The document is a reading comprehension test with questions about a passage describing a child-free village called Firhall in Scotland. It also includes listening comprehension questions about three short conversations and a short writing activity about completing sentences with missing words.
The document is a reading comprehension test with questions about a passage describing a child-free village called Firhall in Scotland. It also includes listening comprehension questions about three short conversations and a short writing activity about completing sentences with missing words.
The document is a reading comprehension test with questions about a passage describing a child-free village called Firhall in Scotland. It also includes listening comprehension questions about three short conversations and a short writing activity about completing sentences with missing words.
The document is a reading comprehension test with questions about a passage describing a child-free village called Firhall in Scotland. It also includes listening comprehension questions about three short conversations and a short writing activity about completing sentences with missing words.
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Name __________________________________________ Class ______________________________
Units 9&10 skills test 5a Reading 1 Read the text. Match the people 1–4 to the things they might say a–e. There is one extra sentence. 1 David ______ 2 Maureen ______ 3 Harriet ______ 4 Barry ______ a I wanted to get to know some new people. b Our grandchildren can come and stay but otherwise we prefer not to see children. c I like golf and bowling and there are plenty of places to do them nearby. d We like the fact that it’s clean here because there aren’t any kids. e The scenery is really wonderful. /4
Firhall I Firhall is a village near Nairn in Scotland. It was built in 2003 and there are ninety- three homes. At first sight, it seems like a typical village -there is very little traffic and no pollution, it is surrounded by beautiful scenery and it is peaceful. However, in other ways it is very different: Firhall is Britain’s only child-free village. 2 How does it work? Grandchildren and children of friends can stay for limited periods of time but families with children cannot live there. And there are many other rules to follow. For a start, to own a house there, you must be over forty-five years old. There is a maximum of three adults per house, you can’t start car engines between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. or hang washing outside and so on. So why do people choose to live there? 3 People’s reasons for moving there vary. Firhall is certainly not a place for those who are after nightlife or a lively atmosphere but many of the residents are attracted by the peace and quiet. Marie and David have lived in Firhall for two years. ‘Children and noise go together,’ says David. ‘It’s wonderful to sit out and not hear kids screaming or banging the fence with a football. And there’s no litter because it tends to be kids who drop it.’ Maureen Gregson was also attracted to the idea of a quiet place to live. ‘We came to make new friends and have a bit of peace,’ Maureen explained.
4 Others have moved there for different reasons. Another resident, Harriet Hollis, said that Firhall’s beauty attracted her and her husband. ‘You see a lot of wildlife. It’s just a lovely place to live,’ she said. Homeowner Barry Edwards said that for him the deciding factors were the price of the house, the local sports facilities and easy access to Inverness Airport. Other residents like the fact that there is a strong sense of community. 5 However, some people in the UK believe that nobody has the right to exclude children from living in a neighbourhood. They argue that it is not a good thing to have a village where older people are separated from the rest of society and that it could encourage other villages to ban different sections of society. So far, worries that other places might set up similar projects have proved unfounded, so perhaps Firhall will remain unique.
2 Read the text again. Write which paragraph 1–5 contains the answer to each question. Then answer the questions. 1 What is the nearest airport to the village? ____________________________________ 2 What is the maximum number of adults who can live in a house in Firhall? ____________________________________ 3 Does everyone in Britain agree with the idea of having a child-free village? ____________________________________ 4 Is there a lot to do in the evening in Firhall? ____________________________________ 5 How many houses are there in the village? ____________________________________ 6 Can children stay in the village at all? ____________________________________ Listening 3 6 Listen to the three conversations. Choose the correct answer. Conversation 1 1 The conversation is between Sally James and a someone who works in a bank. b a person in an estate agent’s. c a teacher at the school where Sally works.
2 Sally a owns a house already. b rents a flat. c wants to buy a flat with two bedrooms. Conversation 2 3 Glenda chose the estate agent’s because a she bought her last house through them. b some friends recommended them. c it is near the house where she lives. 4 The estate agent arranges to see Glenda’s house a at 5.30 p.m. b at 6 p.m. c at 6.30 p.m. Conversation 3 5 Rachel and her husband a have rejected the buyer’s latest offer. b have accepted the buyer’s latest offer. c are waiting for a possible buyer to make an offer. 6 The sale … go through. a definitely won’t b will definitely c will probably /6
4 6 Listen again. Tick () true, cross () false or write (?) if there is no information. 1 It will take the bank three days to decide if they will give Sally a mortgage. 2 Glenda’s friends live next door to her in Green Street. 3 Glenda doesn’t want to negotiate the price with a buyer. 4 In conversation 3, Paul knows the people who want to buy Rachel’s house. /4
Communication 5 Read the article. Then complete the text below with one word in each gap. The first letter is given for you.
Czech towns use cardboard police
Life-size cardboard figures of police officers have been put by the sides of roads in several Czech towns in an attempt to slow down drivers who are speeding. The mayor of the town of Mrakotin, Miroslav Pozar, said, ‘Many drivers, including myself, automatically slow down when they see such officers.’ This 1 a _ _ _ _ _ _ is related to the 2 t_ _ _ _ of safety on the roads. It 3 t_ _ _ _ about an initiative to improve road safety. It 4 e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that the authorities are using cardboard police to try to get people to drive more slowly. 5 A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to this article, the idea has been successful. /5
6 Write the question/response you would use in the following situations. Use the words in BLOCK CAPITALS. 1 You want to invite someone to go for a pizza. FANCY ____________________________________________________________________. 2 You can’t accept an invitation because you are busy. KIND/PLANS ____________________________________________________________________. 3 You want to encourage someone to accept your invitation. MEAN/CAME ____________________________________________________________________. 4 You decide to accept an invitation. WHY ____________________________________________________________________. 5 You decide to accept an invitation. LOVE _____________________________________________________________________. /5
Marks Reading /10 marks Listening /10 marks Communication /10 marks Total: /30 marks
