FCE Practice Test Plus 1 Test 5 Paper 1 (Reading) Part 2

FCE Practice Test Plus 1

Test 5 Paper 1 (Reading) Part 2

You are going to read a magazine article about a group of engineering students. For Questions8-14, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Fast-track Studies Students of Birmingham University have found the drive to succeed - by building their own racing car

Formula one motor racing is very much on international sport. Many of the leading formula one racing teams choose to base their operations in Britain, however. This is surprising because Britain no longer has a car manufacturing industry of any great significance. So why do the formula one teams choose to work there? In part the answer lies in the long tradition of mechanical engineering in British universities which continue to turn out highly-skilled graduates in the subject. At Birmingham University, for example, the engineering department has specialised in preparing students for a career in the motor-racing industry. Students at the University have designed and built a single-seater racing car as part al their course. Each third-year student took sole responsibility for a section of the car, for example, the engine, bodywork or brakes, and the work was assessed as part of the students' final degree mark. Even more exciting for the students is the fact that the team building the car also gets to race it against teams from other universities. This October, Martin Corsham, the student responsible for the engine on last year's course, is starting work as a trainee with one of the world's leading formula one teams. It is a dream job that makes every other mechanical engineering student in the country feel more than slightly envious. More significantly, it's a job that 21-year-old Corsham is 30 adamant he would not have got without the hands-on experience he gained at Birmingham. 'I’ve worked on cars since I was a kid,' he says, 'but this was the first engine that I'd worked on completely on my own. I took what was basically a motorcycle engine and turned it into on engine for the racing car' Corsham Is clearly a true obsessive. He worked on the engine for at least three hours a day throughout his final year at university. The project finally came to a head the day before the car's official test run on April 22nd. Until that day, the engine had never actually run In the car itself. They eventually got it going at down after o desperate all-night session. 'But what a night!' Corsham says 'I don 't think I've got word s to describe what il felt like, that feeling al great pride when it actually started The most satisfying thing though was actually getting to drive the car. I was the first person who got the chance to drive the car with my engine in it, it was wonderful.' Ian Stewart, who was responsible for the bodywork on the car, also found the whole experience very valuable, if a little frustrating. 'It's difficult relying on other people finalising their part before you can do yours,' he remembers. Stewart spent his whole Christmas holidays producing a model of the bodywork at home. He returned to college to find a few crucial details on other parts al the car had been changed and he had to start again. The idea for the racing car programme originally came from the students themselves. Reading about on annual competition for racing-car builders in Detroit, USA, students on the course decided that they too would be capable al designing and building their own car. The university was quick to see the value al the idea and gave its backing. Last May, the team took the car they had built to Detroit. Although the team was new to the competition, and had received relatively little funding compared to their rivals, their car impressed the judges. The university now plans to make the project a regular feature of the course. It has proved very successful, not only as a practical demonstration of the students' theoretical studies, but also in allowing them to get their hands dirty and impress future employers.

8	On the Birmingham University course, each of the students tired A.       builds a complete racing car. B.       works with professional racing drivers. C.       is expected to be successful in races. D.       has a separate area of responsibility.
9	Haw do other students view Martin's new job? A.       They are jealous of him. B.       They are encouraged by it. C.       They are proud of him. D.       They are surprised by it.
10	'adamant' in line 30 describes a feeling A.       certainty B.       gratitude C.       satisfaction D.       modesty
11	Which part of the project did Martin find most rewarding? A.       working without assistance B.       the last-minute preparations C.       the moment the engine started D.       driving the finished car
12	What did Ian Stewart find most difficult about the project? A.       working in the holidays B.       being dependent on other people C.       producing a model of the car D.       getting the details right
13	Where did the idea of the racing-car project come tram? A.       racing-car builders in Detroit B.       staff at the university C.       students on the course D.       local employers
14	What does 'It' refer to in line 71? A.       the car B.       the course C.       the project D.       the university

ANSWER KEY

8	9	10	11	12	13	14
D	A	A	D	B	C	C