Test 1

PAPER 1

READING (1 hour 15 minutes)

ere are

Part 1
Iry,

nswers.

80 and
mge of
ribunon
N . The
k on
ate list

You are going to read three extracts which are ali concerned in some way with fashion. For
questions 1-6, choose the answer (A. B, C or D) whch you thin k fits best according to the text.
Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

What I wear to work

Gayle Mellor (3 ])] Modem Languages teacher

is a

We don't h ave a dress code as such. The male

teachers wear ties, but there is a really diverse
approac h to smart style amongst the female
staff. Respect comes from body language and
behaviour rather th an the clothes you wear,
but of course certain th ings would be deemed
inappropriate, and l've got no problem with
that. It's not my choice of outft that puts me
in the mood for work, because 1 wear my work
cloth es sociaily as weil, but when l pick up my
big satchel, I can feel myself going into 'teacher
mode ' because it's go t ali my stuff in it.

s. Botb

What you wear as a teacher does impact

0 0 your relati onship with the pupils though ,
especially the girls . lf we wear jeans 00
non-teac hing days, the younger ones gi gg!e

se o ne

rhere

about it, whic h is harmless e nough. Then

you occasionally eavesdrop 0 0 the older girls
doiog a hard-hitting TV-style com meota ry
on what the staff are weario a , whkh cao
be unnerviug. But the popular ster otype 0 1
tea hers wearing hard-weari og mat rials li ke
corduroy only makes me !a ugh , because I love
it! Sometimes, il older pupils li ke something
you wear, tl1ey'll ask where it' from , wh ic h
can contri bute to breaking down barriers. lf
you as ked my colleagues, they'd say s ky blue
skirts bave becom a bit of a signature for
me. Not that I min d, b cause my wardrobe is
bllilt around styles and colours that l feel most
comfortabl in, and l woul dn't change th a t.

~n

lates,
1

What point does Gayle make about the clothes she wears for teach ing?

A
B
C
D

It is
ation.

the

They should put her in the right frame of mnd for work.
She needs to dress smartly if she is to keep her pupils' respect.
Following fashion helps her to un derstand her pupils ' attitudes bettero
There are limits to the range of cloth es that she consid ers suitable.

.,

Gayle som etimes feels slightly uncomfortable when

A
B
C
D

people can tell she is a teacher from her c lothes.

younger pupils find her clothes amusing.
pupils criticise their teachers' clothes.
people associate her with one particular style of clothes.

Test 1

Extract trom a novel

Mrs Mintar

fine 9

As Mrs Mintar t urned to fac e him, Inspector Thanet saw her pro perly for the
fust time. She was, he realised, well into her seventles . He had been misi d by
her slim, wiry figure, the vigour with which she moved, and her hair, whic h was
a deep chestnut brown without a trace of grey and was cut in a crop ped modem
styIe. She was wearing cinnamon-coloured linen trousers and a loose long-slee ed
silk tu nie in the same colour. Around her neck was a leather thong fro m which
an intricately carved wooden pend nt was suspended. The effect was stylish,
somewhat unconventional, and no t e..xactly what Thanet wouId have expected of
RaIph Min tar's mother. What would he have expec ted jf he'd tho ught about it? What
was it his wite called that flowery print m teri al? Liberty Lawn, that was it. Ves,
m ade up into a dress with a high neck and full slrt. No, Mrs Mintar senior definitely
wasn't th e Li berty Lawn type.
She sighed: 'Oh , I suppose I rn the one who'll have to give you all the dreary details,
as there's no one else here. ' She tumed to pe r out of the window again. 'Where on
earth has Ral ph got to? He surely shouId be back by now.'
Won't you sit d wn, Mrs Mintar,' sald Thanet. 'I need as rnuch information as you
can give me.'

In this passage, we leam that tnspector Thanet had previously

A
B
C
D

What does 'it' in li ne 9 refer t'o?

