IGCSE Training Test
KEYS AND SCRIPTS
IGCSE Training Test
Reading and Writing
Reading and Writing – Exercise 1
Suggested answers: 1 over/about 120 hectares 2 It is a
scientific resource with collections of living plants, plant
samples, a seed bank and a library. 3 Exotic plants from
different parts of the world were brought back by
explorers and planted in the royal gardens. 4 It’s the
most famous building at Kew and it is a laboratory for
studying rainforest plants. 5 Seeing wildlife in the trees
and getting a good view of London. 6 It comes from
research done into the health of bees and their problems
caused by the modern world. 7 by public transport
Reading and Writing – Exercise 2
8 (a) C (b) A (c) B (d) C (e) A (f) C (g) B (h) A
Reading and Writing – Exercise 3
Suggested answers:
9 He thought about all the soap that was wasted in
hotels.
10 He found a way to recycle hotel soap. The volunteer
group helped him. He raised money for his project.
11 it helps improves health; it protects the environment;
it gives useful work to local people
Listening
Listening – Exercise 1
1a a sports/leisure centre 1b Thursday at 6/six pm
2a (the) High Street 2b cross the road; walk 100 metres
3a booking a flight/buying plane tickets 3b a bit
nervous/anxious/not very relaxed 4a visit (the museum)
by themselves 4b 4:30/four-thirty
SCRIPT [2.14]   4
1 Teacher I’d just like to say a word or two about our visit
Girl Hello, I’d like to book a tennis court for next
week, please.
Man Could you tell me which day you’d prefer?
Girl Tuesday or Thursday.
Man Let me see, on Tuesday there’s a court free at
three for an hour. That’s the only time we’ve
got available that day.
Girl That’s a bit early. What about Thursday?
Man There’s a bit more choice then. There are
courts free at six and at seven.
Girl Great. I’ll book the earlier one.
Man Fine. You have to pay before you use the
tennis court, so go straight to the reception
desk between the swimming pool entrance
and the gym.
Girl OK.
Man Can you just give me your surname?
Girl Morgan, that’s …
2
Woman Excuse me. Could you tell me where I can find
a bank near here?
Boy There’s one over there.
Woman I know, I’ve already been there but the cash
machine isn’t working. I was wondering if
there’s another one nearby?
Boy I don’t really know but I’d try the High Street, if
I were you.
Woman Could you give me directions? I’m afraid I
don’t know this town.
Boy The quickest way is to walk straight through
this park, then cross over the road and carry
on for about a hundred metres and you’ll be in
the High Street.
Woman Thank you so much.
3
Girl Shall we go ahead and book then?
Boy Yes, we’re sure about the dates and the price
is good, so why not?
Girl OK. So, we said the one that leaves at three in
the afternoon … right, that’s done.
Boy What does that say?
Girl It says we can choose our seats, if we want.
Boy I definitely want a window seat. I love looking
down at the ground below.
Girl As long as it isn’t cloudy! I’ll get the seat next
to you. I’d rather not look out of the window
during take-off and landing!
Boy You aren’t scared, are you?
Girl Not really. Let’s just say, I’m happier when we
arrive back on the ground!
to the museum. After the guided visit round
the robot exhibition, you’re free to go off and
explore on your own. Make sure you use your
time well and allow yourselves plenty of time to
look around the museum shop because the
coach driver won’t wait for you. He wants to set
off by four-thirty and no later because the traffic
gets bad after that. So, I want us all to meet
outside the museum at four-fifteen at the very
latest. I won’t accept any excuses if you aren’t
here on time.
Test book ■ TALENT  3
 IGCSE Training Test
KEYS AND SCRIPTS
Listening – Exercise 2
5 advertising – swim fast – perfect shape – build nests
– both parents – freezing – protected – sea ice
SCRIPT [2.15]   Speaker 1  I didn’t really want to leave my old school,
Who doesn’t like penguins? We love the funny way they
walk and enjoy watching them diving and swimming
under water. Their black backs and white fronts make
them look as though they’re wearing smart suits and baby
penguins look like soft toys. All these features give us the
idea that they’re easy-going and friendly – and they make
us laugh, as well! It’s probably no accident that there are a
lot of penguins in cartoons and children’s stories, as well
as in advertising.
