FCE PRACTICE

Practice reading techniques - scanning, skimming, intensive and extensive reading.

+ Scanning: You try to find a particular piece of information. You read from top to down of the text quickly to find the specific information
you need to answer questions.
+ Skimming: You try to gather the most important information as quickly as possible. You read from top to down of the text quickly and note
important information.
+ Intensive reading: You try to find the details of a specific information. xample question: !hat does "intensi#e" in line $ mean%
+ Extensive reading: You try to find general information of a passage. xample question: !hat is the best title for this passage%
FCE Speaking Test: Key Facts
Duration: Approximately 14 minutes.
Participants: Candidates interviewed in pairs. (In threes for the final session at a centre with an odd number of
candidates). Two examiners are present. ne examiner (the interlocutor) carries out the interviewer whilst the
second (the assessor) focuses on the candidate!s performance.
Format: There are four parts to the test.
FCE Speaking Test: Part 1 (Interview)
Tests ability to: use lan"ua"e for social purposes# e.". ma$in" introductions# answerin" %uestions about yourself.
&art 1 of the 'C( )pea$in" test lasts about * minutes. The examiner will as$ some !"ettin"+to+$now+you! %uestions
perhaps to find out where you come from# your interests# your family or your studies etc.
Example Questions
,- Where are you from?
,- Tell me something about your family.
,- What did you enjoy most when you were at primary school?
,- Do you have any plans for a holiday this year?
Q: Do you play any musical instruments?
Tips!
Giving full answers to te examiner!s "uestions will elp get te interview off to a goo# start.
$% &voi# giving sort' uncommunicative replies.
,- Tell me somethin" about your family.
A- I live with my mum# dad and sister and brother. (.on!t stop there/) 0y sister!s youn"er than me
and still "oes to school. 0y brother wor$s as a computer technician.
(% &voi# sort' !yes!' !no! answers to close# "uestions. )Tese are "uestions beginning !*ave
you ...!' !Do you ...!' !+s it ...! etc wic can be answere# simply wit a yes or no answer%.
,- .o you have any plans for a holiday this year1
A- 2es. (.on!t stop there/) If I "et the chance I!d li$e to visit my friend in 3ermany. 4e haven!t
seen each other for a while and I!m really loo$in" forward to seein" him and "ettin" to $now
3ermany.
,- .o you play any musical instruments1
A- 5o. (.on!t stop there/) 4e had music lessons when I was at school but I was never very "ood.
,% -ffer examples to elp you explain a statement.
,- 4hy are you preparin" for the 'C( exam1
A- 5o reason really. (.on!t stop there/) I en6oy learnin" (n"lish and I thin$ it would be "ood to
have a %ualification to show my level.
FCE Speaking Test: Part 2 (Long Turn)
Tests ability to: spea$ at len"th coherently# use lan"ua"e to describe# compare and contrast and comment upon a
topic.
1
FCE PRACTICE
&art 7 of the 'C( )pea$in" test lasts between 4 minutes (8 minutes for "roups of three). The examiner "ives you
two photo"raphs and your partner a different pair of photo"raphs. 2ou have to spea$ about your two photos without
interruption for about 1 minute and also answer a %uestion about your partner!s photo"raphs when he or she has
finished their lon" turn.
Example Tas.
The interview will be"in with the examiner sayin" somethin" li$e-
,- In this part of the test I!m "oin" to "ive each of you two photo"raphs. I!d li$e you to tal$ about your photo"raphs
on your own for about 1 minute and also to answer a short %uestion about your partner!s photo"raphs.
,- (Candidate A)# here are your photo"raphs. They show people participatin" in sportin" activities.
,- I!d li$e you to compare the two photo"raphs and say why sport is important to people.
,- All ri"ht1
5otice there are T4 instructions here- first to !compare! the two photo"raphs and also !to say why! sport is
important to people. In &art 7 candidates need to show they can compare but also "ive an opinion.
The examiner will then as$ Candidate 9 a short %uestion about these photo"raphs.
,- Than$ you (Candidate A). (Candidate 9) which sport would you most li$e to try1
Candidate 9 will then do their lon" turn with a different set of photo"raphs and at the end# Candidate A will be
as$ed a short %uestion.
Tips!
$. /isten to te instructions carefully an# ma.e sure you .now wat you ave to tal. about. +f you #on!t
un#erstan# te instructions you soul# as. te examiner to repeat tem:
:(xcuse me# could you say that a"ain1: :I!m sorry# but would you mind repeatin" that1:
(. Te "uestion will elp you wit te structure of your tal..
&% 0tart wit a general summary of te topic:
!These two photo"raphs show people involved in a sport.!
1% Ten move on to a comparison of te two pictures' using wor#s to elp explain te comparison:
9oth photo"raphs were ta$en outside and each of the people are concentratin" hard on what they!re doin". !The top
photo shows a woman roc$ climbin" whilst the bottom photo is of a youn" s$atin" ... It loo$s li$e the woman is out
in the natural world whereas the boy is in a man+made s$atin" par$ ..... etc.!
2% Finally give your opinion wit examples' again using signposting wor#s an# expressions to elp te
examiner follow your argument.
7
FCE PRACTICE
!In my opinion# sport is important for people in lots of ways. 'or example# it!s a way to $eep fit of course# but we
also meet new people and can "et a lot of en6oyment from a sport ... etc.!
3. Practise ma.ing sort one4minute tal.s as often as possible to get an i#ea for ow long $ minute feels li.e.
Time yourself an# as. a frien# for fee#bac..
FCE Speaking Test: Part : (Co!!a"orative Task)
Tests ability to: use lan"ua"e to discuss# express an opinion# to a"ree and disa"ree# speculate and evaluate etc.
In &art * of the test# which lasts about * minutes# the examiner will "ive both candidates instructions and a set of
visuals and the candidates will have to try to reach some form of a"reement.
Example Tas.
The examiner will say somethin" li$e-
,- 5ow# I!d li$e you to tal$ about somethin" to"ether for about * minutes.
,- I!d li$e you to ima"ine that you are plannin" a wee$+lon" tourin" holiday with your partner around the country
that you!re studyin" in. 2ou want to see as much as possible but don!t want to spend too much money on transport.
;oo$ at the types of transport shown in the photo"raphs.
,- 'irst tal$ to each other about how useful each of these forms of transport mi"ht be for your holiday. Then decide
which one would be best.
,- All ri"ht1
5otice there are T4 instructions here- first to tal$ about each form of transport then to !decide! which one is best
for your holiday. This means you have to do more than 6ust describe the different forms of transport. 2ou also have
to show you can wor$ with your partner to try to reach some form of a"reement. 2ou don!t have to reach a"reement
but you must at least wor$ towards this.
Tips!
+t will elp bot yourself an# your partner if you wor. togeter collaboratively on tis tas..
1. 9e prepared to as$ your partner for his or her opinion rather than simply statin" your own. 'or example-
'What do you thin?' '!ow about you?' 'Do you thin ...?'
(. /isten carefully! to wat your partner says an# respon# to comments e or se ma.es to elp te
#iscussion flow. For example:
'Do"!ave"#re you?' 'Don't"!aven't"#ren't you?' 'Do you thin so? '$eally?'
,. +f you #isagree try expressing tis politely. For example:
!% see what you mean but ...!
!% can see your point but ...!
'&ut don't you thin ...'
*
FCE PRACTICE
3. 5se expressions to allow yourself time to tin.. For example:
!That's a good 'uestion.!
!Well( let me thin ...!
'%t's difficult to say ...'
6. 7ou!ll possibly fin# you #on!t un#erstan# someting your partner as sai#. +f tis appens' ta.e control
wit simple "uestions li.e tose below to elp you #eal positively wit te situation. Tis will also give you
te cance to impress te examiner wit your communication s.ills.
&% +f you #i#n!t "uite un#erstan# a wor# or prase 8ust say someting li.e:
)*orry but could you e+plain what you mean by ........) or
)% haven't come across that word"e+pression before. ,ould you e+plain what you mean?)
1% +f you #i#n!t ear or #i#n!t un#erstan# someting your partner as sai#' as. tem to repeat it:
)*orry( % didn't catch that. ,ould you say that again?) )-+cuse me. ,ould you repeat that?)
2% &lternatively' you migt want to confirm wat you tin. your partner sai# so you coul# say someting li.e:
)Do you mean ........) )When you say ........( are you asing"do you mean ........?)
FCE Speaking Test Part #: ($iscussion)
Tests ability to: use lan"ua"e to express and 6ustify an opinion# to a"ree and disa"ree etc.
In &art 4 of the test# which lasts about 4 minutes# the examiner will 6oin both candidates in a discussion about the
"eneral topic that appeared in &art *.
Example Questions
,- Which sports are popular with young people in your country?
,- *ome people say people don't participate in sport as much as they should. Do you thin this is true?
,- Do you thin team sports are more fun than individuial sports
Tips
1. A"ain# as with earlier sections of the test# avoid short# !yes!# !no! answers to the examiner!s %uestions.
7. Continue to wor$ with your partner. <espond constructively and show interest in thin"s he or she says.
9oul# you li.e more elp li.e tis:
'or wee$ly tips on developin" your spea$in" s$ills# to download transcripts and "et updates on our new materials#
si"n up to our free newsletter.
Writing Class: Formal Expressions
Beginning a letter
+ am writing to en"uire about courses at your college
+ am writing in connection wit your a#vertisement
9it reference to your a#vertisement in te Times
9it reference to your letter of $; &pril
Tan. you for your letter of $; <une en"uiring about vacancies
Giving somebo#y goo# news= ba# news
+ am #eligte# to inform you tat you ave passe# your examination
+ regret to tell you tat we cannot offer you a refun#
Explaining tat someting is inclu#e# in te letter :
Please fin# enclose# a stampe# a##resse# envelope
&pologising for someting you ave #one wrong
Please allow me to apologise for te problems you ave a#
>e"uesting' "uite strongly' tat action is ta.en
Please coul# you replace te goo#s as soon as possible
4
FCE PRACTICE
Expressing Contrast
This exercise will give you the chance to practise some of the common linking words and expressions that are used to
express contrast. For example, 'although', 'despite' etc.
&. ........ he's been really ill lately, he insists on going into work. #en though( #en if( #en when
). *'ll ne#er forget you, ........ * li#e to be &++. e#en if( e#en though( e#en when
,. !e decided to go to *taly for our holiday, .... it meant we needed to get our passports renewed. -espite( despite the fact that( despite that
.. /he decided to tra#el by plane ........ being #ery scared of flying. in spite of ( despite the fact ( despite that
$. *'m not going out tonight. ........, * can see you tomorrow if you like. 0lthough( 1owe#er( Yet
2. ........ the car was quite old, it was still #ery reliable. /ince( Yet ( 0lthough
3. ........ to the party they had last year, this one is great. 4ontrary( *n contrast( 5n the contrary
6. * do not agree with the criticism that her latest film is disappointing. ........, * find it one of her best pieces of work so far.
*n contrast( 4ontrary( 5n the contrary
Addition
7his exercise looks at words and expressions like 'moreo#er', 'in addition' etc.
&. ........ to being late with your repayments, you ha#e also failed to reply to any of our letters. 8 9urthermore ( *n addition( 0s well as:
). !e ha#e decorated all the rooms in the flat ........ tidying up the garden. 8 as well as( furthermore( in addition:
,. 7he ;o#ernment ha#e banned the sale of the product. ........, they ha#e threatened the company with legal action.
8 0s well as( furthermore( <esides:
.. ........ being the chairman of the company she is also a regular member of se#eral public organisations. 8 qually( <esides( =oreo#er:
$. /tudying a second language can help you in your career. ........, it will also enable you to meet new people. 8=oreo#er( 0nyway( 0s well:
2. ........ the many books he wrote, he was also well known for his work with charities. 8 *n addition to( furthermore( =oreo#er:
3. * don't want to go out in this weather. ........, there's a really good film on 7> tonight. 8 <esides( ( =oreo#er( *n addition:
6. * don't want to see them tonight. ........, they were supposed to call us earlier. 8*n addition(0nyway( =oreo#er:
Purpose or Reason
7his exercise will gi#e you practice in expressing purpose or reason with expressions like, 'as a result', 'owing to' etc.
1. <ecause of the accident on the motorway, motorists are ad#ised to use an alternati#e route. consequence
2. *'m going to night school so that * can impro#e my ;erman. order
3. 7he captain won't be playing today because of a bad in?ury. due
. 1e changed ?obs because he wanted to be nearer to home. order
!. 7he man was released because the police had no e#idence against him. account
". 7he college was closed for a month owing to the summer holidays. resu#t
$. /ince we hadn't been out all day, we decided to go to the cinema. o%ing
6. !e phoned the hotel to complain as we'd had such terrible ser#ice. &ecause
Time
7his exercise focuses on linking words that express time, such as 'at first', 'e#entually' etc.
1' ........ * didn't really en?oy the course, but after a while * really started to en?oy it. 8 *n the beginning( 0t the beginning:
2' ........ of the film the main character arri#es in town looking for somewhere to stay. 8 *n the beginning( 0t the beginning:
,. !e waited ages for a bus. ........ we decided to walk home. 8 #entually( 0t last:
.. 7he audience waited patiently for the delayed performance to start. ........ the curtain rose. 8 @astly( 0t last:
$. * waited for you ........ &+.++. * finally decided you weren't coming. 8 before( until:
2. * managed to get the house tidy ........ my parents got home. 8 before( until:
3. ........ had * gone to bed than * heard the phone ring. 8 1ardly( 0s soon as:
6. * played a lot of tennis ........ * was on holiday. 8 during( while:
=
FCE PRACTICE
Instructions( Aead the text and then select the correct answer, 0, <, 4 or -.
Environmenta# Concerns
arth is the only place we know of in the uni#erse that can support human life. )1* ... human acti#ities are making the planet less fit to li#e
on. 0s the western world )2* ... on consuming two-thirds of the world's resources while half of the world's population do so )3* ... to stay ali#e
we are rapidly destroying the )* ... resource we ha#e by which all people can sur#i#e and prosper. #erywhere fertile soil is )!* ... built on or
washed into the sea. Aenewable resources are exploited so much that they will ne#er be able to reco#er )"* ... !e discharge pollutants into
the atmosphere without any thought of the consequences. 0s a )$* ... the planet's ability to support people is being )+* ... at the #ery time
when rising human numbers and consumption are ),* ... increasingly hea#y demands on it. 7he arth's )1-* ... resources are there for us to
use. !e need food, water, air, energy, medicines, warmth, shelter and minerals to )11* ... us fed, comfortable, healthy and acti#e. *f we are
sensible in how we use the resources they will )12* ... indefinitely. <ut if we use them wastefully and excessi#ely they will soon run out and
e#eryone will suffer.
&. 0. although <. still 4. yet -. despite
). 0. continues <. repeats 4. carries -. follows
,. 0. already <. ?ust 4. for -. entirely
.. 0. alone <. indi#idual 4. lone -. only
$. 0. sooner <. neither 4. either -. rather
2. 0. quite <. greatly 4. utterly -. completely
3. 0. de#elopment <. result 4. reaction -. product
6. 0. stopped <. narrowed 4. reduced -. cut
B. 0. doing <. ha#ing 4. taking -. making
&+. 0. natural <. real 4. li#ing -. genuine
&&. 0. hold <. maintain 4. stay -. keep
&). 0. last <. stand 4. go -. remain
.rite t/e Per0ect Crime 1ove#
=ost people are born with the natural ability to tell stories, but only a rare few ha#e the determination to become professional authors, and
e#en fewer ha#e the ?oy of seeing their no#els top the )1* ... of bestselling books. /ome of the world's famous crime writers ha#e achie#ed
the )2* ... success of all. !ho can )3* ... the appeal of famous detecti#es like /herlock 1olmes, =iss =arple or 1ercule Poirot% #en if you
ha#en't read the )* ... books you will ha#e seen them in films or on the 7>.
