MODULES 1-2 Exam Skills Practice Name: Reading 1 1 Read the text and the questions below. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D, on the following page. My Festival Experience by Thomas Craig The Keswick Mountain Festival has been taking place every year since 2007, and my family have been going for the past few years. I first went at the age of nine, and I’ve always had a great time there. Similar to other summer festivals in England, the Keswick Mountain Festival has an outdoor stage with live performances. But it’s not like an ordinary music festival, because it’s also a hiking and camping festival. Last year, live concerts, including a performance by my parents’ favourite Scottish folk band, were organised on the outdoor stage during the two nights. They were playing instruments like the clarinet and violin. At first, I thought the music was old-fashioned, but I soon found myself dancing. On the second day, my mum took part in a 1,500-metre swimming race across a lake. She looked quite amusing in her bright swimming cap and goggles. Although she often used to swim outdoors, she didn’t finish first – she was beaten by many more experienced swimmers. What about the cost? We had bought a family ticket for about £150 online several weeks before the festival. It was cheaper than buying separate tickets. However, we paid for some extra activities as well. For example, on Saturday, while I was learning how to build a campfire for £30, my older brother was learning how to plan a route through the mountains. I had wanted to go with him, so when I discovered there was an age limit, I wasn’t happy. My brother paid £40 for the course from his own money. It seemed a lot to me, but I suppose I’ll feel confident setting out into the countryside with him this summer. Advanced Think Ahead 3 Photocopiable © Burlington Books 1 MODULES 1-2: Exam Skills Practice 1. What is Thomas doing in the text? A. explaining why camping is always fun B. comparing music festivals with hiking festivals C. describing the history of the Keswick Mountain Festival D. giving some details of a festival he enjoyed 2. What does Thomas say about the music? A. It wasn’t a suitable type of music for dancing. B. He didn’t like the concert, so he went dancing instead. C. The music wasn’t suitable for older people. D. He enjoyed the music after all. 3. What does Thomas explain about his mum and the race? A. Although his mum didn’t come first, she beat some experienced swimmers. B. His mum didn’t win the race because she had less experience than other participants. C. The more experienced swimmers thought Thomas’ mum looked amusing in her bright swimming cap. D. His mum participated although she had no experience swimming outdoors. 4. Thomas didn’t do a course with his brother because: A. he wasn’t old enough to join. B. it was too expensive for his family. C. he wanted to be with his own age group. D. he preferred to learn about campfires. 5. What might Thomas write in an Internet review of the Keswick Mountain Festival? A. It’ll give you confidence to set out in the countryside on your own. Just make sure you get a family ticket. B. You’ll have a great time, but you should have some swimming experience to take part in the festival. C. It’s an incredible experience, but be prepared to pay more than the price of your ticket. D. The types of music at this festival make it completely different from other festivals in the country. Advanced Think Ahead 3 Photocopiable © Burlington Books 2 MODULES 1-2: Exam Skills Practice Listening 2 08 2 For each question, choose the correct answer. 1. Listen to a girl telling her friend about a problem. What does she plan to do? A. work out in the pool more often B. buy professional goggles C. find a bigger swimming pool 2. Listen to two actors talking about their director. They are unhappy with him because: A. he doesn’t listen to their opinions. B. his ideas are old-fashioned. C. he doesn’t work very hard. 3. Listen to two hikers talking. They’re worried because they: A. haven’t brought a tent. B. are lost. C. can’t find their map. 4. Listen to two friends talking about creative writing. What does the girl encourage the boy to do? A. spend more time planning his work B. listen to music before writing C. read different kinds of literature 5. Listen to two friends talking about a tennis match. Why is Denise angry? A. The court was in bad condition. B. There wasn’t a referee. C. The net was too high. 6. Listen to Sally telling her friend about a book she has read. What did Sally dislike about the book? A. It was too complicated. B. It was too long. C. The main character wasn’t convincing. Advanced Think Ahead 3 Photocopiable © Burlington Books 3 MODULES 1-2: Exam Skills Practice Speaking 3 A group of friends are going to a summer festival together. With a partner, discuss which type of festival they should go to and what they should do there. Here are pictures with some ideas to help you. 4 Now, with a partner, talk about the ideal summer festival. If you could go to any festival, where would you go and what activities would be the most interesting for you? Writing 5 You see this notice in an English-language magazine. Articles Wanted! CONCERTS What kind of concerts do you enjoy? Do you prefer watching them live or at home? Why? Write an article answering these questions and we will publish it in our magazine. Write your article in about 100 words. Advanced Think Ahead 3 Photocopiable © Burlington Books 4