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ENGLISH B1
Reading Comprehension
TIME: 1 hour
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

There are 4 tasks in this part of the test.

You must answer all the questions.
You must write your answers in the space provided Answers.
Questions 1-18 are worth 1 point each, and questions 19-24 are worth 2 points each.

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Servicio de Idiomas
Edificio 18 (Celestino Mutis), Planta 1
954 238 200

ID NUMBER: _______________________

Task 1
You are going to read six different short texts.
Decide what each text (1-6) says.
Write the answer (A, B, or C) on the line.
There is an example at the beginning (0).
Example
0

A You must tell us if you leave books here for checking.

B Check that you have all your books before leaving.
C Do not leave here until your books have been checked.

Answer:

___C___

WOOD COMMUNITY
LIBRARY
the so
library
Wait in this area
that
we can check your
books.

Mama Mary Pizza

1.

Special Offer this season!

A
B
C

This advert offers free pizzas

on certain days.
If the football team wins, you get
cheaper pizza in the restaurant.
Some food items are not included
in the offer.

When our football team wins, your on-line orders will

have a 50% discount!
Enter code: 2goals when placing your order!
(Not available for double-pizzas)

.
Answer: _______

Kiddie Playland

2.
A
B
C

Children cannot have a birthday

party here.
Children can play as long as they
want on Fridays.
Children need to have a certain item
of clothing.

Celebrate special occasions with your

friends.
Unlimited play time from Tuesdays to
Thursdays.
Socks must be worn at all times.

Answer: _______
Dear Mrs. Campbell,
3.
Here is the information about the seminar.
A
B
C

Mrs. Campbell wants to stay in a

specific place.
Anthony needs to pick up Mrs. Campbell.
Anthony will be speaking to a group.

Answer: _______

Our computer department will provide you with a laptop.

Your rental car is confirmed, but we are waiting for the
hotel you requested to answer.
Regards,
Anthony Smith

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Servicio de Idiomas
Edificio 18 (Celestino Mutis), Planta 1
954 238 200

ID NUMBER: _______________________

4.
A
B
C

Holly should go to the caf

to meet Diane.
Diane needs to give something to Holly.
Diane tries to help Holly.

Answer: _______

To: Sam
From: Lily

5.
A
B
C

Message from Holly

For: Diane
The queue is long. We
are in the middle,
near the caf.
Can
you see us?
Hurry
because we dont have
enough money for the
tickets. I saw places
to park in Oak Street.

Sam wants Lily to be on a TV show with him.

Sam wants Lily to change her plans.
Sam thinks this is a chance to be famous.

Answer: _______

Game of Chairs is filming in our town.

They want local people to help with the
organisation.
I know you want to study abroad, but this is
a great opportunity. We could meet some
stars and make money!
Let me know.

6.
A
B
C

You cannot celebrate a wedding here at

the weekend.
You pay for a second copy when they
give it to you.
Only one person is necessary
to register a baby.

Answer: _______

Municipal Registry Office

Marriages: Monday - Friday: 9
am to 5 pm
Birth Registry: Monday Saturday: 9 am to 3 pm
(Only with hospital birth
certificate and both parents
present)
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Servicio de Idiomas
Edificio 18 (Celestino Mutis), Planta 1
954 238 200

ID NUMBER: _______________________

Task 2
You are going to read an article about cycling in different places.

Read the sentences (A-M) and decide which sentence matches the countries (7-12).
There is an example at the beginning (0).
There are two extra sentences you will not use.

0. UK

A. Cycling is very normal here for everybody.

7. Italy

B. The writer talks about a famous person who is employed there.

8. Belgium

C. In this place you do not need to take your own bike.

9. The Netherlands

D. The writer talks about a place he lived as a child.

10. France

E. This cyclist describes a place for the whole family to ride their bikes.

11. Spain

F. This writer describes a place that has not changed in a long time.

12. Denmark

G. This cyclist recommends not going there on certain days.

H. Here it was difficult to build bike paths.
I. Cyclists have a place to sit outside.

Answers:
0. _____I_____

10. ___________

7. ___________

11. ___________

8. ___________

12. ____________

9. ___________

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Servicio de Idiomas
Edificio 18 (Celestino Mutis), Planta 1
954 238 200

