Учебно-тренировочные тесты (олимпиадные) по английскому языку 10,11 классы.

1. LISTENING

Listen to six people saying. Match ideas A–G to the speakers by writing their numbers.

A The speaker failed to inform the hotel of the date of the arrival. _________________

B The speaker observed similar national traditions in different countries. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_________________

C The only problem for the speaker during the trip was the language. _________________

D The speaker combined science with adventure during the trip. _________________

E The speaker was disappointed in the trip. _________________

F The speaker had the most enjoyable impression of the trip. _________________

G The speaker’s knowledge of the subject let him down. _________________

Read the text and match the titles A-H to the texts 1-7. There is one extra title.

1. At this progressive school, administrators don’t believe in giving grades, preschoolers perform operas and teachers are called by their first names. As such, it’s been a destination for artistic kids since 1965. For the privileged children of stars in this learning environment, freedom of thought is important. “Most children are very creative,” says head of the high school. Seniors design their own timetable based on theatrical likes.

2. It’s a small bistro with wooden tables and comfortable leather sofas. There is also a garden in the back with a large covered patio. Being there feels like being in a country house. We shared the mixed berries and cream. The blueberries were fresh and the cream was delicious and rich, but the strawberries were overripe. Overall rating is two out of five.

3. Don’t question your own authority – just make sure that you exercise it. No one is going to give you a green light. You have to assume the position and then people will listen. You may not be committed to the cause, but it is your duty to initiate it.

4. It wasn’t the best of weeks. The weather was hot, the children were in post-holiday mode, test-marking piles were mounting, reports, a class assembly was approaching, and I was being filmed for a TV programme about schools.

5. London is not the only city in the UK producing tomorrow’s stars. Those in search of talent outside the capital need look no further than New Designers, an annual showcase of British art college graduates, which is held in London’s Islington each summer, drawing crowds of private buyers as well as retailers, architects, interior designers and manufacturers.

6. Built by King Leopold at the turn of the 20^th Century, this imposing villa has been recently restored to its past glory. A former Belgian embassy, it offers a rich history and elegance. It has views of the sea and mountains. A large terrace and heated swimming pool offer space for entertaining and enjoying the views. The villa features 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and an impressive marble shower and steam rooms. The price is 4,900,000 euro.

7. The house was built in the 1950s. I doubled the size of it when I moved in. the kitchen was more of a family kitchen, so I extended it. I also built a new bedroom and another room above the garage. I’ve lived here for about seven years. It was a little too traditional for my taste. I worked with an architect and a few interior designers, too – I change my style a lot.

A. Property Advertisement

B. Diary of a Teacher

C. Memories of a pupil

D. Talent Search

E. Description of a place

F. Horoscope

G. School for the privileged

H. Cafeteria Review

Text 2

Read the text and match the right variant.

It started with shepherd’s pie 30 years ago and now ready-made meals have transformed the nation’s eating habits. Britons spent J1.9 billion on ready-made meals last year, twice as much as the French and Germans, four times as much as the Italians and six times as much as the Spanish. Nearly one in three British adults eats a ready-made meal more then once a week. Demand for instant meals increased by 29 per cent between 1998 and 2002 across Europe as a whole but in Britain it increased by 44 per cent.

Britain became the European capital of ready0made meals, second only in the world to America. Some claim that the reason for it is an excuse “Can’t cook, won’t cook”. However, others consider it to be a case of culture. Regular cooking has disappeared first in the US and then in Britain. In France, Germany, Spain

Convenience is definitely part of the attraction. A recent survey found that 77 per cent of buyers said they only bought ready meals when they did not have time to cook.

Dr Susan Jebb, head of nutrition at the Medical Research Council, said: “People in the UK work the longest hours, we are very time-poor, and we don’t have a strong cultural history of cooking.”

The ready-made meal boom also reflects changing social trends in Britain. More people live alone and so are less likely to cook. And with families eating apart more often, ready-made meals allow people to eat what they want when they want. Besides, people are becoming much more demanding as there’s pressure on time.

But ready-made meals also reflect changing tastes in food. Britain’s multiculturalism has brought a wider range of restaurants than other European counties, ethnic cuisines, which people are often scared of cooking, are far more popular. One quarter of chilled meals are Indian, and nearly one in five is Chinese. Traditional British food accounts 18 per cent of sales.

