Read the texts below. For questions 1–5, choose from texts A–D.

You may choose texts more than once.

Have your say on politics

A Solomon Mbeke
For me, politics is very important. And voting is a huge part of that. It’s your opportunity to make constructive
feedback, to tell the people in control what you think of the way they’ve been running the country. I’m totally in
favour of lowering the voting age – some people might think that’s a ridiculous point of view, but I believe that we
need to consider young people Without their involvement, we’re going to lose out on their ideas and energy. I’d
like to make it legal for all over 16s to vote. Students today are the citizens of tomorrow. It would be stupid not to
listen to their views seriously. B Rita Jenkins
It’s all about making laws to support big business, isn’t it? You read about that in the papers every day. Politicians
don’t do enough for normal people. I don’t think they serve us at all. If you’re young, and you have no money,
politicians don’t care about you. Especially young people from round here. This is a poor area, with a high crime
rate. There are lots of break-ins, and the police can’t do much about it. If government really cared, they could
have helped communities like ours a long time ago. We need more police, better schools… But they just don’t
understand us, or don’t want to know. That’s why I don’t get involved in voting.
C Jordi Pieters
Among my friends there’s not a great deal of interest in politics. It might be that people feel that whatever happens
they aren’t really listened to. The media paints a pretty negative picture of politicians, too. On the whole they are
probably doing a good job, but public opinion is that you can’t trust the people who run the country. I think one of
the biggest issues must be how citizenship is taught. There are lots of educational opportunities. More could be
done to encourage students getting involved, voting for change, making a difference, understanding electoral law.
Another issue is the way politicians behave. If they used more respectful language when they talked about each
other, people might give them more respect, too.
D Caitlin Jones
Many people claim that teenagers are only interested in social media and themselves, but I completely disagree
with that viewpoint. OK, there probably will be some young people who aren’t interested in politics, but on the
whole I’d argue that we’re more involved than a lot of other age groups. It’s a big deal for us because it’s going to
have an immediate effect on our future. The general public might change their mind if we had more opportunity for
discussion or making our own decisions. Youth organizations could have more say in the way they are run. That
might change opinions. We ought to have an active youth parliament that takes some responsibility for what
happens to us.

Which person
1 describes how newspapers present politics? ___
2 feels local issues aren’t addressed by politicians? ___
3 thinks that politics is extremely important for young people? ___
4 believes there should be changes in election laws? ___
5 thinks that schools could do more to interest people in politics? ___

Read the blog post. For questions 1–5, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.

A new start
I’m Laura Keenan. A while ago I decided to give up on the hustle and bustle of city living, and came to live on hill
farm in north Wales, overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia – which is believed to be the most picturesque pat
of the UK. Although I was pretty miserable in London, work wasn’t all that unpleasant – my colleagues were really
close we shared a lot together. I was earning a decent living. But something about London just didn’t feel right
anymore. It seemed to me that everyone there was so anxious all the time. I’ve always been environmentally
aware, and when I thought about how everyone was living – commuting every day, using loads of energy, buying
and throwing away stuff all the time – I realized I needed to try to minimize the impact of my life on the world
around me. I decided I needed to change.
Then, in 2017 I had a life-changing experience – one that has taught me about the kind of person I am, the kind of
place I can live in, and most (perhaps) most importantly how to survive the depths of winter with no phone signal
and only wet sheep for company. One morning I got a phone call telling me that my great uncle had died. And, as
he had no other surviving relatives, I was going to be given his house. I must admit I was a bit puzzled at first
because I only met him a couple of times, when I was a little girl. But suddenly there I was, a homeowner.
The house was described as a small cottage in an area of natural beauty. So, I thought, why not try it? What
could go wrong? Well, now I know. If I’d known how remote the cottage felt.
I might not have made the move at all. It’s not too isolated but some people think it’s too far from anywhere. I’d
disagree though. For most of the year – when the weather is fine – you can take these winding paths down to the
nearby village. There’s a great sense of community here – everyone helps each other so much – with getting
supplies, looking after animals… The family in the nearest farm even brought me food packages when I first got
here. The problem is in winter and spring. I wish someone had told me how tough that would be. All the streams
become flooded, and after heavy snow you’re stranded on the mountainside. It seems crazy, but you can get
trapped up there for weeks. Even though on a clear day you should be able to see your nearest neighbour. Not
that there were many clear days.
I wish someone had told me how much it rains in the Welsh mountains.
But, I’m a survivor. After a spending a bit of time up here I’ve decided that the key to successful living is following
a couple of simple rules Number one – you need to be prepared – getting firewood in before heavy rainfall, having
a survival pack of tinned food in the event of being cut off, living with only a little light and heat for a few months.
Number two – celebrate the small things. In spring, when everything starts to come back to life, the countryside is
such an amazing place. It makes you feel incredible. Sometimes I sit here and think, if only I’d done this earlier.
This year I’m planning to grow more vegetables, and maybe get some chickens. And finally, Number three – keep
your door shut during a storm. Otherwise you’ll wake up with a flooded kitchen and that wet sheep standing in
your front room…

1 Laura decided to leave London because

A she didn’t get paid well enough to live there.
B she had arguments with colleagues at work.
C she no longer enjoyed life in the city.
D she had to travel long distances to work.
2 In paragraph 4, what does Laura say about her neighbours?
A They have given her lots of assistance.
B They have moved away from her.
C They haven’t seen her much.
D They don’t speak to her.
3 Laura has decided that in the future she will
A change her energy supply.
B produce some of her own food.
C begin sheep farming.
D redesign her home.
4 Which of the following is mentioned in the text as a fact, not an opinion?
A Snowdonia is attractive.
B The cottage is remote.
C Laura didn’t know her uncle well.
D People in London find life stressful.
5 The purpose of the text is to
A criticize life in the city.
B describe a change in lifestyle.
C offer advice to people living in the countryside.
D encourage people to move from the city.