Reading Test Questions

Questions 1–5

Look at the text in each question.
What does it say?
Mark the correct letter A, B or C on your answer sheet.

Example:
Jack, can you bring the bicycle you borrowed to my house today?
Thanks, Karl

A Karl needs Jack to lend him a bike.
B Jack has to return the bike that Karl lent him.
C Jack is invited to meet Karl at his house and go cycling.

Answer:
A B C

1.

2.

Harry is contacting Tom to

3.

Ciara is texting Ben to

4.

What is Mum reminding Billy to do?

5.

Questions 6–10

Five teenagers all want to visit a museum exhibition in their city. On the opposite page
there are descriptions of eight different exhibitions to visit. Decide which exhibition
would be the most suitable for the following teenagers.

A   Smithson Museum
Come along and see this exhibition of everything to do with animals – from unusual
animal prints to the latest computer designs of cartoon animals for films. Try designing a
new and fantastic film creature on the computer – you might even see it appear in a
film!

B   The Willis Centre
Come and join the museum’s guided walks along the river bank. You’ll collect objects
that have come from the river, such as interesting stones and old pieces of wood and
machines. And then try making pictures with what you’ve picked up!

C   Railton Museum
A visit to this museum all about the city’s river includes a 40-minute ride in a huge boat along the water – at great speed! You can also have your photo taken during the trip – but don’t even think about trying to take your own. You’ll be too wet!

D   Park Pavilion
Art galleries not usually for you? Then visit this Art in the Park exhibition – young
people’s art and photography about problems in our environment. There’s everything,
from art produced on computers to teenagers’ wildlife photos. Come and put some of
your work in the display!

E   The Allen Centre
Got a great idea to share? Come and take part in this exhibition about how machines
are made, from the idea to the finished product. See how IT can help with plans for
models. And come and work on your idea here – the best ones will go into the display!

F   Hampton House
This technology museum is full of models of engines – and a big wheel! Climb on, sit
down and be taken up high enough to see over the rooftops! And don’t forget your
camera – you’ll get some amazing pictures! Model engines are on sale in the gift shop.

G   Bedford Lock
Come down to the river bank and take photos of this temporary exhibition – 200 kilos of plastic rubbish, collected from our river! Get ideas about how we can each help to tidy up our world – but also don’t miss the display of useful plastic items such as computer and machine parts.

H   Camford Museum
The exhibition here is based around large models showing how living creatures use
their amazing skills in the wild. Dress up like a jungle creature to discover how they deal with a changing environment. Or help build a model of a giraffe – and even get one from the shop to take away!

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6.  Sarah likes inventing useful things and finding out how new inventions are designed
and produced. She’s good at using computers, and wants to see how they can be used
in design.

7.   Jake is keen on large vehicles and machines, and would like to go somewhere he
can have experience of one actually working. He’d also like to take some good photos.

8.   Marta is doing a project on the environment and the effects of waste products we
throw away. She wants to learn more about the problem and what individuals can do
about it.

9.   Tom likes animals and wants to understand more about them. He wants to go
somewhere he can take part in activities and buy a souvenir to make at home.

10.   Karina is keen on art and photography. she likes exploring areas of the city to see
what things she can find for her art, and then put them into her work.

Questions 11–20

Look at the sentences below about a girl called Anna and her new school building.
Read the text on the next page to decide if each sentence is correct or incorrect.
If it is correct, mark A on your answer sheet.
If it is not correct, mark B on your answer sheet.