“We’ve always had more Chinese and Indian takeaways and more ethnic restaurants”, says a consultant nutritionist.

Supermarkets have responded by offering a wider range. “As increasing numbers of British people travel to the Far East and regularly eat out at oriental restaurants, customers are now looking for authentic Eastern foods they can enjoy at home”.

The quality of ready-made meals has become better since the 1970s. however, Dr Jebb says: “Ready-made meals tend to be higher in fat, sugar and salt than the meals we would cook at home. Fat is cheap and it adds flavour. Most of the salt we eat is added by manufacturers – people like it.” But it is not necessarily bad. People can choose healthy options, or have ready-made salads. There is a whole generation that has been brought up with ready meals. They haven’t grown up with cooking, they have neither the ability nor the desire to cook and rhat is alarming.

If we cook, we are interested in life. For many of us, cooking is a way to guarantee a long and healthy life, but there are three ways to make it possible. The first is to drink a lot of water, the second is to walk a lot and the third is to cook.

According to the article, the British people:

1. Buy less than 30 years ago

2. Buy less than other Europeans

3. Buy the same as the French and Germans

4. Buy more ready-made meals than other Europeans

The reason for buying ready-made meals is:

1. The US influence

2. Lack of time

3. Laziness

4. Tradition

According to the article, the reason for changing tastes in food is:

1. Ethnic diversity in Britain

2. Lack of cultural history of cooking

3. The influence of the supermarkets

4. Eating out

The most popular ready-made meal is:

1. Ethnic food

2. Indian food

3. British food

4. Chinese food

Ready-made meals are:

1. Of poor quality

2. As good as home-made

3. Bad for people

4. Varied

The growing popularity of ready meals:

1. Makes food cheaper

2. Is a natural process

3. Leads to longer life

4. Spoilt a whole generation

The advice given in the article is:

1. To eat ready made salads

2. To start cooking

3. To be healthy and happy

4. To follow three rules to have a long and healthy life

Task I

Read the text. Make the word formation from the words given in bold.

Task II

Read the text. Complete 1–7 with A, B, C or D

Mrs Garstin was a hard, cruel, managing and ambitious woman. Coming to Hong Kong on her marriage, she found it hard to reconcile herself to the fact that her social position was 1 ______ by her husband’s occupation.

Of course everyone was very kind, and for two or three months they went out to parties almost every night, but she understood quickly that as the wife of a bacteriologist she was of no particular consequence.

“It’s too absurd,” she told her husband. “There’s hardly anyone here that one would bother about for five minutes at home”.

“It is rather funny when you think of all the people who used to come to our house at home that here we should be 2 ______ like dirt,” she said, laughing in 3 ______ that what she said might not seem snobbish.

She was the daughter of a solicitor in Liverpool, and Bernard Garstin had met her there. He had seemed then a young man of 4 ______ and her father said he would go far, but he hadn’t.

He was painstaking, industrious and capable, but he had not the will to advance himself. Mrs Garstin despised him. But she recognized that she could only achieve success through him, and she set herself to drive him on the way she desired to go.

She discovered that if she wanted him to do something which his sensitiveness revolved against she had only to give him no peace and eventually, exhausted, he would give 5 ______.

Still he made no headway as a leader. But he 6 ______ any disappointment he may have felt, and if he reproached his wife it was in his heart.

His daughters had never looked upon him as anything but a source of income; and now, understanding that through his 7 ______ money was less plentiful, the indifference they had felt for him was tinged with contempt.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

IV. Writing

Write the middle paragraph of this story.

It was eight o’clock in the evening. It was dark and rainy outdoors. I was sitting in my room when suddenly something terrible happened.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

When my parents came to the police station to pick me up, I was fine and already laughing about it, but it was quite scary at the time.

(180-250 words)

П

9 класс

Раздел I.

Аудирование

Вы услышите беседу двух молодых людей о приготовлении к праздно­ванию дня рождения. Прослушайте текст дважды.. В заданиях 1-7 обведите букву a, b или с, соответ­ствующую правильному ответу.

