SUMMER

REVIEW
JUNE 2022

2 ºESO

- GRAMMAR
-VOCABULARY
-READING PRACTICE

ALSO,

- WATCH SERIES, FILMS AND VIDEOS IN

ENGLISH
-CHAT WITH YOUR FRIENDS IN ENGLISH

-READ SOME BOOKS IN ENGLISH

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER

Mr. RANDY

“SOME OF THE BEST MEMORIES ARE MADE

IN FLIP-FLOPS.” — KELLIE ELMORE
GRAMMAR

1 Put the adverbs in the correct place in the sentences.

1 I use social networking sites. (never)

2 Kate is phoning me when I’m trying to work. (always)

3 I change my avatar’s appearance. (once a month)

4 My mum is on the computer when I get home. (often)

5 My dad plays computer games – he’s too impatient! (rarely)

2 Correct f ive mistakes in the text. Circle the mistakes. Then write the answers correctly.

Hi John,

(1) I’m just write to see how you are. (2) I haven’t checked my message for a few days – sorry! – but today I have some
time. (3) Do you coming to the cinema with us on Friday? (4) Amelia saw the film last week and said that it was very good
and that it gets some good reviews in the press. After the cinema we could have a pizza. (5) Are you agree with the plan?

Hope to see you on Friday!

Mike

1
2
3
4
5

3 Complete the short dialogues with the correct present simple or present continuous form of these verbs.

get leave play study write

1 A: What you ?
B: Just a text to Vicky.
2 A: Why you college early on Fridays?
B: Because I have computer club.
3 A: Where your brother at the moment?
B: At Cardiff University.
4 A: How often you computer games?
B: Oh, two or three times a day!
5 A: Why my marks worse?
B: Because you spend too much time on the computer! You’re not a serious student!

4 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1 I was getting off/got off the train when I dropped my suitcase.

2 I noticed a mark on the door while I was cleaning/cleaned the car.
3 We were cycling/cycled to the river and had a picnic on the grass.
4 After the test, I was having/had a short chat with my teacher.
5 While my dad was reversing the car, he was hitting/hit the rubbish bin in our garden!

5 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the text.

Today has been a disaster! It started badly in the morning and then just got worse! I had a shower and there wasn’t any
hot water. It was freezing! After I (1) my cold shower, I made breakfast. I decided to make some toast. A
mistake! I forgot that I (2) the bread under the grill and by the time I (3) it had already
burnt! So I made some coffee, but while I (4) the coffee the phone rang and I dropped the mug. By the time
I found my phone, it (5) ringing. That was only breakfast time!

1 A took B have taken C had taken

2 A put B have put C had put

3 A remembered B remembering C had remembered

4 A made B was making C had made

5 A stopped B have stopped C had stopped

6 Complete the sentences with the correct form of used to and a suitable verb.

drive like live own watch

1 My brother to work, but he sold his car and now he cycles.

2 Where exactly you in London? In the suburbs?
3 When I was a child we a car, but then my dad bought one when I was about 13 years old.
4 What you eating when you were a child. I loved eating fruit and ice cream
together. Delicious!
5 My sister is a TV addict! When she was younger, she about six hours a day.
 7 Complete the sentences with the correct present perfect or past simple form of the verbs given.

1 you (have) that headache for a long time? You should see a doctor about it.
2 Where you (be)? Your clothes are really dirty!
3 Where you (stay) when you were in London earlier this year?
4 We (visit) my cousins while we were in Rome last month.
5 I have finished the assignment, but I (not give) it in yet.

8 Put these words in the correct place in the sentences.

ever just never since yet

1 We’ve watched an English DVD in class. I’d love to, though!

2 I’m sorry, but I haven’t finished the book you lent me. Can I give it back to you next week?

3 I’ve known my best friend we were at playgroup together when we were three years old.

4 Sorry I’m late for class. I’ve arrived and I’m a little out of breath!

5 Have you been on a plane by yourself in your life?

9 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1 Be careful! That chair is going to/will fall over.

2 It’s your birthday today Mum, so I am going to/will cook dinner!
3 I am going to/will see you tomorrow. Have a good evening.
4 I’’m going to/’ll help you with those bags. T hey look very heavy.
5 I don’t think we are going to/will ever stop global warming.

10 Complete the dialogue with the correct form of these verbs given.

Mark: Hi Angie. I’m just calling to remind you about the arrangements for tomorrow. We
(1) (travel) to London in the afternoon.
Angie: I remember! The train (2) (get) in at 3.30, so we should be home by 4.00.
Mark: Great! If you can’t come for any reason, then just give me a call. I (3) (be) at
home until half past two, but then I have to go out.
Angie: OK, I will. (4) you (meet) your cousin on
Sunday?
Mark: I’m not sure yet. If I speak to him today, then I (5) (phone) you to let you know.
11 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1 You mustn’t/don’t have to bring a dog in here.

2 We can/should leave early to avoid the traffic.
3 You mustn’t/don’t have to learn Spanish. You can learn French instead if you want to.
4 You can/have to come to dinner at our house if you want to.
5 I’m afraid you can’t/don’t have to wait for the doctor here. Please go into the waiting room over there.

12 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the dialogue.

Alana: Hi Rob, what’s wrong? You look worried.

Rob: I’ve got a test tomorrow at school and I’m nervous. If the test is difficult, I know I (1) fail.
Alana: Stop worrying about it! If I (2) you, I (3) spend some time revising and then
forget about it until tomorrow.
Rob: It’s easy for you to say that because you never find tests difficult. If I (4) your brains, I
(5) the exam easily.

1 A will
B would
C should
2 A am
B was
C were
3 A will
B would
C wouldn’t
4 A have
B had
C will have
5 A pass
B will pass
C would pass
13 Rewrite the sentences using the modal verbs given.

1 I think it would be a good idea for you to take a break. (should)

2 Students are allowed to buy cheap meals in the cafeteria. (can)

3 It’s not possible for students to use the library after 4.30 because it’s closed. (can’t)

4 It’s not necessary for us to hand in our homework before Friday. (don’t have to)

5 It’s important that I remember to print out my essay. (must)

14 Change these sentences f rom active to passive.

1 Someone is printing their project at the moment.

2 They’ll hold the conference in Oslo later this year.

3 The teacher has marked our exam papers.

4 Someone started the competition in 1968.

5 We will sell the new gadgets on the Internet from this March.

15 Write complete sentences with the correct form of to have something done.

1 I/my bedroom/paint/a week ago

2 I/my laptop/repair/at the moment

3 I/never/my hair/dye/until now

4 we/our windows/clean/once a month

5 my dad/his car/service/every six months

16 Put commas in the correct place in the sentences. Sometimes a comma is not necessary.

1 Jenny who joined our class this term is a very good swimmer.

2 The school I went to when I was five has been knocked down.

3 People who like skiing will love snowboarding.

4 John’s mother who lives in Scotland has got six grandchildren.

5 The dog which is very big and friendly lives next door to us.

17 Correct the mistakes in the sentences. One sentence is correct.

1 That’s the man I met him last week.

2 The restaurant where is next to the supermarket is very expensive.

3 The 4th May is the day when we get our test results.

4 The woman gave us the tickets is my aunt.

5 The car, Jade bought last week, cost her £5,000.

18 Rewrite the sentences in reported speech.

1 ‘Janine has never seen a performance of a Shakespeare play.’

