Reading and Writing NAME

_________________________
CLASS _________________________
IGCSE Training Test DATE _________________________

Reading and Writing – Exercise 1

Read the visitor information leaflet about Kew Botanical Gardens in London, and then answer the following
questions.

KEW ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS

Where we are famous building. It is an enormous glass house
The Royal Botanical Gardens are situated in Kew constructed in 1844 entirely of iron and glass.
in south-west London. Not only are the gardens Today it is a living laboratory containing a variety of
over 120 hectares in size, but they are also tropical plants that grow in rainforests.
London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage site. The Pagoda, which is 50 metres tall, was
constructed in 1762 as a present for a princess. It is
What we do an impressive and unusual building, even though it
Kew is not just about beautiful plants and flowers. was not built in traditional oriental design.
It is a botanical garden which grows plants for
scientific study. It is a world scientific resource What to do
with a collection of over 30,000 different living The Treetop Walkway is 18 metres above the
plants, seven million preserved plant samples, ground and as you walk along the 200-metre-long
The Millennium Seed Bank and a huge library of path, you get a rare opportunity to see the birds
documents of all kinds about plants. Kew Gardens and insects that live high up in trees, as well as a
are constantly developing and make a significant great view of London through the branches.
contribution to scientific research into the When you come down to earth, have a look
environment. around the Rhizotron, an underground lab, and
discover the fascinating world that lives in the soil
How it began under our feet.
The first botanical garden at Kew was started in The Hive gives you the chance to see the inside of
1772. It was a garden created for the royal palace a bee house. It is a sound and visual experience
which included many exotic plants that had been which was inspired by research into the health of
brought back by explorers on their voyages bees and the difficulties they have surviving in the
around the world. In 1840 the private royal modern world.
gardens were turned into the national botanic
gardens. The gardens were extended and many of PLAN YOUR VISIT
the buildings you can see today were constructed. Opening times:
As a result, visitor numbers increased and the 10 am–6:30 pm Monday–Thursday
gardens became one of London’s most popular 10 am–8:30 pm Friday–Sunday and holidays
attractions.
Tickets:
Adults £14
What to see Children (4–16) £2.50
The Arboretum is what Kew calls a living library Students £13
of trees. The 14,000 trees come from all over the
world and some even date back to the eighteenth Getting here
century. The Royal Palace dates back to 1631. The Visitors are advised to use public transport because
kitchen and ice house are of particular interest in parking is very limited.
this family home. The Palm House is Kew’s most

1 How big are Kew Gardens? ..................................................................................................................... [1]

2 Why is Kew important to science? ..................................................................................................................... [1]
3 How did the plant collection begin?  ..................................................................................................................... [1]
4 There are two reasons why The Palm House is worth a visit. What are they? ..................................................................... [2]
5 What are two reasons for going on the Treetop Walkway? ................................................................................................... [2]
6 What is the scientific importance of The Hive?  ..................................................................................................................... [1]
7 How are visitors advised to get to Kew Gardens? ..................................................................................................................... [1]
[Total: 9]

© Cambridge University Press 2018 PHOTOCOPIABLE

TALENT 3 ■ Test book
NAME _________________________ Reading and Writing
CLASS _________________________
DATE _________________________ IGCSE Training Test

Reading and Writing – Exercise 2

Read the magazine article about three teenagers (A–C) who talk about their hobbies.
Then answer Question 8 (a)–(h).

HOBBIES
Three young people talk about the activities they do in their free time.
A Leila
My hobby is dancing. It’s my only hobby because it takes up all my free time and I haven’t got time
for anything else. I started dancing when I was three and I have no plans to stop. I’ve been going to
the same dance school for all those years. I go there most days of the week as soon as I get home
from school and before I do my homework. I have dance lessons three days a week and I help with
the little children’s lessons on the other days. When we are preparing for a performance, we have
lots of extra practice at the weekends too. I’m usually involved in three shows at the local theatre
each year. This summer, I’m going to a dance summer school for a week with a friend from my dance
class. I’m really looking forward to a whole week doing my favourite activity! Dancing is my hobby
for now but I hope it might also become my career in the future.

B Simon
When I’ve got some free time, I enjoy making models and painting them. I started off building
plastic models of planes and ships when I was quite young and then I progressed to different types
of models. At one point, I collected model soldiers. They were tiny but I didn’t have to build them,
just paint them. Recently, I’ve tried making my own models. I’m fascinated by monsters and
creatures from legends but I enjoy creating my own, as well. I need quite a lot of equipment for
model-making. I’ve got many different types of paints, glues and brushes and I collect little bits and
pieces that I think might be useful. You need lots of patience and concentration and you have to pay
attention to detail, which is strange for me because I’m not usually like that, only with modelling!
I’ve found online videos, blogs and forums very useful for learning painting and modelling techniques.

