TEST 6 PAPER 1: READING Part 1 FCE PRACTICE TESTS (with key)

 

FCE PRACTICE TESTS (with key) TEST 6 PAPER 1: READING Part 1 (QUESTIONS 1-8)

 

You are going to read an interview with a keen and well-respected gardener. For questions 1-8 choose the answer (А, В, С or D) which you think fits best according to the text. Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet. When did you first become interested in gardening? I started gardening at the age of 5; my mother gave each of us, my older sister and brother and me, a section of the garden which was ours to look after. I used to save my pocket money to buy seeds and bulbs and things to plant in my little patch and was really excited to watch the things I planted begin to grow. My brother and sister were never very interested and my mother used to do what needed to be done in the garden to keep it looking nice but it was really only me who had a real passion for gardening. I was quite unique in my family in that respect. I used to go out to the woods and countryside near where I lived and collect wild flowers when I was a child. Then when I got home I would look up in books the names of the flowers I had found and press them and keep. On a good day I would find about twenty new flowers. At school I chose to study science and botany right up to the age of 18 and learnt a lot about plants. And what do you like about gardening now? I love being outside in the fresh air and seeing things develop and grow. I like planning in the autumn for the next year and imagining how it will look in the spring and summer. You never really know how it will turn out in the end and when it works out well it is very satisfying. In that way gardening can be very rewarding. It can also be very challenging. You need to learn about different soil types and which plants grow best in which places. It is also important to know how big plants will grow and how quickly. And you have to consider which plants will go together with others. You have to be very patient to be a good gardener as you always have to wait a long time to see the results of your ideas and hard work. You usually have to wait months to see if something works or not. But in the summer there is nothing I like more than being outside in my garden with the beautiful flowers and their lovely smells and scents. Are there any negative points? It can be very physically demanding and there are times when the weather means you can’t get outside and do things, which can be very frustrating. The winter months are obviously more difficult than other times of the year as there is still work to be done but not so much to enjoy, and working outside in winter is not as pleasant as at other times of the year. Have you ever grown fruit and vegetables? Yes, I have grown quite a lot of fruit and vegetables in the past. My husband and I love cooking and it is great to cook with home grown fruit and vegetables. More than anything else we use all our own herbs from the garden when we’re cooking. It’s wonderful to be able to go out and pick things like parsley, mint, coriander or rosemary from the garden for dishes we’re making; it is the ultimate in fresh ingredients. For that reason I have always had a herb garden. Most herbs have flowers so they look pretty in the garden and they smell nice too. They are also quite easy to grow and don’t take up much space so you can grow them even if you have a small garden. Have you ever won any prizes for your plants or flowers? We live in a small village in the countryside and each year there is a flower show which I have taken part in. I’ve won a couple of times but I am not that interested in competitions. I don’t think growing plants and flowers should be competitive. I enter the flower show each year because I want to support the village, and the spring flower show is a long established tradition which I think it is important to maintain. What advice would you give someone who wants to start gardening? Don’t be too ambitious. I would say you should start with well-known plants that are easy to grow, and have a look at what grows in other gardens near you to get an idea of what sorts of plants suit the area you are in. The main thing is not to be impatient. You need to realise that it takes a long time to see the fulfilment of your work   1 Why does she say she was quite unique in her family? A She started gardening when she was younger than her brother and sister. B She was the only one who really loved gardening. C She had more money to spend on the garden than the others. D Everyone else in her family disliked gardening. 2 Why did she collect wild flowers when she was a child? A She liked being outside in the countryside. B She wanted to do well in science at school. C She enjoyed finding new flowers she hadn’t seen before. D She wanted to have a big collection of dried flowers at home. 3 What does she mean in line 14 when she says, ‘You never really know how it will turn out in the end’? A You can’t predict how successful your plans for the garden will be. B You don’t know what the weather will be like C You can’t have a beautiful garden all the time. D You don’t know exactly if the plants will grow. 4 Why does she think gardening is challenging? A Sometimes your ideas don’t work out the way you planned. B There is a lot to learn and think about. C It takes a long time to plant new things. D You have to spend time travelling around and looking at other people’s gardens. 5 Which of the following does she not say is a negative point of gardening? A The weather controls when you can and can’t do gardening. B It is hard work. C Sometimes it can be boring. D It is not nice to be outside when it is cold. 6 Why does she like growing her own herbs? A She likes to use them when she is cooking. B It is satisfying to see them grow. C It is easier than going to the shops to buy herbs. D She only has a small garden. 7 How does she feel about her village flower show? A It is an out-of-date tradition and they shouldn’t do it anymore. B She doesn’t like it because it makes gardening too competitive. C She likes it because it is an opportunity to win prizes for her flowers. D It is an important part of village life and should continue to happen every year. 8 What does she think is the most important quality to be a successful gardener? A ambition B patience C physical strength D scientific knowledge

ANSWER KEY