Aunt Helen's House - Reading Comprehension Multiple Choice After reading the text, choose the best answer, T'm going to tell you about my Aunt Helen's house. It's not her main house, that's in the city. No, this house is by the lake. There was a small town by the lake called Miller’s Ford, but all the people moved away when the fishing and mining stopped about sixty years ago. But the houses stayed, of course. My Aunt Helen uses that house as a vacation home and she goes there for a few weeks every year to relax. But staying in that house isn’t a relaxing experience. I think the house is haunted! | think there's a ghost there from many many years ago. Helen says I'm silly and that I've got an over-active imagination, But there are many things that happen in that house that cannot be easily explained. One day, shortly after getting up, I went to find my Aunt Helen to say "good morning" and I heard her talking in a room that she usually never uses. I think it used to be the nursery of the house when Miller's Ford was a busy town in the 19th Century. I listened at the door and could hear Helen reading something out, or perhaps she was dictating a letter. I couldn't hear any other person in the room with her so it wasn't a normal conversation. I didn't want to disturb my aunt, so I went back downstairs and went to make breakfast in the kitchen, which I ate on the porch that overlooked the lake. It was a beautiful sunny morning, Half an hour later, I heard my aunt's car arriving. She had been to the local store to buy some bread and milk. I couldn't believe it! "What are you looking so shocked for?" she asked me. “thought you were in the old nursery, working on your letters, Auntie," I replied. “I never go in that room," she said, "I haven't been in that room for fifteen years." A few other things like that happened over the next few visits I made to that house and I grew to dislike it very much. Then, one day in my local library, | found a story in an old newspaper with the title "The Constant Babysitter". The story was that a baby had died in one of the houses by the lake at Miller's Ford and the babysitter was blamed, a woman of 37 who was a family friend and had offered to look after the baby. But she spent all her time in the kitchen writing her letters and didn't know that someone had climbed in the baby's window and taken her. The baby was never found. The woman killed herself through depression afier the baby's disappearance and local people then said her ghost stayed very close to where the baby was left by the parents - in the nursery. Thever went back to that house, despite my Aunt Helen's many invitations. 1. The narrator describes the house where her aunt lives all year,false & true 2. Why did the people leave Miller's Ford the lake flooded 5 the haunted house the economy 3. Aunt Helen also believes there's something "strange" in the house. c tue false 4, Why was the narrator looking for Aunt Helen? ° to tell her about the nursery to have breakfast to greet her 5. Why did the narrator think it wasn't a "normal conversation"? she heard only one person the people were shouting the voices were strange 6, What did Aunt Helen say about the nursery? she didn't like to use it that she never used it the room was locked7. Who took the baby in the story? a friend of the babysitter the babysitter nobody knows. 8. Why does the ghost probably stay in the nursery? it feels guilty about what happened because of the lake view she jumped from that windowBlack Hollywood - Reading Comprehension Multiple Choice Answer these multiple choice questions about the text. Patricia Denning stars in a sad movie about ambition and heartbreak. When Cecilia leaves college in Texas, she has everything: a wonderful boyfriend, Carl, an interesting job and an expensive house in a pretty town. Her life is perfect. Even her black Labrador dog, Perky, is a star: he wins the local dog competition and Hollywood wants to put him in a movie, Cecilia goes to Hollywood the studio fires Perky, Ce roles for her beautiful dog. ith him and leaves her boyfriend alone back home. When ia decides to stay in Hollywood and tries to get other movie Carl gives Cecilia an ultimatum: come home and stop behaving crazily, or stay there forever. Cecilia decides to stay in Hollywood and wants to become an actress herself, She sends Perky back to Texas and starts an acting course. After six months, Cecilia realizes she can't act and she misses home, but it's too late. Carl has found another girlfriend. Cecilia tries to win him back, and also discovers a lot about herself on her Tong journey. This is a very sad movie, which makes you think about what we want from life. Patricia Denning is very convincing as Cecilia, but the star of the movie is gorgeous Perky, the black Labrador who steals our hearts. Black Hollywood is in cinemas from next week. 1. What does Cecilia not have? © A house she loves } A wonderful husband . Apet © A great job 2. When does her wonderfull adventure begin? When her dog wins a competition When she marries her boyfriend, CarlWhen she goes on vacation to Hollywood When she buys the house in a pretty town 3, What happens to Perky in Hollywood? ° any He isn't very successful o He becomes a star co ’ He's too nervous to work oO He makes two movies and retires 4, What is Carl's reaction to Cecilia living in Hollywood? He doesn't know she went He's angry He doesn't care He's supportive 5. Why does Cecilia stay in Hollywood? © "She wants to become an actress ° . She is too busy making movies © She hates Carl é She has no moneyMatch words from the reading text with these definitions: — Patricia Denning stars in a sad movie