C Theo
I had never cooked anything until about a year ago. I couldn’t even make a sandwich! When my
French exchange partner, Louis, came to stay, he cooked my family a French meal! I couldn’t believe
how good it was, even though his mum and dad run a restaurant. I asked my mum to teach me an
English dish that I could make when I went to stay with him in France. I practised the dish at home
– not always very successfully – and managed to make it for Louis’s family. I really loved the food in
France and started to get interested in it. I asked Louis to show me how to cook some of my
favourite French food. Since then, I’ve been cooking at home. I love finding new recipes and
experimenting with them. I’m not interested in cooking normal, everyday meals, I just like doing
special dishes. I’m learning fast and, best of all, I’ve discovered a whole new world – cooking!

8 The questions below are about the teenagers (A–C) and their hobbies.
For each question write the correct letter A, B or C on the line.
Which person …
a was inspired by somebody else? ........................ [1]
b is thinking about turning their hobby into a job? ........................ [1]
c uses skills in their hobby which they don’t normally use? ........................ [1]
d has only taken up their hobby recently? ........................ [1]
e is going to do a course soon? ........................ [1]
f had a positive experience overseas?  ........................ [1]
g needs a lot of special materials to do their hobby? ........................ [1]
h has a hobby that keeps them very busy? ........................ [1]
[Total: 8]

© Cambridge University Press 2018 PHOTOCOPIABLE

Test book ■ TALENT  3
 Reading and Writing NAME _________________________
CLASS _________________________
IGCSE Training Test DATE _________________________

Reading and Writing – Exercise 3

Read the article about a project in Cambodia which is improving the lives of local people in many ways.

ECO SOAP BANK

In 2014, Samir Lakhani was studying Environmental Science at Pittsburgh University in the
USA. During the summer holidays, he went to Cambodia in south-east Asia to work as a
volunteer. He was building fish ponds in a small village near Siem Reap.

One day, while he was working, Samir noticed a mother washing her young child. Nothing
unusual about that, except she was using soap powder for washing clothes. Samir was
shocked because this kind of soap contains powerful chemicals which can damage the
skin. Samir imagined that the mother was washing her child in this way because she
probably couldn’t afford to buy soap.

Samir was staying in the town of Siem Reap which is a popular tourist destination because
it is near the famous Angor Wat monument. That evening back in his hotel, he noticed
the small bar of soap on the sink. He had never paid any attention to it before. Then he
started thinking about it. Hotel guests rarely finish the soap and it is then thrown away.
Samir then worked out how much soap was wasted by the hundreds of hotels in the
town.

The following day, he started experimenting on ways to recycle hotel soap. He turned his
hotel room into a laboratory and contacted friends who studied chemistry for advice. He
finally came up with a solution that would work. His next step was to ask hotels to give
him the soap their guests didn’t use. The volunteer group he was with in Cambodia
provided him with a work space and gave him the names of some students who were
willing to help.

At the end of the summer, Samir returned to Pittsburgh to finish his final year at
university, but he carried on working on the soap project. He raised money by collecting
donations and contacted big hotel chains for support with his project. The Eco Soap Bank
was born.

The Eco Soap Bank is successful because it is simple. After the soap has been collected
from the hotels, it is turned into bars of soap and donated to hospitals, schools and local
communities. Trainers go into these places to explain how to use the soap and the
importance of washing your hands in order to prevent illness. The soap-makers who
recycle the soap are local women who are trained to do the job and paid for their work.

Samir is very proud of his success because his project is helping lots of people in different
ways. Clean water and soap are basic necessities for preventing illness and improving
health. By recycling the soap, it will not end up in the rubbish and cause pollution, so this
project is also good for the environment. The Eco Soap Bank now also collects water
bottles and shampoo and shower gel from hotels. All the new bars of soap are given away
free, so that schools and hospitals can spend their money on other important supplies.
The soap-makers are all women from poor backgrounds. The Eco Soap Bank has given
them a job and an income, which will transform not only their lives but also the lives of
their families.

© Cambridge University Press 2018 PHOTOCOPIABLE

TALENT 3 ■ Test book
NAME _________________________ Reading and Writing
CLASS _________________________
DATE _________________________ IGCSE Training Test
You are going to give a talk about the Eco Soap Bank at school. Prepare some notes to use
as a basis for your talk.

Make short notes under each heading.

