Let's English

The people below are all looking for a place to stay while they are on holiday in Torquay, a busy town in the south of England. Read about 8 types of accommodation. Decide which accomodation would be most suitable for each person. A Peace Haven Located right on the sea front, our hostel is popular with surfers. Plenty of parking and storage for equipment. Drying room and laundry. Prepare your own meals in our large kitchen, or eat out at one of the many seafood restaurants nearby. Accommodation is in shared male and female dormitories.  B Palm Court Just a five minute walk from the beach, Palm Court Caravan Park is perfect for families. Kids will love the adventure playground and heated pool with its slides and wave machine.  Entertainers perform twice a week. For parents, there’s a hot tub and bar. A babysitting service is also available in the evenings.  C Diana and Arturo’s Get creative in our quiet guest house in the hills. Enjoy sea views without the crowds....

The people all want to attend a course. Read the descriptions of eight courses. Decide which course would be the most suitable for each person.  A - Form and Colour This is year-long course is perfect for people who want to learn about how to use a camera and who want to take it up as a profession.  Students will learn how to use light and shade, colour and different shapes.  The course will also teach students to change their work using computer technology.  Tips will be given on how best to get started in the profession. B - Practice makes Perfect  Learn about how to use computer software to make your work life easier.  This course is designed for people who use computers regularly as part of their career, but who feel they are unable to make the most of the technology.  Learn about new software for storing documents and photographs and keeping records.  This evening class runs for ten weeks from September to December. C - Armchair Explor...

Read the following text and answer the questions below. Charlotte Uhlenbroek  Dr Charlotte Uhlenbroek recently returned to London after filming her second series, Jungle. It was a difficult, 19-week trip, during which she explored the rainforests of Borneo, the Amazon and the Congo, travelling around using a variety of means of transport, including hot-air balloons and canoes. ‘I’m interested in the way animals communicate with each other. It was sometimes dangerous making the programme – I even went swimming with piranha fish. But the worst thing was the insects. On one occasion I had 70 sandfly bites on my arm. Luckily I didn’t get sick. I prefer not to take tablets every day, but if I get a fever I take some medicine immediately.’ Filming the series was exciting, but also frightening at times. Her most challenging experience was climbing a 100-metre tree in Borneo, as she has a great fear of heights. ‘I had to keep pulling myself further and further upwards. All I wanted...

You are going to read a magazine article in which four university students talk about becoming interested in particular subjects when they were at school. For the questions below, choose which student fix better. A. Saskia Werner. I was just 14 and my English teacher had asked me to write an essay about my home, so I decided to go down to the library to find out more about the big old house we were living in. I found several references to it, incluiding a story in the press, a century ago, about a rich man who lived there but one day suddenly disappeared, never to be seen again. Excited by this discovery, I soon fond myself fascinated by what was happening locally at that time. Following that I gradually became more interested in history generally, and I'm actually doing a degree in it now. That's something which might surprise teh history teacher I had in third year, who gave me low marks for just about every piece of work I did B. Chen Liand I'd never really made m...

Read the following text about the 4th of July and answer the questions below. Fourth of July Introduction The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. The Birth of Independence Day When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radic...

Read the following text and decide if each sentence below is correct or incorrect. John Chapman The atmosphere in the market place in Norwich in 1440 was probably not very different from how is today - noisy, crowded, colourful and exciting. It was here that John Chapman used to come each week from his home in Swaffham, 50 kilometres away, to try to sell his cooper pots and pans. After one particularly tiring day, he loaded his unsold pots and pans onto the back of his horse as usual and walked slowly home. He had a meal and went to bed, complaining bitterly to his wife about their lack of money. However, that night John had a dream that would change the rest of hi life. In this dream a man told John that if he stood on London Bridge he would hear something that would make him reach. The dream was so real that John couldn't get it out of his mind, and finally he decided to make the journey, even though his wife was against the idea. After a week's preparation, ...

Read the text about the World’s Oldest Person and choose the best answer for each question: World's Oldest Person Turns 128 by Thomson Fontaine Dominicans yesterday celebrated the birthday of the World’s oldest living person Elizabeth (Ma Pampo) Israel who turned 128. Unfortunately, the Guinness Book of World Records has not officially recognized Ma Pampo since they are still checking the facts. A certificate has been issued by the Roman Catholic Church with her birth date stated as January 27, 1875, but since it is not an official record, it cannot be used to confirm the claim. The claim was further thrown into doubt when it was learned that at some point in her life she was called Minetta George. Guinness officials have said that it is important to clarify these issues before Ma Pampo can be given the title of the oldest person on earth. Born in Portsmouth, Dominica, and the daughter of slaves, she started working on a plantation at the age of 25 and retired 79 years la...

