ENGLISH TEACHING RESOURCE CENTRE COMPETITION

AUTUMN 2012

‘Imagination ……….. is the supreme master of art, as of life.’

(Joseph Conrad, English writer)

CLASSES 11 – 12 - 13

NAMES and CLASS: ……..…….…….………………………………………………………

TEACHER’S NAME: ……………….………………………………………………………..
SCHOOL: ………………………………….…………………………………………………..
Deadline: 19 November 2012 SCORE: / 220 points

IN THE 20TH YEAR OF ITS OPERATION, THE ENGLISH TEACHING RESOURCE

CENTRE HAS CHOSEN FOR ITS AUTUMN COMPETITION THE TOPIC: ARTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT.
PART ONE IS ABOUT THE VOCABULARY YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE ARTS
AND ENTERTAINMENT AND IT INCLUDES NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES, IDIOMS
AND COLLOCATIONS.
PART TWO OFFERS YOU SOME PASSAGES TO READ WITH A VARIETY OF TASKS.
PART THREE IS A WRITING TASK IN CONNECTION WITH THE TOPIC.
THE RESOURCE CENTRE HOPES THAT YOU WILL ENJOY BOTH THE TOPIC AND
THE LANGUAGE TASKS TO BE SOLVED.

PART ONE: VOCABULARY TO TALK ABOUT THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

I. THE ARTS The following sentences are all extracts from art reviews. Decide what is
being talked about in each one. Choose the most appropriate answer from the box and
write it in the space provided. There are some genres which are not needed.

abstract art a ballet a biography a

collection of short stories
a concert a modern dance piece drama
a film a landscape a novel an
opera photography a play
poetry a portrait a still life a
sculpture

1. Mimi Latouche is getting a little too old for this kind of thing, and as a watched her
pirouette across the stage in a tutu two sizes small, she reminded me not so much of a
swan as of a rather ungainly crow. ...………………………………….

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2. The scenery was wonderful. The costumes were marvellous. The cast were incredible. I
wish I could say the same about the script. The playwright should be shot. ……………….
3. In his new book on Ernest Hemingway, acclaimed writer Michael Norris has brought the
great man to life in a way nobody else could. ………..…………………………..
4. Move over Michelangelo! You have a rival. Vittorio Maneletto’s marble pieces embody the
human form in a way that has not been achieved in over five hundred years. …………… .
5. I had to study the picture for almost two minutes before I realised who it was. It was none
other than our Queen. I doubt she would have been amused. …………………………....
6. There are no great tenors in Britain. That is until now. Brian Clark’s performance in La
Traviatta sent shudders down my spine. What a man! What a voice! What a size! …
..…………………………..
7. Herbert von Caravan has been conducting now for almost forty years, and his final
appearance yesterday was greeted with remarkable applause from both musicians and
members of the audience. ……...…………………….
8. Stone Angel is a hilarious tale about the rise and fall of an opera singer. I picked it up and
didn’t put it down until I had finished. A fantastic book. ………...………………….
9. Dylan Thomas showed remarkable eloquence, and this latest compilation of some of his
finest writing will surely be a bestseller. ………...…………………
10. Bruschetta’s studies of dead animals might not be to everyone’s taste, but it is impossible
to deny his skill in representing inanimate object like these on canvas.……………………
11. He usually works in black and white, and in my opinion that is the medium he should stick
to. His colour shots are too static and are heavily over-filtered, the strong lighting washes
out any subtlety, and much of it is out of focus. …………...………………
12. Shot entirely on location in Iran, this is perhaps the director’s finest hour. A stunning
setting, fine performances from the leads, and a cast of thousands of extras make this a
truly visual feast. ……………...…………….
(12 points)

II. Describing ARTS. The following statements are all about some kind of art or
entertainment. But are the ADJECTIVES and IDIOMS used correctly? Are the
sentences true or false? Write the answers TRUE or FALSE after each sentence. If they
are false, explain why

1. If you pull the wool over someone’s eyes, you show them something beautiful. ……..
2. An opera is more sophisticated than a nursery rhyme. .……
3. A watercolour is more likely to be run-of-the-mill than an ancient Greek vase. ..…...
4. If people vote with their feet, they show that they like something by coming to see it.
.……
5. A detective story is more likely to be intriguing than a computer manual. …….
6. If someone is visually literate, they read a lot about visual art. …….
7. ‘Fad’ means fashion and it suggests that the speaker likes the fashion in question.
...…..
8. People would be more likely to call a piece of jewellery exquisite than a table. .…....
9. A painting would be more likely to be called evocative than a carpet. ...…..
10. A TV ad is more likely to be tongue-in-cheek than a comedy sketch. …….

