CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 8 TEST

Unit 8 test
Reading exercise
Read the article about a wildlife photographer called Jo Smithson, and then answer the questions.

Job profile: Wildlife Photographer, Jo Smithson

People are fascinated when I explain I’m a wildlife photographer – and sometimes jealous when they hear where
I’ve been to for work! People often assume that anyone with expensive equipment can take quality pictures;
that’s frustrating to me, as it doesn’t take into account the skill behind each shot. My professional career started
with my own business specialising in wedding portraits, as I loved the idea of helping to preserve special
memories. I made the switch to photographing animals out of a desire to educate people about the natural
world. There’s no denying, however, that it was fun being part of people’s important days, and I do sometimes
miss it.
Something that boosted my confidence early on was deciding to enter a wildlife photography competition. I
wanted to see how well my pictures compared to other professionals’ work. Also, photography is an incredibly
competitive business, so anything that gets you recognised is helpful. The subject was ‘Habitat’ and I submitted
my entry – a picture of an otter in a local river. I was busy working at the time and so forgot all about it until a
friend congratulated me! She’d seen my otter in a magazine article about the competition, and when I checked
back through my emails I found one from the organisers confirming my third place!
One of my most memorable assignments was photographing big cats in Africa. All the experts suggested I’d need
around ten days to get the necessary photos. In the end, finding a suitable location took nearly all of that, and all
in all, it was about a month before I got what the client wanted. The chance I’d hoped for of having a couple of
weeks to explore further wasn’t realistic. Like many photographers, I’m self-employed so there’s no holiday pay,
and getting back home to work was a priority.
It’s somewhere I’d love to return to, although it’s not likely to happen for a while! I’m about to join a large
project – part of a global team. We’ve all got an important role to play, including working on things like
documenting the impact of climate change on wildlife, or showing common animals in a new way. When I
found out I’d be working on the latter, I felt it didn’t seem as exciting, somehow. But then I realised that just
because something is familiar, it doesn’t make it less interesting. And it’s a great project that will put me in
touch with other photographers worldwide.
I love being my own boss, and it means I’m in control of everything – including finding new business. As with
many things in life, nothing beats having personal recommendations, and that’s where the majority of my
clients come from, although I sell a few photos through professional photography agencies. I’m finding the
number I sell is increasing as I become better known. Of course, putting any pictures online means sometimes
people download photos without paying, and although there is software that prevents this, it still happens,
which can be really annoying.

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 8 TEST

1 Why did Jo decide to become a wildlife photographer?

_________________________________________________________________________________ [1]

2 How did Jo find out the result of the competition she had entered?
_________________________________________________________________________________ [1]

3 How long did Jo spend working in Africa?

_________________________________________________________________________________ [1]

4 What is the subject of her next project?

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5 Where does Jo get most of her business from?

_________________________________________________________________________________ [1]

6 What does Jo describe as being a challenge in her job?

Give three details.
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[3]
[Total: 8]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 8 TEST

Writing exercise
You and your class recently went on a visit to a careers fair as part of your ‘Careers’ topic at school.
Now your teacher has asked you to write a report about the day.
In your report, say what you found useful about the event, and suggest what you think could
be improved.

We spent quite a lot

of time just listening
to people talking.

I enjoyed finding out

about different
companies.

It took ages to get

to the careers fair.

We were given useful

information to take
home.

Now write a report for your teacher.

The comments above may give you some ideas, and you should also use some ideas of your own.
Write about 120 to 160 words.
You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your report and up to 9 marks for the language used.
[Total: 15]
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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 8 TEST

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 8 TEST

08
Listening exercise
You will hear a woman called Saniya Devi giving a talk about her work as an astronomer.
For each question choose the correct answer, A, B or C, and put a tick (ü) in the appropriate box.
You will hear the talk twice.

Now look at questions 1–8.

1 A . . . got Saniya interested in astronomy.

A star map

B birthday gift

C science-fiction film
[1]

2 Saniya was impressed when she first saw . . .

A the red spot on Jupiter.

B the planet Mercury.

C the rings of Saturn.

[1]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 8 TEST

3 Saniya says people are sometimes surprised that astronomers need to study . . .

A computer programming.

B chemistry.

C physics.
[1]
4 Saniya did some research on a moon of Saturn because it may have an . . .

A interesting range of landscapes.

B unusual atmosphere.

C ocean under the surface.

[1]
5 Currently, Saniya’s main area of interest in astronomy is . . .

A galaxies.

B the evolution of stars.

C planets outside the Solar System.

[1]
6 Saniya says that . . . is an aspect of her job she particularly enjoys.
A visiting primary schools

B writing articles

C attending conferences
[1]
7 Saniya gives the example of . . . to demonstrate how astronomical ideas change all the time.

A dwarf planets

B gas giant planets

C asteroids
[1]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 8 TEST

8 Saniya says that it is her dream to . . . one day.

A walk around on the planet Mars

B visit the International Space Station

C work on developing a new spacecraft

[1]
[Total: 8]

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: UNIT 8 TEST

Speaking exercise
If possible, record your response to this exercise.

CHOOSING A JOB

You are thinking about your future career and what things are important when choosing a job. You are
considering the following options:
• working in a team

• working outdoors
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Say which option you would prefer, and why.

[Total: 10]
[Unit test total: 41]

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