B2 Reading Part One

B2 Reading

by Waine Evans

You are going to read a magazine article about a young mother whose house was burgled.

​

​ After you will answer questions 1 – 7, you must choose the correct answer

​Lisa Tyler was weary after a long, hard day at the pottery factory where she works. But as she approached her home in the English city of Stoke-on-Trent, her heart lightened, soon she would be having a nice cup of tea, putting her feet up and watching Friends, her favourite TV series. But first, she needed to change out of her work clothes and pick up her three year old son from his grandmother's house nearby. As Lisa walked up her garden path, she noticed a light flashing on and off in an upstairs bedroom. A shiver went down her back. What if it was a burglar? Quietly, she crept round to the back of the house to see if there was any sign of a break-in. Sure enough, a window was open and someone's coat was hanging on the gatepost!

​Well, 26-year-old Lisa didn't fancy coming face to face with a burglar, so she ran to a neighbour's house and rang the police. But as she sat waiting for the police to arrive, Lisa ‟s curiosity got the better of her and she decided to go back and see what was going on. That's when she saw a leg coming out of the downstairs front window. It was a man climbing out. Lisa gasped in shock. The burglar was carrying her portable television! At this point, Lisa saw red. She didn't have many possessions and she'd saved long and hard to buy that set. Besides, nobody was going to stop her watching Friends. "Oh, no you don't,‟ she muttered under her breath, as the fury swelled inside her. With out even stopping to think, she tore across the garden and started shouting at the burglar. "Give me my TV drop it now!" she screamed.

Ignoring her, the man fled across the garden. So Lisa threw herself at him and successfully rugby tackled him to the ground. The burglar struggled to escape, but Lisa hung on like the best kind of guard dog despite being punched and kicked. As she looked up, she realised that she recognised the burglar's face. She was so surprised that she lost her grip and burglar got away, leaving the TV behind in the garden. By the time the police and her father arrived, Lisa was in tears. ‟I can't believe you were so foolish, Lisa, 'scolded her father. "You could have been killed." "I know, but at least he didn't get my TV,‟ she replied. Lisa later remembered the name of the burglar, who had been in the same year as her at school. He was later caught and jailed for 15 months after admitting burglary and assault. In May last year, Lisa was given a Certificate of Appreciation by Staffordshire Police, for her "outstanding courage and public action". But in the future she intends to leave household security to a new member of her family, Chan, who is real guard dog.

Multiple Choice

How was Lisa feeling as she walked home from work?

• tired

• anxious

• depressed

• relieved

Multiple Choice

What does "pick up" mean in line 5 ?

• contact

• visit

• collect

• check

Multiple Choice

What first led Lisa to think there was a burglar in her house?

• Something had been broken.

• Something had been left outside.

• Something was in the wrong place.

• Something was moving inside.

Multiple Choice

Why didn't Lisa wait in her neighbour's until the police arrived?

• She was worried about losing her television.

• She wanted to know what was happening.

• She noticed something from her neighbour's window.

• She realised that the burglar was leaving.

Multiple Choice

What does "Lisa saw red" (line 18) mean?

• She got impatient.

• She felt frightened.

• She got angry.

• She felt brave.

Multiple Choice

What happened when Lisa shouted at the burglar?

• He tried to explain why he was there.

• He fell over as he ran towards her.

• He pretended not to have heard her.

• He dropped the TV and attacked her.

Multiple Choice

What did Lisa's father do when he arrived?

• He told her off.

• He comforted her.

• He praised her.

• He argued with her.

You are going to read a magazine article.

​

Eight sentences have been removed from the article.

​

Choose from the sentences the one which fits each gap.

​

Multiple Choice

Making Mirrors.

Jane Thomas, together with her husband Clive, returned to Britain after nearly 30 years of living abroad with wonderful memories.

• As Jane discovered, it’s a good idea to find a company willing to sell goods on your behalf.

• She works there, surrounded by shells of every shape and colour and the other materials needed to make the mirrors.

• Before long, she was being asked to make mirrors for other people.

• She also brought back a huge collection of sea shells collected from beaches around the Indian Ocean.

Multiple Choice

Determined to use them rather than just keep them in a box or throw them out. Jane made a shell mirror for her bathroom. This was very much admired by friends and neighbours who came to visit her.

• As Jane discovered, it’s a good idea to find a company willing to sell goods on your behalf.

• She works there, surrounded by shells of every shape and colour and the other materials needed to make the mirrors.

• Before long, she was being asked to make mirrors for other people.

• She also brought back a huge collection of sea shells collected from beaches around the Indian Ocean.

Multiple Choice

That was two years ago. Jane now runs her own small mirror-making business. She buys shells from all over the world through a wholesale company and has converted a spare bedroom in her house into an office-cum-studio.

• As Jane discovered, it’s a good idea to find a company willing to sell goods on your behalf.

• She works there, surrounded by shells of every shape and colour and the other materials needed to make the mirrors.

• Before long, she was being asked to make mirrors for other people.

• She also brought back a huge collection of sea shells collected from beaches around the Indian Ocean.

Multiple Choice

A local carpenter makes frames for her and a glazier then fits the glass inside. Jane does everything else herself: the design, the initial painting of the frame and then the final making up.

• This represents about one week’s work and each mirror brings in anything between£ 100 and £ 400 for the business.

• She works there, surrounded by shells of every shape and colour and the other materials needed to make the mirrors.

• Before long, she was being asked to make mirrors for other people.

• She also brought back a huge collection of sea shells collected from beaches around the Indian Ocean.