9 How Samir got the idea

Example: He saw a woman washing her child with soap powder.
•  ....................................................................................................................................................... [1]

10 How he turned his idea into reality

•  ...........................................................................................................................................................
•  ...........................................................................................................................................................
•  ....................................................................................................................................................... [3]

11 The positive effects of the Eco Soap Bank

•  ...........................................................................................................................................................
•  ...........................................................................................................................................................
•  ....................................................................................................................................................... [3]

[Total: 7]

© Cambridge University Press 2018 PHOTOCOPIABLE

Test book ■ TALENT  3
 Reading and Writing NAME _________________________
CLASS _________________________
IGCSE Training Test DATE _________________________

Reading and Writing – Exercise 4

12 Read the following article about Charles Darwin.

Write a summary of Charles Darwin’s life.

Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You should use
your own words as far as possible.
You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your summary and up to 6 marks for the style and accuracy
of your language.

CHARLES DARWIN
Charles Darwin was born in England in 1809 into a fairly wealthy family. His father was
a doctor and both his grandfathers were successful and well-known for their work. He
was one of six children and enjoyed a happy childhood until his mother died when he
was only eight years old.

Charles wasn’t very keen on school, which greatly disappointed his father. Science was
the subject that interested him most but it wasn’t taught in schools in those days.
Dr Darwin thought Charles was lazy and needed to make more effort with his studies.
He sent him to Edinburgh University to study medicine, hoping that he would qualify
as a doctor like himself. However, Charles was bored and gave up his medical studies
after two years. Although he didn’t complete his course, he felt that his time hadn’t
been wasted as he had met people who had encouraged his interest in science.

Dr Darwin was very annoyed with Charles for leaving Edinburgh. He thought that a
career in the Church might suit him better, so he sent him to Cambridge University.
Charles didn’t study very hard there either but he did manage to finish his degree.
Once again, he met other scientists and developed his interest in science.

Soon after leaving Cambridge, Charles Darwin was invited to join an expedition to
South America. He was to be a scientist and companion to the ship’s chief officer,
Captain Fitzroy. He set off aboard HMS Beagle on 27 December 1831 on its five-year
voyage of exploration and discovery.

The ship sailed around the coast of South America, stopping frequently so that
Fitzroy could take measurements and draw maps of the coast. Darwin spent his time
on land exploring and collecting examples of birds, animals, insects and plants which
he sent back to his teachers in Cambridge. He was the first scientist to visit the
Galapagos Islands, which are to the east of Ecuador. While examining his collection of
birds, he noticed that the same type of bird was slightly different on each island. This
eventually lead him to his theory of evolution.

On his return to England, Darwin began to examine the material he had collected on
his voyage. He wrote a number of books about his experiences on HMS Beagle and his
scientific discoveries in geology and natural history, which made him well-known as a
scientist. In 1859, his greatest work, On the Origin of Species, was published in which he
presented his ideas on the theory of evolution. This book, which was immediately
popular, changed science forever.

[Total: 12]

© Cambridge University Press 2018 PHOTOCOPIABLE

TALENT 3 ■ Test book
NAME _________________________ Reading and Writing
CLASS _________________________
DATE _________________________ IGCSE Training Test

Reading and Writing – Exercise 5

13 You recently spent a day out with your friends when something unexpected happened.

Write an email to a friend about what happened.

In your email you should:
• explain where you were going and why
• describe what happened
• say how you felt about what happened.
The pictures above may give you some ideas, and you can also use some ideas of your own.

Your email should be between 100 and 150 words long.

You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your email, and up to 6 marks for the language used.

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
[Total: 12]

© Cambridge University Press 2018 PHOTOCOPIABLE

Test book ■ TALENT  3
 Reading and Writing NAME _________________________
CLASS _________________________
IGCSE Training Test DATE _________________________

Reading and Writing – Exercise 6

14 Your school magazine is looking for articles on the following topic:

‘History isn’t just a lot of boring dates, it’s a very important subject.’

Here are some comments from your friends on the topic:

It isn’t relevant to our lives today. We can learn from what happened
Who cares about wars and kings in the past so we don’t make
from long ago? the same mistakes again.

What happened in the past

We can understand what is
doesn’t matter, we need lessons
happening in the world now
to explain what is happening
if we understand the past.
in the world now.

Write an article for your school magazine, giving your views.

The comments above may give you some ideas, and you can also use some ideas of your own.

Your article should be between 100 and 150 words long.

You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your article, and up to 6 marks for the language used.

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
[Total: 12]

© Cambridge University Press 2018 PHOTOCOPIABLE

TALENT 3 ■ Test book