I.E.S. Meléndez Valdés. Primera Lengua Extranjera Inglés. 2º Bachillerato. Unit 1.

NAME AND SURNAME:

Reading: 25%

1. Read the text. Fill the gaps with the correct form of the verbs (10%):

Unusual homes
The majority of houses always 1. ______________ (have) four walls, a roof, some
windows and a front door. But sometimes, people’s homes 2. _____________ (be) not
typical houses. I visited two unusual homes to see how their inhabitants live.
Sarah Taylor, 29, works as a full-time carer for an elderly woman. She eats and sleeps
in the woman’s house. But her home is a windowless storage box – five metres square
– on an industrial estate. Sarah explained, ‘I 3. _______________ (rent) a flat, but
now I 4. ______________ (want) to buy a house. My job allows me to live rent-free
and so I can save much more quickly.’ However, when Sarah left her flat, she 5.
_________________ (not have) anywhere to store her possessions. ‘I had ten years’
worth of furniture, clothes, books and music and I wanted to keep it all for my new
house.’ Luckily Sarah found the solution to her problem – self-storage.
Self-storage companies provide people with a large box in a warehouse. People can
store possessions that they 6. _______________ (not use) at the moment there, such
as furniture or office equipment. Sarah rented a storage box, but she set up her
furniture in the box like a living room. She drives to her box in her free time and
collects the keys from reception. ‘I 7. ___________ (come) here every day. I read on
the sofa, listen to music. My friends come here to get ready to go out clubbing. To me,
this is my home.’
Over 60 metres tall, Bill and Jenny Paterson’s home has plenty of light. Bill and Jenny
live in a water tower in the middle of a forest. People 8. ____________ (use) water
towers in the 19th century to store water for large houses and communities.
Most of them have gone or have become ruins, but when architect Bill saw the 1860
tower in Norfolk, he was determined to buy it and turn it into his dream home. And it
wasn’t easy. ‘I had to build the roof myself because no one would agree to work that
high up!’ Bill said. Jenny is clearly in love with their home. ‘We 9. _______________
(watch) the sunset every evening and 10. ___________ (wake up) to the sound of
birds singing in the trees below. It’s so peaceful.’ But are there any disadvantages?
‘There are such a lot of stairs – 437 in all. It can be exhausting!’
2 Read the article and choose the correct answers A, B, C or D. (5 marks)
1 Sarah Taylor’s home is …
A an industrial estate.
B a flat.
C a storage container.
I.E.S. Meléndez Valdés. Primera Lengua Extranjera Inglés. 2º Bachillerato. Unit 1.
NAME AND SURNAME:

D an old lady’s house.

2 When Sarah moved into the lady’s house, …
A she didn’t have any possessions.
B she needed somewhere different to keep her possessions.
C she realized she wanted to buy a house.
D she didn’t want to keep her furniture.
3 Sarah …
A sleeps in the storage container.
B hasn’t found a solution to her problem.
C doesn’t use her furniture.
D spends some of her free time in the storage container.
4 Bill and Jenny’s water tower …
A is about 150 years old.
B hasn’t got a roof.
C has become a ruin.
D is for sale.
5 One bad thing about living in the water tower is …
A the roof leaks when it rains.
B the birds are very noisy.
C the light wakes them up in the morning.
D the number of stairs.
2 Answer the questions about the text. (10 marks)
1 Why doesn’t Sarah live in her home?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
2 Why did she want to keep all her possessions?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
3 What is different about how Sarah uses her storage container?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
4 How did people traditionally use water towers?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
5 How does Jenny feel about living in the tower?
I.E.S. Meléndez Valdés. Primera Lengua Extranjera Inglés. 2º Bachillerato. Unit 1.
NAME AND SURNAME:

_______________________________________
_______________________________________

Writing: 25%
A narrative essay tells a story. In fact, narrative is another word for story.
In this unit, you have to write a short story in no less than 100 words.
You will have 2 starting options, choose ONLY ONE. (Remember that the introductory
words are not part of the final count). Then, write the text taking into account the
following considerations:

- Use the typical structure for narrative texts:

- Introduction: describe the setting, introduce the characters, prepare your

audience for the
action to come…
- The body: describe action in the plot in a logical order.
- Conclusion: Describe the final action. It can be a moral, a prediction, revelation…
etc.

- Use the suitable verb tenses for this type of text.

- Use a variety of connectors, linkers and time sequencers to organize the

actions.

A) I had never been more anxious in my life…

B) When I met her, she looked shocked. Then she opened the piece of paper she was
holding…