Reading. Variant 5

Read the following text. Match the sentences a–f to the gaps 1–5. There is one extra sentence.

a In one country they were escorted by soldiers to the border for their own protection.

b They dated for three years and got married in 2001.

c Their achievements are an inspiration to everyone they meet.

d They have three charities that they support – Action Aid, Oxfam and the British Heart Foundation.

e In Kenya, they were invited to stay with some people they had only just met.

f They have ridden through deserts and over mountains.

Riding the world

At first sight, James and Ellen Hamilton seem like an ordinary couple. They met in 1998 and James asked Ellen out soon after.1____   However, they didn’t settle down like most couples. They’d always loved travelling and motorbikes so a few years later they decided to set off on a five-year trip around the world by motorbike. Although they had both been on bike trips before, neither of them had ever done anything on this scale. However, with a bit of luck and a lot of determination, they managed to organise it.

In 2004 they set off on the trip and they have been travelling since then. They left from Scotland and their final destination is New Zealand. So far they have visited over sixty countries in Europe, South and North America, Africa, the Arab World, and Asia.

2__   They have had some adventures and faced some dangerous situations. In Bolivia they were caught in a terrible storm in the mountains. Exhausted and freezing, they almost drove off the road. 3 ___  

They have also met some wonderful people and been surprised by people’s generosity. On their first night in Hungary, the owners of the campsite where they had arranged to stay invited them to dinner. In Turkmenistan, they were invited to tea and dinner with a family in their house. 4____   And these are only a few examples. As James says, ‘It just goes to show how true the saying is – there are no strangers, just friends you haven’t met yet.’

Their trip is not just about pleasure. 5____   They hope to raise money for them from sponsorship and donations. During their trip they have visited some of Action Aid’s projects. Ellen had worked with the charity before the trip and was particularly interested in seeing the projects at first hand.

Read the text again. Write True or False.

1 Neither James nor Ellen had been on a bike trip before they set off on their long journey.      

Read the text again. Write True or False.

2 They have already visited a lot of countries on their way to New Zealand.