skills TEST 4 B units 7–8

Name: _________________________________________ Score: ____________ / 20 points

READING SKILLS
1 Read the online book advert and, for questions 1–6, put the paragraphs A–G in the correct places 1–6.
There is one extra paragraph. (6 points)

The original novel, Around the World in 80 Days, written by Jules Verne,
was published in 1873. In it, Phileas Fogg, a wealthy bachelor, argues
that it is possible to travel around the world in 80 days and he makes
a bet of £20,000 with fellow club members. He leaves London on
2 October 1872 by train and, after many adventures and close shaves,
he arrives back just in time to collect his prize.

1
That is until 1989 when the former Monty Python star Michael Palin created the first of his TV travel
series. His mission was to recreate Fogg’s journey, aiming to arrive back from where he had started in
the same amount of time and without using any form of transportation unavailable to Fogg, in other
words, no flying.
2
This book starts with an introduction about the reason for making the journey and the thought
processes behind the choice of route and transportation used. As he says, it would be possible to
complete the journey in less time if one went by sea the whole way but what would you experience?
Not a great deal. Only by following fairly close to Fogg’s route do you get to see a wide range of
fascinating cultures.
3
These journeys, though, would come later. Palin also points out the changes since Fogg’s time and
how they have affected travel.
4
The main body of the book which follows is written in the form of a diary, each chapter starting with
the words Day 1, 2, 3 and so on and the date. Thus we know exactly how well the journey is going and
how much time there is left.
5
The answer is a combination of speedy travel: a ship across the Pacific, a train across the USA and
another ship across the Atlantic, and a regard for the viewers of the programme (and the readers of
the book) whose interests also had to be taken into account.
6
As the journey, and the book, come to an end, Michael Palin reflects on the journey and how the
problems and frustrations they faced made the experience more fulfilling. Interestingly, he mentions
the possibility of embarking on other adventures which, as we all know, he has done to all corners of
the globe. This, however, is the original and still the best of his travel books and is available now in
hardback (£15.99) or paperback (£9.99).

66 © Pearson Education Limited 2009 PHOTOCOPIABLE


A Mr Palin and his producers assumed, correctly in
my opinion, that travelling through Europe, the
LISTENING SKILLS
Middle East and Asia both overland and on short
1
sea journeys, would be more involving for the
audience than a long, uninterrupted journey in
which no dramas or mishaps occurred.
B This lends the book greater excitement,
especially as the first half of the journey, up to
the international date line in the Pacific Ocean,
takes 59 days. How, we are left wondering, is the
second half going to be achieved in only 21 days?
C From this hugely popular show came the book of
the same name, entertainingly written and
containing beautiful photographs of the journey.
Now reprinted, this remains, twenty years later,
a truly epic and hilarious tale and a great idea for
a Christmas present for anyone who likes travel
and adventure.
D Interestingly, this adventure, one of the funniest in
the book, wasn’t shown on the screen. There is no
explanation offered so one can only presume that
there were technical problems with filming. Either
that or they came up against an unyielding official
who prevented them from even attempting to
record the events as they happened.
E The book was a huge success and has been
adapted into stage, TV and film versions.
However, with advances in technology, notably
the invention of the aeroplane, the idea of
needing anything like 80 days to circumnavigate
the globe became increasingly old-fashioned and
unnecessary.
F Slightly faster ships and trains may have reduced
travel times but any benefits have been lost due
to the increases in bureaucracy. The visas and
permits needed now to enter and leave many
countries did not exist to anywhere like the same
extent, in Fogg’s time.
G However, even so, there is much of the world
that can’t be seen in such a short time which is
perhaps why Palin has undertaken so many other
journeys since, trying to cover the whole globe in
numerous different directions.
2 For questions 7–10, decide whether the statements
are true (T), false (F) or there is no information (NI). d advice both on paper and online.
(4 points)
2 For questions 7–10, decide whether the statements
  7 Around the World in 80 Days was Jules
Verne’s best-known book.
  8 Fogg’s route was more interesting than the
quickest would have been.
  9 Although travel times are quicker now than
in Fogg’s time, travelling to and from some
countries can take longer than it used to.
10 The second half of the journey was shorter
because they were running out of time.
PHOTOCOPIABLE © Pearson Education Limited 2009
skills TEST 4 B units 7–8
CD Track 5 Listen to the radio show and, for questions
1–6, choose the correct answers a–d. (6 points)
1 The guest is not going to
a talk to people on the telephone.
b give advice about dealing with problems.
c talk about common causes of complaints.
d talk about complaints she has dealt with as
a lawyer.
2 The lawyer identifies
a three main causes of complaints.
b why some people are anti-social.
c the identity of a person involved in a
complaint.
d the proportion of all complaints directed at
teenagers.
3 In Britain, no one can
a live in a building which overlooks someone
else’s property.
b grow tall hedges.
c add something tall to their property
without the agreement of the local council.
d make a noise after a certain hour of the
evening.
4 The guest states that one person was
murdered in an argument over
a an extension.
b noise.
c a hedge.
d anti-social behaviour orders.
5 In the example she gives, the reason the man
is angry when he arrives home is that
a his car has been scratched.
b his neighbour is having a party.
c there is nowhere to park.
d he is tired after a bad day at work.
6 The government helps people by providing
a free legal help.
b mediators to help in disputes.
c free phone lines to call for advice.
are true (T) or false (F). (4 points)
  7 The presenter knows exactly what the guest
is going to talk about.
  8 Night shift workers are affected by noise but
aren’t responsible for any noise-related
problems themselves.
  9 Not all terraced house owners have to park
in the street.
10 The punishment for disobeying an ASBO is
likely to be imprisonment.
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