1. When is Phil's birthday?

1. on the 14th of June

2. on the 13th of June

3. on the 12th of June

2. When is the party going to be?

1. on Friday

2. on Saturday

3. on Sunday

3. Where is the party going to take place?

1. at a restaurant

2. at Phil's house

c) at his cousin's house

4. What clothing are the guests supposed to wear to the party?

1. Indian costume

2. fancy dress to their liking

3. official clothes

5. What kind of music are they going to have at the party?

1. played by a disk jockey

2. live

3. tape-recorded

6. What kind of birthday cake is Phil going to have?

1. in the shape of a guitar

2. decorated with an ice-cream motorcycle

3. in the shape of a motorcycle

7. What time will Lisa arrive?

1. at 7.30

2. at 8.00

3. at 8.30

Раздел II.

Чтение

Прочитайте тексты (0-5) и установите их соот­ветствие рубрикам A-G. Каждая рубрика соответству­ет только одному тексту, при этом одна из них лиш­няя. После выполнения задания занесите свои ответы в таблицу, как показано в примере 0.

A. Asking for 0. The first ever inhabitants are
Medical Advice believed to be hunters of the Old Stone

B. Joke' Age who came from the Continent and

C. Sport they were followed by new waves of

D. Cooking immigrants.

E. History

F. TV Programme 1. Mash two ripe avocados, pitted and

G. Fairy-tail put in a bowl. Add one diced tomato and

two tablespoons fresh limejuice and l/4 teaspoon oregano.

1. Wimbledon champion Coran Iva­nisevic also crashed out, losing to Albert Costa ranked 40^th. It was Ivanisevic's fourth loss to the unseeded Spaniard.

2. Once upon a time, very long ago, there lived a Shoemaker and his good wife. He was well-known in his land, for he could make the finest shoes. People

also liked the Shoemaker as he was always very attentive and kind-hearted.

1. I've got bulimia, but no one — not even my husband — knows. I've been unable to control my eating for years and now I'm getting too depressed. I hate myself. What can I do?

2. 10:00. The fashion show. Robert Malker is a guest of the program, he will talk about his style in clothing.

10:30. Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. It's a beautiful love story of an actress and bookkeeper.

11:50. MTV news. The latest video of George Michael. You will be the first to see it as well as the top ten of the week.

Раздел III.

Грамматика и лексика.

Прочитайте текст и решите, который из предложен­ных четырех вариантов для каждого пропуска соответ­ствует правильному ответу. Выполнив задание, занеси­те свои ответы в таблицу, как показано в примере.

Charlie 0 a small boy. He 1 in a great town. There

2 six people in his family, but only Charlie's father, Mr.

Bucket 3 a job. He 4 enough money 5 food

for the whole family. So, they 6 hungry from morning

till night and Charlie 7_ it worst of all. But there is one

thing which he 8_____'more than anything else in the world. It

is chocolate.

Charlie can 9 chocolate only once a year, on his birthday.

The family 10 a little money for that day. And Charlie

knows that when the great day 11 , he 12 with a

small chocolate bar which he 13 for the whole year. The

little boy hopes that if he 14 a lot of money one day, he

15 to buy chocolate for the whole family.

1. a. -is b. are с were - d. am

2. a. live b. lives с is lived d. has lived

3. a. are b. is having с was d. have been

4. a. have b. is с was d. has

5. a. don't have b. doesn't have с didn't have d. haven't got

6. a. to buy b. buy c. buys d. buying

7. a. was b. be с are d. is

8. a. feel b. feels с felt d. was feeling

9. a. wants b. want с is wanted d. have wanted

10. a. to taste b. tastes- с tasted d. taste

11. a. saves b. is saved с was saved d. was saving

12. a. came b. will come с come d. comes

13. a. presented b. are presented с will be d. is presented

presented

1. a. has been b. have been с dreams of d. is dreaming dreaming of dreaming of

2. a. will have b. has c. have d. had

3. a. will be able b. shall be able с is able d. can

Раздел IV.

Письмо.

Поздравь своего друга из Канады по имени Bill Clapton c Рождеством.

Напиши, как ты собираешься отмечать Новый Год и Рождество- это твои любимые праздники. Не забудь написать ему о своих заслугах в школе и планах на зимние каникулы. Он живет в Ontario, Канада,в доме 41 по улице Steelcase Roal West. Его почтовый код: 10007-7807

Объем написания: 30 слов

Аудирование (текст).

Lisa. Hello':'

Phil. Hi,Lisa, it's Phil... How are you doing?

Lisa. Phil! I'm fine, thanks... What's up?

