SOLUTIONS INTERMEDIATE 3rd READING

 Read the text and complete gaps 1–5 with missing sentences A–G. There are two extra sentences.

A summer away from home

Many companies organise summer programmes abroad for young people aged fifteen to twenty. ¹_____ Travelling without your parents is a great way to become more independent, make new friends, and see a different country. But what is it really like to go on one of these trips? We spoke to three young travellers about their experiences.

Josh Tanner went to Lagos, Nigeria

I’m really good at football, so when I heard about a football volunteer programme in Africa, I was really excited. ²_____ But after I had showed them some information on the internet, they decided that it was safe for me to go. I was feeling tired when I arrived in Lagos, and I couldn’t believe how hot it was. ³_____ I stayed with the Ngembo family in an apartment in the centre of Lagos. It was very small, and I had to share a room with three boys. But everyone was really nice to me, so I soon got used to having no privacy. I worked really hard, but I enjoyed my job, too. For most of the time, I was helping a Nigerian sports coach to teach football to ten-year-old boys and girls. I had a great time there, and I really got used to living in a big, noisy African city. By the time I left, I had really started to fit in!

Rebecca Jones went to Arles, France

Last year, I spent two weeks at a summer art school for young people in Arles. Arles is a beautiful little town in Provence, in the south of France. We were staying in a campsite and sharing tents, and most of the other students were French. I was nervous at first about speaking French to them. But everyone was nice to me, and they didn’t criticise my mistakes. I really gained a lot of confidence after I’d been there for a week. The course was good too. We had drawing and painting lessons every morning. Then, every afternoon, the teachers took us out into the countryside to practise our skills. The famous painter Vincent Van Gogh used to live in Arles. ⁴_____ It’s a really beautiful place. I think I painted some good pictures while I was staying there. When Van Gogh was painting in Arles, people didn’t used to like his work. Now his paintings sell for millions of pounds. Who knows? Maybe the same thing will happen to my pictures one day.

Matt Hazelwood went to Bryce Canyon, USA

Last summer, I got a job at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, USA. It’s a beautiful place, but it was very difficult to get there! After I’d flown ten hours from London to Las Vegas, I had to get a bus to Cedar Springs, Utah. And after someone had met us there, it was another three-hour drive to the park. ⁵_____ Lots of young people like me were working in the park last summer. We were helping people from the US National Park Service to repair and build things like picnic tables and information signs. We also helped to repair the walking paths and make them safe. That’s important because a lot of middle-aged and elderly people visit the US national parks. I had to work really hard all summer, and get up very early in the morning. But I soon got used to that, and it was great to work outside in such a beautiful place. Bryce Canyon is famous for its red rocks and cliffs − and when the sun comes up in the early morning, they look amazing!

The best sentence to complete gap 1 is...

Read the text and complete gaps 1–5 with missing sentences A–G. There are two extra sentences.

A summer away from home

Many companies organise summer programmes abroad for young people aged fifteen to twenty. 1_____ Travelling without your parents is a great way to become more independent, make new friends, and see a different country. But what is it really like to go on one of these trips? We spoke to three young travellers about their experiences.

Josh Tanner went to Lagos, Nigeria

I’m really good at football, so when I heard about a football volunteer programme in Africa, I was really excited. 2_____ But after I had showed them some information on the internet, they decided that it was safe for me to go. I was feeling tired when I arrived in Lagos, and I couldn’t believe how hot it was. 3_____ I stayed with the Ngembo family in an apartment in the centre of Lagos. It was very small, and I had to share a room with three boys. But everyone was really nice to me, so I soon got used to having no privacy. I worked really hard, but I enjoyed my job, too. For most of the time, I was helping a Nigerian sports coach to teach football to ten-year-old boys and girls. I had a great time there, and I really got used to living in a big, noisy African city. By the time I left, I had really started to fit in!

