CEPT Practice C1 level multiple choice cloze about hobbyist

 

Hobbyists around the world unite

No doubt you may be inclined to think that in this day and age, traditional pursuits are no longer ‘in’ and that we would have (1)______ away with old-fashioned hobbies that don’t involve computers. Nothing of the (2)______ . If anything, the internet has made it easier for people with specialist hobbies in different corners of the planet to (3)_____ themselves to their passion and to support one another. With one quick press of a key, (4)_____ car collectors are online, comparing notes and restoration (5)_____ with enthusiasts in distant lands. If a part needs replacing, a vast electronic inventory is out there (6)_____ and waiting. After a day in the field, birdwatchers can post sightings they consider worth sharing with likeminded enthusiasts who will immediately (7)_____ to their passion. Thankfully, face to face contact does still take place. Historic car rallies and races have a large following. Come Sunday morning, children and adults alike still meet to swap, or perhaps even (8)_____ , the cards missing from their collections.

1 

A done

B taken

C put

D sent

2 

A type

B sort

C variety

D brand

3 

A focus

B present

C stick

D devote

4 

A ancient

B historical

C classic

D epic

5 

A means

B techniques

C crafts

D systems

6 

A handy

B willing

C ready

D open

7 

A relate

B share

C connect

D join

8 

A bid

B purchase

C invest

D subscribe

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 1 A    2 B    3 D    4 C    5 B    6 C    7 A    8 B

CEPT Practice B2 Level Extended Listening about a woman's work as a music teacher

 

You will hear Leonie Steiner talking to an interviewer about her work as a music teacher in a school.

1 Leonie first starting learning the piano

A with a relative.

B at primary school.

C with a private teacher.

2 Leonie started giving music lessons

A for the pleasure of seeing others learn.

B because she needed some extra money.

C to see if she was suited to teaching.

3 Leonie most likes to teach students who

A have great natural talent at an early age.

B need good teaching to develop their talent.

C have previously been taught badly.

4 Leonie thinks that schools should

A employ far more music teachers.

B buy good musical instruments.

C ensure that all their pupils pass music exams.

5 Leonie thinks the problem with singing in schools is that

A many students are too embarrassed to sing.

B few students want to learn how to sing.

C singing is not often taught in them nowadays.

6 Leonie believes her success as a music teacher is a result of

A choosing a particular age group of children to teach.

B the training she received as a student teacher.

C a natural ability to communicate with young people.

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Audioscript

Interviewer: I have with me Leonie Steiner, who's had a

distinguished career both as a pianist and as a music teacher.

Leonie, who was your first-ever piano teacher?

Leonie: There's a long piano-playing tradition in my family

and from a very early age I was keen to start playing. In earlier

generations fathers and mothers had taught daughters and sons,

but both of mine were working full-time, so from the beginning

they had me taught at home by a tutor. That would have

been shortly before my first year at primary school, where I also

had lessons.

Interviewer: And when did you actually start giving lessons?

Leonie: In my late teens, by which time I was giving solo

performances. Some professional musicians give private classes

to make enough to live on, or perhaps to find out whether they

Would make good teachers, but for me it was never a conscious

decision to become a teacher. I'd always enjoyed working

with younger students. doing what I could to help them develop

as musicians. and without realising it I was becoming a teacher.

And ever since then, that- together with performing - is what I've

done.

Interviewer: And what kind of students do you prefer?

Leonie: I'd say (26) those who perhaps aren't naturally brilliant.

but respond well to intensive teaching and go on to become top

performers. More so than those who seem to have been born

to play at the highest level, or students who've been taught the

wrong way and need to get rid of bad musical habits. That can

be hard work for both pupil and teacher.

Interviewer: And what do you think of the standard of music

education in our schools nowadays?

Leonie: It varies widely. I get the Impression there's been a

general shift away from putting pressure on students to achieve

exam success to a more skills-based approach, and I think that's

to be welcomed. The media sometimes talk about a shortage

of qualified music teachers but I'm not convinced. I'd say

there's a much greater need to invest in new pianos. violins and

so on. ensuring they're top quality so that students really like the

sound they make. Because the key to success is making sure

pupils enjoy their music lessons, both in terms of playing and

singing.

Interviewer: Do school music lessons normally include singing

these days?

Leonie: In the majority of cases they still do, and it's generally

popular among pupils, but a lot of them are afraid of doing

so in public because of what other people mav say or think.

That's a great pity, I think, and if a child wants to sing, I feel

strongly that they should always be encouraged to do so.