She said she
2 ‘We’ll see both of you outside the swimming pool at 6.30 this evening.’
They said they
3 ‘I’m going to do some research on the arts project with Tony tomorrow.’
He said she
4 ‘My sister wrote at least 15 postcards on holiday.’
Helen said her sister
5 ‘I’ve never been to an exhibition of sculptures.’
My mum said she
19 Correct the mistakes in the sentences.

1 Greg told that he loved hip-hop music.

2 I asked Bradley what was the film like.

3 Sophie told her sister to being careful.

4 Matt said that he has seen Jan at the gig last month.

5 The teacher told us to don’t write in our books.

20 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1 It might/can’t be hot at the beach, so take some suntan lotion.

2 You’ve got a lot of crime books – you must/could like detective fiction.
3 Don’t buy a book for Tara’s birthday. She can/might already have it. Get her some flowers instead.
4 That can’t/must be the new student. I haven’t seen him before.
5 The teacher mustn’t/can’t have the results already. We only took the test this morning.

21 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the dialogue.

Maria: Look at Mum’s birthday cake. It’s a disaster! If I (1) the recipe a bit more carefully
it (2) better. But as usual I was in such a rush that I didn’t bother.
Richard: Well, if you (3) the television at the same time as trying to cook the cake it would
have been much better.
Maria: I know, you’re right. If I (4) how awful it was going to taste I would have turned
the television off!
Richard: If I were you, I (5) again and bake another cake.
1 A had read
B would read
C read
2 A would have been
B will be
C wouldn’t be
3 A wasn’t watching
B haven’t been watching
C hadn’t been watching
4 A knew
B had known
C has known
5 A will start
B would start
C would have started
VOCABULARY

1 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the text.

I went to stay at Simon’s house last weekend and met his family. They’re lovely! I didn’t have any plans and so when Simon
called me and invited me to spend the weekend with him I was really (1) . He’s got an older brother called
Daniel, who is great fun. He asked me so many questions and just didn’t stop talking. He really was very (2) !
Daniel was studying most of the weekend because he’s at university and has to work very (3) to pass his
exams. I thought that he would be in a bad mood because he had to study, but he was really (4) and didn’t
seem to mind at all about the work. I also met his grandparents, who were lovely. They live with Simon because they are
quite (5) now. It was a really nice weekend!

1 A friendly B sociable C glad

2 A serious B talkative C nervous

3 A seriously B hard C well

4 A cheerful B glad C handsome

5 A elderly B thin C bright

2 Correct the mistakes in the sentences.

1 Jack is a very pretty man.

2 Ben is tall. He’s also strong and quite well-grown.

3 My sister’s got medium-height curly hair.

4 My hair isn’t really straight or curly – it’s curved.

5 Ryan Gosling is my favourite actor. He’s really well-looking!

3 Complete the sentences with these adjectives. There are two extra adjectives.

arrogant bossy cheerful nervous reliable selfish serious

1 Don’t be so . You always put yourself first. Think about me for a change!
2 The sun’s shining and I feel really today! I can’t stop smiling!
3 If you’re about going to university, you should work harder. I just don’t think you’re working hard enough.
4 Lucia is very . When she says she’ll help you, she does. You can trust her to do what she says.
5 Don’t be so ! If I want to go snowboarding, I will. I can make my own decisions you know.

4 Complete the sentences with one word in each gap.

1 When we arrived at the we couldn’t put up our tent as it had been raining and the grass was too wet.
2 If you are driving on the motorway and you want a cheap place to stay then are a good idea. They are
convenient and you don’t waste time looking for a hotel in the towns.
3 Young people and students often find hotels too expensive to stay in. are a cheap alternative. They are
simple, cheap and designed for young travellers.
4 We used to have a when I was young. It was great because we could stay in a different place every night
and mum could cook us the food we liked!
5 It took us ages to put up the because it was so windy. Luckily the instructions were really simple.

5 Choose the correct preposition to complete the text.

We’ve just got (1) up/back from our holiday in New York and we had a great return trip! We set (2) up/off very early for the
airport and it was lovely driving through Manhattan at sunrise. When we checked (3) up/in they said that because our
flight wasn’t full they could upgrade our seats to first class! It was really comfortable, and after we took (4) off/up they
brought us drinks and magazines and really delicious meals. My seat changed into a bed when you pressed a button, so I
slept really well too. I loved it – I didn’t want to get (5) up/off the plane!

6 Complete the sentences with words related to city lif e.

1 I live in the and can cycle to school in the centre in about 20 minutes.
2 We live in a and have great views. But if the lift isn’t working properly it’s a nightmare!
3 The police say that there is more crime in city areas than in the suburbs.
4 In many cities only taxis and buses can drive through the , to cut down on pollution.
5 One of the advantages of living in a is that you don’t hear much noise from the neighbours.
7 Complete the text with these adjectives. There are two extra adjectives.

crowded dirty historic lively modern noisy quiet

My town is very old and (1) – there are lots of buildings and monuments to look at. It has an old quarter which
has lots of bars and restaurants. At the weekend the atmosphere there is always fun and (2) . I would
recommend Donatello’s restaurant as it has great pasta dishes. But on Friday evenings it’s very popular and it gets really
(3) , so sometimes it’s difficult to get a table. Also it’s impossible to have a conversation with your friends
because it’s really (4) with all the people talking at once. The town centre is very different to the old quarter.
It was built quite recently so the buildings are more (5) , and it has a great shopping centre.

Score: /5

8 Complete the sentences with the correct answer, A, B or C.

1 Tuna is a type of
A fish.
B meat.
C a bakery product.
2 A pie is
A a cake.
B a dish made of rice.
C a dish made of meat and pastry.
3 Turkey is
A a type of cheese.
B a type of fruit like a pear.
C a type of meat like chicken.
4 Sweetcorn is
A a vegetable.
B a snack.
C a drink.
5 Semi-skimmed milk is
A milk with less fat in it.
B milk for babies.
C milk with sugar in it.

Score: /5
 9 Complete the text with these prefixes. There are two extra prefixes.

dis- inter- mis- over- pre- re- under-

I work for a big (1) national hotel in the centre of town. Sometimes people think that working in a hotel is boring.
However, they shouldn’t (2) estimate hotel work as it can be full of challenges. I admit there are some
(3) advantages to hotel work such as long hours and difficult-to- please customers at times. Once I had a
customer who complained about how the bed was made and I had to (4) make the bed three times until she was
happy! Then she complained about the food in the restaurant and said that the vegetables were too soft and that they
were (5) cooked. But in general I do really like my work.

10 Complete the sentences with the correct noun form of the words given.

1 The manager sent letters to all the (employ).

2 They’re looking for a new (technical) for the laboratory.
3 My driving (instruct) picked me up after school today.
4 The (journal) wrote a good story for the magazine.
5 My brother would like to be a (science).

11 Complete the sentences with these words and phrases. There are two extra options.

architecture business studies computer science engineering law media studies medicine

1 In you learn how to program computers.

2 In you learn about the legal system of a country.
3 In you learn about working with television, radio and film.
4 In you learn about the building of machines and structures.
5 In you learn about designing and creating buildings.

12 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the email.

