PRACTICE TEST 08022022

I. Choose the best answer A, B, C, or D to complete the following sentences.

1. The boy who was caught candy or little toys many times but was never punished by his mother
grew up to be a thief.
A. snitching B. burgling C. ransacking D. pilfering
2. The intense cold has already drilling in the area for two months, and there's no end to the cold
snap in sight.
A. stalled B. hauled C. swathed D. waned
3. Adam has no right to his position on how much our class should donate, that is our internal
affair.
A. hammer out B. screen out C. stake out D. take out
4 Getting into the third round of 2022 World Cup is a real for the Vietnam national team.
A. coup B. deed C. epic D. crusade
5. The four-week circuit will come into force tomorrow with the closure of pubs, bars, restaurants
and non-essential shops.
A. respite B. spell C. breaker D. span
6. The old owners of the homestay are extremely hospitable and whenever I travel to Dalat, I know
there will always be a welcome awaiting me.
A. princely B. heart-rending C. affectionate D. abstruse
7. School ends at 5 so my only choice is to a chocolate bar on my way to my extra Math class,
which starts only 10’ later.
A. rattle through B. scarf down C. romp through D. scuff down
8. Having performed excellently in the Quidditch match, Ron his moment of glory, holding the
trophy up to the crowd.
A. blazed up B. clocked up C. plunged in D. basked in
9. The image of peace and prosperity appearing on TV is rather and does not reflect the actual
situation of the city.
A. factitious B. factitive C. factive D. factional
10. Of course we all love a better quality fridge, but for a low-income family like us, it’s better to cut
your according to your cloth.
A. cloak B. coat C. clothes D. gloves
11. There are many problems that laws don’t intervene and it totally rests with the moral of each
individual to prevent wrongdoings.
A. rigidity B. anchor C. fibre D. latitude
12. Do not mention work to Ray, as it is a sore with him at the moment.
A. finger B. point C. place D. thumb
13. I'd been living in this country for a few years, but it wasn't until I had kids that I felt like I had
really put down here.
A. roots B. seeds C. nuts D. fruits
14. I thought willpower was enough to take me to the finish line, but when my muscles got sore and
my body was exhausted, I knew I had .
A. hit the deck B. hit the sack C. hit the wall D. hit the roof
15. He was brought up in an educated family but hanging out with the street children has turned him
into a(n) young man with bad manners.
A. stoic B. profane C. impious D. uncouth

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II. Complete the following sentences with appropriate forms from the words given in brackets.
1. Great cities and are developed by visionaries who instil pride and optimism in their
fellow citizens. (URBAN) CONURBATIONS
2. to me, he had rented out the apartment while I was away. (KNOW) UNBEKNOWNST
3. He was fascinated by her - the prominent nose, brooding eyes and thick hair. (PHYSIC)
PHYSIOGNOMY
4. There was a party after the ceremony where much drinking and went on. (SLAP)
BACKSLAPPING
5. I know no private business that cannot be improved by independent investigation, by a
policy provided by "new blood" and so on. (SIGHT)CLEAR-SIGHTED
6. The police had been on in our neighborhood for a week to collect evidence before they arrested
the drug dealer. (STAKE) STAKE-OUT
7. Although the technique seems simple compared to those of modern days, paper produced by AAA
was considered at that time. (GROUND) GROUNDBREAKING
8. The German recycling system provides a against which schemes in other nations can be
measured. (BENCH) BENCHMARK
9. The turbulence of the airplane during the storm made everyone feel . (EASE)
QUEASY/uneasy
10. It is essential that tutors provide a good service with the fees being charged to students
and/or their employers. (MEASURE) COMMENSURATE

