Cambridge English

First
Exam
practice Teacher’s Resources

T E AC H I N G N OT J U S T T E S T I N G

P O W E R E D B Y

Contents
Answer Key 2 Practice
Audioscript
Answer Sheets
9
15 Tests Plus
Teaching not just testing
ANSWER KEY: CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH FIRST
Answer Key
Test 1: Reading and Use of English
Part 1
1 B: Only this answer goes with ‘health’ before the gap to form a
common phrase.
2 B: The other adverbs do not collocate with ‘guilty’.
3 C: Only this answer follows on from the preposition ‘under’ to
form a common phrase.
4 A: The other words are not correct in the context of ‘research’.
5 C: Only this answer is followed by the preposition ‘with’.
6 B: This creates the common collocation ‘exception to the rule’.
7 A: This answer is the only word that is correct grammatically here.
8 D: The other verbs do not collocate with ‘on’ after the gap.
Part 2
9 where: (relative pronoun) introduces a clause
10 or: (conjunction) used after ‘either’ which occurs earlier in
the sentence
11 On: (preposition) precedes ‘the contrary’
12 about: (preposition) part of the phrase ‘the thing about ...’
13 that: (relative pronoun) links two ideas in the sentence
14 than: (preposition) used after ‘rather’ to provide a contrast
15 as: (adverb) links two ideas in the sentence and collocates with the
verb ‘perceived’
16 order: part of adverbial linking phrase ‘in order to’ that
expresses purpose
Part 3
17 effectively: noun to adverb
18 extension: verb to noun
19 unknown: verb to negative adjective
20 Exactly: adjective to adverb
21 inventions: verb to plural noun
22 existence: verb to noun
23 popularity: adjective to noun
24 attractions: verb to plural noun
Part 4
25 giving you a lift: gerund form (after ‘don’t mind’) + set phrase
26 are not allowed to: passive form + infinitive verb
27 advised Mark to buy himself: reporting verb + reflexive verb
28 as long as you look: adverbial phrase + phrasal verb
29 years since the team last: adverbial + past tense
30 had never eaten such a: past perfect with ‘never’ + ‘such’
Part 5
31 C:  James felt a slight pang at misleading his father, but it was a
sort of meeting.
32 A: ... the three student volunteers ... the survey they’d be carrying
out on the island.
33 B: She had a point of course, so James had gone along with
the idea.
34 D: ... Clive’s cool reply: ‘I’ll think about it and let you know.’
35 A: ‘Where I may need your help though, is if they make a fuss
about the weight when we get to the desk. Have you got any
space in yours?’
36 B: But I distinctly said to meet at the bag drop.’ Juliet suddenly
looked rather crestfallen. James almost felt sorry for her ...
Part 6
37 B: ‘Consequently’ refers back to the writer’s situation. The word
‘So’ after the gap tells us what he did to change the situation.
38 C: ‘Here’ refers back to Shanghai before the gap. The phrases ‘a
little bit smaller’ and ‘slightly less sweet’ compare the dumplings
in Shanghai to those in other places.
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A N SW ER KEY: C A M BRI D G E EN G LISH FIRST
39 G: ‘these particular qualities’ refers to the opinions about
dumplings listed before the gap (‘skin must be thin’, ‘should be
a lot of tasty meat’, etc.)
40 D: ‘his idea’ refers to the project of the eccentric scientist
mentioned earlier in the paragraph.
41 F: ‘do the same’ refers to ‘weigh that’ immediately before the gap.
42 A: ‘it’ refers to the guide which the writer has produced.
Part 7
43 B: There are no architects in my family, but I learnt the value of
hard work from my step-father.
44 A: I didn’t really pay much attention there, but I scraped through
my school leaving exams.
45 B: ..., but it appealed to me because it’s like a close-knit
community.
46 A: I owe a lot to that man. He was willing to take a chance on me.
47 C: ... certain specialisms are really tough to get into, and some
people on the course came away disappointed. Luckily, the army
is happy for me to specialise in surgery, ...
48 C: You have seven years to take the place up before it expires.
49 D: I loved having tutors who knew what they were talking about ...
50 A:  ..., so it would be unfair to hold me up as an example to follow.
51 D:  ..., I did an internship at a theatre, doing costume design, but
found it wasn’t really for me.
52 B: I went to high school in Oregon, USA. I studied hard because I
knew I wanted to get out of there.
Test 1: Writing
Part 1
Question 1 (essay)
Style: formal
Content: General: how being famous can affect people’s lives, with
reasons for all your opinions
1 how becoming rich can change the way people live
2  how difficult it may be for a famous person to have a
private life
3 something else that can change as a result of fame
Part 2
Question 2 (article)
Style: formal or neutral
Content: 1 how you plan your work to avoid stress
2 what you do to relax
3 one more idea, e.g. studying with a classmate
Question 3 (email)
Style: informal
Content: General: how much freedom teenagers in your country have to
do what they want when they want
1 whether they go out alone in the evening
2 whether they have their own money to spend
3 situations when they have to do what they are told
Question 4 (report)
Style: neutral or formal
Content: 1 what types of transport and other things you saw, e.g. boats,
trains, films, interactive displays
2 what you and your classmates liked most, with reasons for
your opinions
3 whether what you saw would help you with school subjects
See pages 68–69 below for sample answers.
2