A
B
C
D

made a wrong assumption about Mrs Mintar's knowledge of the case.

formed a wrong impression of Mrs Mintar's likely age.

been misled about Mrs Mintar's willingness to talk to him.

been misinformed about how Mrs Mintar looked.

a type of fab ric

an item of jewellery

Mrs Mintar's attitude to her son

Mrs Mlntar's taste in cl othes

Paper 1

Reading

THE POLO SHIRT

In clothing tenns it is the great leveller;
neither scruffy nor stuffy, wom sioppUy
with jeans or neatly under tailored dothes,
it never seems out of pIace. As Christophe
Lemaire of fashion labei Lacoste explains:
'Sportswear has been the mai n style
revolution of the past fifty years and, alter
jeans, the polo shirt is its biggest icon.'
And yet anybody can wear a polo shirt.
Although it has certainly had its fashion
highs and lows, essenti lly the man in the
street will wear it any tirne.
Certainly at polo matches, the polo shirt
transcends any kind of issues of fas h ion.

But more than any other item of clothing

tha t has ever migrated from s pecialist
sportswear to everyday wear - more than
foo tball shirts or baseball caps - tbe polo
shirt has cut its ties with its roots and
now stands alone. For rnany. tbe polo
shirt suggests yout h rebellion before il
recalls sporting greats. Fred Perry was a
charnpion tennis player, but the Britisb
brand that tak.es his name has se en its polo
shirt rooted in pivotal style movements
associated with youth culture from the
1960s to the present day.

lr

ak
S l!

111

fal
pc
va

)U C
Il! t

ay
t

Il

ha

In the first paragraph the writer is keen to stress

Jf'

A
B

tlt.

e
D
6

how
how
how
how

ld'~

versatile the polo shirt has proved to be.

consis tently fashi onable the polo shirt has been .
the polo shlrt has lost some of its originai appeal.
the polo shirt has influenced trends in sportswear.

so

cer
a

What is suggested about the polo shirt in the second paragraph?

A
B

e
D

It has inc reased the fashionable appeal of polo.

It is no longer connected to polo in peopl e's minds.
It has changed in ways that now make it unsuitable for polo.
Its links with youth culture have made it less popular am ongst polo players.

~c c

lrcl

s,

Test 1
Part 2
Yo u are going to read an extract fram a newspaper article. Six paragraphs have been removed
tram the extract. Choose tram the paragraphs A-G t he one which fits each gap (7-12). There is
one extra paragraph Wllich you do not need to use. Mark your answers on the separate answer
sheet.

The Modero Adventurer

Areai adventure is hard ta find these days , says Ed Daug/as. It seems that tile en/y things left
te explare are marketing eppertunities.
I ha e never met evin Foste r and know virlu aIly
nothing abo ul rum, but he has my ad mira tion.
NOL be a u: he's visi ted tbe summit of me highest
m ou ntain in eac h of the fifty states in m e S bar
one. ot even because he did iL0 11 a bicycle.

7
Such cando ur i5 ra re in the increasino-ly narcissistic
worle! of the m odern adven turer. In a desp erate ne cl
to fin e! new 'fin!::;' to tempt sponsors to pan with
theu- cash, tbe idea or what onstiru tes a wortbwhile
acrueveme nt has been stretched beyond r ason.

the seven conunents, taking in bOlh Polcs, o n h

a nd So uth , on thc way. Childrcn thc world aver
had the chance to wal 1 h is p rogr ess o n lelcvislon
or the interne t. ~vhik he crit ic15~d ocher tarno U3
adve nture rs fa r bcing ' [DO pro l( ~ s s io j1 a j '. C limbin g
those sum rnits, nrs t d tm [~ in 1986 by Texan oil
magnate D ick Bass, is now co nsidered 110 g rea t
challenge by it.selC Most or tbc: peaks involve lin le
more (han a stiff \Valk. Bu t rew people llnJer srancl
that, least of ali the teie\i.sio n people who allow the
self-p ublicists seemingly cnclless airtirne in which to
promote their sp onsors.
Apa rt [rom the m icro-distinctions, thae are m her
tricks the adv nrme rs use LO ge l (lur atte ntion.
' or d cades , explo rers have bcen rclivi ng the
journeys
the past in a so rt
adventure he ri tage
experience, and now wc even have rc-crea tions or
re-crealons.

or

Paying far it, o n th e o ther hand , 15 a mountain in

itself. h t's why the folk who do (h~se thngs spend
more time minki ng a bou t m arke ting strategies
and m aking their websires attractive than they do
thinking a b ut tundra and icebe rgs. An asce nt
of Everest can cost up . to US$70,OOO; a trip to
tarctica even more. So it's not surprising that
they ne ded (Q fin d some new angle to tempt
sponso rs in to handing ave r the dough.