III. Read the text below and decide which answer best fits each gap. (A, B, C or D).
PASSAGE 1:
THE REAL COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO?
Many people are familiar with the classic Alexander Dumas novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. The book
tells the story of a man who escapes after being falsely imprisoned and (1) his sights on taking
revenge on those who wronged him. However, there has been much debate on whether the tale was
purely a work of fiction or whether it had some (2) of truth to it. Some claim it was French
geologist Déodat de Dolomieu, a cellmate of Dumas’ father for a brief period, who (3) rise to the
famous tale of revenge.
However, a far more convincing candidate for Dumas’ inspiration is a French shoemaker, Pierre
Plcaud, who was wrongfully accused of being a spy by three of his friends, and, as a result, was (4)
and sentenced to seven years in jail. After serving his time and receiving the inheritance of a
fellow prisoner in a neighbouring cell, Picaud returned to France under a false name and with great
riches, bearing little resemblance to the (5) shoemaker he once was. He took the law (6)
his own hands in order to get revenge on his three friends, one of (7) had married Picaud’s
fiancé. He (8) his old so-called friends and successfully exacted his revenge on all three, not
unlike the plot of Dumas’ novel. While the story seems incredible, it is truly evident that truth is
stranger than fiction.

1. A. takes B. sets C. trains D. poses

2. A. suspicion B. component C. wedge D. element
3. A. gave B. took C. brought D. offered
4. A. condemned B. testified C. pleaded D. convicted
5. A. scruffy B. humble C. mediocre D. quaint
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6. A. upon B. before C. into D. by
7. A. which B. who C. them D. whom

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8. A. tracked down B. clung to C. tipped off D. went by

PASSAGE 2:
HYPERTEXT MARKUP LANGUAGE (HTML)
A derivative of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language), HTML, which (1) Hypertext
Markup Language was originally developed in the early 1990s at the European Organization for
Nuclear Research (CERN) laboratories, Switzerland, by Tim Berners-Lee, the person (2) with
creating the internet.
Put simply, it brought the coding of content to the internet by defining the information structure of
web pages, (3) creating the World Wide Web. Yet, unlike SGML, HTML is (4) more with
formatting than structure. In fact, HTML is just one application of SGML containing comparatively
fewer ‘tags’ that are recognisable by all web browsers. By (5) ‘hypertext’ links within its
structure, HTML includes a referential feature, (6) the reader to move between HTML files,
images, and other multimedia programmes across the net.
A reason why (7) markup such as HTML is necessary for presenting content in web pages is that
the content must be device-independent. For example, variables like line breaks and font size are
ultimately (8) by the width of a browser’s window or the viewing device’s screen.

1. A. stands for B. sits for C. appears for D. answers for

2. A. credited B. invented C. ascribed D. recognised
3. A. basically B. ultimately C. finally D. conclusively
4. A. concerned B. concentrated C. interested D. affiliated
5. A. entwining B. embedding C. ingraining D. encompassing
6. A. empowering B. enabling C. implementing D. licensing
7. A. correction B. generic C. mixed D. collective
8. A. decided B. arbitrated C. resolved D. determined

IV. Read the text below and decide which word best fits each gap. Use only one word for each
gap.
PASSAGE 1:
HUMOUR ACROSS CULTURES
Humour is a uniquely human quality that enables people to connect, break boundaries and share
common ideas. However, (1) AS many know through bitter experience, it does not always translate
well across cultures. This is because much of (2)WHAT we find amusing is culturally determined.
The norms of humour that are familiar to the people of one nation can seem impenetrable to
(3)OTHERS . However, research shows that universal elements do exist. These can cross cultural
boundaries and tap into a mutual understanding of the world, irrespective (4)OF where we grew up.
While many people think being funny requires (5)HAVING/EITHER certain sophistication or
intellectual ability, apparently anyone can make others laugh. This is (6)DUE to the fact that human
beings are naturally predisposed to humour. Researchers have discovered that something commonly
considered to be funny is composed of two elements. Firstly, (7)IT must subvert the listener’s
expectations
- in other words, be surprising - and, also, it must not be threatening. As this appears to (8)BE true
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across cultures, the topics are where the differences lie. For example, in some countries people enjoy

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telling jokes about (9) _ THEIR competitive relationships with neighbouring nations while, in other
parts of the world people like comedy that is directed at themselves, or like using wordplay,
storytelling or satire.
Whatever the topic, though, it turns out that understanding the things that make any of us crack (10)
UP isn’t actually that difficult.

