Cambridge B1 Preliminary Reading practice test 1

Questions 1 to 5 For each question, choose the correct answer.

Notice

HARROWMERE CASTLE The tower will be closed to visitors on Saturday until 2 pm while repair work takes place. Tickets for the tower bought for Saturday morning will be accepted the same afternoon. Boat trips on the lake are running as usual.

Text message

Hannah Dev, my meeting's running late and I won't get out in time. Could you pick up a parcel for me from reception? They close at 5. I'll get it from your desk tomorrow. Thanks!

Notice

WESTBROOK COLLEGE LIBRARY Laptops may be borrowed for four hours. Please hand them back to staff at the front desk, not to the self-service machine. Anyone who returns a laptop late cannot borrow one again for a week.

Email

From: Paula To: All choir members Hi everyone, Thursday's rehearsal will be in the church hall this week, as the school is closed for an exam. Same time as usual. I can't use the school photocopier, so please bring your own music. Paula

Label

MILLBROOK BAKERY Cheese Scones Best eaten on the day of purchase. Can be frozen for up to one month. Do not freeze again once defrosted.

1. What does the text say?

A) Visitors with a morning ticket for the tower can still use it later in the day

B) The boat trips on the lake will not run on Saturday morning

C) Visitors who have bought tickets for the tower can get their money back

2. What does the text say?

A) Hannah will collect the parcel from reception herself tomorrow

B) Hannah wants Dev to bring the parcel to her meeting

C) Hannah is asking Dev to get something for her before a certain time

3. What does the text say?

A) Students who return a laptop late will have to pay

B) Laptops must be given back to a member of staff

C) Students can keep a laptop for up to a week

4. What does the text say?

A) Choir members need to bring their own copies of the music

B) This week's rehearsal will start at a different time

C) Thursday's rehearsal has been cancelled because of an exam

5. What does the text say?

A) This product must be eaten on the day you buy it

B) You can keep this product in the freezer for longer than a month

C) You should not freeze this product again after it has defrosted

Questions 6 to 10 For each question, choose the correct answer. The people below all want to visit a cave. On the opposite page there are descriptions of eight caves. Decide which cave would be the most suitable for the people below.

Caves to Visit

A Brackwell Caverns Brackwell is perfect for a family day out. Children of all ages love our tour, which takes about an hour and a half and visits six caves full of colourful rocks. Afterwards, there's a large picnic area with a playground, so bring your lunch. Well-behaved dogs can stay with you in the picnic area, but not on the tour. We close at 5 p.m. B Dunmore Hole Dunmore Hole is one of the easiest caves in the region to visit. A flat path with no steps takes you into the cave, where our guide explains how smugglers once hid their goods here. Our shop sells books on local history, as well as postcards and maps. Wheelchairs are available at the entrance free of charge. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. C Fellside Mines For over three hundred years, men and boys dug for metal in these mines. Our guides, many of them from old mining families, tell the story of their hard lives underground. Please note that there are 120 steep steps down to the main tunnel. Our gift shop has a wide selection of books about the mines and the surrounding villages. D Greyling Caves Greyling Caves are a great choice for young families. Children over four are welcome on our 40-minute walk, and there are picnic tables on the grass by the entrance where you can enjoy your own sandwiches. Inside, you'll see an underground river and a waterfall. There are some steep steps, so strong shoes are a good idea. E Harrowdale Pot Harrowdale Pot is even more magical at night. Join one of our candlelit evening tours, which start at 8 p.m. Dogs on leads are welcome underground, and there's a small campsite in the field next door. The tour lasts an hour and a half and is not suitable for children under twelve. Booking is essential in summer. F Kestle Tor Caves Kestle Tor is for people who already have some caving experience. On weekday trips, you'll crawl through narrow passages, and we can lend you a helmet and lamp. At weekends, our members are also digging into a new section which may lead to unexplored passages, and helpers are welcome to join them on Saturday mornings. G Linden Gorge Caves Ever wanted to try real caving? Our Saturday and Sunday adventure trips are for complete beginners. You'll crawl through tight spaces with an experienced guide, and we lend you a helmet, a lamp and overalls. Just bring old trainers and a towel, because you will get wet and muddy! Trips last three hours and are for over-sixteens only. H Marrow Hill Caverns Marrow Hill isn't open to tourists yet. Our volunteer club has spent two years digging a shaft to reach caves no one has ever entered. New members are welcome on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, when one of our members, a retired geology teacher, explains the rocks we find. No experience is needed, but you must be over eighteen. Come and help us make history!

