Difficulty level: B2

This page will let you practise for the First Certificate in English exam (from Cambridge English)
This is the format of the first part of the reading section !ou should complete this in "# minutes
Cambridge First (FCE) Reading Part 1
$nswer all the %uestions and chec& your answers at the end
Social networks
usiness a!!lications
'ocial networ&s connect people at low cost( this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small
businesses loo&ing to expand their contact base These networ&s often act as a customer relationship
management tool for companies selling products and ser)ices Companies can also use social
networ&s for ad)ertising in the form of banners and text ads 'ince businesses operate globally*
social networ&s can ma&e it easier to &eep in touch with contacts around the world
"edical a!!lications
'ocial networ&s are beginning to be adopted by healthcare professionals as a means to manage
institutional &nowledge* disseminate peer to peer &nowledge and to highlight indi)idual physicians
and institutions The ad)antage of using a dedicated medical social networ&ing site is that all the
members are screened against the state licensing board list of practitioners The role of social
networ&s is especially of interest to pharmaceutical companies who spend approximately +,2
percent of their mar&eting dollars+ attempting to influence the opinion leaders of social networ&s
#anguages$ nationalities and academia
-arious social networ&ing sites ha)e s!rung u! catering to different languages and countries The
popular site Faceboo& has been cloned for )arious countries and languages and some speciali.ing in
connecting students and faculty
Social networks for social good
'e)eral websites are beginning to tap into the power of the social networ&ing model for social good
'uch models may be highly successful for connecting otherwise fragmented industries and small
organi.ations without the resources to reach a broader audience with interested and passionate
users /sers benefit by interacting with a li&e0minded community and finding a channel for their
energy and gi)ing
usiness model
Few social networ&s currently charge money for membership 1n part* this may be because social
networ&ing is a relati)ely new ser)ice* and the )alue of using them has not been firmly established
in customers2 minds Companies such as 3y'pace and Faceboo& sell online ad)ertising on their
site 4ence* they are see&ing large memberships* and charging for membership would be counter
producti)e 'ome belie)e that the dee!er information that the sites ha)e on each user will allow
much better targeted ad)ertising than any other site can currently pro)ide 'ites are also see&ing
other ways to ma&e money* such as by creating an online mar&etplace or by selling professional
information and social connections to businesses
Privacy issues
5n large social networ&ing ser)ices* there ha)e been growing concerns about users gi)ing out too
much personal information and the threat of sexual predators /sers of these ser)ices need to be
aware of data theft or )iruses 4owe)er* large ser)ices* such as 3y'pace* often wor& with law
enforcement to try to pre)ent such incidents 1n addition* there is a percei)ed pri)acy threat in
relation to placing too much personal information in the hands of large corporations or
go)ernmental bodies* allowing a profile to be produced on an indi)idual2s beha)ior on which
decisions* detrimental to an indi)idual* may be ta&en
%nvestigations
'ocial networ& ser)ices are increasingly being used in legal and criminal in)estigations
1nformation posted on sites such as 3y'pace and Faceboo&* has been used by police* probation*
and uni)ersity officials to prosecute users of said sites 1n some situations* content posted on
3y'pace has been used in court
" $ccording to the text* social networ&s
are being used by businesses for mar&eting
are about friendships
can damage business reputations
ad)ertise on business web sites
2 6hy do ad)ertisers li&e social newor& sites7
8etailed information on each user allows targeted ads
They are cost0effecti)e to ad)ertise on
3ost users ha)e high disposable income
They can influence consumer beha)iour
, 6hat does the expression 2s!rung u!2 in paragraph 9 mean7
there has been rapid de)elopment of social networ&ing sites
the de)elopment of social networ&ing is unplanned
e)erybody is trying to copy Faceboo&
social networ&ing wor&s in all languages
9 6hat does the word 2Few2 at the beginning of paragraph & mean7
4ardly any
:ot any
'ome
5nly
# 6hat should users not do on social networ&s7
be too free with their personal information
download )iruses
contact predators
upload copyrighted music
; 6hat does the word 2dee!er2 in paragraph & mean7
more detailed
more spiritual
more profound
more emphatic
< =ersonal information on social networ& sites
can be used in court
gi)es a good description of the user2s personality
is sold to the go)ernment
is translated into many languages
> 'ocial networ&ing is great for
groups of people separated o)er wide areas
academic organisations
people who write too much information about themsel)es
the law enforcement agencies
Difficulty level: B2
This page will let you practise for the First Certificate in English exam (from Cambridge English)
This is the format of the first part of the reading section !ou should complete this in "# minutes
FCE Reading !art 1$ test '
Read the text and answer the questions.