*f you ha#e an ambition to become the )!* ... 0gatha 4hristie what should you do% 7he best starting )"* ... is to read lots of examples of
crime fiction written by good authors. You will need a notebook to carry around with you or, )$* ... better, some loose )+* ... of paper that you
can ),* ... notes on and then file into a folder. 0fter all, the most e#eryday situation - for example, watching a woman get )1-* ... a train -
may be the )11* ... for your first bestseller.
@ike any good recipe you ha#e to know the main )12* ... of a successful no#el. 7hese are: an original story, strong characters and a
memorable setting.
&. 0. queue <. list 4. row -. line
). 0. largest <. greatest 4. highest -. prime
,. 0. deny <. refuse 4. insist -. hide
.. 0. first <. initial 4. early -. original
$. 0. next <. following 4. subsequent -. later
2. 0. spot <. tip 4. point -. mark
3. 0. e#en <. still 4. #ery -. so
6. 0. strips <. sheets 4. layers -. pieces
B. 0. complete <. do 4. fill -. make
&+. 0. out <. down 4. off -. from
&&. 0. notion <. idea 4. in#ention -. inspiration
&). 0. parts <. ingredients 4. pieces -. sections
1o 2ore C#asses
7he use of computers has meant students can study language programmes )1* ... their own speed when and for how long they want - and
no need to worry about the teacher ha#ing a fa#ourite or doing )2* ... another boring lesson. !hat's more, in the #irtual classrooms of the
future the student will )3* ... on their headset, and be transported into an imaginary school, choose their class, take the books they need off
the shelf and )* ... con#ersations with other computerised students.
7hey might )!* ... choose to pay a #isit to the supermarket or the train station, the bank or the restaurant. 0t the )"* ... of a button they would
be transported to )$* ... realistic settings where they could practice their nglish, maybe getting a hand )+* ... a #irtual nglish companion.
0ll this perhaps, at the computer, from the comfort of their home: no ),* ... to catch the bus to college, or a plane to ngland.
xciting% 4ertainly, and an interesting alternati#e to traditional classroom lessons. <ut would it e#er )1-* ... the classroom% 1opefully not.
)11* ... the need to relate to real people talking about real issues and generally learning a little more about others will always lead language
learners to )12* ... at least a little of their time with real people.
&. 0. with <. for 4. at -. in
). 0. still <. for 4. yet -. already
,. 0. place <. put 4. set -. get
.. 0. take <. do 4. catch -. hold
$. 0. although <. preferably 4. instead -. contrary
2. 0. force <. hit 4. depress -. push
3. 0. so <. such 4. like -. alike
6. 0. with <. to 4. from -. for
B. 0. role <. duty 4. obligation -. need
&+. 0. replace <. restore 4. succeed -. reco#er
&&. 0. definitely <. mainly 4. totally -. surely
&). 0. spend <. make 4. ha#e -. do
8
FCE PRACTICE
Instructions(Read t/e 0o##o%ing extract 0rom a &roc/ure giving advice on taking an examination' For
questions 13124 t56e t/e %ord %/ic/ &est 0its in eac/ s6ace' 7se on#5 one %ord in eac/ s6ace'
Exam Ti6s
!hen the day comes gi#e yourself plenty of time to do e#erything: ha#e breakfast but don't drink )1*.. muchC go to the toiletC arri#e on time,
but not too early or you will find yourself getting more and more ner#ous while you wait to start.7ry not to talk )2* .the exam before you go in.
*n the exam, calm )3* ... down by breathing deeply and thinking positi#ely. Aead )* ... exam questions carefully and underline all of the key
instruction words )!* ... indicate how the questions should )"* ... answered. *f possible start with the ones )$* ... can do easily to gi#e you
confidence. Aemember what you'#e learnt from practising questions and doing mock exams pre#iously and plan your use of time. -on't
panic )+* ... e#eryone around you seems to start writing furiously straight away and don't be tempted to follow their example.
9inally, after the exam, don't ?oin in a discussion about ),* ... e#eryone else did, )1-* ... you want to frighten yourself, and drain your self-
confidence for the next exam. 0bo#e )11* ..., remember that exams are not designed to catch you out, )12* ... to find out what you know,
what you understand and what you can do.
Instructions( Read t/e text and t/en t56e t/is missing %ord in t/e &ox on t/e rig/t'
Too 8ood to &e True
/ome say you can do it in se#en days, others promise success in ). hours, or you may prefer to take your time and do it in $ weeks. !hat
are we talking about% <elie#e it )1* ... not, these periods )2* ... time refer to language learning courses that promise excellent results in less
time )3* ... it takes to say '<on?our'D
1owe#er, the ad#ertisements of these companies are not necessarily )* ... best guide and if you don't know what to look for in a good
course you could be left with little )!* ... than a large bill.
0 complaint was recently made to a consumer rights group )"* ... !hiEE@earn /ystems, a language school chain, and the company has
been forced to remo#e its claim that its technique is ten times better than any )$* ... method. 7he =anaging -irector of !hiEE@earn /ystems
said )+* "... we still belie#e our claim is true, we are willing to change our ad#ert. <ut the fact remains, if you spend , hours ),* ... day for $
weeks on our language course you will soon be speaking the language. !hat we )1-* ... ha#e done was to make )11* ... clearer in the
ad#ert. 7hen we wouldn't )12* ... had these annoying complaints".
Instructions( Read t/e text and t/en t56e t/is missing %ord in t/e &ox on t/e rig/t'
Cam6ing 9o#ida5s
0lthough it has a reputation for being rather basic in terms of home comforts, the modern material used in the manufacture of
tents means camping is at least a )1* ... less hard work. Fowadays tents are )2* ... lightweight that you hardly notice you're
carrying them. 7hey're easy to )3* ... up yet still a cheaper alternati#e to hotel accommodation.
7alk to an expert first before spending a lot of money )* ... a tent. -ifferent tents suit different needs and there's no point )!* ...
buying a mountaineering tent )"* ... you're planning to camp in these conditions. -on't )$* ... tempted to splash out on all the
latest equipment either. =ost of the fun of camping lies in the chance to get back to nature. 7here's no need to take anything
more )+* ... the basics.
0lways try to plan your arri#al at the site long before ),* ... gets dark. You will want to see )1-* ... you're doing when you try to
erect your tent. -on't forget to ask for permission if you're not camping on a registered site, and remember to take a supply of
food and drink with you in )11* ... the local shops are closed when you arri#e. You can then en?oy your first meal under the stars
and begin )12* ... appreciate the ?oys of camping.
>
FCE PRACTICE
+nstructions: <ead the text and then type the correct form of the word in CA&ITA;) to complete the "aps.
There is an example at the be"innin".
Food Production
In the not-too-distant past farm animals were able to live (%) NATURAL lives in what
we would now term 'free-range' conditions. uch farming methods however!
were not able to suppl" the rapidl" growing (1) ... #$#ULAT%
of the world and the increasing demands on food
(2) ... In order to cope with this rising demand! factor" &$NU'%
farming methods were introduced along with the () ... (%)%L$#
of geneticall" engineered (#) ... hormones! which *R$+
resulted in a massive increase in food (&) ... #R$(U&%
,owever! these developments in the use of factor"
farming and drug (') ... have led to a widespread TR%AT
feeling that animals are being caused a lot of distress
and that the -ualit" of the food itself suffers as a
conse-uence. &ertainl"! man" people (() ... with the idea A*R%%
of .eeping animals in one building for their entire ()) ... %/IT
and argue that more emphasis should be given to (*) ... ALT%RNAT%
farming methods. A growing number of people are
choosing to eat organic food! supporting farmers who use
free-range methods! a s"stem which has proved to be
both (1%) ... and more humane. %&$N$'0
+nstructions: <ead the text and then type the correct form of the word in CA&ITA;) to complete the "aps.
:ress Code
U1 companies have received (%) &RITI&I' from a business forum for what their report refers to as &RITI&
a rather narrow-minded attitude towards the dress code for office wor.ers. This follows a case in
which a male (1) ... wor.ing in the post room of a %'#L$0
large (2) ... in the United 1ingdom received a $R*ANI2%
() ... for wearing 3eans to wor.. U#%N(
+hilst the report accepts that there is a need for people dealing with
(#) ... to loo. well dressed! it -uestions whether emplo"ees who wor. behind &UT$'
the scenes necessaril" need to dress formall".
The authors of the report made a (&) ... between &$'#AR%
the U1 and other %uropean nations where
emplo"ers seem (') ... about the need for their &$N&%RN
wor.ers to wear smart clothes in the office.
Their (() ... is based on research that claims AR*U%
wor.ers are far more ()) ... when the" have the #R$(U&T
(*) ... to dress in a wa" that the" feel most 4R%%
(1%) ... in. &$'4$RT
Kitc+en ,ygiene
The ne5t time "ou go to the supermar.et don't forget to bu" the (%) 6I**%T bottle of .itchen
6I*
cleaner "ou can to (1) ... "our wor. surfaces. Recent (2) ... research in America has shown that IN4%&T7 ,0*I%N%
?
FCE PRACTICE
The (#) ... of food! heat and dampness means the .itchen is (&) ... a breeding ground for bacteria
that can cause stomach upsets and vomiting.
&$'6IN%7 #$T%NTIAL
The stud" at the Universit" of Ari8ona e5amined 9: homes over ;< wee.s. Levels of (') ... were &L%AN
certainl" not below average "et cutting boards and dishcloths were found to contain bacteria in
far greater number than elsewhere in the home. (() ... sa" ignorance is the cause of the problem R%%AR&,
and point out that ()) ... cleaning can lead to serious food poisoning. A(%=UAT%
The (*) ... > 'a.e sure "ou clean all wor. surfaces $L)%
(1%) ... and .eep an e"e on that dishcloth? (A0
!?ey! 9or# Transformation
For -uestions 1.)/ co0p!ete t+e secon1 sentence so t+at it +as a si0i!ar 0eaning to t+e 2irst sentence/ using t+e
wor1 given3 $o not c+ange t+e wor1 given3 4ou 0ust use "etween two an1 2ive wor1s/ inc!u1ing t+e wor1
given3
1. I want to "o to university this year. +@TE>E0TED I ........................................ to university this year.
7. :@ave you been on holiday recently# Aane1: as$ed Tony. 1EE@
Tony as$ed Aane ........................................ on holiday recently.
*. I was too tired to "o to the party. T*&T I was ........................................ I couldn!t "o to the party.
4. There!s no point as$in" ;ynda to help as she!s really busy. 9&0TE
It!s ........................................ as$in" ;ynda to help as she!s really busy.
=. The union claims its members will only return to wor$ if the company a"rees to a meetin". @-T
The union claims its members will ............... the company a"rees to a meetin".
8. . I!m sure it was Ana I saw in town as I reco"nised her coat. A50T
It ........................................ Ana I saw in town as I reco"nised her coat.
>. 4e demanded to see the hotel mana"er to ma$e our complaint. 0EE+@G
4e ........................................ the hotel mana"er to ma$e our complaint.
?. The boss wouldn!t ob6ect to you "oin" early today. -1<E2T+-@
The boss would not ........................................ you "oin" early today.
B. 9ecause it snowed heavily durin" the ni"ht the motorway is closed. #ue
The motorway is closed ........................... that there was heavy snow the ni"ht before.
1C. .id you mana"e to "et in contact with the boss today1 getting
.id you ........................................ in contact with the boss today1
11. I donDt care what you do. concerne# As ........................................ you can do what you li$e.
17. The meal we had in the restaurant was so nice. suc
It ........................................ meal in the restaurant.
1*. @e was ordered to leave the field for ar"uin" with the referee. sent
The referee ....................................... for ar"uin".
14. .o you and your brother have the same loo$s1 li.e .oes ........................................ you1
1=. ThatDs the "ara"e where I left my car last wee$. repaire#
ThatDs where I went ........................................ last wee$.
18. 2ou can!t brin" food into this room. suppose#
2ou ........................................ food into this room.
1>. !4hy don!t you come over for dinner at the wee$end1! he as$ed her. suggeste#
@e ................... for dinner at the wee$end.
1?. @is boss won!t tolerate lateness. put @is boss won!t .................................. lateness.
1B. The school I studied at last year was better than this one. goo#
This school ................... my last one.
7C. Althou"h the weather was terrible we had a "ood time. spite
4e had a "ood time .................... the terrible weather.
71. 9ein" rude is inexcusable. excuse There is ............................. rude
77. I find drivin" on the left in (n"land very stran"e. accustome#
I ..................................... on the left in (n"land.
7*. I re"ret ta$in" up smo$in". wis I ..................................... up smo$in".
B
FCE PRACTICE
74. The police are interviewin" the suspects. interviewe#
The suspects ..................................... by the police.
Instructions(You are going to read a selection of letters from a problem page in an *nternational nglish @anguage magaEine.
9or questions &-&$, choose from the people 80-1:. 7he people may be chosen more than once.
T/is 2ont/;s <etters( See t/is mont/;s 6ro&#ems and questions su&mitted to us &5 #earners o0 Eng#is/(
A ( * study nglish for 2 hours per week in secondary school. 9or & hour each week we ha#e con#ersation classes with a nati#e speaker of
nglish where we talk about topics such as drugs, politics and culture. * know it's a really good opportunity to practise my spoken nglish,
but * ne#er make a contribution to the discussion. *t's not that * don't ha#e an opinion,or that *'m shy,but more that * don't ha#e the #ocabulary
to express my #iews. * feel really frustrated at the end of the lesson. Fobody else in the group seems to ha#e the same problem. =ata#in
> ( *'m a ).-year-old business student from =alaysia and *'#e been attending nglish classes at night school for the past $ years. Gp to now
*'#e considered myself to be a good student. @ast month * went to <ritain to #isit my relati#es o#er there and it was awful. People found my
pronunciation difficult to follow and * couldn't understand them either. !hat went wrong% =y nglish teacher is #ery good and * always
score the highest in grammar tests. Fa?#inda
C ( *'m writing to ask your opinion on a matter which is really annoying me. =y nglish teacher ne#er corrects my mistakes when * am
speaking. *sn't that her ?ob% 1ow am * going to impro#e otherwise% 0lso she's always telling me that now *'m an ad#anced student, * should
forget all the rules of grammar that * learnt when * was younger. 8unt/er
: ( 4an you help me% * really want to speak nglish the right way, with the correct accent. -o you ha#e any good ideas% * ha#e a particular
problem with sounds like 's'. * plan to work in the GH in the future and nobody will take me seriously if my nglish pronunciation is anything
short of excellent. @ose
E ( * am working as an au pair in @ondon looking after ) small children. * lo#e my ?ob but the way that nglish people speak is a little
puEEling. 9or example, * often hear them say things like 'more friendlier', whereas * thought it should be 'more friendly'. *t also seems to be
common for them to say 'we was' instead of 'we were'. 4an you explain this% !ould it be impolite of me to correct them% <ana
F ( * am an intermediate student of nglish 8* ha#e been studying it for , years:. *'m quite good at reading and writing but listening is #ery
difficult for me. =y teacher suggested that * listen to the <<4 !orld /er#ice e#ery day in order to impro#e my listening. 7he problem is that
it's hard for me to understand e#ery word. -o you ha#e any ideas about how to make listening to the radio less difficult% * like listening to
the news and knowing what's going on in the world. Auki
8B * ha#e studied nglish for $ years at school but for the past 2 months * ha#e been doing self-study using the *nternet and books to
impro#e. 7here are lots of materials to choose but *'m not sure what is best for me and how * should use them. * really would like to take the
94 examination but don't know how to study on my own. /hould * take a course in my local school - which is a little expensi#e for me now
- or is it possible to prepare for the exam doing self-study% Pau#a
9 ( 4ould you please gi#e me some ad#ice on a problem * ha#e at the moment with my nglish studies. * decided to go to the GH to
impro#e my nglish but the college * am studying in at present is full of people from my own country. 0lthough the teachers tell us we
should only try to speak in nglish with each other, it is #ery difficult to do this, especially in our free time when we go out together. * am
worried that my speaking will not impro#e. 2aria
Part 3( 2u#ti6#e 2atc/ing
!hich person: 1) would appear not to have an English teacher?
