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TASK 1

Examiner: Good morning! Take a seat, please.

How are you feeling at the moment?
How did you feel this morning when you woke up?
What will you miss most now that you’re leaving school?
Would you stay one more year? Why (not)?

Now I’m going to ask you a few questions. If you can’t understand me, I can repeat the
question once. Let’s get started.

A
Are you apprehensive about walking outside after dark?
Yes I am because I find there are many suspicious-looking people where I live. Also, you
can hear so many horrible stories from the media, I think you need to be careful. So no,
I never walk alone after dark.

Do you know anyone who has been mugged?

Yes, I do, actually. Someone I know was mugged a couple months ago. It’s quite a sad
story. The thief took her bag and also kicked her several times while she was lying on
the floor in a block of flats. My friend shouted for help but unfortunately nobody showed
up – I like to think that nobody heard her, but I’m not sure…

Do you think people who use illegal drugs should be put in jail?
Yes, definitely. They set a bad example to young people, who can be influenced so
easily. I think it is irresponsible if we just let them go after they have been caught. I
mean, maybe not every single user, but anyone who is involved in selling drugs should
go to jail in my opinion.

Have you ever done anything illegal? If so, what did you do?
Let me see… I don’t actually know if it was illegal but I remember being very frightened
at the time of being caught by the police. So I think I was around 11 and we were
walking in this forest when my friend saw a really cool ball in a garden that looked like
nobody had been there for years. The fence was down so after a while I decided to go in
and get the ball. My friend was very happy, but we just ran all the way home!

What crimes do you think will increase in the future?

I think theft and robbery will probably increase in the near future as people will have less
money because of the financial meltdown. There might also be more cyber-crime, crime
connected to the Internet.

I see. Now let’s move on to the next topic, which is free time.

B
Do you like to watch cartoons?
Well, nowadays there are lots of very good animation films, like Nemo and Shrek. What
I like in these is that they are funny and enjoyable for both children and adults, so this
could be an ideal family programme. However, I also like older cartoons like Tom and
Jerry.

Do you listen to classical music? Why or why not?

Sometimes I do, not very often though. I usually listen to classical music when I’m tired
and want to relax a bit, you know, because it’s kind of slow music and there is no lyrics
that would distract you or anything.

How far in advance do you begin planning a vacation?

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Well, I already have my ticket for this summer’s holiday, so we started it really early I
guess. To be honest, my mother is the boss and she always has a lot of plans, I kind of
just accept it… or not, but she’s the person who is always looking for ads and visiting
travel agencies. Sometimes I accompany her, especially in winter – I love it when she
speaks about the summer holiday in January!

What are some things you can do without spending any money?
Let me see… that’s very difficult, because these days everything costs a lot of money, but
there are some other options as well, for instance you can read books, watch films or go
outside and take a walk or just play some sport.

When do you usually listen to the radio?

When I arrive home, the first thing I do is switch the radio on. I usually listen to the
radio while I’m studying, because it makes me a bit happier between two maths
exercises. I love listening to music in the car too, because if I have to sit in a car for a
long time I won’t feel bored.

Well, I see. Now, let’s change the topic. We’re going to talk about gardening.

C
Do you think gardening is good for your health?
I think yes. If you are working all week, maybe in an office, and you don’t move a lot, it
is important for your health to spend some time outside, doing some gardening.

Is there a flower store near your house?

Yes there is. It’s on the corner of my street and a side street. We usually buy the plants
and flowers here. It’s a small store but the shop assistants are really nice and they are
always up for a chat!

Would you prefer to have a flower garden or a vegetable garden? Why?

I’d prefer to have a flower garden because it’s beautiful to see the flowers when you step
out of your house. Having a vegetable garden can also be god is you have enough space
to plant at least ten different kinds of vegetables, which you can use in cooking.

Do you think children should help their parents take care of the garden?
Yes, a little bit. I mean we have a house with a garden, and I remember that I always
had to cut the grass at the weekend, and water the things when my parents were away,
and especially when I was younger, it didn’t seem like much fun. But I think it’s
important for children to learn about different plans and what it means to have a garden.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of having a garden?

I think one of the most important benefits is that you can go outside any time and you
can have your breakfast outside in the sun. But if you have a garden, you have to keep
it tidy, so there is always some gardening to do. Many people enjoy doing these things,
and for those who don’t, well there are all those blocks of flats.

Thank you, that’s the end of the first part of the test.
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TASK 2

Now look at this situation. You can study the sheet for half a minute. When you are
ready, start a conversation with me. I am your friend.

You and your friend are travelling to Krakow in Poland this summer. Discuss with your
friend (whose role will be played by the examiner) the advantages and disadvantages of
taking the bus or flying with a cheap airline. Include the following points:

 price
 length of journey and the “view”
 comfort
 ways of spending your time during the journey

- So how do you want to get there?

- I’m not sure, maybe a lowcost airline? I think they fly you to Krakow for 9,000.
- That’s not bad, although the bus us cheaper than that.
- Is it? Well, but flying is so much more convenient! It only takes two hours and
there’s no traffic jam up in the air!
- But you need to get to the airport…
- That’s right, and then back to the city centre. so maybe it’s no faster after all.
But flying is so much more exciting than taking the bus!
- I can understand that, but if it’s cloudy, you won’t see a thing from the plane.
- I haven’t though of that. And I do want to see some of Poland, so maybe I should
take the bus then. But it’s an eight-hour journey, I wonder what I’m going to do?
I get bored quite easily.
- You could try reading a book.
- No, unfortunately I can’t ready while travelling on a bus. But if I go with one of
these more modern companies, then there’ll probably be a DVD-player on the
bus, so I could just sit back and enjoy some movies.
- Is it the bus then?
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- Yes, I think so. Thanks for talking this over.

- Any time.

Thank you, that’s the end of the second part of the test.

TASK 3

In the last part of the test, you will compare and contrast about some pictures. Now
you have half a minute to look at these pictures and the prompts below them. When
you are ready, you will have three minutes to talk.

The pictures below show different cakes for two different occasions, a wedding and
someone’s 18th birthday. Compare and contrast them, including the following points:

 what changes the occasions imply

 the significance of each event
 the company people generally celebrate these occasions with
 the place where you would celebrate each event

I’m not sure I could easily decide which of these events is more significant,
getting married or turning eighteen. Both pictures show cakes that we will probably
remember all our life: one signals becoming an adult after all those teenage years, well
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at least in Hungary, and the other one transforms your relationship with your partner to
a great extent.
I think people tend to invite more guests to their wedding than their 18 th birthday,
and I mean it’s two people inviting guests anyway if it’s a wedding, so it’s going to be a
lot more crowded I guess. I also think you would celebrate in a different way – probably
everyone got more drunk on their 18th birthday than their wedding night, for instance.
It’s difficult to tell where the pictures were taken, but I’d say a wedding party
could take place in a restaurant, while a birthday party could be held at someone’s
house, or your local pub maybe.
I clearly remember what my cake looked like when I turned 18, there is a photo of
it above my desk, but I haven’t yet thought about what my wedding cake should look
like. I mean, I don’t even know whether I want a wedding cake – or a wedding, for that
matter!

Thank you, that’s the end of your test.