The Night the Scenery Stayed Put

B2 First Reading and Use of English — Part 5

Multiple-choice reading

Read the article about a volunteer at a community theatre. For questions 31–36, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) that best fits according to the text.

The Night the Scenery Stayed Put

When I volunteered at our community theatre, I pictured myself painting scenery in a quiet room. Instead, the stage manager asked me to help move it during a performance. I considered asking for a different job. It wasn’t the weight of the scenery that worried me. I had never worked in a theatre, and I couldn’t imagine finding my way around in the dark while an audience waited on the other side of the curtain. Nevertheless, I accepted, partly because everyone else seemed to have a job already.

At our first rehearsal I paid close attention to the written instructions. They told me which section of the set to move, where to put it and how to signal when I was done. I felt reassured until the actors arrived. One paused much longer than expected before delivering a line that was supposed to be my cue. I nearly started moving the set too early. After that, I stopped treating the instructions as a timetable and started listening to what was actually happening on stage.

By opening night I could recognise the cue without thinking. This turned out to be less useful than I had hoped. When my moment came, one of the wheels on a large painted wall refused to turn. For an instant I thought of pulling harder. Then I remembered a rehearsal in which a loose piece of scenery had nearly fallen. I signalled to the stage manager instead. She made a small movement with her hand, telling me to leave the wall where it was.

I expected the actors to stop when they found the wall still in place. One of them simply opened a door that was normally used in another scene and invited the other actor through it. From where I stood, it looked as if the action had been designed that way. Afterwards, a friend in the audience commented on how cleverly the door had been used. I almost explained what had happened, but decided I rather liked her version of events.

Until then, I had assumed that being good backstage meant completing every job exactly as planned. I still think careful preparation matters. Without it, the actors wouldn’t have known where the extra door led, and I wouldn’t have known whom to signal. What changed was my idea of what the planning was for. It gave each of us enough knowledge of the production to make sensible choices when something went wrong.

I now help train new volunteers. When we practise moving a set, I sometimes ask one person to leave a piece of scenery in the wrong place. Everyone has to work out how to respond. The first time I tried this, a volunteer asked how I could expect them to get it right without telling them what would happen. I told her that this was the bit of training I wished I’d had.

Questions:

31. What worried the writer about the first assignment?

A. The other volunteers might be unwilling to help.

B. The scenery would have to be painted in a hurry.

C. The pieces of scenery would be too heavy.

D. The unfamiliar conditions would make the job difficult.

32. What did the writer learn from the first rehearsal?

A. The timing of a cue depended on how the scene was performed.

B. The instructions failed to mention an important signal.

C. The actors needed clearer written instructions.

D. The scenery needed to be moved earlier in the scene.

33. Why did the writer signal to the stage manager instead of pulling harder?

A. The stage manager had asked for a signal before every move.

B. One of the actors had already opened another door.

C. Something that had happened in rehearsal made the writer aware of the risk.

D. The writer could see that the wheel had broken off.

34. What does the friend’s comment suggest?

A. The friend had noticed the problem with the scenery.

B. The change on stage looked as though it had been planned.

C. The audience was confused by the way the scene ended.

D. The actors had made the same change in rehearsal.

35. How has the writer’s view of planning changed?

A. The writer now believes a plan should anticipate every possible problem.

B. The writer now considers planning more useful for the crew than for actors.

C. The writer now thinks preparation mainly benefits new volunteers.

D. The writer now sees preparation as a way to help people adapt.

36. Why does the writer deliberately create a problem during practice?

A. To see how quickly volunteers can move the scenery.

B. To show volunteers where each piece of scenery belongs.

C. To give volunteers practice in dealing with an unexpected situation.

D. To find out which volunteers have paid attention to the instructions.

A New Menu for the Match Day

B2 First Reading and Use of English — Part 3

Word formation

For questions 17–24, use the word in capitals to form one word that fits the gap. Use one suffix per answer and make any necessary spelling changes. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example answer (0) — QUICKLY

A New Menu for the Match Day

At our football club, the sandwiches usually sold out so (0)_____(QUICK) that late arrivals had little choice.
Last season, a youth-team (17)_____(PLAY) suggested adding more options for people who wanted a light meal after a match.
Before we could change the menu, however, we needed written (18)_____(APPROVE) from the club committee.
The committee agreed to cover the (19)_____(ADDITION) cost of buying fresh fruit and vegetables from a local supplier.
A (20)_____(TRAIN) from a nearby catering college helped us test the new recipes.
We had a tight budget, so it took some (21)_____(CREATIVE) to come up with dishes that were both affordable and appealing.
The changes were introduced (22)_____(SLOW), with just one new dish appearing on the menu each week.
This approach required (23)_____(PATIENT), as it took several weeks to find out which dishes members would buy again.
One of the wraps became so popular that the club is now locally (24)_____(FAME) for it.

A Lunchtime Walking Group

B2 First Reading and Use of English — Part 2

Open cloze

For questions 9–16, read the text below and write one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example answer (0) — FIRST

A Lunchtime Walking Group

At (0) _____, our lunchtime walking group followed the same route every day. In addition (9) _____ being easy to follow, it took us past a café where we could refill our water bottles. When part of the path was closed on account (10) _____ repair work, we started walking around the park (11) _____ of going along the river.

The new route took longer, so we decided to leave ten minutes earlier in (12) _____ to get back to work on time. Our manager agreed that we could start lunch early, as (13) _____ as someone stayed in the office to answer calls. In (14) _____ of that restriction, we found a way for everyone to join at least twice a week by taking turns answering the phone.

As (15) _____ as getting more exercise, we started sharing ideas for healthy lunches. We swapped recipes for meals that were easy to bring to work, such (16) _____ vegetable wraps and lentil salads.

A Football Film Without a Stadium

B2 First Reading and Use of English — Part 1

Multiple-choice cloze

For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example (0) A get B give C make D take

A Football Film Without a Stadium

When a local film club decided to (0) _____ a short film about women’s football, it couldn’t afford to hire a stadium. Instead, the director chose a school (1) _____ as the filming location. The players joined the cast, and a small (2) _____ from a nearby college took care of the cameras, sound and lighting.

The original (3) _____ included a scene in which the goalkeeper dived into the goalpost. To avoid the risk of (4) _____, the director replaced that moment with a close-up of the goalkeeper’s gloves as she caught the ball. The camera operator filmed the save from ground level so it would look convincing without any (5) _____.

For the (6) _____, a local musician mixed the sound of the crowd with a simple melody. At the first screening, some viewers said the match felt so real that they held their (7) _____ during the final penalty. The players, who had been nervous about appearing on camera, said the experience had given them the (8) _____ to take part in another film.

No.	A	B	C	D
1	court	stage	pitch	studio
2	audience	crew	orchestra	backing group
3	script	soundtrack	scenery	lighting
4	recovery	stretching	fitness	injury
5	live performances	special effects	reporting requirements	character roles
6	casting	plot	soundtrack	scenery
7	patience	breath	confidence	balance
8	confidence	likelihood	usage	performance

C1 Speaking Test Part 4 (individual MUN Interview)

 

 

A1 Writing Exam — Describing Yourself

Time: 20 minutes
Length: 35–60 words

Write a short description of yourself for a new classmate. Include:

1. Your name and where you are from.
2. Your nationality and whether you are a university student.
3. A description of your home: a house or a flat.
4. Two things you have, such as a phone, a computer, a book or a watch.
5. One food you like and one food you don’t like.

B2-level Writing Exam Task for FCE 1 of Writing an informal email about recommending a restaurant