2) doesn't like studying with people from their own country?
3) has a job in the !? ") enjoys keeping up with current affairs?
#) feels that the teacher isn't doing their job properly?
$) uses English speaking radio stations to practise English?
%) had a shock when they visited &ritain? ') wants to avoid speaking their own language?
() wants to speak English like a native speaker?
1)) feels they are the only person with their difficulty?
11) wonders whether it is rude to correct people when they make mistakes?
12) worries that their English will cause them problems at work?
13) had difficulty being understood when they spoke?
1") is thinking about taking an English e*am?
1#) finds it difficult to take part in conversations?
Instructions
Aou are going to read a maga?ine artic#e a&out crime 6revention' For Cuestions 13+4 c/oose t/e correct ans%er A4 >4 C or :'
0 recent sur#ey of crime statistics shows that we are all more likely to be burgled now than )+ years ago and the police ad#ise e#eryone to
take a few simple precautions to protect their homes.
7he first fact is that burglars and other intruders prefer easy opportunities, like a house which is #ery ob#iously empty. 7his is much less of a
1C
FCE PRACTICE
challenge than an occupied house, and one which is well-protected. 0 burglar will wonder if it is worth the bother.
7here are some general tips on how to a#oid your home becoming another crime statistic. 0#oid lea#ing signs that your house is empty.
!hen you ha#e to go out, lea#e at least one light on as well as a radio or tele#ision, and do not lea#e any curtains wide open. 7he sight of
your latest music centre or computer is enough to tempt any burglar.
Fe#er lea#e a spare key in a con#enient hiding place. 7he first place a burglar will look is under the doormat or in a flower pot and e#en
somewhere more 'imaginati#e' could soon be unco#ered by the intruder. *t is much safer to lea#e a key with a neighbour you can trust. <ut if
your house is in a quiet, desolate area be aware that this will be a burglar's dream, so deter any potential criminal from approaching your
house by fitting security lights to the outside of your house.
<ut what could happen if, in spite of the aforementioned precautions, a burglar or intruder has decided to target your home% !indows are
usually the first point of entry for many intruders. -ownstairs windows pro#ide easy access while upstairs windows can be reached with a
ladder or by climbing up the drainpipe. <efore going to bed you should double-check that all windows and shutters are locked. Fo matter
how small your windows may be, it is surprising what a narrow gap a determined burglar can manage to get through. 9or extra security, fit
window locks to the inside of the window.
!hat about entry #ia doors% Your back door and patio doors, which are easily forced open, should ha#e top quality security locks fitted.
#en though this is expensi#e it will be money well spent. *nstall a burglar alarm if you can afford it as another line of defence against
intruders.
0 sobering fact is that not all intruders ha#e to break and enter into a property. !hy go to the trouble of breaking in if you can ?ust knock and
be in#ited in% <eware of bogus officials or workmen and, particularly if you are elderly, fit a chain and an eye hole so you can scrutinise
callers at your leisure. !hen you do ha#e callers ne#er let anybody into your home unless you are absolutely sure they are genuine. 0sk to
see an identity card, for example.
*f you are in the frightening position of waking in the middle of the night and think you can hear an intruder, then on no account should you
approach the intruder. 9ar better to telephone the police and wait for help.
Part 1( 2u#ti6#e C/oice
&. 0 well-protected houseIII.
0. is less likely to be burgled. <. is regarded as a challenge by most criminals.
4. is a lot of bother to maintain. -. is #ery unlikely to be burgled.
). 0ccording to the writer, we should:
0. a#oid lea#ing our house empty. <. only go out when we ha#e to.
4. always keep the curtains closed. -. gi#e the impression that our house is occupied when we go out.
,. 7he writer thinks that hiding a key under a doormat or flower pot:
0. is a predictable place to hide it. <. is a useful place to hide it.
4. is imaginati#e. -. is where you always find a spare key.
.. 7he 'aforementioned precautions' refer to steps that:
0. will tell a burglar if your house is empty or not. <. are the most important precautions to take to make your home safe.
4. will stop a potential burglar. -. will not stop an intruder if he has decided to try and enter your home.
$. ;aining entry to a house through a small window:
0. is surprisingly difficult. <. is not as difficult as people think.
4. is less likely to happen than gaining entry through a door. -. is tried only by #ery determined burglars.
2. 0ccording to the writer, window locks, security locks and burglar alarms:
0. cost a lot of money but are worth it. <. are good #alue for money.
4. are luxury items. -. are absolutely essential items.
3. 7he writer argues that fitting a chain and an eye hole:
0. will pre#ent your home being burgled. <. a#oids you ha#ing to in#ite people into your home.
4. is only necessary for elderly people. -. gi#es you time to check if the #isitor is genuine.
6. 7he best title for the text is:
0. *ncreasing household crime. <. Protecting your home from intruders.
4. !hat to do if a burglar breaks into your home. -. <urglary statistics.
Instructions
You are going to read a magaEine article about #arious local campaigns. 9or Juestions &-&$, choose from the people 80--:.
A 9omes For A##
5rganisations that help the homeless are warning that people will face e#en greater hardship this winter unless urgent action is taken to
offer shelter to those without a home. 7his warning follows publication of figures showing an increase in the number of homeless people.
/usan #ans of the organisation '1omes for 0ll' said: "!ith a shortage of accommodation, more people than e#er before - young and old -
11
FCE PRACTICE
are ha#ing to sleep rough. 0 cold winter is predicted this year which means that these people will ha#e to put up with sub-Eero
temperatures. 0ction must be taken urgently to offer these people shelter." 0 nationwide demonstration to raise awareness of the problem
will take place this weekend. /upporters welcome.
> Di##age Protest
Aesidents of local #illage, /hilden, are preparing for a night of protest to sa#e their #illage from ;o#ernment planners. Proposals for a new
motorway to be built that will run within ) kilometres of /hilden ha#e caused uproar amongst residents. 7hey claim that they were gi#en
insufficient time to respond to the proposal. 7ony 9ellows, spokesperson for the '>illage Protest' campaign explains: "7he planned route
cuts across some of the most picturesque countryside in the region. /hilden welcomes thousands of tourists each year. =any of the
shopkeepers depend on this trade and would almost certainly face ruin if tourists were put off coming by the damage this road is likely to
cause". 7he all-night protest will take place in the fields where the building work is likely to begin.
C 1e% Aout/ C#u&
Youngsters in the city-centre will lose out on a much-lo#ed pro?ect if substantial funds are not found this year. 7he 'Few Youth 4lub', which
is open to young people from the ages of &+ to &3, is being threatened with closure by 1ealth and /afety officials who claim the building is
unsafe. 7he club, built ,+ years ago, was badly damaged by hea#y storms last year and city engineers estimate that one hundred thousand
pounds in needed to repair structural damage. !ith only limited funds at their disposal, managers fear the club will ha#e to close.
Youngsters from the club ha#e organised an 5pen -ay on 7uesday in an effort to raise some of the money needed to enable the repairs to
be undertaken. "7his alone won't be enough, howe#er" warned 0dam Aoss, Youth @eader.
: Save #ea Da##e5
0 rare species of butterfly and many nati#e plants face extinction if the '@ea >alley office complex' pro?ect goes ahead. 7his is the claim
made by local en#ironmentalists in#ol#ed in the '/a#e @ea >alley' campaign. 7hey argue that the proposed de#elopment, to be built on the
site of woodland dating back hundreds of years, will rob the country of se#eral rare species of wildlife. '@ocal people would be horrified if
they knew of the consequences of this pro?ect,' claimed en#ironmentalist *an !ilson yesterday. "!e need to instigate a local campaign to
alert e#eryone to the dangers. !e are starting by writing letters to e#eryone in the area asking for their support. 7he office complex
de#elopers must not be allowed to do this.".
2u#ti6#e 2atc/ing
&. <oca# &usinesses cou#d &e &ad#5 a00ected' 0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
). Peo6#e in t/e area are not a%are o0 t/e 6ro&#em'0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
,. T/ere are 6#ans to &ui#d a &rand ne% &ui#ding' 0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
.. T/e cam6aign su66orters do not /ave to meet toget/er'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
$. T/e 6ro&#em a00ects a## age grou6s' 0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
2. T/e 6ro&#em %as caused &5 &ad %eat/er' 0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
3. I0 t/e 6#an goes a/ead it %i## s6oi# t/e #ook o0 t/e area'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
6. T/e cam6aign cannot raise enoug/ mone5 on its o%n'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
B. T/e 6ro&#em %as announced s/ort#5 a0ter a re6ort %as 6u&#is/ed'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
&+. Aoung 6eo6#e are in danger'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
&&. <oca# 6eo6#e are ver5 angr5'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
&). A meeting %i## in0orm 6eo6#e o0 t/e 6ro&#em'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
13' Peo6#e did not /ave t/e o66ortunit5 to argue against t/e 6#an'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
1' A demonstration is 6#anned across t/e countr5'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
1!' A 0undraising event /as &een 6#anned'
0 1omes 9or 0ll < >illage Protest 4 Few Youth 4lub - /a#e @ea >alley
Instructions(
You are going to read a magaEine article about /arah <ryant, an acupuncturist. /e#en sentences ha#e been remo#ed from the article on
the left. 4hoose the most suitable sentence from the list 0-1 on the right for each part 8&-3: of the article. 7here is one extra sentence which
you do not need to use.
T/is mont/ in #i0est5#es %e 0eature Sara/ a 6ractising acu6uncturist'
17
FCE PRACTICE
*K#e done a lot of tra#elling in urope and 0sia throughout my adult life and it was whilst * was teaching in 4hina that * became interested in
acupuncture.
1
*t was after returning from 4hina and witnessing how successful it had been that * reached the decision to become an acupuncturist myself.
* was lucky to disco#er that the town where * li#ed had a famous and well-reputed college of traditional acupuncture.
0lternati#e medicine is particularly important for me because * firmly belie#e that it works on the le#el of body, mind and spirit.
2
5f course this medicine is #ery powerful and can consequently ha#e powerful side effects. 0lternati#e medicine like acupuncture on the
other hand is aimed at treating the person as a whole. !hen a personKs ill, thereKs something in their life which is putting their energy le#els
out of balance. !hat alternati#e therapies try to do is help to gradually push that energy back into balance. 7he result is that any disease
present might naturally disappear as it cannot sur#i#e when energies are balanced.
7he treatments consist largely of balancing the energy between the different meridians of a personKs body.
3
7reatment aims to free blocks of energy in these meridians which may be causing ill health and which may ha#e been there for many years.
*t would be an odd state of affairs if a practising alternati#e therapist had not had treatment themsel#es and this is certainly not the case for
myself.

*K#e ne#er suffered particularly from physical problems but treatment for my mental and spiritual wellbeing has been #ery successful.
*K#e treated a wide range of people for #arious conditions, for example people suffering from stress and anxiety and helped them to cope
with stressful situations in their li#es.
!
7hereKs another woman who suffers from arthritis of the hip and at the moment *Km treating an old lady who has se#eral health problems,
one of them being ParkinsonKs -isease. 0ll these people ha#e found that acupuncture has made them feel more balanced in themsel#es
and they ha#e certainly benefited from the treatment.
7o date * currently own the @icentiate in 0cupuncture. 7his course lasted three years and * had to go to the college about one weekend in
three.
"
* had a large amount of homework to do and practical work, which * did two or three e#enings a week. 7his entailed locating points on
different people. 0s you can imagine, this isnKt straightforward as people are different siEes and ha#e different shaped bodies.
*n the future * hope to set up an alternati#e health clinic which will in#ol#e myself as an acupuncturist but perhaps other people as well.
$
*Kd like to set this up somewhere in a rural setting, where people could en?oy coming not only for the treatment but where they would be able
to sit and en?oy the scenery, go for walks and basically feel free from the stresses of life.
A 7hese are twel#e acupuncture channels along which energy tra#els in the human body
> 0lso on a physical le#el *K#e treated a woman for problems with ecEema.
C *'d like to work with practitioners of homeopathy, reflexology, aromatherapy and perhaps counselling.
: 7here was a lot more to it than that though.
E *t is common for people there to ha#e acupuncture treatment, not only if theyKre ill but also to pre#ent the onset of diseases.
F 4ontrary to popular belief, ha#ing the needles placed in your body is quite painless.
8 *K#e had a lot of acupuncture treatment and found it particularly useful.
9 7his is #ery different from !estern medicine which is supposed to work solely on the body.
Instructions(You are going to read a selection of letters from a motoring magaEine. 9or questions &-&$, choose from the people
80-:. 7he people may be chosen more than once.
Aour <etters
1*
FCE PRACTICE
7his month we feature your early dri#ing experiences.
AB *'d been taking lessons for a year before * passed my dri#ing test at the age of eighteen, but my dad ne#er ga#e me any help. #en after
*'d passed he ne#er let me use the car. /o * used to take my dad's keys before lea#ing the apartment block where we li#ed and would run
round to the car park at the back where my father left the car at night. 1e hardly e#er used the car after getting in from work. * used to go
and see my girlfriend or ?ust dri#e around and then come back and lea#e the car in exactly the same place. 5ne night though, * got back at
around ten thirty only to find there were no parking spaces left. * suppose because * went in and told my dad the truth straight away he was
quite good about it. 0lthough he did stop my allowance for four weeks.
Terr5
> ( =y most unfortunate dri#ing experience happened ages ago, before *'d actually passed my dri#ing test. =y girlfriend's father used to let
her borrow his car whene#er we were going to the cinema or something. 0nyway, *'d been thinking about learning to dri#e and * persuaded
her to let me ha#e a go. !e took the car down to the beach on the sand where no one could see us and she let me take the wheel. !e
were ha#ing such fun that we didn't notice the tide was coming in until the car was actually swimming in the water. !e had to lea#e the car
where it was and catch the bus back to tell her dad. <y the time the three of us returned, the car was almost co#ered in water. Feedless to
say, her father wasn't too pleased. 7he funny thing is her dad ended up selling me the car after * passed my test.
Car#
C ( * was teaching my mum to dri#e and we were coming down a rather narrow road which had cars parked on both sides. /uddenly, from
nowhere there was a young man on a bike coming towards us. =um slammed the brakes on but she crashed into us, landed on the car and
then rolled off. =y mother and * both ?umped out of the car to see if he was all right. 9ortunately, he stood up and said he was 5H, ?ust a
little shaken. =y mum offered to gi#e him some money for the repair of the bike, and then an old lady came along. !hen she saw what had
happened, she began shouting at my mother, saying she must ha#e been dri#ing too fast and that it was a bad example to set her young
daughter. Poor old mum didn't say a word and * had to explain that she was still learning to dri#e.
Sara/
: ( =y ad#ice about learning to dri#e would be to ha#e proper lessons from a qualified instructor and ne#er to let a friend or family member
try to teach you. *t's a guaranteed way to spoil a good relationship. #ery /unday, when the traffic was quieter, my father would pick me up
and take me for a dri#e along the streets of our hometown and gi#e me a lecture on how to dri#e, explaining e#erything he was doing and
why. #entually it was my turn to ha#e a go. =y dad was so ner#ous that he panicked before *'d e#en started up the engine. 1e used to
shout at the slightest mistake, and when the lesson was finally o#er he'd come home and ha#e a large glass of whisky to calm down.
