B1 Preliminary for Schools: Full Exam Practice
Focus: Reading Comprehension (All Parts)
1. Intro: Grammar Review
Past Simple vs. Present Perfect
Remember: Use Past Simple for specific times in the past (yesterday, in 2010, last week).
Use Present Perfect for experiences without a time or recent news (I have just arrived).
Vocabulary Focus: Ancient, Research, Exhibition, Display, Landscape.
2. Reading Part 1: Multiple Choice
Look at the text in each question. What does it say? Choose the correct answer.
3. Reading Part 2: Matching
The young people below all want to find an art course to attend. Decide which art course (A-H) would be the most suitable for each person.
He’s written stories, which he’d like to publish, and wants to learn how to include drawings in them, without using a computer.
Match:
She enjoys creating art on her computer, and wants to find ways to improve the posters she makes on it. She also wants to share what she’s done with other students on the course.
Match:
He wants to try different painting techniques, and have trips to see the work of famous painters, to get ideas for his own pictures. He’d also like to try painting outdoors.
Match:
She enjoys printing by hand. She wants to print the patterns she’s created onto different materials, for her mother to make into clothes, and also learn basic printing techniques to use at home.
Match:
He enjoys taking photos of his family, and wants to use them as a basis for the art he produces. He’d like to go somewhere that also offers private lessons.
Match:
A – Get Artistic
Teachers here always have ideas to get you drawing, painting and printing – but you can use your own material, too. The studio-based course focuses on portraits – you’ll learn how to develop whatever you’ve brought, or use famous portraits, to create pictures of people. One-to-one sessions also available.B – Art Attack!
Learn how to create pictures, perhaps based on your own writing, to put into a short book or poster, using simple techniques that don’t require technology. Discover, too, how to put a book together, with a professional-looking cover designed and hand-printed by you. Perfect for anyone considering further studies in art.C – Art and imagination
If you like designing clothes, you’ll enjoy learning to use special computer software here to create and print out designs for tops, shoes and hats that people would love to wear! You’ll go home with a folder of work, perfect to present when applying for a higher-level art course. Individual classes also available.D – Create!
Draw and paint in different situations – in the studio or even in the park! Gallery visits are also included, and you’re taught how to base your work on studies of landscapes and portraits by well-known artists. Teachers also encourage you to experiment with various styles and methods.E – More Art Now!
Improve how you paint people and places on this studio-based course. The teachers bring in work, ranging from photos to posters, to give you ideas. And use the studio website to show your work and exchange ideas with other students – useful for anyone wishing to study art at a higher level.F – Art Workshop
Do some drawings, in the studio or outside, or bring along your own. The teachers will then help you to turn them into wonderful printed designs, using simple methods you can try yourself after the course. You’ll then transfer your designs onto cotton and silk, using special paints – perfect to use in sewing projects afterwards.G – Do it yourself
Try making art to go with your stories here – working inside or outside! You’ll get ideas from books showing famous paintings and cartoons, and then create and print pictures of people to accompany your stories, using digital design techniques. There’s even one-to-one teaching if you’d prefer.H – The Studio
Come and experiment with digital design. You’ll get great ideas through research, then using special software, create your pictures and add details on screen, whether it’s clothes, people, books or something to put on the wall. Upload your work on the studio website and get opinions from your classmates there and comment on theirs!4. Reading Part 3: Multiple Choice
Our Great Ocean Road adventure
by Donna Waverley
My family and I recently went to Australia, to see my grandparents. But before we visited them, we went sightseeing along the Great Ocean Road, on the Australian coast.
Dad had intended to drive, but even though he was used to driving miles without getting exhausted, he then read on the website that the road wouldn’t be an easy drive, with a number of sharp bends. Anyway, we thought he deserved to enjoy the fantastic views too, which he couldn’t do as our driver. So instead, we persuaded him to book discount bus tickets and off we went.
Our first stop was where wild kangaroos lived – and Dad and I were taking a walk when a big one appeared! For a moment, it seemed to consider coming towards us, which made me slightly nervous but then it went off along the road, stopping to check if we were following. Although it was with us a while, I was so excited I didn’t even manage to pull out my camera. Then it looked back once more, and went off into the bushes.
That wasn’t the only wildlife we saw. I thought it unlikely we’d see Australia’s famous koala bears during our short visit, as I’d heard they were rare – but we weren’t disappointed at our next stop. In fact, we discovered there were roughly six million in that area! Sadly, some gum trees they were in had very few leaves left, which people told us was because of the koalas, although I’d read that lack of water is actually the problem. Still, I guess they looked cute, and were easy to find – we just followed the tourists looking up into the trees!
Dad had booked a campsite for the night, with ready-made tents – for an adventure! I wasn’t sure about that, but they were actually luxury tents, within walking distance of some famous rocks and other places we hoped to visit. However, Dad also said the sounds of wild creatures would help us sleep. That sounded worrying – until the ‘wild creatures’ turned out to be frogs! So I was embarrassed by my fears – and kept awake by the frogs! But we had fun making meals together – we’d brought food, as we knew there’d be nowhere to eat. In fact, this whole trip was fantastic!
5. Reading Part 5: Multiple Choice Cloze
Read the text and choose the correct word for each gap.
Fairbanks has been the home of the World Ice Art Championships for over 20 years, and artists from many different countries come to create spectacular ice sculptures. The ice is brought from a lake (23) near the sculpture park. It’s said to be so clear that visitors can read a newspaper through it – even though the individual pieces are over one metre (24) !
Visitors also have the (25) to make their own ice sculptures if they wish, at special classes. There’s a children’s play park, too, where (26) everything is made of ice, including sculptures of favourite animals. It’s a great place to visit!
6. Reading Part 6: Open Cloze
Read the email from a student. Write one word for each gap.
Hi Anna,
I’ve just been to the museum in our city. That was my first visit, believe it or (27) . I wanted to collect some information for our class history project. We have to hand it (28) soon, don’t we?
I went to the Ancient History section, (29) the museum keeps all its ancient Egyptian stuff. It was really interesting! There were some amazing statues of various animals, so I drew some pictures of them and then (30) some research about them online when I got home.
I’ve still got some work to do on my project, so I’ll need to go back to the museum again some time soon. In fact, (31) don’t we go together? I don’t think you’ve been there before, (32) you? I’m sure you’ll find something that you could use for your project.
See you soon!
Sally