Cambridge

First Certificate
in English
7
WITH ANSWERS
Examination papers from
University of Cambridge
ESOL Examinations:
English for Speakers of
Other Languages
PAPER 1 READING (1 hour 15 minutes)

Part 1

You are going to read a magazine article in which a famous chef talks about the
importance of good service in restaurants. Choose the most suitable heading from
the list A–I for each part (1–7) of the

article. There is one extra heading you do not need to use. There is an example at
the beginning (0).

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

A A central figure

B A policy for the times

C Seen but not heard

D A fairer system

E Playing the right part

F Time well spent

G A strong sense of involvement

H The deciding factor

I All-round improvement
At your service

Top chef and restaurant owner Giancarlo Curtis talks about

what he looks for, apart from good food, when he eats out.

Recently, I went into a restaurant near my home

where I have eaten several times over the years. It

used to have old-fashioned traditional style, but it has

just re-opened after being completely renovated. The

new surroundings seem to have given a lift to

everything, from the food cooked by a new chef from

Brittany in France, to the atmosphere and the quality

of the service.

Many hours of behind-the-scenes work must have

gone into getting the service so good. The staff were

very pleasant and the speed with which they reacted

to customers’ needs was excellent. When someone

sneezed, a box of tissues appeared. I have never

seen that before in a restaurant. The preparation has

certainly paid off.

Twenty years ago when people went out to

restaurants, they probably never set eyes on the chef

– probably didn’t even know his name. But the person

they did know was the head waiter. He was the

important one, the person who could get you the best

table, who could impress your friends by recognising

you when you arrived.

Things have changed, but I think what is going to

happen with so many good new restaurants opening

these days is that the waiters are going to become

very important again. The level of service is what is

going to distinguish one restaurant from another.

But we are talking about modern, unstuffy service,

which is not four waiters hovering around your table

making you nervous, but a relaxed presence, giving

you the feeling there is someone there and providing

help and advice when you need it. There is a fine

distinction between a server and a servant, and this is

what the best waiter has learnt to appreciate.

Although they have to be commercial, the most

popular restaurants aim to provide the kind of

reception, comfort and consideration you would give

to someone coming for a dinner party at your home.

Service is not about the correctness of knives and

forks and glasses – people really don’t care about

those things any more – nowadays it is about putting

people at their ease.

What’s more, waiting staff need to have a stake in the

success of the enterprise. I realised that when I

opened my own restaurant. The staff, chefs and

waiters did all the decorating and the flowers

themselves and it worked well because the right

atmosphere had been created by people who cared.

Above all, the waiting staff should be consistent,

which is why I have always preferred the custom of

putting an optional service charge on the bill, rather

than relying on discretionary tips, so that all the staff

feel valued. I don’t like the kind of situation where

there is competition going on, with one star waiter

trying to outshine the rest. That affects the quality of

the service as a whole.

Part 2

You are going to read a magazine article about an artist who paints flowers. For
questions 8–14,

choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Artist Susan Shepherd is best known for

her flower paintings, and the large garden

that surrounds her house is the source of

many of her subjects. It is full of her

favourite flowers, most especially varieties

of tulips and poppies. Some of the plants

are unruly and seed themselves all over

the garden. There is a harmony of colour,

shape and structure in the two long flower

borders that line the paved path which

crosses the garden from east to west.

Much of this is due to the previous owners,

who were keen gardeners, and who left

plants that appealed to Susan. She also

inherited the gardener, Danny. ‘In fact, it

was really his garden,’ she says. ‘We got on

very well. At first he would say, “Oh, it’s not

worth it” to some of the things I wanted to

put in, but when I said I wanted to paint

them, he recognised what I had in mind.’

Susan prefers to focus on detailed

studies of individual plants rather than on

the garden as a whole, though she will

occasionally paint a group of plants where

they are. More usually, she picks them

and then takes them up to her studio. ‘I

don’t set the whole thing up at once,’ she

says. ‘I take one flower out and paint it,

which might take a few days, and then I

bring in another one and build up the

painting that way. Sometimes it takes a

couple of years to finish.’