Test 1: Listening
Part 1
1 C: F: But I thought the live band was great – wherever did they
find them?
M: ... they certainly livened things up.
2 A:  ... the whole team’s performance lacked commitment – and I’ve
noticed this before when we play important fixtures – it’s almost
as if the occasion got the better of you.
3 B: I wasn’t so keen on the actors they’d picked. I mean the guy
playing the lead role wasn’t exactly good-looking.
4 B: Anyway, I guess I underestimated how good the other entrants’
photos would be, and I certainly won’t be making that
mistake again.
5 A: ... it seems most classes are going with the digital version – so I
think you’d better do the same.
6 B: Anyway, if we could meet a bit later? Say at twelve?
7 C: I can’t wait to have a go at some of the things on offer ...
8 C: I wonder if these lanes might just make that problem worse.
Part 2
9  uncle: ... the idea of going to the Centre came from my uncle – he’d
been there with my cousins and said they’d all had a great time.
10 games consoles: ... a chill-out room with a couple of games consoles,
which I thought might come in useful if it rained, ...
11 car park: Our cabin was about ten minutes’ walk away from the car
park, which came as a bit of a shock.
12 superior: My parents had gone for what they call a ‘superior’ cabin, ...
13 dishwasher: What they didn’t have, though, was a dishwasher, which
meant we had to take it in turns to wash up. I didn’t think much of
that I can tell you!
14 planets: ... even a couple of planets – seeing them so clearly was a
first for me.
15 sailing: ... so you had to go with the majority, which meant sailing.
But I was cool with that ...
16 flat: ... but the paths were actually mostly flat.
17 kitchens: ... but the kitchens were actually the best bit.
18 average: ... overall I’d have to say the place is pretty average.
Part 3
19 D: Anyway, they’d both done this sort of thing before and it was
quite an eye-opener to see how seriously they took the job.
20 F:  In fact, the singer who took first prize really stood out from
the word go – so confident and hitting every note beautifully. I
don’t know about the other judges, but there was no doubt in
my mind.
21 C: ... but I still think that boy will prove me right.
22 E: To be honest, though, the event isn’t as well-managed as it used
to be.
23 A: I hope I lived up to the organisers’ expectations because it’d be
great to become one of the regulars.
Part 4
24 B: ... my friends’ – and they liked what I did – came back for more.
25 A: Now I can really see how the basic skills I learnt as a trainee ...
have stood me in good stead.
26 B: My boss there, Sally Turncross, was exceptional – she knew just
how to develop a young hairdresser’s skill and that made all
the difference.
27 C: Developing a proper relationship with each client is the key,
getting to know them well ...
28 C: ... the rest of it I really wanted to invest in my future.
29 B: But I thought to myself, ‘What would my hero Sally do in
this situation?’
30 A: ..., and I know I can leave the day-to-day stuff to her.
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A N SW ER KEY: C A M BRI D G E EN G LISH FIRST
Test 2: Reading and Use of English
Part 1
1 B: The other verbs cannot be followed by ‘in’.
2 A: Only this answer collocates with ‘as a surprise’ to form a
common phrase.
3 B: This answer is the only word that is grammatically correct here.
4 C: The other words do not take a direct object (‘their reasons’) in
this context.
5 D: Only this answer can be followed by the preposition ‘to’ and
‘these people’.
6 C: This answer creates the common collocation ‘fixed timetable’.
7 A: The other words cannot follow on from ‘on a freelance’ to form
this phrase.
8 D: Only this verb collocates with ‘a living’.
Part 2
9  been: (past participle) part of passive modal construction with ‘aware’
10 so: (intensifier) used with ‘that’ to express cause and result
11 to: (preposition) part of set expression in sub-clause
12 who: (relative pronoun) links two ideas in the sentence
13 have: (auxiliary verb) part of past passive construction
14 if/though: (adverbial) part of linking expression to show concession
15 in: (preposition) dependent on ‘variations’
16 what: part of adverbial linking phrase that expresses emphasis
Part 3
17 relatively: adjective to adverb
18 affordable: verb to adjective
19 plentiful: noun to adjective
20 abundance: adjective to noun
21 healthy: noun to adjective
22 preservatives: verb to plural noun
23 intention: verb to noun
24 incredible: adjective to negative adjective
Part 4
25 a small number of: inversion of quantifier + preposition
26 was not as exciting as: negative comparison with ‘as’
27 had better let my father: ‘had better’ + set verb phrase
28 are/is rumoured to be getting: passive structure + present participle +
set phrase
29 accused me of stealing: verb with dependent preposition + gerund
30 has her car serviced by: causative ‘have’ + ‘by’ (agent)
Part 5
31 D: ... which remains the marathon’s official distance today.
32 B: ... rat poison – in the mistaken belief that it would improve
his performance.
33 B: ‘this’ refers to ‘running the wrong way around the track’.
34 A: ‘It is horrible, and yet fascinating, this struggle between a set
purpose and an utterly exhausted frame.’
35 C: There is no celebrity without mass media. If you could choose
anyone on earth to write up your drama in 1908, it would be
Conan Doyle in the Daily Mail.
36 A: To my mind, that distinguishes Pietri from the Olympic heroes
of today.
Part 6
37 D: The words ‘price range’ refer back to the fact that he found the
painting in an ‘antiques shop’.
38 E: The word ‘One’ tells us that this is the first in a list. After the
gap, the words ‘A couple more’ refer back to ‘One’. ‘Others’ in
the following sentence completes the list.
39 B: The words ‘He started out’ tell us that this is related to the life
story which is the topic of this paragraph. After the gap the
words ‘his boss’ refer back to ‘office boy’.
40 F: In the sentences before the gap, the writer talks about his
artistic connection, via his uncle, to his grandfather. The missing
sentence repeats and reinforces this idea.
41 G: The example after the gap refers back to the pictures that are
‘out there somewhere’.
3

