You are going to read an article about hot air balloons.

Choose the most suitable heading

from the list A-I for each part (1-7) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do
not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (O).

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

A Involving balloon passengers

B Qualifying as a balloon flyer

C The price of balIoons

D Balloons for special occasion

E The joy of achievement

F Restrictions on passengers

G Flying your balloon: practical considerations

H The superiority of balIoons

I The inventors’ expectations

It’s up; up and away

Eileen Shaw on the joys of ballooning

0 I

Mostly it’s about hot air – for without that, balloons are just big empty bags with baskets on the
bottom. The Montgolfier brothers had great hopes when they made the first manned flight. They
thought balloons would take off as a viable means of commercial flight. Instead, they have
remained Ihe province of sport, adventure and enjoyment.

Modern balloons are a lot more sophisticated than their ancestors, but they still retain the
essential characteristics which makes them so attractive. A piane is claustrophobic and very
noisy. Balloons are so gentle and majestic and silent when the bumer’s not working. ‘It’s the
most marvellous form of aviation,’ says Chris Boyd, managing director of Hot Air Balloons.
2

Hot Air Balloons offers balloon trips suited to the requirements of customers, with unlimited
possibilities. Celebrations are high on the list of reasons for booking a balloon flight. ‘Birthdays,
anniversaries, we even had a couple who wanted to get married during the flight, but we told
them that wouldn’t be allowed,’ says Chris.

He takes parties of four to twelve, the maximum number allowed, and there is no age limit at the
upper end – he has had a 92-year-old customer. The only other rule is that you have to be at least
one metre tall, so small children are not allowed on board. This is because the side ol the baskets
is adult chest height and youngsters might be tempted to climb up to Iook out.

An ordlnary flight lasts about an hour and a half and can reach over 1,000 metres. The cost of a
flight covers four hours and includes a certificate for first-time flyers. The important point is that
you don’t just turn up and climb on board. You are invited to take on active part, so before the
flight you spend about 45 minutes helping to inflate the balloon and getting to know it.

At the end of the trip, passengers are served with champagne and nibbles. Champagne is
traditional after balloon flights. ‘Most people are very happy that they have done it because they
might have been a bit anxious before they set out, so they are glad to celebrate the experience,’
he says.

So, taking a trip is one pleasure, but what if you fancy owning your own balloon? First, you will
need a balloon licence. To get a licence you can train with a company like Hot Air Balloons and
do 16 hours’ flying with an instructor. Then you have to take written exams in the technical
aspects of the balloon and other subiects.

When you own a balloon, you will need a trailer to store it and tow it to the launch site and
someone to follow you to pick you up when you land. You may need a landowner’s permission
to start yóur flight, but it is possible to start from a very large garden. You can read all about how
to get started in a new quarterly magazine for balloon enthusiasts published by the Balloon and
Airship Club.
Inline Skating

Tracy Winters is on a mission to change the image of inline skating in this country

In her skates there is no stopping Tracy Winters. She spends most of her time teaching,
consulting, examining or campaigning on behalf of this country’s ever-growing number of inline
skaters.

Busy as she is, Tracy did manage to spare an hour early one Saturday moming to give me a
lesson in the local park. The slight unease I felt at never having used inline skates before was not
helped, however, by her emphatic disapproval as I pulled a pair of brand-new skates from my
bag.

‘Oh dear,’ she said with a frown- ‘You’ve been sold what we call ‘aggressive’ skates, which are
no good for the sort of skating that you want to do. They’re too heavy for twists and turns and
the wheels are too small. And you’ve no brake:

‘But I was told that all I need to do to stop was drag my leg behind me,’ I protested.

‘No, no, no,’ said Tracy. She explained how she was currently helping a girl who has been off
work for a year with a damaged leg after following similar’ advice. Tracy is drawing up a list of
guidelines for selling inline skates based on ability, budget and type of use, which she wants to
see all retailers use. She has seen the purchase of inappropriate skates all too often before. ‘What
you should have been sold is recreational skates,’ she told me.

Ordinarily, those who turn up with the wrong skates suffer the added annoyance of missing out
on a lesson becauseTracy will not teach them. I was more fortunate and, after a small ticking off
for not having knee pads, my lesson began.

Away from the critical eyes of more experienced skaters, she started me off gently, simple
skating up and down a track on the edge of the park. ‘Hands out,’ Tracy told me repeatedly. This
was not just to help break a fall, but to prevent my tumbling altogether. lce skaters, Tracy pointed
out, keep their arms in front not only to look elegant: it actually keeps them balanced.