PASSAGE 2:
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
You should (1)NEVER believe that you are too young to make a difference to the planet. (2) TAKE
as an example, a 14-year-old school student from Pittsburgh in the USA, Suvir Mirchandani. Suvir
was perhaps a little more environmentally aware than his peers. He certainly showed initiative,
persistence and innovation in his approach to reducing waste. His school, like (3)MOST, produced
huge numbers of worksheets, fliers and letters home to parents. Of course, many people complained
about the amount of paper that was being used, but Suvir went one (4)STEP further. He wondered
whether switching fonts would make a difference to the amount of ink used by the school, and he
(5)
SET out to discover which font was the most eco-friendly.
He looked at the five most commonly used characters in English, enlarged them, printed them onto
card and cut them (6)OUT . He did this in four of the common computer fonts (Garamond, Times New
Roman, Century Gothic and Comic Sans). Weighing the size of each letter, he calculated that his school
could reduce its ink consumption by 24% - simply by switching to the (7)SMALLER /thinner(m)
letters of Garamond. He claimed that this would represent a saving of an
incredible $21,000 per annum.
After further thought, Suvir made more ambitious claims, estimating that a similar switch could save
the US Federal Government $136 million. His ideas grabbed the headlines, (8)BUT/although…further
analysis undermined his bold claims. Many pointed out that switching to
(9)VIRTUAL/PAPERLESS(M) communication would save both ink and paper. However, his ideas
certainly succeeded in focusing attention (10)ON one small change that could make a big difference:
an impressive feat for a teenager.

V. You are going to read an extract from an article. For questions 1-6, mark the appropriate
answer (A, B, C or D) that you think fits best according to the text.
KEEPING UP WITH INNOVATION IN MANAGEMENT
Until recently, had you asked the average employee of a medium-to-large company about their career
aspirations, you would certainly have heard many state that management was their goal — not
necessarily senior management but middle management, those roles in which people are responsible
for a team by overseeing projects, monitoring performance and reporting upwards. Over the last fifty
years or so, as companies grew so did the number of managerial roles and their attraction. Not
anymore, though, if recent career-progression surveys are to be believed. A survey in 2019 reported
that considerably less than half of the thousand employees interviewed across five countries saw
management as a desirable career path.
It seems that management is undergoing some fairly radical changes, and for a more thorough
understand of these contemporary developments it is worth taking a moment to step back in time to

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explore how management as a concept arose and persisted. Two monumental changes in the world
reshaped who does what and how in the workplace. The first was driven by the machines of the
Industrial Revolution that automated the skills of craftsmen and women whose dedication and

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resulting skills had previously been highly respected. Conversely, the new, less skilled workers had
little demanded of them, except to follow orders precisely, and this gave rise to the role of ‘manager’
since the character of this workforce was often ill equipped for the nature of factory work, which
resulted in frequent absences and accidents.
Now, the Age of Technology is making sweeping changes across the economy, and, ironically, this may
be causing a return to the old ways of working. Technology is more than capable of doing many of the
activities associated with managers, such as monitoring performance and producing reports from
large amounts of data. It could even be argued that technology is better, or at least more consistent, at
these tasks than human beings. But there is another point that is more important here: that the nature
of many modern jobs is more akin to the role of the old craftsmen and women.
Increasingly, modem jobs are based on knowledge as technology replaces vast swathes of manual
labour. These employees are essentially experts in their specific roles, but this also means that they
are likely to be able to self-organise in small teams without the need for a manager directing the
project. In some ways we have returned to working practices of the past, where skilled craftsmen and
women worked together on large projects. These modem-day experts in their fields know what needs
to be done and how, and managers are increasingly viewed with irritation as they try to impose their
own ideas on a project without having the necessary expert understanding. Many companies
nowadays have self- managing teams and have shifted the manager’s role to that of mentor.
Although the future may seem uncertain for many managers, a slight shift in perspective can reveal
some positives. For one, as the need for managers reduces, those who are left will have to help guide
companies through the transition, and therefore their skills will be highly valued. In addition,
managers will have to develop new skills that they could possibly use in coaching self-managed teams
through complex aspects of projects. Some of these skills could include understanding the
psychological dynamics of teams, communication techniques, stress management and improving
innovation.
However, as the new look of management develops, it will become just another part of the changing
landscape of the workplace. The previous division of labour between workers and managers
essentially paved the way for the idea of career progression or advancement, which has since
dominated our attitude towards employment. Younger workers currently see advancement at work
very differently, but this is not to say that they are any less ambitious than preceding generations.
They are looking for opportunities to develop personal skills or increase their knowledge, and this
clearly highlights the difference between the old and new practices. Previously, career progression
was outward facing, through the monitoring and controlling of others, while nowadays people are
more inward looking with a focus on personal fulfilment and increasing their effectiveness. All this is
part of the reimagining of work, a process accelerated by today’s technological revolution where the
buzzwords are ‘remote working’, ‘work-life balance’ and ‘personal growth’ instead of climbing the
ladder to management.

