Centre number:

Candidate number:..

LISTENING B1
A. You will hear a conversation about a man called Greg Mortenson. Choose the best answer A, B or C for
each question. You will hear the recording twice.

1)

The speaker has chosen to talk about Greg Mortenson because ...
a) ... he has made an impact on the life of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
b) ... he works in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
c) ... she read a book about him.

2)

The speaker read the book Three Cups of Tea because

a) ... she received it as a present.
b) ... she thought the title was interesting.
c) ... the bookshop recommended it to her.

3)

Where did Greg Mortenson spend his childhood?

a) In the United States.
b) In Pakistan.
c) In Tanzania.

4)

Greg started climbing mountains in...

a) ... the United States.
b) ... Tanzania.
c) ... an international school.

5)

Greg went to university in South Dakota

a) ... after being in the Army.
b) ... in 1983.
c) ... before joining the Army.

6)

What did Greg do after his sister died?

a) He became a mountaineer.
b) He went to Pakistan to climb one of the worlds highest mountains.
c) He developed epilepsy.

7)

Did Greg succeed in climbing K2?

a) No, he didnt.
b) Yes and it changed his life.
c) Yes but he got lost on the way down.

8)

What surprised Greg when he was in the mountain village?

a) The children didnt study.
b) Only boys went to school.
c) There was no school building and no school material.

9)

Greg Mortenson has helped to build and fund ....................................... in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
a) more than 130 schools
b) more than 30 schools
c) 31 schools
10) Why does Greg think it is especially important to provide education for girls in these
countries?
a) Because they can leave their villages if they have a better education.
b) Because they can make life in their villages better if they are educated.
c) Because they are better students.

Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011

B. You will hear a report on CouchSurfing. Fill in the gaps from 1 10 with one
word. You will hear the recording twice.

What is CouchSurfing?
CouchSurfing is an international non-profit
connects travellers with

....................................................

territories around the world.

Since

(2)

....................................................

(1)

that

people in over 230 countries and

....................................................

(3)

, members have been

using our system to come together for cultural exchange,

....................................................

(4)

and

learning experiences. Today this organization has over a million members coming
from over 69,000 cities and speaking 302 different languages. Originally,
CouchSurfing focused on two principal activities: hosting and surfing (staying
with a local as a
....................................................

(6)

....................................................

(5)

in their home). CouchSurfing members

hospitality with one another. Hosts have the opportunity to

meet people from all over the world without leaving home while surfers or
travellers are able to participate in the local life of the places they visit.
Moreover, the network gives more people the

....................................................

(7)

to become

travellers as surfing makes exploring the world more affordable. Every day,
people across the world share coffee, camping trips, meetings, language
exchanges, discussions and all

....................................................

(8)

of other experiences.

How does CouchSurfing work?

Both hosts and surfers write their profile and post it on the network,
giving

....................................................

(9)

much information as possible about themselves. Hosts

explain the kind of hospitality they can offer, for example, if the guest will have
access to kitchen facilities or if the host is willing to act as a guide during their
stay and surfers look for offers that

....................................................

(10)

their needs. After each

CouchSurfing experience, members write a reference, thus adding to the

information available.

Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011

C. You are going to hear a report about how to live on a student budget. Decide whether each statement
is true or false and put a tick in the appropriate box. You will hear the recording twice.

1. The speaker is talking about the problems of being a student abroad.

2. Students in the UK answered questions for some research on the Internet.
3. Most students spend most of their money on transport and housing.
4. A lot of students have enough money to live alone.
5. Most students use public transport because its cheaper for them.
6. According to the students, trendy clothes are expensive.
7. Students recommend saving money by not buying alcohol or tobacco.
8. Students eat out because they dont know how to cook.
9. In the past, students went to the cinema more often.
10. A lot of students earn money by teaching or looking after children in their spare time.

Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011

Centre number:
Candidate number:..

READING B1

A.

Read this text and answer the following questions.

The story of Jeans

In 1853, during the Gold Rush, a 24-year old German-Jewish immigrant named Levi
Strauss moved from New York to California to make his fortune providing goods and
services to the miners. His original idea was to sell a strong, resistant fabric to the miners
for making their tents, but as this was not successful, he started using the material to
make trousers for them. The first trousers were brown and not very comfortable but they
were popular with the miners because they resisted their difficult working and living
conditions. In the early 1860s Levi Strauss began using an indigo blue material brought
from France which was softer and more comfortable to make the waist overalls, the
traditional name for work trousers. This material came from the French city of Nimes and
later became known as denim. Although these trousers were strong, miners often tore
the pockets when they carried heavy tools in them. One of Strausss customers, a tailor
from Nevada, called Jacob Davis had an idea for solving this problem. He put a small metal
rivet on the corners of the pockets in his trousers. His idea worked so well that he decided
to apply for a patent to stop anyone stealing his invention. However, he couldnt afford the
81 dollars needed for the patent so he suggested to Levi Strauss that they should buy the
patent between them. Levi agreed and they received the patent on May 20 th 1873, now
considered to be the official birthday of blue jeans. Within a very short time, all types of
working men were wearing the innovative new trousers but since then, these trousers have
been imitated by thousands of clothing manufacturers and have evolved to become a
fashion statement. In the 1950s, high school students put on jeans to look more adult and
rebel against their parents who didnt wear them. Nowadays jeans can be baggy, torn,
straight or flared but whatever they are like they are always in fashion.

1.