To help get rid of my fear,’ Tracy insisted that a fall would be good for me, but that I would need
to relax for this to reduce the chances of injury. I was not so keen but obeyed each time she
reminded me to keep my back straight and chin up. ‘You don’t look at the ground when you’re
riding a bike,’ she said.

Apart from ice-skating and bicycle riding, inline skating has similarities with ballet and skiing,
which makes it attractive to a wide range of people. An estimated sixty percent of inline skate
owners use them every week and more than half are recreational skaters. In this country the sport
is regarded as something for the young and as potentially dangerous. Tracy, together with the
National Inline Skating Association, is trying to change this impression, in the first instance by
emphasising the importance of insurance and the wearing of protective clothing in case of
accidents. She would also like to see the sport more widely catered for in sports centres and
health clubs, possibly through the building of indoor skating arenas.

Having been on wheels almost every day of her life since the age of five, Tracy is well-versed in
the virtues of skating and, she claims, she never tires of the sport. ‘It is the feeling of moving, of
gliding, I can’t quite pin it down, but it makes me feel good,’ she says. Like the hundreds who
start skating every week, I now know what she means.

1 How did the writer feel before her inline skating lesson?

A a little nervous

B quite conlident

C very frightened

D extremely excited

2 What was wrong with the skates which the writer bought?

A They were of poor quality

B They were not suitable

C They did not fit her well.

D They didn’t work properly.

3 Why is Tracy writing a set of guidelines?

A to help people who have been injured

B to advise people who are buying skates

C to provide inlormation to sales staff in shops

D to tell her students what to bring to lessons

4. ‘ticking off’ in line 32 means

A checking something

B waiting lor something

C giving sameone a reward

D telling someone they’re wrong

5 What does ‘this’ in line 37 refer to

A simple skating

B repeated instructions

C use of the hands

D avoiding falls

6 Tracy compares skating and cycling in terms of

A the fear people feel at first

B the need to learn how to falI.

C the need to relax to keep balanced

D the correct body position to adopt

7 How would Tracy like to change the idea people have of inline skating7

A by encouraging older people to do it

B by discouraging recreational skating

C by stressing the need for salety

D by forming a national association

8 After the lesson, the writer agrees with Tracy that inline skating

A is easy to learn

B is rather tiring

C is hard to teach

D is very satislying

PART 3

PART 3

You are going to read a magazine article about the Hebrides Islands in Scotland. Seven
sentences have be en removed trom the article. Choose trom the sentences A-H the one
which tits each gap (16-21). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

There is an example at the beginning (O).

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

BRITAIN’S WILDEST PLACE by Jon Orchard Smith

It was just after 5 a.m. and the summer sun was rising over the mountains as the Marguerite
Explorer sailed out of the loch into the calm waters of the sea. I was at the wheel – under the
watchful eye of the captain. A tew of the other dozen passengers and crew were on deck.
clutching mugs of coffee. IpI H tIn the morning light, a dozen dolphins, grey and graceful, were
swimming straight towards us.

The Hebrides, a group of islands off the Scottish coast, offer tourists a diversity of wildlife and
scenery with few equals in the UK. 16 ______ in places it is possible to see such marine animals
from the shore, but to have the best views, you need to be on a boat 17 _____The Marguerite
Explorer was the first boat to offer whale-watching holidays throughout the Hebrides, Under the
command of Christopher Swann, the crew ot the Marguerite have worked with some of the
world’s leading sea-life scientists. They are very knowledgeable guides to the islands.

The Hebridan archipelago stretches nearly 250 miles from top to bottom, covers over a hundred
miles from side to side, and has about 2,500 miles of coastline. 18 _____ This relative lack of
people, together with freedom from pollution, helps to make the Hebrides a haven for rare
flowers and plants. 19 _____ Some of the islands are under threat from mining and throughout
the islands, developments such as fish farms, which are vital to the local economy affect the
environment too.
The Hebrides have their share of problems, but they are unbelievably beautiful. Why then, aren’t
they packed with tourists? While visitors are an increasingly important part of the island
economy, tourism is stil low key compared with some other parts of Britain. The answer may be
that the prevailing Hebridan climate is wet and windy. 20 _____ Another discouraging factor is
the wildlife the tourists least want to see – the insects, especially the mosquitoes. Particularly
between July and September, visitors can expect to be severely bitten. Like 50 many wild places,
the Hebrides can be hard on visitors. 21 _____ And you will feel you will want to return to them,
as I felt when I approached the end of my journey in the Marguerite Explorer.

