Reading Practice Test 4 [B1]

Part 1

 – 5 questions –

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1.

2. What would Steve like Alec to do?

3.

4.

5. Barbara would like

Part 2

 – 5 questions –

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to buy a book.
Look at the descriptions of eight books.
Decide which book would be most suitable for each person.

Part 3

– 5 questions –

Read the text and questions below. For each question, mark the correct letter A, B, C or D.

JACQUES COUSTEAU: A REMARKABLE MAN

Jacques-Yves Cousteau was an explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, inventor, and conservationist. He was a man who spent nearly his whole life underwater exploring the hidden depths of the ocean and who did more to educate the world about the mysteries of the deep sea than any other scientist before or since. He was born in June 1910 in the village of Saint-André-de-Cubzac, in southwestern France. Jacques was a sickly boy and spent much of his time in bed, reading books and dreaming about a life at sea. In 1920, Jacques’ family moved to New York, and he was encouraged to start swimming to build up his strength. It was the beginning of his fascination with water, and the more he learnt through his own experiences, the more passionate he became about “looking through nature’s keyhole.” Nevertheless, his career in underwater exploration came about by accident. After entering France’s naval academy and travelling around the world, he was involved in an almost fatal car accident that left him seriously injured with two broken arms. He began swimming in the Mediterranean Sea to strengthen his arm muscles as part of his recovery process and rediscovered his love for the ocean. Cousteau developed a pair of underwater breathing apparatus that allowed him to stay underwater for long periods. His experiments led to the development of the first Aqua-Lung, which was a huge commercial success. During World War II, he worked for the French Resistance and experimented with underwater photographic equipment. He helped get rid of German mines and was awarded the Legion D’Honneur and the Croix de Guerre medals for his bravery. In 1942, he filmed his first underwater film Sixty Feet Down. It was 18 minutes long and entered the Cannes Film Festival.

1. What is the writer trying to do in the text?

2. Being a child, Cousteau had ….

3. In a car accident he …

4. Cousteau developed underwater breathing equipment

5. During World War II Cousteau collaborated with …

Part 4

-5 questions-

Five sentences have been removed from the text below. For each question (1-5), choose the correct answer (A-H).
There are three extra sentences which you do not need to use.

Part 5

– 6 questions –

Read the text below and choose the correct word (A, B, C or D) for each space.

Different Religions

From our earliest days, many people have believed in supernatural powers. This belief is known as religion. In ancient times, it was a way to (1) … sense of the mysteries of the (2) … world; evil spirits were thought to be responsible (3) … bad weather and disease, for instance. Ancient peoples felt that they had a measure of control over their lives when they made offerings and prayed to friendly spirits, whom they believed could help them win battles or 4) … better crops.

Even today, when people know the scientific explanations for such things as thunder or the eruption of volcanoes, (5) … look to religion to explain some of the other hard-to-understand things which we experience as humans – things like the purpose of life or the reasons for tragedies. Although most religions spring from the same basic human need to (6) … in supernatural powers, the ideas, practices, and traditions that religions involve can be very different.

(1) …

(2) …

(3) …

(4) …

(5) …

(6) …

Part 6

-6 questions-

For each question, write the correct answer. Use only one word in each gap.