Reading skills High Note 3 V - 1

Read the blog post. For questions 1–5, choose the correct answer 

I’m Laura Keenan. A while ago I decided to give up on the hustle and bustle of city living, and came to live on hill farm in north Wales, overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia – which is believed to be the most picturesque past of the UK. Although I was pretty miserable in London, work wasn’t all that unpleasant – my colleagues were really close, we shared a lot together. I was earning a decent living. But something about London just didn’t feel right anymore.

It seemed to me that everyone there was so anxious all the time. I’ve always been environmentally aware, and when I thought about how everyone was living – commuting every day, using loads of energy, buying and throwing away stuff all the time – I realized I needed to try to minimize the impact of my life on the world around me. I decided I needed to change.

Then, in 2017 I had a life-changing experience – one that has taught me about the kind of person I am, the kind of place I can live in, and most (perhaps) most importantly how to survive the depths of winter with no phone signal and only wet sheep for company. One morning I got a phone call telling me that my great uncle had died. And, as he had no other surviving relatives, I was going to be given his house.

I must admit I was a bit puzzled at first because I only met him a couple of times, when I was a little girl. But suddenly there I was, a homeowner.

The house was described as a small cottage in an area of natural beauty. So, I thought, why not try it? What could go wrong? Well, now I know. If I’d known how remote the cottage felt. I might not have made the move at all. It’s not too isolated but some people think it’s too far from anywhere. I’d disagree though. For most of the year, when the weather is fine, you can take these winding paths down to the nearby village. There’s a great sense of community here – everyone helps each other so much – with getting supplies, looking after animals. The family in the nearest farm even brought me food packages when I first got here. The problem is in winter and spring. I wish someone had told me how tough that would be. All the streams become flooded, and after heavy snow you’re stranded on the mountainside. It seems crazy, but you can get trapped up there for weeks. Even though on a clear day you should be able to see your nearest neighbour. Not that there were many clear days. I wish someone had told me how much it rains in the Welsh mountains.

But, I’m a survivor. After spending a bit of time up here I’ve decided that the key to successful living is following a couple of simple rules. Number one – you need to be prepared – getting firewood in before heavy rainfall, having a survival pack of tinned food in the event of being cut off, living with only a little light and heat for a few months. Number two – celebrate the small things. In spring, when everything starts to come back to life, the countryside is such an amazing place. It makes you feel incredible. Sometimes I sit here and think, if only I’d done this earlier. This year I’m planning to grow more vegetables, and maybe get some chickens. And finally, Number three – keep your door shut during a storm. Otherwise you’ll wake up with a flooded kitchen and that wet sheep standing in your front room.

1     Laura decided to leave London because 

Read the blog post. For questions 1–5, choose the correct answer 

I’m Laura Keenan. A while ago I decided to give up on the hustle and bustle of city living, and came to live on hill farm in north Wales, overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia – which is believed to be the most picturesque past of the UK. Although I was pretty miserable in London, work wasn’t all that unpleasant – my colleagues were really close, we shared a lot together. I was earning a decent living. But something about London just didn’t feel right anymore.

It seemed to me that everyone there was so anxious all the time. I’ve always been environmentally aware, and when I thought about how everyone was living – commuting every day, using loads of energy, buying and throwing away stuff all the time – I realized I needed to try to minimize the impact of my life on the world around me. I decided I needed to change.

Then, in 2017 I had a life-changing experience – one that has taught me about the kind of person I am, the kind of place I can live in, and most (perhaps) most importantly how to survive the depths of winter with no phone signal and only wet sheep for company. One morning I got a phone call telling me that my great uncle had died. And, as he had no other surviving relatives, I was going to be given his house.

I must admit I was a bit puzzled at first because I only met him a couple of times, when I was a little girl. But suddenly there I was, a homeowner.

The house was described as a small cottage in an area of natural beauty. So, I thought, why not try it? What could go wrong? Well, now I know. If I’d known how remote the cottage felt. I might not have made the move at all. It’s not too isolated but some people think it’s too far from anywhere. I’d disagree though. For most of the year, when the weather is fine, you can take these winding paths down to the nearby village. There’s a great sense of community here – everyone helps each other so much – with getting supplies, looking after animals. The family in the nearest farm even brought me food packages when I first got here. The problem is in winter and spring. I wish someone had told me how tough that would be. All the streams become flooded, and after heavy snow you’re stranded on the mountainside. It seems crazy, but you can get trapped up there for weeks. Even though on a clear day you should be able to see your nearest neighbour. Not that there were many clear days. I wish someone had told me how much it rains in the Welsh mountains.