Read the text below and choose the correct word for each paragraph. Zoos People began to 1.___ animals in zoos 2.____ 3.000 years ago, when the rulers of China opened an enormous zoo called the Gardens of Intelligence. In many of the early zoos, animals 3.___ taught to perform for the visitors. This no longer 4.___ and it is accepted that the purpose of zoos is for people to see animals behaving naturally. Today, most cities have a zoo or wildlife park. However, not 5.___ approves of zoos. People who think that zoos are a good isea say they 6.___ us with the opportunity to 7.___ about the natural world and be close to wild animals. Both of 8.___ would not be possible 9.___ zoos. On the other hand, some people disapprove of zoos because they 10.___ it is wrong to put animals in cages, and argue that in zoos which are not 11.___ properly, animals live in dirty conditions and eat unsuitable food. 1. A.keep   B.stay   C.hold   D.rest 2. A.abo...

Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. The Magic of Sleep A study which 1.___ at school start times has shown  that a later start can 2.___ in improved attention and mood students. Over 200 students aged between 14 and 18 took 3.___ in the study at a school in Rhode Island, USA. Rather than beginning classes at 8 a.m., they 4.___ the start of the school day by half an hour (i.e. until 8.30 a.m.). The students all 5.___ in a questionnaire both before and after the study. The number of them who 6.___ to sleep for more than eight hours per night rose from 16.4% to 54.7% during the study. The researchers who 7.___ out the study cliamed that students needed to 8.___ around nine hours a night sleeping. This amount of sleep 9.___ them to function properly during  the day and, in particular, to 10.___ on their lessons. What else did the researchers find out? The percentage of students who said they were unhappy dropped from 65...

Read the following text about children’s play and answer the questions. Paragraph 1 Play makes children very happy. When asked, they say they are happier when playing with friends than in any other situation. Yet the amount of time children play together without parents or teachers watching them or telling them what to do (what the experts call ‘free play’) is getting less and less. This trend has started to worry a number of senior psychologists and child experts. They argue that without adequate time for free play children cannot develop into confident and fully mature adults, which will eventually have a negative effect on society as a whole. Paragraph 2  Part of the problem lies with parents. They recognise that their children play by themselves less frequently than they did, but admit that they restrict the amount of outdoor play because they worry about their safety. But another part of the problem is that we now want school to start at a very early age. Preschools and...

The people below all want to watch a TV programme. After them, there are descriptions of eight TV programmes. Decide which programme would be the most suitable for each person. 1. Ivan and Anna like to keep up to date with what’s happening in the world and enjoy seeing interviews with politicians and other people. They prefer to watch programmes which last about 30 minutes. 2. Fatima likes watching comedy programmes which last about half an hour. She enjoys watching a series where she can follow what the characters are doing from one episode to another. 3. Rosa enjoys pop music and films and wants to watch interviews with popular celebrities. She likes programmes which are a mixture of interviews and live music. 4. Grace is interested in travelling and she likes watching documentaries about different parts of the world. She especially enjoys programmes which show animals and birds. 5. William is keen on general knowledge and likes watching quizzes to see h...

You are going to read a magazine article about one person's experiences learning to skydive. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose the one which fits each gap. There is one extra  sentence which you do not need to use. The Skydiving Experience The thrill of skydiving is beyond any possible description. Falling at 120 mph with the wind screaming past your body is an unbelievable experience of total freedom. The sport is not without an element of danger; indeed, it is this fear that makes it so addictive. Yet there are relatively few serious injuries in this activity because of the tight regulations and safety requirements mandated for skydiving and parachuting organisations. I still recall my first jump from 2,500 feet using what is called a static line. 1:___ The static line system is often used for those new to the sport. It is a means of helping them to deal with the sensation of falling, while ensuring that they will not actually hit anything....

 Active Villagers Residents of a small Welsh-speaking community have clubbed together to buy the post office and shop, ten years after buying the pub. The people of Llithfaen, Caernarfonshire were determined to prevent their village losing its focal point. Ten years ago they paid £40,000 for the pub, called the Victoria, and now they have helped to keep the shop open. Most of the cost, £19,500, was met by the local council and a European Union grant, but the villagers needed to raise a further £6,000 to buy the shop from the owner who is retiring.  John Jones, chairman of the community committee, said: “We went around every house and came back with £500 more than we needed. The post office and the pub are essential to the life of the village. There are no other amenities. “We were not prepared to stand by and let the heart and soul be ripped out of our community. No one else was going to help us so we decided to buy them ourselves.” Llithfaen had a population of 6...

You are going to read a newspaper article about a young professional footballer. Answer the questions bellow choosing one of the paragraphs. Rising Star Margaret Garelly goes to meet Duncan Williams, who plays for Chelsea Football Club. A.  It’s my first time driving to Chelsea’s training ground and I turn off slightly too early at the London University playing fields. Had he accepted football’s rejections in his early teenage years, it is exactly the sort of ground Duncan Williams would have found himself running around on at weekends. At his current age of 18, he would have been a bright first-year undergraduate mixing his academic studies with a bit of football, rugby and cricket, given his early talent in all these sports. However, Duncan undoubtedly took the right path. Instead of studying, he is sitting with his father Gavin in one of the interview rooms at Chelsea’s training base reflecting on Saturday’s match against Manchester City. Such has been his rise to fa...