Her busiest time of year is spring and

early summer, when the tulips are out,

followed by the poppies. ‘They all come

out together, and you’re so busy,’ she

says. But the gradual decaying process is

also part of the fascination for her. With

tulips, for example, ‘you bring them in and

put them in water, then leave them for

perhaps a day and they each form

themselves into different shapes. They

open out and are fantastic. When you first

put them in a vase, you think they are

boring, but they change all the time with

twists and turns.’

Susan has always been interested in

plants: ‘I did botany at school and used to

collect wild flowers from all around the

countryside,’ she says. ‘I wasn’t

particularly interested in gardening then;

in fact, I didn’t like garden flowers, I

thought they were artificial – to me, the

only real ones were wild.’ Nowadays, the

garden owes much to plants that

originated in far-off lands, though they

seem as much at home in her garden as

they did in China or the Himalayas. She

has a come-what-may attitude to the

garden, rather like an affectionate aunt

who is quite happy for children to run

about undisciplined as long as they don’t

do any serious damage.

With two forthcoming exhibitions to

prepare for, and a ready supply of subject

material at her back door, finding time to

work in the garden has been difficult

recently. She now employs an extra

gardener but, despite the need to paint,

she knows that, to maintain her

connection with her subject matter, ‘you

have to get your hands dirty’.

8 In the first paragraph, the writer describes Susan’s garden as

A having caused problems for the previous owners.

B having a path lined with flowers.

C needing a lot of work to keep it looking attractive.

D being only partly finished.

9 What does ‘this’ in line 12 refer to?

A the position of the path

B the number of wild plants

C the position of the garden

D the harmony of the planting

10 What does Susan say about Danny?

A He felt she was interfering in his work.

B He immediately understood her feelings.

C He was recommended by the previous owners.

D He was slow to see the point of some of her ideas.

11 What is Susan’s approach to painting?

A She will wait until a flower is ready to be picked before painting it.

B She likes to do research on a plant before she paints it.

C She spends all day painting an individual flower.

D She creates her paintings in several stages.

12 Susan thinks that tulips

A are more colourful and better shaped than other flowers.

B are not easy to paint because they change so quickly.

C look best some time after they have been cut.

D should be kept in the house for as long as possible.

13 How does the writer describe Susan’s attitude to her garden?

A She thinks children should be allowed to enjoy it.

B She prefers planting wild flowers from overseas.

C She likes a certain amount of disorder.

D She dislikes criticism of her planting methods.

14 What point is Susan making in the final paragraph?

A It’s essential to find the time to paint even if there is gardening to be done.

B It’s important not to leave the gardening entirely to other people.

C It’s good to have expert help when you grow plants.

D It’s hard to do exhibitions if there are not enough plants ready in the garden.
Part 3

You are going to read a magazine article about swimming with dolphins. Eight
paragraphs have been

removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A–I the one which fits each
gap (15–21). There

is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. There is an example at the
beginning (0).

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Dolphins in the Bay of Plenty

Swimming with groups of dolphins, known as ‘pods’, is becoming a popular

holiday activity for the adventurous tourist. Our travel correspondent reports.

‘You must remember that these dolphins are wild. They

are not fed or trained in any way. These trips are purely

on the dolphins’ terms.’ So said one of our guides, as she

briefed us before we set out for our rendezvous.

0-i

No skill is required to swim with dolphins, just common

sense and an awareness that we are visitors in their world.

Once on board the boat, our guides talked to us about

what we could expect from our trip.

15-

The common dolphin we were seeking has a blue-black

upper body, a grey lower body, and a long snout. We had

been told that if they were in a feeding mood we would

get a short encounter with them, but if they were being

playful then it could last as long as two hours.

16-

Soon we were in the middle of a much larger pod, with

dolphins all around us. The first group of six swimmers

put on their snorkels, slipped off the back of the boat and

swam off towards them.

17-

Visibility was not at its best, but the low clicking sounds

and the high-pitched squeaks were amazing enough. The

dolphins did not seem bothered by my presence in the

water above them. Sometimes they would rush by so

close that I could feel the pressure-wave as they passed.