Here is some space for you to correct the false sentences. Write the number of the sentence
first, and then the correct sentence or your short explanation.
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………

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……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
(15 points)

III. WHO’S WHO IN THE THEATRE? Name the theatre job for each definition. Write
the job in the spaces provided.

1. ………………………… the person who writes reviews of new plays,

musicals, etc.
2. ………………………… all the people who act in a play or a musical
3. ………………………… learns another actor’s part in order to be able take his
place if he or she is ill or unable to perform
4. ………………………… reminds the actors of their next line in a speech if
they forget it
5. ………………………… shows people coming to watch the play or musical to
their seats
6. ………………………… makes up or arranges the steps for the dancers who
perform on stage
7. ………………………… designs the scenery, etc. on stage
8. ………………………… a group of actors, singers or dancers who work
together, e.g. the Royal Shakespeare ………………
9. ………………………… helps behind the scenes during a production, e.g. by
moving scenery, etc.
10. ………………………… a person who writes plays
11. ………………………… is responsible for everything that happens on stage
during a performance
12. ………………………… decides how a play is performed; tells the actors
what to do
(12 points)

IV. COLLOCATIONS. List the words or phrases which match with each verb below. All
the collocations you make can be used when talking about the ARTS and
ENTERTAINMENT. Remember that you have to use each word or phrase in the box
several times.

a production a recital a CD a concert a performance

a show a review the leading role the story
a difficult part a symphony a new edition a piece of music
Hamlet a horror movie a video a new book

1. appear in …………………………………………………………………………...
………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. broadcast …………………………………………………………………………...

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 ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. compose ………………………………………………………………………...…
………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. give …………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. play …………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. produce ……………………………………………………………………...……
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. publish ……………………………………………………………………...……
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. put on …………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
9. review ………………………………………………...…………………………
…………………………………………………………………….…………………………
10. watch …………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
(26 points)

PART TWO: THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES ARE ABOUT THE ARTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT WITH A VARIETY OF LANGUAGE TASKS

V. A BAD FILM REVIEW. There are too many words in the review and the style can be
improved. Rewrite the underlined parts of the following review using ADJECTIVES
from the box. Make any other necessary changes. Write your answers in the spaces
provided below the text.

moving risqué far-fetched

gripping
harrowing disjointed memorable
hackneyed impenetrable
overrated

Fields of Darkness was a film (1) which On the other hand, another film I saw
excited me and kept my attention and (2) recently, Three Delicate Balances, had a
which I shall remember for a long time, plot (8) which was complex and
even though the plot was in some ways (3) impossible to understand and (9) lacked a
difficult to believe. Some critics have said clear order. I also feel that the director
it’s (4) not as good as people say it is and thought that if he threw in a few (10)
(5) the story is boring because it has been slightly immoral and shocking scenes it
done so often, but I disagree. I found it (6) would make a good movie, but it just
emotional and even (7) extremely upsetting didn’t work.
at times.

1. ………………………………………… 2. …………………………………………
3. ………………………………………… 4. …………………………………………
5. ………………………………………… 6. …………………………………………

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7. ………………………………………… 8. …………………………………………
9. ………………………………………… 10. ………………………………………..
(10 points)

VI. MUSIC: In most of the lines of the following text, there is either a spelling or a
punctuation error. For each line, write the correctly spelt word or show the correct
punctuation in the space provided after each line. Some lines are correct, indicate these
with a tick (√) in the space after the line.