Read the following text and decide if the sentences below are correct or incorrect Nene Valley Railway About the Railway The twelve kilometre-long Nene Valley Railway passes thorugh the lovely Nene Park from an Eastern terminus at Peterborough to the Railway's headquarters at Wansford (next to the A1 main road). A two-kilometre extension of the Railway takes passengers through Wansford Tunnel to the quiet beauty of Yarwell, the present Western end of the line. Fares: adult $10.00, child $5.00, Family Fare (up to 2 adults and 3 children) $25.00. Special prices may apply on public holidays. Nene Park With golf courses and a large Caravan Club site, why not make it a complete day out for the family by visiting Nene Park? There are thousands of hectares of public parkland with boating lakes, picnic areas and a nature reserve, as well as miniature railway. Wansford Wansford Station is the home of a unique collection of historic trains from many parts o...

Complete the following text with the correct sentences from below. Eating Endagered Species? The International Whaling Commission was established in 1946 to manage dwinding stocks of whales. Quotas were set to limit the number of whales that could be killed each year for commercial use, but these were often ignored and whale numbers continued to decrease. In 1975, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) gave full protection to several species including the blue, grey, humpback and right whales. International pressure on the IWC continued and in 1986 it finally put a limit on commercial whaling. 1.___ This is achieved by issuing scientific research permits, as killing whales for research is not forbidden. The stated aim of the Japanese research programme is to establish sustainable whaling in the Antarctic Ocean. Both Japan and South Korea are also permitted to trade, within their own countries, whale meat from animals kil...

You are going to read a newspaper article about children's safety. Choose the most suitable heading from the list for each part of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. Crasg courses 1.___ It is a typical urban scene. Two cars are parked close together at the kerbside and a child is attempting to cross the road from between them. Down the street, another car looms. Houses flank the pavements and around the corner there is a brightly-lit petrol station. 2.___ It is all extraordinarily realistic, but it is unreal. For the difference between this and thousands of similar locations throughout the country is that this street is indoors- it is mock-up designed by studio set-builders from Anglia Television. 3.___ We are standing inside a converted warehouse in Milton Keynes, home of a project which is the blueprint for an excitiing new way of teaching children safety awareness, especially road safety. It is called Hazard Alley. If the cen...

Read the following text and decide if each sentence below is correct or incorrect. Stamp collecting- It's a hobby that can grow and grow Millions of people of all ages enjoy a hobby which is both interesting and fun. And every year, more and more people start a stamp collection of their own and discover an interest which can last a lifetime. Starting your collection is easy because stamps are everywhere. Holiday postcards from friends, birthday cards from favourite aunts and letters from pen-friends can all provide you with stamps from all over the world. But once you've started collecting seriously, you will probably want to join the Stamp Collectors' Club which exists to provide collectors with new British stamps. As a Club member you order the special sets of new stamps you want for your collection. You can receive these in three different ways. We can either post you a complete set of stamps on an envelope addressed to you, or send you the same stamps in a ...

Friday the 13th History The fear of the number 13 has been given a scientific name: " triskaidekaphobia "; and on analogy to this the fear of Friday the 13th is called  paraskevidekatriaphobia , from the  Greek words  Paraskeví  (Παρασκευή, meaning "Friday"), and  dekatreís  (δεκατρείς, meaning "thirteen"). An early documented reference in English occurs in  Henry Sutherland Edwards ' 1869 biography of  Gioachino Rossini , who died on a Friday 13th:The superstition surrounding this day may have arisen in the  Middle Ages , "originating from the story of Jesus'  last supper  and  crucifixion " in which there were 13 individuals present in the  Upper Room  on the 13th of Nisan  Maundy Thursday , the night before his death on  Good Friday . While there is evidence of both  Friday  and the number 13 being considered unlucky, there is no record of the two items being referred to as espec...

Look at the text in each question. Mark which is the correct explanation NO BICYCLES AGAINST GLASS PLEASE A. Do not leave your bicycle touching the window. B. Do not ride your bicycle in this area. C. Broken glass may damage your bicycle tyres. Francesco! Problem - Maria's borrowed my history textbook and she's away. Could you lend me yours? Leave it with Ken when you see him. Thanks, Natalie Whose textbook does Natalie want to borrow? A. Ken's B. Maria's C. Francesco's This car park is locked after business hours each day. A. Users must lock the car park after leaving. B. People can park here while they are at work. C. This car park is for employees only. Players Wanted for Friday's basketball match against Barton College - can YOU help the team? Come to the gym at 3 p.m. today, whatever your level. A. The basketball team only wants to see experienced players. B. There aren't enough team members available on Friday. C. The Bart...