Phil. Well, you know how it's my birthday on Friday the 12th of June.... I've decided to have a party ... on the Saturday of course. Will you be able to come⁹

Lisa. So that's the 13th of June ... yeah, sure, I'll come ... Is it going to be at your place or are we going out?

Phil. Actually, my house is too small, so I'm going to have the party at my cousin Paul's house. It's just around the corner on Church Street.

Lisa. Well, tell me the address then.

Phil. Of course, it's Church Street... oh and another thing... it's going to be a fancy-dress party.

Lisa. Really? You mean we have to wear a costume? That's great! It's going to have a theme or can we dress up any way we want⁹

Phil. Actually, I wanted it to have a theme... It would be great if all of us were dressed up as Indians or something ... But then my cousin said it would be boring... So, yes, you can dress up any way you want.

Lisa. Wow, we're going to have a great time! And what about the music? Are you going to have a DJ or a band — you know, live music⁹

Phil. Do you remember the DJ I had last year?

Lisa. Oh, yeah, her...

Phil. Well, everybody loved the music she played. So, I've asked her to come. She's going to play all the latest hits and some classic Rock songs, too ...

Lisa. Great ... And what about your birthday cake? I remember last year it was in the shape of a guitar...

Phil. Well, this year I'm going to have an ice cream cake in the shape of a motorcycle ... Now, isn't that wild or what?

Lisa, (laughs) You're always full of surprises ... I've got to see it to believe it ... Hey! You didn't tell me what time the party starts.

Phil. I've arranged it for eight o'clock. How does that sound⁹

Lisa. Umm, OK ... I guess ... I've got volleyball practice until seven thirty, so I'll be there at about half past eight ... Don't cut the cake until I get there, OK⁹

Phil, (laughs) OK, OK, we'll wait for you , don't worry...

Ключи:

Аудирование:

1-е

2-b

3-e

4-b

5-a

6-c

7-c

Чтение:

1-D

2-C

3-G

4-A

5-F

Лексика, грамматика:

1-b

2-a

3-d

4-b

5-a

6-c

7-b

8-a

9-d

10-a

11-d

12-c

13-a

14-b

15-a

Говорение

Вы получите карточку, на которой представлено задание: тематическое монологическое высказывание.

Ответы:

Аудирование

FBGDEA

Чтение

Текст 1

GHFBDAE

Текст 2

4 2 1 2 4 4 4

Лексико-грамматический тест

Задание 1

Задание 2

Задания для 9 класса Английский язык подготовка к ОГЭ ЕГЭ

1. LISTENING

Listen to six people saying. Match ideas A–G to the speakers by writing their numbers.

A The speaker failed to inform the hotel of the date of the arrival. _________________

B The speaker observed similar national traditions in different countries. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_________________

C The only problem for the speaker during the trip was the language. _________________

D The speaker combined science with adventure during the trip. _________________

E The speaker was disappointed in the trip. _________________

F The speaker had the most enjoyable impression of the trip. _________________

G The speaker’s knowledge of the subject let him down. _________________

II. READING

Text 1

Read the text and match the titles A-H to the texts 1-7. There is one extra title.

1. At this progressive school, administrators don’t believe in giving grades, preschoolers perform operas and teachers are called by their first names. As such, it’s been a destination for artistic kids since 1965. For the privileged children of stars in this learning environment, freedom of thought is important. “Most children are very creative,” says head of the high school. Seniors design their own timetable based on theatrical likes.

2. It’s a small bistro with wooden tables and comfortable leather sofas. There is also a garden in the back with a large covered patio. Being there feels like being in a country house. We shared the mixed berries and cream. The blueberries were fresh and the cream was delicious and rich, but the strawberries were overripe. Overall rating is two out of five.

3. Don’t question your own authority – just make sure that you exercise it. No one is going to give you a green light. You have to assume the position and then people will listen. You may not be committed to the cause, but it is your duty to initiate it.

4. It wasn’t the best of weeks. The weather was hot, the children were in post-holiday mode, test-marking piles were mounting, reports, a class assembly was approaching, and I was being filmed for a TV programme about schools.

5. London is not the only city in the UK producing tomorrow’s stars. Those in search of talent outside the capital need look no further than New Designers, an annual showcase of British art college graduates, which is held in London’s Islington each summer, drawing crowds of private buyers as well as retailers, architects, interior designers and manufacturers.

