Multilevel Reading Test

Reading Passage

Read the text carefully before answering the questions

Fatou, the World's Oldest Gorilla

Fatou, the world's oldest gorilla, has just celebrated her 68th birthday at the Berlin Zoo. She is a Western Lowland gorilla, a species native to parts of Central Africa and classified as critically endangered due to habitat loss.

Fatou arrived at the zoo when she was about two years old and has lived there for 66 years. In the wild, gorillas usually live only 30 to 40 years, so her age is remarkable. Despite her age, Fatou is doing well.

She has stiff joints and can't fully straighten her arms or legs due to arthrosis, a common condition in elderly gorillas, but she's still in good spirits. Her movements are slower and a bit hunched, but she doesn't need much medical care.

Zoo veterinarians help her by adjusting her diet since she no longer has teeth. She eats cooked vegetables and gets fruit as a treat. Fatou is watched closely by the staff to make sure she stays healthy. She may be older, but she's still strong and beloved at the zoo.

Student Clubs and Organizations

A. Commonwealth Trust

Organised discussion meetings, learned talks, cultural events, excursions to places of interest and invitations to major British diary events. Open to overseas visitors and students.

B. Charles Peguy Centre

French youth centre providing advice, support and information to young Europeans aged between 18-30. Facilities include an information and advice service regarding education, work placement and general welfare rights. Moreover, the centre holds a database of jobs, accommodation and au pair placements specifically in London. Members may use a fax machine, a copier and computers for CVs.

Hours: Monday 14:00-17:00, Tuesday-Friday 10:00-17:00

Membership: £35 per year, plus £5 per month.

C. Kensington Committee of Friendship

KCOF is the society for young people from all countries. Each month there are some 40 parties, discos, visits to theatres, concerts, walks and other gatherings where you will be able to meet lots of people. A new programme is sent each month directly to members (£5 to join in October, less later in the year). Events are free or at low, often reduced prices.

D. Royal Overseas League

Open 365 days per year, this is a club with facilities in London and Edinburgh with restaurants, bars and accommodation. There are branches around the world and 57 reciprocal clubs world-wide. Quarterly magazine, literary lectures, annual music and art competitions, and summer and winter programme of events for members.

E. YMCA London Central

Facilities include pottery, language courses, badminton, squash, exercise to music, circuit training, sports clinic, fitness testing and other activities. Hours: weekdays 07:00-22:30, weekends 10:00-21:00.

F. London Inter-Varsity Club

IVC is an activities and social club with a varied range of events, from cycling and drama to windsurfing and yoga. Most members are young English professionals, but overseas visitors are welcome. The club arranges restaurant meals, dancing and parties, weekends away around Britain, plus a weekly club night in a Covent Garden bar.

G. Central Club

Provides accommodation and club facilities. No membership fee. Coffee shop open for all meals, swimming pool (open 06:00), multi-gym, hairdressing salon.

A Global Staple - Rice

Paragraph I - More than food

Over the centuries, rice has become a part of the traditions of many cultures. In some societies, it is traditional to throw a handful of rice on newlywed couples, symbolizing the wish for a large family and prosperity. In India, rice is traditionally the first food that bride offers her new husband.

Paragraph II - Simple to prepare

The basic recipe for cooking rice is easy. First you need to bring 2 cups of water to boil. When the water is boiling, add 1 cup of rice. Cover the pot. As soon as the water boils again, reduce the heat. Let the rice cook for 15 to 20 minutes. It's now possible to buy rice cooking machines that cook perfect rice every time.

Paragraph III - Synonymous to food

Rice is the primary source of nutrition for more than half of the world's population. Countries as different as Japan, India, Nigeria and Mexico use rice in their national cuisine. In Chinese, the word for rice is the same as the word for food. And in Thailand, when you call your family to a meal, you say "eat rice."

Paragraph IV - Good for everyone

Many people consider rice to be one of the healthiest of possible food choices. It has no sodium or cholesterol, and almost no fat. One half cup of rice has approximately 100 calories, and those calories are rich in important vitamins and minerals. Many athletes eat rice because as a carbohydrate it is a great source of energy.

Paragraph V - Once local, now global

Archeologists believe that rice has been grown as a source of food for at least 4000 years. It was first grown in China, and then introduced to India. Over the centuries the practice of growing rice has spread literally across the globe. Today rice is grown in Peru, Egypt, and even the United States, but over 90% of the world's rice is still grown in Asian countries.

Paragraph VI - One product, many dishes

One of the amazing things about rice is how adaptable it is. It is an essential ingredient in cuisines all around the world. The Japanese combine sticky rice with raw fish to create numerous varieties of sushi. Mexican rice, flavored with cumin and tomatoes, is a colorful side dish. Every country in West Africa has its own version of a regional rice dish called jollof.

Valentine's Day

There are many theories regarding the origins of Valentine's Day. A possible origin of Valentine's Day dates back to an ancient Roman festival called 'Lupercalia'. It was, among other things, a young couples' festival. The customs of the Lupercalia continued during the Middle Ages.

Another explanation for the origin of Valentine's Day, which seems to be the most popular one, dates back to third-century Rome. At that time, Rome was involved in many bloody wars. The Roman emperor Claudius had great difficulty in getting men to join the army. He assumed that the reason why Roman men weren't joining the army was because they did not want to leave their wives and families behind. Claudius, therefore, decided not to allow any more marriages.

A great number of people thought this new law was cruel and refused to obey it, so they went to a man called Valentine who performed secret marriage ceremonies. When the authorities found out what Valentine had been doing, they arrested him and condemned him to death.

While he was waiting for his sentence to be carried out, many young people went to the prison. They would throw flowers with notes up to his window telling him that they agreed with him about the importance of love. One of these young people was the daughter of a prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit Valentine in his cell, and they would sit and talk for hours. She kept his spirits up by telling him that he had done the right thing by ignoring the emperor's orders. On the day he died, 14 February AD 269, Valentine wrote a note to the girl thanking her for her love and support and signed it 'Love from your Valentine'. This started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day.

There are many traditions and stories related to Valentine's Day. Birds are often used as symbols of Valentine's Day. Doves, for example, are symbols of loyalty and love because they mate for life. It used to be thought that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man but she would be happy; if she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

Community Recycling Program

In Greenvale, a town of 25,000 residents, the municipal government launched a curbside recycling initiative eighteen months ago to reduce landfill waste and promote environmental stewardship. Households receive color-coded bins—blue for paper and cardboard, green for glass and metal, and yellow for plastics—on the first Monday of each month.

To boost participation, the town holds quarterly "Recycling 101" workshops at the community center. A public dashboard on the town website displays monthly recycling rates, weight diverted from landfills, and estimated carbon-emission reductions, fostering friendly competition among neighborhoods. The Northside district consistently tops the leaderboard with a 72 percent diversion rate, while the Riverbend area recently improved from 40 percent to 58 percent after deploying block-captains who remind neighbors of collection days.

Schools and businesses also join the effort. All elementary schools host "Zero-Waste Fridays," where students audit their lunch-room waste and vote on improvements. Local cafés offer discounts to customers who bring reusable mugs and containers, tracked via a digital loyalty card. Partnerships with nearby manufacturers enable certain clean plastics to be processed into composite lumber and playground equipment.

Overall, Greenvale's program has collected over 1,200 tonnes of recyclables in its first year, reduced landfill-bound trash by 30 percent, and cut an estimated 450 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents. By combining convenience, education, transparency, and local partnerships, the town has built a sustainable recycling culture that engages citizens of all ages.