42 C: ‘the person’ refers to Duane Van Vechten. The words ‘like the
person is actually there’ refer back to the previous sentence where
the writer says, ‘I love saying hello to it ... and goodbye ...’.
Part 7
43 A: I think I was aiming too high with the original business plan I
drew up, ...
44 D: I got together people who have lived here all their lives and
collected stories of stuff that had happened here over the years, ...
45 A: I wanted to win the prize because I needed funding to get my
idea off the ground.
46 C: I wasn’t convinced that he’d got it right however, so I did my
own research and put together a business plan.
47 D: Working out how to get good enough recordings without
spending a fortune and then how to market the tours online was
quite a challenge for me.
48 C: ..., but it brought my idea to the attention of the island’s tourist
board, who are willing to help me promote the idea.
49 B: My tutor didn’t think much of the idea to begin with, because I
hadn’t really worked out the business side of things.
50 D: ..., but the judges described it as refreshingly different.
51 B: ..., we were never particularly comfortable about leaving
the dogs at any of them because they looked so messy
and disorganised.
52 A: ... my tutor at college was able to bring me down to earth. I’d
never have made it without her.
Test 2: Writing
Part 1
Question 1 (essay)
Style: formal
Content: General: h ow important or unimportant it is for teenagers
to practise a sport regularly, with reasons for all
your opinions
1 how practising/not practising sports would affect teenagers’
health and fitness
2 the effects of practising/not practising sports on teenagers’
life outside school
3 something else to show how important/unimportant it is to
practise a sport regularly
Part 2
Question 2 (review)
Style: formal or neutral
Content: 1 briefly describe the entertainment show you particularly like
2 say what makes it special, with specific examples
3 explain whether you would recommend it for teenagers and
young adults, with reasons to back up your opinions
Question 3 (letter)
Style: formal
Content: 1 express an interest in being a tourist guide
2 say something about your knowledge of the town and
mention any informal experience you’ve had of showing
tourists round (could be friends or relatives)
3 say how you get on with children, young and elderly people
4 Say whether you are available at weekends or during the
week, and give your contact details
Question 4 (report)
Style: neutral or formal
Content: 1 what you and your classmates liked/disliked about the
canteen, including your opinions about its atmosphere and
size, the food and the prices 27 A: In other words, the parks cost more to maintain in good
2 some advice as to how it could be improved, e.g. making it
larger, more variety in the menu, lower prices, etc.
See pages 70–71 below for sample answers.
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Test 2: Listening
Part 1
1 C: ... the bands, I mean the standard was really high – that’s what
made it a really great night.
2 C: Could you check that out and get back to me, please?
3 B: M: I’ve come out of there with some real bargains.
F: Yeah me too.
4 A: F: ... anyone who’s actually played knows that they make you
think and react faster.
M: Of course they do.
5 A: ... I went for a job at my current place ... because I knew I’d be in
the same kitchen as two very highly regarded chefs, and what I’d
learn in that environment would be invaluable.
6 C: ... I’d have liked something more communicative than the kind
of dry lecture style that the tutors favour – I guess groupwork’s
more my learning style.
7 B: ... when I’m not satisfied with my own game, I have a tendency
to get a bit irritable – and that’s what happened today.
8 A: But there are some who are more interested in the so-called
‘celebrities’ amongst us.
Part 2
9  (little/younger) brother: I let my little brother talk me into putting our
names forward.
10 castle: Apparently, we live close to the site of a castle.
11 (old) maps: Then my mum came across a book of old maps. That was
really interesting ...
12 X-ray (picture): ... a geophysical survey – this is a bit like an X-ray
picture, ...
13 well: ... you could see that there had once been a well over towards
where the shed is now.
14 button: ..., but what we actually found was a button from that period.
15 sixteenth/16th: ... I was thrilled when I found my first piece and was
told it was made in the sixteenth century.
16 coin: So you can imagine how excited I was when we unearthed a coin.
17 150/one hundred and fifty: In our hole, we found one hundred and
fifty pieces, ...
18 inspired: I came away from that project feeling inspired – it’s the only
way I can describe it.
Part 3
19 G: S he dealt a lot with customer complaints. ... What was great
was beginning to understand how these delicate disputes get
sorted out.
20 H: Actually for me the high point of the placement was getting to
see how colleagues used the computer network.
21 F: I learnt exactly what the equipment can do and how to get the
most out of it – I reckon that’s going to come in useful whatever
job I get in the future.
22 D: The positive thing for me was that I was given quite a lot of
different jobs to do in the one department.
23 A: There were three of us in different parts of the company – one
in sales, one in accounts and one in quality control – and we
swapped roles every two weeks. That made it a really valuable
and rewarding experience ...
Part 4
24 C: I designed a questionnaire to find out what type of people use
parks today and why.
25 B: ..., but most people had a garden – in effect their own private
outdoor space – so didn’t have to go to a park.
26 C: It came as a shock to me to find that the average family with
young children could no longer afford a house with a garden –
especially in London.
condition – and often finance isn’t available for this.
28 A: ... whereby people with large gardens could volunteer to
share them for a certain number of hours per week with other
local families.
29 C: ... families also contribute to the maintenance of the gardens
– maybe cutting the grass and keeping them tidy – or planting
new flowers or trees – so it helps the owners too.
30 A: ... but we started out with just a few volunteer garden owners,
everything went very smoothly, no gardens were damaged.
4

Test 1, Part 1, Task 1
(see task on page 19, and Writing bank page 59)
Essay
Sample answer
How easy or difficult is life
for people who suddenly
become celebrities?
When somebody becomes a celebrity more
or less overnight, their life will change. Some
changes will be positive, some negative.
First of all, celebrity status usually means lots
of money, as celebrities get innumerable offers
of work to appear on television and promote and
advertise luxury goods. Having so much money
may seem like a dream, but it could cause
problems such as false friends who are only
interested in their money.
Secondly, there is the unavoidable loss of
privacy. Celebrities are recognised in the street,
so they are not able to hide anywhere. People
will ask them for autographs and want to take
selfies with them. Whilst some people love that
sort of attention, others may find it unbearable,
particularly if it also affects their families.
Finally, celebrities may attract negative attention
and comments on social media, where they may
be unfairly criticised and subjected to attacks.
They may even become the object of envy
and hatred.
To sum up, it seems to me that celebrities lead a
life of luxury and receive a lot of public attention,
but we often don’t see how much unhappiness
may be hidden behind the happy exterior.
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Test 1, Part 2, Task 2
(see task on page 20, and Writing bank page 61)
Article
Sample answer
Take action
to beat stress now!
Do you find yourself getting more and more
anxious while studying? Read on because this
page may change your life!
The first thing is to organise your work. This is
how I do it: I divide my work into manageable
chunks, so that a task that seems enormous
becomes a series of smaller tasks. Think of
the question: ‘How do you eat an elephant?’
Well, what’s the answer? The answer is ‘bit by
bit’. Simple and so clever!
The next step: relaxation. It’s not enough
just to say ‘I’ll relax for a few minutes’.
You have to take relaxation seriously! Think
of an activity that gives you real pleasure. In
my case, this means taking a piece of dark
chocolate and going into the greenest part of
my garden, where I can hear bird song, and
eating it slowly, enjoying every moment. Let
it clear your head of all thoughts.
And finally, one more tip: share the burden
of studying! Invite a friend you get on really
well with – it must be somebody who is on the
same wave length as you. Discuss the difficult
points of your work and give each other lots
of support.
Good luck!
5

Test 1, Part 2, Task 3
(see task on page 20, and Writing bank page 62)
Email
Sample answer
Hi Jack,
Great to hear from you! Your presentation
sounds very interesting and I’m happy to
help you.
In my country, teenagers go out in the
evening most weekends, usually to parties,
to friends’ houses and sometimes to a disco
or club. They go out without any adults,
but they’re usually expected to come back
home by 1 a.m. at the latest, and they have
to have a phone so parents can contact
them if necessary.
You also asked about money. Most teenagers
get some pocket money weekly and some
save it up for something special they want
to buy. Others, like me, spend it very quickly
and are soon out of pocket! Many teenagers
do jobs like washing neighbours’ cars or
cutting the grass to earn some extra money.
As to your question about obeying parents,
that’s more difficult to answer. Some parents
are very strict. My parents have some rules
I have to obey, but they also give me a lot
of space. Some of my friends, however,
think their parents are too old-fashioned and
don’t understand them, so there may some
arguments at home.
Good luck with your presentation!
Write again soon,
Pat
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Test 1, Part 2, Task 4
(see task on page 20, and Writing bank page 63)
Report
Sample answer
Report on the
Transport Museum
In this report I will talk about the displays,
about my classmates’ opinions and I’ll explain
how the visit helped us with school work.
The displays
There was an amazing number of things to see,
from tiny models of old cars and trains to huge
ship models you could actually walk inside.
There was a room where you could admire the
bikes used by world champions together with
all the medals they’d won.
What we liked most
We particularly liked the street which had
been reconstructed to look like a city street
from a century ago, with cars, trams, buses and
carriages pulled by horses. It was so well done
that you could imagine you were walking there
a hundred years ago.
Usefulness of the visit
What we learnt will be really useful for our
history projects. Throughout the museum
there were large touch screens full of images
and films about the displays. These were about
transport but also about how the people who
used it lived and how they spent their free time.
To conclude, I would say that this was an
excellent museum and that we hope all
students will be able to see it.
6