Anna’s new school

It’s been a very exciting week, as we’ve just moved into our new school building! It’s an
amazing place, as the builders have used wood for the whole thing, just like in our old
school, but it’s also one of the first in my country designed to be really environmentally
friendly.
The school took months to build, so we saw it all happening. It was really exciting
seeing the builders clear the space where it would be, although it also meant that some
lovely open land disappeared. And the noise of the building machines was really loud,
although the builders often had to stop work because it rained so hard. We all began to
think the building would never be finished.
We have five classrooms now, which are enormous – much bigger than in our previous
school next door, which was very old. We share one room with people in the town when
they want to have meetings and so on. There’s a nursery too, a lovely dining room, and
really big changing rooms which we’re looking forward to using as soon as our new
sports field is ready.
When you come into the school, one of the first things you notice is that there aren’t any
heaters in the building! Instead, the heat for the school comes from all of us inside it –
the children, the teachers and the computers we use. The building is so well designed
that it holds all the heat inside – and all the sound too, so if we sing inside our
classrooms, we can almost believe we’re inside a concert hall!
Another thing you’ll notice is that the school roof has a tree on top of it! It was put there
by the builders once they’d finished the roof, because they said it was the custom in
Austria, the country where the roof was made. The electricity for lights and computers
comes from a wind turbine on a hill behind the school. We went with our teacher to look
at it yesterday, and it goes round really fast. It’s so big, it can be seen for miles! We took
some pictures which we’re planning to put on the website.
Even though we’re already using the school building, there are still some parts to be
added to it – for example, at the moment we’re putting on a play for parents to come
and see, but we still have to walk back to our old school hall to do it. The replacement
will be ready by next year, though. We’re so pleased with our new school, and our
teachers say we’ll all learn much faster now we’re in it!

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11.   Anna’s school is the first one in her country to be made completely of wood.

12.   Anna had mixed feelings about seeing the space cleared ready for building the
school.

13.   Builders managed to carry on with work on the school despite the weather.

14.   There is one room that is kept just for local people to use for meetings.

15.   The children find the new changing rooms convenient when they do sports on
their field.

16.   The inside of Anna’s school depends on the people and machines in it to be
warm.

17.   The new school building has great benefits for people who like to sing.

18.   The builders wanted to do something traditional for the school when they’d
finished the roof.

19.   Pictures of the wind turbine behind the school can now be seen online.

20.   The pupils are busy preparing to do a performance for their parents in their new
school building.

Questions 21–25

Read the text and questions below.
For each question, mark the correct letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet.

JAZZ
By Katie Atkins, aged 14

I play the trumpet in my school jazz band. Last month we held a jazz competition with
bands from local high schools – and our band won! Each band had their own costumes,
ranging from black school uniforms like my band wore, to brightly-coloured T-shirts. We
didn’t look much like adult professional bands, but all of us were used to performing in
competitions, so the quality of playing was amazing, especially considering everyone
was so young. Players from each band even created new tunes right there on stage. It
was exciting to watch – but even better when my band played on stage! We have a
great jazz band at my school, but not everyone who wants to play in it gets accepted –
only about half, in fact. But anyone who’s keen to play goes to jazz practice before
school, and we often spend time together after school, listening to jazz and learning its
language. There are also trips to jazz summer camps across the country – I’ve been to
a couple and learnt a lot. Adults are often surprised that young people are getting
interested in jazz. My music teacher thinks it’s because pop music isn’t challenging
enough for people like me who are serious about music. But I find it exciting because
it’s both new and old at the same time – you can create your own music, but you also
feel you’re part of its history, as you’re playing on stage in the same way as great jazz
performers before you. My school’s really lucky because we have great teachers, and
parents who’ve supported us all the way. Without them, we’d never get anywhere with
our music!

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21.   What is Katie trying to do in the text?

22.   Katie says the bands in her school’s jazz competition

23.   Most people at Katie’s school who are interested in jazz

24.   Why does Katie enjoy playing jazz so much?

25.   Which of the following would Katie write to a friend?

Questions 26–35

Read the text below and choose the correct word for each space. For each question,
mark the correct letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet.

Example:
(0)   A one B some C any D many

Answer:    (0)   A B C D

Sharks

Sharks are (0) _______________ of the most frightening creatures in our oceans. They are well prepared for feeding under water because they can (26) ___________
very well, and they can also (27) ________________ movement through special lines
on the sides of their bodies. These make sharks very (28) ________________ for
smaller sea creatures that become their food. Although sharks are similar (29)
______________ other fish in a number of ways, their bodies are different. For
example, unlike other fish, most sharks (30) ______________ to swim all the time in
order to breathe and stay alive, (31) _________________ they hardly sleep at all. Also, if sharks are turned over on their backs, they can stop moving (32)_____________ . This is a very useful technique for researchers (33)___________ are often required to (34) ______________ sharks. It allows them to (35) _______________ out more about these fascinating creatures.

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