Gatehouse Awards · Classic IESOL · B1
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Spain is the most popular country 0) visited by British tourists, and one of its largest cities, Barcelona, is a very exciting city break destination. It is the capital of Catalonia, a region with its own distinct language, character, customs and history.
The city has many 1) ____ for visiting tourists, including amazing architecture and 'Las Ramblas', a popular street in the city centre. Barcelona has many museums which are 2) ____ in some of the nicest streets in the city. Football fans can visit the 'Football Club Barcelona Museum' while people who are 3) ____ in culture can go to the 'Palau National', which shows the city's best artworks.
Barcelona is also a great city to keep fit in as it has a walking track along which you can visit one of the most 4) ____ fountains in the world, the 'La Placa Catalunya'. This is a great place to 5) ____ after a full day of sightseeing. When you are tired of walking, you can also take a boat trip to see the city from a different perspective.
Fashion is important in Barcelona and you can visit many top designer stores in the city and go back to the UK dressed in the 6) ____ fashion.
Whatever you want to do on your holiday, you're sure to have a great time in Barcelona!
Eat Well to Work Well
Scientists have said for many years that having a healthy diet is one of the most important ways to keep our bodies fit and well. Recently, they have discovered that some foods are especially good for our minds. Eating certain foods at certain times really can help to keep our brains fit and healthy.
In today's busy world, many more of us skip breakfast as we rush for the bus or train. This leaves our bodies (and our brains!) without important energy for the first part of the day. Because we don't eat at night when we sleep, missing breakfast adds to the length of time we spend without food. Research shows that missing the first meal of the day can make us up to 20% less efficient at work or school. Most importantly, eating breakfast: improves our concentration, helps us solve problems, boosts our memory.
Dr Gavin Armitage, a psychology researcher, says that recent changes in lifestyle are having a big effect on what we eat. 'Many people are using energy bars and energy drinks instead of having a good breakfast. These are OK to have once or twice a week when you are in a hurry, but the energy they give only lasts for a short time. People who eat a balanced, healthy breakfast get a steady supply of energy for the whole morning.'
The Japanese are famous for working hard, both at school and in their jobs. So what's their secret? One answer is their diet. Japanese food has a really good balance of all the things we need to keep fit and well. The Japanese diet, and the nation's health, has improved as the country has become richer.
So what's the perfect breakfast to keep you active and working hard all morning? Well, why not try a traditional Japanese-style breakfast of steamed rice, soup, and various side dishes including grilled fish and omelette? What have you got to lose apart from your tiredness? For more information on healthy eating, click here.
The U-Bahn is a fast rail system used in the city of Berlin. Most of the system is underground, but some sections operate 'in the air' high above ground level and other sections are at street level. The U-Bahn has the fifth longest track in Europe. The city has many 'combined' stations that serve the bus, train, U-Bahn and ferries at the same time, so it is easy to move from one form of transport to another.
Berlin also has a highly developed bike lane system. It is a city with more than one million inhabitants and has one of the highest rates of bicycle commuting in the world for a city of its size. There are around 1,500,000 bike rides every day, which is approximately 13% of total traffic. The city of Berlin aims to increase the number to 18% of city traffic by the year 2025.
The Copenhagen Metro is a fast train system, open 24 hours each day, 7 days a week. However, it is actually quite short, only 20.4-kilometre long. It has just 2 tracks, the M1 and M2, and was completed in 2007. It is very modern and uses driverless trains.
The metro has 22 stations, of which nine are underground. In 2016, the metro carried 61 million passengers. Copenhagen is also known as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. 45% of all people travel to work, school or university by bicycle. The city has many cycle tracks. These tracks are often separated from the main traffic lanes and sometimes have their own signal systems, which allow cyclists to set off a few seconds before cars.
The Madrid Metro is one of the largest train systems in the world. It is now the second largest in Western Europe; it has over 287 kilometres of track. Only the London Underground is bigger.
Less than 1% of all city journeys are made by bike. Pollution levels are so high that Madrid had to take action. The city limited the number of cars on the road and even offers free public transport. Madrid has also started a public bike hire scheme. The new bicycles are electric, which means you get that extra push to help you around the hilly city.
| # | Which text does the following? | Text (A/B/C) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Describes a very small train system. | |
| 2 | Describes a city where almost half of the commuters use bikes. | |
| 3 | Describes a system that uses tracks that are high up. | |
| 4 | Describes a train system that is getting bigger. | |
| 5 | Describes a system that gives cyclists an advantage over cars. | |
| 6 | Describes a city where not many people use bicycles. | |
| 7 | Describes a system where 4 types of transport meet. | |
| 8 | Describes a system that uses trains without drivers. |