Rebecca Jones went to Arles, France

Last year, I spent two weeks at a summer art school for young people in Arles. Arles is a beautiful little town in Provence, in the south of France. We were staying in a campsite and sharing tents, and most of the other students were French. I was nervous at first about speaking French to them. But everyone was nice to me, and they didn’t criticise my mistakes. I really gained a lot of confidence after I’d been there for a week. The course was good too. We had drawing and painting lessons every morning. Then, every afternoon, the teachers took us out into the countryside to practise our skills. The famous painter Vincent Van Gogh used to live in Arles. 4_____ It’s a really beautiful place. I think I painted some good pictures while I was staying there. When Van Gogh was painting in Arles, people didn’t used to like his work. Now his paintings sell for millions of pounds. Who knows? Maybe the same thing will happen to my pictures one day.

Matt Hazelwood went to Bryce Canyon, USA

Last summer, I got a job at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, USA. It’s a beautiful place, but it was very difficult to get there! After I’d flown ten hours from London to Las Vegas, I had to get a bus to Cedar Springs, Utah. And after someone had met us there, it was another three-hour drive to the park. 5_____ Lots of young people like me were working in the park last summer. We were helping people from the US National Park Service to repair and build things like picnic tables and information signs. We also helped to repair the walking paths and make them safe. That’s important because a lot of middle-aged and elderly people visit the US national parks. I had to work really hard all summer, and get up very early in the morning. But I soon got used to that, and it was great to work outside in such a beautiful place. Bryce Canyon is famous for its red rocks and cliffs − and when the sun comes up in the early morning, they look amazing!

The best sentence to complete gap 2 is...

Read the text and complete gaps 1–5 with missing sentences A–G. There are two extra sentences.

A summer away from home

Many companies organise summer programmes abroad for young people aged fifteen to twenty. 1_____ Travelling without your parents is a great way to become more independent, make new friends, and see a different country. But what is it really like to go on one of these trips? We spoke to three young travellers about their experiences.

Josh Tanner went to Lagos, Nigeria

I’m really good at football, so when I heard about a football volunteer programme in Africa, I was really excited. 2_____ But after I had showed them some information on the internet, they decided that it was safe for me to go. I was feeling tired when I arrived in Lagos, and I couldn’t believe how hot it was. 3_____ I stayed with the Ngembo family in an apartment in the centre of Lagos. It was very small, and I had to share a room with three boys. But everyone was really nice to me, so I soon got used to having no privacy. I worked really hard, but I enjoyed my job, too. For most of the time, I was helping a Nigerian sports coach to teach football to ten-year-old boys and girls. I had a great time there, and I really got used to living in a big, noisy African city. By the time I left, I had really started to fit in!

Rebecca Jones went to Arles, France

Last year, I spent two weeks at a summer art school for young people in Arles. Arles is a beautiful little town in Provence, in the south of France. We were staying in a campsite and sharing tents, and most of the other students were French. I was nervous at first about speaking French to them. But everyone was nice to me, and they didn’t criticise my mistakes. I really gained a lot of confidence after I’d been there for a week. The course was good too. We had drawing and painting lessons every morning. Then, every afternoon, the teachers took us out into the countryside to practise our skills. The famous painter Vincent Van Gogh used to live in Arles. 4_____ It’s a really beautiful place. I think I painted some good pictures while I was staying there. When Van Gogh was painting in Arles, people didn’t used to like his work. Now his paintings sell for millions of pounds. Who knows? Maybe the same thing will happen to my pictures one day.

Matt Hazelwood went to Bryce Canyon, USA

Last summer, I got a job at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, USA. It’s a beautiful place, but it was very difficult to get there! After I’d flown ten hours from London to Las Vegas, I had to get a bus to Cedar Springs, Utah. And after someone had met us there, it was another three-hour drive to the park. 5_____ Lots of young people like me were working in the park last summer. We were helping people from the US National Park Service to repair and build things like picnic tables and information signs. We also helped to repair the walking paths and make them safe. That’s important because a lot of middle-aged and elderly people visit the US national parks. I had to work really hard all summer, and get up very early in the morning. But I soon got used to that, and it was great to work outside in such a beautiful place. Bryce Canyon is famous for its red rocks and cliffs − and when the sun comes up in the early morning, they look amazing!