The Guitar in Rock and Roll

1. In just over forty years, the guitar has risen from practical obscurity ……………..……..
2. to a point, where life would seem very strange without it. The first …………………….
3. instruments to domminate rock and roll were the piano and the tenor ...…………………..
4. saxophone, but it was not too long before the guitar caught-up. ...……...…………..
5. Fashions in musical instruments may come and go, but the guitar ………...…………..
6. is here to stay. It is the perfect acompaniment to the human voice. ……………………
7. It is more portable than the piano, relativly inexpensive and readily ...………………….
8. adaptible to almost any musical style. The learner guitarist of today ……………………
9. has one distinct advantage over his predecessor for forty years, or so ago, …….......…….
10. .which is that the guitar he or she buys brand new will be perfectly ………………….....
11. playable. Musicians are indebted to todays guitar maker for this. …………………….
12. Thing were far thougher four decades ago. Many guitar starts started …………………….
13. out as mere mortals strugling to either buy or build their first guitar. …………………...
14. Much experimentation was involved, a lot of it crazy and futile. The …………………….
15. appeal of rock and roll led to desparate measures on the part of Britain’s ………………...
16. youth, as they attemted to own the types of guitar they saw their new ……………………
17. heroes’ playing on television. Good guitars were expensive, but people ………………….
18. with construction skills and helpful parents were able to make almost …………………….
19. the real thing, although many efforts to build guitars had disastrious …………………….
20. results.
(19 points)

VII. More MUSIC: Read the passage below. Use the words in the box on the right next to
the lines to form one word that fits in the same numbered space in the text.

How Music was Written Down

The familiar ................................ (1) system of notation – writing (1) WEST

down music using symbols – has taken thousands of years to develop.
In ancient times, elaborate music was in .............................. (2), even (2) EXIST
though it was never written down. Eventually,
however, ................................ (3) felt the need to record their music, (3) CIVILISE
and so the search began for a system of symbols that could (4) RELY
…............................. (4) denote the exact pitch of the note to be sung
or played, and at the same time tell the ........................................... (5) (5) PERFORM
how long that note should be held.

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 The ancient Greeks and Romans did this by using their alphabetical
letters in a ........................................ (6) of ways, but the slow (6) VARY
development of notation could not keep pace
with ....................................... (7) complex musical developments. (7) INCREASE
The 13th century saw the introduction of colours to represent more
complex note values.
With the invention of printing in the 15th century, the writing of notes
was ......................................... (8) to black and white and the number (8) STANDARD
of lines became fixed at five. By the middle of the 18th century,
musical notation had settled down to its modern usage.
The main …………………………….. (9) to this system has been the (9) ADD
adoption of expression marks, which multiplied ……………..
…………..(10) in the 19th century. These convey the composer’s (10) SIGNIFY
intentions as regards speed, ……….………………… (11) and so on, (11) INTENSE
to the player.

(11 points)

VIII. Read the text below about an ARTS FESTIVAL of PAINTING and then decide
which word best fits each space.

Everyone’s an Artist

Every year, the village of Pettineo ……………………. (1) its unique arts festival. For a few
days each summer, artists from all over Europe …………………… (2) at this village near
the north coast of Sicily to …………………….. (3) the creative atmosphere. During their
stay, the artists get …………………………….. (4) with the local people to paint a one-
kilometre long picture that runs the ……………………. (5) of the high street.
……………………… (6) the painting is done, each visiting artist joins a local family for a
big lunch and, ……………….. (7) the meal, the family receives the …………………. (8)
of the painting that the artist has painted. As a result, ……………………….. (9) few
villagers are rich, almost every home has at least one painting by a well-known European
artist. Visitors to the village are eagerly …………………….. (10) into homes to see these
paintings.
The festival was the ………………………. (11) of Antonio Presti, a local businessman who
……………………… (12) it up four years ago. Since then, Pettineo has ………………….
(13) a sort of domestic art museum in ………………………… (14) any visitor can ring a
doorbell, go into a house and …………………….. (15) a painting. In addition to this
exhibition of paintings in people’s homes, for those who have time to spare, there is an
opportunity to …………………………. (16) through the display of huge sculptures in the
village square.

1 A celebrates B shows C honours D demonstrates

2 A group B crowd C gather D combine
3 A amuse B enjoy C entertain D delight
4 A linked B jointly C combined D together
5 A size B measure C length D area
6 A Just B Once C Soon D Only
7 A in addition to B in place of C in common with D in exchange for
8 A partition B section C division D region

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9 A though B despite C since D even
10 A persuaded B invited C requested D attracted
11 A image B purpose C thought D idea
12 A set B put C got D had
13 A become B advanced C grown D increased
14 A what B where C whom D which
15 A wonder B stare C admire D delight
16 A move B step C wander D march
(16 points)

IX. Read the following informal note about a POETRY COMPETITON and use the
information in this text to complete the numbered gaps in the publicity leaflet. Use no
more than two words for each gap. The words you need do no occur in the informal
note.

