Test 2 – Reading & Writing

Millions of people of all ages enjoy a hobby which is both interesting and fun. And every year, more and more people start a stamp collection of their own and discover an interest which can last a lifetime. Starting your collection is easy because stamps are everywhere. Holiday postcards from friends, birthday cards from favourite aunts and letters from pen-friends can all provide you with stamps from all over the world. But once you’ve started collecting seriously, you will probably want to join the Stamp Collectors’ Club which exists to provide collectors with new British stamps.

As a Club member you order the special sets of new stamps you want for your collection. You can receive these in three different ways. We can either post you a complete set of stamps on an envelope addressed to you, or send you the same stamps in a colourful information pack with lots of interesting facts. Or, if you prefer, we can send you the individual stamps for you to arrange in a special book of your own.

The Stamp Collectors’ Club has about 70,000 members and you could become a member too, with a two-year membership costing just £5. You can even get a reduction if a group of you join at the same time. We’re sure you’ll agree that this is great value for money.

And when you join, the Club sends you a Starter Pack at no extra cost. This contains 100 stamps to begin your collection, together with an attractive box to keep them in. You also receive our helpful 4-page guide to collecting, which has further suggestions on how to add to your collection and includes useful addresses of shops and businesses that sell stamps.

Every two months you’ll get a copy of the club magazine, which is packed full of competitions and quizzes, and gives you the chance to exchange stamps with members around the world.

Why not start on an adventure which will give you years of pleasure? You’ll spend many happy hours looking at the amazing variety of stamps in your collection or searching for unusual ones which you know are out there somewhere just waiting to be found. So join the Stamp Collectors’ Club today and discover the fun and excitement of stamp collecting.

To join the Club simply complete the application form and send your membership fee. Your Starter Pack will be sent within 28 days of receipt of your application.

Last week I went to visit Atlantic College, an excellent private college in Wales. Unusually, it gives young people much needed experience of life outside the classroom, as well as the opportunity to study for their exams. The students, who are aged between 16 and 18 and come from all over the world, spend the morning studying. In the afternoon they go out and do a really useful activity, such as helping on the farm, looking after people with learning difficulties, or checking for pollution in rivers.

One of the great things about Atlantic College students is that they come from many different social backgrounds and countries. As few can afford the fees of £20,000 over two years, grants are available. A quarter of the students are British, and many of those can only attend because they receive government help.

‘I really admire the college for trying to encourage international understanding among young people’, as Barbara Molenkamp, a student from the Netherlands, said. ‘You learn to live with people and respect them, even the ones you don’t like. During the summer holidays my mother couldn’t believe how much less I argued with my sister.’

To sum up, Atlantic College gives its students an excellent education, using methods which really seem to work.