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CAM 5_READING A2

LINK
TEST 5: A path across Canada

Thirteen-year-old Kara Finch writes about The Great Trail – a footpath that
goes across Canada.

The Great Trail goes from one side of Canada to the other. At 24,000
km, it is the longest trail in the world. The Great Trail project began in
1992 and took 25 years to complete. It opened in 2017, exactly 150
years after Canada became one country.

The Great Trail is actually lots of paths joined together. You can cycle,
walk or horse-ride on most of it, but there are parts where the only way
you can travel is by boat. And there are others where the trail is part of
the highway, which doesn’t sound very safe to me.

My father and I spent a day walking along part of the Great Trail that was
surprisingly busy. We were told you don’t usually see bears when there
are lots of people, but we did. It was moving through the trees, quite
close to us, and I felt a little afraid. ‘I don’t think it’s hurry!’ laughed my
dad.

At lunchtime, we talked to an old man on the trail. Dad asked him if he

thought the path was going to help Canadians learn more about their
countryside. ‘Not really,’ he said. ‘We’ve always loved to be outdoors.
But it will bring us tourists from around the world, which is important.’

In the future, the path will probably change, and new parts may open.
We saw nothing to tell us we were on the Great Trail, which is a shame. I
know there’s information on the website, but it’s good to know when
you’re walking on a special path. They need to add some signs, I think.

1 What is Kara doing in the first paragraph?

A telling tourists how long it takes to walk the Great Trail

B explaining the history of the Great Trail

C giving walkers advice about walking in Canada

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2 What does Kara think is dangerous?

A Some parts of the path are on roads.

B You need a boat for parts of the path.

C Bikes and horses share the same path.

3 What does Kara say about the bear she saw?

A It looked hungry.

B It was on the path.

C It walked near her.

4 What did the old man say about the trail?

A People from other countries will come to see it.

B People will go into the countryside more because of it.

C People from Canada will use it to see other parts of their

country.

5 What does Kara say should happen next?

A There should be a website about the trail.

B Some parts of the trail should close.

C There should be more signs along the trail.

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LINK
TEST 6: Rebecca Miles – wildlife presenter

Rebecca Miles has always loved animals. When she was a child, she
liked watching documentaries, TV programmes about real people and
events. She also enjoyed going to the local zoo with her grandparents.
Her father was an environmentalist, someone who works to protect the
natural world, and she and her mother often went on trips with him,
travelling to Africa and other parts of the world.

Rebecca studied zoology at university and began her career at a wildlife

centre in Zambia. She worked with chimpanzees and studied how they
live. She was also interested in learning more about big cats like
mountain lions. She made her first TV programme when she was 27. It
was a documentary about tigers.

While she was in Asia, filming the documentary, she met her future
husband, Ray. He was one of the cameramen on the programme. They
quickly realized that they shared the same interests and cared about
animals in danger. Now Rebecca and Ray work together on many
different projects.

Apart from Zambia, Rebecca has travelled and worked all over Africa
and Asia, and she and Ray are now planning to take their very first trip to
South America to study mountain lions in the Andes. They would like to
show where the mountain lions live and what they eat. They’re interested
in giving people information about the mountain lions and how to protect
them.

Rebecca would like to write a book about her work and her life one day.
She wants to make people think about the world they live in and all the
amazing animals that are in danger. She’d like to show us that we can
help even if we never travel to the places where those animals live.

1 As a child, Rebecca went to Africa

​ A with her grandparents.

​ B with her parents.

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​ C only with her mother.

2 Rebecca met Ray

​ A when she was working in Africa.

​ B when they were working in Asia.

​ C when he was presenting a documentary.

3 Rebecca and Ray

​ A have not been to South America.

​ B have been to Africa and Asia together.

​ C have worked in Zambia.

4 In the Andes, Rebecca wants to teach people

​ A how to give food to the mountain lions.

​ B how to live next to the mountain lions.