INFORMAL NOTE

Jack,
Believe it or not, it’s been nearly a year since the last poetry competition
and it’s time to have it again this year. Can you put together a leaflet
about it? Here are the points to include:
 We don’t want poems to be longer than 30 lines.
 They can be written for either children or adults, but we want them
to be entertaining, so explain that we’d really like ones that make
people laugh.
 We can’t afford to return poems, so if people want them back after
competition, they’ll have t send us a stamped, addresses envelope
with the entry.
 People can send in as many entries as they like, but nobody will be
able to win more than one prize.
 They’ve got to send an entry form in with their poem (they can get
these from libraries and bookshops).
 We’re charging £10 to enter the competition, and this should be sent
with the entry form (but point out that they only pay £5 if they live in
this area).
 Mention that entries must be in by March 27 and that the names of
the people who will receive prizes will be known about a fortnight
later.

PUBLICITY LEAFLET

Calling All Poets!

A poetry competition is held in our town …………..………………. (1) and entries are now
being invited for this year’s competition. Poems should be …………..………………. (2) of
thirty lines in length. They may be written with either children or adults
…………………………. (3), but this year the emphasis is on entertainment and poems which

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display plenty of ………………………… (4) will be especially welcome. Unfortunately,
because of the very ……………..………… (5) of postage, entries will not be returned
unless a stamped, addressed envelope ……………..……………… (6) with the entry. There
is ………….……………… (7) to the number of poems which may be submitted, but only
one prize will …………………………… (8) to any one individual. Poems must be
………………………………… (9) by an official entry form (obtainable from libraries and
bookshops) together with the correct …………………..………… (10) of £10. There is a
…………………….…… (11) rate available for ………….………………… (12) residents.
The …………………….…….. (13) is March 27 and the names of the prize-winners will be
……………………….………… (14) on April 10.

(28 points)

X. EXHIBITIONS and MUSEUMS: Read the following newspaper article and answer
the questions following it by circling the letter of the right answer.

The Tartan Museum

The modern, cheese-wedge buildings of Scotland’s national museum contrast sharply with
its historic Edinburgh location. But would its contents be as striking? Sally Varlow went to
visit the museum just before it opened

You cannot miss it. At first it was only The real issue here, assuming that
the outside of the new Museum of the collections are properly preserved, is
Scotland that was unmissable, stuck on whether people will find the museum
the corner of Chambers Street in interesting enough to come back. Dr David
Edinburgh, with its huge, yellow Clarke, the head of exhibitions, insists that
sandstone tower and cheese-wedge a visit should be a pleasurable, visual
buildings, topped by a hulk of a hanging experience, and that it is designed not for
garden. Last winter the building was specialists but for those with little prior
greeted with a mix of modernist knowledge. Despite this liberalism, Clarke
architectural applause (‘masterpiece’, is a convincing purist when it comes to
‘stunning’), cautious approval what is on show. Mock-ups and scenes
(‘striking’) and outright hostility. This from the past that rely heavily on
winter, now that the inside is almost imagination are out. For Clarke, they are
ready for the opening, the exhibitions tantamount to ‘giving a complete statement
themselves look set for a similar fate. of certainty about what the past was like,
Forget the does-it-tell-a-nation’s- which’, he explains, ‘would be wrong. The
history, is-it-chronological debate. The public deserves the truth.’ The result is
answers are definitely yes; it is a many- that, at this museum, what you see is what
splendoured dream-coat of stories, each the experts know. But the question for
hung about a precious historic object, and today’s visitor is whether the objects’
there is an outline timescale that helps stories can be told vividly enough merely
visitors get their bearings but does not with explanation panels, captions and
straight-jacket the displays. And no, it does multi-media interpretation and using barely
not let its lovely national treasures – such 30 computers in total around the museum.
as Mary Queen of Scots’ jewels and the Less than three days before the
Holyrood chapel silver – get swamped in opening, it is still difficult to be sure. Some
national pride. impressions are clear, though, and it is not
just the panoramic views of Edinburgh