about ambition and heartbreak. ‘When Cecilia leaves college in Texas, she has everything: a wonderful boyfriend, Carl, an interesting job and an expensive house in a pretty town. Her life is perfect. Even her black Labrador dog, Perky, is a star: he wins the local dog competition and Hollywood wants to put him in a movie. Cecilia goes to Hollywood with him and leaves her boyfriend alone back home. When the studio fires Perky, Cecilia decides to stay in Hollywood and tries to get other movie roles for her beautiful dog, Carl gives Cecilia an ultimatum: come home and stop behaving crazily, or stay there forever. Cecilia decides to stay in Hollywood and wants to become an actress herself. She sends Perky back to Texas and starts an acting course. After six months, Cecilia realizes she can't act and she misses home, but it's too late. Carl has found another girlfriend. Cecilia tries to win him back, and also discovers a lot about herself on her Jong journey. This is a very sad movie, which makes you think about what we want from life. Patricia Denning is very convincing as Cecilia, but the star of the movie is gorgeous Perky, the black Labrador who steals our hearts. Black Hollywood is in cinemas from next week. 1, famous, a celebrity 2. without anyone, solitary 3. a final demand or set of conditions 4. to sack, dismiss from job 5. a program of educational instruction, often at a college or university 6. a period of travel, travel from one place to another jive and assuring, believable 8. beautiful, very pretty, physically attractive 7. perThe Rodriguez Brothers Circus is in town! Every year, the circus arrives and stays for a week. Then they go to the next town. There are not many animals in the circus. People told the circus that they didn't like seeing animals performing. There is an elephant called Jacob and two old lions, Hattie and Meg. Most of the performers are human! There is Leopold, The Strongest Man In ‘The World. His father also worked in the circus, but Leopold is stronger than him, he has bigger arms and bigger legs too! Leopold performs his act every night for the town's people who come to watch. Another performer is Clara. She says she has the longest hair in the world, It's about 4 metres long! She also has a daughter who works in the circus, Her name is Sue-Ellen. Her hair is a lot shorter, but she wants to grow it as long as her mother's. Sue-Ellen. helps look after the animals and she's also leaning how to juggle. The highlight of the circus are the three clowns, Pit, Pot and Pat. They all wear long red shoes, but Pat's shoes are the longest and sometimes, he falls over because they're so long! They perform for about twenty minutes and they are always the most popular act with the audience, especially the children. Many people think Pit, Pot and Pat are three brothers, but Pat is older than the other two - he's their father! He's the oldest clown in the country, but he has a lot of energy. Tomorrow will be the longest day because the circus is leaving town and everything must be packed away into big trucks, 1. The circus comes to the town twice a year. True False 2. There are not many animals in the circus. ° True False 3. People don't come to the circus because of the animals. ° True False 4. Leopold and his father work in the circus together. © True False5. Leopold's father is the strongest. © True © False 6. Clara's hair is longer than her daughter's hair. 6 True © False 7. Sue-Ellen wants to be a clown in the circus. c True False 8. Pit is the father of the other two clowns. 2 True False 9. The three clowns wear identical shoes. c True False 10. Everyone is very tired on the day that the circus leaves town. o True FalseDear Elena, Thank you for the letter you sent me last week. I'm very happy to hear that you and Francesco are well and that your exam results were so good. Well done! I know you studied hard and you deserve your success. Mine are next week so at the moment I'm studying a lot. I'm really nervous about them because, if you remember, T was ill for a couple of months at the end of the year and so I missed a lot of lessons. When they finish I would like to come and visit you for a few days, if that’s OK with your mom and dad, Do you remember I told you about my friend Amanda from Scotland? She's going to come here next month and is going to stay for two weeks. I'd like you to come too so you can meet her and we can all go out together. What do you think? We can practice our English! I remember last year we had such a good time. The beaches near your house are wonderful and I really enjoyed meeting your friends (especially Roberto! Is he still single?) I can't remember the name of the disco next to the train station but I'd like to go there again - it was fun, Oh, guess what! Jason broke his arm last weekend! He went to the skateboard park with his friends from school and fell down some steps (he doesn't know how to skateboard!) He's got a plaster cast and he's going to have it for at least six weeks. He's such an idiot! My mom's calling me for lunch so I'll finish this letter now. Say hello to your family and don't forget to congratulate Francesco for me. lots of love Milena xx PS. Say Hi to Roberto too! A. Memories B, Well done! C. Plans D. Me E. News F. Bye! Paragraph 1. Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3. Paragraph 4,Paragraph 5. Paragraph 6.Eating Out Here are four people talking about eating out. After you read, answer each question with a paragraph number (1-4). 