A There are now a number of companies offering such trips.

B However, only about 40 out ot the hundreds of islands are permanently inhabited.

C This is more than enough to put off the casual guest

D And in the waters around them you can find not only dolphins but whales and the mighty sea
eagle as well.

E But once you’ve watched dolphins leap through the dazzling water around your boat, you’lI
think they are paradise.

F Moreover, the fate ot the islands and their people are bound together.

G Despite being relatively unspoilt, the Hebrides are also facing many pressures.

H Suddenly someone shouted: a splash in the water, half a mile away.

PART 4

You are going to read an article about the artists who draw animated cartoons. For
Questions 22-35, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.
There is an example at the beginning (O)

Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

A Dan Taylor

B Colin Grey

C David Hoxton

D Carl Hughes

Which artist

used to consider drawing was a pastime? 0 A

went abroad to find work? 22

helped an arts school financially? 23

thinks the ability to tell a good story is essential? 24

thinks people who are good at drawing find jobs easily? 25

thinks computers will replace skilled cartoonists? 26

wants to attract adult audiences 27

says some artists are afraid of losing independence? 28

thinks art schools do not teach students basic skilis? 29

runs a course for trainees? 30

says many good cartoon artists work in advertising? 31

will display his work for the public to see? 32

likes being part of a large team? 33

used to do drawings for colleagues? 34

has invested in new equipment? 35

Jobs in cartoon animation

The future seems bright for animators, the artists who can make cartoons come to life. Four
cartoonists give their impressions.

Dan Taylor is delighted that TV shows are now often inhabited by ‘animated’ cartoon characters.

‘On paper the character you create is just a drawing,’ he says, ‘but then you give it movement,
and it becomes a real TV personality.’ Dan passed his art exams when he was at secondary
school, but for many years he treated his drawing as a hobby. He would create images for his
work mates, to be stuck on motorbikes or leather jackets. Eventually, he signed up at the Arts
Institute to start a career as an animator. ‘There is plenty of work around for people who can
draw because cartoon shows can win sizeable audiences around the world,’ he says. Dan would
like to create cartoons that cross the boundary from children’s animation to animated characters
for grown-ups, with issues that interest them. Many of his ideas for future series will be on show
at the annual animation festival in Bradford next September.
As head of animation ol Grant Studios, Colin Grey sees his work load grow day by day. ‘There is
a huge public taste for animation,’ he says, ‘but we still lack skilled artists because the publicity
industry has employed lots of people who are now busy designing ads.’ Recognising the need to
encourage training, Grey has just given some funds to the university for an arts school
qualification in animation. ‘This is a good investment of some of our profits,’ he says. Grey
believes another problem is that many animators are often reluctant to go for jobs in the big
organisations. ‘They fear large-scale projects will take away their freedom of action.’ He says.
He is trying to bring a bit more of the US way of working to bear on his current projects. ‘Of
course production methods have changed since Walt Disney put together his lirst animation.
Now studios can create a character and have it animated in a different country.’

Despite the recent demand for cartoon artists in Europe, David Hoxton found that the only way
to get his ideal job was to leave England and try his luck in the USA. ‘Their way of working is
with large numbers of people working on each series of drawings,’ he says, ‘I ‘d always dreamt
of working in such a way, producing the thousands of drawings necessary to bring characters to
life.’ Hoxton thinks his job requires excellent drawing techniques, something he feels is often
neglected in schools.

‘Colleges of art encourage independent thinking, which is good, but some of them have lost their
way when it comes to teaching the essentials.’ He admits that computers can now do the
translating of a drawing into a moving image, but he is convinced the skilled artist will always be
in demand.

Carl Hughes is the owner and chiel animator of Manton Hall Films, one of the biggest animator
outfits in Europe. In the last three years, he has spent $10m on new machines to compete with
international rivals. The reward has been a string of contracts to animate US shows at its offices
in England. ‘We believe training our staff is very important,’ he says, ‘I offer them a series of
classes within a 12-week intensive programme. After that, they join the teams on particular
shows.’ Hughes believes what he needs most is artists who have artistic potential, not so much
the ability to draw as the ability to develop the plot of a narrative, an interesting plot that will
interest the audience. He knows that many people in the industry are crying out for highly-skilled
animators to get involved in the development of shows, but he thinks the future of all that area of
work lies with computers. ‘Eventually they will do away with the need for artists,’ he says.