6. Priya wants to take her two children, aged five and seven, to a cave. She thinks the tour should take less than an hour because they get tired quickly, and she'd like somewhere outside where the family can eat their own food.

A) Brackwell Caverns

B) Dunmore Hole

C) Fellside Mines

D) Greyling Caves

E) Harrowdale Pot

F) Kestle Tor Caves

G) Linden Gorge Caves

H) Marrow Hill Caverns

7. Tom has never been caving before, but he wants a real adventure that includes squeezing through narrow passages. He doesn't own any special clothes or equipment, and he can only go at the weekend because he works from Monday to Friday.

A) Brackwell Caverns

B) Dunmore Hole

C) Fellside Mines

D) Greyling Caves

E) Harrowdale Pot

F) Kestle Tor Caves

G) Linden Gorge Caves

H) Marrow Hill Caverns

8. Gwen finds walking difficult and can't manage stairs. She is interested in how people used caves in the past, and she'd like to buy a book about the area to read after her visit.

A) Brackwell Caverns

B) Dunmore Hole

C) Fellside Mines

D) Greyling Caves

E) Harrowdale Pot

F) Kestle Tor Caves

G) Linden Gorge Caves

H) Marrow Hill Caverns

9. Daniel would love to help a team trying to find new underground passages that nobody has ever seen. He's only free on weekday evenings, and he wants someone to teach him about the different types of rock.

A) Brackwell Caverns

B) Dunmore Hole

C) Fellside Mines

D) Greyling Caves

E) Harrowdale Pot

F) Kestle Tor Caves

G) Linden Gorge Caves

H) Marrow Hill Caverns

10. Leila is spending a few nights in the area with her dog and wants somewhere to put up her tent near the cave. She'd prefer to visit the cave after dark, and her dog must be allowed to come too.

A) Brackwell Caverns

B) Dunmore Hole

C) Fellside Mines

D) Greyling Caves

E) Harrowdale Pot

F) Kestle Tor Caves

G) Linden Gorge Caves

H) Marrow Hill Caverns

Questions 11 to 15 For each question, choose the correct answer.

Pottery maker Hannah Clarke on her first business trip to Asia

I run a small pottery business in Bristol with two assistants, making handmade plates, bowls and cups. Our sales in the UK have been steady for years, but over the past twelve months more and more online orders were coming from Singapore and South Korea. I felt I should meet these customers in person instead of just sending parcels to strangers, and that was when I decided to go. A friend recommended the Asia Home and Table Fair in Singapore, so I booked a stand and paid for the five-day trip from my savings. It would be my first business trip to Asia. A few weeks later the organisers asked me to give a short talk about British pottery, which was a lovely surprise. The stand wasn't cheap, but I had saved for it, so money wasn't the problem. What really worried me was leaving Amy and Josh to run the workshop, deal with orders and solve problems without me. I'd never been away from the business for more than a weekend. On the flight I was too busy preparing my talk to think about it much. At the fair, everyone did business in English, although I learned a few local words. I had hoped to take lots of orders, but I only took a few. Visitors looked at my samples and asked about prices, and I had friendly conversations with other designers. Then, on the last day, a buyer from a home-design shop in Seoul spent nearly an hour at my stand. She later visited our workshop in Bristol, and now her shop wants to sell our products. That one conversation was worth more than many small orders. While I was away, there was a problem with a delivery, and Amy and Josh solved it themselves without phoning me. I'm glad I learned that the business doesn't need me every minute. I'm looking forward to going back to the fair next year. Next time, though, I'll do things differently. On the first days I spent too long waiting at my stand for buyers to come to me, so before I leave I'll contact shop buyers and arrange meetings. I came home tired after the long flight, but that was nothing compared with what I gained. Five days felt long enough, and I may take one of my assistants with me.

