Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to this text.

There are three

choices you do not need to use.
Secret of Britain’s Castles
1
Britain’s capital cities are all home to very different, very special castles. The
Tower of London would be merely a world-class castle, but for the presence of the
Crown Jewels, ravens and its thousand-year-old history, Edinburgh Castle rewards
the wander up the Royal Mile. Cardiff Castle’s Victorian renovation turned a
medieval pile into something altogether more spectacular. But what makes these
castles special is that they’re part of a bigger heritage you can explore all over
Britain. Don’t miss them, but make sure they’re not the only castles you collect on
your way round the country.

2
Eileen Donan Castle can come as a shock. Having driven, walked or reeled for
hours, you can’t escape the feeling that you’ve been here before. The remote
fortress has featured in many films and TV shows, most notably Highlander and
James Bond’s The World Is Not Enough. As dramatically situated and visually
stunning in real life as in the film, Eileen Donan is an essential pause on the way to
Skye or the north-west Highlands.

3
The glory days of castle-building went out with the era of swords and armour, but
you can still get involved in the modern life of castles in Britain. The National
Trust offers working holidays on a variety of properties, including castles. Other
castles all over Britain recruit summer workers, both paid and unpaid so if your
heart’s set on one place, contact them directly.
4
Britain’s castles wouldn’t be the same without tales of rattling chains, hood-
curdling screams and headless horsemen. Glamis Castle in central Scotland claims
to be the most haunted, though Northumberland’s Chillingham has an equal claim
to the title. Both are home to ghost stories by the dozen and regular spooky
sightings. But visit any castle during winter or on a storm night and you’ll think
each keep, tower and palace is home to an unhappy spirit.

5
The clash of swords and rumble of jousting knights still rings out from castles
across Britain — and the kids will love it. Two of the best places where kids can
pick up some tips on the art of chivalry are Warwick Castle and Leeds Royal
Armouries, but you’ll never find a castle without dingy dungeons and a ghost story
or two to delight junior visitors.

A. Capital Castles
B. Sleep in a Castle
C. As Seen on TV
D. The Best Castle You’ve Never Heard of
E. Castles for Kids
F. Welsh Wonders
G. Volunteer at a Castle
H. Britain’s Most Haunted
Read the text below. Сhoose the correct answer (A, B or C).
A family of dancers
The women in the Watson family are all crazy about ballet. These days, Alice
Watson gives ballet lessons, but for many years, she was a dancer with the
National Ballet Company. Her mother, Hannah, also had a full-time job there,
making costumes for the dancers. Alice’s daughter Demi started learning ballet as
soon as she could walk. ‘I never taught her,’ says Alice, ‘because she never let
me.’ Now aged sixteen, Demi is a member of the ballet company where her mother
was the star dancer for many years. Alice’s husband, Jack, is an electrician. They
met while he was working at a theatre where she was dancing and got married soon
after. ‘When Demi started dancing, the house was too small for her and Alice to
practise in so I made the garage into a dance studio. Now the living room is nice
and quiet when I’m watching television!’ he says. Last month, Demi was invited to
dance in the ballet Swan Lake. Of course, Alice and Hannah were in the audience
and even Jack was there, which made it very special for Demi. Jack says, ‘I’m not
that interested in ballet myself but it’s fantastic seeing Demi taking her first steps
with Alice’s old company!’ Demi was wearing a dress that Hannah made for Alice
many years before. ‘It was very exciting for all of us,’ says Hannah. ‘Demi’s way
of dancing is very like Alice’s. I know I’m her grandmother, but I think she has a
great future!’

6. A. Alice Watson’s job now is dancer

B. Alice Watson’s job now is teacher
C. Alice Watson’s job now is dress-maker

7. A. Demi had her first ballet lessons at a very young age

B. Demi had her first ballet lessons at the National Ballet Company
C. Demi had her first ballet lessons from her mother

8. A. Jack helped his wife and daughter by moving to a larger house

B. Jack helped his wife and daughter by letting them use the living room for
dancing
C. Jack helped his wife and daughter by making a place for them to practise in

9. A. The best thing about the Swan Lake show for Demi was that it was her first
show with the company
B. The best thing about the Swan Lake show for Demi was that all her family were
there
C. The best thing about the Swan Lake show for Demi was that she was wearing a
new dress

10. A. Hannah says that Demi will be a star one day.

B. Hannah says that Demi is her favourite granddaughter
C. Hannah says that Demi dances better than Alice did

Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to this text. There are two choices
you do not need to use.
Parks
11
Yosemite National Park. This is one of the world’s most famous national parks.
The park was established in the year 1980 in the state of California, the United
States It is situated in the east-central part of California overshadowed by the
famous and breath-taking views of Sierra Nevada. The park covers a total area of
761,266 acres. It is a top tourist destination and around 3.5 million people visit this
spectacular natural place each year. Apart from the wide range of natural habitat,
the place is very famous for the spectacular Yosemite Valley which is located in
the south-western side of the park. The area is well known for its granite cliffs and
beautiful waterfalls.
12
Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone National Park is situated in the
United States and was established in the year 1872. Practically speaking, this was
the first national park to have been established. The park is unique with diverse
ecosystems and subalpine forests. Other more popular features of this park are the
natural geysers of which Old Faithful Geyser is the most famous. The park is also a
great site for tourists equipped with many facilities, like boat riding, horse riding,
etc. Here fishing is also allowed in lakes and streams, so surely there will be no
place better than this park if you want to do some fishing.