9
T he adventure r's g rand slam, as he lerm d it,
involvecl climbing the highest mo uptain on each of

10

or

Then there are those who 0-0 on advenLllres t ralse

nloney for chari ty. people who, unLike K.evin Foster
do n't accept the idea th at whac they are doing
ridi ~ulous . 1l1ese heroes raise mo ney fa r good causes
to give their exotic holiday monu legitimacy. So rne
p eople v all, ac ross So u th i\merica f'Jr chilclren's
cha r ties, others without nearby [l1ouma in :; to cliTn b
setti fa r abseiung ofT the highesl build ing in their
lOW11 for the local hospi tal's SC<lflller app al .

Paper 1

L--1_1-'----_ _ _ _ _ _

-------'1

Reading

[12 l

Wr th a similar com m itmen t to environm ental

causes, rhere is a growing b and of adventuTers
who have a genuine oncern for thc futuTe
the
p la net. Sco res of o-gooders, for exam ple, have
crudged up to me foo t of Everest, iment on clearing
the m OUTIrain or m e tons of gar bage left behind by
p revious expedicions.

In the same way, m e sight of a minor celebrity

climbing aboard a hot-air balloon for anotber
abbreviate Right does m ake a welcome change
from reading abo ut all the LlsLlal Llnpleasan t wars ,m d
disasters. And I, for one, pian to become part 0 1' tbis
new wave ol' optimism. As far as l'm awarc, no on e
bas crossed the Sah ara 00 a pogo stick. T his could be
a real opportunity. nyone want lO sponsor me?

A T he rnaeslro of mis new strategy is D avid

H mpleman -Adarns, who made a fortun e from

oruy the participan ts, bl1t also thase ba k home

to fee! rnuch better about themselves.

or

glue an mcn used bis millio ns lo stick toge ther

old challenges dane years ago lo make a new,
big one - wbicb he soid to na60 nal n wspapers
and < broadcasting compan y.

B SomewhaL at odds ",t.th rhis, they then go on

to wre tbe inevi table book baseel on tbe rrip 's
hairier m oments. There's qLlite a liviDo- to be
m ade, l'm roJd . ghost wri ting fa r those amo ngst
the intrepid who fin d their stami.na Hagging a
little when fa ced with a blank page and a tight
deacllinf.

E The Am ericans have a word tor it - mlcro

distinctio n'. Everest may have been clim bcd a
tho usand times, bLlt nol by a pensione l' wiLhout
oxyg 11 walking bachvards anci wearing a
bo bbie hat.
har challenge rernains. T be
uncom fo nable truth l'or la lter-day explorers is
tha t getting to tbe world's more remote corn ers
is no longer th a t difficult.

F No exploit is quite so outlandish, however,

Pacific O cean in his balsawood boat, tbe Ko n

Tilci, to repea t tbe voyage or Somh Ame rican
Incas centunes before. Som e fifty years later, the
Span ish explorer K iti n Muiloz m ade a number
or altemp lS to repeat that same CIossing.

as that of the team t'om Idaho who we re

desperate to br~n g atte n tion to the plight 01'
t.he sockeye salm on , a fsh whose n umbers
have fall en dramatically in recent years. They
slithereel 739 krns down thc Snakc River,
irnitating th j ou rney of the jl1venle sal mon,
which h as become, according lo their human
champions, more hazardollS tha.n it 115ed to be.

D Their effo r ts a re wid ely publicised by press

releascs and photo calls, but LlSually cnel up
generating mo re stuff than t11ey remove.
Neverthdcss, such an enterprise aUows not

G Re ge ts rny vo te as, Llnlikc most modt:-m

'explorers', he underslOod thc value of his
ach ievement. 'Il was ridiculoLls,' he larer said.
, h a t's why I did it, a nd I wantcd thc publicity. '

C In 1947 , for exarnple, T hor Heyerdahi saileel tbe

11

Test 1

Part3
You are going to read a newspaper article. Far questions 13-19, choose the answer (A, B, C
or D) which you think fits best according to the text. Mark your answers on the separate answer

sheet.