18-

I personally found it more rewarding to sit on the bow of

the boat and watch as the surface of the sea all around

filled with their perfectly arching dolphin backs. Some of

the more advanced snorkellers were able to dive down

with these dolphins, an experience they clearly enjoyed.

19-

In fact, they are very sociable animals, always supporting

each other within the pod. The guides are beginning to

recognise some of the local dolphins by the markings on

their backs, and some individuals appear time after time.

20-
Indeed, the pod we had found, on some hidden signal,

suddenly turned away from the boat and headed off in the

same direction at high speed. We watched as hundreds of

backs broke through the water’s surface at the same time,

disappearing into the distance.

21-

They had finally finished feeding and were content to play

alongside as they showed us the way home. The sun

beamed down, and as each dolphin broke the surface of

the water and exhaled, a rainbow would form for a few

seconds in the mist. It was an enchanting experience.

A This was a magical experience and, as time in the

water is limited, everyone rotates to get an equal

share. We spent the next two hours getting in and

out of the boat, and visiting other pods.

B An excited shriek led us all to try something that

one girl had just discovered, and we all rushed to

hang our feet over the front so that the playful

creatures would touch them.

C A spotter plane circled above the bay, looking for

large pods of dolphins to direct us towards. On

deck, we watched for splashes on the surface of the

water.

D These include mothers gently guiding their young

alongside, either to introduce them to the boat, or to

proudly show off their babies. Yet, when they

become bored with playing, they leave.

E After 20 minutes, we sighted our first small pod.

The dolphins came rushing towards the boat,

swimming alongside and overtaking us until they

could surf on the boat’s bow wave.

F However, touching the creatures is strongly

discouraged. This is despite the fact that dolphins

have a very friendly reputation, and have never been

known to be aggressive towards human beings in

the wild.
G Eventually it was time to leave, and the boat

headed back to port. As we slowly motored

along, we picked up another pod, which was

joined by more and more dolphins until we had a

huge escort.

H After five minutes, that group was signalled back to

the boat. I got ready to slide into the water with the

next six swimmers, leaving the excited chatter of

the first group behind.

I I was in Whakatane, in the Bay of Plenty in

New Zealand, which is fast becoming the place to

visit for those who want a close encounter with

dolphi
You are going to read a magazine article in which five people talk about railway
journeys. For questions

22–35, choose from the people (A–E). The people may be chosen more than once.
When more than

one answer is required, these may be given in any order. There is an example at
the beginning (0).

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet

Which person or people

found on returning years later that nothing had changed?0-E

was unable to count on the train service?22

enjoyed the company of fellow passengers?23

found the views from the train dramatic?24-25

welcomed a chance to relax on the trip?26

was never disappointed by the journey?27

has a reason for feeling grateful to one special train?28

travelled on a railway which is no longer in regular service?29

regretted not going on a particular train trip?30

used to travel on the railway whenever possible?31

learnt an interesting piece of information on a train journey?32

took a train which travelled from one country to another?33

says that the railway had been looked after by unpaid helpers?34

was once considered not old enough to travel by train? 35

On the rails
Five celebrities tell Andrew Morgan their favourite memories of railway journeys.

A-ANDREA TOMPSOM-NEWSREADER

Ifell in love with the south of France a long time

ago and try to get back there as often as I can.

There’s a local train from Cannes along the coast

which crosses the border with Italy. It takes you

past some of the most amazing seascapes. It never

matters what the weather is like, or what time of

the year it is, it is always enchanting. Out of the

other window are some of the best back gardens

and residences in the whole of France. You feel

like someone peeping into the property of the

rich and famous. The travellers themselves are

always lively because there is an interesting mix of

tourists and locals, all with different itineraries

but all admirers of the breathtaking journey.