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Castle that take your breath away. Step change after three years, it is a hotchpotch
inside and what immediately hits you is the of objects chosen by Scottish people and
sequence of spaces. Galleries open one into other personalities as items that have had
another, different sizes, different shapes, all most impact on life in Scotland in the
with pale walls that are wood-panelled to twentieth century. The Prime Minister’s
look like large blocks of stone and inset suggestion was an electric guitar. Others
with deep display cases. Shafts of daylight went for television, Thermos flasks and
stream through arrow-slit windows and favourite toys. Although the idea is fun,
cascade down from the roof lights. There is somehow it feels like a lightweight
room to ponder and enjoy every item on solution that has floated up to the top of the
display. building, not a proper attempt to address
Thanks to the 12-member Junior serious issues. It may seem less frothy
Board, set up three years ago with 9- to 12- when the computerised bank of personal
year-olds drawn from all over Scotland, the reasons and recollections goes live next
museum also has a Discovery Centre. week.
What the group really wanted was to be Overall, Dr Clarke seems right
able to ride through the displays, Dr Clarke when he suggests that ‘objects open
admits. They lost that one, but won a windows on the past more vividly than
dedicated children’s hands-on centre in anything else’. As for the modernist
what should have been the temporary architecture, it works brilliantly from the
exhibition gallery. As a result, the inside and the top, but whether it is in the
Twentieth Century gallery, on the top floor, right location is another matter.
is the only temporary exhibition. Due to

1. How does the writer expect people to react to the exhibitions?

A They will be more interested in the buildings than the exhibitions.
B There will be a predominance of negative feelings.
C Their expectations are too high to be satisfied.
D There will be no consensus of opinion.
2. What does the writer say about the historical focus of the exhibitions?
A The adherence to a strict historical timescale is the most important aspect.
B The historical background of a period is characterised through particular objects.
C The displays are not always easy to place in a historical context.
D The importance of national treasures in a historical context is exaggerated.
3. How does Dr Clarke feel about the historical displays?
A There should be something for everyone with an interest in Scottish history.
B They should stimulate the visitors’ own imaginations.
C They should show only what is factually accurate.
D They should recreate history in as realistic a way as possible.
4. What is the most impressive aspect of the inside of the museum, according to the writer?
A the design
B the lighting
C the items on display
D the number of galleries
5. What does the writer think of the temporary exhibition?
A It deserves a better location in the museum.
B Its realisation does not satisfy the original concept.
C Its contents should be more accessible to children.

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 D It is difficult to understand the rationale for it.

6. What is the writer’s overall impression of the museum?

A She thinks it provides inadequate coverage of Scotland’s historic past.
B She finds its approach insufficiently different from that of any other museum.
C She considers the building to be impractical for its purpose.
D She feels unsure as to whether the exhibitions will live up to their setting.

(12 points)

XI. FINE ARTS: Read the following newspaper article in which a man talks about his
encounter with Picasso. For questions 1-7 choose which of the paragraphs A-H fit into
the numbered gaps. There is one extra paragraph that does not fit any of the gaps.

The day I drew Picasso

Richard Cork recalls how, as an 18-year-old student, he came face-to-face
with one of the most revered artists of the century

Even seen at a distance, eating his lunch at an open-air restaurant in Cannes harbour, Picasso
was instantly recognisable. I was an 18-year-old student, filling in time before university by
travelling round Europe and Morocco in a battered and unreliable van. Having run out of
money, I found a boat-painting job on the waterfront. But I spent much of the time drawing,
and was lucky enough to be carrying an ample sketchbook when my encounter with the
octogenarian artist took place.

(1)……………………….

But my request was generously granted. Taking the large sheet I passed over, Picasso
inscribed his name across the top of the paper. Then, as if unable to resist the blankness below,
he added an exuberant linear flourish on the rest of the page. But Picasso’s art, even at its least
representational, was usually anchored in observed reality. So the curves may well refer to a
cloud, the wind-ripped sea or the shape assumed by Cannes harbour, dominating his
lunchtime vantage point.

(2)……………………….

After a while I returned to the boat and proudly displayed the fruit of my visit. But the friend
who had encouraged me to introduce myself to Picasso could see that the lunch party was still
in progress. ‘Is that all?’ he asked, looking at the signature. ‘Why on earth don’t you go back
and make the most of it? You won’t get a chance like this again – and he probably wouldn’t
mind if you drew his portrait.’

(3)……………………….

Once he noticed, Picasso grinned like an imp and made my task wickedly difficult. He acted
out a range of expressions, both ridiculous and macabre – rolling his eyes, sticking out his
tongue and brandishing his hand in fantastical shapes on either side of his forehead. The entire
performance was carried out with the gusto of an instinctive clown.

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(4)……………………….

