Intermediate Skills Test 5B

Reading
1 Read the text. Answer the questions with the letter of the paragraph.

Tipping around the world

A In Germany it’s polite to give tips, although restaurant workers don’t depend
on them. It’s more usual to pay the bill in cash than by credit card, and the tip is
normally the change – or part of it. You’ll see waiters and waitresses carrying a
big purse around because you’re expected to pay them directly. You decide on a
tip by rounding up the price on the bill. For example, if the price is €23.45, you
round it up to €25 and say, ‘twenty-five’ as you pay. It’s quite usual to pay
individually, in which case each person should round up their bill. Taxi drivers
don’t expect a tip, but you should always round up the fare.
B In the United States waiters and waitresses aren’t usually very well paid
and often earn as little as $2 an hour. This is because restaurant owners see tips
as part of their workers’ wages. For this reason, customers are expected to leave
a tip of at least 20% of the bill, which generally goes directly to each worker. If the
service is especially good, you might want to leave more than that. To give the
tip, you can either leave cash on the table or add the money when you’re signing
the receipt of your credit card. Taxi drivers, also quite badly paid, expect to
receive 20% of the price of the fare as a tip.
C In Sweden you should only leave a tip in a restaurant if the service has
been especially good. Waiters and waitresses are fully qualified professionals
receiving a good salary so they don’t expect a tip. However, if you are particularly
pleased with the service, you can leave up to 10% of the price of the bill. The
money goes to the waiting staff in general, and it is shared out between them all
at the end of the evening. Taxi drivers don’t expect to receive a tip, either. It’s
more usual to pay the fare by credit card than with cash, but if you pay by cash,
it’s polite to round up the fare.

In which country
1 do customers calculate the tip themselves? _a__
2 do customers rarely pay for taxis in cash? __c_
3 do customers nearly always leave a lot more than the specified amount? __bi_
4 is it common to pay for your own meal? ___a
5 is it normal not to leave a tip? __c_

Mark: ___/10
Use of English
Complete the text. Choose the correct answers, A, B, C or D.
You may have heard of Stephenie Meyer. She’s the best-selling author of Twilight, 1__A__ is a
novel for young adults. Stephenie grew up in the United States and was one of six children. After
she left university, she 2__B__ married to a man she had met some years before while they were at
school together. They had three sons and Stephenie decided 3__D__ work and stay at home to look
after them. Then, one night, she had a dream. When she woke up she was really excited 4_B___ the
story and the characters in her head: a vampire called Edward and a human girl called Bella. She
began 5__D__ a novel. She 6_A___ her days thinking about the plot and then wrote at night while
her children were asleep. She finished the manuscript within three months. Then, she found an
agent and it 7__C__ long before she had a publisher and a three-book deal. Soon, the first story
8
_D___ into a film. Stephenie wrote more books and these became films too. It’s odd to think that
if Stephenie Meyer hadn’t dreamed about Edward and Bella, they 9__C__ never have become
characters in a book. But it’s fairly certain now that if Stephenie has any more dreams she’ll write
them down as 10_C___ as she can.

1 A who B where C which D when

2 A made B got C had D fell
3 A stops B stopping C stop D to stop
4 A of B about C with D to
5 A was writing B written C write D to write
6 A spent B had spent C spending D spend
7 A isn’t B hadn’t C wasn’t D won’t
8 A be made B is made C has made D was made
9 A will B had C would D have
10 A faster B fastest C fast D the fastest

Mark __/10
Listening
Listen to a radio programme about the five most expensive paintings in the world. Complete
the notes.
Five most expensive paintings
1 Paul Gauguin When will you marry? $300 m
The ________two girls__ __________ in the picture are from Tahiti.
2 Paul Cézanne The Card Players $274 m
The men who modelled for the card players __________ on Cézanne’s farm.
3 Mark Rothko Nº 6 $186 m
Bought by a ____Billiam from Russia______ __________ .
4 Pablo Picasso Les Femmes d’Alger $179.3 m
Number __15________ in a series of paintings of Algerian women.
5 Jackson Pollock Nº 5, 1948 $165.4 m
A very large _______brown___ and ____yellow______ painting.

Mark: ___/10

Writing
Write an opinion essay (200–250 words) answering the question: Do you agree that lending
money to friends is dangerous? Include the information below.
an introduction showing you understand the title
your own opinion, with supporting statements and examples
an opposing view, with supporting statements and opinions
a conclusion summing up your views

Mark: ___/10