The best sentence to complete gap 3 is...

Read the text and complete gaps 1–5 with missing sentences A–G. There are two extra sentences.

A summer away from home

Many companies organise summer programmes abroad for young people aged fifteen to twenty. 1_____ Travelling without your parents is a great way to become more independent, make new friends, and see a different country. But what is it really like to go on one of these trips? We spoke to three young travellers about their experiences.

Josh Tanner went to Lagos, Nigeria

I’m really good at football, so when I heard about a football volunteer programme in Africa, I was really excited. 2_____ But after I had showed them some information on the internet, they decided that it was safe for me to go. I was feeling tired when I arrived in Lagos, and I couldn’t believe how hot it was. 3_____ I stayed with the Ngembo family in an apartment in the centre of Lagos. It was very small, and I had to share a room with three boys. But everyone was really nice to me, so I soon got used to having no privacy. I worked really hard, but I enjoyed my job, too. For most of the time, I was helping a Nigerian sports coach to teach football to ten-year-old boys and girls. I had a great time there, and I really got used to living in a big, noisy African city. By the time I left, I had really started to fit in!

Rebecca Jones went to Arles, France

Last year, I spent two weeks at a summer art school for young people in Arles. Arles is a beautiful little town in Provence, in the south of France. We were staying in a campsite and sharing tents, and most of the other students were French. I was nervous at first about speaking French to them. But everyone was nice to me, and they didn’t criticise my mistakes. I really gained a lot of confidence after I’d been there for a week. The course was good too. We had drawing and painting lessons every morning. Then, every afternoon, the teachers took us out into the countryside to practise our skills. The famous painter Vincent Van Gogh used to live in Arles. 4_____ It’s a really beautiful place. I think I painted some good pictures while I was staying there. When Van Gogh was painting in Arles, people didn’t used to like his work. Now his paintings sell for millions of pounds. Who knows? Maybe the same thing will happen to my pictures one day.

Matt Hazelwood went to Bryce Canyon, USA

Last summer, I got a job at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, USA. It’s a beautiful place, but it was very difficult to get there! After I’d flown ten hours from London to Las Vegas, I had to get a bus to Cedar Springs, Utah. And after someone had met us there, it was another three-hour drive to the park. 5_____ Lots of young people like me were working in the park last summer. We were helping people from the US National Park Service to repair and build things like picnic tables and information signs. We also helped to repair the walking paths and make them safe. That’s important because a lot of middle-aged and elderly people visit the US national parks. I had to work really hard all summer, and get up very early in the morning. But I soon got used to that, and it was great to work outside in such a beautiful place. Bryce Canyon is famous for its red rocks and cliffs − and when the sun comes up in the early morning, they look amazing!

The best sentence to complete gap 4 is...

Read the text and complete gaps 1–5 with missing sentences A–G. There are two extra sentences.

A summer away from home

Many companies organise summer programmes abroad for young people aged fifteen to twenty. 1_____ Travelling without your parents is a great way to become more independent, make new friends, and see a different country. But what is it really like to go on one of these trips? We spoke to three young travellers about their experiences.

Josh Tanner went to Lagos, Nigeria

I’m really good at football, so when I heard about a football volunteer programme in Africa, I was really excited. 2_____ But after I had showed them some information on the internet, they decided that it was safe for me to go. I was feeling tired when I arrived in Lagos, and I couldn’t believe how hot it was. 3_____ I stayed with the Ngembo family in an apartment in the centre of Lagos. It was very small, and I had to share a room with three boys. But everyone was really nice to me, so I soon got used to having no privacy. I worked really hard, but I enjoyed my job, too. For most of the time, I was helping a Nigerian sports coach to teach football to ten-year-old boys and girls. I had a great time there, and I really got used to living in a big, noisy African city. By the time I left, I had really started to fit in!