ANSWERS

Part 1~It’s up, up and away

1 H: Modern balloons are a lot more sophisticated

2 D: Celebrations are high on the list… Birthdays, anniversaries

3 F: … twelve the maximum number allowed … have to be at least

4 A: You are invited to take an active part.

5 E: Most people are very happy that they have done it

6 B: To get a licence … Then you have to take written exams

7 G: You will need a trailer … You may need … permission

Part 2: Inline Skating

8 A: Correct. The key word s are ‘slight unease’.

8 B: Incorrect. She does not say or imply she was confident.

8 C: Incorrect. She was only slightly uneasy.

8 D: Incorrect. She does not say or imply it.

9 B: Correct. ‘Not good for the sort of skating…’

9 A, C: Incorrect. The quality and fit of the skates are not mentioned.

9 D: Incorrect. The problem with the skates is not that they do not work.

10 C: Correct.’… which she wants to see all retailers use.’

10 A: Incorrect. It is future buyers she is thinking of.

10 B: Incorrect. The guidelines are for retailers to use.

10 D: Incorrect. She does not mention her students.

11 D: Correct. ‘Tick off’ means to reprimand.

11 A: Incorrect. You ‘tick’ items on a list to show they have been checked.

11 B: Incorrect. ‘Tick away’ is used to refer to passing time.

11 C: Incorrect. This is not the meaning of ‘tick off’.

12 C: Correct. Tracy tells her to keep her ‘hands out’.

12 A: Incorrect. Simple skating does not help her break a falI.

12 B: Incorrect. ‘This’ does not refer to how often the instructions are repeated.

12 D: Incorrect. Keeping her hands out will help her break a falI.
13 D: Correct. ‘You don’t look at the ground when you’re riding a bike.’

13 A, B, C: Incorrect. Fear, the need to learn how to fall and the need to relax are all mentioned
but they are not compared to cycling.

14 C: Correct. ‘Wearing protective clothing’.

14 A: Incorrect. Older people are not mentioned.

14 B: Incorrect. The text does not say she disapproves of recreational skating.

14 D: Incorrect. A ‘National Association’ already exists.

15 D: Correct. ‘I know how she feels’ refers to ‘It makes me feel good’.

15 A: Incorrect. This is not what Tracy says.

15 B: Incorrect. Tracy ‘never tires of the sport’.

15 C: Incorrect. Tracy does not say it is hard to teach.

Part 3: Britain’s Wildest Place

16 D: Link between ‘a group of islands’ and ‘the waters around them’. Link between ‘dolphins,
whales …’ and ‘such marine animals’.

17 A: Link between ‘you need to be on a boat’ and ‘companies offering such trips’.

18 B: Link between size of archipelago, ‘stretches nearly …’ and small number of

inhabitants.’However’ indicates the contrast. Link between ‘only … are permanently inhabited’
and ‘This relative lack of people’.

19 G: Link between ‘freedom from pollution’ and ‘Despite being relatively unspoilt’. Link
between ‘facing many pressures’ and ‘Some of the islands are under threat …’.

20 C: Link between ‘climate is wet and windy’ and ‘This is more than enough …’. Link between
‘This is more than enough …’ and ‘Another discouraging factor’.

21 E: Link between ‘… the Hebrides can be hard on visitors’ and ‘But… you’ll think they are
paradise.’

Part 4: Jobs in Cartoon Animation

22 C: ‘the only way to find his ideal job was to leave England …’

23 B: ‘Grey has just given same funds to the university …’

24 D: ‘the ability to develop the plot of a narrative …’

25 A: ‘There is plenty of work around for people who can draw…’

26 D: ‘he thinks the future of all that area of work lies with computers. ‘

27 A: ‘animated characters for grown-ups …’

28 B: ‘They fear large-scale projects will take away their freedom of action.’

29 C: ‘something he feels is often neglected in schools.’

30 D: ‘offer them a series of classes…’

31 B: ‘the publicity industry has employed lots of people …’

32 A: ‘Many of his ideas will be on show…’

33 C: I’d always dreamt of working in such a way …’

34 A: ‘He would create images for his workmates …’

35 D: ‘he has spent $1Om on new machines…’