All English 4U
Test 4 — Reading & Writing
5 Reading Parts (35Q) • Writing Parts 1, 2 & 3 • Auto-graded 40/40
About the Railway
The twelve kilometre-long Nene Valley Railway passes through the lovely Nene Park, from an Eastern terminus at Peterborough to the Railway’s headquarters at Wansford (next to the A1 main road). A two-kilometre extension of the Railway takes passengers through Wansford Tunnel to the quiet beauty of Yarwell, the present Western end of the line.
Fares: adult £10.00, child £5.00, Family Fare (up to 2 adults and 3 children) £25.00. Special prices may apply on public holidays.
Nene Park
With golf courses and a large Caravan Club site, why not make it a complete day out for the family by visiting Nene Park? There are thousands of hectares of public parkland with boating lakes, picnic areas and a nature reserve, as well as a miniature railway.
Wansford
Wansford Station is the home of a unique collection of historic trains from many parts of Europe. This includes such famous types as the elegant De Glen Compound locomotive from France, and the German Class 52 Kriegslok (the largest working steam engine in Britain) as well as ‘92 Squadron’ and ‘Mayflower’ which were built in Britain. You can see these engines all year round whether or not the Nene Valley Railway is running.
The buffet, bar and souvenir shop, however, are only open on days when the train is running. A site entrance fee of £2.00 for adults and £1.00 for children is charged at Wansford.
A Famous Railway
Nene Valley Railway is a favourite with film makers, due in particular to its ability to take on the appearance of a railway in any part of Europe. Octopussy, in the series of James Bond movies, is a good example of what can be done. Come and see where it was filmed.
Services for Schools
The Railway runs special timetable services from May to July to allow school groups to visit the railway and for teachers to set projects. The work can be done while pupils are here or in the classroom. A special educational pack is available, price £1.50 plus postage. At other times of the year, school parties can hire the train (‘Teddy Bear’) with up to 3 carriages to travel along the Railway on non-service days. One month’s prior booking is requested. There are special low fares for groups of 60 or more pupils. Telephone 01780 784444 for further information.
Private Hire of Trains
The Railway is a popular place for special family occasions or a company visit. It can provide the setting for a most interesting afternoon or evening out. Special programmes can be arranged to meet your wishes to include buffet, bar, entertainment, discos, etc. For further information please contact the General Manager at Wansford Station.
Some people have complained about this year’s collection, New Writing 3, although I cannot understand why. Surely 500 pages of original writing of this quality, for £6.99, is pretty amazing?
Fiction – both parts of novels and complete short stories – makes up most of the book. There are some enjoyable pieces by famous writers, such as Candia McWilliam and Rose Tremain. It’s a strange fact that the less well-known people seem to have written mainly about food. Take my advice about Jane Harris’s Those Nails – this piece should definitely not be read just after meals. It contains some very unpleasant scenes which could turn your stomach!
There is fine work from nineteen poets, including R. S. Thomas and John Burnside. There are pieces from novels-in-progress by Jim Crace and Jane Rogers. Finally, there is a little non-fiction, which includes a very funny article by Alan Rusbridger on certain newspapers, and an extraordinary piece about herself from Ursula Owen. This is an exceptional collection and I for one can’t wait to see what next year’s choice will include.
Cartoon films have very (0) few limits. If you can draw something, you can (26) it move on the cinema screen. The use (27) new ideas and advanced computer programs means that cartoons are becoming exciting again for people of (28) ages.
By the (29) of the 1970s, the cinema world had decided that cartoons were only for children.
But soon (30), one or two directors had some original new ideas. They proved that it was possible to make films in which both adults and children could (31) the fun.
However, not (32) cartoon film was successful. The Black Cauldron, for example, failed, mainly because it was too (33) for children and too childish for adults. Directors learnt from this (34), and the film companies began to make large (35) of money again.
Here are some sentences about visiting a hospital. For each question, complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use no more than three words. Write only the missing words on your answer sheet.
1 — going to have
2 — belongs
3 — your shoes
4 — ought / need
5 — gave me
Question 6
You have received some good news and want to tell your friend in Australia about it.
Write an e-mail to your friend. In your e-mail, you should
- explain your good news
- say how you feel about it
- ask about your friend’s family.
Write 35–45 words.
ⓘ This part is not auto-graded. Write your answer, then compare with the model answer from your teacher.
Question 7 — Letter
This is part of a letter you receive from your penfriend.
I’m glad you like learning English. Your teacher sounds really nice – and your friends do too! Tell me all about your English classes.
- Now write a letter to your penfriend.
- Write your letter in about 100 words on your answer sheet.
ⓘ This part is not auto-graded. Aim for about 100 words.
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