Test 2, Part 1, Task 1
(see task on page 40)
Essay
Sample answer
How important is it
to practise a sport regularly
when you are in your teens?
There are very good reasons why you should
practise a sport regularly when you are in
your teens.
Perhaps the most important reason to engage
in a sport is that it will make you stronger
by developing your muscles, making you
healthier and increasing your sense of well-
being. This in turn will improve your mood
and make you happier.
Another positive effect of sport is that it will
undoubtedly improve your social life. There
is no better way to make friends than to share
the excitement of a sports activity. Sport
events are an opportunity to meet people
with similar interests who you will then see
regularly for other social activities.
Last but not least, sport can teach you
important life skills when you compete
against others in friendly matches or in
important tournaments. You will learn what it
means to win and to lose, but above all you
will learn that the most important thing is to
enjoy the sport you love.
To sum up, sport activity will not only improve
your fitness and your social life but it will also
help you develop other skills.
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Test 2, Part 2, Task 2
(see task on page 41, and Writing bank page 64)
Review
Sample answer
If you want a show that is both interesting and
funny, look no further. ‘Simple Things’ is about
Robin, a teenager, and his friends. Robin is no
ordinary teenager, he is someone with a wicked
sense of humour who can play the drums. The
plot is about his attempts to become a pop star
whilst helping his friends solve their problems.
What makes it so special for me? I love the
humour in it. Whatever the problems, the different
characters always have a positive, upbeat
message. And Robin’s jokes are so funny they
never fail to make me laugh. You can feel you are
there with them, laughing in the same room.
And there’s something else. There is humour but
also drama and tension between the characters.
It’s often helped me understand my own problems
better because some of the characters are such
good role models. I often ask myself, ‘What would
I do in that situation? Would I do what Robin
does?’
If you’re over 20, forget it. But I’d recommend it
without hesitation to anybody between 15 and
19. But I must warn you, it’s so good it can be
addictive!
7

Test 2, Part 2, Task 3
(see task on page 41)
Letter
Sample answer
Dear Ms Hadley,
After reading a leaflet I found in the Town
Hall, I am writing to say I am very interested
in working as a volunteer tourist guide for
our town. I am eighteen years old and I
know this town very well because I have
lived here since I was ten. I have read a
lot about the architecture and history of the
town so I feel I would be able to answer
questions and tell the visitors interesting
anecdotes about local life.
I have some experience of taking friends
from other parts of the country on walks
around our town. I know this is informal but
they found it very interesting and I enjoyed
it enormously. I get on well with people my
own age and also with younger and older
people. I particularly enjoy conversations
with people of my parents’ and grandparents’
age, and they seem to enjoy my company.
I’m available every weekend and also
Mondays and Fridays after 3 p.m. I can
be contacted on my mobile telephone
(077567223) or by email (ben@nmg.co).
Yours sincerely,
Ben Samper
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Test 2, Part 2, Task 4
(see task on page 41)
Report
Sample answer
Report on the new
school canteen
I have been asked to write a report about the
new school canteen. This is a summary of my
classmates’ opinions.
Size and atmosphere
The new canteen looks really good and feels
spacious and welcoming. During break times
it is a bit crowded, but this actually adds to
its fun atmosphere. Most students buy things
and eat them outside on the patio.
The food
Some students only buy snacks or drinks, but
others buy their lunch here, so it is good to
see that the canteen has some healthy and
nutritious food. We like the fact that the
canteen is encouraging students to have
yoghurt or milk shakes instead of soft drinks.
The prices
We have compared the prices to those
outside the school and found the canteen
prices much lower. We also noticed that
healthier food choices in the canteen have
lower prices to encourage students to buy
better food.
Ideas for improvements
We would improve the display so that all
the food is clearly visible from the counter.
In winter, the canteen could offer some hot
food choices. And finally, we would like to
see bright, colourful posters on the walls.
8
AUDIOSCRIPT: CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH FIRST
Audioscript
Test 1: Listening, Part 1 (page 22)
Open your question paper and look at Part 1.
You will hear people talking in eight different situations.
For questions 1–8, choose the best answer (A, B or C).
Question one
You hear two friends talking about an end-of-term party.
M: So what did you think of the party then? There was certainly
no shortage of stuff to eat.
F: True enough. Though I think there’s a limit to how many
cheeseburgers and chips you can get through in one
evening – there could’ve been a bit more variety if you ask
me. But I thought the live band was great – wherever did
they find them?
M: I don’t know. I guess somebody at college must know them
somehow – anyway they certainly livened things up. Just as
well really because the college gym’s not the ideal place to
hold a party.
F: You’re right there, but at least there was plenty of space.
M: Sure.
Question two
You hear a sports coach talking to a football team.

OK – so Wednesday night’s game didn’t go to well, and
we need to reflect on what went wrong and how we can
improve on our performance in big games like this in future.
Now, I’m not blaming anyone for this defeat, we’re all
responsible – me included. Because everyone was on top
form – nobody was out injured – the training had gone well
– and watching you play, you know, the skills are there. You
were moving the ball round nicely in mid field. But somehow
the whole team’s performance lacked commitment – and
I’ve noticed this before when we play important fixtures – it’s
almost as if the occasion got the better of you.
Question three
You hear two friends talking about a film they have seen.
M:  Great film eh? I thought the special effects were brilliant.
F: Yeah. You could really believe you were in that forest and
you didn’t know what was going to jump out at you. I
wasn’t so keen on the actors they’d picked. I mean the guy
playing the lead role wasn’t exactly good-looking.
M: He wasn’t mean to be – it’s not a romantic comedy, you
know. Anyway, could you follow the story? I got lost once
or twice.
F: Well, I think they were trying to mislead you. You thought
something was about to happen, then it went off in some
unexpected direction. That would annoy some people, but it
made it for me actually.
Question four
You hear a boy talking about a competition he entered.
 I went in for the photography competition because
everyone’s always saying how the pictures I take are classy
– you know in an artistic sort of way. Anyway, as well as
potentially winning a fancy camera, you were also told
you’d get, like, advice and guidance from the experts who
were choosing the winner. So I thought I’d give it a go.
Anyway, I guess I underestimated how good the other
entrants’ photos would be, and I certainly won’t be making
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that mistake again. Because although there was nothing
wrong with the photo I submitted, it wasn’t actually that
special, and that’s what they said in the feedback – which
was fair enough really.
Question five
You hear a science teacher talking to his class.