1. In paragraph 1, according to the writer, how have employees’ career objectives have changed
recently?
A. People prefer working in teams without strict hierarchies.
B. They have set their sights higher than previous generations.
C. Fewer are motivated by the idea of taking on responsibility.
D. Management has become a more attractive progression route.
2. Paragraph 2 says that the challenge for early managers was:
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 A. staff discipline.
B. commanding respect.
C. quality control.
D. training workers.
3. In paragraph 3, what does the writer think is ironic?
A. People’s newfound positive attitude to technology.
B. The desire to introduce old crafting techniques.
C. That technology can so easily replace managers.
D. How changes in the workplace are coming full circle.
4. Paragraph 4 says that the traditional role of manager is disappearing because:
A. their expertise goes out of date quickly.
B. their knowledge is often disputed.
C. they serve no obvious purpose.
D. they tend not to be good team players.
5. In paragraph 5, how does the writer see the future of management?
A. In an overwhelmingly positive light.
B. As a career to be avoided at all costs.
C. Yet to be defined with any clarity.
D. Not likely to stand the test of time.
6. The writer concludes that:
A. companies now need to provide their employees with a wider range of benefits.
B. the relationship between individuals and their work has evolved.
C. employee satisfaction is achieved through a sense of belonging rather than loyalty.
D. employers and employees both value interpersonal skills highly nowadays.

VI. You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-7, choose the answer (A, B, C
or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
PARENTHOOD
Paul watched the television above the bar. An army of turtles waddled up a beach, cumbersome
helmets dragged through the fine sand to deposit a clutch of smooth, white eggs in the dunes. He saw
the wriggling reptilian babies emerge sticky from the broken shells and repeat the journey in reverse,
thousands of tiny helmets trundling inexorably over the moonlit dunes towards the breakers. Those
who escaped being flipped over on their backs and pecked to death by wading birds were finally
swallowed up in the surf. There was no pleasure involved in this reptilian cycle of birth and death. The
turtles survived purely because there were so many of them, and the oceans were so vast, that one or
two were bound to slip through unnoticed.
He wondered why they bothered, and presumed it could only be because they had no choice. Their
genes forced them ever onwards - life would not be denied. Previous generations had imposed their
will upon their distant descendants, and the descendants wearily obeyed. If, by chance, a turtle was
born in whom this instinct towards multiplication was misformed or absent, a turtle whose instincts
directed them not towards reproduction but towards reflection on the purpose of reproduction, say,
or towards seeing how long it could stay underwater on one breath, then this instinct would die with
the turtle. The turtles were condemned to multiply purely by the breeding success of their own
ancestors. There was no escape for them. Multiplication, once set in motion, was unstoppable.