Hi Tom,
th
How are you? I’m writing about our plan to meet up next month. The (1) finishes on the 17 of July
and then I’m free! If I fail any exams, I’ll have to (2) them in the autumn and do some studying over
the summer. But if I get good (3) , then my parents say that I can come and stay with you for two
weeks! In order to pass the exam they take an average of your exam mark and your (4)
feeling quite confident, because I’ve worked really hard this year. Unfortunately, Magda can’t come with me
in an exam and her parents won’t let her go on holiday. She really regrets
1 A year
B term
C course
2 A undo
B write
C resit
3 A marks
B exams
C notes
4 A assessment
B timetable
C coursework
5 A cheating
B failing
C looking

13 Complete the sentences with words for appliances and gadgets.

1 They’ve got a in the car, but my parents never use it. They prefer maps.
2 We need a new . These carpets are still dirty.
3 Just put the food in the oven for three minutes and that’s it.
4 Do you use your to work on the train very often?
5 Jack is always hiding the so that he can watch the programmes he likes!

14 Complete the dialogue with one preposition in each gap.

about at (x2) of with

Luke: You’ve been studying for ages. What are you doing?
Agnes: I’m doing my IT homework and it’s really complicated. Are you any good (1) computer programming?
Luke: I’m quite good. Let’s have a look.
Agnes: Thanks, Luke.
Luke: Everything that you’ve done so far is correct, I think. I’m not aware (2) any mistakes.
Agnes: That’s a relief!
Luke: You shouldn’t worry so much. You should be pleased (3) your progress.
Agnes: Yes, I guess you’re right. I find it much easier now than at the beginning of the year. We have an exam next week
and I’m not too worried (4) it as I have revised quite a lot.
Luke: Well, do you want to have a break from studying? How about a walk?
Agnes: Yes. I’m tired (5) studying, let’s go out!
15 Complete the sentences with the second part of each phrasal verb.

1 You must always warm before you start any exercise.

2 My brother usually works at the gym at least twice a week.
3 Our best team was knocked of the competition in the first game.
4 I first took swimming just to get fit, but now I enter competitions.
5 Some people don’t like joining team games and prefer to watch.

16 Complete the sentences with these words for sports equipment. There are two extra words.

boots clubs goggles net rackets skates trainers

1 You need when you’re skiing to protect your eyes.

2 Unfortunately, the ball hit the top of the and didn’t go over, so we lost the point.
3 You must wear good when you run regularly, even if they’re expensive.
4 My little brother got a new pair of football for his birthday and he was thrilled.
5 I can’t believe golf cost so much money! They’re only made of wood and metal!

17 Complete the text with words for sports venues. There are two extra words.

course courts gym pitch rink slope track

We’ve got an amazing new sports centre in our town. I joined last week and I can’t wait to start going. It’s much bigger
than I imagined. It has an indoor football (1) , five tennis (2) and it even has an athletics (3) .
Can you believe it? Apparently, they’re planning to build an ice (4) too, but I don’t think that will be ready until
next year. Shame. I suppose that would have been too much to ask. Perhaps we should ask them if they can build a ski
(5) at the same time!

18 Complete the sentences with words for artists.

1 A writes music.
2 A makes pictures with paint.
3 A works with stone or wood.
4 An pretends to be someone else on stage.
5 A directs the orchestra.
19 Complete the sentences with these words related to the arts. There are two extra words.

abstract audience cast exhibition landscape lyrics stage

1 I don’t always understand paintings. They don’t look like real objects – they’re more about making you
feel something different.
2 Can you remember the to the band’s new song? I want to learn all the words.
3 Is Dan in the of the play? I can’t see his name in the list of actors in the programme.
4 I would be much too nervous ever to go on in a play!
5 Shall we go to the of Impressionist paintings at the gallery? It’s on until next month.

20 Complete the sentences with words related to nations.

1 Before the match started, we all sang the national of the two countries.
2 Do you know what the is in Poland? I need to change some money before I go.
3 The new Prime gave a speech to reporters outside his house on the night he was elected.
4 I can never remember how many stars there are on the of the USA.
5 Who do you think will be the next of the USA?

21 Complete the sentences with words related to nations.

1 There are still several constitutional left in the world. Some are lead by queens, others by kings and
some by both.
2 When a political party is elected to the government their responsibility is to the country, or govern it.
3 On the day of a general the people in a country vote for a political party of their choice. The results will
decide which party will govern.
4 My uncle has always been very interested in politics and he used to be a of parliament for our area.
5 In my opinion, both major political are pretty much the same! They are always arguing with each other,
but really their policies are quite similar.
READING

So where in the UK are you from?

The UK has so many regional accents and dialects that it is often very difficult for visitors to identify them. (1) They
usually know from a person’s accent if he or she is from the South, the Midlands, the North or London. But you need to
know an area quite well to be more accurate. Language experts can sometimes guess the area a person was born and
brought up in to within five kilometres! The English language is very rich in its variations and most people are proud of
their local identity.

Many people who live outside the UK think that there are basically two accents in English: posh and working class! (2)
If you watch a night’s TV in the UK, you can hear many of our regional accents in the popular soap operas! There is the
famous East End of London accent in EastEnders, the Yorkshire accent in Emmerdale and the Lancashire accent in
Coronation Street. There’s a Scottish detective series called Taggart where you can hear the accent from Glasgow –
which is very different from the accent spoken by the people of the capital, Edinburgh. Many of the more famous
accents have special names too – Cockney for the East End of London, Geordie for Newcastle and Scouse for
Liverpool.

Regional accents have developed over the centuries for a lot of different reasons and many of them are very difficult
for people from outside the region to understand. (3) Changes in language happen because people communicate with
each other. If a community doesn’t have much contact with another community, then those changes don’t happen. (4)
For example, the accents and dialects of north and south Wales are different because of the mountains that divide
them.

(5) People are fighting to keep these alive. The Welsh language is still very strong. It is spoken throughout Wales and
is taught in schools. There are TV programmes completely in Welsh and the road signs are in both languages. Gaelic is
still alive and well in Scotland, and there is even a campaign to protect Cornish, a language that people in the West of
England spoke until about 150 years ago.

So, what will happen to the languages and dialects of the UK over the next 100 years? (6) Or will everyone sound the
same? It will be interesting to see.
1 Read the article about British accents. Six sentences have been removed f rom the article. Complete the article
with the correct sentences (A–F).

1
2
3
4
5
6
A However, it is much more complicated than that.
B Will we still keep a local identity?
C We must not forget that, as well as English, there are other languages that still exist in the UK. Experts have studied
dialects for a long time and have come up with some interesting results.
D The English of today is the result of different languages that invaders and settlers brought to England in the past.
E This is how different dialects and accents develop.
F Even British people themselves have problems!