6. Built by King Leopold at the turn of the 20^th Century, this imposing villa has been recently restored to its past glory. A former Belgian embassy, it offers a rich history and elegance. It has views of the sea and mountains. A large terrace and heated swimming pool offer space for entertaining and enjoying the views. The villa features 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and an impressive marble shower and steam rooms. The price is 4,900,000 euro.

7. The house was built in the 1950s. I doubled the size of it when I moved in. the kitchen was more of a family kitchen, so I extended it. I also built a new bedroom and another room above the garage. I’ve lived here for about seven years. It was a little too traditional for my taste. I worked with an architect and a few interior designers, too – I change my style a lot.

A. Property Advertisement

B. Diary of a Teacher

C. Memories of a pupil

D. Talent Search

E. Description of a place

F. Horoscope

G. School for the privileged

H. Cafeteria Review

Text 2

Read the text and match the right variant.

It started with shepherd’s pie 30 years ago and now ready-made meals have transformed the nation’s eating habits. Britons spent J1.9 billion on ready-made meals last year, twice as much as the French and Germans, four times as much as the Italians and six times as much as the Spanish. Nearly one in three British adults eats a ready-made meal more then once a week. Demand for instant meals increased by 29 per cent between 1998 and 2002 across Europe as a whole but in Britain it increased by 44 per cent.

Britain became the European capital of ready0made meals, second only in the world to America. Some claim that the reason for it is an excuse “Can’t cook, won’t cook”. However, others consider it to be a case of culture. Regular cooking has disappeared first in the US and then in Britain. In France, Germany, Spain

Convenience is definitely part of the attraction. A recent survey found that 77 per cent of buyers said they only bought ready meals when they did not have time to cook.

Dr Susan Jebb, head of nutrition at the Medical Research Council, said: “People in the UK work the longest hours, we are very time-poor, and we don’t have a strong cultural history of cooking.”

The ready-made meal boom also reflects changing social trends in Britain. More people live alone and so are less likely to cook. And with families eating apart more often, ready-made meals allow people to eat what they want when they want. Besides, people are becoming much more demanding as there’s pressure on time.

But ready-made meals also reflect changing tastes in food. Britain’s multiculturalism has brought a wider range of restaurants than other European counties, ethnic cuisines, which people are often scared of cooking, are far more popular. One quarter of chilled meals are Indian, and nearly one in five is Chinese. Traditional British food accounts 18 per cent of sales.

“We’ve always had more Chinese and Indian takeaways and more ethnic restaurants”, says a consultant nutritionist.

Supermarkets have responded by offering a wider range. “As increasing numbers of British people travel to the Far East and regularly eat out at oriental restaurants, customers are now looking for authentic Eastern foods they can enjoy at home”.

The quality of ready-made meals has become better since the 1970s. however, Dr Jebb says: “Ready-made meals tend to be higher in fat, sugar and salt than the meals we would cook at home. Fat is cheap and it adds flavour. Most of the salt we eat is added by manufacturers – people like it.” But it is not necessarily bad. People can choose healthy options, or have ready-made salads. There is a whole generation that has been brought up with ready meals. They haven’t grown up with cooking, they have neither the ability nor the desire to cook and rhat is alarming.

If we cook, we are interested in life. For many of us, cooking is a way to guarantee a long and healthy life, but there are three ways to make it possible. The first is to drink a lot of water, the second is to walk a lot and the third is to cook.

According to the article, the British people:

1. Buy less than 30 years ago

2. Buy less than other Europeans

3. Buy the same as the French and Germans

4. Buy more ready-made meals than other Europeans

The reason for buying ready-made meals is:

1. The US influence

2. Lack of time

3. Laziness

4. Tradition

According to the article, the reason for changing tastes in food is:

1. Ethnic diversity in Britain

2. Lack of cultural history of cooking

3. The influence of the supermarkets

4. Eating out

The most popular ready-made meal is:

1. Ethnic food

2. Indian food

3. British food

4. Chinese food

Ready-made meals are:

1. Of poor quality

2. As good as home-made

3. Bad for people

4. Varied

The growing popularity of ready meals:

1. Makes food cheaper

2. Is a natural process

3. Leads to longer life

4. Spoilt a whole generation

The advice given in the article is:

1. To eat ready made salads

2. To start cooking

3. To be healthy and happy

4. To follow three rules to have a long and healthy life

USE of ENGLISH

Task I

Read the text. Make the word formation from the words given in bold.