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At the present moment, the balance of his own inclinations tilted more towards sleep, the cessation of
thought, hibernation, vegetation. Had he been one of those tiny helmets, he would, at that moment,
have flipped over belly-up in the sand and simply awaited the releasing beak. Parenthood had taken
him by surprise. The books, the articles, the classes, had not prepared him for the intensity of it all.
Snap decisions to be made, everybody looking to him for the answers, and no way of knowing if he had
made the correct guess, no way of finding his way back to the main track if he took a wrong turning.
Last night he had been half a couple. He had lived with others all his life. It was easy - you had rows,
you had resentments, but if they became too frequent or too boring, or if the compensations ceased to
be adequate, you just left, and tried again with someone else until you found someone you could put
up with. He could not remember how it had all changed. Perhaps it had been the doors of youth and
liberty creaking shut behind him, or the demands that were suddenly being made of him, the faces
turning towards him when a decision was required. Or perhaps it was just the steaming concoction of
his emotions, his hormones, his thoughts slopping around his veins with the coffee and nicotine.
Whatever it was, something had obliged him to seek out a tranquil place in order to restore some
order to his metabolism.
Then there was the feeling that he had been duped - the one feeling that he hadn’t been warned of -
when he saw mother and baby together and realized that the reason why everyone made such a big
deal of fatherhood these days was simply because it was such an implausible state. Mothers and
babies were the world. Fathers were optional extras, accessories. If some strange virus colonized the
Y- chromosome and poisoned all the men, the world would carry on. It would not be a very exciting
world perhaps, rather bland and predictable, but women would find some way to reproduce, and
within a generation or two it would be difficult to believe that there had ever been men at all. They
would appear in the encyclopaedias somewhere between dinosaurs and Romans. Future generations
of little girls would try, in vain, to understand what it had been that men had done, how they had
contributed. What use had they been? He had suddenly seen his role exposed as that of a footnote. The
books had warned him of this feeling, of jealousy, of irrelevance and superfluity. They had said it was
natural, that he would get over it. What they had not said was that it was natural because it was so
manifestly, poignantly true, or that he would get over it only by stopping thinking about it. Fathers
deceived themselves. Mothers and babies held it all together. The men came and went,
interchangeably, causing trouble and bringing presents to make up for it.
He turned his attention to the television. The tiny helmets he had watched clawing their way down
towards the surf had become parents themselves now. You could tell they were the same turtles,
because the scientists had painted fluorescent hieroglyphics on their shells. They returned to the
beach on which they had hatched, and the credits rolled.
1. What did Paul notice about the turtles in the first paragraph?
A. their reluctance to return to the sea
B. their behaviour with their young
C. the effort they made to survive
D. the tiny proportion of young who survived
2. Paul assumed that if a turtle did not wish to reproduce,
A. it would be punished by other turtles.
B. it would end up doing so anyway.
C. this attitude would not spread to other turtles.
D. this would not come as a surprise.

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3. His thoughts turned towards going to sleep because
A. he knew that he was unlikely to get much in the near future.
B. he had been left mentally exhausted by becoming a parent.
C. he had become weary of his actions being criticized.
D. he felt that that was what many of the turtles probably wanted to do.
4. What did he feel he had been forced to do since last night?
A. accept that he was not really cut out for living with other people
B. find a way of making himself feel better physically
C. identify precisely what had caused his life to change so radically
D. remind himself of how he had felt prior to this
5. In what way did he feel that he had been duped?
A. He had expected his role to be one that differed from that of most men.
B. He had not been informed about how women changed when they became mothers.
C. He had not been told the truth by women about how they really regarded men.
D. He had thought fatherhood was treated as a major subject because fathers were important.
6. He felt that the books had failed to warn him that his feeling of irrelevance
A. would not fade away naturally.
B. would not be shared by others.
C. would be replaced by worse feelings.
D. would reduce him to inactivity.
7. What is implied about events on the television programme?
A. They made him more depressed than he would otherwise have been.
B. They made him feel that turtles were better off than humans.
C. They reflected his own lack of joy at becoming a father.
D. They gave him a chance to escape from his own thoughts.

VII. You are going to read an extract from a book. Seven paragraphs have been removed.
Select from the paragraphs (A-H) the one that fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra paragraph
that you do not need to use.
THE EMPTY SHELLS OF ANTARCTICA
Generally, the coldest, driest and windiest continent, Antarctica is a trial for the human body to
withstand, so I was naturally apprehensive about my expedition to Mawson’s Huts, a remote outpost
in that frozen continent. Undertaking one of the most epic journeys I’d ever be likely to take, I dressed
in layers of thermal and waterproof clothing in order to shield my rather pampered body from the
sub-zero conditions that awaited me.
1. G
When I arrived at the huts, the temperature was -7 degrees Celsius - which we could consider to be
summertime there, I was told - and it felt bitterly cold with a wind that whipped into the very heart of
me. How men could survive there all these years ago doesn’t bear thinking about, yet, upon entering
the hut, echoes of their lives, and their successes, still resounded in such small details as their names
on their bunks, and names of familiar places they could think about while there.
2. D