2 Read the article about British accents. Are these statements True (T) or False (F)?

1 There is such a variety of accents in the UK that visitors don’t know where people are from. T / F

2 The soap operas in the UK don’t use regional accents. T / F

3 The geography of a country influences how accents develop. T / F

4 People in Wales are fighting because of their language. T / F

5 Wales is the only part of the UK that has its own separate language. T / F

6 One language within the UK has been dormant for many years and may be used again. T / F

A Marcus

Like most children, I had a dream job when I was young. From the age of two, I decided that my future career was
going to be in the stars! I wanted to be an astronaut and travel in space. As I grew older, the ambition didn’t fade as
many childhood dreams do, but it grew stronger. At 11, I would picture myself walking in space and looking at the
Earth from thousands of miles away and by 14, I had read all there was to read about the experiences of those famous
men who had actually set foot on the Moon. My parents thought I was being too ambitious and wanted me to study to
be a doctor. I was almost influenced by their arguments but in the end I stuck to my plan and became a pilot. Now,
after years of study and dedication, my dreams look set to become reality. I’ve been lucky enough to be chosen to join
the crew as a pilot on the international space station.
B Annika

The earliest ambition I can recall was to work in a sweet shop. There was a lovely, old-fashioned sweetshop near my
house, full of huge jars of the most wonderful sweets you can imagine! My sister and I used to spend hours in there
deciding how to spend our pocket money. I think my plan was that if I worked there, I would be able to indulge in
eating every type of sweet that the shop sold! However, eventually the sweet shop closed and my dream disappeared
with it. Later I went to study at a business college and got a good qualification there. While I was trying to decide what
to do with my life after that, I kept thinking about my childhood dream. I decided that perhaps there was a place for a
real, old-fashioned sweet shop in today’s world of online selling and huge supermarkets. So I started my own sweet
shop in the heart of my old town. We’re now in our fifth year and doing extremely well. It seems that there still is a
place for those huge jars of wonderful sweets after all.

C Ben

When I was a child I had a dream of becoming an architect. I was good at drawing and spent hours sketching
imaginary buildings and cities. Then when I was older I loved those computer games where you invent your own cities
and fill them with buildings and shops and parks and everything. I played those games for hours and hours! I never
really thought about making architecture my career though until I went to Copenhagen on holiday when I was 17. The
amazing modern architecture there inspired me and I decided I wanted to go to art college. I studied architecture for
seven years and finally graduated two years ago. I got my first job with a firm of architects in London six months later
and I love it! I can’t imagine doing anything else.

D Maria

I remember being obsessed with the theatre when I was a little girl. I loved playing dress-up and pretending to be
other people and I adored going to the theatre with my parents and entering the world of make-believe of the plays
and musicals we saw there.

My mother sent me to drama school on Saturdays for a few years and after that I did a few auditions for parts in small
productions, but to be honest I wasn’t very good at acting! I got very stressed every time I had to go on stage and
saw all those people watching me. However, the experience helped me understand that although I loved the theatre, I
didn’t want to be an actress. I started helping out behind the scenes for a while as a summer job and found I had a
talent for set design, designing the rooms and settings for different scenes in a theatre production. Last year I won a
prize for my design for a new production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, so I think I made the right choice not to follow my
childhood dream!
3 Read the short texts about childhood dreams. Match the comments (1–6) with the people (A–D). You can choose
the people more than once.

1
2
3
4
5
6
1 I realised then my talent was for working behind the stage, not on it.
2 I took an old-fashioned idea and made it into a modern business.
3 I’m glad now that I didn’t listen to my parents!
4 Sticking to my dream helped my career.
5 Those hours spent on computer games helped my get my dream job!
6 The experience of my summer job influenced my choice of future career.

Score: /6

4 Read the short texts about childhood dreams and choose the best answers, A, B or C.

1 Marcus’ ambitions
A changed while he was growing up.
B started when he was very young.
C were changed by his parents’ advice.
2 Before his dream came true Marcus had to
A do a lot of other jobs.
B train in the USA.
C study and wait for a long time.
3 Annika decided to open a sweet shop
A because she had a lot of money to invest.
B because it was a good business opportunity.
C because she had a degree.
4 Ben decide to go to art college and study architecture
A when he was playing a computer game
B when he was on holiday
C when he was a child
5 When she was a child, Maria
A was a successful actress.
B had a mother who didn’t like the theatre.
C tried to get some small parts in theatre productions.
6 Now Maria feels
A disappointed she didn’t get to become an actress.
B happy she found a different career in the theatre.
C unsure whether she made the career right choice.
 The Hope Diamond

Protected by strong glass, the biggest and most beautiful blue diamond in the world attracts the attention of visitors
from many countries. It is one of the most popular exhibits at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in
Washington, D.C., USA, and its name is the Hope Diamond. (1) Is it really true that the stone carries a curse and people
who have touched the stone have suffered horrific deaths or financial disaster?

As with all legends, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. The Hope Diamond has certainly had a mysterious past.
It is believed to have been brought to the West from India by a French merchant traveller, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, in
1669, and sold to the famous King Louis XIV. It was then called the French Blue and was an enormous stone. (2) The
stone was worn by the French kings until Louis XVI was imprisoned during the revolution. At this time, many of the
crown jewels were stolen, including the French Blue, and the beautiful stone disappeared for 20 years. There are
reports of its appearance later in London and finally, after many sales, different cuts and a lot of travelling, it was
acquired by the Hope family in America and given a new name.

There is a strange twist to the ending of the tale of the Hope Diamond. Its final owner, merchant Harry Winston,
donated the jewel to the Smithsonian in 1958. (3) However, he didn’t send it to the Smithsonian with the full
protection that a diamond like that deserves – he put it in a brown paper envelope and sent it through the post, like a
letter! (4)

The Hope Diamond has definitely been identified as coming from the original French Blue of the stolen French crown
jewels and therefore still carries with it the curse! It is said that the curse started because the stone was stolen by
Tavernier from a temple where it was the eye of a sculpture. The stories say that Tavernier was killed by wild dogs in
Russia and also that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette died because of their connection with the stone. (5) The deaths
of a Russian prince also mentioned in the legends. Historians have proved that some of the stories are definitely false,
but the belief remains that whoever touches the stone will suffer in some way. I imagine the Hope Diamond needs
regular cleaning. (6)

5 Read the article about a famous diamond. Six sentences have been removed f rom the article. Choose the best
sentences (A–F) to complete the article.

1
2
3
4
5
6
A However, visitors are not only attracted by the beauty, but also by the mysteries that surround this precious jewel.
B Other deaths that may have been a result of the curse are the suicide of jeweller Jacques Colot and the murder of a
diamond cutter, Wilhelm Fals, by his son.
C I certainly wouldn’t like to have the job!
D Luckily, it arrived safely!
E Since that time, it has been cut into smaller stones.
F There is nothing particularly unusual about that.
6 Read the article about a famous diamond. Are these statements True (T) or False (F)?

1 The Hope Diamond is on display in France. T / F

2 The Hope Diamond originally had a different name. T / F

3 The diamond has changed its shape over the years. T / F

4 It was sold to the Smithsonian in 1958. T / F

5 There is a famous legend that connects the stone with the death of a Russian prince. T / F

6 All of the stories about the curse could be true. T / F

GRAMMAR

1 Put the adverbs in the correct place in the sentences.

1 I use social networking sites. (never)

I never use social networking sites.
2 Kate is phoning me when I’m trying to work. (always)
Kate is always phoning me when I'm trying to work.
3 I change my avatar’s appearance. (once a month)
I change my avatar 's appearance once a month.
4 My mum is on the computer when I get home. (often)
My mum is often on the computer when I get home.
5 My dad plays computer games – he’s too impatient! (rarely)
My dad rarely plays computer games – he's too impat ient!

2 Correct f ive mistakes in the text. Circle the mistakes. Then write the answers correctly.

Hi John,

(1) I’m just write to see how you are. (2) I haven’t checked my message for a few days – sorry! – but today I have some
time. (3) Do you coming to the cinema with us on Friday? (4) Amelia saw the film last week and said that it was very good
and that it gets some good reviews in the press. After the cinema we could have a pizza. (5) Are you agree with the plan?

Hope to see you on Friday!