Rebecca Jones went to Arles, France

Last year, I spent two weeks at a summer art school for young people in Arles. Arles is a beautiful little town in Provence, in the south of France. We were staying in a campsite and sharing tents, and most of the other students were French. I was nervous at first about speaking French to them. But everyone was nice to me, and they didn’t criticise my mistakes. I really gained a lot of confidence after I’d been there for a week. The course was good too. We had drawing and painting lessons every morning. Then, every afternoon, the teachers took us out into the countryside to practise our skills. The famous painter Vincent Van Gogh used to live in Arles. 4_____ It’s a really beautiful place. I think I painted some good pictures while I was staying there. When Van Gogh was painting in Arles, people didn’t used to like his work. Now his paintings sell for millions of pounds. Who knows? Maybe the same thing will happen to my pictures one day.

Matt Hazelwood went to Bryce Canyon, USA

Last summer, I got a job at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, USA. It’s a beautiful place, but it was very difficult to get there! After I’d flown ten hours from London to Las Vegas, I had to get a bus to Cedar Springs, Utah. And after someone had met us there, it was another three-hour drive to the park. 5_____ Lots of young people like me were working in the park last summer. We were helping people from the US National Park Service to repair and build things like picnic tables and information signs. We also helped to repair the walking paths and make them safe. That’s important because a lot of middle-aged and elderly people visit the US national parks. I had to work really hard all summer, and get up very early in the morning. But I soon got used to that, and it was great to work outside in such a beautiful place. Bryce Canyon is famous for its red rocks and cliffs − and when the sun comes up in the early morning, they look amazing!

The best sentence to complete gap 5 is...

 Read the text and choose the correct answers.

A Scottish summer camp

Summer camps are becoming more and more popular with young people, but what are they like? Last month, junior reporter Sally Henshaw travelled to Loch Lomond, Scotland, to find out.

‘I’ve been travelling for ten hours,’ I thought, when the minibus finally drove past a sign saying ‘Welcome to Camp Lomond’. It was dark, and I just wanted to go indoors and jump into a nice, soft bed. But the camp leaders had other ideas. We all had a barbecue, then we sat around a campfire and talked (or fell asleep). Finally, one of the leaders divided us into groups of three and gave us the really bad news.

‘Now it’s time to put up your tents,’ he said.

I don’t know how three of us managed to sleep in a tent the size of a single bed, but somehow we did. When we woke up the next day, my new friend Ingrid opened the front of the tent, and we all looked out. There, shining silver between the trees, was Loch Lomond. ‘Loch’ means ‘lake’ in Scottish, and Loch Lomond is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! That morning after breakfast, we went horse riding around the lake. I’ve never ridden in such an amazing place.

In the next few days, I went BMX biking, tried rock climbing and played volleyball every day until I couldn’t stand up! It was great! The camp organises different activities every day. Most sports activities are in the afternoon, and in the morning you can choose lessons like drawing, chess, drama and cookery. I’ve never been very good at art or board games − and I’m not a great actor − so I went along to the cookery class. I love food, but I didn’t know how to cook anything before I went to Scotland. Since I’ve been home, I’ve been baking cakes for my parents! (And they haven’t been to hospital with food poisoning yet, so I must be quite good at it!)

You have to work hard on a summer camp. Everybody has to do chores, and you do activities all day, too − you can’t just sit around and hang out. But I really had a great time. The best thing about the camp was making new friends. Since I came home, Ingrid and I have been texting every day. The activities are great, but the people are even better.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go on a summer camp? I’ll tell you the answer in two words: exhausting and fun!

   1   How did Sally feel when she first arrived?

Read the text and choose the correct answers.

