B2 FIRST

INDEPENDENT USER

Total: 100 marks

Name: ________________________________________

FIRST TEST

2022

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  Listening
You will hear a radio programme where presenter Anna Harris is interviewing
Zumba instructor Rick Johnson. Listen to the interview and choose the best
option: A, B or C. There is an example (0).

(0) Anna Harris, the interviewer,…

A- would like to start Zumba classes.
B- has a Zumba instructor.
C- can't stand doing sports.

(1) Rick Johnson...

A- teaches dance classes daily.
B- has contagious energy when teaching.
C- would like to attend Zumba events worldwide.

(2) Anna and Rick met…

A- at one of Rick's conferences.
B- more than a decade ago.
C- in a Zumba class.

(3) Rick used to be a…

A- bad dancer.
B- very confident teenager.
C- good student and athlete.

(4) When Rick was 16, he…

A- became interested in Zumba.
B- stopped practising for a while.
C- took hip hop classes.

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 (5) Rick creates his choreographies paying attention to…
A- exercise repetition.
B- the impact music makes on him.
C- diverse cultural styles.

(6) He finds YouTube videos…

A- boring.
B- unauthentic.
C- inspiring.

(7) Rick's other job enables him to...

A- develop driving strategies.
B- know a lot about roads and routes.
C- think about his routines.

(8) Something he really likes about being a Zumba instructor is…

A- meeting peaceful people.
B- receiving permanent encouragement.
C- his Rave performances.

(9) Rick's diet…

A- is really low in calories.
B- includes different sorts of meat.
C- doesn't contain any animal products.

(10) His final tips to his listeners are to…

A- try to cut down on fattening foods.
B- always look for fast results.
C- forget about alcohol, coffee and cigarettes.

20 marks

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   Reading

Part 1
You are going to read an article published in a popular newspaper.
For questions 1-5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best
according to the text. There is an example (0).

Connecting People to Nature Through Technology: Enhancing

your Environmental Education Programme
By Tony Takaki

If you are reading this, chances

are you already know that being
outdoors improves our fitness,
improves our mood, boosts our
brain power, and inspires our
sense of wonder. Yet, on a daily
basis we seem to be dependent
on technological devices and
outlets. We cannot arrive at
common locations without our GPS units, we share photos of our lunch with friends,
we expect news the second something happens, and we have more conversations
over text messages than we do in person or even talking on the phone. Let me ask
you this: how did you feel the last time you forgot your phone at home? Panicky?
Nervous? Constantly feeling like you forgot something? That anxiety of being
disconnected is real and very common. The question is how did we survive in the
’90s without constant email, Facebook, Instagram and streaming services? The
frustration many people feel about being so dependent on technology can inspire
them to pack up some clothes, their camping gear and go through a digital detox.

Going away for a few days, or even one day, without technology has its merits, and I
would recommend it – it is incredibly freeing. I’ve tried it…and survived! It’s a great
feeling to know that I can still connect with my friends in other ways. I can work all
afternoon without texting my wife, and somehow dinner will get to the table. However,
simply disconnecting from technology doesn’t necessarily connect us more with
nature. We still need to be inspired to get outside. Thankfully, and ironically, it could
be technology that actually helps us do that.

For example, few people would say that binoculars are evil items that keep you away
from nature. On the contrary, this piece of technology helps us get a closer look at
the natural world and feel more connected. I’ve seen the excitement in children and
adults as they get to see a bird up close using binoculars. I’ve even experienced it

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 myself. So, that piece of technology has actually helped inspire people to learn more
about their environment and connect them with the natural world.

There are many other examples such as GPS units that we can use to enhance our
environmental education programmes. They don’t all need to connect to the internet,
but they are a part of the technology we use to collect data in the field and should be
a part of career development for students.

Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat…we love them and we hate them. It can be

discouraging when you are giving a nature hike to a group of teens and you catch
them posting a photo on Snapchat; you think they are not paying attention. But
perhaps what is really happening is that they are just excited about a pretty leaf they
saw, or a frog they almost stepped on – and that is an experience they want to share.
Once a person feels the connection, the next natural step is for them to want to share
that experience with others – that’s a good thing!

