Matura B level Reading Comprehension

1 Match each message (1-5) and its meaning (A-F). 1 I won’t come back to say goodbye, so please drive safely and have a nice trip. Take care .2 He promised to return with the book tonight so I’ll give you a ring when he gets home. I’ll call you.3 I can’t tell you how terrible I feel about the whole thing with Jack but please understand, I just couldn’t call you. I know I should have. I ’m sorry.4 What have you decided about Eugene’s promise? Let me know right away. I’ll be by the phone so don’t keep me waiting. Call me.5 I called you to tell you how much I miss you and need you here so make my wish come true and don’t stay away any longer. Come back. 2 You will read five emails, choose the correct answer (A, B or C)Hi Jeff!I’m taking the plane to Lisbon tomorrow and will spend two months there. I’ve finally got that scholarship for the management course I was telling you about. It’s going to be a lot of work but I’m looking forward to it. It will be like a holiday compared to studying back home.DanaWhy is Dana going to Lisbon? To study. To work. To have a holiday. Hi!Jane and I decided to do some chores around the house. And you know my Mum never lets us clean the windows. I don’t know why. So it was either the washing up or washing the car. Since the dishes are Jane’s favourite, you know what I was left with. See you soon.MarthaWhich chore did Martha do? She cleaned the windows. She did the washing up. She washed the car. Hi Tina!When we talked this morning you said you were too busy to get together in the afternoon, so we agreed to meet in the evening. But we’re having guests this evening so I’m busy then. How about an early start tomorrow?AnnaWhen does Anna want to meet Tina? In the evening. Tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon. Hi!Thank you for joining my campaign to shop at the local grocer’s. I buy groceries in the shop nearby although it’s more expensive than the supermarket. It’s a two-minute walk to the supermarket and five to the shop, but I feel I’m doing something for the local shop owners.TomWhy does Tom shop at the local grocery store? He wants to help the owner. The owner has the best prices. It is closest to his home. Hi Mike,We said we’d meet at my place, but I ran into John in the park and he told me we were meeting in front of the cinema. Now I’m confused. So let’s go with the first thing we agreed on so we don’t miss each other.MaryWhere are Mike, John and Mary meeting? In front of the cinema. At Mary’s place. In the park. 3 Read the text below. For questions 11-15, write one or two words, or a number. Write your answers on the lines Professional QueuerThe economic crisis has created two big problems; unemployment and long queues in public offices. Well, one Italian man of Greek origin, decided to kill two birds with one stone by coming up with a solution for both problems at once. He became a professional queuer. Dimitri Rosi was born in Salerno, in the south of Italy, after his mother had moved there from her home town in Greece. They spoke Greek at home so he had problems getting rid of his foreign accent when he came to school. He lived in Salerno until 25, and as a chemistry graduate he moved to Milan and he has lived there ever since. After years of working as a researcher, he lost his job two years ago at the age of 40. After sending numerous unsuccessful applications he came up with an original self-employment idea: he offered people to stand in queues instead of them at the post office, bank or government offices. He charges 10 € an hour and so far, business is booming. “I’ve had calls from other towns where I could make up to 12 € per hour. If all goes well, I’ll start an agency”, he said in an interview. “Not only that, I plan to get a degree in marketing, and besides my native Greek, I also speak English and Italian and I plan to sell my idea abroad”, he added enthusiastically.0 Nationality: _Italian_11 Age: 4212 Previous job: researcher13 Degree in: chemistry14 Fee per hour: 10 euros15 Town of residence: Milan For questions 16-20, choose from A-F to complete the sentences. There is one letter that you do not need. Write only the capital letter which is in front of the sentence: Pac-ManIn 1980 the Japanese arcade games manufacturer Namco Limited introduced Pac-Man to the world. They intended to create a game that did not emphasize violence . By paying careful attention to themes, design, and colours, they hoped (16) D. The game concept was inspired by food and eating. The players moved through a simple maze with a joystick, eating coloured dots until all were gone, (17) B. In Japanese slang, paku paku describes the snapping of a mouth open and shut, so (18) C. A group of four enemies, on each level, (19) F, make the game challenging. The roles of predator and prey are temporarily switched (20) E. Pac-Man quickly became an international sensation, the most successful arcade game in history. With its innovative design, Pac-Man had a greater impact on popular culture than any other video game.A that provide Pac-Man with the temporary ability to eat the enemiesB finally completing a level and moving on to the next mazeC the central character was given the name Pac-ManD that this arcade game would appeal to womenE when Pac-Man eats the special “power pills”F which try to catch and consume Pac-Man 5 Read the text below. For questions 21-25, choose the answer (A, B or C) which best completes each sentenceDear Harriet,Thanks for your e-mail. They’re always (21) _ pleasure to receive. You really know how to cheer me (22) _.You asked me (23) _ I had spent the summer. Well, it was not the best summer of my life. First, I caught a cold and was sick for two weeks. Because of this, I (24) _ go to the youth camp and I spent a month in the stuffy city.Then the weather turned bad and again I had to stay in. Only in August, I managed to go hiking with friends. We had a lot of fun and sang songs around the campfire.How is your new dog? Has she got (25) _ to you? What do you feed her?Well, I’ve got to go, it’s 11:00 pm and it’s time to sleep.Take care of yourself,Anne21 the - a 22 up by on 23 when how if 24 shouldn’t wouldn’t couldn’t 25 using used use 6 Read the text below. For questions 26-30, write one word that best completes each sentence. Write your answers on the lines below the text. The Lady of the LakeThe story goes that it was on Llyn y Fan Fach, a remote lake in the Black Mountains, where a young farmer named Gwyn won and then tragically lost the love of his life. He fell in love with a beautiful woman who came from the water and agreed to marry him. She warned (26) _ that she would leave forever if he stepped on her toes three times. They lived happily (27) _ many years and had three sons. However, when Gwyn stepped on her toe accidentally for the third time she disappeared into the lake and he (28) _ saw her again. She would sometimes re-appear to her sons and teach them the powers (29) _ healing herbs and plants. They became skilful physicians, as (30) _ their children after them.26 him27 for28 never29 of30 did