English Mock Exam / Part 1

Listening Section :
Reading Section
Exercise 2

Read the article about four people (A–D) who each have a favourite song. Then answer Question 10(a)–
(j).

My Favourite Song
A Yashi: Perfect Moon
Perfect Moon is a song that’s important to me. It’s one my mum has played every now and
again for as long as I can remember. She always talks about first hearing it on holiday, and how
it brings back memories of that special time – which I guess is why she loves it, and now I love it
too! And I know that won’t change, since it’s the one I turn to when things aren’t going too
well, or I need cheering up. Although the singer’s recorded a lot of songs in the past, this is the
one that I think shows off her talent the best. And even though when I play it on my phone my
mates all laugh about how old-fashioned they think it is, I don’t mind! I know they’re only
teasing, and I’d still recommend it to anyone who loves beautiful music.
B Peta: Whole World
The song I love, Whole World, is rather special. You see, it was written for me by my dad! He
sang in a band – not one that was well known, but at one point it was important enough to play
at a few festivals. There were even some in Spain and France, but I was too young to go,
unfortunately! I used to think no one would ever write a better song, although I’ve come to
appreciate that’s not actually the case – my dad won’t mind me saying that! But the most
exciting moment for our family was when his band went on to record the song in a studio. They
even performed it at some of their concerts when I was older – can you imagine how great it
was for me, being in the crowd at a local festival, listening to everyone singing along to MY
song? It’s definitely an old favourite and it’s become a bit of a tradition to play it on my
birthday. It’s one I’ll keep for sure!
C Sue: Tell Me
I’m not sure if many people will have heard of my favourite song. It’s called Tell Me, and I think
I like it so much because it’s just a really happy song! I find it’s the perfect choice of song to play
when I’m in a great mood and just want to sing loudly and dance around my room. There’s also
something about the fact that the lead singer isn’t singing in her first language – it allows her
accent to come through in the song. When it came out a few years ago now, I had a lot going
on, you know, a lot of big changes like moving schools, and I guess I was still finding my way a
little. It’s funny how just hearing a song brings back all sorts of memories of a particular time,
isn’t it! The song is quite different to a lot of other music I listen to, but I really think it’s good to
have a variety, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop listening to it.
D Miriam:
Monday’s Tales I really like a song called Monday’s Tales – in fact it’s the one I chose when I
took part in my school talent show! Not that I was anywhere near as good as the original
version, of course! It was a pretty big deal at the time – the whole school was there to watch,
after all. It’s funny because I’d actually never even heard of ‘Dawson’, the band that sings it,
until I went away with my parents a few summers ago. The café by the pool where we spent
most of our time played it almost constantly – everyone kept asking for it to be put on again!
You might think I’d have got fed up with it over the years, but that hasn’t happened at all. You
don’t hear it so often these days, but whenever I do, it takes me right back there.
Exercise 3

Read the article about designing buildings, and then complete the notes.

Designing buildings
Most of us spend the majority of our lives indoors. But how often do we stop to consider the
design of buildings where we spend so much time? When we’re not in our homes, we’re in
various public places, including schools or places of work. Apparently, research shows that in
well-designed buildings, people take less time off, so you can clearly see that design matters! Of
course, there are also practical considerations which can affect the design of a building, like the
date to complete a project, which the architects and designers involved in creating buildings
can’t avoid. Given enough time, however, there’s no end to how amazing a building can be.
A key consideration for those who design buildings is being aware of the performance
requirements – in other words, understanding what a space will be used for. There’s no point in
designing a building with lovely large open-plan rooms if what’s needed are smaller spaces
where people can talk privately or work individually without interruption. It’s generally agreed
that we work more efficiently when there are different-sized spaces to suit our individual
needs, whether the building is designed for work or study. Of course, we all need to be able to
concentrate on whatever task we’re occupied with. If you’re working on something artistic,
then it might be useful to know that higher ceilings can generate more creative thoughts. So
perhaps that’s something to remember when you’re struggling to write your next novel or
trying to find the perfect lyrics to a song!
Now, you might think that staring out of the window is certain to result in a lack of
concentration, but actually, having windows with views of natural scenes can help people pay
better attention to what they’re doing. While it might not always be possible to have great
views – the position of neighbouring properties might get in the way, for example – it’s
certainly worth bearing in mind. If a country is naturally very hot and sunny, then perhaps large
windows might not be the most practical idea, so building designers also need to think carefully
about the local climate conditions. It is perfectly possible to use special glass, but it can be
expensive and may put it outside the available budget.
It is not just the structural features of the building that are important; the interior design
features also play an essential role in a well-designed building. The level of lighting changes how
fast people move around a building. This is why, for example, bright lighting is often used in
places such as fast-food-style canteens as it encourages people to move more quickly. And
lighting isn’t the only thing that should be carefully considered. Scientific research has shown
that certain colour schemes can alter people’s mood quite significantly.
As you can see, therefore, the buildings that we use every day can have more effect on our lives
than we might realise at first.
You are going to give a talk about building design to your class at school. Prepare some notes to use as
the basis for your talk.

Make short notes under each heading

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[Total: 15]