B1 PET Test #42 - Reading

9/21/2021 1:52:14 PM

Choose the correct answer that goes with this text.

  • Angus wants Jen to telephone him from her hotel.
  • Angus wants Jen to take him to the hotel in a taxi.
  • Angus wants Jen to collect him from the station.

Choose the correct answer that goes with this text.

  • Monica regrets going to the exhibition at the art gallery.
  • Monica thinks it cost too much to get into the art gallery.
  • Monica is glad she made the effort to visit the art gallery.

Choose the correct answer that goes with this text.

What does the seller say?

  • The items he has got are not all in perfect condition.
  • You can contact him any time you like.
  • His furniture is not made in an old-fashioned style.

Choose the correct answer that goes with this text.

  • Members of the public may only enter the staffroom if they are with a member of staff.
  • Staff should use the staffroom for dealing with customers needing some kind of help.
  • At no time may members of the public go into the staffroom.

Choose the correct answer that goes with this text.

  • You must pay £30 if you want to display photographs.
  • We will keep a photograph for you if you pay £30.
  • Some of the photos in the exhibition are reserved.

Read the following descriptions of eight magazines.

A. Stage Sensational
Three young actors play in this new evening series about a drama club. Keen to escape from the traditional approach of the school, they develop their own modern style - but can they manage to show it in public performances?

B. One Man and His Bike
The longest journey: whether this is your first viewing to you are returning to keep up-to-date, you'll be entertained by Harry Lomas' self-recorded commentary. Harry describes his strange experiences as he rides around the world on his old red bike, following routes nobody's tried before. Tonight he meets a bear.

C. Animals Access
If you're concerned about green issues and if you care about wild animals, here's the programme for you. Join our panel discussion by phoning in with your questions or suggestions for keeping our planet safe for animals, and you could even win the top prize: a trip to Antarctica. 

D. Moving Story
Follow the joys and heartaches of a junior dance school's attempts to reach the national final championships in different styles. Every afternoon, you can see an update of their progress, and you can phone in to vote on individual performances. 

E. The Road to Success 
An enjoyable biography of one of the fastest cyclists of all time. Mixing old sections of the film with current interviews - and even the chance to phone in with your own questions about technique and so on - this programme will inspire you to ride faster yourself.

F. The Last Paradise 
The white frozen landscape of the South Pole is said to be the last place man hasn't damaged beyond repair. Watch the fascinating filming of native animals and birds. You'll feel as if you're there yourself with some of the creative new camera techniques.

G. Perfect Performances 
Whether your tastes are traditional or more modern, you'll love this celebration of plays and operas, each one performed to the highest standards and broadcast to your living room. Additional information about history and background is available interactively. 

H. Routes and Riding 
This programme is for both children and parents and is designed to get children riding bikes and exploring the countryside. It encourages them to get fitter and healthier and learn more about the natural world around them. Special routes are shown for first-time riders. 

The people below are all looking for a magazine to read. Decide which magazine would be the most suitable for each person.


Rita and Pasty are interested in dance. They like both modern and traditional ballet and enjoy learning about the dancers' experiences and ideas. They often go out in the evening.


Charlie and Petra are very keen on nature, particularly wildlife and the Antarctic. They enjoy experts discussing environmental issues, but they don't like phone-in programmes.


Roger and Martin both go cycling every weekend, entering short- and long-distance races. They want to be as fit as possible and also learn about the history of cycle racing.


Penny and Paul enjoy live arts, especially theater, and classical music concerts. They live in the countryside and cannot go to the city very often.


Danni and Fred are interested in exploration, especially people who go on trips for the first or in unusual ways. They would like to plan a trip themselves one day.

Read the following passage then choose the best answer to each question below.

Challenge yourself!

15-year-old Kyle Washington writes about what he does in his free time.

I joined the National Youth Challenge (NYC) last year because I knew they went camping and sailing and taught skills like public speaking, and these were things I'd never done before. In the NYC you can do different activities to challenge yourself and you're always learning something. There are different levels, from beginner to advanced, run by adult volunteers called 'leaders'. When you complete each level, you get a certificate.

When I first joined, my leader suggested that my first challenge should be helping to organize activities at a local children's club for two hours a week. I wasn't sure it was a good idea; I'd joined that same club when I was eight and I'd found it really difficult to make friends. I was quite shy then and all the other children already had their own friendship groups, so I'd stopped going after a couple of weeks. I decided to take up the challenge though, but only because I wanted my first NYC certificate.

Soon, however, I wanted to spend all my free time at the children's club. It meant a lot more to me than just getting the certificate. And when I finished the challenge, the NYC leader let me keep on volunteering at the club because I'd built up some great relationships with the children. Now I'm there for about four hours a week and I always really look forward to going.

