The revised 2020 B1 Preliminary exam has changed its format in several ways, find out about these changes here

 

(You must remember that you have 1:30 minutes to do the reading and writing. Allow about 45 minutes for reading and 45 minutes for the writing part: See posts on how to write the perfect letter/story)

 

Almost all of the reading exercises are vocabulary based and for this reason during this course the exercises are based on relating words to synonyms, antonyms or similar expressions. The key to passing the exam is to improve your vocabulary and know how to recognise which of the key words are similar to those in the questions. This is essential for part one of the exam; you need to look at the vocabulary in the text and look for the similar words in the options, as well as the antonyms to be able to discard incorrect answers.

 

Reading skills: You need to read at home and practice, not just do exams. It is important to read things that you like and that you are interested in. This is the vocabulary that you will use with most frequency and it will also be easier to motivate yourself to read. A good idea is to change your computer and mobile into English. The more you read the better you will get.

 

Reading (45 minutes) from 2020 onwards:

ANSWERS TO EXAMPLE EXERCISES 4, 5, 6 HERE

 

Part 1 (5 questions)

Multiple choice texts. This part of the exam has not changed. In this part of the exam you need to read 5 short texts, they are normally messages, notes or short emails. You must understand the text and choose the best answer A, B, C for each of them. You need to look at the options and think, which of the options A-C has the same meaning as the text, discard the obviously incorrect answer and then evaluate the vocabulary to see which the best answer is.

 

 

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Part 2 (5 questions)

Matching. This part of the exam has not changed. This is probably the most difficult part of the reading exam. My suggestion is to leave it until the end as it takes the most time. The key is to identify the 3-4 key words for each person that seems the most important. This will give you a base to look for information in the 8 texts (A-H). Search for option that completes ALL REQUIREMENTS. There are always 2 easier (or more obvious) answers, look for these first and then the others. Obviously, DON´T REPEAT AND OF THE OPTIONS (A-H). NEVER LEAVE ANY OF THE QUESTIONS IN BLANK, AT LEAST GUESS!

 

Part 3 (5 questions)

Multiple choice. In this part of the exam candidates need to read for gist, meaning, attitude and feelings to answer simple questions A, B, C, D. The same as the old part 4.

 

Part 4 (5 points)

Multiple-choice gapped text. In this part of the exam, candidates need to understand gist and text structure. They need to fill in the gaps in the text with the correct option. Similar to part 6 of the B2 First.

 

Millions of workers under 30 in limbo with their parents

Over more than two million workers under 30 in the U.K. live with their parents because they cannot buy or rent a home as housing prices have __________ (1) Newspapers call them the “clipped wing generation” because ___________ (2) House prices are so high that many young people cannot afford to buy one, and as there is a high demand for rented properties,  __________ (3) A quarter of young adults have been made to live with their parents or grandparents. Almost 50 per cent of people said the biggest problem was housing costs. Many young people in the U.K. move away from the family home when they start working. __________ (4) A young woman said that she has been trying to save money for over ten years for a new apartment. She said it was very difficult as house prices keep going up and this is not relative to the rate in how salaries rise. __________ (5) She told reporters she didn’t want to rent, saying: “If I move out now, I’ll be stuck paying expensive rents for the rest of my life….The thought that I’m going to be living like a teenager well into my late 30s or even 40s is really disheartening.” A charity for homeless people said Britain needed to build more homes and sell them at a price that young people can afford.

A. Rising house prices are now making this trickier.

B. houses are cheaper nowadays.

C. they are like birds with cut wings.

D. easy to buy a house.

E. those prices have also gone up.

F. if you get a house as a gift.

G. gone through the roof in recent years.

H. She is worried about the future.

 

FIND MORE EXERCISES HERE

 

Part 5 (6 points)

Multiple-choice gap fill. Read the text and choice the missing words from the options A, B, C, D. The same as the old part 5 but with fewer gaps.

 

Hanging out with friends or enjoying your own company

This is a question of personal preference, but it is clear that there are two types of people when it comes to socialising; introverts and extroverts. For example, do you prefer your own company or are you a ____ (1) person? There are some great ways to spend time with your friends. The ideal thing to do is to get ____ (2) to do what you enjoy and have in common. Our friends usually have similar tastes to us; this is probably why they became our mates in the first place. This article is going to look into some of the ____ (3) that we have on hand to find a great excuse to spend time with others. Firstly, let´s take a look at sport. Many sports as a requirement need more than one person, climbing for example. It is well noted that working out with others has its ____ (4) advantages as well as the social benefits. Next, how about preparing a meal in company? When we cook together we need to collaborate with those around us. Not only do we eat together and have a nice friendly ____ (5) but also we achieve something special that can be appreciated by all. Lastly, there are arts and crafts. An awesome way to hang out is to do something ____ (6) like paint or model making. This way we can share our ideas with friends in a friendly way that will help you to open your mind and relax This form of relaxation is essential to avoid stress and health problems. Our friends are important and you should value the time that you have with them.

 

Choose the best word from the following options:

 

1.       A. sociable      B. lonely           C. talkative      D. lazy
2.       A. along            B. around        C. out                D. together
3.       A. problems   B. options        C. ways             D. issues
4.       A. lots               B. much            C. many           D. few
5.       A. meal             B. food             C. plate             D. dish
6.       A. entertained  B. interested  C. fun                D. funny

 

DOWNLOAD FREE PDF EXERCISES HERE

 

Part 6 (6 points)

Open gap fill. Read the short text and fill in the gaps with one word.

 

Tokyo

When tourists come to Japan the chances are that _____ (1) visitors will fly into Tokyo’s most popular Narita airport. Tokyo is a mega-megacity _____ (2) nearly 40 million people living in the metropolitan area, which is more than Madrid, London and Paris combined. The skyscrapers are enormous and there seems to be an endless amount of them, and the city shines with neon lights, but behind the modern parts there is a city with a long and illustrious history of tradition and culture that needs to be seen. The Imperial Palace, still home to the Emperor of Japan, sits amongst formal gardens; there are numerous Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples; and Tokyo National Museum and the city’s _____ (3) galleries have world-class collections on show. The modern look to Japan is only a recent phenomenon that started with the arrival of the USA’s influence after the 2nd world war. It is important to get around _____ (4) public transport to see the entire city, and to see what it has to offer, not just follow the modern tourist _____ (5). Allow lots of time to walk around the city. Look for the various shopping centres such as Ameyoko Arcade, the city’s only open-air pedestrianized market and the shopping centre at Hachiman-dori for its enjoyable mix of expensive and reasonably priced shopping. Also, well worth a visit are Shinjuku with its luxury shopping or the _____ (6) bohemian region of Shibuya for vintage and second hand shops.

 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS PART OF THE EXAM AND DOWNLOAD OUR HIGH FREQUENCY ANSWER LIST HERE

 

DOWNLOAD FREE EXERCISES HERE

 

Remember that you can do the reading in the order that you like. Start with the easiest part and end with what you find most difficult.