PET Practice Exam 1 READING

Name: .............................. Mark: ............

Part 1
Questions 1-5
For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Rob is enjoying his holiday.

1 B Rob loves rainy weather.
C The weather has spoiled Rob’s holiday.

The shop needs:

EXPERIENCED
SALESPERSON NEEDED A full-time salespeople to sell men’s clothing.
2 TO SELL EXCLUSIVE
B salespeople with experience to work part-time.
MEN’S CLOTHING – C a young salesperson to start work immediately.
AFTERNOONS ONLY

A The swimming pool will be heated on Tuesday

afternoons.
B Swimmers may use the other pool on Tuesday
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afternoons.
C On Tuesday afternoons, swimmers can’t use the
heated pool.

A Library books may be returned through the letterbox

CLOSED BETWEEN
over the weekend.
Saturday 5 pm
4 and Monday 9 am. B The library is closed from Saturday morning until
Please return library books Monday evening.
through the letterbox.
C Return library books before 9 am on Monday.

Andrew, A Mum wants Andrew to take his books back to the

Please take my books back library.
to the library before you go
5 to your basketball practice. B Mum asks Andrew to return her books to the library.
Thanks,
Mum C Mum tells Andrew to go to basketball practice before
he goes to the library.

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Part 2
Questions 6-10
For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below are looking for houses to buy.

On the next page, there are descriptions of eight houses.
Decide which house is the most suitable for the buyers.

6 Monica is looking for a house in the country. Her hobbies are painting
and cooking. She wants a place where she can take her dogs for long
walks. She enjoys entertaining and having visitors to stay. 

7 Dave and Sue are a young couple who are planning to have a baby.
Sue wants a house near some shops. Dave works in the city and he
loves building and repairing things. They have just bought their first
car. 

8 Alice manages a large computer company and she also works on the
Internet at home. Alice works long hours and doesn’t have time for
housework. She likes eating out and often goes to the theatre or
cinema. 

9 Mandy and Alan are looking for a house out of town. Mandy’s a
translator and she works from home. Alan is a travelling salesman.
They both love sailing and spend their weekends on their sailing boat.


10 Tom, a widower and a pensioner, is a very keen gardener. He doesn’t

want to live in town any more. Tom is looking for a small house in the
countryside so that his grandchildren can visit in the holidays. 

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Houses for Sale

A Sunlight B Top View

Designed and built by an architect, this Situated on the top of a hill, this three-
ultra-modern home in the countryside has bedroomed cottage in the countryside
got walls made entirely of glass. The overlooks beautiful scenery. Top View is a
indoor courtyard is home to many exotic 20-minute walk from the sea through
plants that need light and protection from woods and over natural grassland. The
the elements. Its location makes it suitable old farm kitchen has recently been
for people who work from home. modernised and is fully equipped for
entertaining.

C Safe Harbour D Gardenside

A delightful old fisherman’s cottage, Safe This pretty two-bedroomed cottage is half
Harbour overlooks a sandy beach. This an hour out of town. It is surrounded by a
three-bedroomed house has recently been well-cared-for garden with lots of fruit
renovated and all modern conveniences trees. It has got a large lounge with the
were added. It has a study and a sun original fireplace. Gardenside is a fifteen-
porch and is two kilometres from the minute walk from the Manor Horse Riding
motorway and ten minutes from the School, which caters for adults and
marina. children.

E 29 Finch Road F 17 Cranberry Drive

Near restaurants, shops and cinemas, this This pleasant semi-detached house has
first-floor flat has got a balcony that got two bedrooms, a kitchen and a living
overlooks the beach and the marina. room. It’s in the suburbs, close to bus
There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms, lines, a tube station and the new
a large lounge and a well-equipped shopping complex. A separate storeroom,
kitchen. There is underground parking for which has been used as a workshop, is
cars and a roof garden for entertaining. attached to the garage.

G Magnolia H 76 Abbey Court

This is a pretty semi-detached home with Centrally located, this modern flat is ideal
a well-developed garden. Magnolia is for a single person or a working young
close to the main shopping road and on couple. It overlooks the city’s
the bus route into the city centre. There entertainment district. One bedroom has
are four bedrooms with a large kitchen been converted into a study with Internet
and dining area. There is a school and a and cable TV facilities. A service
church around the corner. company provides cleaning on a daily
basis.

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Part 3
Questions 11-15
For each question, choose the correct answer.

Windy Spirit
My name is Selwyn Dobkins and I crossed the Pacific Ocean, solo!
I was still recuperating after my motorcycle accident when I saw Windy Spirit for the first time. I knew
little about boats, but I liked what I saw. In January 2000, I bought the 27-foot yacht, not realising that
sailing would change my life.
I had a feeling that Windy Spirit and sailing would help me recuperate, because sailing was the therapy
I needed. I took Windy Spirit out on the water almost every day, but sailing up and down the coast of
California wasn’t enough. In my heart I knew that we’d go on a long journey one day.
In April 2004, we sailed out of San Diego into the Pacific Ocean. Windy Spirit and I were on our way to
Hawaii, a distance of 2,168 nautical miles. Alone on the water for 20 days, where the only signs of life
were fish, dolphins and birds, I learned that the journey is more important than the destination. It wasn’t
easy and there were times when I was lonely, but in the end, Windy and I did it!
Windy Spirit and I were a wonderful team. We looked after each other all the way. In Hawaii, I sold my
boat to a man and his wife, who was recovering from an injury. It was the right thing to do. I was sure
that sailing in Windy Spirit would help her heal, just as it healed me.

