READING

Part 1
You are going to read a magazine article about a Cuban baseball player For answer (А, В, С or D) which you
think fits best according to the text.
For the Love of the Game
Talented baseball player Jose Navarro tells us all about his move from Cuba to Canada.

From the moment I open my mouth, the questions begin. It happens every single time
without fail. "Where are you from?" people I meet ask me. "I'm from Cuba," I reply, a treat for
the inquiring mind. For I think we humans are born with a natural curiosity. If we hear an
accent that is different from our own, we want to put a place to the voice, we want to know
where the person is from. Of course, this is not a bad thing, or at least I don't think it is. I
believe our desire to learn more about others shows that, by and large, we are social creatures.
The way I see it, it's like having a new neighbour that you often see from across the street but
haven't had the chance to introduce yourself to yet. Well, it's perfectly natural to want to cross
the road to say 'Hi!'
Before I continue, let me give you a brief history of how I came to be in Canada, a
stranger in this new land. For as long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with baseball, the
national sport of Cuba. I dedicated myself totally to both playing and watching it, sacrificing
free time, friendships and sometimes school grades along the way. Eleven months ago, I finally
made it onto a Cuban team. Wearing my team colours before fans in my home stadium for the
first time was the proudest moment of my life. Then, six months ago, talent scouts from Canada
saw me playing at the 'Estadio Latinoamericano' in Havana and were impressed enough to offer
me a sports scholarship. I didn't think twice about accepting the offer. Within the month I was
on a plane heading for Toronto. I realised my obsession had paid off.
The scholarship offered me a place at the renowned York University. I was given the
opportunity to choose. from a list which degree I questions begin. It happens every single time
wanted to pursue. After one or two sleepless without fail. "Where are you from?" people I
nights and five long and somewhat heated phone meet ask me. "I'm from Cuba," I reply, a treat
t, calls with my parents, I decided to do a law for the inquiring mind. For I think we humans
degree. I thought it was very important to pick are born with a natural curiosity. If we hear an
something that I could fall back on if I didn't accent that is different from our own, we want to
make it as a big league player. There was only put a place to the voice, we want to know where
one catch: when I wasn't studying, I had to play the person is from. Of course, this is not a bad
ball. My opinion on that: 'No objections, Your Honour!
When I first arrived, I wasn't afraid, even though I was all alone in a foreign country.
On the contrary, I was eager to explore this new, unknown city. Toronto was a brand new
world; mine to discover. Gone were the 1950s Cadillacs and cobbled streets and before my
eyes were sleek, shiny visions of the future. And for reasons I've already explained, it hasn't
been difficult to make friends with my fellow students. "What's it , like living in Cuba?" they
ask. "Did you like it it?", "Have you come here to escape it?" You see, Cuba, Cubans and the
Cuban way of life are something of an enigma to them. They see my home as a secretive
island, shrouded in mystery.
Sometimes we talk into the early hours of the morning, exchanging stories. I reminisce
about walking barefoot along the Havana coastline in the tropical warmth. I talk about the many
hours spent playing dominoes and eating shellfish with my family. I joke that it's not all
politics and cigars! They say they realise this and joke back. Bat then we also chat about the
many shared experiences that we have here in Canada. You know, we may start off thinking
about our differences, but when all is said and done, we look for what we have in common.
1. What is the writer's attitude to being asked a lot of questions?
A He welcomes the attention.
B He wishes people weren't so curious.
C He believes it will help him make new friends.
D He believes it reflects human nature.

2. What do we learn about the writer's love for baseball while growing up?
A It made him feel like a foreigner in his own country.
B It developed over time.
C It wasn't encouraged by others.
D It caused him to miss out on certain things.

3. What does the writer mean by the phrase 'my obsession had paid oft' in line 35?
A His love for baseball was now bringing rewards.
B His talent would at last bring financial benefits.
C His dream had become a reality.
D His passion had led to more than expected.

4. The writer decided to study law because

A the course allowed him plenty of time to play baseball.
B he realised he was unlikely to succeed as a baseball player.
C he felt it would be useful if he failed in sport.
D he was respecting his parents' wishes.