Mike

1 I'm just wr it ing

2 my messages
3 Are you coming
4 that it is gett ing
5 Do you agree

3 Complete the short dialogues with the correct present simple or present continuous form of these verbs.

get leave play study write

1 A: What are you wr it ing ?

B: Just a text to Vicky.
2 A: Why do you leave college early on Fridays?
B: Because I have computer club.
3 A: Where is your brother studying at the moment?
B: At Cardiff University.
4 A: How often do you play computer games?
B: Oh, two or three times a day!
5 A: Why are my marks gett ing worse?
B: Because you spend too much time on the computer! You’re not a serious student!

4 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1 I was getting off/got off the train when I dropped my suitcase.

2 I noticed a mark on the door while I was cleaning/cleaned the car.
3 We were cycling/cycled to the river and had a picnic on the grass.
4 After the test, I was having/had a short chat with my teacher.
5 While my dad was reversing the car, he was hitting/hit the rubbish bin in our garden!

5 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the text.

Today has been a disaster! It started badly in the morning and then just got worse! I had a shower and there wasn’t any
hot water. It was freezing! After I (1) my cold shower, I made breakfast. I decided to make some toast. A
mistake! I forgot that I (2) the bread under the grill and by the time I (3) it had already
burnt! So I made some coffee, but while I (4) the coffee the phone rang and I dropped the mug. By the time
I found my phone, it (5) ringing. That was only breakfast time!

1 A took B have taken had taken

2 A put B have put had put

3 remembered B remembering C had remembered

4 A made was making C had made

5 A stopped B have stopped had stopped

6 Complete the sentences with the correct form of used to and a suitable verb.

drive like live own watch

1 My brother used to dr ive to work, but he sold his car and now he cycles.
2 Where exactly did you used to live in London? In the suburbs?
3 When I was a child we didn't use to own a car, but then my dad bought one when I was about 13 years old.
4 What did you used to like eating when you were a child. I loved eating fruit and ice cream
together. Delicious!
5 My sister is a TV addict! When she was younger, she used to watch about six hours a day.
 7 Complete the sentences with the correct present perfect or past simple form of the verbs given.

1 Have you had (have) that headache for a long time? You should see a doctor about it.
2 Where have you been (be)? Your clothes are really dirty!
3 Where did you stay (stay) when you were in London earlier this year?
4 We visited (visit) my cousins while we were in Rome last month.
5 I have finished the assignment, but I haven't given (not give) it in yet.

8 Put these words in the correct place in the sentences.

ever just never since yet

1 We’ve watched an English DVD in class. I’d love to, though!

We've never watched an English DVD in class. I'd love to, though!
2 I’m sorry, but I haven’t finished the book you lent me. Can I give it back to you next week?
I'm sorry, but I haven't finished the book you lent me yet.
3 I’ve known my best friend we were at playgroup together when we were three years old.
I've known my best fr iend since we were at playgroup together when we were
three years old.
4 Sorry I’m late for class. I’ve arrived and I’m a little out of breath!
Sorry I'm late for class. I've just arrived and I'm a litt le out of breath!
5 Have you been on a plane by yourself in your life?
Have you ever been on a plane by yourself in your life?

9 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1 Be careful! That chair is going to/will fall over.

2 It’s your birthday today Mum, so I am going to/will cook dinner!
3 I am going to/will see you tomorrow. Have a good evening.
4 I’’m going to/’ll help you with those bags. T hey look very heavy.
5 I don’t think we are going to/will ever stop global warming.

10 Complete the dialogue with the correct form of these verbs given.

Mark: Hi Angie. I’m just calling to remind you about the arrangements for tomorrow. We
(1) are travelling/ will be travelling (travel) to London in the afternoon.
Angie: I remember! The train (2) gets/ is gett ing (get) in at 3.30, so we should be home by 4.00.
Mark: Great! If you can’t come for any reason, then just give me a call. I (3) will be (be) at
home until half past two, but then I have to go out.
Angie: OK, I will. (4) Are you meet ing/ going to meet (meet) your cousin on
Sunday?
Mark: I’m not sure yet. If I speak to him today, then I (5) will phone (phone) you to let you know.
11 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1 You mustn’t/don’t have to bring a dog in here.

2 We can/should leave early to avoid the traffic.
3 You mustn’t/don’t have to learn Spanish. You can learn French instead if you want to.
4 You can/have to come to dinner at our house if you want to.
5 I’m afraid you can’t/don’t have to wait for the doctor here. Please go into the waiting room over there.

12 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the dialogue.

Alana: Hi Rob, what’s wrong? You look worried.

Rob: I’ve got a test tomorrow at school and I’m nervous. If the test is difficult, I know I (1) will fail.
Alana: Stop worrying about it! If I (2) were you, I (3) would spend some time revising and then
forget about it until tomorrow.
Rob: It’s easy for you to say that because you never find tests difficult. If I (4) had your brains, I
(5) would pass the exam easily.

1 A will
B would
C should
2 A am
B was
C were
3 A will
B would
C wouldn’t
4 A have
B had
C will have
5 A pass
B will pass
C would pass
13 Rewrite the sentences using the modal verbs given.

1 I think it would be a good idea for you to take a break. (should)

I think you should take a break.
2 Students are allowed to buy cheap meals in the cafeteria. (can)
Students can buy cheap meals in the cafeter ia.
3 It’s not possible for students to use the library after 4.30 because it’s closed. (can’t)
Students can't use the library after 4 .30 because it 's closed.
4 It’s not necessary for us to hand in our homework before Friday. (don’t have to)
We don't have to hand in our homework before Fr iday.
5 It’s important that I remember to print out my essay. (must)
I must remember to pr int out my essay.

14 Change these sentences f rom active to passive.

1 Someone is printing their project at the moment.

The project is being pr inted at the moment.
2 They’ll hold the conference in Oslo later this year.
The conference will be held in Oslo later this year.
3 The teacher has marked our exam papers.
Our exam papers have been marked by the teacher.
4 Someone started the competition in 1968.
The compet it ion was started in 1968.
5 We will sell the new gadgets on the Internet from this March.
The new gadgets will be sold on the Internet from this March.

15 Write complete sentences with the correct form of to have something done.

1 I/my bedroom/paint/a week ago

I had my bedroom painted a week ago.
2 I/my laptop/repair/at the moment
I am having my laptop repaired at the moment.
3 I/never/my hair/dye/until now
I have never had my hair dyed unt il now.
4 we/our windows/clean/once a month
We have our windows cleaned once a month.
5 my dad/his car/service/every six months
My dad has his car serviced every six months.
16 Put commas in the correct place in the sentences. Sometimes a comma is not necessary.

1 Jenny who joined our class this term is a very good swimmer.
Jenny, who joined our class t his t erm, is a ver y good swimmer.
2 The school I went to when I was five has been knocked down.
no commas necessary
3 People who like skiing will love snowboarding.
no commas necessary
4 John’s mother who lives in Scotland has got six grandchildren.
John's mot her, who lives in Scot land, has got six gr andchildren.
5 The dog which is very big and friendly lives next door to us.
The dog, which is very big and fr iendly, lives next door to us.

17 Correct the mistakes in the sentences. One sentence is correct.

1 That’s the man I met him last week.

That 's the man I met last week.
2 The restaurant where is next to the supermarket is very expensive.
The restaurant which is next to the supermarket is very expensive.
3 The 4th May is the day when we get our test results.