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11 Why has the writer written this article?

A to explain about long distance sailing and yachts

B to describe the trip from California to Hawaii

C to give us an idea of what it is like to own a boat

D to tell us how important sailing became in his life

12 What can you learn about the writer from the text?

A He is still recuperating from the accident.

B He always wanted to go to Hawaii.

C He was determined to get better.

D He has always been an experienced sailor.

13 The writer’s main belief is that:

A sailing was the best therapy for him.

B everyone needs to sail in order to recuperate.

C sailing is only for people who know about boats.

D a long journey is better than a short one.

14 How did Selwyn feel at the end of the trip?

A that he didn’t want to be alone any more

B proud to have completed the journey on his own

C that Hawaii is a long way from California

D that he was tired of sailing

15 What might Selwyn say to other sailors about a long journey?

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A B

Don’t try to cross the ocean Sail every day so that you have
alone. It’s dangerous. enough experience for a long
journey.

C D

When you are sailing, the Travel with friends so that you
destination is less important won’t be lonely.
than the journey.

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Part 4
Questions 16-20
Five sentences have been removed from the text below.
For each question, choose the correct answer.
There are three extra sentences which you do not need to use.

The Environment Club: Our First Project

by Stephanie Shaw

I had always cared about the environment, so when my biology teacher suggested creating an environment
club, I was the first to join. Every Wednesday afternoon, we spent hours thinking about ways to protect
the environment. I had seen videos of people walking along beaches with bags full of rubbish on the
Internet. I wanted to do something similar. Next to our school, there is a garden. According to my biology
teacher, the school’s students used to use it in summer. Unfortunately, now it is full of litter. 16

However, we also wanted other students to participate. That’s why we made posters encouraging them to
volunteer for the clean-up. 17 One student even said that his dad could provide the equipment. This
was wonderful, because in order to clean up areas safely, you need to wear special gloves and use special
bags which won’t tear.

We nearly had everything organised when we realised that we didn’t know if the garden was open to the
public. 18 Luckily, our school organised this by contacting the mayor’s office. The council were
pleased that we wanted to help.

The clean-up day arrived quickly. I was nervous that people wouldn’t come, but over 70 students
participated in the event. 19 The clean-up ended only a couple of hours later, after we had collected
around 50 bags of litter. We found lots of plastic wrappers and bags, empty bottles and even old clothing.
There were also some building materials which someone had thrown there. 20 Soon after, the council
would come to remove them. After we had finished, the garden looked like I’d imagined it to be in the
past. We were proud of our work, and it’s given us the confidence to start planning an even bigger project.

A This meant we were much quicker than I had imagined.

B Surprisingly, after just one day, we received lots of offers to help.

C But we couldn’t think of anything which could work.

D I suggested cleaning it up as our first project, and the club members agreed.

E We thought it could be a beautiful place.

F We avoided these, because we knew they might be dangerous.

G In addition, there wasn’t much to do.

H Maybe we needed special permission.

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Part 5
Questions 21-26

20

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Gretna Green
Every year, more than 4,000 couples come to the Scottish village of Gretna Green to get married. Why do
you think this village is so special?

In 1754, England (21) ..... a law that changed this sleepy Scottish village forever. The law stated that
people (22) ..... the age of 21 couldn’t marry without the permission of their parents. But this law didn’t
apply to Scotland, where (23) ..... people could get married at 16. So what did couples do if they were in
love and not yet 21? They ran away to Scotland, (24) ..... ! Gretna Green became a very popular place for
(25) ..... . Stories tell us of lovers who travelled many days and in difficult conditions to get there.
Today’s laws are different, but the (26) ..... of “running away” to Gretna Green is still popular for young
couples who want a romantic wedding with a difference.

21 A received B passed C accepted D decided

22 A under B at C over D by

23 A middle-aged B young C old D adult

24 A in fact B really C of course D actually

25 A celebrations B events C occasions D weddings

26 A thing B thought C idea D plan

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Part 6
Questions 27-32
For each question, write the correct answer.
Write one word for each gap.

Smart Cities
by Janet Watson
I (27) ........................... just finished working (28) ........................... a really interesting school project
about the future. According to experts, in 30 years’ time, two thirds of the population will live in cities,
and the cities of the future will be a lot more advanced than cities are today.

Future cities, which (29) ........................... actually called ‘smart cities’, will think and react like a human
brain. For example, they’ll use biotechnology and robotics (30) ........................... build homes, offices and
shops without help from people.

These buildings will operate more efficiently (31) ........................... today’s buildings do. They’ll produce
their own energy using solar windows. (32) ........................... the buildings have extra energy, they’ll
transfer it to other buildings and even to vehicles in the area. Smart cities sound amazing, don’t they?

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