=aren
E ( * didn't start learning to dri#e until * was twenty one. *'d spent lots of money on lessons but * was a terrible dri#er, * must admit. 7he first
time * took my dri#ing test nobody expected me to pass. <ut after failing another four times the pressure was really on. * took my test for a
sixth time and failed yet again, but * was too embarrassed to admit it to my family, so * ?ust pretended that *'d passed after all. =y family
were delighted and my mother went out and bought me a car the next day. * didn't know what to do so * ?ust got in and dro#e. * continued to
dri#e - illegally - for three months. 9ortunately * was ne#er stopped by the police and the next time * took my dri#ing test * passed.
2ike
Part 3( 2u#ti6#e 2atc/ing
./ic/ 6erson);s*
&: had a parent who was accused of dri#ing dangerously%
): bought a car%
,: dro#e his girlfriendKs dadKs car%
.: dro#e alone without a license%
$: had to defend one of their parents%
2: dro#e the family car without permission%
3: was teaching someone to dri#e%
6: paid for dri#ing lessons%
B: had no dri#ing instruction from their father%
&+: was punished for their actions%
&&: was gi#en dri#ing lessons by a member of their family%
&): was considering taking dri#ing lessons%
&,: ad#ises against being taught to dri#e by a friend or family member%
&.: was gi#en a treat for passing their test%
&$: used to make their father ner#ous%
Instructions( You are going to read an extract from a writer's ?ournal. 9or Juestions &-6, choose the correct answer 0, <, 4 or -.
Extract
/ix months ago * made a rash promise. 7he leader of the youth club in our #illage rang me in =arch saying, L!eKre thinking of running a
childrenKs playscheme for a day in 5ctober half-term. !ould you be prepared to help%M =y response was L/ure, why not%M *n truth * was a
little flattered to be asked, e#en though working as a care assistant with old people hardly qualified me for the role. /till, * duly put the date
14
FCE PRACTICE
in my diary and of course * forgot all about it. * donKt know if youK#e noticed this but time has a habit of speeding along faster than a police
car chasing a robber and, before * knew it, the day was dawning.
* arri#ed at the youth centre that morning feeling full of trepidation. 7here was a gang of &) helpers including me and each pair had been
allocated a particular age group. =ine was the &+ to && year olds. #en with the planning meeting * had attended the week before, * worried
about whether * was up to the task. !hy hadnKt * read through the copious lesson plans we were gi#en beforehand% 0nd wasnKt the a#erage
&+-year-old more interested in the latest Play /tation game than making things with paper and glue%
0ll too quickly the children began arri#ing. 7he look of relief on parentsK faces as they handed their offspring o#er to us was quite comical. 0
handful of the children were already members of the club but the other forty fi#e or so were from the local primary schools. 0gain * asked
myself why * had elected to spend a day with all these Nlittle monstersK especially when * ha#e two all of my own to contend withD
* neednKt ha#e worried of course as it turned out to be a mar#ellous day. !e watched entertaining d#d clips, learned NactionK songs, made
clay pyramids, decorated biscuits, played memory games and spent some time in quiet reflection. * say NweK because * redisco#ered my
inner child and ?oined in all the acti#ities.
7he particular highlight for me was the final rendition of L1eKs got the whole world in his handsM in the closing part of the day. 7he children
knew the words and actions off by heart and sang so loudly it was almost enough to bring the roof down. *tKs difficult to explain those
momentsC only that the body tingles with the pleasure of ha#ing witnessed something so magical.
5f course there were also moments of great poignancy. * found it difficult to stop thinking of one little girl, who mentioned oh-so-casually
that her mum was in hospital and would be there for a long time. *tKs easy for us adults to idealise childhood and forget that some children
ha#e their own burden of anxieties and concerns. !hen * got home utterly exhausted, still with modelling clay under my fingernails, *
reflected on what a pri#ilege it had been.
7here was one disappointment for the children and that was that the playscheme was only running for a day, and not the whole week. 0s *
said farewell to my group, one of the children turned and said L4an we do it again in the next holiday, =iss%M =y response was, L/ure, why
not%M
Part 1( 2u#ti6#e C/oice
1 ./en t/e o00er o0 t/e Eo& %as made t/e %riter
felt she had made a mistake to agree. thought she had appropriate experience for the ?ob.
belie#ed she shouldn't ha#e been asked. ga#e the impression she wasn't sure about accepting the ?ob.
2 ./en t/e da5 arrived t/e %riter %as sur6rised
that the day had come round so quickly. because she'd forgotten to write down the date.
because she witnessed a car chase on the way. that she woke up at dawn.
3 ./en t/e %riter arrived to start /er Eo& s/e
put the children into pairs. felt confident she could deal with &+ and && year olds.
realised she should ha#e done more preparation saw the children had brought their own electronic games to play with.
According to t/e %riter4 t/e 6arents %ere
happy to stay with their children all day. worried about children from the other schools.
ner#ous that their children might not beha#e themsel#es glad to lea#e their children.
! T/e %riter needn;t /ave %orried &ecause
the children were quiet during the day. the children weren't doing messy acti#ities.
she had fun herself. the time passed quickly.
" T/e %riter;s &est moment
occurred in the middle of the day. took her by surprise.
was hard to put into words. was when the day was o#er.
$ According to t/e %riter4 adu#ts
think that being a child is a pri#ilege. sometimes forget that children ha#e worries too.
are usually exhausted by bringing up their children. don't ha#e a stressful life.
+ !hat is the writer's attitude by the end of the day%
/he could imagine doing the ?ob again next time. /he was sad to say good bye to the chidlren.
/he was disappointed with the experience. /he hopes the playscheme will be longer in future.
1=
FCE PRACTICE
Instructions( You are going to read an article about online safety. 9or questions &-6, choose the answer 80, <, 4 or -: which you think fits
best according to the text.
>E .E> .ISE(
Protect 5our com6uter4 &5 a## means4 &ut don;t 0orget to 6rotect 5ourse#04 advises %e& sa0et5 ex6ert4 Amanda =nox'
!e're always being urged to stay safe online. <ut in an era where the internet is part of our e#eryday li#es - for work, fun, study, shopping,
e#en managing finances - it's not always easy to spot the dangers. !eb safety expert, 0manda Hnox, explores some of the issues lurking in
cyberspace.
1er first piece of ad#ice is to install software and a firewall to protect your computer from #iruses, hackers and criminals who want to steal
your data or financial information. "7hink of these as your first line of defence," says 0manda.
/o much for protecting yourself against intruders, but what about other problems% /ay you'#e accidentally deleted an important file or
you'#e been at the mercy of a natural disaster. Haty =arsh runs an online photography business from home and when a fire destroyed part
of her house it could easily ha#e spelled ruin for her business too. "@uckily * keep a regular back-up of my data so it wasn't a catastrophe."
0manda ad#ises that while back-ups are good to ha#e we must ensure we protect our computers to start with.
!hilst most of us are aware of the need to protect our computers, it seems we're more lax when it comes to looking out for oursel#es, at
least according to a recent web awareness sur#ey. !eb safety specialists say better personal awareness is needed and this is due in part
to the rise of '/ocial Fetworking' sites like '<ebo', '=y/pace' and '9acebook', which allow us to connect with people around the world with
similar interests and professional backgrounds. 4hris /impson, a computer programmer, learnt the hard way. "* ?oined a free online
networking group in the hope of making some professional contacts to help me find a new ?ob. 0fter a month, one of my online contacts
in#ited me to take out a subscription to a club that promised access to a network of ?ob recruiters. *t turned out to be a waste of money. *
ended up a laughing stock with my mates - they couldn't belie#e that someone in my ?ob could get taken in so easily." Fo wonder then that
0manda warns, "*t's easy to get complacent and let our guard down when we meet someone with the same interests online."
7his brings us to other potential pitfalls. 0re the people you meet online who they really claim to be% 4an you be sure the person you're
chatting with is in fact a ))-year-old =aths undergraduate from @ondon and not someone merely masquerading as a student to win your
trust% Hhaled, a postgrad from =anchester Gni#ersity, quickly realised that it was unwise of him to post his phone number and email
address in the public forum of an online academic discussion group. 1e was soon bombarded with unwanted emails and nuisance phone
calls. Yet, it's astonishing how many highly educated people do this without considering the consequences that anyone in the world could
use the information to make 8unwanted: contact.
!hen networking and ?oining online communities it's better to be cautious about the amount of personal information you share. 9or
example, it isn't always necessary to use your real name as a username when registering for a ser#ice. You could instead use a
pseudonym, or a name that doesn't gi#e away your real identity to other users. 0nd is it really important to tell the world details about your
school, college or any local clubs you're a member of% /ometimes it pays to be a little #ague and simply say something like '*'m studying at
college in =adrid at the moment and *'m a member of a local tennis club'.
*f you do experience problems from another user be prepared to report them for misusing the ser#ice. You'll be doing other users a fa#our
too. 0nd if all else fails, check to see if it is easy to delete your account and lea#e the ser#ice if you choose to and that you ha#e the option
to delete all your details.
0 general rule of thumb is not to post any information about yourself that you would not be happy for the world to know - not ?ust now but in
years to come. 7his includes photographs of yourself, particularly embarrassing shots of you at that party which you may later regretD *t's not
always easy to remo#e information after it's been posted so you - not to mention your future employer - may ha#e an unpleasant surprise a
few years down the line.
1 In t/e second 6aragra6/ t/e 6/rase ;0irst #ine o0 de0ence; suggests somet/ing
is the only option. offers protection is an instruction shows weakness
2 T/e e00ect o0 t/e 0ire %as
worse for Haty's business than her home to ruin Haty's business.
not as serious for Haty's business as it could ha#e been to make Haty start to back up her data.
3 According to t/e %e& a%areness surve54 our attitude to our 6ersona# sa0et5 is rat/er
relaxed. concerned. positi#e. uncertain.
C/ris 0irst Eoined t/e net%orking grou6
because it promised him a ?ob. in order to make friends and ha#e fun.
to assist him in a ?ob search. because it didn't cost him anything.
! Regarding =/a#ed;s ex6erience4 t/e %riter is sur6rised t/at
people telephone complete strangers. people don't think of the results of their actions online
18
FCE PRACTICE
uni#ersity students take part in online discussions people sent emails to Hhaled without asking permission
" ./at ti6 does t/e %riter give 0or Eoining an on#ine communit5F
0lways use a false name. =ake sure you are properly registered.
@imit the information you gi#e to others 7ell other users where you're studying
$ T/e %riter sa5s t/at 5ou s/ou#d re6ort trou&#esome users
because other people will benefit. so you can stop using the ser#ice
only if nothing else works. if you want to delete your own details.
+ In t/e 0ina# 6aragra6/4 t/e %riter advises 6eo6#e
not to put photos online. not to ha#e any personal information online.
to apply for a ?ob online. to consider what may cause problems in the future
Instructions
You are going to read a magaEine article about a type of fruit. /e#en sentences ha#e been remo#ed from the article on the left. 4hoose the
most suitable sentence from the list 0-1 on the right for each part 8&-3: of the article. 7here is one extra sentence which you do not need to
use.
Tongue Trickster
1ever mind t/e tongue t%ister G /ereHs t/e tongue trickster Frank Parsons re6orts on t/e cra?e 0or a strange t56e o0 0ruit'
*magine drinking a glass of pure, freshly-squeeEed lemon ?uice with nothing added. *tKs enough to turn your stomach.
1
* watch as one-by-one they down the drink, tentati#e at first, and then smiling broadly as they declare, L*t tastes ?ust like grandmaKs
lemonade.M
9ifty or so people crowd around a table on the rooftop terrace of @arryKs small but swish apartment. * edge my way forward and arri#e at the
table that positi#ely groans with the array of food piled high.
2
=y host appears at my shoulder, and says, L1ere, ha#e this.M 7his turns out to be a small red berry about the siEe of a blueberry, but slightly
elongated, the shape of a coffee bean.
1e looks at the expression on my face. L*tKs known as the miracle fruit. Oust put it in your mouth,M he instructs, Land chew it slightly to
separate the pulp from its seed.
3
* obey his command and then discreetly spit the remains into my handkerchief while his glance is a#erted.
L-one%M he asks, turning back to me. * nod. 1e grabs a glass of the lemon ?uice from a passing waiter and offers it to me. LFow drink.M * take
a small sip, and close my eyes. 7he guests are right.

=y host states knowingly * ha#e experienced first-hand the phenomenon of the /ynsepalum -ulcificum, or the =iracle 9ruit. 7his small
berry has the amaEing effect of causing bitter or sour foods to taste as sweet as sugar candy.
!
!hen it comes into contact with acidic foods, like #inegar, it starts to beha#e like a sweetener.
0 nati#e fruit of !est 0frica, the fruit was disco#ered by western explorers around &3)$.
"
@eft unculti#ated, the miracle fruit grows in bushes reaching six metres in height. *t produces crops twice yearly, usually after the rainy
season, and has attracti#e white flowers.
-espite being around for centuries it is only in recent years that the miracle fruit has been culti#ated as a potential sweetener.
$
Fot only that P the fruit can aid patients recei#ing medical treatment that may lea#e an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
53 These range from wedges of fruit! strong cheeses and pic.les to plates of 6russel sprouts.
63 It@s li.e I@ve been transported bac. to childhood! sitting on the porch with *randma and her delicious homemade pop.
C3 According to scientists the result happens because of a protein called miraculin.
1>
FCE PRACTICE
$3 There has been some albeit limited interest from the diet food indust".
E3 Then push it around "our mouth li.e "ou@d do with a piece of gum for about si5t" seconds.
F3 0et that is what the guests of host! Larr" +alters! are given on their arrival at one of his tasting parties in an upmar.et
district of New 0or..
73 Not ever"one is a fan of the berr"@s strange effect! however.
,3 The" first noticed its distinctive propert" when the" saw local people chewing the berr" before a meal.
Instructions
You are going to read a magaEine article about Oohn Prince, a dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. /e#en sentences ha#e been
remo#ed from the article on the left. 4hoose the most suitable sentence from the list 0-1 on the right for each part 8&-3: of the article. 7here
is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Career success in t/e arts
@o/n Prince4 0amous dancer and c/oreogra6/er4 gives advice on /o% to succeed in a career in t/e arts'
* asked Oohn how he got started and what requirements there are. "!ell, to be a professional dancer it's useful to ha#e had acting lessons
or some background in drama. *f you want to succeed in musical theatre you ha#e to ha#e a good singing #oice as well. !hen you
approach an agent you should take a portfolio with your 4>, your statistics sheet and some good photos and re#iews of past performances.
You'll need dance clothes, ballet shoes, tap shoes, and e#en roller skates depending on what kind of show you are going to go for."
1
"5f course, you need to be extremely fit if you want to be a professional dancer. * dance or mo#e about for about six hours a day. 7here are
great health benefits to being a dancer. * can eat a lot of pasta without gaining weight because dancing increases your metabolism so
much."
2
Oohn has a #ery busy schedule in the next few months. 1e took time out to speak to me today from the making of a pop #ideo to promote F-
ergy's latest record. "* choreographed the dance routine for the boys and they only had ) days in which to learn itD * am going to be working
on a #ideo for another well known band - but that's top secret. Fext month *'ll be touring /pain in a production of a musical that was written
by a friend of mine, =ichaela #ans.
3
0s for the future, *'#e come to realise that * would ne#er be content to be ?ust a chorus dancer - *'m too much of an indi#idual for that. @ike all
artists *'d lo#e to become a household name by writing and choreographing my own musicals."
