How To Answer A Question From A Bookshop Owner

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Jasmine Strickland
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1 TAL LIVELLO B1 Written exam in four parts (50 minutes) Listening comprehension (10 minutes) PART I: Reading Comprehension PART II: Reading Comprehension PART III: Writing PART IV: Cloze Test LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Reading Comprehension PART II: Reading Comprehension

2 PART I Read the text and questions below. For each question, mark the correct option (A,B,C or D) on your answer sheet. Dear Mr Landers, I run Snips hairdressing salon above Mr Shah's bookshop at 24 High Street. I started the business 20 years ago and it is now very successful. My customers have to walk through the bookshop to the stairs at the back which lead to my hairdresser's. Until now, this has never been a problem. Mr Shah plans to retire later this year, and I have heard from a business acquaintance that you intend to rent the bookshop space to a hamburger bar. I thought about trying to rent it myself and make my shop bigger but I could not persuade anyone to lend me the money. I don't know what to do. My customers come to the hairdresser's to relax and the noise and smells of a burger bar will surely drive them away. Also, they won't like having to walk through a hot, smelly burger bar to reach the stairs. I have always paid my rent on time. You have told me in the past that you would like me to continue with my business for as long as possible. I believe you own another empty shop in the High Street. Could the burger bar not go there, where it would not affect my business? I hope you will think carefully about this. Yours sincerely, Joanna Smith 1) What is the writer's main aim in the letter? A: To show why her business is successful. B: To explain why her customers are feeling unhappy. C: To avoid problems for her business. D: To complain about the bookshop downstairs. 2) Who was the letter sent to? A: The writer's landlord. B: The owner of the burger bar. C: The local newspaper. D: The writer's bank manager. 3) What does the writer think about the burger bar? A: It will make her lose money. B: It will not be successful. C: The High Street is not the place for it. D: Other shopkeepers will complain about it too. 4) Why is the writer worried about her customers? A: They do not like eating burgers. B: They may not be allowed to use the stairs. C: The smells will not be pleasant. D: The hairdresser's will get too crowded. 5) Which of the following is part of a reply to the letter? A: Thank you for your letter. I am sorry your shop had to close down because of a lack of business. B: Thank you for your letter. I understand your problem. I will ask them to look at the other shop but I can make no promises at the moment. C: Thank you for your letter. You have not paid your rent, consequently we will not be renewing your contract. D: Thank you for your letter. I will consider your offer to buy the shop.

My customers have to walk through the bookshop to the stairs at the back which lead to my hairdresser's. Until now, this has never been a problem.

3 PART II Read the text and answer the questions below on your answer sheet. The most hard-working people in the industrialised world are Italian women, according to a report by the United Nations. They are in top position for their hours of activity (seven hours and fifty minutes per day), beating Danish men who are in second place. However, in the developed countries in general, women work an average of 28 minutes longer than men each day. In Italy, if they get paid, women are paid 20% less than men for the same work, although men spend less time at work than women. The report s findings show that only 22% of female labour is recognised as paid activity in Italy. On the contrary, two-thirds of male work is done for money, with the result that women take home only 27% of their total pay. According to Eva Gallo, the author of the report, while governments and labour organisations are starting to pay more attention to sexual equality, it is necessary for men to make a greater contribution in the home. The statistics show that only 39.2% of Italian men spend more than one hour and ten minutes per day on unpaid work at home. Although Italy comes low in the classification for parity between the sexes, it does have more women politicians than the world average. As a consolation for hard work, Italian women can expect to live one year longer than the average in developed countries. Choose the correct alternative to complete the sentence. Mark the correct option (A, B, C, or D) on your answer sheet. 6) For their work, Italian women usually no pay at all. A receive B are received C receives D being received 7) There is a difference the working hours of women and those of men. A by B among C between D on 8) The people work harder than others are not always the best paid. A which B whose C (nothing) D who 9) If women less than men for the same job, how developed are developed countries? A are paid B have paid C getting paid D are got paid 10) How long do Italian women work on average? A 1 hour and B 20% less C 27% of total pay D 7 hours and 50 minutes 10 minutes 11) How much are Italian men paid in comparison to women? A 20% less B 20% more C 27% of total pay D 22% of female labour 12) What solution does Eva Gallo offer to the problem of disparity between the sexes? A Women need to work outside the home. B Women need to make a greater contribution at home. C Men need to make a greater contribution at home. D Men need to work outside the home. 13) Of the following, what is a positive example of sexual equality in Italy? A Italian women are superior to Danish men. B Italian women work an average of 28 minutes longer than men each day. C The number of female politicians. D The role of women in the home. 14) How does the life expectation of Italian women compare to other developed countries? A It is greater. B It is lower. C It is the same. D It is 22% of the average. 15) What proportion of Italian men work more than one hour and ten minutes a day at home? A a third B half C about four in ten D about 39

However, in the developed countries in general, women work an average of 28 minutes longer than men each day.