Multiple Choice

Clive is a banker and was able to advise Jane on deciding how much money should be invested when she decided to set up the business. Around £ 3000 was spent on shells alone. __________ Jane’s main problem was knowing how to market her work more widely.

• Together they can afford to take stands at specialist exhibitions and craft fairs.

• Once this happens, she feels she will be able to concentrate on the side of the business she enjoys.

• This is a very economical way of selling.

• But it didn’t end there, Jane also had to think about equipment such as the heavy-duty boxes needed to send the mirrors abroad.

Multiple Choice

Local shops could only sell a small number because once they had added their profit margin, the mirrors became rather expensive. However, Jane has now made contact with another company that makes and sells mirrors of a different type. __________ At such events, the right sort of people get to see the mirrors and can order them directly.

• Together they can afford to take stands at specialist exhibitions and craft fairs.

• Once this happens, she feels she will be able to concentrate on the side of the business she enjoys.

• This is a very economical way of selling.

• But it didn’t end there, Jane also had to think about equipment such as the heavy-duty boxes needed to send the mirrors abroad.

Multiple Choice

Venturing into other areas, Jane plans to approach restaurants and hotels directly as she thinks her mirrors might be attractive to them. She has also taken a website on the Internet. _____________ It means Jane doesn’t have the expense of travelling around with her range of mirrors in the back of the car.

• Together they can afford to take stands at specialist exhibitions and craft fairs.

• Once this happens, she feels she will be able to concentrate on the side of the business she enjoys.

• This is a very economical way of selling.

• But it didn’t end there, Jane also had to think about equipment such as the heavy-duty boxes needed to send the mirrors abroad.

Multiple Choice

Jane reckons it will take another year before her business starts to make money. ______________ She would like to employ someone to help her with the administration and preparation of the frames, for example, which would allow her to devote more time to the artistic side.

• Together they can afford to take stands at specialist exhibitions and craft fairs.

• Once this happens, she feels she will be able to concentrate on the side of the business she enjoys.

• This is a very economical way of selling.

• But it didn’t end there, Jane also had to think about equipment such as the heavy-duty boxes needed to send the mirrors abroad.

​You are going to read an article about student accommodation in which four college students talk about the place they live.

​

For the questions you must choose from the people you said it.

​

The people may be chosen more than once.

Matthew Wren​

I live in what’s called a hall of residence where I get full board as well as a room. It’s not exactly what you call cheap, though, I pay £87 per week for my single room and three meals a day. This also includes the use of a washing machine and ironing board. But I can’t complain because my room has just been re carpeted, the furniture’s new and the cleaner comes in daily. The main drawback is sharing the bathroom with nine other students and we don’t have any kitchen facilities. The first thing I did when I arrived was buy myself a mini fridge, so I could have cool drinks whenever I wanted. But, we’re on the university network, so I have access to the Internet and free e-mail from my room, and we get room phones so I can ring friends around the campus for nothing.

​Kerry Dunnock

​The city where I study is appalling for cheap accommodation, and the college has nothing of its own to offer you, but I was lucky, I found a room in a nice little terraced house with central heating which I share with three other girls. I have a yearly contract with a private landlady and I pay £220 a month for my study bedroom. This is not bad as it also has a large walk-in wardrobe where I put all my stuff. I share the bathroom, kitchen and a small living room with the other girls, and we split all the bills between us. We tried to make a rota for the washing up, cleaning and putting out the rubbish, but it’s not always strictly followed. Cooking your own food is much cheaper than eating at college, and I like it because I have what I want when I want it.

​Becky Martin

I live in a college-owned self-catering block. There’s not much luxury, but I get value for money. For my £38 per week rent, I get a reasonably-sized room with an old wardrobe, a tiny desk, one shelf, a rather stained carpet and a sink. When I first moved in, I probably spent more on decoration than I did on food. My only real complaint, though, was that I had to buy a new pillow because the one I was provided with felt like a plastic bag full of old towels. I share the kitchen and bathroom with six other girls. One of them has a TV in her room, but she is a bit possessive about it. The fridge is not huge, so you’re always trying to squeeze your food into the last remaining inch of space. I twice set off the fire alarm by burning my dinner, so tended to give up on cooking after that. We eat a lot of take-aways. In the next block there’s a games room where we hang out which has things like table football and satellite TV if you need a break from studying.

​Karl Yorat

I made the big mistake of going to a college fairly near my home. It isn’t so much the course that I don’t like, but the fact that I’m stuck at my parents’ house so I don’t feel in touch with what’s going on at campus. In some ways I’m lucky because I’m not paying out all the money for food and rent that other people have to find, and I have someone to do my washing, but I don’t have the same amount of freedom or privacy as the people who’re living away from home. I even have to share a room with my younger brother. When I told my parents I wanted to move out and go into college accommodation, they said they’d stop supporting me financially. So, in the end, I had to give up the idea, that hasn’t made any of us very happy.

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

My accommodation seems quite expensive.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

I have plenty of storage space.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

My college doesn’t provide accommodation.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

My room is maintained to a high standard.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

I have washing facilities in my room.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

I would like to have more independence.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

I had to buy some extra electrical equipment.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

I would like to have more private space.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

It’s easy to keep in touch with people here.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

My room is not very well-furnished.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

This is the only place where I can afford to live.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

I save money by doing my own cooking.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot

Multiple Choice

Which student says?

There are good recreational facilities nearby.

• Matthew Wren

• Kerry Dunnock

• Becky Martin

• Karl Yarot