Oohn was born in Oamaica to a Oamaican father and a /cottish mother but the family emigrated to ngland )+ years ago. "* ha#e a little
sister * adore, who is also training to be a dancer." 1ow does it feel to ha#e someone else following in your footsteps%

1as he much more to learn, * wondered. "*'#e spent an incredible amount of my life training to get where * am. * went to college for two
years in ngland, * trained for six months in Paris and about eight months in 0merica. <ut you ne#er really stop training or learning your
art."
!
/o, would you say it's been plain sailing% "* feel *'#e been lucky to a degreeC many people hit problems breaking into the arts. *t can be a
#icious circle really. You can't become a member of quity, which is the actors' and dancers' union, without good contracts. and you can't
get good contracts without being a member of quity. =y ad#ice to people who want to get into the arts would be to go out into the world,
and try e#erything else first.
"
!hat has a dance career done for you as a person% "7hanks to dancing, *'#e #isited and performed in ), countries so far. 7his has opened
my eyes to the world, and *'#e been able to understand issues like racism and inequality from a wider perspecti#e.
$
"/o all in all *'m really happy to be a dancerD"
A +t's fine, but + try not to give out too much advice as it gets irritating-
B .nd if nothing you like comes out of it, then come back and be an actor or dancer/
C 0ithout a strict daily timetable like this you find yourself wasting too much time/
1?
FCE PRACTICE
D .fter that it's back to England to start a new term of dance classes/
E 1opefully this has enabled me to become a better and more tolerant person as a result/
F 0hen it comes to coping with stress, + find that e*ercise helps me to cope with my problems, so + stay in good shape mentally as well/
G 2ike any profession where you're always travelling, you tend to ac3uire something new almost every day/
H &eing fully e3uipped with all this stuff beforehand makes it easier when you go for auditions/
You must answer this question. !rite your answer in &)+-&$+ words in an appropriate style.
&. You ha#e ?ust returned from a trip to 4anada. You flew there and back with =aple 0ir. You decided to write to the airline to complain
about your flight and ask for some money back.
Aead the ad#ertisement and the notes you made and then, using the information, write a letter to the airline. You may add other rele#ant
points of your own.
9@Y =0P@ 0*A 75 40F0-0
!e offer:
Q , flights a day
Q !ide, comfortable seats
Q 9riendly, well trained staff
Q 0 good choice of food-special diets no problem
Q 7he latest in-flight entertainment
Phone +&3B32$6B, now or see your tra#el agent for more details.
Your notes:
Q @ate boarding
Q /taff quite rude
Q Fo #egetarian food for me
Q 5ld film
!rite your letter of complaint. -o not write any postal addresses
4ear 5ir6 7adam
+ am writing to complain about my flight to 8anada last week, which caused me a plenty of desperate trouble/
9irstly, it should be noted that + am hardly ever easily irritated regarding moderately delayed flights/ 1owever, the five hour delay of my
aircraft was a disaster, which prevented me from attending a very important meeting in :ttawa/
5econdly, although your staff were supposed to be professional and helpful, the misbehaved attitude of an in;flight attendant was
unacceptable/ <articularly, she spilt coffee on my white blouse without giving an apology and even blamed me for it/
+n addition to that, there should have been a variety of food options/ +n fact, + had to withstand a terrible hunger due to no choice of a
vegetarian diet for me as advertised/
2astly, in terms of recreational facilities, it was the poor range of maga=ines and obsolete films that made the trip seem to be longer and
utterly boring/
+n conclusion, it would be unfair if + could not receive proper compensation for the serious inconvenience which + had to endure during the
flight mentioned above/
+ look forward to hearing from you/
>ours faithfully,
1B
FCE PRACTICE
Thanks for inviting me to stay with you when I visit your country next month.
I'm not sure how to get to your apartment from the airport. Could you write back giving me some basic
instructions? What would be the best method of transport for me? I'd prefer one that isn't too expensive
!ust one other thing " what will the weather be like when I get there? #!ust so I'll know what clothes to pack$
1ie R&S Oenny,
* got your letter this morning and * am looking forward to ha#e R)S you here soon.0bout your questions how to get from the airport to our
apartment, well it won't be difficult. R,S !hen you arri#e in /tockholm, take the bus to "H*/70" to the end station. * will call to the airport to
get your estimated arri#e R.S time and will #ait there at the end station for you, ok% R$S
0bout weather R2S well it is quite nice weather here to be R3S /eptember but you should ne#er trust the swedish weatherRTTTS it can
turn wery quickly so takeR6S with you warm clothes.
0nd finally the money problem RBS.7ry to not think about itRTTTS you will not spend money here when you are #isiting me. You will be
my quest R&+S remember thatD
0s i said before i am looking forward to seeRTTTS you.
4ear 8laudia,
+'m looking forward to your arrival/ +'ve been missing you a lot since the last time we saw in 9rance/ +'ve been thinking a lot about our time
that we are going to share/ + know this is going to be your first time in .rgentina, so +'ll give some usefull information there are a few ways to
get from the airport to my flat/ :ne of them is by bus and it is the cheapest but + wouldn't recommend it because it will take you a long time
and also is very uncomfortable/ +f + were you, + would take a remis, here is a number that you can call from the airport "%'$ 32(1/ &e
careful- don't take an airport remis beacuse they always want to take advantage of people/ ?ow we are in spring so why don't you bring soft
clothes 1owever you must bring a raincoat beacause it has been raingin a lot/ +f you want to ask me more information or need some advice
you can send me a mail or give me a ring/ 5ee you in a few weeks/
0ith love, !ari
-ear =aria,
You shouldn't ha#e thanked me for in#iting you to stay with me, it was so ob#ious * was going to do that. 7here are lots of ways to get to my
appartment form the airport: 7he cheaper one is the bus, but the only problem you will ha#e is that it takes too much time to get here 8more
or less two hours:. *f you want to arri#e faster you should take a taxi, but it is really expensi#e and it is not the safest wayD * think that the
best way is to take a pri#ate bus. *t is a special bus which not too expensi#e and takes you to the city fast. *f you take that *'ll go and bring
you home 8the bus station is in the center: * ha#e some ad#ices for the weather:now it's rainy but last day it was sunny, it might sound
strange but it's true. * recommend you waterprof clothes and spring ones, like ?ackets, shorts, t-shirts, two or maybe three sweters. * think
you will fine with it.
1ope to see you soon lots of lo#e
Pilar
Letter of Application
2/51 ->G&@+0E> @EEDED!)Aon#ay an# 9e#nes#ay evenings only%
-ur language scool is loo.ing for a person to elp organise a Film 2lub for stu#ents of Englis. -ur Film
2lub will meet twice a wee. to watc a film in Englis followe# by a #iscussion of te film.
-o you ha#e some knowledge of nglish%
-o you like working with groups of people%
0re you interested in films%
I0 5ou t/ink 5ou %ou#d &e a suita&#e 6erson to organise our Fi#m C#u& t/en %e %ou#d #ike to /ear 0rom 5ou' P#ease send a #etter to
t/e sc/oo# o%ner sa5ing %/5 5ou are suita&#e 0or t/e Eo&'
-ear /ir
*Um writing to apply for the ?ob of club organiser, which was ad#ertised on the notice board in the school.
7C
FCE PRACTICE
* used to run a club R&S in my old school in ngland which made me think * ha#e the ability to organise the clubR)S. 0lso * ha#e been
studying nglish for a few years, R,S * got a merit in the P7 and *Um going to take the 94 exam next year and *;4/ in )++).
*Um also a fan of nglish and 0merican films and go to the cinema quite often.
*Um also R.S an outgoing person and ha#e the ability to control a discussion which will pro#e helpful in the club.RTTTS R$S
*f you think *Um the suitable personR2S to organise your film club then * would likeR3S to hear from you.
Yours 9aithfully
-ear /ir,
* saw your ad#ertisement for a film club organiEer and *'m #ery interested in applying for the position.
*'m a twenty year old *talian male who has been li#ing in ngland for six months.* ha#e a diploma for an *talian grammar school
where apart of the usual sub?ects * studied nglish, 9rench, and 4inema /tudies. =y passion is the cinema and in my last three
years at school * organiEed a film club and discussion group. 1ere in ngland *'m attending a media study course at the
uni#ersity and working part-time in a ticket office of the cinema so *'#e seen about .+ films since *'#e been here.
*'m friendly and outgoing and * speak fluent but not perfect nglish. *'m willing to attend an inter#iew whene#er is con#enient for
you.
Yours faithfully
&2T+B+T7 2-4->D+@&T-> 9&@TED!)9ee.en#s only%
!ould you like to work with young children aged $-&&%
-o you ha#e lots of energy%
0re you an excellent swimmer%
*f the answer to these questions is 'yes' then we want to hear from you. 5ur 4hildren's 4lub is looking for someone to be in charge of a
group of &+ children to teach them swimming and to do a range of other acti#ities. Please send a letter to =rs /ykes saying why you are
suitable for the ?ob.
4ear 7rs 5ykes,
+ am interest @1A in your advertisement showed @2A in the local youth centre and + would like to apply for the post of .ctivities 8o;
ordinator/
+ am 1' years of age and + am used to working with children because + babysit my neighbor's sons regulary/ + train in the gym
twice a week and + often go hiking to the countryside with my friends/ +n addition to this, + have a lifesaving certificate and have
enjoyed swimming since + was a child/
7y reason for applying for this position is that + am keen on combining my e*perience in swimming with my wide knowledge of
the countryside which + think itwill be interesting for the children/
+ would be avairable to attend an interview on any day at your earliest convenience/
>ours sincerely/
-ear =rs /ykes
* ha#e ?ust read your ad#ertisement published in "7he !orld" on /aturday ), =ay. * would like to apply
9irst of all, swimming is one of my fa#orite acti#ities. * used to swim in a club in 4ambridge and * won a few competitions. 7hen,
as * was too old to continue the championship, * became the coach of the team. /econdly, * am the father of two children who
are eight and ele#en years old. /o, * am used to being with childen and * en?oy being with them.
* left my last ?ob a few weeks ago because it wasn't suitable with what * wanted to do. * would like to change my professional life
to teach for pleasure and not for competition. 7his could be a good opportunity for me. * would really want to work C
consequently * think that * ha#e enough energy and moti#ation to do this ?ob well.
71
FCE PRACTICE
* feel that * ha#e the right experience and qualifications to do this ?ob.
* am looking forward to hearing from you.
yours faithfully
2/51 ->G&@+0E> @EEDED!
)Aon#ay an# 9e#nes#ay evenings only%
-ur language scool is loo.ing for a person to elp organise a Film 2lub for stu#ents of Englis. -ur Film
2lub will meet twice a wee. to watc a film in Englis followe# by a #iscussion of te film.
-o you ha#e some knowledge of nglish%
-o you like working with groups of people%
0re you interested in films%
I0 5ou t/ink 5ou %ou#d &e a suita&#e 6erson to organise our Fi#m C#u& t/en %e %ou#d #ike to /ear 0rom 5ou' P#ease send a #etter to
t/e sc/oo# o%ner sa5ing %/5 5ou are suita&#e 0or t/e Eo&'
-ear /ir or =adam
* am writing to you concerning the ?ob ad#ertisement, which * saw on the noticeboard of RTTTS R&S local language school.RTTTS
7here was told, R)S that you need a person to help to organise a 9ilm 4lub for students of nglish.
* think that * am a suitable person for this ?ob. 9irst of all, * ha#e been studying nglish for fi#e years and ha#e li#ed in @ondon for six
months. R,S * speak nglish quite well. /econdly, * like working with people #ery much, VW/tart<ad0nnWX!VWnd<ad0nnWX * like speaking
and discussing with them any thingsR.S. 0nd at last R$S * lo#e watching mo#ies #ery much too. * often go to the cinemas with friends and
then we usually discuss the mo#ie, so * had R2S a little practise R3S.
7hat is all what * wanted to say. *f you wantR6S to know more about me do not hesitate to write to me.
RTTTSYours 9aithfully
In0orma# #etter
I;m rea##5 6#eased 5ou;re 6#anning to come to Eng#and to stud5' <et me kno% %/at t56e o0 course 5ou;re interested in and I;## ring
some co##eges 0or detai#s' T/e more in0ormation 5ou can give me t/e &etterI
4ear Buly,
1i- Chanks for your letter, and sorry for not replying sooner/ >ou see, +'ve been planning this for a long time and + came @1A to a conclusionD +
want to take up singing classes in 2ondon- 0hat's cool is that + don't want to join a common class, but a group of people that e*presses
itself through the music and lets its spirit free while singing/ +'m really e*cited about this, and +'d love to have your opinion about it/ +t'd be
fantastic if you could search for the appropriate singing classes in the city for me/ @2A Bust check the prices well and give me the schedule of
each place/@3A
+ guess the best place to stay is in a house with a host family, but if you've got a better idea, let me know/ + think +'ll stay for two months, the
problem is that +'m not sure if + can afford all the spends @"A- Chat's one of the things of @#A 2ondon that get on my nervesD everything is 5:
e*pensive-
:k, +'ve got to go now, so/// see you soon-
0ith love,
'''.e;re doing a 6roEect t/is mont/ at sc/oo# on eating /a&its and customs around t/e %or#d' .i## 5ou &e a&#e to /e#6 me &5 te##ing
me %/at t/e traditiona# mea#s are in 5our countr54 %/at 6eo6#e t56ica##5 eat and at %/at time o0 da5F
T/anks ver5 muc/I
<ove A#ison
4ear .lison
+ was very happy to hear from you/ + will be glad to help you with your project, and + hope that + can give you some details you could use/ @1A
7ostly the <olish people have breakfast before % am ; some slices of bread and butter, cheese, tomato, or cucumber and ham/ Chey
drink cofee with milk or tea/
0e usually @2A don't eat until we return home after work ; i/e/ about " pm/ Chen we eat@EEEA @3Amain meal of the day which usually
consists ofD @"A soup for the first course and @EEEA @#Apiece of meat, potatoes and salad for the second/
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FCE PRACTICE
@EEEA @$A5ometimes we have some sweets for dessert/
&etween % and ' pm most <olish families have their supper@EEEA @%A which resebles @'A breakfast but it is more heavy@(A Fwhich isn't very
healthy)/
Good luck with your project- @1)A
2ove
I;m rea##5 6#eased 5ou;re 6#anning to come to Eng#and to stud5' <et me kno% %/at t56e o0 course 5ou;re interested in and I;## ring
some co##eges 0or detai#s' T/e more in0ormation 5ou can give me t/e &etterI
4ear 7ark,
as + told you in my last letter + had begun an English course three months ago and by now + have had a good result but + think it would be
better for me coming to England to have an advanced course of about three weeks for definitely improve @1A my English pronunciation and
vocabulary/
+'d really prefer a morning course/ @2A Chis is because in the afternoons i want to have enough free time to spend with you/@3A
5econdly, + also need an @"A accomodation durind my stay in >ork preferably in a host family that will help me to speak English in the
everyday life/ @#A
&ut it would be great if + can stay with you and your falt mates @$A as you wrote me in your last letter/
Chirdly, + need two ask you two more 3uestions/
9irst, have you got any idea of how much + have to pay @%A for the course?
5econd, do you think it is possible to get a part time job for about three or four days a week?