ROD SIMONS EXPLORER

I have enjoyed so many rail journeys through the

years, but if I had to pick a favourite it would be

the Nile Valley Express, which runs across the

desert of northern Sudan. The one misfortune in

my youth, growing up in South Africa, was

missing out on a family train journey from Cape

Town to the Kruger National Park. I was

regarded as being too young and troublesome

and was sent off to an aunt. When I came to live

in England as a teenager, I still hadn’t travelled

by train. London Waterloo was the first real

station I ever saw and its great glass dome filled

me with wonder.

BETTY COOPER NOVELIST

I am indebted to one train in particular: the Blue

Train, which took my husband and me on our

honeymoon across France to catch a boat to

Egypt. It was on the train that my husband gave

me a pink dress, which I thought was absolutely

wonderful. Someone happened to mention that

pink was good for the brain, and I’ve never

stopped wearing the colour since. What I

remember about the journey itself, however, is

how lovely it was to travel through France and

then by boat up the Nile to Luxor. It was, without

a doubt, the perfect way to wind down after all

the wedding preparations.

MARTIN BROWN JOURNALIST

We were working on a series of articles based on

a round-the-world trip and had to cross a desert

in an African country. There wasn’t a road, so the

only way we could continue our journey was to

take what was affectionately known as the

Desert Express. The timetable was unreliable –

we were just given a day. We also heard that, in

any case, the driver would often wait for days to

depart if he knew there were passengers still on

their way. When it appeared, there was a sudden

charge of what seemed like hundreds of people

climbing into and onto the carriages –

passengers were even allowed to travel on the

roof free. During the night, the train crossed

some of the most beautiful landscapes I have

ever seen. It was like a dream, like travelling

across the moon.

JENIFER DICKENS ACTRESS

I imagine most people’s favourite impressions of

trains and railways are formed when they are

young children, but that’s not my case. I was

brought up in Singapore and Cyprus, where I saw

very few trains, let alone travelled on them. It

wasn’t until I was a teenager that trains began to

dominate my life. I made a film which featured a

railway in Yorkshire. Most of the filming took

place on an old, disused stretch of the line which

had been lovingly maintained by volunteers.

That’s where my passion for steam trains began.

When we weren’t filming, we took every

opportunity to have a ride on the train, and,

when I went back last year, it was as if time had

stood still. Everything was the same, even the

gas lights on the station platform!

PAPER 2 WRITING (1 hour 30 minutes)

Part 1

You must answer this question.

1 Your English friend, Bill, is a travel writer and he recently visited a town which
you know well.

He has written a chapter about the town for a guide book and you have just read
the chapter.

Read the extract from Bill’s letter and your notes. Then, using all your notes, write
a letter to

Bill, giving him the information and suggestions he needs.

Thanks for agreeing to check the chapter that I’ve written. Could you let me know
what you liked

about it? If any of the information is inaccurate, please give me the correct
information! Do you

think there’s anything else I should include?

Once again, thanks a lot for reading the chapter. Please write back soon.

Bill

Notes for Bill

Tell Bill what I liked about his chapter – places to visit, …

Give Bill correct information about

– parking in city centre

– museum opening times

Suggest Bill includes

– map

– nightlife (give Bill details)

Write a letter of between 120 and 180 words in an appropriate style.

Do not write any postal addresses.

Part 2

Write an answer to one of the questions 2–5 in this part. Write your answer in 120–
180 words in an

appropriate style.

2 Your teacher has asked you to write a story for the college English language
magazine. The

story must begin with the following words:

It was only a small mistake but it changed my life for ever.

Write your story.

3 You see the following notice in an international magazine.

COMPETITION

Is it better to live in a flat, a modern house or an old house?

Write us an article giving your opinions.

The best article will be published and the writer will receive £500.

Write your article for the magazine.

4 You have had a class discussion on being rich and famous. Your teacher
has now asked you

to write a composition, giving your opinions on the following statement:

Everybody would like to be rich and famous.

Write your composition.

5 Answer one of the following two questions based on your reading of one of
these set books.

Write (a) or (b) as well as the number 5 in the question box, and the title of
the book next to

the box. Your answer must be about one of the books below.