As if to bear this out, Picasso at last relented and lapsed into repose. For a few extraordinary
minutes, he deliberately gave me the chance to study him without impediment. I noticed how
tough and alert he appeared, still taut in a blue-an-white jersey. As compact as a wrestler, the
deeply tanned figure resembled an athletic 60-year-old rather than a man who would soon be
celebrating his 84th birthday.

(5)……………………….

He also seemed curiously removed and alone, even though there was plenty of company
nearby. His engaging burst of buffoonery could not disguise an underlying gravity of spirit.
Content to let his friends do most of the talking, he sat in a very private and absorbed silence,
pursuing his own isolated interests undisturbed.
When the American lady told me that ‘the Maestro’ wanted to see his portrait, I became
embarrassed and replied that it wasn’t good enough to show him. Picasso insisted, however,
and after I passed my sketchbook over, he gave my efforts a generous nod.

(6)……………………….

He handed the pad back, and there was a drawing blithely at odds with my dogged strivings.
Picasso had moved one eye onto my nose, and summarised my smile in a single, irresistibly
vivacious line. I look like a creature who had strayed from one of his more lighthearted
mythological compositions. Perhaps he saw me as an intruder from another world, peering in
at him with all the gauche curiosity of a young man amazed to find himself face-to-face with
an artist he venerated.

(7)……………………….

All the same, I look back now and wonder at my good fortune. Meeting Picasso and, more
important, receiving his attention meant an enormous amount to me.

A Sketchbook under arm, I returned to Picasso’s table. I thought it wise not to ask him
whether he’d mind having his portrait drawn: a refusal at this stage might have wrecked
the whole delicate enterprise. So I simply stood by the table, propped my pad against an
ironwork screen, got a stick of crayon and started to draw.
B Today, when I view the sheet with the two portraits, I am impressed above all by the
salutary contrast between my tentative draughtsmanship and the joyful, effortless
virtuosity of the face summarised beneath.
C Picasso was known to be a fairly reclusive figure who spent most of his time shut away
working high in the hills. So I was doubly astonished to find him seated at a table with
his wife, Jacqueline, and three companions. Without my friend’s prompting, I would
never have dared to walk over and ask for his signature. Nor did I imagine, as I
nervously introduced myself and offered my sketchbbook, that he would comply.
D I marvelled at the youthfulness of his clear, dark eyes, set with startling intensity in
features remarkably unencumbered by the folds of slack flesh on so many elderly faces.
The eyes were mesmerising, and I tried to give them the necessary forcefulness. After

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 fastening themselves on whatever they wanted to scrutinise, they did not blink until the
unwavering gaze moved elsewhere.
E I was tempted to give up the struggle, but the sheer high spirits of my playful sitter
seemed tantamount to a challenge. However obstructive his antics, I felt that he was
testing my persistence, in order, perhaps, to discover the true extent of my
determination.

F I thanked Picasso, and asked him if he would be kind enough to sign the drawing. After
consultation, the American explained that ‘the Maestro says you already have his
signature’. So there were limits to the generosity he prepared to bestow on me!
G Then, to my astonishment, he announced that it was now his turn. I lost no time in
giving him my crayon, and his hand applied a few swift, decisive strokes to the paper. In
a matter of seconds with beguiling assurance, he outlined a bearded face below the head
which had taken me so many anxious minutes to produce.

H Delighted, I thanked him and embarked on a halting conversation. Since Picasso’s

English was even poorer than my French, an extravagantly dressed American woman at
the table acted as our interpreter. She kept describing him as ‘the Maestro’, and it was
difficult to combat her gushing interjections. But I did manage to tell Picasso of my
voracious interest in art and my admiration for his work.
(14 points)
XII. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: Read the following newspaper article about
mazes. For questions 1-15, choose from the sections A-E. Some of the sections may be
chosen more than once. Write the letter of your answer in the space provided.
Which section mentions the following?

a maze whose layout can be varied (1) ...............

the fact that making economies can result in a maze not being accessible at all times
(2) ...............
a maze which is no longer unique (3) ...............
the positive advantages of mazes which are not open to everyone (4) ...............
an improvement to a particular design (5) ...............
the fact that when planting a maze it is easy to exceed the original estimate (6) ...............
the suitability of a particular country for cultivating mazes (7) ...............
the fact that mazes are pointless in terms of practical function (8) ...............
a maze which reflects the owner’s interests (9) ...............
a method of finding your way round a one maze (10) .............
a body which down on mazes (11) .............
the amount of maintenance a maze requires (12) .............
the appeal of mazes to a certain type of mind (13) .............
the fact that mazes do not have a clear path to the centre (14) ............
the fact that people have not been put off by disapproval (15) .............

