Reading Comprehension. Term 1 (OET 10 Grade)

Read the article about exchanging homes and for questions 1–6 circle the correct answer A–D.

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.’

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.

Read the text and decide if the statements 1–5 are true (T) or false (F).

Similarities attract

‘Similarities attract.’ This phrase comes to mind as I look around at my guests. I can’t believe how many differences there are between the people I know. Let’s take the example of my manager. He is so arrogant that people in the office prefer to keep out of his way. His poor secretary speaks very timidly when he’s around, as if she were very shy. But it’s surprising how she comes alive the minute he leaves the room. You can see her happiness suddenly grow! My cousin Suzie, on the other hand, is the sweetest and most kind-hearted person I have ever known. The problem is that when she starts talking, she simply can’t stop. Still, there are far worse habits than being talkative.

And finally, there is Ben. I love him quite a bit, but I’m definitely getting annoyed with his mania for computer games. Sometimes I’m not even sure if he knows what’s real and what’s just fantasy. But I guess it would be boring if everyone was the same.

1. The writer’s guests are very similar to each other. ___  

2. People in the office prefer to avoid their manager. ___  

3. His secretary behaves differently when he is around. ___  

4. When the secretary leaves the room, she feels happy. ___  

5. Ben loves fantasy games. ___  

Read the text about Tommy Hilfiger, and for questions 1–5 circle the correct answer A–D.

FASHION DIARY

I was lucky enough to get an interview with Tommy Hilfiger the other day. He is one of the top American designers so it was rather difficult to catch him, but in the end, I was able to spend half a day with him and his team – quite amazing considering how busy he is. He appeared for our appointment wearing his usual sunglasses, a blue shirt, light trousers and a checked jacket. With his brown hair and bright blue eyes, Tommy looks an energetic mid-sixties – his real age – but can also look older or younger depending on the particular situation.

We talked a little about the history of his company before going on to have a look at some of the new season’s fashion designs. After setting up his collection for men – with particular success with his designer jeans and shoes – Tommy continued with his career and in 1996 he introduced a women’s clothing line, ‘Tommy’, which repeated the success of his menswear collection. His fashion design empire now includes athletic wear, underwear and kid’s wear as well as designer perfumes, cosmetics, brushes and combs for men and women, jewellery, other accessories and home furniture.

As we watched his top models showing his new collection – slim-line jeans, red leather motorcycle jackets, colourful blouses and leather skirts – he was talking all the time, either to me about his various projects or on his mobile phone, making plans for business photo sessions, flying to Florida and a thousand other things that form a day in the life of one of the world’s most successful designers. He also told me that he had plans for future development of his company but those would have to wait until our next interview.

1.Tommy Hilfiger …  

A often gives interviews.

B looks younger than he is.

C is about sixty-five years old.

D frequently changes his style.

2.‘Tommy’, the women’s collection was …  

A the most successful collection.

B as successful as the men’s collection.

C less successful than the men’s collection.

D more successful than the men’s collection.

3.Tommy Hilfiger’s collection should attract …  

A mainly women.

B men in particular.

C teenagers and children.

D men, women and children.

4.During the fashion show, Tommy was …  

A talking about his business plans.

B concentrating fully on the show.

C commenting on the new designs.

D making arrangements for further work.

5.The writer of the article is probably …  

A a model.

B a journalist.

C a TV reporter.

D another designer.