+ thank you in advance for all your help and let me know first@'A about the fee and theaccomodation/
+'m looking forward to hearing from you soon/
&est wishes,
JIt;s a rea##5 &rave ste6 to take a 5ear out o0 Jco##ege to come and s6end " mont/s in t/e J7=I ./at are 5ou 6#anning to do %it/
5our JtimeF Find a Eo&F <earn some ne% ski##sF J.rite &ack and give me more detai#s o0 5our J6#ans so I can do m5 &est to /e#6
5ou /ave a Jgood time'''
4ear 7ary,
+ was very happy to hear from you/ + thank you very much for helping me with all these arrangements/ @1A
9irst of all, my intention is to study, to improve my English/ >ou know that + really want to become a English teacher/ @EEEA @2A
.s a part of my practise @3A + think it will be fantastic to stay in a host family to share the eating habits and customs/
.lthough + am prepared to pay all the e*penses with@"A the course and host family, it will be valuable if + can work as a baby;sitter, to earn
e*tra money to use in @#Aadditional e*penses and travelling in my free time/ @EEEA @$A+ would love to visittouristic @%A places in @'A!/
+ would appreciate @EEEA @(A if you could send me some information about the courses available starting in Banuary or websites that@1)A + can
search for this information/
+ look forward to seeing you soon/ Chank you in advance for your help/
&est wishes,
-ear /usan,
*'m writing in reply to the e-mail you sent to me. 7hank you for offering your help.
=y plans for my six-month trip consist in the following. 9irst, * think is a good idea to tra#el one month around ngland. 7he following month
* thought of working at a restaurant in the place * liked best. 7he next three months * was planning to ha#e a paid work. 0nd the last month,
*'m not sure yet where * would like to work. *t depends on the choices * get.
* was wondering if you wouldn't mind to send me some brochures form some cheap hotels where * could stay and of the best places to #isit
in ngland. * know it's a lot to ask, but could you look in the local paper for companies which are looking for part-time staff please%
* really appreciate your help and *'m looking forward to your reply.
<est wishes,
1i 9riend,
+'ve received your letter, + feel e*tremely e*cited that + will be able to spend $ month e*periencing myself in Che nited !ing with you/ +'ve
recently planned of what + am going to do when + get there, and + was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me something/
0hen + get there, + want to do a volunteer work for about two months before doing part;time work, and then + will spend a whole month
traveling at the end of my stay/ +n the mean time, + would like to if you know if you could send me a list of charities that are looking for
7*
FCE PRACTICE
volunteers, especially working with children/ + know it's a lot to ask you, but could you look in the local newspaper to see which company
wants part;time staff as well? .nd could you advise me how to write a 8H in English? +f + could trouble you for one more favor + would like
you to send me tourist information brochures or a list of useful websites on the best tourists' attractions/ + know that's a lot for you to do,
however, + know you will help me with the above problems/
+'m looking forward to hearing from you, thanks in advance my good friend/
>ours sincerely
Forma# #etter
/E&>@ E@G/+0* &T 7-5> -9@ P&2E!
+f you woul# li.e to stu#y Englis on a course tat as been specially #esigne# to meet your nee#s an#
interests' ten contact te Principal of te Effective /earning 0cool giving #etails of your:
=oti#ation for studying nglishC length of time studying nglishC strengths and weaknesses in the language
Preferred start date and length of course
1obbies and interests
.e %i## contact 5ou once %e /ave received 5our detai#s in order to arrange a 6rogramme o0 stud5 0or 5ou'
4ear 5ir,
+ am writing with regard to your advertisement in the 5unday's@1A edition of Glamour, in which you offer an English course that meets my
own e*pectations/ + am interested in a twelve;month intensive English course, four or five hours per week if possible/
+ am 1' and have been studying English for ten years, which implies my level is high/ 1owever, + am sure + need to improve lots of things/
4espite the fact @EEEA @2A + am 3uite good at grammar and use of English, + must admit + have difficulties in phrasal verbs and listening
e*ercises/ .part from this, + would also like to improve my level of comprehension and vocabulary, through dynamic e*ercises which help
me remember new words/ @3A
+ am very interested in languages, and my favourite hobbies are reading, writing, and studying English as well as +talian/ + consider all these
activities are worthwhile since they make you develop your intellectual skills/ &esides, + enjoy doing different activities every day in order to
take advantage of the e*perience + may gain and the things + can learn/
.s + am not 3uite busy ne*t week@"A, + would prefer to start on 7onday, and would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience/
>ours faithfully,
Re6ort
.e /o6e 5ou /ave enEo5ed stud5ing %it/ us' In order to 6#an 0uture courses %e %ou#d &e grate0u# i0 5ou cou#d %rite a s/ort re6ort
giving us 5our vie%s o0 t/e course' I0 5ou /ave an5 suggestions %e %ou#d a#so #ike to /ear t/em'
T/ank 5ou in advance'
+?CI:48C+:?
Chis report is intended to evaluate the success of the si* months @1A English 8ourse, which + have assisted @2A recently at the .cademy
8enter in English/
2:0 .IE.5 @3A
9irst of all, as there were twenty of us in the class, we were a bit crowded, and also the computer room was not big enough for all of
us/ .nother thing to mention as a drawback is the cost of the course being too high/
<25E5
.s + had e*pected, @EEEA @"Ateachers were well;3ualified and friendly, @EEEA @#A whatJs more, there were a pleasant atmosphere among the
other students/ .s a conse3uence, my English improved a lot/
8:?825+:?
Co sum up, my only suggestion would be reducing the amount @$A of students per class/ :therwise, the course was great and interesting
and + have enjoyed studying/ + would recommend it to my friends and + am sure + will be back in the future/ @%A
@ast year a new sport and leisure centre opened in your home town. You ha#e recently recei#ed the following letter from the
manager of the centre.
I am %riting to a## mem&ers o0 t/e Active <eisure C#u& to t/ank 5ou 0or 5our custom over t/e #ast 5ear' .e %ant to make t/e
0aci#ities even &etter t/is 5earI P#ease send a s/ort re6ort to us4 te##ing us %/at 5ou t/ink are t/e &est and %orst as6ects o0 t/e
c#u&' .e a#so %ant to /ear 5our suggestions 0or ne% 0aci#ities'''
Che aim of this report is to know about @1A the 8lub's facilities and, if it is possible, try to improve these facilities @EEEA @2Agiving some useful
suggestions/@3A
Che .ctive 2eisure 8lub can offer different kinds of things to doK there are a swimming pool, a gym, some tennis fields, three restaurants
and a disco;pub/@"A
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FCE PRACTICE
+ think the swimming;pool and the gym need to be changed in sometings @#A, because they are 3uite old/ @EEEA @$AChe swimming pool is
often pretty dirty and crowded/
1owever, + enjoy having lunch or dinner in the three restaurants because they offer plenty of food and the price is not so e*pensive/
Co sum up, + suggest keeping the swimming pool cleaner and buying new machines for the gym/
+ntroductionD
Che aim of this report is to summari=e the best and worst aspects of the club/ Che report is based on the view of my family members who
have used the club's facilities/
&est .spectsD
Che vari rious facilities are convenient and ine*pensive to use/ Co clarify, the changing rooms of the swimming pool are very clean/ Che
consummation of the cafL is ine*pensive/ Che gym's e3uipment is good and completely modern/ Che services of the staffs are fairly good/
0orst .spectsD
Che facilities are not opened on 5aturday and 5unday evenings, which we think that it is really inconvenient/ Che badminton courts are not
available/ Che only cafL is not enough using for the customers as there is no other restaurants/ @'A
IecommendationsD
Co conclude, the facilities are well;organi=ed but there are some suggestions of @(AusD E*tend the opening hours on weekends evenings/
+nstall badminton courts as more and more people take up the sport/ +nstall some restaurants for the addition of @1)A customers and some
drinks machines may be necessary as well by the time of closures of the cafL or restaurants/ @11A
A maga?ine is carr5ing out researc/ into 0aci#ities 0or 5oung 6eo6#e'
.e are 6utting toget/er a #ist o0 0aci#ities 0or 5oung 6eo6#e in 5our area in a num&er o0 di00erent categories4 inc#uding(
5ports centres6 7useums and art galleries6 8lubs and societies for young people
Please send us a short report about one of the abo#e, in which you gi#e
&: a brief description of the facility
): your #iews
,: any recommendations
Che 5cience 7useum ; Cechnorama
Cechnorama is a technical 8entre in 0interthur/ Che motto of this 8entre isD M?othing will happen, unless you make it happen/M +n this
museum you can touch almost everything you want/ .nd you can e*plore technical phenomena with your five senses/ @1A
2ots of technical e*periments can be done by visitors themselves/ 5o it is also very interesting for children and teenagers/ Che museum has
today #)) e*periments about natural science/
0hen + was there the first time + ca ught @2A a lot of important points about <hysics/ +t is wonderful how you can learn by playing with
e*periments/5ometimes there are also demonstrations which are very impressive/
>ou can visit this museum with your family, with friends or even with your school class and your teacher/ >ou can spend
your whole @3A afternoon for an e*cursion in the Cechnorama/ + said whole afternoon because you need really time to visit the museum/
@"A 0hen you get hungry, there is also a restaurant where you can eat and drink something/
+ recommend this 5cience 7useum for those who are interested in <hysics, 8hemistry and mathematics/
Your school where you are studying nglish is holding a short story competition:
.rite a s/ort stor5 %it/ t/e tit#e 'The holiday of a lifetime''
T/e &est stor5 %i## &e 6u&#is/ed in t/e sc/oo# maga?ine
Che holiday of a lifetime
+'m a real fan of northern 8ountries, like ?orway, 5weden and 4enmark/ +'m a lucky person, because + share this special liking with two of
my best frends/@EEEA Every summer we are going @1A to one of this @2A countries/
2ast summer @EEEA @3A we were in 5weden, we rent @"A a little wooden house near a lake, hiered @#A a car and travelled over the whole south
part of @$A 5weden/ 0e visited 5tockholm, Goetheburg, a little villige @%A called Ha*io, which the 5wedish people call the town of the red;
white sweets, and a lot @'A more nice cities and places/ + like 5weden, because of the strong coulars @(A and the wild countryside/
:ne day, we were driving through a forest, when suddenly the car in front of us braked sharply/@EEEA +n the middle of the road
stood a @1)A Elk, and it didn't want to move/ +'ve never seen an @11A more impressiv @12A animal than this, it was so near, you could nearly
touch it/ ?ormaly @13A they are really shy and finealy @1"A, when the driver of the oder @1#A car opened the door, it run @1$A away/
+t was a holiday + will never forget-
7=
FCE PRACTICE
1a#ing been in 4anada,* tried to take ad#antage of being here and then decided to go to the Gnited /tates -/an 9rancisco,to be precise.
*t was my first time that * tra#eled alone,so * was excited and a little ner#ous.* was supposed to transfer the flight in Pittsburg but
unfortunately the weather at the time was terribly bad ,consequently we hadn't been able to land around for , hours.0ll passengers started
to be afraid of delaying including me.7o make it worse, some identified smoke was suddenly coming out-it turned out that it had been for
circulating the air later,though. !e became totally terrified.* had ne#er felt scary like that before.
1owe#er, fortunately we managed to arri#e at the airport in <uffalo e#en if that place was not Pittsberg.
!here#er we landed,it didn't matter to us.7he important thing was that we were fine.0fterward, we talked about this unforgettable
experience waiting for next flight which was holding in 1alifax.
#ery time * think of it,* still feel scary.
@olidays are the best thin"s people can do in their spare time. There are a lot of activities that you can do# it depends of your
interests. I am "oin" to tell you about one of my best holidays in my life.
This holidays were on this summer I went to a town called )an 0i"uel de Allende that is located in 0exico. )an 0i"uel is a
really beautiful and ancient town. It has a lot of ancient churches and is a nice town for wal$in".
4ell this summer I went with my friends I have a house over there and we really spend a "ood time# in the mornin" we used
to "o to wal$ all around the town $nowin" new places and its history# and we used to eat in different restaurants to try
different $ind of food. Actually is a place for relaxin" and 6ust spend a "ood time. 2ou should "o over there/
when + was 22 years old + had a friend called 'president' who was waiting to do his military service/ &efore he began doing it,he decided to
go on holiday to Ge;Bu island/
0hen we got there,his girlfried who had wanted to join our trip came out to pick us up/ 9irst,we rented some bikes and then we went to the
bike;ride/
0e enjoyed it so much/ &ut it didn't last for a long time/ :ne day, we were on the way to Bung;7un beach where there are a lot of sights to
see and there was one of the biggist places we visited/ &ut when + looked behind,he was not his position/ 5o we had no choice to look for
him and spended two hours for it/ .s we found him,he looked so e*hausted because he had walked for two and half an hour with his bike/
1e had had some problems with his one,especially paddle/ 5o we all walked until when we found a bike shop/
.t a moment, it is really funny/ 0henever we meet, we are used to remind that happening/ &ut + really don't want to e*perience it again/
Aou /ave seen detai#s o0 a stor53%riting com6etition in a maga?ine and /ave decided to enter(CK2PETITIK1I
.rite a s/ort stor5 %it/ t/e tit#e( 'The letter that changed my life'
An5 stories t/at %e 6u&#is/ %i## receive a 6ri?e'
7idday of the hottest summer day ever/ . coke and a boring western on CH/ 5omeone rang the door's bell @1A and + had to get @EEEA @2A and
look outside to see ifthere was anyone @3A/ +t was the postman, of course, he always arrives at midday/ +oppened the door slowly, without
any feeling of being fast@"A/ + was given a letter from a friend, a friend that + hadn't seen for ages/ 7y face turned white and my heart
stopped its movements for about four seconds/ + couldn't believe he had written@#Ame/
0hen the papers of the letter came out + saw that there was a huge amount@$A of sentences, the letter was long/
1e was telling me, with his heart in the hands@%A , that he loved me with all of his heart/ 0e had been going out@'A together for about two
years/// 1owever, + hadn't had anynotice @(A from him since our last meeting, in 1((', two years ago/
+ read it twice, three times/ + couldn't believe it, it was unreal/ + took the phone and without any idea + called him/
M1ello, this is <aulaM
M1ello <aula, + suppose you've received my letter, we must meet nowM
.nd we met, and he asked me to marry@1)A/ :f course, + wasn't sure at the begining, but he soon made me feel as @11A the best woman
ever/
0e are now a happy family, with two young chlidren/ + can say, that letter chanchedmy life, and + still have it in my secrets bo*
Aour Eng#is/ teac/er /as asked 5ou to %rite a s/ort stor5 0or t/e sc/oo# maga?ine &eginning %it/ t/e %ords(
"I had never felt so nervous efore in my life!!!""
* had ne#er felt so ner#ous before as in R&S the day * was chosen by my teacher to explain something. 7he simple idea of talking in front of
all my friends scared me. 0nd * still had to write something in order to RTTTS R)Smy collegues take notes.
0ctually =aths wasn't a pain in the neck for me. * always preffered it to biology. *naddiction R,S, being a good RTTTS R.S in it ne#er demanded
more than one hour per day. <ut this would only be true in my bedroom or in any place where it would ha#e only few people.
<eing picked on to answer a question in R$S the blackboard was always one of my biggest fears. 1a#e R2S to face it was the other one.0t
that #ery moment * had to forget that * was a shy girl and that all my classmates were there watching me.
/o * breathed deeply. @et all my expectancies R3S behind and got up. Aight or wrong what * would write in that moment wouldn't make me
better or worse. 7he pride that *always ha#e feeded R6S with my shyness could cause me more trouble than any mistake done RBS.
*n the end my answer was right, although while writing * was told that there was something that * couldn't hadR&+S done. * wasn't ashamed. *
didn't regret my mistake. 7his opportunity, finally, made me disco#er something that *'d only realise without someone's help. <y this dreadful
situation * found out the real meaning of being in a classroom : share experiences.
You ha#e been asked by the editor of your school magaEine to write an article on the following topic:Toda5;s te#evision
78
FCE PRACTICE
"0 load of old rubbish" or "=ore choice than e#er before"%
*s today's tele#ision still good #alue for money%
0orth seeing or just rubbish?
