FELIX BAUMGARTNER

On a sunny Sunday morning in October 2012, sitting in a small capsule suspended from a giant
helium balloon, Austrian Felix Baumgartner (0) ______ to a height of 24 miles (39 kilometres)
above the deserts of New Mexico. Wearing a specially designed survival suit to (1) ______ his
blood from boiling, he jumped out of the capsule and into the history books.

Baumgartner became the world's first supersonic skydiver by (2) ______ an estimated speed of
833 mph (1,340 kph) and breaking the sound barrier at Mach 1.24. He broke two (3) ______
records - the highest freefall jump and the highest balloon flight by a human - but (4) ______
to make the longest freefall jump, which he had also been (5) ______ to achieve.

A problem with his helmet nearly (6) ______ Baumgartner to abandon his attempt at the last
minute. He was (7) ______ to see clearly because the heater on his visor was not working
properly, causing it to fog up. (8) ______, he went ahead and landed safely back on the ground
just nine minutes after jumping.

0 a) lifted b) grew c) rose d) increased

1 a) avoid b) prevent c) reject d) deny

2 a) getting b) arriving c) catching d) reaching

3 a) added b) further c) best d) maximum

4 a) failed b) missed c) refused d) disabled

5 a) imagining c) considering c) hoping d) risking

6 a) made b) let c) forced d) imposed

7 a) incapable b) disallowed c) impractical d) unable

8 a) despite b) although c) whereas d) however

 JOURNEY INTO SPACE
When the first man landed on the moon, twelve-year-old Claudie Haignere was on holiday on a
French campsite.

The first Frenchwoman in space recalls that day: ‘My father, who was always (0)…………… the
world, (1) .......us that something really extraordinary was about to happen. It was a beautiful
evening, so we sat under the stars and watched TV. To see the moon so (2) .......away in the sky
and then to see a man climb down a ladder onto the (3).................. of it was just incredible.’

After the moon landing, Haignere read and watched whatever she could about space.
(4)...................there herself seemed unimaginable. However, much later she heard that
France’s space centre was (5)...................for astronauts. It was an opportunity that Haignere
couldn’t (6).................. . Of 1,000 candidates, seven were chosen: six men and Haignere.

Haignere eventually went into space twice. What was it like being completely
(7)..................from life on Earth? ‘I usually had no time to sit and watch the earth turn.

However, once I decided to (8)..................some time to enjoy the spectacle; it was

extraordinary.’

0 a) curious b) surprised c) interested d) fascinated

1 a) said b) told c) explained d) suggested
2 a) far b) long c) remote d) outside
3 a) top b) side c) level d) surface
4 a) making b) finding c) reaching d) travelling
5 a) asking b) looking c) offering d) requesting
6 a) miss b) lose c) wait d) avoid
7 a) put off b) cut off c) set out d) got away
8 a) do b) get c) take d) spend

BALLOON ADVENTURE
Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard were the first team to go (0) ___________ the world in a
balloon. Nobody (1) ___________ them to finish their astonishing 19-day expedition,
especially as they had to (2) ___________ with poisonous fumes and temperatures of -50°C.

Brian had run a business, but he got tired of it and (3) ___________ to buy a balloon. Before
long he was one of the country's (4) ___________ balloon instructors and pilots. Why did he
risk everything for one trip? He says he was not a very confident child: 'When I was seven a
friend (5) ___________ me go down a water slide with him. I still (6) ___________ being
absolutely terrified. I've never learnt to swim properly. He thinks everyone should face their
greatest (7) ___________ and that is one reason why he went up in the balloon. Six of the 19
days were spent over the Pacific Ocean. Brian says he won't (8) ___________ to do it again
because there are so many other things he wants to do.

0 a) round b) through c) across d) above

1 a) expected b) hoped c) intended d) admitted
2 a) do away b) get along c) keep up d) put up
3 a) thought b) considered c) afforded d) decided
4 a) unique b) preferable c) leading d) suitable
5 a) demanded b) made c) encourage d) persuaded
6 a) forget b) remind c) remember d) regret
7 a) fears b) suspicions c) disturbances d) frights
8 a) delay b) imagine c) attempt d) suggest