But, I’m a survivor. After spending a bit of time up here I’ve decided that the key to successful living is following a couple of simple rules. Number one – you need to be prepared – getting firewood in before heavy rainfall, having a survival pack of tinned food in the event of being cut off, living with only a little light and heat for a few months. Number two – celebrate the small things. In spring, when everything starts to come back to life, the countryside is such an amazing place. It makes you feel incredible. Sometimes I sit here and think, if only I’d done this earlier. This year I’m planning to grow more vegetables, and maybe get some chickens. And finally, Number three – keep your door shut during a storm. Otherwise you’ll wake up with a flooded kitchen and that wet sheep standing in your front room.

2     In paragraph 3, what does Laura say about her neighbours?

Read the blog post. For questions 1–5, choose the correct answer 

I’m Laura Keenan. A while ago I decided to give up on the hustle and bustle of city living, and came to live on hill farm in north Wales, overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia – which is believed to be the most picturesque past of the UK. Although I was pretty miserable in London, work wasn’t all that unpleasant – my colleagues were really close, we shared a lot together. I was earning a decent living. But something about London just didn’t feel right anymore.

It seemed to me that everyone there was so anxious all the time. I’ve always been environmentally aware, and when I thought about how everyone was living – commuting every day, using loads of energy, buying and throwing away stuff all the time – I realized I needed to try to minimize the impact of my life on the world around me. I decided I needed to change.

Then, in 2017 I had a life-changing experience – one that has taught me about the kind of person I am, the kind of place I can live in, and most (perhaps) most importantly how to survive the depths of winter with no phone signal and only wet sheep for company. One morning I got a phone call telling me that my great uncle had died. And, as he had no other surviving relatives, I was going to be given his house.

I must admit I was a bit puzzled at first because I only met him a couple of times, when I was a little girl. But suddenly there I was, a homeowner.

The house was described as a small cottage in an area of natural beauty. So, I thought, why not try it? What could go wrong? Well, now I know. If I’d known how remote the cottage felt. I might not have made the move at all. It’s not too isolated but some people think it’s too far from anywhere. I’d disagree though. For most of the year, when the weather is fine, you can take these winding paths down to the nearby village. There’s a great sense of community here – everyone helps each other so much – with getting supplies, looking after animals. The family in the nearest farm even brought me food packages when I first got here. The problem is in winter and spring. I wish someone had told me how tough that would be. All the streams become flooded, and after heavy snow you’re stranded on the mountainside. It seems crazy, but you can get trapped up there for weeks. Even though on a clear day you should be able to see your nearest neighbour. Not that there were many clear days. I wish someone had told me how much it rains in the Welsh mountains.

But, I’m a survivor. After spending a bit of time up here I’ve decided that the key to successful living is following a couple of simple rules. Number one – you need to be prepared – getting firewood in before heavy rainfall, having a survival pack of tinned food in the event of being cut off, living with only a little light and heat for a few months. Number two – celebrate the small things. In spring, when everything starts to come back to life, the countryside is such an amazing place. It makes you feel incredible. Sometimes I sit here and think, if only I’d done this earlier. This year I’m planning to grow more vegetables, and maybe get some chickens. And finally, Number three – keep your door shut during a storm. Otherwise you’ll wake up with a flooded kitchen and that wet sheep standing in your front room.

3 Laura has decided that in the future she will

Read the blog post. For questions 1–5, choose the correct answer 

I’m Laura Keenan. A while ago I decided to give up on the hustle and bustle of city living, and came to live on hill farm in north Wales, overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia – which is believed to be the most picturesque past of the UK. Although I was pretty miserable in London, work wasn’t all that unpleasant – my colleagues were really close, we shared a lot together. I was earning a decent living. But something about London just didn’t feel right anymore.

It seemed to me that everyone there was so anxious all the time. I’ve always been environmentally aware, and when I thought about how everyone was living – commuting every day, using loads of energy, buying and throwing away stuff all the time – I realized I needed to try to minimize the impact of my life on the world around me. I decided I needed to change.

Then, in 2017 I had a life-changing experience – one that has taught me about the kind of person I am, the kind of place I can live in, and most (perhaps) most importantly how to survive the depths of winter with no phone signal and only wet sheep for company. One morning I got a phone call telling me that my great uncle had died. And, as he had no other surviving relatives, I was going to be given his house.