'he &new the street bac&wards* of course 4ow many times had she been dragged up it as a child by
the wrist* whining and sni)elling* always wishing she were somewhere else7 :ow she had no
desire to be anywhere but here This bustling traffic* these fuming buses* these chipped pa)ing
stones and boarded0up shop fronts* they were hers 4ere* she would grow from defiant teenager to
independent woman 6hen she was an old woman* she would ga.e out o)er the lawns and say ?$h*
@nox Aoad* thatBs where 1 really came into my ownB
:umber "2; was only a short wal& from the bus stop* and she hea)ed her multiple bags onto her
shoulders and trudged off* trying to maintain the elation as the straps dug into the flesh of her nec&
and fingers :umber "2; was set bac& slightly from the main road* with a concrete path and weed0
patch at the front The window frames were rotten and the paint chipped 4olly tried not to mind
1t was what was inside that counted* after all The coming0together of six indi)iduals from di)erse
bac&grounds discussing politics* culture and art late into the night* sharing ideas* recipes* mil&*
shower gel and lo)ers C that would be what sheBd loo& bac& on of course* not the paintwor& 1n the
absence of either a bell or &noc&er* she rapped firmly on the door
There was no reply 4olly peered through gap in curtains in the downstairs window* but there was
nothing but gloom within 'he could hear a faint thudding of a bass beat* but was not sure which
house it belonged to 'he rapped more firmly* and was searching for a pebble to throw to the
upstairs window when the door opened $ shirtless* o)erweight twenty0something* with bleary eyes
and greasy hair stood in the doorway wearing boxer shorts and mismatched soc&s
D1B)e come for the upstairs room* 1Bm the new tenant*E said 4olly brightly
The man grunted slightly and mo)ed aside 4e gestured up the dim* uncarpeted stairway and began
to shuffle along the dar& hallway to the rear of the house
DTop floor* is that right7 1 guess 1 Fust follow my noseGE 4olly ga)e a high laugh* and recei)ed
another grunt in reply Then the man was gone
:ot to worry* he must be the %uiet moody type* thought 4olly* too caught up in his own profound
thoughts for inane chit0chat 5ne day she would penetrate his hard outer shell and release the free
spirit inside $nyway* now for the stairs
The four flights of stairs would be worth it* sheBd decided when she pic&ed out the flat* e)en if it did
mean her going downstairs to get to the bathroom* because the room faced the front* and she could
watch the world scurry by as she sipped her morning coffee @ic&ing one bag in front and dragging
the others behind* she finally made it up the four flights and flung open the door to her new room*
her new ha)en* her new adult life
=eeling beige wallpaper* a lumpy mattress on a chipboard bedframe* a bare light bulb* a flat0pac&
wardrobe inexpertly put together $ll this* 4olly could Fust about put up with* but when she saw the
)iew from her window C a dull patch of grey s&y* in)ariable whate)er the angle* she finally had to
admit to herself that her adult life was not getting off to a great start
" 6hat can be inferred from the text7
a This is 4ollyBs first time li)ing away from home
b 4olly )isited the house before deciding to mo)e in
c 4olly is new to this part of the town
d 4olly already &nows someone who li)es in this house
2 6here is @nox Aoad7
a in a town centre
b in a suburb
c in a )illage
d on a housing estate
, 6hich word best describes "2; @nox Aoad7
a austere
b run0down
c %uaint
d pristine
9 6hat can be inferred about the character of 4olly7
a 'he is a daydreamer
b 'he is ambitious
c 'he is preFudiced
d 'he is rec&less
# 6hich one is :5T true of "2; @nox Aoad7
a There isnBt a front garden
b The window frames need painting
c There isnBt a doorbell or a door &noc&er
d The downstairs curtains are drawn
; 6hat can be inferred about the man who opened the door7
a 4e owns the property
b 4e had not expected 4olly
c 4e li)es in the front* ground floor room
d 4e had been asleep
< 6hich one is :5T true of 4ollyBs room7
a 1t is on the fourth floor
b 1t is furnished
c 1t has an en suite bathroom
d 1t is at the front of the house
> 6hich best describes the change in 4ollyBs emotions7
a ner)ous H optimistic
b optimistic H disillusioned
c disappointed H resigned
d eager H ner)ous
Difficulty level: B2 I/pper 1ntermediate
This page will let you practise for the First Certificate in English exam (from Cambridge E'5J)
This is the format of the second part of the reading section
FCE Reading !art '