4 Find the word in the text which is closest in meaning to the following words. Write it on your answer sheet in capital letters. 16) a study 17) first 18) equality What nouns or expressions do the following pronouns, underlined in the text, refer to? Write the correct answer on your answer sheet in capital letters. Example: paragraph 1 They refers to ITALIAN WOMEN 19) paragraph 1 who refers to 20) paragraph 2 they refers to

16) a study 17) first 18) equality What nouns or expressions do the following pronouns, underlined in the

5 PART III For each question, complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use a MAXIMUM OF THREE words. Write the words on your answer sheet in capital letters. [n. 2 points for each correct answer] Example: The Berlin Orchestra played Beethoven s Ninth Symphony. Beethoven s Ninth Symphony by The Berlin Orchestra. Answer: WAS PLAYED 21) I haven't been to a concert for a long time. It's a long time since a concert. 22) Why don't you learn a musical instrument? If I were you, learn a musical instrument. 23) I prefer playing the guitar to playing the piano. I like playing the guitar playing the piano. 24) It took them a long time to decide which concert to go to. They spent a long time which concert to go to. 25) Knowing English is useful. It is English.

Answer: WAS PLAYED 21) I haven't been to a concert for a long time. It's a long time since a concert. 22) Why don't you learn a musical instrument? If I were you, learn a musical instrument.

6 PART IV Fill in the gaps with words from the list below. Use the correct word just ONCE. There are two extra words in the list. Write the correct word on your answer sheet in capital letters. An Adventure John had been told If you're late, your boss will (26) angry. He even fired an architect a couple of weeks (27) because he was late. John was (28) a train stuck in the middle of nowhere thinking (29) those words. It had rained hard all night and the trains (30) running late. John was very worried about this and once he got to (31) station he ran all the way to the office without (32), not even at the red lights. When he arrived at work he was out of breath. (33), his boss hadn't arrived yet. The receptionist informed him that (34) boss had just called to say he would be late (35) there was water on the tracks. about; ago; because; fortunately; get; his; into; on; so; stopping; the; were.

John was (28) a train stuck in the middle of nowhere thinking (29) those words. It had rained hard all night and the trains (30) running late.

7 LISTENING COMPREHENSION Listen to the following passage, read out loud twice by a native speaker of English. Fill in the gaps with the words you hear. Write the missing words on your answer sheet in capital letters. Somehow I always have problems when I go away on holiday. (36) EVERY YEAR my travel agent promises me that my holiday will be the best (37) I VE EVER HAD, but none of these promises has ever come true. This year I got food poisoning (38)THE DAY I ARRIVED. It must have been the fish I ate at the hotel that evening. It took me (39) MOST OF THE FIRST WEEK to recover. By the time I felt better, (40) THE WEATHER had changed, and it rained for the rest of the holiday. You will hear an announcement giving details about an event. The announcement will be read out loud twice by a native speaker of English. For each question, fill in the missing information and write it on your answer sheet in capital letters. The 2013 London Shakespeare Festival As part of the 2013 London Shakespeare Festival, the Red Theatre in London is presenting Macbeth. Performances will start on Saturday 25 May 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be booked online on the theatre website or by phone at the box office number from the second week of April. There will be a 10% discount for group bookings of at least 8 people. 41) Macbeth will be performed at in London. (THE RED THEATRE) 42) The first performance is scheduled on Saturday. (25 MAY 2013) 43) Bookings can be made by phone or. (ONLINE) 44) The box office number is. ( ) 45) Group bookings are entitled to a discount (10%)

(36) EVERY YEAR my travel agent promises me that my holiday will be the best (37) I VE EVER HAD, but none of these promises has ever come true. This year I got food poisoning (38)THE DAY I ARRIVED.

Hi-tech. Language focus. First conditional. Second conditional. eat. 'd give / wouldn t

Hi-tech. Language focus. First conditional. Second conditional. eat. 'd give / wouldn t 9 Hi-tech Language focus First conditional 1a Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Use the Present Simple or will + infinitive. eat 1 If you (eat) cheese late at night,