Part IV. Writing

1. A young people’s magazine has asked its readers to give their opinion on whether young people should live with their parents as long as they want.

2. You are doing a school project about family life in different countries. Your teacher has asked you to write a short report about your country, saying what activities families do together, how much grandparents are involved in family life and whether you think family life has changed in the past few years.

Write your report.

3. You have seen this announcement in an international magazine.

I was an only child!

Tell us about an experience you had in your childhood and say why you always remember it. We will publish the best article in our next issue.

Write your article.

4. An important magazine is publishing articles from readers about a person who has had an important influence on their life.

Write your article.

UNIT 2

There’s no place like home part I. Listening

Task 1

Listening I You will hear part of a conversation between two friends, Paula and Jenny. They are talking about looking for a new house for Jenny and her family. For questions 1-5, fill in the missing information.

Jenny’s husband prefers the country because:

• it’s ____________________1

• you can go for __________________________2

• it’s ________________________3 for the children than living in a town.

Jenny likes the town because:

• you are near ________________________4 and schools.

• you don’t need to be able to __________________5

Listening II The conversation continues. For questions 1-4, fill in the answers.

What kind of house does Peter want to buy? _______________________1

What kind of house would Jenny prefer? ________________________2

What could Peter do if they bought an old house?_____________________3

What is Peter’s job? _____________________4

Task 2

You will hear a telephone conversation between Jenny and Paula, which takes place a few weeks after the last conversation you heard. For questions 1-10, fill in the missing information.

The house they have found is situated in a large ________1 called Pitcraigie.

Originally, the house was used as a ____________2.

It was built in _____________3.

It has been used as a house since _____________4.

The former owners sold the house because it had too many ___________5.

The dining room is on the _____________6 floor.

Pitcraigie has a post office, but not a ________________7.

It takes about _____________8 on foot from the house to the shop.

Pitcraigie doesn’t have a ________________9 school.

Jenny will be moving house on ___________________10.

Part II. Reading

Task 1

Read the following passage about the construction of a traditional wooden building in Gloucestershire, in southwest England and answer the questions below.

Many people would quail at the idea of having to construct an open-plan building 70ft long and 24ft wide out of freshly cut oak, using nothing but their hands and traditional tools. But to a master-craftsman like Henry Russell, the task of creating the Great Oak Hall at Westonbirt, the Forestry Commission’s arboretum, or botanical tree garden, in southwest England, is no more than an agreeable challenge. A tousle-haired beanpole of 32, Henry is a versatile fellow, and for the past few years has been at the forefront of the revival in green woodworking. For years he has dreamt of building a big hall at Westonbirt, and now he has his chance.

Even though many of the materials have been given, and much of the work will be done by trainees, the building will cost over £300,000. So that work can start at once, a third of this sum has been underwritten by the charity Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum, and a fund-raising campaign will open later this year. When the project was launched at a reception in a marquee by the site of the hall, a number of oaks, contributed by local woodland owners, already lay on the ground outside, and 50 more mature oaks had been felled in the Silk Wood, one area of the arboretum, in a celebratory speech, the chairman of the Forestry Commission emphasised that nobody should see the cutting-down of ancient trees as an act of destruction or vandalism. On the contrary, he said: the harvesting was merely the latest move in centuries of careful woodland management, and the flora of the forest floor was already responding to the light which the felling of the trees had let in.

His words were very much to the point, but he rather gave away his own lack of practical skills when Henry Russell, handing him a sledge-hammer and wedges, invited him to split a round of oak as a token start. For Henry, in contrast, cutting, splitting and shaping green wood is second nature. He is well capable of tackling an entire oak on his own, cutting it to size with handsaws and axes; but in this case, to save time, the initial preparation of the trunks will be done mechanically by Henry, using a portable power-saw, and the cedar tiles for the roof will also be cut by machine; but thereafter, hand-tools will be the order of the day.

The aim is that much of the preliminary work will be done by volunteers, whether skilled workers or novices. Starting on 29th May, five week-long courses, for 12 trainees a time, will be held under the supervision of Gudrun Leitz, another pioneer of the green wood revival.

Taught by her and Henry, students will learn the techniques of cutting and shaping the wood. All they need bring with them, she says, is energy, enthusiasm, suitable clothes, and a pair of boots with steel toecaps. If they behave like most latter-day woodworkers, they will live on site in tents or homemade shelters. They will also need to be fairly impervious to scrutiny, for the site is in a commanding position, near the entrance, and visitors to the arboretum – around 300,000 a year – will doubtless flock round.

From models and drawings, it looks as though the hall will be a striking blend of ancient and modern. Like all its main timbers, the furniture will be made of oak, but the windows will be of high-tech glass. As to which will last longer – the wood in the building, or the oaks growing outside it – no one can say; but there is no doubt that the hall will be the most striking innovation at Westonbirt since the arboretum was founded in 1829.

Look at the following questions and unfinished statements about the text. In each case, choose the answer, А, В, С or D, which you think fits best, according to the passage.

1 Green woodworking is a way of constructing buildings which

A is often used in the building of traditional houses.

В is coming back into fashion again.

С has been developed only in recent years.

D requires master craftsmen like Henry Russell.

2 The felling of trees for this project

A happened at the site of the new building.

В was essential for the other life on the forest floor.

С was seen as controversial by many.

D was funded entirely by the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum.

3 The chairman of the Forestry Commission

A wanted more traditional woodland management.

В initiated the project with a public speech.

С had very pointed things to say about the project.

D was better at public speaking than woodworking.

4 The volunteer workers will

A have to construct their own accommodation.

В only be working with hand tools.

С stay on the site for over a month.

D be involved in the preparation of trunks.

5 What will the workers on the project have to get used to?

A being looked at closely by visitors

В meeting vast numbers of tourists

С being made to live in tents on site

D supervising visitors to the site

6 The Great Oak Hall at Westonbirt will

A be something new and original that will attract attention.

В use fashionable hi-tech materials.

С be unusual, because built entirely of wood.

D be more durable than most modern buildings.

Task 2

You are going to read an article about homes in the next century. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-H for each part (1-6) of the text. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).

1. Returning to the past

2. Houses will look very different

3. Saving valuable resources

4. Keeping an eye on how things are running

5. New directions in home design

6. Expensive and high-tech

7. Computers will control everything

8. Keeping you safe and sound