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Since the 1970s, continual efforts have been made to preserve the structure, as it is just one of six
surviving sites from what is known as the Heroic Era of Antarctic Explorations, a time in the early
19th century when the first explorers arrived there. It was perhaps given the name ‘heroic’ as the
conditions were perilous, and the expeditions’ aims were mainly to further our understanding of the
environment.
3. F
This may seem incredible, seeing as Antarctica has no permanent human population. There are on
average 3,000 people stationed there during the year and this number drops to around 1,000 in the
more challenging winter months. This means that buildings greatly outnumber the population and, on
top of this, most people are concentrated in a few active research stations. The fact that this beautiful
wilderness is littered with disused buildings is something that is extremely problematic and the focus
of international action.
4. A
Naturally, things are changing. There is a more general awareness in the world that humans need to
limit their impact, and such policies as the Madrid Protocol, which indudes, alongside wide- ranging
rules on commercial activity in the Antarctic, regulations citing that any abandoned structures should
be carefully removed. However, there are still many tourist trips made to the continent, including to
Mawson’s Huts, and there are still thousands of empty outposts to see there.
5. C
The 1959 Antarctic Treaty declared that only countries conducting substantial research activity in
Antarctica could have a vote in decisions about the continent’s future. This, naturally, saw heightened
interest in the area and construction, but for political purposes rather than true research goals.
6. H
The footprint of the Mawson expedition would have been relatively minor in comparison to what we
see today. The high-tech bases typically serve to conduct a range of activities that contaminate the
local environment, from noise and visual pollution to discharge of sewage and energy use. Of course,
these éléments are necessary for scientists to have a corpfortable existence on the island, but they are
certainly at odds with preservation of the natural environment.
7. B

A The land and the wildlife that live on it are extremely sensitive due to the fact that they have
remained in an environment virtually untouched by unknown invasive species for thousands of years.
This fragility, coupled with the careless introduction of human activity, can leave indelible effects on
the landscape. Such effects include the unintentional introduction of invasive species, and the
irresponsible disposal of waste for human-related activities.
B There is no easy resolution to this dilemma. Some academics have called for research stations to be
shared between countries to limit the human footprint on the continent, but continued smooth
participation in such projects between countries isn’t an easy endeavour. Another solution could be
the introduction of further regulations, but this hasn’t seemed to work in the past. Maybe the
answer lies in the gradual change of our collective mindset in respect of our natural world. As more
and more people realise that we as humans have a responsibility to protect rather than transform
the environment, maybe governments will start listening.
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C One reason for this is that these obligations do not apply to buildings that were constructed over a
certain number of years ago. This is largely because these sites have historical significance, and
there may be environmental repercussions from their removal after so much time. Yet it was another
policy decision that perhaps caused the initial boom of these buildings.
D It’s essentially a wonderful social history that is literally frozen in time. I could see a candle in a
tin and a book, The Methods of Mr Ames, which conjured up images of someone in their sleeping
bag reading by candlelight. However, despite these wonderful historical details, nature is
constantly trying the reclaim this settlement, as can be seen by the ice crystals creeping into the
building.
E The hostile nature of the environment there may have limited human presence, but sadly not
sufficiently to prevent changes to the natural ecoculture on the continent. Despite what we may
think, Antarctica has an abundance of flora and fauna, many of which have been affected by the
growing appearance of man and his structures on their land. Yet, many claim this is a problem
that cannot and should not be reversed.
F However, and although this is one of a smattering of structures of historic significance on the
continent, it is far from unusual as abandoned buildings in Antarctica go. In fact, there are
around 5,000 structures on the continent, many of which are deserted, and the buildings there
range from research stations to churches and lighthouses.
G Sir Douglas Mawson and his team didn’t have such luxuries when they constructed these small
structures over a century ago. With his group of explorers and scientists, they established the base in
order to provide ground-breaking information about the environment and wildlife on the continent,
even sending the first radio communications from the continent back to Australia, documenting their
undertaking.
H Nowadays, the continent is peppered with run-down structures from the 20th century to the modern
state-of-the-art bases that are currently being used by researchers. We can only .imagine what Sir
Douglas Mawson would have thought about these kinds of developments and the use of the land.