Now, let’s talk about the project on the environment that
you’re handing in next week. I hope you’ve all made a start
and you found those websites I mentioned useful. Anyway,
you should now be at the stage of deciding what form it’s
going to take. I know I said last week that you could submit
either hard copy or a file on a memory stick – well, talking to
colleagues, it seems most classes are going with the digital
version – so I think you’d better do the same. It’s up to you
though, as long as you’ve gone about the research in the
way we outlined, the format won’t actually affect your mark.
Question six
You hear a girl leaving a phone message for her friend.

Hi there. It’s me. Look, you know I said I’d meet you at
eleven so we could go shopping? Well, something’s come
up. My little brother’s broken a tooth and the only time
we could get him in to see the dentist was at ten-thirty.
Mum’s at work and he’s terrified of going on his own, so
guess who’s got to take him? Anyway, if we could meet a
bit later? Say at twelve? – that should be OK. Oh, and by
the way, I’ve finally found that book of yours that I keep
promising to return to you – I must remember to bring it.
Sorry for messing up our plans. Call me. Byeeeeeee.
Question seven
You hear a man talking about his holiday plans.
F: So you’re off on holiday next week. You’re lucky to get the
time out of the office for a few days – we’re so busy at the
moment.
M: Well, I’ll have my phone with me – so I’ll be checking in
periodically. Anyway, I’ll be out doing watersports most of
the time. I can’t wait to have a go at some of the things on
offer – like I’ve never tried water ski-ing let alone some of
the wilder stuff ...
F: ... and it’ll be fascinating to see how people live on the
other side of the world.
M: Apparently the food at the hotel’s international, but I’d like
to try the local stuff if I get the chance.
Question eight
You hear two friends discussing traffic problems in their city.
M: So are you in favour of the priority lanes for buses? They
seem to work OK in other cities.
F: Yes, I know – but I’m not so sure they will here. I mean our
roads are pretty narrow, and there are some real bottlenecks
– you know places where the traffic just gets completely
jammed – I wonder if these lanes might just make that
problem worse.
M: And car drivers might just use them anyway – I mean the
buses are pretty infrequent.
F: Well – taxis and the emergency services can use them too.
Anyway, there will be cameras up to catch anyone doing
that. One thing is they certainly cost less than building
new roads.
M: That’s true.
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Test 1: Listening, Part 2 (page 23)
You will hear a boy called Keith giving a class presentation about
a trip he went on to a place called The Woodland Centre.
For questions 9–18, complete the sentences with a word or
short phrase.
You now have 45 seconds to look at Part 2.
Hi there. In this presentation, I’m going to tell you about
The Woodland Centre, which is a holiday centre up in the
mountains where you stay in a wooden cabin in the forest.
I went with my family for a long weekend. There are plenty
of outdoor activities available and it’s great ’cos you don’t all
have to stay together – so I could do stuff on my own, then
have meals with my parents and younger sister. In fact, the
idea of going to the Centre came from my uncle – he’d been
there with my cousins and said they’d all had a great time.
When you arrive, there’s a Reception building. While my
parents were checking in, I had a look round. I noticed
there was a chill-out room with a couple of games consoles,
which I thought might come in useful if it rained, plus
the usual ping-pong table and some rather old-fashioned
looking board games.
There’s also a shop and cafe – nothing special, but there’s
everything you need, ’cos it’s twenty minutes’ drive to the
nearest town. Our cabin was about ten minutes’ walk away
from the car park, which came as a bit of a shock – the
Centre’s a traffic-free zone. We had to carry all our stuff up
to the cabin ourselves!
The cabin was pretty basic, but comfortable. My parents
had gone for what they call a ‘superior’ cabin, but I didn’t
think it was anything special – apart from the fact that we
got a view of the lake, it seemed the same as the ones they
called ‘standard’ cabins.
Inside we had most things we needed – even a WiFi
connection, which I hadn’t really expected, plus a TV, cooker
and stuff. What they didn’t have, though, was a dishwasher,
which meant we had to take it in turns to wash up. I didn’t
think much of that I can tell you!
Actually, at first I wasn’t sure about the hot tub either –
especially when Dad suggested we went in it after dark on our
first evening! During the day, there’s a great view of mountains
all around, and apparently the sunsets can be spectacular –
though we didn’t see that. At night, though, you got a great
view of the night sky – full of stars – and even a couple of
planets – seeing them so clearly was a first for me. It made me
realise how bad the light pollution is in big cities.
Each morning, I did outdoor activities. I joined a group of
guys to do watersports on the lake. In theory, you could
choose between sailing, windsurfing and canoeing. In
practice, the whole group had to do the same thing as there
was only one instructor, so you had to go with the majority,
which meant sailing. But I was cool with that ’cos I’ve tried
canoeing before and I’m not that keen on it.
In the afternoon, I was able to have a go at mountain
biking. I thought we’d be going up into the mountains –
you know some real off-road stuff – but the paths were
actually mostly flat. I mean, it was good not having to cycle
up hilly bits, but I would’ve liked getting up speed on the
downhill sections.
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On our second day, I chose to go on a trip to a nearby
castle instead of the cycling. The castle looks great from a
distance, but inside it’s like a museum. There was a video
you could watch about the history of the place, which
was OK, but the kitchens were actually the best bit. The
exhibitions of old clothes and stuff weren’t so interesting.
Anyway, if you get the chance, I’d say it’s worth going to
The Woodland Centre. I mean, it isn’t the best-equipped
holiday resort I’ve ever been to, and although some of the
facilities were of a high standard, overall I’d have to say the
place is pretty average. I think there are better places you can
go, but I guess they’re much more expensive.
Test 1: Listening, Part 3 (page 24)
You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking
about being a judge in a talent show.
For questions 19–23, choose from the list (A–H) how each
speaker feels about the experience. Use the letters only once.
There are three extra letters which you do not need to use.
You now have 30 seconds to look at Part 3.
Speaker one
I was thrilled when I was invited to be one of the judges at the
local talent competition. There was me and two well-known
local celebrities on the panel. Anyway, they’d both done this
sort of thing before and it was quite an eye-opener to see how
seriously they took the job. It was also interesting to see how
well things are organised backstage. A dance group got most
applause from the audience – but I didn’t think they were
the best. In the end, the prize went to a young magician. He
hadn’t really caught my attention in the first round, but he did
a brilliant trick in the final, so he definitely deserved it.
Speaker two
I’ve been invited to judge the local talent show a number
of times. Afterwards, I always say ‘never again’! But when
the invitation comes, I always accept! Actually this year,
somebody very efficient was running things, and the kids
taking part were amazing – it’s a shame they can’t all win. In
fact, the singer who took first prize really stood out from the
word go – so confident and hitting every note beautifully. I
don’t know about the other judges, but there was no doubt
in my mind. But one little boy cried when he heard he’d only
come third. I think some school friends had come along to
support him, and that made it worse. It was a shame, but
we’d made the right decision, so it wasn’t our fault.
Speaker three
The other judges call me Mr Nasty, because I give my
honest opinion about the acts – I mean there’s no point
telling people they’re great if they can’t actually sing or
whatever. The audience boo me sometimes – but actually
it’s all part of the fun, and I’m careful not to upset the
contestants. This year, I thought I’d spotted the winner in
the first round – a brilliant drummer who I reckon has a
great future ahead of him. Anyway, my fellow judges didn’t
agree and went for the usual pretty singer instead. The
standard’s always really high, so we don’t agree all the time
– but I still think that boy will prove me right.
10