11. Why did Hannah decide to travel to Asia?

A) Orders from customers there had been increasing

B) Her sales in the UK had started to fall

C) A friend offered to pay for her to go

D) The organisers of a fair invited her to speak

12. What was Hannah most worried about before the trip?

A) how much it would cost to have a stand at the fair

B) spending so many hours on a plane

C) leaving her small team to run the workshop alone

D) not being able to speak the local languages

13. What does Hannah say about the trade fair?

A) She sold all the samples she had brought with her

B) She took fewer orders than she had hoped, but she met someone important

C) She discovered that her prices were too high for customers in Asia

D) She found it difficult to talk to the other designers there

14. How does Hannah feel about travelling for work now?

A) She is looking forward to doing it again, but with better preparation

B) She thinks it is useful, but too tiring to do every year

C) She would rather let one of her assistants do it in future

D) She enjoyed it, but she would prefer to stay longer next time

15. What would be a good introduction to this article?

A) Pottery maker Hannah Clarke recently made her first business trip to Asia. Here she explains why it was worth it, and not only for her company

B) After a disappointing trade fair in Asia, pottery maker Hannah Clarke has decided to concentrate on her customers at home

C) Pottery maker Hannah Clarke explains why she is still not sure whether her expensive trip to Asia was a good idea

D) Pottery maker Hannah Clarke describes how a trade fair in Asia gave her the idea of opening a shop there

Questions 16 to 20 Five sentences have been removed from the text below. For each question, choose the correct answer. There are three extra sentences which you do not need to use.

Our band's big journey

Six years ago, I joined Northfield Steel, a community steel band in Birmingham. There are about twenty of us, from teenagers to grandparents, and most of us couldn't read music when we started. We practise every Tuesday evening in a church hall and usually play at school fairs and birthday parties. (16) ........ It came from the organisers of a music festival in Tobago, the Caribbean island where steel pans are especially popular. They were inviting us to play at the opening ceremony. One of the organisers had seen a video of us online and loved it. Everyone was excited, but there was one big problem. (17) ........ So we spent the next six months raising money. We held cake sales, played in shopping centres and even washed cars. A bakery near the hall gave us bread to sell every Saturday, and slowly the total grew. Some members were worried that we would never manage it, but nobody wanted to give up. By July we had enough, and we flew out. (18) ........ They played a song to welcome us, and we were so surprised that some of us started crying. For the next week, they let us practise with them every afternoon and showed us new ways of playing. The food was delicious too, although the heat took some getting used to. On the night of the ceremony, I was more nervous than I had ever been. (19) ........ But as soon as we started our first piece, the crowd began dancing and my fear disappeared. At the end, one of those famous players came over and shook my hand. I will never forget that moment. Since we came home, a lot has changed. A local radio station even interviewed us. Our band has twelve new members, and people now ask us to play at bigger events. (20) ........ We used to think of ourselves as just a hobby group. Now we know we can do much more than that. A They had never heard a steel band before. B Thousands of people had come, and some of the island's best players were standing at the front. C Then last winter, an email arrived that changed everything. D That's why we decided to cancel the trip. E The most important thing, though, is what the trip taught us. F When we landed, a group of local musicians was waiting for us at the airport. G Most of the audience had already gone home by then. H Flights for twenty people were going to cost far more than we had.

16. Gap 16

A) They had never heard a steel band before

B) Thousands of people had come, and some of the island's best players were standing at the front

C) Then last winter, an email arrived that changed everything

D) That's why we decided to cancel the trip

E) The most important thing, though, is what the trip taught us

F) When we landed, a group of local musicians was waiting for us at the airport

G) Most of the audience had already gone home by then

H) Flights for twenty people were going to cost far more than we had

17. Gap 17

A) They had never heard a steel band before

B) Thousands of people had come, and some of the island's best players were standing at the front

C) Then last winter, an email arrived that changed everything

D) That's why we decided to cancel the trip

E) The most important thing, though, is what the trip taught us

F) When we landed, a group of local musicians was waiting for us at the airport

G) Most of the audience had already gone home by then

H) Flights for twenty people were going to cost far more than we had

18. Gap 18

A) They had never heard a steel band before

B) Thousands of people had come, and some of the island's best players were standing at the front

C) Then last winter, an email arrived that changed everything

D) That's why we decided to cancel the trip

E) The most important thing, though, is what the trip taught us

F) When we landed, a group of local musicians was waiting for us at the airport

G) Most of the audience had already gone home by then

H) Flights for twenty people were going to cost far more than we had

19. Gap 19

A) They had never heard a steel band before

B) Thousands of people had come, and some of the island's best players were standing at the front