Best Detective Stories of Agatha Christie – Longman Fiction

A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

Animal Farm – George Orwell

More Tales from Shakespeare – Charles and Mary Lamb

Round the World in Eighty Days – Jules Verne

Either (a) Which event in the book made the strongest impression on you?
Write a

composition for your teacher describing this event and explaining why it had

such an effect on you, with reference to the book or one of the short stories
you

have read.

Or (b) ‘I learnt a lot about how people think and behave from one of the
characters in the

book.’ Do you agree with this statement? Write a composition, referring to

one of

the characters in the book or one of the short stories you have read.
PAPER 3 USE OF ENGLISH (1 hour 15 minutes)

Part 1

For questions 1–15, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or
D) best fits each

space. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Example:

0 A joined B held C were D took

THOMAS EDISON

On the night of 21 October 1931, millions of Americans (0) ….. part in a coast-
to-coast ceremony

to commemorate the passing of a great man. Lights (1) ….. in homes and
offices from New York to

California. The ceremony (2) ….. the death of an inventor – indeed, to many
people, the most

important inventor of (3) ….. time: Thomas Alva Edison.

Few inventors have (4) ….. an impact as great as his on everyday life. While
most of his 1,000-plus

inventions were devices we no (5) ….. use, many of the things he invented
played a crucial (6) …..

in the development of modern technology, simply by showing what was

possible. And one should

never (7) ….. how amazing some of Edison’s inventions were.

In so many ways, Edison is the perfect example of an inventor, by which I (8)

….. not just someone

who (9) ….. up clever gadgets, but someone whose products transform the
lives of millions. He

possessed the key characteristics that an inventor needs to (10) ….. a

success of inventions. Sheer
determination is certainly one of them. Edison famously tried thousands of
materials while working

(11) ….. a new type of battery, reacting to failure by cheerfully (12) ….. to his
colleagues: ‘Well,

(13) ….. we know 8,000 things that don’t work.’ Knowing when to take no (14)
….. of experts is also

important. Edison’s proposal for electric lighting circuitry was (15) ….. with
total disbelief by

eminent scientists, until he lit up whole streets with his lights.

1 A turned out B came off C went out D put off

2 A marked B distinguished C noted D indicated

3 A whole B full C entire D all

4 A put B had C served D set

5 A further B later C wider D longer

6 A effect B place C role D share

7 A underestimate B lower C decrease D mislead

8 A mean B think C suppose D express

9 A creates B shapes C dreams D forms

10 A gain B make C achieve D get

11 A up B through C on D to

12 A announcing B informing C instructing D notifying

13 A by far B at least C even though D for all

14 A notice B regard C attention D view

15 A gathered B caught C drawn D received

Part 2

For questions 16–30, read the text below and think of the word which best
fits each space. Use

only one word in each space. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Example:0-AFTER

VANCOUVER

Vancouver in western Canada is named (0) ……....

after Captain George Vancouver of the British

Royal Navy. However, Captain Vancouver was not the first European (16)
…….... visit the area.

The coast (17) …….... already been explored by the Spanish. Captain
Vancouver did (18) ……....

spend many days there, even (19) …….... he was warmly welcomed by the
local people and the

scenery amazed him and everyone else (20) …….... was travelling with him.

The scenery still amazes visitors to (21) …….... city of Vancouver today.
First-time visitors who

are (22) …….... search of breathtaking views (23) …….... usually directed to a
beach which is

about ten minutes (24) …….... the city centre. There, looking out over the
sailing boats racing

across the blue water, visitors see Vancouver’s towering skyline backed by
the magnificent

Coast Mountains. Then they sigh and say, ‘It’s (25) …….... beautiful that I
want to stay forever!’

You can’t blame them. The city is regularly picked by international travel
associations
(26) …….... one of the world’s best tourist destinations. They are only
confirming what the two

million residents and eight million tourists visiting Greater Vancouver (27)
…….... single year

already know: there is simply (28) …….... other place on earth quite (29)
…….... it. It’s not just

the gorgeous setting where mountains meet the sea that appeals to people,
(30) …….... also

Vancouver’s wide range of sporting, cultural and entertainment facilities.

