FCE Sample ( Paper 1 _ Reading _ Part 2)
Reading Part 2
Question 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 You are going to read an article about a woman who owns a circus. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences AH the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Life in the big top with Giffords Circus
Nell Gifford lives a childhood fantasy as a ringmaster. The drum rolls, the curtains open, and a horse rears into the spotlight. Nell Gifford, a statuesque 27year-old, is riding the horse. The crowd cheers and, with a thumping heart, she begins: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls welcome to Giffords Circus. The ringmistress, Nell Gifford, is the only female circus owner in Europe. She and her husband Toti started the business just a few years ago. Since then, they have created one of the most successful shows in the country. Their performances are always sold out, and they recently so impressed their colleagues that they were awarded the prestigious Jerwood circus award. If the word circus conjures up images of aggressive clowns and sick-looking lions, think again. 1 The other acts are a mixture of theatre, dance and traditional circus skills such as juggling and acrobatics, all accompanied by a circus band. The show is based on old circuses from the 1930s and much of its appeal comes from its size. 2 The ring is also fairly small, and the audience can almost reach out and touch the performers as they move around. This creates a real feeling of belonging; as Nell points out There are no tricks, no hiding behind lights. Its all pretty raw. From May to September, the circus travels around the countryside, stopping in small villages all over the south of England. Villages today need live entertainment, says Nell and a good circus in a village provides a focal point for everyone. 3 really appreciate what we are trying to do.' And we know from peoples reactions that villagers
Nells route into the business was an unusual one. She had an idyllic childhood in the English countryside, growing up with horses and ponies. Later she went to Oxford University, where she studied English Literature. 4 That all changed when she went to America at the age of 18 and joined Circus Flora, which was owned by a distant relative. I went there for no other reason than the promise of adventure in the USA, says Nell but from day one, there was no question that this was what I wanted to do. 5 if the rest of my life had just started.' It felt as
From then on she spent all her free time working in circuses, learning as much as she could about the business. When she was back in Europe, she joined the acclaimed Circus Roncalli to develop her riding skills even more. 6 Her fiance Toti frequently visited and became entranced by the lifestyle, and it was then that they began to make plans to set up a circus of their own. For Nell and Toti, the success of their circus is a dream come true, but it also involves a great deal of work. Summer is filled with the challenges of keeping the show on the road, moving every few days, keeping the performers happy, and managing the day-to-day aspects of the business. 7 There are no definite plans for the future, but why should there be, as life on the road is only just beginning? Giffords Circus is going from strength to strength, and promises many exciting summers for years to come.
A It was there that she learned the skill of haute cole making a horse perform on its back legs. B The tent can only hold a maximum of 250 people, so the atmosphere is close and intimate. C Entering the ring for the first time as a performer was a fantastic thrill. D We feel we are putting something back into these communities that has been missing for some time. E We always look for the best of new and traditional circus, but the problem is that many of the best acts go abroad. F There were very few signs that this fairly traditional upbringing would lead a rather shy young girl to a career in the circus. G But winter is also a busy time, and is in fact when Nell is at her most frantic, researching, designing and preparing the next show. H There are no wild animals, but horses play a leading role in the performances, and Nell herself is an expert rider.
Feedback
1H wild animals links to the lions reference in the previous sentence, and horses continues the animals theme. Nell, as an expert rider, features in one of the acts and the following sentence makes reference to the other acts. 2B To extend on the size reference we are told that the tent holds only 250 people making the atmosphere intimate. The following sentence continues the small theme with the ring is also small. 3D '... these communities' refers to 'villages' in the previous two sentences. Nell explains that they are putting something back and this links to the following sentence which says that villagers really appreciate what we are trying to do. 4F this fairly traditional upbringing refers back to an idyllic childhood in the countryside' and 'she went to Oxford University. 'There were very few signs' is picked up in 'That all changed' in the following sentence. 5C It in the following sentence refers to her entering the ring for the first time as a performer and 'from day one' is picked up in 'for the first time' in the previous sentence. 6A 'It was there' refers to the Circus Roncalli in the previous sentence. A specific example of her developing her riding skills even more is that she learned the skill of haute cole. 7G The previous sentence refers to the summer, and the missing sentence refers to what Nell and Toti do in the winter.