BRIDGES
The Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul links Europe to Asia. Il you are standing in the middle 01 it, then wtlat continent
are you in? No, it's not a brainteaser with a quick answer; it's a questiun which hints at the fact that. bridges are
more complicated things than mere ways 01 getting Iro m A to B. Dr lam Borden researches psychologlcal aspects
01 architecture at London University. 'Unlike going through a doorway, crossing a bridge takes time. While you are
crossing the bridge, you are in neither on e piace nor the other but in a strange kind of limbo state,' he explains.
It may sound a little lar-Ietched, but Dr Borden's view is tapping into our fundamentai responses to the physical world
around uSo The Ancient Britons atlached great spiritual signilicance to rivers and certainly appreciated this concept
01 limbo. Recently a team Irom th e Museum of London excavated the remains of the oldest bridge found so lar in
Britain (about 3,500 years old), in Gentral London. In those days the River Thames was merely a collection of shallow
channels and small islands. These islands had enormous spiritual resonance as places separated Irom the shores
and connected to the river. But it is stili true today ttlat bridges are more than utilitarian structures and have a great
symbolic impact.
'Bridges are associated with boundaries - social as well as physical ,' says Dr Bo rden. 'W h871 we cross a bridge we
pass over some hazard or obstacle, but also over a threshold into a city, a different region or even a different country.'
This is deliberately rellected in the way a bridge is designed to look open and welcoming, or lorbidding and imposing;
it can be celebrating the joining of tw o communities, or it can be holding them at arm 's length. The bridge therefore
exists on two levels: ane physical , one political, and the two are linked. When a bridge is built where there was none
before, it connects two places. Physically it makes trade and movement easier; psycho!ogically the increased contact
makes 'the other side ' seem less distanl. The bridge stands as a concrete representation of both the joining and the
separation of two communities.
In a sense, the engineer designs the physical bridge and the architect designs the 'politica!' bridge. But, of course, it's
not as simple es thal. Sometimes, for example, the fact that a great engineering feat tlas been periormed is itself an
im portant statemenl. Furthermore, we have an innate aesthetic sense, which makes us like well-proportioned, stable
structures . Engineers are not especially encouraged to consider visual impact, but good engineering can look quite
attractive becauseit is balanced. Similarly, an architect with a good eye will often design a structure 'Nhich is naturally
stable. There is a great link between structure and lorm - overly whimsial or eccentric architecture is no longer
beautilu l or pleasing to the eye.
A bridge is peculiarly defined by its locafion - a pow er station wHI perform the ame lunction wherever it is located, but
a bridge joins two points - it cannot join them somewhere else. Various experts confirm the necessit y 01 recognising
this view. Lorenzo Apicella, a leading architect, says, 'You can 't start to imagine what a bridge should look likl~ until
you know w hat it is joining together and what the surroundings are.' Neil Thomas , an engineer who has worked on
many recent bridges, says, 'Each bridge presents a novel engineering problem . .A. bridge over a road or railway is very
different from a bridge over a steep gorge where you can 't build supports underneath. '
Il a bridge is a product of its piace, delined by what it is joining together or crossing over, it 15 aiso a product 01 its
tim e. In the 19 th century, the lirst European iron and steel bridges were buill. Big, solid, metal structures marched
across the landscape, metaphors for the triumph of human engineering in the !ndustrial Revo lution over the agrarian
pasl. The Ro mans, in a similar spirit, built aggressively solid roads and bridges w herever they wenl. They constructed
an unprecedented communications and supply network, both physically and symbolically subduing the lands they
marched across.
So wh at 01 today's bridges? Two of the longest suspenslon bridges in the world, both comparatlvely new, a,'e the
Great Belt Bridge in Denmark and the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge in Japan. Both link offshore islands (the latter to the
mainland) and are part of larger road projects. Within t:urope, the European Union is spending billions lunding an
integrated transport network. The dramatic increases in long-haul travel have fuelled an obSession with instant global
accessibility. 'il seems as if we no longer want to savour the remotenesS tHose Ancient Britons so treasured on their
islands in the Thames .