+n 1('1 the first +&7 <8 was found and in the following years technology has been developing with such a speed that today we only need
to press one button to send information all over the world/ @1 A
Chere is a big @2A number of CH channels providing us with information of all sorts, like documentaries, news, scien;tific @3A programmes
etc/
&ut not everything shown on CH has an educational or informing value@"A/ +n fact, the chance of finding something really interesting when
you switch on the bo* is slim/ @#A Che most @$A programmes are boring because they are repeats of soap operas you did not want to see the
first time they were shown or films you have already seen a do=en times or just stupid competition programmes/
+ think there are so many other things to do to enjoy oneself that it is really not necessary to waste much time watching CH/
You ha#e seen the following ad#ertisement in a magaEine:Fi#m .eek#5 To6 1-- 0i#ms 3 t/e vie%ers c/oice
Y !hat is your fa#ourite film of all time%
Y !hy should it be in the top &++%
!rite a short article about these questions and you could be published in our next issue.
. nightmare-
4o you want to be frightened at one night? Che movie M&lair 0itch <rojekt 2M hasbegun@1A in the cinema this week and especially the
viewers, who saw part 1, know that it is a movie, which you will start shaking/ @2A
+t is the continuation to part 1, which ends @3A with a mystery/ >ou did not know, @"Awhat happened with the group of teenagers/ Chis time
there is also a group of students, who want to try to solve the enigma about the M&lair 0itch <rojektM again/ Che story takes place in the
forest and in my view is this the main reason, why you will be scared/ Che whole movie you can see the dark, lonely, large and mysterious
forest and apart from that the character of the students change again and again and so you do not know, who is the victim and who is the
villain/
+n my opinion it is a movie, which you will never forget, because it is not like others@#A/Che movie is based on a Mlow budget filmM @$A and so
it is a special kind of entertainment/Chat is the reason why + am sure that it is a movie, which can reach the Cop 1)) of the best movies@%A/
M&lair 0itch <rojekt 2M is allowed for @'A people over the age of 1# and if you want to spend a fearful night then go to the cinema- 7y
personal adviceD 4o not go on your own-
'
Aou /ave seen t/e 0o##o%ing announcement in an internationa# maga?ine 0or 1"32! 5ear o#ds(
;Aoung 6eo6#e are s6ending more time eac/ da5 on t/eir com6uters t/an %atc/ing te#evision' Is t/is a c/ange 0or t/e &etterF;
!e are interested in your #iews on this topic. You can contribute to the debate by sending us a short article with your opinion.
&efore addressing the 3uestion of what is better for young people, + would like to remind @EEEA @1Athat both activities Fspending time on a
computer and watching television) are harmful for children's6teen's@2A health/ @EEEA
.t the other side @3A it's impossible to imagine our life without computers and television/
0ith the help of computers young people can meet new friends, find out a lot of information, @EEEA @"A take part in forums and discussions/
5urfing the +nternet needs imagination, logical thinking and knowledge/ >oung people are able to choose what they want to
watch6read6listen to, and the choice is practically unlimited/
Celevision can't give such an opportunity/
<recisely here is found the cru* of the problem@#A/ Chere are plenty of free sites with content far from morality@$AK many computer games
impose cruelty/ .nd the idea that, spending time in +nternet's chats young people develop their social skills, is problematic@%A/ + wish it would
be so-@'A &ut getting used to the +nternet's rules of comunication, they might find it difficult to face up to reality, @EEEA @(Amake friends in the
real world/
9or my part, + spend a lot of time on my computer Flearning English and working)/ &ut when + want to rela* +'d rather watch CH with my
friends than loiter away @1)A time sitting alone in front of the computer-
8omputers play an important role in people's everyday life/ +t enables them to find appropriate information in detail in a few minutes,
complete their work effectively and accurately and even make new friends using +nternet/
:n the other hand, CH that is also a source of the information, doesn't give people the best opportunity to gain high knowledge about
specific issues to satisfy their interests and demands/
1owever, both computers and CH have many disadvantages for a variety of reasons/ Che main problem, the humanity faces nowadays, is a
radiation/ Chis drawback might also outweigh the plus points of computer and CH/ 9rom my point of view, despite the disadvantage
mentioned above, it is understandable and acceptable that people all over the world in such a competitive society prefer spending more
time each day on their computers than watching CH/ + think it's more effective method to cope with the problems related to the work and
overcome many other difficulties/
Aou /ave seen t/e 0o##o%ing advertisement in a maga?ine( Fi#m .eek#5 To6 1-- 0i#ms 3 t/e vie%ers c/oice
Y !hat is your fa#ourite film of all time%
7>
FCE PRACTICE
Y !hy should it be in the top &++%
!rite a short article about these questions and you could be published in our next issue.
Che &est 9ilm
0hich @EEEA @1A1)) films from millions which were created in latest @2A years all around the world should be nominated to @3A C:< 9+275?
. lot of films of average 3uality or with a poky @"A plot were made during several last years @#A/ 1owever, many briliant films were created
too, but main part @$A of them will stay unknown for most of us for their regional character/
Che best film Ffrom that part of films @%A which have had publicity in many different countries) from my point of view have to
containD the @'A clever and simple plot, intelligent jokes and something that could impress spectators/@EEEA
9orrest Gump include all these ingredients/ Che main hero of @EEEA @(A very naturalistic story loves life with all its unpredictable situations and
his way of solving problems is charming/ +f + had a chance to recommend only one film to all people + would recommend them to see
9orrest Gump with his MstupidM ideas and his unusual behaviour which can open @EEEA @1)Aeyes of most people/
You ha#e been asked by the editor of your school magaEine to write an article on the following topic:
Toda5;s te#evision
"0 load of old rubbish" or"=ore choice than e#er before"%
*s today's tele#ision still good #alue for money%
CHD +s it a good thing?
Celevision is one of the most important inventions of the century/.lmost everyone owns a CH set at home today/ &e it educational or
entertainment life would be so boring without one nowadays/
9irst of all, thanks to television we have the latest information at our fingertips/ 0e are constantly informed of what is happening around the
world without leaving home/ 9urthermore, television has made learning at home possible/ +n fact, some tvstations dedicate their
programmes to specific interests/
. further advantage is that old people living alone find television a @1A very good company/ +t helps them forget their loneliness/
:n the other hand, too much television can create problems in the family/ +f it @EEEA @2A not the constant argument of which channel to watch,
it is the isolation of family members/ :ne@3A watching television doesn't feel like talking or being disturbed as they are so absorbed in what
they are watching/ 1ence, the term 'couch potato'/ Coo much television implies @EEEA lack of outdoor activities and we find that there
areless@"A and less people taking e*ercises/
Celevision, nevertheless, remains one of the most interesting inventions/ 8arefully controlled viewing makes it an indispensable instrument
in our daily lives@EEEA @#Aotherwise, it can turn into an addiction with harmful conse3uences/
#ou have seen the follo$ing com%etition in an maga&ine for young %eo%le!
LIn 5our ex6erience %/at are t/e &ene0its and dra%&acks o0 #earning anot/er #anguageF Is is somet/ing 5ou %ou#d recommend to
A<< 5oung 6eo6#eFL
+f we publish your article you will win a pri=e of fifty pounds-
2earning foreign languages is necessary nowadays because the world works like an international community and is important to know how
to communicate with each other/@1A
+ come from &ra=il and + speak portuguese @2A as my native language/ 1owever + can speak a litlle @3A bit of spanish as well/
9irst of all foreign languages can be very useful when you are abroad on holidays and when you need to speak with people from other
nationalities/ 5econdly the internet have @"A information in all kinds of language but most of it is in english and also is good to have friends
in other countries and try to communicate with them by email/ 9inally if you want to work in the business sector or in many others like
tourism you must know at least others languages appart @#A from your own/
&ut not all is perfect@$A/ Even that @%A learning is so important, it is not easy to become a master in a language or to start speaking fluently/
0hat is more, @EEEA @'Ais dificult @(A to maintain a lot of new things in your head especially when you are young F+ know this because +'m
1$)/:ther @1)A thing that is important to raise is that the costs to learn another language are very e*pensive@EEEA @11A therefore @EEEA is not
everybody that can afford it/
+ think it is very important to learn a different language because @EEEA @12Awill help you a lot in the future when you are looking for a job/ +t's
also a good idea to start learning when you are young when you don't need to worry with @13A adult things likeD bills, job, house N etc
and @EEEAis very interesting to learn other cultures and customs from other countries/
7here may be some negati#e aspects of learning a foreign language, but o#erall, * belie#e that the ad#antages outweigh the disad#antages.
* ha#e already ha#e a good experience about this, in &BB2 * went to ngland to learn nglishC and in my opinion, whate#er language we
would be interested to know will broaden your mind, you could learn about their country, customs, belie#es, and e#en would be able to talk
to them in their own language.
1owe#er, the disad#antages that you probably will find such as spend a long time to begin to understand what they are talk aboutC study
really hard to get fluent in the language you choose. *n my opinion, e#erything that you can learn in life is an excellent opportunity to
impro#e yourself and others.
*t is clear, therefore, that there are arguments in fa#our and against. 5n balance, you will who decide what is better to you and will make
you happy.
You ha#e seen the following ad#ertisement in a magaEine:
Fi#m .eek#5 To6 1-- 0i#ms 3 t/e vie%ers; c/oice
7?
FCE PRACTICE
./at is 5our 0avourite 0i#m o0 a## timeF
./5 s/ou#d it &e in t/e to6 1--F
.rite a s/ort artic#e a&out t/ese questions and 5ou cou#d &e 6u&#is/ed in our next issue'
4ertainly, the best film * ha#e e#er seen was the classic ;one with the !ind. 7he film, based on a book written by =argaret =itchell, tells
the story of a spoiled and determinated young lady, /carlett 5'1ara. 0lthought R&Sshe is pretty and charming, the man she lo#es does not
lo#e her. /carlett fight R)S hardly R,S for this lo#e, e#en when eclodes R.S0merican 4i#i !ar. <ut the !ar changes e#erything in her life, her
#alues, dreams, and almost e#erybody had gone R$S. 7hen, she R2S, from the /outh,fells R3S in lo#e with a Yankee, from the Forth.
7he film is fabulous, with a #ery good storyboard R6S, beautiful settings and clothes. 0lso, the historic context is recreated, like the order
from @incoln to begin the !ar, the cause of it, how life was before and after this tragedy. ;one with the !ind emotions the youth and
elders RBS by showing the stupidity of war and the strenght R&+S of lo#e.
9ilms occupy a great time of our spare time/0hen + am not doing my homework and am not reading, + like watching a film/
.s + wasn't busy later, + had a lot of time to enjoy four interesting moviesD Garfield, 5erendipity, 0hite 8heeks and Oueen of 4amned/
5incerely, + found it very difficult to choose the best film as all of them were e*tremely interesting and worth to be in top one hundred/ &ut
finally + have decided to vote for Garfield/ + was e*tremely impressed to see a conflict which turned into a brotherhood love between a fat
orange cat and a thin dog named :die/ Chey lived in the same house and shared the same master/ &eing very gelous of :die, the Mmice
eaterM had driven him away/ 1ardly had the time passed when Garfield realised that the dog was in danger/ 1e felt very ashemed and did
his best to help :die/ 1e gathered all the animals he knew as mice, cats and dogs and together succeeded in finding the poor dog/ 5ince
then they have become like brothers/
9rom this film, + learnt that all persons have the same rights and we have to respect the others if we want to be respected/
ne of my interests are films. I li$e almost every $ind of it# exept horrors. ;ately I have seen a few "ood films li$e E+&ax#
The ;ast )amurai and 0atrix# but the first of them was the best for me. 4hy1 5ext day I still be thin$in" about this film and
its moral# which was very simpleF every man can help yourself if he believes. It was charmin" story about people and their
relations. Eevin )pace play a main role. @e is mentally ill and he believes that he is a stran"er from a planet E+&ax. This
ob6ect is $nown by only few scientists and thus it is fascinated for a doctor. @is pacient $nows a lot of astronomical fact which
are avaible only for $nown astronomists in the world. And how it could be1 @ow his patient find out about this planet1
<ichard has an unnormal si"ht becouse he can see GH. A doctor loo$s for a reason for his illness and he find it throu"h
hipnosis. 4hat is it1 Chec$ this out yourself. It worth seein".