1.The last time I went to a restaurant was about 2 months ago. My wife and I wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary with a good meal so we went to an expensive Italian restaurant in downtown Lisbon. We both had pasta to start and for the main course my wife ordered a steak and I chose fish. For dessert we both ate chocolate cake topped with fresh cream, Delicious! 2. Iwent to a restaurant yesterday evening with my sister's children. It wasn't very expensive and the menu was very limited. We all had a burger and French fries, and drank cola. It wasn't very good. 3. My boyfriend loves spicy food so this restaurant was perfect. The waiters were all really friendly and polite, and they played traditional sitar music which was very relaxing. The menu offered vegetarian dishes as well as meat dishes served with tice and a sauce - it depended on how hot you wanted it! I chose a mild beef curry but my boyfriend had a lamb 'vindaloo’ - he also drank 2 liters of water!! 4. My class at the university went there last weekend. I's a very popular type of restaurant in my country. It generally offers one type of food (a kind of bread with cheese and tomato sauce) which you then choose what ingredients to add on top of it. asked for olives and mushrooms on mine and my classmates each had something different so we could taste a piece of each person’s meal, 1. In which text did the person go there fora special occasion? | _ 2. In which text did the person visit an Indian restaurant? 3. In which text did the person eat pizza? In which text did the person eat fast food?|___ . In which text did someone eat seafood?! | In which text did the person talk about the atmosphere of the restaurant? In which text didn't the person enjoy their meal? 4 5. 6. 7. Which restaurant was cheap’ 8 9. In.which text did someone eat a very hot dish?! 10. In which text did the person have a vegetarian meal?English Tow Read about this piece of England in China, then answer the true/false questions. ‘The building company Hong Kong Housing is building a new suburb in Shanghai, a city with a population of more than 15 million people. But this suburb is not like other parts of Shanghai. It is a litle piece of England. The name of the new area is "English Town’. The manager of Hong Kong Housing, Shi Guangsheng, says many people in this area of China want to buy an English house and live in an English town. "This town is like Bristol or Chester. There is an English square and there are Pigeons to feed like in Trafalgar Square, London. There are four English-style pubs and you can buy English beer to drink. There is a canal and you can row a boat there like in Cambridge." Are there any cricket fields? "No, there aren't any places to play cricket because nobody in Shanghai can play this game, But there is a football stadium like those in England. And the thing we are very proud of is our shopping street. There are several shops Where you can buy traditional English food like fish and chips or Christmas Pudding," The rich Shanghai businessman can do some gardening too. For with every house in “English Town", there is an English lawn and there are long gardens with ponds and tall hedges. But there is one problem. The houses in this part of town cost a minimum of'$400,000! ee 1. "English Town" is in a Chinese city. 5 True False 2. These houses are only for English people to buy. a True False 3. There are pigeons in all the gardens. True False 4. The English pubs look like pubs in Cambridge. © True False5. There aren't any cricket fields in the new development. © True False 6. Shi Guangsheng feels proud about the English-style shops True False 7. Most houses have a lawn. c True False 8. The houses are cheap. ° = True FalseThe Silver Glove Read the film reviews below of The Silver Glove and then decide the best answer for the questions below. For some questions, there are two answers. In this case, put the two letters in alphabetical order and with a hyphen in between. e.g. C-F The Silver Bore Daniel Jones If you've ever seen a pirate film in the past, you can save your money. This is one of the most predictable films I have seen this year. The plot is totally unbelievable and the script is something amateurish out of filmmaker college. There is some nice cinematography but the Hawaiian scenery is not enough to save this film. Great support acting from the Frenchman Thierry Montpasse as the evil Captain Scar. Pirates At The Speed Of Light Angela Moore {just loved this fast-moving pirate thriller. The story moves at dizzying speed from one terrifying battle scene to the next and you really feel as if you are on the ships with these evil thieves and smugglers. Chief pirate, British actor Colin Williams, is given all the best, wittiest lines and the film has its share of laughs as well as scary moments. The storm scene at the beginning leaves you both exhausted and terrified. A Hidden Treasure Max Court | found this film absolutely delightful. An inspiring cast is directed with great skill and invention by German Dieter Muller, There are plenty of surprises in the story to keep the audience guessing until the last minute, Some clever jokes give the film a surprising level of humor too, which I really wasn't expecting from a film about pirates. Film Should Walk The Plank Deborah McGhee ‘The Silver Glove promises much but delivers very little. The opening scene, filmed in a storm of lightning and high waves, is an exciting start but as the film takes you from one swordfight to another, it starts to seem a bit monotonous, Patricia Groves plays the doctor wonderfully and there may be an Oscar nomination for her in the new year.Sharp Sword Drama William Wilson The Silver Glove is an action-packed pirate drama in the best traditions of this genre. If you only want swordfights and buried