​ C that the mountain lions need our help.

5 One of Rebecca’s aims is

​ A to think about dangerous animals.

​ B to become an author.

​ C to make people travel more.

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LINK
TEST 7: Callie Rice – ice dancer

Growing up, I was in an ice-skating club, and my friends and I did lots of
competitions. When I was 18, I entered a big one in Italy, and I came
first. The prize was a job as an ice dancer in a big show. That’s how my
career started.

One of the things I love about the shows is the beautiful clothes. The
only trouble is that sometimes they’re heavy and I get very hot. Also, I
have to change lots of times in one show. The people who make the
clothes are very clever – it’s amazing how quickly they work!

Before the show starts, we get dressed, put our skates on, and wish
each other good luck. Then, while I’m waiting to go on, I like to sit quietly
by myself and think about what I’m going to do. The other skaters chat
together or listen to music.

In the shows, we have to dance, sing, and also speak. For me, ice
dancing is fine, but I’m not an actor. I’m always a bit scared I won’t
remember the words. I’m not bothered about falling – it doesn’t usually
happen. And I really enjoy joining in with all the songs.

People always ask me if I’m tired when each show finishes, but I love
skating, so I never feel that way. I love listening to the people who came
to watch – so excited as they leave, talking about what they’ve seen.
That’s when I’m really happy I chose ice dancing as a career.

1 How did Callie’s career as an ice danger begin?

​ A She won a competition.

​ B She saw an advert for a job.

​ C A friend invited her to join an ice show.

2 What does Callie say about the clothes she wears?

​ A Some are prettier than others.

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​ B It’s hard to skate in them.

​ C Making them takes a long time.

3 What does Callie do just before each show?

​ A She talks to the other skaters.

​ B She checks her skates are okay.

​ C She takes a moment to be alone.

4 What does Callie worry about?

​ A having an accident on the ice

​ B forgetting what she has to say

​ C dancing and singing at the same time

5 How does Callie usually feel after a show?

​ A ready for a rest

​ B glad that she’s finished

​ C pleased about making people happy

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LINK
TEST 8: How I spend my free time

Jay Portman describes his unusual hobby, hill running, and tells us
why he enjoys it.

Hill running is the sport of running up and down hills and mountains,
through open countryside. It’s not popular among my friends, but I love
it. My dad took me and my brothers out running when we were little, and
then when I was about fifteen, I joined a hill running club, called the York
Merlins.

There are some excellent runners in the club. When we do our practice
runs, I’m always a long way behind them. But that doesn’t bother me.
They’re all really nice and often give me advice. What I love is being
outdoors and finding all these beautiful places I never knew were there.

We race against other clubs at the weekends. In these races, runners

are told where to finish, but not how to get there. You need a good map
and compass so you don’t get lost. Everyone starts together at the
beginning, but later in the race you often find yourself running alone.

Anyone can enter these races – you just get there in the morning, pay
your £5, and run. There are no T-shirts or medals for the winners. The
most you get is a piece of cake! Often there are international hill running
champions taking part, but they are just as friendly as everyone else.

That doesn’t mean it’s an easy sport. Last weekend I did a race in heavy
rain and high winds, and I was asking myself what I was doing out there.
But I got to the end, and that was an amazing feeling.

1 Jay’s first experience of hill running was with

A a club.

B some friends.

C his family.

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2 How does Jay feel about the good runners in his club?

A He’d like to be as fast as them one day.

B He doesn’t mind that they are better than him.

C He thinks they should help slower runners improve.

3 What does Jay say is important in the races he enters?

A listening to the instructions

B staying close to other runners

C being able to find your way

4 What do we learn about the races from the fourth paragraph?

A They don’t have big prizes.

B They are only for local runners.

C They are free for some people to enter.

5 What does Jay say about the last race he did?

A The bad weather made it dangerous.

B He was very happy when he finished it.

C It wasn’t as difficult as some races he has done.

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