!ou are going to read an article about the ma&ing of an unusual tele)ision commercial 'e)en
sentences ha)e been remo)ed from the article Choose from the sentences $04 the one which fits
each gap There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use
( Then the falling dominoes head out of the room into the streets* causing progressi)ely larger
obFects to tumble
These were all chosen to suit the town and fit in with the peopleBs way of life
C Ketting there in)ol)ed dri)ing along 9> &ilometres of dirt roads and crossing twel)e ri)ers
D 1ruya is situated ,LLL metres abo)e sea le)el and the film crew was not used to wor&ing in such
conditions
E The prop department did construct a small )ersion on site* but most of the wor& was done in a
studio in Jondon
F $dded to this was the total of one hundred and thirty 2actors2 who were recruited from a fi)e
neighbouring towns
) 'etting up the dominoes on the table too& a team of experts three days* but too& Fust "9 seconds
to topple
* :ot so with the famous 1rish drin& company Kuinness
+,e "aking of -+i!!ing Point-
3any of the most expensi)e commercials e)er made are those in which an $0list celebrity flashes a
beautiful smile at the cameras Their recent tele)ision ad)ertisement* the most expensi)e in
British history* cost ten million pounds* and it features* not the rich and famous* but )illagers from
the mountains of $rgentina
The ad)ertisement features a game of dominoes 1t begins in a dar&ened room where se)eral
thousand ordinary dominoes are set up on a specially0designed table 8ominoes &noc& o)er
boo&s* which in turn &noc& bigger household obFects such as suitcases* tyres* pots of paint* oil
drums and e)en cars The final piece in the chain reaction is a huge tower of boo&s These flutter
open to re)eal a structure in the shape of a pint of Kuinness
The location chosen for the commercial was 1ruya* a )illage high up in the mountains of north0west
$rgentina The Fourney there could ta&e up to ten hours $s&ed why this remote destination was
chosen for the shoot* the director said that e)en though it was the most difficult location they could
ha)e pic&ed* it was perfect
For one month* the )illage* population thousand* increased in si.e by almost thirty percent 5ne
hundred and forty crew members descended on the )illage These included the world record holders
in domino toppling* 6eiFers 8omino productions from the :etherlands
Creating this film was no easy tas& =reparations for filming too& well o)er a month Twenty six
truc&loads of obFects were brought in They included "L*LLL boo&s* 9LL tyres* <# mirrors* #L
fridges* 9# wardrobes and ; cars 'etting the obFects up too& s&ill and patience They needed to be
arranged so they would fall o)er easily* and this in)ol)ed balancing them on stones 'ome of the
se%uences had to be reshot "# times and 29 hours of footage was captured 4owe)er* the se%uence
in which six cars fell o)er was successfully shot in Fust one ta&e
Filming in this location was not without its difficulties Firstly* being so isolated* it was hard to
obtain resources at short notice The second problem was the high altitude 1t was also hard
wor&ing with the )illagers who had no experience of film0ma&ing Finally* setting and resetting the
props caused a good deal of frustration
These days when CK1 is all the rage* it was surprising that so little of the wor& was done using
computer effects The only se%uence that used computer graphics was the one in which the tower of
boo&s fluttered open to re)eal a pint of Kuinness E)en so* this was no simple matter They had
to ensure that all the boo&s in the tower had a different appearance
8irector :icolai Fuglsig said about the proFect : ?8espite all the challenges* the cast was fantastic
and it was a really ama.ing experienceB 6hether or not the effort put into the ad)ert pays off is
another matter entirely
Difficulty level: B2 I/pper 1ntermediate
This page will let you practise for the First Certificate in English exam (from Cambridge E'5J)
This is the format of the second part of the reading section
FCE Reading !art '$ test '
!ou are going to read an article about new types of uni)ersity courses 'e)en sentences ha)e been
remo)ed from the article Choose from the sentences $04 the one which fits each gap There is one
extra sentence which you do not need to use
( 6e ha)e local apocalypses in our world today* in the form of earth%ua&es* hurricanes and
terrorist attac&s
T- shows ha)e long launched spin0off products in the form of merchandise and )ideo games