ID NUMBER: _______________________

Cycling trips and tips: top cyclists share their secrets

Here are the top tips from around the world

UK
You can appreciate Cornwall's coastline via an off-road bike ride along the Cornish mining trails. Along the way is the
excellent Bike Chain cafe at Bissoe, which serves delicious food in a bike-friendly atmosphere. Inside, there's lots of
cycling memorabilia and there's a nice veranda to take in the sun.
Italy
The famous Colle Gallo in Bergamo is my favourite climb in the area where I grew up and learned to race. It's on the
Gran Fondo Felice Gimondi route and the Giro d'Italia sometimes includes it. The Museo del Ciclismo has bicycles,
jerseys, and memorabilia. There's also a nice little cafe inside the museum.
Belgium
The Tour of Flanders race is so popular that in 2012 a museum was created in the city of Oudenaarde. This plunges
you into the history of Belgium's best-known bicycle race, and you might be welcomed by former double world
champion Freddy Maertens, who works there as a guide.
The Netherlands
The Marianne Vos Route goes through the seven villages of Aalburg. You'll see the windmill in Meeuwen and, in
Babylonienbroek, a statue of the bike ridden by an Olympic champion. The best place to stop is Cafet zwaantje, still
decorated as it was when it opened 70 years ago. It's a farmers' cafe but they are friendly to cyclists.
France
Hotel Crillon-le-Brave has an excellent location on one side of Mont Ventoux in Provence, a pilgrimage climb for any
cyclist. The hotel has amazing views and the owner likes cyclists a lot, whether you take your own bike or hire one of
theirs. This hotel holds a special meaning for those who have stayed there.
Spain
Anillo Verde, which means the Green Ring, is a 65km bike lane surrounding the whole of Madrid. It's a good way to
escape the messy city centre, has nice views and is a really peaceful ride as long as you don't go on a weekend.

Denmark
In a city where cycling is so mainstream, there are no "cycling cafes" or "hangouts". Every destination in Copenhagen
is bicycle-friendly, as is every route to get there. I recommend a cycling journey having breakfast at Bang & Jensen,
lunch at Torvehallerne food halls, and dinner at Falernum.

Adapted from an article in The Guardian The Guardian News & Media

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Servicio de Idiomas
Edificio 18 (Celestino Mutis), Planta 1
954 238 200

ID NUMBER: _______________________
Task 3

You are going to read an article about planning a wedding.

For questions 13-18 choose the correct answer (A-C) according to the text.
Only answers written in the section marked answer will be corrected.
There is an example (0) at the beginning.
When weddings attack: adventures of a modern bride

One February afternoon, my boyfriend Jamie suggested we get married. I was eating toast, it was a grey Monday, and
I thought he was joking. That evening, we went for dinner and our parents were waiting for us at the restaurant; I
started crying.
And then we started talking about the wedding.
How about September? my mum proposed.
September 2016? my new fianc asked.
No, this September. Just do it. A late-summer wedding. Were not waiting until next summer. My mother, as she had
made clear over the previous six months, and most of my adult life, had waited long enough.
Thats quick, we said.
What do you want from your wedding? my father-in-law asked me. Have you thought about it?
But the truth was, I hadnt. I hadnt dressed as a bride as a girl. I was preoccupied with playing offices, or pretending to
be a baseball player.
Coloured lights? I suggested, hoping this might be an answer. It wasnt. And so it began.
Four months later, and I have to choose one of eight chair designs at our wedding. I have never paid attention to a
chair at a wedding. My friends assure me that this (along with a wedding hashtag and the colour of the dance floor) is
part of getting married in 2015.
When did wedding planning get so complicated? There seems to be so many decisions to make, from the dress to the
flowers to the cake. Plus Im surrounded by everyone elses choices (thanks social media!). Here is what Ive learned
so far.
Modern wedding culture will make you crazy. This year, I attended 10 ceremonies. Inevitably, we have spent the past
year surrounded by brides and grooms from different religions and backgrounds, planning weddings of all shapes and
sizes, from farms in rural villages to south London warehouses.
What strikes me the most is the obsession with weight loss. It now seems that prospective brides are not going to eat
anything. This is stupid. As one friend, exasperated by questions about her wedding diet, says: I dont care about
changing the way I look, to marry the person who sees me first thing in the morning.
I had to sign a form to say that, if I lose too much weight before my wedding, and my dress doesnt fit, it is my fault,
not the dress shops. My friend Sally, meanwhile, had the following opinion: My designer cut my dress too small on
the assumption Id lose weight due to stress, she says.
The best place to learn about weddings is on Pinterest. One night, I was looking for presents for guests (yes, your
guests need a present as well as a good party), and with one click found myself in a sub-category named 25 ways to

