once, and that’s really not necessary. Focus on one or two tasks a day, otherwise it’s easy to feel like there’s just too much. You mustn’t get angry with your wife; remember, she’s feeling the loss of her role too. Look after yourself as well as her. Make time for breaks and exercising, pursuing hobbies and keeping up with friends

Texts A-C are about social enterprises – companies that have been set up to help people rather than to make a profit. Read texts A-C and decide if the sentences apply to text A, text B, text C or none of the texts.

Text A:

A leading Sussex sight loss charity has received a prestigious national award endorsing its innovative approach to fundraising. The Social Enterprise Mark has been awarded to Torchlight, based in Brighton, in recognition of the work it does to help visually impaired people live fuller and more independent lives. Charity director Emlyn Evans said: “Torchlight has been supporting the blind and visually impaired since 1869. The charity has evolved in that time, and now provides much-needed practical assistance for sight-impaired people, as well as education and social integration. Our methods of raising money, which is crucial if we are to continue providing these services, has also developed in recent years.” He continued: “Increasingly we are moving away from traditional ways of fundraising in favour of more innovative methods. We are always seeking work with businesses and the local community in ways that are mutually beneficial.” Currently, the charity’s dedicated team of outreach workers supports more than 2,500 people in the community and several community groups meet at the Brighton centre to participate in arts, IT and fitness sessions.

Text B: 

Oxley’s is a beer brand with a difference. Founded two years ago by six people working in local government, the company donates all its profits to local homelessness charities. The six co-founders all still have full-time jobs, and do not earn anything from their work – except a sense of enormous satisfaction from helping deserving charities and producing a delicious product. When they started, they didn’t expect to sell more than a couple of hundred bottles, mainly to friends and family, but word of the beer’s quality got around, and to their delight, it became a roaring success. Their flagship beer, Oxley Pride, can now be bought in supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s and Tesco, and last year – their first full trading year – they sold more than 75,000 bottles. Accordingly, Day says their sights are now set higher than they could have imagined when they started. The team are hoping to sign a contract with a UK-wide distributor, which could see their product sold in pubs across the country.

Text C:

Sebastien Veyrolla isn’t your typical entrepreneur. Three years ago he founded Gramadre, a company that aims to provide access to cheaper food to millions of people in Honduras and other developing countries. The company buys staples like rice, beans, lentils and sugar in bulk from suppliers before distributing them to vending machines in local grocery stores. Customers can fill small containers with the products, but only pay the same amount per gram as if they were buying in bulk. “By cutting out the middlemen and doing away with packaging costs, we have been able to half the price of these essential staple foods,” says Veyrolla. Within eighteen months, Veyrolla has plans to expand into neighbouring Nicaragua and Guatemala. While the company currently only sells food, it has plans to start selling other products like detergent. Gramadre only sells to small grocery stores, in order to help them compete with the big supermarket chains.

Christina and Clive are friends. They are chatting on Whatsapp. You can see Christina’s messages. Clive’s messages are mixed up. Choose a letter for each gap.

Clive’s messages

a. The coach takes a long time. It’s possible, but you need to get a very early coach.

b. What do you need?

c. Really? Poor girl! I always got chocolate on my birthday, and I loved it!

d. The fastest way is to go by train.

e. How old is she?

f. Why? It’s easy. I’ll send you the website.

g. It’s better to get them online.

h. It is a bit. If you want something cheaper, you could go by coach. When are you going?

i. That’s quite young. You could buy her some sweets.

j. Yes, that’s a good idea. Something with lots of pictures.

Choose a letter for each gap. The first question (e.g.) has been done for you.

You will read five reviews of different days out. Match the letters to the reviews.

Match the titles to the reviews:

a. A tennis match

b. A climbing weekend

c. A wildlife-watching walk

d. A camping trip

e. A castle

f. A film screening

g. a ghost hunt

h. A music festival

i. A public garden

j. A boat trip

Choose the correct final sentence for each of the reviews.

a. It’s a shame I was so shy.

b. Looking forward to the third one!

c. Great for kids, but a bit dull for adults.

d. Not a satisfied customer!

e. We were lucky to see so many different species.

f. Somewhere less crowded would be better.

g. It was really informative, and I learned a lot.

h. It was just too noisy!

i. Really creepy, even through we didn’t see anything.

j. Worth the effort it took to get there.