Test Unit 3 Insight Upper Intermediate: Listening

Test Unit 3 Insight Upper Intermediate
Listening
1.  Listen to a brother and sister talking about moving house. Circle the correct
answer (a–d).
1. Sophie and Bill cannot decide on

A when to do all the packing.
B where to put all their things.
C what to throw away.
D who should be in charge of packing.
2. Sophie understands what Helen did because
A the things might be useful at some point in the future.
B it’s hard to throw away things which remind you of the past.
C the children would get upset if she got rid of their things.
D the things you throw away might be valuable one day.
3. Mark advises his sister to
A keep a few bits of the children’s artwork.
B keep all of the children’s artwork that she likes.
C keep the majority of the children’s artwork.
D throw all the children’s artwork in the bin.
4. Sophie thinks that
A she has always had quite a lot of possessions.
B she can still fit the things she really needs into a couple of bags.
C it’s easy to accumulate things once you start a family.
D life was harder when she didn’t have the things she has now.
5. Sophie likes the idea of only allowing her children to buy new toys if they
A throw their old toys in the bin.
B give their pocket money to a charity.
C help take old toys to the charity shop.
D donate an old toy to charity.
Reading
Most of us go through life acquiring junk that piles up in our lofts or garages. It appears to
be part of our nature to accumulate belongings for no particular reason other than the
feeling that we cannot part with them. We like to think that they might come in handy one
day. Almost all of this stuff is surplus to requirements – all except maybe a sacred family
heirloom. An heirloom is an object that is passed down through the generations and gains
sentimental and financial value along the way. Once an object is given the title of
‘heirloom’, it acquires a new significance. It’s almost as if you couldn’t throw it away
even if you wanted to.
So what are the most popular heirlooms? In the number one spot is jewellery. This is
unsurprising, as antique jewellery usually becomes more and more valuable as the years
go by and is often linked to an important family event like a wedding or christening.
Furniture, weapons and clocks make the top ten, too. More unexpected things in the top
ten are stories, letters and recipes. It’s good to see hoarding is not simply an exercise in
keeping money in the family. Even if the object is rusty or decaying, it has been passed on
to you and it’s your duty to pass it on to the next generation.
This turned out to be particularly beneficial for retired pilot Martin Kober and his family
from Buffalo in upstate New York. A painting they had stored behind their sofa for over
thirty years is thought to be a 16th century original by Michelangelo, worth £190 million.
Kober’s great-grandfather had passed the piece of art down to him and it had hung in the
lounge for years, before being knocked off accidentally by a tennis ball. It was only then
that family carefully wrapped up ‘The Mike’, a nickname they gave to the painting
because of its suspected creator, and stored it behind the sofa. Antonio Forcellino, an
Italian art historian and restorer, was prepared for the worst when he was asked to inspect
it in 2010. ‘I had assumed it was going to be a copy.’ He was pleasantly surprised,
however, and remains convinced it is genuine.
Ryan Givens and his three siblings also got lucky with a family heirloom. A nickel is
usually worth five cents in the USA – unless it’s one of only five 1913 Liberty Head
nickels that are thought to exist. It sold for an impressive $3.17 million when it went up
for auction in April 2013. His mother, Melva, had been given it after her brother died in a
car crash and it was found at the scene of the crash. Believed to be a fake by experts, she
couldn’t bring herself to throw it out because of its sentimental value, and so decided to
keep it in a box in her wardrobe. It stayed there until her death in 1992. Melva’s son,
Ryan, and Melva’s other three children held on to it and took it to the American
Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in Baltimore in 2003. Coincidentally, at
that same exhibition, the other four Liberty Head nickels were being exhibited, and
Melva’s old coin completed the original set.
Of course, you’re unlikely to be this lucky with any of your own family heirlooms, but
you never know. It may be worth clearing out your house, while at the same time watching
out for anything that catches your eye, especially if it was handed down to you!
Read the text. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1. People often hold onto things because they think they may need them in the future.
__t_
2. People often become attached to things they don’t need. _t__
3. Heirlooms are always linked to important family events. _f__
4. Jewellery is a popular heirloom because it is likely to increase in value. __t_
5. Kober had inherited the Michelangelo painting from a family member. t___
6. Antonio Forcellino feels sure that the Michelangelo painting isn’t a fake. _t__
7. The writer thinks that family members have a responsibility to pass heirlooms on to
their children. _f__
8. The experts had believed the fifth coin was a fake. __f_
9. It was just by chance that the other four coins were at the same exhibition. _t__
10.The writer recommends getting rid of all the junk in your house. _t__

Test Unit 3 Insight Upper Intermediate: Listening

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Test Unit 3 Insight Upper Intermediate: Listening

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Test Unit 3 Insight Upper Intermediate: Listening

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Test Unit 3 Insight Upper Intermediate

1. Sophie and Bill cannot decide on

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.