Speaker four
We’re all great friends – the four of us who judge the
competition – but that doesn’t mean we always agree
about which act is best. That’s what makes the show
interesting because you really don’t know who’s going to
win. People have said we ought to let the audience vote,
like they do on TV shows – but I don’t think that’s right.
Even if the contestants aren’t that good, we give them
encouragement and advice, and we know what we’re
talking about. To be honest, though, the event isn’t as
well-managed as it used to be, which is a pity because
the contestants really give their all and deserve better
conditions backstage.
Speaker five
I’d been wanting to get onto the judging panel for ages, and
this year I finally got asked. I hope I lived up to the organisers’
expectations because it’d be great to become one of the
regulars. Anyway, the final was really exciting – the audience
votes for the best four acts in round one, then the judges
choose the best act in the final. It was really tough because
the standard was incredible, but in the end it came down to
a choice between a violinist and a comedian. I mean – how
do you compare two such completely different acts? Anyway,
eventually they were announced joint winners because we
couldn’t agree, which was quite a relief actually.
Test 1: Listening, Part 4 (page 25)
You will hear an interview with a successful hairdresser called
Dan Shefford.
For questions 24–30, choose the best answer (A, B or C).
You now have one minute to look at Part 4.
Int: My guest today is Dan Shefford, who owns the fashionable
hairdressing salon Roots. Dan, you’re a successful
businessman – but why hairdressing?
M: Well, actually hairdressing was always my first love. I
don’t come from a business background, my parents are
both creative people – Mum’s a fashion designer, Dad’s
a musician – neither of them ever thought of going into
business. I started cutting hair as a teenager – first my own,
then my friends’ – and they liked what I did – came back for
more. So at the first opportunity, I went to college and got
the basic training.
Int: How was that?
M:  Well, everybody has to learn the basics, then do their time
as a junior in a salon. I had my own ideas of course, and
was keen to start putting them into practice – that got me
into trouble occasionally, especially as a trainee in a salon
– but I have no regrets. Now I can really see how the basic
skills I learnt as a trainee, whether on my college course or
out at work, have stood me in good stead.
Int: So how did you come to develop your own particular styles?
M: I was really lucky. Once I was fully trained, I got a job at
quite a fashionable salon. We’d get all sorts of people
coming in, including some minor celebrities who lived
locally. My boss there, Sally Turncross, was exceptional – she
knew just how to develop a young hairdresser’s skill and
that made all the difference. I got the chance to try out my
own styles, and she always gave me her honest opinion.
The standards were high in that salon, but she was willing
to give me a bit of freedom.
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Int: So what makes someone a good hairdresser?
M: Well, you’ve got to have the skills, and they take time
to develop – and you need quite a lot of imagination to
develop your own styles. But what I’ve noticed is a lot of
hairdressers love the styling, love the buzz in the salon, but
aren’t actually that interested in the clients. Developing a
proper relationship with each client is the key, getting to
know them well so that you’ll know the styles or cuts they’ll
like. You can’t fake that, I’m afraid.
Int: Now a turning point in your life came unexpectedly,
didn’t it?
M: That’s right. When I was twenty-one, a rich uncle left me
some money. I had no idea it was coming and, you know,
I could’ve blown it all on a flash car, a nice apartment or
whatever, because at that age anything seems possible. So
although I did allow myself the luxury of a month’s round-
the-world trip, the rest of it I really wanted to invest in my
future. I think my uncle had my education in mind, so that
seemed a good thing to do – even though he never actually
set any conditions or anything.
Int: So you bought a salon?
M: That’s right. It was pretty scary at first – because it was an
established business, with staff and everything. I walked in
on the first day without much idea of what my everyday
responsibilities were. But I thought to myself, ‘What would
my hero Sally do in this situation?’ and I decided that
she’d probably just spend time getting to know everybody
first, watching how things were done and stuff, before
introducing any changes. And that’s what I did, gradually
introducing my own ideas. Some staff who didn’t want
change left – which was probably a good thing – those who
liked my ideas stayed and we built a really strong team.
Int: And the business skills?
M:  Yes – they come with time too. I’ve done courses in the
basic stuff, of course, and I always seek professional
guidance before taking big decisions – you know the
bank, my accountant – people like that. And I employed
a business manager – she was straight out of college – no
real experience – but we just hit it off at the interview, and I
know I can leave the day-to-day stuff to her. So, luck’s been
on my side again really.
Test 2: Listening, Part 1 (page 42)
Open your question paper and look at Part 1.
You will hear people talking in eight different situations.
For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, B or C).
Question one
You hear two friends talking about a concert they have been to.
M: So what did you think of the concert then? I thought the
light show was incredible.
F: Yeah – it was certainly spectacular, but you go to a concert
for the music really – not for the special effects. They got
in the way a bit, because you had some really different
bands in the line up – you know everything from heavy
rock through to acoustic stuff – and they needed lighting in
different ways.
M: Maybe the programme was a bit too ambitious then –
they’d have done better keeping to one style.
F: Possibly – but you couldn’t fault any of the bands, I mean
the standard was really high – that’s what made it a really
great night.
M: Yeah.
11