4 The woman gave us the tickets is my aunt.

The woman who gave us the t ickets is my aunt.
5 The car, Jade bought last week, cost her £5,000.
The car Jade bought last week cost her £5,0 0 0 .

18 Rewrite the sentences in reported speech.

1 ‘Janine has never seen a performance of a Shakespeare play.’

She said she had never seen a per formance of a Shakespeare play.
2 ‘We’ll see both of you outside the swimming pool at 6.30 this evening.’
They said they would see both of us outside the swimming pool at 6.30 that evening.
3 ‘I’m going to do some research on the arts project with Tony tomorrow.’
He said she was going to do some research on the arts project with Tony the next day.
4 ‘My sister wrote at least 15 postcards on holiday.’
Helen said her sister had wr itten at least 15 postcards on holiday.
5 ‘I’ve never been to an exhibition of sculptures.’
My mum said she had never been to an exhibit ion of sculptures.
19 Correct the mistakes in the sentences.

1 Greg told that he loved hip-hop music.

Greg told me/ Greg said that he loved hip-hop music.
2 I asked Bradley what was the film like.
I asked Bradley what the film was like.
3 Sophie told her sister to being careful.
Sophie told her sister to be careful.
4 Matt said that he has seen Jan at the gig last month.
Matt said t hat he had seen Jan at t he gig last mont h.
5 The teacher told us to don’t write in our books.
The teacher told us not to wr ite in our books.

20 Choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1 It might/can’t be hot at the beach, so take some suntan lotion.

2 You’ve got a lot of crime books – you must/could like detective fiction.
3 Don’t buy a book for Tara’s birthday. She can/might already have it. Get her some flowers instead.
4 That can’t/must be the new student. I haven’t seen him before.
5 The teacher mustn’t/can’t have the results already. We only took the test this morning.

21 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the dialogue.

Maria: Look at Mum’s birthday cake. It’s a disaster! If I (1) had read the recipe a bit more carefullyit
(2) would have been better. But as usual I was in such a rush that I didn’t bother.
Richard: Well, if you (3) hadn't been watching the television at the same time as trying to cook the cake it would
have been much better.
Maria: I know, you’re right. If I (4) had known how awful it was going to taste I would have turned
the television off!
Richard: If I were you, I (5) would start again and bake another cake.
1 A had read
B would read
C read
2 A would have been
B will be
C wouldn’t be
3 A wasn’t watching
B haven’t been watching
C hadn’t been watching
4 A knew
B had known
C has known
5 A will start
B would start
C would have started
VOCABULARY

1 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the text.

I went to stay at Simon’s house last weekend and met his family. They’re lovely! I didn’t have any plans and so when Simon
called me and invited me to spend the weekend with him I was really (1) . He’s got an older brother called
Daniel, who is great fun. He asked me so many questions and just didn’t stop talking. He really was very (2) !
Daniel was studying most of the weekend because he’s at university and has to work very (3) to pass his
exams. I thought that he would be in a bad mood because he had to study, but he was really (4) and didn’t
seem to mind at all about the work. I also met his grandparents, who were lovely. They live with Simon because they are
quite (5) now. It was a really nice weekend!

1 A friendly g
l
2 A serious a
d
B ociable
C n
talkative
e
r
v
o
u
s
3 A seriously hard C well

4 cheerful B glad C handsome

5 elderly B thin C bright

2 Correct the mistakes in the sentences.

1 Jack is a very pretty man.

Jack is a v ery handsome/ att r act iv e/ good-looking man.
2 Ben is tall. He’s also strong and quite well-grown.
Ben is tall. He's also strong and quite well-built.
3 My sister’s got medium-height curly hair.
My sister 's got medium-length cur ly hair.
4 My hair isn’t really straight or curly – it’s curved.
My hair isn't r eally st r aight or cur ly – it 's wav y.
5 Ryan Gosling is my favourite actor. He’s really well-looking!
Ryan Gosling is my favour ite actor. He's really good-looking!
3 Complete the sentences with these adjectives. There are two extra adjectives.

arrogant bossy cheerful nervous reliable selfish serious

1 Don’t be so selfish . You always put yourself first. Think about me for a change!
2 The sun’s shining and I feel really cheer ful today! I can’t stop smiling!
3 If you’re ser ious about going to university, you should work harder. I just don’t think you’re working hard enough.
4 Lucia is very reliable . When she says she’ll help you, she does. You can trust her to do what she says.
5 Don’t be so bossy ! If I want to go snowboarding, I will. I can make my own decisions you know.

4 Complete the sentences with one word in each gap.

1 When we arrived at the campsite we couldn’t put up our tent as it had been raining and the grass was too wet.
2 If you are driving on the motorway and you want a cheap place to stay then motels are a good idea. They are
convenient and you don’t waste time looking for a hotel in the towns.
3 Young people and students often find hotels too expensive to stay in. Hostels are a cheap alternative. They are
simple, cheap and designed for young travellers.
4 We used to have a caravan when I was young. It was great because we could stay in a different place every night
and mum could cook us the food we liked!
5 It took us ages to put up the tent because it was so windy. Luckily the instructions were really simple.

5 Choose the correct preposition to complete the text.

We’ve just got (1) up/back from our holiday in New York and we had a great return trip! We set (2) up/off very early for
the airport and it was lovely driving through Manhattan at sunrise. When we checked (3) up/in they said that because our
flight wasn’t full they could upgrade our seats to first class! It was really comfortable, and after we took (4) off/up they
brought us drinks and magazines and really delicious meals. My seat changed into a bed when you pressed a button, so I
slept really well too. I loved it – I didn’t want to get (5) up/off the plane!

6 Complete the sentences with words related to city lif e.

1 I live in the suburbs and can cycle to school in the centre in about 20 minutes.
2 We live in a block of f lats and have great views. But if the lift isn’t working properly it’s a nightmare!
3 The police say that there is more crime in inner city areas than in the suburbs.
4 In many cities only taxis and buses can drive through the city centre , to cut down on pollution.
5 One of the advantages of living in a detached house is that you don’t hear much noise from the neighbours.
7 Complete the text with these adjectives. There are two extra adjectives.

crowded dirty historic lively modern noisy quiet

My town is very old and (1) histor ic – there are lots of buildings and monuments to look at. It has an old quarter which
has lots of bars and restaurants. At the weekend the atmosphere there is always fun and (2) lively . I would
recommend Donatello’s restaurant as it has great pasta dishes. But on Friday evenings it’s very popular and it gets really
(3) crowded , so sometimes it’s difficult to get a table. Also it’s impossible to have a conversation with your friends
because it’s really (4) noisy with all the people talking at once. The town centre is very different to the old quarter.
It was built quite recently so the buildings are more (5) modern , and it has a great shopping centre.

Score: /5

8 Complete the sentences with the correct answer, A, B or C.

1 Tuna is a type of
A fish.
B meat.
C a bakery product.
2 A pie is
A a cake.
B a dish made of rice.
C a dish made of meat and pastry.
3 Turkey is
A a type of cheese.
B a type of fruit like a pear.
C a type of meat like chicken.
4 Sweetcorn is
A a vegetable.
B a snack.
C a drink.
5 Semi-skimmed milk is
A milk with less fat in it.
B milk for babies.
C milk with sugar in it.