C) Then last winter, an email arrived that changed everything

D) That's why we decided to cancel the trip

E) The most important thing, though, is what the trip taught us

F) When we landed, a group of local musicians was waiting for us at the airport

G) Most of the audience had already gone home by then

H) Flights for twenty people were going to cost far more than we had

20. Gap 20

A) They had never heard a steel band before

B) Thousands of people had come, and some of the island's best players were standing at the front

C) Then last winter, an email arrived that changed everything

D) That's why we decided to cancel the trip

E) The most important thing, though, is what the trip taught us

F) When we landed, a group of local musicians was waiting for us at the airport

G) Most of the audience had already gone home by then

H) Flights for twenty people were going to cost far more than we had

Questions 21 to 26 For each question, choose the correct answer.

Sharing a Home

Co-housing is a way of living in which everyone has a private bedroom but residents (21) ........ the kitchen, the garden and the other rooms. It is becoming more popular in the UK, especially among people who feel lonely living alone. Twenty-five years ago, a small group of friends bought an old farmhouse in the English countryside and decided to (22) ........ up a community there. Today about forty people live in the house, (23) ........ single people, retired couples and families with young children. Every evening, the residents take (24) ........ to cook dinner for the whole house, so each person only cooks once or twice a month. Meals are eaten together at one long table, and children often help to wash up afterwards. Living so closely together is not always easy, because everyone has to (25) ........ on important decisions, such as how the shared money is spent. Meetings can be long, and arguments sometimes happen. (26) ........ this, most residents say they would never go back to living on their own.

21. Co-housing is a way of living in which everyone has a private bedroom but residents (21) ........ the kitchen, the garden and the other rooms.

A) divide

B) share

C) join

D) split

22. Twenty-five years ago, a small group of friends bought an old farmhouse in the English countryside and decided to (22) ........ up a community there.

A) put

B) take

C) make

D) set

23. Today about forty people live in the house, (23) ........ single people, retired couples and families with young children.

A) including

B) containing

C) consisting

D) involving

24. Every evening, the residents take (24) ........ to cook dinner for the whole house, so each person only cooks once or twice a month.

A) times

B) goes

C) turns

D) chances

25. Living so closely together is not always easy, because everyone has to (25) ........ on important decisions, such as how the shared money is spent.

A) accept

B) agree

C) approve

D) allow

26. (26) ........ this, most residents say they would never go back to living on their own.

A) Although

B) However

C) Even

D) Despite

Questions 27to32 For each question, write the correct answer. Write one word for each gap.

Strange Lights in the Sky

Last month I saw something I couldn't explain at first. While I was walking home from work, I noticed three bright lights moving slowly above the hills. I took a photo with my phone, but it was too dark to see much. The next day I joined an online group for people who are interested in the night sky. Within an hour, a member called Ruth had replied to my message. She explained that the lights were much more likely to be satellites than spaceships. Thousands of them have been sent into space in recent years, and they often travel in a line, one after another. I was a little disappointed that I hadn't seen aliens! But I've learned a lot about space since then, and now I go out with my telescope every clear night.

27. Last month I saw something I couldn't explain at first. {{27}} I was walking home from work, I noticed three bright lights moving slowly above the hills. I took a photo with my phone, but it was too dark {{28}} see much.

28. Last month I saw something I couldn't explain at first. {{27}} I was walking home from work, I noticed three bright lights moving slowly above the hills. I took a photo with my phone, but it was too dark {{28}} see much.

29. The next day I joined an online group for people {{29}} are interested in the night sky. Within an hour, a member called Ruth had replied to my message. She explained that the lights were much {{30}} likely to be satellites than spaceships. Thousands of them have been sent into space in recent years, and they often travel in a line, one after {{31}}.

30. The next day I joined an online group for people {{29}} are interested in the night sky. Within an hour, a member called Ruth had replied to my message. She explained that the lights were much {{30}} likely to be satellites than spaceships. Thousands of them have been sent into space in recent years, and they often travel in a line, one after {{31}}.

31. The next day I joined an online group for people {{29}} are interested in the night sky. Within an hour, a member called Ruth had replied to my message. She explained that the lights were much {{30}} likely to be satellites than spaceships. Thousands of them have been sent into space in recent years, and they often travel in a line, one after {{31}}.

32. I was a little disappointed that I hadn't seen aliens! But I've learned a lot about space {{32}} then, and now I go out with my telescope every clear night.