C 1f successful* the edutainment experiment could spawn a huge range of other T- showIuni)ersity
hybrid courses
D /ntil now* online learning experiences ha)e been able to deli)er great )ideos and %ui..es* but
student interaction was minimal and the experience for learners has been impersonal
E Experts from the Centre for Education and Employment ha)e reser)ations about the )alue of
such online courses where there is no formal assessment or contact between the students and those
deli)ering the courses
F The course will consist of eight modules including a physics module on ?the science of decayB* a
public health module on the study of epidemics and a mathematics module on population dynamics
) The /ni)ersity of California* which has a huge reputation to uphold* said that there had been no
dumbing down in the design of the course
* 3illions of students sign up for online education courses each year
.nit 1 reading 1
The boundaries between education and entertainment are beginning to blur* and a new type of
learning* in which education merges with entertainment* is emerging C ?edutainmentB But
now /' tele)ision company $3C has teamed up with the /ni)ersity of California to produce an
online course based on the T- show* The Walking Dead, which features apost0apocalyptic world
ridden with .ombies
6ith an audience of "L million* student numbers for the course are expected to be in the hundreds
of thousands
$cademics from the /ni)ersity of California say that the online course will be a ?legitimate
educational experienceB and tac&le serious issues from the fields of science* public health* nutrition*
psychology and sociology 4owe)er* students will gain no formal %ualifications or credits on
successful completion of the course
1t insisted that all modules had been made as academically rigorous as those taught on the
uni)ersity grounds 5ne lecturer in social science stated that the uni)ersity already used
contemporary media examples to ma&e theories more rele)ant to students* and this course was
merely ta&ing this concept one step further ?The curriculum is )ery real*B says Mosh Coates* head of
1nfrastructure and designer of the online platform ?The fact that the context is this fictional
world of an apocalypse is incidental This course gi)es us the opportunity to educate people about
the science of disastersB
The mar&et for massi)e open online courses* or 355Cs* is rapidly expanding 4owe)er*
millions fail to complete the courses* suggesting that they pose a real challenge to online learners
=art of this experiment is to find out whether the power of tele)ision can reduce the high drop0out
rate characteristic of 355C'
The uni)ersity is ta&ing this opportunity to hone the way it deli)ers online courses 6ith the
increasing demand for online courses* these are issues that uni)ersities loo&ing to in)est in online
learning are increasingly ha)ing to face
Difficulty level: B2 I/pper 1ntermediate
This page will let you practise for the First Certificate in English exam (from Cambridge English)
This is the format of the third part of the reading section
FCE Reading !art /
!ou are going to read an article in which four people comment on a boo& they ha)e read recently
For %uestions "0"#* choose from the people $08 The people may be chosen more than once
$
'undance by Teresa 6ilson
@erry:
1 really don2t &now why this boo& is so popular 1 mean* 1 suppose it is going to appeal to young
girls who want danger and romance* but 1 found this boo& really tedious For a start* the characters
were really uncon)incing The author went out of her way to add lots of details about the characters*
but 1 found these details really pointless 1 thought that some of the facts she presented about the
main characters would become significant in some way later in the no)el* but they didn2t They were
Fust worthless bits of information 1 also was disappointed that* although this boo& is meant to be
about &ids at high school* the writer seems to ha)e no recollection at all about what it2s li&e to be
"< The main character thought and acted li&e a ,20year old 1t Fust wasn2t belie)able 12m not saying
Teresa 6ilson is a bad writer 'he can ob)iously string words together and come up with a story
that is appealing to a large number of people* but she lac&s anything original There is no flair 1t
Fust uses the same sort of language as you can see in many other mediocre no)els
B
6ild 6ays by 3argery Emerson
Ji.:
1 ha)e to say that 1 won2t forget this boo& for a long time 1 was hoo&ed from the )ery first chapter
The de)astating story affected me so much that 1 don2t &now if 12ll e)er feel the same again 1 was