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 MAZES
There are few rules to having your own maze, although getting the design right
is one of them. Then sit back and wait for a few years.
Rupert Wright loses himself in the thick of it all

A engineers; we have all experienced the

There is something enduringly eccentric moment when we are stuck in a piece of
about mazes. They serve no useful software and cannot get our. ‘One of the
purpose, except perhaps to entertain guests beauties of a private maze is that you can
you don’t want to see for the afternoon. have all sorts of things that would not be
But the English are mad about them. The practical in a public maze, where there are
Royal Horticultural Society rather frowns health and safety concerns,’ says Adrian
on mazes, regarding them as a bit of an Fisher. ‘In one maze, I designed a series of
oddity, but this has not deterred a nation’s angled mirrors disguised in some
gardeners. The second largest maze in the overhanging arches in order to disorientate
world is at Longleat House in Wilthsire, people,’ he says. ‘In another, a three-metre
the largest turf maze is at Saffron Walden, section of hedge rotates on a turntable to
Essex. Adrian Fisher, the world’s leading change the puzzle design in a few seconds.
maze designer, is English. His firm designs There is also a cunningly designed wooden
and builds more than 250 a year bench with hedges behind. Hit the right
worldwide, many for private individuals. button and they all roll backwards to reveal
a hidden passage to one side.’
B
One of Adrian Fisher’s recent creations is D
for banker lord Sandberg in the grounds of Mazes have a long and distinguished
his estate. The design of the maze history. King Minos of Crete instructed
celebrates both his passion for cricket and Daedalus to build a labyrinth 3,500 years
his career in banking. ‘I thought it would ago. The difference between a labyrinth
be fun,’ says Lord Sandberg. ‘My great- and a maze is that a labyrinth follows one
great-grandchildren will be able to run track towards the middle; a maze is full of
around it and think of me. The only snag is trickery, dead ends and wrong turns. The
that all the yew trees we planted last year most famous maze in the world is probably
have died, so I am back to square one.‘ In the Hampton Court maze in England.
principle, assuming the plants are not There are more than 15 copies of the maze
diseased, growing a hedge in a temperate throughout the world. The original was
climate such as England’s is built in 1690. It can be easily penetrated by
straightforward. It requires less work and keeping one’s left hand on the wall. This
care than a lawn. The hedge will need works because the hedge that surrounds the
clipping just once a year. After ten years it centre is continuously connected to the
will be a decent enough size to get lost in. perimeter hedge. Later, mathematically
minded maze makers, such as the Earl of
C Stanhope, solved this problem by creating
One Microsoft director is planning to build ‘islands’, or gaps in the hedges. Using the
a maze in the garden of his house in the Hampton Court technique at Stanhope’s
south of France. Another Microsoft best example at Chevening would be
employee is starting work on an elaborate pointless. If you keep your left hand on the
10-metre-wide decorative pavement maze. hedge at Chevening, you end up being spat
Perhaps there is something particularly out at the beginning.
attractive about mazes to software

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E costs, but many people don’t bother,
There is something inherently furtive and preferring just to use the mazes when the
secretive about a maze. Adrian Fisher is conditions underfoot are good. One
designing a private maze for an individual drawback is the amount of time one has to
who plans to give summer parties. Round wait for the hedge to grow. Half the fun of
the first corner guests will be served having a maze is watching it grow and
drinks, then left to their own devices to knowing that it will be enjoyed for years.
find their way to the centre, where a band Most people turn to an experienced
will be playing. Once the party is designer. Some, though, decide to design
assembled, various decorative maze gates their own mazes, although there are
will be opened. The cost of building a pitfalls: one man who pursued this path
maze is a bit like building a garden: is al watched with satisfaction as the hedge
depends on size and the number of plants, grew beautifully, only to discover that the
and if you are not careful, the budget maze did not work.
continues to grow. The cost of building
hardcore paths adds considerably to the
(15 points)

PART THREE: WRITING

XIII. Why do/don’t ARTS play an important part in your life? Tell us in a paragraph of
10-12 sentences of your own. You may give a general account or write about a particular
art or entertainment. Please give your own title and use a separate sheet with you names
on it. (30 points)

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