Level B2

3. READING
Read the texts in which four people describe what they consider to be the worst personality
trait and answer questions 1-7. Write A-D in the boxes.

Annoying
personalities
A. Linda
My daughter used to be so bad-tempered when she was a teenager; she was so difficult to live with. One day she
would be on top of the world and the next miserable. If you ask me, bad-tempered people are awful to be around;
they make everyone else feel anxious and create a bad atmosphere. It was a real problem for us as a family. What
saved us was the fact that we sat down and talked about the cause of her bad mood. It was only by doing this that we
discovered she had problems at school. She just couldn’t deal with the deadlines and exam pressure. Instead of talking
about it, she kept her feelings inside. Thankfully, after that, things improved. We also had a chat with her teacher and
she managed to get an extension on her coursework.

B. Fred
What really annoys me is when a person is big-headed. Many people are more than happy to bore others with non-
stop stories of how good they are at something or how good-looking or handsome they think they are. Then again,
I suppose I’m being unfair; people usually behave this way because they feel insecure and they’re just trying to feel
better about themselves. Perhaps I should try putting myself in their shoes. After all, I remember a similar situation
with my brother. When we were growing up, he had no confidence. He was very short and skinny for his age, and
tended to make up for this by talking about how fantastic he was all the time.

C. Steve
I’ve worked for various charities over the last 20 years, and while there are generous people out there, it seems to me
people are getting more and more self-centred. I remember when I first started in this industry, people seemed more
aware of the needs of others and were more willing to help. Unfortunately, that’s a thing of the past and the donations
we receive are decreasing each year. I know things are more difficult these days with high unemployment, but it seems
to me that young people today only ever think about themselves.

D. Sophie
What bothers me is when people don’t do what they say or promise they will do. For instance, whenever I make
plans to meet up with a particular friend of mine, she is either late because she’s lost track of time or doesn’t show
up because she has forgotten that we are meeting. All her friends complain about it, but she doesn’t seem to have the
ability to change. I know that she doesn’t do it on purpose, but it can be annoying. If she weren’t a good friend, I would
definitely stop hanging out with her, but it’s just who she is, so I do my best to ignore it most of the time. I know that
she will always be there for me no matter what, and she always gives me good advice. Nobody’s perfect, right?
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 Level B2

Which person
1. believes some people act in a specific way so as to hide certain feelings?
2. thinks a particular generation is less kind?
3. talks about the impact a specific behaviour had on family members?
4. does not like the fact that some people are unreliable?
5. makes a comparison with someone he or she knows well?
6. talks about how he/she dealt with a problem?
7. tries to put up with a negative trait?

SCORE 14

4. LISTENING
You are going to hear five different people talking about sports. Match the speakers with the statements
A-H. Use each letter only once. There are three extra letters which you do not need to use.

A. Sports help you become a better leader.

B. Sports help you cope when you are under a lot of pressure.
Speaker 1 C. Participation in sports may decrease risky behaviour in teenagers.
Speaker 2
D. Doing sports is good for both the body and the mind.
Speaker 3
E. Engaging in sports is a good way to make new friends and acquaintances.
Speaker 4
Speaker 5 F. Participation in sports helps to develop your character.
G. Sports can result in the development of negative qualities.
H. Sports can help to build a strong team spirit.

SCORE 10

TOTAL SCORE 90

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