5. When the writer first arrived in Toronto, he felt

A homesick.
B lonely.
C excited.
D anxious.

6. According to the writer, why were the other students sointerested in his life back home?
A They wanted to understand why he had left his countr
B They were curious about something they knew very little about.
C They enjoyed the stories he told about it.
D They were eager to get to know him better.

7. At the end of the passage, the writer concludes that

A he would prefer to be living in his own country.
B life in his own country is very different to life in Canada.
C people from different cultures may be more similar than they realise.
D he still has a lot to learn about the Canadian people.

8. What was the writer's main purpose in writing the text?

A to describe his great love for baseball
B to share his experience of becoming a foreigner
C to show the value of learning more about others
D to encourage others to follow their dreams
Part 2
You are going to read an article about what it takes to become a detective. Seven sentences
have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each
gap (9-15) . There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

A Far Cry from Sherlock

Being a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, our reporter Anne Carlisle decided to do a bit of investig~ting of her own to
find out about the history and work of Britain 's police detectives. Here 's what she dlscovered.

Way back in 1828, the world's first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel.
The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and
quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade
before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the
Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as CLD) and to this day remains the
main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.
Becoming a plain clothes detective in the CLD is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer
needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer.
9 ___ Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective
training school. However, there's no guarantee they will be accepted
In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and
qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be
highly observant and to have good judgement. 10 ___ An officer with all these skills could
more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detectIve.
Most of these 'detectives-to-be' discover that the really hard work begins once they get
to the training school. 11___For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will
come in handy when they are questioning- suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult
subjects though deal with learning all about the modern scientific methods now used in crime
detection.
Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as
detective' constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the C.L.D. Most of the work
they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels . 12__Not exactly
enthralling, but essential duties all the same.
Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of
paperwork to deal with. 13___ Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded.
Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of
their job.
Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing
they have solved a major crime. However,a detective's job is still not over after a suspect has
been arrested and charged. 14__ Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the
detective's goal achieved. Then there's always the next case to tackle, of course.
In many ways the detectives of today are similar to the ones of the past. Much of the
work has hardly changed at all. 15__ The main difference is the technology and modern science
now available to help them. Whether it be using computers or looking through a microscope, it
all helps to get the crime solved. In the end, just like the detectives we avidly watch on TV,
they are heroes doing everything in their power to get the bad guys off our streets.
A For every investigation, forms have to be filled in and reports written.

B During this time, the officer learns all the basics of general police work.

C In addition to catching criminals, they have to give evidence in court.

D Last but not least, a high degree of patience is an absolute must as, believe it or not, crime
investigation can often be a very lengthy and boring process.

E In fact, it is nothing like it used to be.

F Detectives still have to ask questions and find answers.

G Typical mundane tasks include going house to house asking questions or searching
carefully through a suspect's phone records for clues to a crime.

H There the officers receive intensive instruction in all areas related to solving major crime.
Part 3
You are going to read a magazine article about four different readers. For questions 16-30,
choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once. When more than
one answer is required, these may be given in any order.

Which person

enjoys the humour in the books they read? 16

regrets people's lack of interest in a particular type of book? 17
appreciates books that are true to life? 18
chooses what to read based on how they are feeling? 19
dislikes being able to predict what will happen in a book? 20
doesn't read a particular type of book very often? 21
mentions reading for a particular purpose? 22
23
has read some of their books more than once? 24
thinks there is a misunderstanding regarding the themes of some books? 25
is concerned that some information could be inaccurate? 26
mentions a change in their reading habits? 27
likes to read without interruptions? 28
is influenced by book reviews? 29
believes something has become easier? 30
 Book Worms
A Isabella Milbank
People often comment that I've always got my head in a book. I just find that reading is such a
great way to pass idle moments; when I'm on the bus or in a doctor's waiting room, for
example, or whenever I have a spare minute, really. I'll read almost anything, but on the whole,
I tend to go for books that a friend has recommended or that have had a positive write- up in a
newspaper or magazine. That way, you're almost guaranteed to get a good read. And I guess I'd
have to say that my favourite kinds of books are modern crime thrillers. I just love it when the
plots are really cleverly constructed, especially when you can tell the author has thoroughly
researched how modern police work is carried out. Then, you get into it more easily because
you feel like you're reading about something that really happened. The very best ones are those
that keep you guessing right up until the end. It's so disappointing if you manage to work
everything out half way through.