Score: /5
 9 Complete the text with these prefixes. There are two extra prefixes.

dis- inter- mis- over- pre- re- under-

I work for a big (1) inter national hotel in the centre of town. Sometimes people think that working in a hotel is boring.
However, they shouldn’t (2) under estimate hotel work as it can be full of challenges. I admit there are some
(3) dis advantages to hotel work such as long hours and difficult-to- please customers at times. Once I had a
customer who complained about how the bed was made and I had to (4) re make the bed three times until she was
happy! Then she complained about the food in the restaurant and said that the vegetables were too soft and that they
were (5) over cooked. But in general I do really like my work.

10 Complete the sentences with the correct noun form of the words given.

1 The manager sent letters to all the employees (employ).

2 They’re looking for a new technician (technical) for the laboratory.
3 My driving instructor (instruct) picked me up after school today.
4 The journalist (journal) wrote a good story for the magazine.
5 My brother would like to be a scient ist (science).

11 Complete the sentences with these words and phrases. There are two extra options.

architecture business studies computer science engineering law media studies medicine

1 In computer science you learn how to program computers.

2 In law you learn about the legal system of a country.
3 In media studies you learn about working with television, radio and film.
4 In engineer ing you learn about the building of machines and structures.
5 In architecture you learn about designing and creating buildings.

12 Choose the best answer (A, B or C) to complete the email.

Hi Tom,
th
How are you? I’m writing about our plan to meet up next month. The (1) term/ course finishes on the 17 of July
and then I’m free! If I fail any exams, I’ll have to (2) resit them in the autumn and do some studying over
the summer. But if I get good (3) marks , then my parents say that I can come and stay with you for two
weeks! In order to pass the exam they take an average of your exam mark and your (4) coursework
feeling quite confident, because I’ve worked really hard this year. Unfortunately, Magda can’t come with me
in an exam and her parents won’t let her go on holiday. She really regrets
it now.
1 A year
B term
C course
2 A undo
B write
C resit
3 A marks
B exams
C notes
4 A assessment
B timetable
C coursework
5 A cheating
B failing
C looking
READING

So where in the UK are you from?

The UK has so many regional accents and dialects that it is often very difficult for visitors to identify them. (1) They
usually know from a person’s accent if he or she is from the South, the Midlands, the North or London. But you need to
know an area quite well to be more accurate. Language experts can sometimes guess the area a person was born and
brought up in to within five kilometres! The English language is very rich in its variations and most people are proud of
their local identity.

Many people who live outside the UK think that there are basically two accents in English: posh and working class! (2)
If you watch a night’s TV in the UK, you can hear many of our regional accents in the popular soap operas! There is the
famous East End of London accent in EastEnders, the Yorkshire accent in Emmerdale and the Lancashire accent in
Coronation Street. There’s a Scottish detective series called Taggart where you can hear the accent from Glasgow –
which is very different from the accent spoken by the people of the capital, Edinburgh. Many of the more famous
accents have special names too – Cockney for the East End of London, Geordie for Newcastle and Scouse for
Liverpool.

Regional accents have developed over the centuries for a lot of different reasons and many of them are very difficult
for people from outside the region to understand. (3) Changes in language happen because people communicate with
each other. If a community doesn’t have much contact with another community, then those changes don’t happen. (4)
For example, the accents and dialects of north and south Wales are different because of the mountains that divide
them.

(5) People are fighting to keep these alive. The Welsh language is still very strong. It is spoken throughout Wales and
is taught in schools. There are TV programmes completely in Welsh and the road signs are in both languages. Gaelic is
still alive and well in Scotland, and there is even a campaign to protect Cornish, a language that people in the West of
England spoke until about 150 years ago.

So, what will happen to the languages and dialects of the UK over the next 100 years? (6) Or will everyone sound the
same? It will be interesting to see.
1 Read the article about British accents. Six sentences have been removed f rom the article. Complete the article
with the correct sentences (A–F).

1 F
2 A
3 D
4 E
5 C
6 B
A However, it is much more complicated than that.
B Will we still keep a local identity?
C We must not forget that, as well as English, there are other languages that still exist in the UK. Experts have studied
dialects for a long time and have come up with some interesting results.
D The English of today is the result of different languages that invaders and settlers brought to England in the past.
E This is how different dialects and accents develop.
F Even British people themselves have problems!

2 Read the article about British accents. Are these statements True (T) or False (F)?

1 There is such a variety of accents in the UK that visitors don’t know where people are from. / F

2 The soap operas in the UK don’t use regional accents. T /

3 The geography of a country influences how accents develop. / F

4 People in Wales are fighting because of their language. T /

5 Wales is the only part of the UK that has its own separate language. T /

6 One language within the UK has been dormant for many years and may be used again. / F

A Marcus

Like most children, I had a dream job when I was young. From the age of two, I decided that my future career was
going to be in the stars! I wanted to be an astronaut and travel in space. As I grew older, the ambition didn’t fade as
many childhood dreams do, but it grew stronger. At 11, I would picture myself walking in space and looking at the
Earth from thousands of miles away and by 14, I had read all there was to read about the experiences of those famous
men who had actually set foot on the Moon. My parents thought I was being too ambitious and wanted me to study to
be a doctor. I was almost influenced by their arguments but in the end I stuck to my plan and became a pilot. Now,
after years of study and dedication, my dreams look set to become reality. I’ve been lucky enough to be chosen to join
the crew as a pilot on the international space station.
B Annika

The earliest ambition I can recall was to work in a sweet shop. There was a lovely, old-fashioned sweetshop near my
house, full of huge jars of the most wonderful sweets you can imagine! My sister and I used to spend hours in there
deciding how to spend our pocket money. I think my plan was that if I worked there, I would be able to indulge in
eating every type of sweet that the shop sold! However, eventually the sweet shop closed and my dream disappeared
with it. Later I went to study at a business college and got a good qualification there. While I was trying to decide what
to do with my life after that, I kept thinking about my childhood dream. I decided that perhaps there was a place for a
real, old-fashioned sweet shop in today’s world of online selling and huge supermarkets. So I started my own sweet
shop in the heart of my old town. We’re now in our fifth year and doing extremely well. It seems that there still is a
place for those huge jars of wonderful sweets after all.

C Ben

When I was a child I had a dream of becoming an architect. I was good at drawing and spent hours sketching
imaginary buildings and cities. Then when I was older I loved those computer games where you invent your own cities
and fill them with buildings and shops and parks and everything. I played those games for hours and hours! I never
really thought about making architecture my career though until I went to Copenhagen on holiday when I was 17. The
amazing modern architecture there inspired me and I decided I wanted to go to art college. I studied architecture for
seven years and finally graduated two years ago. I got my first job with a firm of architects in London six months later
and I love it! I can’t imagine doing anything else.

D Maria

I remember being obsessed with the theatre when I was a little girl. I loved playing dress-up and pretending to be
other people and I adored going to the theatre with my parents and entering the world of make-believe of the plays
and musicals we saw there.

My mother sent me to drama school on Saturdays for a few years and after that I did a few auditions for parts in small
productions, but to be honest I wasn’t very good at acting! I got very stressed every time I had to go on stage and
saw all those people watching me. However, the experience helped me understand that although I loved the theatre, I
didn’t want to be an actress. I started helping out behind the scenes for a while as a summer job and found I had a
talent for set design, designing the rooms and settings for different scenes in a theatre production. Last year I won a
prize for my design for a new production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, so I think I made the right choice not to follow my
childhood dream!
3 Read the short texts about childhood dreams. Match the comments (1–6) with the people (A–D). You can choose
the people more than once.