Like it or not, social media is here to stay and a good portion of the population spends
a great deal of daily time on it. Understanding how to use social media is critical in
today’s market and it is a relatively inexpensive way to reach almost any audience.
So, I would encourage you to embrace it. Get your message out there so people
know about what opportunities exist for connecting with nature. They can't join your
Saturday hike if they don't know about it!

Text adapted from:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/connecting-people-nature-through-technology-enhancing-elena-takaki

0) According to the writer, spending time outdoors…

a- may be negative for people's learning.

b- changes people's mood for the better.
c- interferes with using technological devices.
d- requires certain physical fitness.

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 1) Although people know about the positive aspects of spending time outdoors,
they …

a- prefer staying indoors.

b- usually lie to themselves.
c- need to be there with their phone.
d- still depend on technology daily.

2) Being disconnected…

a- is what campers need.

b- can cause real anxiety.
c- is a must to train your mind.
d- may be the reason why people get lost.

3) The writer…

a- has gone through a digital detox himself.

b- feels free even when online.
c- connects with friends mostly digitally.
d- doesn't take his phone when he goes to dinner.

4) According to the writer, binoculars…

a- keep people away from nature.

b- would be excellent if they had internet connection.
c- can be a source of inspiration to some people.
d- are less useful than a GPS.

5) Children posting photos on social media while in a nature hike…

a- makes them disconnect from nature.

b- means they are not paying attention.
c- shows they are incapable of using social media well.
d- is positive and beneficial.

10 marks

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 Part 2

You are going to read an article on a website about Bokeh. Seven sentences
have been removed from the text. Choose from the sentences A-H below the
one which best fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do
not need to use and an example (0).

What Is Bokeh?
If you’ve been reading us for a while, you

may have learnt a thing or two about

photography. (0) A You may even

know all about pinhole cameras! But have

you ever heard of bokeh?

The term “bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “boke". (1) And that’s just

what bokeh refers to. It’s the quality of the blurry parts of a photograph.

You might be asking yourself why a photographer would want a blurry photograph.

After all, isn’t being able to see what’s in the picture the whole point?

(2) But photographers use blur strategically. Often, a blurry background can

make the focus objects stand out.

So, what are the qualities of good bokeh? (3) Ideally, light will appear as

circles or hexagons, depending on the lens used. While the background is an

important part of any photo, it shouldn’t distract viewers from the subject of the

picture.

Are you an aspiring photographer yourself? If so, you may be wondering how to

create the perfect bokeh effect in your own work. (4) Experts recommend a

fast lens that allows for very low aperture settings.

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 The best bokeh shots also require an interesting background. While this part of the

photo will be blurry, it looks better when a variety of colours and lights are included.
(5)

Many photographers claim the secret to good bokeh is finding the right distance. It

helps to leave plenty of space between the subject and the background. (6)

Do you need an advanced camera to achieve good bokeh? Not necessarily. While

many experts use quality cameras and lenses, blurring is also possible using the

camera of many smartphones. (7) Some apps can also help.

Can you think of any examples of good bokeh in photographs you’ve seen? What

other effects would you like to learn more about? There’s no shortage of techniques

for capturing images of the world around us!

Text adapted from: https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/What-Is-Bokeh

A- Maybe you’ve read about darkrooms and red eyes.

B- On the other hand, it’s best for the photograph to be rather close to the
subject.
C- You’re not wrong – of course it is!
D- Much of it depends on the lens you’re using.
E- This is not what "Bokeh" is about.
F- It means “blur” in English.
G- A blurred background that appears smooth is preferred over one full of
hard edges.
H- It’s also important to make sure the subject of the photo is well-lit.
I- Options like “portrait mode” can help you achieve a blurry background.

14 marks

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 FAMOUS
Part 3

(A) For questions 1-7 read the text below. Use the words given in capitals at the
end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line.
There is an example (0).