12

Paper 1 R ading
13 What point is the writer making in the first paragraph?
A
B
C

Bridges have a significance beyond th eir basic physical fu nction.

The impact of a bridge varies from country to country.

The popular view of what bridges represent has changed.

People have different react ions when crossing a bridge.

9C

14 What does the writer say in the second paragraph about Dr Borden's interpretation
of bridges?

A
B
C
O

It is co ntradicted by basic physical laws.

Our ancestors w ould have disagreed with it.

Some people might think it is rather imprabable.

It does not really explain why the first bridges were btlilt.

r
3.

15

In the thi rd paragraph th e writer says that the design of a bri dge
A
B
C
O

h
li

can be a cause of conflict between the two communities it is con necting .

must be clear in its delineation of the boundary between the two sides.
should always have safety as its overriding concern o
may be influenced by the need for a symbolic message.

l(

e
16

What does the writer say in the fourth paragraph about the visual impact of a bridge?
A
B
C
O

It
It
It
It

is
is
is
is

1<

increasingly a matter which an engineer must consid ero

fundamentally unattractive if the design is unbalanced.
affected by t he bridges we are accustomed to.
influenced surpris ing ly little by the shape of the bridge.

3.<

a
s
1

17 In th e fifth paragraph , the writer says that people involved In bridge design need to
A
B
C
O

examine reliab le, standardised designs before they proceed.

make an initial assessment of the site.

consider whether a bridge is the best solution.

be able to visual ise the completed bridge's appearance fram the outset.

18 The writer mentions t he bridges of the Industriai Revolution and the Rom ans to show that

11

A
B
C
O

bridges
bridges
bridges
bridges

represent the spirit of the age in wh ich they were built.

have been a mark of ali sophisticated civil isations.
are not always beneficiai in their effect on humanity.

that are tec hnologically advaflced are not confined to the modern era.

le
r

I~

t:

19 Accordf19 to th e writer, the Danisn and Japanese bridges exemplify

A
B
C
O

,.,r.

international co -ordin ation in bridge building.

t he current desire far easy warldwide travel.

th e modern preference for raad transport over other form s of travel.

the willingness of modern governments to invest heavily in profitab le projects.

13

Test 1
Part4
You are going to read a magazine article about the roc k band Franz Ferdinand and its website. For
questions 20 - 34, choose from the sections (A - E). The sections may be chosen more than once.
Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.
Which section mentions the following?
the way the band divided up responsibility for aspects of the site content

~J

positive reviews of the band's musical output

t 21

the shortcom ings of some websites featurin g other bands

! 221 ]

the website giving users exclusive access to certain t racks

the band's level of satisfaction with the style of its website
website entries being both thoughtful and entertai ning
the ro le of established business methods in the band 's success

25

the role of the band 's out ward appearance in gaining them popularity

[26J:J

27
1

the pion eers in a new approach t rock band websit es

I ]

~IJ

! 24\ ]

the tech nol ogy behind the band's flexible use of its website
a band member seeing th e potential in a professional relationship

EJ

MI

LI
1

30

an acceptall ce that other websites wer superior in certain respects

r-;~D

the website fitting in with the band 's established im age

[ 32

a change in the generai perception of acceptable websi e content

the d ifficulty a band member had in making regular contributions to the site

14

33
34

j
1

Paper 1 Reading

A Band and its Website

An innovative website help ed transform Franz Ferdinand from a Glasgow club act into a national award
winning rock band.

A
In early 2004, the rock group Franz Ferdinand got
their first big break when their second single T ake
Me Out' reach ed the British Top 10. A year later, they
were collecting awards for the best rock act and the
best British band, having gained both criticai and
popular acclaim for their debut album, and set up
their own website. Indeed, Franz Ferdinand and
their management attributed their success to more
than sharp haircuts, natty outfits and the songs
themselves. They believe that while their success
was in part due to the tried-and-tested marketing
tec hniques that make a new band - touring the
music venues, relying on the build-up of business
by word-of-mouth and convincing radio stations to
play their st uff - it was also due in no small part to
the internet.