Question two
You hear a man leaving a voicemail message for a friend.
Hi – Lewis here. Thanks for your call. I’m really glad that
you’ve decided to go ahead and book the disco for the
party – I’m sure you’ve made the right choice there. You
asked me whether I know of a good DJ you could hire for
the night – but to be honest I was under the impression
that the venue provided the DJ as part of the deal.
Could you check that out and get back to me, please? If
that’s not the case, then I could certainly give you a few
recommendations, but I’ll wait till I hear back from you. OK
– I’ll be on this number all afternoon. Bye.
Question three
You hear two teenagers talking about a new clothes shop.
M: It’s a great place that new shop, isn’t it? I’ve come out of
there with some real bargains.
F: Yeah, me too. But I didn’t think much of having to queue
up for ten minutes to pay for the stuff. They ought to have
more staff on – only two out of the five tills were working.
M: Some people say there’s not much choice – that you just
have to buy what they’ve got in stock this week, but I
thought there was lots of different stuff.
F: Well, I know what they mean. But that’s why it’s cheap. We
were lucky today – but we might not be another time.
Question four
You overhear two friends talking about playing computer games.
M: Did you read that article about computer games?
F: I don’t read those articles – all that stuff about how people
who play games all the time don’t have friends? It’s rubbish.
M: Yeah – I know what you mean – but this one was actually
saying the opposite. Some researchers have found a link
between kids gaming and then becoming successful in
business in later life.
F: Well, that doesn’t surprise me actually. People who don’t
play them, write the games off as pure escapism and a
waste of time, but anyone who’s actually played knows that
they make you think and react faster.
M: Of course they do. And you play them with your
friends anyway.
F: Exactly.
Question five
You hear part of an interview with a trainee chef.
F: So as a trainee, you work in the restaurant five days a week,
and go to college on the sixth.
M: That’s right.
F: So, at least you’re paid whilst you’re training.
M: Yeah – but that’s not why I went for a job at my current
place. That was more because I knew I’d be in the same
kitchen as two very highly regarded chefs, and what I’d
learn in that environment would be invaluable. You see,
my parents had a restaurant when I was growing up and
I used to help out, so I‘ve got the basic skills. So I’m going
to get the college certificate to prove that – and that’s
important too.
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Question six
You hear a college student talking about her course.
If I had to give feedback about the course I’m doing at
college, I’d say that you get lots of help from the tutors,
both inside the classroom and with the homework
assignments. And when you go out and do your work
placement with a local firm, it’s really well set up and the
tutors keep in touch in case there are any problems. My
only reservation about the course concerns the actual
classes themselves. I guess I’d have liked something more
communicative than the kind of dry lecture style that the
tutors favour – I guess groupwork’s more my learning
style. But having said that, it’s all really interesting and
useful stuff.
Question seven
You hear part of an interview with a football player after a
match.
F: So Tim – you got a warning from the referee – was that
deserved do you think?
M: Well, I was tackled very aggressively, but that’s football
– I know I shouldn’t have argued with the ref. The
trouble is, when I’m not satisfied with my own game, I
have a tendency to get a bit irritable – and that’s what
happened today.
F: .... and there were a couple of injuries – was the other team
playing a bit dirty?
M: Look, both sides wanted to win ‘cos it was an important
match – nobody wanted a goalless draw, and that
frustration came to surface towards the end. You can’t
blame the players on either side for that.
Question eight
You hear a fashion model talking about her work.
People ask me what I think about the way we’re portrayed
in the media – and the answer is that it depends. Basically,
when most journalists report on fashion shows, they’re
concentrating on the clothes – on the designer’s ideas – not
on the models. But there are some who are more interested
in the so-called ‘celebrities’ amongst us. I mean, it’s pretty
specialised work and most models do a great job, but part
of that is knowing how to keep everyone’s attention on the
outfits, and off what you’re doing. So when a model trips
or falls over, it’s big news – but it’s a black mark against you
– not something that’ll help make your name.
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Test 2: Listening, Part 2 (page 43)
You will hear an archaeology student called Gina Burbage
talking about how she first became interested in the subject as
a teenager.
For questions 9–18, complete the sentences with a word or
short phrase.
You now have 45 seconds to look at Part 2.
Hi. My name’s Gina Burbage. I’m studying archaeology at
university. I’m here today to tell you what it’s like to be an
archaeology student. But first, I’d like to tell you how I got
interested in the subject as a teenager at school.
The village where I live was chosen to take part in
something called ‘the Timescale Project’. This involved
digging a series of small, but quite deep holes in various
places to look for evidence of life in the past. A team
of archaeologists was in charge of the work, but local
volunteers were needed to do the actual digging. My
parents weren’t really interested, but as most of my friends
were away on holiday, I let my little brother talk me into
putting our names forward.
Holes were going to be dug in various places, like around
the old marketplace, and close to the oldest farmhouses.
Surprisingly, our back garden was chosen even though we
live in a modern house. Apparently, we live close to the site
of a castle, although nothing remains of it today.
That made me want to know more about the history of
the village. I looked on the Internet, but couldn’t really find
much – only some old photos that could’ve been taken
anywhere. Then my mum came across a book of old maps.
That was really interesting because you could see how much
the place had changed since the early nineteenth century
when the first ones were drawn.
On the day of the dig, a team of scientists came to do
what’s called a geophysical survey – this is a bit like an X-ray
picture, and it showed us what was under the ground in
our garden, and whether there’d ever been any buildings
there. In fact, it showed very little – though you could see
that there had once been a well over towards where the
shed is now.
The scientists told us where to dig our hole and we began
work. At first we only found modern stuff – like some bits
of broken bottle, an old comb. We were told to look out for
the clay pipes that people used to smoke in the nineteenth
century, because they’re very common, but what we actually
found was a button from that period. It made me wonder
who’d lost it and how long they’d spent looking for it!
The thing we found most of was pottery. In past centuries,
plates and cups and things were made of material that
broke really easily – and people just used to use them a few
times then throw them away. We didn’t find any for ages,
but I was thrilled when I found my first piece and was told
it was made in the sixteenth century. Our neighbours had
found lots of seventeenth-century pottery in their hole,
because their house was built at that time.
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As the day went on, we found lots more pieces of pot
which got older and older the deeper we dug – some going
back a thousand years. I thought this was wonderful, but
other people were hoping for treasure – like a gold ring or
something – and they thought broken pottery was boring!
So you can imagine how excited I was when we unearthed
a coin. It was even more exciting to hear that it came
from the ancient Roman period – which meant it was two
thousand years old!
They found the largest amount of pottery in the holes near
the old farmhouses – nearly five-hundred pieces in one hole
– and that showed people had been living on that site for a
very long time. In our hole, we found one hundred and fifty
pieces, which is still an incredible amount in one day.
At the end of the day’s digging, I looked around at all the
stuff that’d been found and realised what a fascinating
subject archaeology must be to study. I came away from
that project feeling inspired – it’s the only way I can describe
it – and I’ve been mad keen on archaeology ever since.
Test 2: Listening, Part 3 (page 44)
You will hear five short extracts in which students are talking
about doing a period of work experience in a company as part
of their course.
For questions 19–23, choose from the list (A–H) what each
speaker liked best about the experience. Use the letters only
once. There are three extra letters which you do not need to use.
You now have 30 seconds to look at Part 3.
Speaker one
You never quite know what work experience is going to be
like. In some companies, you’re given an actual job to do
in somebody’s absence, whilst in others you’re just like an
office assistant doing odd jobs. I was lucky. I was given a
member of staff to shadow – watching how she did things
and giving her a hand when she needed it. She dealt a lot
with customer complaints – too sensitive to trust to me.
What was great was beginning to understand how these
delicate disputes get sorted out – how each one’s different.
I’d have liked to see how people in other departments dealt
with things, but there wasn’t time unfortunately.
Speaker two
I was really thrown in at the deep end in my work
placement – answering phone enquiries from day one.
Fortunately, my father works from home, so I was used to
taking calls from clients and passing them on to him – it’s
not a skill all work placement students have! Actually for
me the high point of the placement was getting to see
how colleagues used the computer network for internal
communications We’d heard about the software at college,
but that’s not the same thing as seeing it in action. There
were students from my course in other departments at
the company, and it was good making contact with them
occasionally and comparing notes.
13