Because of what I've learned at the children's club, I've decided that when I finish school in three years' time, I want to go to college to become a qualified youth worker — someone who works with children. It wasn't something I'd ever considered before starting at the club. In fact, I'd never thought about my future job, and the idea of youth work had never entered my mind. This has been my favorite part of the NYC so far and I've improved my own communication skills while at the same time helping others. I've got several other NYC certificates now and yes, one of them is for camping!

What was the main reason why Kyle joined the NYC?
  • To improve some of his skills
  • To reach the advanced level
  • To become a volunteer leader
  • To try new experiences
Why didn't Kyle want to start helping at the children's club?
  • His memories of going there weren't very positive.
  • He felt he was too shy to do a good job there.
  • He didn't like the children there.
  • None of his friends worked there.

Kyle still goes to the children's club because _____.

  • he needs to earn his next certificate
  • he enjoys spending time with the children
  • his leader asked him to carry on
  • his challenge is not yet finished

Working at the children's club has helped Kyle to _____.

  • make a decision about his future career
  • go on his first camping expedition
  • get a place at college
  • achieve his dream of working with children
What would Kyle's NYC leader say about him now?
  • Kyle's learnt so much since he started with NYC. Now he just needs to learn to communicate better with young children.
  • Even though Kyle's reduced the number of hours he works at the club, the work he does there is still extremely useful.
  • Kyle's a good example of why people shouldn't be afraid of trying new things, and how this can bring unexpected benefits.
  • Kyle's become a different person. He used to give up on his challenges but he doesn't do that anymore.

Five sentences have been removed from the text below. For each blank, choose the correct answer from A-H. There are three extra sentences that you do not need to use.

A. The only thing I didn't like was the bugs and mosquitoes.

B. And, apart from beach life, there is also amazing wildlife.

C. We argued all the time about my idea because they were worried.

D. In other words, I was not going to university yet.

E. In fact, they became quite helpful at that time.

F. This meant I was going to stay with them for a year.

G. You can spend the whole trip on this beach!

H. Because of this, many gap-year travelers choose to travel here.

Backpacking in Australia

After finishing what seemed like a lifetime in school, I told my parents that I was taking a gap year. I was going travelling instead! I can't say that my parents were thrilled with the idea but they seemed to be quite understanding at the time, probably because they hadn't taken me seriously.

A friend of mine had e-mailed me from Australia. A year older than me, she had already gone to see the world alone. Now she was in Australia, travelling and working, and she suggested that I should start my travels there. You can't get much further from home than Australia and a trip down under, as they say, is perfect for travelling alone. It has sun, sand and plenty of surfing. I couldn't wait to see a real Australian kangaroo!

Of course, my parents were not as confident as I was. They needed a lot of persuading. I showed them blogs and sites on backpacking around Australia. Finally, they agreed as they saw I had made up my mind. They even bought me a great backpack for my travels!

Australia, as I found out, is well known for its travelling culture, so wherever you are, you meet lots of people. Backpacking is really popular, especially along the East Coast, which is famous for its party atmosphere. It's a real break before entering university or trying to get jobs.

Although I did miss my family and comfortable bed from time to time, the experiences I had were worth it! I met amazing people and I saw rainforests, desert, beautiful sandy beaches and so much more! But even those are part of the experience, I suppose!

Read the text and choose the best answer to fill in the blanks.

Fashion Show Success

Last Saturday, the fashion department at Mansion College held a fashion show.

The students created special designs were modeled by other students. Parents and shopkeepers were to the event and 200 tickets were sold.

of the designs were really original and the evening was a great success. The most popular items at the show were T-shirts designed by student Maria Daniella. A local clothes shop has already asked Maria to them with 20 T-shirts. Maria is very pleased by her success.

the fashion show finished late, many people stayed longer to listen to the college rock band. There was food and drink on sale and the event finally at midnight.

The money made from the sale of the tickets went to a well-known children's charity. 

(Adapted from B1 Preliminary EXAM TRAINER)

Read the text and write ONE word to fill in each gap.

Would you choose to study at a colleague or university like that?

At Worcester University, England there are students take very few exams. Those studying an English degree only have hand in essays in their third year.

A small number of students who studying at Cleveland Institute of Music, USA can live at a local retirement home. The students don't pay rent in exchange for spending time people living there and playing concerts.

At Mondragon University, Spain, students studying Leadership and Innovation set up own companies and try to earn enough money to pay for their next year at university. Students at Deep Springs University, USA live on a large animal farm in the middle of the Californian desert. Classes are very small, usually between 4 12 students on each course.