B
Ever si nce the Web became a mass-market
phenomenon in the late 1990s, record labels had
largely been using it as just another marketing tool.
Far their biggest acts, they would build hugely
expensive sites that acted as little more than moving
billboards, leaving everything else to fan sites. Franz
Ferdinand were different. They were amongst a new
wave of popular bands who used the medium to
bridge the gap between themselves and their fans.
Groups like Radiohead started the trend, allowing
internet users to watch them in the studio and share
their innermost thoughts via online diaries. Franz
Ferdinand to ok things a step further. They regularly
appeared on their own message boards, chatting
indiscriminately to fans and posting diary entries
and photos fram wherever they were in the warld,
using tfleir own digitai cameras, microphones and
laptops. Ali four group members had access to the
site's content-management system, making it easy
for them to update it themselves.

"

The diary entries fram lead singer AJex Kapranos,

by turns am using and insightful, were written on
the road , giving them the quality of a freewheeling
blog. Detailing a trip to France, far example: ''Ne

played t~e amphitheatre in Lyon with PJ Harvey

tonight. I split my trousers on stage, but it turned
out not to be quite as tragic as it could have been,'
he wrote, before going on to explain how a quic k
change and an extra long intro to the first song
saved his blushes. This 'do-it-yourself' ethic is
something that set the new breed of net-aware
bands apart from their predecessors , according to
Chris Hassell, new media director of DS Emotion,
the company behind the site , who explains that
what previously 'would have been seen as a bit
geeky' was suddenly cool.

il

Si

D
Hassell, who co-founded DS Emotion, the Leeds
based web design agency, says the band were
heavily involved from the beginning. It was bass
player Bob Hardy who noticed the work that the
agency had dane far another band and asked them
to get involved. 'They had a very clear idea what
the site should be like,' Hassell says , adding that
they wanted the look that they had used on their
sleeve designs and videos to be reflected in the site.
As Alex Kapranos remembers : 'We were delighted
witfl it. We gave them an aesthetic outline and they
brought it to life. It was really easy to maintain. Bob
was in charge of images and I wrote in the regular
diary. I, didn 't always have access to a PC, but I tried
to update it whenever I could .'

E
It wasn't long befote the team behind the website
was joined by a full-tim e news editor who regularly
talked to ali four mem bers of the band , their
management and their record label Domino to share
ideas. 'We knew we couldn't compete with the fan
sites in terms of the sheer amount of information on
the band. They were doing that job very well. So we
concentrated on thi ngs they co uldn't do.' Hassell
says that fh e online shop integrat ed into the site, far
example, allowed the ban d to release material that
would otherwise go unheard. By the time the band
geared up to record its second album, DS Em otlon
was also working on a thorough overhaul of the
website.

15

~(

Test 1

PAPER 2

WRITING (1 hour 30 minutes)

Part 1

You must answer this questiono Write your answer in 180- 220 words in an appropriate style.

You and your triend Alex are lookin g fo r a holiday job in the UK.
Read the note tram Alex and the two adverts below. Then, using the information
approp riatelY, write a letter to Al ex, com paring the two jobs, saying whi ch job you think is
more suitable and giving reasons for your opini ons.

Hl,
l've found th ese 2 job ad s for holiday work. It'd be good t o practi se out" English and
do some sightseeing while we're in England. Both jobs look interesting - whic h do
you think wou ld be bette r for us?
1\lex

Joe's ltalian Restaurant

Tel: 0207 876 2387
Stafi I eeded fo r O U T restaurant
Centr al London
Friend1y intemational
stati
Basic pay, plus tips
Help finding
accornrnodation

Ta li Trees Campsite
014526 353545
Do yo u like meet ing new people?

vI/e need people to help organis: th e

enterta inment on our campsite ,

Popu lar British holiday rc;sort

Surro unded t7 y bea utifu l

co untryside

Good rates of pay

Free aCGornmodation

Write your letter. Yo u shoutd use your own words as far as possible. You do not need to
include postal addresses.

16