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Servicio de Idiomas
Edificio 18 (Celestino Mutis), Planta 1
954 238 200

ID NUMBER: _______________________
make your wedding funnier. Next up was 10 ways to keep your guests entertained, including games such as Guess
when we will have our first kid.
Adapted from an article by Abigail Radnor in The Guardian Guardian News & Media, Ltd.

(0) Abigail explains that when her boyfriend asked her to marry him
A. he had planned a special surprise.
B. their family was there as well.
C. she was doing normal things.

Answer:

____C____

13. Why did Abigails mother suggest getting married in September 2015?
A. She thought that the best weather for a wedding would be in summer.
B. She didnt want any more delays for Abigails wedding.
C. She thought that Abigail might change her mind if they waited.

__________

14. What does Abigail say about making choices for her wedding?
A. Some of the decisions she has to make seem ridiculous.
B. Her childhood games helped her prepare for making wedding plans.
C. Her fiancs father helped a lot with the wedding plans.

__________

15. How has social media contributed to the wedding plans?

A. Now lots of people can give an opinion about the wedding.
B. Social media has helped her organise the wedding details.
C. It helped her decided on a certain way to decorate for the wedding.

__________

16. Attending so many weddings recently has shown Abigail

A. that brides and grooms are too obsessed with wedding details.
B. that there are some things she does not want to include in her wedding.
C. that there are many different ways to celebrate a wedding.

__________

17. What does Abigail say about losing weight?

A. Many brides try to lose weight to look better for their husbands.
B. Most brides lose weight before the wedding.
C. She lost so much weight that her dress was too big.

__________

18. Pinterest gives wedding information such as

A. how to tell guests which gift the bride and groom want.
B. why wedding guests need to laugh.
C. how to make sure wedding guests arent bored.

__________

Task 4

You are going to read an article about childhood obesity.

Complete sentences (19-24) according to the information in the text.
Use a maximum of FOUR words.
Contractions count as two words.
There is an example (0) at the beginning.

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Servicio de Idiomas
Edificio 18 (Celestino Mutis), Planta 1
954 238 200

ID NUMBER: _______________________
Kids run more slowly than 30 years ago
A report from the American Heart Association says fitness levels in children are lower today than 30 years ago. The
researchers studied data from the past 46 years. The statistics were on more than 25 million children in 28 countries.
The research team found that, today's children run one kilometre one minute slower than their parents did three
decades ago. The figures were the same for boys and girls. The distance a child can run is decreasing by half of one
per cent every year. One of the biggest reasons for the children being slower is obesity. Kids are overweight because
they are eating too much and not exercising enough.
If children are becoming fatter and less fit, they will be unhealthier in the future. Dr Grant Tomkinson said: "If a young
person is unfit now, they are more likely to develop conditions like heart disease later in life." Dr Tomkinson said: "We
need to inspire children to develop fitness habits that will keep them healthy now and into the future. They need to
choose physical activities they like or think they might like to try."
Adapted from an article from breakingnewsenglish.com

0. American childrens health levels are not _________AS HIGH AS______________________ they were in the
past.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ANSWERS:
19. They started recording the data 46 _____________________________________________________________.
20. The childrens parents could run ____________________________________________ when they were young.
21. The problem is ____________________________________________________________ by childhood obesity.
22. Today children _______________________________________________________________ enough exercise.
23. Illnesses ______________________________________ as heart disease could be more a problem in the future.
24. Children should select physical activities that they are ____________________________________________ on.

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