The Harlow Community Garden opened in 2019 on land that had been a car park for more than thirty years. Volunteers removed the tarmac by hand over two summers, and the first vegetables were harvested in 2021. Today about 60 families rent small plots, while a larger shared area grows food for a local primary school.
According to the text, when were the first vegetables harvested?
In 2021 The text says it directly: “the first vegetables were harvested in 2021.” 2019 is when the garden opened, and the tarmac took two more summers to remove, so nothing could be harvested in the opening year.
Entry to the museum’s permanent galleries is free, but you need a ticket for temporary exhibitions. Members can book exhibition tickets up to four weeks in advance; everyone else can book up to two weeks ahead. Children under 12 go free to all exhibitions but must still have a ticket.
Which statement is correct, according to the text?
People who aren’t members can book exhibition tickets two weeks ahead. “Everyone else can book up to two weeks ahead” means non-members can book two weeks in advance. The other options either contradict the text or add something it doesn’t say.
Researchers studying common swifts fitted 40 birds with tiny data loggers, each weighing less than a gram. When the birds returned the following spring, the team recovered 26 of the loggers. The data showed that some swifts had stayed in the air for ten months without landing once.
How many data loggers did the researchers recover?
26 The text says “the team recovered 26 of the loggers.” 40 is how many were fitted, and 10 is the number of months in the air.
Most of the town’s electricity now comes from an offshore wind farm that opened in 2022. Before that, the town relied mainly on a coal-fired power station, which shut down the same year.
Statement: The coal-fired power station closed in 2022.
Does the statement agree with the information in the text? Choose True, False or Not Given.
True “Shut down the same year” refers back to 2022, the year the wind farm opened. So the statement agrees with the text: True.
In January, the library extended its opening hours. It now opens at 8 am on weekdays, an hour earlier than before, and stays open until 8 pm. The changes were made after a survey of library users.
Statement: More people have visited the library since the opening hours changed.
Does the statement agree with the information in the text? Choose True, False or Not Given.
Not Given The text tells you the new hours and why they changed, but nothing about how many people visit now. With no information either way, the answer is Not Given.
Unlike most beetles, this species cannot fly. Its hard wing cases are fused together, so it walks from one food source to the next, sometimes covering several hundred metres in a night.
Statement: The beetle flies short distances between food sources.
Does the statement agree with the information in the text? Choose True, False or Not Given.
False The text says the beetle “cannot fly” and “walks from one food source to the next”. The statement says it flies, which contradicts the text, so the answer is False.
Critics often claim that a four-day working week reduces output. The evidence so far suggests otherwise: in most trials, companies reported that productivity stayed the same or rose. Even so, I doubt the model suits every sector. Hospitals and care homes cannot simply close for a day.
Statement: The writer believes a four-day week would work in every industry.
Does the statement agree with the writer’s views? Choose Yes, No or Not Given.
No The writer says “I doubt the model suits every sector” and gives hospitals as an example. That disagrees with the statement, so the answer is No.
City planners too often treat cycle lanes as an afterthought. In my view, that is a mistake: a well-designed network is one of the cheapest ways to cut traffic. Whether it would also improve air quality in this city is something the current data cannot tell us.
Statement: The writer thinks cycle lanes are a low-cost way to reduce traffic.
Does the statement agree with the writer’s views? Choose Yes, No or Not Given.
Yes “In my view… a well-designed network is one of the cheapest ways to cut traffic.” “Cheapest” matches “low-cost” and “cut” matches “reduce”, so the writer agrees: Yes.
For centuries, sailors found their way by the stars. On clear nights they measured the angle between a particular star and the horizon, which told them how far north or south they were. Cloudy skies, however, could leave a ship guessing for days.
Which is the best heading for this paragraph?
How sailors used the night sky to find their position Most of the paragraph explains how sailors used stars to work out where they were. Clouds are mentioned only as a limit at the end, so a heading about the night sky and position covers the whole paragraph.
Cities are often several degrees warmer than the countryside around them. Dark roofs and roads absorb sunlight during the day and release the heat slowly at night. At the same time, fewer trees means less shade and less cooling from evaporation.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
Why cities are warmer than the surrounding countryside The first sentence states the main point, that cities are warmer, and the next two sentences give reasons. So the paragraph is about why cities are warmer than the countryside.
Not everyone is convinced. A 2021 review found that the benefits of the reading programme were smaller than first reported, and two later studies found no effect at all.
What is the main purpose of this paragraph?
To present evidence that questions earlier claims “Not everyone is convinced” signals doubt, and the paragraph then gives evidence that the benefits were smaller than reported or absent. Its job is to challenge the earlier claims.
STAFF CAR PARK
From 1 March, all staff must display a valid parking permit. Permits are free, but must be renewed every 12 months through the HR portal. Vehicles without a permit may be clamped.
What must staff do every year?
Renew their permit through the HR portal The notice says permits “must be renewed every 12 months through the HR portal”. Every 12 months means every year.
WEEKEND RECEPTIONIST WANTED
Saturdays 9 am-5 pm and Sundays 10 am-4 pm. Previous hotel experience is useful but not essential, as full training is given. Applicants must be able to work at least one bank holiday a year.
Which of these is a requirement for the job?
Being able to work at least one bank holiday a year “Applicants must be able to work at least one bank holiday a year.” The word “must” makes this a requirement. Experience is described as “not essential”.
SICKNESS ABSENCE
If you’re ill and can’t come to work, phone your line manager before 9.30 am on your first day of absence. For absences of up to seven calendar days, you don’t need a doctor’s note. Instead, complete a self-certification form when you return.
You’re off sick for four days. According to the handbook, what paperwork do you need?
A self-certification form when you return Four days is within “up to seven calendar days”, so no doctor’s note is needed. Instead you “complete a self-certification form when you return”.
The new policy was intended to curb spending, but costs continued to rise for another two years.
Which word is closest in meaning to “curb” in this sentence?
limit To curb something is to control or limit it. The sentence contrasts the aim (limiting spending) with what happened (costs kept rising), which only works if “curb” means limit.
The results of the first trial were inconclusive, so the team decided to repeat the experiment with a larger group.
What does “inconclusive” mean here?
Not giving a clear answer “Inconclusive” means not leading to a firm conclusion. That explains why the team repeated the experiment: the first results didn’t settle the question.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence.
“Tourism has ______ a significant contribution to the region’s economy over the past decade.”
made In English we say “make a contribution”. It’s a fixed word partnership (a collocation), so “has made a significant contribution” is correct.
Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence.
“If the council ______ the bridge earlier, the floods wouldn’t have caused so much damage.”
had repaired This is a third conditional, about an imagined past. The pattern is “if + had + past participle”, then “would have + past participle”. So “had repaired” is correct.
Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence.
“The number of students applying to study abroad ______ risen sharply since 2015.”
has The subject is “the number”, which is singular, so the verb is “has”. “Since 2015” also tells you to use the present perfect: “has risen”.
Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence.
“Sales of electric cars ______ by 15% between 2020 and 2023.”
rose “Rise” is an irregular verb (rise, rose, risen) and doesn’t take an object. For a finished period in the past, “between 2020 and 2023”, the past simple “rose” is right.
United Kingdom · English test