close to tears on se)eral occasions 12)e got images in my brain now that 1 don2t thin& will e)er lea)e
me 1t2s incredibly well0researched and* although it is fiction* is based on shoc&ing real0life e)ents 1
learned an awful lot about things that went on that 1 ne)er &new before 3argaret Emerson has a
brilliant way with words and 1 really felt real empathy towards the characters* although 1 was
sometimes irritated by the choices they made 4owe)er* the parallel story* the part that is set in the
present* is not %uite so good 1 found myself Fust flic&ing through that part so that 1 could get bac& to
"N9Ls =aris
C
5rchid by 4enry Aathbone
1mogen:
This is a delightful no)el full of wonderful imagery* a paints a remar&able picture of life in a distant
time and a far0away place 1f you2re loo&ing to learn about Eastern culture in great detail* then this is
probably not the boo& for you* as the writer s&ims o)er most of the more complicated aspects of the
country2s eti%uette The historical aspects are also not co)ered in much depth 4owe)er* 1 wonder
whether this was the writer2s intention By doing this* he symbolise the superficiality of the girl2s
life 'he* li&e the boo&* is beautiful and eager to please* but remains too distant from us* the readers*
to teach us much $lthough 1 lo)ed the boo& and read it in one sitting* the ending was a bit of a
disappointment $ story which in)ol)es so much turmoil* in a place where the future is uncertain*
should not ha)e a happy0e)er0after fairy0tale ending
8
4igh 4ills by 3ary 4olland
4annah:
1 read this boo& for a literature class 1 &now it2s a classic* and 1 did try to li&e it* but 1 Fust didn2t get
into it 1 &ept perse)ering* hoping that 12d start to enFoy it* but no such luc& The famous scene out
on the moors was definitely the best bit of the boo&* but e)en that 1 found ridiculous when it is
clearly supposed to be passionate $s 1 approached the end of the boo&* 1 figured there must be
some &ind of moral to the story* something that 1 would learn from the experience of trudging
through se)en hundred long pages* but there was nothing worthwhile 1 don2t &now why the literary
world sees this boo& as such a masterpiece The characters are portrayed as being intelligent* but
they do such stupid thingsG $nd as for it being a love story 0 marrying someone you don2t lo)e and
then being abused by them 0 that doesn2t spell lo)e to me
Which person read a book which...
" was set in an 5riental country
2 finished in an unrealistic way
, had characters that the reader could sympathise with
9 is well0&nown and was written a long time ago
# contained two stories
; was not set in the past
< was historically accurate
> made the reader cry
N contained insignificant details
"L has a well0&nown scene
"" is written for teenagers
"2 had unbelie)able characters
", is classed as romantic fiction
"9 contains nothing new in the way of writing
"# has an attracti)e but shallow heroine
Difficulty level: B2 I/pper 1ntermediate
This page will let you practise for the First Certificate in English exam (from Cambridge English)
This is the format of the third part of the reading section
FCE Reading !art /$ test '
Aead part of an employee handout regarding wor&ing with businesses in other countries
Ji&e most companies in an increasingly globalised world* our firm does business with other firms
abroad Company cultures )ary worldwide* and it is important for delegates from our company to
recognise how company culture o)erseas might be different from our own This document will gi)e
you a brief guide to company culture in the countries we associate with
Russia
/ntil recently* people and businesses were oppressed by the state and this has affected peopleBs
attitudes 1t is not uncommon for laws to be ignored and taxes to go unpaid 1n some cases* only
contracts between close personal friends are ac&nowledged Therefore* networ&ing is )ital for
successful business =resently* the legal situation in Aussia is in a state of flux* with laws constantly
being rewritten Those that exist are often unenforceable 3ost agreements are therefore made on a
trust basis* so it is )ital that personal relationships do not brea& down The management style is
centralised and directi)e Too much debate can indicate a lac& of decisi)eness 'ubordinates ta&e
orders from the ?big bossB 3any westerners see this as a lac& of initiati)e on the part of middle
managers* but in actual fact* middle managers ha)e little power 3ost delays occur because the