A Scottish summer camp

Summer camps are becoming more and more popular with young people, but what are they like? Last month, junior reporter Sally Henshaw travelled to Loch Lomond, Scotland, to find out.

‘I’ve been travelling for ten hours,’ I thought, when the minibus finally drove past a sign saying ‘Welcome to Camp Lomond’. It was dark, and I just wanted to go indoors and jump into a nice, soft bed. But the camp leaders had other ideas. We all had a barbecue, then we sat around a campfire and talked (or fell asleep). Finally, one of the leaders divided us into groups of three and gave us the really bad news.

‘Now it’s time to put up your tents,’ he said.

I don’t know how three of us managed to sleep in a tent the size of a single bed, but somehow we did. When we woke up the next day, my new friend Ingrid opened the front of the tent, and we all looked out. There, shining silver between the trees, was Loch Lomond. ‘Loch’ means ‘lake’ in Scottish, and Loch Lomond is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! That morning after breakfast, we went horse riding around the lake. I’ve never ridden in such an amazing place.

In the next few days, I went BMX biking, tried rock climbing and played volleyball every day until I couldn’t stand up! It was great! The camp organises different activities every day. Most sports activities are in the afternoon, and in the morning you can choose lessons like drawing, chess, drama and cookery. I’ve never been very good at art or board games − and I’m not a great actor − so I went along to the cookery class. I love food, but I didn’t know how to cook anything before I went to Scotland. Since I’ve been home, I’ve been baking cakes for my parents! (And they haven’t been to hospital with food poisoning yet, so I must be quite good at it!)

You have to work hard on a summer camp. Everybody has to do chores, and you do activities all day, too − you can’t just sit around and hang out. But I really had a great time. The best thing about the camp was making new friends. Since I came home, Ingrid and I have been texting every day. The activities are great, but the people are even better.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go on a summer camp? I’ll tell you the answer in two words: exhausting and fun!

 2.    The next morning, Sally...

Read the text and choose the correct answers.

A Scottish summer camp

Summer camps are becoming more and more popular with young people, but what are they like? Last month, junior reporter Sally Henshaw travelled to Loch Lomond, Scotland, to find out.

‘I’ve been travelling for ten hours,’ I thought, when the minibus finally drove past a sign saying ‘Welcome to Camp Lomond’. It was dark, and I just wanted to go indoors and jump into a nice, soft bed. But the camp leaders had other ideas. We all had a barbecue, then we sat around a campfire and talked (or fell asleep). Finally, one of the leaders divided us into groups of three and gave us the really bad news.

‘Now it’s time to put up your tents,’ he said.

I don’t know how three of us managed to sleep in a tent the size of a single bed, but somehow we did. When we woke up the next day, my new friend Ingrid opened the front of the tent, and we all looked out. There, shining silver between the trees, was Loch Lomond. ‘Loch’ means ‘lake’ in Scottish, and Loch Lomond is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! That morning after breakfast, we went horse riding around the lake. I’ve never ridden in such an amazing place.

In the next few days, I went BMX biking, tried rock climbing and played volleyball every day until I couldn’t stand up! It was great! The camp organises different activities every day. Most sports activities are in the afternoon, and in the morning you can choose lessons like drawing, chess, drama and cookery. I’ve never been very good at art or board games − and I’m not a great actor − so I went along to the cookery class. I love food, but I didn’t know how to cook anything before I went to Scotland. Since I’ve been home, I’ve been baking cakes for my parents! (And they haven’t been to hospital with food poisoning yet, so I must be quite good at it!)

You have to work hard on a summer camp. Everybody has to do chores, and you do activities all day, too − you can’t just sit around and hang out. But I really had a great time. The best thing about the camp was making new friends. Since I came home, Ingrid and I have been texting every day. The activities are great, but the people are even better.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go on a summer camp? I’ll tell you the answer in two words: exhausting and fun!

3. What types of activities did Sally do at the camp?

Read the text and choose the correct answers.

