Oxford Exam Trainer B1 Контроль читання 1 семестр

Reading Comprehension test                        TEXT 1

    OLD MEMORIES

What is memory? It is the ability to remember past thoughts and feelings. If we didn’t remember anything, we wouldn’t learn anything. All our experiences would be lost when they ended.

So why do we forget some things? In general, it is time which has an effect on our memory. It passes, we learn something new, and that replaces what we learned before. An example of this is when we get a new telephone number. It takes some time to learn because we can’t stop thinking of the number we had before.

You can also forget something because you want to forget it, perhaps because it is a bad memory. Sometimes a smell, a sound, a taste or a word makes you suddenly think of it again. This has happened to me.

The other day I was out shopping with my wife and children. We were in the supermarket when I heard my name. I turned round and looked into the face of a man. He seemed familiar, although older and greyer than I expected. Maybe it was someone I hadn’t seen for a long time. From work? An old friend? A neighbour? I was annoyed with myself. Who was it? I had completely forgotten. The man smiled. ‘You don’t remember me, do you, Shorty?’ That’s when I remembered.

‘Shorty’ was what everybody called me at school. I was the short boy who nobody ever wanted on their basketball team. At the time, it seemed like the most important thing in the world. I used to spend hours of my spare time trying hard to get balls in baskets. Finally, I gave up and took up tennis.

I hadn’t thought about those days for years. I hadn’t wanted to remember them. It had not been a pleasant feeling to know I wasn’t as good as everybody else. I said hello to this person from my past, and walked away as soon as I could. The curious thing was I was taller than him now.

1. Decide if the statements 1–7 are true (T) or false (F).

1.       To be able to learn new things we must remember some of the old ones.   ___
2.       We sometimes want to forget bad memories.   ___
3.       First, the writer considered the man a complete stranger.   ___
4.       The man was doing his best to be friendly.   ___
5.       The writer used to play basketball while at school.   ___
6.       The writer remembered well why he was called ‘Shorty’.   ___
7.       The writer felt pleased and said hello to the man.   ___

2. Choose the correct option.

1. What does the author suggest memory is primarily about?

A. Storing telephone numbers

B. Remembering past thoughts and feelings

C. Collecting shopping experiences

D. Tracking work colleagues

2. Why does the author initially forget the man in the supermarket?

A. He was too busy shopping

B. The man looked completely different

C. He didn't want to remember old memories

D. He was distracted by his family

3. How did the author feel about being called 'Shorty' at school?

A. He was proud of the nickname

B. He felt comfortable with it

C. It made him feel inadequate

D. He didn't care about the nickname

4. What does the text suggest about forgetting memories?

A. Memories always disappear completely

B. Time and new experiences can replace old memories

C. People never forget anything important

D. Forgetting is always intentional

5. What did the author do after realising he wasn't good at basketball?

A. Continued playing basketball

B. Became angry with his teammates

C. Took up tennis

D. Stopped playing sports altogether

6. How does the author describe his encounter with the man from his past?

A. He was excited to reminisce

B. He felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave quickly

C. He invited the man for coffee

D. He challenged the man to a basketball game

7. What is the main theme of the text?

A. The importance of sports

B. The complexity of memory and remembering

C. Shopping with family

D. School friendships

Reading Comprehension test                           TEXT 2

                                                                         discover the world in An authentic way

Exchanging homes is a popular way of having a different kind of holiday. Jane and David Henderson and their two children, aged twelve and fourteen, recently did exactly that. They exchanged their comfortable three-bedroom house in a quiet, very green London district for a flat in Florida.

We asked them if they would recommend the experience.

‘Yes, most certainly,’ David told us. ‘It’s a marvellous opportunity to enjoy a completely different lifestyle. The flat was huge and had all the modern equipment that makes life easier, but that wasn’t what we liked most. It was the place itself that was incredible, situated on a piece of land with the sea on two sides. We even had a private beach; there was white sand and sunshine. It was beautiful.’

‘We both have jobs which involve a lot of responsibility,’ continued Jane. ‘David works with computers and I’m a journalist, and of course our spare time is spent with our children.

In Florida, they entertained themselves. So, to do nothing but sunbathe, swim and shop was a new experience for us. And, because we had no hotel bills to pay, it was much cheaper and we could afford to stay for six weeks – it was wonderful!’

And what about the children? What did they do? Did they enjoy themselves?

‘Yes,’ said David. ‘They had an absolutely amazing time. You see, when you live in somebody else’s home, you don’t just stay with the tourists and go on sightseeing trips, you meet the local people. Our children met the local children and explored all the best places in the area.’

But were there any problems when they returned to their home in England?

‘None at all,’ said Jane. ‘The family from Florida left it clean and tidy. All our plants had enough water and looked happy, and they’d left us some beautiful flowers as a thank you. We never met them, but we talked a lot on the phone and they seem like nice people. We still write to them.’

So, will the Henderson family exchange their home again next year?

‘Oh, yes!’ David told us. ‘Maybe we’ll exchange it for a house somewhere in a far-away part of the countryside. That would be a completely different lifestyle again.’

I. Choose the correct option.

1. The text is about people who …

A) went on a luxurious package holiday.

B) exchanged houses for a holiday break.

C) sold their house in London to move to Florida.

D) decided to permanently give up their stressful jobs.

2. The Hendersons’ own home is …

A) in Florida.

B) near a village.

C) in a peaceful part of London.

D) in a far-away part of England.

3. What the family particularly liked about their holiday was …

A) the location.

B) the size of the flat.

C) the different lifestyle.

D) the modern equipment.

4. Why did Jane and David enjoy the holiday so much?

A) They spent all day sunbathing.

B) They had a lot of time to themselves.

C) They had more money to spend on shopping.

D) They had plenty of time to spend with their children.

5. The children enjoyed the holiday because they …

A) met the local people

B) went on sightseeing trips.

C) could live in somebody else’s home.

D) explored the area with local children.

6. The two families …

A) are in touch.

B) looked happy.

C) will exchange flats next year again.

D) exchanged flowers and thank you letters.

II. Decide if the statements 1–7 are true (T) or false (F).

1. The Henderson family exchanged their home for a house in Florida. 

2. The flat they stayed in had modern facilities and a private beach. 

3. Jane and David found their holiday to be very expensive. 

4. Their children enjoyed meeting local children during their stay. 

5. The family from Florida left the Hendersons' home in a messy state. 

6. The Hendersons plan to exchange their home again in the future. 

7. Jane works as a teacher while David is a journalist. 

READING (TEXT1)

      TRUE/FALSE 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F 6. T 7. F

1. B 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. C 6. B 7. B

READING (TEXT 2)

    CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION  1 B 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 D 6 A

     TRUE/FALSE Correct answers:

       1. False - The text states they exchanged their house for a flat in Florida, not a house. 

       2. True - The text mentions that the flat was huge and had modern equipment, as well as a private beach. 

       3. False - The text indicates that their holiday was cheaper because they had no hotel bills to pay. 

       4. True - The text states that their children met local children and had a great time. 

       5. False - The text confirms that the family from Florida left the Hendersons' home clean and tidy. 

       6. True - The text indicates that David mentioned they would like to exchange their home again next year. 

       7. False - The text states that Jane is a journalist and David works with computers, not that Jane is a teacher.