Penguins are birds, but they are very unusual birds. They
have wings but they can’t fly in the air. Instead, their wings
help them swim fast in water. All other birds have light
bones which enable them to fly. Penguins have heavy
bones which make them excellent swimmers. Although
their big bodies and very short legs make walking on land
difficult, they are the perfect shape for moving fast through
water. Unlike other birds, penguins don’t build nests in
trees. Some kinds of penguin make a rough collection of
sticks on the ground as a nest for their eggs. Emperor
penguins, which live in Antarctica, don’t build nests at all.
The female lays the egg but takes turns with the male to
keep it warm. The parent who is looking after the egg has
nothing to eat for days at a time, until the other penguin
returns and it can go and catch some fish. When the young
penguin appears, both parents look after it, which is quite
unusual in the animal world. Penguins are only found in
the southern hemisphere, but not just in the freezing
temperatures of Antarctica. They live as far north as the
Galapagos Islands and also in Argentina, Chile, South
Africa, Australia and New Zealand. So, it isn’t true that they
need snow and ice to survive. There are eighteen different
types of penguins which range in size from the Emperor
penguin – which can be over one metre tall and weigh up
to 40 kilos – to the Little Blue penguin which reaches a
maximum height of 40 centimetres and weighs less than
two kilos. All penguins live on a diet of fish and sea
creatures. Unfortunately, the loveable penguin, like many
other wild animals, is under threat from climate change
and human activity. Thirteen types of penguin risk
disappearing altogether. Emperor penguins, which live in
Antarctica, have the fewest problems because their
environment has been protected for a number of years.
It’s the penguins living in other places that are suffering
the most. Their natural environments are being taken over
by people and they often have to swim and search for
food in polluted water. Too much fishing in some areas
means that they have difficulty finding enough food
and sea temperatures are rising, with the result that
there is less sea ice. Penguins need our help and I’m
now going to talk about …
TALENT 3 ■ Test book
Listening – Exercise 3
6  1 D 2 G 3 A 4 E 5 B 6 F – Answer C is not necessary.
SCRIPT [2.16]  
but I had to because we moved house. We bought a
house on the other side of the city and my journey to
school would have been difficult. As there was a good
school within walking distance, my parents decided it
would be best for me to go there. I’d only been at my
other school for a year but it had taken me quite a long
time to get used to it, so I wasn’t looking forward to going
through all that again. But, it’s all worked out fine and I’m
getting on well at my new school now.
Speaker 2  I’ll never forget my first day at the language
school I went to in France last summer. My French wasn’t
very good at all and I couldn’t understand a word! I got
lost going to the school on the first morning so I arrived
late. I’d missed the introduction and I had to do a test
immediately. I was so anxious and upset, I didn’t do it
very well. They put me in the beginners’ group and I’d
been learning French for three years! Anyway, after the
first lesson, I changed class, met some friendly students
and I started to enjoy myself!
Speaker 3  Starting a new school was just one of the new
adjustments I had to make to my life when my family
moved overseas. Looking back, I think school was one of
the easier things because I went to an international
school. Nearly all the students were in the same position
as me, so they understood my problems and helped me
get over them. Luckily, the lessons were in English and I
studied the same subjects that I’d been doing before.
Outside school though, I had to learn to speak a new
language and adapt to a different way of life.
Speaker 4  I couldn’t wait to go to secondary school! I was
fed up with primary school and I wanted to go to the same
school as my big brother. He seemed to do such
interesting things at his school. He played lots of sport, so I
was envious. He went to some really good after-school
clubs and he took part in a school exchange to Spain. Well,
I’m at the same school as him now and it’s great! I’m doing
well in most subjects and I play in the school hockey
team.I’ve also started some new activities like learning the
guitar and photography at after-school clubs.
Speaker 5  Last year I changed schools because I didn’t
like my old school. I wasn’t happy there, so I was really
pleased when my mum and dad decided it would be best
for me to go to a different school. At the old school, there
was lots of science and maths, and although that’s why
I’d chosen the school, it was much more difficult than
I’d imagined. My new school is a specialist school for
languages and I’m really enjoying it. I’m studying
French, Spanish and German. I prefer the atmosphere
at this school. I enjoy going to school and I know I’m
going to do well.