A Scottish summer camp

Summer camps are becoming more and more popular with young people, but what are they like? Last month, junior reporter Sally Henshaw travelled to Loch Lomond, Scotland, to find out.

‘I’ve been travelling for ten hours,’ I thought, when the minibus finally drove past a sign saying ‘Welcome to Camp Lomond’. It was dark, and I just wanted to go indoors and jump into a nice, soft bed. But the camp leaders had other ideas. We all had a barbecue, then we sat around a campfire and talked (or fell asleep). Finally, one of the leaders divided us into groups of three and gave us the really bad news.

‘Now it’s time to put up your tents,’ he said.

I don’t know how three of us managed to sleep in a tent the size of a single bed, but somehow we did. When we woke up the next day, my new friend Ingrid opened the front of the tent, and we all looked out. There, shining silver between the trees, was Loch Lomond. ‘Loch’ means ‘lake’ in Scottish, and Loch Lomond is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! That morning after breakfast, we went horse riding around the lake. I’ve never ridden in such an amazing place.

In the next few days, I went BMX biking, tried rock climbing and played volleyball every day until I couldn’t stand up! It was great! The camp organises different activities every day. Most sports activities are in the afternoon, and in the morning you can choose lessons like drawing, chess, drama and cookery. I’ve never been very good at art or board games − and I’m not a great actor − so I went along to the cookery class. I love food, but I didn’t know how to cook anything before I went to Scotland. Since I’ve been home, I’ve been baking cakes for my parents! (And they haven’t been to hospital with food poisoning yet, so I must be quite good at it!)

You have to work hard on a summer camp. Everybody has to do chores, and you do activities all day, too − you can’t just sit around and hang out. But I really had a great time. The best thing about the camp was making new friends. Since I came home, Ingrid and I have been texting every day. The activities are great, but the people are even better.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go on a summer camp? I’ll tell you the answer in two words: exhausting and fun!

4.  What happened after she came home from the camp?

Read the text and choose the correct answers.

A Scottish summer camp

Summer camps are becoming more and more popular with young people, but what are they like? Last month, junior reporter Sally Henshaw travelled to Loch Lomond, Scotland, to find out.

‘I’ve been travelling for ten hours,’ I thought, when the minibus finally drove past a sign saying ‘Welcome to Camp Lomond’. It was dark, and I just wanted to go indoors and jump into a nice, soft bed. But the camp leaders had other ideas. We all had a barbecue, then we sat around a campfire and talked (or fell asleep). Finally, one of the leaders divided us into groups of three and gave us the really bad news.

‘Now it’s time to put up your tents,’ he said.

I don’t know how three of us managed to sleep in a tent the size of a single bed, but somehow we did. When we woke up the next day, my new friend Ingrid opened the front of the tent, and we all looked out. There, shining silver between the trees, was Loch Lomond. ‘Loch’ means ‘lake’ in Scottish, and Loch Lomond is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! That morning after breakfast, we went horse riding around the lake. I’ve never ridden in such an amazing place.

In the next few days, I went BMX biking, tried rock climbing and played volleyball every day until I couldn’t stand up! It was great! The camp organises different activities every day. Most sports activities are in the afternoon, and in the morning you can choose lessons like drawing, chess, drama and cookery. I’ve never been very good at art or board games − and I’m not a great actor − so I went along to the cookery class. I love food, but I didn’t know how to cook anything before I went to Scotland. Since I’ve been home, I’ve been baking cakes for my parents! (And they haven’t been to hospital with food poisoning yet, so I must be quite good at it!)

You have to work hard on a summer camp. Everybody has to do chores, and you do activities all day, too − you can’t just sit around and hang out. But I really had a great time. The best thing about the camp was making new friends. Since I came home, Ingrid and I have been texting every day. The activities are great, but the people are even better.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go on a summer camp? I’ll tell you the answer in two words: exhausting and fun!

5. Overall, how does Sally feel about Camp Lomond?