VIII. You are going to read an article about people’s opinions of festivals. For questions 1-10,
choose from the people (A-D) using the separate answer sheet. The people may be chosen more
than once.
Which person
1. describes a festival that prioritised the involvement of local businesses from the outset? D
2. thinks that festival organisers are indifferent to certain festival-goers? A
3. provides an explanation for why some people dislike the effects of festivals? B
4. confesses that staging a festival involves a real commitment? D
5. explains a downside to having a wide range of performers at festivals? C
6. describes an imbalance in the provision of facilities? A
7. mentions their preference for a more formal approach to festivals? B
8. talks about being dissatisfied with the narrow target audience of many festivals? D
9. acknowledges the financial benefits of festivals? B
10. says that they are fussy about the types of festival they feel comfortable attending? C

EVALUATING DIFFERENT FESTIVALS - A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

People share what they love about festivals, as well as their pet hates
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A. Hanifa
I suffer from mobility difficulties, and so need a wheelchair to get around. This makes festivals a
nightmare since the majority of them fail to provide adequate access for people in my situation. This is
especially true when compared to other music and performance venues, such as concert halls and
theatres where disabled access is a legal requirement nowadays. The employees in these venues have
received training in health and safety for disabled people and are always available to help. I could
probably manage to navigate one of those places without any such assistance, but festivals are the
exact opposite. I know some people think that this is just disappointing, but, as far as I’m concerned,
it’s discrimination as it feels like the organisers are either ignoring us or can’t be bothered to find
solutions to our access problems. I don’t imagine that improving disabled access to festivals would be
an insurmountable problem, but organisers just don’t seem to be willing to devote the necessary time
and effort. At least nowadays a significant number of festivals offer some form of online access, but I
would really appreciate it if more an effort were made for wheelchair users overall.
B. Min
When I think of festivals, music is the last thing that comes to mind and I suppose that’s because
festivals in the region I live in are predominantly focused on gastronomy. It’s very agricultural here,
and that, coupled with the inaccessible coastal location, has created many food festivals, some of
which attract lots of tourists looking for things off the beaten track. Food tourism brings visitors from
far and wide, and although it’s boosted our local economy considerably over the last couple of
decades, it’s not without its disadvantages - most of which centre around the issue of vehicle access.
Getting to some of the small villages where these festivals are located is extremely challenging for
buses and caravans, and locals are none too pleased with the disruption all this causes to their
everyday lives. However, all that is usually forgotten as soon as the event is in full swing because
people are having such a fantastic time. As far as I’m concerned, these events are far better than sitting
in a field with a picnic listening to music because there are tables and chairs, and proper plates and
glasses, as well as opportunities to meet people from different cultures as you sample the amazing
produce on offer.
C. Yoshie
The roaring crowds and lack of space at music festivals are overwhelming for me to say the least, not
to mention the huge capacity of many festivals nowadays that makes them disorientating, unpleasant
experiences. However, that’s not to say that I never attend any. I’m just selective and ensure that I
research an event thoroughly beforehand to evaluate its suitability. Those that are more appealing
tend to be literary festivals as they often require considerable concentration on the part of the
audience, which forces everyone to listen attentively and quietly. Recently I attended an online festival
and was delighted not to have to miss any performances as all sessions were recorded and
subsequently made available to ticket holders afterwards, a decision by the organisers that definitely
enhanced my overall experience of the event. That’s something that gets on my nerves at live festivals
because I always end up having to miss something I want to see as a result of performance clashes.
Although I understand that predicting festival goers’ favourites is an impossible task, I get frustrated
by not having access to the programme in advance, and sometimes I feel a little short changed, like I
haven’t had real value for money because I’ve had to miss some performances or talk that I was really
keen on seeing.
D. Iker

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I’m on the committee for the summer festival held in our town each August. The festival came about
from a group of parents complaining about a lack of provision for families with children, especially
those from poorer backgrounds or those with disabilities. We wanted to centre the festival around the
concepts of inclusivity and diversity in our community, so we gave priority to performers and caterers
who were local residents themselves. Anyway, within hours of putting up a website and posters asking
for participants, we were inundated with applicants for food stalls and the music stage, as well as
countless children’s entertainers. It was quite remarkable, and we were delighted, but of course that
was when we realised just how much work the organisation would entail. We were slightly daunted by
the prospect to be honest, but we needn’t have worried as the first festival was a real success story
and we even had a journalist from the local newspaper come to cover the event, which enabled us to
get some funding from the local council for the following year. Since then, it’s gone from strength to
strength and has created a real sense of community for all those involved.

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