+ recently saw a terrific film called, the incredibles, in my opinion it was really great because of the story, creativity and imagination among
other things/Che story takes place in a tv report where all the members of the incredibles speaks about their e*perience as super heroes,
they talk with a funny tune so you rapidily get laghting/ Cheir job is to keep the security of people safe/ &ut suddenly something goes wrong
and they are margined by society so they are asked to act like normal people do/ Bustice and society donJt want them to be heroes
anymore/ .fter several months, they live and act like normal people however they are not happy with this new life, they fell frustrated/ Chey
had got three children and they had powers too but of course they are unable to use them/
:n the other hand there was a fanatic and sick man who tried to be better than the incredibles/ Chis man wanted people to recogni=e him
like the best heroe, so he plans an ambush with the objective of being the incredible weakers/ :f course, this plan failed, because all the
members of the incredibles even the family members got togheter to reinforce their powers/ 9inally they won once more so justice and
society allow them to work as heroes again/
Chis is a really incredible film and most of the audience think that, for that reason it should be in the top 1))/
:iscursive com6osition
Cuestion(*n your nglish class you ha#e been doing a pro?ect on young people and their health in your country. Your teacher has asked
you to write your response to the following statement taken from a recent newspaper article:
Researc/ s/o%s t/at 5oung 6eo6#e toda5 are not as /ea#t/5 as t/e5 %ere t%ent5 5ears ago' ./5 is t/is and can %e do an5t/ing a&out itF
?owadays, young people are prone to be less healthier than they were twenty years ago and also to suffer from a lot of illnesses/ Chese
problems are mainly caused by the busy way of life we live @1A/
Cwenty years ago, young people were healthier since, although they did not look after their health conciously @2A, they did it by eating food
without additives, because they lived more 3uiet @3A, they spent much time in touch with nature as well as, despite not doing sports, they did
more phisycal @"A activities by working than young people do now@#A/
+n contrast, nowadays a lot of people give more importance to their appearance rather @EEEA @$A to their health/ .dded to this most of the time
they eat fast food and also some of them are not fond of practising@%A sports so, they lead a sedentary life/ .ll of these problems make them
to be @'A unfit and unhealthy/
Co conclude, young people today can@(A look after their health since there are a lot of medical treatment for curing and preventing illnesses
as wel, as there is more information available than years ago/ 1owever, the responsabilities @1)A, stress and the lack of time lead us to
leave aside the care of our health/
In 5our Eng#is/ c#ass 5ou /ave &een discussing di00erent %a5s o0 stud5ing Eng#is/' Aour teac/er /as asked 5ou to %rite a
com6osition %it/ t/e 0o##o%ing tit#e(
T/e advantages and disadvantages o0 #earning Eng#is/ a&road com6ared to #earning in 5our o%n countr5'
7B
FCE PRACTICE
Che advantages and disadvantages of learning English abroad compared to learning in your own country
2earning English is very important in studying, doing business, or even in visiting foreign countries/
2earning English abroad, especially in @EEEA @1A !, has a great advantage as you have to speak the language all the time whether during
classes or in daily activities such as shopping, asking for directions, and watching CH/ +t will certainly improvemy@2A accent and make me
used to think in English ; not in my native language/ ?otanyone @3A can afford studying English abroad as it is very e*pensive/ :n the other
hand@"A, some people cannot get along with a different culture and suffer homesick @#A /
2earning English in my own country has its pros and cons/ &eing with students speaking the same language and have @$A the same
problems make @%A studying a @'A fun, and sometimes competition urge students to work harder/ .t the same time using the native language
in class limit the ability of speaking English fluently@(A/
Caking in @1)A consideration the high e*penses of learning abroad, + prefer to study in my own country and make efforts to improve my
English by making friendships with English native;speakers who live @EEEA @11Aor visit my country/
In 5our Eng#is/ c#ass 5ou /ave &een discussing di00erent %a5s o0 stud5ing Eng#is/' Aour teac/er /as asked 5ou to %rite a
com6osition %it/ t/e 0o##o%ing tit#e(
T/e advantages and disadvantages o0 #earning Eng#is/ a&road com6ared to #earning in 5our o%n countr5'
Che English language is one of the most popular and used @1A languages in the world/
5ome people claim that studying English in your own country is better/ Chey think that when you are studying English in your own
country @2A you will understand the word definitions clearly/ + think that they are wrong/ +f you want to know English well you have to know
the meaning of the word in @EEEA @3A English;English translation/
+n my opinion studying English abroad is a good opportunity, because you will be in@EEEA @"A English environment/ >ou won't be able to
speak your native language and will feel on you the real English influence/ >ou will have the chance to learn the way of speaking the
English language@EEEA @#A/
+n my view a disadvantage of studying English in your own country is that sometimes there are English teachers, @$A who have been
graduated @%A MsomewhereM and their English is awful/ >ou will have to learn more in your country, especially of your native language has
nothing to do with the English@'A/
Co sum up, the most appropriate way to learn English is to study abroad in a certain English;speaking country/
In 5our Eng#is/ c#ass 5ou /ave &een discussing t/e 6ros and cons o0 di00erent t56es o0 trans6ort' For 5our /ome%ork 5our
teac/er /as asked 5ou to %rite a com6osition giving 5our reaction to t/e 0o##o%ing statement(
LCars s/ou#d &e &anned 0rom t/e centres o0 a## maEor cities'L
7oving to @1A different parts of our city by car is often the nightmare of many inhabitants/@2A 1owever, in reality it has both advantages and
disadvantages/@EEEA
Chere are many pros to driving a car/ 9irst of all, it is one of the cheapest means of transport/ +n addition to this, if it run out of @3A fuel, it is
easy to find a near @"A gas station/ . further advantage is that you do not have to waste many@#A time at the bus stop when you need to go
somewhere/
+n contrast, there are certain drawbacks/ 9irstly, it can be dangerous to drive during the rush hour because you can crash/ 7oreover, you
may arrive late at work if you get stuck in traffic for several hours/
+n conclusion, it can be seen that although we consider our car as a big @$A @EEEAsolution, sometimes it makes us to get in troubles/@%A
In 5our Eng#is/ c#ass 5ou /ave &een discussing t/e 6ros and cons o0 di00erent t56es o0 trans6ort' For 5our /ome%ork 5our
teac/er /as asked 5ou to %rite a com6osition giving 5our reaction to t/e 0o##o%ing statement(
LCars s/ou#d &e &anned 0rom t/e centres o0 a## maEor cities'L
?owadays, most of the people@1A have their own car/ +n a survey that was made @2A @EEEA here in Iomania, most of those who were
3uestioned said that they couldn't live without a car/ +t would be too difficult for them to go somewhere @3A because of the madding crowd/
+t's true that cars are a must in people's life, but in @"A the same time they are a major factor of pollution/ 0hat people haven't thought about
is that 1 car pollute less the air @#A than 2) cars/ 5o, it's more convinient to use public transport instead of your own car, if you do think
about the @$A nature and the air you breath @%A every second/
.nother problem are the fre3uent traffic jams that happen mostly because of careless drivers or because of the rush hours/ ?o one would
like to be in the centre of &ucharest at hours like @'A % a/m/ or " p/m/ because it would be like throwing yourself into a labyrinth you could
hardly manage to get out of/@(A
<eople should use more public transport @1)A than their own car, first of all because it would be cheaper, second of all @11A because it would
reduce @EEEA pollution rate byapro*imately ')P and the city it would be also less noisy/ .ll these improvements would make our life much
easier, because an unpolluted air@12A makes our bodies healthier and we can do as much physical effort as usual, but with less energy
consumed/
Article
You have seen the following announcement in an international magazine for 1!"# $ear olds%
;Aoung 6eo6#e are s6ending more time eac/ da5 on t/eir com6uters t/an %atc/ing te#evision' Is t/is a c/ange 0or t/e &etterF;
!e are interested in your #iews on this topic. You can contribute to the debate by sending us a short article with your opinion.
*C
FCE PRACTICE
!rite your artic#e for the magaEine 8around &)+-&6+ words:../at 5ou need to do to 6ass
Gse our c/eck#ist first to understand what the examiner wants you to do.Ideas 0or %riting
0sk yourself the following questions to help you get started:
-o you think it is better for young people to spend time on their computers instead of watching tele#ision% /tart your article by
listing some of the benefits of using a computer compared to watching 7>:
>ou can surf the internet to find out information of your choice ; not so with CH
+t's more sociable than CH ; you can make contact with people through email or discussion groups
0re there any arguments that can be made against computers%
Coo much choice compared to CH?
?ot as rela*ing as CH ; you have to think too hard
8an be e*pensive if you spend too much time on the internet
>ou spend time on your own instead of with the rest of the family
/hould young people be doing other things with their leisure time apart from being on a computer or watching 7>% =ake a list of
two or three things 8sport, seeing friends, etc: that they could also do.
!hat is your opinion o#erall% =ake sure that this will be clear to the reader.
:ra0ting and 6roo0reading 5our %ork
You should look at your first draft of the task and decide:
1a#e you answered the questions%
!ill the reader be clear about your opinion%
*s the layout and organisation appropriate%
*s the language correct with a good range of structures%
!ill the reader en?oy reading your work%
*s the style 5H%
!ill it ha#e a positi#e effect on the reader%
*f the answer to any of these questions is 'no' you will need to do some more draftingD
I1TE1SIDE EMERCISE
A' For eac/ 6air o0 t/e 0o##o%ing sentences 0orm a com6ound sentence &5 Eoining t/e t%o inde6endent c#auses %it/ a coordinator
t/at &est 0its t/e meaning'
&. Fuclear accidents can happen. Fuclear power plants must ha#e strict safety controls.
................................................................................................................................................................
). 7he accident at the nuclear power plant at 7hree =ile *sland in the Gnited /tates created fears about the
safety of this energy source. 7he disaster at 4hernobyl in the former /o#iet Gnion confirmed them.
................................................................................................................................................................
,. /olar heating systems are economical to operate. 7he cost of installation is #ery high.
.................................................................................................................................................................
.. nergy needs are not going to decrease. nergy sources are not going to increase. 8Gse nor and question word order in the second
clause, deleting the word not:.
.................................................................................................................................................................
$. <urning fossil fuels causes serious damage to our planet. !e need to de#elop other sources of energy.
.................................................................................................................................................................
2. cologists know that burning fossil fuels causes holes in the oEone layer. People continue to do it.
.................................................................................................................................................................
3. -e#eloping nations especially will continue this harmful practice. 7hey do not ha#e the money to de#elop "clean" energy sources.
.................................................................................................................................................................
6. 0ll nations of the world must take action. 5ur children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences.
..............................................................................................................................................................................
>' Add 6unctuation marks %/ere necessar5
*1
FCE PRACTICE
&. 9or the last se#eral decades information and communication technology is reaching out to help people in the poorest countries impro#e
their li#es for example <engal fishermen who ha#e resided the bay for hundreds of years can now recei#e online weather reports that tell
them when it is safe to go out.
). 9urthermore when the fishermen bring in a boatload of fish they can find out the current market prices for their fish which will help them
bargain with the middlemen to whom they sell their catch.
,. 7he cost of the cheapest computer is at least W)++ and since this is more than an indi#idual fisherman can afford se#eral <engal fishing
#illages together with other #illages in the country can pool their money and buy one to share.
.. Fot only is the worldwide reach of the *nternet enhancing the economy but it is also pro#iding employment opportunities in de#eloping
countries and as greater numbers of people learn the technology these opportunities will expand.
$. !hen calling a G./. bank clients may find themsel#es speaking to a customer ser#ice representati#e who is sitting in the Philippines or
Puerto Aico and when they need technical support for their home computer help will probably come from a programmer in Few -elhi.
C' Add commas %/ere necessar5
&. 7he G/ ad#ertising industry which is one of the largest industries employs millions of people and spends billions of dollars.
). 0 company that wants to be successful must spend a great deal of money to ad#ertise its products.
,. 0d#ertising is essential to the free enterprise system yet it can sometimes be #ery annoying.
.. #ery minute of the day and night people are exposed to ads on tele#ision on billboards in the newspapers and in magaEines.
$. You cannot e#en a#oid ad#ertising in the pri#acy of your own car or your own home for ad#ertisers ha#e begun selling their products in
those places too.
2. *n the last few years ad#ertising agencies ha#e started to hire young people to hand out circulars on street comers and in parking lots.
3. You can often find these circulars stuck on your windshield thrust through the open windows of your car stuffed in your mailbox or simply
scattered on your front doorstep.
6. <ecause 0mericans are exposed to so much ad#ertising they ha#e become immune to it.
B. 0s a result ad#ertisers ha#e to make louder commercials use blighter colours and hire sexier models to catch the public's attention.
&+. =any people ob?ect to commercials that use sex as a sales strategy.
&&. /exy commercials that sell e#erything from toothpaste to automobiles seem to imply that you will become sexier if you buy the product.
&). /ex is used in many cigarette and liquor ads for example.
&,. 7he women in such ads are often dressed in re#ealing clothes and are surrounded by handsome men and the men in such ads are
always extremely handsome and #irile.
&.. 0s e#eryone knows smoking and drinking do not make you sexy or #irile.
&$. 5n the contrary drinking makes you fat and smoking makes you sick.
&2. Aecently smoking was banned in most public places in the Gnited /tates.
&3. =any people opposed the law but it finally passed.
&6. /moking is now prohibited in hospitals airports stores offices and restaurants.
&B. *n many other countries howe#er smoking is still allowed.
)+. 0ntismoking groups want to ban smoking in those countries too.
:' Add commas or semico#ons %/ere necessar5
&. Professor /mith is at a conference howe#er -r. Oones who is the department chairman will be glad to see you.
). ;race works for a prestigious law firm she is their top criminal lawyer.
,. =y fa#orite leisure-time acti#ities are going to mo#ies especially musicals reading no#els especially stories of lo#e and ad#enture
listening to music both rock and classical and participating in sports particularly tennis and #olleyball.
.. 7he future of our wild animals is uncertain for example illegal shooting and chemical poisoning threaten many birds.
$. 1omework is boring therefore * ne#er do it.
2. 7he freeways are always crowded during the busy rush hours ne#ertheless people refuse to take public transportation.
3. 7he /miths' marriage should succeed they share the same interests.
6. 1oping that he would pass the course he stayed up all night studying for the final exam unfortunately he o#erslept and missed the test.
B. *n general * en?oy my nglish class the amount of homework our teacher assigns is definitely not en?oyable howe#er.
&+. *f you are a college student an a#erage day is filled with challenges: you ha#e to a#oid running into Professor Oones whose class you
missed because you o#erslept you ha#e to race across the campus at high speed to reach your next class which is always at the other side
of the campus and you ha#e to secretly prepare your homework assignment during class hoping all the time that the teacher will not catch you.
E' Add commas or semico#ons %/ere necessar5
&. =y bus was late therefore * missed my first class.
*7
FCE PRACTICE
). 7he politician was disco#ered accepting bribes as a result his political career was ruined.
,. =y father ne#er cries in fact he ne#er shows any emotion at all,
.. 7he restaurant was closed consequently we went home to eat.
$. /ome people feel that grades are unnecessary on the other hand some people feel that grades moti#ate students.
2. 7echnology is changing our li#es in harmful ways for example the computer is replacing human contact.
3. 7he computer dehumaniEes business ne#ertheless it has some real ad#antages,
6. !riting essays is easy it ?ust takes a little practice.
B. Forth 0mericans lo#e pets e#ery family seems to ha#e at least one dog or cat.
&+. 7he life expectancy of Forth 0mericans is increasing for example the life expectancy of a person born in )+++ was 33.) years which is
an increase of almost ,+ years since &B++.
&&. Your proposal is a good one howe#er * do not completely agree with your final suggestion.
&). fficiency is a highly priEed quality among Forth 0mericans it has almost attained the status of a moral attribute.
:' Add commas4 semico#ons and co#ons to t/e 0o##o%ing
&. 7he library offers many special ser#ices the /tudent @earning 4entre where students can recei#e indi#idual tutoring special classes
where they can impro#e their math reading writing and computer skills and group study rooms where they can meet with classmates to
discuss assignments.
). -ear -r. Patterson
-ear Oacob
-ear =r. 4arter
,. 7o check a book out of the library you should follow this procedure !rite down the call number of the book find the book take it to the
circulation desk fill out the card and show your student *.-.
.. 7he principal sources of air pollution in our cities are factories airplanes and automobiles.
$. * ha#e a dental appointment at ,,+ today. Please pick me up at ,++.
E' Add 6unctuation to t/e 0o##o%ing 6aragra6/s
Aging
People are more likely to li#e long enough to get old in wealthy countries than in poor countries. ) & rich countries people ha#e nutritious
food modern medical care good sanitation and clean drinking water but poor countries lack these things. , 0s a result the mortality rate
especially infant mortality is #ery high.
.4itiEens of thiopia and Yemen which are two of the world's poorest countries ha#e an a#erage life expectancy of ,$-,B years. $4itiEens
of Oapan 1ong Hong /ingapore 0ustralia *celand and /weden in contrast ha#e an a#erage life span of more than 6+ years. 2 exception is
/audi 0rabia one of the world's wealthiest nations. 61a#ing an a#erage life expectancy of .$-.B years /audi 0rabians li#e about as long as
<angladeshis and 4ambodians. B not among the highest rated nations ha#ing an a#erage life expectancy of only 33 years.&+4ompared to
other mammals humans ha#e a relati#ely long life span. &&7he a#erage life span of elephants is 3+ years of dogs &6 years of cats &. years
and of horses )+ years. &)7he life spans of other species are as follows eagles parrots and owls 2+ years parakeets &) years guppies $
years and box tortoises &++ years. &,/ome plants such as trees li#e much longer than animals. &.Aedwood trees for example li#e more
than ,,+++ years and bristlecone pine trees can li#e o#er .,+++ years.&$7he life expectancy of people who li#e in industrialiEed societies is
increasing rapidly in fact it has doubled in the past hundred years. &2!hen comparing males and females one finds that women generally
li#e longer than men. &60t her death =adame 4alment was both blind and deaf but had not lost her sharp wit for which she had become
quite famous. &B0sked what kind of future she expected she replied 0 #ery short one. )+<ragging about her smooth skin she said *'#e only
had one wrinkle in my life and *'m sitting on it.Oapan has the highest Yemen has the lowest. 35ne /urprisingly the Gnited /tates is &37he
oldest person in the world until recently was a 9rench woman Oeanne 4alment.
F' Re%rite t/e 0o##o%ing sentences in 6ara##e# 0orm' 7nder#ine t/e 6art o0 t/e sentence t/at is not 6ara##e# and correct it' Remem&er
t/at 5ou do not /ave to re6eat a## t/e %ords in t/e second item'
&. 7he disad#antages of using a credit card are o#erspending and you pay high interest rates.
.................................................................................................................................................................
). 4redit cards are accepted by department stores, airlines, and they can be used in some gas stations.
.................................................................................................................................................................
,. You do not need to risk carrying cash or to risk to miss a sale.
.................................................................................................................................................................
.. !ith credit cards, you can either pay your bill with one check, or you can stretch out your payments.
.................................................................................................................................................................
**
FCE PRACTICE
$. You can charge both at restaurants and when you stay at hotels.
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2. =any people carry not only credit cards but they also carry cash.
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3. =any people want neither to pay off their balance monthly nor do they like paying interest.
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6. Fot making any payment or to send in only the minimum payment e#ery month is poor money management.
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0F/!A/
*4