B Emily Hawthorne
I used to read a lot of romantic novels, but I guess I sort of grew out of them. Now, I'm hooked
on biographies. I've read about so many different kinds of people: historical figures, politicians,
celebrities, you name it. They're all interesting in their own way, but when I'm not in the mood
for anything too heavy, I just go for something more light- hearted: the gossip and scandals of
the rich and famous, for example!
I enjoy autobiographies, too, but I sometimes wonder how true a picture they actually paint. I
mean, when you're writing about yourself, it must be tempting to leave out anything that shows
you in a bad light. You're probably more likely to get a more rounded picture of the person by
reading a well-researched biography.

C Ian Reed
I don't usually read purely for entertainment; I guess it just feels like a waste of time to me. But
what I do enjoy reading are books that I think I can learn something from. You know, non-
fiction books about historical events or current or political issues like the environment, for
example. I realise these kinds of books aren't everyone's cup of tea, but it's a shame that more
people don't give them a try. I admit that in the past they, could often be a bit tricky to read, but
that has all changed now. These days, plenty of them are written in quite an entertaining style
and in a language that any reasonably educated person can comprehend. You can learn an
incredible amount about the world by reading those kinds of books.

D Henry Crawford
I most enjoy reading when I know I can sit down for at least a couple of hours without being
disturbed. Sunday mornings are the best time. I guess some would say that I read a fairly
narrow range of books. I do read the occasional modern novel, when something particularly
catches my attention, but generally, I prefer the classics, by authors like Dickens and Eliot, for
example. They are both wonderful, of course, but in my opinion, no one compares to Jane
Austen! People are often surprised when I tell them that Jane Austen is my favourite author
because they think she only wrote romance novels. Her books do deal with love and marriage,
but on the whole, they're actually more about general relationships and human nature. And
they're hilarious at times, too, which makes them incredibly entertaining to read. I've read all of
her books, some of them several times over. They are like old friends you need to meet up with
every once in a while!
 USE OF ENGLISH
Part 1
For questions 31-42, read the text and decide which answer (А, В, С or D) best fits each gap. There is an
example at the beginning (0). Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Example
0 A ahead of B in front of С preceding D earlier than

The Best of Britain

It's time for the Tlanetsong Music Competition' again. Several British hopefuls are working
hard (0)_______________the finals in Brussels in the hope of (31)_____________the contest
for their country. Like the other contestants, Marcus Inman is excited to have an
(32)________________ to represent his nation. He says that it's every boy's dream to perform
for his country at the (33)_______________ level. Marcus adds that he believes the contest is
the most important music event of the year and that he feels he has a (34)_____________to do
his very best for the UK.
Marcus isn't a newcomer to the music business, though. He was (35)____________ the lead
linger of the noted heavy rock band, 'The Fortress'. His band's first album sold hundreds of
thousands of copies and as a (36)_________________their first single, 'Missing a Piece of the
Puzzle (37)______________number one in the music charts. After his huge achievement,
Marcus (38)_________________his mind to take a short break from recording songs. However,
he assures everyone that his new TlanetSong' ballad means he's w ell and truly back! He says
that he is hoping that the judges will like his unique singing (39)_________________ as much
as the Brits do. Whatever happens, though, he has (40) ______________a promise that he will
not (41)_______________even if he is unsuccessful this time around. We've got our fingers
(42)________________for you, Marcus!

31 A gaining B earning C winning D beating

32 A appointment B opportunity C option D occasion
33 A highest B steepest C tallest D biggest
34 A service B duty C job D task
35 A lately B recently C currently D previously
36 A reason B cause C reaction D result
37 A took B reached C arrived D grabbed
38 A made up B put down C set out D got on
39 A way B kind C style D pattern
40 A taken B given C made D said
41 A give up B hold back C get out D fall away
42 A stretched B raised C folded D crossed
Part 2
For questions 43-54, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use
only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS in the answer boxes provided.