%uestion has not been presented to actual decision0ma&er 4owe)er* things are changing in Aussia
The old regime is gradually being replaced by western business style* and younger managers will
ha)e a much more modern approach than their older counterparts
Sout, 0orea
'outh @orea is one of the worldBs most successful economies* ha)ing seen fi)e consecuti)e decades
of high economic growth 6hen faced with ad)ersity* 'outh @oreans change direction %uic&ly and
effecti)ely 8espite the frantic economic growth* 'outh @orean society is still )ery conser)ati)e and
conformist due to the influence of Confucian )alues Companies are hierarchical and regimented
and ?faceB is )ery much )alued Conse%uently* change can sometimes be slow and painful
3anagers are paternalistic* authoritati)e figures who expect their instructions to be carried out
obediently and respectfully 1n return* they gi)e their subordinates support and help* not only in
wor& issues but in home issues as well Kroup harmony is important* so 'outh @oreans a)oid
confrontation and blame* especially among people of e%ual ran& Friendship is therefore )ital to
business success The @orean saying 2ma&e a friend first and a client second2 sums this up exactly
(ustralia
$ustralia has a relati)ely small population in relation to its )ast si.e 1ts geographic isolation and its
small domestic mar&et mean that international trade is essential to guarantee future prosperity
1ncreasingly* this is done in countries in $sia rather than Commonwealth countries $ustralian
managers are not considered to ha)e superior status to other wor&ers Their Fobs are Fust different
$uthoritati)e management styles are not appreciated among $ustralians wor&ers 1nstead* managers
adopt a more consultati)e and inclusi)e style which encourages open debate Challenging superiors
is acceptable* indeed it is a sign of commitment and professionalism 5utsiders may consider such
dialogues confrontational* but $ustralians regard them as effecti)e ways to communicate ideas
$ustralian managers li&e to be seen as ?one of the boysB and they are more li&ely to socialise with
their team than segregate themsel)es and Fust mix with other managers
.0
1n the last half century* Britain* li&e many industrialised countries* has mo)ed away from hea)y
engineering towards ser)ice and high0tech industries 6ith this has come a maFor shift in
management style 4ierarchical systems ha)e been swept aside and replaced by modern business
models* hea)ily influenced by the /' The ?Fob for lifeB is rare :either managers nor Funior
wor&ers expect to climb the corporate ladder within one company( rather* they manage their own
career paths by progressing from company to company 'uch short0termism can be frustrating for
outsiders British managers tend to be generalists rather than specialists* and are not necessarily the
most technically competent person in the team 1nstead* they are expected to ha)e the necessary
interpersonal s&ills to ensure the team wor&s together effecti)ely They culti)ate a close and
humorous relationship with subordinates* which may be considered too soft Ki)ing direct orders
can be seen as impolite* so managers often ma&e indirect re%uests rather than explicit instructions*
which is sometimes confusing for non0British people
Which country is being referred to in the statements below
" DThe people 1 deal with &eep mo)ing on to new FobsE
2 D/nless youBre friends* they may not honour your agreementE
, D1tBs frustrating because the official regulations &eep changingE
9 D8isagreements between colleagues are frowned uponE
# D1 thought the manager had the authority to ma&e a decision* but it turned out that he didnBtE

; DThe manager and another member of staff had a huge disagreement in the meeting* and no0one
seemed to careE
< DThey werenBt terribly charming C they Fust wanted to get on with ma&ing the dealE
> D1 expected the manager to ha)e more technical &nowledge than he actually didE
N D1 dealt with two companies in this country last year 5ne was really hierarchical* but the other
was really modernE
"L DThe manager &ept as&ing me about my wife and children 1 donBt &now why it was so
important to himE
"" D4e has a =h8 but he ne)er refers to himself as a doctorE
"2 D1 thought that thereBd be tariffs to pay* but the firm seemed %uite content to o)erloo& themE

", D1 didnBt realise 1 was expected to do it this way 1 thought the manager was Fust offering a tipE

"9 DThe managers sat with the Funior wor&ers at lunch 1 expected them to ha)e their own tableE

"# D1 hoped the senior manager would be prepared to discuss the matter with