13
Blue Mountains National Park. This well-known park is situated in New South
Wales, Australia. The park is just 81 km away from Sydney so anyone can very
easily reach the place directly from the city centre. The National Park is located in
the Blue Mountains region which is yet another spectacular place to visit. Filled
with a natural bluish mist, the Blue Mountains offer some of the world’s most
breath-taking views.There are many beautiful attractions in this place and the most
famous is «The Three Sisters». For people looking to go deeper into the region,
there are walks both during the day and at night to see the beautiful place more
deeply.

14
Glacier Bay National Park. Located in the state of Alaska, the park is famous for
its 16 flowing glaciers. A UNESCO world heritage site, the park and the adjacent
bay are also home to marine wildlife like whales, walruses and seals.

15
Canyonlands National Park. Located in Utah at the juncture of the Colorado and
Green rivers, the Canyonlands National Park offers some of the most breath-taking
views of the outlying canyons and gorges.

16
Denali National Park and Preserve. Visitors to Alaska’s most well-known
national park, Denali, are often rewarded with sights that will stay with them the
rest of their lives. A golden eagle may be seen flying above the colorful cliffs at
Polychrome Pass, or a herd of Dall’s sheep could be spotted resting along the
green shoulder of Primrose Ridge. A massive grizzly bear might ramble over the
tundra at Sable Pass. Perhaps the park’s famous clouds will part to reveal the great
massif of Denali itself, 20,320 feet high, the roof of North America.

A. This national park is situated where two rivers meet.

B. This national park is a home to sea animals.
C. This national park includes North America’s highest peak.
D. This national park offers the opportunity of fishing as well as riding a boat and
horse riding.
E. This national park is famous for its granite cliffs and beautiful waterfalls.
F. This national park derives its name from more than 200 natural sandstone arches
created by the process of natural erosion.
G. This national park is famous for its bears, wolves and herds of moose and
caribous.
H. This national park can be reached easily from downtown.

Read the text below. Choose from (A–H) the one which best fits best space.
There are two choices you do not need to use.
For shopaholics, the post-Christmas period means only one thing — sales across
the country, prices are slashed on clothing, electronics, home furnishings and
more, but London is the place for serious shopping, and you can certainly (17)
______. The sales start on Boxing Day − 26th December, and continue for the
month of January, but the keenest bargain hunters get there early (18)_______.In
Oxford Street queues are formed outside shops ahead of predawn openings for the
start of their sales. At Brent Cross, in north London, more than 1,000 people were
queuing at 3:30 a.m. for the «Next» clothing store’s sales (19)________. Some
hardy individuals even camped outside the shops to be first in the line. Consumers
who hit the shops were rewarded with discounts of as much as 80 %. The shops
were absolutely crowded as the sales got into full swing, with more than half a
million people (20)________. Famous sales include the biggest, most prestigious
shops such as Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty and John Lewis. Department stores are
always a good bet – you’re likely to find everything you need under one roof,
(21)_______.It’s a good time to stock up on cheap gadgets, and there’s no better
time to invest in some designer threads. Some people are taking their partners
shopping with them, and buying their Christmas presents in the sale – a practical
but unromantic way or making sure you get (22)________.

A. less stressful shopping experience

B. pick up some amazing bargains
C. including much-needed refreshments
D. gathering in London’s West End
E. which began at 4 a.m.
F. doing their present shopping
G. the gift you really want
H. to be first through the doors

Read the text below. For questions 23-32 choose the correct answer
(A, B, C or D).
Book I recommend
I found Escape from Time by Andy Treen very exciting and I really enjoyed
reading it. It’s a story (23)______a boy called Troy who goes on a journey to
(24)_______for his friend Zyra. It wasn’t what I had expected, although I am
interested (25)_______science fiction. I thought this story would be like films I
had seen, but I (26)_______after a few pages that it was (27)_______interesting
than a film. Troy goes to many places and times. He (28)_______his knowledge
with different(29)_______ of people and learns new skills from them.Then he
moves on. The last part of the book (30)_______the meeting between Troy and
Zyra when they are both caught by some space criminals from the future. But
that’s enough information from me (31)_______I don’t want to spoil it for you. It’s
really quite (32)_______, too, with some excellent jokes about time travel in it.
23 A from B about C on D with
24 A ask B follow C look D find
25 A by B with C of D in
26 A explained B realised C showed D believed
27 A even B more C much D too
28 A divides B joins C shares D adds
29 A kinds B variety C range D qualities
30 A shows B discovers C describes D says
31 A when B because C if D unless
32 A funny B sad C shocking D frightening

Read the text below. For questions 33-42 choose the correct answer
(A, B, C or D).
Weather
Weather influences the lives of everyone. The climate of any country depends on
its position on Earth, its (33)______from the sea and how high it is. In countries
which have sea all (34)_______them, like Britain and New Zealand, winters are
mild and summers are cool. There is not a huge change from one season to
(35)_______. Countries near the Equator have hot weather all year with some
(36)_______rain, except in deserts where it rains (37)_______little. Above the
desert there are no clouds in the sky, so the (38)_______of the sun can easily warm
the ground during the day, but it gets very cold at night. People are always
(39)_______in unusual weather, and pictures of tornadoes, for example, are shown
on television. Strong winds and rain can (40)_______a lot of damage to buildings,
and in spite of modern (41)_______ of weather forecasting they can
(42)_______surprise us.

3 A distance B space C depth D length

3
3 A through B beside C around D near
4
3 A next B another C later D other
5
3 A thick B large C heavy D great
6
3 A not B quite C more D very
7
3 A heat B fire C light D temperature
8
3 A attracted B interested C keen D excited
9
4 A make B happen C have D cause
0
4 A jobs B tools C methods D plans
1
4 A yet B still C already D ever
2