Part 3

For questions 31–40, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar
meaning to the first

sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must
use between two

and five words, including the word given.

Here is an example (0).

Example:

0 A very friendly taxi driver drove us into town.

driven

We ....................................................................................... a very friendly taxi

driver.

The space can be filled by the words ‘were driven into town by’ so you write:

Write only the missing words on the separate answer sheet.

31 ‘Don’t sit in front of the computer for too long,’ our teacher told us.

warned

Our teacher ....................................................................................... in front of the

computer for too long.

32 We got lost coming home from the leisure centre.

way

We couldn’t ....................................................................................... from the

leisure centre.

33 I tried as hard as I could to keep my promise to them.

best

I ....................................................................................... break my promise to

them.

34 Mary didn’t find it difficult to pass her driving test.

difficulty

Mary had ....................................................................................... her driving test.

0were driven into town by

Paper 3 Use of English

1535 I always trust Carla’s advice.

somebody

Carla ....................................................................................... advice I always

trust.

36 We appear to have been given the wrong address.

as

It ....................................................................................... we have been given the

wrong address.

37 I couldn’t understand the instructions for my new video recorder.

sense

The instructions for my new video recorder

didn’t .......................................................................................

me.

38 Stephen didn’t realise that the city centre was a bus ride away.

necessary

What Stephen failed to

realise ....................................................................................... to catch a bus to
the

city centre.

39 It’s a pity we didn’t do more sport when I was at school.

could

I wish that ....................................................................................... more sport

when I was at school.
40 He described the hotel to us in detail.

detailed

He ....................................................................................... of the hotel.

Part 4

For questions 41–55, read the text below and look carefully at each line.
Some of the lines are

correct, and some have a word which should not be there.

If a line is correct, put a tick (✓) by the number on the separate answer sheet.
If a line has a

word which should not be there, write the word on the separate answer
sheet. There are two

examples at the beginning (0 and 00).

Examples: 0 L

00 LIKE

FRIENDSHIP

0 I believe that nothing matters as much as having a couple of really good

00 friends. They help you feel like good about yourself and they’ll always

41 listen to your problems for hours on end. Since there are friends for
different

42 reasons, for different ages and stages in life. New made friends and ‘best’

43 friends, friends for playing tennis and going to the cinema with – all

44 of us are dependent on having friends. So how and why do we make up

45 friends? Psychologists tell us that we prefer those we see as sharing with

46 our views and attitudes and who are similar to us in an age and
background,

47 though not necessarily in any personality. We see our friends as reflecting

48 ourselves, or that what we would like to be. This can be particularly

49 important when we are teenagers. Many of people – and I’m no exception

–

50 regard their oldest friends as their closest. I have a friend so that

51 I’ve known since some schooldays. She lives in Australia and we

52 rarely see much each other. However, on my last birthday we got together

53 in Paris and have spent a wonderful weekend sightseeing and talking.

54 We will know that, no matter how many years go by when we do not

55 get together at all, the same level of friendship always remains

Part 5

For questions 56–65, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at
the end of each line to

form a word that fits in the space in the same line. There is an example at the
beginning (0).

Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Example: 0- amazement

A JOB WITH RISKS

Have you ever been to the cinema and wondered in (0) ...................

amazement

how

film stars manage to perform (56) .......... acts like jumping off buildings or
driving DANGER

at great speed? They don’t, of course. The real (57) .......... are usually stunt
men PERFORM

or women, who can earn a very good (58) .......... by standing in LIVE

for the stars when necessary. The work is (59) .......... demanding and, before
INCREDIBLE

qualifying for this job, they have to (60) .......... their ability in six sports
including PROOF

skiing, riding and gymnastics.

Naturally, (61) .......... and timing are important and everything is planned
down SAFE

to the (62) .......... detail. In a scene which involves a complicated series of

TINY

actions, there is no time for (63) .......... mistakes. A stunt man or woman often
CARE
has only one chance of getting things right, (64) .......... film stars, who can
LIKE

always film a scene (65) .......... until it gains the director’s approval. REPEAT