Speaker three
Some people complain that they’re only given boring tasks
to do on work experience placements, but I think they’re
missing the point. I did a lot of scanning, printing and
photocopying of documents during my three weeks in the
company and I learnt exactly what the equipment can do
and how to get the most out of it – I reckon that’s going
to come in useful whatever job I get in the future. For me,
the downside was that I kept getting moved from one
department to another – so I never got to know any of my
colleagues particularly well. I had no real problems during
the placement – I really enjoyed it.
Speaker four
I went into the period of work experience hoping that the
company might offer me a job in the future – so I really
tried to impress my colleagues and make contacts. I can
see now that was a mistake. Basically, they just wanted
somebody to do simple office duties and I really didn’t have
the skills. Sometimes, I think I created more problems than I
solved! The positive thing for me was that I was given quite
a lot of different jobs to do in the one department. So,
although I wasn’t any good at any of those jobs, I did get to
see that not everybody does the same thing in a busy office.
Speaker five
My work experience placement was really well-organised. I
had an interview before I started and the company made a
point of asking me what skills I already had and what range
of tasks I was interested in trying out. They also explained
that I couldn’t expect to have real responsibility for things
like dealing with the public – but I was cool with that. There
were three of us in different parts of the company – one
in sales, one in accounts and one in quality control – and
we swapped roles every two weeks. That made it a really
valuable and rewarding experience because you got to see
how the different parts of the company fit together.
Test 2: Listening, Part 4 (page 45)
You will hear part of an interview with a student called Ben
Broadley, who is talking about his idea for creating more open
spaces for people to use in cities.
For questions 24–30, choose the best answer (A, B or C).
You now have one minute to look at Part 4.
F:  I’m talking to university student Ben Broadley, who’s idea
for creating more public open spaces in cities has gained
a lot of media attention. Ben, first of all, how did you get
interested in this subject?
M: I’m a final-year student and my subject is urban studies – it’s
a branch of geography. I’ve always been interested in cities
and how they’ve developed. As part of my course, I have to
do a research project and the subject I chose was city parks.
I designed a questionnaire to find out what type of people
use parks today and why. In UK cities, most public parks
were created in the nineteenth century, when the cities
were growing very fast. It was a very positive example of
urban planning.
F: And since then?
© 2 016 P e a rs on P h o t o co p i ab l e
A U D I OSC RI PT: C A M BRI D G E EN G LISH FIRST
M: Well, in the twentieth century UK cities grew even faster.
But typically houses with gardens were built in the suburbs.
Especially in London, people would travel to work on the
underground railway, which was extended out into the
countryside, which then became covered in new housing
developments. The city-centre parks remained important –
and some new parks were created, but most people had a
garden – in effect their own private outdoor space – so they
didn’t have to go to a park.
F: So what did your research discover?
M: I looked at the twenty-first century. The UK population
has continued to rise, and so has the price of land, which
is in demand for all types of economic activity – not just
for housing. The obvious result is that houses aren’t being
built with big gardens anymore, and increasingly people are
living in apartment blocks without any open space nearby.
It came as a shock to me to find that the average family
with young children could no longer afford a house with a
garden – especially in London.
F: So – there’s a need for parks again?
M: Exactly. Especially in the city centres, parks are being used
by increasing numbers of people, more and more regularly
and this affects the parks themselves. Because they’re used
so much, they can easily get dirty and untidy and there’s a
lot of pressure on facilities like benches and places where
kids can play – that sort of thing. In other words, the
parks cost more to maintain in good condition – and often
finance isn’t available for this.
F: So tell us about your idea for a ‘garden-sharing’ scheme.
M: Well, it occurred to me that a lot of open spaces in cities
were actually being under-used. For example, many
twentieth-century houses still had big gardens, but those
gardens weren’t being used very much. Like, you’d
find an older couple whose children had grown up had
a big garden, whilst a young family living in the same
neighbourhood had no garden at all. So I suggested a
garden-sharing scheme – whereby people with large
gardens could volunteer to share them for a certain number
of hours per week with other local families.
F: So they become like public parks?
M: Not exactly – the gardens aren’t open to the public – only
to the families in the scheme – and those families also
contribute to the maintenance of the gardens – maybe
cutting the grass and keeping them tidy – or planting new
flowers or trees – so it helps the owners too. But there’s no
payment involved. Things like children’s play equipment has
to be taken away at the end of each session, so the gardens
return to their normal appearance.
F: And how have people reacted to the idea?
M: Well, the response has been surprisingly positive. I expected
a lot of older people to be worried about their privacy or
the security of their properties – and of course some people
do have those concerns – but we started out with just a few
volunteer garden owners, everything went very smoothly,
no gardens were damaged – and that has led other garden
owners to join the scheme. In fact, the scheme I set up in
my neighbourhood has grown very quickly and people in
other areas have taken up the idea.
F: So, if anybody wants to ……….
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