treasure, you may be disappointed as this intriguing film also offers a complex plot which is never dull. Some of the language may be too crude for younger children but this is really my only complaint, Some fine acting completes this fun movie. Glove Sinks In The Sea Maria Thomson After all the money that has been spent on this simplistic pirate tale, you would expect more than this dull movie. The battle scenes are so repetitive that you may think you've seen the film before, Some of the camera work is inventive and is to be complimented. The ship chase creates a lot of tension and excitement that the rest of the film fails to do. A. Daniel Jones B. Angela Moore CC. Max Court D. Deborah MeGhee E. William Wilson F. Maria Thomson Which film eritie(s): Likes the opening scenes? Didn't expect to laugh at the film?] Compliments an actress on her performance?! __| Haas a warning for traditional pirate film fans? Comments on the humor of the film? Has a warning for parents? Says something about the film's location? Praises the "look" of the film? PRPARA EH Knew what was going to happen in the film? 10. Makes fun of the film's title?Caribbean Cruise Read the cruise brochure, then answer the true/false questions below. Crystal Cruises - Luxury Every Day Come and sail on a Crystal Cruise ship. We have three ships: The Crystal Queen, The Crystal Princess, The Crystal Palace. Come and sail in luxury on eruises around the Caribbean Sea for 7 or 14 days. Our seven-day cruise costs $2000 and our two-week cruise is $3500. A typical one week cruise Day One - departure from Miami Day Two - free day in Nassau, in The Bahamas Day Three - near Haiti Day Four - visit Puerto Rico and Antigua Day Five - free day in Barbados Day Six - free day in Port of Spain, Trinidad Day Seven - travel to Caracas, Venezuela Day Eight - fly home. All food and drink is included in the price of your cruise (except for alcoholie drinks). Our cruise ships all have a casino, a cinema, a five-star restaurant, a theatre, a library and a fully equipped gymnasium. Ifyou prefer to go on a cruise in another part of the world, we also organize cruises in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. Our ships carry over 2000 passengers and we have nearly 600 crew members. So come on board today for the holiday of a lifetime! Call immediately: 020-4455832 1. Your cruise starts in The Bahamas. True False2. You have a free day in Antigua. c° True False 3. You can go on a cruise for two weeks. c True False 4. There are three different ships in the Crystal Cruises company. © True False 5. There is a cinema on board each sl True False 6. The cruise finishes in a different country. © True False 7. You can keep fit while you are on board the cruise ship. © True False 8. The company only does cruises in the Caribbean, © True FalseConfused Letter ‘The following letter from Mike about his recent European vacation was sent to Linda. Unfortunately, her dog chewed it up and now Mike needs to put it back in the right order. Can you help him? Put the correet number into each of the boxes in the four missing parts. There are two extra paragraphs you don't need. — 1. Clive and his wife left us once we got to Germany by train. They went up into Denmark but we continued to Munich. Wow - what a great city. I bought you a surprise gift there. I hope you like it, 2. As I told you yesterday, I am in Rome today. Tomorrow we are getting the train down into the south of the country and then the ship across to Greece. 3. [paid nearly $200 for it but it looks magnificent and is made of real leather. 4. OK, that's enough from me for now. I want to post this letter now so you get it by the weekend. 5. At least when we got to Paris, the sun was shining! We only stayed for one afternoon in the French capital because my friends really wanted to visit Euro Disney which is to the east of Paris. 6. I sent her a postcard last night. It had the Eiffel Tower on it, which she has always wanted to visit. Now she can look at it on a postcard every day! Dear Linda, How are things with you, It was great talking to you yesterday by phone. r— can't wait to arrive in Athens to see all that history. Let me tell you something about ‘where we have visited so far. I know you want to come here on vacation too one day! We started in England and we spent two days in London and another day in Canterbury We saw a lot of great history and the only bad thing was the weather - it rained for the whole time we were there. Can you believe it? r— Well, I have to say I prefer the American Disneyland, But we met some nice people from Canada and spent two great days with them. One of them, Clive, is going to your university next year. How's that for a coincidence!After that, we went south into Switzerland. It was very expensive and we couldn't stay as long as we wanted to, so that's why we're in Italy now! See you soon, MikeThe Party - Past Continuous Worksheet. Read the following short text about a party and decide the best place in the text for the phrases which follow. Write the correct number in the boxes afier each of the sentences. For Example; if you think the first sentence should go after the word Beyonce, write 6 in the box. When T arrived at the party__1__, there were many people —?__there__3_. First I saw Bill Clinton__4__near the bar__5__. Beyonce __6__ was with some friends —Ts Sting and Justin Bieber__8__ were near a big group of young girls__9 _. All the waiters were Mexican 10. 1. and were talking to each other in Spanish 2. and were singing a beautifull Italian song 3. who was drinking a bottle of vodka 4. and everybody was enjoying themselves 5.and was singing her latest song