Interviewer: You're very highly regarded by your ex-students,

many of whom have gone on to have successful careers. What

do you think has made you such a good teacher?

Leonie: Well, if that's true it probably has something to

do with the fact I've always found it easy to get on with those

of a different generation, whether they're at primary school,

secondary school or university. In that respect I don't think I

would've benefited from actually being trained at college as a

music teacher.

Interviewer: Looking back over your career, what big decisions

have you had to make?

Leonie: Well, in my late thirties J wondered whether I'd still have

the energy needed to keep doing lessons as I got older, but once

into my forties I found that wasn't an issue. Also around then,

I was offered the position of assistant head. and I had to

think carefully about that because I would've been on a much

l:!lgher salary. but in the end I said 'no'. It would also have

meant I had less time for doing lessons, and for performing. My

response to an offer of work In another country was the same,

though I found it much easier to make up my mind about that

one. I've never regretted staying here.

Interviewer: Thank you Leonie.

1 C 

2 A 

3 B

4 B 

5 A 

6 C

CEPT Practice B2 Level Listening Gap fill about Extreme Snowboarding

 

Extreme snowboarding

Brad says there are no (1) ............................. to warn extreme snowboarders of dangers.

Brad advises snowboarders always to follow the (2) ............................. when descending.

Brad always wears a (3) ............................. when he goes into the mountains.

According to Brad, you need a lot of (4) ............................. to set off down the mountain.

Brad particularly enjoys doing several (5) ............................. when he is going down a slope.

Brad says at first he found it difficult to do a good (6) ............................. on steep slopes.

Brad says you must never (7) ............................. if you feel you're about to fall.

Brad advises against putting your weight on your (8) ............................. in a fall.

Brad always carries a (9) ............................. in case he is in difficulty following a fall.

In the future, Brad would most like to try (10) ............................. snowboarding.

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Audioscript

When you go extreme snowboarding, you head for the highest peaks and the steepest slopes, taking little more than a map and some basic survival equipment with you. Unlike in ski resorts,  you won't see any signs telling you there are rocks, or trees around, so it's up to you and your guide to make sure your route is as safe as possible. Of course, you should never attempt to go down a slope on your own. It's essential to be accompanied by a guide, who must go first every time as there may be no clear route down through the rocks and other dangers. They'll also show you the way up to your starting point, which may involve a long, difficult climb, and may wear a backpack containing supplies. I know some snowboarders like to take a helicopter up to the top, and that's quick and easy - though expensive - but I always prefer to go on foot. with a helmet on. of course. When you finally get up there, the view is always completely different from the way it looked from below. People say to me it must take a lot of courage to start going down such a steep slope, but if you've reached that point then you must be a pretty experienced snowboarder and what's really required is a tremendous amount of confidence. You never know exactly which way you're going to go or what you're going to encounter on your way down, and you often find yourself having to make split -second decisions, but that's part of the fun. !MW.. nothing Quite as exciting as suddenly having to perform a series of jumps as you descend. and then managing to stay on your feet afterwards. The ability to do that is obviously something that takes those new to extreme snowboarding quite some time to learn. And whereas doing a reasonably good take-off seems to come fairly naturally to most of us, landing is a more complex skill to acquire, as I found in my early days out on the mountain side.

Falling correctly is also something you need to practise, initially at low speed and on gentle slopes, and later in conditions more similar to those you'll encounter on the mountain. Rule one when you lose your balance is not to panic, or else you'll get tense and be far more likely to injure yourself than it you're relaxed and just let yourself go with the fall. Often the best thing to do is roll out of the fall, but it's natural to try to use your arms to try to slow yourself down and if you do so remember that elbows. If you fall on them, are much stronger and less likely to be injured than wrists. Following a high-speed fall, you might find yourself covered by some of the white stuff that has fallen with you. There may be just a few feet of it and you can usually pull yourself up to the surface, but if you can't you're in big trouble and that's why I'd never go down a slope without a small device fastened to my body that sends out a signal to the rescue services If I get buried. I know some safety experts recommend also taking a medical kit. but somehow I think that if I were buried under ice, my priority would be to get out or get rescued. I'm always looking for new challenges. Competition snowboarding was something I looked at, but there were just too many guys showing off. Teaching snowboarding is certainly something I might do one day, but what I really dream about is parachute snowboarding: going straight down a mountain, flying off a cliff and then floating down to the valley below. Now that's what I call extreme.

1 signs 

2 guide

3 helmet

4 confidence

5 jumps

6 landing

7 panic

8 wrist(s)

9 (small) device

10 parachute