I must admit I was a bit puzzled at first because I only met him a couple of times, when I was a little girl. But suddenly there I was, a homeowner.

The house was described as a small cottage in an area of natural beauty. So, I thought, why not try it? What could go wrong? Well, now I know. If I’d known how remote the cottage felt. I might not have made the move at all. It’s not too isolated but some people think it’s too far from anywhere. I’d disagree though. For most of the year, when the weather is fine, you can take these winding paths down to the nearby village. There’s a great sense of community here – everyone helps each other so much – with getting supplies, looking after animals. The family in the nearest farm even brought me food packages when I first got here. The problem is in winter and spring. I wish someone had told me how tough that would be. All the streams become flooded, and after heavy snow you’re stranded on the mountainside. It seems crazy, but you can get trapped up there for weeks. Even though on a clear day you should be able to see your nearest neighbour. Not that there were many clear days. I wish someone had told me how much it rains in the Welsh mountains.

But, I’m a survivor. After spending a bit of time up here I’ve decided that the key to successful living is following a couple of simple rules. Number one – you need to be prepared – getting firewood in before heavy rainfall, having a survival pack of tinned food in the event of being cut off, living with only a little light and heat for a few months. Number two – celebrate the small things. In spring, when everything starts to come back to life, the countryside is such an amazing place. It makes you feel incredible. Sometimes I sit here and think, if only I’d done this earlier. This year I’m planning to grow more vegetables, and maybe get some chickens. And finally, Number three – keep your door shut during a storm. Otherwise you’ll wake up with a flooded kitchen and that wet sheep standing in your front room.

4 Which of the following is mentioned in the text as a fact, not an opinion? 

Read the blog post. For questions 1–5, choose the correct answer 

I’m Laura Keenan. A while ago I decided to give up on the hustle and bustle of city living, and came to live on hill farm in north Wales, overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia – which is believed to be the most picturesque past of the UK. Although I was pretty miserable in London, work wasn’t all that unpleasant – my colleagues were really close, we shared a lot together. I was earning a decent living. But something about London just didn’t feel right anymore.

It seemed to me that everyone there was so anxious all the time. I’ve always been environmentally aware, and when I thought about how everyone was living – commuting every day, using loads of energy, buying and throwing away stuff all the time – I realized I needed to try to minimize the impact of my life on the world around me. I decided I needed to change.

Then, in 2017 I had a life-changing experience – one that has taught me about the kind of person I am, the kind of place I can live in, and most (perhaps) most importantly how to survive the depths of winter with no phone signal and only wet sheep for company. One morning I got a phone call telling me that my great uncle had died. And, as he had no other surviving relatives, I was going to be given his house.

I must admit I was a bit puzzled at first because I only met him a couple of times, when I was a little girl. But suddenly there I was, a homeowner.

The house was described as a small cottage in an area of natural beauty. So, I thought, why not try it? What could go wrong? Well, now I know. If I’d known how remote the cottage felt. I might not have made the move at all. It’s not too isolated but some people think it’s too far from anywhere. I’d disagree though. For most of the year, when the weather is fine, you can take these winding paths down to the nearby village. There’s a great sense of community here – everyone helps each other so much – with getting supplies, looking after animals. The family in the nearest farm even brought me food packages when I first got here. The problem is in winter and spring. I wish someone had told me how tough that would be. All the streams become flooded, and after heavy snow you’re stranded on the mountainside. It seems crazy, but you can get trapped up there for weeks. Even though on a clear day you should be able to see your nearest neighbour. Not that there were many clear days. I wish someone had told me how much it rains in the Welsh mountains.

But, I’m a survivor. After spending a bit of time up here I’ve decided that the key to successful living is following a couple of simple rules. Number one – you need to be prepared – getting firewood in before heavy rainfall, having a survival pack of tinned food in the event of being cut off, living with only a little light and heat for a few months. Number two – celebrate the small things. In spring, when everything starts to come back to life, the countryside is such an amazing place. It makes you feel incredible. Sometimes I sit here and think, if only I’d done this earlier. This year I’m planning to grow more vegetables, and maybe get some chickens. And finally, Number three – keep your door shut during a storm. Otherwise you’ll wake up with a flooded kitchen and that wet sheep standing in your front room.

5    The purpose of the text is to