Reading Grade 8 (1 semester 2023-2024)

Last updated almost 2 years ago

12 questions

Read the texts. Match the sentences A–F with the texts 1–3.
What do you like doing in your free time?
1 _____, 2_____
Zoe
I love reading horror stories or comic books in my bed, usually until late at night. They help me forget about my everyday problems. If I don’t have the energy for reading, I just go to YouTube and watch videos of my favourite rock bands.
3 _____, 4_____
Amy
As a teacher, wife and mother, I never have enough time for my hobbies. I spend some of it on the Internet. I enjoy reading about food and meals from all over the world. I try to spend as much time as possible with my husband and kids. We watch movies and enjoy our time together. On Saturday and Sunday we often play Quiz Time on my son’s console.
5 _____, 6_____
James
I don’t work so I have a lot of free time. I live in a big house with my wife, a dog and two cats. I love spending time in the garden, especially if it is warm. I’m keen on cooking and I like to invite my friends for dinner which my wife and I prepare for them. Every Saturday we all have dinner together at one of the local restaurants and then we go to a pub.


A  This person doesn’t have much free time.
B  This person reads when he/she’s not tired.
C  You can see this person doing things outdoors.
D  This person listens to music online.
E  This person has a hobby which he/she does with his/her family.
F  This person goes out with friends once a week.

Required

Read the text. For questions 1–5 choose the correct answer, A, B or C.
LIVING IN ENGLAND
Part 3 – The Au Pair
Elena is a nineteen-year-old Hungarian girl. She lives in Primrose Hill, North London and she works as an au pair. She looks after the family’s two children in the morning and after school. During the day, she cleans the house, does then shopping and cooks for the family. Her working day finishes at six p.m. when the parents come home from work. Elenais happy but she knows that she is lucky.
Elena’s story:
It’s very important to find a good family. You can write to them before you get a job. Some families want you to doeverything. You work nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week! My family don’t make me work that much and at theweekend and in the evenings I’m free. I eat with the family, I have a nice bedroom in their house and they take me onholiday. I also get £60 a week ‘pocket money’. It’s OK. Some people get £80 or even £100 but they don’t get food orholidays.
In my free time, I go to a language school to learn English and to meet people. There are four au pairs in my class andI like meeting them. We often go to the park on Sundays but I’m the only one who is free on Saturdays so I can’t seethem then. On Saturdays, I usually go shopping in Camden or walk around London.
In the evenings, I use my computer a lot. I can’t listen to music because it wakes the children up. At home, inHungary, I play the piano but there isn’t a piano here.
I sometimes look on the Internet for music schools but they are all very expensive.
I chat to friends in Hungary and send a lot of emails to them and my family. Two of my friends want to come to London to work as au pairs but I am worried about the idea. ‘My’ family here know people who want au pairs but I don’t know them. Are they kind? Are they friendly? I want my friends to like London and their work, not to be sad.

7  Elena’s job is to
A  look after two children and their parents.
B  cook for the children in the evening.
C  look after the children and the house.

8  Elena only works when
A  the parents are at work.
B  the children are at school.
C  the children are at home.

9  Elena says that au pairs
A  sometimes work all the time.
B  always get one day off a week.
C  sometimes don’t get any money at all.

10  Elena says her friends from the language school
A  go shopping with her.
B  go out with her once a week.
C  are free on Saturdays.

11  Elena uses her computer to
A  listen to music.
B  find work for her friends.
C  contact people in her country.

12. Elena wants
A Her friends to like London and be happy there
B Families to like her friends
C Her friends to like the families

Required