1 D
2 B
3 A
4 A
5 C
6 D
1 I realised then my talent was for working behind the stage, not on it.
2 I took an old-fashioned idea and made it into a modern business.
3 I’m glad now that I didn’t listen to my parents!
4 Sticking to my dream helped my career.
5 Those hours spent on computer games helped my get my dream job!
6 The experience of my summer job influenced my choice of future career.

4 Read the short texts about childhood dreams and choose the best answers, A, B or C.

1 Marcus’ ambitions
A changed while he was growing up.
started when he was very young.
C were changed by his parents’ advice.
2 Before his dream came true Marcus had to
A do a lot of other jobs.
B train in the USA.
study and wait for a long time.
3 Annika decided to open a sweet shop
A because she had a lot of money to invest.
B because it was a good business opportunity.
because she had a degree.
4 Ben decide to go to art college and study architecture
A when he was playing a computer game
when he was on holiday
C when he was a child
5 When she was a child, Maria
A was a successful actress.
B had a mother who didn’t like the theatre.
tried to get some small parts in theatre productions.
6 Now Maria feels
A disappointed she didn’t get to become an actress.
happy she found a different career in the theatre.
C unsure whether she made the career right choice.
The Hope Diamond

Protected by strong glass, the biggest and most beautiful blue diamond in the world attracts the attention of visitors
from many countries. It is one of the most popular exhibits at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in
Washington, D.C., USA, and its name is the Hope Diamond. (1) Is it really true that the stone carries a curse and people
who have touched the stone have suffered horrific deaths or financial disaster?

As with all legends, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. The Hope Diamond has certainly had a mysterious past.
It is believed to have been brought to the West from India by a French merchant traveller, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, in
1669, and sold to the famous King Louis XIV. It was then called the French Blue and was an enormous stone. (2) The
stone was worn by the French kings until Louis XVI was imprisoned during the revolution. At this time, many of the
crown jewels were stolen, including the French Blue, and the beautiful stone disappeared for 20 years. There are
reports of its appearance later in London and finally, after many sales, different cuts and a lot of travelling, it was
acquired by the Hope family in America and given a new name.

There is a strange twist to the ending of the tale of the Hope Diamond. Its final owner, merchant Harry Winston,
donated the jewel to the Smithsonian in 1958. (3) However, he didn’t send it to the Smithsonian with the full
protection that a diamond like that deserves – he put it in a brown paper envelope and sent it through the post, like a
letter! (4)

The Hope Diamond has definitely been identified as coming from the original French Blue of the stolen French crown
jewels and therefore still carries with it the curse! It is said that the curse started because the stone was stolen by
Tavernier from a temple where it was the eye of a sculpture. The stories say that Tavernier was killed by wild dogs in
Russia and also that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette died because of their connection with the stone. (5) The deaths
of a Russian prince also mentioned in the legends. Historians have proved that some of the stories are definitely false,
but the belief remains that whoever touches the stone will suffer in some way. I imagine the Hope Diamond needs
regular cleaning. (6)

The Hope Diamond

Protected by strong glass, the biggest and most beautiful blue diamond in the world attracts the attention of visitors
from many countries. It is one of the most popular exhibits at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in
Washington, D.C., USA, and its name is the Hope Diamond. (1) Is it really true that the stone carries a curse and people
who have touched the stone have suffered horrific deaths or financial disaster?

As with all legends, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. The Hope Diamond has certainly had a mysterious past.
It is believed to have been brought to the West from India by a French merchant traveller, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, in
1669, and sold to the famous King Louis XIV. It was then called the French Blue and was an enormous stone. (2) The
stone was worn by the French kings until Louis XVI was imprisoned during the revolution. At this time, many of the
crown jewels were stolen, including the French Blue, and the beautiful stone disappeared for 20 years. There are
reports of its appearance later in London and finally, after many sales, different cuts and a lot of travelling, it was
There is a strange twist to the ending of the tale of the Hope Diamond. Its final owner, merchant Harry Winston,

protection that a diamond like that deserves – he put it in a brown paper envelope and sent it through the post, like a
letter! (4)

The Hope Diamond has definitely been identified as coming from the original French Blue of the stolen French crown
jewels and therefore still carries with it the curse! It is said that the curse started because the stone was stolen by
Tavernier from a temple where it was the eye of a sculpture. The stories say that Tavernier was killed by wild dogs in
Russia and also that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette died because of their connection with the stone. (5) The deaths

but the belief remains that whoever touches the stone will suffer in some way. I imagine the Hope Diamond needs

The Hope Diamond

Protected by strong glass, the biggest and most beautiful blue diamond in the world attracts the attention of visitors
from many countries. It is one of the most popular exhibits at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in
Washington, D.C., USA, and its name is the Hope Diamond. (1) Is it really true that the stone carries a curse and people
who have touched the stone have suffered horrific deaths or financial disaster?

As with all legends, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. The Hope Diamond has certainly had a mysterious past.
It is believed to have been brought to the West from India by a French merchant traveller, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, in
1669, and sold to the famous King Louis XIV. It was then called the French Blue and was an enormous stone. (2) The
stone was worn by the French kings until Louis XVI was imprisoned during the revolution. At this time, many of the
crown jewels were stolen, including the French Blue, and the beautiful stone disappeared for 20 years. There are
reports of its appearance later in London and finally, after many sales, different cuts and a lot of travelling, it was
acquired by the Hope family in America and given a new name.

There is a strange twist to the ending of the tale of the Hope Diamond. Its final owner, merchant Harry Winston,
donated the jewel to the Smithsonian in 1958. (3) However, he didn’t send it to the Smithsonian with the full
protection that a diamond like that deserves – he put it in a brown paper envelope and sent it through the post, like a
letter! (4)

The Hope Diamond has definitely been identified as coming from the original French Blue of the stolen French crown
jewels and therefore still carries with it the curse! It is said that the curse started because the stone was stolen by
Tavernier from a temple where it was the eye of a sculpture. The stories say that Tavernier was killed by wild dogs in
Russia and also that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette died because of their connection with the stone. (5) The deaths
of a Russian prince also mentioned in the legends. Historians have proved that some of the stories are definitely false,
but the belief remains that whoever touches the stone will suffer in some way. I imagine the Hope Diamond needs
regular cleaning. (6)
5 Read the article about a famous diamond. Six sentences have been removed f rom the article. Choose the best
sentences (A–F) to complete the article.

1 A
2 E
3 F
4 D
5 B
6 C
A However, visitors are not only attracted by the beauty, but also by the mysteries that surround this precious jewel.
B Other deaths that may have been a result of the curse are the suicide of jeweller Jacques Colot and the murder of a
diamond cutter, Wilhelm Fals, by his son.
C I certainly wouldn’t like to have the job!
D Luckily, it arrived safely!
E Since that time, it has been cut into smaller stones.
F There is nothing particularly unusual about that.

6 Read the article about a famous diamond. Are these statements True (T) or False (F)?

1 The Hope Diamond is on display in France. T /

2 The Hope Diamond originally had a different name. / F

3 The diamond has changed its shape over the years. / F

4 It was sold to the Smithsonian in 1958. T /

5 There is a famous legend that connects the stone with the death of a Russian prince. / F

6 All of the stories about the curse could be true. T /