Why were the trousers that Levi Strauss made popular with the miners?
......

2.

What was the name for jeans in the 1860s?

......

3.

How did Jacob Davis make the trousers stronger?

......

4.

How did Levi Strauss help Jacob Davis get the patent?
......

5.

Why are jeans so popular today?

......

Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011

B.

Read the text and fill in the gaps with a, b, c, d or e.

Teenagers at the Top

A new phenomenon has emerged in the adventure world: children achieving incredible goals which up until now
.

(1)

In 1968 Robin Knox-Johnston, a British yachtsman, was 29 when he became

..

(2)

. Last

year, however, amazingly two 17-year-old boys and two 16-year-old girls successfully repeated the same
challenge.
Something similar is happening in the mountains. The age record for being the youngest to reach the summit of
Everest is held by a 15 year old Nepalese girl and so many teenagers turned up at Everests base camp last
spring that they were nicknamed the Brat Pack.
Not surprisingly, this trend is causing controversy in the adventure community. The general feeling

(3)

is that although a teenager might have the necessary stamina and physical fitness to

endure such a climb, they inevitably

(4)

to undertake such a project safely. Scientists

tell us that the adolescent brain is only about 80% developed. The areas that control spatial, sensory, auditory
and language functions are mature but the frontal lobe, which handles reasoning, planning and judgment isnt
fully grown until a person is in their mid-twenties.
There is also the question of distinguishing

(5)

. In some countries a legal age limit has been

established the Nepalese government has prohibited climbers below the age of 16 since a Nepalese boy lost
five fingers in his attempt to crown Everest. Fears are that if this trend persists, it wont be long before a child
dies on one of the worlds peaks.

a.

among expert climbers and guides

b.
c.

have only been within the reach of adults

between bold adventure and child

endangerment

d.

e.

lack experience and psychological awareness

the first person to sail alone nonstop around the globe

Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011

C.

Read the text and decide whether each statement is true or false and put a tick in the appropriate
box.

The National Youth Ballet

It is 30C outside but hotter and sweatier inside the dance studio in south-west London, where a 17-year-old boy
is trying to get into his polar bear costume. A thin boy in a seal suit goes round and round lying down on a
skateboard while an 8-year-old is having problems with her green lycra fish costume. This is the first time the
National Youth Ballet dancers have tried their costumes on to see if they fit and they are all very excited.
The cast, aged 8 to 18, are rehearsing Rainbow Bear, a new ballet based on a popular childrens story about a
polar bear who wishes he could change the colour of his fur. The choreographer, who has just been dancing in a
production on New Yorks Broadway, is trying to encourage her pupils to act as well as dance to make their
animal characters come alive.
The cast are on a 10-day residential camp. At the end of it, they will perform 3 nights in a small theatre in the
suburbs of London, but the real prize for the most talented is the opportunity to dance in front of thousands at
the London Palladium. Despite their young age the dancers have a professional attitude. When they talk about
why they are there even the youngest say how good it is for their ballet careers.
Andrew has been dancing since he was seven but it is his first time in the National Youth Ballet. He used to go to
a normal state school but he was miserable there as he didnt feel he had much in common with his classmates.
So when he was 14 he moved from his home village in the North of England to London to attend a specialist
ballet school. Andrews parents arent from a ballet background but they are fully supportive of him pursuing his
dream to become a professional ballet dancer.

T
1.

A boy is putting on a green fish costume.

2.

The dancers are putting on the costumes to check the size.

3.

The youngest dancer is eight years old.

4.

The ballet is about a polar bear that doesnt want to be white.

5.

In the ballet, some children act and others dance.

6.

The best dancers on the camp will be able to dance in one of the big London
theatres.

7.

The camp is important for the children because they want to study ballet at
university.

8.

Andrew has been dancing in the National Youth Ballet since he was seven.

9.

Andrew didnt share the same interests as the other pupils at the state
school.

10. Andrews parents used to be ballet dancers.

Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011

Centre number:
Candidate number:

..

WRITING B1
A)

Next week its your friend Ians birthday. Youd like to organise a surprise party for him. Write an e-mail to
your friend Jenny telling her about your idea. Ask her which the best day would be for the party and if she
can help you with the arrangements. Write between 50-60 words.

B)

You have received an e-mail from your friend, Matthew. He wants to organise a surprise birthday party for
your friend Ian. Tell him you think its a great idea and which day you prefer and why. Suggest helping him
prepare the food and the music. Write between 50-60 words.

..

..

Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011

C.

Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means the same as
the one given.

1.

Can you clean the blackboard?, the teacher asked me.

The teacher

2.

Why dont we spend Christmas away from home this year?

What

3.

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

He is still studying at university.

He hasnt

4.

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................

Volcanic ash affected thousands of international travellers last spring.

Thousands

5.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

Travelling in Eastern Europe is more expensive than it used to be.

Travelling in Eastern Europe isnt

6.

I dont get travel sick unless I go by boat.

I only

7.

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Camilo Jos Cela wrote the famous book The Hive. He died in January 2002.
Camilo Jos Cela

8.

...............................................................................................................................................................................

She cant afford to go on holiday this year.

She hasnt

9.

.........................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

Its not necessary for you to have a driving license for this job.
You

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

10. They moved to Paris in 1995.

They

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011

D. Write about a holiday destination that you would recommend to a friend.

Write about 120 words.

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Proyecto Unidiomas - Facultad de Humanidades de Albacete UCLM Unidiomas

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL B1
January 2011