Ferrari enters luxury fashion

Ferrari is one of the most (0)___________ names FAME

in the car industry. Its sports cars are a symbol of

luxury. It has a long history of (1)___________ in SUCCEED
motor sports, especially in Formula One. The Italian company has now
entered the business of fashion. Last Sunday, the 74-year-old
car maker launched its own line of clothing at its factory in Maranello,
northern Italy. The company briefly stopped (2)___________ of its cars PRODUCE
to let models walk down a temporary catwalk on its factory floor. Chief
Brand Diversification Officer Nicola Boari told reporters that Ferrari's
clothing collections could make the company very (3)___________ PROFIT
within a decade.
Ferrari's new, ready-to-wear clothing was created by 37-year-old
fashion (4)___________ Rocco Iannone. Iannone was born in 1984 in DESIGN
Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy. He used to work for the (5)___________ PRESTIGE
fashion house Armani. Mr Iannone's clothes all used very
(6)___________ coloured fabrics. He made great use of "Ferrari red", BRIGHT
the yellow used in the Ferrari logo, and a very vibrant blue. Iannone
hopes the clothes will gain (7)___________ among younger people. POPULAR
He said: "The young generations have the power to express the energy
and the power of Ferrari's brand." He added: "If you enter a Ferrari store,
it's not because you need another raincoat. You are looking for
something special."

Text adapted from:

https://apnews.com/article/europe-sports-formula-one-business-lifestyle-fe1e1189507bf0b2869a6dbdf003c618

7 marks

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 (B) Read the text below below and for questions 1-7 decide which answer
(A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Look at the example (0).

'Rules of conduct' for tourists in historic Dutch towns

B old
Being a tourist and sightseeing (0) ......
villages is great, but is it good for the locals?
Villagers living in 'Old Holland' near Amsterdam
are tired of visitors and tour (1) ...... disturbing
their peace. They have worked with tour
companies to make rules for tourists. These
include not photographing people (2) ...... asking, not going into their gardens and not
dropping litter. Tourism is growing and the number of tourists will rise (3) ...... 50% in
the next decade.

Old Holland looks (4) ...... the past. There are windmills and traditional (5) ......
houses. Local residents say it is like an open-air museum. However, some say that
when they open (6) ...... curtains in the morning, they see lots of photographers'
camera lenses. Visitors seem happy to knock on the traditional houses to see if they
are made of real wood and that is not pleasant. (7) ......, tour buses tend to be the
noisiest.

Text adapted from: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-39281245

0) A) on B) in C) at D) above
1) A) guides B) trips C) owners D) visits
2) A) if B) in spite C) without D) although
3) A) by B) at C) of D) to
4) A) like B) above C) at D) alike
5) A) wood B) wool C) woolen D) wooden
6) A) its B) there C) their D) those
7) A) Too B) Though C) However D) Also

7 marks

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 Part 4

For questions 1 to 6 complete the second sentence so that it has a similar

meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word
given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.
There is an example (0).

(0) Her brother sings better than she does.

AS

She doesn't _____________________________

SING AS WELL AS her brother.

(1) Peter doesn't skate nearly as well as Pat.

SKATER

Pat is _____________________________ Peter.

(2) My little brother wants to drive a bus when he leaves school.

DRIVER

My little brother wants _____________________________ when he leaves school.

(3) How about going to the theatre this evening?

THEATRE

Why don't _____________________________ this evening?

(4) I think he's lying about the incident.

TRUTH

I don't think he _____________________________ about the incident.

(5) Germany is well known for making very good cars.

REPUTATION

Germany _____________________________ for making very good cars.

(6) Can I fly to Spain without having to change planes?

DIRECT

Is there _____________________________ Spain?

12 marks

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  Writing
Write an answer to one of the following questions in an appropriate style.

(1) In your English class you have been discussing different ways of learning new
things. Now your English teacher has asked you to write an essay using all the notes
and giving reasons for your point of view.

Essay question:

Travelling is the only way to learn about the world. Do you agree?

Notes:
Write about:
1- seeing how other people live
2- learning from the internet
3- …(your own idea)

Write your essay in 140 - 190 words using all your notes and giving reasons for your
point of view.

(2) This is part of an email you have received from a friend.

When you last wrote to me, you said you had just started a summer job.
How is it going? Do you have to work hard in the summer? Do you get any
free time? Are the wages good?

Write your email in 140-190 words.

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 Question

30 marks

GOOD LUCK!

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