Adventures at sea
Yann Martel's Life of Pi is a novel that you should (0)____________ read late in the evening if
you intend to get (43)____________sleep at night! It is definitely a page-turner; I personally
found it absolutely impossible to (44)____________down before I had read it cover
(45)_____________cover.
The book tells the unusual story of a sixteen-year-old boy, Pi. (46)___________Pi is making
thevoyage from India to Canada on a boat full of zoo animals, his boat sinks. Being the
(47)_______________human survivor, he finds (48)__________ sharing a lifeboat with a
menagerie of creatures, including a hyena, a zebra, an orang-utan and a 200 kg Bengal Tiger.
Although the book is written in a fairly simple style, (49)_________________ examines some
very complex themes. In (50)______________the novel reads like a fable or a fairy tale as it
discusses the question (51)______________faith and belief.
If you read only (52)_____________ good book this year, I (53)_____________ strongly
recommend Martel's Life of Pi. The writer has come up (54)___________ a story that is
enlightening, humorous and therefore highly entertaining.
Part 3
For questions 55-64, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of
the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the
beginning (0).

Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS in the answer boxes provided.

Something Different
If you are looking for a holiday w!th a (0) .............................., the DIFFER
'Koryo Travel' are the people to speak to. While some agencies send
their clients off to admire the (55) .............................. sights of HISTORY
bustling Athens or to . bask on beaches on the sunny Costa Brava,
they fly tourists to (56) ........................... North Korea. MYSTERY

For years, North Korea has been the subject of increasing

(57) ............................... In the past, its doors were closed to foreign CURIOUS
visitors, but now they are very slowly beginning to open and very
few people are refused (58)............................. There are one or ENTER
twodrawbacks, though. Nicholas Bonner, of Koryo Travel, admits
the trip is (59)............................and normally requires a lot of EXPENSE
boring paperwork before you can embark on your journey. But he
insists that the positives outweigh the negatives.

Mount Paekdu is a paradise for (60)…………………..hill-climbers. ADVENTURE

Then moving away from the (61)………………..nature reserves and COLOUR
over to the wide avenues of P'yongyang lies the May Day Stadium.
The stadium is home to the 'Arirang Festival', a (62) ……................... YEAR
gymnastics show in which 100,000 gymnasts take part. With all these
magnificent and (63)………………… sights, North Korea promises USUAL
to be a (64)…………………experience, ideal for people who want MEMORY
the most from their holiday.
Part 4
For questions 65-72, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and
five words, including the word given. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example:
0 Your house needs redecorating.
SHOULD
You SHOULD HAVE YOUR HOUSE redecorated.

Write the missing words IN CAPITAL LETTERS in the answer boxes provided.

65 You might get tired walking so you should wear comfortable shoes.
CASE
Wear comfortable shoes………………………….……………………..walking.

66 He hasn't played tennis for five years.

UP
He………………………………………………………………….five years ago.

67 There's no sugar left.

RUN
We've ………………………………………………………………………sugar.

68 It's not worth saving this left-over food.

POINT
There's…………………………………………………………..this left-over food.

69 You mustn't miss this opportunity to study abroad.

ADVANTAGE
You must………………………………………….this opportunity to study abroad.

70 She watched a film at home and didn't go to the cinema with him.
INSTEAD
She watched a film at home ………………………………to the cinema with him.

71 Peter was eighteen when he started driving.

BEEN
Peter………………………………………………………………he was eighteen.

72 Sally is as tall as John.

SAME
John is……………………………………………………………………..Sally.
 WRITING
Write your answer in 100-120 words in an appropriate style.

1. You have seen this announcement in an English-language magazine.

A Perfect Day
Write and tell us what your perfect day would be like.
- Where would you go?
- What would you do?
- Who would you go with?

We will publish the most interesting articles next month!

Write your article.