Take this fortnight reading and use of English quiz and boost your preparation for the Cambridge B2 First exam.
Roll up your sleeves and sharpen your wits!
Good luck!
Reading and Use of English, Part 1
Read the sentence. Decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits the gap.
It’s a fact that blue skies tend to lift the spirits and _______ the world seem a better place.
A. get
B. let
C. make
D. do
Reading and Use of English, Part 2
Read the sentence. Think of the word which best fits the gap. Use only one word.
Since the weather is nice, we _____ as well go for a walk.
Reading and Use of English, Part 3
Read the sentence below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of the line to form a word that fits in the gap.
I always make sure to wear a …………………. jacket when it’s raining. WATER
Reading and Use of English, Part 4
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.
Could you please throw out the old magazines that are creating a mess in the living room?
RID
Could you please ………………………………………………………… magazines that are creating a mess in the living room?
Reading and Use of English, Part 5
Read an extract from a book in which actor Ewan McGregor explains how he first became interested in motorbikes. Choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
My biking beginnings can be summed up in two words: teenage love. My first girlfriend was small with short, mousy blonde hair, and I was mad about her. Our romance came to an abrupt end, however, when she started going out with another guy in my hometown, Crieff. He rode a 50cc road bike first and then a 125. And whereas I had always walked my girlfriend home, suddenly she was going back with this guy.
I was nearly sixteen by then and already heartbroken. Then one day, on the way back from a shopping trip to Perth with my mum, we passed Buchan’s, the local bike shop. I urged my mother to stop the car. I got out, walked up the short hill to the shop and pressed my nose to the window. There was a light-blue 50cc bike on display right at the front of the shop. I didn’t know what make it was, or if it was any good. Such trivialities were irrelevant to me. All I knew was that I could get it in three or four months’ time when I was sixteen and allowed to ride it. Maybe I could even get my girlfriend back.
1. What led to the end of the narrator’s romance with his first girlfriend?
A The narrator’s sudden disinterest in his girlfriend.
B The girlfriend’s decision to move to another town.
C The girlfriend’s attraction to another guy.
D The narrator’s decision to focus on biking instead of dating.
2. What does ‘Such trivialities’ refer to?
A His mother’s attitude to the bike
B The bike’s size and colour
C The bike’s price
D The bike’s quality and its manufacturer
3. Ewan did not buy the bike straight away because
A he did not have enough money.
B he was too young to ride it.
C he was uncertain about its quality.
D he had to ask his girlfriend first.
Reading and Use of English, Part 6
Read the extract. One sentence has been removed from the text. Choose from the sentences (A-C) the one which fits the gap.
Rome bans lovers’ locks to protect bridge
Thousands of “love padlocks” fixed to an ancient bridge in Rome, the Italian capital, have been cut off to save the structure from damage.
(1) ♦ ? They have then sworn eternal love for each other and thrown the key into the Tiber river below. The habit has also become popular at other bridges around the world, particularly in Paris.
(2) ♦ ? In the book, a young couple place a bicycle lock around a lamppost on the Milvian bridge and throw the key into the Tiber.
The famous bridge was first built in 206 BC and is one of the oldest in Rome. It was the scene of an important Roman battle in AD312.
A. In 2007 a lamppost on the ancient bridge nearly collapsed under the weight of the “love padlocks” and special posts were put up for the locks.
B. For years, teenage lovers have written their initials on padlocks and locked them to the bridge.
C. Since the habit started, the residential neighbourhood has become a busy centre for late-night bars, and city officials said that 86% of local people wanted the locks to go.
D. The padlock idea was first inspired by characters in the 2006 Italian teenage novel I Want You by Federico Moccia.
Reading and Use of English, Part 7
You are going to read an article about student accommodation in which one college student talks about the place they live.
I live in a college-owned self-catering block. There’s not much luxury, but I get value for money. For my £40 per week rent, I get a reasonably-sized room with an old wardrobe, a tiny desk, one shelf, a rather stained carpet and a sink. When I first moved in, I probably spent more on decoration than I did on food. My only real complaint, though, was that I had to buy a new pillow because the one I was provided with felt like a plastic bag full of old towels. I share the kitchen and bathroom with six other girls. One of them has a TV in her room, but she is a bit possessive about it. The fridge is not huge, so you’re always trying to squeeze your food into the last remaining inch of space. I twice set off the fire alarm by burning my dinner, so tended to give up on cooking after that. We eat a lot of takeaways. In the next block, there’s a games’ room where we hang out which has things like table football and satellite IV if you need a break from studying.
Which of the statements below (1-10) are mentioned in the text?
- I have washing facilities in my room.
- It’s easy to keep in touch with people here.
- My college doesn’t provide accommodation.
- I would like to have more private space.
- My accommodation seems quite expensive.
- This is the only place where I can afford to live.
- I save money by doing my own cooking.
- There are good recreational facilities nearby.
- My room is not very well-furnished.
- My room is maintained to a high standard.
Check out our previous B2 First Reading and Use of English quiz: B2 First Reading and Use of English Quiz 8
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