Task II

Read the text. Complete 1–7 with A, B, C or D

Mrs Garstin was a hard, cruel, managing and ambitious woman. Coming to Hong Kong on her marriage, she found it hard to reconcile herself to the fact that her social position was 1 ______ by her husband’s occupation.

Of course everyone was very kind, and for two or three months they went out to parties almost every night, but she understood quickly that as the wife of a bacteriologist she was of no particular consequence.

“It’s too absurd,” she told her husband. “There’s hardly anyone here that one would bother about for five minutes at home”.

“It is rather funny when you think of all the people who used to come to our house at home that here we should be 2 ______ like dirt,” she said, laughing in 3 ______ that what she said might not seem snobbish.

She was the daughter of a solicitor in Liverpool, and Bernard Garstin had met her there. He had seemed then a young man of 4 ______ and her father said he would go far, but he hadn’t.

He was painstaking, industrious and capable, but he had not the will to advance himself. Mrs Garstin despised him. But she recognized that she could only achieve success through him, and she set herself to drive him on the way she desired to go.

She discovered that if she wanted him to do something which his sensitiveness revolved against she had only to give him no peace and eventually, exhausted, he would give 5 ______.

Still he made no headway as a leader. But he 6 ______ any disappointment he may have felt, and if he reproached his wife it was in his heart.

His daughters had never looked upon him as anything but a source of income; and now, understanding that through his 7 ______ money was less plentiful, the indifference they had felt for him was tinged with contempt.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

IV. Writing

Write the middle paragraph of this story.

It was eight o’clock in the evening. It was dark and rainy outdoors. I was sitting in my room when suddenly something terrible happened.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

When my parents came to the police station to pick me up, I was fine and already laughing about it, but it was quite scary at the time.

(180-250 words)

Speaker 1.

The airport just began international flights to Seattle this year. We benefited from rather cheap air fares, excellent service and great Chinese food. Upon arrival, we went through customs very quickly. The best customs experience we’ve ever had. Fortunately, we met up with a taxi driver that understood some English. However, very few speak English so the trouble here is to find the way to communicate with your driver.

Speaker 2.

One of the unexpected delights while in Athens was to go to the Greek Parliament and see the Changing of the Guards. The guards change every hour, similar to the Royal Guards in London, but with Greek costumes and with Greek Traditions. This is such a “tourist” activity. I cannot believe that I, too, fell into the typical trap. I am aware that the Greek people are a proud people, proud of their past, proud of these classical monuments. Thus, I see Greece, especially in the city of Athens, as a nation that lives partly in the ancient and partly in the twenty-first century.

Speaker 3.

I recently spent a month in Florence at an Italian school. Having learnt some phrases before leaving Australia, I entered with confidence. But soon I realized that all conversation, instructions and classroom directions were in Italian. “Total immersion”, they said. “Drowning”, I thought. An hour later I found myself in the front desk of what could be called the “linguistically challenged” group, and a quick survey amongst my multi-national classmates revealed that we had common knowledge of about four words.

Speaker 4.

I had just finished graduate school, and had flown to Oxford, England to present the results of my research at a conference. Adventurous yet broke from years of student living; I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of travelling at other people’s expense. I planned to stay a few extra days in the country. Given my love of the outdoors and the fact that I was broke, I decided to spend two days backpacking a section of the River Thames.

Speaker 5.

I went on a trip to take a close look at the Northern Lights thinking that I could use it as my subject for my coursework and actually do some first person research. Our first night there was very nearly an utter disaster. My mum’s worst nightmares were appearing to come true – all day the sky had been overcast, which would clearly prevent us from seeing the lights. We left the hotel and walked around the town hoping the cloud would clear away.

Speaker 6.

It was about 11 pm when we landed and once we had come through customs it was well after midnight. I’d done the well-organised thing and booked our accommodation ahead but I hadn’t been able to let them know when we were arriving as I had run out of time before we left home and couldn’t get internet access at the airport… this was not so good but we managed to run into another couple who had been on the flight with us and were staying at our hostel. So somehow we all managed to get a taxi there safe and sound…